She paid off $100K+ in debt, and she's not sorry!

You don’t have to be in a room (or Zoom room) long with Heather to realize she is a force of nature. I had the privilege of doing the Confident CEO class with her and was routinely impressed by her confidence and insight. In short, she is a total bad ass. 

“What has surprised me most is that I thought this journey would end when I was debt free. What I have learned from Bernadette and her no bullshit approach is that it’s so much bigger than that.”

Before we even talk about her financial strides you should know that she is a wife, mother of three humans and two pups and is the Senior Vice President of Relationship Management at a software company. Wow! Right? She is originally from New Jersey, but has called North Carolina home for 35 years. So, how did a woman with a plate this full find Bernadette, you ask? Their paths crossed at one of Bernadette’s Skillpop classes and Heather quickly saw an area where she wanted more control and it was on!

“I had a lot of shame tied to money. I felt shame around being 49 years-old and not knowing enough about how to manage my money and the fact that I had professional success but didn’t have a lot to show for it.” Heather’s bold admission upon joining this class was accompanied by her dread of being the lone Gen-Xer in a sea of Millennials as she tried to improve her finances. Nevertheless, she soldiered on and discovered she was far from alone in her quest. She’s now an official Bernadette junkie and a graduate of the CRUSH Your Money Goals, Fix Your Money FLOW and Confident CEO programs. Recently she joined the ranks of Your Chief FIRE Officer with the hopes of retiring early. She is unstoppable.

Heather’s commitment and drive are clear, but here’s the bottom line, she has paid off $100K in debt! We have talked a great deal here at #WCW about budgeting and its importance, but here’s another “B word” we need to air out—baggage. “I have stopped apologizing for my financial position, both good and not so good. When I joined the Debt Crushers, I remember carrying around a lot of baggage about how I accumulated debt. It was unproductive and the group, along with Bernadette, helped me to move past that.” 

“I had a lot of shame tied to money. I felt shame around being 49 years-old and not knowing enough about how to manage my money and the fact that I had professional success but didn’t have a lot to show for it.”

Heather’s point is an important one and something Bernadette helps clients work through. We all have our own financial baggage and are on a different journey, but there is strength in numbers and by bringing groups of badass women together with different perspectives and life experience, the possibilities are limitless. 

Heather echoes many others when she says, “Surrounding myself with amazing women, all working towards a common goal, has been the biggest game changer for me. It has helped me to reimagine what I believe is possible for my life and to also know that everything is still unfolding in the best way possible.” It is this kind of confidence that continues to push Heather forward. 

“What has surprised me most is that I thought this journey would end when I was debt free. What I have learned from Bernadette and her no bullshit approach is that it’s so much bigger than that. I didn’t go into my first class thinking this would change my life. I am a different person than when I started and I have learned that I can trust myself with money and dream bigger dreams than I thought possible.” How’s that for an Oprah ah-ha moment!? This is a core value that Bernadette is continually driving home: Net worth is not self-worth! We are so much more than our bank account and we have to be able to openly discuss our finances to get all that shit together. 

Heather’s journey does not stop with her. She is proudly showing her children how to take charge in life and openly discusses her experience with friends. “I want everyone to know that it’s possible to get comfortable with managing your financial future and that you don’t have to live in fear. This experience will forever be a part of my story.”

If you want to learn more about how to be a part of Bernadette’s tribe go to https://www.crushyourmoneygoals.com/. You can also check out some of the previous bad asses I have had the pleasure of writing about there. If you are into dogs, booze and other randomness follow me on Instagram at @kyspiritsgal.