Starting a business is exciting and terrifying all at the same time.  If you are a parent, you know what I mean. It’s like the moment you see that first double line on a pregnancy test and immediately the sense of pure joy and complete terror sweeps over you. That’s what it feels like to take the leap to start your own business.

So a couple of years ago I decided that I could either continue to ignore God’s direction or be obedient and at least take the first step by studying and receiving the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® designation.  Thankfully I passed all exams right before the birth of my second little boy. As I adjusted to becoming a Mom of two under the age of two and maintaining some sense of normalcy in my career I put off doing anything until the new year. Kind of like that diet I would start as a new year’s resolution. Well weeks passed, then months but the constant push to go beyond just obtaining the designation kept creeping up. Reluctantly I moved forward and with each step I made, deciding on my company name, setting up my LLC, and getting my logo, the joy and excitement started to outweigh the fear, at least most of the time. 

So why, why would I, happily married with two sweet boys and no divorce experience of my own, decide to become a CDFA® and seek to work with people going through divorce? The answer, although it took me a long time to see it, was simple. I love people, I love helping people and more importantly I want so badly to reach individuals that are in a dark and difficult time in their life and be a light. Light. When I started down this path the scripture “your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” constantly came to the forefront of my mind. I initially wanted to utilize the word ‘light’ in my company name but kept coming up short on how to use it. Then my amazing Dad offered a solution. Why not use the meaning of the scripture instead?  You see, our understanding of that scripture is not that God gives us a beacon of light to direct us.  When the scripture was written a ‘lamp’ was nothing more than an oil lit candle, it didn’t offer a bright light but instead just enough to take One Step at a time. So here I am, Next Step Divorce Solutions, offering a light to those that are struggling through divorce. 

I was blessed with the skills and knowledge to offer financial planning guidance and education to individuals and couples. So, as you try to piece together your expenses and your financial information for your divorce attorney consider this, what if you had a financial expert that could take this burden off your shoulders, who could come alongside you to make sure you fully understood your financial situation and how your divorce settlement would affect you and your family now and in the future? What will you choose to do? What will be your Next Step?