Ep 123 Money Mindfulness for Financial Wellbeing with Sonja Ecklund

Conversation with Sonja Ecklund about money mindfulness and common struggles on the journey to financial wellbeing.

Topics of Discussion:
-Common barriers within money mindfulness.
-Finding financial wellness with a money coach.
-Evaluating financial wellbeing through facts and feelings.

Sonja is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, a registered yoga teacher, a financial social work professional, a low-impact minimalist, and a climate change optimist. She has over 12 years of coaching experience in both corporate wellness and private practice and has helped thousands of clients change their lives. Sonja empowers people to create mindful, sustainable, and intentional lifestyles through the art of coaching. She is passionate about helping people rewrite their money stories and her financial coaching workbook has helped over 100 people create a proactive financial wellbeing plan.

Website: www.sonjaecklund.com
Instagram: @sonjaecklund

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Transcript

Ep 123 - Money Mindfulness for Financial Wellbeing with Sonja Ecklund

[00:00:00] Cynthia: You are listening to the Well Connected Twin Cities podcast. I'm your host, Cynthia Shockley, and I'm here to learn alongside you through meaningful conversations with health and wellness practitioners. This is your time to experience some mindset shifts, learn practical tips, and get excited about what is possible.

[00:00:22] We want you to own the power of choice in your personal well being journey. Let's discover what's possible right here in our Twin Cities community.

[00:00:33] Hello and welcome to the Well Connected Twin Cities podcast. I'm your host Cynthia Shockley and in this episode we dive into money mindfulness and learn about some common struggles and some common solutions around financial well being with Sonja Eklund. Sonja's a national board certified health and wellness coach, a registered yoga teacher, a financial social work professional, a low impact minimalist and a climate change optimist. She has over 12 years of coaching experience and both corporate wellness and private practice, and has helped thousands of clients change their lives. Sonja empowers people to create mindful, sustainable and intentional lifestyles through the art of coaching.

[00:01:21] She is passionate about helping people rewrite their money stories and her financial coaching workbook has helped over 100 people create a proactive financial well being plan. And I'm so glad to be here with Sonja Eklund. Hello. 

[00:01:39] Sonja: Hi, Cynthia. Thank you so much for having me. 

[00:01:42] Cynthia: Yes, of course. I'm so glad. I know I reached out to you and I was just like, I feel like we need to talk about money. And I know that's something that you really enjoy speaking on. You've been on several other podcasts.

[00:01:56] And I was like, we need to get you on Well Connected. 

[00:02:00] Sonja: So happy to be here. I always love an opportunity to talk about money. 

[00:02:04] Cynthia: Mhm. So before we dive into the topic of money mindfulness, which I know you're just such a pro and a source of wisdom. And I'm curious on a personal level about a rose and a thorn happening in your life, something going really well and something that maybe isn't going so well.

[00:02:22] Sonja: Yeah. So something that is going really well for me right now is that I'm in the early stages of working for myself full time. So I have been a side hustler for over 12 years, and this has been my dream for as long as I can remember, and it's so exciting to just be like fully off on my own, fully embracing this challenge and fully going for it.

[00:02:43] But along with that, of course, is The Thorn, which is the stories and the beliefs that Seem to rise to the surface when you're on the precipice of kind of creating the life that you've always wanted. And so I found myself navigating some really interesting stories and feelings like things like that the work I do already exists in the world and that there's someone doing it better than I am, or that my voice isn't needed or isn't valuable or that Everybody already knows what I know.

[00:03:10] So it's really interesting when things like that come up. And when I start navigating those stories and those beliefs it's been fascinating to navigate that in this chapter of my life, because I know that these are stories and I know that I have a choice and I can choose to either listen to them or I can close the book.

[00:03:28] And write a different story. And so I'm working on rewriting my own imposter syndrome and authoring my story as a full time entrepreneur in a way that feels really empowering to me. But yeah, sometimes those thorns feel really sharp in this process. 

[00:03:43] Cynthia: Yeah. And I think. Anyone who is pursuing their dream or, maybe even on social media seems like they've got it all together.

[00:03:52] They're also battling these thorns. They're also feeling those pricks. And it's so nice to hear just how you're managing that and just the mindset of... This is one story, right? And I got goosebumps when you said, I can close that book and write my own, 

[00:04:07] Sonja: absolutely. And I think, of course, the work we do as coaches is helping other people close the book and write their own story.

[00:04:13] And that's one of the things that I love to do the most with money. 

[00:04:17] Cynthia: Yeah. And I know. So Sonja and I used to work together as telephonic coaches or she was training me. So she was above and beyond what I was doing. But she was just such an amazing coach and had such a powerful presence.

[00:04:32] And then I later discovered that she really loved talking about financial well being. But I actually haven't heard your story. story. So I'm curious, how did you get into the space of coaching around financial well being and money 

[00:04:45] Sonja: mindfulness? Yeah, it's not ever something that I thought I would be doing.

[00:04:50] It definitely took me by surprise, but it's been one of the most genuinely fulfilling and rewarding things I've ever done. So I think really like my story with this topic starts when I was about 26 and I went through a really challenging breakup. It was a breakup of three and a half years. And I had a house with him.

[00:05:07] I had, a shared car with him. We had two dogs, and I really thought that my life was going to be with this person living together in a small town in Iowa. And it was very surprising to me when all of a sudden I needed to Start over again. So I was 26 years old and I moved back to Minneapolis.

[00:05:25] I had a car full of stuff. I had my two dogs and I had about 6, 000 to my name and 40, 000 in debt. I had no job when I moved back to Minneapolis and I moved into my mom's. basement. So it was like a pretty significant change in my life to go from being very independent and living on my own to having like almost nothing and not having a clue what I was going to do.

[00:05:49] And so walking away from that was the best decision I've ever made in my life. But at the time I felt like a failure. Like I felt like moving back home was not the move and I was not excited about what The next chapter of my life was going to look like. And so in this, I made this really bold decision to go to a yoga teacher training program which costs 2, 000.

[00:06:11] So that was one third of all of my money. And I decided that I just needed to take a chance on myself and do something that I had always wanted to do. I'd actually been teaching yoga for several years and I was not a registered yoga teacher and I'd always wanted to be. And so I. Pursued this yoga teacher training program.

[00:06:30] And it was one of the best things I ever did. Something that I joke about is I never taught a yoga class after I finished my yoga teacher training program. But what I took away from the experience was this. incredible opportunity to focus on what was holding me back in my life and what self limiting beliefs were standing in my way.

[00:06:50] And it was the most powerful thing I possibly could have done in this really huge transition phase in my life. So it gave me this opportunity to really start thinking about like What was holding me back in my life? Why did it take me so long to leave this relationship? And what created the conditions that really contributed to me feeling the stuck?

[00:07:11] It just gave me the space to reflect and start thinking about What had happened in my life up until that point and what I wanted to my life to look like moving forward. And so one of the things that I realized in that process was that I felt like I sucked at money. Like I just felt like I was constantly stressed about money.

[00:07:28] I had been working six jobs when I lived in Iowa and I was never able to get ahead. I always felt like I was going to just be behind and be in debt. And I realized that was a really Damaging story. And so what I did over the next couple of years was I got a couple jobs. I like turned up the volume on my side hustle and I really started learning about money.

[00:07:52] And I started learning about the facts of like, how does money even work? What does interest mean? What are late payments? Like, how does compound interest work? There are so many things that I just had never been taught and I'd never really taken the time to look into. And so I started really like nerding out on this stuff and I.

[00:08:09] Also combined what I loved with coaching, which was asking open ended curious questions and really reflecting on my own experience. So those things came together in a way that made me made me feel really empowered about the next chapter of my life. I spent about two years working really hard to pay off my student loan debt.

[00:08:31] And on the day that I paid off my student loan debt, I ended up also needing to have an emergency appendectomy, which was. a very curious twist of events. And so I became debt free in terms of student loan debt, but then I incurred this new medical debt and then had this new challenge of paying that off.

[00:08:47] And so throughout the whole process, I really started examining like the facts of what was going on with my financial situation, but also the feelings that were coming up for me and the stories I was telling myself and the beliefs that I had about. Who I was or how money worked or how I needed to interact with money.

[00:09:04] And all of that led me to this place of realizing that something that doesn't really exist within the financial industry is a group of professionals who can really hold space for the feelings that come up for people around money. And so that's what really allowed me to enter into this space. And for the last five or six years, I've been just working on developing that and honing my craft around the topic of money.

[00:09:27] Cynthia: That's really interesting because it really is that self reflection, that was the gift of your yoga teacher training. And I can resonate with that. I feel like that was also. My experience of reassessing values and if my life is living in alignment with that and just, again, that, that story that you're telling yourself, and I'd imagine this is something everyone deals with at some level, there's some kind of story with money, there's some kind of misunderstanding with money and just your relationship with it and you, I know you really enjoy talking about money mindfulness.

[00:10:08] Can you describe that term and why it is that 

[00:10:12] Sonja: it's so important? Definitely. Yeah. So money mindfulness to me is really all about building awareness. It's about creating a sense of awareness about your own relationship with money and figuring out where you are right now. And then it's about rewriting your money story.

[00:10:30] A lot of people have experienced some significant financial trauma, or if not trauma, they have stories that they've been telling themselves for a long time about the role of money in their life, whether or not they deserve money how they feel about it. Being competent enough to handle large sums of money, things like that.

[00:10:50] And so money mindfulness is really about first building awareness about your own relationship with money, but then figuring out how to rewrite your own money story. And along the way, it's about building confidence around money, identifying self limiting beliefs around money, and then letting go of things like comparison, shame, and judgment around money.

[00:11:10] Cynthia: Yeah, I, as you speak, I'm just like thinking about some of my own journey, deciding to be in the entrepreneurial space definitely unlocks a lot of those stories. I feel, when you're just. And in corporate world and you're an employee, you don't have to really think about that nearly as much.

[00:11:32] And yeah it's just so interesting the stories that come up and that are revealed. 

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[00:12:36] Cynthia: What do you feel like are some of the common stories or barriers that you've seen with clients? 

[00:12:45] Sonja: I see a lot of self limiting beliefs around feeling not deserving of having money. I see a lot of people struggle with feeling like they're not confident in knowing what to do with money.

[00:12:58] I definitely see some gender stereotypes perpetuated, like there's a trend going around right now on girl math. That's disappointing to see. And I think that there are a lot of people out there who just believe that money isn't for them because they're not people who have historically had access to large sums of money.

[00:13:18] They think they can't have it now, so I see a lot of people putting limits on themselves and some self imposed barriers. I think a lot of people hold a deep belief that. They're never going to have enough or that it will always be a struggle. And then I think a lot of this also comes from watching our parents, watching how our parents dealt with money and handled money and the stories that are passed down from generation to generation about handling wealth.

[00:13:45] Yeah. 

[00:13:46] Cynthia: Yeah. And I think that makes. So much sense, there's the there's generational trauma, but there's also generational like financial trauma financial And so I wonder you know these stories they exist they are getting in the way and then clients come to you what do you do to help your clients address these barriers?

[00:14:08] And what are some tools or ways that you work with them to rewrite their story? 

[00:14:13] Sonja: Yeah, so what I do as a money coach is I really help people first define their terms. I help figure out what financial wellness really looks like for each individual person that I'm working with, because it is going to look very different for someone who has five kids versus someone who is.

[00:14:32] really close to retirement versus someone who's 18 and just starting out. So we first figure out where that individual person is. And then I help them discover what they want. I help them set meaningful personal vision statements for their own financial wellness. And then we discuss a lot of habits that are going to contribute to their success.

[00:14:51] We certainly talk a lot about automation. We break down challenges and barriers. both related to the facts of their financial situation, as well as to the feelings that they might be experiencing. And then I check in with them. I hold them accountable to making progress towards whatever goal they've set for themselves.

[00:15:08] And just like any other area of coaching, the way that I do this is by actively listening, by reflecting, by using motivational interviewing skills, asking open ended questions, and really just having meaningful conversations with people that leave them feeling very clear about what. The next step is so that they have some clear direction to take before our next session.

[00:15:31] So in some ways money coaching is a little bit more like tangible than other areas of health and wellbeing coaching. And in other ways, it's exactly the same, that we're really just holding space for their experience, helping them better understand themselves, helping them come to conclusions that feel important to them.

[00:15:50] Certainly with money, there are some, Quote, right and wrong ways to do things, but also there are a lot of nuances. There are a lot of factors that we need to consider when we look at those right and wrong things that we know about money. And so it's really important that we very clearly understand.

[00:16:10] The individual's specific situation, as well as what they want out of their own journey with money before we offer up any ideas, suggestions, or direction. 

[00:16:21] Another thing I really like to talk about are facts and feelings and making sure that there's space for both of them within a conversation about money. So if you think about a lot of traditional financial education, it's very math driven. A lot of financial education truly looks like a guy in a suit.

[00:16:38] Imploring you to keep a budget and track all your spending in a spreadsheet. And that does not work for the vast majority of people. Something that I think has traditionally been really missing from the world of finance is empathy. And I think that when you combine a lack of empathy and compassion with math and a big emphasis on like tracking and scarcity and spreadsheets, I think you get the perfect conditions for avoidance and doubt and shame.

[00:17:09] And so my approach and my coaching practice really centers around helping people objectively look at the facts of their financial situation and also addressing the feelings of their financial situation. So that looks like taking a look at the money that they're bringing in, where they're spending their money, what their savings rate is, as well as what their financial goals are and what their financial values are and what they're long term looking to do with their money and what things they want their money to bring their way.

[00:17:37] So we often uncover some really interesting self limiting beliefs and stories about people's self worth, their confidence, their self esteem, their self efficacy, and of course their behavior around money when we really dig into both those facts and the feelings. And so my favorite thing is when the facts surprise people.

[00:17:58] I was recently working with somebody who was feeling really stuck in her career. She wanted to leave her job and she thought that she couldn't leave her job because she thought she couldn't take a pay cut. And helping her understand that she could not only take the pay cut, but she could take the pay cut and still retire on time, allowed her to pursue work that felt more meaningful to her.

[00:18:20] And so it's not always so much about the dollars and the actual money. It's more about the way that the money enables someone to do something meaningful with their life or empowers them to make a decision that they didn't think was possible if they hadn't looked at the facts. So I think it's really powerful to sit down and have that safe space and have somebody who knows what they're doing in a spreadsheet and can, objectively look at these numbers and help you figure out what they mean.

[00:18:48] But. Also, who can hold space for helping you process the feelings and the emotions that come up as a result of looking at those numbers. 

[00:18:58] Cynthia: Oh, gosh that's first of all, so amazing that you were able to support your client in that way. And just the sense of freedom that she must have felt it's just amazing.

[00:19:10] And I appreciate you pointing out the importance of distinguishing the facts and figures and how they really work together. To bring you to that space of freedom and yeah, I'd imagine working with someone would be just so much easier so that you're not just stuck in your head. You've got someone on the outside of your head validating what's really going on.

[00:19:31] Absolutely. 

[00:19:32] Sonja: Yes. That's part of the power of working with a money coach for sure. 

[00:19:37] Cynthia: And there's that, that coaching element, right? Of just deep listening really understanding through open ended questions, what the possibilities are, what the beliefs are.

[00:19:48] And gosh, there's just so much. Energy behind money, there's just so much there. Gosh the pride, the shame, the ego gets so wrapped up in it because our society, I feel like is really structured around, financial success being success. What are some things?

[00:20:08] That people can even work on now if, working with a coach isn't something that they're ready for or comfortable with yet, like what could they be doing to work on their own relationship with money and just improving that 

[00:20:20] Sonja: dynamic? Definitely. So one of the things that I did when I first started this work was I created a financial workbook that really offers up the experience of self awareness and self reflection on paper.

[00:20:34] I think for a lot of people, this topic is very empowering. Thank you. fraught with tension. It can be very shame based. It can feel so overwhelming that people procrastinate getting started. And sometimes it's not something that people are ready to talk to a real person about. And so one of the things that I did was I really took all of the sort of discovery level questions that I asked people in an initial session, and I put them into a workbook that allows people to take it at their own pace, guide their own experience through building some initial awareness about their relationship with money. And oftentimes that leads to some greater awareness that they need a little bit of assistance or that they need somebody to talk them through some of these things.

[00:21:17] But I think a really great way to get started is by doing some conscious self reflection. So certainly my workbook is a resource, but there are lots of beautiful resources out there that kind of help you get curious about your own thoughts, your own feelings, your own stories. A couple of questions that I think can be really helpful to help people get started are questions like, how do you feel about money right now?

[00:21:40] And how would you like to feel about money? Also reflecting on what are some wonderful things that have happened in your life because of money. Also thinking about why you deserve to be financially well and thinking about what does enough mean to you. So if I were talking to somebody who were just getting started, those are some questions that I would pose.

[00:22:05] Cynthia: Yeah, questions that I feel like people don't ask themselves or, there's this weird taboo of don't talk about money. Don't talk about politics, religion, like there's all these like things. I still remember my mom sitting me down one day and kind of being like, okay, like out in the world, like these are the things you don't talk about.

[00:22:24] And And so it's just so interesting to know that there are that's it's good to know there are resources out there and you can start asking yourself these questions before going into the nitty gritty work of, starting to make a plan and budgeting and all of that, because I think people can really Thanks Get stuck when they start with the numbers and the budgeting.

[00:22:49] Yes. And then not hitting their targets, not following through. And then that failure, quote unquote, then leads to inaction in the future. 

[00:23:00] Sonja: Absolutely. You summed that up beautifully. And even what you just shared about having that sit down conversation and having that memory of somebody telling you like.

[00:23:09] Hey, don't talk about these things in the world probably has influenced your beliefs and your stories that you tell yourself about money. Maybe that influences your your comfort level, negotiating your salary when you're accepting a new job. There are so many different like consequences and ramifications that happen as a result of being told that money should be kept a secret.

[00:23:32] And at the same time, I fully understand why your mom said that, why she brought that up, and I'm so happy to see that there is this larger societal shift with people being, much more transparent and open about their salaries and their compensation, talking about not Doing like unpaid labor or not being willing to just be exploited by their employer.

[00:23:54] There's so many positive things happening in terms of people feeling more empowered to ask for what they're worth. But yeah, there's definitely a really big dominant part of society that tells you that it's not classy to talk about money or that you shouldn't talk about money or that it's a topic that's really off limits.

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[00:24:59] Cynthia: Yeah, and you mentioned, the side of asking for what you're worth not doing free labor. So that income side, but then on the spending side, what are some trends that you notice or tools that, people might be interested in? Because I feel like, gosh, those impulse purchases just It feels so good.

[00:25:21] Sonja: Yes, they do. They absolutely do. Of course, we know that there's some solid neuroscience behind that sort of impulse spending and buying and things like that. And it's everywhere. It's really hard to avoid the pressure of of Quickly and easily getting that dopamine hit.

[00:25:38] And so this is something I love to talk about is this topic of conscious consumerism and not falling for the tricks of spending money. Needlessly. And I want to clarify that I am a huge fan of spending money. I love to talk to people about what they want to spend money on, what feels valuable to spend money on where they really want to, work on distributing their wealth, what experiences they want to have in life that they can really only get if they spend money on it.

[00:26:07] So I am very pro spending. But I am anti spending on things that don't actually add value to your life. And I'm certainly anti spending on things that are going to make you feel really good for one second, but then ultimately are going to make you feel bad or just fill up your closet full of stuff you don't need.

[00:26:26] And so the, this sort of leads into this topic of conscious consumerism. And conscious consumerism is really just all about Choosing to opt out of engaging in wasteful consumer culture and wasteful consumer culture is something that everyone gets to define on their own terms, but I think that we can broadly categorize it as the sort of like fast fashion, constant changes in the seasons and, constant like pressure to purchase something and And things that are more like trendy and not necessarily things that a person needs to survive.

[00:27:04] And so it's really all about pausing for long enough to consider the bigger picture of what you're buying and whether it's going to add value to your life for longer than the time it takes you to buy it.

[00:27:15] Cynthia: Yeah, so just being really intentional about how you're spending and I'd imagine you almost need that money mindfulness as a foundation before you can then consider now how do I want to consciously. consume things in the world now that I know what my values are now that I know, my, my stories and my habits around money.

[00:27:41] Sonja: Exactly. Yeah. Having that foundation of knowing your own sort of worldview, the lens through which you view what you're buying is. So important. And this is a hard thing to resist because it's everywhere. Every single one of us has seen the little suggested Instagram reel that says three things you need from Amazon for your to have a great fall.

[00:28:02] And we see it like in stores, people talk about how like Target will, for example, put school supplies out in July. And everyone's like, why are these here? This is ridiculous. And the reason they're there is to encourage you to start buying things sooner. It's like that psychology of feeling like, Oh my gosh, if I wait to purchase these school supplies, maybe the thing that I need won't be here anymore because it's already here in July and I don't need it till September, but I better get it now.

[00:28:31] It's really that's a marketing strategy to encourage people to. Purchase things way before the season actually begins way before they actually need it. And a lot of times what ends up happening to people is they lose it. They put it away in a closet because they don't need it. Now they forget they bought it.

[00:28:46] They buy it again. It's, wild to think about how different stores use different marketing strategies, especially around seasons changing to really encourage people to like. Redecorate their house every three months or, buy things before they actually need them. And that is damaging. When I think about conscious consumerism, some things I really encourage people to ask themselves are things like if everything were like packaged or shipped or made this way, what would the impact be?

[00:29:16] If every single thing were shipped to you with two day shipping from Amazon Prime in its own package, would that be good or bad for the world? I also think asking yourself questions like, how will this product enhance my life? What value will it bring to my life? How long will it last? Things like that can be really helpful questions for deciding.

[00:29:40] Whether what you're purchasing is actually worth your money. And then something I love to do is practice the three day rule. And the three day rule is where you challenge yourself to put the thing back on the shelf. And if you are still thinking about it three days later, you give yourself permission to buy it.

[00:29:57] I think it's also really impactful to start thinking about what will you do with this object when you won't use it anymore? And then further, what's your money supporting? Do you know where this product was made and what conditions, what labor conditions it's supporting? Do you know what resources it took from the planet to create this thing?

[00:30:17] Your money's really powerful and you vote with your dollar every single day. And so it's really important to think about where You are choosing to use your spending power and whether your spending power is honestly enhancing your life and the lives of others around you, or whether it's fulfilling sort of a short term need.

[00:30:37] Cynthia: I love the breakdown of these. These questions to ask yourself. And as I hear you listing them, I'm asking myself these questions about some of my, purchases in recent history. And I'm like, gosh, I'm like feeling shame bubble up. Like I'm feeling some of these emotions of, Ooh, yeah. That is not, that wasn't a good purchase or that was like, quote unquote, good.

[00:31:03] That was not supporting something of my values. And I can imagine for someone who. You might be listening and might be feeling these like feelings of shame, maybe even interpreting judgment. What would be your recommendation for people who are in that space of Oh gosh, I've already messed up so much.

[00:31:20] Like what's the point now? 

[00:31:22] Sonja: Oh, I love that you brought that up. So I think that gets into one of the biggest self limiting beliefs that I hear from people, which is the all or nothing mindset. People think if they can't. Always make good decisions with money or always be saving at the rate that they'd like to be saving at or whatever, that it's not even worth it at all.

[00:31:41] And that is so not true. And I think it's a really important mindset to challenge in ourselves when we start seeing that come up and when we start feeling those feelings of being perfect or practicing all or nothing. There's an opportunity there to practice forgiveness, to practice self compassion, and to recognize it as a learning opportunity.

[00:32:02] Maybe no one's ever posed those questions to you before, and maybe it's never occurred to you to think about it. And why would it? Our culture does not center around asking people to be mindful and aware when they're thinking about their spending habits. Our culture encourages us to spend more. So what you might be feeling and you might be interpreting as shame actually could be you being on the precipice of Mindset shift and a new way of engaging with your spending power and with your money that might lead somewhere really incredible.

[00:32:37] Of course, I am a huge proponent of naming emotions and really sitting with them, feeling them, working through them. But I would love to encourage anyone who is maybe feeling shame around this experience to reframe that as a learning opportunity. It's new information. And it's not your fault if this is the first time that you are ever thinking about what it might be like to be a conscious consumer.

[00:33:02] I love 

[00:33:03] Cynthia: that invitation to just reframe that feeling of shame as a cue that, oh, it's time for a mindset shift. This makes me uncomfortable. And so clearly there's something misaligned here. So how can I move forward more in alignment? 

[00:33:19] Sonja: Absolutely. Yeah. 

[00:33:21] Cynthia: Mhm. That's amazing. If someone, if this is all overwhelming and this is feels like a lot and people, some people really want and need that one on one support, that hand to hold along the process, how does someone get that support from you and how do they 

[00:33:39] Sonja: work with you?

[00:33:40] Yeah, so the best way to find me is to visit my website at Sonja Eklund dot com and you'll find links to all of my coaching workbooks. You can connect with me on social media. You can book a discovery call with me. And I really, like I said, I really encourage people who are thinking about this topic but aren't sure if coaching is the right path for them to maybe start with the workbook.

[00:34:00] Maybe start with downloading that and giving yourself the opportunity to really think about these questions on your own. And if it feels right to have additional support in working through what comes up as you start filling out that workbook, then I am here for you and would absolutely love to, help anyone figure out what are the next steps when it comes to developing a healthy money story that allows you to live a thriving life.

[00:34:26] Cynthia: Gosh, I know we, we've touched on a lot of different things here. What would be one takeaway that you hope listeners walk away from this conversation with? I

[00:34:40] Sonja: think one powerful takeaway is making sure that you can discern between the facts and the feelings of your own money story. Thank you so You brought up a couple feelings a couple questions ago and that, those feelings can feel really loud and really big.

[00:34:57] And a lot of times feelings impact the facts, right? And a lot of times facts influence our feelings. And it's really important to be able to discern what are the facts of your financial situation and what are the feelings around your financial situation. And a lot of times, the facts can be addressed.

[00:35:18] A little bit more logically or linearly, and the feelings can be addressed in a more abstract way. And so I think that the biggest takeaway is recognizing that both facts and feelings have a Place at the table when we're talking about money. They're both welcome. They're both needed And it's really important to give yourself that space to process the feelings that you have around your financial situation I also think that it's really important to recognize that it's never too late It is never too late to change your relationship with money, never too late to start saving.

[00:35:56] It's never too late to start spending on the things that matter to you. And it's never too late to start living your dreams.

[00:36:03] Cynthia: Beautiful. Ah, Sonja I. I feel I know I have a lot to chew on after this conversation and I hope that this was, I know this was valuable. So I'm really grateful that you were able to show up and share just even like scratching the surface. Cause I feel like there's just so much here and I know there's just so much that weaves into money stories and the work that you do.

[00:36:33] So I'm just so grateful that you were able to sit with me today and just share. a little slice of the wisdom that you have. 

[00:36:42] Sonja: Thank you so much for inviting me here. It was lovely to talk to you. 

[00:36:46] Cynthia: Thank you so much for listening to the Well Connected Twin Cities podcast. Did you learn something new? Did you feel that spark of hope and excitement for what is possible? Because so much is possible. Tell us about it in a review on Apple podcast. Not only would we absolutely love hearing from you, but these reviews help our ratings and help other curious minds like you find this resource.

[00:37:11] We are always better together. Thank you again and see you next time.