My mom didn't teach me about money through a course or a textbook. She taught me through how she lived — and the lessons she passed down became the foundation of everything I do today.
Today, February 18th, would have been her birthday. And I wanted to honor her the best way I know how: by sharing what she taught me, so you can carry it forward too.
My mom was an accountant, a business owner, a director of operations at a nonprofit, and she retired as a director of financial aid at a college. She had an undergraduate degree in accounting and an MBA. She reinvented herself more times than I can count. And every single time, she did it with intention.
These five lessons are woven into the Intentional Money Method™. They're woven into my book. And today, I'm sharing them with you — along with one thing you can actually do with each one this week.
Lesson One: Reinvention Is Always on the Table
My mom was an accountant, then a business owner, then a controller, then a nonprofit director, then she did a stint in commercial real estate before retiring in higher education. She never saw herself as stuck in one chapter. She kept evolving.
But here's what I watched her do every single time: before she made a leap, she planned. She evaluated what she needed financially to make the transition possible. She saved. She built a foundation first. She followed her heart AND used her head.
I think about this constantly when I work with women who are navigating divorce, an empty nest, a career change, or retirement. There's this fear that the chapter you're in is the chapter you're stuck in. It's not true. But reinvention requires financial intentionality. You can't step into something new if your money isn't positioned to support it.
My mom wrote in my high school yearbook: "Follow your heart." What she modeled was how to actually do that without falling on your face.
Your move this week
Write down one way your life might look different in three years — and then ask yourself: what would need to be true financially for that to happen? Just identifying the gap is a powerful first step.
Lesson Two: Live Below Your Means — Without Living Small
My mom was not a deprivation person. She was not someone who lectured you about cutting lattes. But she was incredibly intentional about her spending. She knew exactly where her money was going and why. She made deliberate choices about what mattered and what didn't.
She drove a practical car. She kept her housing costs reasonable. She didn't spend to impress anyone. And because of that, she always had options. She had an emergency fund. She had retirement savings. She had the ability to help her kids when it mattered.
That's the thing about living below your means — it's not about restriction. It's about freedom. Every dollar you don't spend on something that doesn't matter is a dollar you get to direct toward something that does.
"She didn't spend to impress anyone. And because of that, she always had options."
Your move this week
Look at your last 30 days of spending and identify one category where you're spending more than aligns with your actual values. Just one. That awareness alone shifts things.
Lesson Three: Protect What You Build
My mom understood insurance. She understood estate planning. She made sure that the things she worked hard to build were protected — for herself and for her family. She didn't leave these things to chance or assume someone else would handle it.
This is one of the areas I see women neglect most often, especially women going through a major transition. They're focused on the immediate — the bills, the budget, the next step. And the protective pieces fall through the cracks.
But here's what I know: financial confidence isn't just about building wealth. It's about making sure that wealth — and the people you love — are protected when life gets unpredictable. And life always gets unpredictable.
Your move this week
Check one protective piece of your financial life. Do you have a will? Is your beneficiary information up to date on your retirement accounts and life insurance? Pick one and verify it this week.
Lesson Four: Joy Is a Line Item
My mom was not all discipline and no delight. She traveled. She went to Broadway shows. She invested in experiences that filled her up. She understood that a life well-lived includes intentional spending on the things that bring you genuine joy.
She didn't feel guilty about it, either. Because she had planned for it. Joy wasn't an afterthought in her budget — it was a priority she funded on purpose.
I carry this into everything I teach. A values-based financial plan isn't just about retirement contributions and paying down debt. It's about building a life that actually feels worth living. Money is a tool. Use it like one.
Your move this week
Name one thing that genuinely brings you joy — not obligation, not other people's expectations, actual joy — and make sure it has a place in your budget this month. Even if it's small. Make it official.
Lesson Five: Never Stop Learning
My grandmother got her master's degree in her 60s. My mom took classes at Baldwin Wallace University's Institute for Learning and Retirement well into her retirement — not for a credential, just because she loved learning. She read constantly. She stayed curious about the world. It was a family trait.
And honestly? It's the reason I do what I do. That lifelong learner mindset is why I put such a strong emphasis on education and empowerment in my work. It's why I wrote a book. It's at the core of everything we do in The Empowered Sisterhood.
Here's what I want you to hear: you don't have to have it all figured out. There is real power in being a beginner. There is power in staying open to new ideas and giving yourself permission to evolve. Especially with money. Especially when your life is changing.
My mom was always my sounding board. Whenever I faced a financial decision, she was there to help me think things through. She didn't always have all the answers — but she had wisdom, and calm, and she helped me figure it out. That's actually what inspired me to create The Empowered Sisterhood. I wanted other women to have that same kind of sounding board.
Your move this week
Commit to learning one new thing about your finances this week. Just one. It could be understanding what the funds in your 401(k) actually are. It could be looking up your Social Security benefit at socialsecurity.gov. Small learning compounds just like money does.
Mom, thank you. For the spreadsheets and the sounding board and the "follow your heart." For showing me that financial intentionality isn't about restriction — it's about freedom. For being the reason I believe so deeply that every woman deserves to understand her money.
I miss you every day. And I'll keep teaching, because that's how I know how to honor you.
The Empowered Sisterhood
Every woman deserves a sounding board.
My mom was mine. Inside The Empowered Sisterhood, you get weekly live access to me — a CDFA, financial planner, and AFC — along with a community of women who are doing this work right alongside you. No judgment. Just real answers and genuine support.
