Why It’s Never Too Late: A 71-Year-Old’s Financial Transformation Journey
Denna Atkinson, a 71-year-old money coach, has had her own financial struggles before becoming a coach just a few years ago. In this episode of Real Money, Lisa Chastain interviews Denna to discuss starting over in your 60s and how it’s never too late to make a change.
Denna’s journey towards financial transformation began when she took a Dave Ramsey course shortly after moving to Las Vegas. At the time, she was living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to make ends meet. The course helped her realize that everything she had been doing with her finances was wrong, and she needed to change her ways. Despite the anxiety and angst that came with the realization, Danna was able to make significant changes and become a successful money coach.
Key Takeaways
- It’s never too late to make a change in your financial situation.
- Dame Ramsey courses can help but are not for everyone.
- Building up cash reserves can help calm financial anxiety and provide peace of mind.
Denna’s Background
Denna Atkinson is a 71-year-old money coach who started coaching just a few years ago after her own financial transformation. She joins Lisa Chastain as a special guest on Real Money to talk about starting over in your 60s. Denna believes that it’s never too late and you’re never too old to start over. Denna was one of the first guests on the Real Money Podcast, listen to her first episode to hear Denna’s whole story.
She took a Dave Ramsey course shortly after moving to Las Vegas, where she had been living paycheck to paycheck and wasn’t making enough money. At the time, Denna was trying to figure out what was next in her life. She had a friend who was taking Dave Ramsey and invited her to take the course with her. Denna followed through with the course and learned that everything she had been doing all her life and everything she was doing currently was wrong. The course brought up anxiety and angst, but the one thing that resonated with her was to have at least a minimum of $1,000 in an envelope that she could draw from. This was the only thing that worked for her and gave her some peace.
Denna moved to Las Vegas after being laid off from a job in Minneapolis and not finding a new job. She had a little bit of cash reserves from her tax return and brought her daughter’s cat with her. The cat got into a cat fight, resulting in a $300 vet bill, which was paid out of Denna’s reserve. She had good friends and was living with one of them, which gave her time to find a job and get herself together. However, Denna found herself in a hiring freeze and had to work three jobs to make ends meet. She was in her mid-40s and had never had a solid financial foundation. She had to learn how to make things work through trial and error and had never been taught how to manage her finances.
Denna had been financially unstable, but she learned how to make it work through trial and error. She had never had a solid foundation and no one to teach her. Denna’s story shows that it’s never too late to start over and take control of your finances. With the right guidance, anyone can turn their financial situation around and live a better life.
Denna’s story is not unique. Many people find themselves having to start over later in life. That doesn’t mean that they’re a failure or not worthy of success. Check out my live coaching sessions from a few months ago to see more women who have started over and will be thriving in their new lives.