A Financial Visionary Redefining Wealth Mindsets
For over a decade, Ashten Barber has been a guiding force in the financial industry, helping clients navigate economic cycles, life transitions, and personal financial growth. As the founder of Eclipse Financial Advisors, her company is built on the principle that financial markets, like eclipses, are cyclical and predictable. Yet, while the market may follow patterns, every client’s financial journey is uniquely shaped by their life experiences.
Ashten’s approach to finance is deeply personal. She doesn’t just look at numbers, she looks at lives. Whether working with a 20-year-old just starting out, a middle-aged entrepreneur building wealth, or a widow in her late 70s adjusting to life without her spouse, she tailors her guidance to each individual’s reality.
Ashten’s financial mindset was shaped early on. Raised with the belief that money is a privilege rather than a burden, she learned from her mother’s disciplined approach to credit. Her mother secured her first credit card at a time when women had to prove financial responsibility before being approved. This instilled in Ashten a deep respect for financial management.
She recalls being shocked as an adult when she discovered that people carried balances on their credit cards. “I had my first child before I found out that you could actually carry a balance. That blew my mind.” To her, debt was not a tool but credit was. This perspective, coupled with a habit of meticulously tracking finances, became the foundation of her career.
Interestingly, Ashten never set out to become a financial expert. Her original dream was to be an actress. But after spending a year on stage and rarely seeing her soon-to-be husband, she realized that lifestyle wasn’t for her. A surprising turn came when they did their first tax return together and she found the process fascinating.
Initially, she pursued accounting but quickly realized she wasn’t a “paper person” instead she was a “people person.” Finance was the perfect balance, allowing her to blend numbers with human connection. Though her father initially resisted her career change, believing she was giving up her true passion, her mother’s discovery of personal finance books among her teenage romance novels proved otherwise.
One of the most common misconceptions Ashten encounters is that financial advisors are only for the wealthy. In reality, she believes financial planning is for everyone. She has worked with clients who spent years fearing financial instability, only to discover they had hidden wealth they never realized they could use.
Her philosophy revolves around three key principles:
1. Start with planning – Understand your vision, goals, and what you want from your financial future.
2. Build trust and clarity – Be informed about your financial situation rather than overwhelmed by it.
3. Think generationally – Include family in financial discussions to ensure long-term stability and knowledge transfer.
Ashten identifies two primary mistakes people make with money:
1. Letting emotions dictate financial decisions: She emphasizes that while money is inherently emotional, decisions should not be reactive. Market fluctuations, recessions, and financial challenges are part of the economic cycle, just like seasons in a year.
2. Being too afraid to start: Many people delay investing or planning out of fear. But financial success doesn’t happen by accident, it requires intentional action.
Her number one tip? Be honest with yourself. Numbers don’t lie. She often references a quote by John Acuff: “Data kills denial, which prevents disaster.” Tracking expenses and being aware of financial habits eliminate surprises and foster financial stability.
She compares financial health to physical health: “When you eat unhealthy, your body shows it. With money, the effects are hidden, until they’re not.”
Though she is a finance expert, running a business was an entirely different challenge. “I know how to do my job, but running a business is another beast,” she admits. Her advice to new entrepreneurs? Be 100% sold on what you do. Passion fuels persistence, and persistence creates success.
She keeps a quote on her desk that serves as a daily reminder: “It takes time to create excellence. If it could be done quickly, more people would do it.”
Balancing Work and Family
While her original dream was to be a stay-at-home mom, she has found a fulfilling middle ground. She prioritizes quality over quantity when it comes to time with her children, a lesson she learned from her own father.
Still, she makes time for herself, an often-overlooked necessity for many parents and entrepreneurs. From sitting on the beach to reading romance novels, she embraces life’s simple joys. “Seasons change. Priorities shift. We grow older. And we’re meant to embrace it and not fight it.”
Final Words of Wisdom
Ashten Barber’s journey exemplifies perseverance, adaptability, and financial empowerment. Her ultimate piece of advice? Trust your intuition, block out external noise, and live life on your own terms.
Because in the end, it’s your life, and no one will care more about it than you do.
“Financial Planning and Investment Advisory Services offered through Sovran Advisors, LLC. Securities offered through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC (doing insurance business in CA as CFGAN Insurance Agency LLC, CA insurance license #0644976), member FINRA/SIPC. Fixed insurance products offered through Sovran Financial & Insurance Services, CA Insurance license # 6010594. Sovran and Cetera are unaffiliated and under separate ownership from any other named entity.”
