Meet Sarah Kurtenbach

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarah Kurtenbach. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarah below.

Hi Sarah, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

When I was a young girl, I remember my dad telling me, “Sarah, whenever I walk into a room, I think to myself, ‘People like me, and I’m going to make a new friend!'”

Being a daddy’s girl, I took those words to heart and began repeating them to myself whenever I walked into school, camps, friends’ houses, or any other new environment.

What started as a simple thought soon turned into a belief, and eventually, it became my truth.

I realized this process could apply to other areas of my life. For instance:

When I walked into a gym, I thought, “I love being here! My body feels stronger already.”

When I entered a work meeting, I told myself, “People like me, and I have wise things to say.”

On payday, I would say, “I have power over my money; my money doesn’t have power over me.”

Each of these affirmations began as a thought, grew into a belief, and eventually solidified as truths that shaped my perspective and behavior.

Having my dad instill this mindset at a young age profoundly impacted my confidence and self-esteem. It allowed me to build beliefs and truths that uplifted and empowered me rather than diminishing me.

While this process significantly boosted my confidence, the true foundation of my self-worth lies in my faith in Jesus. Knowing that I am already loved, cherished, adored, and forgiven for who I am—not for my performance, success, or income—provides a level of confidence that nothing else can match. My faith reminds me that my value is inherent and unshakable, rooted in God’s unconditional love.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m incredibly passionate about teaching the next generation of girls about money and finances. My parents did an excellent job teaching my older brother and me about managing money, and as a result, I handled finances much differently than many of my friends growing up. Over time, I began to see just how impactful this difference could be in shaping the options available in a girl’s life.

For example, I have multiple friends who dream of being stay-at-home moms, starting businesses, or buying investment properties—but they don’t have the financial resources to make these dreams a reality.

I also noticed how the habits you develop in your teens and early twenties—whether it’s investing $5 a day or consistently spending $5 a day on a credit card—can lead to drastically different financial outcomes as you get older, start a family, or pursue other life goals.

This realization is what inspired me to create moveHER Money. MoveHER Money equips girls from middle school through college with the financial tools, courses, and a supportive platform to help them become wise and confident in managing their money. In turn, this empowers them with financial freedom and the ability to make choices that align with their dreams and goals.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Grit
In her book Grit, Angela Duckworth defines grit as “passion and perseverance towards very long-term goals.” She also states that the biggest determining factor in someone’s success is their level of grit. The good news? Grit isn’t something you’re simply born with; it’s something you can cultivate. A practical way to develop grit is by committing to doing one hard thing each year (or quarter) and seeing it through. This could be trying a new workout routine, hiking a challenging mountain, learning an instrument, or practicing public speaking. These small acts of perseverance build the mental toughness and resilience needed for long-term success.

2. Just Try
When I was contemplating starting my first business—a consulting company—I kept second-guessing myself, unsure if I had the skills or ability to make it work. My husband gave me the advice that changed everything: “Just try. If you fail, who cares? You’ll be glad you at least tried instead of always wondering ‘what if?’” That simple encouragement pushed me to take the leap into entrepreneurship. Sometimes, the most important step is simply giving yourself permission to try. The lessons and growth you’ll gain from the experience will always outweigh the fear of failure.

3. Have an Inner Circle
Life can feel lonely at times, and starting a business can amplify that feeling. Having an inner circle of trusted friends or family members you can share everything with becomes invaluable. For me, these are the people I can turn to without fear of judgment when I need to share my failures or mistakes. They’re also the ones I can celebrate my wins and successes with, knowing they’ll cheer me on without jealousy. Building and nurturing this kind of support network has been a lifeline, providing both encouragement and accountability throughout my journey.

Advice for Those Early in Their Journey:

-Develop grit by tackling small challenges and staying committed to them. This will build resilience over time.

-Push past self-doubt by giving yourself permission to try. You don’t have to be perfect; you just need to start.

-Surround yourself with people who uplift and support you. Seek out relationships where you can share openly, both in moments of struggle and triumph.

These three qualities have been instrumental in my journey, and I believe they can make a profound impact on yours too.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am always excited to collaborate with incredible individuals, businesses, and organizations!

Here are the types of collaborations I’m particularly interested in fostering:

Connecting with Audiences of Parents:
If you or your business works with parents of middle school through college students, let’s collaborate! For example, if you specialize in helping parents organize their lives, we could create content together to teach parents how to help their children organize their finances. This might include IG Lives, co-branded resources, or cross-promoting each other’s products and services.

Engaging with Young Girls or Advocates of Financial Literacy:
If you have an audience of young girls or share a passion for advancing financial literacy, I’d love to team up! Together, we can inspire and empower the next generation to take control of their financial futures.

If this resonates with you and you’d like to explore working together, feel free to email me at sarah@moveher.money. Let’s start the conversation and make an impact together!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

4Front Studios
Volume II Studios

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