Financial Growth Is Not Always Linear

Jul 06, 2021Financial Coaching

There are many times in life, when we may feel like we have failed. Failure doesn’t discriminate; it doesn’t care how old you are, if you have responsibilities and may arise in the most inconvenient times. However, we all know that success is only achievable after a series of failures and setbacks. 

As a Certified Credit Union Financial Coach for HAPO Community Credit Union it is imperative to be accepting and empathetic to vulnerable and difficult coaching sessions. One of the hardest things to do is to establish trust and confidence to anyone let alone struggling members.

The journey of a person’s financial growth from failure to success is not always linear. It took one of my members a few years to realize the relationship between failures and success, and she has grown to be resilient in the process. This particular member was facing a financial hardship that resulted in facing eviction from her home, her vehicle being taken away and barely making enough income to make ends meet. She was a single mom, student at night and struggled living paycheck to paycheck. She made it apparent that she always felt she could never get ahead. Life would happen and she would yet again be setback to square one. Regardless how she may have arrived in a difficult situation, our goal is to never focus on what she should have done. Our goal is to help her work towards achieving a healthy wholesome relationship with her finances. 

Our Financial Coaching sessions that we had was able to help her because she came to us with the desire to obtain help. She showed enthusiasm and a drive to make the best future for her son, her education, and herself. When people are going through some tough personal times, we always want to be there for them. What HAPO has always taught me was to “be in the moment”. I was able to listen to her, identify and map out what was the best suitable for her and her family. We were able to request more time from her property owner, prevent repossession and build a savings plan for those unplanned setbacks.

The gratitude and relief she displayed is what makes me so proud she chose to take the next step towards her financial goals. Everyone’s journey will look different but what you can expect is support, empathy and the encouragement in our coaching sessions.

Financial Coaching

Adrianna Hammitt

Financial Education Coordinator | HAPO Community Credit Union