I help you stop stressing about money so your life can be the adventure you want it to be.

Whether you want to explore the cliffs of Costa Rica (pictured above!), buy a house, or just watch Netflix in peace knowing your goals are met, I can help you get there.

Reassessing Your Money Habits

Just like the hearthstone was the center of the physical and cultural world for most of human history, you can achieve all your goals by making your Hearthstone ideals the center of your financial world.

To live according to your Hearthstones means to be able to truly enjoy the things you love now, knowing that you have a plan for your money.

If you’re constantly worried about your money — whether you have enough, how you’ll be able to afford your next vacation, or just if you’ve ordered too much takeout this month (guilty as charged) — know that there is a better way.

Money, when viewed as a tool and not as something to fear, can be a powerful way to create your dream life.

Knowing how to align your money with your ideal life unlocks the doors to freedom, happiness, and achieving those goals you were putting off for “someday.”

Not sure what your ideal life looks like? I can help you figure that out too.

You can live the life you want now and prepare for the life you want tomorrow, all by re-framing your approach to money and resetting your habits around how you use it.

I may not be able to relieve the guilt about that one time you were mean in 4th grade, but I can help you live a guiltless life when it comes to your money.

A life that includes checking things off your bucket list, not dreading you’ll never get to them.

A lot of people let their life be nothing because they’re worried they don’t have the money. Or worse, they save their entire life for “retirement,” that far off concept 30 years from now when they’ll be able to finally do everything they’ve dreamed about their whole life.

The only problem is, someday doesn’t exist. Your money doesn’t have to just be ready for a rainy day, it can be a tool to help you live the life you want right now.

Don’t believe me? Book a consultation now and we’ll talk it all though together.

What I can do for you

Want to buy a house but can’t seem to come up with the down payment? Want to start a business but can’t lose the income your 9 to 5 provides? Want to build your credit? Want to fly around the world in first class?

Whatever your money goal may be, I can help you understand your spending and create a plan to get there.

If you have a decent job but never seem to have the money at the end of the month to do the things you really want, know that there is a better way.

Most people think they just need a raise, but the reality is the raise would disappear as quickly as their current income because they aren’t intentional about their spending.

Stressing about money is the default method, but it isn’t the only way to live your life. In fact, it’s probably the worst way.

By working with me you will learn to design your ideal life and create a plan for how to achieve it, use your money as a key to unlock the doors you thought nailed shut, and gain the accountability necessary to live your life according to your values.

So if debt, or fear, or general disorganization are holding you back, I can help you achieve a life full of joy, purpose, and freedom.

What I’m not

I am not a financial advisor, a financial planner, or a wealth manager. I can’t tell you what the next hot stock is, how to invest in real estate, or which mutual fund is best for retirement savings.

Financial advisors play a very important role in money management, and I’m happy to get you to the point where you are comfortable working with one.

That being said, I will never tell you how to invest your money or even what to do with it.

I care about you, not about what you’re spending your money on.

My only goal is to help you get a handle on your money and live the life you want right now. I believe saving money for retirement is important, but saving life for retirement is a killer mistake so many people make.

Who I Am

Steven Byrd

Everyone’s views on life and money are shaped by their own background. I’m no exception. I was raised from middle school in two different worlds (thanks, joint custody).

With my dad we were solidly middle-class, but with my mom was another story. I watched my mom, who had previously been a stay-at-home mom, struggle with going back to school, working retail to keep the lights on, and piling up debt.

I remember the nights eating microwave burritos and ramen noodles. Domino’s pizza was a special treat.

The unique situations aside, the struggles I saw were the same. Both my mom and my dad struggled to provide for us, buy the things they needed, and work on saving for the future.

Sure we were able to afford more with my dad, but both sides struggled with money just the same.

See, money problems don’t stop when you get above the poverty line. You have to be intentional about developing your money mindset. You have to harness your money as a tool to live a life that excites you.

If you just let things happen, you’ll always be stressed about your money.

After college, I decided to take a year to work with a non-profit called Impact America. Through them, I was able to get certified by the IRS as a Volunteer Income Tax Preparer, and I had the opportunity to help hundreds of taxpayers save money through running a free tax preparation site.

Getting to know so many people’s money stories and help them along their journeys really awoke my passion for overhauling people’s lives through their money.

I only got to spend about an hour with each taxpayer though, and I realized I could help people even more if I was able to get to know them better.

I also realized that the vast majority of people are wildly under-served by the financial industry. Non-profits cater to the low income, and wealth managers help those with a high net worth.

What about everyone else?

There’s a massive group in the middle that still needs help understanding and handling their personal finances. Chances are, you’re part of that group.

I’m here to help you.

At the same time, I also saw my mom gradually dig out of the debt hole she was in through smart decisions and dedication, with a little guidance from yours truly.

Throughout the process, she always prioritized her Hearthstones and continued to do the things she enjoyed, as much as she could within her means.

This all lead me to a crucial insight: money isn’t stressful, but the way we traditionally think about it is. Most people make more than enough money to survive, but they feel like they don’t have enough.

Why? Because they are spending that money on things they don’t really want, not using it to create their ideal life right now.

How it all works

“So that’s a lot of talk, and it sounds really good, but how does it all actually work?” Well, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.

I offer a free, zero-commitment consultation call. During that call — which takes about 30 minutes — we can get to know each other a little bit and get a high-level overview of your financial situation.

The call is mostly about explaining the process and making sure we click, though. After all, you shouldn’t work with a coach who isn’t a good fit for you.

If you decide after that to move forward, we’ll work to

• Chart out your ideal life and establish your Hearthstones so you know exactly what you’re working towards,

• Create a detailed plan to reduce or eliminate your debt, freeing up all that sweet, sweet cash for living your ideal life,

• Establish a budgeting system that works for your unique personality (no, budgeting doesn’t mean you have to track every cent), and

• Build a financial cushion so that you can go out and live an amazing life knowing you’ve mastered your money.

Does that sound pretty good? Let me explain how we can get there.

The Initial Money Journey: This is the ultimate step towards mastering your money instead of stressing over it. If you’re serious about finally understanding your money and using it to live your life, this is the way to go.

Over the course of my program, we will meet to establish goals, plans, and systems that will allow you to live your best life. Along the way I will provide the accountability you need to keep going, as well as all the tools, resources, ideas, and plans I have available to me.

At the end of this step in your journey, you can choose to continue on with coaching or decide it’s time to spread your wings and fly alone.

Know that your money habits didn’t develop overnight though, and it takes most people a little longer before they’re totally confident in their new financial life.

Continuing Coaching: Like I mentioned above, the initial Money Journey is enough to get a great running start but often not enough to feel comfortable totally making the leap.

I work with each of my clients individually at the end of their initial plan to establish how often they would like to meet going forward, what they want to address, and how I can best continue to help them.

Like any good coach though, my ultimate goal is to set my clients up in such a way that they eventually don’t need me any more.

One-Off Sessions: Some people feel pretty okay about their money generally, but may have a few shaky areas. Maybe you want to negotiate a raise at work, are leaving your job and unsure how to make it work financially, or just want to save for a really big purchase. For those people, I also offer one-off sessions.

To find out more about those, head on over to the Contact page and shoot me an email.

So let’s do this!

Ready to pull the trigger? Awesome! I can’t wait to meet you and work together on your path to a guilt-free life. You can schedule a consultation, or head over to the Contact page to reach out if you have some more questions.

I know that working with a financial coach is a big commitment of both time and money, and I really appreciate you trusting me to help you live a life that excites you.