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 SQUIRREL! 

🐿️ The Savvy Saver – You Thrive on Building Financial Security and Reserves

Does this sound familiar?

As a Squirrel, you’re naturally inclined to save and build financial reserves, preferring to stockpile resources and maintain a stable safety net.

This may manifest as: Finding comfort in seeing your savings grow, and being conservative about spending on non-essential items.

Examples of your financial behaviour might include: Consistently putting money into a business emergency fund, avoiding spending on luxuries, and focusing on long-term security over short-term gain.

Strengths/Benefits of the Squirrel Archetype

• Financial Preparedness: You excel at saving and building financial cushions, which can provide a strong safety net during slow business periods or unexpected expenses.
• Attention to Detail: Your careful nature often translates to diligent tracking and organisation, ensuring that finances are managed meticulously and potential issues are caught early.
• Low Debt and Financial Stability: Squirrels tend to avoid unnecessary debt, focusing on using available resources wisely, which helps maintain financial stability and reduces financial stress.

Your focus on saving and security builds a solid foundation for your business, protecting it from financial instability.

By prioritising long-term goals, you create a cushion that can help sustain you through challenging times, making you highly resilient to downturns or unexpected expenses.

Potential Downsides/Areas for Growth

• Fear of Investing: The squirrel's cautious approach can lead to under-investment in growth opportunities, making it challenging to scale or take advantage of profitable ventures.
• Overly Risk-Averse: A strong preference for security can lead to missed opportunities, such as new product launches or innovative projects, that might push the business forward.
• Tendency to Hoard Resources: Squirrels may 'over-accumulate' savings or supplies, limiting cash flow that could otherwise be reinvested strategically into the business.

While saving is a strength, it can sometimes lead to hoarding behaviours that prevent you from investing in growth opportunities.

This cautious approach may limit innovation or keep your business from evolving to meet market demands, potentially stalling progress.

Three Practical Money Tips To Move Forward

Explore these practical tips to help the Squirrel archetype find balance, embrace the present, and build resilience without losing sight of their cautious nature. These steps encourage a healthy relationship with money, blending security with joy and growth.

1. Add a “Joy Fund” for Intentional Enjoyable Spending:

Dedicate a small portion of income to experiences or tools that bring joy, like trips out for coffee and cake or creative materials (hello beautiful stationery!). This fund helps balance your saving tendency with embracing the present.

2. Engage with a Mentor, Expert or Accountability Partner:

Consider connecting with a trusted mentor, financial professional, or accountability partner who can provide an outside perspective on your finances. Having someone to check in with regularly keeps you grounded, while encouraging you to take small, smart steps toward your business goals.

3. Practice Gratitude to Reframe Scarcity Thinking:

Regularly acknowledge financial positives, like a loyal client or a successful month. This gratitude practice shifts your focus from scarcity to abundance, supporting a money mindset of calm and satisfaction.

Money Mantra

“Money is a tool to create both security and joy in my life.”

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 Deer: The Hesitant Observer

🦁 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!