Six Years Later: Revisiting My First Blog Post

My coaching practice, Intentional Money, turns one year in less than two weeks, on November 5, 2026. There is usually one moment when something flips, one date when a project "starts." In my case, I chose the day I registered the business name (FBN/DBA) as that date. While there is the date, behind that moment there were months or years of history. That made me think about the very first blog post I wrote six years ago.

On October 8, 2020, I published a short post on a black-on-white blog page called "Life in Process." The First Post opens with "I need to express myself. To show up in the world." Six years later, that page is the blog of Intentional Money. The name "Life in Process" meant that I was figuring things out as I go.

The years between the posts

I meant the blog to be a general life blog, so the first few posts were not about finances. Then my topics became clearer. Time on a Corporate Job: Not Wasted, but Invested (January 2021) and Thoughts About Stuff (October 2021), which is about minimalism and decluttering, relate to how I think about money and life, even though they are not directly financial. After that, I started writing about money, with Financial Pep for 2022 in December 2021 and Own vs Rent Analysis in July 2022. That was my last post for a long time. I lost the original idea of just writing about something.

I made two attempts at Instagram, both about money. In 2021 I tried to start a financial account and gave up. I didn't have the clarity, the knowledge, the tools, and the patience to make it work. In the summer of 2023 I went back and tried to create and publish reels one to three times per day, with a content manager who helped a bit. After three weeks I was exhausted, and I abandoned Instagram completely.

I needed some silence, some space, for my direction to evolve. I did a lot of soul searching. I had one year of a complete Instagram detox. Not posting, not watching anything, and uninstalling Instagram let me listen to myself. I kept going, just in a different direction: inner doing, without immediate outward expression. There is a time to build the capacity, and there is a time to deliver.

I also needed time for the people closest to me: my partner, now my fiancé, and my kids, and building those relationships. My career, my personal finances, and my self-growth took time too. I received two promotions at my corporate job, bought a rental property, and moved to a city I wanted to live in.

During those years I talked about money a lot with my friends and family. I was also figuring out my own finances and learning as I went. People started telling me more and more often that I could do this as a professional, not just for friends.

It all eventually turned into the vision for Intentional Money. In my case, time, energy, conviction, and confidence were the key. I had accumulated enough of each to create it and start acting on it. I had also accumulated personal finance knowledge that went over some tipping point.

September 2025: becoming a personal finance guide

I published again on August 22, 2025, with Personal Finance Isn't Math, It's Mindset. In September 2025 I decided to become a financial coach and committed to it. On my website and on Instagram, I call the role a personal finance guide. I joined AFCPE (the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education), which certifies Accredited Financial Counselors (AFC®). I bought an online learning system to prepare for the AFC® exam. Soon after, I started work on my website and handled legal questions about registering my business name and business address.

The new website went live in November 2025. On November 10, I came back to Instagram as part of creating Intentional Money. Everything has changed since 2020 except that there is a blog, and some of the initial posts are still there.

I passed the AFC® exam on September 18, 2026. I am still an AFC® Candidate, getting closer to certification, which is a big milestone for me.

What the blog is for now

As of October 24, 2026, the blog has 65 published posts. The format keeps changing, and I keep experimenting. Right now the blog does three things for me.

It is my knowledge database, and it holds my research outcomes. When I research a topic to write about it, I learn it, and later I come back to it when I prepare webinars or client sessions. It is also where I write opinion pieces, which help me structure and clarify my own thinking and articulate my position on certain questions. And it is a space where I can write whatever I want. Most of what I write here is structured around financial content, and some of it is more personal, like The Parenting Book That Gave Me Permission to Step Back, The Point of No Return: Choosing a Future over a Homeland, and this reflection.

I do not expect anything out of publishing the blog. It has an inherent value for me. If it helps someone else too, if anyone reads it and gets something useful out of it, that is a benefit on top.

What else is happening now

I do not like the "push" model of social media. I do not want information pressure on me, and I do not want to create it for others. So I do not send email notifications to my contacts when a new blog post comes out. People can find my posts by searching on Google or by coming directly to my site. That may not be the most efficient way to gain visibility or share knowledge. However, I do not want to overwhelm people with emails in their inboxes.

On my financial Instagram, I struggle to stay consistent. I am working on that and trying different ways. I focus on the message and my own authenticity, and I mix in some parts of my life.

I tried the newsletter and sent three issues earlier this year. I paused it for now. The subscribe form is there for anyone who wants to be on the list if I restart it.

I do not use LinkedIn for Intentional Money. I reserve it for my corporate career. That may change in the future.

A note to the first post

After all of this, there is one thing I would tell the version of myself who wrote that very first post.

"Дорогу осилит идущий." This Russian proverb translates literally as "The road will be mastered by the one who walks."

Just keep going and don't be afraid to try and experiment. Things get clearer with every step. Start, and the direction will open up and clarify as you move.

In 2020 I did not know what I wanted. Now I know. Not everything, but at least the direction. I am at a point with far more clarity, and from here I am still working out many things.

Comments and messages

The first post ended by inviting replies, and that invitation still holds. I love talking to people about money, my experience, and life in general. I welcome comments on the blog and on Instagram. I also welcome messages, emails, and any other way people can find and contact me. I just love people connecting.

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Transparency Note: I'm the human behind the keyboard — the ideas, stories, and decisions here are mine. I collaborate with AI throughout the writing process: brainstorming, drafting, smoothing out grammar and flow, assisting with research, and creating the visuals you see throughout my posts.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only. I am an AFC® (Accredited Financial Counselor) Candidate, not a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), tax advisor, attorney, or Investment Adviser Representative (IAR). The content herein is not intended to be a substitute for investment, tax, or legal advice from a licensed professional. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have regarding your individual financial situation. Rules vary by country, state, and individual situation. The opinions expressed are my own and do not represent the views of my current or former employer.