Meet Financial Dignity® Coach Christine Luken
“The entrepreneurial journey contains challenges and setbacks, but that doesn’t mean you’re a failure or you’re doing it wrong. It’s just a part of life!”
Christine Luken
Okay, let’s get started on the interview!
Tell us who you are in 50 words or less.
I’m Christine Luken, Financial Dignity® Coach. I usher women into the fullness of their financial power. I founded the Wealthy Woman Book Club™ and authored four books on money and mindset.
When I’m not working, you can find me curled up with a good book and a fluffy cat.
How and why did you start your business?
I started my financial coaching business not because I’ve done everything right with money. Quite the opposite! I crashed and burned financially in my mid-20s despite having an accounting degree.
I know firsthand how crushing money shame can feel. I guide others to manage their money and their emotions in a sustainable way that makes life enjoyable!
What services do you offer in your business?
I offer 1:1 financial coaching for women and couples who earn six-figure incomes yet feel like they're not making much progress with growing their wealth.
I host the Wealthy Woman Book Club™, a space for women of all ages and incomes who want to improve their financial confidence and grow their net worth in a supportive and confidential community.
I also offer an entire suite of online personal and business finance courses and four books published on Amazon.
How are your emotions tied to money?
What makes your business or services unique?
What makes my approach to money unique is that I combine wise money management with emotional intelligence. I show people how to harness the power of their emotions – rather than fight against them – to make amazing progress in their personal and business finances.
Having a functional website is an important aspect of running a business. How was the process for you to get your website up and running? For example: Did you create it on your own or did you hire a web designer? Which platform is your website hosted on?
My first website was DIY, which was fine for the first year or two. But there came a point where my website was holding me back.
I hired the amazing Fabi Paolini, who told me, “Christine, your services and transformation are incredible! But your website doesn’t capture the excellence of your work. It’s like you’re trying to serve a gourmet meal on a paper plate.” Now, my website, hosted on WordPress, is an accurate reflection of the quality of my services!
What resources are you finding helpful in your business right now?
Grammarly Premium is an absolute necessity for me! I do a lot of writing – blogs, posts, article, and books. I use it every single day!
What is the one thing you wished you had known before starting your entrepreneurial journey?
I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A BUSINESS COACH.
I floundered for the first 18 months of my business without one, which was a mistake!
Tell us about a time when life threw you a serious curveball in your business and what you did to overcome that curveball?
2019 was a very hard year for me, both personally and professionally. I lost five people close to me that year, including two friends by suicide. I tried to push through and do “business as usual,” which was a mistake.
In hindsight, I should have given myself more grace and self-care, so I could return to the business of running my business in a better frame of mind.
How have you grown personally from becoming an entrepreneur?
I have grown personally because of all the amazing people I have met through my business, both in person and online.
I now have a diverse and global community of friends and colleagues who both challenge me and enrich me.
What one misconception about the entrepreneurial journey would you like to clarify for us today?
Success in business is not a straight line! My worst years in my business were my sixth and seventh years. They made me feel like quitting because I thought each year was supposed to be bigger and better than the one before.
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY CONTAINS CHALLENGES AND SETBACKS, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE A FAILURE OR YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG. IT’S JUST PART OF LIFE!
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about starting their own business?
Get your personal finances in order and give yourself as much financial runway as possible to launch your business. Working full or part-time while you launch your business is a smart thing to do!
If you’re stressed about money, it can cause you to do unwise things in your business because you’re desperate for cash flow, like taking on high-maintenance clients or an unaligned business partner.
BEING SOLID IN YOUR PERSONAL FINANCES ALLOWS YOU TO MAKE DECISIONS IN YOUR BUSINESS THAT ARE GOOD FOR ITS LONG-TERM SUCCESS.
What are some fun facts you would like to share about yourself?
I have surfed in Hawaii and ridden on a dog sled on a glacier in Alaska.
I used to co-lead a women’s target shooting group and earned the nickname Annie Oakley at the range.
I am that crazy cat lady who will avoid talking to neighbors when I’m out for a walk but will try to pet their cats!
What is one thing you’re grateful for right now?
I am grateful for my husband, Nick, because we are true partners who are in this life together 100%, in both the fun times and the challenging ones.
What are you looking forward to in the next month?
I am looking forward to having some breathing room in my business this next month. I’ve been working hard the past few months working on two very important projects: launching the Wealthy Woman Book Club™ and publishing my fourth book, Provider Money Pleasure Money: The Energetics of Personal Finance.
