1 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 1: Hey, hey, hey, we're back. We're black, We're brown. Ambison 2 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: ambitson ambitsi ambisi. Yeah, I love something little sauce that. 3 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 2: Hey, Mandy, Hey, how's it going. 4 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: I was going good last night. I don't I don't 5 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: know if it's the weather changed, but I was gonna 6 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 1: die last night, sneezing, coughing, like I'm like, where did 7 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 1: this come from? Out of the blue. And but I 8 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: took benadoyl went to sleep and woke up my regular 9 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: south So I'm feeling much better. 10 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:49,480 Speaker 2: Benandrilla, you say, interesting, it's this dry air. I feel 11 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 2: like like the cold sucked all the humidity out of 12 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 2: the air and it's left me. 13 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: I wasn't sure. I like, is it allergies? Is it? 14 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: Because I don't feel all sick and that's so typically 15 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: how I know it's an allergy if it's like I 16 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: don't feel sick, but my eyes and my nose are 17 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: saying something different, like I'm not exhausted, I'm not like 18 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: worn out, but I'm like my nose was running like 19 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: I was three years old. I'm like, what's happening? Yeah, yeah, 20 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:16,479 Speaker 1: I think that's what it was. But that Bena Joe 21 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: Boy Meanwhile, a superman was trying to convince me of 22 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,559 Speaker 1: muse and next. I'm like, Sir, can you read the label? 23 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,119 Speaker 1: It says coughing all the things that I didn't have. 24 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: But he's just swear that musin next is a cure 25 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: off and everything. I'm like, it doesn't. None of my 26 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: symptoms are on the front. And he was like, you 27 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: fight me on everything. He was saying, He's like, yo, 28 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: every time I make a suggestion. But I'm like, but 29 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: if your suggesting doesn't make sense, sir, I don't need 30 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: If you said next, I'm not I'm not coughing up phlam. 31 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: I don't like literally none of my things are on it. 32 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 1: Like look at Benajo. It says sneezing, running eyes, running nose. 33 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: That is me. 34 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 2: I picture you guys in the Dwayne Read aisle having 35 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 2: this conversation like so vividly because it's definitely been me 36 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 2: and Husby. Is it weird that I feel like I'm 37 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 2: talking to our listeners in the future because this show 38 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 2: is airing after things skiff. Where will I be after 39 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 2: Think I could be in the hospital, I could be 40 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 2: bleary eyed, falling asleep in the recliner with like my 41 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 2: boobs leaking, like with the Newborn. I don't know where 42 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:12,959 Speaker 2: I'm going to be in a week and a half 43 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 2: when this show airs, but I wish myself well, hang 44 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 2: in there, girl, hang in there. 45 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: I just I wish myself well, that's hilarious. 46 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 2: Good luck to Mandy in the future. 47 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: So we we were going to tape something evergreen for 48 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: y'all because I feel like when I started my business 49 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: as an entrepreneur, I feel like I didn't know any 50 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: entrepreneurs in real life. I mean, I knew people who 51 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: were just starting like me, but I would always wonder, 52 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: how did like my local small entrepreneur who wasn't like 53 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: a bakery or like, you know, an accountant, how did 54 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,519 Speaker 1: they actually make money? And it was like this secret 55 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: And I would ask people because I'm pretty transparent, and 56 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: they would skirt around the question, and I'm like, so, 57 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: because I'd be curious. How if I see someone online, 58 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: I'm like, hmmm, she has a you know whatever, like 59 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: a she's a travel influencer, but how does she actually 60 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: make money? And I found that people didn't want to share. 61 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: Maybe they weren't making money. I don't know. But we 62 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: figured we do a show where I pulled back the 63 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: curtain of ten years worth of work that I've done 64 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: as the Budgetnista, and how I made money in the beginning, 65 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:16,919 Speaker 1: middle and where I am now and how we make money. 66 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: And I'll share some numbers with you. I'm honestly super 67 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: open about, you know, like how much I make and 68 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,679 Speaker 1: what makes a lot and you know what's different now 69 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: than before. So man's going to be her journalist self. 70 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: Ask me some questions and I'm excited to share. 71 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:36,119 Speaker 2: Yeah, Mandy Carrick in the house. I'm excited to get 72 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 2: to grill you. Because also one of my biggest pet 73 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 2: pieces as a writer all these years talking to like 74 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 2: Tiffany and I met because I did a story on 75 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 2: her when I was a reporter at Business Insider, you know, 76 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 2: a long time ago, like twenty thirteen or twenty fourteen. 77 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 2: I found her website, the budget Nista. I wanted to 78 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 2: find at the time, I was writing about a lot 79 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 2: of these personal finance personalities who had emerged after the recession, 80 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 2: and we're offering guidance to people who were struggle to recover. 81 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 2: And you know, I figured these people must be making 82 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 2: money somehow. But one of my pet peeves is that 83 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 2: you would have people kind of like positioning themselves as 84 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 2: if they've mastered their finances and gotten out of debt 85 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 2: and they're kind of turning around and making money off 86 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 2: selling that story from like blog posts and stuff and anyway, 87 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 2: sometimes people just wouldn't be very transparent and I and 88 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 2: one of the things I liked about Tiffany is she 89 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 2: was always sort of upfront, like, you know, here's my 90 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 2: business model. And it wasn't just about selling people a dream. 91 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 2: It was it was about you know, creating a like 92 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 2: a lasting product or products, or diversifying income streams so 93 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 2: that she's giving value to people but also building a 94 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 2: business and sustaining it for herself, you know what I mean. 95 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 2: So yeah, I mean obviously admire Tiffany a lot. And 96 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 2: uh and I'm so yeah, thank you for opening up, 97 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 2: because I feel like other people who want to How 98 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 2: many people when we ask them for the wildest dreams 99 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 2: responded to us. I want to be a I want 100 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 2: to be an influencer. I want to do I want 101 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 2: to have speak. I want to be a speaker. These 102 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 2: are the types of jobs or types of businesses that 103 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 2: are I think most difficult for people to figure out 104 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 2: how do you make a living off of that? And 105 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 2: how do you make it work? So let's get to 106 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 2: at Tiffany. So take us back to when you first 107 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 2: because I know it took you a while before Budget 108 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 2: Needs to made money. Yes, while what was one of 109 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 2: the first like aha moments for you where you're like, oh, 110 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 2: I can make income off of this, and then you 111 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,040 Speaker 2: just were like you went for it with the business? 112 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 1: I would say, so two thousand and eight, I actually 113 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: registered the business, the Budget Needs Tom, because I my assumption, 114 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 1: I was still teaching then and it wasn't to me 115 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: it wasn't going to be a business. It was just 116 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: going to be an avenue for me to volunteer. So 117 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: the Budget Needs was meant to be a nonprofit because 118 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: I really believe like living a life of service and 119 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,599 Speaker 1: I love teaching. So I was like, oh, and I 120 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: found myself doing a lot of volunteer work with kids 121 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: outside of you know, teaching day teaching, preschool. But I 122 00:05:57,960 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: wanted a fun name, and so that's when my sister 123 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 1: le So told me that I was not the Fashion Lissa, indeed, 124 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: though I could be the Budget Lisa. And so that's 125 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: how that name started, and that was the original intent 126 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: behind the budget Lisa to be a nonprofit. Then two 127 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 1: thousand and nine happened and I lost my job along 128 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:15,919 Speaker 1: a ton of other people. And even then I was 129 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 1: trying to figure out, so what do I do with 130 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: this thing that I was using to volunteer? So I 131 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 1: told myself, I'm going to continue to volunteer, but ramp up. 132 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 1: And in that year, I was trying to figure out 133 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:27,280 Speaker 1: what did I want to do with my life. I 134 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:29,600 Speaker 1: told myself I didn't want to be a teacher anymore. 135 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: I was tired of the administration, not the kids, because 136 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: they were awesome, And so I was trying I thought 137 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: maybe I'd be an event planner. I was trying out 138 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,720 Speaker 1: all these different hats while still volunteering and teaching financial education. 139 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: And everywhere that i'd volunteer in a different capacity, I 140 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: would find myself teaching financial education anyway, like the janitor, 141 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:50,480 Speaker 1: the principal. Wherever I was, someone would ask me money 142 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:53,719 Speaker 1: questions and I would light up and teach it. So 143 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: all two thousand and nine I was just volunteering, and 144 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 1: I was living off unemployment. I think by then I 145 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 1: had moved back home with my parents. I mean I 146 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:02,159 Speaker 1: rented out my condo that I bought when I was 147 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: twenty five, and then at the end of two thousand 148 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: and nine, like I knew my unemployment wasn't going to 149 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 1: last that much longer, and I think I helped a friend, 150 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: then a friend of a friend, and then somehow a 151 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: friend of a friend of a friend like messaged me 152 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: and said could I help them? And how much did 153 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: I cost? That was the aha moment, I would say, 154 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: probably the beginning of twenty ten, and I was like, 155 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: I don't cost anything. 156 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 2: And I remember she wanted you to like coach her 157 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 2: personally like a person, like a money coach, and pay you. 158 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: But I couldn't even Yeah, I couldn't even write my 159 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: mind around it because I didn't I wasn't thinking of 160 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 1: the budget lista that way. It was just an avenue 161 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,559 Speaker 1: for me to volunteer while I was trying to figure 162 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: out in this stage in my life, what did I 163 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: want to do now that I knew I didn't want 164 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: to go back to the classroom. By then, I had 165 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: my master's in education, and I'm like, I know, I 166 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 1: don't want to be a principal. That was what that 167 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: master's was for. But I was like, yeah, that sucks. 168 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: And so when that happened, it was the first time 169 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 1: I thought someone would pay me for that, because it 170 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: didn't even cross my mind, honestly, Mandy, that someone would 171 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: pay me to sit down, because by then I was 172 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: just doing friends like, girl, your budget is a mess. 173 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 1: Look at this, let's write this down. And so when 174 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: she asked that, I remember I told Drina and I said, girl, 175 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: you know such a such friend of a friend asked 176 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: me how much did that cost to like help her 177 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 1: with her budget? Look her, I don't do that. She's like, 178 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: you do Tiferty every weekend, you're helping someone. I'm like, yeah, 179 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: but I don't cost anything. And she's like, do you 180 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: have money? I said no. She said, then you should 181 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: cost something, and I remember not knowing what to charge 182 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: because how do you know? And so I think I 183 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,199 Speaker 1: think at the time, I called my friend Veronica, who 184 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:34,319 Speaker 1: was doing like consulting work. She was like, the only 185 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,959 Speaker 1: one I knew that was even remotely in that arena. 186 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: She did consulting work, but for like marketing or something 187 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: like that, and she was like, you should charge one 188 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty dollars an hour, and I was like, 189 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: that seems like a lot of money, you know. But 190 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: and so I think I was like, it'll be one 191 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 1: hundred dollars for me to sit down with you, no 192 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 1: matter how long it would take, and it would be 193 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: like seventy five if we did it on the phone, 194 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: versus like me coming to you. So the first time 195 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: I went and sat down with someone, we it was 196 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,959 Speaker 1: like three hours. So and then at the end she 197 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: was like me while her kids were in the house, 198 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: she was a single mom. 199 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 2: Andre calls, that's so funny. 200 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 1: I was. And then it turned out when we did 201 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:14,640 Speaker 1: her budget together, she was like negative five hundred bucks 202 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: a month. So I'm looking at her, I'm looking at 203 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:18,559 Speaker 1: the kids. I'm like, this girl does not have a 204 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: hundred dollars to pay me. And so she was getting 205 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 1: ready to pay me, and in good conscience, I couldn't 206 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: take it because I'd seen her money and it wasn't 207 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: like she was like twenty five, she'll be fine. I'm 208 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: looking like the kids. She's here by herself, she's trying 209 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: to figure it out. I just couldn't stomach it. And 210 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, you know, I don't even worry 211 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 1: about it. She's like, no, Tiffany, you helped so much. 212 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 1: I'm like, here, girl, but your budget you don't have it, 213 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: you know, I just you don't have it. And that 214 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:45,679 Speaker 1: happened a number of times before I said okay this. 215 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:48,480 Speaker 1: I was still on un appoyment. But I knew that 216 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: business model was not going to work because it wasn't 217 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: in alignment with how I wanted to help people. Because 218 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 1: I get it. I mean, people will tell you like, well, 219 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 1: people will buy Jordans, they should pay you. Maybe so, 220 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 1: but there's nothing like coming to I went home and 221 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: meeting their family and looking at the numbers, and the 222 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: numbers honestly say it's not there, and then you're taking 223 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: from them anyway. I couldn't stomach it. So I said, 224 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: I'm not going to do any more one on one, 225 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 1: but there has to be a better way than this 226 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: one on one thing. And I had a mentor at 227 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 1: the time. Her name was Christine, and she had some 228 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: million dollar company and I told her, you know, like, 229 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 1: what do you think I should do? She said, well, 230 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:26,080 Speaker 1: you need to get contracts. And I was like, well, 231 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:27,319 Speaker 1: what does that mean. She was like, you have to 232 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 1: get someone to pay you to do the thing you 233 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 1: want to do. And I was like, okay, good, and 234 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: she's like, well, I got to go. And I was like, wait, Christine, 235 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: I need more. And that's what she That's literally all 236 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 1: she said. 237 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 2: You just have like a note card with contracts written 238 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 2: on it, contracts exclamation for it. 239 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:43,959 Speaker 1: And I was like And by then I think I 240 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 1: was like, you know, I didn't want to live with 241 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 1: my parents anymore. I think by then I was sleeping 242 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: on my sister Tracy's couch, so I would say by 243 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 1: then I probably was a It was probably two thousand 244 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 1: and eleven, I guess, so I think I was like 245 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 1: thirty or thirty one by then, so really living it 246 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 1: up on my sister's couch. And I remember like writing 247 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: down contracts and trying to figure out so who could 248 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 1: I go to for contracts, and being so frustrated because 249 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: I was like, yo, like it's been two years. I'm 250 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 1: broker now at age thirty thirty one that I was 251 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:15,439 Speaker 1: at age sixteen. Like unemployment's going to run out in 252 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: another six months. I don't know what to do, Like 253 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 1: I'm my condo, I'm losing it because although I'm getting 254 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,080 Speaker 1: rent for it, it wasn't covering my mortgage. My mortgage 255 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 1: was sixteen sixteen, my rent was twelve hundred. I didn't 256 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: have the four hundred bucks to cover it. Everything was 257 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: falling apart, and I just remember thinking like, it doesn't 258 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: literally get much worse than this, but it did so 259 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: so I for a while long time I didn't know 260 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 1: what to do about that contract situation, and I literally 261 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 1: was just living off unemployment until finally I thought to myself, Okay, 262 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:45,200 Speaker 1: let me list all of the resources I do have 263 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: available to me, and which were very minimal. But one 264 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 1: thing I remember thinking was I do have emails, because 265 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 1: when I would volunteer, you know typically you know, they 266 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: contact you via email or you sign up for some 267 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: email list. And I said, well, I'm going to email 268 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 1: everyone that I've gotten their email from from the last year, 269 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna say, hey, it's me, Tiffany, that I 270 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: did this volunteer work for you. I teach financial education 271 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:07,600 Speaker 1: and I would love to do that for your organization. 272 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: So I emailed probably was like fifty emails that I 273 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 1: had and one person email back. Catherine Wilson's community developer 274 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:16,559 Speaker 1: for the United Way. It was like her week, her 275 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 1: first week in that position, and she was like, Amy, 276 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: who you emailed or Brooke, who you email no longer 277 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 1: works here, and I was like, uh, what can I 278 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 1: meet you? I literally wrote that back, can I meet you? 279 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 1: And she was like sure. So the next day or 280 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: that week I went to meet Catherine and it was 281 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: perfect timing because she had just gotten this role of 282 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: her job was to get to grow. I guess, like 283 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: like classes or whatever. The United Way wasn't really known 284 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:46,680 Speaker 1: for much in Newark, because she was trying to figure 285 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: out how do we develop a better relationship with the 286 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,199 Speaker 1: community and how do we like what in what ways 287 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 1: can we serve the community. So when I met her, 288 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: we hit it. We're still I just had lunch with her, 289 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: like a week ago, We're still like really good friends. 290 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 1: This day we hit it off. She's the same age 291 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,599 Speaker 1: as me, and we were just like laughing and giggling 292 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: and like, as I was running out of the house, 293 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:07,679 Speaker 1: I brought my book. I'd written this book, the one 294 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: Week Budget, but I wrote it when I was teaching 295 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 1: preschool because even then I was helping my friends and 296 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 1: I actually wrote it like in an actual notebook. So 297 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 1: my friends who would ask me to help them with 298 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:19,959 Speaker 1: their budget, I would bring this notebook with me and 299 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: during my unemployment. I said, you know, I should, I 300 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: should make this notebook into an actual book, and so 301 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 1: I self published through what was then called create Space. 302 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 1: It was Amazon's self publishing arm. So I had this 303 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:32,720 Speaker 1: book that had written that no one bought except for 304 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 1: my friends the first month and it was like languishing. 305 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 1: So I had a bunch of copies in the house 306 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:39,079 Speaker 1: and I said, let me bring this with me. So 307 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:43,359 Speaker 1: as we were talking, she opened up about her financial struggles, 308 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: and so I ended up giving her session because we 309 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 1: just had such a good time and she was like, 310 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: that was amazing. Do you think that you could do 311 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,439 Speaker 1: this for my staff? I was like, yeah, you think 312 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,680 Speaker 1: you could prepay? Kidding but not really kidding. Can you 313 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 1: prepay it? And she was like sure? So she wrote 314 00:13:57,559 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 1: me a check. I think it was I want to 315 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: say she said three hundred or five hundred dollars something 316 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:01,959 Speaker 1: like that. Something within that. 317 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:03,719 Speaker 2: Did she ask you how much would you charge to 318 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 2: teach the staff? 319 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: No, she just said like with three or like I 320 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 1: didn't even know. So she just said would whatever it was, 321 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 1: like three or five hundred dollar? Would that be enough? 322 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 1: And I said sure? Because I had no concept of 323 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: what I should charge, and. 324 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 2: You weren't like how many people, how long, how much time? 325 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 1: But I was at the end of mine because I 326 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 1: was like, unemployment runs down in like a month. I 327 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: have no money. So whatever she could have said, fifty bucks, 328 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 1: I'd be like, I'll be there. And so she just, 329 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 1: you know, she offered up that amount. She likely probably 330 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: did ask me and I probably said honestly, I don't know, 331 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: and she probably you know, like I said, she said, 332 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: I think it was like five hundred dollars, and I said, okay, 333 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: and yes, it was around five hundred because a week before, 334 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: a friend of mine, Dessa, was living in this room. 335 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 1: She had a whole house downtown Newark, a woman who 336 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 1: was renting out each room in this whole, big, beautiful house. 337 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: And I'd met Dessa while volunteering and she was really nice, 338 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 1: and she told me, Hey, the house I'm living in 339 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: is empty. I only rent a room, but I'm afraid 340 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: that she's going to rent it out to random strangers 341 00:14:57,480 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: if you're looking for a place to stay. Each room 342 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: was five hundred buck, but I didn't really have five 343 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: hundred bucks. But I remember with this contract with Katherine, 344 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, this is my five hundred bucks. 345 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: So I came and I taught the lesson. Like one 346 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: thing I am, like, I'm not good at a lot 347 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: of stuff, but one thing I am really good at 348 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 1: is teaching. And so I brought my A plus plus game. 349 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 1: I went to t TV Bank and stole all those pens. 350 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 1: When I stole just you know, took them all those pens. 351 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 1: I went to the dollar store and got all these folders. 352 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 1: I brought my book, the one week budget for each person, 353 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: and like I printed out. I had my friends who 354 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 1: worked in corporate to print out all my handouts, and 355 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: I taught my little heart out during their lunch and 356 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,000 Speaker 1: learn and it went really well, so much so that 357 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: people in the company that were not there that day 358 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: told Katherine that's not fair, we missed out. Can you 359 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 1: bring her back? So she called me and said can 360 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 1: you come back next week? And I was like, yes, oh, 361 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: now I have two months rent. 362 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 2: So were you depositing this check into Tiffany's budget like 363 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 2: you're checking account or did you have the business set 364 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 2: up already? 365 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 1: I did not have business set It was just Tiffany, 366 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: like it wasn't. It took me like four years to 367 00:15:57,520 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 1: have like any sort of real business. So this was 368 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: just mouth. I was like, woo, fata do The first 369 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: two years I didn't even pay taxes, and so Carlos 370 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 1: was like, do you want to go to jail? Carlos's 371 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: my accountant. He caught me at shop right because I 372 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 1: was avoiding him, and so like, honestly it was hand 373 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: of mouth. I was like, as soon as I got 374 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 1: a check, it paid for something, and it was just tiffany. 375 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 1: Everyone just paid Tiffany. I would say, for the first 376 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: three or four years of business, I was not conducting 377 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: business like a business owner. I was conducting business as 378 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: just myself. Even though I had like my business registered, 379 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: I wasn't, you know, like I didn't know anything about 380 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 1: really running a business. So I did that. I you know, 381 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 1: I talked there. I did the second round, and she 382 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:38,240 Speaker 1: was like, that's so good. Can you do this for 383 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: the community that we have a financial education program called 384 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 1: the IDA program, the Individual Development Account Program. A bank 385 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 1: gives us money and people have to take classes and 386 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 1: then we give them money for a house, education or 387 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 1: a health or a business. And it was like a 388 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 1: four to one match up to two thousand dollars. But 389 00:16:58,080 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 1: she's like, people are not coming to take the class 390 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 1: because they're boring, but you're fun. So if you taught 391 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 1: the class, we could give away this money the bank 392 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 1: has given us to people. And I said, okay, so 393 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: the first class, she said, well, how long is your series? 394 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: And when I tell you I made it up. I 395 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 1: said six weeks. But you know, like she wanted to know, 396 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 1: like the series of classes that I magically supposedly taught prior. 397 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:20,480 Speaker 1: But she kind of knew because she gave me like 398 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:23,199 Speaker 1: this booklet. Was like, okay, here's a book of like 399 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:25,719 Speaker 1: a real class, just mirror it to this. But one 400 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 1: thing I am good at is writing curriculum, and like 401 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:29,959 Speaker 1: I said, teaching. So I told her six weeks, and 402 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 1: I developed a six week program. But I didn't know 403 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,679 Speaker 1: how to do a proposal, so I tweeted help, I 404 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 1: need help with a proposal. A woman named Michelle Thomas, 405 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 1: I'll never forget, had seen all the volunteer work I did. 406 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:42,600 Speaker 1: I didn't know at the time. She was the communications 407 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: director for the City of Newark. She was just a 408 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 1: woman on Twitter that we would tweet like back and forth, 409 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:50,680 Speaker 1: back when Twitter was really localized. And so I gave 410 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: her all of my stuff Michelle Thomas, and she put 411 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:56,720 Speaker 1: it in a proposal form and when I tell you, 412 00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:58,439 Speaker 1: I still use that proposal to this day. It has 413 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:00,159 Speaker 1: made me hundreds of thousands of dollars and I give 414 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:01,879 Speaker 1: it away to people all the time because it was 415 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: so great and. 416 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:04,359 Speaker 2: So that's so funny. 417 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:07,399 Speaker 1: I know came back. I literally tweeted help, but because 418 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:09,199 Speaker 1: back then I used to also tweet all of my 419 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:11,359 Speaker 1: volunteer stuff to ask if anybody wanted to come with me. 420 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: So she saw what I was doing in the community 421 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:16,359 Speaker 1: and was like, I see how much service you've been 422 00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:18,200 Speaker 1: doing over the last few years in the community of 423 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 1: Newark where I live, and I would love to be 424 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,400 Speaker 1: of service back to you. And so I was like, oh, 425 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: that was nice, and she gave me that proposal. I 426 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:27,439 Speaker 1: gave it to Catherine and I got it. I think 427 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:29,119 Speaker 1: they were paying me that was what it was, three 428 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:31,479 Speaker 1: hundred bucks a class, So what was I eighteen hundred dollars? 429 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: And that was amazing because I was like, Okay, now 430 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 1: we're in business. Finally that contract that Christine, my mentor, 431 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 1: told me, and so I started with the Unato way 432 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:44,840 Speaker 1: doing these cohorts and the first one, I think only 433 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 1: five people showed up because the Unati Way did all 434 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 1: the marketing. So this is when I learned how to market. 435 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 1: And so I thought to myself, if not enough people come, 436 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:54,679 Speaker 1: they're not going to hire me back to teach five people. 437 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,880 Speaker 1: So I asked her, can I share these classes online 438 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 1: on social media? At the time, it was just Twitter 439 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: and Facebook. 440 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 2: And were you calling yourself the budget Neista yet? 441 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:08,200 Speaker 1: Yeah? Kind of. I mean the business was because you know, 442 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 1: I had the Budgetisa the name since two thousand and eight, 443 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: but I wasn't really doing much with it, I would 444 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: say by two thousand and eleven twenty twelve. Then I 445 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:19,879 Speaker 1: started to really lean into it because I think I 446 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: even changed my name on Facebook to Tiffany the Budget 447 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 1: Nista Alecha, because I wanted people because because I started 448 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 1: to advertise the classes with the Unadded Way, and I 449 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 1: wanted people to know, like, hey, this is what I do. 450 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 2: And so I want to leave people on the cliffhanger. 451 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:37,399 Speaker 2: So you're going to figure out how to market your 452 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:39,640 Speaker 2: own business yourself? And what year is this again? 453 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 1: This is about two thousand eleven twenty twelve. 454 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:44,719 Speaker 2: All right, so Facebook ads were a thing probably at 455 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:45,159 Speaker 2: the time. 456 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 1: Well maybe, but I wasn't using Facebook ads at all. 457 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:50,479 Speaker 2: Okay, well, let's take a quick break and then we're 458 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:52,879 Speaker 2: going to come back and figure out how you started 459 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 2: to market your brand, because I feel like that is 460 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:57,439 Speaker 2: one of the earliest things that entrepreneurs have to learn 461 00:19:57,480 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 2: how to do themselves, because you don't have money to 462 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:02,119 Speaker 2: like high Affirm right Affirm to do that for you yet. 463 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:04,639 Speaker 2: All right, okay, so quick break, we'll come back with 464 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 2: more of how the budget needs to makes her money 465 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 2: loving it and we're back. Okay, So tell us when 466 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:45,959 Speaker 2: you first decided I need to take my own marketing 467 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 2: into my own hands. How do you do that when 468 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 2: you don't quite have money to hire people? 469 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: So what I learned from volunteering was that if I 470 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 1: wanted people to come out, I had I had to 471 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: basically show like, hey, I'm doing this today, would you 472 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 1: want to come? So I said, I'm just going to 473 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:03,919 Speaker 1: do that, but for this for to come to my 474 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 1: class at the United Way. So I had already taken 475 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 1: a lot of pictures from that first cohort, so I 476 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 1: would use those pictures to say, Hey, teaching a financial 477 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:15,800 Speaker 1: education class at the United Way. Space is limited, if 478 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:18,280 Speaker 1: you'd like to come register here, like I send them 479 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:19,919 Speaker 1: to wherever it was that the United Way they had 480 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 1: to go, and people started to really respond. So I 481 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: think the second cohort we had like you know, maybe 482 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:29,160 Speaker 1: like ten to fifteen people, and I learned that. Honestly, 483 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: I learned to start to market in the moment. So 484 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:34,440 Speaker 1: right before class foks, I would always get there like 485 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:36,679 Speaker 1: an hour early, and I would set up the room 486 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: and look really nice, and I would take a picture 487 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 1: and say, can't wait to teach class tonight. If you're 488 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:44,199 Speaker 1: interested in the next cohort, go here. So that's how 489 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 1: I really started to market. Basically, my marketing is just 490 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:49,399 Speaker 1: to show what I'm actually doing. They give you the 491 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 1: opportunity to participate, so that's what I would just do 492 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:54,919 Speaker 1: time and time again. And before long, you know, like 493 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 1: class went from five people to fifteen to twenty to fifty, 494 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: so we had to get another room. Had one hundred 495 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 1: people signed up once and it was great. 496 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,439 Speaker 2: But you weren't getting paid more per head, right, No, 497 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 2: I wasn't. You were just established that you were a 498 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 2: draw exactly. 499 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: But I also too, honestly, for me, I wanted classes 500 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: to continue because I wanted the another way to see 501 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: value in what I was doing so they could continue 502 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:19,919 Speaker 1: to pay me, and it was a great for me. 503 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,400 Speaker 1: It was a perfect business model for what I wanted 504 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 1: to do, which is I wanted to help as many 505 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: people as possible without being a financial burden all those people. 506 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,239 Speaker 1: So it's perfect because the United Way pays me and 507 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:32,159 Speaker 1: I can help as many people as this room can fit. 508 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,119 Speaker 1: So I wasn't really thinking about it like, as I 509 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:36,880 Speaker 1: should be getting paid more and there's more people here. 510 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:39,200 Speaker 1: I didn't care about that. Honestly. I wanted obviously to 511 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:41,679 Speaker 1: be paid, but I also really wanted to serve and 512 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:43,439 Speaker 1: it allowed me to do both. So that was that 513 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: business model, which was get someone an entity to pay 514 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:50,679 Speaker 1: you to do the good deeds. That was like a 515 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:52,359 Speaker 1: perfect business model for me starting. 516 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 2: So it started with the United Way. And when did 517 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,200 Speaker 2: you start adding other companies and how long did you 518 00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,160 Speaker 2: take that business model? 519 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 1: So yu anyway, I said, I did the United Way 520 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:05,160 Speaker 1: for about three years. But in doing the United Way 521 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:10,199 Speaker 1: and in like advertising for the United Way, there was 522 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 1: like this secondary bonus and that people who didn't live 523 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 1: in Jersey started to see what I was doing because 524 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 1: people would be posting there or like people in class 525 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:20,919 Speaker 1: would post, and so people started to ask me, how 526 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 1: can you come do this where we are? You know, 527 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,160 Speaker 1: can you come to Philadelphia? Can't come to most people 528 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 1: didn't have money, so I was like no. But it 529 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: started to grow the brand outside of New Jersey, and 530 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 1: I didn't realize what a strong name the United Way had, 531 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: just like globally, because once I did the United Way, 532 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:42,440 Speaker 1: then colleges started to reach out and other organizations in 533 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: Jersey started to reach out because they were like, well, 534 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:46,359 Speaker 1: if you've been vetted by the United Way, come speak 535 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:49,040 Speaker 1: at Rutgers, come speak at Princeton. And I found that 536 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 1: colleges were a great place to make money because typically 537 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:55,640 Speaker 1: it was like a kid that So the way colleges 538 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:57,680 Speaker 1: work is that the money is disseminated in the beginning 539 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:00,320 Speaker 1: of the year to all the like fraternity sororities and 540 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 1: and stuff. So all the vetting is done in the 541 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:04,440 Speaker 1: beginning and then they give them money to these different 542 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 1: clubs and it's like a seventeen eighteen year old kid 543 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: who was making the final decision because the red tape 544 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: has already been done. And so if you can connect 545 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 1: with the student body president, and that's what my first 546 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:16,240 Speaker 1: college was keen because a friend of mine, his brother 547 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:18,879 Speaker 1: was like vice president of student body, you know whatever, 548 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: the student body, and so they paid me seventeen hundred dollars, 549 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 1: which I almost fanted because I was like, you know, 550 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: to come speak because they they had the budget. So 551 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:30,680 Speaker 1: that happened as a result of all the social posting 552 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:33,480 Speaker 1: just really helped to establish me as someone who does this. 553 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 2: And was that your first paid to speak gig apart 554 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:39,200 Speaker 2: from the classes. 555 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:41,920 Speaker 1: Yes, it was my first like standing up in front 556 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 1: of the audience, although I had landed one before, but 557 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:48,159 Speaker 1: I lost it, Hucha. It was a nursing home, was 558 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:49,919 Speaker 1: a nursing home something to that effect, and they were 559 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 1: going to pay me I think like six hundred bucks, 560 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: and stupid me went to Twitter was like, oh my god, 561 00:24:57,680 --> 00:24:59,920 Speaker 1: nursing home just hired me and they're paying me doctor rate. 562 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: Can you imagine? I tweeted, I tell you Mandy. Within 563 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,879 Speaker 1: thirty minutes I had got an email. Yeah we no longer. 564 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 1: No longer. I would have won. It was well I 565 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:12,399 Speaker 1: tell you up below. But it was such a valuable 566 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,040 Speaker 1: lesson to learn in the beginning. And I wasn't trying 567 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 1: to brag. I just couldn't believe someone agreed to pay me. 568 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:18,879 Speaker 1: I forget how much it was, but to me, it 569 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: was so significant and I wanted to share the good 570 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:23,440 Speaker 1: news I'm talking about they paid me doctor rates. To 571 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 1: hear the woman on the phone read back my tweet 572 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:28,920 Speaker 1: to me that was set to corporate, I was like, oh, yeah, 573 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: that's me, I still like and it was a sister 574 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:35,440 Speaker 1: girl and she was like, girl, you can't do that. 575 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 1: And I was like, so, then do I want me 576 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 1: to come in? She's like, no, because they're afraid that, 577 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,919 Speaker 1: like you're gonna, like, you know, we like the nursing 578 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:45,439 Speaker 1: home or wherever facility. She's like, were you know, we 579 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:48,479 Speaker 1: have privacy like clauses and you've already like violated one 580 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: of them basically, And so unfortunately, no, we have to 581 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:54,680 Speaker 1: rescind our invite. And I was crushed, but you know what, 582 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 1: it was a valuable lesson learned. And then and then 583 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 1: King Keen came calling and so, but one of the 584 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 1: things I was consistent. I don't do this as much now, 585 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: but one of the things I was really consistent was 586 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:09,160 Speaker 1: at work. Whenever I spoke volunteer or otherwise, I would 587 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:12,399 Speaker 1: always get at least one picture and then I would 588 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:14,600 Speaker 1: share what I was doing and say, if you want 589 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:18,480 Speaker 1: the same from me, contact me here. So this is 590 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: like a like if you're first starting out, you have 591 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: to your social media is another form of your resume. 592 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:27,959 Speaker 1: And so if I want people to know that I'm 593 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:30,280 Speaker 1: available to speak at your women's group, your church group, whatever, 594 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,240 Speaker 1: I'd be very clear. Just spoke at Bethel Baptist today, 595 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:37,119 Speaker 1: taught the congregation or the women's group about budgeting and saving. 596 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: It was so awesome and then you would see the 597 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: picture of all of us smiling, if you want me 598 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,160 Speaker 1: to do this at your church. So I was teaching 599 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 1: the people who were following me or watching me how 600 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:48,720 Speaker 1: to hire me. And then I found this on site 601 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:52,720 Speaker 1: called woolfu wufoo that was like such a godsend because 602 00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 1: a free it's a free contact me form. So you 603 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 1: can go to wool fool, fill it out and create 604 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:00,439 Speaker 1: a contact me form and woofoo will give you a link. 605 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:02,639 Speaker 1: So what I found was the less work someone had 606 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:04,399 Speaker 1: to do, the easier it was for them to contact me. 607 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 1: So I would say contact me here instead of having 608 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:09,200 Speaker 1: them contact me via email. It would be the link 609 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 1: to my rufu contact form that went to my email. 610 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 1: It's so much easier for someone to click a button, 611 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:16,679 Speaker 1: type in their message and it gets sent to you 612 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:19,160 Speaker 1: than it is for them to remember your email, type 613 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: it in and send you an email. And so that 614 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:24,359 Speaker 1: helped significantly. And I did that every single time I 615 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:26,639 Speaker 1: spoke somewhere, you know, so excited to speak here. This 616 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: is exactly what I did. I can do this for 617 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:31,680 Speaker 1: your organization, and without fail, every time I posted I 618 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:33,760 Speaker 1: would get at least one or two inquiries, even if 619 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 1: they didn't hire me, just people who were interested in 620 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:39,159 Speaker 1: learning more. So that's like just a great way to start. 621 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:43,119 Speaker 1: And then from there I was like, okay, so there 622 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 1: has to be It took me along. There was a 623 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 1: gap between me doing classes and figuring out what the 624 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 1: next model was for earning money. But in the meantime 625 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: I started something called the Live Rich Your Challenge I 626 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:58,400 Speaker 1: want to say two thousand and fifteen. And that came 627 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 1: about because people who couldn't come to Newark for my 628 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:04,520 Speaker 1: United Way classes started asking me I want to take 629 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,480 Speaker 1: those classes and I was like, well, I don't you know, 630 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:10,040 Speaker 1: I'm not in Pennsylvania. I don't know what to say. 631 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 1: So I thought, you know what, what if I take 632 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:14,400 Speaker 1: these United Way this cohort, and I bring it online. 633 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 1: And so that's how the Literature Challenge started. The first one, 634 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:19,399 Speaker 1: it was supposed to be only one. It was the 635 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:21,720 Speaker 1: six week course I taught at the United Way, but 636 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:24,400 Speaker 1: I made it five weeks and I put it online 637 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:26,360 Speaker 1: and I gave it away for free, and everyone, all 638 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:28,560 Speaker 1: my business friends, all my finance friends, said I was 639 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:31,920 Speaker 1: stupid because they're like tivity again, I gotta make any 640 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: money off the Liverature Challenge, but I really wanted to. Honestly, 641 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:36,600 Speaker 1: I really driven by being like living a life of service. 642 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 1: And I thought, well, I don't charge the people in 643 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 1: class at the United Way to take these classes, so 644 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 1: I'm not going to charge online. So I thought to myself, 645 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 1: well maybe I can get sponsorships. So I did reach 646 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 1: out to some brands, and I think Crudential at the 647 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 1: very end end of giving me a little bit of money, 648 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 1: I came out of pocket for the Liverature Challenge. Don't 649 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 1: ask me where I found this money. It took me 650 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 1: a year to build it and it cost me about 651 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:00,120 Speaker 1: ten thousand dollars, which is crazy because I didn't have 652 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:02,680 Speaker 1: ten thousand dollars. But I was determined to build this thing. 653 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:06,840 Speaker 1: I reached out to some of your fath media outlets. 654 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 1: I reached out to some of your faith financial brands 655 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:12,080 Speaker 1: and asked them if they could help subsidize paying for 656 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,080 Speaker 1: me creating the Live Ritual Challenge and then you know, 657 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:18,000 Speaker 1: we could you know, both of our names could be 658 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 1: on it and we can help as many people as possible. 659 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 1: Every single one of them said no, every single some 660 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:26,960 Speaker 1: of these brands that purport to helping black women, they 661 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 1: all were not interested. And I remember being. 662 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 2: Sorry, take me back, because we went from so you've 663 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 2: you've gotten your first speaking gig or like you're starting 664 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 2: to speak, and then you also have the idea to 665 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 2: take the course that you have and put it online, right, 666 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 2: but like you don't have do you have a website yet? 667 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 2: I mean, was a ten thousand dollars spent on basically 668 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 2: investing in building out the course online? 669 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: Yeah? It was. So what happened was it would be like, Okay, 670 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 1: so I want to do the Live Ritual Challenge, but 671 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:56,560 Speaker 1: I don't only have any money, so I spent bit 672 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: by bit. I remember I said I need a logo, 673 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 1: so I paid for that which I did not but 674 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 1: need a logo, but I paid for the logo, and 675 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 1: then I was like, okay, I need Literature Challenge dot com. 676 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 1: So I paid someone to make the site for me, 677 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 1: but it looked terrible. So I ended up using Squarespace 678 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 1: and building my own, but that was money lost, you know. 679 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: And then I was like, okay, I have to figure 680 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 1: out how do why Because I'm not super tech savvy, 681 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:23,200 Speaker 1: I have to figure out how do I how do 682 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:25,200 Speaker 1: I get people to sign up? So I signed up 683 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:26,200 Speaker 1: for like I think it was like I think I 684 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:27,960 Speaker 1: was using mad Meme at the time. It's like a 685 00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:31,200 Speaker 1: It's like one of those email platforms. So I had 686 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: to pay for that where people can go to Literature 687 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:36,680 Speaker 1: Challenge dot com put in their name and email and 688 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 1: they would get an email about when it was going 689 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 1: to start. But that was how I was going to communicate. 690 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 1: Then I had to build a blog. I paid somebody 691 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:44,960 Speaker 1: for that. They did a terrible job, so I ended 692 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:47,640 Speaker 1: up I think most of the money came from paying 693 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 1: someone to do the platform, but it wasn't right. So 694 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 1: then I ended up figuring out WordPress myself and building 695 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:54,640 Speaker 1: because that's why I was going to house the the 696 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:58,720 Speaker 1: daily task for the literature challenge, or didn't. 697 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:01,239 Speaker 2: You get the funds because like if you're were you 698 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 2: were you consistently speaking and getting income that way? Or 699 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 2: were you like living off of your savings? I mean, 700 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:06,720 Speaker 2: I'm mixed. 701 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:08,960 Speaker 1: So some of the funds were speaking. I would started 702 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:11,520 Speaker 1: to pick up speaking more. I still was working at 703 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:14,280 Speaker 1: the United Way. And then what happened even though my 704 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:16,680 Speaker 1: unemployment ran Now I would say the majority of the 705 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:19,720 Speaker 1: funds were the bank that owned my condo or yeah, 706 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: the bank that owned my condo refused to take stop 707 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:24,400 Speaker 1: taking money from me because they're like, if you can't 708 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 1: pay the full sixteen sixty, we don't want your twelve hundred. 709 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 1: And I was like that doesn't make sense, Like what 710 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:32,840 Speaker 1: so guess who did want that twelve hundred? Me? So 711 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,240 Speaker 1: that's I was living off that too. So it was 712 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,200 Speaker 1: a mix between speaking, I was babysitting, I was tutoring, 713 00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 1: and the money from from from my condo the rent 714 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:44,400 Speaker 1: for my condo because the bank wouldn't take it. So 715 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 1: it was like a hodgepodge of like like little and 716 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:49,200 Speaker 1: plus my life. I was spending next to nothing on 717 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:51,880 Speaker 1: my life. I had deferred all my loans. My rent 718 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:54,000 Speaker 1: was five hundred. The car that I was driving, I 719 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 1: had already bought it when I was in my twenty 720 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: It was paid off. I bought a cash for like 721 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:01,320 Speaker 1: five thousand bucks, so I had really low personal overhead 722 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:04,560 Speaker 1: because I didn't, you know, I didn't really have money. 723 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:07,600 Speaker 1: Many bills and five hundred dollars included everything where I 724 00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:09,920 Speaker 1: was living in. It included lights, electricity. We were right 725 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:11,680 Speaker 1: next to the library and Newark, so I got the 726 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 1: Internet for free. So basically all of my extra money 727 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 1: was going into building this Liverature challenge. And I can't 728 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:20,120 Speaker 1: tell you why I was so adamant about building it. 729 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 1: Something said that if I build this, this is going 730 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 1: to change the trajectory of the budgetista. I couldn't put 731 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 1: my finger on it, but I was adamant about building it. 732 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:30,520 Speaker 1: And it wasn't ten thousand altogether. It was over a 733 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,160 Speaker 1: year's span, so like one thousand dollars for this, fifteen 734 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 1: hundred for that logo, you know, two thousand for the website. 735 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:38,200 Speaker 1: So it was like all of these like it wasn't 736 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 1: until I didn't even know I was spending that much 737 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 1: because it didn't seem like that much. It wasn't until 738 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 1: the end of the year when I met with my 739 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:45,040 Speaker 1: accountant that we added up how much I spent and 740 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 1: I was like what. But thankfully Credential they came in 741 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:50,640 Speaker 1: at the last minute to become a sponsor and gave 742 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:53,320 Speaker 1: me about half that money back. So and I didn't 743 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 1: know anything about affiliates or anything. None of that was 744 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:57,440 Speaker 1: in the challenge. The first one was just a It 745 00:32:57,480 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 1: was just I'm just going to do it, and I 746 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: think we had My goal was ten thousand women, and 747 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 1: by January of twenty I think fifteen, we had ten 748 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:08,280 Speaker 1: thousand women signed up and we did the challenge and 749 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:13,240 Speaker 1: it became magical. Like the challenge changed everything for me 750 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 1: because one it started to really build my audience. I 751 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:18,800 Speaker 1: went from maybe like fifteen hundred people following me to 752 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:19,640 Speaker 1: ten thousand. Now. 753 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:23,520 Speaker 2: I remember covering the Literature Challenge at Yahoo Finance. 754 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 1: Yes, I remember we did. I came in that you 755 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:26,080 Speaker 1: did a video with. 756 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 2: You and I remember being like, Tiffany's a budgetizza, She's 757 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:31,719 Speaker 2: got this business. She's like, I didn't realize. I mean, 758 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:33,520 Speaker 2: I knew it was the first time you were doing it, 759 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:36,880 Speaker 2: but something about the way you like presented yourself and 760 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:40,520 Speaker 2: like for all like hearing it back now, like how 761 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,600 Speaker 2: bootstrapped it was and how you were sort of like 762 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:44,480 Speaker 2: cobbling it together. It didn't seem that way to me. 763 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:45,600 Speaker 2: You were on the free you are like the front 764 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:46,320 Speaker 2: page of Yahoo. 765 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:50,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, I know, I'm not why at that time, So. 766 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 2: Find yourself a sucker like me. No, I'm kidding, No, Actually. 767 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:57,120 Speaker 1: At that time, I just because I felt really strongly 768 00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:59,080 Speaker 1: about it, like I even though I was doing literally 769 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:01,120 Speaker 1: I had no help. It was myself, and I think 770 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: I had an intern tailor at the time, tailor, you know, talent. 771 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,040 Speaker 1: She was like interning with me at the time, but 772 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:09,120 Speaker 1: I had, like, honestly like it. That first challenge nearly 773 00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:10,880 Speaker 1: broke me because it was so much work. I was 774 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:13,440 Speaker 1: literally working for like months and months and months. I 775 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 1: was working like, you know, ten to fifteen hour days 776 00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:19,239 Speaker 1: NonStop because I was doing everything. But I was so 777 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:21,800 Speaker 1: passionate that this is really going to help save people 778 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:23,360 Speaker 1: and it wasn't free. 779 00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:25,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, And that is why, like the value. I know, 780 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:28,040 Speaker 2: people were telling you you're crazy for making it free 781 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:30,439 Speaker 2: to start with, But that's the reason I covered it 782 00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:34,080 Speaker 2: is because it was post recession and there were like 783 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:36,239 Speaker 2: the people that you were helping were the people that 784 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:39,120 Speaker 2: no financial planning company or investment firm was going to 785 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 2: take time to help, and you were offering the service 786 00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:44,719 Speaker 2: for free, which was so unusual, but it was exactly 787 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:47,239 Speaker 2: what people were constantly asking for you, Like I'm a 788 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:50,319 Speaker 2: single mom with no additional income. How do I save money? 789 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:53,000 Speaker 2: You know, like I've got student loan debt coming out 790 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:54,719 Speaker 2: of my eyeballs, I can't afford a planner. What do 791 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:56,400 Speaker 2: I do? And there was never a good answer, but 792 00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:59,479 Speaker 2: like this was actually an answer you could give people 793 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:02,239 Speaker 2: and then you build. It was like an investment on 794 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:07,280 Speaker 2: your part in the potential, but without really knowing that's scary. 795 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:09,200 Speaker 2: It is all be worth it, but. 796 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:12,440 Speaker 1: Exactly honest, I just thought to myself, at the very least, 797 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 1: I'm gonna build my audience, and then two I will 798 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:18,120 Speaker 1: have helped people, which is always like my first and 799 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:20,839 Speaker 1: foremost goal. And this is what I thought back then. 800 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:22,680 Speaker 1: I didn't. I mean, I know better now that I 801 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:25,920 Speaker 1: just figure that somehow, if I did the good work, 802 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:28,120 Speaker 1: money would come. I didn't realize that you had to 803 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 1: have a good work plan and a money plan. I 804 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:32,319 Speaker 1: just thought, well, if you just have a good work plan, 805 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:34,920 Speaker 1: money money's gonna come. And so after the first year 806 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:36,440 Speaker 1: of doing it, and it did so well. By the 807 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:38,600 Speaker 1: end of the year, we had twenty thousand people signed 808 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:40,719 Speaker 1: up for the challenge because we did it live in 809 00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:44,040 Speaker 1: January collectively together. And then at the end there are 810 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:45,719 Speaker 1: people who were like in February who were like, I 811 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:48,480 Speaker 1: didn't get a chance. So I made it automatic where 812 00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:50,080 Speaker 1: you could just sign up. Even now to this day, 813 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:52,839 Speaker 1: you could just sign up and start the next day 814 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:54,839 Speaker 1: with the challenge. And by the end of the year, 815 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:57,480 Speaker 1: like I said, I had twenty thousand people that had 816 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 1: gone through the challenge, and I started the Spacebook group 817 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:03,120 Speaker 1: originally for the United Way cohorts where I can answer 818 00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:05,560 Speaker 1: questions at once, and people from the challenge found the 819 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:08,600 Speaker 1: Facebook group and they started joining the Facebook group, and 820 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:10,160 Speaker 1: so that's where I would keep up with people as 821 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:12,360 Speaker 1: they were doing the challenge. We would connect there and 822 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:15,080 Speaker 1: so it was great. It was just like this like 823 00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:18,080 Speaker 1: bumping movement, but no real money, like like like you know, 824 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:20,279 Speaker 1: I was still speaking, but it wasn't really real money. 825 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:24,680 Speaker 1: I would say. It wasn't until maybe like four or 826 00:36:24,719 --> 00:36:27,000 Speaker 1: five years into the Budgetista that I was like, Okay, 827 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:29,759 Speaker 1: I'm consistently making at least a few thousand dollars a month. 828 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:31,759 Speaker 1: But in the beginning it was touch and go. There'd 829 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:33,720 Speaker 1: be some months i'd be lucky to make five hundred, 830 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:36,080 Speaker 1: and some months I might make. You know. I remember 831 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:37,799 Speaker 1: the first time I made ten thousand dollars in a month, 832 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: and I thought, yeah, this is it. We're are ten thousand. 833 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 1: And then the next month I made five hundred. So 834 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:44,399 Speaker 1: it was really touch and go for the first four 835 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:47,920 Speaker 1: or five years, and it was a mix of so 836 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:49,879 Speaker 1: what happened with the challenge. It was the first time 837 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:53,000 Speaker 1: I realized I could monetize something with the challenge because 838 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,200 Speaker 1: someone said, what if I don't want to take this 839 00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 1: challenge online? It was in December. I'll never forget what 840 00:36:58,080 --> 00:36:59,799 Speaker 1: if I don't want to take this challenge online? What 841 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:01,880 Speaker 1: if I want a book version? And I was like, well, 842 00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:03,879 Speaker 1: why would you this is me, Why would you pay 843 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:05,400 Speaker 1: for a book? What I'm giving this away for free? 844 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:07,719 Speaker 1: I was really didn't. I didn't want to do a book. 845 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:10,319 Speaker 1: I thought that's stupid. Who's gonna pay for a book 846 00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:11,600 Speaker 1: it's free? And they're like, yeah, but I like to 847 00:37:11,640 --> 00:37:13,960 Speaker 1: hold a book, and I was like okay, So I 848 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 1: found a guy I had to pay him that's part 849 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:18,399 Speaker 1: of the ten thousand to take the challenges and put 850 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:20,120 Speaker 1: them in book for it. It was a few thousand dollars 851 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:24,000 Speaker 1: and I remember being like, okay, and I put it up. Now. Meanwhile, 852 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:27,480 Speaker 1: the one week budget by now was still selling next 853 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:31,400 Speaker 1: to nothing. I put up the Literature Challenge book the 854 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:33,520 Speaker 1: same time that the Challenge launched in January, and it 855 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:36,400 Speaker 1: hit number one on Amazon in its category three days later. 856 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:38,440 Speaker 1: I couldn't believe it. 857 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 2: People selling it for. 858 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:43,399 Speaker 1: I want to say, like ten bucks or something like that. 859 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:45,360 Speaker 2: Is it hard to set up an Amazon like to 860 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:47,400 Speaker 2: sell a book on Amazon? Like, what's that process? 861 00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:49,640 Speaker 1: Like, well, I'm sure it's a little different now, but 862 00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:51,640 Speaker 1: because they used to call it create space, you just 863 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:53,680 Speaker 1: have to find it. It's basically the same. You find 864 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:55,839 Speaker 1: a designer to put it in the right format, which 865 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:58,680 Speaker 1: which Amazon I think they call it KDP now, which 866 00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:01,759 Speaker 1: Amazon gives you your designer would like set it up 867 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:05,000 Speaker 1: according to like whatever specifications they have in their back 868 00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:08,240 Speaker 1: end office at KDP, and you just literally just uploaded 869 00:38:08,239 --> 00:38:09,440 Speaker 1: and they'll say how much you want to sell the 870 00:38:09,440 --> 00:38:12,040 Speaker 1: book for, you know, like ten bucks, and then Amazon 871 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:13,840 Speaker 1: will show you if you settle for ten bucks, this 872 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:15,719 Speaker 1: is how much money you're going to get, and that's 873 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:18,080 Speaker 1: literally it, and you press on and then it's on. 874 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:21,799 Speaker 1: So it was really it's fairly easy. The hard part 875 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:24,680 Speaker 1: is finding a designer. To hector, who's my designer, he's dope, 876 00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:27,239 Speaker 1: But to find a designer that's going to do the 877 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:30,360 Speaker 1: specifications right. Because the designer I hired before that, I 878 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:32,600 Speaker 1: went to a lot of money on terrible people that 879 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:35,879 Speaker 1: it took months he could not figure out the specifications. 880 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:38,200 Speaker 1: I suspect he really wasn't a designer. So finally I 881 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:40,520 Speaker 1: found Hector, and within a day he had it up 882 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:43,440 Speaker 1: and running. So it's literally just once it's uploaded, it 883 00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:46,160 Speaker 1: typically takes twenty four to forty eight hours for Amazon 884 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:48,319 Speaker 1: says this is the right specs, and then you click 885 00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:51,839 Speaker 1: it's live. So Hector did that, and he also did 886 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:55,640 Speaker 1: the Kindle version for me for Amazon, and so that 887 00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:58,200 Speaker 1: book sold and I was like, I think that's what 888 00:38:58,239 --> 00:39:00,840 Speaker 1: it was that January that book sold. I think in 889 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:03,200 Speaker 1: January that's the month I made ten thousand dollars because 890 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:05,920 Speaker 1: it sold so much, I couldn't believe it. And that's 891 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:08,720 Speaker 1: when I was like light bulb that people will buy 892 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:11,600 Speaker 1: other things from me, Tiffany. So for a number of 893 00:39:11,719 --> 00:39:14,879 Speaker 1: years I had speaking engagement. It was the United Way 894 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:17,960 Speaker 1: and book sales, and I said, okay, now we're cooking 895 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:19,719 Speaker 1: with grease. This is you know, like about three or 896 00:39:19,719 --> 00:39:22,200 Speaker 1: four years into the budget, Nesta like, okay, so here 897 00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 1: are all the Hodgepodge ways that money money's coming in. 898 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:29,040 Speaker 1: And then I would about three years ago I wanted 899 00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:30,640 Speaker 1: to do it, really four years ago. I want to 900 00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:33,560 Speaker 1: do something a little bit more consistent. And around this time, 901 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:35,960 Speaker 1: I had done another literature challenge. Like I said, it 902 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:37,800 Speaker 1: was year after year I was doing these new challenges 903 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:40,920 Speaker 1: and I met my now current business partner, Jabroo. We 904 00:39:40,920 --> 00:39:44,440 Speaker 1: were both in this black traveling group called No Madness, 905 00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:46,880 Speaker 1: and I just remember thinking like he was like a 906 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:48,960 Speaker 1: young twenty something like twenty six or twenty seven, but 907 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:51,000 Speaker 1: he traveled the world and I saw he was a 908 00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:54,719 Speaker 1: digital marketer. I'd never even heard of that before. But 909 00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:57,759 Speaker 1: I wanted to learn how do I market outside of 910 00:39:57,800 --> 00:39:59,959 Speaker 1: just the organic way of me just posting on social media, 911 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:03,600 Speaker 1: and so I reached out to him. He's like, I've 912 00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:05,160 Speaker 1: been watching you. I love what you're doing, and how 913 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:07,600 Speaker 1: many people you're helping, and he and by then I 914 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:09,799 Speaker 1: think I was on Challenge two or three and he 915 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:12,160 Speaker 1: asked me did I have in the affiliates? And I 916 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:14,120 Speaker 1: was like, well, what's that? He's like, it's a referral program, 917 00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:17,640 Speaker 1: that is, you refer of particular product or service, they'll 918 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:19,279 Speaker 1: pay you. He's like, for example, you have this one 919 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:21,200 Speaker 1: bank in here you always talk about, did you know 920 00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:23,759 Speaker 1: they were giving twenty five bucks away per person that 921 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:26,200 Speaker 1: you sign up? I almost cried because Mandy, I had 922 00:40:26,239 --> 00:40:28,600 Speaker 1: signed up twenty five hundred people to that bank. Do 923 00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:30,720 Speaker 1: the math of how much money I left on the table, 924 00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:34,239 Speaker 1: twenty five hundred and I only knew twenty five hundred 925 00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:36,360 Speaker 1: signed up because I did a survey in the challenge 926 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:37,960 Speaker 1: to say, did you sign up for the bank account 927 00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:42,000 Speaker 1: twenty five thousand times twenty five dollars sixty two thousand, 928 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:45,520 Speaker 1: five hundred dollars, Mandy I could be I know. 929 00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:47,920 Speaker 2: And so I was like, what, So here was the 930 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:49,400 Speaker 2: one who told you about affiliate deals? 931 00:40:49,680 --> 00:40:51,480 Speaker 1: Yes, but because I always thought that they were scam me, 932 00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:53,120 Speaker 1: because I would I'm not gonna lie. I would go 933 00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:55,240 Speaker 1: to finn Con and hear people talk about affiliate deals. 934 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:57,239 Speaker 1: But the way a lot of people talked about them 935 00:40:57,320 --> 00:40:59,560 Speaker 1: is that they were pushing things that were good for 936 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:01,040 Speaker 1: their audience. So I was like, I don't want to 937 00:41:01,080 --> 00:41:03,279 Speaker 1: do that, and so he said, well, that's not how 938 00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:05,120 Speaker 1: you would do it. He'said, make a list of all 939 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 1: the products and services that you use and like and trust. 940 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:10,319 Speaker 1: So I made a list about maybe fifteen, and then 941 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:13,320 Speaker 1: of the fifteen he said, d five have affiliate programs. 942 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:15,239 Speaker 1: Go sign up for them. And I did it. He 943 00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:17,080 Speaker 1: was like, we're going to start to market. We're gonna 944 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:19,640 Speaker 1: spend about thirty bucks a day. And I was like, oh, 945 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:23,440 Speaker 1: I s thirty bucks a day, not me. And he 946 00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:25,840 Speaker 1: was like, no, we'll take the money from the affiliate 947 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:28,319 Speaker 1: marketing money. And I said okay. So he said he said, 948 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:32,279 Speaker 1: in the beginning, we'll just organically share these products and 949 00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:34,880 Speaker 1: services that you've already been sharing. Share them in the challenge. 950 00:41:34,880 --> 00:41:37,040 Speaker 1: But you're already sharing them in the challenge, but now 951 00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:40,560 Speaker 1: switch out the regular link like bank dot com for 952 00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:43,560 Speaker 1: Bank dot com, slash Tiffany's affiliate. So I did that, 953 00:41:43,640 --> 00:41:46,240 Speaker 1: and I started. I did. I started with Ebates. I remember, 954 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:48,440 Speaker 1: and I love Ebates and I been sharing ebates for 955 00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:51,000 Speaker 1: years and Ebates was giving like, I don't know, ten 956 00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 1: bucks per person, and I think my first check from 957 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:56,040 Speaker 1: EBAs they pay you quterly was like twenty five hundred bucks. 958 00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:57,719 Speaker 1: And I was like, he's like, but that money is 959 00:41:57,760 --> 00:41:59,520 Speaker 1: to go right back into marketing because you have to 960 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:02,879 Speaker 1: start to learned to market digitally. So we did that 961 00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:06,840 Speaker 1: and we started to use that money from marketing to 962 00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:09,880 Speaker 1: use that to market people to the next liverature challenge 963 00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:12,719 Speaker 1: that I had other affiliate links in. So I was like, ah, 964 00:42:12,880 --> 00:42:16,719 Speaker 1: another source of income, so now I can share the 965 00:42:16,719 --> 00:42:18,640 Speaker 1: things that would normally share but get paid for that. 966 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:21,080 Speaker 1: So that I would say the so much, so there's 967 00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:22,960 Speaker 1: a there's a brand that I work with now that 968 00:42:24,040 --> 00:42:26,280 Speaker 1: we wrote one email because I was so so excited. 969 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:29,480 Speaker 1: They were giving away a really dope free financial product 970 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:31,919 Speaker 1: that was amazing that had used and I wrote one 971 00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:35,520 Speaker 1: email out to my audience and we made one hundred 972 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:36,960 Speaker 1: thousand dollars three days. 973 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:37,960 Speaker 2: When was that? 974 00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:39,839 Speaker 1: Like how this was last year? 975 00:42:39,960 --> 00:42:40,160 Speaker 2: Oh? 976 00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:42,880 Speaker 1: Last year? Okay, yeah, so yeah and so but it 977 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:45,680 Speaker 1: was like whoa, Like that's what I started to realize, 978 00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:47,520 Speaker 1: Like you can make a lot of money with affiliates. 979 00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:49,480 Speaker 1: So cause they were paying twenty five bucks per person. 980 00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:51,600 Speaker 1: But what they were giving away was so great. I 981 00:42:51,640 --> 00:42:53,200 Speaker 1: remember they actually called me and said, can you turn 982 00:42:53,200 --> 00:42:55,120 Speaker 1: it off? I'm like, there's no way. This is not 983 00:42:55,160 --> 00:42:57,279 Speaker 1: an ad that was one email, but you're giving away 984 00:42:57,280 --> 00:43:00,000 Speaker 1: something so great. They were giving away like a personalized 985 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:02,239 Speaker 1: investment plan, which you normally would have to pay like 986 00:43:02,239 --> 00:43:04,120 Speaker 1: twelve hundred dollars for. And I knew because I had 987 00:43:04,120 --> 00:43:06,160 Speaker 1: to pay twelve hundred dollars for it, not from them, 988 00:43:06,160 --> 00:43:09,480 Speaker 1: but for some from my financial advisor. So I was like, yo, 989 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:12,239 Speaker 1: I literally just paid twelve hundred dollars for this, and 990 00:43:12,280 --> 00:43:14,840 Speaker 1: it's it's the same advice that this company is giving 991 00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:17,040 Speaker 1: is what my financial advisor gave me. Jump on this 992 00:43:17,120 --> 00:43:19,200 Speaker 1: now because it's not always going to be free and 993 00:43:19,520 --> 00:43:22,080 Speaker 1: it and people signed up in droves. 994 00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:24,280 Speaker 2: So there's affiliate. The person who wrote that affiliate agreement 995 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:25,000 Speaker 2: play got fired. 996 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:27,920 Speaker 1: I know. They were so exciting. They actually looked they 997 00:43:27,960 --> 00:43:30,160 Speaker 1: deepened our relationship, so we have a deeper relationship with 998 00:43:30,200 --> 00:43:31,960 Speaker 1: them now because they were so amazed at how many 999 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:34,080 Speaker 1: people I was able to send to them. So but 1000 00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:36,640 Speaker 1: you don't have to have like hundreds of thousands of followers. 1001 00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:39,200 Speaker 1: You just have to have engaged people who when you 1002 00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:42,279 Speaker 1: share something they you know, they they listen. I have 1003 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:45,000 Speaker 1: something called my Lisa rule. Lisa's my baby sister, and 1004 00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:48,000 Speaker 1: she's also a dream catcher. Then, because I would try anything, 1005 00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:49,360 Speaker 1: and I used to have a rule that if I 1006 00:43:49,400 --> 00:43:51,560 Speaker 1: would try it, i'll you know, I'll suggest it to y'all. 1007 00:43:51,840 --> 00:43:54,239 Speaker 1: But then one day Lisa signed up for something from 1008 00:43:54,280 --> 00:43:56,480 Speaker 1: an email I sent out and she was like, Oh, 1009 00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:58,279 Speaker 1: I signed up for that that app you mentioned in 1010 00:43:58,280 --> 00:44:00,120 Speaker 1: your email. And I was like, what appen? And I 1011 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:01,719 Speaker 1: was like, well, why are you nervous, Tiffany. He says, 1012 00:44:01,880 --> 00:44:03,600 Speaker 1: if it's good for you, it's good for everyone, right, 1013 00:44:03,680 --> 00:44:06,120 Speaker 1: And I realized that's not true. That I'm a lot 1014 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:08,279 Speaker 1: more lenient with what I'm able to try. So I 1015 00:44:08,920 --> 00:44:10,960 Speaker 1: changed my rule and I said, no, I have to 1016 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:13,480 Speaker 1: be willing for Lisa to be able to sign up 1017 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:16,360 Speaker 1: for it without telling me. And so, because I know, 1018 00:44:16,480 --> 00:44:18,600 Speaker 1: I'm way more conservative with the things that I share 1019 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:20,480 Speaker 1: with Lisa, and so I came up with my Lisa 1020 00:44:20,560 --> 00:44:22,600 Speaker 1: rule that has really served me well, that I won't 1021 00:44:22,640 --> 00:44:25,080 Speaker 1: share anything with dream catchers if I could not comfortably 1022 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:28,840 Speaker 1: say Lisa, go ahead and do it. So affiliate program 1023 00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:31,160 Speaker 1: came in, and then three years ago, I said, well, 1024 00:44:31,280 --> 00:44:34,840 Speaker 1: let's look for more consistent income, and folks started asking 1025 00:44:34,880 --> 00:44:36,640 Speaker 1: me if I could teach investing, and I was like, no, 1026 00:44:36,680 --> 00:44:39,320 Speaker 1: Although I invest with the help of my financial planner, 1027 00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:42,360 Speaker 1: I didn't feel comfortable teaching that. I'm not the investaista, 1028 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:45,160 Speaker 1: And so we were going to actually start an investment 1029 00:44:45,160 --> 00:44:47,160 Speaker 1: club and people said that they would be willing to 1030 00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:50,360 Speaker 1: pay for it, and so the investment club idea seemed 1031 00:44:50,400 --> 00:44:52,440 Speaker 1: kind of narrow. So I thought, well, what have we 1032 00:44:52,640 --> 00:44:54,480 Speaker 1: taught more than just investing? What if we taught like, 1033 00:44:54,520 --> 00:44:57,240 Speaker 1: really the next level of personal finance. I think basic 1034 00:44:57,280 --> 00:44:59,600 Speaker 1: personal finance should be free. That's why most of my 1035 00:45:00,440 --> 00:45:02,560 Speaker 1: like all the stuff that I give away as a budgetista, 1036 00:45:02,840 --> 00:45:06,440 Speaker 1: I give away almost everything, right, But I thought to myself, well, 1037 00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:10,000 Speaker 1: what if with this next level? What if I created 1038 00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:12,560 Speaker 1: this online school where it's really next level, where I 1039 00:45:12,600 --> 00:45:14,719 Speaker 1: get financial experts that know more than me in their 1040 00:45:14,760 --> 00:45:17,160 Speaker 1: particular topic to teach, and you guys paid for and 1041 00:45:17,239 --> 00:45:19,960 Speaker 1: they said yes. And so the three years ago, the 1042 00:45:19,960 --> 00:45:24,120 Speaker 1: Literature Academy was launched in like May twenty sixteen, and 1043 00:45:25,040 --> 00:45:26,960 Speaker 1: it was like, I remember, we were going to make 1044 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:28,919 Speaker 1: it like twenty five bucks a month or something like that. 1045 00:45:29,640 --> 00:45:31,600 Speaker 1: But then people were like, oh, that's a little too high, 1046 00:45:31,600 --> 00:45:33,200 Speaker 1: can afford it? I said, okay, well the first two 1047 00:45:33,239 --> 00:45:36,200 Speaker 1: thousand people will make it ten bucks a month. Don't 1048 00:45:36,200 --> 00:45:38,120 Speaker 1: you know. They lined up like they were Jordan's. They 1049 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:40,439 Speaker 1: were up at sixtus. They broke the site all day long. 1050 00:45:40,600 --> 00:45:42,520 Speaker 1: We made thirty thousand dollars in the first day. I 1051 00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:45,440 Speaker 1: couldn't even run my mind. This is back then, so 1052 00:45:45,520 --> 00:45:47,680 Speaker 1: I was like what And I think at the time 1053 00:45:47,719 --> 00:45:50,160 Speaker 1: the launch made its about seventy thousand dollars over that week, 1054 00:45:51,080 --> 00:45:53,640 Speaker 1: and it was like the first time that I realized, WHOA, 1055 00:45:53,800 --> 00:45:55,840 Speaker 1: there's a different business model out there. There is a 1056 00:45:55,880 --> 00:45:59,759 Speaker 1: subscription model. So the Academy since then has made This 1057 00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:02,280 Speaker 1: year we made three thousand dollars, but of all time, 1058 00:46:02,360 --> 00:46:04,840 Speaker 1: we've made just under six thousand dollars with the Academy, 1059 00:46:05,239 --> 00:46:07,560 Speaker 1: a six thousand, six million dollars. 1060 00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:11,680 Speaker 2: With you to say, six million, six million with the 1061 00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:13,160 Speaker 2: Academy and how many. 1062 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:17,000 Speaker 1: Years in three years? This year alone though, we made 1063 00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:19,080 Speaker 1: three million. Wow. 1064 00:46:19,239 --> 00:46:21,920 Speaker 2: And that is because so the model is that people 1065 00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:23,920 Speaker 2: pay monthly to access it. 1066 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:26,800 Speaker 1: Right, they paid monthly to access it, so now it's 1067 00:46:26,600 --> 00:46:28,520 Speaker 1: it's fifty nine ninety nine a month, but we always 1068 00:46:28,520 --> 00:46:30,839 Speaker 1: give a I'm always having a sale forty percent off sales. 1069 00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:33,640 Speaker 1: So typically people pay around twenty nine ninety nine a month. 1070 00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:36,440 Speaker 1: But what I do is I get like top tier experts, 1071 00:46:36,680 --> 00:46:38,839 Speaker 1: typically women and honestly women of color, because I want 1072 00:46:38,840 --> 00:46:41,360 Speaker 1: you to see yourself in the Academy, and they teach 1073 00:46:42,239 --> 00:46:44,720 Speaker 1: a class anywhere ranging from if it's at the expert 1074 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:46,840 Speaker 1: as the experts are about an hour to forty five minutes. 1075 00:46:46,840 --> 00:46:49,080 Speaker 1: But then we also have deeper, longer classes as long 1076 00:46:49,120 --> 00:46:50,719 Speaker 1: as a month long. Some of them are a few 1077 00:46:50,800 --> 00:46:52,680 Speaker 1: days long. It depends really, like what kind of learner 1078 00:46:52,719 --> 00:46:56,240 Speaker 1: you are. We have these amazing classes from how to trade, 1079 00:46:56,520 --> 00:47:00,600 Speaker 1: how to invest, retirement, legacy, planning, to buy a car, 1080 00:47:00,840 --> 00:47:03,400 Speaker 1: how to talk to your spouse about money, really next level, 1081 00:47:04,560 --> 00:47:07,439 Speaker 1: you know, like like I said, retirement, like next level 1082 00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:10,200 Speaker 1: things like Sandy teaches a side hustle course. So I 1083 00:47:10,280 --> 00:47:13,600 Speaker 1: really tapped into my expert friends to teach these amazing lessons, 1084 00:47:14,200 --> 00:47:16,759 Speaker 1: and the Academy has just been bumping and jumping, and 1085 00:47:17,719 --> 00:47:19,960 Speaker 1: so that is my that is my consistent source. But 1086 00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:23,160 Speaker 1: I purposely created because the Budgetnisa is the business of Tiffany, 1087 00:47:23,200 --> 00:47:25,160 Speaker 1: and it got to start. I wanted to start to 1088 00:47:25,200 --> 00:47:28,319 Speaker 1: have a family. I wasn't married yet, but Superman and 1089 00:47:28,360 --> 00:47:31,640 Speaker 1: I were close, and I knew that I didn't want 1090 00:47:31,680 --> 00:47:34,319 Speaker 1: that only source of income to be like I have 1091 00:47:34,360 --> 00:47:37,200 Speaker 1: to show up as Tiffany the Budget Nista. And so 1092 00:47:37,320 --> 00:47:40,360 Speaker 1: the Academy allowed me to take a step back because 1093 00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:43,320 Speaker 1: I get to disseminate the expertise between myself and fifty 1094 00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:46,080 Speaker 1: other experts. People don't really look for me inside the 1095 00:47:46,120 --> 00:47:48,560 Speaker 1: Academy because I'm not the most expert of all the experts. 1096 00:47:48,600 --> 00:47:50,720 Speaker 1: They're looking at all the other experts and it's been awesome. 1097 00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:53,080 Speaker 1: And so I have a team that runs the Academy 1098 00:47:53,600 --> 00:47:56,520 Speaker 1: and I just check in with them. So it's allowed 1099 00:47:56,560 --> 00:48:01,160 Speaker 1: me to like have this second business with my partner Jabrill, 1100 00:48:01,560 --> 00:48:04,880 Speaker 1: where he does the marketing, have a manager, we have 1101 00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:08,640 Speaker 1: customer support. But it's been like the first though. But 1102 00:48:08,719 --> 00:48:11,319 Speaker 1: the first year, although we made that seventy thousand, it 1103 00:48:11,400 --> 00:48:13,719 Speaker 1: was really hard because we couldn't find the right platform. 1104 00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:17,600 Speaker 1: It was we almost closed down like so many times 1105 00:48:17,640 --> 00:48:20,880 Speaker 1: because we ran out of money and it just wasn't 1106 00:48:21,360 --> 00:48:24,319 Speaker 1: we could not figure out, you know, what type of 1107 00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:26,960 Speaker 1: classes to have, how to lay out the website. We 1108 00:48:27,120 --> 00:48:30,080 Speaker 1: just finally quite honestly got it together this year because 1109 00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:32,719 Speaker 1: there's like last year, I told Jabrill, my business partner, 1110 00:48:32,719 --> 00:48:35,520 Speaker 1: I don't think this is going to work. It's like, 1111 00:48:35,520 --> 00:48:37,760 Speaker 1: like the website is a mess. I can't find anything. 1112 00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:40,000 Speaker 1: And we paid like eight thousand dollars to get it 1113 00:48:40,040 --> 00:48:43,279 Speaker 1: totally redesigned and we did a launch. So our first 1114 00:48:43,360 --> 00:48:46,680 Speaker 1: launch we made seventy thousand. We were geeked so so much, 1115 00:48:46,680 --> 00:48:48,480 Speaker 1: so like six months later we did another launch, but 1116 00:48:48,480 --> 00:48:50,440 Speaker 1: we were lazy with it, so we made thirty five thousand, 1117 00:48:50,520 --> 00:48:52,880 Speaker 1: and we realized, like the effort you get put in 1118 00:48:53,000 --> 00:48:55,600 Speaker 1: is what you get back. Then set the third launch. 1119 00:48:55,640 --> 00:48:57,720 Speaker 1: I want to say we made two hundred and fifty thousand, 1120 00:48:58,120 --> 00:49:00,799 Speaker 1: but that was like a survival launch because we had 1121 00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:02,759 Speaker 1: we ran out of money and I was like, if 1122 00:49:02,760 --> 00:49:05,319 Speaker 1: we're going to really try to save this academy, we 1123 00:49:05,440 --> 00:49:06,960 Speaker 1: have to have money to last us for the next 1124 00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:09,680 Speaker 1: for a year. And so we did that launch. We 1125 00:49:09,680 --> 00:49:11,319 Speaker 1: made the two fifty, but the two fifty was really 1126 00:49:11,360 --> 00:49:13,680 Speaker 1: there to give us the space to learn how to 1127 00:49:13,719 --> 00:49:16,960 Speaker 1: run this company. And then the launcher that we did 1128 00:49:16,960 --> 00:49:20,560 Speaker 1: earlier this year made five hundred and fifty thousand and so, 1129 00:49:20,680 --> 00:49:22,680 Speaker 1: but now we're cooking with recent the academy. I feel 1130 00:49:22,680 --> 00:49:24,600 Speaker 1: like we finally have found our stride. After three years, 1131 00:49:24,680 --> 00:49:27,680 Speaker 1: it's getting better. I always like, I'm hard on us. 1132 00:49:27,719 --> 00:49:31,319 Speaker 1: I give us like the Academy like a solid B, 1133 00:49:31,560 --> 00:49:32,960 Speaker 1: but I'm like, I want an eight plus plus. So 1134 00:49:33,000 --> 00:49:35,000 Speaker 1: that's who we're working to. But we have some great 1135 00:49:35,040 --> 00:49:37,919 Speaker 1: new things that we're adding, and by twenty twenty, we're 1136 00:49:37,920 --> 00:49:40,800 Speaker 1: gonna be a plus plus because we are like quickly 1137 00:49:40,800 --> 00:49:42,719 Speaker 1: approaching that. Even though when I ask members of the 1138 00:49:42,760 --> 00:49:44,360 Speaker 1: Academy they're like I like it, I'm like, m m, 1139 00:49:44,840 --> 00:49:46,520 Speaker 1: I know we can do better. 1140 00:49:46,640 --> 00:49:49,600 Speaker 2: Well, it's also like the what if you had waited 1141 00:49:49,640 --> 00:49:53,359 Speaker 2: to perfect it all these years? Like imagine how much 1142 00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:57,200 Speaker 2: money you wouldn't have made exactly you know, And then 1143 00:49:57,200 --> 00:49:58,600 Speaker 2: how can you perfect it if you don't get the 1144 00:49:58,600 --> 00:49:59,359 Speaker 2: feedback from people? 1145 00:49:59,440 --> 00:50:01,640 Speaker 1: And then that's one of the things that has been 1146 00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:04,799 Speaker 1: on saving grace. Honestly, it's transparency because I would literally 1147 00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:07,799 Speaker 1: go live every week and say, hey, I know this 1148 00:50:07,840 --> 00:50:09,960 Speaker 1: thing is this one part of the academy is not working. 1149 00:50:10,440 --> 00:50:12,520 Speaker 1: What do you think we should do? Like I would 1150 00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:14,440 Speaker 1: always be really honest and then they would be like, 1151 00:50:14,480 --> 00:50:16,440 Speaker 1: well can you do this? And I'd say, okay, hold on. 1152 00:50:16,560 --> 00:50:17,920 Speaker 1: Then I would try to find someone to help, and 1153 00:50:17,920 --> 00:50:20,040 Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, I found this guy Tom, He's going 1154 00:50:20,120 --> 00:50:21,600 Speaker 1: to fix it. Do you want a purple? Do you 1155 00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:23,040 Speaker 1: want a green? Do you want to left to the right. 1156 00:50:23,160 --> 00:50:25,920 Speaker 1: So there was always this acknowledgment of I know we 1157 00:50:25,960 --> 00:50:28,640 Speaker 1: can do better. What's your feedback? And then I would 1158 00:50:28,680 --> 00:50:30,600 Speaker 1: come back and say, we fixed it, how do you 1159 00:50:30,680 --> 00:50:32,719 Speaker 1: like it? Should we do better? So that was our 1160 00:50:32,719 --> 00:50:35,560 Speaker 1: saving grace inside the Literature Academy was that there was 1161 00:50:35,640 --> 00:50:38,080 Speaker 1: always this sense of like, what is it that you want? 1162 00:50:38,160 --> 00:50:40,160 Speaker 1: What can I do better? Like people when bitcoin was 1163 00:50:40,160 --> 00:50:43,200 Speaker 1: a big thing, people reached out to me and like 1164 00:50:43,239 --> 00:50:44,759 Speaker 1: from the academy and they said, we want to learn 1165 00:50:44,800 --> 00:50:46,960 Speaker 1: about bitcoin. It took me a week. I interviewed five 1166 00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:49,960 Speaker 1: different experts to teach and I found one Cassandra Cummings, 1167 00:50:49,960 --> 00:50:53,440 Speaker 1: who's amazing, and she taught her class. So you requested 1168 00:50:53,480 --> 00:50:55,440 Speaker 1: it a week later and I let them know I'm 1169 00:50:55,480 --> 00:50:58,720 Speaker 1: interviewing people. I'm down to the last two. We found someone. 1170 00:50:59,040 --> 00:51:01,719 Speaker 1: So I find that for us in business, it's not 1171 00:51:01,760 --> 00:51:04,920 Speaker 1: about perfection, but it's that transparency and we have a 1172 00:51:04,960 --> 00:51:07,279 Speaker 1: true desire to serve. So I want you to see that, 1173 00:51:07,560 --> 00:51:09,800 Speaker 1: so you know that when I mess up or something's 1174 00:51:09,800 --> 00:51:12,080 Speaker 1: not perfect, it's not for lack of trying, you know. 1175 00:51:12,160 --> 00:51:14,120 Speaker 1: I think that's important that I don't want you to 1176 00:51:14,120 --> 00:51:16,319 Speaker 1: see that like well, dang, I don't like this and 1177 00:51:16,360 --> 00:51:18,640 Speaker 1: it's behind this like this curtain. I want you to 1178 00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:20,359 Speaker 1: see that, Like I know, I don't like it either. 1179 00:51:20,440 --> 00:51:22,640 Speaker 1: We're trying to fix it. If you have any suggestions, 1180 00:51:22,680 --> 00:51:24,960 Speaker 1: please bring them to the table. So we are so 1181 00:51:25,080 --> 00:51:28,000 Speaker 1: much better as a result of not trying to hide 1182 00:51:28,000 --> 00:51:30,239 Speaker 1: our imperfections but to show them and show them how 1183 00:51:30,239 --> 00:51:33,880 Speaker 1: we're working on them. And by by January twenty twenty twenty, 1184 00:51:34,520 --> 00:51:36,560 Speaker 1: the trajectory that we're on now with growth, I think 1185 00:51:36,600 --> 00:51:38,839 Speaker 1: we're going to hit our first definitely, definitely by first 1186 00:51:38,920 --> 00:51:41,400 Speaker 1: quarter with where we are now, but by January, that's 1187 00:51:41,440 --> 00:51:43,399 Speaker 1: what it's looking like. We're going to hit our first 1188 00:51:43,440 --> 00:51:47,520 Speaker 1: seven figure month, which would be insane, imagine a million 1189 00:51:47,560 --> 00:51:51,080 Speaker 1: dollars a month, But that's where we're headed out the 1190 00:51:51,120 --> 00:51:54,560 Speaker 1: last the last few months of the academy, we've like 1191 00:51:55,080 --> 00:51:57,200 Speaker 1: I want to say that we're probably averaging maybe three 1192 00:51:57,239 --> 00:51:59,520 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty thousand dollars a month in recurring income. 1193 00:52:00,360 --> 00:52:02,520 Speaker 2: This is okay, So I know we're hitting coming up 1194 00:52:02,560 --> 00:52:04,040 Speaker 2: on the end of the show. Obviously we need to 1195 00:52:04,080 --> 00:52:07,480 Speaker 2: do a part too, because we have we've gotten we've 1196 00:52:07,520 --> 00:52:10,200 Speaker 2: hit the miles, like the big components of how you 1197 00:52:10,200 --> 00:52:12,000 Speaker 2: build your business, but I feel like there's like small 1198 00:52:12,000 --> 00:52:14,360 Speaker 2: ways and small strategies and money making tips that you 1199 00:52:14,400 --> 00:52:16,520 Speaker 2: can offer people. So we'll do another episode for sure, 1200 00:52:16,560 --> 00:52:18,000 Speaker 2: But before we do that, I always want to do a 1201 00:52:18,040 --> 00:52:22,920 Speaker 2: recap of the lines of business that are really like 1202 00:52:23,640 --> 00:52:26,560 Speaker 2: that really funds the budget, neist to you know, ink 1203 00:52:26,600 --> 00:52:30,640 Speaker 2: that you've created. And then also how like how do 1204 00:52:30,719 --> 00:52:32,960 Speaker 2: you prepare for the future. Do you see the academy 1205 00:52:33,000 --> 00:52:36,359 Speaker 2: sustaining you guys for years to come, or you know 1206 00:52:36,520 --> 00:52:37,680 Speaker 2: how when you can't. 1207 00:52:37,560 --> 00:52:39,640 Speaker 1: Wait to stare? I have some big things, so I 1208 00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:41,800 Speaker 1: would say that. So right now there are three companies, 1209 00:52:41,800 --> 00:52:44,279 Speaker 1: and I have the budget needs to the original Personality brand, 1210 00:52:44,280 --> 00:52:46,640 Speaker 1: which is books, speaking engagements. We didn't even get in 1211 00:52:46,640 --> 00:52:48,799 Speaker 1: the spokesperson work, but we could talk about that next time. 1212 00:52:49,120 --> 00:52:54,279 Speaker 1: So books, speaking Engagements, folkesperson work, and and teaching. That's 1213 00:52:54,280 --> 00:52:56,840 Speaker 1: the budget needs to then the Literature Academy, which is 1214 00:52:56,840 --> 00:53:00,160 Speaker 1: the online school, and then we also have it call 1215 00:53:00,160 --> 00:53:03,719 Speaker 1: it TJMS. It's literally just Tiffany Jabrill Marketing Solutions. When 1216 00:53:03,760 --> 00:53:06,840 Speaker 1: people come to come to me and say, hey, you 1217 00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:09,000 Speaker 1: know I want you to do sometimes we get invited 1218 00:53:09,040 --> 00:53:12,160 Speaker 1: to and invite only affiliate program and Jabrill will run 1219 00:53:12,200 --> 00:53:15,080 Speaker 1: ads to that affiliate program. And so because of that, 1220 00:53:15,160 --> 00:53:17,239 Speaker 1: he's a partner and he's not a partner in the Budgetista, 1221 00:53:17,280 --> 00:53:19,720 Speaker 1: but he's a partner in the academy and this marketing 1222 00:53:19,760 --> 00:53:22,640 Speaker 1: company that we have. So that's the third company. And 1223 00:53:22,719 --> 00:53:25,080 Speaker 1: so those are the three companies that really fund and 1224 00:53:25,280 --> 00:53:28,319 Speaker 1: aside from Brown Amission because we're a company as well, 1225 00:53:28,320 --> 00:53:31,360 Speaker 1: but that's really what funds Budgetissa Inc. The marketing company 1226 00:53:31,400 --> 00:53:34,520 Speaker 1: to handle the affiliate programs, the Budgetisa which is the 1227 00:53:34,520 --> 00:53:39,160 Speaker 1: business of Tiffany, and the online school. And yeah, it's 1228 00:53:39,200 --> 00:53:42,799 Speaker 1: just been like the TJMS. It makes as much money 1229 00:53:42,800 --> 00:53:44,239 Speaker 1: as we put effort into, which we have not put 1230 00:53:44,280 --> 00:53:46,640 Speaker 1: as much effort as we could because now we're most 1231 00:53:46,640 --> 00:53:50,040 Speaker 1: of our energy is put into the Live Richer Academy. 1232 00:53:50,080 --> 00:53:53,440 Speaker 1: But one thing I have learned is that there are 1233 00:53:53,560 --> 00:53:57,600 Speaker 1: so many ways Lynette Caledfani Cox, which is one of 1234 00:53:57,600 --> 00:54:00,480 Speaker 1: my mentors. She told me a long time ago, years ago, 1235 00:54:00,560 --> 00:54:03,000 Speaker 1: probably about six or seven years ago, about ways that 1236 00:54:03,440 --> 00:54:05,160 Speaker 1: me and myself how I can make business. And one 1237 00:54:05,200 --> 00:54:07,960 Speaker 1: of those ways is something called satellite media tour. I 1238 00:54:08,040 --> 00:54:10,560 Speaker 1: just did one a few days ago, and you make 1239 00:54:10,600 --> 00:54:13,920 Speaker 1: anywhere from ten to thirty thousand dollars and I made 1240 00:54:14,000 --> 00:54:17,960 Speaker 1: I think about twenty five thousand, and to sit down 1241 00:54:18,000 --> 00:54:20,000 Speaker 1: for four hours in front of a camera and all 1242 00:54:20,040 --> 00:54:24,280 Speaker 1: these like media outlets will basically call in via video 1243 00:54:24,920 --> 00:54:27,719 Speaker 1: and you are like, basically, I'm Live and Shott on 1244 00:54:27,840 --> 00:54:30,920 Speaker 1: ABC twelve, I'm Live in Natural NBC three. 1245 00:54:30,880 --> 00:54:33,520 Speaker 2: And they'll pay for those interviews because usually you don't 1246 00:54:33,560 --> 00:54:35,279 Speaker 2: pay people to like do interviews for media. 1247 00:54:35,360 --> 00:54:39,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, well it's a it's a tour. So the company 1248 00:54:39,040 --> 00:54:41,879 Speaker 1: there's a comp let's just say the company is Brown Ambition, right. 1249 00:54:42,040 --> 00:54:44,480 Speaker 1: Brown Ambition says we have messaging we want to get 1250 00:54:44,480 --> 00:54:48,240 Speaker 1: out there. So are there's a satellite media tour company 1251 00:54:48,239 --> 00:54:50,719 Speaker 1: that hits up all these media platforms and says, would 1252 00:54:50,719 --> 00:54:53,920 Speaker 1: you like some tips on Brown Ambition's messaging? So maybe 1253 00:54:54,000 --> 00:54:56,439 Speaker 1: we're not going to say listen to Brown Ambition. Maybe 1254 00:54:56,440 --> 00:54:59,160 Speaker 1: we'll say, like the messaging is three ways to get 1255 00:54:59,160 --> 00:55:01,279 Speaker 1: on financial track and then New Year. But Tiffany, we 1256 00:55:01,280 --> 00:55:04,760 Speaker 1: want you to weave in Brian Ambition because ABC wants 1257 00:55:04,760 --> 00:55:06,359 Speaker 1: three ways to get on track for the New Year. 1258 00:55:06,680 --> 00:55:09,279 Speaker 1: And it just happens to come along with you know, 1259 00:55:09,360 --> 00:55:11,680 Speaker 1: me talking about brand Ambition, because that's the company that's 1260 00:55:11,760 --> 00:55:15,040 Speaker 1: hired me to weave them into the messaging. You see 1261 00:55:15,040 --> 00:55:18,080 Speaker 1: what I mean. And so Brown Ambition is yeah, so 1262 00:55:18,200 --> 00:55:20,799 Speaker 1: not in NBC or ABC. They're not paying me. Brin 1263 00:55:20,840 --> 00:55:23,920 Speaker 1: Ambition pays me to weave them in to this messaging. 1264 00:55:24,360 --> 00:55:26,160 Speaker 1: And so when I tell you, I was like, I 1265 00:55:26,160 --> 00:55:27,879 Speaker 1: remember Lenette tell me. She said that's for the big Dog, 1266 00:55:27,920 --> 00:55:29,520 Speaker 1: so that won't be for years from now. But she 1267 00:55:29,600 --> 00:55:31,759 Speaker 1: was right. I just got booked to do another one 1268 00:55:31,760 --> 00:55:34,040 Speaker 1: and they're paying me thirty thousand. And actually someone just 1269 00:55:34,080 --> 00:55:37,120 Speaker 1: emailed me a minute before this podcast to do another one. 1270 00:55:37,239 --> 00:55:40,520 Speaker 1: So Satellite media tours as they're called smts and radio 1271 00:55:40,520 --> 00:55:44,200 Speaker 1: media tours, that's another. Now that's a Tiffany, that's Tiffany 1272 00:55:44,239 --> 00:55:47,279 Speaker 1: income or Budgetista income like the original company income. So 1273 00:55:47,520 --> 00:55:50,120 Speaker 1: I would say the budgetis to BUDGETISA doesn't make a 1274 00:55:50,120 --> 00:55:54,120 Speaker 1: million dollars a year because I slowed down tremendously, But 1275 00:55:54,480 --> 00:55:57,360 Speaker 1: I would say the budget needs to probably twenty nineteen 1276 00:55:57,400 --> 00:55:59,759 Speaker 1: has probably made about maybe a little over half a 1277 00:55:59,760 --> 00:56:03,480 Speaker 1: million dollars. But remember that's with me cutting back. I 1278 00:56:03,480 --> 00:56:06,840 Speaker 1: don't even speak hardly anymore. This is mostly spokesperson work. 1279 00:56:07,280 --> 00:56:11,759 Speaker 1: This satellite media tours, book sales that happened basically kind 1280 00:56:11,800 --> 00:56:16,480 Speaker 1: of organically. It's also some speaking engagements, but typically localized. 1281 00:56:16,840 --> 00:56:21,360 Speaker 1: But because now I'm getting brand ambassador work too, where 1282 00:56:21,600 --> 00:56:23,839 Speaker 1: I signed a six figure contract to do a brand 1283 00:56:23,840 --> 00:56:27,600 Speaker 1: ambassador work for a company. It's like a month long engagement. 1284 00:56:28,280 --> 00:56:31,359 Speaker 1: But here the reason why I'm able to do those 1285 00:56:31,360 --> 00:56:34,520 Speaker 1: things now is because of that Live Richer challenge that 1286 00:56:34,600 --> 00:56:37,120 Speaker 1: everyone said I was foolish to do for free. That 1287 00:56:37,280 --> 00:56:40,880 Speaker 1: challenge helped to build my community, help to build trust, 1288 00:56:41,200 --> 00:56:44,040 Speaker 1: help to introduce people to me in my way of 1289 00:56:44,080 --> 00:56:46,640 Speaker 1: thinking and the way I navigate. It really helped to 1290 00:56:46,719 --> 00:56:50,279 Speaker 1: build this like just like army of folks that are like, 1291 00:56:50,320 --> 00:56:51,920 Speaker 1: we love what the budget needs to does. So as 1292 00:56:51,920 --> 00:56:55,279 Speaker 1: a result, there are companies and agencies who want to 1293 00:56:55,280 --> 00:56:57,000 Speaker 1: be in alignment with me. I say no, way more 1294 00:56:57,000 --> 00:56:58,719 Speaker 1: than I say yes, Like the budget needs to could 1295 00:56:58,719 --> 00:57:00,799 Speaker 1: easily make over a million dollars if I said yes 1296 00:57:00,800 --> 00:57:02,520 Speaker 1: to everything. But I say no to most things because 1297 00:57:02,560 --> 00:57:04,560 Speaker 1: most things, quite honestly, are crappy and they're not good 1298 00:57:04,560 --> 00:57:06,759 Speaker 1: for you. So I would never sell my soul or 1299 00:57:06,800 --> 00:57:09,279 Speaker 1: sell y'all out to some company that I know is 1300 00:57:09,360 --> 00:57:13,600 Speaker 1: detrimental to your financial journey. But that literature challenge changed 1301 00:57:13,640 --> 00:57:17,000 Speaker 1: the game for me. I cannot, like, I cannot express 1302 00:57:17,040 --> 00:57:21,240 Speaker 1: how important it for me that maintaining like service as 1303 00:57:21,280 --> 00:57:25,080 Speaker 1: our most important aspect of the company has transformed into this, 1304 00:57:25,480 --> 00:57:28,880 Speaker 1: like collectively this multi million dollar like you know, like 1305 00:57:29,040 --> 00:57:32,960 Speaker 1: ink because of service. And it's possible, but you have 1306 00:57:33,040 --> 00:57:36,040 Speaker 1: to have a service plan and a money plan. It 1307 00:57:36,080 --> 00:57:37,800 Speaker 1: took me a few years to realize that the money 1308 00:57:37,800 --> 00:57:42,760 Speaker 1: didn't just come. It wasn't until Joebroll said, monetize the challenge. 1309 00:57:42,880 --> 00:57:45,080 Speaker 1: If you're gonna share the company anyway, see if they 1310 00:57:45,080 --> 00:57:48,480 Speaker 1: have a referral program. Oh, that's the business plan or 1311 00:57:48,520 --> 00:57:50,520 Speaker 1: the money plan. You see what I mean? Like, I 1312 00:57:50,560 --> 00:57:54,400 Speaker 1: have to be really conscious of Okay, I'm gonna sell 1313 00:57:54,920 --> 00:57:57,919 Speaker 1: spots inside my academy. I have to be mindful that, yes, 1314 00:57:58,080 --> 00:57:59,880 Speaker 1: the academy is great in dope, but I have to 1315 00:58:00,360 --> 00:58:02,720 Speaker 1: I have to sell, people have to buy a subscription. 1316 00:58:02,800 --> 00:58:05,600 Speaker 1: I can't just have a thing and not be mindful. 1317 00:58:05,600 --> 00:58:07,200 Speaker 1: Then how is it going to make money? 1318 00:58:07,400 --> 00:58:09,760 Speaker 2: And so we've got but I don't want to And 1319 00:58:09,800 --> 00:58:12,360 Speaker 2: this is like the magic of the budget Neista that 1320 00:58:12,480 --> 00:58:15,240 Speaker 2: I feel like people need to understand. As you were, 1321 00:58:15,520 --> 00:58:18,120 Speaker 2: you were making investments, and you were a smart businesswoman 1322 00:58:18,120 --> 00:58:21,320 Speaker 2: because you understood audience and the power of community. So 1323 00:58:21,400 --> 00:58:25,480 Speaker 2: you built the goodwill and the trust with your community 1324 00:58:25,520 --> 00:58:27,640 Speaker 2: so that when you were ready to do, you know, 1325 00:58:27,720 --> 00:58:30,840 Speaker 2: to start selling, you had people lining up who were 1326 00:58:31,000 --> 00:58:33,680 Speaker 2: trusted you and were willing to hop on board, you know. 1327 00:58:33,840 --> 00:58:36,440 Speaker 2: And and if you start with the money first and 1328 00:58:36,480 --> 00:58:40,200 Speaker 2: you're immediately selling people something, it's just it's a different relationship, 1329 00:58:40,240 --> 00:58:42,960 Speaker 2: you know, It's it's a different and and I mean 1330 00:58:43,280 --> 00:58:45,480 Speaker 2: I'm speaking for you, but I feel like that is 1331 00:58:45,760 --> 00:58:48,680 Speaker 2: the this like the visional se qua, like that little 1332 00:58:48,720 --> 00:58:52,360 Speaker 2: magic ingredient that you know that other when you say 1333 00:58:52,360 --> 00:58:54,680 Speaker 2: you want to be an influencer, like that's the lowercase. 1334 00:58:54,720 --> 00:58:57,880 Speaker 2: I like, Tiffany truly in a way that's meaningful and 1335 00:58:57,960 --> 00:59:01,000 Speaker 2: not predatory, have become that and that I feel like 1336 00:59:01,120 --> 00:59:04,440 Speaker 2: is and that's really how you sustain that kind of 1337 00:59:04,880 --> 00:59:07,320 Speaker 2: level of business, you know, in that way. 1338 00:59:08,120 --> 00:59:10,240 Speaker 1: No, it's true, and also too, I just think that 1339 00:59:10,720 --> 00:59:15,320 Speaker 1: I purposely keep the influencing money to the low end, 1340 00:59:15,400 --> 00:59:17,560 Speaker 1: like under twenty five percent of what the budget needs 1341 00:59:17,560 --> 00:59:20,640 Speaker 1: to brings in on purpose because my father would say, 1342 00:59:20,680 --> 00:59:23,960 Speaker 1: he who pays the piper determines the tune. So if 1343 00:59:24,000 --> 00:59:26,360 Speaker 1: all of your money comes from brands, guess who you 1344 00:59:26,400 --> 00:59:30,280 Speaker 1: have to listen to brands? I didn't. I don't want that, don't. 1345 00:59:30,320 --> 00:59:32,320 Speaker 1: I want to be able to if a brand is 1346 00:59:32,360 --> 00:59:34,000 Speaker 1: not a fit. I want to be able to walk 1347 00:59:34,000 --> 00:59:36,560 Speaker 1: away from the money because I'm also not beholden to 1348 00:59:36,560 --> 00:59:38,760 Speaker 1: the money because it's not the majority of my business. 1349 00:59:38,920 --> 00:59:40,760 Speaker 1: I've told many brands and some of your favor brands, 1350 00:59:40,800 --> 00:59:42,720 Speaker 1: and you think it's your favorite. But then o'kay about you? 1351 00:59:43,160 --> 00:59:44,640 Speaker 1: I mean, I thought most of the big banks have 1352 00:59:44,680 --> 00:59:46,720 Speaker 1: hit me up. Ask me if you see a big 1353 00:59:46,760 --> 00:59:49,040 Speaker 1: bank that I've worked with. I have not, because quite honestly, 1354 00:59:49,840 --> 00:59:53,160 Speaker 1: most of them are not great. And so I'm like, yeah, 1355 00:59:53,160 --> 00:59:54,840 Speaker 1: I'm not here to cape for you and to trick 1356 00:59:54,920 --> 00:59:57,040 Speaker 1: dream catchers and thinking that you're wonderful when you know 1357 00:59:57,080 --> 00:59:59,760 Speaker 1: you're not. Because here's the thing. If something is wonderful. 1358 01:00:00,040 --> 01:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Everything I share is not monetized. What I do is 1359 01:00:03,080 --> 01:00:05,560 Speaker 1: I figure out what's working and I share it. Then 1360 01:00:05,640 --> 01:00:08,600 Speaker 1: I look to see this, does the thing I'm sharing 1361 01:00:08,800 --> 01:00:11,840 Speaker 1: have a referral program? If they do, great, and if 1362 01:00:11,840 --> 01:00:14,480 Speaker 1: they don't, still get shared. So that is our rule, 1363 01:00:14,600 --> 01:00:16,440 Speaker 1: is that we look for good things to share and 1364 01:00:16,480 --> 01:00:18,680 Speaker 1: if there's a way to monetize it, great, but if not, 1365 01:00:19,000 --> 01:00:21,600 Speaker 1: we still share it. And I tell that to brands 1366 01:00:21,640 --> 01:00:24,000 Speaker 1: all the time who are trying to lure me in 1367 01:00:24,000 --> 01:00:25,760 Speaker 1: with money. I'm like, yo, if you were dope and 1368 01:00:25,760 --> 01:00:27,440 Speaker 1: you actually did right by people, I would share you 1369 01:00:27,520 --> 01:00:29,880 Speaker 1: for free, because it's my intention to help as many 1370 01:00:29,880 --> 01:00:32,240 Speaker 1: people as possible, like you telling me. I actually told 1371 01:00:32,240 --> 01:00:34,200 Speaker 1: the big bank this once and they were like, oh, 1372 01:00:34,240 --> 01:00:35,640 Speaker 1: you know, we'll pay you. I think it was like 1373 01:00:35,680 --> 01:00:37,120 Speaker 1: one hundred thousand dollars and I was like, well, you 1374 01:00:37,160 --> 01:00:38,680 Speaker 1: know what, that's cup, But we made that last week, 1375 01:00:39,800 --> 01:00:42,240 Speaker 1: so what are you You're gonna pay me a million dollars? 1376 01:00:42,240 --> 01:00:45,240 Speaker 1: We made that more than that this year, So meaning 1377 01:00:45,280 --> 01:00:47,200 Speaker 1: that like, there's not enough money that you can pay 1378 01:00:47,360 --> 01:00:49,360 Speaker 1: that would make sense for me to share something that's 1379 01:00:49,400 --> 01:00:51,640 Speaker 1: not helpful to my audience. How about you just build 1380 01:00:51,640 --> 01:00:55,200 Speaker 1: something good and then I'll share you as much as possible. 1381 01:00:55,240 --> 01:00:58,200 Speaker 1: You wouldn't even have to pay me, hardly as much, because. 1382 01:00:57,960 --> 01:00:59,880 Speaker 2: You would risk breaking their trust if you sold them 1383 01:00:59,880 --> 01:01:02,440 Speaker 2: that products, and then they wouldn't continue signing up for 1384 01:01:02,440 --> 01:01:05,760 Speaker 2: the products you you know, the other products exactly. 1385 01:01:05,840 --> 01:01:08,560 Speaker 1: So like so just keeping that in mind that it's 1386 01:01:08,560 --> 01:01:12,720 Speaker 1: a slower grow. I took the long, meandering route to entrepreneurship, 1387 01:01:12,840 --> 01:01:14,160 Speaker 1: and a lot of people don't want to do that 1388 01:01:14,320 --> 01:01:15,800 Speaker 1: because you know, you want to make money right away. 1389 01:01:15,840 --> 01:01:18,760 Speaker 1: I get it. But I took the route of building trust, 1390 01:01:18,880 --> 01:01:23,360 Speaker 1: building community, you know, building relationships. And now the truth 1391 01:01:23,480 --> 01:01:27,160 Speaker 1: is now, like the ten years in, I mean, some 1392 01:01:27,200 --> 01:01:29,320 Speaker 1: of the things that come to my inbox, it's crazy, 1393 01:01:29,800 --> 01:01:32,440 Speaker 1: like I it still blows me away like yo you 1394 01:01:32,600 --> 01:01:36,360 Speaker 1: and not pay me what like, But that's only after 1395 01:01:36,840 --> 01:01:40,760 Speaker 1: all this time of building that trust, relationship and community 1396 01:01:40,760 --> 01:01:43,640 Speaker 1: with the people that I serve. And so now like 1397 01:01:43,960 --> 01:01:46,640 Speaker 1: like I mentioned to you guys last time, I I 1398 01:01:46,680 --> 01:01:49,240 Speaker 1: you know, I talked about Molly Moore on Brown Ambition 1399 01:01:49,400 --> 01:01:51,600 Speaker 1: and someone hit me up from a major, major, major 1400 01:01:51,640 --> 01:01:53,680 Speaker 1: studio was like, I've been watching you. I love what 1401 01:01:53,720 --> 01:01:55,840 Speaker 1: you do. Let's do it. Let's turn her into a show. 1402 01:01:55,880 --> 01:01:57,480 Speaker 1: I'm like, you haven't even read the book or seen it, 1403 01:01:58,160 --> 01:02:00,600 Speaker 1: and she's like yeah, but it's you, Tiffany, And I'm like, wow, 1404 01:02:00,720 --> 01:02:04,040 Speaker 1: how do you creating that? But it's you that people 1405 01:02:04,120 --> 01:02:06,040 Speaker 1: are going to buy into the thing that you're doing 1406 01:02:06,080 --> 01:02:08,919 Speaker 1: because of what you've brought to the table. So it's 1407 01:02:09,000 --> 01:02:11,400 Speaker 1: just like, I mean, even now today I'm meeting with 1408 01:02:11,440 --> 01:02:13,720 Speaker 1: this woman, a producer who I was talking to her 1409 01:02:13,760 --> 01:02:15,800 Speaker 1: about Molly Moore. She's like, Oh, that sounds great, but 1410 01:02:15,840 --> 01:02:17,920 Speaker 1: what about you. I would love for you to have 1411 01:02:17,920 --> 01:02:20,240 Speaker 1: a show. She worked for some big production company. I 1412 01:02:20,280 --> 01:02:21,440 Speaker 1: don't honestly, I don't know if I want to have 1413 01:02:21,480 --> 01:02:23,840 Speaker 1: a show, But like myself personally, because I'm like I 1414 01:02:23,920 --> 01:02:24,960 Speaker 1: want to be a mom, I don't know if I 1415 01:02:24,960 --> 01:02:26,760 Speaker 1: want to. You know, that's just it seems like a lot. 1416 01:02:26,800 --> 01:02:30,680 Speaker 1: But the fact that like people are literally like, here's 1417 01:02:30,680 --> 01:02:32,960 Speaker 1: a sheltivity, would you like to be out here have 1418 01:02:33,040 --> 01:02:36,080 Speaker 1: your own show? I mean that doesn't that comes from 1419 01:02:36,120 --> 01:02:38,320 Speaker 1: all these years worth of work And I know a 1420 01:02:38,320 --> 01:02:40,480 Speaker 1: show will pay like a ton of money, but at 1421 01:02:40,480 --> 01:02:41,640 Speaker 1: this point, I'm like, what do I ask? So I 1422 01:02:41,640 --> 01:02:43,320 Speaker 1: need money for we have a house, we don't have 1423 01:02:43,320 --> 01:02:45,400 Speaker 1: a mortgage. I have my little Putt Puck car, which 1424 01:02:45,440 --> 01:02:49,520 Speaker 1: is plenty. Like Supergirl's college fund is basically funded for me. 1425 01:02:49,760 --> 01:02:51,760 Speaker 1: More money is not enough of a trigger. There has 1426 01:02:51,840 --> 01:02:55,200 Speaker 1: to be something greater that they're coming to the table with. 1427 01:02:55,240 --> 01:02:57,040 Speaker 1: But I just share all that to say that, like, 1428 01:02:57,680 --> 01:02:58,920 Speaker 1: it's possible to do all this thing. I mean, I 1429 01:02:59,000 --> 01:03:01,160 Speaker 1: used to be a preschool teacher. No experience other than 1430 01:03:01,160 --> 01:03:04,440 Speaker 1: that that like, but really I really try to adhere 1431 01:03:04,480 --> 01:03:06,840 Speaker 1: to you know why I started my mission, which is 1432 01:03:06,840 --> 01:03:09,760 Speaker 1: to help as many women live a better life, give 1433 01:03:09,800 --> 01:03:12,440 Speaker 1: them the tools and the resource and the access to 1434 01:03:12,520 --> 01:03:14,800 Speaker 1: live a better life, and especially women of color because 1435 01:03:14,800 --> 01:03:18,680 Speaker 1: we've been left out of the financial conversation. But yeah, 1436 01:03:18,800 --> 01:03:20,600 Speaker 1: like some of the things, like like I'm writing my 1437 01:03:20,680 --> 01:03:23,560 Speaker 1: first real book with the actual book agent. Well I 1438 01:03:23,600 --> 01:03:25,360 Speaker 1: won't say real book, but like a book that I'm 1439 01:03:25,400 --> 01:03:29,600 Speaker 1: not self publishing. So I'm excited about that. Molly Moore, 1440 01:03:29,640 --> 01:03:32,320 Speaker 1: it's looking like something. When I tell you all the 1441 01:03:32,360 --> 01:03:34,440 Speaker 1: rest of the stuff that I've done, Mandy, I feel it. 1442 01:03:34,520 --> 01:03:36,320 Speaker 1: Molly Moore is going to blow the rest of stuff 1443 01:03:36,320 --> 01:03:38,040 Speaker 1: out of the water. It's going to look like I 1444 01:03:38,520 --> 01:03:40,520 Speaker 1: know it, and I feel it. It's the same thing 1445 01:03:40,560 --> 01:03:42,480 Speaker 1: I felt with the Liverature challenge. I knew it was 1446 01:03:42,480 --> 01:03:44,360 Speaker 1: going to change, the budget needs to I knew it, 1447 01:03:44,680 --> 01:03:46,919 Speaker 1: I felt it. So that's why I invested the time 1448 01:03:46,920 --> 01:03:49,640 Speaker 1: and the energy and money and Molly Moore. I've actually 1449 01:03:49,720 --> 01:03:52,680 Speaker 1: never felt it more strongly than that that character. There's 1450 01:03:52,680 --> 01:03:55,040 Speaker 1: something there. I really believe that Molly Moore can be 1451 01:03:55,080 --> 01:03:57,640 Speaker 1: a billion dollar business. Honestly, there's something there. It's just 1452 01:03:58,040 --> 01:03:59,760 Speaker 1: it's been I've been thinking about Molly Moore for the 1453 01:03:59,800 --> 01:04:02,320 Speaker 1: last fifteen years and it's been nagging me. And now 1454 01:04:02,320 --> 01:04:04,880 Speaker 1: it's starting to come to fruition. Molly Moore is going 1455 01:04:04,920 --> 01:04:06,800 Speaker 1: to blow everything else I've ever done out of the water. 1456 01:04:06,880 --> 01:04:09,240 Speaker 1: I know. I know it, and I've invested a lot 1457 01:04:09,240 --> 01:04:11,520 Speaker 1: of time, energy and money honestly into Molly Moore because 1458 01:04:11,520 --> 01:04:14,200 Speaker 1: I know it. So don't be afraid to invest something, 1459 01:04:14,840 --> 01:04:17,680 Speaker 1: invest your time, energy and money and to investing in 1460 01:04:17,720 --> 01:04:21,080 Speaker 1: an idea that you can't you don't really know the 1461 01:04:21,240 --> 01:04:23,680 Speaker 1: end goal, but you could feel like there's something really 1462 01:04:24,200 --> 01:04:27,000 Speaker 1: magical and special here because that means that there is. 1463 01:04:27,040 --> 01:04:29,800 Speaker 1: And so yeah, hopefully ten years from now we'll be 1464 01:04:29,840 --> 01:04:31,720 Speaker 1: talking about Molly Moore, not even maybe five years from 1465 01:04:31,720 --> 01:04:34,640 Speaker 1: now about like remember you said, I'm like, I know, 1466 01:04:34,760 --> 01:04:36,160 Speaker 1: I told you I felt it. I didn't know what, 1467 01:04:36,280 --> 01:04:38,840 Speaker 1: I don't know how, but I felt it and I 1468 01:04:38,880 --> 01:04:41,200 Speaker 1: feel it. But No, this has been fine. 1469 01:04:42,640 --> 01:04:45,520 Speaker 2: I've felt a great time. No, you have so many, 1470 01:04:45,600 --> 01:04:47,640 Speaker 2: so many gems gems. I'm just going to name this 1471 01:04:47,640 --> 01:04:51,560 Speaker 2: podcast gems on gems on Gems. Well, thank you. I 1472 01:04:51,600 --> 01:04:54,320 Speaker 2: mean five years, having done almost five years, having done 1473 01:04:54,320 --> 01:04:56,320 Speaker 2: the show with you, it still it still feels like 1474 01:04:56,360 --> 01:04:59,480 Speaker 2: I'm learning bits and pieces about your journey because they 1475 01:04:59,480 --> 01:05:02,080 Speaker 2: feel like you've a and you've also being on this 1476 01:05:02,160 --> 01:05:04,720 Speaker 2: side of it too. You you reflect, like taking the 1477 01:05:04,760 --> 01:05:07,200 Speaker 2: time to reflect back on things that you know that 1478 01:05:07,240 --> 01:05:09,520 Speaker 2: you've done. I mean you should. You should be so 1479 01:05:09,600 --> 01:05:11,560 Speaker 2: proud and I'm so excited for you and all that's 1480 01:05:11,600 --> 01:05:15,240 Speaker 2: to come. And I know people probably have tons of questions. 1481 01:05:15,320 --> 01:05:16,960 Speaker 2: We're going to do a part two Faux Show. I 1482 01:05:17,000 --> 01:05:18,880 Speaker 2: don't know when it will air because, like I said, 1483 01:05:18,920 --> 01:05:21,560 Speaker 2: at this point in time, I may be delirious, you know, 1484 01:05:23,040 --> 01:05:26,320 Speaker 2: with a baby technically in the future. So but we'll 1485 01:05:26,360 --> 01:05:28,840 Speaker 2: definitely do a part two with Tiffany, So send in 1486 01:05:28,920 --> 01:05:31,280 Speaker 2: your questions. In the meantime, go to Brown Ambition Podcast 1487 01:05:31,320 --> 01:05:34,440 Speaker 2: dot com, ask us anything, hit us up on Instagram 1488 01:05:34,560 --> 01:05:38,040 Speaker 2: at Brown Ambition Podcast, on the gram d m us, 1489 01:05:38,600 --> 01:05:41,480 Speaker 2: or you can email us directly Brown Ambision Podcast at 1490 01:05:41,480 --> 01:05:46,520 Speaker 2: gmail dot com with your questions on how Tiffany has 1491 01:05:46,520 --> 01:05:49,320 Speaker 2: built the budget, needs to makes money and any tips 1492 01:05:49,320 --> 01:05:51,800 Speaker 2: you guys want on how you know, whatever you're struggling 1493 01:05:51,800 --> 01:05:52,560 Speaker 2: with to make money with. 1494 01:05:53,200 --> 01:05:55,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, and also to like, you know, if you I 1495 01:05:55,240 --> 01:05:56,800 Speaker 1: would love to hear your story, share that with me 1496 01:05:56,880 --> 01:06:00,000 Speaker 1: on social and yes, I would love some of your questions. 1497 01:06:00,080 --> 01:06:02,600 Speaker 1: So for part two we could be more focused. Now 1498 01:06:02,680 --> 01:06:04,520 Speaker 1: you know my story, but like we can really answer 1499 01:06:04,560 --> 01:06:07,040 Speaker 1: your questions on part two of like this is my issue, 1500 01:06:07,040 --> 01:06:09,760 Speaker 1: try to be as specific as possible so that way 1501 01:06:09,760 --> 01:06:11,440 Speaker 1: I can give, like, you know, what exactly are you 1502 01:06:11,480 --> 01:06:13,440 Speaker 1: trying to do? What is your desired outcome? Where are 1503 01:06:13,480 --> 01:06:16,160 Speaker 1: you now? So it will give me the you know, 1504 01:06:16,240 --> 01:06:18,240 Speaker 1: it'll give me the opportunity to really dig in and 1505 01:06:18,720 --> 01:06:19,760 Speaker 1: help you as best I can. 1506 01:06:20,160 --> 01:06:21,680 Speaker 2: I mean, I think we have the next iteration of 1507 01:06:21,680 --> 01:06:25,160 Speaker 2: the Little Ritual Challenge just all for business owners, you know, entrepreneurs, 1508 01:06:25,680 --> 01:06:29,280 Speaker 2: just saying just kind of put that out there. Well, 1509 01:06:29,280 --> 01:06:31,240 Speaker 2: thank you for letting me feel like Guy Raz from 1510 01:06:31,240 --> 01:06:33,400 Speaker 2: How I Built This for an hour. 1511 01:06:34,000 --> 01:06:35,960 Speaker 1: That's if I could get on that's I'm like, oh 1512 01:06:36,120 --> 01:06:38,120 Speaker 1: just wait, guy, I feel like I want to be 1513 01:06:38,240 --> 01:06:40,880 Speaker 1: like founder of the Molly of Molly Morris coming on, 1514 01:06:41,160 --> 01:06:44,320 Speaker 1: Like honestly, I would die to be on Guy Raz show, 1515 01:06:44,360 --> 01:06:46,800 Speaker 1: Like that would be my that's like my one day 1516 01:06:46,840 --> 01:06:48,480 Speaker 1: to be on How I Built This? I would love 1517 01:06:48,680 --> 01:06:49,880 Speaker 1: because I feel like, you know you. 1518 01:06:49,880 --> 01:06:52,000 Speaker 2: Will be because but you don't have a business that 1519 01:06:52,080 --> 01:06:53,880 Speaker 2: is as easy as like oh the woman who created 1520 01:06:53,960 --> 01:06:55,520 Speaker 2: kind bars or no it was a guy, I think, 1521 01:06:55,920 --> 01:06:58,400 Speaker 2: but what's but but they're missing because it's not as 1522 01:06:58,400 --> 01:07:00,520 Speaker 2: simple to break apart. You're a business. You know, it's 1523 01:07:00,520 --> 01:07:03,600 Speaker 2: not just like one single product. It's so many different things. 1524 01:07:03,680 --> 01:07:06,760 Speaker 2: But I mean I would write in everybody, write into 1525 01:07:06,800 --> 01:07:09,680 Speaker 2: Guy Ras, Tomy's got en your Tiffany. He's missing, he's 1526 01:07:09,720 --> 01:07:10,480 Speaker 2: missing out. 1527 01:07:11,280 --> 01:07:12,600 Speaker 1: Well I feel like that yet because I feel like 1528 01:07:12,640 --> 01:07:14,360 Speaker 1: everybody there's made like one hundred million dollars. I'm like, 1529 01:07:14,360 --> 01:07:16,640 Speaker 1: we have not made that yet, but but definitely I'm 1530 01:07:16,640 --> 01:07:22,360 Speaker 1: working toward like being that level of business. But now 1531 01:07:22,400 --> 01:07:24,000 Speaker 1: I think I know this is great because I don't 1532 01:07:24,000 --> 01:07:26,840 Speaker 1: really honestly, everybody asked me about personal finance. So it's 1533 01:07:26,840 --> 01:07:28,760 Speaker 1: not often that I get to like share the business 1534 01:07:28,760 --> 01:07:31,120 Speaker 1: because I love being transparent about like what worked, how 1535 01:07:31,200 --> 01:07:34,040 Speaker 1: much we made, The team knows, you know, because I 1536 01:07:34,680 --> 01:07:38,240 Speaker 1: feel like transparency leads to transformation. So you know, I 1537 01:07:38,240 --> 01:07:40,400 Speaker 1: don't mind sharing numbers, and I don't mind sharing like 1538 01:07:40,480 --> 01:07:42,680 Speaker 1: losses and stuff because I feel like I wish somebody 1539 01:07:42,720 --> 01:07:45,720 Speaker 1: would have told me I can make money doing work, absolutely, 1540 01:07:46,640 --> 01:07:48,600 Speaker 1: like you know you can, like these things are out 1541 01:07:48,600 --> 01:07:51,040 Speaker 1: there and how to do so, like it shouldn't be 1542 01:07:51,720 --> 01:07:54,240 Speaker 1: those people who are hiding. Typically it's because maybe they've 1543 01:07:54,280 --> 01:07:55,640 Speaker 1: grown up that way, but a lot of times it's 1544 01:07:55,640 --> 01:07:58,960 Speaker 1: because they're not really making any now, not really making 1545 01:07:58,960 --> 01:08:01,520 Speaker 1: the income they're protect and that they're making. And then 1546 01:08:01,560 --> 01:08:04,880 Speaker 1: you you're chasing after like something that someone's doing that 1547 01:08:04,880 --> 01:08:07,080 Speaker 1: that's not really working. It's not real. I feel like, 1548 01:08:07,080 --> 01:08:09,400 Speaker 1: how do you really help folks if you're not being 1549 01:08:09,440 --> 01:08:12,000 Speaker 1: honest about like how the journey that you've gone through. 1550 01:08:12,160 --> 01:08:16,800 Speaker 1: So yeah, so yeah, until until Still part two, I'm 1551 01:08:16,800 --> 01:08:19,000 Speaker 1: already were like twenty minutes after, So yeah, I wish 1552 01:08:19,080 --> 01:08:20,800 Speaker 1: me luck though I'm meeting with that producer who wants 1553 01:08:20,840 --> 01:08:22,639 Speaker 1: to give you my own show. Although I'm not concerned. 1554 01:08:23,439 --> 01:08:25,599 Speaker 1: I'm not convinced I want my own show, but wish 1555 01:08:25,680 --> 01:08:27,680 Speaker 1: me luck. Hopefully I have some good news when I 1556 01:08:27,720 --> 01:08:28,160 Speaker 1: come back. 1557 01:08:28,360 --> 01:08:31,880 Speaker 2: Good fuck, don't be late, all right. I wish me 1558 01:08:32,000 --> 01:08:35,639 Speaker 2: luck to future Mandy. Yes, wherever you are, you're doing 1559 01:08:35,640 --> 01:08:36,240 Speaker 2: a girl. 1560 01:08:37,760 --> 01:08:38,840 Speaker 1: A kiss. 1561 01:08:39,960 --> 01:08:43,599 Speaker 2: I will all right, Well, chat with you guys soon. 1562 01:08:44,080 --> 01:08:46,160 Speaker 2: Stay tuned to Facebook and Instagram will update you guys 1563 01:08:46,200 --> 01:08:47,280 Speaker 2: on what our next show will be. 1564 01:08:47,760 --> 01:08:50,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, and share our show, share with your friends. Come 1565 01:08:50,120 --> 01:08:52,559 Speaker 1: on now, I feel like we've done you a good service. Well, 1566 01:08:52,560 --> 01:08:55,600 Speaker 1: are amazing programming. If you have not shared, shared, and 1567 01:08:55,680 --> 01:08:57,920 Speaker 1: told a friend, then you know that's the only. 1568 01:08:57,800 --> 01:09:01,120 Speaker 2: Way you know. 1569 01:09:01,200 --> 01:09:03,439 Speaker 1: But Sierra Sarrah Serras, Yes 1570 01:09:03,720 --> 01:09:06,040 Speaker 2: All right, good luck, all right, thank you, all right, 1571 01:09:06,080 --> 01:09:06,439 Speaker 2: bad bo