We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Raymond Ihim. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Raymond below.

Hi Raymond, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

A philosophy I live by is this: we take risks we understand.
Growing up, I was deeply risk-averse. That mindset shaped almost every decision I made. I gravitated toward accounting because it felt safe, steady work, job security, a predictable path. That same fear of failure made me more reserved in relationships, and it certainly held me back financially. I wasn’t willing to invest or start a business because I couldn’t stomach the idea of losing something.
Then a mentor came into my life, and everything began to shift. He helped me understand how to work through those tendencies rather than be controlled by them. And the biggest risk I ever took? Starting my own firm.
There was overhead: the office, the furniture, the conversations with my employer about what I was planning to do next. But once I stepped out on my own, I discovered something I hadn’t expected: deep fulfillment. The financial coaching space was full of opportunity, not just to build wealth, but to help others reach a place where they could do the same. What carried me through the early days was faith, and a quiet resilience to keep showing up, keep refining my approach, and keep welcoming new clients.
Then picture this: it’s 2020. The pandemic hits. Doors are shutting everywhere. You can’t meet with people in person, and that’s the environment I’m launching a business in, one built on face-to-face connection. I had just bought a house. I wanted a new car. The expenses weren’t pausing because the world was.
So I prayed about it. Then I got resourceful.
I discovered there was a growing body of research and best practices around remote financial coaching. The CFPB and other organizations were offering free resources and materials, and I dove in, studying, adapting, and building my practice for a virtual world. Within a few months, I had a strong command of remote financial coaching. Suddenly, I wasn’t just serving people in my city. I was serving clients across the country, and I still do today.
I’ll be honest: the time zones still catch me off guard sometimes. But beyond that, it’s seamless. And there’s something genuinely moving about seeing a window into lives all across this country, and getting to meet people right where they are, then walking with them toward where they want to be.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Raymond Ihim. I am a financial coach based in the Tulsa area, and the founder of Lionhood Financial Coaching. We serve clients anywhere in the country, and our goal is simple: helping people get from where they are to where they want to be when it comes to their personal and business finances.
I bring over a decade of experience in the banking industry to everything I do. At my core, I am an operator with a passion for operational excellence, and I channel that passion directly into the financial and budgeting frameworks I build for individuals and businesses. The result is a set of practical systems designed to help people actually achieve what they want out of their finances.
At Lionhood Financial, we offer coaching, consultation, bookkeeping services, and grant writing services. Whether you are an individual trying to get back on track, a business looking to grow, or someone seeking funding for a program or project, we help you find the right path forward through your budget, through career coaching, or through funding opportunities.
At the heart of what we do is solving two core problems: bad behaviors and bad systems. We often say, you do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. That is why we focus on building the right systems first.
We also take a deeply practical approach. Theories are interesting, but if something cannot be applied to your real life, it is not improving your life. It is just giving you something to talk about. So we move away from the abstract and into the actionable, always asking: how does this apply to your unique situation? Every client, every business, every plan gets an individualized and personalized approach.
Our tagline says it all: make more of your money. Not necessarily make more money, but make more of the money you already have coming in. Too often, income falls to the ground unobserved and unmanaged. We work to change that. Because when you have good order and you are making the most of what you have, you create the foundation to grow and still be in a strong place. Your finances will magnify your flaws just as surely as they magnify your strengths, and you cannot build well on a shaky foundation.
We are most fulfilled when a client makes that shift from chaos to clarity. That is what Lionhood Financial is here for.

Any advice for managing a team?

Managing a team is not about being liked. It is about creating clarity, ownership, and standards so high that mediocrity feels uncomfortable.
Most managers think morale comes from perks, motivation, or charisma. It does not. Morale comes from progress and trust. If people know exactly what winning looks like, have the authority to execute, and see measurable progress, morale takes care of itself. When those things are missing, no team lunch is going to fix it.
There is a framework from psychology that I believe gets to the root of why people thrive or disengage at work. It is called Self-Determination Theory, and it identifies three core human needs that, when met, produce genuine motivation rather than compliance. Those needs are autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Autonomy is the need to feel ownership over your work and decisions. Competence is the need to feel capable and to see that you are growing. Relatedness is the need to feel connected to something and someone beyond yourself. When all three are present, people do not need to be managed into performing. They want to. When any one of them is missing, no amount of pressure or incentive will produce sustained excellence.
Here is how I apply this in practice.
First, radical clarity. Every role must have defined outcomes, not vague responsibilities. I care about outputs, not busyness. If someone cannot articulate what success looks like in their role in one sentence, that is my failure as a leader. Clarity is the foundation of competence. You cannot grow in a direction you cannot see.
Second, ownership over oversight. I do not micromanage adults (often). I give clear expectations, measurable metrics, and autonomy to execute. If someone needs constant supervision, either the system is broken or the person is in the wrong seat. Autonomy is not the absence of accountability. It is the presence of trust, and trust is what unlocks people’s best work.
Third, feedback that is direct and timely. I do not let issues sit. I address performance gaps quickly and privately. I recognize excellence publicly. Teams lose morale when standards are inconsistent, and high performers disengage when low performers are tolerated. Honest feedback, delivered with respect, is one of the most powerful ways to build both competence and trust within a team.
Fourth, mission alignment and genuine connection. In my work through Lionhood Financial, our core values are empowerment, integrity, education, excellence, and community. If a team member does not connect with those values, morale will eventually fracture. This speaks directly to relatedness. People need to feel they are part of something meaningful, that their work matters and that the people around them share a common purpose. Culture is not what we say. It is what we enforce, and it is what we model.
Fifth, I measure everything. People feel more secure in environments where expectations and results are visible. Ambiguity breeds anxiety. Scoreboards create focus. Seeing progress is not just a management tool. It is fuel for the human spirit. When people can see themselves growing and winning, competence becomes self-reinforcing.
Autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Get those right, and you will not just manage a team. You will lead one.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Yes. A few shaped how I think about leadership, risk, ownership, and long term value creation. Not in a motivational sense. In a structural sense.
First, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
That book forced me to confront personal responsibility. Circle of influence versus circle of concern is not theory. It is operational. In banking, in entrepreneurship, in faith, it reframed accountability. You either operate from proactivity or you make excuses.
Second, Good to Great by Jim Collins.
Level 5 leadership and the hedgehog concept influenced how I think about focus. You cannot be world class at ten things. You need brutal clarity on what you can be best at, what drives your economic engine, and what you are deeply passionate about. That shaped how I think about building Lionhood and about not spreading energy thin.
Third, The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham.
That book shaped how I think about risk. Margin of safety is not just an investing principle. It is a management principle. In business, in lending, in personal finance, the downside matters more than the upside fantasy. That lens carries into how I evaluate opportunities.
Fourth, the writing and interviews of Warren Buffett.
His emphasis on simplicity, discipline, and staying within your circle of competence deeply influenced me. Most entrepreneurs overestimate their competence and underestimate risk. Watching how he compounds slowly over decades reinforced my belief in long term focus over hype.
Fifth, Deep Work by Cal Newport.
That challenged how I structure my time. High value output requires uninterrupted concentration. That directly impacts how I think about building courses, studying for the FRM, and developing strategy. Busyness is not productivity.
From a faith perspective, The Holy Bible, particularly Proverbs and the teachings of Paul, has shaped my view of stewardship, diligence, and eternal impact. Business is not just about income. It is about responsibility and multiplication of entrusted resources.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lionhoodfinancial.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymond-ihim-3b202956/