Meet Your New Coach

If only there were a magic switch that flipped when people turned 18, 21, 22, heck even 25 that magically transferred the knowledge of how to manage money! Most schools don't teach budgeting, most parents don't talk about money...where are folks supposed to learn this?!

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I got lucky with parents who DID talk about money. And then in college, I realize how uncommon that is. So...I became a financial coach to help people figure all this out! I started using zero-based budgeting in 2018, and finally became an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC®) in 2025. I've helped over a hundred people start feeling more confident about their money and start saving *and* spending according to their goals and values.

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My favorite people to work with are couples with variable income. Why? Because trying to use a standard "income minus expenses" budget with variable income is like trying to fight a Black Dragon with a party of characters at level 3 (nerd alert). It's theoretically possible if you're lucky and do everything right, but...it's a huge challenge. Zero-based budgeting asks you to only focus on the money you have NOW, and how you can make that last until you get paid again.

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Why do I like working with couples? Because there's enough stuff in the world to stress our relationships...money doesn't have to be one of those things. If the two of you can get on the same page, imagine all the facets of your life where conversations will be easier! Vacation planning? You're already on the same page about cost, so...plan away! Kids? You've got a plan made, so you can clearly see tradeoffs for childcare costs, camp or activity costs, or college savings. Buying a house? So easy to see how much we can afford based on our budget. Personal spending? It's built into the budget, so we have no need to harp on each other about purchases!

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A little about me and my coaching style?

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I don't take things too seriously. I like bringing some fun to the conversation, especially when it's about a serious topic like money. Yes, there is definitely a time and place to be serious, but I don't think a single meeting has ended without chuckling at least once.

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I'm a big ole nerd about budgets and also general fantasy/sci fi/books/games etc. (hence the D&D reference earlier). My husband and I play a ton of video games and board games--we've been playing video games with a friend from college since 2012 and host a board game night at our house every Thursday where we usually have 4-8 (record is 17!! which was insane) people show up to play all sorts of games! We've gotten our daughter into games as well and often play board or video games together as a family. I love going for walks with my pitty Pikel though they've slowed down now that he's 12. I also teach viola lessons and proofread board games, so there's always something going on!!