I spent this past weekend at a training conference held by Sandi Krakowski in Indianapolis. Seventy-five of us gathered to learn how to better serve those who follow us on the different social media, and who buy our online and offline products.
What does this have to do with a healthy money mindset? And what does this have to do with you? Well, it was actually “All About You.”
I’ve told in my story how, in my early fifties, I went from an international career in marketing consulting … to broke. As devastating as that was, I realized it had nothing to do with how much financial knowledge I had. After all, I have an MBA from the Wharton School of Finance, the preeminent finance school in the country.
No, it obviously had to do with something else. So, as I scaled my lifestyle way back, licked my wounds, and started to reinvent myself, I set off on a search for answers.
I read everything I could about the psychology of money. And about the trouble financial planners have getting their clients to carry through on their plans. I read about fear and about the difficulty people have with change. Making it in the first place. And making it stick.
I started talking to experts and non-experts; psychologists and planners; women who sat beside me in the plane and the cashier at the checkout counter. (Anyone who got within ten feet of me was fair game.) And I did this for over eight years before I was able to put all the pieces together in a simple framework that was easy for others to follow.
I realized that some women do have their act together in terms of shepherding their money and being ready to fund the rest of their lives. (I talked to those women so I could understand how that happened.)
But the majority of women are missing at least one of the three key pieces that make up a healthy money mindset. And that’s enough to keep them from thriving.
Either they can’t bring themselves to deal with the physical side of money: the side that includes writing down, in black and white, exactly what money is flowing in and flowing out; exactly what liabilities are outstanding, such as a mortgage or credit card debt; and exactly what their net worth is. (And, remember, net worth has absolutely nothing to do with self worth, a really common misunderstanding.)
Or else they’re making money decisions they know are not good for their financial well-being. But they don’t know why they do so, almost as if they’re functioning on auto-pilot. That’s the emotional side of money, that is, the emotional baggage they carry that is so easy to clear.
Or, lastly, they have no real clear vision of what they want their lives to mean, in the long run. No real purpose. Many have passed the age where raising their children is their major focus. They’re entering a new phase of their life yet have never updated their dreams and desires. And with no driving purpose to facilitate, money lacks a reason to grow.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Now, back to the training conference. As I talked to different people about what I was creating, I had nothing but enthusiastic support. Everyone resonated with the importance of the topic and encouraged me to launch my online program as quickly as possible.
Here’s where you come in, to help me target my program at precisely what’s important to you:
- Can you tell me where you think you’re feeling resistance in taking control of your finances and doing what’s necessary to be safely on your way to financial security?
- What do you think derails you from staying on track?
- What’s the most important thing I could help you strengthen or resolve that would lead you to the financial peace of mind you so desire?
Please comment on this post, if you’re comfortable doing so. Or else, I welcome your comments directly to my email at MoneyOnOurMind@gmail.com, where I can assure you confidentiality.
I look forward to taking you on the journey that has brought me so much financial peace. It’s a wonderful place to be.