Money as a Tool: Rewriting the Rules of Financial Planning

In this episode of The Amanda Kaufman Show, I’m joined by financial advisor and behavioral coach Allie Beckmann, RFA, for a deeply insightful conversation about money—what it really means, how it makes us feel, and how we can use it more intentionally to create lives that fit us, not the other way around.

Allie is a breath of fresh air in the financial world. Her approach to planning isn’t just about spreadsheets and retirement calculators. It’s trauma-informed. It’s emotionally intelligent. And most importantly, it’s human. She reminds us that money is not the end goal—it’s the tool that supports the life we’re building.

Whether you’re a coach, entrepreneur, or just someone who’s tired of feeling disconnected from your finances, this episode is a must-listen.

Money Isn’t the Goal—It’s the Tool

Allie says it best: “Money is not the end goal. Money is the means to the end.”

And that alone reframes the entire conversation.

So often, we get caught up in chasing income goals or obsessing over investments without asking the most important question: What kind of life am I trying to create? Allie helps her clients define that vision first—then she builds the financial roadmap to support it.

It’s values-first planning. And it changes everything.

Why So Many of Us Opt Out

Like a lot of people, Allie didn’t feel like she belonged in traditional financial spaces at first. She came from a background in theater and social justice—spaces where money conversations were often missing or discouraged. She opted out. And she didn’t even realize it… until she realized how much it was costing her.

After a personal wake-up call during the COVID years, she leaned into her own financial education. That’s when she started to see how many others were being left out of the conversation too—not because they didn’t care about money, but because the system wasn’t built for them.

That’s where her mission began.

Trauma-Informed, Human-First Finance

What makes Allie’s approach so unique is how intentionally she creates safety in financial conversations.

Let’s be honest—money is emotional. It brings up shame, fear, scarcity, and deeply personal stories for most of us. And if we don’t feel safe, we don’t take risks. We don’t learn. We stay stuck.

Allie understands this. That’s why she uses her background in coaching and behavioral work to make space for her clients’ full selves. She doesn’t just ask about your numbers. She asks about your values. Your stress triggers. Your history. Your goals.

Because only when those are understood can a real plan take shape.

Risk Tolerance Isn’t Fixed—It Grows With You

One part of the episode that really struck me was when Allie talked about how clients often feel like something is risky simply because it’s unfamiliar.

So many people stay in financial holding patterns—not because they’re working, but because they feel safer than trying something new.

Whether it’s investing, budgeting differently, or even just having that first conversation with a planner, Allie explains how perceived risk often holds more weight than actual risk. And that’s where emotional safety comes in.

Once her clients feel safe, once they learn and understand the system, their capacity for risk—and growth—expands. That’s when they start to take bigger, smarter steps forward.

The Power of Having a Plan

One of my favorite moments in this episode is when we talked about plans that don’t go as planned.

We’ve all had those, right?

But Allie reframed it beautifully. Even a “bad” plan is better than no plan—because it gives you something to evaluate. Something to learn from. And the more you learn, the better the next plan becomes.

She updates her clients’ financial plans every six months because she knows that life changes. Markets shift. Priorities evolve. And your financial strategy should evolve too.

Values-Driven Planning in Action

This whole conversation kept coming back to one powerful theme: alignment.

Allie’s goal isn’t to help her clients hoard wealth or chase arbitrary milestones. Her goal is to help them use money to live in deeper alignment with their values, priorities, and desired lifestyle.

She takes the time to get to know who her clients really are—what drives them, what scares them, what matters most. Then she uses her financial expertise to build a strategy that supports that life.

And when your plan is rooted in your truth, it’s not just easier to follow—it’s more fulfilling.

Why This Matters

If you’ve ever felt intimidated by the financial industry… if you’ve ever told yourself “I’m just not good with money”… or if you’ve ever felt like money controls you more than you control it—this episode will speak to you.

Allie is here to say:
✨ You deserve to be in the room.
✨ You don’t need to have it all figured out.
✨ And you can absolutely build a financial life that feels good, makes sense, and reflects you.

Final Thoughts

So much of what we’re told about money is about accumulation. Metrics. Winning.

But what if the real flex is clarity?
What if the goal isn’t to earn more, but to live better?

That’s the question this episode invites you to explore.

And if you’re ready to look at your money not just as numbers, but as a reflection of your values and a tool for your future—you’re going to love what Allie has to say.

🎧 Tune in now to hear how a trauma-informed, human-first approach to financial planning can help you turn stress into strategy—and values into action.

Disclaimer: All content is for education and information purposes only. It is not intended to provide any tax or legal advice or provide the basis for any financial decisions. Nor is it intended to be a projection of current or future performance or indication of future results. Advisory services are offered by Beckmann Financial, an Investment Advisor in the State of Colorado and other jurisdictions in which it may conduct business.

Chapters List

00:00 Introduction to Financial Planning with Allie Beckmann

02:04 The Holistic Approach to Financial Planning

05:20 Emotional Aspects of Money Management

09:16 Risk Perception and Financial Growth

12:54 Building Confidence in Financial Decisions

16:54 The Role of Education in Financial Planning

Full Transcript:

Allie Beckmann, RFA (00:00)

Money's not the end goal. Money is the means to the end. And so my goal is for my clients to be able to spend more time focusing on their life and what they want that life to look and feel like.

Amanda Kaufman (00:30)

Well, hey, hey, welcome back to the Amanda Kaufman show. And this this episode is so good because you get to meet my friend Allie. Allie Beckman is an absolute genius when it comes to financial planning. And she has such a unique take with finances and wealth building and all of those good things. And hey, you know, if you're building a business, if you're thinking about building a business or if you even know somebody.

who is wanting to do that and also wanting to improve their financial position as they do it, doing finances the smart way, not the hope it works out way. You're gonna wanna really tune into this episode. So Ali, welcome to the show.

Allie Beckmann, RFA (01:11)

Thank you, so happy to be here.

Amanda Kaufman (01:13)

I'm so glad you made the time. look, so dear friend that's listening, like Allie, she blew me away because I can't stop talking to her. Like we have budgeted for a short introductory episode here, but don't be surprised if the four hour version comes out real soon. So Allie, why don't you just take 30 seconds and share with us, like, what is it that you do and why is it a little different than what you would normally get?

Allie Beckmann, RFA (01:29)

you

Yeah. So I am a financial advisor, a financial planner. So what that means in my practice is that I take a really comprehensive and holistic approach to financial planning. Meaning I'm looking at the full picture of financial planning, which includes cash flow, savings and debt, insurance, investments, banking systems, taxes, estate planning, retirement planning, right? The whole shebang there.

But I integrate my background as a trauma informed and behavioral coach into the planning process so that one, we're making it safe to talk about the emotional side of money because our emotions impact our behavior and our behavior directly impacts our progress and our ability to actually implement the plan. So not only is it a holistic experience from the kind of traditional financial planning side, but it's

Truly a holistic experience where we really put a lot of time and effort into cultivating that human side of the financial plan, which in my opinion should be the thing that drives the plan and the strategy itself. So that's what makes us a little different.

Amanda Kaufman (02:47)

I love this.

I love how you talk about it as well because I just know so many people and I not be telling the truth and I'm a truth teller if I didn't admit that I also opted out, just opted out, right? Because so many financial planners and financial planning types, like it can be a little stodgy, it can be a little very, very intimidating, bureaucratic.

And so I just, love your angle of the human side of it. And also just like so super curious about that because I know a lot of people do opt out. What was your aha that you needed to bring your coaching capability into your financial world? Like how did you learn that?

Allie Beckmann, RFA (03:37)

Yeah, largely informed by my own journey and same as you, Amanda, I opted out. I used to be a working artist. I was a theater artist and a teaching artist for 15 years, primarily working in a lot of social justice spaces. So maybe surprisingly, I wasn't making a ton of money.

Amanda Kaufman (03:56)

What?

The social entrepreneur artist was not making a lot of money. That's big reason that people tell me that they're not. And I'm like, goodness, when you have less, that makes this more important.

Allie Beckmann, RFA (04:01)

Yeah. Surprise, surprise.

Yes. And so to that point, you know, I didn't realize I had been opting out of financial advice until, a lot of things started changing in my life. COVID was a huge catalyst for me to really get real about what was and wasn't working in my life and not prioritizing my own financial stability was a huge piece of that. finance ended up finding me. Interestingly enough, I didn't,

say, I'm going to go be a financial planner. But I realized that I needed my own education because I never felt like I belonged in the space asking for, you know, financial advice beyond good savings and credit habits that I learned from my parents. and that was the extent of it. So I think having my own direct experience that was not that long ago of feeling,

you know, excluded from the traditional advisory world. And then also having a background in studying systems of oppression and social justice for 15 years. I just, I'm looking at this industry differently than a lot of advisors and I'm seeing a lot of the ways that this industry is built to only serve the people who are already wealthy, or help people who are already wealthy.

you know, hoard more of their money. And so that doesn't resonate with me. And so I just found an opportunity to combine my drive to make social impact and spread equity and empowerment in this world. saw a huge opportunity in the financial industry to just do things differently. And I've spent, you know, those 15 years in the arts and in the health and wellness space.

really getting deep into the social, emotional and behavioral side of being a human. And I love that side of humans. And so again, I saw a huge gap in the way the industry approaches planning in that it doesn't tend to make space for the emotional side of money. However, for the consumer, for most of us, money is mostly emotional. And so like I said in the beginning, if we're not making space for it,

There's a really good chance then that those underlying relationships and behaviors are ultimately going to prevent us from making real progress or optimizing the pace at which we can make progress. And so, not only, think, does it feel better for my clients to know that they're safe, to bring their full self to the conversation and the relationship. actually optimizes their progress because we're making space for their full experience. When you feel safe.

You receive information better. learn faster and you're more able to take those steps forward, take a new risk, make a new choice and start making real progress toward growth. So yeah.

Amanda Kaufman (06:55)

Yeah.

And that progress can really become significant leverage, especially the sooner you start and the more time you give yourself to run the strategies. You know, as you were talking, I'm like, goodness, I think this show is going to be a big why entanglement, you know, in a beautiful way. Because as you were talking, I'm like, dang, you know, that's actually why I'm so bullish on the alternative education industry.

Allie Beckmann, RFA (07:21)

Mmm.

Amanda Kaufman (07:21)

You know,

like and and why I get so excited about doing shows like this, like doing the podcast, doing the social content that I do. I don't do it because, know, I've got to be the next Kardashian. Please don't want to be the next Kardashian for lots of different reasons. But but what really inspires and motivates me is like when I really believe at my core, when people know better, they do better.

Allie Beckmann, RFA (07:44)

Hmm.

Amanda Kaufman (07:45)

But a lot of that knowledge or a lot of that understanding about how the world works is systemically really tied up in the old way, right? That is customized for the people who already had access to it in a lot of ways, you know? And so if you're coming from a background where maybe you were not part of the conversation when money was discussed or you...

And this goes for like money for the entrepreneurial education that I do for the confidence and high performance and all of that good stuff. It all really comes back to this idea that when you know better, you can do so much better. But it does require that intentionality, doesn't it?

Allie Beckmann, RFA (08:21)

Mm.

Yeah. Yeah. mean, education is such a gap for people. And what I see too, particularly with women, it's a lack of education then leads to a lack of confidence and then less, you're less likely to take risk. I have watched my clients increase their capacity for risk or taking new chances, trying new things, stepping outside their comfort zone.

the more they learn. so just providing a space for accessible financial literacy is huge. But what also I found interesting in what you just said is like what motivates me. That's also something that I think is really overlooked in the planning, right? It's not just the numbers. The numbers need to be informed by something. And so I spend a lot of time with my clients figuring out who they are as people and what their values are so that

Amanda Kaufman (08:50)

Mm-hmm.

to have us. ⁓

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Allie Beckmann, RFA (09:15)

their plan is working directly to help them live in greater alignment with their values and with their priorities and to actually help them reach goals that are meaningful and significant to them. Because if we're just focusing on money and making more money, at the end of the day, that's not a real motivator. It's too shallow to be sustainable. And so if we can realize that it's not

actually about the money. It's about your life. And then we can get better at supporting clients in that life planning phase. Then it's my job to figure out how are we using money as the tool to facilitate that life. Money's not the end goal. Money is the means to the end. And so my goal is for my clients to be able to spend more time focusing on their life and what they want that life to look and feel like.

Amanda Kaufman (09:45)

Mm-hmm.

Right.

Allie Beckmann, RFA (10:10)

And then

I'll take care of the how, what is that gonna look like financially in a way that still aligns with your values and makes sense for who you are as a person and where you're starting from.

Amanda Kaufman (10:21)

I love that metaphor of it being a tool. As a coach, I really couldn't agree more. So many things we externalize our success and we externalize our success markers. It doesn't even take a whole coaching session, y'all, to figure out that there's different value systems that motivate people in particular ways.

And if you're unaware of those patterns or beliefs that maybe you just sort of grew up with or you were steeped in or maybe your current friend circle still has these beliefs, you don't even really realize, I don't think, how money can be, a tool, but it can be like a tool for your imprisonment. And I know that that sounds really dramatic, but it's so true. mean, how many times have you heard someone that you know say,

I can't afford that or I can't do that because you know, that's too expensive or I can't change my soul sucking job because of the money or the benefits and you know, kind of walking through the world as if you have no options in how to live your life. like, goodness, this is why we could have a four hour long episode, Ali, because the money really does touch everything, doesn't it?

Allie Beckmann, RFA (11:14)

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

It really does, which is why, again, I think there's such an opportunity in the financial planning world and industry to broaden the perspective and really, create a space for clients to talk about all those pieces that money touches, you know, it's so, it is both so intimate and personal, and it is also, you know, simply a tool as well. And so it's just.

It's a nuanced topic and everyone has their own personal relationship to it. And they deserve to have an advisor who they feel they can be that full authentic self and have that nuanced conversation with without fear of like being shamed or condescended or, talked over.

Amanda Kaufman (12:15)

my gosh, big time. I want to circle back to something you said about risk appetite. And I wanted to circle back on it because what came up for me as you talked about risk in that moment is, you know, a lot of times we assess a risk inaccurately. Like we think it's risky because, you know, well, I've always done it this way. And I'm thinking about, you know, the pattern of living hand to mouth or paycheck to paycheck, right?

Allie Beckmann, RFA (12:20)

Mm.

Amanda Kaufman (12:41)

when you're in that pattern, it can feel risky to make a change or an alteration to what you're doing because it already feels so scarce and so tight. But you know, when you run the numbers, I have to imagine and you know, please validate or invalidate what I'm saying. sometimes just the change itself feels risky, even if the change isn't objectively as in you're going to lose money, risky, it just feels risky. Do you mind unpacking?

Allie Beckmann, RFA (12:44)

Hmm.

Amanda Kaufman (13:09)

you know, like, first of all, do you agree with that? And then if you do, can you unpack for us, like, what are the high perceived risk, actually low risk things that you typically work on with a new client?

Allie Beckmann, RFA (13:20)

Hmm. Interesting. Two very different questions. think, so one, I do agree with you. There is this sense of perceived risk, which can often, we can encounter that when we're approaching growth. so depending on our awareness of our nervous system and our patterns, you know, I see this a lot with people who, are looking to hire a financial planner and it's their first time, you know, having that conversation.

Amanda Kaufman (13:23)

Mm-hmm.

Allie Beckmann, RFA (13:47)

It's really hard for people to even schedule a call to have a chat about what's possible. And unfortunately I've seen a fair amount of people who need the help, recognize they need the help, kind of can't afford not to get the help and they walk right up to the line and can't cross it because engaging in a relationship like this can feel risky because it's new.

and money is tied to so many deeply personal and, foundational emotions that it can just get confusing in that kind of how you're reading your internal experience and emotions. right. can kind of send that signal of risk and fear. And then that means people can back away from it. This is why I think having the trauma informed approach is so important because the number one.

Amanda Kaufman (14:32)

Mm-hmm.

Allie Beckmann, RFA (14:38)

you know, methodology of trauma informed care is creating a safe space because if we don't feel safe, we won't be able to take a risk. We won't be able to learn learning in itself as a risk because learning, you know, requires a kind of temporary tension, right? And the only way you learn is by figuring out how to resolve that tension. But even that in itself can like, that's another, iteration of growth.

And so, you know, just what's happening in our brain, we don't have access to those parts in our brain. If, we're feeling stuck and unsafe and like we're in survival mode. So when we can create that feeling of safety, then we can have the opportunity to learn and we can have that opportunity to start taking those steps toward growth, even when they feel risky. So I think, you know, one, what do I work on in terms of helping people with their risk?

It's getting started. mean, I love, I'm a lot of my clients first financial advisor. And so I love working with people who this is a really big step for them, but they know they're ready. but they need that. They, they also know that they need that like quality of relationship to feel safe. They may not know like why exactly, but they know that they need that. And so I love working with people on just helping them really,

manifest their desire to make financial growth and actually manifest it into real behavior. They're kind of like, I know I'm ready, but I'm kind of scared, and I don't know what to do, and that's why I'm talking to you and hiring you. And so I love when I can catch them in that moment when they recognize that they are ready, and it is kind of scary. And so then working together, we're helping them. I mean, who knows on where we'll start, because it depends on where they're starting from.

But just helping them get that sense of organization, get a sense of support, the reassurance that we have a plan. And now it's just a matter of following the plan. That in itself just helps people on a bigger level. It's helping people completely reframe their relationship to money so that they can grow and build their wealth. On a more micro level, I see it.

Amanda Kaufman (16:49)

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Allie Beckmann, RFA (16:55)

especially with my female clients, in their investment risk appetite, the more someone literally said this to me in the fall when we were doing kind of a risk reevaluation and she said, she's, was like, your first score that we did when we started working together was way lower. And now I was like quite surprised to see your like risk score jump up a lot. And she goes, yeah, but I think because I've learned more about just how it works, how investments work, how

It works in the context of my plan. I feel more comfortable taking more risk in my investment portfolio because I understand more. So on that level, that's really exciting to see because that then has real returns and gains inside of it. know, obviously we don't want to go past, past our risk tolerance, but find the edge.

Amanda Kaufman (17:38)

Yeah, I'm reminded ⁓ of that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I mean, I'm reminded of that saying that fortune favors the bold. And I was thinking about, well, boldness requires what, right? Like if you want to activate more appetite for risk. And I can see this applying also if you're building a business or you're changing your marketing strategy or just like really any kind of change. The reason why it's so hard for most people is because you're proving yourself wrong.

And I mean, who wants to be told that they're wrong? No one, right? Ever. So like, handling that is really important. But like, you're going to feel more bold if you know what the realm of possibilities are, if you understand the system, if you have a partner that you can be like, am I crazy? No, you're not crazy. OK, cool. You know, and to your point, just like a plan, because even, you know, there've been a few times in my life that I can point to like,

Allie Beckmann, RFA (18:08)

Yeah. Yeah.

Amanda Kaufman (18:32)

had a plan, we ran the plan. It was not a great plan. But boy, I learned like so much because I had the plan, I could anchor back like where did we go go wrong? Where did it? Where did reality, you know, knock us off course? So then the next time we sat down to do the plan, it was a slight dumb plan.

Allie Beckmann, RFA (18:41)

Exactly.

Yes.

Yes. And that's something, you know, I update my clients plans every six months because it's going to change. We're going to learn as we go. And again, to your point, the, the longer we work together, the more we can get specific on like, what are your biggest, what are your biggest fears? What are the biggest risks to the success of this plan? And then what is within our control to mitigate that risk? So, you know, it's this mix of education to increase.

the appetite and tolerance for risk, but then it's also being smart about what is within our control to put in place so that if the worst case scenario for you does happen, we've thought about it and we already have a plan in place or protection in place to minimize or mitigate that risk altogether, which can then again, it's just increasing that sense of safety, which can then allow us to take more risk in another area.

Amanda Kaufman (19:45)

love that. Allie, what is the best way for people to follow you?

Allie Beckmann, RFA (19:50)

LinkedIn, LinkedIn is a really great place. I'm really active on LinkedIn. So it's Allie Beckman, RFA on LinkedIn. So connect with me there and shoot me a DM. And if you want to chat further, we can, we can go from there.

Amanda Kaufman (20:03)

Amazing, amazing. And dear listener, you'll find all of Ally's details and information in the show notes around this video, or if you're listening to this, you know, in the show notes for the audio. And don't forget that if you want to catch another episode, the best thing to do is subscribe. So you'll always get the newest episode pushed right out to your device where you happen to be listening to us. And also, if this was helpful, two things.

One, pay it forward with a review, right? If you take the 30 seconds to write a review for the show, it helps people that randomly come across it choose us. And for that, we absolutely thank you. But the second thing is just more directly. I'm sure you've got three friends that would really benefit from this very conversation. Maybe they've been talking about wanting to get more, more in control of their finances and surrounding themselves with people who like kind of geek out and nerd on this stuff might be a good next step. So just grab the link to this show.

send it to them through the DMs, through the text message, and you can be a hero for a day. Until the next time that I see you, we'll see you on another episode of the Amanda Kaufman Show. I hope you'll come back. I'm putting you on the spot. You gonna come back sometime? I love it.

Allie Beckmann, RFA (21:14)

please, please. Yes. I

feel like we just scratched the surface.

Amanda Kaufman (21:18)

It's just tiny little scratch. I'm like, goodness, we

need to have like themed episodes. We got a whole thing. thank you so, much for your time today. until I see you again, dear listener, make sure you do what matters.

Disclaimer: All content is for education and information purposes only. It is not intended to provide any tax or legal advice or provide the basis for any financial decisions. Nor is it intended to be a projection of current or future performance or indication of future results. Advisory services are offered by Beckmann Financial, an Investment Advisor in the State of Colorado and other jurisdictions in which it may conduct business.