Meet Christine Sarno | “Financial Wingwoman” and Money Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christine Sarno and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christine, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
During my corporate career, I had too many conversations with smart, dynamic, successful women who struggled with asking for the next promotion with their current employer or negotiating a robust compensation package commensurate with the skills, expertise, and value they could bring to a new company. Over heart-to-heart chats where they shared their frustrations with me, I found myself coaching women on how to navigate these situations effectively.

As our discussions around earnings went deeper, I realized that we were only addressing half of the financial challenges that so many women were experiencing. It was apparent that personal money management and strategic planning for a strong financial future were difficult for them as well, and there was a lot of shame, overwhelm, or lack of education around personal finance fundamentals, especially saving and investing.

Given the alarming statistics in this country regarding the percentage of women that will outlive their savings, especially in retirement, this was a huge concern for me. My inspiration to pivot to the financial services space and create a platform that provided unbiased education and guidance to help women get empowered in this area of their lives became my mission. My approach is unique as it focuses on the mindset and emotional relationship we have around money first, allowing my clients to identify and address what might be holding them back from creating financial well-being. We then discuss pragmatic strategies to help them plan for the future they wish to create in a way that’s high-vibe and zero overwhelm.

What should our readers know about your business?
As an award-winning sales and business development powerhouse, I bring over 20 years of leadership experience in media, promotions, and tech in both corporate and startup environments to my passion in the financial services space to support other women. I have worked closely with clients across a broad range of industries, including both Global Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies, as a proven business strategist and skilled problem solver.

In 2020, I left corporate to become a licensed financial advisor and quickly realized that the financial services industry was coming up short in providing ‘white glove’ and heartfelt service for many marginalized segments of the U.S. population who didn’t fit the bill as the ideal high-net-worth client, but still needed and deserved expert financial help.

Additionally, due to the unique financial challenges that women face during their lifetime, such as the gender wage gap, outliving our male counterparts in terms of age expectancy, the burden of caregiving for children, parents, and loved ones in need, as well as increased healthcare costs as we age, it became alarmingly apparent that the female population in this country was truly an underserved market.

Rather than managing my clients’ money for them, I quickly realized that my passion was teaching my clients how to be informed and confident stewards of their own money. Instead of giving a woman a fish so that she could eat for the day, I knew that she could be much more financially empowered in life if I taught her HOW to fish.

My ongoing work as a Financial Coach focuses on mentorship and education. This includes my unique approach to money mastery by helping my clients uncover what’s truly preventing them from creating wealth in terms of mindset and their emotional relationship with money, as well as teaching them pragmatic financial strategies to plan effectively for a strong financial future. We must first understand how money is showing up for us in our lives and the framework we have established in terms of our worldview of it, often created and formed in our childhood. For many, it’s a negative lens with supercharged emotions like fear and scarcity. By identifying and addressing how this may be holding us back from the lives we wish to have, we can transform our relationship with money, which is ultimately a tool meant to help us create the life we desire.

As a self-proclaimed ‘Financial Wingwoman,’ I support my clients in sifting through the overwhelming world of financial do’s and don’ts. Together we develop a clear, effective plan to guide them through their most pressing financial challenges, especially the ones that keep them up at night, as well as developing a strategy to help them build for the future. The goal is to transform their money experience from stress and anxiety to confidence and financial serenity.

Raised by a Chinese single mom, I learned the importance of financial independence as a woman to help create the ability to CHOOSE in life, whether personally or professionally. These skills help me support and advise my clients with authenticity, encouragement, and a dollop of tough love.

The path for growing my business has been an incredible journey. Many of my clients reached out to me because they want to work with another woman that understands their needs and concerns and will support them in a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space. There’s a level of connection and trust they feel when they are able to connect and confide in someone who has experienced the personal, professional, and financial highs and lows of life herself.

As a child growing up in an abusive and volatile household where money was either feast or famine, as a divorced woman, as a working single parent of two children, and as a primary caregiver and financial head of household, I’ve been able to navigate my own personal life challenges and still create a financial independence ecosystem that allows me to live life on my terms.

I wish this financial serenity for everyone, and I’m passionate about creating a greater impact, which is why I launched my coaching business. For those women who feel that financial well-being is unattainable, I’m here to share that it’s never too early OR too late to get started on a positive journey of financial growth and peace for your future. The key is deciding that you truly deserve this and choosing to take the first step towards that goal.

And what can that first step look like? It’s leaning into your courage and self-love and asking for help from an expert so that you can create the life you desire.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are so many wonderful places in Los Angeles to experience and some of my favorite gems are right in my own backyard. If you are a foodie and want to check out the casual vibe of Smorgasburg in Downtown Los Angeles at The Row, go with a hearty appetite! I love the 80’s music and dancing at Break Room 86 at The Line Hotel as well as getting a vigorous buff and scrub at Wii Spa in Koreatown. An easy Sunday morning hike at Runyon Canyon followed by the famous Farmer’s Market on Fairfax for lunch is always a treat. My friend Marvin Jordana has an incredible visitor experience that he makes available to the public where they can learn about and interact with his local bees in the heart of metro Los Angeles, and I fondly call him the “Bee Whisperer.” And for an iconic Hollywood evening out, dinner at Musso and Frank’s or drinks at the Hotel Bel Air are always a favorite.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I’m so grateful to my mother, who emigrated to this country from Taiwan under extremely difficult circumstances and struggled with English as a second language. She is my most influential mentor, and she taught me the importance of the non-negotiable ability to make empowered choices as a woman in every facet of life. She emphasized that the freedom to say ‘no’ to any situation that doesn’t serve you or is unhealthy or toxic to your well-being is tied to financial independence. Having the resources not only to create the life you desire but also the financial strength to support the people you love, your community, and the causes that are important to you is truly powerful. Ultimately, life can be much more joyful, inspired, purposeful, and peaceful for a woman if she’s able to stand on her own two feet financially and understand how to use money to create a positive impact not only for herself and her loved ones but for our world.

Website: https://www.christinejoylucksarno.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinejoylucksarno

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-sarno

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineJoyLuckSarno

Image Credits
Renee Bowen Photography Tommy Flanagan Photography