What does it really mean to be a financial coach in integrity with what we do? This week on the podcast, we’re tackling this head-on, talking about the realities behind what's often seen but seldom spoken about. It’s the challenges behind coaches coaching coaches (say that three times fast!) and staying in integrity with how we market ourselves and being open and transparent with clients.

In this episode, you’ll hear some real-life examples of the vulnerable (and the ick) when it comes to coaches coaching coaches and I hope you hear my invitation to really think about your own role as a financial coach. How do you balance ambition with honesty? How do you navigate the complexities of scaling a business while staying true to your mission? These are just a few of the ideas you’ll hear, as well as my own answers to these questions.

So, if you're curious about what it really takes to uphold integrity in financial coaching, if you're looking to find a balance between your financial acumen and your coaching spirit, or if you're simply seeking a heart-centered approach to this profession, this episode is for you.

Tune in to discover insights that could redefine your approach to financial coaching. Trust me, you don't want to miss this one!

Links & Resources:

• Ultimate Growth Guide
• Join the Facebook group

Key Takeaways:

• Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, but never step outside your integrity zone - the distinction between growth and compromise matters more than you think.
• The coaches coaching coaches industry often becomes a pyramid where the only six-figure business they've built is teaching others to build the business they never actually built themselves.
• Ask this critical question before hiring any business coach: Have they succeeded at the actual thing they're teaching, or only at teaching it?
• Over-promising is the supplement industry of coaching - claiming your program cures everything while delivering results you can't control.
• Two sides make financial coaches powerful: the dreamer who believes in potential and the realist who sees the hard work required.
• The life coaching pyramid targets you as the easier sale - coaches buy faster than real clients because hope sells better than results.
• Truth in marketing means being honest about what you haven't achieved, not just highlighting what you have - transparency builds more trust than hype ever will.

Ever tried to talk a client out of a risky decision? Found yourself pushing harder when they won't listen to your advice? If you've ever felt your stomach drop when a client chose the path you knew was wrong, this episode is for you.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: when we try to control our clients' choices, it's usually not about them. It's about us. Our insecurity that their mistakes will reflect badly on our coaching. Our arrogance in thinking we can predict the future and know what's best for everyone.

But here's what I learned after years of doing this: trying to shelter clients from consequences actually slows down their growth. The very skills they came to us for - making intentional, informed decisions and learning to pivot when things go sideways - only develop when they experience real world outcomes, both good and bad.

In this episode, I share the mindset shift that changed everything for me. My job isn't to be right or protect clients from ever feeling regret. It's to help them become more resourceful and confident in their ability to respond when life throws them a curve ball.

You'll hear the exact approach I use when clients insist on strategies I think are risky. How to create extreme clarity by mapping out best case, worst case, and most likely scenarios. The questions that illuminate financial, emotional, and logistical impacts without fear mongering. And how to help clients build contingency plans that make risky moves safer.

This isn't about becoming a yes-person who just smiles and nods. It's about the difference between coaching and controlling. Between building resilient clients and making their success about your ego.

Links & Resources:

• Ultimate Growth Guide
• Join the Facebook group

Key Takeaways:

• Your need to control client decisions isn't about protecting them - it's about protecting your ego from their potential mistakes.
• Real progress happens when clients learn to make intentional decisions and pivot when needed, not when they follow your blueprint perfectly.
• Stop robbing clients of consequences because that's exactly what they need to build the skills they came to you for.
• When a client wants to take a risky path: Map out best case, worst case, and most likely scenarios - then let them choose with eyes wide open.
• Ask yourself: Am I making their success about my comfort or their growth?
• The goal isn't for clients to make the same decision you would - it's for them to make clear, confident decisions they can handle.
• Ethical coaching means walking beside clients with your eyes open and theirs, not telling them which direction to go.

Have you ever met someone in person after following their content and thought, “Wow, they're exactly who I thought they'd be”? That's the power of authenticity, and it's what your clients are looking for too.

Today we're talking about something I see happening a lot in our profession—coaches trying to sound like someone else instead of developing their own voice. I'll share why this matters more than you think, where the line is between inspiration and copying, and how to create content that sounds like you.

I’ll also share something else I’ve been ruminating on for the last year or so: We've somehow lost the art of giving credit where it's due. There used to be blog circles where content creators would openly build on each other's ideas, linking back and adding their own perspectives. But somewhere along the way, we stopped doing this.

Here's what I know for sure: Your clients don't expect you to generate every idea in isolation. They want to work with someone real; someone who speaks their truth, shares their experiences, and isn't afraid to acknowledge where their inspiration comes from.

I'll walk you through practical ways to develop your authentic voice, including how to start with real conversations instead of other people's content, and why your vulnerability creates connection in ways that polished, generic content never will.

Plus, I'll share why I took a three-month content consumption break and how it helped me find my voice again. Sometimes the most distinctive coaches consume less content from their direct competitors and find inspiration elsewhere entirely.

This conversation will help you show up as yourself in your business, which truly is your greatest asset as a coach.
Listen in to discover how authenticity isn't just about integrity; it's about building a sustainable business that attracts the right clients and creates meaningful transformations.

Links & Resources:

• Financial Coach Academy 
• Ultimate Growth Guide
• Join the Facebook group

Key Takeaways:

• Your clients hire you for your perspective, not your ability to sound like someone else. They can sense when something feels off even if they can't put their finger on it.
• Start with conversations you've actually had with clients or friends instead of starting with other people's content; real questions create real connections.
• Giving credit doesn't diminish your authority—it actually shows you're engaged with your field and humble enough to acknowledge others.
• The most distinctive coaches often consume less content from their direct competitors and find inspiration from psychology, behavioral economics, or leadership development instead.
• If you have to ask yourself “would I be comfortable if someone changed my content this way?” then the simplest solution is to give credit.
• Your vulnerability creates connection in ways that polished, generic content never will; share your money mistakes, lessons, and turning points.
• Content creation becomes easier and more enjoyable when you're drawing from your own well of experience rather than trying to maintain someone else's voice.

I used to lose sleep before coaching sessions where I knew I had to deliver tough news. If I saw someone's finances and they were way over budget every month, I felt like, oh my gosh, I'm going to have to be the messenger of terrible news. What are they going to think? How are they going to react?

Today we're talking about those conversations that make your stomach tighten—the ones many coaches want to avoid because they think their client will be unhappy or uncomfortable. But when we avoid these conversations, problems compound, resentment builds, and most importantly, we fail to serve our clients with the honesty they deserve.

We'll cover the specific language that transforms these dreaded moments into opportunities for deeper connection. Instead of saying “at this rate, it will take you 13 years to pay off your debt,” you'll learn how a simple reframe can shift everything. Plus, I'll share how asking clients to rate their financial health on a scale of one to ten changed my entire approach to difficult conversations.

Whether it's discussing negative cash flow, addressing spending habits that don't align with goals, or talking about business finances that aren't working, you'll get concrete phrases and questions that create openness instead of defensiveness. We'll also talk about what happens when clients get emotional (because money is emotional) and how to handle those vulnerable moments in ways that deepen trust rather than damage it.

If you've ever felt uncomfortable having to tell a client something they don't want to hear, this episode gives you the tools to approach these conversations with confidence. Because the truth is, delivering tough news with care is one of the most valuable services we provide as financial coaches.

Links & Resources:

• Ultimate Growth Guide
• Join the Facebook group
• Episode 27: The Stages of Learning for Financial Coaches

Key Takeaways:

• Preparation beats panic: Practice what you'll say before tough conversations, because delivering bad news with care is one of the most valuable services you provide as a coach.
• Questions starting with “why” create defensiveness, but “what” and “how” create openness. Choose your question words carefully to unlock client insights.
• “You should have” focuses on a past that can't be changed, while “Let's explore what's working” builds on strengths that already exist.
• Emotional moments aren't interruptions to coaching. They're opportunities to create profound trust by staying present without trying to fix or change the feelings.
• Ask clients to rate their financial health 1-10 before delivering tough news; often they already know something's wrong and just don't want to face it alone.
• Every problematic financial habit began as an attempt to meet a legitimate need. Acknowledge this and clients feel seen rather than judged.
• Your comfort with client emotions directly impacts your effectiveness as a coach; when you can hold space for tears without rushing to solutions, real transformation begins.

Many coaches think they need to be everywhere on social media, posting constantly and hoping their ideal clients will find them. But there's a problem with putting all your eggs in the social media basket: social media in 2025 is not the same social media from 10 years ago. And that means that growing a business on social media is leaving too much to chance.

This week, we're talking about why email marketing matters more than ever for financial coaches (and, honestly, any business). You'll hear why your social media following isn't really yours and how one of the contractors in my business lost her entire Facebook account overnight. We'll also cover the six strategies that actually work for growing your email list, including the one approach that we often see coaches completely overlook.

If you've been wondering how to get people to actually sign up for your list, or why your current strategy isn't working, this episode breaks down exactly what you need to know. From creating lead magnets that people actually want to understanding the psychology of what makes someone open your emails week after week.

Plus, I'll share the biggest mistake coaches make with their email lists and the simple fix that can change everything. Whether you're just starting to build your list or looking to breathe new life into an existing one, you'll walk away with practical steps you can implement right away.

Links & Resources:

• Ultimate Growth Guide
• Join the Facebook group
• Episode 93: Client Conversations with Nora Sudduth
• Episode 94: Build Trust to Attract Financial Coaching Clients

Key Takeaways:

• Your social media following is rented space, but your email list is property you actually own—and no algorithm change can take it away from you.
• Nobody wants another newsletter in their overflowing inbox. They want solutions to their problems, so lead with value, not volume.
• Email marketing delivers $35 for every $1 spent, while social media posts disappear into the void. That's why email is the foundation of a sustainable coaching business.
• The best lead magnet creates an immediate win: don't give them 17 steps to transformation, give them one thing they can implement today and see results.
• Stop asking, “Will you join my newsletter?” and start saying, “I have a resource that helps with exactly what you just mentioned. Can I send it to you?”
• Financial coaching requires nuance and depth that a social post can't deliver, but an email creates the private space people need to engage with sensitive money topics.
• The most important email strategy isn't how often you send or what day you choose; it's consistency and value in every single message that hits their inbox.

Starting a new career can be a challenge. In many instances, we have the opportunity to learn from a mentor or manager who can guide us in the right direction. And while I serve as a mentor for financial coaches, few have actually experienced or witnessed a financial coaching session. 

So I was thrilled when a member of our online community agreed to allow me to record a coaching session as I coached her around a financial decision she was trying to make. See, she had asked for input from our online community but received so many different responses she was actually further from a decision than before.

I hope you’ll tune in to this bonus episode and hear how we walk through Lydia’s decision. I share a bit of what pre-work I did before the session and why I approached the session like I did. 

Please pardon the audio quality; this is the first of what I hope to be a number of examples of what a coaching session looks like in real time.

Links & Resources:

• Ultimate Growth Guide
• Join the Facebook group

Key Takeaways:

• The clarity required to make a confident financial decision comes not from avoiding the worst-case scenario, but from being fully prepared for it.
• When facing a major financial choice, ask yourself: Am I making this decision from a place of fear or from a place of purpose-driven growth?
• True financial courage isn't eliminating all risk—it's understanding exactly what you're risking and deciding it's worth the potential gain.
• Your relationship with money reveals itself most clearly when you articulate what you believe you'll gain from spending it.
• Indecision is exhausting; a clear “no” is often more empowering than a perpetual “maybe.”
• Financial coaching isn't about telling someone what's mathematically optimal; it's about guiding them to clarity through their own values and circumstances.
• The next time you're stuck in financial uncertainty, remember: The decision isn't the point. The process is the point.

Financial coach and bookkeeper Amber Joy Pietrangelo never planned on having her own business after business classes in college completely turned her off from entrepreneurship.

But now, Amber has created a unique coaching approach where bookkeeping and financial guidance blend seamlessly. In her own business.

After struggling through multiple career and business shifts, Amber discovered her “magic sauce,” getting financial data organized and then helping clients truly understand what the numbers mean for their future decisions. What started as a search for purpose after personal struggles has evolved into her own authentic business model.

Working as a CFO for a nonprofit while maintaining her coaching practice, Amber shares in this week’s episode how she finally stopped trying to do business “the right way” and instead trusted her intuition. She says she’s surrendered and allowed things to be what they are, contrasting her current confidence with her early days of trying to copy other successful coaches.

For new financial coaches, Amber offers this wisdom: “Really listen to your own intuition and give yourself permission to follow it.” She believes businesses achieve longevity precisely because they embrace change rather than rigidly sticking to predetermined formulas.

Listen in to hear how finding your own path, even when it's messy, leads to both personal fulfillment and a thriving practice that genuinely serves others.

Links & Resources:

• Ultimate Growth Guide
• Join the Facebook group
• Amber's Website

Key Takeaways:

• Embrace your unique combination of skills rather than forcing yourself into a single professional identity.
• Trust your gut when building your business; the sooner you listen to your intuition instead of following others' formulas, the faster you'll find your authentic path.
• Connection beats promotion. One-on-one relationships and referrals create more stability than aggressive marketing tactics that don't align with your natural style.
• Your business model should make you feel good; if juggling multiple roles drains you, it's unsustainable, regardless of what the numbers say.
• Is your approach working? Ask yourself “How does this feel?” instead of just “Is this profitable?” to build a business that energizes rather than exhausts you.
• Businesses achieve longevity through embracing change, not by rigidly following initial plans when they no longer serve you.
• The magic isn't in getting the numbers right—it's translating those numbers into meaningful insights that help clients make better decisions.

About Amy Joy Pietrangelo

Amber Joy Pietrangelo is a financial coach and bookkeeper who lives in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. After joining the Financial Coach Academy® in 2019 while searching for more purpose in her life, Amber has built a unique coaching practice that combines her accounting background with intuitive coaching. She currently works as a CFO for a local nonprofit while supporting women with service-based businesses through her coaching and bookkeeping services. In this interview, she shares insights about her business model, her journey of finding her authentic coaching style, and advice for new coaches.

Are you wrapping up clients’ final sessions with an awkward “goodbye and good luck”? You might be missing the biggest opportunity in your coaching business.

We continue our series on delighting clients this week by focusing on what happens after their formal program ends. Financial wellness isn't a destination—it's a lifelong journey with new challenges at every stage. By maintaining meaningful relationships with past clients, you create both ongoing value for them and sustainable growth for your practice.

Think about it: your past clients already know your value. They've experienced the transformation you provide firsthand. When you create intentional ways to stay connected, these relationships become the foundation of a thriving, sustainable business where you're not constantly chasing new leads.

In this episode, we break down the three essential components of a great off-boarding process: the celebration session that highlights client progress, documenting their journey as a touchstone they can return to, and providing a success toolkit that equips them for continued growth on their own.

We also explore two proven models for ongoing support. The periodic coaching program offers flexible check-ins that evolve as clients progress—starting monthly, then quarterly, and eventually semi-annual—focusing on strategic planning rather than budgeting basics. For some practices, a community membership program creates connections between clients on similar journeys.

Beyond these formal touch points, we share practical ways to stay meaningfully connected through your connection calendar and regular communication that feels personal, not promotional.

The most powerful outcome of these strategies? A natural referral culture where clients enthusiastically share their experience with others.

Links & Resources:

• Ultimate Growth Guide
• Join the Facebook group
• Get your Client Journey Roadmap

Key Takeaways:

• The celebration session transforms a final meeting into a powerful launch pad for clients' independent success by highlighting their growth journey and newfound skills.
• Document your clients' progress throughout the coaching relationship—it becomes their touchstone during future financial challenges when you're not there.
• Periodic coaching evolves with your clients' needs: monthly → quarterly → semi-annual, focusing less on budgeting mechanics and more on being their strategic thinking partner.
• Your clients don't stop needing guidance after their program. Rather, they need different guidance as new life stages bring fresh financial challenges they've never navigated before.
• To increase your referral rate, stop asking for referrals and start creating client experiences so transformative they naturally want to share you with others.
• The most meaningful client communications aren't about your business news. They address the specific financial concerns of people already managing money well.
• Financial stability in your coaching business starts with client relationship stability; when past clients become your marketing department, algorithm changes can't touch your growth.

Are you caught checking client emails on family movie night or waking up at 3 a.m. worried you forgot to send that follow-up? Your love for financial coaching might be getting buried under a mountain of admin tasks.

As coaches, we're drawn to this work because we want to help people transform their relationship with money. But the reality is that running a business involves so much more than just coaching sessions. There's follow-ups, reminders, contracts, payments, forms, and dozens of other little tasks that can quickly overwhelm you.

The good news? You don't need to figure this all out on day one. When you're just starting out, keeping things simple is actually better. Don't let tech distract you from what will truly move the needle in your business: talking with people, marketing, and focusing on getting results for your clients.

But as your coaching practice grows, you'll start to notice the warning signs that it's time to level up your systems. Maybe you feel anxious that you're forgetting important client details. Perhaps you've caught yourself missing emails or deadlines because the small tasks are falling through the cracks. Or you might find yourself constantly pulled away from family time because you suddenly remembered something urgent you forgot to do for a client.

In this week’s episode, I walk through the essential tech tools that can transform how your business runs, when exactly to add each one, and how much they really cost. I'll also share why I don't recommend the all-in-one options that initially seem so appealing (and why I'm grateful they weren't available when I started).

Links & Resources:

• Ultimate Growth Guide
• Join the Facebook group

Key Takeaways:

• Start with just a scheduling software. Everything else can wait until you actually need it, so you can focus on what moves the needle: talking to people and getting results.
• Feeling anxious about forgetting client details? That's not just stress—it's your business telling you it's time for better systems.
• Don't put all your tech eggs in one basket; separate tools that communicate with each other provide better service and less risk than all-in-one platforms.
• Your business deserves proper tools—$47-67 monthly for professional systems is a small price to pay for hours saved and stress avoided.
• Systems are about organization creating the mental space to actually enjoy coaching again instead of drowning in admin tasks.
• When family time gets interrupted because you suddenly remembered a client task, it's not a work ethic problem; it's a systems problem.
• The right tech tools don't just make your life easier, they will transform your client experience from “she seems disorganized” to “wow, she's incredibly professional.”

I don't think I need to tell you about the chaos social media has experienced lately. Meta goes down from time to time. Instagram suddenly changed square feeds to vertical graphics with no warning. TikTok's future remains uncertain.

It’s too much to keep up with, and even if you understand the “rules,” they’re bound to change in the coming months. While there’s still value in social media, we can’t really rely on it.

In this episode, I'm sharing why email marketing needs to be the absolute foundation of your financial coaching business—not social media. While social media platforms constantly shift and change, email marketing remains rock solid, giving you direct relationships with your audience that you actually own and control.

I've watched coaches pour endless hours into building their social media following, using all the right hashtags and following trends, but struggle to convert followers into paying clients. Email marketing changes that equation completely. When someone checks their email, they're in a completely different mindset than when scrolling social media—more focused and intentional with their time.

Ready to build your email marketing foundation? Listen in for two practical approaches you can start using today, plus a third option to work toward as your business grows.

Links & Resources:

• Ultimate Growth Guide
• Join the Facebook group

Key Takeaways:

• Building your business on social media? You're renting property on shaky ground where the landlord changes rules without notice.
• Your email list is the only marketing asset you truly own—take control of your business future by starting to build it today.
• When was the last time someone replied to your social post? One email brought me 78 replies from engaged potential clients.
• Financial decisions require privacy—email creates the safe space your audience needs to engage with sensitive money topics.
• Want to welcome new subscribers properly? Create a simple 3-email sequence that delivers value, shares your approach, and offers a quick win.
• Email marketing creates consistency. Replace feast-or-famine client acquisition with steady relationship building that keeps you top of mind.
• Start where you are: begin with regular emails OR a welcome sequence, then work toward the hybrid approach as your confidence grows.