Something that exists between the numbers and spreadsheets.
Most of us feel overwhelmed about our money situation because there was no “Money 101” class offered in school. We never learned about tracking expenses, let alone why we feel stressed and anxious when large financial decisions are in front of us. This idea that we somehow missed out on the big “money education” can get in the way of us feeling like we can take control of our finances.
For some people, there are extra layers of old ideas, beliefs, and emotions around money that make finances a highly sensitive topic.
For others, it’s an always present “scarcity feeling”, despite having enough money in the bank.
I know this feeling well, because I’ve lived it myself. My own money “mis-education” looked like this…
For nearly 22 years, I ran a very successful HR consulting and staffing firm for the biotech industry. I was bringing in multiple six figures consistently. From a cash flow and income standpoint, things were going well.
But despite the fact that I had plenty of money—I was constantly worrying about whether I was going to be okay day-to-day and in the long run.
My heart would skip a beat every time I checked my bank account balance. (I never knew what number I’d see from one day to the next.)
- I felt pummeled when tax time came around. I was never prepared or planning ahead.
- I had difficulty putting a real forward-looking plan together and was timidly investing—terrified I’d lose it all.
- I was able to buy the things I wanted, and it always seemed harmless. Until one day my niece said, “I want to be like Aunt Lauren. She always buys whatever she wants!” (Trust me, I did not like the way this sounded.)
The truth was, I was in debt, not saving properly—and my spending was out of my control.
Money was a big dark cloud of mystery and uncertainty that was constantly hovering over my head.
Even though on the outside, things looked great, the real issue was the unbearable stress I could not shake—despite knowing that I HAD enough money.
One day, after going around in circles about money to my partner (again)—he suggested I talk to someone.
The stress was beginning to take its toll, and so I made the choice to take charge. I begin my own journey with a money coach, and after the very first session, I felt the stress lift off my shoulders.
After several sessions, I started to get organized, gain financial skills, and finally feel confident and secure that I was managing my money well.
My financial life transformed and the stress lifted so quickly, that 22 years after running my HR consulting business, I decided to go all in with money coaching and take an intensive year-long program with the Financial Recovery Institute.
In 2006, after becoming a Certified Financial Recovery Counselor, I closed the doors to my wildly successful first business and leapt into the rewarding, transformational work I love as a money coach.
For over 11 years, I’ve helped individuals, couples, and business owners get confident and take ownership of their financial life.
Schedule your free 30 minute private consultation with me here. Free Consult
“I was able to get out of credit card debt within months of my first session with Lauren. … I am managing my finances much more intelligently and carefully now. I feel much more positive and I no longer panic about money because I’ve learned some excellent tools working with Lauren. ~ Julie, Read more…
Schedule your free 30 minute private consultation with me here. Free Consult
“I was so used to living paycheck to paycheck that I had to learn to slow down and THINK about how I wanted to spend. The money concepts I learned from Lauren really stayed with me, and when I was laid off recently, I did not panic because I knew my money house was in order.” ~ Court Reporter, Read more