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My Story

I started 5th Hummingbird to help people understand and improve their relationship with money, learn more about personal financial health and wellness, and comfortably and confidently plan their financial futures.

Cultivating meaningful relationships, getting to know clients as people, and learning what is important to them in life helps me identify issues and find solutions that reflect my clients’ values and goals. I’ve found that helping people understand the patterns, behaviors, and beliefs that shape their relationship with money can open doors to successful, optimistic financial planning.

Growing up in a small farming community in Iowa, my family’s farm provided a stark, immersive education about hard work, business, and seemingly endless financial challenges and risks. It also taught me about people – about inherent goodness, the importance of community, and the value of can-do optimism in the face of uncertainty and harsh economic reality. The seeds of financial coaching were planted on the farm as surely as were corn and beans.

Before launching 5th Hummingbird, I spent more than eight years as a financial planner in a boutique firm in North County San Diego. Before that, I enjoyed a successful 15-year career implementing strategic, large-scale pharma and biotech information technology systems that integrated business needs with technological capabilities and efficiencies.

I attended Drake University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and then an MBA.

I am a CFP® professional, a Certified Money Coach (CMC)®, and a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA).