Workshops and events are facilitated by a national team of financial professionals who do not sell investments or financial products. Each facilitator brings their own style and story, but together we share a passion and skill for strengthening women’s relationship with money.


KARIN MIZGALA, BA Psyc, MBA, CFP
Co-Founder and CEO

“There comes a time when you need to begin with wherever you are, with whatever you have, and start carving out the life you most desire. Over the years I learned how to find my way. Today I enable others to do the same.”
—Karin

Karin’s Style
Karin is known for cutting to the heart of matters in a caring and trustworthy manner. She uses a holistic approach that blends financial planning and counselling skills to help people live more comfortable, balanced and meaningful lives.

Karin’s Story
Karin has more than 25 years experience in the financial services industry, and has worked as a financial planner, bank manager, investment advisor, financial educator and life skills counsellor.

Her career began with the quintessential success of an MBA and career on Bay St. But for years she struggled with the traditional corporate culture seeking changes that would provide more soul-fulfilling work. It was only with time, introspection and a little faith in intuition that she began to build a unique career path. She realized that the corporate foundation against which she struggled in fact provided the tools to lead transformative changes in the financial industry. She was determined to develop her own brand of financial planning, combining fee-only advising, financial education and her background in psychology and counseling.

Today Karin is a respected keynote speaker who talks about finance in a manner that inspires and motivates even those with limited financial savvy. Her unique approach has attracted national media attention, including the Globe & Mail, Financial Post, Vancouver Sun and MoneySense magazine. Above all, she’s proud to have a financial career that leaves room for relationships, dialogue and heart.


 
SHEILA WALKINGTON, BAA, CFP
Co-Founder and CFO

“It’s very satisfying to help people meet their goals. My clients become friends. I see them buy houses, get married, have babies, get out of debt, start new jobs, move homes, start businesses. I see them realize their dreams. It's so much fun.”
—Sheila

Sheila’s Style
Sheila is known for her calm and patient demeanor, ever positive and engaged as she supports her clients. She uses a common-sense approach with the belief that nothing is impossible, helping people find their way through financial transitions. As an educator she gets into all the details yet with unexpected simplicity, motivating and building the confidence of all those around her.

Sheila’s Story
What Sheila loved most about her job in banking was the opportunity to help people. What she wanted most was a career in financial planning. She was young, visionary and independent-minded, so it was not surprising when a yearning for change carried her across the country. Nor was it surprising when she called her brother from Vancouver asking him to sell her car—she wouldn’t be coming back. There on the West Coast she pursued her goal to become a financial planner with focus, intention, and ultimately success. But she struggled with the model of having to sell investments to get paid. And day after day small moments would pass that revealed a gap in the financial industry: no one was teaching people the basics of money management. People would ask her, “Is there a book I can read? Can my bank help me?” The answer for Sheila was bold but simple: she would set out to innovate the world of financial coaching. In 2004, CBC interviewed her as one of the first money coaches in Canada. Sheila never looked back.

KAREN COLLACUTT, BRLS, CFP

“We attach all kinds of emotions to money, yet it is really a tool. We don’t love or hate a hammer; we use it. Use your money as a tool, and make it work effectively for you and your family.”
—Karen

Karen’s Style
Karen is known for her warmth and positivity, which create a comfortable space for talking about financial challenges. She provides direction and encouragement in a way that makes people feel good about what they are doing.

Karen’s Story
Karen was a business woman from the start. She spent fifteen years in the business world and seven of those in a traditional financial planning practice. During this time she achieved Top Advisor in Canada, qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table, and was a member of the Top 7 team for Freedom 55 Financial. But what emerged in meetings with clients made her question her role time and again. Where clients needed the most support was with day-to-day financial concerns, and they had so few options for help. So Karen decided to set aside investment charts, and she began engaging with clients starting with the here and now. Debt. Cash flow. Getting through a day, month and year with financial success. In this way she began making the greatest difference in people’s lives, while discovering a new level of professional satisfaction.


RENÉE VERRET, BComm

 “I find my inspiration in a simple quote: ‘She believed she could so she did.’ My goal is to provide financial guidance that gives my clients the confidence to follow their own paths.”
—Renée

Renée’s Style
Renée is optimistic and passionate about life. Yet she is a realist and pragmatic about money—it is a means to an end. Renée is caring and encouraging, while offering the contagious energy of her steadfast financial style.

Renée’s Story
As the daughter of a working single mother, Renée learned first hand the importance of being in control of your financial life and the pride and freedom that come with it. This foundation served her well personally and professionally. After 17 successful years in Advertising Sales & Management, Renée decided it was time to change paths—to help others take control of their money and experience the same life benefits. She went back to school for formal financial training, graduated with honours and successfully completed her Certified Financial Planning (CFP) exam and is working towards her CFP designation. Renée had three goals when starting her new career. She wanted to help people get financially “fit,” to provide her experience and expertise on a fee-for-service basis, and to demystify everyday finances for women in particular. As a money coach, Renée’s goals are being realized.


ANNIE KVICK, BEd, CFP

“The financial decisions we make effect our lifestyle, and our ability to realize our dreams and goals. It’s an honour to help my clients make their best choices, get their financial house in order and enhance their financial future, no matter what happens in the economy.”
—Annie

Annie’s Style
Annie is known for empowering and educating her clients as they work toward living their best lives—free of financial stress. She guides her clients in aligning their money with the goals and beliefs that are closest to their hearts.

Annie’s Story
Annie’s story begins far from Canada and far from finance. Specifically, it begins in Sweden where she was born. In Sweden she completed a bachelor of education, worked as an elementary school teacher and coached children’s sports. She also married an adventurous husband who, upon the turn of the millennium, lured her to beautiful British Columbia.

Financial management was pivotal to their integration and happiness. They prioritized their spending so they could live the lifestyle they wanted, and successful in their efforts, they proudly became citizens a few years later. Perhaps it was because of this new respect for financial management that Annie serendipitously found herself pursuing a career in the financial services industry.  She obtained the Certified Financial Planner designation and worked for eight years as a traditional financial planner selling investments and financial products. Ultimately, however, she realized that as a career she could do what she loved most: coach people to take control of their finances and achieve what they most desire with the money they have.


MELANIE BUFFEL, BA Psych

“Money is a vehicle. Let’s be sure you are in the driver’s seat!”
—Melanie

Melanie’s Style
Melanie is passionate about helping people realize their dreams—while also paying the gas bill. Using a wealth of experience and a healthy sense of humour, she assists her clients in building a solid system that puts their money into perspective and action.

Melanie’s Story
Melanie has spent the past 20 years leading grass-roots programs that help people overcome financial crisis and build their personal assets. She is currently a Financial Literacy Trainer at the Canadian Centre for Financial Literacy.

She was inspired to pursue this line of work out of her personal experience as a single mother providing for two small children. After a deep reflection on the role of money in her life, she became determined to decode the money game—and win! Building on her BA in Psychology, she completed postgraduate work in Community Economic Development and made a professional commitment to helping people manage cash flow, plan for debt repayment and create workable savings strategies.

Melanie finds tremendous satisfaction in helping people take more control of their lives and finances. In 2008, she received a “Passion for Financial Literacy Award” from SEDI, a national leader in the provision of financial education. She has a great appetite for knowledge and is currently completing a Masters of Business Administration. As a money coach, she looks forward to offering holistic and truly unbiased support and advice.


TOM FEIGS, CET

“The journey is as important as the destination. It’s very satisfying to help people match their finances to their life journey, whatever that may be.”
—Tom

Tom’s Style
Tom is known to be positive and reassuring creating a comfortable space to talk about money matters. He uses a common sense approach that serves to encourage, energize and empower his clients. Worry is replaced by a clear and workable plan for the future.

Tom’s Story
Tom has always pursued a wide range of interests and experiences. After completing a diploma in Engineering Science Technology, he backpacked for a year through the South Pacific. While building a 19-year career in the Energy Industry, he also enjoyed the gratification of home renovation projects—reconnecting to his family roots in the trades. While experiencing his children growing into young adults, he found the inspiration to nurture his own forward thinking.

It was then that a distinct interest in personal finance began to percolate. He became fascinated by the impact of demographics and investment styles and by the emotions people attach to money. He developed a strong conviction that people’s relationship with money impacts their financial success. As a result, when the opportunity presented itself, Tom shifted his career to personal finance. He promptly completed a financial planning program and soon after the Certified Financial Planning (CFP) national exam. Tom is energized by the principles of a caring, collaborative organization committed to the best interests of its clients.

“Debt can turn a free, happy person into a bitter human being. You deserve to be a free, happy person again.”
—Cheryl

Cheryl’s Style
Cheryl is known for her down-to-earth approach, which helps people achieve their goals in a relaxed manner. She sincerely believes in money coaching, and this passion comes across in her every action and word.

Cheryl’s Story
Cheryl has over 25 years experience in the financial sector, and in 1998 she received her CFP designation. Through her years of dedicated work in a bank, mortgage brokerage and financial brokerage companies, Cheryl gained extensive knowledge about financial products—and even more about the real financial solutions and support that clients need. She quickly realized that many financial companies were pushing products more than services or education. She deeply believes that this reality is in part responsible for the high debt we now see in society.

The day came when Cheryl decided it was time to step outside the traditional mold and to truly help people take charge of their finances. She now takes pride in providing the necessary financial education and assistance that parents, schools and financial institutions don’t or can’t provide. Cheryl has been self-employed for 15 years and is aware of the challenges—and hidden opportunities—of this lifestyle. Among her wide range of clients, she enjoys working with people who have chosen the self-employed path. Cheryl authentically embodies all the values of money coaching and is inspired daily by seeing her clients turn their financial lives around.

“When people know different, they do different. I love helping people learn how to align their spending with their life goals, so they can live their own authentic lives.”
—Christine

Christine’s Style
Christine is refreshing and open-minded, yet trustworthy and practical. She is like a personal trainer for her clients and their money—helping people strengthen their financial know-how and revitalize their lives.

Christine’s Story
Christine’s interest in financial planning began in her personal life. She and her husband were managing their finances well enough; however, they never really had a focused plan.  Every so often Christine would find her mind spinning, wondering if they would ultimately have enough. She also knew many smart and accomplished people who were struggling with daily money management, refinancing houses for “stuff” that once seemed important, and accepting debt as an inescapable fact of life.

There had to be another way, but Christine had no idea where to turn for honest, unbiased advice. So she proceeded alone. The more she learned about creating personal financial peace, the more she was inspired to give the same power to others.

At the time, Christine had been working for over 10 years as a chemical engineer, and was constantly searching for a more satisfying way to improve people’s lives. Having a thirst for the most relevant and recent methods of financial education, she completed training as a money coach and never looked back. She now experiences pure enjoyment witnessing her clients’ successes, and truly believes that financial serenity is achievable for everyone.

“I love to show people what they can achieve with what they have, and to inspire them to realize their potential to do more!”
—Karen

Karen’s Style
Karen provides a warm, friendly and trusting relationship in which people can be honest about their issues around money. She creates a safe environment where people are not judged, and instead gain the knowledge and skills to make their lives easier and happier.

Karen’s Story
Karen will never forget Sunday nights as a child, when she would watch her mother at the kitchen table paying bills and balancing the cheque book. Although Karen was kept at arm’s length during this weekly ritual, in these memories were born her earliest respect for money management.

Years later Karen would wish she’d been privy to her mother’s financial wisdom. Having become a mother of three, operating her own small business, finances felt like everything but simple. Karen watched money flow in and out of their lives, often faster than she preferred, but she was determined to take control and to manage the family finances with success—this time bringing her kids along for the journey. But where to begin: paying down the mortgage or the credit card? saving for retirement? and how much?

Karen took course after course and, to her surprise, found that she couldn’t get enough. She became well-enough informed and then went on to become an expert. Financial know-how became her passion, and her expertise bred the eagerness to help others. Becoming a money coach was the most natural next step. Most simply, it was who she had become.

Today, Karen believes deeply in the potential of others. Her business focuses on singles, couples, families and the self-employed and helping them to live fulfilling lives.

“When you eliminate worries about money, your life becomes your own.”
—Leslie

Leslie’s Style
Leslie has a compassionate, down-to-earth style that normalizes financial challenges and puts clients at ease. Using a back-to-basics approach, she makes new financial skills feel like common sense, and brings them to life with practical, everyday examples.

Leslie’s Story
Leslie will never forget her first piggy bank and the sense of pride that came with it—far greater than for most kids. In retrospect, she was destined for a career in money management. Her most memorable victories, large and small, were usually of this nature: filing her first tax return as a teenager, landing her first job at the bank, buying her first house at 20, and so on.

She worked in banking for 13 years—in customer service, as a loans officer and in any position that allowed her to help people with their money. She later spent 15 years running her own business as a certified bookkeeper, helping small businesses and start-ups get on track with their financial management.

However, finances did not always come easily for Leslie. She and her husband raised their two children mostly on one income, and soon learned the struggles of this approach. Between soccer, hockey, swimming and now university, someone is always looking for money. Leslie wishes she’d had a money coach for the early years—allowing her to focus more on her family and less on her bank statements.

This personal experience combined with her financial background led Leslie to becoming a money coach herself. Today, she works to reduce clients’ financial stress, so they can remove the worry of money, and enjoy the more important things in life.

“Money does not bring happiness—as many poets and singers have told us—and yet its absence can lead to unhappiness.”
—Sabine

Sabine’s Style
Sabine brings a positive, forward-looking style that views money as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. She helps clients determine how their money can be used to create a happy and rewarding life..

Sabine’s Story
Like many Canadians, Sabine’s life began in Europe. She was born in Germany and lived in England for five years before moving to Canada.  Her business education from Germany became the underpinning of her professional life—not surprisingly, as she had always excelled at numbers and been captivated by the intricacies of finance.

However, despite having a strong financial background, moving to Canada brought unexpected financial challenges. For Sabine and her husband, the switch to biweekly paycheques; the allure of cheaper products; the newness of credit scores, RRSPs, RESPs, etc., forced a rethink of their daily money management. Sabine was able to draw on her training to get their finances on the right track, and this experience sparked her desire to provide similar support to others.

As part of her new life in Canada, she decided to work as a personal banker at an international bank—where she would provide whatever support she could to customers struggling with day-to-day finances. Surrounded by the full spectrum of financial issues, the work was professionally and personally enriching. However, time constraints and conflicts of interest prevented Sabine from providing her customers with the support she felt they truly needed.

The solution was a career track for channeling her professional wisdom straight to the money management needs of others. She is now a money coach helping her clients find a path to financial peace and success.

Learn more about working privately with a money coach at Money Coaches Canada.