It’s not very straightforward, is it? Giving financial advice while hating capitalism.

Capitalism needs to be dismantled in order for us to collectively thrive – and it's not gone yet. We need a way to navigate these systems of oppression while we’re stuck living under them. 

To that end, I want to be transparent about the values I’m bringing into my work. It is important that we be radically honest with each other, and in that spirit, I want to start with one that most businesses won’t admit:

This business exists for me, first

Businesses exist to make money. In this case, this is a worker-owned business that exists primarily to provide its workers (aka me) with steady income and a good life. I believe that I have a valuable service to offer my community, and of course I seek to do the best I can for every single client. But to say that clients come first – that the customer is always right – is to be dishonest with you about where my priorities lie. I’m carving out space to work in a way that makes sense for my brain and my body. I’m clear about my own personal financial goals. And I’m helping folks take control of their finances along the way.

I seek a solid foundation based on my values

Our consumer culture is always trying to tell us that consumption is the path to happiness. Our cisnormative, heteronormative culture is always trying to pull us away from our queerest selves. Our white supremacist culture is always trying to devalue and steal from people of color, and tell us all there’s only one way to exist or succeed. I want to create as much resistance as possible to these forces that try to pull us away from our values and beliefs so that we can create and maintain the space we need to build a better world. 

I want to foster independence

The phrase “financial advisor” is confusing because different people use it to mean different things. Some financial advisors just sell insurance. Some just manage your investments for you. Some (like me) help you with life planning work – what you want, and how to use financial tools to get it. Some do a combo of the three. Most want to manage investments for you, either for the rest of your life or the rest of their career, whichever happens first. I don’t want you to have to pay me every year for the rest of your life. I want to teach you how to manage your money, rather than managing it for you. My goal is to get you what you need and then have you stop paying me. And that doesn’t mean you’ll have a lack of support! I plan on doing this work for decades to come, and to keep creating new services over time.

Your experience matters

I recognize that our brains do not all work the same way. The realities of navigating a neurotypical world as a neurodivergent person are especially infuriating when trying to get our finances in order. Money can be a fraught, pressure-filled topic, making it easier to avoid than to face, and the systems we’re expected to navigate are laughably inaccessible: spreadsheets are supposedly the “best” tool and you’ll totally remember they exist next week (/s), finance bros pretend that there is one correct way to manage your finances but often contradict each other, calling an insurance company takes forever and leaves you feeling terrible at the end, and the list goes on!

It’s essential to acknowledge up front that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions in a world of neurodivergence, and it’s important to not only validate the challenges of being autistic or having ADHD, but also to construct an approach to personal finance that accommodates those challenges. I am continuously improving and adapting what I’m doing to better serve myself and my clients. I’m never done learning or growing.

My services are predicated on forgiveness

Capitalism is oppression, and we’ve been raised under it our whole lives. So it only makes sense at this point that both you and I are somewhat invested in harm and oppression! In having conversations about how to divest from these systems, we start from a place of compassion for the ways we’ve become indoctrinated in an effort to create space and awareness around that, and to commit to healing those parts of ourselves. By lessening the sense of urgency and choosing a more contemplative approach, we can find greater success in moving towards a post-capitalist world.

I’m not for everyone

I can’t solve everything, and I can’t help everyone. The LGBTQIA+ community is incredibly diverse in identities, backgrounds, and experiences. I know that I’m not the right fit for every single person in our community. And it is important to name that this business wholeheartedly stands against white supremacy and all forms of oppression. 

Capitalism is bad for all humans, but the harm is compounded by each axis of oppression. My liberation as a trans person is inherently and irrevocably linked to the liberation of people of all races, abilities, sizes, health statuses, nationalities, class backgrounds, and more. 

I always welcome feedback about how I can better serve my clients and community, and live in my value of dismantling oppression in all its forms.