It can be easy to read a book offering personal finance advice and expect to see the same recycled information such as budget worksheets, money envelopes, and debt snowball plans.  As I read “Get Your Money Right: The 7 Keys to Unlocking a Better Financial Future” by Kembala Evans, I expected more of the same, and I was thankfully incorrect in my assumption.

Not that the book does not offer familiar advice, but Kembala’s means of delivery offers much more than regular personal finance fare.

Kembala Evans: A Voice of Reason and Guidance

The author is a coach and motivator, and that certainly shines through in her writing.  I was trying to find a good way of describing her way of communicating (I tend to think in pictures or situations), and Kembala had the perfect example in a scenario she shares in her book.

She explained that one day on the subway a total stranger decided to ask her a financial question, and while she was speaking with this woman, a group of people gradually became drawn into the conversation with a lively Q and A taking place her whole 45-minute ride.

This is EXACTLY the picture in my head – a scenario with a lot of voices speaking, but slowly and surely the whole room starts gravitating to the singular voice that makes the most sense.  Kembala Evans is that voice.  She skillfully balances a very detailed, professional approach to financial matters, while inspiring her reader to act.

Get Your Money Right

From the first few pages it becomes apparent that this book is not just about a plan to get out of debt, it’s about the mindset of the person behind the monetary decisions.

Many Americans are still in debt, still living from paycheck to paycheck – or worse, living on credit to get by.  There are many reasons we got to this point, but the fact is, we are HERE and we need to do something to get ourselves out of this mess.   

Get Your Money Right is not another system.  It is a practical look at what we all face on a day-to-day basis in regards to money, the mistakes we make, and how, by well-informed decisions and actions, we can take every aspect of our financial life and make it work toward our goals.

This book paves that path by taking the reader by the hand, giving them the courage to move out of their current situation, and providing them with the primary tools they’ll need to make sure they never go back to a debt-ridden life again.

As far as motivation, Kembala gives: examples from her own life, words of wisdom, case studies, inspiring quotes, and success stories.  These are seamlessly weaved throughout each chapter to help cement the reader’s resolution to change.

The chapters also give basic instruction on budgeting, saving, goal mapping, and credit wisdom.  Along these lines, Kembala is extremely specific in her coaching and advice.  She does not just say, “open up a savings account”, but she discusses the different savings options, goes over important financial vocabulary you may encounter, and gives you a website where you can compare interest rates!  With every nugget given, there is great care taken to allow the reader to feel secure in the next step.

What I appreciated in her communication is that her attention to detail is in no way condescending; it is more of a testament to her proficiency, and her care that her readers succeed.  She repeatedly provides phone numbers, websites, and names resources so the reader can grow in their financial education and understanding.

My Overall Impression

As you can probably tell so far, I am really excited about this book.  One of the reasons is that as I was reading I could begin to picture people in my life that would respond well to it.  There are many books out there that one could read, but people are drawn to a ‘voice’ (eg. Some people love Dave Ramsey’s aggressive, “in your face” approach).

I think Kembala’s book, with its motivational style, coupled with her obvious expertise, and its “no-excuse” care and detail, makes it one that the most finance-leery person may be willing to read, and hopefully utilize to change their situation.

One of my favorite things about reading this book is that it made me want to recheck and reinforce things that I am ALREADY doing!  For example, in the section on ‘Watch Where Your Money Goes… Literally’, I had to fight the urge to put the book down and start calculating the most recent pay stub to make sure every penny taken out was correct.  It really is that motivating 😀

The only part about the book that I did not particularly like was the “Develop the Mindset” chapter.  While I agree that it is necessary to have the right mindset to achieve any goal, I don’t personally prescribe to the idea of positive thinking and the power of words to the extent the author presents them.  Although this is the case, I think Kembala does a fine job of explaining her beliefs on the subject, and presents the reader with common ground where it is clear that having the right mindset and a positive outlook is essential to successfully achieving goals.

Get Your Money Right drives home the fact that caring about your money does show care about yourself.  When we neglect our finances, and put ourselves in debt bondage, it speaks volumes about our priorities in terms of our own lives, our families, and our futures.

Although we may all know people that are afraid to look at their finances, I am sure those same people care about the future of their families.  I think those people should get a copy of this book, it may just be the thing to get them over that hurdle. It’s that good.

Kembala Evans is the Founder of KP Evans Financial, a personal finance education and coaching firm focused on educating, motivating, and empowering people to take control of their financial futures. She has a bachelor of business administration in marketing and management from the University of Miami. Kembala also has 12 years of business consulting experience working at Accenture. As an experienced executive, she managed multi-million dollar programs and worked with many Fortune 500 clients to improve their business performance. She left Accenture to pursue her passion for helping everyday people improve their personal finances.