I am the founder of Financial Coach Seth Connell, LLC and a J.D. graduate of Regent University School of Law. In December 2018, I founded my coaching practice and I joined the Ramsey Preferred Coach program in February 2019. I absolutely love what I do. There are few things that give me as much satisfaction as helping people win with their money.
My Financial Story
Years before “Financial Coach Seth Connell” was on my mind, I was a typical undergraduate student and took out some loans to help pay for school. Thankfully, my parents helped me out a bit, but I still had about $15,500 of student loan debt.
After finishing undergrad, I bought The Total Money Makeover and began to apply its principles to my monthly spending habits. My wife Olivia and I got married in May of 2017. We paid for all wedding expenses without any debt. It was difficult, but certainly a relief.
With our combined incomes, we could have done more to pay off debt, but we didn’t initially. Then in September, an unfortunate crash destroyed my car and we financed a replacement. We put down a fairly large down payment but had another $10,000 to pay off. We figured we’d do it very quickly and it would all be okay.
Well, life had a curveball coming our way. In November 2017 I was laid off from my job and we lost nearly 2/3 of our household income. I was underemployed for the next six months.
The irony of this was that we become more intense in our efforts to pay off our debt. We made payments totaling $1,200 to $1,500 each month. We paid the car off in December. From December to June, we paid off the remaining balance of $11,000 of my student loans even during my underemployment.
When we hit that button to pay the balance, a load just lifted off our shoulders. We felt true financial freedom in that moment. And we’ve never looked back.
What I learned is that debt does not have to be a way of life. Things can be better, and we are blessed to have found this counter-cultural lifestyle.
Now as a financial coach, I share that blessing with my clients and absolutely love empowering them to walk the path to prosperity and generosity.
My Professional Background
I grew up on Long Island, New York in a lower-middle-class family. It was me, my mom and dad, and a few mischievous cats. In 2012 I graduated from Smithtown Christian High School and then went to Regent University for my undergraduate degree.
I graduated from Regent in May 2016 with a B.A. in the Study of Government and a minor in History. While in school, I served as student government president for nearly two years and competed in undergraduate appellate advocacy for three years, with two trips to the national tournaments.
I started my financial coaching practice in December 2018 to help people win with their money. A majority of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and this just breaks my heart. I offer a service that will help people of all ages, backgrounds, and incomes to build wealth and have financial freedom.
In 2019, I started the Juris Doctor program at Regent University School of Law. We went into the program with the radical goal of completing it without student loans. It was a very difficult time, and we were sometimes unsure of how we would do it.
But, by hard work and Divine Providence, we made it happen.
In May 2022, I graduated Cum Laude without any student loan debt. This is a testament to the power of the program I teach. For me, it’s not just theory, but very real.
I am on a mission to share this freedom with as many people as I can, particularly young professionals and their families. I am excited to connect with you and help you achieve financial freedom!
Disclaimer: None of Financial Coach Seth Connell’s services constitute legal, accounting, investment, or estate planning advice. I am not a certified public accountant, investment advisor, or certified financial planner. My services constitute teaching practical financial habits and assisting in changing how clients manage their money. In my coaching practice, I do not make official recommendations for investment options, write estate plans, process real estate transactions, or file tax returns. If you need such services, I will refer you to the appropriate professional in my network.
