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As A CEO & Mom Of Two, Here's Why I Started Working With A Financial Planner
On a day-to-day basis, well-being might look like getting our steps in, syncing meals with our internal clock, or staying loyal to our bedtime routine... But there's so much more to it than that. We're faced with financial decisions literally every single day—whether it's splurging on a $10 smoothie or submitting a down payment on a house. The natural reaction might be to use wellness as a way of pushing our financial worries aside, but the truth is we're thinking about this relationship all wrong. Finances and wellness go hand in hand.
Money tends to be at the core of a lot of stress—and that stress can trickle into other areas of our lives, affecting things like sleep, anxiety levels, and food choices. Maintaining a good relationship with our finances is a critical piece of the well-being puzzle. I learned that firsthand in the early days of mindbodygreen. As with any new business, it took some time to get our footing financially, and that caused a lot of anxiety and marital stress. Looking back, I wonder what kind of difference it would have made if we had had access to certain tools. It would have been a game-changer to know about Facet back then—aka the money therapist we wish we had.
Know when it's time to ask for help.
I've always known the importance of finances to overall well-being, but I also know it's easy to get complacent in money management: We get used to a system that works and forget that every system needs an occasional upgrade! The truth is, as an entrepreneur and mother of two toddlers, I'm tired at the end of the day. More often than not, going the extra mile for our personal finances just feels impossible. But with so many life experiences punctuated by dollar signs and underscored by the balance in our bank account, I realized that anyone could use a helping hand in this arena—and that's what brought me to Facet.
Getting started with Facet Wealth.
Facet is a financial planning service that supports all areas of life—from major purchases and life milestones to benefits selections and investments. Working with Facet Wealth means getting paired with one of their CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals. Their CFP® professionals have the highest possible certification, but my planner was as personable as she was credentialed. Thankfully, their service is virtual, so I was able to meet with her wherever life took me that day—on the go or at home. With everything online these days, I was curious about how it would feel to talk finances screen-to-screen, but their platform is extremely secure and user-friendly. I connected with my adviser quickly, and we got to work on building a personalized plan and putting it into action.
Working with a financial planner… What's it like?
I knew that working with a financial planner would shed some light on the inevitable stories and scripts we all spin surrounding money. What I didn't realize is that she'd be a part therapist, part accountability helper, part financial wizard for my family. Together, we've navigated all aspects of financial well-being—from personal angles to the more practical. She was able to get me and my husband on the same page financially while coaching us through more logistical matters like emergency funds and life insurance.
But I've also found myself surprised about the little details that have come to the surface through this service. There have been basic realizations surrounding financial hygiene that, frankly, I haven't kept up with at the right pace. My 401(k) from my first job is still in my maiden name and not my legal name. I hadn't yet thought of basic benefits and company-sponsored programs that we could have taken advantage of—like HSAs. As we all know, the wellness life covers a lot of terrain; things fall through the cracks. But my financial planner helps me pick up pieces that may have otherwise been left behind.
My No. 1 takeaway from working with a financial planner.
Working with a financial planner is a reminder that our relationship with money is constantly evolving. And with the latest evolution, I've learned to be more proactive. Together, we've set up systems so I can be more intentional about savings. But my No. 1 takeaway comes back to mindset—the reminder that it's a good idea to seek expert advice where I can. With the holidays right around the corner, it could not have been a more perfect time to do so.
I've always been a huge believer in the importance of finances within the bigger picture of well-being. While I may not need help with the accountability behind cooking, strength training, or sleep hygiene, financial well-being is one area of wellness where I am not necessarily in my element. I've learned the importance of turning to a resource, like Facet, to help me navigate. We, as a family, will now be checking in quarterly on our big goals and taking advantage of more programs that are available to us. Working with Facet, I'm reminded of something that I learned a long time ago: Wellness will always be better when shared.
Find out more about your financial wellness with this quiz from Facet.
