Why “Fortuna”? And what’s with the Ferris wheel?

When I wanted to start a website and a business, I had a hard time thinking of a name. Everything I came up with was obscure, awkward, or already taken.

Mr. Fortuna had been listening to a podcast where they mentioned that brands seeking original names would do well to turn to ancient mythology; he looked up mythological figures associated with money and suggested Fortuna. Somehow, no one else had nabbed “Fortuna Money” yet, and the more I researched Fortuna, the more I appreciated her.

Fortuna is a Roman goddess variously described as the goddess of luck, chance, fate, abundance, and prosperity (she’s analogous to the Greek goddess Tyche, if you’re a geek for the Greeks). Most portrayals show her holding a cornucopia overflowing with coins; some show her blindfolded, while others associate her with a wheel — the “Rota Fortunae” — that spins randomly and deals out wild reversals of fortune.

There’s a double-edged aspect to this: our luck can change quickly — good or bad — and the things that come our way aren’t necessarily fair. I appreciate this duality. There are always factors outside our control that affect us profoundly, for better or worse, and there are also many things we can do to create more abundant and prosperous lives despite the reversals of fortune that may come our way.

The Ferris wheel in our logo is a whimsical nod to the Rota Fortunae. A big part of what we do here at Fortuna Money is empower you to face life’s changes and challenges. Even if things are relatively chill for you right now, we help you make the most of the ups, and prepare you to ride out the downs in a position of security and stability.

Why do you charge money to help people who already have financial problems?

This is a totally fair question. To be honest, I grappled with it myself. It boils down to this: If you want to make changes to your financial life, the information is out there. Although I’m working hard to find ways to make information relevant and accessible and fresh, I haven’t invented any of this, and there are already tons of resources that are available at relatively low cost or free.

If you want to build strength, you can watch lots of videos online, and check out library books, and do bodyweight exercises, and spend exactly zero dollars to do so. But lots of people still think it’s worth paying to belong to a gym, or to take fitness classes, or even to hire a personal trainer or teacher, because they want the accountability or the expertise, even just to get started.

So if you haven’t been able to make change stick on your own, there might be a reason. Do you need accountability? I offer compassionate accountability and a genuine desire to see you win with money. Do you need expertise? I worked for nearly five years in banking, I made (and learned from) plenty of personal financial mistakes and became debt-free, and I am certified to coach in the framework we followed to secure our own financial well-being.

I don’t want to make anyone’s financial situation worse, but I genuinely believe that working with me will make your financial situation better. So if you want a personal trainer to help you build your financial strength, I’m ok getting paid for that, because I’m confident that you’re going to see a giant return on your investment with me that continues well after our time together, and I offer generous need-based sliding-scale pricing.

Where are you guys?

We’ve lived in the Charlotte metro area since 2014. When I worked in the city, I loved the city but I hated my commute, and I also felt kind of weird about Charlotte. I felt overwhelmed by its traffic and explosive growth and grief-stricken by its economic inequality issues. I also wished we lived in one of the “cool” parts of town, not just in suburbia. (I seriously considered creating a blog called “Suburban AF,” and tbh I can’t promise that won’t happen at some point.) But a couple years ago I basically turned into this guy.

I love this city now, and one of the things that used to drive me crazy about it is now one of the things I love the most. In Charlotte, almost everyone is a transplant from somewhere else. This means the city’s character is sort of hard to define, but it also gives the town a warm, collegiate vibe – “oh, you’re new here? I am too, let’s be friends!” – which is a really nice departure from feeling like we’d have to chisel our way into a community. I grew up moving around a lot, and some places were not super fun to be “new.” Charlotte is really welcoming, and while it’s still a slightly bigger city than I think I can handle, I’m very happy to be here.

Where else can we find you on the interwebs?

I am so delighted you asked! Besides right here on the web, we are on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We’ve got a podcast, and we also have a monthly-or-so email roundup that we send out — it’s a friendly, low-key way to keep up with us.