financial coach | Total Wealth

Taxes and Tummy Aches

Kate Phillips — Tue, 04 May 2010 23:29:35 +0000

Ten Tips to Get Your Bookkeeping, Taxes, and Bill-Paying Done! A funny thing happened on the way to getting my taxes done… Some kind of “tummy bug” hit. Not that awful have-to-sit-on-the-toilet-with-a-bucket-in-your-lap flu that leaves you wondering what else your body could possibly purge, but a milder I-just-don’t-have-an-appetite-and-my-stomache-kinda-hurts thing. Now, with all the “work” I’ve done with my relationship with money, I’m pretty conscious about how my mind, body, emotions, and financial world fit together. Was I resisting doing my taxes? To be honest, it’s one of my least favorite things, though I’m not sure the tummy ache was related. (I actually was in a pretty good mood after I got into the swing of things…) I’ll admit, I relish exploring the more creative, emotional, right-brained aspects of money… from brainstorming business ideas to helping someone process through their “stories” about money, perhaps gaining big “aha’s” or even reframing how they relate to money. But I’m not an accountant type; I struggle with mundane record-keeping tasks, and I’m not the person to come to with your questions about Quickbooks! Having huge breakthroughs in my relationship with money — and developing many distinctions that help others to do the same — created a new world of possibilities for me, but it didn’t make me a bookkeeper! Still, the bills must be paid, the taxes must be filed. And if you’re like me (naturally resistant to mundane financial tasks), you might even find your mind and emotions working against you to accomplish these things. As they say, awareness is a perfect place to start…. but awareness itself doesn’t guarantee change or even progress. What’s needed is focused attention and energy. Changing our focus and energy around something can have profound effects. Law of Attraction coach Sandy Forster, an Australian single mom who went “from…

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The Sisters of Sizzle Serve Up Wealth for Women

Kate Phillips — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 09:36:40 +0000

(I’ll bet you can’t say THAT three times fast….) What a great month this has been, I’ve been asked to partner with Rachelle, then Robin, and now… The Sisters of Sizzle Talk Radio Show! If you’re not yet familiar with the Sisters or what they’re cooking up in March, well, let me tell you all about it, because they have five shows dedicated to Women and Their Money. I’m honored to kick off the month as part of a list of tremendous guests such as Mikelann Valterra of the Women’s Earning Institute, best-selling author Molly Gordon, (The Accidental Entrepreneur), and Anna Choi, a woman I highly admire for her transformative money management work with couples. See the whole schedule HERE and if you like, subscribe to the free podcast (same page) so that you won’t miss a show! The show I’ll be featured on goes live Wednesday, March 3 at 3pm pst on 106.9 HD, channel 3. For the details of how to listen via the internet, subscribe, or hear a replay, click here. And I can’t wait to meet the Sisters in person… The Sisters of Sizzle are Elise Kloter and Jill Pagano. Amongst other things, Elise is a Passion Test Facilitator, and Jill is a Nia instructor. Together they are fun, energetic, and a perfect example of what happens when women’s intuition meets entrepreneurial synergy. The two met and got this crazy idea to start a radio show, and voila, they were getting their sizzle on in no time! Their program now has thousands of subscribers and attracts fantastic guests. (I’ll bet you can’t say THAT three times fast….) What a great month this has been, I’ve been asked to partner with Rachelle, then Robin, and now… The Sisters of Sizzle Talk Radio Show! If you’re not yet familiar with the Sisters…

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Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Fortune (a teleseminar)

Kate Phillips — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:21:03 +0000

What’s the real cause of financial stress and what can you do about it? Why don’t affirmations and the “Law of Attraction” always work? What are the two kinds of wealth, and why you only want ONE of them for a happy life? Join my new friend Robin Stephens and me for a teleclass on March 2nd and we’ll answer those questions and more! Robin has invited me to launch her next Healthy, Wealthy and Organized teleclass series on March 2nd. The class is free, but you can’t afford to miss it! Robin Stephens is a gifted life coach who works with (especially) women to help them increase wellness and energy create motivation achieve balance conquer their clutter and stress. (How awesome is that!?) Now Robin is helping even more busy women professionals and business owners achieve more inspired, balanced, and organized lives through her classes and products. (See www.healthywealthyandorganized.com) And that includes… this teleseminar! Here’s what’s happening: “Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Fortune Teleclass” Hosted by: Robin Stephens with Guest Expert Kate Phillips Date: March 2, 2010 Time: 5 pm PST/8 pm EST Bridge line: (605) 475-4800 Access Code: 795697# On this call, I’ll reveal the basic three-step formula for creating wealth, as well as six other essential keys for women who want to create more abundance and reverse beliefs and attitudes that sabotage their success. You’ll discover : Simple things you can do right now to alleviate financial stress The biggest key to creating abundance in your life Why affirmations and the law of attraction don’t work How emotions can feed abundance and scarcity thinking The most common beliefs that hold us back from playing a bigger game Creating a healthy relationship with money and more tips or mini-coaching call-ins as time allows! Can’t make the call? No worries.…

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Financial Failure: The Dark Before the Dawn

Kate Phillips — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:37:52 +0000

I spoke with a friend tonight who is in the process of filing for bankruptcy. She has lost her livlihood, her credit, her car, even her own place to live. After two failed business ventures followed by a health challenge that left her briefly incapacitated, she finds herself now with mountains of debt and no real income. Falling on the mercy of family and friends who have fed and sheltered her the last few months, she has retreated to an earlier profession, wrangling a few hundred dollars a month from friends and aquaintances who can afford to hire her on occasion. She has lost what most people would consider “everything.” As I spoke to my friend, I noticed a palpable shift in her since we last spoke a number of weeks ago. Was it depression? Resignation? Anger, shame, or blame? Not at all. While those emotions had become her loyal companions a few months ago, now, in her words, she has discovered “peace.” Even joy, gratitude, and new reasons for living! She talked about the the importance of “living in the present,” letting go of past regrets and future fears. She spoke of her newfound certainty that she would be alright, no matter what circumstance came her way. And she decribed her confidence that she has not been forgotten by God, but is rather sustained by a God who has been faithful through this storm. She knows the road to financial recovery could be a long one, but she is discovering how to enjoy each day to the fullest, regardless of her financial situation. Contast this to the tales we have heard the last few months in the news, of devastated fund managers and unsuccessful or unemployed executives who have chosen to end their own lives. French fund manager Thierry de la Villehuchet, a well-respected man of significant personal wealth and honorable morals, committed suicide when he learned that several of his clients’ fortunes, as well as much of…

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Winter Contemplation #1 (or, how to get unfrozen)

Kate Phillips — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:58:33 +0000

I live by Lake Marcel, poised between the Snoqualmie Valley and the Cascade foothills, between the towns of Carnation and Duvall (east of Seattle). It is peaceful, idyllic. It looks like the kind of place you’d go to visit your financially-secure retired relatives in their second home… nestled between tall fir trees, near the community beach. Part of my daily routine is to walk around the lake, weather allowing. I walk to stretch my legs, clear my mind, and… to listen. Sometimes, I hear Spirit speaking in Nature – perhaps through a bird or a tree, and often, through a living metaphor. Oftentimes, the answers to the very questions I have been pondering are to be found in Creation – in Universal, Natural Law, clearly observable in the physical world. (For those who have ears to hear and eyes to see…) As I’m writing my eBook on “Overcoming Financial Stress,” I’m thinking of how I manage and overcome financial stress – or any stress – in my own life. (Opt in to the right if you’d like a copy… it will be finished soon.) “Stress” is fundamentally a fear-based reaction. It’s a fear-based reaction to the past: we’re afraid we’ve made terrible mistakes that we should feel regret over; and a fear-based reaction to the future: we may have food, shelter, and love today, but surely it will disappear tomorrow! And who would we BE without the income, the home, or the “stuff” we’ve come to identify ourselves with? And perhaps things aren’t so great in the present. Perhaps we are confronted with uncomfortable challenges and find ourselves clinging to a past that no longer exists, discovering change the only constant. If only tomorrow were guaranteed to be like yesterday, if only we could predict it, manage it, control it! A natural reaction to change, challenge, and fear is to “freeze.” When we encounter a bear (or a large barking…

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In the News and on TV!

Kate Phillips — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:23:34 +0000

A Multi-Millionaire’s Advice on a Spending Plan Tim Robinson with King5/KongTV (NBC affiliate) interviewed me about some Tips for Financial Health. Check out the video! It was really interesting to see how things get chopped and edited down(logically and necessarily, because they are NOT going to run the whole 20 minute interview! Not even mass murders get that much time!) I love to “give credit where credit is due,” and I must say (as I did in the interview, but it was edited out!) – the “Play Fund” suggestion is one I got from T. Harv Eker, creator of the Millionaire Mind Intensive. Harv recommends dividing your discretionary income equally among several categories, such as: A Give Fund for your favorite church, charities or other organizations or causes that you wish to support. A Financial Freedom Account of money that you invest until you are Financially Free. An Education Fund to support your own learning and growth. This could be college, personal development courses, or, as Harv hopes, Peak Potentials business and self-improvement courses! A Savings for Spending Account in which you save up for special purchases or perhaps a down payment on a home. A Play Fund, that you get to spend on WHATEVER YOU WANT without ANY guilt! The Rest goes to pay your Necessities: your mortgage or rent, your food and gas, your insurance, bills and other necessities. The goal is to increase your income until your Necessities are only 50% of your income (or less!) The Key with the Play Fund is to work it into your whole Spending Plan. It is not unconcious, compulsive “spending binge” money – you’ve planned for it and budgeted for it! It is simply money that you have “planned” to spend on… whatever you like! Healthy Spending is like Healthy Eating! A healthy Spending Plan is very…

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Emotional Spending: Buying Love

Kate Phillips — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:42:29 +0000

A Financial Coach takes a look at emotional spending, and the link between love and shopping.

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Why Men Play Football and Make More Money

Kate Phillips — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:37:18 +0000

A look at why men seem to score more touchdowns than women, in football AND in finances!

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The Daily Candy Special

Kate Phillips — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:17:30 +0000

Kate's special for DailyCandy readers... Sweet!

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Heroes, Villains, and Slippery Slopes

Kate Phillips — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:03:09 +0000

A financial coach examines the Curious Case of Bernie Madoff and the largest financial fraud in history.

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Announcement: Christmas has been Postponed!

Kate Phillips — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 01:11:57 +0000

Think about it - do you look forward to seeing your family and friends on Christmas because of the gifts that they bring, or because of the GIFT that they ARE!?

With all due respect to Santa Claus, the biggest gifts we can give this or any season do not come in wrapping paper. Bring joy, peace, and goodwill in your sleigh, and you will be a welcome visitor anytime of year.

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Paying it Forward at a Starbucks Stand

Kate Phillips — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:02:33 +0000

I made a stop at the QFC grocery store in Redmond Ridge Saturday night. I was on my way home from teaching a “Wealthy, Worthy and Wise” workshop and I needed a few groceries. It had been a long day with an early start, and besides the groceries, I was also in the market for a shot of caffeine. I stopped by the in-store Starbucks stand and ordered a mocha from the friendly young male barista. After writing on the cup and ringing my drink into the register, he started telling me a story before allowing me to pay for my drink. “This morning, our store’s assistant manager decided to pay for his drink and also the drink of the person following him,” he explained. “The next person did the same, and people have continued it all day long, paying for the next person’s drink.” Sure to let me know that there was no obligation, he added, “So your drink has already been paid for. If you’d like to contribute to the next person’s drink, you can.” My first reaction was surprise at hearing the words, “Your drink has already been paid for.” It felt like I had won a little scratch card prize or something. My money was already out of my purse, and it seemed natural to “pay it forward” and contribute to the next. The barista paid the cash register out of money collected in a brown paper bag, then put my money into that same bag. Then he looked particularly pleased, and announced to me, “You’re the 100th person to ‘pay it forward’ today!” I loved that he was keeping track. I loved that he recognized that something out of the ordinary, no matter how small, was happening. I loved being part of it. I took my mocha and started pushing my cart around the store, collecting the items I needed. The mocha…

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Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

Kate Phillips — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:07:16 +0000

I was so moved by the words of FDR at his inaugural address, and struck by the timeliness of what he wrote for our own time as well, I wanted to share this excerpt. Given March 4, 1933, this speech was delivered in the depth of the Depression. “This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days. “In such a spirit on my part and on yours we face our common difficulties. They concern, thank God, only material things. Values have shrunken to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen; government of all kinds is faced by serious curtailment of income; the means of exchange are frozen in the currents of trade; the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands of families are gone. “More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment. “Yet our distress comes from no failure of substance. We are…

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Autumn Contemplations, Financial Chaos, and Spring

Kate Phillips — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:19:05 +0000

The chaos in our financial markets seems to stand in contrast to the serenity of a beautiful fall day, with many-colored leaves on display and the gentlest of breezes giving them breath. But look closely… I often find that my life tends to mirror and follow the season, both in exterior patterns and interior rhythms. And perhaps the financial markets, which at a glance appear to be such a contrast to this autumn beauty, are doing the same. Leaves die and fall to the ground in preparation of winter. It is “Fall,” literally, the season of falling leaves. The trees shed their leaves in preparation for winter. They anticipate the coming season of longer nights, less sun, and cooler temperatures. As fall becomes winter, visible growth comes to a stop, although the roots continue to burrow into the soil in preparation of spring. I believe we are witnessing the “Fall” of the financial markets. Literally. (I don’t mean their demise or their destruction – I’m not that dramatic or pessimistic.) It’s Autumn in the banking industries and the stock market. The crazy growth of spring seems to be an illusion. Inflated profits, inflated prices, inflated expectations…. And while much attention has been focused on the excesses of Wall Street, there has been plenty of over-reaching on Main Street too. The average American saves 1% of their income, but spends up to $104% of their income. How is that even possible!? The average American is more in debt each year than the last. I hear that Americans are more likely to declare bankruptcy than graduate from college, and now that we can’t refinance our homes due to ever-growing equity, we are up a creek without a paddle. We want, we buy. “Buy now, pay later!” “No interest for a year!” Credit is not a bad thing. Credit has…

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“Financial Therapy”

Kate Phillips — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:19:31 +0000

“What do you do?” It’s the simplest, most basic question, one we might be asked on a daily basis. I know exactly what I do, but I’m still trying to figure out how to answer that question in a way that people can understand. In a nutshell, I help people think and feel differently about money. I help people create wealth, but not with stocks, bonds, real estate and budgets with built-in automatic saving plans. (Yes, one must have a plan, but it’s the wrong starting place.) I help people create wealth from the inside out, through transforming beliefs, attitudes, and emotions. But what am I? Sometimes I define it by describing what I’m not. We all probably know what a Financial Planner is, or perhaps we have had experience with a Financial Advisor, Financial Services Representative, or similar animal. Some work on commission, some work for fees. All have tools to help you assess your current financial situation and panic properly as you grasp the enormity of the canyon over which you must leap in order to one day retire. Most sell financial products (investments, insurance, etc.) that might assist you in reaching your goals. I took a CFP course once. I got my life insurance license. I interviewed in the financial services field. I was well on my way to a life of using tools and charts and calculators to help people plan their financial futures. But I wasn’t sleeping well. It wasn’t my calling. I knew the world didn’t need another financial planner (with all due respect to the thousands of fine financial planners who serve a genuine need to their grateful clients). I knew what I was. I couldn’t deny it. I had been one for years. It was time to just admit it. I was… A Financial Therapist. Since no self-respecting therapist would ever call themselves…

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