Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Westergard.
Hi Taylor, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I always wanted to be a psychologist, but I also loved numbers and math. I was walking down the hall at Utah Valley University one day and Luke Dean, a professor at UVU, stopped me in the hall and told me about the Personal Financial Planning degree uniquely offered at the university.
I changed my major pretty quickly after that conversation. I found the field to be a perfect mix of psychology when it comes to money and spending and crunching the numbers to help people achieve their financial goals. The Personal Financial Planning program at UVU changed my life, and I will be forever grateful for all of the professors there who helped me find a successful career.
After graduation, I decided to narrow down my services to helping families and business owners take control of their finances through budgeting, debt management, and spending in alignment with their values. I no longer offer investment advice or sell any financial products. Instead, I solely focus on education, coaching, and financial accountability.
I help my clients save more money, prepare for the purchase of their first home, pay off debt, understand their student loans, increase their income, communicate with their partners better about money, and achieve their financial goals.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
A financial coaching business is not a new concept, but it isn’t a very well-known one. I started a business providing a service that most people don’t even know exists. People in the United States have taken financial stress, overwhelm, and debt as just a part of life, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Most people when they think of getting financial help, two things come to mind: Courses and podcasts that are screaming at you to cut up your credit cards or financial advisors that will invest your money for retirement. What about the people in between? The people who want to only use credit cards to earn points and start paying them in full every month, or who are making good money, but don’t know how to start saving or what to prioritize when it comes to finance. That is where a financial coach comes in and can be considered the first step before needing a financial advisor who will invest your savings.
My clients often tell me that they feel like they are making too good of money to feel so broke. I help them find their purpose in money so that they can start to save for their future.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
As a financial coach, I help families, professionals, and business owners take control of their finances. I help my clients create a budget that is aligned with their values and goals, help them pay off debt, and coach them as they grow their careers and earn more income.
I don’t sell investment or insurance products, I only provide education so that my clients can make the best choices with their money.
Not only do they get an education in all things personal finance, but we also dive into their money psychology and the behavior changes that need to occur to achieve their savings goals.
My clients have saved for down payments on their first homes, paid for vacations in cash, paid off thousands of dollars in debt, saved thousands in interest charges, and started communicating with their partners about money on a much deeper level.
My services are one-on-one coaching with programs ranging from 2 months to 12+ months.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
My biggest piece of advice is to never shy away from meeting new people, enjoying a good conversation, and asking others for advice.
You will not ever have all the answers so it is important to humble yourself and have the courage to ask the people around you for help, advice, support, and direction. Even more important is to ask strangers that you admire and would like a connection with to go out for coffee or a Zoom chat to get to know them.
I would also read the book Give and Take by Adam Grant to help you learn how to provide value back to those who are willing to help you as you start your business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.evolvingmoneycoaching.com
- Instagram: @evolvingmoney
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/evolvingmoney
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-westergard/
