S12 Bonus Ep1 Talking Faith, Family and Finance with Emma Wooldridge, Life & Relationship Coach

In the first bonus episode of this ‘Family Matters’ season, Emma Wooldridge, a Life & Relationship Coach, talks about her experiences of an expanded family and shares insights, gleaned from her coaching role, into financial matters that can be significant for families in general.Some key points of interest covered in this episode include the following:Emma introduces herself and talks about how she became a Christian. [01:08]In response to a question from Bex, Emma explains how she and Mike grew their family from five to eight over a couple of years. [02:59]Emma talks about what was involved in having to ‘reset’ the ‘family clock’ financially in order to accommodate the practical implications of the family’s increase in size. [06:17]When speaking about having family conversations about potentially awkward topics, Emma highlights the importance of creating safe and relaxed spaces for children so that they feel that they can say and ask anything. [09:44]Emma shares some of the key moments that led her to start up her own business as a Life & Relationship Coach. [11:41]For Mike and Emma, having a ‘joint lens’ when dealing with financial matters over the years has been a crucial and very positive approach to have adopted. [16:23]Noting that money is the top cause of conflict in relationships, Emma talks about the importance of opening up a dialogue about money that recognises that people have different experiences, strengths and personal narratives when it comes to dealing with money. [18:07]One tip that Emma suggests in connection with opening up a difficult conversation about money is to start by commenting on our own feelings rather than making assumptions about the other person’s point of view and likely response. [23:04]Two Bible verses that have been really significant for Mike, Emma and the family over the years are, ‘Be imitators of Christ’ (Ephesians 5.1) and ‘Love is kind’ (1 Corinthians 13.4). [25:29]When asked for ‘words of wisdom’ that could be passed on to other families, Emma comments that the key thing is that there is always hope and there is always the possibility for change. [27:31] Sometimes, for change to happen, we need to open ourselves up to receiving external assistance, as Emma acknowledges when talking about the post-Covid support that she and Mike received from Adoption UK. [29:01]If anyone is interested in engaging the services of a coach, Emma suggests looking for one who is accredited by the ICF, the International Coaching Federation. The Life Coach Directory and Barefoot Coaching are also good sources of information and recommendations when looking for a coach. For her part, Emma is happy for people to contact her for an introductory chat about coaching. Her email address is emma@kcoaching.uk, and information about the services that she offers through her business, Kairos Coaching, can be found at https://www.kcoaching.uk/. [30:12]A further bonus episode with a special guest will be published on 20 May 2026. [32:02]Suggestions or feedback arising from this episode can be sent via email to whereyourtreasureis@freerangepodcasting.co.uk while messages via Instagram should be directed to @whereyourtreasureispodcast.Our Instagram page will also provide you with additional content and features.This show has been brought to you by Free Range Podcasting.You can sign up to receive news and updates about this podcast by filling out the brief form to which you will be taken when clicking here: https://where-your-treasure-is.kit.com/13c7b5fec6