Owlbus Financial Coaching Services was established in 2020 and serves clients in Bowling Green, Kentucky and the surrounding region. Created amid the COVID-19 crisis and related financial difficulties, Owlbus was born out of necessity and has since flourished into a thriving personal finance resource for both individuals and businesses.
When unexpected setbacks wiped out their retirement plans, Owlbus founder Shawn O’Keefe and his wife Toni were left in serious debt. “We needed to do something,” shared O’Keefe, “and I decided to use money coaching techniques to move us out of the financial hole we found ourselves occupying.”
Upon achieving success in that personal endeavor, O’Keefe realized that the techniques he implemented in his own life could and should be offered to a wide range of people seeking increased financial stability. Owlbus Financial Coaching Services was established both to serve individual clients and to provide an employee retention strategy for firms.
“I realized that these services were often needed by people who are making good money but are still living paycheck to paycheck,” O’Keefe pointed out. “We are not a credit counseling firm, but rather we mentor households in developing sound money management techniques that are personalized, not based upon a cookie-cutter approach.”
Owlbus’ mission is to provide customers with benefits that result in a lifetime of financial security. The Owlbus team develops workable approaches that households can understand and implement to bring about a self-developed solution to their personal finance challenges. The Owlbus coaching system is focused on incorporating fiscal discipline with a “mind-body-spirit” approach. This extends beyond simple financial coaching and focuses on a deeper method of mentoring clients to help them achieve their unique goals.
“Coaching is task-oriented, goal-driven and short-term,” O’Keefe explained, “while mentoring is relationship-oriented, holistic and long-term. In order to truly assist people with their issues, mentoring is a much better approach.”
Owlbus is dedicated to maintaining a high level of service, professionalism and integrity, as well as a strong focus on customer satisfaction. The Owlbus structure of services is strategically designed to allow companies to offer Owlbus services as a benefit to employees. Because of this, Owlbus is committed to achieving client satisfaction on multiple levels, both for the individuals receiving the financial services and for the client firms who pay for those services on behalf of their employees.
By partnering with firms, Owlbus expands their source of potential clients, and private firms can extend their employee benefits at little overall cost. As O’Keefe noted, “Firms are happy to provide our services as long as it helps their staff and cuts down on turnover and employee non-attendance. We never lose sight of that reality.”
Owlbus has worked with the Kentucky APEX Accelerator to successfully obtain a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business certification through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). “The Kentucky APEX Accelerator has been useful in helping me secure my SDVOSB certification and in development of my capability statement,” said Owlbus founder Shawn O’Keefe. While Owlbus continues to focus on private firms and retail clients, they are also exploring opportunities to do business with local and state government entities.
You can learn more about Owlbus Financial Coaching Services by visiting their website, and you can also connect with them on YouTube and LinkedIn. They would love to hear from you!
