Work at the Intersection of Money and Purpose with Val Nelson

In this episode, our guest Val Nelson and I open up about the beautiful, complex journey of building a career that actually fits. Val shares how her path—from burnout and confusion to alignment and clarity—was anything but linear. We talk about what it really means to be someone who craves both meaning and stability in their work, and how energy, money, and purpose intersect. Along the way, Val shares how discovering her sensitivity shifted her relationship to career, business, and self-trust.

We also explore how social justice shows up in pricing models, what scarcity feels like in the body, and how nature’s seasons can become guides for our work. Val’s honesty and presence make this conversation a grounding space for anyone navigating a tender chapter in their professional life. Whether you're dreaming of self-employment or just need permission to take more breaks, you’ll find something in here that speaks to your inner knowing.

Val Nelson: The Black Swan Coach

Val Nelson is a career and business coach with over 15 years of experience supporting introverts and highly sensitive people (HSPs), including those who identify as sensitive extroverts. Known as the Black Swan Coach, Val helps clients find meaningful, sustainable work that aligns with their energy and values. Her compassionate, intuitive approach has guided countless INFJs and ENFJs toward careers and businesses that nourish both their souls and their bank accounts.

Val offers career clarity coaching, business mentoring for women solopreneurs, and online courses such as Find the Best Use of You Now and Could I Leave My 9-5?. She also leads intimate groups for SOULpreneurs—heart-centered entrepreneurs seeking wise pacing and grounded purpose. With a deep commitment to accessibility and social justice, Val integrates reparative pricing models and equity-based practices into her business. She lives in New England, where the rhythm of the seasons informs both her personal life and professional planning.

Episode Highlights

[00:03:33] A Winding Path to Purposeful Work
[00:05:44] The Myth of Choosing Between Meaning and Money
[00:08:06] Discovering Sensory Processing Sensitivity
[00:12:07] Sensitivity as a Superpower in Coaching
[00:22:04] The Financial Messages from Childhood
[00:28:34] How Scarcity Feels in the Body
[00:36:10] Seasonal Planning as a Grounding Practice
[00:38:34] Reparations and Equity-Based Pricing as an Entrepreneur
[00:45:04] Navigating Criticism Around Equity and Inclusion
[00:50:04] Purpose-Driven Work and Social Justice in Coaching

Keywords

#SensitiveEntrepreneur #EnergyBasedPlanning #PurposeDrivenWork #SensitiveFounder #QuietLeader #IntuitiveEntrepreneur #MindfulCareer #AuthenticWork #EconomicJustice #SomaticCoaching #BodyWisdom #HolisticMoney #ConsciousCapitalism

Resources

Val Nelson
Courses
LinkedIn

Watch our video conversation on YouTube

Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. All the Colors is not a registered entity and is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers and read our Form CRS.