Kim’s Bookshelf

My entire life has been focused on being financially independent. I vowed early in my life that I would never give anyone the power to control me with money. I supported myself by living my dream! Cooking and spending time with people! I ran my own catering company but sold my business shortly after I married my husband, Gys, and my second son, Josh was born in 2001.

With the certain knowledge that I belonged somewhere in the world of financial planning, I enrolled for a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning (2007) and became a Certified Financial Planner® in 2008. The universe conspired in my favour and I was introduced to Barclay Hoar and John Campbell, owners of the independent financial planning business, Chartered Wealth Solutions.

I first discovered Mitch Anthony when I read his book The New Retirementality and I immediately realised that I had found someone who shares my passion and philosophy around holistic life planning.

Now a Shareholder and Director at Chartered Wealth Solutions we focussed on the area of retirement. It was then that I read Seth Godin’s book Tribes. I wanted to add extra value to our retirement clients, and in 2011, I established the retiresuccessfully.co.za website designed specifically for our clients in, at, or near retirement. The website is dedicated to supporting people in their retirement years to live the best and most purposeful life possible..

Have you ever won anything in your life? Well, I won the Purple Cow in a lucky draw. Not bad for a prize if you ask me!

During Seth’s Conference in New York, I won a limited edition poster of Purple Cow! This book reinforced my vision for financial planning in South Africa, and for Chartered Wealth Solutions. We would not follow the traditional mould of financial planning, we will offer something truly unique, something different with our true purpose to add value to the lives of our clients.

Chartered Wealth Solutions was now well established and by adding the Retire Successfully website to the Chartered family of brands, we felt what we were adding additional value to our clients. It was now time to look at how we could grow our business, but growing it in such a way to keep our clients “wowed” by what we do and what we offer.

The year 2011 stands out as one of the most significant years in my life. Retire Successfully was finally launched, but my journey of introspection was not over. Colleen-Joy re-entered my life and introduced me to her ILS (Inner Life Skills) Coaching course.

Now that I had a clearer understanding of how “magic” works, I wanted apply this concept to our retirement clients. So many people see retirement as the end of the road for them. They are filled with anxiety as they contemplate the concept of retirement and visualise it as a period of old age where they are no longer capable or able to make any contributions to the world.

It was on the last day of the Zappos Culture Camp that I met Simon Sinek. It was their quarterly company meeting and in true Zappo style, they hired a theatre and invited inspirational speakers to share the day with their 1300 staff members. I clapped (and yes, I may have ululated with joy) when Simon Sinek was announced as speaker. I had just read his book Start with Why and could not believe my luck that I was meeting him in person..

The years 2011 – 2012 was filled with abundance, excitement and growth at Chartered Wealth Solutions. We took a leap of faith and bought Chartered House in December 2011. John took on the project to renovate the building to create a warm, homely environment complete with parquet flooring. The house was a canvas just ready to be furnished and accesorised with all the WOW elements I learnt at Disney..

Brené Brown’s books have played a large part in my personal journey. In the process of learning, getting to know myself better and working with clients, I came across a Ted Talk video entitled The Power of Vulnerability featuring Brené Brown. This was my first introduction to Brené Brown, and the beginning of a long-term admiration for her work.

The Power of Vulnerability was not the end of my journey with Brené Brown. A good friend shared that Daring Greatly is one of her favourite books of all time.

Already in love with Brené Brown’s writing, I could not wait for my December break to read her new book.

Following on her courageous life lessons, this book describes the physics of vulnerability: “If we are brave enough, often enough, we will fall.” It is impossible to be perfect, and in life, chances are you will fail every now and again. The important lesson is to stand back up and try again.

Brenée’s most recent book, published in 2017 further guides us into bringing our whole selves into the world.

“True belonging doesn’t require us to change who we are. It requires us to be who we are,” says Brené Brown.

And finally I had the courage to launch my own brand. I now feel braver stepping into the world sharing my passion to help people align money with meaning to enable positive and powerful transitions.

You are probably reading this on my web-site, so you know that I launched the Kim Potgieter web-site and also wrote my first book published in 2015 called Retiremeant – get more meaning from you money.

During my research and quest to learn everything I could about our relationship with money, I kept coming across references to David Krueger. After reading The Secret Language of Money, I enrolled for David Krueger’s coaching course and qualified as a New Money Story® Mentor Coach in 2016.

David Krueger wrote Your Money Story: The Beliefs, Behaviors, and Brain Science to Rewire for Wealth in 2019. This book is a practical approach to recognise money behaviours formed by hidden assumptions and overcome the brain’s patterned responses that lead to bad decisions.

In my work as a Financial Planner, helping people formulate their Life Plans almost on a daily basis, I have come to realise that work is an essential part of feeling productive – and valued. Many of us, as we near midlife, start feeling threatened, undervalued and unsure of our work futures. I came across Chip Conley’s book, Wisdom @ Work, and, after reading the book, in true Kim style, I enrolled to attend a week’s workshop at the Elder Academy with Chip Conley himself in 2019.

It is no secret that I am Brené Brown’s biggest fan. After having read all her books, I was delighted that she published Dare to Lead in 2019. What did I do after reading her book? Yes, you guessed it. I enrolled to train with Brené herself to become a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator. Not only do I now present key-note talks and workshops on this work, but I integrate it into my own life, and those of my clients during Life Planning meetings on a daily basis.

I came across Atomic Habits while writing my second book. Yes, I know, I have been writing this book for going on two years now. And after reading what James Clear says about habits, how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviours that lead to remarkable results, I am more focussed than ever to complete my book this year.