NICHE FEATURE
Money Talks Rajesh Modha of Tilton Conway, a leading female-focused financial planning firm, interviews Amanda Daly, the founder of The Turnaround CEO, an award-winning business leader coach, about her relationship with money and why happiness isn’t in the material
In conversation with: AMANDA DALY
A
manda Daly is passionate about business and the success of everyone around her. She’s won numerous business awards and is the epitome of practising what she preaches.
What is your most deeply held belief about money?
It’s very different, thankfully, now than it was five years ago. Back then I was always chasing the turnover; I worked and worked until I felt it really was the sole purpose in my life. From the outside looking in, I appeared to have it all: the beautiful house with a swimming pool, the amazing wardrobe of clothes, the high income – but on the inside, it was a very different story. I was miserable in all honesty! Work became everything, it was all my life and marriage had become. I lost my sense of identity and enjoyment in life, I just lost what it was all about. All of the material ‘perks’ of the lifestyle didn’t make me happy – they 22 | NICHE
certainly weren’t worth what it cost me in terms of my own fulfilment. I had built a security for myself with the wrong foundations – it was false, an illusion almost.
What was the shift?
I woke up! I had what can only be described as an awakening. With the help of two very important people in my life, I realised it all had to change and I left. I left the business, got off the treadmill, made the leap of faith – people thought I was crazy. But I knew I had to allow for the change to realign with myself again.
Did you feel a vulnerability?
It takes a great deal of courage to change your life path when you are on one that you have worked so hard to ‘get to’, and sadly it often takes us getting to that pain point, that breaking point where it all becomes unbearable. You often simply cannot see it until that point. I needed the direct and blunt approach, and it took great friends and a coach to show me, to question it all and to give me the courage I needed. They helped me to switch on the light.
MONEY IS LOVELY, BUT I WANT TO BUILD AN EMPIRE ON HELPING PEOPLE, MY GOALS ARE TO HELP PEOPLE WHO FIND THEMSELVES IN THAT SAME SPACE I WAS IN
What are your beliefs around money now?
I am an entrepreneur, it’s who I am, and I believe there are two types of us – those motivated by the big money and those who are motivated by making a difference. I want to make a difference. Money is lovely, but I want to build an empire on helping people; my goals are to help people who find themselves in that same space I was in and to turn on the light help them have a different life, that’s the sole purpose behind The Turnaround. Interestingly I might not have the same multi-millionpound turnover with my company now like I did in the one before – but I have the same income and I am a hell of a lot happier.
What core advice would you give to a female entrepreneur?
Know your worth as a person, don’t let that be taken advantaged of or abused. Speak to Rajesh if you wish to improve your relationship with money and create a financial plan to match your aspirations at tiltonconway.com, or call 0116 262 1414.