Judy Polyne, AFC^® is a financial coach and educator, coaching clients towards their financial goals. Through her work as an adjunct professor at New York University (NYU), as well as with local nonprofit organizations, Judy teaches people what they need to understand financial wellness and how to build a brighter financial future – both individually and collectively. She offers services to all individuals, but her primary focus is providing financial counseling to women of color in higher education. Through her passion and her “Setting the Standard” attitude, Judy is making big strides toward financial and social change in her community. As this week’s #FridayFollow spotlight, Judy tells us what sparked her motivation and offers great advice that all AFCPE candidates and professionals can utilize.

 

AFCPE: What inspired you to do this work?

Judy: In 2002 I was researching the effects of welfare reform on women in large urban communities. I realized that one of the reasons these women struggled so much with this new change in their income was because of their lack of knowledge about how to manage their money and try to build assets.

AFCPE: You provide financial counseling and financial education in your community through several avenues. Can you provide details describing the services you provide?

Judy: I provide one-on-one financial counseling and coaching primarily to my niche market, women of color in higher education (full-time faculty, adjuncts, and graduate students). Additionally, I offer financial education classes and write curriculum for high school and college students. I have provided financial education in schools working with 3rd graders to high school students, in organizations, working with chronically unemployed, working poor, low and middle-income populations, and in individual and group settings.

AFCPE: You recently obtained your AFC^®, congratulations! What does it mean to you to hold the AFC^®designation as you work in these spaces?

Judy: Having the AFC^® designation means that I have a level of expertise that is recognized as the standard, which I can confidently use to back-up the services that I provide in my work with clients and organizations.

AFCPE: What does it mean to provide financial counseling and financial education in your community of New York, NY?

Judy: New York is one of the most, if not the most, expensive places to live in the country. As the song goes, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” Helping people understand how to manage their money better so that they can make it here is what wakes me up every day.

AFCPE: What advice do you have for fellow AFC^® candidates looking to earn hours in a similar capacity?

Judy: There is a larger need for your services than you may realize. Seek out organizations whose work moves you and offer your services there, by way of a class or brief one-on-one sessions. It’s a win-win. You will help support an organization you believe in, and they will help you move closer towards earning your certification.

AFCPE: Great advice Judy! What’s next for you? What has you most excited?

Judy: I’m really excited about focusing more energy on starting my business, Commencement Financial Services, now that I have the AFC^® credential behind me.

 

Judy Answers the Friday 5:

1. My Why: Because everyone, no matter how much they have/make deserves to be financially secure.
2. My Favorite Quote: “You can’t go back and make a new start, but you can start right now and make a brand new ending.” James R. Sherman, Ph.D. 
3. My Hero: I’m inspired by Saundra Davis of Sage Financial Solutions for her work as a leader in this field.
4. My Favorite Personal Finance Resource: Kiplinger’s Personal Finance
5. My best advice: 

• For someone starting the journey to financial well-being: Your past does not dictate how far you can go in building a bright financial future. Start right now and build the future that you want and deserve.
• For a new professional entering this field: Your clients need your essence, your education, and your expertise. Always bring your whole self to any interaction, and you will find that your clients will turn out better for it.

Follow Judy at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judy-polyne-afc%C2%AE-202921178/

Johnie Reed is an AFC^® based in Cleveland, Ohio. When asked about his profession, he shares with people that he’s a teacher by training, trade, and occupation. In his role as a financial counselor, he develops relationships based on trust and professional respect. Johnie helps clients change and improve upon their current credit and savings habits. A component of his practice is helping clients overcome generational habits. Through a process that requires some trial and error, he helps clients discover the financial management process that gives them the most traction, a process that they can own and thatfits them the best.

AFCPE: What inspired you to do this work?

Johnie: As a mortgage professional (in a past life) it became clear to me that most of my clients, who were not qualifying for mortgages, were not necessarily neglectful or bad managers of their credit. They just wanted an easy process of cash management and “did not know what they did not know.” The idea of managing their credit use to achieve the most positive impact was not a concern until they needed credit (for mortgage approval, as an example). The idea of using savings and checking accounts as a tool to manage their spending and saving offered challenges. The “ease of use” check cashing operation close to their place of employment, or a “cash card” that they load their paycheck on and use as an all-purpose card, were easy options. My goal at the time was to increase their mortgage qualifications. I quickly realized that I had to educate my clients for long-term homeownership and saving for possible repairs to their home. That need to be helpful beyond the mortgage closing propelled me into the space that I currently occupy.   

AFCPE: You recently obtained your AFC^®. Congratulations! What does it mean to you to hold the AFC^®designation?

Johnie: The AFC certification is another tool in my tool belt that validates my experience and training. For clients, it tells them that I am a part of a larger organization of professionals that work with integrity and within a standard of ethical behaviors and practices. The certification states that I have the education and experience that lends itself to a level of understanding and knowledge that sets me apart from those say they do financial counseling.  

AFCPE: Very true! We are grateful to have professionals like you in the AFCPE community. What does it mean to provide financial counseling in your own community of Cleveland, Ohio?   

Johnie: In my community, I am proud to say that I have been involved in training others who have successfully completed the AFC exam. Their hard work and perseverance serves as a model for me to continue in my practice to help others. The financial managers that I have had the honor of training have successfully worked with thousands of clients in the greater Cleveland area. Many of these clients have become homeowners, have increased their credit scores, and have improved their savings practices. These men and women get to know their clients by building positive relationships that are predicated on credit and financial management but go well beyond just the numbers that build great credit and savings. These men and women positively change lives every day.

AFCPE: What’s next for you? What has you most excited?

Johnie: The next step for me, is writing a small, easy-to-read book, based on my personal financial management journey.  I want to share tools that could be useful to other counselors, as well as the layperson who just wants a clearer understanding of managing their credit and savings. The idea of helping people, especially across a greater distance, is exciting.

 

Johnie Answers the Friday 5:

1. My Why: To guide people in moving from where they are to where they want to be.
2. My Favorite Quote: You don’t know what you don’t know.
3. My Hero: My godfather. Although he has passed away, his idea of helping others will always live in me.

4. My Favorite Personal Finance Resource: My peers – those whom I have trained and those whom I have learned from during my journey.
5. My best advice: 
   1. For someone starting the journey to financial wellness: Do not be afraid to share your story. You can help others feel a little easier about their journey.  
   2. For a new professional entering this field: I’d give the same advice. As a professional, we should be able to let our clients know that we have had some of the same struggles and have learned to make the behavioral adjustments to move positively forward.

Want to connect with Johnie? 
He can be reached at 330-817-6363.    

*PLEASE NOTE: Certification and Membership are two separate entities of AFCPE.

 

 Bonus! Johnie provided some short strategies based on the acronym A.C.T.I.O.N.©:

Activate – Do not let fear control your steps. Decide on a path and motivate yourself to make it happen.

Continuous – Always look for growth opportunities that make sense for the direction that you want to travel.

Talents – Engage with those that have the information that you do not; talk with those that have been where you want to go.

Include – Do not hold back information. Be transparent when working with your client or counselor.

Optimism – Someone else has overcome most of the challenges that we are faced with. You can do it!

Never – Never give up on the dream of financial security. It can be realized.   

Scott Henderson is a Texas-based AFC^® working full-time at a financial planning firm while pursuing his Master’s Degree and running a business and website called Simplifinances. Scott’s vision is to help young people and middle-class Americans simplify their finances so they can start living a life of financial independence.

AFCPE: What inspired you to enter this field and do this work?

Scott: When I was eight years old my father walked out of my life. He left me and my four siblings. He also left a mountain of debt. After the divorce, my mom discovered a half a million dollars in unpaid debts with a lot of it being in her name. Of course, she couldn’t make the payments and was forced to file bankruptcy. We stayed in our house for 18 months before the bank knocked on our door and kicked us out. We were homeless living on food stamps and my mom did everything she could to get off of government support. I didn’t realize it at the time but we had nothing. We moved from place to place for years. My mom worked two jobs and tried to keep our expenses as low as possible.

My mom is one of my greatest examples and mentors to me. There were times she wanted to give up, but she never did. She could have blamed others for what happened but she took responsibility and was determined to get us out. She pulled us out of poverty, climbing the economic ladder and helped us become independent and self-reliant. She took it upon herself to learn about personal finance and teach her kids. I learned from a young age I was in charge of my financial future and committed to doing things differently throughout my life. I know what it’s like to have nothing and I want to help as many people as I can avoid money problems and live a life of meaning and independence.

AFCPE: What an inspiring story! It’s easy to see what drives your passion and commitment to this work. Speaking of your work, you also started a blog and business, Simplifinances. Tell us more about it and the impact you are hoping to make.

Scott: After becoming an Accredited Financial Counselor^®, I had a few people reach out to me for help. I had always planned to start a business at some point but I officially started it in January, 2018. When I first started, I only planned to do financial coaching. But it has also grown into a blog as well as speaking. The impact that I’m hoping to have is to help as many people as I can get the most out of their personal finances.

AFCPE: What advice do you have for any other professionals looking to start their own business or blog?

Scott: It’s better to do something imperfectly than nothing flawlessly. Just start.

AFCPE: You were previously a Director at the PMMC (Personal Money Management Center) at the University of Utah. How important is it to have these resources and tools at colleges and universities?

Scott: It’s extremely important! I think that every college and university should have a resource where students can go for help with their personal finances.

AFCPE: We couldn’t agree with you more! What’s next for you? What has you most excited?

Scott: I plan to finish my Master’s degree next year (if I can pass my classes) and a lot of other exciting things are coming up in the near future. Perhaps a book, maybe a podcast? I guess we’ll wait and see.

 

Scott answers the Friday 5:

My Why: I want people to remember me at my funeral because of what I did not what I said I was going to do.

My Favorite Quote: “The pursuit of easy things makes men weak.”

My Hero: My mom

My Favorite Personal Finance Resource: Podcasts – I discovered podcasts last year and they have been my number one resource for personal finances.

My best advice:

1. For someone starting their journey to financial wellness: No one is going to care for your money more than you. It’s important to take responsibility for your situation and educate yourself when it comes to personal finance.
2. For a new professional entering this field: You have to believe in what you are doing and truly do what is best for the client. You wouldn’t think that doing the right thing for ALL your clients would be such a hard thing but apparently, with the way the financial services industry is set up, it’s easy for financial professional to forget about their clients and only focus on the bottom line. People need your help and you have to find a way to truly serve them. Not just sell them products or manage their assets, people need so much more than that.

 

You can follow Scott at:

Website: www.simplifinances.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/simplifinances

Instagram: www.instagram.com/simplifinances

Twitter: www.twitter.com/simplifinances

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/simplifinances

www.linkedin.com/in/scotthenderson3

Laura Coleman is a Tennessee-based Accredited Financial Counselor^® with a special niche – preparing couples financially for fertility and adoption. After experiencing firsthand the financial burden and stress that accompanies the fertility and adoption process, Laura felt called to start her blog, podcast, and financial coaching practice, Family Money Coaching. In this interview, she shares how she is providing much-needed support and resources to families in her community.

AFCPE: What inspired you to do this work?

Laura: I’ve been AFC^® certified since 2012. I kept hearing that I needed a niche. When I decided to start my own private practice, I looked at what I know best. After going through IVF 5 times and adopting 3 kids, I felt called to help other couples have their Forever Family. I didn’t want to hear, “well, we didn’t have kids because of the financial burden” nor did I want to hear regret over unrealized dreams because of money.

AFCPE: You have a podcast and blog called “Family Money Coaching”. Tell us about them.

Laura: I want to make a connection with couples wanting to adopt or go through fertility through my blog and podcast. I started my podcast in August and, so far, I’ve interviewed people that have adopted and/or started adoption grants. I love to hear how they’ve financially navigated the waters towards growing their family. I plan on interviewing fertility doctors, accountants to talk about the adoption tax credit, attorneys, adoption agencies, grant donors, and people who fundraise to share ideas that can help couples find the money needed to accomplish their goal of starting a family. I’ll be providing money tips on how to successfully raise money, money spending types/personalities, and how to improve your marriage. Marriages can struggle as you go through fertility and adoption, so we’ll discuss how to communicate about money, to alleviate one less stressor in your marriage.  

AFCPE: Incredible! You are bringing a unique, and often not discussed, topic to light. Based on your work as an AFC, how important is for parents to be financially prepared prior to going through the adoption or fertility process?

Laura: I spent $35,000 trying to get pregnant through IVF and we did it debt free. I’m very passionate about finding sources to accomplish your goal without going into debt. I’ve often heard clients come to me embarrassed to talk about their fertility struggles and their money struggles. I was so surprised to find out that 1 in 8 couples struggle with infertility. Couple that with the debt load of the average American and the idea of finding $25,000 for adoption or fertility is daunting. I want to provide HOPE for couples and let them know they can talk about money and fertility/adoption and not feel embarrassed, frustrated, or hopeless.

AFCPE: What’s next for you? What has you most excited?

Laura: I’m so excited for my podcast interviews and to create a dialogue around the financial aspect of adoption and fertility. I love talking about money and I love talking about Forever Families. I remember when I first started on our fertility journey and how alone I felt. I’m hoping that by talking about it, I can help someone else that feels alone and let them realize that there’s a community that wants them to succeed.

 

Laura answers the Friday 5

1. My Why: I’m an Accredited Financial Counselor because I want to help families make better financial decisions and help them live life with intention.
2. My Favorite Quote: “If being broke is normal, I’ll be weird.”
3. My Heroes: Women who are passionate about life inspire me to be better.
4. My Favorite Personal Finance Resource: I love reading books about the psychology of money.
5. My Best Advice:

a. For someone starting the journey to financial well-being: Take one step at a time. Don’t be overwhelmed at all that you need to accomplish. Remember that a Goal is a Dream with a Deadline and a Dollar Sign. If you want that dream to become a reality, then you need to know when and how much you need to accomplish it. Then go forward with tenacity day by day. Do not get discouraged.

b. For a new professional entering this field: Best decision I ever made was to get my AFC^®. So many doors have been opened to me because of it. It also provided me the professionalism that I needed. Find a mentor to help you decide on which direction you want to take as a financial counselor. Don’t get discouraged. There are so many people that need what we know.

Follow Laura at:

Facebook: @FamilyMoneyCoaching

Instagram: @FamilyMoneyCoaching

Website (where you can follow her blog and podcast): www.familymoneycoaching.org