How My Road to Credentialing Can Lead Your Transformation

The difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it could be just one conversation away.

Dear Friend,

You are probably reading this because you've been thinking about getting help with your finances. You might be drowning in debt, struggling to save, or just feeling overwhelmed by all the conflicting advice out there. You've probably wondered if hiring a financial coach is worth it, or if you could just figure it out on your own with a few budgeting apps and YouTube videos.

I get it. I really do. And I want to share something with you that might help you make this decision – something I learned the hard way over twenty five years of working with people to improve their financial situations.

My Journey from Good Intentions to Something More

Back in my 20’s I thought I had all the answers. Fresh out of graduate school with a master’s in social work, I was passionate about helping people get out of poverty and stay out of poverty. I believed wholeheartedly that if you just gave hardworking families the right tools and information, they could achieve financial stability and create a more secure future.

My first “real” job was teaching newly arrived refugees how to start small businesses in the United States. I created detailed lessons on cash flow, marketing plans, and tax filing. I was thorough, well prepared, and put all my energy into my lessons. The result? In two years, only two people successfully started businesses from my classes.

But here's the kicker – my business classes filled every session. It was later that I was told by a former student why I didn’t have any business starts. “Kimberly, people come to your class so that they can practice their English. Your class doesn’t have a waitlist like the ESL classes do.” My students weren't there to learn about business; they needed to practice speaking English so that they could establish their lives in America. They knew what they actually needed, but I was so focused on my job tasks that I missed the point entirely.

That failure taught me something crucial: having good information or even the best intentions isn't enough. You need to deliberately pay attention to understand what's really going on beneath the surface of people’s lives.

When I Started Getting Real Results

After that humbling experience, I moved on and started a new job. In this role I created a program for refugees that focused on providing matched-savings accounts along with practical money management in America – how to save, understanding FDIC insurance, building credit to achieve their version of the American dream. This time, I spent more time listening to my clients and the lives that they were building here in their new homeland.

The results were dramatically different. Over five years, 350 participants saved money in their designated accounts and collectively created $2 million in wealth through home purchases, higher education, reliable transportation, and yes, even some successful small business starts.

I was finally making a real difference, and later after hanging out my consultant shingle, I decided to make sure I was doing it right. I earned my Accredited Financial Counselor® credential through the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE®). I mastered the technical side – budgeting, saving strategies, investment basics, debt management. I could teach anyone the mechanics of money management.

But something was still missing.

The Frustrating Gap I Couldn't Bridge

Over the years, I kept meeting people who would learn everything I taught them. They'd nod along, take notes, and genuinely understand the concepts. They knew the mechanics of how to create a budget, how to prioritize savings, how to pay down debt strategically. But when they left my workshops, nothing changed in their actual lives.

They'd come back later with the same financial struggles, the same patterns, the same frustrations. It was heartbreaking – for them and for me. If we're talking about all the ways to improve your financial situation, why weren't things actually changing for the better?

I was stumped. And honestly, I was starting to question whether I was really helping people at all.

The Missing Piece That Changed Everything

After more than fifteen years in the field I discovered coaching and ultimately found the International Coaching Federation (ICF), where I have now attained the level of Associate Certified Coach. In all those years of perfecting my ability to teach financial concepts, I wondered if learning to coach people through their financial challenges could make the difference I'd been searching for.

It absolutely has.

Coaching training required me to get to know my clients on a completely different level. Instead of focusing primarily on what they should do with their money, I learned to explore their "why." Why did they want to become more financially stable? Why did they choose that particular financial goal? What was really motivating them to change?

This shift was revolutionary. Suddenly, I wasn't just giving people information – I was helping them uncover their own motivations, identify their personal obstacles, and create accountability systems that actually worked for their unique situations.

What My Professional Training Actually Means for You

Here's what I learned that I want you to know: there's a massive difference between someone who's read a lot about money and someone who's been professionally trained to help people change their financial behaviors.

When I went through professional coach training, I didn't just learn techniques – I learned how to help people get into the driver's seat of their own financial journey. I learned how to listen for what you're not saying, how to help you identify the emotional and psychological barriers that keep you stuck, and how to support you in creating sustainable changes that actually stick.

The structured training gave me tools I never would have developed on my own, even after years of experience. I had expert instructors who had already made every mistake I might make, and a peer group of other professionals who could challenge my thinking and hold me accountable for my own growth.

Most importantly, I learned that professionalism in this field isn't just about having the right credentials – it's about committing to ethical conduct, ongoing education, and putting my clients’ needs first, not my ego or my assumptions about what you should want.

Why This Matters for Your Decision

When you're considering working with a financial coach, you're not just buying their time – you're investing in their expertise, their training, and their commitment to professional standards. There's a world of difference between getting advice from someone who means well and working with someone who has been rigorously trained to help people like you create lasting financial change.

A credentialed financial coach isn't going to assume they know what you need. They're going to help you figure out what you actually need, why you want it, and how to get there in a way that works with your real life, not some theoretical ideal.

They're going to help you understand the emotional side of money – why you spend when you don't want to, why saving feels impossible even when you know it's important, why you keep falling into the same financial patterns even when you want to change.

Most importantly, they're going to help you become the expert on your own financial life instead of making you dependent on their advice forever.

Your Finances Deserves Professional Expertise

You wouldn't try to fix your own plumbing if you'd never been trained as a plumber. You wouldn't represent yourself in court if you weren't a lawyer. But somehow, we've all been convinced that we should be able to figure out our complex financial lives on our own, maybe with some generic advice from the internet.

Your financial well-being is too important for trial and error. The stakes are too high – we're talking about your security, your family's future, your ability to live the life you actually want.

Working with a professionally trained, credentialed financial coach means you're getting someone who has committed to ongoing education, ethical standards, and proven methods for helping people create real, lasting financial change.

Take the Next Step Toward Your Financial Future

If you've been struggling with the same financial challenges for months or years, if you know what you should be doing but can't seem to make it stick, if you're tired of feeling overwhelmed and confused about money – it's time to consider working with a professional.

Don't wait until your financial situation becomes a crisis. Don't spend another year feeling frustrated and stuck. Your future self will thank you for making this investment in professional support today.

Take the first step: research credentialed financial coaches in your area, particularly those with credentials from reputable organizations like AFCPE® and ICF. Schedule a consultation. Ask about their training, their approach, and how they'll help you achieve your specific goals.

Your financial peace of mind is worth investing in. You deserve professional expertise, not well-meaning amateur advice. Make this the year you finally get the help you need to create the financial life you want.

The difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it could be just one conversation away.

With warm regards and high hopes for your financial future,

Kimberly, Your Financial Coach