I’m a mother of two boys, a widow, an accidental foster parent, an amateur ballroom dancer, former IT professional and now a financial planner.

My journey into financial planning began unexpectedly. Years ago, I read an article called “The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement.” Until then, I believed early retirement was only for the ultra‑wealthy and that investing was basically gambling - you win only if you are lucky. That article changed everything. I dove into the FIRE community (Financial Independence Retire Early) —blogs, books, podcasts, group chats—and discovered how to make money work for me instead of the other way around.

That knowledge became essential when my husband was suddenly diagnosed with cancer and passed away just a few months later, leaving me with two young boys. It was a devastating time, but having a solid grasp on our finances meant one less crisis to manage when everything else felt uncertain.

I continued to pursue financial independence and finally I was able to step away from my IT career. After some much needed work break I decided to formalize my financial education. I completed the coursework to become a financial planner and passed the exam to become a Certified Financial Planner.

I founded Always Well Planned to share what I have learned and to empower women to make informed, confident decisions about their financial futures. 

Besides guiding my sons from teenagers to adulthood and dancing I also volunteer as a coach with Women’s Money Matters and as a tax preparer with VITA to give back to the community.