Numbers can be Empowering or Overwhelming
My job is to make them Empowering
Many of my clients can be put in one of two buckets:
1 - The “I’ve tried to do this for ages on my own and I just keep getting stuck/overwhelmed/frustrated/off course” bucket
OR
2 - The “I’ve never even tried because numbers and math feel so overwhelming to me” bucket
There is no moral superiority to either bucket. They both are honest places to be starting from and, quite frankly, very understandable places to be. Very few of us are taught about money in ways that are productive or helpful, either from a personal or business finance perspective. Many of us, especially women and those who consider themselves in creative fields, have been told and tell ourselves that we’re not good at math and therefore can’t be good with money. The financial and banking industries have historically benefitted from consumers being in the dark and therefore haven’t tried to make things easier. There are direct and ripple effects from systemic racism, sexism, and classism that mean that some folks are at an extreme advantage and some are at an extreme disadvantage.
All of that is true and I still firmly believe that everyone can gain confidence with making financial decisions. No one is inherently “bad with money”. Every business owner or nonprofit Executive Director can learn the skills and facts they need to make critical financial decisions for their organization. Every individual can learn the skills and facts they need to make income, spending, saving, and investing decisions that enable them to work towards their goals. Sometimes the answer might be, “that isn’t possible yet or on the timeline you want”. Sometimes the answer is “that isn’t possible at all”, but questions can and should be asked and answered because otherwise we are flying blind and anytime we do that we are much more likely to crash.
That’s where I come in. Or rather, that’s why my profession exists. I work with folks to first identify their goals, then determine which challenges (whether emotionally based or numbers based, or both!) are creating roadblocks, and, finally, create projections, toolkits, and plans for how to work through the challenges. Basically, I help you look at the numbers in a way that feels empowering and not overwhelming. I structure the numbers so that they tell a story that is actionable and manageable. I narrow in on what inputs impact the goals and work so that we don’t waste our time on things that simply distract us.
This might look like:
Projecting out expenses and income over the next year to create a savings plan for a business runway
Analyzing inventory and sales trends to create buying and pricing plans that maximize highly profitable sales
Creating a debt elimination plan that minimizes emotional stress and interest payments
Determining account and bookkeeping systems that enable you to minimize work time related to your administrative tasks while keeping on top of your financial realities
If you’re interested in becoming a client - and I hope you are! - I have several spots opening up this month and several more opening up next month and I’d love to help you reach your financial goals! To learn more about my coaching services and pricing go here. To schedule a free consultation call with me go here and to chat via email, shoot me a message at caroline@verdiadvising.com. I can’t wait to help you find the joy and empowerment in the numbers!
As always, I’m rooting for you.
XOXO,
P.S. Curious how people feel about working with me? Here’s a recent testimonial from one client:
Working with Caroline was exactly what I was looking for: Someone who understood my financial needs & goals - and was willing to take into account my own values and perspectives on money - to help me build solutions that worked for me and my family. With Caroline, I felt like I could be honest and open around a touchy subject and could confide in her without judgment. After several sessions with Caroline, I'm feeling much more in control of my financial system, set up to head out on mat leave, and have a good sense of what my budget will look like over the course of the next few years. I have not hesitated to recommend Caroline to others and am planning to work with her again if I'm coming across another next big life stage change. Thank you so much, Caroline!
- Emma