We recently connected with Jake Randall and have shared our conversation below.

Jake, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

A trend right now in the personal finance space is an acknowledgement that learning happens in the context of relationships over time.

There are more opportunities to connect with an individual who can learn your heart, your situation and then help you build real skills and habits. This happens through regularly meeting with a real person who can not only provide relevant insights and tools for your situation, but has the “X” factors of providing accountability, encouragement and vision for your journey. All while having a little fun along the way.

We have access to more information than ever, but googling your personal finance questions only to feel like you are drowning in the sea of results and lists of things you “should” do doesn’t necessarily produce life change.

Many people would prefer, and find much better progress, by partnering up with a guide who has led other people down this path. Someone who is an expert, yet a compassionate, relatable person.

It’s such a relief to finally have a short list of the best possible next steps you should take to reach your financial goals. A coach helps you identify what matters to you, cast some vision for what is possible, and then break down for you the exact skills and habits you will need to reach those specific goals.

A great example is that the majority of people who reach out to me wanting to be coached express that they have done some form of “budgeting” before. We all have access to hundreds of budgeting apps and tools. They’ve typically downloaded one (or five) and tried them. But without someone to help them learn how to cash flow plan in a way that A) feels simple and easy and B) is clearly connected to their goals… it feels too difficult and is not motivating, so they don’t stick with it.

The answer cannot be solely in more articles, more videos and more digital tools. But rather relationships. Learning happens in the context of relationships over time, and more and more people are discovering that to be true with their personal finances.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

The story of Wild Freedom starts with two recent grads staring up at a huge pile of debt.

The recent grads were my wife and I, the debt was all student loans, and the amount was just over $100,000.

Huge pile.

This debt felt like a barrier to other things that we wanted to accomplish financially and in life in general. It was restricting our freedom.

We wanted it gone asap, and knew that we would need a really good plan to make that a reality.

We got focused, set some vision before ourselves, and using the skills and habits that I now coach others in, paid it off crazy fast.

As in $100k of student loans paid off in 2.5 years.

What a freeing and empowering experience.

I looked around me and saw that money is a huge source of stress for many young professionals and entrepreneurs. That might be from not knowing where money is going each month, feeling like you have nothing to show for your income, or just not knowing the next step forward.

I knew that if I could make personal finance approachable in a relational setting where regular people could show up just as they are and be coached in skills and habits, while also receiving the encouragement and accountability they would need for the journey, that other people could experience freedom like I had.

After all, if you get dropped in the middle of the wilderness with no map, compass or guide, that’s a pretty scary and discouraging place to be. But if instead you have a guide leading you up a beautiful mountain pass, where the next step is clear and you’re fully equipped, well, that’s a refreshing taste of wild freedom.

I leverage my background in finances, negotiation and mentoring to create a tailored and transformative experience for each client.

I coach my clients in 6 core areas that are relevant to young professionals and entrepreneurs:

1) Cash Flow Planning
2) Debt Elimination
3) Negotiation
a. Salary
b. Bills
c. Large Purchases
4) Navigating Life Events
a. Preparing to buy a first home
b. Starting and business
c. Preparing for marriage
d. Preparing for a new baby

Now I have 1:1 clients from New York to California, and offer group workshops as well. It is my joy to hear clients say things like “I just really have found the whole experience to be life changing” on their journey from feeling lost in the woods to confidently navigating to financial freedom.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

One of my favorite marketing stories is a prime example of a concept that every entrepreneur must learn – there is no substitute for activity.

This story starts way back in the journey, when I had only just barely started to accept Beta clients. I was a green as it gets at running a business.

At this point, I had no idea what type of marketing efforts would create clients most reliably. But I figured a great place to start would be to foster relationships with other professionals who were in personal finance or related fields that I was already connected with.

In one particular case I had a friend who I was intentional with to create space to talk finance, business and mutually encourage each other. One day I get an email from that friend saying that the local minor league baseball team was hosting a small business night, along with an offer to introduce me to the organizer.

But after getting in touch, I quickly found that I because I was not yet a member of the local Chamber of Commerce, I would not normally be allowed to participate, but because I had inquired, they gave me a spot. I would have a booth at the ball game, and even my business’s logo on the jumbotron.

The next thing I knew I got an email from the organizer saying the first small business to reply gets to throw the first pitch at the game. Needless to say that was the fastest email I’d ever typed… and to my elation I got the spot.

It was exciting, but also took some courage – I hardly had any clients, track record as a business, or many of the things that it felt like most businesses would have. Did I really fit in at small business night?

On the night of the game I got there early, and was informed that because I was there first, I could pick any booth in the concourse I wanted to use… and was able to set up right behind home plate, in the best possible spot.

Before I knew it I was running out to the pitchers mound, with the announcer introducing me and Wild Freedom Financial Coaching to thousands of fans, wearing my branded polo (that I had printed right before the event), throwing the first pitch, and smiling from ear to ear.

Between that night and other publicity at the stadium I ended up with multiple clients who were in attendance. It was a great example to remember that there is no substitute for activity. Just do something, and when opportunities pop up, jump on them.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

An impactful book for me has been “Extreme Ownership” by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin.

It’s useful as an entrepreneur because it helps to remove the tendency we all have to blame outcomes on external factors. We are so much more effective as entrepreneurs when instead we constantly ask “What do I need to do differently to effect the best possible outcome?”

It’s principles are also really useful for helping clients develop a mindset of ownership over their money decisions and realizing how many things they really do have control over.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wildfreedomfinancialcoaching.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildfreedomfinancialcoaching/
• Other: [email protected]