A Gentle Note Before We Begin

It’s not about “what’s wrong with you,” but “what’s happened to you.” (Gabor Maté) 

In society, we’re often led to believe that financial challenges are solely personal—rooted in individual responsibility and self-discipline. This perspective can quickly lead to feelings of blame and shame around money. 

This is an invitation to shift to a more compassionate view. Beliefs about money are deeply rooted, the result of a rich tapestry of life experiences, family patterns, cultural expectations, and even echoes of generational trauma.

In business, there’s often pressure to "put on the CEO hat" and leave emotions aside. However, these ingrained beliefs and responses often shape our financial choices in subtle ways, even when we’re not fully aware of them. By approaching these patterns with curiosity and self-compassion, you can gain valuable insight into how they influence your financial journey. This awareness lets you move forward with intention, choosing patterns that support your dreams while gently releasing those that don’t.

It’s worth acknowledging the broader systems we all live within dominated by capitalism and consumerism which thrive on scarcity and 'never enoughness', which shapes our beliefs and behaviours around money in powerful ways. While these forces influence us all, we have the capacity to respond to them with greater awareness.

If exploring your results brings up any complex feelings, know that this is a completely natural response. Feel free to take a moment to pause, feel the ground beneath you, and take a deep breath.

You’re not alone on this journey!

With empathy and empowerment,

Harriet x

 Your financial archetype is…

THE DEER! 

🦌 The Hesitant Observer – Cautious and Often Overwhelmed by Financial Decisions

Does this sound familiar?

As a Deer, you tend to feel anxious or hesitant about financial decisions. You might struggle with fear of making mistakes, causing you to freeze or avoid decisions altogether.

This may manifest as: Often second-guess yourself, feeling uncertain about how to handle financial matters and 'stuck'.

 Examples of your financial behaviour might include: Procrastinating on important decisions, operating with a fear of loss and low confidence in your abilities to handle money. Feeling overwhelmed into a 'freeze' state when faced with budgeting or looking in your bank account.

Strengths/Benefits of the Deer Archetype

• Naturally Careful with Money: You are cautious by nature and rarely rush into financial decisions, which helps avoid impulsive spending.
• Considered Decision Making: You take the time to assess and understand each financial move, leading to well-considered decisions.
• Highly Risk Aware: You are mindful of potential pitfalls, which can help steer clear of risky investments and maintain stability.

Your cautious nature can protect you from hasty or poorly thought-out decisions.

By taking your time and avoiding reckless spending, you maintain a stable financial baseline and avoid risky pitfalls that could harm your business.

 

Potential Downsides/Areas for Growth for Deer

• Missing Out on Opportunities: The 'freeze' response can lead to delayed decisions, sometimes missing out on timely opportunities.
• Fear-Driven Inaction: Deer often worry about making mistakes, which can prevent them from taking any action.
• Lack of Financial Confidence: Frequent second-guessing and self-doubt can erode their confidence in managing finances, making money feel stressful rather than empowering

While caution has its merits, it can lead to missed opportunities and slow progress.

Freezing up when faced with financial decisions may keep you from taking necessary actions for growth. Your reluctance to engage with finances might also create a cycle of avoidance, reinforcing your anxiety.

Three Practical Money Tips To Move Forward

Honour your cautiousness as wisdom, but introduce gradual, small financial actions to build confidence. Nervous system regulation is also key.

1. Use Safe Space Visualisation to Prepare for Financial Engagement: Before handling finances, visualise a secure, calming space. This grounding practice makes financial tasks feel less intimidating and helps you approach them with a sense of peace.

2. Break Financial Tasks into Small Steps to Reduce Overwhelm:

Start with manageable tasks, like tracking expenses or perhaps viewing your bank account. This approach helps you build confidence without triggering freeze response

3. Acknowledge Your Caution as a Strength: 

Reframe your hesitancy as wise financial stewardship. Recognising this as a positive trait helps you grow your confidence and feelings of safety around money management, seeing it as an act of protection for your business.

Money Mantra

“I am capable of managing my money in a way that honours my goals and dreams.”

For deer, there may be an additional emotional layer to explore:

• People-Pleasing Tendencies (“Fawning”): Deer often feel compelled to say “yes” to clients and partners out of a desire to please, which can lead to undercharging, over-delivering, or taking on unprofitable work.
• Freeze Response to Financial Decisions: Trauma or past negative experiences can trigger a freeze state, making it difficult for Deer to move forward on important financial choices, like setting boundaries or investing in growth.
• Self-Sacrificing Mindset: This archetype may put others’ needs before their own financial health, leading to burnout or a lack of adequate compensation, as they struggle to prioritise their own business goals over others’ demands

Moving through 'fawning' behaviour

1. Boundary-Setting Technique: Identify Your Non-Negotiables

Identify 3–5 non-negotiables that you need to protect your time, energy, and financial well-being - e.g. “I don’t reduce my rates for last-minute requests.”

Keep this list visible as a quick reference before agreeing to any new requests, allowing you to confidently make choices that honour your needs and boundaries.

2. Body Scan: Support Your Nervous System

Regularly practice a body scan to help reduce anxiety and increase awareness of your physical state. Find a quiet space, close your eyes, and take deep breaths. Starting from your toes and working your way up, notice any areas of tension or discomfort without judgment.

This practice promotes relaxation and helps you reconnect with your body, making it easier to move through a 'freeze' state.

3. Prioritise Self-Care

Dedicate even one hour each week to a self-care practice that nourishes you. This could be a nature walk, a creative hobby, or a relaxing bath - whatever makes you feel rejuvenated. Schedule it into your calendar as a non-negotiable appointment for yourself.

This reinforces the idea that taking care of your well-being is essential for your overall effectiveness as a business owner.

Reflections

Jot down your thoughts on your quiz results and report:

• What really resonates?
• Did you get any surprises or revelations?
• Is there anything you disagree with in the results?
• What's one thing you can let go off?
• What's one thing you can start doing?

 Explore the results for the other archetypes

When you completed the quiz, you would have seen a percentage score for each archetype right away. In this pilot phase, however, we’re only able to retrieve your highest-scoring archetype for later reference, so we can’t access the full percentage breakdown again.

If you can remember or took a screenshot—perfect! You can now explore the reports for other archetypes you scored highly in below:

🐢 The Turtle: The Cautious Money Avoider

🦉 The Owl: The Meticulous Money Planner

🐿️ The Squirrel: The Savvy Saver

🦁 The Lion: The Bold Risk-Taker

🦎 The Chameleon: The Flexible Adapter

Thanks so much for getting curious 🧭

We’d love to hear your thoughts—just a few quick questions to help us make this even better and create resources that really work for you!

🔗Complete this quick follow-up questionnaire🔗

 

Hi👋, I’m Harriet!

A Radical Fractional CFO, ICAEW Chartered Accountant, Trauma of Money Certified™ Practitioner, and Executive Business Coach. I support purpose-driven founders, SMEs, and startups who are changing the world for the better.

After years in the corporate world, I became disillusioned with serving 'faceless entities' and wanted my work to create real impact. So in 2020, I founded Below The Line Finance to go back to supporting founders who want their finances to fuel their creativity and mission - not limit them.

“For too long, creative people have been led to believe they’re just ‘bad with money,’ and I am here to change that!

Financial fears and anxieties are real and valid, and I honour that in my work, inviting a holistic, trauma-informed approach where finance becomes an enabler rather than a blocker.”

Money With Soul

I challenge the lie we all heard at school: that you could either be “kind, creative, and poor” OR “good with numbers and successful.” This narrative keeps brilliant people playing small, and I’m here to help rewrite that story.

Our financial outcomes are deeply influenced by our beliefs about money - whether it’s fear, shame, or past experiences. Traditional finance ignores these emotional drivers, but I’ve seen the transformative power of working through them. My approach combines logical, strategic expertise with compassion and intuition.

Together, we’ll build a financial foundation where you can be uniquely you—creative, ethical, and financially empowered.

The Good Life 🌱

From my meadow-side office in Somerset, surrounded by retired racehorses, ponies, and my gaggle of dogs, I help founders build sustainable, profitable businesses that stay true to their values.

Through 1:1 consultations, courses, retainers, mentorships, and workshops, I bring a human touch to finance, showing that ethical profits and positive impact can thrive alongside fun, creativity and solid strategy.

Resources to Support Your Journey

Follow for Insights: Find me on Instagram @belowthelinefinance for values-driven finance tips.

Listen In: My podcast Voice Notes From Your CFO Bestie explores the human side to practical money management in business.

 Get Number Savvy: Finance training platform that pairs practical advice with emotional depth, helping you make aligned, impactful decisions.

Receive 1:1 Support: Money Awakening Intensive 

"You're finances can both feel good and do good - so let's make it happen!"

P.S. Watch your inbox for resources to turn finance into a positive, empowering force in your business journey!