My Money Memoir

During my first session with Bari Tessler almost 3 years ago, we were focused on one very important image, the cover for her first book “The Art of Money”.

It was an exciting, new time for Bari and I was so happy to be sharing in and witnessing this moment with her. I arrived in Boulder the day before our shoot and got straight to work scouting and scheming.

Just 36 hours later I was on my way home, photo mission more than accomplished, our friendship nourished and my creative juices flowing.

Since that time there have been many more photos (including a full website photo makeover), a few adventures, dinners, trips here and there, and so many important conversations. 

Bari is a financial therapist and the founder of the yearlong online program (and now book) “The Art of Money”. She courageously tackles this oftentimes tricky topic with a whole lot of deep care and heartfelt mastery.

Each year during as she opens the doors to her program she does a collection of interviews that share real-life intimate money stories. She’s a big believer that money issues are never about “just” money and that we can find our way to money health through a set of tools she teaches that are based on compassion, radical un-shaming, and body-based wisdom.

Sound brilliant? It is.  

Through the years Bari and I discussed me doing an interview for her specifically focusing on my time as a single mama. We both knew it would happen eventually and this year we decided it was time.

2017 held a big moment for me in terms of my own money story and when Bari asked if I was willing to share this particular story with her Art of Money community I told her that I really had no idea how the story would “come out”.

I tend to be a very private person and while this particular money story is big in my life it’s not something I had talked much about, and it’s something I’ve never shared publicly. 

I took a minute to really check-in and see if this was the story I wanted to tell at this time and in this way.

Ultimately I decided that while it may be still integrating, it may be rough, unpolished and imperfect, I still think it has value. I can say this - if I would’ve heard my story in years past, I would have drawn strength from it and so if my telling of this story can do the same for even one other woman I’ll be happy. 

The work Bari is doing is important stuff, money is such a powerful currency/energy/symbol/commodity, and most of us have ongoing work to do on the subject.

I’ve never been one to shy away from talking about the hard stuff and this interview inspired me to have more conversations about money and the stories related to it. If you’d like to learn more about Bari's program or have a listen to our interview, you can find it here. 

Whatever’s happening in your money world right now, I’m sending you wishes of right relationship, joyful receiving, generous giving, and shameless truth telling. 

Much love,

Danielle