From the Lab Bench
to Your Finances.
Everyone deserves access to a fiduciary financial professional.
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional
& Former FBI Forensic Scientist
Hi, I'm Barb. I'm a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, and I used to be a forensic scientist with the FBI — yes, that FBI.
When I worked there as a research fellow after graduate school, I had no idea what to do with my first "big girl" paycheck. While teaching myself to manage my own money, I stumbled onto the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) movement, which emphasizes aligning your spending with your values. I started skipping the expensive dinners out and saving up for scuba diving trips and international adventures with friends instead.
I'd intended to spend my whole career at the FBI and retire with a comfortable government pension. After a decade, though, I knew it was time to move on — and only because I'd found FIRE years earlier did I have enough saved to take a chance on myself. I uprooted my life in Virginia and moved to coastal Charleston, SC to help others find clarity, peace, and empowerment in their financial lives. In many ways, I felt like I'd already won: I was secure enough to leave a high-paying job and follow what mattered to me.
I may have stepped outside the lab, but my scientific roots still shape how I see the world. I've always loved learning about people and their stories — and yours will be no exception. As a scientist, I'm not here to argue with the data. How you arrived here is part of your journey. I'll ask questions to understand you and your aspirations more clearly, never to judge. And I'm not afraid of difficult or awkward topics, because nothing gets better when we refuse to look at it.
As a CFP® professional, I also offer full scope, comprehensive financial planning. Click here to learn the differences between coaching and planning, see which might fit you best, and get started.
Work With MeThe Motto
Curiosity.
When something hurts financially, we get curious instead of defensive. What's causing this? Where did this pattern come from? What could shift if we look more closely?
Bravery.
It takes courage to hear the answers to those questions. I'll be right beside you as we observe both the numbers and the feelings that surface around them.
Intention.
Once we can clearly see what we're working with, we can experiment with different approaches and find what gets you the results you actually want. From there, you move forward intentionally — making informed choices that fit the life you're building.
What I Stand For
Education and Empowerment
Few of us were taught real money skills — how are you supposed to feel comfortable with something you were never taught? Together, we'll demystify the language and the concepts so your money stops feeling like a foreign language.
Independence and Choice
The best advice in the world is useless if it doesn't fit you. My goal is to help you gain the clarity and confidence to design a life you genuinely love.
Money is Political
Unequal access to resources — including money and power — has shaped an enormous wealth gap in the modern United States. To ignore the contributions of racism and sexism to current socioeconomic inequality is to deny real harm done to real people. When we work together, we acknowledge the role of injustice and oppression in our society and in our financial lives.
A Glimpse Into Barb's World
Ready to work together?
Let's have a conversation — no pressure, no commitment. Find out if I'm the right fit for you.