This isn't your ordinary learn about money course

Your money. Your values. Your life.

What if they all moved in the same direction?

Groundwork is a hands-on, guided, video-enhanced experience that orients your money, values, and life in a way that actually feels good

Direction Matters

Most people never stop to ask why their money moves the way it does.

They just keep going. Earning, spending, saving, avoiding, following patterns that were handed to them, absorbed from the world around them, or built around circumstances they didn't choose. It feels normal because it's familiar; but familiar and working aren't the same thing.

When your money isn't moving toward what you actually value, toward the life you actually want, something underneath is driving it. And until you know what that is, nothing on the surface really changes.

That's what Groundwork is for.

You dig into what's actually been running your money decisions. The unspoken rules. The messages you've absorbed. The beliefs that have quietly taken hold. Figure out where the misalignment is coming from, then build something that moves in the right direction. For you. For your values. For the life you really want.

"It wasn't rigid ... Money is an important thing and it does affect our hearts. There was permission to allow your heart to be affected by it."
Kalyea
I'm Ready

30 Foundational Lessons. Private Growth Plan session is included. You choose your level of support.

Sleep Better

Build the money skills that quiet the noise and make the day-to-day feel manageable.

An older and a younger woman smiling and relaxed together.

Trust Your Decisions

Get comfortable with the tools that help you know where you stand and move forward with clarity.

Gen X man smiling into the camera.

Build Something Solid

Learn to plan, save, and make intentional decisions that hold up over time.

A young person smiling outside their small business.

Open Up Your Options

When your money is moving in the right direction, more of what matters becomes possible.

A woman sitting quietly at home, enjoying a warm drink.

Why Groundwork Works Differently

Standard financial education teaches you what to do. It rarely asks why you're doing what you're doing, and it almost never goes underneath to find out.

Groundwork goes underneath.

Most financial education teaches you what to do. It doesn't ask why you're doing what you're doing. And it almost never looks underneath to find out. Groundwork was built around the way your brain actually learns: through stories, visuals, real conversation, and a process that adapts to who you are. Not a rigid formula. Not a set path. Something that actually fits.

Groundwork Animated Teachers are voiced by real coaches and counsellors

Be curious. Ask questions. Challenge yourself. Our Licensed Financial Wellness Guides are here to help you build the knowledge, habits, and plans needed for long-term financial wellbeing.

No Shame. No Guilt. No Judgement.

Excerpt from Groundwork: Self-Directed (lesson 1)

What You Experience

Four things Groundwork does
that most programs don't.

01

Teaches What Nobody Taught You

Most people were never shown how money actually works. Not in a way that made sense for real life. Groundwork covers the foundations simply, clearly, and without making you feel behind.

02

Shows What's Been Running Your Money

Most money problems aren't math problems. They're pattern problems. Groundwork helps you start to see the habits, beliefs, and outside influences that have been shaping your money decisions so you can work with them instead of against them.

03

Supports Money Decisions That Fit Your Life

There is no one-size money formula. The tools and worksheets in Groundwork are designed to flex around your values, your personality, and your real situation. What you build works because it's built around you.

04

Turns What You've Learned Into a Direction

Your private session with your Guide turns everything you've discovered into a clear direction for what could come next.

I'm Ready

30 Foundational Lessons. Private Growth Plan session is included. You choose your level of support.

What Participants Say

"It helps to see what you're doing with your money and to understand your behavior. I wish this class was available 13 years ago."
Kasey
"The biggest impact was about the motivation and encouragement you provided along with the concrete guidance included in each lesson."
Lisa
"I really loved being able to talk about this. It didn't feel like a chore. It was a satisfying feeling to be responsible."
Sophia
Animated Kathy alongside a photo of Kathy Steffan, Certified Financial Counsellor and creator of Groundwork.

Credentials

Trained well. Held accountable.

Groundwork was designed by Kathy Steffan. These are her certifications, and every Licensed Groundwork Expert she works with comes from these same trusted agencies.

Certified Financial Counsellor (CFC)

Certified Financial Counsellor (CFC™)

Trauma of Money Certified (TOM)

Trauma of Money Certified™ (TOM™)

Certified Financial Accountability Coach (CFAC)

Certified Financial Accountability Coach™ (CFAC™)

Cashflow Canvas Certified Coach

Cashflow Canvas™ Certified Coach

Coach Connections Member

Active Coach Connections Member

Excerpt from Groundwork: Self-Directed (Lesson 13)

Group Classes

Would you rather learn with a group? We have a version of Groundwork for groups that runs in-person and online. Connect with a Licensed Financial Wellness Guide to find out what's available.

Kathy Steffan, creator of Groundwork

Your Level of Support

Groundwork Comes With Support Built In.
You Decide How Much.

Every version of Groundwork includes a private Growth Plan session with your Licensed Financial Wellness Guide. When you finish the 30 lessons, you sit down together and turn what you've learned into a clear direction for what comes next.

Before you start, you choose your pace and your level of support.

Option 01

No Additional Support

Your lessons drip out on the schedule you choose. Your Licensed Financial Wellness Guide keeps an eye on your progress, steps in if you get stuck, reviews your completed worksheets, and runs your Growth Plan session when you're done.

CA$197.00

Option 02

Accountability and Encouragement

Everything in the first option, plus direct access to your Licensed Financial Wellness Guide by email throughout the program. Questions that can't wait get answered. Someone who knows your situation is in your corner the whole way through.

CA$197.00 + CA$147.00

Option 03

Private Sessions

This is where you get someone fully in your corner. Your Licensed Financial Wellness Guide meets with you biweekly for three months, with unlimited email and text in between, AND they know your full picture every time you hop into a session. When a concept doesn't land the way it's presented, or a tool doesn't fit how you think and do things, they help you find the version that works. Nothing gets left behind. Your situation. Your patterns. Your next steps. All of it, together.

CA$197.00 + CA$2,250.00 (3-month private, customized journey)
Licensed Financial Wellness Guides may have other packages available

Learn more about private sessions

Easy to Understand

Complex money concepts broken down into language that actually makes sense.

An older couple smiling at the camera.

Works With How You Think

No one-size approach. The tools and worksheets flex around your personality, your values, and your real situation.

A dad working at the kitchen table with his kids beside him

Designed to Stick

Clear instructions, visual concepts, and a pace that works for you. No pressure to perform, just space to learn.

A young woman smiling in a bright, plant-filled space.

Unbiased Information

Our Licensed Financial Wellness Guides don't sell financial products or investments. That means the guidance you get is focused entirely on you.

An older couple smiling and embracing outdoors.

Common Questions

Answers to what people ask most.

What does Groundwork actually cover?+

Your lessons journey in and out of five areas: Discovery, Refocus, Gain Control, Set a Plan, and Build Capacity. Together they help you identify where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there.

If you want the full picture before you start, download the 30-day syllabus and take a look.

What is Groundwork?+

Groundwork is a financial literacy program built and delivered by Licensed Financial Wellness Guides. It covers the core concepts people need to build healthy money habits and a healthier relationship with their finances. The program is very visual, adapts to a variety of personality types and learning styles, and doesn't teach a one-size approach. If you've been looking for financial education that is honest, practical, and actually fits the way your brain works, you're in the right place.

Who is Groundwork for?+

Groundwork is for anyone who wants to build a solid financial foundation and finally make sense of their money. If the basics were never taught to you, you've tried tools before that never quite fit, the traditional advice doesn't work for your situation, or you want to get ahead with your finances, this is where you start.

Is it personalized?+

In every lesson, you're encouraged to discover what works for you. We offer starting points and help you adapt from there. We don't teach a one-size approach because different people need different ways of doing things.

Is it Canadian or US?+

Groundwork was created for Canadians by two Canadians. The two countries have similar cultures and economies so the core concepts work for people living in both Canada and the United States. Statistics from both countries are included throughout. If you have a Licensed Financial Wellness Guide leading your sessions, they'll add details specific to your area.

What kind of groups use it?+

Groundwork has been run with groups of all sizes, from a handful of people learning together to hundreds at a time. It works for families, extended families, church groups, non-profits, outreach programs, community organizations, and workplace wellness programs.

If your group wants to learn together, book a Discovery Call and we'll figure out the right approach. For organizational programs, hop over to the Organizational Wellness page for more details.

Who runs Groundwork?+

It matters to us that people get genuinely good help. All the facilitators for our group programs are professionally trained and hold a Groundwork license. In the self-directed version, you move through the lessons on your own or with a small group. Each person needs their own login to get support, complete the activities, and book their Growth Plan session.

How long is each session?+

Self-Directed: There are 30 lessons. Videos take most people five to fifteen minutes to watch. Completing the action items averages about thirty minutes. The Growth Plan session is 45 minutes long.

Group Programs: Timing depends on who's running it and where. Your Licensed Financial Wellness Guide will usually group the lessons into six to twelve sessions. The Growth Plan session is 20 minutes long. Most online sessions run about 90 minutes. In-person sessions work well at two hours, with weekly action items averaging about thirty minutes.

Private Packages: You'll watch the videos on your own, five to fifteen minutes each, thirty in total. You and your Licensed Financial Wellness Guide meet for 45 minutes at a time and decide together what to work on between meetings based on what you need.

I've done other money programs. Is this different?+

Groundwork approaches financial education differently from most programs you may have tried. It was created in Canada for both Canadian and American audiences, and it focuses on the why behind your money decisions, not just the what. Every version is led or supported by a Licensed Financial Wellness Guide, a trained professional who can adapt the material to your specific situation. If you've taken a money program before and want to go deeper into what's actually been driving your money decisions, Groundwork is a natural next step.

Was AI used to create it?+

Groundwork was created long before AI was accessible to the general public. Kathy Steffan is the main creator and her husband Chris worked with her to build the original program and tools. They've been running and revising it for over 14 years.

We use AI to polish our own well-developed ideas for emails and marketing, and to find alternative ways to say something when we're stuck. We use it carefully and respect the creative community by honoring copyrights and paying for services.

You'll hear a few AI-generated voices in the latest group version, used to fill in where a coach's audio wasn't usable and in some newer sections. All other narrators are actual financial coaches in the Accountable Network. We kept the audio authentic rather than over-polished so you'd hear real teachers.

Can I just watch the videos?+

The videos are where it starts. The real shifts happen in the activities, the reflection, and the Growth Plan session where everything comes together.

Diversity and inclusion+

Because we believe everyone is immensely valuable, we work hard to make our programs safe for people of any race, gender, age, religion, identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, and background. We show up as our authentic selves so you can show up as yours.

If you identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, you have every right to be treated with honor and respect. We want to be a safe space and are happy to have a conversation so we can find the right Licensed Financial Wellness Guide to help you.

Land acknowledgement+

Groundwork was built on Treaty 7 territory in Calgary, Alberta, the traditional home of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani Nations), the Tsuut'ina Nation, and the Iyarhe Nakoda Nations, as well as the Metis Nation of Alberta District 6. We are grateful to live and work on this land.

Our Licensed Financial Wellness Guides work across Canada and the United States, on the traditional territories of many Indigenous peoples. We acknowledge that the financial systems we teach were built largely on colonial foundations, and we hold that awareness as we serve people from every background. We are committed to approaching this work with humility, ongoing learning, and genuine respect.

Confidentiality+

We respect your confidentiality and don't share anything we learn in our sessions with anyone else. Before you start, you'll sign a Client Agreement that outlines both your role and ours regarding confidentiality.

Our portal is HIPAA compliant and uses encrypted messaging for communication and file storage, keeping your work safe. We don't collect sensitive personal data and don't share your email or contact information with any outside agency, vendor, or partner without your approval.

If you're cautious about sharing information with people you don't know yet, that makes complete sense. All we really need from you is an active email and a payment. You don't even have to use your real name if you'd rather not. Money is an important topic and it's fine to take your time getting comfortable.

Is this a Christian program?+

Steffan Consulting Inc., the creator of Groundwork, is not a faith-based company. Our work is ethics-driven and people-centered. The skills and tools we teach are practical, respectful, and useful for anyone, whatever their beliefs.

We do offer some programs designed specifically for Christ-centered churches and communities, for those who want that approach. Our Licensed Financial Wellness Guides come from many backgrounds and belief systems.

At our core, we meet people where they are and serve them with care, integrity, and respect.

Code of ethics+

All our Licensed Financial Wellness Guides must sign and uphold our code of ethics.

Deliver quality guidance:
  • Offer help to the best of your ability
  • Use the Groundwork curriculum responsibly
  • Honor each participant's unique situation, values, and pace
Act professionally:
  • Maintain honesty and professionalism in all interactions
  • Protect participant privacy and confidentiality
  • Clearly communicate what you can and cannot provide
  • Encourage appropriate referrals when participants need support beyond your scope
Create a supportive environment:
  • Continue your own learning and development
  • Follow all applicable laws and regulations
  • Make reasonable efforts to create a safe, inclusive learning environment
  • Help participants feel empowered, not judged, as they build healthy financial foundations

Can I change my Groundwork Expert?+

If you're not happy with the Licensed Financial Wellness Guide you've chosen, or if you have any concerns about how things are going, please reach out. We can't guarantee specific outcomes, but we want to make sure you have the best possible experience and may be able to help you find a better fit.

More questions? Book a Discovery Call

Ready to Start

Everything you need is right here. You choose your pace, your support, and your start date.

I'm Ready

30 Foundational Lessons. Private Growth Plan session is included. You choose your level of support.