The Common Ground

Real change starts from the same place.

Whether it's your relationship with money, your dog, or your own life, it all begins with a nervous system that finally feels safe. No guilt. No shame. No pressure.

Find Your Path →

Where growth feels like coming home.

The philosophy

When your nervous system feels safe, everything changes, how you handle money, how your dog responds to you, how your own life feels.

Two services · one common ground

Most approaches skip the root cause.

Financial stress. A dog whose behavior you can't figure out. A life that feels like it belongs to someone else. These aren't character flaws or failures.

They're communication problems, and every one of them is workable.

When money feels dangerous, the nervous system avoids it. When a dog is labeled "stubborn" or "dominant," they're usually confused, overwhelmed, or not yet feeling safe enough to respond. When a career suffocates you, it's not weakness, it's clarity trying to break through.

The Common Ground works differently. We start with understanding, of your dog, your money, yourself, and build from there.

The philosophy

Nervous system first

When your body feels safe, learning sticks. Habits form. Real change becomes possible, without forcing it.

The approach

Education before advice

You deserve to understand the why before anyone tells you what to do. Information and clarity come first, always.

The result

No guilt. No shame.

Whether it's money or your dog, you'll leave every session feeling more capable, never judged.

Shana Sklar sitting in a field with her golden retriever

8 years

in medicine before finding her own common ground

Meet Shana

I learned the hard way that knowing isn't the same as feeling safe.

I spent eight years in medicine. I understood how the body worked, how systems worked, how to show up for other people. What I didn't understand was how to feel safe in my own life, financially, personally, or otherwise.

When I started studying nervous system regulation, everything clicked. The reason people avoid their finances isn't laziness, it's survival mode. The reason dogs act out isn't stubbornness, they're communicating something that hasn't been understood yet.

The Common Ground is built on that insight. I'm a certified Scentsible K9 trainer working with dogs and their humans in Meridian, Idaho. I'm also a financial educator and coach who walks people through the 7 Money Milestones, a clear roadmap from financial literacy all the way to building wealth and leaving a legacy, without the guilt that usually comes with it.

Same method. Two paths. One common ground.

Find Your Path →

What brings you here today?

Both paths use the same foundation. Choose the one that feels most like you right now.

Money & Life

Find your footing. Fund your future.

I want to get educated, empowered, and build real wealth

We follow the 7 Money Milestones, a clear roadmap from financial literacy to wealth-building and legacy. No guilt. No shame. Your pace.

Financial education & literacy
1:1 coaching & wealth building
Career clarity & life transitions

This is me, Take the Quiz →

You & Your Dog

Find your ground. Together.

I want to connect with my dog

Using the Scentsible K9 method, we help you understand what your dog is communicating, and how your own nervous system affects their behavior.

Nervous system-based training
Real communication & obedience
In-person in Meridian, Idaho

This is me, Take the Quiz →

Client stories

From women who started right where you are.

Money & Life

When I first saw Shana sharing about learning how to build wealth, I knew I wanted to learn more. From our very first session, the process was easy, enjoyable, and completely judgment-free. I never once felt pressured—instead, Shana kept me focused on the bigger picture and the long-term goals, which made every step feel exciting and empowering.

The biggest transformation wasn't just in my finances—it was in my mindset. I now have a completely different perspective on money and wealth, and I feel educated, confident, and equipped to make wise financial decisions for my family's future.

Because of Shana's guidance, I now have savings, investments, and financial security plans in place for my children—things I honestly wouldn't have known how to set up on my own.

If you're feeling weighed down by financial stress or unsure where to start, I can't recommend Shana enough. She has a way of making finances feel approachable, understandable, and achievable. I'm incredibly grateful for everything she's helped me accomplish. Thank you, Shana!

Natalie R. Money & Life client

As I turned 65 this year, I was terrified of where I would be in retirement. Shana came along just when I needed her most and showed me not to be afraid of my finances—that I was in much better shape than I thought I was. She showed me ways to put the money I had saved my entire life to work for me instead of just letting it sit, so that it would help me in my older retirement as well.

I was able to talk with her, and she showed me compassion and understanding, and not to be embarrassed about the situation I found myself in. She truly put my mind at ease. I no longer feel like the frightened, scared older woman I had become.

I will continue to work with her as I put money aside and invest for my daughter in the near future as well.

Cindy Drury Money & Life client