This Virginia Beach financial coaching client of mine had an incredible transformation in their personal finances after just six months. I’m so proud of them and am excited for what their future holds!
Van and Angela are a classic American family who, on the outside, were living the American Dream. Van is a Navy veteran who now works in defense, and Angela works in technology sales. They have three bright kids and live in a beautiful home in Virginia Beach. Everything was looking great, but beneath that façade was a difficult financial reality.
You see, they’ve both made good money, but there was no direction and agreement on how to handle what they had. Over the past decade, they have been in and out of debt several times, every time promising they wouldn’t go back to bad habits, only to find themselves there again a year later. After several cycles of this, things began to come to a breaking point.
Angela reached out to me in late 2019 asking about how I might be able to help them. As a local Virginia beach financial coach, I listened to their situation and began to develop in my mind how exactly I would guide them.
A major part of the problem was that they did not agree on how to handle their money. Angela is the “nerd” of the relationship, and Van is the “free spirit.” Angela wanted to look at the numbers and develop a plan to get out of debt for good, but Van was not yet on board with that because he liked to be more easy-going in his habits. Angela saw the numbers, but there was no vision that made sense of those numbers or brought them to life.
After a while, they both agreed to start financial coaching with me, and we have worked over a six-month period. The transformation has been nothing less than astounding.
In our first coaching session, we reviewed where everything stood, and found that not counting their house, they owed about $93,000 in credit cards, personal loans, car debt, and medical bills. We identified action steps for them to start, and they began to take my recommendations to heart.
At first, it was a bit slow going, but by our third financial coaching session, they were both in complete agreement about handling their money together of one heart and one mind.
Previously, Van was the spender and the free spirit, but as we progressed through the coaching process, Angela would tell me that Van was making the budget without her even asking, and was tracking their transactions himself to make sure they were on track. Because we developed a vision for their household, they both saw each other’s sides of the situation and filled in their respective gaps.
The stress and anxiety that we discussed at the beginning of our coaching relationship were gradually replaced with peace and joy. Even through the COVID economic uncertainty, these two continued to work hard toward their goal, and some extra earning opportunities have propelled them forward in incredible ways over these months.
In one of our sessions, I asked them, “What would you be doing right now during this COVID shutdown if not for my guidance?” Their answer was, “We would be arguing about buying a new $30,000 car.” Talk about a radical difference!
Because they are now on the same page and are working towards their goals together, these two are on track to pay off that $93,000 in under one year. The key for them was to live intentionally and to work with each other towards a common objective. It wasn’t about the numbers, it was about the vision.
Thanks to my guidance, this family tree is forever changed. It is an honor to serve as a financial coach in Virginia Beach and I can’t wait to serve your family as well.
Their results can be yours too. Set up your free Discovery Session today to see how I can help you achieve your dreams. Want to talk with me first? Set up a call on my Calendly page!
