Living a Fantastic Life with Wendy Brookhouse
Building Wealth Beyond the Numbers
In this episode of How to Live a Fantastic Life, Dr. Allen Lycka welcomes Wendy Brookhouse, founder and chief strategist of Black Star Wealth in Halifax, Canada. Wendy has built a reputation for simplifying how clients grow and protect wealth—not by focusing only on the math, but by paying close attention to behaviors and decision-making. As an author of Burn Your Budget and host of The Real Bottom Line podcast, Wendy empowers business owners and professionals to create financial strategies that align with their values while planning for both today and tomorrow.
Her journey into financial advising began over two decades ago when she realized she could improve the way people were served. By staying independent from the beginning, Wendy learned to build products and services that met people where they were, instead of pushing standard industry formulas. That independence laid the foundation for her practical, client-first approach that has shaped her career.
The Secrets Business Owners Miss
Wendy reveals that too many entrepreneurs ignore key principles that determine long-term success. She stresses the importance of paying yourself first, while also preparing for the reality that not every business is sellable in the future. Life can change suddenly—through illness, divorce, or business partner disputes—and without preparation, owners risk losing everything they’ve built.
One of Wendy’s strongest recommendations is for leaders to track cash flow weekly and assess business value regularly. She explains how businesses can command higher valuations when they are structured to run independently of their founders. In addition, she highlights how mispricing products and failing to understand costs quietly destroy margins. She compares perceived value to the difference between a Rolex and a Timex—both tell time, but the one positioned as an icon generates greater returns.
Creating a Life and Business That Lasts
Together with Dr. Lycka, Wendy explores how successful owners balance financial prudence with opportunity. She explains when debt is a strategic tool versus a red flag, how to keep a sales funnel healthy, and why a simple money dashboard helps owners make smarter decisions. She also emphasizes the critical role of building a unique selling proposition that cuts through marketplace noise and connects with the right clients.
Connect with Wendy Brookhouse:
- Email: Wendy@BlackStarWealth.comLinkedIn: Wendy BrookhouseWebsite: BlackStarWealth.com
BIO:
Wendy Brookhouse knows how to find, keep and grow your wealth. She is the Founder and Chief Strategist of Black Star Wealth where she weaves in her experience in business consulting, business ownership, and focusing on simplification to achieve outstanding results. Knowing that creating wealth takes more than just math, Wendy addresses the baggage and behaviors that keep people from doing what is in their own financial interests.Wendy is a Certified Financial Planner with an Executive MBA and she’s the author of Burn Your Budget: How to Spend Your Way to Financial Freedom. She serves on the faculty of the Women’s Leadership Intensive; served as chair and a director of Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia and Junior Achievement of Canada. She is a media ambassador for FP Canada and the host of The Real Bottom Line, a podcast featuring entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. She loves Rugby and is always ready to travel for a good concert.
Social Media Links:
- Black Star Wealth – Halifax Financial AdvisorsBlack Star Wealth | Halifax NS | FacebookWendy Brookhouse | Financial Confidence, Delivered - YouTubeBlack Star Wealth (@blackstarwealth) • Instagram photos and videoshttps://ca.linkedin.com/in/wendybrookhouse?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_mweb&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile