Meet Dionne Motley of Motley Financial Solutions

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dionne Motley.

Hi Dionne, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My path to Financial Coaching began when my husband, Prentice, and I started our personal financial freedom journey in January 2017. Within the same year we paid off about $40,000 of debt by December, and I also began coaching clients in my dining room at no cost by that time. I realized I had a passion to help people (specifically women) in this area by combining my knowledge in the banking industry with my own journey. But most importantly, there was a need and interest in my community for financial literacy. So, I decided to start my business, Motley Financial Solutions, alongside my husband in January 2018.

By March of 2018, I had taken on 2 additional clients – still at no cost – and things sort of naturally progressed from there. We hit a major milestone in September 2018 of becoming 100% debt free after paying off over $83,000 in just 19 months. After sharing our journey on social media, more people began to reach out for our services. We started with small group sessions and then eventually progressed to one-on-one coaching in 2019. To date, we have helped dozens of men and women pay off over $130,000 of debt, save over $20,000 for emergencies and begin to build wealth. We even had one of our first clients achieve debt freedom in 2020.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The most prevalent struggle – or common struggle – with both my personal journey and professional journey was my mindset. In order to stay the course to achieve financial freedom, we had to make sacrifices and reframe what we thought about money. I always say our journey wasn’t difficult, it was just different. There’s no magic formula for financial success. You create a plan, follow it, and make changes when needed.

It has not been a “smooth road” with the business either. But, it hasn’t been an extremely rocky one either. The biggest challenge I had to overcome was deciding to fire my boss and quit my job to pursue my business full-time. Literally, the week after I resigned, the pandemic hit. I had to quickly adjust and pivot the way I had been doing business. To go from in-person, one-on-one sessions to virtual sessions was not easy. Especially, when talking about finances. However, we (myself, my husband, and our clients) did our best to make it work. As a result, I ended up reaching more people around the world than I would have if I’d continued doing business the way I was prior to the pandemic.

As you know, we’re big fans of Motley Financial Solutions. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We teach Christian Millennials how to master their money so they can be more responsible, eliminate financial shame, begin paying off debt, and start creating the life they desire. We specialize in various financial services, including but not limited to, budget planning, debt destruction and savings.

My company also offers coaching around pivoting your money mindset and developing a better relationship with money while incorporating biblical principles. I believe this is one of the factors that sets us apart. It’s not enough to have money and wealth. You also need to know how to pursue, establish and maintain it. It all starts with your mindset, which has a direct impact on your financial health.

I’d say our company is mostly known for the success of my and Prentice’s financial freedom journey. We’ve created a way to teach others how to achieve debt freedom in a way that makes the process more realistic for them. I am most proud of the legacy we are helping others build and hope to one day help families across the globe.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My financial advice to anyone starting their debt free journey is to simplify your plan. Do not overwhelm yourself with trying to do everything at once. Focus on setting a good foundation with budgeting i.e., planning for your monthly expenses first. Then once you’ve mastered that, move on to the next phase. One thing I wish I knew prior to starting my debt free journey is that it wasn’t going to take as long as I thought. I literally spent more time ruminating over what I thought was impossible than I did actually doing the work. Financial freedom is possible for anyone willing to unlearn and relearn what they’ve been taught about money. You just have to start!

Regarding being a business owner, anyone interested in starting a business, or new to entrepreneurship, my advice would be to take your time. Do not create this imaginary finish line for yourself or try to compete with other entrepreneurs – whether in your industry or not. Take the time to learn your business and the industry, develop your processes and procedures, file all the appropriate legal documentation for your business type, know your target audience and know your offer. In addition, build a network of people who are where you’re trying to go, and with people who complement what you do. You never know what potential collaborations or partnerships can help elevate you to the next level.

One thing I wish I knew when starting out was the wear and tear entrepreneurship can take on your mental and emotional health. It is so important to know your why and hold on to your purpose. Life and business are going to throw some unexpected twists and turns, and you must be willing to stand firm on your why when – not if – your journey takes a turn. Lastly, show yourself grace and always be willing to learn.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@motleyfinancialsolutions.com
• Website: www.motleyfinancialsolutions.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamdionnemotley
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/iamdionnemotley
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamdionnemotley
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuHJ4Rv5xtbvur82VcaWR7A
• Other: https://www.motleyfinancialsolutions.com/freebies/

Image Credits
Mena Darre Photography