I LOVE featuring other women business owners on my blog, especially women in the finance industry. But today’s guest is EXTRA special, because she’s my business bestie! Michelle and I met through badass investment advisor and financial planner, Catherine Arnet-Valega, whom I’ve featured before. We hit it off INSTANTLY, bonding over our shared passion for serving women business owners in a fun, supportive, shame-free way. We actually send voice memos to each other almost every day, checking in about what’s going on, supporting each other when we are thisclose to giving up on ourselves. Michelle was actually my “sponsor” when I needed someone to get me out of my workaholism phase (newsflash: still in it). I had to text her every hour to make sure I wasn’t working (although most of it was me begging her to let me work just for a few minutes).
But onto what she DOES and what she can do for you, if you’re needing extra help beyond just bookkeeping. Michelle is a Financial Coach and founder of Wallet Therapy, a virtual financial coaching business. Michelle loves helping individuals, families, and small business owners learn to confidently manage their money and establish long-term healthy relationships with money. She uses her many years of experience supporting her clients with establishing a budget, debt payoff strategies, money mindset, credit repair, and understanding their numbers. She is very passionate about helping others reduce their money stress and learn more about themselves in the process.
And here’s what Michelle has to say:
“I truly enjoy helping my clients change their mindset around money. As we all know, money can bring up a variety of different emotions for each of us. When I often discuss budgeting with my clients, they tend to feel negative emotions. Some express feeling restricted, held back, not able to live life to their fullest, being told no, and must go without.
“In all honesty, I used to feel similar, for me having a budget was restrictive. The keywords are “used to.” Let me explain. After going through my own financial journey, I now call my budget my YES PLAN. My budget allows me to have the things I want and need with a sense of support and safety. For example, I love new experiences with my children and family, so when planning for a vacation, I check my budget aka YES PLAN to ensure that I can experience my vacation to the fullest without the stress of being behind on bills or not having enough for activities. My YES PLAN provides my financial picture and helps me make any adjustments needed to move forward and reach my lifestyle goals.
“There is no more running full speed ahead blindly with the hopes that everything will just work itself out. Because let’s be honest here, unexpected life events are going to happen, and how I handle those events now provides so much peace of mind. I like to use the analogy of learning how to ride a bike and falling down with knee pads vs with without them. Now I have the support of my YES Plan to help me create and live the life I want with my children.
“If you feel like you can’t get ahead, feel stuck, or have negative emotions whenever you think about money, it may be time to do some research and look within. Your relationship is a lifelong journey and yours to nurture. I love helping my clients find their own paths and establish their own healthy money relationships. Trust me, we’ve all been there, I am always open to chat. 
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You can email Michelle at michelle@wallettherapy.net.