Coaching Freedom, LLC

06/03/2026

Last Saturday I set up my booth at the Spring Craft & Vendor Fair in Valleyford.

What I did not plan for was rain.

While most vendors had canopies, I had an umbrella, an uncovered table, and a tablecloth that was slowly becoming a sponge.

I could have given up. I could have sat in my car. I could have cried.

Instead, I introduced myself to the vendors around me. I learned about their businesses. I bought from a few of them. I spent time with my brother. And eventually the sun came out, the tablecloth dried, and I walked away with a little sunburn to prove I stayed.

Why do I share this with you? Because resilience isn't dramatic. It's just deciding not to quit when things get uncomfortable.

And that's exactly what it takes when you're changing how you earn, save, and give money. It rarely goes perfectly. There will be rain. There will be moments where sitting in your car sounds really good.

But the sun does come out. And you'll be glad you stayed!

05/30/2026

Having a blast meeting other local business owners at the Spring Vendor Craft Sale.

I met Marlina and Jeremy owners of Inspirations Dance Studio!

05/29/2026

Tomorrow is the day! 🎉

I'm excited to be a vendor at the Spring Craft & Vendor Fair and I would love to see you there!

📅 Saturday, May 30
⏰ 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 10409 E. Palouse Highway, Valleyford, WA

Come say "hi", browse some amazing vendors, and pick up some Coaching Freedom goodies while you're at it. I'll have information about financial coaching, business coaching, and upcoming workshops, plus a fun drawing you'll want to enter. 🎁

Whether you're already thinking about your finances or just looking for a great way to spend a Saturday, this is a wonderful event worth the drive.

See you there!

05/27/2026

Last week I registered for a free event. My friend who invited me couldn't make it. The event wasn't quite what I expected.

And yet.

I saw a beautiful new coworking space in downtown Spokane. I ran into a couple of familiar faces. I met a few new people, including Hara.

Hara Allison is a graphic designer, photographer, and videographer with serious talent and a studio that will take your breath away in the Paulson Building downtown. During my visit with her today in her studio, we laughed about what it's like to be women over 45 these days, we talked about following your heart, and the courage it takes to build something that's truly yours.

Not every investment comes with a price tag. Sometimes the return on showing up is a new friendship, a new perspective, or a new creative partner you didn't know you needed.

I showed up. And I found Hara!

(P.S. — Yes, that's a phone camera reflection in her glasses. For ACTUAL photographer results, connect with Hara. She's the real deal. 😂)

05/25/2026

05/20/2026

The May edition of the Freedom Flyer is here and this one is personal.

This month I'm sharing:

💬 A reader wrote in after last month's banking article and added something I wasn't expecting. Her words were so important I turned them into their own article.

✈️ An Uber driver in Savannah asked me a question I couldn't answer. As a financial coach. I'm still thinking about it.

📅 Three June expenses worth planning for before they sneak up on you.

🎉 Four upcoming events in Spokane you won't want to miss — including two FREE workshops I'm co-facilitating this month.

And a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has ever referred someone to me. You know who you are.

This issue is a little more reflective than usual. Life has a way of teaching us things when we least expect it, in a Tesla on the way to the airport, in a reader's email, at a laundry conference in Hilton Head.

I hope something in here inspires you today.

👉 Click the link to read the May Freedom Flyer.

https://conta.cc/4duZDIJ

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05/18/2026

Last night I was at the Lucy Darling show and one of the audience questions made the entire audience laugh out loud.

Someone submitted this question via a QR code:

"How do I tell my 22 and 26 year olds it's time to move out? They are here at this show with me."

Signed: Stephanie

Here's the thing. Her kids were sitting right next to her. Hearing this for the first time. In front of hundreds of people!

My brain couldn't help but go straight to work.

I have this conversation with parents all the time. While the housing market is challenging right now, it is not impossible for young people to live on their own, or at least out of their parent's home. What IS often missing isn't money. It's preparation.

Here are three things I'd encourage every parent of a young adult to consider:

👉 Teach them how to budget BEFORE they move out. Not after. Sit down together and map out what life actually costs. Rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, insurance. Let the numbers do the talking.

👉 Help them build a savings habit now. Even $25 a week adds up. The goal isn't a big account overnight. It's the discipline of setting money aside consistently before they need it.

👉 Talk about earning, giving, and spending with intention. Financial independence isn't just about paying bills. It's about understanding that money is a tool and knowing how to use it wisely.

The question isn't really "how do I get them out of the house." The real question is "have I helped them prepare to thrive on their own?"

05/07/2026

This week has been incredible! I had the opportunity to speak to women in the laundry industry about our money stories.

We had honest and vulnerable conversations about how we were raised to think about money, how that impacts our businesses and career and how we can rewrite our money stories.

Thanks to everyone who showed up for themselves at the Excellent Women In Laundry conference this week!

04/30/2026

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the Gonzaga Center for Lifelong Learning Summit — and I left with a full notebook and a mind buzzing with possibility.

The theme? AI In Action: Practical Tools, Peer Projects, and AI Adoption.

About 50 graduates of Gonzaga University's Center for Lifelong Learning certificate programs came together for a day that was jam-packed, engaging, and full of real takeaways. Here's a snapshot of what we covered:

- Emotional intelligence as a leadership tool, not just for ourselves, but for helping our teams adapt to AI practices with confidence
- Hands-on prompting practice, including how to build a PowerPoint presentation in 10 minutes or less
- AI policy in business; having practical conversations about what that looks like inside an organization
- Responsible AI and the ADKAR model, applying change leadership frameworks to AI adoption
- we read "Navigating the Impact of AI in Leadership: A Social Process Continues" from the Center for Creative Leadership, a thought-provoking look at how AI is reshaping the social dimensions of leading

I also got to reconnect with colleagues from the original Women's Leadership certificate cohort. One of them is currently taking the AI Essentials course and shared something that I was curious about:

She said, "every week, the course opens with an optional 2-hour virtual session that starts with "here's what's changed with AI in the past seven days.~Carrie Hoag

In a world where the landscape shifts weekly, that kind of commitment to staying current is refreshing and it's what makes this kind of learning worth the investment.

Now I'm thinking carefully about my next steps. And I'll ask you the same question that's been on my mind:

Where are you on the AI adoption spectrum?

Gonzaga's Center for Lifelong Learning is offering five AI certificate programs designed to meet you where you are:

- AI Essentials — 5-week online course with optional weekly 2-hour live learning sessions
- AI Automation — learn to build and streamline processes
- AI for HR Professionals
- AI for Marketing
- AI for Finance — coming soon

I'd love to know, are you exploring AI tools, actively using them, or still figuring out where to start? Drop a comment below or send me a message. Let's keep this conversation going.

Read the CCL article from our fieldwork: Navigating the Impact of AI in Leadership: A Social Process Continues
https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/navigating-the-impact-of-ai-in-leadership-a-social-process-continues/

https://www.gonzaga.edu/center-for-lifelong-learning

04/27/2026

Last week my friend Nicole introduced me to something she calls "sign slapping." 😄

Every time she reaches the halfway point of her walk, she slaps a sign. It's her ritual. Her marker. Her way of saying, I made it this far, and I've got enough in me to finish strong.

Why is this important? Here's the thing. We're almost halfway through 2026. And that deserves a moment.

Not to stress about what hasn't happened yet. Not to beat yourself up about the goals you set in January that have quietly faded. But to actually pause and ask yourself three questions:

👉 What's worth celebrating so far this year?
👉 What does the second half need to look like for your finances?
👉 What's one thing you can do THIS MONTH to build momentum?

The halfway mark isn't a finish line. It's a sign worth slapping. 🙌

If your finances need a reset, a review, or just a fresh set of eyes before you head into the second half of the year, I'd love to help. Schedule your free 30-minute Financial Confidence Call using this link: https://calendly.com/coaching-freedom/30minsession