Money Made Human Podcast

Getting feedback used to make my chest tighten. I'd spend so much energy trying to live a life where I'd never have to hear that I let someone down or disappointed them. The problem? That's impossible. You will inevitably get feedback as a coach and as a business owner. So you need to get good at it. Not just operationally, but emotionally. This episode walks through the three minds...

The state of things right now isn't exactly predictable. Costs are up, people feel cautious about spending, and there's this underlying tension around money that's hard to ignore. If you're working full time and thinking about becoming a financial coach this year, or if you're already coaching and trying to figure out how to navigate 2026 without burning out, this episode...

Your clients’ budgets absorbed increases they never saw coming this year. A healthcare premium that jumped several hundred dollars per month. Utility bills up $50 at peak usage. Return-to-office mandates that added childcare costs, gas expenses, and convenience spending they didn't budget for. Buy now, pay later options at grocery checkouts, not just for wants but for food. When your clients...

After almost two decades of watching clients struggle with traditional budgeting advice, one pattern became impossible to ignore: the advice itself was creating the problem. Track every dollar. Cut spending wherever possible. Follow this exact plan. The advice was restrictive, rigid, and built on the assumption that everyone should manage money the same way. No wonder people felt like failures whe...

You've got a client who's ready to work with you—they've paid for their first session and now you're feeling those pre-session nerves. Sound familiar? In this episode, we talk about what's really going on in your client's mind when they show up for that first paid session (hint: they're probably more nervous than you are). I share the exact structure I use to mak...

A client is tearing up about their debt in your first session together. You're feeling good about the progress you're making. Then weeks later, when you use the MeaningFirst Method™ to explore what getting out of debt would mean to them, they say something you didn’t expect: "Even if I were debt free, I'd still be worried about my income. I wouldn't feel much different.&qu...

What if the way you're asking clients about their goals is actually making it harder for them to follow through? Most coaches ask what their client wants to accomplish, get an answer like "I want to get out of debt" or "I want to save more," and then move straight into strategy. Goal identified, check. Time to build the plan. But here's what's missing: connection...

Knowing what to say in a coaching session is one thing. Knowing when to say it, how to pace it, and what to listen for underneath the words… that's where real coaching happens. In this episode, we’re walking you through a coaching session breakdown, pulling back the curtain on the decisions made in real time during last week’s The Client Seat episode. You'll hear what Kelsa was tracking,...

Welcome to our first Client Seat episode, because even coaches need coaches. Mary Ann Stenquist teaches people how to break the shop-regret-shame cycle.  She's a spending coach who helps ambitious women align their spending with their values instead of their impulses. She knows money. She teaches it. She coaches on it. And she's stuck. For four years, Mary Ann has been caught in a cycle:...

You've identified the problem. You understand the instinct gap. Now it's time to fix it. In the first two episodes of this series, we talked about why financial content isn't creating change and introduced the conative mind, the missing piece that explains why people don't take action even when they know what to do. We showed you how your natural way of taking action as a finan...

You've given your clients the tools. You've shared the knowledge. They say they understand. They even seem motivated. But then nothing changes. This is the knowing-doing disconnect, and in this episode, we're showing you why it happens. In part one of this series, we talked about how more financial content exists than ever before, yet people are more financially stressed than ever....

Financial content is everywhere. Personal finance is the second most talked about topic on the internet. And yet, people are more stressed about money than ever before. American household debt sits at an all-time high of $18.4 trillion and the personal savings rate hit 1.4% in July 2025, the lowest in history. Something isn't working. You've seen it with your own clients: they nod along,...

You didn't start your coaching business to become a marketing expert. But marketing is how you get visible and attract the right clients. Without it, even talented coaches struggle to fill their practice and create the impact they want. The good news? Boosting your marketing doesn't require a complete overhaul or endless hours. With focused adjustments to what you're already doing,...

Financial coaching isn't about giving better advice. Most of your clients already know they should spend less than they earn. They know they need an emergency fund. They've heard the standard recommendations before. So why aren't they making progress? The gap isn't information. It's follow-through. And follow-through doesn't come from another spreadsheet or a clearer...

People will tell you they want financial literacy. They'll say they need to understand their numbers better, get organized, learn the right steps. And those things matter, of course they do.  But here's what I've learned after almost two decades of doing this work: knowledge isn't the problem anymore.  We're drowning in financial education. Books, podcasts, TikToks, workpl...

Most coaches struggle to talk about their work in a way that makes people want to invest. They know they're getting clients results, but when it comes to marketing, something feels off. They're not sure if they should talk about financial coaching or focus on what actually happens for their clients. This struggle is costing coaches clients every single day. For over 10 years, I fully emb...

“Should I add tax prep to my coaching business? What about investment management or insurance?” I hear this question from coaches all the time, especially when they're looking to grow their revenue. You see other financial professionals offering multiple services and it makes sense—more services should mean more income, right? Here's what I've learned after working with hundreds of...

First things first, friends: Imposter syndrome is not a thought: “I am an imposter” or a feeling: “I feel like a fake.” It’s a circumstance. And if we want to overcome it, we need to understand it…which means clearly identifying it for what it is, which removes SOME of imposter syndrome’s power. Think of imposter syndrome as the monster behind your closet door: you sit there, covers pulled up to y...

You hang up from that Q&A call thinking you really connected with that person. They'd be so great to work with. You know you can help them. The conversation went great. And then it's crickets. They didn't give you an answer on the call. They said they'd think about it and get back to you. But then that person ghosted you or just fell off the face of the planet. Does this so...

We've been watching talented, capable financial coaches hold themselves back from doing their best work, and it has nothing to do with skills or caring. They'll create a freebie but never really put it out there. Someone asks about their coaching, but they don't follow up. They get invited to present at a workshop but decide “now's not the right time.” It's not that they d...

There's a question that keeps coming up from coaches, and honestly, it's one that can make or break your business if you get the timing wrong. Should you start a group coaching program or membership? The appeal is obvious—leverage your time, help more people, bring in more revenue for your time. What's not to love, right? But there's a reason why some coaches launch group progr...

There's something missing in your coaching business, and it's probably not what you think. You've got the big stuff figured out—your coaching skills, your programs, maybe even your marketing. But there are four smaller things that many coaches overlook, and without them, something always feels a little off. These four missing pieces might seem small on the surface. You might even wo...

Philip Taylor started FinCon because he was tired of talking to his spouse about business ideas that didn't quite land. He needed someone to really riff off of, someone who understood the mission. His first WordPress conference back in 2004 validated him as an entrepreneur in a way he didn't expect. The relationships he formed there? He still relies on some of them today. Philip gets rea...

When Debbie White says coaches don't need to be louder or slicker to stand out, she means something that might feel backwards at first. After spending 20 years launching brands like Starbucks and building multiple seven-figure businesses, she's watched too many coaches try to sound like marketers instead of humans. The problem? People buy from people, not from polished marketing speak. A...

If you’re trying to do everything for your clients, you’re doing them a disservice. Yep, I said it. As financial coaches, we don’t know everything there is to know about finances, and that’s okay. We’re focused on our niche and expertise and while there’s nothing wrong with learning and growing with our clients, there comes a time when referring them to another professional is the best next step....