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Meet Amanda
Co-Founder & Head Coach
Meet Amanda Atherton, PharmD, a seasoned clinical pharmacist with a passion for transforming not just healthcare but also financial well-being. With a rich background of 9 years of health coaching in her clinical pharmacy practice, Amanda has dedicated the past 5 years to a mission close to her heart — empowering healthcare professionals with the tools of financial literacy.
In her pharmacy career, Amanda realized that meaningful change, whether it be in your health or finances, begins by meeting individuals where they are and simplifying complex concepts into bite size, actionable pieces. This realization led her to delve into the world of money coaching to help others make sustainable change and take steps forward in their financial lives. She doesn't just focus on the 'HOW' of managing finances; she's all about exploring the 'WHY' behind our financial actions. Her goal is to help individuals not just comprehend but feel empowered to make transformative changes, understanding that mastering a few key concepts can alter the entire trajectory of their financial lives.
We all can agree that life becomes more challenging under financial stress, affecting everything from your personal life to work decisions. Amanda strives to help her clients build a solid financial foundation, inspiring them to take proactive steps with their money, have a clear and sustainable system to manage their finances, and use their hard earned dollars intentionally to battle stress and burnout and fund a life they absolutely love - both today and in retirement.
Meet Luke
Co-Founder & Tax Specialist
Meet Luke Schmidt, CPA, the Co-Founder and Tax Specialist at Mindful Cents. He's not just a numbers guy; he's the money mind behind our financial expertise. Luke's journey into the world of finance began at the University of Florida, where he earned his Bachelor's in Business Management in 2012. Subsequently, Luke pursued his passion for Accounting at the University of South Florida, eventually achieving the prestigious title of CPA in 2018.
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With a solid background in tax and public accounting, Luke brings exceptional attention to detail and a personalized approach to every Mindful Cents accounting client. He understands that each financial situation is unique and requires an individualized strategy.
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What sets Luke apart is his holistic perspective. As the numbers mind of Mindful Cents, he works closely with each client to provide in-depth financial education, ensuring that you fully comprehend your options and feel empowered to make informed decisions. Luke is not just here to handle your taxes and bookkeeping; he's the strategic thinker who navigates the complex world of finance, guiding you toward financial solutions that align with your goals and aspirations.
We're Amanda and Luke - we strive to feel like the friends you can feel comfortable talking about money with.
We're excited to share our story to highlight how tremendous financial change can happen when you have a solid foundation to build upon, and the space and support to be vulnerable and take action in your financial life.
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Our Journey to Financial Wellness
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When we first met, we quickly realized we had very different financial approaches.
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Luke was a numbers-minded, (maybe a little bit too) budget-conscious, minimalist on a mission to own a fully debt free, cash flowing rental property.
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Amanda, on the other hand, was a "frugal" bargain-hunter who sometimes found herself in the "buy now" trap of online shopping and mindlessly browsing the aisles of TJ Maxx to relieve stress. She graduated from pharmacy school feeling left to just"figure it out" when it came to personal finance and felt unsure and overwhelmed by how to navigate her student loan payoff, car payoff, and feel confident saving for retirement.
While many couples don't address their financial lives until they are nearly ready to join them forever, we jumped in head first shortly after we began dating. It was tax season after all, and Luke could certainly help Amanda with her taxes, right? After what started as a quick tutorial on tax filing turned into a real, vulnerable, and heartfelt conversation about our financial goals, what we truly want out of life, our barriers, and our strengths. From that conversation on, it felt like the door was unlocked to talk about money candidly and without stigma and we could truly embrace financial progress together as a team.
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From there, we embarked on a comprehensive financial review, examining every expense and reevaluating what truly mattered to us. The process not only transformed our finances but also strengthened our relationship.
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With newfound clarity on where our money was going, we felt overcome by a feeling of calm and control. We could now review every line item, weigh its value in our lives, and explore opportunities to add an intentional approach to our money choices. Instead of our paychecks and bank accounts dictating what we could do, we were now in the drivers seat, telling our money exactly where to go to best support our goals. When clearly laid out, we found areas to cut back on, but also found areas we wanted to spend much more on - and do so without guilt. With the clear view of our financial lives in place, we maintained a plan to put our money to work, putting money aside every month to fund the travel experiences of our dreams, paying off student loans, a car loan, a rental property mortgage, and accelerating our path towards a "work optional" life by saving and investing up to 50% of our income.
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Want to know the best part?
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Having the accountability, support, and motivation of not being alone in this journey allowed us both to accomplish more together than we ever could have alone. Instead of feeling paralyzed by the analysis paralysis of whether we were doing everything "right", we collaborated, laid out all the options, and found the "right for us right now" option we felt great about.
Through this financial journey we got honest about what exactly a fulfilling life looks like to us - that is -
having control over our time, sharing incredible experiences, living generously,
and we discovered how easy it actually is to let our finances take us in that direction once we put a system in place to decide where to go.
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Our Mission
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Our personal journey and passion for personal finance led us to create Mindful Cents.
Our goal? To empower you with the knowledge, tools, and support to navigate your financial journey with confidence. Our story is a testament to the transformational power of mindful financial management, and we're eager to help you experience it too.
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At Mindful Cents, you're not just a client; you're part of our financial community. We're here to provide guidance, support, and a judgment-free space for you to achieve your financial goals. We look forward to walking alongside you on your path to financial well-being.
