The Financial Coach Academy® Podcast

141. [The Client Seat] Coaching Through When Life Changes the Rules

This episode is part of our Client Seat series, where financial coaches get real-time financial coaching from Kelsa. It’s a great opportunity to showcase what goes into a financial coaching session. If you’re a financial professional, you can apply to be a guest on a future Client Seat episode.Being a financial coach doesn't mean your own money is always perfect. Different seasons of life require different systems, and sometimes what worked beautifully before stops working entirely.Michelle Kopp is a CPA and financial coach living in Guatemala. Before moving from the U.S., her money was completely under control. Then her family relocated internationally, and everything fell apart. Bills are now paid in cash. Day-to-day spending is cash. She went from total control to tracking every dollar in a Google form, which she hates doing.This week’s episode is about what happens when your context changes so dramatically that you have to rebuild. Michelle needed someone else to help her see what she couldn't see on her own. That's completely normal, even for financial professionals.You'll hear how we worked through the comparison trap she'd fallen into, identified what was worth keeping from her previous approach, and created a concrete plan that gives her stability without trying to control every dollar. This is what it looks like to help someone stabilize first before trying to optimize everything at once. Needing to rebuild doesn't mean you're failing. It means your season changed.Links & Resources:How to Create Buy-in - Free WorkshopBe on a future Client Seat episodeJoin the Facebook groupMichelle's websiteKey Takeaways:When your context changes, your old system might not fit anymore. Michelle's Plan Ahead Method (now called SpendFirst™) worked perfectly in the U.S. but couldn't translate to Guatemala's cash-based economy. You're not failing if what used to work stops working.Comparison will keep you stuck. Michelle kept measuring her current spending against what she spent before the move, expecting Guatemala to be cheaper. That comparison made her feel like she was failing instead of recognizing she was rebuilding.Stabilize first, optimize later. The goal isn't to create the perfect system immediately. It's to create enough stability that you can work with what you have, then refine from there.Your effort might be scattered, not insufficient. Michelle was putting in tons of effort tracking every dollar, but that effort wasn't getting her anywhere. Sometimes you need to redirect your energy, not add more of it.Cash needs different routines than digital money. When most of your spending is cash, you can't rely on bank statements to tell you where money went. You need a withdrawal schedule that creates predictability.Even financial professionals need outside perspective. Michelle is a CPA and financial coach, but she couldn't see her own patterns clearly. Sometimes you need someone else to ask questions you can't ask yourself.Progress happens in layers. We didn't try to solve every aspect of Michelle's money in one session. We tackled the biggest chaos creators first so she could build from a stable foundation.

Five Strategies for Getting Out of Debt

I’m just going to come out and say it: there is NO “right way” to get out of debt. In fact, there are a number of ways that you can support your clients (or yourself) to pay down your debts - and today, we’re going to examine five of those strategies. When I first started coaching clients whose goal was to pay off their debts, I would have ask the client to give me their financial details, which included balances, interest rates, payments, etc. Then I’d use the information they provided to create a “debt snowball” spreadsheet. Next, I’d show their spreadsheet to them and say, “see- this is how you do it,” or “see- this is what you’ll do.”I found out rather quickly that while some clients had no problem sticking to the plan, others just couldn’t seem to stay on track. When my clients “failed” to “execute” the plan I’d given them, I dug deeper, asking them questions about what wasn’t working for them. Then I’d tweak the plan, taking their feedback into consideration, and give it back to them with the hope that it would work…this time. I quickly realized that I had been looking at my client’s goal to pay down their debt totally backward - once I had that revelation, I stopped telling every client that they needed to “snowball” their debt.Instead, I started asking more questions to figure out which debt payoff strategy would be the best fit for the client. And it worked! My clients were more engaged - excited even - which resulted in them getting results and enjoying the process. Let’s take a look at some of the different tactics you can use with your clients to take care of their debt.Links & Resources:How to Create Buy-in - Free WorkshopJoin the Facebook groupKey Takeaways:The best debt payoff strategy is the one that creates the most buy-in for your client. Financial calculators don't account for human motivation and follow-through.Present options before prescribing solutions. Instead of showing clients "the right way," explore what will work best for them through curiosity and conversation.Pause after showing clients their debt totals so they have space to process the number. Then ask, "What's going through your mind right now?" before moving forward.One debt might carry emotional weight that makes it worth prioritizing. If a balance triggers shame or keeps someone stuck in the past, eliminating it first can unlock progress.All five debt payoff methods share the same structure: pay minimums on everything except one debt. They only differ in which debt to prioritize first.Quick wins matter for some clients and financial optimization matters for others. Match the strategy to what will keep this specific person motivated.Ask, "Is there one debt that really frustrates you?" early in the conversation. The answer reveals whether emotional factors should drive the strategy.

140. How to Take Feedback

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 mindset shifts that change how you receive feedback, plus the actual systems we use at my companies to automate and analyze feedback without it derailing an entire day or week. What’s important to remember is that you get to choose what you think of the feedback you receive. Feedback isn't fact or truth necessarily. It's just an opinion, an observation, or a thought.The choice you make about which feedback gets your energy is entirely up to you. Don’t let one negative comment spiral you out of control while barely registering the positive ones. Instead, appreciate positive reviews and feedback more deeply so you can stay grounded when the negative ones come in.This week, we’re covering how to automate your feedback process so it doesn't hit your inbox unexpectedly, when and how to review it, what questions to ask yourself when analyzing whether to act on it, and why the customer isn't always right. That last one matters more than you think when you're trying to build a sustainable business.If feedback makes your stomach ache or your palms sweat, this episode will help you build the operational and emotional shields you need.Links & Resources:How to Create Buy-in - Free WorkshopJoin the Facebook groupFinancial Coach Academy enrollmentKey Takeaways:You get to choose what you think of the feedback you receive. Feedback isn't fact or truth necessarily; it's just an opinion, observation, or thought. You decide what to make of it.Negative feedback doesn't have to be louder than positive feedback. Which feedback gets your thoughts and energy is entirely up to you. It's your choice.You will get feedback, so you might as well get good at it. Once you accept this is inevitable, your mind shifts from trying to prevent it to learning how to be ready for it operationally and emotionally.Never make changes based on one person's feedback. Note it, but wait to see if others bring up the same thing. Over-tweaking costs you time, money, and business momentum.Ask: Is something wrong, or is this a personal preference? This prevents over-optimizing. Nice-to-have ideas go on a list and get prioritized. Broken things get fixed.Is there merit to this feedback? This softer question makes analysis easier than asking if feedback is "right" or "wrong;” you can find merit in pieces even when the full feedback stings.The customer isn't always right. Sometimes you've already considered what they're asking for and chose not to do it. That's okay. Feedback needs to be weighed against values, resources, and other priorities.

139. How to Be a Financial Coach and Work Full-Time

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 is for you.The good news? Flexibility is your competitive advantage right now. When your expenses are lean and your approach is strategic, you can be generous with clients, creative with pricing, and responsive to what people actually need. This isn't about playing small or operating from fear. It's about being the kind of financial leader who can adapt without compromising impact.In this episode, we're talking about practical strategy for this season: why your full-time job might be the best business asset you have right now, how to design your coaching business around your actual life instead of an internet ideal, and what it means to maximize your three key resources (time, energy, and money) when you're already stretched thin.If you've been feeling pressure to go all in, scale up, or match someone else's version of success, this episode will help you see that steadiness is strategy. And the steadiness you create for yourself is exactly what your clients are craving from you.Links & Resources:Ultimate Growth GuideJoin the Facebook groupHow to Create Buy-In Training(free)Episode 138: The State of People's FinancesKey Takeaways:Flexibility is your competitive advantage. When your expenses are lean, you can offer payment plans, adjust pricing, and respond to clients' real needs without financial pressure forcing your hand.Predictable income is a business strategy, not a compromise. Your full-time job gives you something full-time entrepreneurs don't have: the ability to plan, save, and give your business time to grow without crushing pressure.Your business doesn't need to be impressive to work. What matters is whether it fits your actual life, serves your clients well, and gives you something nothing else in your life currently gives you.Scarcity motivates action. Limited availability isn't a weakness. Instead, it cuts down on client indecisiveness and makes scheduling easier for everyone involved.Focus on activities that fill a gap only your business can fill. If your full-time job is high pressure, make your business fun and relaxed. If parenting feels thankless, let client appreciation fuel you.You have to claim what you need and ask for it specifically. The hardest help to ask for is often just space, permission to focus on your business for a Saturday morning without guilt.Steadiness is what your clients are craving right now. By creating it for yourself first, you bring that same grounded energy into every coaching session.

138. How to Be a Financial Coach in 2026

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 sit down with you, they're financially stressed. And they're also cautiously pessimistic, worried about what's next, and hoping they can just stay stable. This is the reality of financial coaching in 2026, and it's why the gap between need and demand matters more than most coaches want to admit.This episode looks at being a financial coach in 2026 from three perspectives. First, the concrete ways rising costs are squeezing your clients' household budgets right now. Second, the role you play in cutting through their worry with clarity and steadying energy instead of more information. And third, how all of this shapes your business strategy, your messaging, and the way you position your work when clients aren't buying on "maybe this could help."If you've wondered why your ideal clients aren't reaching out even when they clearly need help, or if you've felt the tension between knowing coaches are needed and watching people hesitate to hire you, this episode will help you see what's actually happening and how to meet this moment with courage and strategic clarity.Links & Resources:Ultimate Growth GuideJoin the Facebook groupKey Takeaways:People need financial coaches more than ever, but need doesn't equal demand. Just because someone is struggling doesn't mean they're actively seeking your solution. And that means that how you talk about your work matters more than ever.Healthcare premiums increased significantly for many families in 2026. When you combine that with utility rate hikes and return-to-office costs, clients are absorbing hundreds of dollars in monthly budget increases they didn't plan for.Shift from selling to steadying. Right now, people aren't buying on "maybe this could help." They're saying yes when the outcome is crystal clear and the commitment feels manageable.One in four Americans now uses buy now, pay later for groceries. This isn't about luxuries anymore. It's a signal of how tight household cashflow has become, and it's creating unnecessary chaos in people's budgets.Return-to-office mandates don't just increase commute costs. They ripple into childcare, eating out, work clothes, and spending more for convenience because flexibility at home disappears.75% of our own small business vendors raised their rates in 2025. Business owners are navigating the same financial squeeze as clients, which means your financial coaching mind is your greatest asset in running your business strategically.Being a financial coach in 2026 takes courage. You need to speak sincerely and clearly about how you help people, make faster business decisions, and lead by example in uncertain times.