‘I don’t need to prove…myself anymore’
I’m excited to welcome Melissa Browne back to Sparta Chicks Radio.
Mel is an author, financial advisor, speaker and financial wellness advocate who first joined me on the podcast way back in episode 18 in early 2017 and then spoke at our conference, Sparta Chicks Unleashed, in 2018.
And now she’s back with a vulnerable new book and for a very personal and brave conversation.
Mel has just published a new book - her fourth book - called “Budgets Don’t Work (But This Does)”. It’s the culmination of her career first as an accountant and now a financial advisor.
Her philosophy; just like diets and one-size-fits-all eating plans or training programs don’t work, budgets don’t work either.
So Mel has developed a process that helps you discover (what she calls) your “Financial Phenotype”. It’s the combination of your Money Stories, your Money Environment and your Money Type. Knowing these things about yourself then allows you to custom design your own financial plan, habits and tactics that draw on your natural strengths (while minimising the impact of your weakness).
Simply genius!
What makes this book so powerful is Mel’s vulnerability around her history and her story and how it has shaped her financial decision making over the years.
From the outside looking in, Mel appeared to have it all.
Yet as she reveals in this conversation, for years Mel was stuck in a ‘sabotage loop’ in her business and that she carried a victim mentality and story that she wasn’t “good enough” that caused her to work so hard she ultimately experienced burnout and a breakdown in 2017.
So she initially started working with a coach to help her navigate her ’sabotage loop’ in her business and quickly realised she would also need to unpack the trauma she’s experienced and the way it and the stories she’s carried with her have shaped her personal life as well.
In this conversation, Mel shares:
* why she started working with a coach in 2017 to help her break her ‘sabotage loop’ in her business, and how it forced her to dig into her personal life and history as well,
* the impact the #MeToo movement had on her,
* the path to reclaiming her power that she’s been on over the last 3 years,
* the ‘victim mentality’ and story of ‘not being good enough’ she carried for much of her life until she “called bullshit on that”,
* the importance of leaning into difficult and uncomfortable realisations,
* how she was able to achieve such a high level of success in spite of her pattern of self-sabotage,
* how your ego can be helpful and valuable, and when it can be destructive,
* the ‘vulnerability hangover’ she’s experiencing ahead of the release of her new book,
* what your Financial Phenotype is, why it’s unique to you, and how understanding it allows you to create a unique financial plan and system that suits your strengths and minimises your weaknesses,
* how the core theme of your Money Stories often shows up in other parts of your life, and why lasting change only occurs when it’s truly transformational,
* your Money Environment and whether what (and who) you surround yourself with is influencing you in a way that’s financially beneficial or harmful,
* the financial-personality system she developed and how knowing your ‘Money Type’ helps you lean into your natural strengths, putting structures in place to minimise the weaknesses of it and creating great habits off the back of it.
Mel’s book is not just another finance or budget book. It’s deep and meaningful and raw and real and I think you should read it.
This is also very personal vulnerable and brave conversations. So if you have sensitive ears around, you will need headphones.
And a trigger one - there are references to sexual assault and rape in this conversation.
Click here to listen on iTunes.
Notes and resources:
To find out more about Mel or to say hello, you can find her on Instagram or via her website at melissabrowne.com.au.
To buy Mel's book, visit her website or Booktopia
Once you've purchased a copy, grab your free ticket to the virtual book launch event.
And visit this link to check out Mel's courses.
