_{I wrote this for you to nourish your heart and offer some love and financial re-parenting.
 
This is a low key holiday love story.
 
Most people are not taught anything about money.
 
We hear in passing about retirement accounts, 401k, and savings.
 
When I worked in corporate, I started a 401k account because when I was on-boarding they told me to. The End.
 
I didn’t really understand what I was doing or how much I should put in it. I just closed my eyes and picked an amount. And then when I started my business, I used that money and more to get this thing started. Once we were going, I went for a long time without any savings or investments or retirement.
 
And it freaked me out.
 
Savings and/or retirement are the basis of how most people think of financial security. And the feeling of having a cushion of money does make people feel secure.
 
And nearly all of my clients come to me seeking financial security.
 
So, I knew I *should* save money but I couldn’t figure out *how* to do it. I felt broke all the time.
 
Hell, I WAS broke all the time. I was a welfare mom for a long, long time.
 
Emergencies would happen and if I didn’t have the cash I’d have to use a credit card (when I could finally get one again) or borrow if it was a big thing. I borrowed a lot from friends over time and I’ve had to work to re-pay that.
 
I had so much shame about that. About accumulating debt, about not being able to do it all myself, about not having savings or retirement.
 
Eventually, I learned that this is normal.
 
In fact, most entrepreneurs have bad things financial happen *because* they don’t have any savings or investments. (And that’s a post for another time.)
 
For example, because I was broke all the time, I’d wait to fix my car. And inevitably something would happen, and it would be a lot worse and cost A LOT more money. Ugh.
 
When I went to try to start a new investment account on my own, I found that I needed $5k to start an IRA. I was blown away by how much cash I had to have to start an investment account. I was frustrated and sad – I want access to investing!
 
But then I found Acorns.com. (If you’re ready to jump in: use the button below for a little extra investment for both of us.)} 

_{I could start investing with $20. And add as little as I wanted, anytime.
 
This was a game-changer for me. I could invest without a huge commitment. And without taking that money totally out of circulation.
 
So, I made the commitment to start the account that I would consistently add money to. I started with adding just $5 a week.
 
(I also committed to not taking anything out. And because it’s separate from my everyday banking, I’ve successfully left it in there since I started – which I’ve never done before!)
 
It took a while to get there but eventually, I had enough to start an IRA. And feel more secure about my financial future.
 
I want better for my son. (Just like I want better for all of you. That’s why I do this work.)
 
This Christmas my son just started a new job and we’re both really excited for him! My partner and I decided that it’s the perfect time for my son to get started investing – even though it’s a part-time job and not a “career”. It’s time to learn about investing and getting set up to retire.
 
We decided to this because:}

• _{No one taught me how to do this}
• _{Financial habits are imprinted and taught}
• _{I want him to know that he’s financially secure}
• _{I want him to know that he, himself has some control over how secure he is}