A Bit About Me

My name is Melissa Mittelstaedt (pronounced Middle-Stat), easier said than spelled. It is my married last name, so I didn't have to deal with it when I was young, thank goodness!

I am a Financial Consultant for conscious service-based entrepreneurs. My official credential is: Accredited Financial Counselor®. That acronym came my way after passing a 3-hour test + completing 1,000 hours of experience, a nearly three-year process.

I don't want to go any further without declaring that I am someone who supports human rights for all: BIPOC folks, LGBTQIA+ folks, Disabled folks, Undocumented folks... and fuck ICE. Okay, now that that's clear. Let's continue on, shall we?!

I believe with my whole being that we need MORE money in the hands of good people. My mission is to get women so comfy with money that we talk about it easily, work with it effortlessly, and are open to receiving it without question. As we build businesses, operating with a people + profit mindset will become the norm (versus the CEO making 200% of what their employees make model).

I digress...

One of the questions I get most is... "What brought you here?" To that I say: "How long ya got?!"

jk- here's a quick overview:

1. I buried myself in debt during college. Student loans, loads of credit cards, and a new-to-me car. After getting my first job, I realized that I knew NOTHING about managing my money. So I fixed that (the debt & the missing skills).

2. I've been self-employed since 2008 (with various W2 jobs here & there), handling my own business finances the whole time. I know spreadsheets like the back of my hand and understand how most apps work.

Working with money was the perfect fit!

I am also a certified sign language interpreter. Fortunately, I'm bilingual thanks to some amazingly patient and kind members of the Deaf communities in Iowa and Minnesota, incredible teachers, out-of-this-world mentors, supportive classmates, and top-notch colleagues.

I grew up on a farm in a small town in Iowa. I had 44 kids in my class and graduated either third or fourth. (I can’t remember if I've been lying to myself for the last [ahem] years about graduating in the Top 3 of my class or if it's true. 🤷‍♀️) I have a BA in Business Administration and an AAS in Sign Language Interpretation. I got my undergraduate degree in Iowa. I went back to school to become an interpreter and moved to Minnesota.

Other than talking about money and interpreting, here is a list of things I love in no particular order: spending time with my three incredible nieces (okay, maybe that is number one!), baseball, traveling the world, playing volleyball, dancing, singing in my car (NOT karaoke), trying new restaurants, paragliding in the Swiss Alps (petrifying but O.M.G), being on a lake, playing cards, shooting darts, laughing with my best buds, writing poetry, high-end vodka (yes, I budget for that)… I could go on and on. But I'll keep it moving.

I'm a reality TV junkie. My faves are Queer Eye, Big Brother, Survivor, The Amazing Race, and The Challenge. I used to be a member of The Bachelor Nation, but in my mid-thirties, I started questioning why any 35-year-old man would want to invite 22-year-old women on a show about marriage. We all know the prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed until ~25… stop acting like we don’t. But the Golden Bachelor–loved!

I'm the eldest sibling of three girls. I think there's a self-help group for recovering perfectionists filled with oldest daughters. 😂 🙈 Don’t worry… I’ve worked through my control issues. But I’m still overprotective.

I'm a Leo & a 6/3 Manifesting Generator who is currently in her "on the roof" era. If you're into Human Design, you'll know what that means. If not, it means I lived the first thirty years of my life experimenting & information gathering, and now I'm in an observation phase while sharing my wisdom.

My husband and I bought an RV (a Fifth Wheel for all you camping nerds out there) and started traveling around east of the Mississippi. We have dreamed of being snowbirds since we got married, and now we are!! We still call Minnesota home, but love our life on the road. New places to visit, new restaurants to try, and... ahhhhh, the warm weather. One thing that has been harder than I thought is finding buds to hang out with. I need to find a 40-something camping club (but not with tents; those kinds of people are way too serious about nature for me!).

If you wanna hang out more, my newsletter, "Getting Comfy with Money," is a great place to do that. Sign me up! Excited to have you join in on the fun, where I talk money tips, mindset shifts, and how to budget for high-end vodka. 😂 🍸

Here’s to you!

Melissa Mittelstaedt

Financial Consultant | Accredited Financial Counselor®