Hi, I’m Stephanie and I get it!
If you’re here, money probably feels overwhelming.
You know what you “should” do, but actually doing it? That’s where it falls apart.
The budgeting apps don’t stick. The impulse purchases happen anyway. The shame spiral is real.
Here’s what I know: You’re not broken. Your brain just works differently – and traditional money advice wasn’t built for you.
I’m a money coach who specializes in helping neurodivergent people build financial skills that work with how their brains are wired.
Since 2018, my clients have paid off over $800,000 in debt using strategies designed for ADHD brains, autistic brains, and everyone in between.
Why I’m A Money Coach
I’ve always been good at budgeting – it’s part of why my husband married me. But being good at budgeting doesn’t mean much when undiagnosed neurodivergence leads to underemployment and unemployment, and there’s simply not enough money to go around.
My husband and I paid off $21,000 in debt over seven years – it took that long because of the underemployment and unemployment we were navigating. We celebrated. We felt free. And then? We went $18,000 back into debt.
That second time, I found my way back into the workforce by monetizing a skill I had: teaching piano. With steady income, we paid off that $18,000 in just 22 months. Everything changed – not just our bank account, but our whole relationship with money and what was possible.
I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism as an adult, which finally connected the dots. The challenges we’d faced weren’t about not knowing what to do with money – they were about navigating a world that wasn’t built for neurodivergent brains.
I get it because I live it. I still struggle with executive functioning in other areas of my life. But I’ve learned to work with my neurodivergent brain instead of fighting it – and I help others do the same, no matter what challenges they’re facing.
How I Work With You
I don’t do shame. I don’t do “just try harder.” And I don’t do rigid systems that force you to adapt to the tool.
I’m a certified YNAB (You Need A Budget) coach, and while I use YNAB with all my clients, the way we set it up and use it together is completely customized to how your brain works.
I meet you where you are, understand how your neurodivergent brain interacts with money, and build a system that works for you instead of against you. I take you from “I’m completely overwhelmed” to “Oh! I actually get this.
My approach is rooted in empathy, real-world experience, and professional training as a certified financial coach. You will figure this out. And I’ll show you how.
How I Work With You
I don’t do shame. I don’t do “just try harder.” And I don’t do rigid systems that force you to adapt to the tool.
I’m a certified YNAB (You Need A Budget) coach, and while I use YNAB with all my clients, the way we set it up and use it together is completely customized to how your brain works.
I meet you where you are, understand how your neurodivergent brain interacts with money, and build a system that works for you instead of against you. I take you from “I’m completely overwhelmed” to “Oh! I actually get this.
My approach is rooted in empathy, real-world experience, and professional training as a certified financial coach. You will figure this out. And I’ll show you how.
A New Chapter: True North Money Management
You might have known me as Berman Budgeting Basics. But with a nod to my new home in Canada (I moved to Kamloops in 2026 with my husband and our poodle mix, Elroy, to be closer to family after nearly 19 years in the US) I rebranded to True North Money Management.
But “True North” means more than geography. It’s about finding your direction when everything feels chaotic. It’s
about having a guiding point to navigate by, even when your brain wants to take you on a dozen detours.
Progress in the right direction – not perfection.
