It can change what you say yes to. What you stop worrying about. What you finally do after putting it off for years. How freely you spend, how confidently you invest, and how much possibility you can see ahead of you.
These are real money stories from people who decided to do things differently – and what happened next.
“After more than 15 years of hoping that one day I would be an investor, I can finally call myself one.”
She earned good money, understood finance and thought she was doing just fine. Now she spends with intention, feels at peace with her decisions – and finally became the investor she’d wanted to be for 15 years.
I joined Jessica’s training with a healthy dose of scepticism. With a major in economics and being quite comfortable with financial terms, I thought my relationship with money was already pretty good. I earned good money, enjoyed nice food, spent on vacations and good wine, and generally felt that I was doing just fine.
Jessica took me by the hand and helped me challenge my inherited beliefs about money, discover my unhealthy spending habits, and embrace the beauty of money – yes, of every single cent.
Using her simple and practical tools, I am now in control of my budget. I have reprioritised my spending, and I no longer feel guilty about buying that expensive dress because I know it’s planned for and I can afford it. That shift alone has completely changed the way I feel about spending.
Jessica helped me discover my “money era” – a place where I am in charge of my money, with clarity about how and when I want to spend it. This doesn’t mean I have more money now; it means I spend with intention, and I feel genuinely happy and at peace with my financial decisions.
I’m continuing my money education with Jessica through the investing programme, and I can finally call myself an investor – after more than 15 years of hoping that one day I would be one.
Jessica didn’t just teach me how to manage money. She changed the way I think and feel about it.
“I’m no longer living paycheck to paycheck, and for the first time in a long time, I feel in control.”
When I first started working with Jessica, I was overwhelmed, stressed, and completely consumed by the weight of my debt. I couldn’t breathe thinking about it. I had 8 credit cards and 4 personal loans totalling around $50,000 in debt – most of it at a crippling 30% APR. I was living paycheck to paycheck, constantly over drafting my accounts, and swiping my credit cards just to get by. My spending habits were out of control, and I wasn’t budgeting at all.
Jessica changed everything.
With her unique and realistic approach to finances, she helped me understand my spending habits, define my wants, needs, and loves, and most importantly – build a plan. I now spend just 5 minutes a week tracking my budget and have saved both time and money. She made the process simple, approachable, and most of all – empowering. Jessica gave me the strength to face my debt head-on.
Since working with her, I’ve reduced my monthly spending by hundreds of dollars, shifted that money toward debt repayment, and saved over $27,000 in interest payments. Just by encouraging me to make a few key phone calls, I lowered my average APR from 30% to 10%. I’m no longer living paycheck to paycheck, and for the first time in a long time, I feel in control.
Whether you’re brand new to managing your finances, experienced but stuck, or just need a refresh – Jessica’s approach works. It’s practical, honest, and tailored to real life. It challenges you when needed but always with encouragement and support.
Thanks to Jessica, I’m on track to be debt-free, and I finally see a future full of financial freedom and confidence.
“Now I feel excited and empowered to make decisions about my money.”
Before joining Jessica’s foundations program, I felt that wanting to make more money was at odds with my values – and yet I was terrified of making mistakes with my money and ending up struggling to make ends meet.
Jessica helped me understand that money is a tool we can use to live life in line with our values – whether that is building a secure future for a family, saying yes to spontaneous adventures, or donating more to charity – and working through the program in a small group showed me that we can all approach our spending differently, there is no right or wrong (let alone any need for shame or guilt)!
Now, not only do I feel excited and empowered to make decisions about my money, I feel confident enough to ask questions when I need guidance. I highly recommend Jessica to everyone – especially anyone who doesn’t like to think about money!
“Before working with Jessica I felt like I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Now I feel confident that I know what I need to know.”
Maya first came for Jessica’s energy and cheekiness. She then kept going, moving from “I should really look at this at some point” to actually taking action and feeling confident in what she knew.
I joined because I like Jessica’s energy and her cheekiness. She makes money matters fun. She made me get over the hurdle of actually taking action, so I would recommend it if you feel like you really should ‘at some point’ look at how you spend your money but so far haven’t. You can change your own story.
Before working with Jessica I felt like I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Now I feel confident that I know what I need to know.
“From the moment I started working with Jessica, I felt an almost instantaneous sense of relief.”
Well, what can I say about financial coaching with DEFINANCE…I was in a position where I had a manageable but very uncomfortable anxiety around anything money related. I would avoid thinking and doing anything that involved me taking ownership of that anxiety and this had resulted in me feeling very negative towards finances in general.
From the moment I started working with Jessica, I felt an almost instantaneous sense of relief. Her approach was completely non-judgemental and she gave me the knowledge, tools and most importantly the confidence to take back the control over my own financial destiny. Not only have I paid down debt and started using a budgeting system that is easy and not at all overwhelming, but I have also been able to create a vision for how I want my finances to work for me in the future.
Jessica is a money marvel and I will forever be thankful to her for re-framing my views around money.
“One session with Jessica has made me £984. Not too shabby!”
I have actively moved a significant amount of savings from an account which was costing me money to an account I am now earning interest with and in the first month have seen my money go from costing me £7 for the pleasure of keeping it in the account to earning £75! That’s £900 a year saved! Rather than £84 spent so in total, one session with Jessica has made me £984! Not too shabby!
I have always felt money management is something people are never really taught – you’re just expected to ‘work it out’… I have always felt judged and like I should already know the answers so I’ve always felt difficulty around asking questions – this has resulted in me doing MY best, but not doing THE best of what I could with my money – Jessica has changed that – I now have the understanding, knowledge and tools I need to take control of my money management and that feels very empowering.
“I actually want to use money for my soul goals.”
Gillian wanted to pretend savings, investing and money didn’t exist. What she didn’t expect was to come away actually wanting to organise it, understand it and use it for the things she wants from life.
I just spent seven days working on my money with Jessica. I didn’t want to deal with money, not savings, investing, any of it. I just wanted to pretend that world didn’t exist.
But Jessica, with her love of story and her passion for helping people find a new way to think about money gave me something I didn’t expect: desire. I actually want to use money for my soul goals. I want to organise it, understand it, and spend time with it not out of guilt, but because it’s finally mine.
And it’s not just the program (though it’s excellent). It’s her. She’s smart, creative, funny – and she really cares.
If you want to change your money story and feel richer, lighter, and more in control, work with Jessica Cooke. You won’t regret it.
“Suddenly you realise you understand your money. You have control of it and that honestly feels amazing.”
How I felt before joining Jessica’s foundations program: I was very busy ignoring my finances – or lack of them.
I met Jessica and she talked about her foundations and investing programs.
I thought, investing sounded fun and would make me rich, foundations sounded very sensible and boring.
I was wrong on both counts!
Reluctantly I realised that by going straight to investing I would bypass the basic steps of getting my life in order. It was a bit embarrassing to admit that in my 50’s I was still living paycheck to paycheck, this way had worked okay for this long but I knew deep down that I needed (and wanted) to get my shizzle together.
Jessica very quickly removed any embarrassment or shame around money. It is her goal to help women take control, you have to be honest with her and yourself. She won’t judge you, she’s heard worse stories than yours. She gives you simple steps which you follow and suddenly you realise you understand your money. You have control of it and that honestly feels amazing!
If, like me, you want to jump into investing and not sort out the mess that is your bank account, don’t! The value of doing the foundations work is huge. If you can feel calm and not freaked out by looking at your account it changes your outlook. The program did that for me – despite me really not wanting to take my head out of the sand!
“Our emergency fund is built, and we’re building savings at a decent rate - fist pump - so much so that we’re planning a trip to Thailand mid-year.”
“I’m starting to feel that managing my money is possible.”
“The course has been amazing. I’m thinking so differently now.”
Some program names have been updated or removed for clarity as DEFINANCE has evolved. Client experiences and outcomes have not changed.