Get great ideas from women who have successfully used Barbara's techniques

Here are some stories written by women who have read Barbara's books, and in some cases, also taken her Overcoming Underearning® Seminars. They share exactly how they pulled themselves out of money quagmires and made crucial adjustments to their lifestyles. In short, how they got smart about money.

Barbara loves to hear from her readers and wants to hear your success story too! To submit it for use on this website, please click here. (You can choose your level of personal identification.)



Pegine Does The Stretch
Dear Barbara,
I've enjoyed your book tremendously. In my seminars I've recommended it over and over. You are right on target. I've been in my own financial self-development over the last two years (after years of struggling). I faced up to myself after Sept 11 that the direction my business was going was never going to give me the financial achievements I've dreamt about. It has taken two years to completely revamp who I am, what I speak on and how I want to promote myself. I've paid off several credit cards (still have two to go) and am feeling proud of the steps I've taken.

I am so close to breaking the six-figure barrier this year that I can taste it. I'm feeling really great about myself. At this moment I've been finding myself in old thought behaviors. Now (because of your book and others) I continually refocus my energies on the momentum I am having and not on what is lacking.

You book is filled with great one-liners, terrific stories and has connected with me in a very profound way. I know where I'm going and I know why I want the financial success I deserve.

One of the barriers that you helped me break was my fear of going out to meet people for lunch or breakfast, and letting them know I'm available and what I do. I've been great on the phone (I could cold call all day). However I resisted going to meetings, asking people to meet with me to talk about what I do. I created such amazing barriers in my head that I can't believe I got as far as I did.

Late this summer and early fall I re-read certain sections of the book (I've read the book MANY times) and it dawned on me. Get off your butt and make dates to meet people. Get out there and stop hiding behind the computer and the phone. It has been great.

In the last month—because of the action of meeting people the following results have occurred:

1) Starting in December, I will be an on-air personality with three other women on our local TV news show.
2) Starting January 1st, I will be a monthly columnist in a local newspaper.
3) I have four proposals out there that I wouldn't have had if I stayed at home.
4) A local jazz station asked me to host four special events that they are having.
5) I'm meeting with a president of a HUGE business organization this week.

This is just from making two dates a week since September.

Thank you for inspiring me. I don't know when, however I know I will break not only the six-figure barrier but the seven-figure as well.

UPDATE April, 2005: I am now a six-figure earning woman, just six months after implementing many of the strategies I shared earlier and having a major mind change!!!

With Regards,

 Pegine Echevarria, Team Pegine

Katana overcomes self-sabotage
Dear Barbara,
I absolutely loved Secrets of Six-Figure Women. I am a Certified Financial Planner and Vision Coach. I help women take charge of their lives so they can have more confidence, financial security and happier lives. I recommend this book at all my Smart Women Finish Rich™ workshops as well as Prince Charming Isn't Coming—How Women Get Smart About Money. I think the information presented in these books is priceless because you have done all the work for us by interviewing all these women. In addition, you have taken the interviews and found the secrets and similarities that have made these women successful and presented it in an easy to understand format. After taking the "Are you an Underearner Quiz", I was able to identify the one area where I was sabotaging myself. Although I make over six-figures, this one area was holding me back from real success and happiness. Thank you so much Barbara for all your hard work. You have made this process so much easier for all of us!

Katana Abbot, The Smart Women's Coaching Program



Deborah finds inspiration for a new way to find clients
I first met Ms. Stanny at the Texas Women's Conference in 2002. She led a breakout session on women and money. As a financial advisor with a background in corporate training I was encouraged to hear the advice Ms. Stanny was giving.

After sharing her story, she encouraged women to get serious about taking care of themselves financially. This is a fascinating issue that has emerged in my own practice. I am a comprehensive financial planner and specialize in working with professional and self-employed women. I am still confronted with women who do not want to take on the responsibility of running their finances. They will spend much time and money developing the "retire by marriage" plans, but are uninterested in developing an investment plan. And education, intelligence and profession do not determine how a woman will embrace her financial power.

I had the opportunity to work in a high-tech company giving investment classes and soon discovered that in general, young women took one of two approaches to saving and investing. Professionals in the typically female jobs tended to allocate less than 2 % of their salary for investments. (Even though they were making between $40k and $80k.) Young women in non-traditional jobs were making between $50k and $120k and were allocating 30% to 50% of their salaries for investments.

As a single mother with a daughter in junior high school at the time, I was determined to discover what created this difference. As I started asking questions, I uncovered the disturbing fact that without exception, the women with the no-nonsense attitude about money and their career had been mentored and trained by their fathers because there was no son in the family. This finding set me on a path to educate women about how easy it is to embrace financial and professional power.

As I watched and listened to Barbara Stanny that day, I saw woman after woman ask how to find a professional financial advisor. Seeing how many women were looking for a way to meet well-qualified professionals, I remembered what a dilemma that was when I was a "Corporate Woman." It was in that room that I was inspired to start organizing bite-sized conferences for women. The next step was easy! I contacted an accountant that I respected, and a locally owned nursery to plan our first evening conference. We began operating under the name womEmpower (combining Women with Empower) and then rebranded to Swanson Strategies. We have been holding quarterly conferences designed to empower women through information and powerful connections since November 2002. Six months later we began monthly career and business development workshops designed to integrate the many parts of women and create a transformed whole. Our slogan is "Success Without Compromise" because we are creating strategies of success in business that focus on integrity.

Thank you Barbara Stanny!

Deborah A. Swanson, Swanson Strategies



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