Pennywise Coaching Testimonial - Cyrina T.

Hey everybody, Penny Kidd with Pennywise Coaching. I wanted to come to you today with one of my friends and clients, Serena, and I asked her if she would be so kind as to kind of share a little bit about what her experience was in working with, with me, her husband Travis, and she have worked with me I don't even know, 9 months or a year, probably. So off and on. And, um, I kind of wanted to just get your feedback, Serena, about, um, what that was like. At first I thought I would ask you, tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do. And then, um, I'll just ask you some questions.

Awesome. Yeah. So I'm Serena Talbot and I own the Mindset Transformation Company. So I'm a transformational coach. I work with business owners who are overwhelmed and are wanting to be able to do the thing they haven't been able to do in their business or their life. So we work a lot on mindset and past programming and all of these things. And so working with you, Penny Kidd, was really interesting, because I'm like, I've done a lot of mindset work. I've done a ton of mindset work, like growing up, there was a lot of poverty. And the idea— I had a belief in my own life that men make the money and women don't. So I'd done a lot of work on those things. And I just had this aha, like 2 months ago, I was like, but I didn't have the skill set. So it's the idea that we need mindset and skill set. And I work with clients to help them, you know, increase income and overcome mindset. But what I really needed in my life, and the reason, you know, I reached out was on a personal level, my personal finances with my husband, we needed that skill set, we needed a plan, and we needed to be able to communicate. Because the other thing was, we would talk about it and then we wouldn't agree and then that would be it. And what attracted me to you, I don't know if it's goofy, but was your past, your history in social work. I was like, oh, she can handle us.

Right. Yeah, no, I think that's a big part of what I do and what sets me apart. I guess I don't have that financial nerdy kind of background. I'm a social worker. I really feel like so.

Yeah. That was attractive to me. Like, okay, she can help us like work through being able to talk about this or conflicts, you know, that we have about money. And then that's what we did. We got everything on paper and then a budget and then having that accountability to stick to the budget. And the other thing was there was the fear, you know, of like saying, here are our finances and thinking, okay, we're not doing a great job with them or as good as we want to be. And the fear and hesitation I'd had around, you know, working with a financial coach or anything like that was someone that was going to be like, oh, well, you're doing everything wrong. And again, when you sat us down and we looked at it, it was like, oh, okay, well, here's what you do. And it was no big deal. So I came like thinking— and it's silly, right? Thinking that there's going to be judgment or like, oh wow, you know, and you're like, oh, Aww, when she sees— Yeah. Right. And I think that's something that really keeps us from looking at things, but we just knew that we needed to. Um, and it, it wasn't like that at all. It was actually something, it was enjoyable to meet and make a plan and look at our progress and see how much debt we'd paid off and like you reminding us of our goals. And the main thing was it, it was a third party so that Travis, my husband, and I could get on the same page about stuff. Because sometimes you'd agree with him and sometimes you'd agree with me instead of us just coming to a standstill, which was good.

Were you afraid when we first got started that I would come in telling you that you couldn't do anything with your money and you had to stop everything fun? Yep.

In order to pay, you know, to pay off debt. Because we had— we'd gone through a cycle where we'd pay off a bunch of debt, we'd like, you know, scrimp and pay off a bunch of debt. And then kind of once it was paid off, or once it was really low, we'd be like, oh, let's, you know, let's have fun or whatever. And this was that, okay, well, here's— in, in, in my mind, so I'm the saver, I was like, let's cut all the expenses and eat noodles, you know. And my husband was like, I work really hard, I want some stuff. So that was where we were at. So with you, it was reassuring me, like, it's okay, Serena, like, you can, you can spend this stuff. It's okay. You'll still be able to save. You'll still be able to pay off debt. And then for Travis, like, yep, it's okay to do that. Maybe not that right now, but like just that, having that conversation. So I think both, both of us came in with, you know, different ideas, but yeah, it was, The idea that, okay, when we look at all our debt and we look at everything, it's just going to be like, no extras, no, just do all that. And so, yeah, your approach. And then I guess what the idea of getting this skill set again is like, it doesn't have to be so drastic and such a huge burden to be able to look at your finances and manage them and make a plan for the future. It doesn't have to be so painful, has been my experience with you.

What would you say some of your biggest wins have been in the time that we've been working together?

The number one is we talk about money without, without fighting or without like, okay, we're done. Like, that's enough. So we talk about it and we plan together. So to me, that's the biggest win in the whole world. But we've paid off, I don't know the exact amount, like $4,000 worth of debt. And mainly not put more on because that's been huge, is not to put more on and then have enough for all the expenses and saving and paying off debt. And then for me, knowing it's sustainable has been really huge because you used the Debt Shredder with us, which has been wonderful as well. Yeah, I would say those are building our savings more, paying off debt, and actually being able to talk because it's, it's objective, right? It's a, it's a budget that we made together. It wasn't like I made this budget, honey, like, look at it.

Yeah. Right.

So to be able to do that together, I think made a big difference. Yeah.

That's huge. Well, and I really do think it's a process, not an event. You know, you don't just do it one day and all of a sudden it's all fixed. It's like anything that we do in life worth, worth keeping is you do it consistently over time. And I never want people to work with me and then just stop doing it. I want it to become a lifestyle and sustainable and not be so extreme that you can't continue it. And I think that's why I feel like you have to build some joy in along the way and some you know, some fun things and, and feel like, okay, we can do this because it's not so bare bones and just eating noodles that you, you don't really get to enjoy your life. And you've got kids at home and you've got, you know, things that are going on in your world. You know, we didn't have to cut out all their extraneous expenses and say, oh, sorry, you can't do that anymore. Um, you just needed to plan for them and, yeah, you know, decide where your priorities are and how long you're willing to do this, you know. But you guys have had some, some good conversations. I don't see you— it's funny because I never felt like there was a whole lot of, um, contentious conversations or anything like that when we were together. So, um, so you didn't present that way to me. So, or maybe like you said before, it was just Okay, we talk about it, but then we just avoid it because it gets too— yeah, yeah, too heated, and we don't feel like there's give and take. And so, um, so I'm, I'm excited for the progress that you're making, and I'm, I'm so honored to work with you because you do money mindset already, and to, to humble yourself and say, okay, I'm great at this part, but I need some support in this part, and to be willing to get help in the area that you need help instead of feeling like, oh, I should know how to do this. So I'm not going to ask for anybody else's, you know, skill set because what I do is different than what you do.

So yeah, yeah. And that was, you know, that was part of— that's part of the whole mindset too, shifting is like you— we— it's good to get support and help and stuff with someone who knows what they're doing.

Right.

Um, and for you it's just not even a big deal. Yeah, absolutely. Good.

Well, that was great. Well, thank you for coming on and sharing your experience and being so supportive. And I'm, I'm honored to call you friend, and, um, it's fun to kind of walk this journey along with you and realize that we're both, you know, kind of just working our way through various parts of our lives. And I, I love being there for you guys and excited to see where the next piece of your journey goes.

So yeah, and that's, and that's what I appreciate about having you in this money coaching relationship because you were encouraging us and becoming a friend instead of just like, here's what you should do with your financials. So yeah, I loved it and I'm grateful and we continue to use it. And yeah, good.

Awesome. Well, thanks for coming on here. Hopefully this all worked well. It says we're on Facebook. You're probably better at that than I am, but I appreciate that time with you and I'll say goodbye for now. Thanks for your time.

Awesome. Thanks.