Convivial Cameo: Karie Hill, Financial Freedom Coach

“There are three crucial types of education: Academic education- reading, writing and basic math; Professional education- the skills to work for money; and Financial education- the skills to have money work for you. Which of the three were you taught?” -Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad, Poor Dad

Today, my Convivial Interview series begins! I’m going to be featuring some amazing women who personally influence and inspire me. You can look forward to these women’s stories of how they’re making tough choices, taking risks, and pushing through the glass ceilings of self-limitation in their minds to create meaningful lives for themselves and others. Stop by each Monday for the next month for all new, inspiring interviews. Let’s get started!

In November 2010, I attended Rich Happy & Hot LIVE with Marie Forleo in New York City and met a beautiful woman from the Chicago area named, Karie Hill. On a break, we got to talk and I asked her about the work she was doing in the world and she said, “I practice Financial Well-being and teach others how to do the same.” As the Chavarria family CFO, an ex-banker-turned-entrepreneur, and Convivial Life Strategist, my eyes lit up as I envisioned the worlds Karie could rock for the better.

Meet the woman behind KDH Financial, Karie Hill

and see why I believe her work can change so many people’s lives, including yours…

Author Tara June Winch recently referred to “truth” as “who we are, the people in the quiet.” In light of that, please share your truth and tell us who you are.

I am an Oprah Winfrey, soft rock, personal development junkie. I love to find meaning in struggle and inspire people to be their best. I am an enthusiast for life and everything that comes with it. My forgiving nature and the ability to see the good in everyone is my best and worst quality.

Let’s us peek into your convivial world…what amazes you about your life?

I get to wake up every morning feeling excited, I mean butterflies in my stomach excited, to do what inspires me the most – removing financial barriers for people. That is amazing.

I spent several years in law enforcement and didn’t always feel the excitement I feel today. The drive to work every day felt almost painful and I knew that I didn’t want to be a police officer for the rest of my life. After losing someone very close to me, as cliché as it sounds, I realized that life is so short and this is our only chance. I recognized that this is my life and I am the only one that can make a change. It was then that I decided to take action. I set some aggressive financial and academic goals and three years later, here I am. I am so proud of what I accomplished. It’s so exciting to think I actually did it. I had a dream and made it happen.

I look at my life now and feel so thankful, truly grateful. Through my business, I want to be able to give others the gift of peace and freedom that I feel in my life now.

Here at The Convivial Woman, every woman is seen as a living work of art. How do YOU see and treat yourself as such?

I think women are so beautiful and unique and deserve to feel gorgeous and sexy. Our outer expression is an art and can be a reflection of how we feel on the inside. Every woman has their own definition of beauty and what makes them feel good.

I love to feel beautiful and powerful. I let the art of my outer expression reflect how I feel inside by taking the time to eat a clean diet, exercise, get proper rest, and surround myself with people that I love. When I do these things, the art of my outer beauty shines and I feel so powerful.

In what ways do you see women giving up their power and how do you keep yours at the forefront in your life and business?

Women give away their power when they lose their authentic voice. When you change anything about yourself for the sake of pleasing others, you give away your power. Women, in particular, have a tendency to worry about what others think and put everyone else’s needs before their own. We fail to realize that people don’t really want that, they want you. When you lose your authentic self, you are robbing others of the experience of being with you.

In my life and business, this is an on-going effort. When creating my business, I based everything on what I thought other people wanted to see. I thought I needed to look extremely professional and my writing had to be clean and perfect. After receiving feedback from some amazing people, I have found that nobody wants to see anything other than me through my business. There are lots of personal finance planners to choose from and I realized that people choose to work with my business because they get the experience of working with me.

Whenever you aren’t feeling so convivial, especially mindset-wise, what are some cool rituals you have that bring you back to you?

I have recently learned the technique of saying “I’m back” whenever I start to get in my head and allow my own self-talk to bring me down. I have made a conscious effort to catch myself when I’m doing this and simply get in the present moment. I have found that when you’re in the present moment and fully engaged with what’s in front of you, your perception and mindset start to change. It seems like a simple technique but it has really made a difference in my life.

I also love the combination of girlfriends, wine (or an extra dirty martini on the rocks), and stupid fun. I have some of the most amazing, supportive girlfriends and I think when women come together to support one another, something powerful happens.

Anyone living a life they’re passionate about is going to face a frowning world (read: naysayers, haters) on occasion. How do you stay true to you and on your game?

This is a great question and something that I have struggled with. Leaving a stable job in law enforcement did bring on, as you stated, a frowning world. I have been asked, “What are you thinking? How could you leave? Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” a countless number of times. Although I never doubted my decision, I found myself constantly defending it and explaining it to people that truly didn’t care. The people that really knew me never doubted my decision.

I resigned from law enforcement three months ago so it’s still something that I find myself defending. I recently made the decision to set clear boundaries and surround myself with supportive, encouraging people.

We’re all in, one sense or another, on a quest to curate a more convivial world. How are you doing that RIGHT NOW?

I believe we all have a purpose and have been given gifts to help serve that purpose. I have always loved math, number crunching, budgeting, organizing, and inspiring others to be their best. I have taken my gifts or talents and turned them into a business where I can serve others. Financial stress is one of the top concerns among individuals and couples. It’s difficult to be the best mother, wife, husband, employee, sister if you have this dark cloud called in the form of financial issues hanging over your head. Sometimes people just need a plan and some guidance. I am able to see the possibility in any financial situation and want to be able to give people the financial freedom they deserve so they can truly enjoy their lives and bring value to their world.

Self-limiting beliefs plague us all and can hold us back from truly living a convivial life. What are your parting words of wisdom for readers to push through those internal glass ceilings?

When I allow my self-limiting beliefs to overcome me, I am robbing others of my gifts. As women, we are nurturing and care givers by nature and it makes us feel good to serve others. Whatever your gift is, in my case being able to create financial freedom for others, people need your service. When we hide behind our self doubt and insecurities, we stop changing the world. By having the mindset that my self-limiting beliefs are only hurting those I should be serving, I am able to push through them and move forward.

***

More about Karie Hill, Financial Freedom Coach and Strategist
at http://www.kdhfinancial.com
Karie helps to remove financial barriers for individuals and couples by creating plans to most efficiently manage their personal finances. This can include eliminating debt, raising credit scores, building savings, planning for future expenses, and budgeting. The plans are customized and created with the client’s strengths and values in mind. For financial freedom counseling for couples and group coaching for women plus insightful tips on money, sign up for Karie’s free newsletter here. (I’m on it and am loving it!)

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! See you next Monday.

Ciao Ciao,

Cheryl Chavarria

Tweet    

2 Responses so far. Add Your Own.

Leave Your Own Comment.

Off-topic or inappropriate comments will be edited or deleted. Email addresses will never be published. Thanks.

Name (required) Email (required) Website  Submit Comment