"Money or Life: Nadia Koleva on Creating Wealth and Prosperity"

Interview with Nadia Koleva - director at a leading financial broker and founder of NNfinances - a brand for financial independence and psychology.

Nadia, what is the main mission of your team?

The financial health of our customers and partners, and from there – a happier life. Money has only two functions - it is a tool for happiness now and security in the future. We teach people how to use it more effectively.

How does financial psychology and literacy help achieve financial independence and happiness in life?

Financial psychology defines how we perceive, understand and manage our finances. It has to do with being aware of the values we have imbibed in our childhood and early years about money – from parents, school, friendships, personal experience.

Under the influence of the subconscious fear of scarcity, for example, a tendency to accumulate - of things, indiscriminate relationships, kilograms - often develops. Instead of achieving a sense of security, we slide further and further down the spiral of dissatisfaction, even when from the outside it seems that we have everything. This is the first – for the client to realize that he is sabotaging himself.

We work to achieve more awareness and useful habits. It is logical: if you decide to put your finances in order and start acting consistently - everything improves just like the domino effect, but positively - a healthier lifestyle, improving relationships, giving up ineffective behavior. Our role with the team is to encourage and assist in this process. Finance is an area on which all others depend.

We have a very recent example of a lady who shared that as a result of our joint work, she has significantly reduced spending and has already saved an amount with a good return. By reducing financial stress and now seeing a clear direction, she has reduced emotional eating, which has had a positive effect on her figure and health. She herself jokes that "we turned the extra pounds into money."

What specific challenges did you face in developing NNfinances and how did you overcome them?

In Bulgaria, financial literacy is not taught in school, parents are not in the habit of teaching their children about it. They themselves massively do not know the basic rules for their personal finances, even if they receive high incomes.

We have a long way to go, but the scope for work and performance is vast and satisfying.

In the world of finance, how does your approach and methods differ from others in the market?

With integrity and thoroughness. I don't sell products, I analyze the person's situation. Only then can we provide an adequate solution and direct you to specific steps and the right products. We work with all finance and insurance companies so that our professional opinion is unbiased and customers don't have to compare complex terms themselves.

Can you share a success story or a story of a customer who changed their life thanks to your services?

Thankful feedback is a favorite part of our job.

Here is an example of a family with two children from very recently. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, couples rarely get around to financial topics beyond paying the bills and planning vacations. Everyone comes from a birth family with different values, including money. After our consultations, partners are more aware of themselves and their partner's way of thinking and leave with a concrete plan of action. This will bring them together and prevent future conflicts and problems.

Also a recent example - a client realized that it is not enough just to work hard. We helped him secure an additional source of income for more security and a program to maintain his standard of living.

For companies, the focus is employee satisfaction and motivation and optimization of salary and insurance costs.

We work with a lot of ladies. They become more confident to make decisions about their personal finances, to develop business skills. We create an environment for this to happen with ease.

What advice would you give to entrepreneurs and business owners just starting out in the world of finance?

Not to give up when the going gets tough. To trust the example of successful people instead of fear in the voice of relatives. To be brave - we come out of every situation either with success or with a lesson.