Hi Friend,
First, a little story and then an invitation to travel and join me for a very special 5-day Financial Therapy Retreat at the gorgeous Hollyhock Retreat Center (on Cortes Island) on May 16-21st!
Let’s start with the story…
If you’ve been around for a while you may remember my blog post from 3 years ago titled, “I’m using our carpet fund to take my family to Barcelona instead!“
It was the very end of 2021 and we, like everyone, had not been able to travel abroad since the pandemic had started.
In April 2020, when everything shut down, we were moments away from an epic trip to Barcelona so our son could play in a world youth soccer tournament. But that was not in the cards.
So after saving the carpet money, very spontaneously, I asked my family if we could use those funds to go to Barcelona instead.
Ok…maybe I didn’t fully ask. It was more of a “this is what’s happening” statement. I mean of course there were money discussions and a money date with my husband.
But I’ve been known in a few key life moments to go a little rogue and I pull the “I’m leading the way” card. (My husband calls this “the Bari freight train.”) I don’t do that too often and of course my husband has his own moments. But having a child and buying a home were a couple of the other “freight train” moments for me.
So I declared that the carpet was being put on hold and that we were going to Barcelona instead. It turned out to be a fabulous trip and so worth it for the family experiences and memories – we love Barcelona.
A few months later, we decided to get a puppy, and you know puppies have accidents on carpets. And then a few months later he got pneumonia twice so, there were more accidents – he made it through that terrible pneumonia and is totally healthy now and has been for a while.
But if we had gotten the new carpet, it would have been ruined. Now, of course, it’s just carpet. It could have been replaced in sections where it would have been ruined.
But, in hindsight, using the carpet money for a trip to Barcelona was an excellent choice.
And now finally, 3 years after that lovely trip, we’ve been in our home for 9 years, and it was 7 years old when we bought it. We have one large dog, 3 cats, and a teenager with friends who are all very good at spilling things, we finally, finally got new, pet and spill resistant carpet in the whole house.
It feels so good to walk barefoot on this new carpet. It sounds silly, but it feels luxurious to walk on this soft, new, clean carpet.
Traveling around Barcelona for a couple of weeks is amazing, but have you tried walking barefoot on new carpet??
So, here’s the moral of the story: money decisions are not always simple and straightforward. When I teach my students or clients how to make good money decisions, one of the key steps is to really sit with the timing of the decision.
For our family, back in 2021 it turned out that it was much more important for us to take a trip to Barcelona and make some memories we’ll have for the rest of our lives and hold off on the carpet.
Three years later, it is now the perfect and right time to get rid of the old, ugly carpet and have a luxurious, barefoot, clean carpet experience every day in our home right now.
Oftentimes, it all comes down to feeling into the right timing for everything.
For our little family, a few weeks ago it was the right time for a new flooring experience.
And on that note, here’s my cute office and fluffy office assistant, Blue, showing you how things look with the new carpet. This little space on top of our home is where all the Art of Money magic happens.
Now, speaking of traveling, maybe the timing could be right for you to join me on Vancouver Island later this year for a live, 5-day financial therapy retreat?
If you know me, you know that I love to stay home, cuddle with my kitties, and even work from bed sometimes (okay, maybe it’s a daily thing.)
But I also love to combine work and travel once in a while.
So, when Hollyhock reached out to me last summer and asked if I would be interested in teaching a workshop on their beautiful Cortes Island (just off Vancouver Island) – I had an immediate, big YES.
I have always been very picky about when I travel for work and most likely I would have said, “no thank you” if I had received this invitation a year ago. But their timing was exquisite and it was as though they knew – we were both ready for each other!
When they invited me to teach, I also knew that I wanted to run this retreat with someone. But not just anyone.
I wanted my co-facilitator to be the one and only Danielle Cohen. Not only is she one of my dearest girlfriends, but our husbands are close and our families meet up in different locations for family dinners and adventures each year.
She and I have also been dreaming up ways to collaborate together for some time, so everything all came into alignment here.
You may know Danielle as the photographer for many women who run online businesses. She took the photos for my first Art of Money book cover, then a magazine cover, and she’s done nearly all of my website photos.
She’s also someone who had to majorly pivot with her work during the pandemic because she couldn’t travel. She pivoted to teaching her Visibility Medicine work and has been full steam ahead ever since. She is also a mom of 4, a beautiful space holder, and a ritualist.
I interviewed Danielle in 2018 about slaying a dragon where she shared a very brave and powerful story about her decade of being a single mom and taking her ex-husband to court because it was time for him to pay his balance.
Then I interviewed her again in 2022 on her Visibility Medicine Work, how money work and visibility work go hand and hand and why learning how to become more visible is so essential when being a business owner.
Here’s a sweet photo of us in Taos, New Mexico from 2 years ago…
So, the first live teaching collaboration with Danielle and I will happen at the beautiful Hollyhock Retreat Center.
On May 16- 21, we’re co-facilitating a 5-day Financial Therapy Retreat and we would love to have you join us!
If this is calling to you, we would love you to be there with us for this experience. Have a look at all the details now so you can start preparing, as the journey will require some planning.
Here are some of the details from the retreat description in the Hollyhock catalogue:
Join Somatic-based Financial Therapist, Bari Tessler and Trauma-Informed Visibility Coach, Danielle Cohen – as your guides and trusted companions for this transformative journey designed to reshape your relationship with money and invite new possibilities into your life.
Over the course of this immersive experience, we’ll take you through our 3-phase method of Money Healing, Practices, and Visioning. You’ll be held in a skillful, compassionate, and loving space where powerful teachings, embodied practices, and rituals converge to bring real, lasting shifts.
Together, we’ll explore the money stories that shape our financial lives, gently uncover and tend to old wounds, learn how to be resourced by our family lineage, get to know our money strengths and challenges, and craft new narratives rooted in dignity, clarity and empowerment. Through thoughtful reflection, meaningful dialogue, and practical rituals, you’ll develop a whole new way of being with money that is rooted in your own authority, authenticity, and agency.
Expect innovative teachings, enriching conversations, supportive community, and practical guidance – all designed to help you leave feeling more aligned and empowered. Oh, and as important as all that is – expect to have a fun and connected time!
You can read through the full Financial Therapy Workshop details over on Hollyhock and sign up directly on Hollyhocks website. They will also be glad to help you with any of the travel logistics.
If you feel called to make the journey to this gorgeous, peaceful island, Danielle and I can’t wait to welcome you into the space of the retreat.
Sending you my dearest wishes,
