Creation is messy business. And beginnings are rarely tidy.
That fluffy, warm stack of Paleo pancakes started out in a kitchen flung with batter, a sink overflowing with eggy, buttery bowls.
And, as I have learned this year, writing a book means drinking lots of coffee in the morning to push through the voices of self-doubt whispering, “Can I really do this??”
The creative process isn’t shiny. It drags you into the shadows and dares you to dance with them, work for it, surrender, and persevere.
Sometimes, people say my life looks awfully shiny.
They look at my smiling photos on FaceBook and Instagram and assume everything is (and has always been) charmed and easy, in my life and love and business.
While I lovelovelove my little family, the deep work I do, and the fabulous teaching model I now use, my creative life isn’t all shiny. And it really wasn’t shiny at the very beginning, as Forest and I were first creating the Art of Money methodology.
Our tiny cabin in the woods.
A 350 square foot cottage.
Neither of us earning consistent income.
My tough days of overwhelming anxiety and Forest’s falling to the kitchen floor in a puddle of money-worry tears.
And me confronting my self-doubt: could I really teach this money stuff? HOW??
But Forest and I kept going through those tough beginnings. Together, we fused my psychotherapy training and savvy money practices, whirring them together with love (like the eggs and almond flour of a great paleo pancake). Through that creative combustion, The Art of Money methodology was born.
In those early times, I would come up with ideas for new money tools and practices and then Forest and I would experiment with them. Eventually, those same tools and practices would evolve into what I now share with our global Art of Money community.
Episode 3 of this first season of the Art of Money podcast is the story of the messy, playful, weird, and loving beginnings of this conscious money work I’ve been doing for the last 15 years. It’s the origin story of money dates, values-based bookkeeping, finding right livelihood, and more. It’s the early chapters of the journey Forest and I have made, together. As boyfriend and girlfriend, then husband and wife, then parents of a beautiful boy, then business partners.
Along the journey of this story, you’ll hopefully pick up some gems for your own heroic journey with money. That’s my hope anyway, because even though this episode is about our story, it’s not about us alone. It’s about you and how we can help you on your path.
Press the play button below to listen to the show, or listen on your phone by subscribing to the podcast here:
Right click over this link and choose “save link as” or “save as” to download the mp3 file to your computer.
Listen to this podcast episode, in which Forest and I tell the story of how it all began:
- The crazy-serendipitous way I met my first money mentor (and why this changed everything)
- How I went from wanting nothing to do with money to staying up and reading QuickBooks manuals in bed
- The seemingly-sacrilegious dream that planted the seeds for Values-Based Bookkeeping
- What it took for Forest to go from digging trenches (and living in a tipi) to running a multi six-figure business.
Eventually, these not-so-shiny beginnings grew into a wonderfully successful business, a thriving international community, and a year-long program that has changed thousands of lives (which is open for registration now for a short while).
If you enjoy this episode of the podcast (and the previous episodes), you’ll adore The Art of Money: my year-long money school. We only open our doors once a year for a short time, and that time is now (but the doors are closing soon.) Clickety-click right here to get all the details.
Imagine what could happen if you dedicated an entire year to your money relationship: healing, practices, and maps … with expert guidance, live coaching calls with me, guest teachers, 5 teaching assistants, and an off-the-charts supportive community in a private discussion forum. Things could change in your money life in profound ways, as they do for hundreds of people who take the program each year.
This round of the program is going to be our very best yet: with added support, new Guest Teachers, and an oomphier-than-ever mission to create a global, conscious money movement.
Join us for this deeply personal exploration. With friends, teachers, and wise ones. With practices, ongoing support, and massive amounts of love.
To brave first steps,
P.S. If you liked this episode of the show and you’re interested in seeing the latest evolution of where Forest’s business smarts are being directed into, check out one of his latest pieces of work from his business: an incredibly helpful, in-depth Rainmaker platform review (Rainmaker is an all-in-one tech platform that allows you to build a business like mine, which sells things like online programs and coaching or consulting sessions.)
