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

Hi Winfred, thanks for joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

How did I start? I started my money and financial coaching business on accident. I worked at a large bank that encouraged us to help in our community, an organization reached out to me looking for someone to coach their clientele on financial literacy. The clientele was expectant mothers or mothers who just had a baby. I spent six weeks with these ladies and over the course of those six weeks I had so much fun while realizing how much they needed good information and access to financial products. After those six weeks I realized just as much as I was giving them wisdom, they were giving me life so I kept going and helping them. Soon after I began looking for other places that needed my help and started working with small businesses, local fraternities/sororities and churches. After about a year of doing this, I began taking on individual clients. This is where the need for relationship coaching became even more prevelant. What I began to understand was how connected relationships and money are for people. Money is the number one reason for divorce and I always found it strange that we are more willing to share our bodies with each other in the most intimate way, but are hesistant and afraid to share our money in an intimate way. This led me to realizing I needed to think about how to coach people in the areas of money and relationships – whether they are married or unmarried. So I launched a four week bootcamp where we begin with our financial goals, our financial fears, understanding why we spend/save the way we do and how we can appreciate a partner who is/will most likely be the exact opposite of us in the areas of money and relationships. Currently, I use a few tools to help me in both the bootcamps and in my individual sessions. I am a certified coach using Prepare Enrich and I created my own Financial Planning Guide for couples. The Financial Planning Guide not only helps people who work directly with me and can also be used as a workbook.

Winfred, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a Native of the South Suburbs of Chicago. I got into both Pastoral Ministry and Finance in College. I attended Langston University, a HBCU in Oklahoma. At Langston, I found my love for math and money as well as began to nurture the call to Ministry. After college I began working as a Co-Branch Manager for US Bank and was a part of a church plant led by my father. I solve the problem of coaching people how to live free in the areas of money and relationships. My products consist of Masterclass’, digital classes, financial coaching packages and bootcamps. I speak at conferences, churches, large and small businesses. I am most proud when my clients; move beyond their fears and go after and achieve their financial/relational goals. I tell them this: you can reach your goals, if you listen and if you remain discipline. If I can do it, so can you.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The most important story of my journey is this. My business started in 2003, but it was not until 2014 when after a divorce I completely let go of my financial life, that my business was really born. This was the lowest part of my financial and relational journey: I had 9 collection items, credit score in the high 400’s, could not qualify for a decent apartment, couldn’t date let alone get into a relationship because I was afraid. One day I was sitting in my car (where I was already behind in payments) and had to tell myself, this was not who God created me to be and I knew better. So I had to spend the next two years, getting my life together financially, emotionally, spiritually, and even with my family. And that was just to get myself to a place where I could stop drowning. So if you feel like its too late, I can tell you – its not! Start with what you have, be disciplined and watch what happens.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Sure! First let me tell you what not to do…do not tag all of your friends on your posts. What should you do? Let people see your heart for them and the outcome they will have when they buy from you. If it is a physical product or digital product, what will they receive for their money? I built my audience by first asking my audience what they want to know. From those responses I began doing videos and classes on social media to answer those questions. I then, took those videos and uploaded them to a youtube channel so I can reuse them. Some of those classes are not a part of my digital library that I sell. I also, write for publications and have written for a few as a finance writer. Those helped expand my reach and eventually I began leveraging paid social media ads. My advice for someone getting started today is to first, provide enough information to make your audience know you are an expert in that field, then put together an email system and way to provide good service, THEN go really hard using paid ads to sell your product/service. As you do this, be clear about your end user: who they are, what is similiar about those who are buying and those who are saying no. Some of this can be done as you collect information through your landing page/sms/email system, some you will find out as you ask questions. Lastly, do not be afraid to pivot. I started out being the “Money Mentor” and as my life has changed, so has my business. Do not resist the change.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @winfredburnsii
• Facebook: WinfredBurnsII
• Linkedin: WinfredBurns II
• Twitter: @winfredburnsii
• Youtube: @Winfredburnsii