We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelsa Dickey and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kelsa, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success is saying “Yes!” to opportunities and taking what I call “messy action.” Often times I see people waiting to dive in until they have it all figured out. But I’ve learned to trust myself that once I say Yes and dive into something, I’m resourceful, creative and can figure it out! People often make comments to me about how we (our business and our brand) can do so much in the ways we serve people and this is how – by diving in and then figuring it out from there. We’re also really organized and have streamlined systems in place so we can tackle a lot!
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Fiscal Fitness Phoenix, Inc is a financial coaching business that meets with people one-on-one to help them stress less over their money. We help them figure out where their money is going, identify their values, priorities and goals and then create a system for putting their money behind those things. We are unique because we don’t believe that money is one-size-fits-all. We believe each person is unique in what they want to do with their money, their lifestyle, their goals and all of that matters when figuring out the system that will work best for a person. I am incredibly proud of how many people we’ve helped to think more critically with their money. We don’t give you a box to fit in because as soon as there’s a financial decision with a factor that doesn’t fit in that box, you won’t know how to think for yourself. It can take longer and it’s not as easy, but we teach critically thinking and financial problem-solving to our clients. It may not be as sexy as “7 Simple Steps” let’s say, but it creates self-sufficiency and a sense of pride and confidence that can last a lifetime. Financial coaching has actually been the easy part. Business ownership is tricky and challenging. It took me a while to figure out what will work for me and what won’t. It took me a while to trust my own instincts on what my clients want and need, instead of listening to other “experts.” But once I learned to embrace my own expertise, the business flourished. One lesson I learned is to always lead with empathy. We have policies and procedures, of course, but we always want to do what’s best for the client first and foremost. One thing I’d love for the world to know is that money is a skill like so many others – cooking, dancing, painting, etc. Some people are naturally gifted at all of these things and other people will struggle. But managing your money well is a skill that can be learned just like all the others. And not feeling “naturally gifted” at it doesn’t make you a bad person or a dumb person. I’m not sure where the idea that “money is easy” or “we should all be good with money” comes from but it’s simply not right.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m in Phoenix so we would definitely do some hiking – I would take them to South Mountain and likely Camelback. I would take them to downtown Gilbert and we would grab a bite to eat then walk around. We would grab a drink at the speakeasy “White Rabbit.” At night, we would head to San Tan Flat and sit around a fire pit while listening to music and watching the country line dancers. The next day we would drive up to Flagstaff, then Williams, and then the Grand Canyon. We might stay a night or two up north to take in the area. If it’s the right time of year, we’d come back to the Valley and check out a Spring Training game or two. Then we’d finish the trip with some more hiking – likely heading out East to Peralta Trail or Lost Goldmine.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give shout out to my husband and business partner Michael. He believed in me when I first had this idea of a business – even before I fully believed in it myself. That was 11 years ago now and he’s still my biggest supporter.
Website: www.FiscalFitnessPHX.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsa_fiscalandfit/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsadickey/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fiscalfitnessphx
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fiscal-fitness-phoenix-gilbert
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAS2S6KCvEadEiLJs3e9VqA