Lying in that hospital bed, I finally faced the mountain of debt I had built. I made a promise to myself: I would not still be living like this by the time I turned 40.

I dreaded checking my bank accounts and would only do so to check what money had been received and to move money around to prevent my credit cards being rejected. That’s when I truly understood it’s not what you earn, it’s what you spend. I’d seen clients earning far more than me who were just as broke, and others on much less who seemed to have plenty. I’d always loved spreadsheets, so I built one to track exactly where my money was going. The numbers were confronting and I was wondering how I was going to deal with this as it was going to take over half a decade to dig myself out of this predicament.

But I drew a line in the sand, changed my lifestyle, forgave my younger self, and started taking it one day at a time. The debts came down—initially slowly but then faster than expected as my business grew and my budget control improved. Once the debts were gone, I realised I didn’t need nearly as much as I thought I did. I also realised that I was honestly not enjoying the loop I was in—working seven days a week under intense deadlines and stress—so I sold the firm and left the industry to create a much better work-life balance.

This is why I created Clarity Cashflow & Budget Coaching. Having lived through the stress, shame, and exhaustion of debt, nothing gives me more satisfaction than helping others break the same cycle, get control of their money, and reclaim their precious time and freedom.