Meet Cortney Cruz | Money Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cortney Cruz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cortney, do you have a budget?
I like to refer to what I do with my money as a “spending plan” vs. a budget, but yes, technically I do! The word “budget” often has a negative connotation and can be associated with restriction & deprivation, even though having a “budget” just means you’re telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went. I think about my personal finances and money in general as a tool I can use to build wealth and create more freedom, flexibility and fulfillment in my life. I make my lifestyle and spending decisions based on my goals, priorities and the lifestyle I want to live. I automate all of my savings & investments because those are top priority, and before I make any other purchases I take a second and ask myself 2 questions. 1. “Do I ACTUALLY want this” 2. Is it worth sacrificing money I could be putting towards (most important goal). This takes me 10 seconds and helps me be conscious about my spending and enjoy my purchases vs. being impulsive and having buyers remorse.

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?
What sets me apart from others in the finance space is that I take a non-judgemental approach to money management. I don’t believe in restricting yourself until you’ve reached your goals & money shame doesn’t exist in my book. My mission is to empower more women to take control of their finances and use money as a tool to live their best lives, & my motto is “You can build wealth AND treat yo’self at the same time! I am most proud of my own financial transformation which is what inspired me to start helping other women do the same. Growing up we didn’t have a lot of money & finances weren’t something that I was spoken about. I always had the drive to make my own money, so I got my first job at 14 & have been working ever since. I had my daughter at 18 right after graduating high school, started night classes at my local community college, got my first apartment & my first “big girl” job at a bank. I moved up quickly within the company and my first big girl job became my decade-long career.
After almost 10 years with the company I got laid off unexpectedly. I was completely devastated that the career I’ve worked so hard to achieve & was relying on to support my child was being ripped out from under me. During this time I also wasn’t practicing what I was preaching when it came to my own finances. Despite having all of the financial knowledge I needed to be successful, I was still living paycheck to paycheck, had credit card debt, and very little money saved. I had no backup plan for this situation and I was PANICKED. This was my WORST CASE SCENARIO, but I knew I couldn’t sit back and feel sorry for myself, so I decided to make a change instead.
In the 2 years following my layoff I was able to save & invest $25k & pay off my credit card debt for good while traveling & enjoying life more than ever despite making a lot less money than I was made during my corporate career. Then in 2020 I got laid off for the 2nd time, but this time was so different. In the midst of a global pandemic, the one thing I wasn’t worried about was money. I knew no matter what else happened, at least we’d be ok financially. That feeling was more valuable than all of the money I had in the bank combined. That is what inspired me to start my financial coaching business & create my signature program, The Financial ✨Glow Up✨, where I help my clients create a complete, realistic & sustainable financial plan that aligns with their goals, priorities & the lifestyles they want to create for themselves & their families.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that knowledge without action will get you ZERO results. It wasn’t until I put my financial knowledge into practice that I was able to completely changed my life. I also learned that money is a powerful resource that affects every aspect of our lives, & it doesn’t matter how much money you make if you don’t know how to manage it.
Something I want the world to know about my brand is we focus primarily on helping women with their finances because during my corporate career I realized there weren’t many financial literacy resources available that catered to women. Everyone talking about finances at the time seemed to be old, white men, who loved to over-complicate things. SO unrealtable! I wanted to be a representation for women in the finance space making money management SIMPLE and being a voice they can relate to.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of my FAVE things to do is go to restaurants. We’d spend one day in Easton, PA & have brunch at the Bayou where we’d order chicken & waffles with mimosas for the table of course. Then we’d have dinner at Sette Luna, an Italian restaurant close by with amazing food and great service. The pollo milanese is my fave with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc & the BEST tiramisu I’ve ever had for dessert. Then we’d go next door to Ocean to hang out & have an after-dinner cocktail. Throughout the week we’d also have to visit Apollo Grill for dinner in Bethlehem, The Greenhouse in Allentown for lunch, and Anejo in Philadelphia for brunch. While we’re in Philly we’d also check out the Assembly Rooftop Lounge for some cocktails & great city views by the fire.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Absolutely! There are a few people I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to. First, I want to give a shoutout to my parents for always believing in me and supporting me in any & everything I do. They’ve always encouraged me to be myself, to not be afraid to speak up and voice my opinions, and always go after whatever I want in life. I also want to give a shoutout to my daughter, Janiya. Since the day she was born she’s motivated to always strive for more in order to give her the best life possible. Next I have to shout out my partner, Jeff. He’s also been one of my biggest cheerleaders for the past 5 years and having a supportive partner is makes such a huge difference when you’re going after your goals.

Website: https://linktr.ee/Cortneycruz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneywithcortney/

Other: TikTok @Moneywithcortney