The Real Reason You’re Not Where You Want to Be With Money (Yet)

Hey there,
If you’ve ever looked at your bank account and thought, “I should be further along by now,” I want you to know — you’re not alone. In fact, I’ve been there too. Deeply. This post is part story, part strategy, and 100% meant to give you hope and clarity.

My entire life, I’ve been a Maverick. But before 2023, I never would have called myself that. Internally, I didn’t see myself that way. I saw myself as a seeker. A questioner. A curious soul. But not a rebel. Not a risk-taker. Not a Maverick.

When I took the Sacred Money Archetypes® quiz and saw Maverick as my top type, I was convinced I had answered something wrong. When I thought of Mavericks, I thought of the bold ones — the successful, unstoppable, special ones who took big leaps and landed with a flourish.

That wasn’t me.

But it turns out — I was wrong.

It wasn’t until I saw a repeated financial pattern in myself that I stopped in my tracks. Once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it. I looked back over my history and realized: I had been taking risks all along. And those risks had real effects on my financial life.

A Walk Through My Maverick History

In my 20s, I wasn’t thinking about my financial future — let alone retirement. I thought I had plenty of time to “get my money life together.” Anyone else?

I moved around a lot. Which meant switching jobs often. Which meant no consistent retirement contributions. And I was single, so I covered all my expenses on my own. Rent, moving costs, emergencies. That adds up over time.

Then there was my first entrepreneurial adventure: investing in herbs and water filters through an MLM. And let me tell you — it was an adventure. I poured thousands of dollars into products, travel, and business trainings, believing I was building something real and sustainable. But what came next? Not great.

I remember walking out to my car one morning to head to work — and it was gone. Repossessed. My heart started racing. I had no idea what to do. This was before cell phones and Google. I was on my own. So I sat down, opened the Yellow Pages, and let my fingers do the walking.

Those fingers? They led me straight into bankruptcy at 26. I spent the next five years climbing out of that hole — paying it down little by little. That was money that could have gone toward my future, but instead, it went toward learning a very expensive lesson.

In my mid-30s to early 40s, I started to settle. I bought my first home, a condo, in Austin, Tx. A few years later, I bought a new home in Asheville, NC. Got serious about building a future.

But then… my Maverick kicked in again. In my late 40s, I went down the entrepreneurial path to get certified as a coach. A bold move that required money, time, and a whole lot of trust in myself.

Looking back now, I see that my life has been shaped by risk-taking. Sometimes it was the reckless kind. Sometimes it was the soul-aligned kind. But it’s always been there, like a quiet engine running beneath the surface.

Throughout all of it, there were so many feelings:

• Freedom and joy during my nomadic 20s

• Shame and guilt after my bankruptcy

• Exhilaration and hope when I started my coaching certification

And that’s what I want you to see, too — because your money archetype might be shaping your financial future in ways you haven’t named yet.

Archetype Snapshot: What Might Be Driving You?

Your Sacred Money Archetype is like a blueprint for how you relate to money — your strengths, your blind spots, your motivations, your shadows.

Maybe you’re a Maverick like me: a bold risk-taker who thrives on innovation but struggles with long-term planning.
Maybe you’re a Nurturer, always putting others first and finding it hard to say no.
Maybe you’re a Ruler who’s driven to achieve but finds it hard to slow down or celebrate progress.

Each archetype holds incredible wisdom — and also a few traps.

And here’s the thing no one talks about enough: if you don’t know what’s driving your money decisions, you might keep repeating the same patterns over and over… without knowing why.

So What Does This Have to Do With Your Financial Future?

Everything.

So many women in midlife come to me worried that they’re “behind.” Behind on savings. Behind on retirement. Behind where they thought they’d be.

They think it’s a discipline problem. Or a math problem. Or that they’re just “bad with money.”

But what if it’s an archetype problem?

What if you’re not bad with money at all… you just haven’t learned how to work with your innate money style?

What if your financial future isn’t about fixing your flaws — but about understanding your wiring?

Because once you know your primary archetype, everything begins to make sense:

• Why you keep overgiving (Nurturer)

• Why you always feel like it’s not enough (Ruler)

• Why you’re allergic to budgets (Maverick)

• Why you sabotage success when it gets too big (Romantic)

When you finally name the pattern, it loses its power. You can stop judging yourself — and start making empowered decisions that align with who you really are.

No Bad Archetypes, Only Self-Understanding

One last thing I need you to know…

There is no “right” or “wrong” money archetype. One is not better than another. They each carry wisdom. They each carry shadows. And they’re all part of what makes you you.

Remember how I didn’t think I was a Maverick until I started really looking at my past — and getting curious? Once I did, the truth clicked into place. And now? I love that I’m a Maverick. I love my boldness. My risk-taking. Even when it leads me somewhere uncertain. That’s the part I’ve had to reconcile — and reclaim.

I wouldn’t trade those parts of me for anything. I no longer shame myself for them. It’s who I am — the good, the bad, the messy. I love all of her now. And let me tell you, I couldn’t have said that in my 20s or 30s. But in my 50s? I’ve found the compassion. The clarity. The deep knowing of what it took to become the woman I am today.

And I wouldn’t change a thing.

Your Next Step

If any of this stirred something inside you, I invite you to take the quiz and discover your top 3 Sacred Money Archetypes®. This is the foundational first step I take with every client because it helps us work with your natural wiring instead of against it.

And if you’ve already taken the quiz — go back and read your profile again. Let it land in a deeper way. And if you want to take the next step in learning about your archetypes, then book yourself a Personal Money Archetype Reading. It’s so good!

Reflect on this:

• What’s a money decision you’ve made recently that reflects your archetype?

• What’s a mistake you keep repeating?

• What would shift if you brought more self-compassion and clarity to those patterns?

Want to Go Deeper?

If this post resonated, you might also love:

• Why Single Women Are Falling Behind Financially — And Why It’s Not Their Fault

• The Hidden Cost of Being the Strong One: How Financial Independence Can Lead to Burnout

And if you’re ready to explore what it looks like to rewrite your money story from the inside out, book an exploration call here.