For Immediate Release Contact: Nancy Fish [email protected] An Interview with Bari Tessler Author of The Art of Money: A Life-­‐Changing Guide to Financial Happiness There are so many folks talking about money today. What makes your approach different—
and necessary? Money is a sexy topic. It tugs at some of the deepest threads within us: power, survival, self-­‐
actualization. We’re fascinated, pulled, and emotionally charged by it. That’s why there are many bestselling books on money. But what you’ll find in The Art of Money is deeper, more actionable, and truly different from what colleagues have already shared with the world. I know this because so many people arrive at my doorstep having already tried these other approaches to money and gotten more frustrated than ever. Your money relationship is unique to you—and it evolves along with you, over the course of your life. It’s crucial to zoom out and view money within the larger picture of your life, cherished values, and goals. The Art of Money offers readers the unique combination of: • a profoundly feminine, gentle, un-­‐shaming approach • therapeutic, emotional, psychological, and spiritual depth • an invitation to create a highly personalized relationship with money, on their own terms, filled with personal meaning and significance • nitty-­‐gritty “money practices” and financial savvy • a balance of playfulness and wisdom, emotional work and actionable work, yin and yang • body-­‐based, somatic mindfulness practices to gently “push our edges” around money work. What’s the biggest issue people have around money? Well, there’s not one (or even two or three) big issues. Everyone has different strengths and things to celebrate around money, and everyone has their challenges. And I mean everyone. I’ve worked with people who make millions, and people who are struggling to get their basic needs met, people who toss their bank statements without opening them and top-­‐level accountants. But, if I had to boil it down to one underlying, common issue, I’d say it’s the lack of relationship to money. Not looking it in the eye. Avoiding it. This avoidance can look very different for different folks. Some people earn really well, but have no idea where all their money goes. Others might have strong savings muscles, but they chronically under-­‐earn. Often, couples fight about money—but even more often, they don’t know how to even begin talking about it in a safe, compassionate and fun way. Money is the final taboo of a conscious lifestyle for many people. Bringing more awareness to your money relationship is the first step of facing that taboo. It sounds like you’re teaching people about way more than just money. Is that true? Money is never just about the money! Ultimately, money is a great doorway. Walk through it, and you’ll understand yourself better. There are so many life lessons you’ll gather, as you work on your money relationship—things that ripple out to every area of your life. So, when I’m teaching folks about money, I’m really teaching folks so much more. I’m really helping folks: • to understand their value • to honor their true pacing and rhythm • to know who they are, who they are not • to create safety inside and create safe + fun + meaningful + sacred spaces to talk about this delicate topic with their sweethearts • into more compassion and awareness. And showing them how to bring more creativity and deeper meaning into their money relationships—and all of life. The methodology you describe in your book The Art of Money incorporates three main phases. What are they, and why do people need to work with all three? Since the very first workshop I taught about money, I have shared a three-­‐phase methodology with people: Money Healing, Money Practices, and Money Maps. Phase One is about Money Healing. If you’ve ever sat down to work on your budget or talk to your honey about money, but got so emotionally triggered/overwhelmed/depressed/numb/ ashamed/scared that you gave up or found it really hard to continue, you’ve bumped into why Money Healing is so important. This first phase is the emotional work of creating an honest, mature relationship with money. Here, we dissolve shame. We get clear on our “money story” and unwind patterns that no longer serve us. We forgive ourselves, our family, and our culture. We claim our value. We learn emotional and body-­‐based practices to support our journey. And we apply massive doses of self-­‐care, compassion, and love. In Phase Two we learn solid Money Practices. If you’ve ever read a great book about money, or left a workshop inspired to claim your value more—yet noticed that, over time, your insights didn’t “stick,” you’ve discovered why Money Practices are so important. We need frameworks, systems, and practices to make inner change an outer reality. This second phase is the practical, nuts ’n’ bolts, number-­‐
crunching, systems, and habits of creating an ongoing and clear-­‐eyed relationship with money. We gather data. We learn the language of money. We set up daily/ weekly/monthly/yearly practices to engage with our numbers. And we do it all in ways that are personally meaningful, aligned with our deepest values, and feel creative, playful, and life-­‐affirming. (Bye-­‐bye, dry ’n’ dusty budgeting. Helloooo, values-­‐based bookkeeping!) During Phase Three we create our Money Maps. Have you ever had your whole life change, had a baby, switched careers, got married, lost someone you loved? Big life transitions change everything, including money. Recognizing where you are in the big picture of your life, what truly matters to you, what your goals, dreams and plans are—and how money can support all of this—is what Phase Three, Money Maps, is all about. In Money Maps, we go deep-­‐soul-­‐diving and visioning. We zoom out to your soul 2
purpose, big dreams, and guiding stars. We look at where you’ve been, what’s on the horizon, and how this moment fits into your money relationship and the grand scheme of your life. Each of these three phases is always happening. They’re woven together. And it’s essential that we engage with each phase to create truly sustainable changes in our money relationships. We need the emotional support of Money Healing to dissolve the resistance, shame, or other emotional patterns we all have around money. Then, the Money Practices phase translate these deep insights into real-­‐world actions, breathing them to life. Finally, the big picture visioning of the Money Maps phase situates all of this within the unfolding narrative of our unique lives, and infuses it with personal meaning. You talk a lot about working with the body when working with our “money stuff.” Why is this so helpful? Before I became a financial therapist, I was a full-­‐blown, African dancing, Authentic Movement group leading, Master’s student in Somatic Psychotherapy. I have always known that our bodies contain worlds of wisdom, and are sending us messages that are truly important—if only we could hear them! Our bodies guide us through so many things—what to eat, who we’re attracted to, and so many “gut feelings” each day. But when it comes to dealing with money, one of the most valuable things our bodies can do is support us during moments of challenging or overwhelming emotions. That’s why, from the very beginning of my work leading individuals and groups through money work, I’ve relied on body-­‐
based mindfulness practices. I think they are simultaneously the most simple and most profound tools for sustainable change. We are often a mystery to ourselves. We go on late-­‐night online shopping sprees, but don’t know why. We find ourselves crying in the grocery store checkout, or snapping at our sweetie when the bills arrive. Something as complex and multifaceted as money can be overwhelming, mysterious, and charged with so much emotion. This is why body-­‐based mindfulness practices are so crucial for any sort of deep money work. They draw us into our bodies, into the present moment, and into the raw experience of our “money stuff.” From here, we may choose a new pathway out of old patterns, or soothe ourselves. But we must arrive first at square one: awareness. How did you get started with this “money stuff”? Are you surprised to find yourself leading a global, conscious money movement? The day my first school loan came due, I freaked out. And had a huge epiphany: I do not have a relationship to money. I had studied and developed myself in all these other areas of my life, except money. I decided then and there it was time for me to look money in the eye and create a relationship with it. So I began learning everything I could about money: bookkeeping, financial support teams, and on and on. So, after a decade of training to be a Somatic Psychotherapist, I took a four year detour and learned bookkeeping and had a bookkeeping business for artists and therapists. Then I opened my financial therapy practice, (integrating all of my previous training) and began teaching Conscious Bookkeeping, which evolved into my Art of Money methodology. For the last 14 years, I’ve brought everything I know and am to this work. 3
Ah, so you’ve got it all figured out, this whole money thing? Oh, I’m not perfect! I’ve done a ton of work in this area, so I have a lot of experience, insight, and supportive practices—but I’m definitely not some guru on the mountain. Here’s the key: I believe that we are never “done” with our money work. It grows and evolves right along with us. My husband and I live and breathe this stuff: for ourselves, as a married couple, as parents, and as partners in a creative business. We have money “stuff” come up, then light the candles, nibble the dark chocolate, and talk through it. I’ve gone through my own Money Initiations, over the years: learning new skill sets and ways of relating to money. I had to learn how to even have a relationship to money, then what my strengths and challenges are, how to claim my value more, how to become savvy in the world of creative entrepreneurship, how to craft business models that support my values of family, health, rest, and meaning, how to work through cash-­‐flow dips, how to strengthen my savings muscles, how to work with a financial support team, and on and on! This is truly a life-­‐long journey of constantly updating and upgrading our relationship to money, for all of us, over and over. There is always room to grow on a practical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual level when it comes to money. Our relationship to money is a reflection of our relationship to ourselves. How would you describe your own relationship with money? I have moved mountains with my relationship with money. It used to be the elephant in the room that I refused to talk to or about, but I have finally learned to sit it down and make friends with it. Over the last two decades, I have healed and deepened my relationship with money in profound ways: • I re-­‐examined the idea that “money isn’t spiritual” and learned to honor money as a bridge between heaven and earth. • I’ve worked with concepts of value, worth, and livelihood, in profound and practical ways. I’ve grown in these areas, claimed my worth, and applied my insights here to many areas of my life. • I broke through one money ceiling after the next. • I’ve learned to birth and grow a business that feels creative, fun, and fueled by deep meaning and love. • I’ve crafted savvy, sustainable business models and welcomed an amazing team to support me and expand my mission. • I learned a bookkeeping system. (Hallelujah.) • I made my money practices my own, through Body Check-­‐Ins, chocolate, deep meaning, creativity, and playfulness. • I incorporated self-­‐love + healthy boundaries into my money relationship and my business — so I can share my gifts with the world and have plenty of time to be with my son, my husband, my mountain, my dear friends, and my solitude. I’ve become a seasoned guide to the emotional, practical, and psycho-­‐spiritual work of money. And it never ceases to amaze me how utterly transformative this work is. I have seen people transform in such gorgeous and surprising ways, thanks to engaging with money. I’ve seen them create deeper intimacy with their sweethearts, claim their value as an artist, deepen their spirituality, relax into trust, and move with more confidence and clarity through the world. I am continually honored and humbled by just how deep this work can go. 4
What can people do right away that would change their relationship with money, immediately. Here are three simple things you can do right now (other than reading my book, of course!): 1. Do a Body Check-­‐In. Simply bring awareness to your body: what sensations do you notice? What emotions are arising? What thoughts are passing through the screen of your mind? Do this before, during, or after an encounter with money — and you’ll begin creating more intimacy, awareness, and gentleness around your money relationship. It’s such a simple practice, but it’s incredibly profound. (Folks can find a guided audio meditation of this on my website, and a fuller description in my book.) 2. Choose a bookkeeping system and start tracking your money. This will help you create clarity about your money, and open up possibilities. It’s much easier to make better decisions about money when you can see what it’s doing! 3. Get support. Create a financial support team. Depending on your needs, this might include a bookkeeper, an accountant, a financial therapist, a financial coach, a financial planner, etc. I believe we all need a financial support team, and can really benefit by checking in with ourselves at least once a year and asking: do I need to add someone to my team, here?
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THE ART OF MONEY A Life-­‐Changing Guide to Financial Happiness by Bari Tessler 6” x 9”, 256 pages Hardcover, $22.95 ISBN 978-­‐1-­‐941529-­‐21-­‐8 Publishing June 14, 2016 Contact: Nancy Fish 510/944-­‐9092, [email protected] Distributed by Penguin Random House Publisher Services 5