242 | The Financial Gym | Shannon McLay

<h3> </h3> <ul> <li>For those on the path to financial independence, finance, fitness, and life optimization all intersect.</li> <li>During her career in the banking industry, Shannon McLay found it didn't work for the people she wanted to help. She set out to use her skill set and training to change the coaching industry and founded Financial Gym.</li> <li>Even for those who not physically fit, they know what it looks like and there are many resources available for achieving it. The path the financial independence is similar in that it is a long journey. You have to work up to it, will experience setbacks, and take breaks.</li> <li>Much like diets, budgets don't work long-term. Making lifestyle changes is the key to success.</li> <li>At the Financial Gym, clients hit 90% of the goals set for themselves by examining their money behaviors and constantly working to figure out what's will work for them.</li> <li>The two largest emotions people have regarding money are fear and shame. Once people drop these highly charged emotions and understand the financial numbers don't define them, they can break through and embrace moving forward.</li> <li>After turning 30, Shannon realized she didn't want the life she was leading. Her life's trajectory changed when she came to understand that to have long-term sustainable happiness is to help other people and not expect anything in return.</li> <li>During her work as a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch, she discovered she enjoyed helping out her pro bono clients far more than the wealthy ones. It allowed her to see there was a need for a service where it didn't matter what you looked like financially, you just needed to get financially healthy.</li> <li>Much like going to the gym to get healthy, her concept of a financial gym was a place to meet with financial trainers for a monthly membership fee.</li> <li>Following the model of H&R Block, Shannon believed people wanted to meet with a financial advisor face-to-face. She was advised to prove the model would work before lookin