meet Our PEOPLE

Lead Advisor

Amanda Bearden, CFP®
Amanda started her career at a large financial planning firm, and it was awesome! She worked on many different cases and saw how different advisors worked with families. She quickly took financial planning courses and got her CFP® designation. She began working with families and loved it. But after some time, Amanda started to see the cracks.
The Realization...
She felt like something was missing. Clients would often look great on paper, but they didn't feel good about their money. She realized the traditional wealth management model was often failing to address the deeper human side of money. She noticed with an annual meeting model, clients would come in and leave with a long list of homework. A year would go by, they would meet again, but she'd be having the same conversations on all the things they need to get done. The lack of accountability meant the best-laid plans were stalling.
Why Financial Zen
When she got introduced to Financial Zen, she naturally gravitated towards the high-touch system that focuses heavily on coaching, behavioral finance, and accountability. The mission stood out to her, too. Financial Zen is all about helping people achieve financial independence as quickly and comfortably as possible. As Lead Advisor, Amanda helps members get their financial house in order, so they can live out the truest version of themselves.
For Fun!
Amanda's free time is usually spent outside! On the weekends she's either camping, skiing, or exploring beautiful San Francisco. When she moved to the city, she began taking her photography more seriously and now photographs engagements for couples! Amanda values time with friends, deepening her relationships, and trips back to Michigan to spend time with family.

Senior Relationship
Manager

Taylor Barnes
Taylor knows that a financial plan without coordination is just a nice-looking PDF gathering dust. Having spent her career in the independent RIA space, she’s seen how the traditional "big bank" model fails to give people the actual execution they need to win. As Senior Relationship Manager, Taylor is the bridge between the big-picture strategy and the finish line. She handles the heavy lifting of financial organization and provides the high-level accountability required to help our members achieve Financial Zen. A University of Nebraska at Omaha alum with a degree in Business Management, Taylor brings a Midwestern "get-it-done" work ethic to our team. She specializes in making the complex simple, ensuring that every piece of a member's financial house is working toward one goal: their freedom.
For Fun!
When she’s off the clock, Taylor is likely in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes or traveling the globe (21 countries and counting). Based in North Carolina, she stays grounded by spending time with her partner, Sean, her family back in Omaha, and her big, fluffy cat, Kitten.

Financial Planning Analyst

Claudine Abrigana
Behind every strong financial plan is someone making sure the numbers actually tell the truth. As a Financial Planning Analyst at Financial Zen, Claudine supports the team by organizing, analyzing, and refining the financial data that drives each member’s financial strategy. Claudine didn’t always know she would end up in financial planning, but she has always been drawn to how structure and detail can shape real outcomes in people’s lives. Her focus is on ensuring the foundation of every plan is accurate, organized, and thoughtfully built, paying close attention to the details that often go unseen but make all the difference: assumptions, projections, data integrity, and the clarity of the overall financial picture.
For Fun!
Outside of work, Claudine enjoys traveling, discovering great food, and spending time with her husband, their two beautiful boys, and family and friends. She values creating meaningful memories with the people she loves and staying grounded in the moments that matter most.

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