For Heidi Casino, a Registered Financial Planner, hitting rock bottom didn’t just challenge her finances—it tested everything she thought she knew about money.
After a business venture drained her savings, Heidi faced a new kind of stress. “It reached the point where I had to transfer my kids from a private school to a school na mas mura ang tuition fee,” she told Financial Adviser PH. “I felt so defeated. Ang tagal mong walang problema sa pera, nag-RFP ka pa… tapos sarili mo, hindi mo matulungan.”
But instead of staying stuck in guilt, she got strategic—and resourceful.
The first step? Clarity.
“After I had the conversation with my family, I did a financial needs analysis. I had to detach my emotions and look at the numbers,” she said. That shift gave her the confidence to face her situation head-on and build a plan.
Her next move: communicate with creditors. “Tinawagan ko ‘yung mga debtors, tinanong ko kung anong payment schemes ang puwede. Praise God, after two years, I was debt-free,” she shared.
Heidi also leaned into one of the most overlooked tools in personal finance: a side hustle. “Nag-add ako ng side hustle. Typical kung ano ‘yung sinasuggest ko sa mga clients,” she said. Alongside that, she upskilled, using the very RFP principles she teaches others to rebuild her own path.
“I realized that even if I’ve studied all this, kapag ikaw na ‘yung nasa sitwasyon, emotions get in the way. But when I applied the frameworks I learned from RFP, everything became clearer,” she said.
The comeback didn’t just pay off her debt—it changed her entire approach. “Now I can look someone in the eye and say, ‘Ito gawin mo, kasi ginawa ko na.’ It’s no longer just theory—it’s lived experience,” Heidi said.
Her biggest takeaway? Money problems need more than math—they need honesty, humility, and hustle. “I tell people: if you’re struggling, don’t hide it. Tell the people directly affected, especially your family. You’ll be surprised how much strength they can give you.”
Heidi’s journey proves what financial resilience really looks like: not perfection, but persistence.
