Cathy Derksen is a financial planner and a mindset coach who is dedicated to improving the lives of the women in her community.
I am creating a cycle of wealth and success among women around the world! This goal excites and inspires me every day! Over the past ten years, I have been on a journey of personal growth and evolution. I have completely reinvented my life in order to remove myself and my family from a very toxic situation, including an abusive marriage, and I started a completely new career. Making these huge changes in my life took courage and years of determination. In creating my new life, I recognized I was inspired to help other women create a life they love.
My current career in financial planning has allowed me to help women shift their lives and feel more confident about their future. I love this work, but I realized that there was a critical step missing. I could give people all the information they needed to make good financial choices, but in most cases, their situation didn’t change. I realized that without a shift in mindset, people will not change their reality. If they grew up with a mindset of ‘never enough money,’ their behaviour will continue to create this reality. If they have the mindset that they are ‘too old’ to change their life or that they are “not smart enough” to learn new skills, they will subconsciously stop themselves from moving forward.
The focus of my new project is to lead women through the process of discovering the mindset that keeps them stuck and to build the personal tools to create a new reality. As women, many of us have lost track of our own goals as we got busy in life as mothers, caretakers, dedicated employees, and business owners. When you feel that life is drifting past, it’s time to take a leap of faith and create a life that brings you joy. Give yourself permission to think about yourself and where you want the next chapter of your life to lead. Will you go back to school? Start a new business? Discover new hobbies? Spend more time with friends? Travel the world? Whatever it may be, find the support you need to take those next steps forward and embrace your passion and purpose.
At this time in my life, I find myself creating and jumping into my next chapter. I have realized that working in a corporate setting doesn’t allow me to focus my energy in a way that brings me joy or meets the needs of my clients in the most effective way. It is this realization that has led me to take this next leap of faith into creating a business that gives me this flexibility. I have created an online community for women to come together to inspire and support each other in creating a life they love and rediscover the things that bring them joy and purpose. I am providing programs and ongoing support to women as they take on the next big challenge in life.
For example, one member of my community had been feeling stuck and frustrated for many years. She had a great job, her marriage was solid, and her kids were in university, so she felt she should be happy with her life. She felt guilty about her desire for more fulfillment. After joining my community and allowing herself to reflect on her own goals and dreams, she found the motivation to pursue her love of fitness that she had let go of because she was “too old” and “didn’t have time.” Now she is feeling energized and excited about life again – she simply had to get the spark of inspiration and then receive support, encouragement, and tools to move forward from the community. Another member had dedicated her life to climbing the ladder in the law firm she worked for. She was a partner in the business and had all the material things we associate with success: a beautiful home, fancy cars, and hired help to look after her needs. Despite all this, she felt something was missing. She felt a calling to leave everything behind and create her own business as a tour guide. By spending time in the online community and learning new skills to challenge and change the beliefs that held her back, she has been able to push past her fears of what everyone else would say and stand strong in her decision. Despite the travel restrictions brought on by the pandemic, she has started organizing some trips with great success.
By combining resources for building confidence in financial literacy as well as tools to shift mindset and the paradigms that impact beliefs, the women in my community are taking quantum leaps into a life they love.
We are surrounded by a bounty of wonderful opportunities in life. Find the things that energize you and add them into your reality. We don’t need to stay trapped in our current day-to-day life. We can get past the feeling that we are too old or not smart enough or can’t afford to start something new. Shift your mind to looking for how you can add zest back into your life.
What brings you joy? What’s next for you? Follow your heart, and don’t let a limiting mindset stop you.
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