Cents of Joy Year 1 Wrapped: Reflections from my First Year in Business
Backpacking the Olympic Coast Trail July 2026 (my first full week off since launching Cents of Joy!)
Cents of Joy celebrated one year in business this month! When I launched my firm, I was looking forward to emulating my colleague and friend Meg Bartelt’s annual blog post. I loved the idea of reflecting back in a way that was candid and funny (like Meg!). So earlier this month I brainstormed, reflected, reviewed my “wins” folder, etc. But I quickly realized that while I have indeed learned and grown a TON this year, I still feel pretty far away from having any actual idea of what it all means (Is this why you skipped year one Meg?!).
Truthfully, my priorities today are still pretty much the same as they were a year ago:
Be a really really great financial planner for my clients.
Make enough money to live.
Try and enjoy it 🙂
My ideas about how to actually do these things well are constantly evolving, and so is Cents of Joy. Sometimes I find it frustrating to be in the iterative stage, to know that some decisions are “not quite it,” but not know what “it” is yet. Other times, it feels exciting and expansive.
In either case, I’m getting more used to these feelings coexisting. Perhaps in year two I’ll find some more acceptance of the constant change, this building and rebuilding. Heck maybe I’ll even learn to enjoy it?!
With that said, here are a few lessons I’m bringing with me:
1. It’s easier to learn by doing.
Before I launched Cents of Joy, many wise advisors told me that your business is always going to evolve so it’s okay not to have it all figured out when you start. Did I listen? Of course not! I really tried to have it all figured out before launching. While the work of being a financial planner wasn’t new to me when I launched, being a business owner was and is. I spent hours trying to design hypothetical workflows, models, etc. but it is just so much easier and more productive to build as you go. Learning how to “fail fast” as a business owner requires a bit more humility and transparency than I am used to, but I think those are worthy virtues to strive for.
2. We need people.
I need people: my family, friends, advisor mastermind groups, industry colleagues… all are indispensable. Not only are they a bottomless well of support, grace, and love, but they make being a solo business owner feel less scary and way more fun. They also help me be a better advisor and human being.
My clients need people: Every client and prospective client I’ve spoken with this year has expressed a desire to spend more of their time with the people they love. Yes, of course they also talk about having more money or buying a new house, but 99% of the time those goals are in service of spending more time with their loved ones.
The work itself needs people: With AI & financial planning technology rapidly growing, it feels really clear to me that the point of working with an advisor is the relationship. The human element. The deeper conversations around money behaviors, feelings, and what it all means. I’m excited to spend more time on having meaningful conversations and become a better advisor in that way.
3. It’s actually awesome to not know what the answer is.
I used to be so afraid when I didn’t know how to help a client. I don’t mean not knowing the answer to a technical question, but when they asked about something more subjective and I wasn’t sure what the best approach would be. Now I realize when a client asks a question, I don’t necessarily have to have an answer or idea. In fact, that actually may even be counterproductive. Instead, I try to ask better questions and facilitate better conversations. In turn, it’s led to more creative and collaborative solutions.
4. I only have about 5 hours of good brain time a day.
I started tracking my time last year and this became really clear. I thought I could do 8 hours of financial planning and meetings a day, but I can really only do 5 before I start to feel depleted. Deep focused financial planning work and meaningful conversations require a lot of energy and brain power.
5. Turn on auto-save in excel. Sigh.
Thank you for a wonderful first year of business, onwards!
