You’re a woman who is accomplishing so much in her life but you know something is missing. You are ready to increase and grow your money. You feel overwhelmed trying to learn all of the stock market terminologies and software. You’re beginning to resent your job, responsibilities, and life because you know that there must be more!

Hey, I’ve been there, too, and I’ve come out on the other side

In 2006, I graduated with an engineering degree and with A LOT of debt. My student loans were almost $60,000 by the time I graduated at the young age of 22. By the time I was 23 (just a year out of college), I racked up over $20,000 worth of consumer debt. I was young, I wanted to live life! I bought a new car, took up ballroom dancing, and of course, I needed new furniture for my fancy new apartment. I knew nothing about building credit and creating wealth.

After seeing my credit score of 598, my debt statements in a pile, and the ridiculous minimum amount payments, I knew I had to change my habits…I had to change myself! It was time that I learned about money and the best way to pay off my debts and make my money grow. I knew then that I didn’t want to just work to pay bills, I wanted to work so I could live life, have a family, and buy a house!

It wasn’t until I received my MBA in Finance in 2008 that I started getting some knowledge about money. (By the way, my employer at the time paid for my MBA so that was my first step to getting debt free.) With my MBA paid for, it was time to start cleaning up my financial mess.

I was so excited to start cleaning my financial mess! I created a plan, I was following that plan, and everything was smooth sailing…

Untill...

In 2014, I was laid off from my high-paying engineering job. I was devastated! I felt numb, embarrassed, and like I have failed. I was with that engineering firm for 8 years. It was my first REAL job after college. It was one of those situations where I thought it could never happen to me, but it did.

The thought of having no income left me having panic attacks. It was in the ER after a major panic attack that I knew something in my life had to change.

I was so focused on following my plan that I never created a backup plan. My ENTIRE plan was based on having income from that 1 job. My life and livelihood were completely dependent on having one job. When my job laid me off, my financial life was done.

I realized it was time to be financially independent.

It was time to pivot my financial plan, not panic. When I decided to pivot my plan to be more independent, everything changed. My health improved. My relationships with friends and family got better. I was finally able to breathe, sleep, and focus on what is important to me.

I sat down and created a list of all of my options. I scrolled the internet endlessly, day after day, week after week, trying to figure out. Slowly but surely, I began to work my new plan and started to see a major change in my financial situation. It started to get better!

There I was with no job, but I created a plan that maximized my money by using what I had. I was out of work for over a year until I found another job. Not because I couldn’t find a job but because I was WAITING for the job right for me.

I maximized my money so I could WAIT for the job that I really wanted. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t sitting watching TV all day. I filled my day by volunteering to teach personal finance classes and sharing my story with others in similar situations.

So what happened next?...

After the total money transformation I’d been through, word had spread that I was the go-to person to talk to about financial changes. Every month I was getting calls and emails from women who were in such a similar place to where I had been.

After six months of seeing the incredible progress of the women I was coaching, I decided I should really give this coaching thing a try. Now, several amazing client testimonials later, I’m a Certified Financial Educational Instructor and am loving every minute of it!

Today, I get to help amazing women find their path to financial independence and face any life change that may come their way. I love my work as a wealth coach, and every day I’m thankful for the opportunities I have to make a real difference in my clients’ lives.