I’ve been a saver for as long as I can remember. Growing up with very little—and watching my parents lose our family farm—left a mark on me. I loved them, but I knew early on that I wanted a different kind of life.

 

After college at UW–Platteville, I stepped into the world of retail management, then working for the government and eventually into a marriage where money became the quiet wedge between us. He was fun and spontaneous, but we never learned how to talk about money. Over time, I became the “parent” in our finances, and the weight of that role slowly crushed us. When we finally filed bankruptcy on $80,000 of debt, I felt ashamed and defeated, especially knowing NOW that we could have overcome it if we’d had the right tools.

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After our divorce in 2009, I became a single/solo mom determined to stand on my own two feet. I bought a small ranch home and did everything I could to keep us afloat. But behind the scenes, I was juggling credit cards, a maxed-out HELOC, and the constant fear that one unexpected bill would break everything. One Sunday morning in 2012, while getting ready for church, the reality of it all hit me so hard I broke down in tears—something I rarely do. I knew I couldn’t keep living like that.

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That same morning, my church announced they were holding a Financial Peace University class. It felt like God tapping me on the shoulder. I signed up immediately. I learned how to budget with intention, built my first emergency fund, and slowly dug myself out of the hole. I can’t even pinpoint the moment the credit cards were finally paid off—I just know that one day I realized I hadn’t paid interest in years. For the first time in a long time, I felt hope.

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In 2023, while training to walk a marathon, I spent countless hours alone with my thoughts. Step after step, mile after mile, I kept feeling this tug on my heart: You’re meant to help others find the peace you fought so hard for. I didn’t know what that meant at first. I wondered if I should teach FPU at church or volunteer somewhere. Then an email arrived about becoming a trained financial coach through Dave Ramsey, and something in me said, This is it. I jumped in with both feet.  By the end of 2023, I paid off my last car loan.