Beth Crittenden

Financial Guide

Beth Crittenden

Financial Guide ~ helping conscious-minded people find financial clarity, with care

Hello! I'm Beth Crittenden and I help people bring clarity, calm, and confidence to their finances - without shame, judgment, or overwhelm. Numbers are only part of the story - emotions, values, and life context matter just as much.

 

Whether you want help to develop a realistic budget/spending plan, strengthen how you and your partner talk about money, deepen your financial maturity, and/or learn how to do your own bookkeeping, I bring care, humor, and organization to our work together.

 

If you don't see something here that feels like your exact situation, please do ask me about it - I'm happy to explore how I can support you.

 

Life will throw unforeseen challenges our way. People often arrive at this work after a financial transition or discovery. Divorce, career change, death of a loved one, starting a business, health events, or even just a big tax bill or other challenges. Those times of life where it will hurt worse to NOT seek change can be a great time to take action.

 

I am recovering from years of the "no pain, no gain" approach, myself. There is a different style to financial wellness that many of us are finding so much more effective than suffering, self-imposed restriction, and shame-based budgeting.

 

As your Financial Guide I can serve as a combination teacher/coach/counselor/project consultant. Imagine a financial trail guide with maps... while I can't do the walk for you, I'm happy to walk with you in terrain I have explored already. My work supports clearer, calmer financial decision-making so money becomes something you can engage with peacefully, rather than something you avoid and/or stress over.

 

Many thoughtful, capable people get stuck not because they lack intelligence, but because financial decisions can feel emotionally loaded, confusing, or overwhelming.

 

People work with me when they are ready to:

move from overwhelm to clarity with their finances

get traction on making decisions they have been avoiding

manage money with confidence, leaving fears behind

resolve financial tension and misunderstandings with their partner(s)

build systems that work well for them

 

1. Clarity and structure for your cashflow (without shame or struggle)

For those who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or confused about budgeting and tracking. I help people build their own customized system to make sure finances are sustainable and also matched with personal values.

I use YNAB (You Need A Budget) to track my own numbers for personal and business. I also am familiar with QuickBooks, Wave, and Xero. (P.S.  A software can save time but also is not necessary for clarity.)

2. Resolve money tension with clear communication and shared goals.

If finances are a source of conflict, avoidance, or stress in your relationship(s) <whether personal or professional>, I help people talk about money in ways that feel safe, clear, and aligned.

Bringing in a third party professional can help ease tensions, clarify what needs to be decided, and bring your connection(s) to a new level.

3. Grow confidence and competence with your money.

You're not just tracking numbers...you're wanting empowerment, clarity, and a sense of maturity with your financial comprehension and behaviors. This support is for people ready to deepen their relationship with finances in totally respectful and shame-free ways.

4. Build financial admin skills that actually stick.

If bookkeeping has felt confusing, frustrating, or overwhelming, I'll meet you where you are to build your knowledge and best financial practices.

 

I love sitting with people by Zoom and getting granular with how to use financial tracking software. There are no "dumb" questions when we are learning this skill. I enjoy accommodating different learning styles...we can get creative together about what will help you remember how to do your books. We'll develop a realistic checklist for you...weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, so you can build your financial confidence and also understand your numbers to your satisfaction.

Beth Crittenden (email beth@bethcrittenden.com)

Beth Crittenden - I blend teaching, coaching, and practical consulting with emotional intelligence. Let's meet where you are, not where society thinks you "should" be.

About Beth Crittenden

I help thoughtful, capable people move from financial overwhelm, avoidance, or confusion into clarity and confidence, especially when money has been a difficult topic to navigate. (Based in Novato/Marin County, CA, serving clients by Zoom and/or phone.)

 

My approach blends practical financial skills with emotional awareness so people can face money without fear and make their best decisions with clarity and care.

 

Before becoming a Financial Guide, I worked in nonprofit fundraising, career management/workplace wellbeing, and outpatient medical administrative management. These roles were great for learning about systems, databases, and human communications.

Beth Crittenden, Financial Guide
Beth Crittenden, Financial Guide (7)

I then studied Somatic Psychology at CIIS in San Francisco, where I learned how our bodies and nervous systems shape the ways we approach finances, relationships, and taking risks. Financial decisions are rarely just about the numbers...they're about meaning, values, identity, purpose, joy, and sense of safety in our nervous systems.

 

My own journey with money has not been easy. I've had to learn financial clarity the hard way - with surrender, vulnerability, accountability, and admitting I need and want support and cannot do this alone.

 

Since 2010 I have worked with individuals, couples, and business owners across a wide range of income levels and life stages. We proceed without shame or judgment, creating a safe environment in which to learn and grow.

You can read more in the newsletter archive if you like:

https://us1.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=8af40d15ad33147eaf0126f1b&id=7b72b68dbf

Outside of work I love:

  • tennis
  • partner dancing (primarily salsa and swing)
  • volunteering at San Quentin
  • functional strength training
  • time with dogs (wonderful teachers!)
  • visiting my brother, 2 fantastic nephews, and my also-tennis-playing sister-in-law, who live in the greater Atlanta area
  • studying and practicing Buddhist meditation and mindfulness

 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethcrittenden/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/hibethcrittenden/

 

QuickBooks Online is what I use for my clients' books.

 

I use YNAB (You Need A Budget) for my own personal and business bookkeeping.

 

My cherished small business clients are listed below. Services I provide for them can include but are not limited to -

  • Bookkeeping
  • Accounts Payable
  • Accounts Receivable
  • Financial meeting facilitation
  • Annual filings
  • Computing/ filing quarterly income taxes
  • Payroll administration (currently with Gusto and ADP)
  • Recommending cashflow strategies
  • Tracking budget vs actual numbers.

It has been a joy to witness so much business growth and support my clients to maintain healthy life balance as well!

A Well Adjusted Pet |  Website

Alex Wolf, Phaedrus | Website

 

Wordplay Agency | Website

Broadsheet Communications | Website

ALMAX | Website

Agency UX |  Website

SF Dharma Collective | Website

 

 

Bethstimonials

Virtue Consulting

“I am thrilled to offer a testimonial regarding my long-term partnership with Beth in her role as Financial Guide! A few key phrases and words I’d use to describe Beth would be whip smart, a creative thinker, quick problem solver, with a high level of commitment. She’s an agile, thoughtful, down to earth person, who is a constant learner and she is delighted to share what she has learned over her years of experience in a non-judgemental way. I trust her guidance and counsel. She’s highly intuitive and will meet you where you are in relation to your financial interest or savvy. I would recommend Beth and her work to an individual struggling with their finances and a profitable business owner alike without hesitation.”

P.M.

“I met Beth a few years ago when I first purchased a business and I had never been a business owner before. She helped me to wrap my head around business finances, how to determine my budget, flushed out what was important to me to prioritize and pointed out that I am my most important employee! Then a year later I participated in one of her group sessions and I got a lot out of that as well. She has many ways of helping people with their finances to meet people where they are in their process. Last year she sent out one of her regular newsletters and she issued a challenge to set a goal for the year. I took that seriously and followed through on my goal of setting a specific budget and working my budget. That helped me immensely to go from an unprofitable year to a profitable one. Beth has made my life better!”

D.P.

“I can't recommend Beth enough if you're trying to balance a home budget or if you need bookkeeping help for your small business. Last year Beth helped me work out a plan to manage my unpredictable small business income which comes in waves. She checked in with me by email to see how our plan worked and we met again to adjust the system after I tried it out for a few months. It was just what I needed to build some structure into how I divided every paycheck. I am happy to say that it has saved me so much time and stress utilizing her expertise. On top of all that, she is one of the most genuinely nice people you could work with. ”

A.M.

“Beth is AMAZING! She has helped fundamentally change my financial life. She is organized, grounded and incredibly kind. I feel so comfortable talking to her about my finances. I've sent a few friends to her now. She rocks!”

M.G.

“Wow, what to say about this amazing woman and professional. Well I'll start with trustworthy. I am a recently retired Law Enforcement Agent and I trust Beth completely with all my finances, 100 percent. This is absolutely critical if you are going to use and really maximize a service like Beth's. So now I can add in the rest, super smart, authentic, highly skilled and competent, very patient, and just a lovely person with whom to work. Beth is a shining beacon of professionalism and trustworthiness to which we should all strive. Just amazing, you will be very glad you gave her your business.”

N.S. (bookkeeping client)

Designation

I include you in the circle of what makes ours such an incredible community.

You are so eloquent and effusive and your light shines bright!

A Referral Partner's Introduction

Designation

With many years’ experience working with folks and their money, Beth helps people who are afraid or overwhelmed with numbers, keeping books, budgeting, money boundaries, paying bills… anything to do with money.  The instant you meet her, you will know her heart is huge and deep, and she holds her clients in a caring healing way.  She love to teach people how to move thru their blocks.