This blog is based on an interview with Hannah Tönissen. It is a summary of the conversation, not the exact transcript. You can listen to the whole interview on the podcast!
Welcome on the show Hannah! You used to be my coach, but can you tell us what we really should know about you?
Hi! I am Hannah and I am 30 years old. I work as a productivity and mindset coach and I also am a technical virtual assistant or operational business manager. So essentially I help other coaches and companies to set up the back end of their businesses. I’m a fulltime digital nomad and I’m almost leaving again for another big trip, central America this time.
Ok, not jealous at all about that… Haha! No but really, it’s a good idea to escape the Belgian winter.
We are going to talk about money today! I’m really interested to know what your experience with money is. Growing up, did your parents talk about money a lot?
Recently I worked hard on my money mindset and looking back, we didn’t talk much about money at home. There was this kind of taboo about having a lot of money. My parents did have a bit of an opinion about that. They saved a lot, and I ended up doing the same thing.
We didn’t have financial issues but spending wasn’t encouraged. You had to work hard, that especially.
That’s a mindset I see a lot. ‘Work hard, save plenty and don’t chase money because that’s tacky’.
Yes, that and spending money on yourself. Self care, spending money on a massage, a coach… The first time I did that I felt so much resistance.
It’s nice to hear that you worked on your money mindset. What did you do? Did you read books? Got a coach?
All of that. From the moment you start your own business money becomes important, amongst others to build the freedom you desire. So I hired coaches and read books to help me. I really liked ‘You’re a badass at making money’ (Jen Sincero).
Did you change your financial approach since changing your money mindset?
Yes, 100%. But I do have to say that I needed to hit rock bottom first. As a student I always had plenty of savings, but when I started traveling and started my business I was living off my savings. It got me stuck in a loop of bad energy and I struggled financially. It taught me that I could get by, even with an almost empty bank account.
Now I keep track of my finances and I put in an effort. It’s like a relationship.
I hated having to ask for help, but it also taught me that I would be fine. And from that moment on could finally start building instead of struggling. You can read as many books as you want, but real change and personal growth comes with experience.
Now I keep track of my finances and I put in an effort. It’s like a relationship. It’s a combination of tackling habits and educating yourself.
I recognize that. I have been in a bad place as well years ago. Even though I had 3 jobs I still couldn’t pay my bills and I was like, how?! People kept telling me that if I worked hard enough I would be ok, but that clearly wasn’t the case.
There are a lot of business coaches who promote hustle culture and I tried to start my business that way. But then I realized that it doesn’t have to be so complicated. It’s about changing the narrative, finding your flow.
Putting in effort doesn’t equal working yourself to death. And once the money starts coming in, it’s important to learn how to manage it properly. What do you do to grow the money you earn?
I keep on educating myself, I invest in coaches who teach me how to earn more. And then I also started investing in ETF’s – through your course – and a little bit in crypto. It took me some time to actually dive into it because it can be overwhelming, but I’m glad I did it. It’s not as hard and daunting as I thought.
Learn how to invest in ETF’s, the ideal product for both beginners and experts! Let your money grow while you sit back and relax.
You don’t need to be thé investing expert to start. Educate yourself on the basics and then start experimenting, have fun with it!
Also, I believed investing was for rich people. My parents had a bad experience on the stock market and it seemed to risky so I stayed away from it.
Now that you are investing, what is a tip that you would give to someone who is still unsure about starting?
Honestly? Take a course. And no, that’s not sponsored, haha! Educate yourself, it really helps.
Thank you, I agree! Take a course, watch videos, read book… but just start. And you don’t have to be rich to invest, investing is what makes you rich. You can start with small amounts.
Yeah fear is a big thing for most people, but you really don’t need much. Another tip: save or invest at the beginning of the month. That way you get used to not spending it all.
Exactly: pay yourself first.
Yes. That doesn’t have to mean you can’t spend money on fun stuff though. Last summer I splurged a bit more than I normally would. Maybe because I struggled such a long time and I just wanted to enjoy having money for a change.
Nothing wrong with that. I mean, yes you need to be responsible and improve your finances. But money is supposed to pay for the things that make you happy. It’s all about priorities.
So my last question is one that I ask everyone: imagine you win an insane amount in the lottery and you never have to work again. What do you do?
The first thing that comes to mind is a dream I had when I was a kid. I used to save points in this little glass bowl for an animal welfare organization because I’m a huge animal lover. And as a kid I thought “when I become rich, I’ll give half of my money to charity for the animals”.
Now I would give it away partly, but I would be smarter with it. I would invest the rest and donate the profit so the impact would be even bigger.
I would also invest more in sustainable companies and use the money to do good in the world.
Awesome! That’s a great answer. Staying true to your beliefs but being smart about them, love it. Is there anything else you would like to say?
Money isn’t bad, I finally realize it is just a tool. You can do both good and bad. See it as something neutral and then create the best story you can around it.
Totally agree. Thank you for this interview Hannah!
Want to get in contact with Hannah? This is where you can find her.
Website: www.themultipassionate.com
Instagram: @the.multipassionate