Real talk on personal finance, relating to money, and progressive economics
Individual Coaching
“I can’t believe how many questions you answered for me and how clear and simple you made things seem. I feel super motivated and excited about my goals!” – KF, filmmaker.
I’m an Accredited Asset Management Specialist from the College of Financial Planning, a longtime entrepreneur, a human-centered designer, artist, and activist for economic justice. I bring my whole self to this work, and that means you benefit from my unique perspective.
Initial intake sessions are available Sundays 1p EST – 8p EST and Mon Noon-10p ET. Ongoing sessions are available those days plus Tuesday evening and Thursday AM.
We’ll meet via a Zoom video call or in person in Brooklyn, NY.
You’ll select that date, time, and meeting format that work for you – as well as pay – when you book your session.
The initial intake is a 90-minute strategic discovery and action planning session. For the 60% of my clients who are seeking to solve one or two problems and make a plan you want to follow through on yourself, this one session is enough to move forward from.
What does it cost?
I offer sliding scale for all sessions ($400-120), as an experiment to allow higher-income folks and orgs to support lower-income folks in getting customized financial support. So far it’s working!
Ongoing sessions after a 90-minute intake are one hour and costs vary.
If you want accountability and transformation support, program packages are $450-675.
Sliding scale one-off check-ins are available from $110-$200.
Sliding scale in brief: If you historically have had less access to resources and still don’t have a $100k+ job or an inheritance boosting you, please choose lower sliding scale sessions. Conversely, if your organization is paying for your professional development, or you/your business brings in over $200k or you inherited wealth, slide up towards the top of the scale.
The “true” value of my work is, as I charge my non-community consulting clients, towards the top of the scale 🙂
Cohort coaching? Tell me more!
Coaching cohort sessions are $295 for three sessions, and include an online library and guided resources. Learn more about that here, or sign on up here.
Details on Individual Packages & Coaching Sessions
“With Hadassah Damien I gained the skills and perspective I needed to stay calm and focused to make smarter financial decisions. It was as advertised – judgement-free real talk informed by life experience. I can’t think of a better form of self-care than to give your financial life the attention it deserves through Ride Free Fearless Money. I have a plan for what to do with my finances – which means I can dream bigger dreams than I thought possible.” — S.G., nonprofit lawyer.
Have a set of random questions? Need a step-by-step plan for one project? Want guidance from someone who doesn’t remind you of a mean dad? Having money feelings and need to talk it out?
I’ve been through many things: from defaulted student loans, to selecting investments I feel good about; from scammy collections, to inheriting money, to not inheriting money that came through a too-nasty family member. I’ve started small businesses, run the financial side of organizations, and I can whip a budget into shape as my relaxing morning activity. I’ve invested, saved, and started a retirement fund. I’ve found ways to live my punk, feminist values and TCB.
I’m ready to listen and give you sound advice. We can meet either in person in Brooklyn, on a Zoom video call, or on the phone.
One hour, scheduled at your convenience in person or on video call. Initial 90-minute intake session:
STARTING JAN 2020: Sliding Scale: $120 low-mid / $150 mid / $175 regular (if you have no freelance/biz) / $210 if you have a freelance/biz / $250 – sponsor individuals or smaller org staff / $325 organization staff / $400 large institution staff or sponsor
Discovery and action packages are great if you have 2-4 specific goals you want to work through: change habits, wrangle your debt, strategize a business, sort an inheritance, budget for your priorities, stay on the same financial page as a partner.
Here's the 4-session framework I offer, which we customize to your specific goals, needs, and situation:
0. *Pre-coaching homework or optional first session: gather situation data* Get the following data together (you'll share it only at your comfort level): - your income (estimated or averaged if needed)* - your expenses (estimated or averaged if needed)* - your credit card totals + the APRs on each card - student loan monthly payments, totals and other debt if applicable - savings and investment - upcoming expected income if applicable (eg a bonus, payout, or inheritance you're about to get)
1. Situation Session - wrangling numbers, exploring goals, determining the situation We'll pull together your goals and all the numbers to create a snapshot that we can make informed action plans from, going through: - Assess current situation - We explore, set, and determine your larger goals - Draft plan around sustainability and regularity
*You research and scope homework, 1-2 weeks, with support*
2. Big Action Plan Session - what are the strategies? From the specific things we learn from intake (identifying goals, and the situation snapshot) and from your review, we look clearly at what are the options you have, over what time, and with what exact numbers and steps? - Review homework findings - Review and flush out plan to lead to Big Plan making
*You begin doing thing things on plan, 2-4 weeks, with support*
3. Action Plan Review Session(s) - (2 weeks - 2 months later) It's common that opening a new door sheds light into new rooms: with the first steps taken, what else is showing it needs change? You're smart to check back in and tweak as your plan is beginning to be executed. - what needs to change? Finalize plan. - Plan review and mid-stream changes
Sliding scale is available - please enquire after your initial intake session.
If you've completed an individual session and decide to move to a multi-session program, you're welcome to book a 3-session package here that will allow you to get the.
If your concerns center around cash flow, budgeting, or saving money, many of the core questions you may want answered can be addressed on your own timeline in this online course.
The Calm that ACK Budget & Save Money program walks you through:
how to understand your money in and money out in a simplified way
the budgeting and goal-setting template all coaching clients get
a 28-page workbook with handouts and resources
two hours of video modules so you can go right to the thing you need to know first
four follow-up emails
LOTS of pep talk, real talk and progressive takes on money.
Advice - if you have a short question:
Cool, I'm happy to get back at you when I can so email me, tweet at me, or comment on my blog and I'm happy to share what I can in a short amount of time pro bono. You're probably not the first person to have your question, so let's get you an answer! When I get one-off questions repeatedly, sometimes I make them into blog posts so feel free to ask a question other people are probably already thinking!
Self-Guided Coaching
Get started on your own time, at your own speed with a two-hour course on Budgeting and goal-setting that will motivate the CRAP out of you to save money and clean up how you relate to your money. Grab it here and start today for only $49.