Meet Veronica Deraleau

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

Veronica, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?

I have been lucky that from early on in my career, I’ve had excellent male and female managers and mentors of all colors in male-dominated industries (military, energy, real estate, fintech) who valued my voice and expertise and invited me to the table without hesitation. Because of that start, it never occurred to me that I didn’t belong in the room.

In addition, being a performing artist and athlete from a young age, I have always been mindful of performance anxiety and psychology. While aware of my circumstances and surroundings, I know that focusing on differences does not serve me in the moment.

I also believe competence equals confidence, so showing up to every meeting prepared, with a track record of consistently producing good results, along with a low ego and a default openness and curiosity, has also served me well over the years.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

When I graduated with my MBA in 2017, while I was excited about the future, I was also scared and ashamed that I had accumulated over $100,000 in debt.

In my book Making Money Is Simple, I detail the actions and mindset it took to pay off over $100,000 in three years on a single median income. I share my four-step ARIA Money Model, which describes the process of going “all in” with money and doing the deep inner work required to create lasting transformation from old habits.

As a financial coach, I work with clients to achieve their financial goals, such as paying off debt, saving for a home purchase, or learning to invest. This includes identifying money habits that may be causing them to remain stuck in counterproductive behaviors.

In my signature Money Simple coaching program, I help professionals and creatives stop going from paycheck to paycheck so they can provide an abundant life for their families and start living out their dreams.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Being curious, process-oriented, and service-oriented are key qualities that have impacted my journey.

Although it’s said that there’s nothing new under the sun, I frequently find inspiration across disciplines that I can apply in other areas of my life. I encourage those early in their journey to follow and explore their diverse curiosities. Some of the most incredible people I’ve met are multitalented and everlearning. Being able to pull learnings from my different perspectives, from being an immigrant’s daughter to having a mix of military, music, and business backgrounds, has positively impacted my journey.

From a young age, being a musician taught me that excellence is about putting in the hours and reps. Becoming an opera singer took years of lessons, good practice habits, figuring out my ideal teacher and learning style, and gaining audition and stage experience. Military training is also all about breaking down complex processes into simple, repeatable steps. Being process-oriented translates to business so well. The ability to systematize fundamental parts into repeatable processes, deconstruct and reflect on failures and successes, honestly assess your performance, and constantly improve are so important—every month, I do a lookback exercise where I reflect on my wins, what could have been improved, and my next steps.

Lastly, being service-oriented has always been the common thread across my artistic and entrepreneurial endeavors. Being able to help others is an endless well of inspiration that keeps me self-motivated to continue moving forward. Throughout my career trajectory, I’ve been guided by a head-and-heart principle, seeking that intersection of intuitive and data-driven when making big decisions and encourage others to figure out their enduring values and guiding principles.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?

I like to work with rising professionals and creatives, those who have been able to increase their income yet find that they have not seen progress in paying off debt, saving, and investing and have been spinning their wheels regarding their finances.

Some of my clients have seen a sudden sharp increase in income but never received financial education, so they don’t know what they should do with their money and quickly find that their lifestyles have also increased to match.

My ideal client is serious about turning around their finances, taking control of their spending habits, and breaking free from the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle so they can finally start feeling good about money.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Angie Whitten, Rhiannon Paige

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