One October afternoon in 2019, I started the Discovery Call on Zoom with a couple that was curious about financial coaching.
As soon as I turned on the video, Leslie and Charles popped up and…
I knew.
It was clear to me that Leslie wanted to work with a financial coach,
as she was the one who organized the call and appeared enthusiastic.
Charles, on the other hand, did not want to be there.
Though the tension in the air was thick, Charles soon appeared to be open to listening.
Gently, I began asking questions to see what kind of financial problems they were having to see if I could help.
See-their financial problems weren’t just impacting their bank account, they were impacting their marriage.
As a young couple, they were just 31 at the time, with one child, they felt frustrated because they didn’t know how to “turn the ship around.” They felt broke. Many times they had to reach out to their parents to borrow money to float them to the next paycheck.
As you can imagine, the discussions about finances would turn frequently into fights.
Finances were straining their marriage and their family.
But very quickly, like a doctor diagnosing strep throat, I could easily determine that they were simply living beyond their means.
Let me share some of the details–
They had an annual take home income of $58,000.
They owed about $21,000 in debt, plus their mortgage.
But that $21,000 felt astronomical to them because of the way they were managing their money.
I specifically recall when they asked me directly, “Is there any hope for us?”
(That question hit hard.)
Cue me wanting to jump through the screen and give them a HUGE hug and let them know this is totally fixable!
YES! There is hope!
So after this call, they let me know that they wanted financial coaching, and that they were willing to do what it took to start winning financially.
Like many couples, they were committed, but also very concerned about how much they would need to cut.
So we worked together on a realistic written budget that set limits to spending in different categories (like fun money, lunch, etc.) Then they began tracking their expenses, which brought a lot of awareness to their spending.
With tracking and budgeting, and having the accountability of our coaching calls, they found success very soon. They stayed on track, and began paying down debt instead of adding to it.
Guess what else happened? The fights about money disappeared.
They were on the same team, working together with a plan.
Then the story gets even better because Leslie became pregnant with their second child!
They were so excited, but also a bit nervous about how they could afford to take maternity and paternity leave, since they did not have that benefit with their jobs.
So we came up with a plan, and they saved enough money for Leslie to take off 8 weeks for maternity leave and a few weeks for Charles, along with additional funds to pay for new baby expenses.
After the baby was born, and Leslie went back to work, they focused on paying debt again. In April of 2021, just 18 months after we began working together, they became Debt-Free, except for their mortgage.
In just a year and a half, they paid off ALL their debt, cash-flowed pregnancy expenses, maternity leave, paternity leave, 2 vacations, 2 holiday seasons, birthdays and more!
What’s better?
They did not ask their parents for money once!
They truly did not have to dramatically curb their lifestyle, they just needed to remove some of the obstacles that were standing in their way.
Working with clients like Charles and Leslie has given my life so much purpose. The work we did together will change their lives forever. For that I am so grateful!
In January, I will be opening up 3 coaching sessions. If you would like to see if this could be a good fit for you and your family, let’s have a quick chat. This time next year, you could be in a radically different place financially.
There is always hope, no matter where you are starting!
