Episode•May 12, 2022•13 min

Ordinary To Badass with Marie Sonneman | Ep. 102

About Our Guest Marie Sonneman is a Badass! But she didn’t always feel that way (even when she became a police officer). After a lot of inner work, she discovered that Badassery comes from mindset and confidence, not from objects like a gun, a motorcycle, or a leather jacket. A big part of her journey to Badassery, was paying off $106,000 in debt, and she went on to become a Financial Coach. Marie wants to help you master your confidence in life, and with your money, and give you the support you need so your inner Badassery can shine through to the outside. Connect with Marie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ordinarytobadass/ Website: https://ordinarytobadass.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2024253447694052 Connect with Tiffany on Social Media Facebook: Money Talk With Tiff Twitter: @moneytalkwitht Instagram: @moneytalkwitht This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Overcast Amazon Music

Key Takeaways

1
Pain can be the catalyst for financial change
Marie reached a breaking point when bills became overwhelming and foreclosure paperwork arrived unexpectedly
She realized she didn't want to be someone who doesn't pay her bills, prompting action
The pain of financial stress became greater than the discomfort of change
2
Early momentum accelerates debt payoff
Working overtime created quick wins and psychological momentum
Within 1-2 months, visible progress ($20K-$50K paid) motivated continued effort
Small wins built confidence to tackle larger debts
3
Budgeting is about permission, not restriction
Marie kept Starbucks twice weekly initially because it brought joy
As momentum grew, non-essential spending became less important naturally
Include things you love in your budget rather than eliminating everything
4
Badassery comes from mindset and confidence, not external symbols
Marie felt like an imposter as a police officer despite the badge and gun
True confidence emerged through paying off $106K in debt
Comparison leads to despair; define badassery on your own terms
5
Color-coded budgeting offers an alternative for non-math people
Marie's upcoming book introduces a color-coded budget system
Focuses on colors rather than numbers for those intimidated by traditional budgeting
Provides creative approaches for people who struggle with analytical methods

Intro

Marie Sonneman shares her journey from financial rock bottom to paying off $106,000 in debt in under two years, and how that experience transformed her confidence and led her to help other women embrace their inner badass.
Marie Sonneman is a former police officer turned financial coach who paid off $106K in debt. She is the author of the upcoming book 'A Woman's Guide to Going from Ordinary to Badass with Your Finances' and helps women master confidence with money and life.

Website Instagram Facebook Group

– The Breaking Point That Sparked Change

Marie describes how financial stress intensified until she was served foreclosure paperwork for her husband's other house. The pain of unpaid bills and the identity conflict of being someone who doesn't pay her bills became unbearable.

Sometimes you have to wait until the pain gets so great until you're willing to make a change.
– Marie Sonneman

– Strategies That Accelerated Debt Payoff

Marie worked massive overtime for early momentum and joined Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. She used the debt snowball method, tackling smallest debts first for psychological wins.

The early momentum is going to be a big part to carry me through later.
– Marie Sonneman

– Check-ins and the Permission-Based Budget

Regular progress check-ins provided motivation. Marie reframed budgeting as giving permission to spend on what matters rather than restriction. She initially kept Starbucks twice weekly, then naturally reduced it as momentum built.

I don't think that you have to be restrictive. I don't think you have to give up everything that you love. You just throw that in your budget.
– Marie Sonneman

– Redefining Badassery Beyond External Symbols

Despite becoming a police officer, Marie felt like an imposter in a male-dominated field. True confidence came only after paying off debt. She realized badassery isn't about motorcycles, guns, or leather jackets—it's mindset and confidence.

A badass isn't about like a motorcycle or a cigarette or a leather jacket or gun or anything like that. It's actually the mindset and the confidence.
– Marie Sonneman

– The Color-Coded Budget Approach

Marie's upcoming book introduces a color-coded budgeting system designed for people intimidated by numbers. It emphasizes creativity over analytics and provides alternative methods for those who struggle with traditional budgeting approaches.

Books Mentioned

A Woman's Guide to Going from Ordinary to Badass with Your Finances by Marie Sonneman

Resources

Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University

Topics

debt payoffbudgetingfinancial coachingmindsetconfidencewomen and moneypolice officer storyimposter syndromesnowball methodcolor-coded budgeting