[
Simon: We have been
interviewing people from the similar industry with inline mission. Today we have
Heather Allen, author of debt free play book. Thanks to Julieana Smith for sending us the interview. We will shift this topic after a week to Interview forum, thanks].
(
Interview with Heather Allen, author of debt free play book)
Julieana: Please tell our readers something about yourself.
Heather: I'm Heather Allen. I have my own consultancy company, teaching and training personal development and organisational transformation. To have my own business was my dream. I wanted to do what made my heart sing and live a life where I could have time to travel and see the world. Now I've got addicted to helping other people achieve their dreams.
Julieana: What made you write the book?
Heather: It took a while for my business to take off and, during that time I incurred a lot of personal debt. It was hard to find advice that fitted people like me, with a variable income and the determination to follow dreams rather than get a job – let alone a second one. So, once I had managed to get out of debt, I decided to help other people do the same. I wanted to use my background and training to help even more.
Julieana: How is the book useful for someone in debt?
Heather: I think it’s most useful in two ways;
- It helps people to identify the thoughts and beliefs that get them into debt in the first place, which ensures they don’t repeat the mistakes.
- It provides detailed spreadsheets that help make sure you don’t miss any expenses out, and work out exactly when you can be debt-free using different scenarios.
Julieana: Please share something for people who are in debt
Heather: The most helpful thing I can say, is that there is help. For me, it was to really understand my underlying beliefs about money. Your beliefs drive your thoughts in any situation and what you think in that moment drives how you behave. For instance, if you believe rich people are greedy, when you see an opportunity you might well pass it by, simply because you cannot allow yourself to be seen as greedy. Therefore, you will never allow yourself to be prosperous. This process happens without us knowing, it’s automatic. Readers of my book tell me this chapter is the biggest revelation for them.
Julieana: Do you have any email id on which our readers can reach you?
Heather: Email addresses published on websites create tons of spam. I would love to answer your members' questions, please refer them to the contact form on
http://debtfreeplaybook.com/blog/
Julieana: What is your motivation behind this blog?
Heather: When I am running courses and seminars, I always ask people "What would you do if you knew you wouldn’t fail?" This reveals their dreams beyond the fear of failure. I hear so many people say they would follow their dreams if it weren’t for their debt. I feel so sad when I think of people being old and realising that they didn’t ever get to live their dreams because of a bit of irresponsible spending in their 20s! Debt is just the start for us, we want to help and support people all the way to their personal dreams.
Julieana: Would you like to say something to our community members?
Heather: After looking around DebtCC, I think they provide an excellent resource. There is so much here that is truly useful. I believe my book and our blog provide the missing pieces and are therefore the perfect complement to the site. Our subconscious mind is very, very powerful and will drive us to recreate the same mess until we learn to understand it.
Julieana: Testimonial about the book.
Heather:
- 'It can seem so daunting but inevitably you have to face your debt, and face yourself. That’s what’s great about Heathers approach to sorting debt out, it’s not just about paying it off, it’s about feeling better about yourself and the situation during the process of paying it. Altogether Heather approaches this topic practically but also with empathy and incorporates how to 'manage your feelings' into her method.'
Louisa, 24
- "I found out how to communicate with the people I owed money to and they stopped bothering me. Then I worked on my attitude. That made me feel less ashamed of the debt. From there, I found it easy to stick to my plan. 2 years after being £25,000 ($50,000) in debt, I bought my lovely house."
Roland 29
- "I needed to acknowledge the addictive nature of my spending. The DebtFree Playbook showed me simple methods to reduce my debt and a plan to get rid of it. Every month now, I can see it getting smaller, after so many years of living with debt, the end is in sight! I feel like I’ve finally grown up - at 36"
Steve 36
Julieana: Is there a sample copy of the spreadsheet?
Heather: Sample copy of the spreadsheet is attached. People can see how they work from these images.
Attachments
Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts with the community at DebtCC. I wish you all a debt-free life, following your dreams!
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