Breaking the Money Fear That Holds Small Businesses Back

By Kekeletso Nkele, small.news Assistant

Kim is a part of the Silver Lining global community thanks to support from Wells Fargo.

(small.news) —Kim Roderick didn’t set out to become a Money Relationship Coach; she became one by noticing patterns others missed.

An award-winning coach, international speaker, two-time best-selling author, and Founder of Unbound University, LLC, Roderick has spent over a decade helping professionals and entrepreneurs dismantle the fear that quietly shapes their financial decisions. But her work didn’t start with money; it started with marketing.

In 2012, while teaching business owners, mostly women, how to market their companies, she noticed the same thing over and over:

“Every woman I worked with had the same story around money. They were afraid of it. Big time.” Fear showed up everywhere, in pricing, visibility, business models, and even ideas. Strategy alone couldn’t fix it.

When the Lesson Became Personal

Then life made it personal. After 14 years at her job, Roderick’s department was eliminated. She accepted a severance package and found herself starting over, building a business while confronting her own money fear.

“I was my own client avatar,” she explained. “I was experiencing the fear I was helping others work through.”

The Birth of Unbound Your Money Story™

This period became the foundation for Unbound Your Money Story™, a framework born from personal hardship and professional insight. Roderick wrote her way through the transition, learning to move from fear to freedom, not by earning more, but by changing how she related to money itself.

Her official launch in 2019 was messy. Coaching anyone who asked, charging without a clear model, and comparing herself to others led to burnout. Her first launch, “100 Women in 100 Days,” aimed to coach 100 women at a low cost for testimonials. She didn’t reach her goal.

“That failure taught me I didn’t need more hustle,” Roderick said. “I needed community, accountability, and direction.”

Finding the Missing Link

In 2023, she found that through Silver Lining and the silv=r™ program, though she almost talked herself out of applying.

“I didn’t think I qualified because I wasn’t making enough money. I made the call anyway.” Once approved, she discovered a supportive community, consistent coaching, and the accountability she had been missing.

“I’ve always been an island of one,” she said. “That doesn’t work in business.”

How Mindset Transforms Business Growth

Through Silver, Roderick focused on revenue-generating actions, consistency, and structure. By the end of 2025, she hit her revenue goal and unlocked new income streams she hadn’t expected.

“I found my missing link in silv=r™,” she revealed. “I needed accountability and community, and this program exceeded my expectations. Community matters.”

For Roderick, money freedom isn’t about spreadsheets; it’s about unbinding the stories that keep people stuck. Through mindset, accountability, and a community that cheers her on, she’s proving transformation is possible, even when the way forward isn’t clear.

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Running a small business can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. Become part of a global network of small business owners through silv=r™ by Silver Lining. Sign up now!