In a world where financial freedom often seems like an unreachable goal, Sarah Brill emerges as a beacon of hope and transformation. A former corporate high-flyer turned Independent Financial Coach, Sarah’s journey is a testament to the power of taking the path less followed and staying true to yourself. From her adventures as a scuba-diving digital nomad to her unique insights into money mindset, Sarah captivates her clients and audiences alike with her vibrant approach to financial empowerment. Sarah’s passion for breaking free from societal norms, and cultivating a fulfilling life, shines through as she guides others to redefine their relationship with money through the lens of Sacred Money Archetypes®.
Join us as we dive into Sarah’s inspiring story, explore her innovative coaching philosophy, and uncover the keys to achieving true financial independence and happiness.
Sarah, what is your mission and vision as a Money Mindset Mentor?
“My mission is to help as many people as possible to create financial freedom. Ultimately, this means creating a work-life balance, doing the things that people love to do, while also being paid for it, and being able to manage their money effectively so that they can have the freedom and future they desire. My vision, and what I believe, is that the more money there is in the hands of good people, the more good can be done in the world. I want to empower more people to feel confident with their finances.”
What is ‘financial freedom’ and how do you help your clients achieve it?
“As we know, everyone has their own interpretations of different words, and what they mean. For me, it’s about living life on your own terms. Being able to enjoy life today, and having the peace of mind of financial security and confidence in your financial future.”
“Some people might say it’s a certain number. Some people might say it’s 10k a month, some people might say it’s having a million pounds in the bank. Our money mindset has nothing to do with how much we have in the bank; how we feel about money has nothing to do with our account balance. There are people in the world who earn slightly less, and they’re very happy and very content in their lives. And then there are billionaires who are not happy. So fundamentally, we know that it’s not about that number. It’s more about the feeling that we attach to our finances and to our relationship with money.”
Where did your coaching journey begin?
“I’ve always been someone who has been able to reinvent my life. For a lot of people, they either don’t go to university, or they go to university knowing exactly what they want to do for the rest of their lives. I fell into a job in social media around 15 years ago, in a world which now has completely changed.”
“One day I went on a holiday in Dubai and a friend told me that there were loads of opportunities, loads of jobs, great pay, and so I printed off and handed out 100 CVs. That led to two job offers and I ended up staying in Dubai for four years!”
What happened next?
“I spent four years working in Dubai in corporate, managing MENA (Middle East and Africa) for this company. One day, I went on a business trip and fainted on an aeroplane. I remember it so clearly; I was lying on the floor while the cabin crew gave me oxygen and made announcements for a doctor. And here I am, on the plane floor thinking, ‘What is going on with my life?’ I thought, ‘Oh, it’s just low oxygen, you know?’”
“When I went to the doctor after I got back from that business trip, they said to me, ‘Are you stressed?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I guess I am a bit stressed.’ They said, ‘Well, this is what burnout looks like.’ I remember feeling shocked. Burnout looks very different for a lot of people, but ultimately, it led to me being fired from that job because I wasn’t performing at my peak.”
“I decided to go on holiday to Bali for three weeks, which then turned into almost three years of travelling around Asia and retraining as a divemaster alongside working as a digital nomad. My corporate life from that point became a thing of the past.”
How have your experiences of travelling to 45 countries and living as an expat in four, shaped your coaching?
“Travelling and living in different countries taught me a lot about adaptability and the diverse ways people manage money. In Dubai, for instance, I witnessed a more open attitude towards discussing finances, which was a stark contrast to the UK where money can be a taboo topic. These experiences helped me to understand the importance of financial independence and the different attitudes people have towards money.”
How do you handle the difficult topic of money in your coaching?
“When you grow up in the UK and your parents are working middle class, you’re not necessarily born into wealth. People around you don’t really talk about money. We’re actually told, ‘Don’t talk about money, because it’s greedy, or it’s evil, or it’s going to have some kind of meaning attached to it.’ I think a lot of us think like that, which leads us to avoid talking about it.”
“And when I went to Dubai, I think you realise not how the other half live, so to speak, but more how open and willing people are, in that expat environment, to share their experiences and talk about money openly and freely. That caused a shift in my mindset at the time. That’s not to say that, when I came back to the UK, I didn’t have differing thoughts about money; but it did open my eyes to other possibilities and other ways of living that we don’t necessarily see, because we feel like we’re boxed in, or confined to a certain status in society.”
How does a financial coach differ from a financial advisor?
“A financial advisor is someone who invests your money in the stock market, and looks at the markets for you. They manage your money so that it can work for you for the future and compound and ultimately, give you the freedom that you desire.”
“In contrast, a financial coach empowers you and gives you the tools to manage your own money effectively. They help you understand the principles of budgeting, saving, and investing, and they support you in making informed decisions. A coach works with you to develop a healthy relationship with money and to set and achieve financial goals, but they do not manage your money for you.”
What’s the risk of linking net worth to self-worth?
“Your net worth is your assets minus your liabilities. So what you have in the bank, your money that’s working for you—savings, investments, property, art, gold watches—whatever people invest in. Then your liabilities are whatever debts you owe, like student loans or the mortgage on your property. When you subtract what you owe from what you have, that is your net worth, a snapshot in time of your financial situation.”
“As humans, we take our net worth to mean something about who we are. We look at our bank accounts and think, ‘Oh, it’s in the negative, I’m not good with money, I’m not good at maths, I was never taught this stuff.’ Or, ‘My financial situation is really good, it’s better than I thought.’ This affects our self-worth because we make it about ourselves and others. This perception can influence how we show up in our coaching as well.”
What are ‘Sacred Money Archetypes®’ and how do they determine our money mindset?
“Sacred money archetypes are a form of symbolic language, which make it a lot easier to understand and break down our unique strengths, and our sabotages with money. For example, the accumulator is the inner banker, they save naturally but fear scarcity. Everyone has a top three, and we will each resonate with a different one. No one archetype is better than the other, but they all have strengths and weaknesses. The key thing is for people to cultivate more financial self-awareness, in order to learn how they can lean into their strengths more, and leverage them. That will then help people to feel freer and feel more confident with their financial skills.”
Is there any advice you would give to someone considering training as a coach?
“I think that you have to follow your intuition. I also think that often, we think about coaching as individual hours of time; but in order for transformation to happen, it’s not about the hours, it’s about the tools that you’re using. Animas is not just a six-month program, it’s tools and skills that you need for life, and that you will use and reflect on for the rest of your life.”
Where can we find you and how can we get in touch?
“You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and my website, where my Sacred Money Archetypes® quiz can also be found complete with a two-part training, and accompanying workbook. But the most logical next step is to figure out what your strengths are, and what you sabotage, with money. That’s a very good starting point and foundation into your financial journey. I also offer a half an hour free complimentary consultation. And that’s really to help me better understand someone’s situation and how I can best support them. So you can drop me a message on any one of those platforms.”
Sarah Brill’s transformation from corporate executive to Independent Financial Coach highlights the profound impact of embracing a unique path and cultivating financial independence. Her innovative approach to money mindset, rooted in Sacred Money Archetypes®, empowers individuals to redefine their financial relationship and achieve true freedom. If Sarah’s story resonates with you and you’re eager to embark on a journey towards financial transformation, explore our Accredited Diploma in Transformative Coaching on our course page to take the next step in becoming a leader in financial empowerment.
