1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: Define zero based budgeting for the girls who have forgotten 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: or haven't heard about it in a while. 3 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 2: So zero based budgeting does not mean that you're broke 4 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 2: and have zero dollars. It means that every single one 5 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 2: of your dollars is accounted for in advance. The goal 6 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 2: in zero based budgeting is to make sure that your 7 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 2: money has a job in advance, a place to go 8 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 2: in advance. What most people do is just like money 9 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 2: just comes in and out and they just don't know 10 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 2: where their money is going. 11 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,639 Speaker 1: Hey, aba fan, welcome back to the show. I am 12 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: so so happy to have a returning guests with us 13 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: this week, the Wonderful and the Sema McElroy, founder of 14 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 1: Financially Intentional, but on the show a couple of times. 15 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: But you know what, girl, I realized we have never 16 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: talked about your prowess as a money magician as we've 17 00:00:55,200 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: talked about you raising your incredible girls and your career 18 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: as an Ellen D nurse and creating your platform. But 19 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: you had this whole feature story that went up in 20 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: CNBC about paying off a million dollars and I was like, Wow, 21 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: I really don't know my friends, so let me interview 22 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: them on my podcast so I can find out more 23 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: about you and I see men, Welcome back to Brown Ambition. 24 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 3: I'm honored to be here. 25 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 2: But you know, it's always refreshing because I feel like 26 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 2: I've told that story so many times to come and 27 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 2: talk about different elements of my life. But yeah, I 28 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 2: definitely need to share that story with the Brown Ambition 29 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 2: audience because they might not know. 30 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 3: So yeah, we could talk about that. 31 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,119 Speaker 1: My problem is I just spent too much time trying 32 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: to pry dating information out of you and like get 33 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: all the personal into and I'm like, oh wait, the 34 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: show's called Brown Ambition, not Brown Tea. You know what 35 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: I mean. Well, before we get into it, reintroduce yourself 36 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: for the BA fan who doesn't know your game and 37 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: is not super familiar with you. Just give me like 38 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: a quick little intro for bea fan into who you 39 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: are and what you're all about. 40 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 3: Awesome. 41 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 2: So it actually, like right before I started, I hit 42 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 2: submit on a post that's pretty telling. But my name 43 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 2: is Nasima Malcroy. I am a labor and delivery nurse 44 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 2: by Tray for the past sixteen years. But I started 45 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 2: the platform financially intentional as a documentation of my journey 46 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 2: of just trying to be intentional with my finances and 47 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 2: trying to understand how to do better. And it started 48 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 2: when I had my oldest daughter. She was one, and 49 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 2: I was just like, man, like, I have to really 50 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 2: figure this out. And so I just sat out on 51 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 2: a journey of like what is this building money thing about? 52 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 2: Like is it because I didn't learn how to invest, 53 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 2: and like I thought investing it was like trading places 54 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 2: and you had to like know all these crazy things. 55 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 2: And I thought that's why. And then like I really 56 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 2: got heavy into like understanding, well, you do have a 57 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 2: whole bunch of debt and then going on that journey 58 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 2: of paying off that debt. And initially that's why the 59 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 2: platforms was tracking my debt payoff. In twenty seventeen, by 60 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 2: using zero based budget and a debt snowball, I paid 61 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 2: off just under a million dollars in debt. And then 62 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 2: in twenty fourteen, subsequently, from after paying off my debt 63 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 2: and discovering the fire community, I became a millionaire with 64 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 2: all of my assets. Right, So from a million dollars 65 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 2: in debt to twenty seventeen to in twenty twenty four 66 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 2: I think I said twenty fourteen. In twenty twenty four 67 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 2: becoming a millionaire and documenting that progress along the way, 68 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 2: so financially intentional as a platform started in to twenty 69 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 2: sixteen sharing my journey and has been rocking ever since. 70 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 3: Overnight success. 71 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: I just what I love about your journey too, is 72 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: you know, I come, I'm starting to feel older. But yeah, 73 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: my backgrounds in journal and I was from twenty ten 74 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: on a personal finance reporter, and I would look, I 75 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: was always hungry for stories like yours. That was a 76 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: time when like blogging was a thing and a lot 77 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: of people would start blogs just like you to document 78 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: their debt payoff journey and not even expecting that it 79 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: would turn into like a monetizable platform or something like that, 80 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: but just to build community and to have some accountability, 81 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 1: you know. And it's such an old school way I 82 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: feel like to approach the debt payoff journey? What made 83 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: you want? What made you say? You know? I'm going 84 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 1: to bring this to the internet. 85 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 2: Because I hate repeating myself, And like you said, it 86 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 2: was for my people. I have a group of friends 87 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 2: that I've had since middle school, all my homegirls, and 88 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 2: most of us have girls, and I was like, you 89 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 2: know what, you guys need to know this information, especially 90 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 2: to pass to these girls so we can have a 91 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 2: better financial future. And so I was like, you know, 92 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 2: I've been on this journey of doing these things with 93 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 2: my finances and it's been so empowering, Like I want 94 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 2: you guys to know this. 95 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 3: So if I put. 96 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 2: This on a platform, will you guys like read it? 97 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 2: And it was for them. 98 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 3: It was for them. 99 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 2: And as I started and again like, yes I started 100 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 2: before content creation influencer thing was a real thing, right, 101 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 2: And so it was just to share my journey with them. 102 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:32,919 Speaker 2: So I didn't have to be like I have a 103 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,720 Speaker 2: phone call every other day like oh yeah, this is 104 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 2: what I'm doing. It was it was for them, And 105 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 2: it wasn't too long into me posting that people started 106 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 2: reaching out and be like, oh, could you be on 107 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 2: my podcast and or can you talk about this on 108 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 2: this platform? And I was like okay, sure, But that 109 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 2: was very unintentional. It was really just for my little clique. 110 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: That's really beautiful. Now do they Is it like my 111 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: friends and family where they were really supportive of the show, 112 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:04,039 Speaker 1: like in the first couple of years, and now I 113 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: couldn't pay them to listen like they don't care anymore. 114 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 3: They're like, oh, are you still doing that thing that's 115 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 3: so cute? 116 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 2: No, No, they actually actually they do like they they 117 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 2: still are very supportive, you know, and I think, like, 118 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 2: like everything is like take what you need and leave 119 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 2: the rest. But they still rock with me. You know, 120 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 2: there'll always be they'll always be down now if they 121 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 2: take every bit of information to implement it, you know, 122 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 2: I don't think so. 123 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:41,479 Speaker 1: But they still are very supportive. All right, So let's 124 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: talk about this million dollars. You know, I read your interview. 125 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,480 Speaker 1: I read the article on CNBC and it's I love. 126 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: They have a whole pie chart in there, breaking down, 127 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:54,359 Speaker 1: breaking down where the debt came from. And I was 128 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: surprised that, you know, with your medical background, that the 129 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,839 Speaker 1: majority of that million wasn't like student loan debt. It 130 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 1: was a healthy chunk of it, but it wasn't the majority. 131 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: Talk us through, like, what were the biggest chunks of 132 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: that million dollars? 133 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 2: So the biggest chunks of it, obviously were I had 134 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 2: a house that was paid off and I live in California, Okay, 135 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 2: northern California in the main area, one of the most 136 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 2: expensive places to live in the world's comfortable to New York, right, 137 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 2: So that was the biggest chunk. The second biggest chunk 138 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 2: was my student loans that was over two hundred thousand 139 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 2: dollars that I did not get forgiven. 140 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 3: That I actually paid. 141 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 2: And then a lot of it was just like regular stuff. 142 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 2: When I started the journey, I had a condo in 143 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 2: LA that I had sold. After years and years and 144 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 2: years of being a landlord and going through the craziest 145 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 2: experiences that you could ever imagine as a landlord, I finally. 146 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 3: Was like, enough is enough. 147 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 2: I got to sell this house, and that kind of 148 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 2: kickstarted my journey. Then it was just other stupid stuff 149 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 2: like taking out a loan against my four or three 150 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 2: b for a down payment on my house, or when 151 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 2: I got married, like his finances were a mess, and 152 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 2: I assumed a lot of his medical payments and collections, 153 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 2: so like there were collections on there, those were all his, 154 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 2: and like things that I paid off. 155 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 3: And yeah, and I had to. 156 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 2: It was an abusive marriage, and I got a divorce 157 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 2: while he was in jail for abusing me and still 158 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 2: had to pay him a settlement. 159 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 3: So there's that in there too. There was some IRS 160 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 3: dead because. 161 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 2: While I was going through this journey, we were getting divorced, 162 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:46,840 Speaker 2: so we had to file mary filing separately, which basically 163 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 2: knocks out all of your exemption. And so yeah, I 164 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 2: had to pay thirty thousand dollars to the IRS, and 165 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 2: so it was a lot of things. A lot of 166 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 2: people are like, well, you just sold your house and 167 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,839 Speaker 2: just solved all your problems. That wasn't how it worked. 168 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 2: So when I started on the journey, initially, yes, it did. 169 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 2: That first little bit of chunk of change I had 170 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 2: from selling that first house jump started a lot of things. 171 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:15,959 Speaker 3: But along the way, like I like. 172 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,439 Speaker 2: Really looked at my budget and every month was able 173 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 2: to for the first time, like come up with money 174 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 2: to put towards my debt. Like I really had to 175 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 2: start thinking about, like from where I was, how to 176 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 2: look at my money. And I was like using a 177 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 2: zero based budget, right and using that budget, I was like, oh, 178 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 2: I can put this much towards my debt. I set 179 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 2: a goal I wanted to be debt free by thirty 180 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 2: six and in order to do that, I would have 181 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 2: to put this much towards debt. And let me just 182 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 2: tell you the mindset I was before. Like when I started, 183 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 2: I had like zero savings, and people think, well, oh, 184 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 2: you're a nurse, you could just work more. 185 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 3: Well, I couldn't work more. I was an abusive marriage. 186 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 2: I went from being married to being single mom. I 187 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 2: was like just hanging on. So I had to figure 188 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 2: out how to work with the income that I was making, 189 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 2: And in doing that, it was really honestly just getting real, 190 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 2: like intimate with my numbers and understanding everything that came 191 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 2: in and what was going out and being and creating 192 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 2: a plan to pay myself first, meaning I set a 193 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 2: plan to pay down my debt first, and I knew 194 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 2: that if I wanted to be debt free by thirty six, 195 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:31,840 Speaker 2: this is how much I needed to pay towards my debt. 196 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 2: And doing that and doing that over and over and over. 197 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 2: Then when I got to the point where I was 198 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 2: almost dead free, then I had to go to my 199 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:42,319 Speaker 2: Then I had to pay the IRS. Right before that 200 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 2: my divorce hearing, so that tacked on so I had 201 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 2: like ten thousand dollars left. Then the IRS tacked on 202 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 2: another thirty thousand, and then I had the divorce settlement 203 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 2: that attacked on another like ten fifteen thousand I can't 204 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 2: remember what it is now look at them first fifteen K, yeah, 205 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 2: fifteen K, like it's in there. 206 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 3: In the middle. 207 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 2: So I had to pay that divorce settlement and so 208 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 2: it was like fifty thousand left. And at that point 209 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 2: I was in a relationship. I wanted to move closer 210 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 2: to my dad, which is like my primary support, and 211 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:18,679 Speaker 2: so I sold my house and then that paid off 212 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 2: the remainder of. 213 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 1: The dayn how many houses you had to sell, I'm losing, right. 214 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:25,959 Speaker 2: So the first house was a condo in Englewood that 215 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 2: I bought when I was twenty one that I was 216 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 2: a landlord over for a lot of years, and so 217 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 2: in twenty fifteen I decided to sell that one, and 218 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 2: then in twenty seventeen I sold my primary residence. So okay, 219 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 2: so with the selling of that condo, you were able 220 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 2: to make a profit. And then was that how you 221 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 2: paid off like the bulk of your what your student loans, 222 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 2: that's what kick started it? 223 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 3: It wasn't. 224 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 2: It wasn't the bulk of anything. The bulk of my 225 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 2: payments were from my paycheck, Like I like intentionally just 226 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:01,959 Speaker 2: was like, this is how much I need to pay 227 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:04,960 Speaker 2: off every month? And was intentional about hitting that number 228 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,320 Speaker 2: and putting that on the top of my budget. You know, 229 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:11,280 Speaker 2: like I tell people, what usually happens when we look 230 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 2: at paying off debt is that we're just like, I'll 231 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 2: pay it off whatever is left over at the end 232 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 2: of the month, instead of being like, this is the 233 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 2: number I need to pay off towards my debt. Let 234 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:23,080 Speaker 2: me adjust the rest of my expenses to make sure 235 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 2: that that happens. And nine times out of ten it's 236 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:28,840 Speaker 2: going to happen. Versus if you put that money like 237 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 2: that goal at the end of the month, like oh yeah, 238 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 2: but then you don't have no money left over at 239 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 2: the end of the month to pay it, or you 240 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 2: forget about it, or other. 241 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:37,959 Speaker 3: Things come up. 242 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 2: There's always another emergency that's going to come up in 243 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:42,760 Speaker 2: the way. And so that's how I did it. So 244 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:45,679 Speaker 2: the majority of the debt payoff was. 245 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 3: Me zero based budgeting. That snowball and the hell out 246 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:49,679 Speaker 3: of that debt. 247 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 1: I want you to define zero based budgeting for the 248 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: girls who have forgotten or haven't heard about it in 249 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:57,680 Speaker 1: a while. Yeah, let's talk about zero based budgeting. So 250 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: zero based budgeting does not mean that you're broke and 251 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: have zero dollars. It means that every single one of 252 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: your dollars is accounted for in advance. And so if 253 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:11,720 Speaker 1: you know, like you're planning for April, you're planning for 254 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 1: next month. So you always want to start planning for 255 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:17,560 Speaker 1: the month ahead. And typically, you know you get paid 256 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 1: ten thousand dollars a month, right, and so you take 257 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: that ten thousand dollars a month and you make sure 258 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: that every single one of those dollars is allocated, and 259 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: as you get paid or as bills come, you adjust, right. 260 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: But the goal in zero based budgeting is to make 261 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 1: sure that your money has a job in advance, a 262 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 1: place to go in advance, because again, once you do 263 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: things unintentionally, what most people do is just like money 264 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 1: just comes in and out and they just don't. 265 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:50,720 Speaker 3: Know where their money is going. Instead, you give your 266 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 3: money a plan. 267 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 2: In nine times of a en it's going to work 268 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 2: out like you planned it, just for the simple fact 269 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:58,959 Speaker 2: of having a plan in place. And so every single 270 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 2: one of your dollars is accounted for, and it gives 271 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 2: you a place to go in and recalibrate. But whatever 272 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 2: your financial goals are, they should be at the top 273 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 2: of that budget. Whether it's paying off debt, saving, or investing, 274 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 2: that should be your primary goal. You should have a 275 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 2: target every month for that, and then you should have 276 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 2: fluxt you You should fluctuate your budget around that. And 277 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 2: then as things come up, you know, like ooh, like 278 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:27,040 Speaker 2: I have to pay for daycare this month unexpectedly, so 279 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 2: now you shift like your daycare budget and maybe your 280 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 2: clothing budget has to change. But it gives you so 281 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 2: much power and control. And I know a lot of 282 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 2: people think that budgets are restrictive, and I'm just like, no, 283 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 2: it gives your money a plan. So I did that, 284 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 2: and then I did the debt snowball, which is like 285 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 2: listing out all your debts from smallest balance to the 286 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:50,240 Speaker 2: largest balance, paying off the smallest balance first while paying 287 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:55,680 Speaker 2: minimum payments on everything else, and just knocking debts out. 288 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 2: And it's really empowering, Like it's a psychological win. 289 00:14:58,760 --> 00:14:59,280 Speaker 3: It's not the. 290 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 2: Mathematical way to pay off your debt, but psychologically it 291 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 2: works really, really well. But the biggest thing psychologically that 292 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 2: helps in all of this. Number one is understanding your why. 293 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 2: Number two was surrounding yourself with people that are doing 294 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 2: it too, so you're not just a crazy one in 295 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 2: your group. And then number three, building in rewards and 296 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 2: incentives along the way. And early on my reward and 297 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 2: incentive was I love taking my daughter to Disneyland. And 298 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 2: I live in northern Califoria and Disneyland's in southern California, 299 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 2: So that includes plane tickets, hotels and expensive as Disneyland. 300 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:41,120 Speaker 3: Park bees right and at that time. 301 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 2: We had we had passes with passes are way too 302 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 2: unaffordable for me right now, but it was all of 303 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 2: those things. 304 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:48,880 Speaker 3: And to be able to pay for that. 305 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 2: Cash because as I budgeted it, I had a vacation budget, 306 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 2: you know that I just maintained. It was like, you know, 307 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 2: I'll roll over part of my budget. I just added 308 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 2: on to it every month or sinking fund. That motivated 309 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 2: me to keep on going. And so in less than 310 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 2: three years, I was able to pay off that million debt. 311 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: Hey, ba, fam, we got to take a quick break, 312 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: pay some bills and we'll be right back. Yeah. Such 313 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: a You know, obviously, I'm a mom, and I haven't 314 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 1: been a single mom long term. I'm a single mom 315 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 1: right now because my husband's in a different state for 316 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: work for like two and a half months. I was 317 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: raised by a single mom. I just have to give 318 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 1: you your props, girl, for tackling this abusive marriage, relationship, 319 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: divorce plus children, plus working a demanding ass job and like. 320 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 2: A lot of this was during COVID, so well I 321 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 2: know that was my dad my, but yeah, it wasn't all. 322 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: I'm truly in all because I think anyone would have 323 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 1: forgiven you for just getting through it and surviving and 324 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:08,440 Speaker 1: doing what you had to do, you know, like deal 325 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: with this afterward, treat yourself. You're going through a lot. 326 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: You know, you can't talk, you can't handle all this. 327 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 1: You're a hard working L and D nurse, like you 328 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: deserve this and that and the other. Where did you 329 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:26,440 Speaker 1: get that determination and like the mental the mental strength 330 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:29,440 Speaker 1: to tackle this and take it head on on top 331 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 1: of everything else. 332 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 2: Honestly, I could have broke down, you know, given up, 333 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 2: like especially through that marriage, Like it was hard. 334 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:40,719 Speaker 3: But what I noticed was because. 335 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:42,880 Speaker 2: Of the financial position I was in, I was able 336 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 2: to make moves like other people couldn't make. And so 337 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 2: I was just like, you know, when, I'm going to 338 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 2: keep on doing this because I see the freedom that 339 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 2: it gives me. And that's why nine presented people that 340 00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 2: follow me, like are women, because it's just like. 341 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 3: I really think that. 342 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:09,399 Speaker 2: Financial enhowerment is like revolutionary in so many ways. And 343 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 2: I just saw like the freedom, the ability to move, 344 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,200 Speaker 2: the ability to even just like get out of my marriage, 345 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 2: the ability to have the therapy. I mean, like you 346 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 2: don't get married to get divorced, right, even through crazy 347 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 2: stuff like domestic violence, and you know a lot of 348 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 2: people don't escape that situation. But I had to go 349 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 2: through months of therapy just to even file for divorce 350 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 2: because I felt like it was my fault that all 351 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 2: of that happened, because I should have chose better and 352 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 2: I needed to stick it out. And you know, as 353 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 2: a privilege that I was able to even pay for 354 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 2: therapy to get through that and understand that that wasn't 355 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 2: the case, right and there's a way out, and so 356 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 2: like if any thing, because I was on this journey, 357 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 2: it enabled me to escape, you know, and enabled me 358 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:15,000 Speaker 2: to rebuild. And I saw that power and that's what 359 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 2: kept me going. And I saw what it can do 360 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 2: for my daughter if she had money and she can 361 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:22,919 Speaker 2: opt out of a lot of the bullshit that I 362 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:27,399 Speaker 2: went through, and so that became my wine. It's little 363 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 2: fine my whine. 364 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: Don't make me cry. I heard. 365 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 3: That's a lot. 366 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:37,359 Speaker 1: It's a lot, but I just I just had to 367 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:39,679 Speaker 1: say it, you know I And I don't know if 368 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 1: I've said it before. I mean just yeah, I just 369 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 1: am really yeah, just like I said in awe and 370 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 1: incredibly inspired by you know what we're going through. And 371 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 1: I understand why so many women have have been drawn 372 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: to you, you know, and it's not like you're out here. 373 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: You make it fun, like you have fun try, you 374 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 1: know what I mean. Like through it all, you have 375 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 1: maintained this like this levity and this like spirit you 376 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,200 Speaker 1: know of it all that keeps people coming back and 377 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 1: obviously keeps me gravitating towards you as well. So that's 378 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: just incredible. I love what you said about the idea 379 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:23,440 Speaker 1: and the concept of financial freedom and how in how 380 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: that in and of itself could be so motivational. And 381 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:31,919 Speaker 1: I think sometimes, uh, when you're when you feel like 382 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 1: you're in a tough position financially, sometimes the like shame 383 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: and anxiety around it can kind of cloud it can 384 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:44,000 Speaker 1: like it cadmire that that vision of financial freedom and 385 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,359 Speaker 1: just helping I think you can help a lot of 386 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:49,120 Speaker 1: people by helping them in vision what it could look 387 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,679 Speaker 1: like if they were free to make bold choices, you know, 388 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:56,199 Speaker 1: because they have the financial because they have the finances 389 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,400 Speaker 1: to do that. It's really pivotal. And I'm just really 390 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:02,280 Speaker 1: glad that I feel like owning that condo in your twenties, 391 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:05,919 Speaker 1: Like people could say, oh, well, it was easy for 392 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 1: you. You just sold your condo. That was a huge risk 393 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 1: for you buying a condo at twenty one girl in 394 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:14,159 Speaker 1: a different part of the state, Like, LA's not that. 395 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 3: Well, no, that's what That was my first condo. 396 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 2: Let me, let's talk about that because like, no, like 397 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:21,879 Speaker 2: there was a lot that came with that. So that 398 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 2: was my first like property. Because when I was growing up, 399 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 2: wealth was built through real estate, right, and so my 400 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 2: grandfather had real estate, my uncle had, my great uncle 401 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 2: had real estate, and so that's all I knew, like 402 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 2: how to build wealth. So when I was in grad school, 403 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 2: you know, I always did hair worked at a hair 404 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:45,120 Speaker 2: shop which was attached to a real estate company, and 405 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,480 Speaker 2: the owner's daughter went to school with me when we 406 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 2: went to USC together, and so that's how that worked. 407 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 2: And so I was inspired to invest in real estate early. 408 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:58,520 Speaker 2: So I bought this condo in twenty in two thousand 409 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 2: and three, as I was going through graduate school, and 410 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 2: then I were like, that was like the housing bubble 411 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 2: like started right and it was just like, well, let's 412 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:13,399 Speaker 2: invest here. So I bought that at twenty one. By 413 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 2: the time I was twenty five, I had five houses 414 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:20,880 Speaker 2: and then the market crashed and in that I ended 415 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 2: up having two short sales, two foreclosures because nobody was 416 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:27,199 Speaker 2: paying their rent. I was still liable for all of 417 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,920 Speaker 2: these things. I was coming out of pocket so much money, 418 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,719 Speaker 2: and so like, yes, owning the condo was one thing 419 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 2: people would be like, oh, it's easy for you because 420 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:40,920 Speaker 2: you own property, but not understanding like all of the 421 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,120 Speaker 2: things that I had to do in owning this property, 422 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 2: like the property is in a is a condo in 423 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,200 Speaker 2: a building with an hoa and it was like all 424 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 2: these things the building was falling apart all like sometimes 425 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,520 Speaker 2: we didn't have hot water, I had tenant issues, people 426 00:22:56,600 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 2: not paying, evictions, like it was all of these things 427 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 2: is that happen? And like people just like because of 428 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 2: this fallacy of the American dream and thinking that home 429 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 2: ownership means that you made it, not without even understanding 430 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 2: the struggles like I tell people all the time, home 431 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:16,520 Speaker 2: ownership is not a flex Like it's really not, especially 432 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:18,439 Speaker 2: if you understand all of the things that go in. 433 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 3: But it can be very ghetto. 434 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 1: A ghetto. Look into the bubble above the ceiling of 435 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 1: my bathroom, Like there's water gonna get into my ceiling 436 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:34,159 Speaker 1: and a bubble is forming, and I'm just like, I can't, 437 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 1: I can't look above. I'm just not looking above. I'm 438 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 1: just not looking up anymore because I can't deal with 439 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:42,080 Speaker 1: it right now. Yeah, it's real ghetto over here, yes, 440 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:46,719 Speaker 1: And people don't understand that. Yeah, so like, but I 441 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:50,560 Speaker 1: think what it is is people rationalizing why they can't 442 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:52,120 Speaker 1: do it for themselves. Right. 443 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 2: They'll be like, well, I mean if I had a 444 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:58,280 Speaker 2: house to sell on IPA for to payof debt too, Yeah, okay, 445 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:01,200 Speaker 2: Like if you want to overseemplify things, I know how 446 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,359 Speaker 2: that works sometimes, Like when you feel overwhelmed, like you 447 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:08,800 Speaker 2: often oversimplify things and you make justifications without really understanding it. 448 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:10,360 Speaker 3: But if you really want to learn, I'm here. 449 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 2: You know that's a hie approach it because you know 450 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:16,639 Speaker 2: I get the shade all day. But I'm just like, 451 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:19,639 Speaker 2: you know what, like if I can do this in 452 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 2: spite of all the crazy things that have happened in 453 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 2: my life. 454 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:26,399 Speaker 3: You can't too. And when you're the student who is 455 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 3: ready to teach you with lap here, I'm here for 456 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 3: you when you're ready to stop making excuse Yeah, you know. 457 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:34,040 Speaker 1: Well, I also think you're speaking to like black women 458 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,679 Speaker 1: in today's age, Like a lot of us are like 459 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: financially on paper, earning a really good income, educated, very 460 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 1: knowledgeable about different types of assets. Maybe have that for 461 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:48,639 Speaker 1: one k, getting that match, you know, have an eye 462 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: ray on the side, like maybe we have our first 463 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: property and with those choices can end up still in 464 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:55,760 Speaker 1: a lot of debt and then need a roadmap to 465 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:58,440 Speaker 1: get out of it. And you're like providing that, you know. 466 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 2: Well, that's my audience. Everybody is like, we're the first, 467 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:04,040 Speaker 2: we're doing it. We're out here, we did all the things, 468 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 2: we got the income, but we're still stuck, like we 469 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 2: know we're not where we want to be financially, and 470 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 2: we don't understand why because number one, it wasn't taught 471 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 2: to us. Number Two, we don't have very good role 472 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 2: models for it. And traditionally, especially when we were coming 473 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:24,240 Speaker 2: out of school and into the workforce. The financial services 474 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:27,880 Speaker 2: industry wasn't for us. I remember going into like a 475 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 2: Merrill Lynch or something and like really being excited and like, 476 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:35,200 Speaker 2: you know, I had just like gotten like my big 477 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 2: girl nursing job and I was making like seventy five 478 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:40,920 Speaker 2: dollars an hour, and you know, I was single, and 479 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 2: I was just like I'm ready to put this money 480 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:45,920 Speaker 2: to work. And I go in there and I'm just like, hey, 481 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 2: how do I start investing? And They're like, m how 482 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 2: much money do you have? And I'm just like, I 483 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:53,959 Speaker 2: really don't have any money saved, like that's why I'm here. 484 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 2: They were like, well, we don't work with people under 485 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 2: two hundred fifty thousand dollars in assets, and to me 486 00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:02,240 Speaker 2: that seemed astronomical, like, well, I don't have that. I 487 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 2: don't know anybody that has that. Like that just seems 488 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:08,399 Speaker 2: like rude to not work with people like that, you know. 489 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 2: And then you know, as we're kind of a coming 490 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 2: of age, like we've seen it changing and the accessibility increase, 491 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:19,399 Speaker 2: but people still not understanding how to get there, and 492 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 2: again of this mindset like we don't have enough, we 493 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 2: don't know enough, or we have to have somebody do 494 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:27,359 Speaker 2: it for us. And so those are the messages that 495 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:31,399 Speaker 2: I'm constantly trying to battle every day in trying to 496 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 2: normalize wealth building for people that it was never normalized for. 497 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: Hey, ba fam, we got to take a quick break, 498 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 1: pay some bills and we'll be right back. Yeah. And 499 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:48,679 Speaker 1: that the fact too, that you were on paper, like 500 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:50,640 Speaker 1: I said, I mean, you're earning that good income and 501 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,520 Speaker 1: you yeah, you're you're dealing with you short sales and 502 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:57,879 Speaker 1: foreclosures and you know that unfortunate business of home ownership. 503 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: But you're a property owner at this same time, no 504 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: liquid savings, right. I think that's also what a lot 505 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:07,600 Speaker 1: of people are going through. I think one thing I 506 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:09,359 Speaker 1: noticed is that you weren't in a lot of credit 507 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:11,840 Speaker 1: card debt like credit cards or were you? 508 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:15,720 Speaker 2: And that was no, you know what, I lit up 509 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:17,679 Speaker 2: because thank you for recognizing that the reason why I 510 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 2: wasn't in credit card debt was because of those short 511 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 2: sales and foreclosures in twenty twenty, because of the way 512 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:27,119 Speaker 2: one of the short sales was reporting on my credit 513 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:30,720 Speaker 2: that I was missing payments every month. And you know, 514 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 2: if you missed one payment on a mortgage, it drops 515 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 2: your credit score like one hundred points and they were 516 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 2: doing it every single month to where I had no 517 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:42,199 Speaker 2: credit score basically, and the only relief I was told 518 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 2: was that I had to file bankruptcy in order to 519 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 2: get that off of my credit. It wasn't because I 520 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 2: was in dire straits. It was like the only way 521 00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:53,239 Speaker 2: for them to stop hitting my credit with that, And 522 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:57,400 Speaker 2: so I filed bankruptcy in twenty and ten, which means 523 00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:59,479 Speaker 2: that I wiped out all of my credit cards as well, 524 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:01,199 Speaker 2: which I didn't have a lot of credit cards at 525 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 2: that time, So I didn't have any credit cards in 526 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:07,120 Speaker 2: that process because I was still at the point of 527 00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:13,199 Speaker 2: rebuilding my credit to get credit and also just like 528 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 2: being leary of credit cards and like really being afraid 529 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 2: of a lot of things financially at that time. Ironically, 530 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 2: like I was able to qualify for a mortgage before 531 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 2: I was able to qualify for a lot of credit 532 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 2: cards because of that bankruptcy. And so that is the 533 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 2: only reason why I didn't have credit card debt on 534 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:35,240 Speaker 2: this journey. But I'm so glad you picked up on that, 535 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:36,639 Speaker 2: because not a lot of people. 536 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 3: It's on your kitch. 537 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:38,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, very unusual. 538 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:44,160 Speaker 2: Well that that's because that speaks to your acumen as 539 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 2: a financial journalist, like you see all thought. 540 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, I just read words now I And I mean 541 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 1: that was the time too. I mean this was during 542 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:57,040 Speaker 1: the housing crisis financial you know, or the years following it, 543 00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:00,520 Speaker 1: where yeah, a lot of folks were finally bankruptcy. And 544 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:03,160 Speaker 1: I think that the whole idea of bankruptcy in and 545 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 1: of itself is kind of opaque for a lot of people. 546 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 1: It seems like that eject button, that there's a lot 547 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,640 Speaker 1: of maybe even shame tied to it. But I mean 548 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:13,440 Speaker 1: you've come out on the other side of it. You 549 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: mentioned you were still able to qualify for a mortgage. 550 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:20,719 Speaker 1: Is there anything else you learned through that bankruptcy proceeding 551 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: that you think maybe people who might be thinking about 552 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 1: it should know or taken to consideration. 553 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 2: You know, there is a lot of shame when it 554 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:33,520 Speaker 2: comes to bankruptcy for some people, for some people, because. 555 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 1: A lot of people, white men be loving it. 556 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:44,720 Speaker 2: Long It'd be like, yeah, they open a business, the 557 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 2: business fails day and five hundred thousand dollars debt, I'm 558 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 2: immediately bankrupt, thank you very much. And so I think 559 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 2: the shame is it's just like anything else, like right, 560 00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:59,800 Speaker 2: like debt to us is like shameful. It's like looked 561 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:03,080 Speaker 2: at it something while other communities learned to use it 562 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 2: as leverage and all these kind of things. It's just 563 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 2: like another one of those concepts of like you should 564 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 2: never talk about money and money as a root of 565 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 2: all evil, when like all rich people do is talk 566 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 2: about money. You know, like it's just one of those things. 567 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:20,920 Speaker 2: So bankruptcy is a tool just like anything else. And 568 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:24,680 Speaker 2: in that bankruptcy, it's like you have to take classes. 569 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:28,000 Speaker 2: So that's I learned a lot of things about being 570 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 2: financially responsible in bankruptcy. 571 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 3: But I mean, like. 572 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 2: I also learned that it wasn't a shameful thing. It 573 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 2: gave me and I did it early enough in my 574 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:40,960 Speaker 2: twenties where I had a lot of time to rebuild. 575 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:42,800 Speaker 3: It just gave me. 576 00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 2: And I obviously it didn't wipe out all of my 577 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 2: debt because I still had a lot of debt right 578 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 2: to pay off. It didn't wripe about my student loans 579 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 2: and all that other craziness, but I don't know, it 580 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:57,719 Speaker 2: just gave me a foundation to work on understanding like 581 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 2: what it took to rebuild my credit. But like most 582 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 2: of all, I just think that, like it's just a 583 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 2: tool that people can access. And I just learned that. 584 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:14,280 Speaker 2: And again, like there are some people that like they'll 585 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:17,520 Speaker 2: try to talk you into being like, yeah, you should 586 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:19,840 Speaker 2: like to be financially responsible, you need to pay off 587 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:21,480 Speaker 2: all of this debt and all this kind of stuff. 588 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:24,920 Speaker 2: But it's like a two. It's like, mmm, sometimes that's 589 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:27,600 Speaker 2: your option. And if that's your option, that's your option. 590 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:31,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's it. There's a reason that exists. One hundred percent. 591 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,320 Speaker 1: I think. Also, it's seven to ten years or so 592 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 1: for to fall off of your credit report, which can 593 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 1: seem like a very long time, but it does. 594 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 3: It's so it's levels. 595 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 2: This is the thing, the most important thing. It's levels, right, 596 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:50,120 Speaker 2: Like usually within three years you're fine. Within the first 597 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:53,040 Speaker 2: three months, I actually you can start applying for secure 598 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:56,240 Speaker 2: credit cards. That's helps boost. I got a car during 599 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:58,520 Speaker 2: this time, Like I think it only took three months 600 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 2: for me to be able to finance a car. The 601 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 2: thing that took the longest, that annoyed the mess out 602 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 2: of me was to get a Chase credit card. That 603 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:11,840 Speaker 2: was like the goal that I knew that I had 604 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:16,479 Speaker 2: finally overcome this whole credit cards because I used to 605 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 2: fly Southwest so much, and I wanted that Southwest Rewards 606 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:23,400 Speaker 2: card to get my companion passed so bad, but I 607 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,200 Speaker 2: could never qualify for it because they kept on saying 608 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:29,280 Speaker 2: the bankruptcy is on your credit bankruptcy. So that took 609 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:32,880 Speaker 2: a full ten years to be able to remove it. 610 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 2: But in the meantime, I had houses, I had cards, 611 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:38,560 Speaker 2: I had credit cards, I had all of those things. 612 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:42,800 Speaker 2: So after three months, really you can start rebuilding at 613 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:46,000 Speaker 2: the three year markets when I bought my house, and 614 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 2: so it doesn't take. 615 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 1: Your that's different. You got some you know, they have 616 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 1: some collateral attached to it, versus credit cards where it's 617 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:54,680 Speaker 1: just like here we think you'll pay this back. Here 618 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 1: you go. 619 00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 2: But I still I got other credit cards along the way, 620 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 2: unsecure credit cards, and you know, then I started learning about, 621 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:05,840 Speaker 2: you know, how to hack the credit card system and 622 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 2: all that kind of stuff. That was another thing in 623 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:11,160 Speaker 2: the CNBC article. People were like, yeah, twenty credit cards, girlden. 624 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 2: Credit cards don't have no balance, Like I just have 625 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:15,880 Speaker 2: access to a lot of cash if I needed it 626 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:17,040 Speaker 2: for whatever reason. 627 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:19,200 Speaker 3: You know, that's all I like it for. 628 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:23,000 Speaker 1: But I'm quite proud I got a letter from Target 629 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:25,640 Speaker 1: last week that was like, due to inactivity, we're going 630 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:26,520 Speaker 1: to close your account. 631 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:28,640 Speaker 3: And that's a flax, Like. 632 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:35,360 Speaker 1: You mean it, I'm a frame of it. Go ahead 633 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:41,040 Speaker 1: that yeah, yeah, but okay, yeah, one hundred percent, y'all. 634 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 1: So let's talk about this article. Okay, So this came about. 635 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: Had you done like a big interview, you know, with 636 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:50,560 Speaker 1: a media outlet about like your debt payoff story before 637 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:51,640 Speaker 1: seeing I did? 638 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:55,880 Speaker 2: I actually was featured in Forbes in twenty nineteen, okay, 639 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:59,760 Speaker 2: so that was like the big like my big debt payoff, 640 00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:01,920 Speaker 2: cause I was like more that was closer to it. Again, 641 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:04,600 Speaker 2: I paid off that debt in twenty seventeen, so yeah, 642 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 2: I did that for this article. 643 00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:06,560 Speaker 3: That was like my. 644 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:13,640 Speaker 2: Big reveal debt payoff million dollars. So yeah, and I've 645 00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:17,439 Speaker 2: been featured in media a lot. But this interview came 646 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:23,840 Speaker 2: about because, you know, I had a commercial with Acorns. 647 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:25,200 Speaker 2: Did you see that commercial. 648 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:30,240 Speaker 3: With my kids? No commercial? Yes, I haven't. 649 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:32,600 Speaker 2: Well, I've been working with Acorns for a very long 650 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:36,080 Speaker 2: time on UGC stuff in the background, but they decided 651 00:34:36,120 --> 00:34:38,120 Speaker 2: to shoot a commercial. They came out to my house 652 00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:41,000 Speaker 2: and shot a commercial. It was so magical it was amazing. 653 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:43,319 Speaker 2: I have to write so good, but just for my 654 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:45,920 Speaker 2: kids to be able to experience that. And the commercial 655 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 2: was so beautiful. I was like in tears. But anyway, 656 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:52,279 Speaker 2: the crew at Acorn is just so phenomenal, and so 657 00:34:52,680 --> 00:34:54,919 Speaker 2: they wanted to me to do like this media tour, 658 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:56,280 Speaker 2: and part of that media tour. 659 00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:57,440 Speaker 3: Like the first job CNBC. 660 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:02,160 Speaker 2: And then so NBC sent a videographer out to my 661 00:35:02,239 --> 00:35:05,680 Speaker 2: house and re recorded for a day and we did 662 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:08,600 Speaker 2: the interview and it was just a magical experience. And 663 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:10,040 Speaker 2: I love the interview. 664 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:13,080 Speaker 3: I just like. 665 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:15,560 Speaker 2: But also I love the fact that I have my 666 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 2: own platform and I can document my journey in my 667 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:23,279 Speaker 2: story the way that I want to because oftentimes, and 668 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 2: I think they did a phenomenal job covering twenty years. 669 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:31,640 Speaker 2: So like financially intentional started in twenty sixteen, but all 670 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 2: the like the housing stuff we talked about and the 671 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:38,520 Speaker 2: bankruptcy and all that that predated all of that kind 672 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:41,319 Speaker 2: of stuff, but they wanted to incorporate all of that. 673 00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:45,440 Speaker 2: And so you know, in ten minutes, covering twenty years 674 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:49,600 Speaker 2: of such a crazy financial journey is really hard to do, 675 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:53,600 Speaker 2: especially when you're cutting it up and snippets for you know, 676 00:35:53,719 --> 00:35:58,400 Speaker 2: social media or you know, for people to engage with 677 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:01,640 Speaker 2: the content. So if you read the article that's actually 678 00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:05,400 Speaker 2: written in CNBC, it's very thorough like, it's very in depth. 679 00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:07,640 Speaker 2: But if you were to rely just like on the 680 00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:10,520 Speaker 2: video that was put out, which usually gets more views 681 00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:15,560 Speaker 2: in the article, then it kind of seems like it 682 00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:20,200 Speaker 2: just kind of seems like, you know, I don't know, 683 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 2: people can take little parts of it, like people took 684 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:26,400 Speaker 2: like the twenty credit cards and being like, oh my gosh, 685 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:27,879 Speaker 2: she's financially responsible. 686 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:29,319 Speaker 3: Or the person that. 687 00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:35,239 Speaker 2: Stream yeah irresponsible. Yeah, like you know, a person that's 688 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:40,320 Speaker 2: streamed and like live chatted on my video talking about 689 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,160 Speaker 2: how you know, if you wanted to date me, you're 690 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 2: gonna have to take on all my kids and all 691 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:48,759 Speaker 2: my bills. It's just like, you know, so, you know, 692 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:51,040 Speaker 2: it just makes me grateful that I have my own 693 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:55,480 Speaker 2: platform where I can share my own story, because oftentimes 694 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:59,000 Speaker 2: people think like you've made it when you get like 695 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:01,480 Speaker 2: these big features and stuff like that. For me, it's 696 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:04,239 Speaker 2: just like another like part of my portfolio. I think 697 00:37:04,239 --> 00:37:07,360 Speaker 2: it's amazing. I think it's incredible that I have these opportunities. 698 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:10,920 Speaker 2: But I don't solely relying on media outlets like this 699 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 2: to share my story and to be able to impact people. 700 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:18,720 Speaker 2: But yeah, it was, it was. It was a great feature. 701 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:19,080 Speaker 3: It was. 702 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:21,839 Speaker 2: It was again fun for some for my kids to 703 00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:25,480 Speaker 2: be exposed to what it's like and why mammy is 704 00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:27,920 Speaker 2: doing all of these things. I mean, they understand they're 705 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,359 Speaker 2: part of it. They've been part of it since now, 706 00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:33,080 Speaker 2: the little ones, since they were born. But to be 707 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:37,680 Speaker 2: able to have opportunities to be featured in natural media outlets. 708 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:42,600 Speaker 2: You know, Oh the acorns commercial, Oh my god, just 709 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:43,960 Speaker 2: put in the Sema acorns. 710 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:48,759 Speaker 1: It is so cute. How long is imnn? Watch your 711 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:51,360 Speaker 1: like right now? Like is it you with the squirrel? 712 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:57,200 Speaker 3: Yes, it's it's good. 713 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:02,800 Speaker 1: How cute the girl doing their chores on their. 714 00:38:02,719 --> 00:38:08,919 Speaker 3: Music cues baby video, I'm like, I love it. 715 00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:12,480 Speaker 1: The animatronic squirrel a little off pudding, but. 716 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:13,920 Speaker 3: It's not animatronic. 717 00:38:14,040 --> 00:38:19,440 Speaker 2: It's it is a puppeteer. Oh there was, and he 718 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:25,160 Speaker 2: is amazing. There is a man underneath that costume is 719 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:27,880 Speaker 2: amazing and he works hard. It's hard to hold that 720 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:31,479 Speaker 2: squirrel up perfectly. In my first of all, the first 721 00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:33,520 Speaker 2: half of the commercial, my kids were at school when 722 00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:35,520 Speaker 2: they came home and they seen this big ass squirrel 723 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:40,440 Speaker 2: and it was like. 724 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:40,560 Speaker 3: Like, first of all, he came in behind me. 725 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:43,200 Speaker 2: I was getting my makeup then and and and then 726 00:38:43,239 --> 00:38:45,800 Speaker 2: I saw something in my periphery and I turned around. 727 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:48,359 Speaker 3: It was this man carrying his big as squirrel and I. 728 00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:50,640 Speaker 1: Was like, oh my god, that large. 729 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:54,759 Speaker 2: But that's what I was saying, Like the crew was 730 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:59,319 Speaker 2: amazing and just for my kids to experience that, like 731 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:03,600 Speaker 2: it was amazing, and like I just like remember when 732 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:05,560 Speaker 2: I was filming a commercial, like sitting there and all 733 00:39:05,760 --> 00:39:08,640 Speaker 2: like this is my life, Like I get to do 734 00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:12,120 Speaker 2: this just because I decided to talk about my journey 735 00:39:12,840 --> 00:39:15,600 Speaker 2: and I was just like, man, like that was mine. 736 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:18,759 Speaker 3: I felt like I made it moment all this other stuff. 737 00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:20,960 Speaker 2: But like being able to do that because like if 738 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:23,319 Speaker 2: you were in social media, you know you do social media, 739 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 2: it's a lot of hard work like things that you 740 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:27,120 Speaker 2: have to do on your own. And for the first 741 00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:28,920 Speaker 2: time I just got to sit there and just be 742 00:39:29,080 --> 00:39:32,800 Speaker 2: myself and be on camera and it. 743 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:34,120 Speaker 3: Was it was an amazing film. 744 00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:36,480 Speaker 1: I'm just as like, a I'm curious, do your kids 745 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:39,359 Speaker 1: get a talent fee for being in that commercial? How 746 00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:40,000 Speaker 1: does that work? 747 00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:43,040 Speaker 3: They if it was negotiating properly. They could. 748 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:46,600 Speaker 2: By the way, I never got paid for that commercial 749 00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:49,040 Speaker 2: because my agent stole my money for that commercial and 750 00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:49,920 Speaker 2: still has to paid me. 751 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:53,480 Speaker 1: The fuck. Oh well, I'm sorry. I don't know what 752 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:54,799 Speaker 1: I could do. I live in New York and you 753 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:55,520 Speaker 1: find him. 754 00:39:56,480 --> 00:39:58,560 Speaker 3: Girl, I already done hit that. I already to call 755 00:39:58,640 --> 00:39:59,400 Speaker 3: the hitters. 756 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:02,640 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, because that is unacceptable. 757 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:06,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm just gonna have to sue him, and that's fine, 758 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:09,759 Speaker 2: and he'll pay my fees and okay, you know I 759 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:11,439 Speaker 2: have to go through that process, but I will. 760 00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:14,400 Speaker 1: Okay, Well, you've been through a lot. I know you 761 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:18,840 Speaker 1: can handle that. But still, oh yeah, negotiating like another 762 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:21,920 Speaker 1: speaker thing and an agent contract right now. And that 763 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:23,640 Speaker 1: was the part that annoyed me. It was like, we'll 764 00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:25,759 Speaker 1: pay you thirty days after we get paid. I was like, 765 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:28,640 Speaker 1: why thirty But you got the money, so why am 766 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:31,400 Speaker 1: I waiting? So I put net fifteen and then she 767 00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:34,040 Speaker 1: was like, well, this is leaving room for them to 768 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:37,040 Speaker 1: their their payments to bounce, and then we're going to be, 769 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:39,680 Speaker 1: you know, out the money and like you did all 770 00:40:39,719 --> 00:40:44,560 Speaker 1: this stuff anyway, all right, we'll get back on track. 771 00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:47,360 Speaker 1: That's adorable. I'll put a link to the show notes 772 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:50,279 Speaker 1: for anyone. What a beautiful memory. Just for your kids. 773 00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:52,880 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh man, yeah, I'm gonna get my boys 774 00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:54,120 Speaker 1: and it'll commercial will come on. 775 00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:56,880 Speaker 3: Now your boys are still speaking. 776 00:40:56,840 --> 00:40:58,719 Speaker 1: They really are, but yeah, making me think of new 777 00:40:58,760 --> 00:41:02,040 Speaker 1: ways to dream. All right, Okay, So I mean this 778 00:41:02,120 --> 00:41:07,000 Speaker 1: is an extraordinary, extraordinary accomplishment, but it's not like all 779 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:10,560 Speaker 1: that I find extraordinary about you and your journey. I 780 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:14,799 Speaker 1: also love that you're, you know, really investing for your 781 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:16,920 Speaker 1: girls as well. And I mean your girls have like 782 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:24,200 Speaker 1: six figure investment accounts right already, my oldest And I mean, 783 00:41:24,239 --> 00:41:26,759 Speaker 1: at what point are you bringing them into the conversation 784 00:41:26,880 --> 00:41:29,120 Speaker 1: about like here's how mommy is saving for you and 785 00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:31,319 Speaker 1: your future. And are they excited about it? Are they, like, 786 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:34,080 Speaker 1: you know, checking the balance? Like how does that all 787 00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:34,799 Speaker 1: go down? 788 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:37,479 Speaker 2: First of all, my kids know that they are very rich, 789 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:41,480 Speaker 2: and they will not hesitate to tell you no. But 790 00:41:41,680 --> 00:41:45,279 Speaker 2: do you not just have the conversations like in an 791 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:49,759 Speaker 2: age appropriate way. My oldest daughter definitely understands, and I 792 00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:52,279 Speaker 2: just tell her, like we talk about certain things like 793 00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:54,520 Speaker 2: the other day we talked about like what does she 794 00:41:54,760 --> 00:41:58,120 Speaker 2: think her life will look like when she's twenty and 795 00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:00,680 Speaker 2: in that like I talked about like she was like, well, 796 00:42:00,719 --> 00:42:02,960 Speaker 2: I'll definitely have my own apartment, and I was just like, yeah, 797 00:42:02,960 --> 00:42:05,120 Speaker 2: I think that's awesome. You're going to have roommates that 798 00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:07,520 Speaker 2: are going to pay the rent because you're going to 799 00:42:07,560 --> 00:42:10,560 Speaker 2: own the apartment, and you're going to house hack until 800 00:42:11,560 --> 00:42:13,800 Speaker 2: you have enough money to pay for a house cash. 801 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:16,440 Speaker 2: And we talk about stuff like that. We talk about 802 00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:19,560 Speaker 2: her having the option that she doesn't have to work 803 00:42:19,640 --> 00:42:22,480 Speaker 2: when she comes, when she finishes high school or you know, 804 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:24,920 Speaker 2: go she doesn't have to go straight to college. Like 805 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:27,560 Speaker 2: she wants to be like a K pop star, and 806 00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:29,400 Speaker 2: I'm just like, you want to go to Korea and 807 00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:32,480 Speaker 2: pursue that, you know, And she understands she has the 808 00:42:32,520 --> 00:42:36,279 Speaker 2: finances that she can do that. She was telling her 809 00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:39,520 Speaker 2: her sister. Her sister was like, you know, I wanted 810 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:42,759 Speaker 2: to be a nurse like you, but I want to 811 00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:45,520 Speaker 2: be a K pop star now. And my sister, my 812 00:42:45,600 --> 00:42:47,799 Speaker 2: daughter was like that is like she was like, it's 813 00:42:47,800 --> 00:42:49,359 Speaker 2: just easy, you know, you just get up there and sing. 814 00:42:49,360 --> 00:42:51,040 Speaker 3: And my daughter's like, it is not easy. 815 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:53,440 Speaker 2: You often have to go to a boot camp, you 816 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:55,440 Speaker 2: have to wake up at four o'clock in the morning. 817 00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:57,839 Speaker 3: You have to do drills. You have to learn this and. 818 00:42:57,800 --> 00:43:00,400 Speaker 2: This and this and this, and like you know, she 819 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:05,080 Speaker 2: understands it, like she gets it, but like I just think, 820 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:09,120 Speaker 2: like more than anything else, they know that they have 821 00:43:09,360 --> 00:43:12,160 Speaker 2: the financial background that they can opt out of a 822 00:43:12,239 --> 00:43:14,080 Speaker 2: lot of the bullshit that I have to go through 823 00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:17,680 Speaker 2: and continue to go through because I just not in 824 00:43:17,719 --> 00:43:22,000 Speaker 2: the same place financially, and you know, whatever money lessons 825 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:25,839 Speaker 2: come up with that. As far as investing, early on 826 00:43:27,200 --> 00:43:30,080 Speaker 2: a few years ago, I opened up a brokerage account 827 00:43:30,160 --> 00:43:34,959 Speaker 2: for them, and I gave them a set amount every month. 828 00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:37,480 Speaker 2: Usually it was anywhere from twenty dollars to one hundred 829 00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:40,320 Speaker 2: dollars every month, and they could go into the account 830 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:42,959 Speaker 2: and pick individual stocks. Now I'm an index fund girly 831 00:43:43,080 --> 00:43:47,880 Speaker 2: all the way, but I like to teach my kids ownership, 832 00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:50,520 Speaker 2: and so they would pick the stocks of things that 833 00:43:50,560 --> 00:43:52,920 Speaker 2: they were familiar with, and I used to I often 834 00:43:52,960 --> 00:43:55,840 Speaker 2: say that if your kids can recognize a McDonald's simple 835 00:43:55,920 --> 00:43:59,040 Speaker 2: like my two year old can, they are ready to invest. 836 00:43:59,160 --> 00:44:02,760 Speaker 2: And so they understand the ticker symbols and what the 837 00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:07,640 Speaker 2: branding correlates to that they pick stocks. So they pick 838 00:44:07,719 --> 00:44:12,839 Speaker 2: stocks and things like Tesla's I have Tesla's and Roadblocks 839 00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:16,320 Speaker 2: because they play roadblocks, and Nintendo because they have a switch, 840 00:44:16,719 --> 00:44:19,080 Speaker 2: all those kind of things. They would pick stocks, and 841 00:44:19,200 --> 00:44:21,560 Speaker 2: every month they would the two older ones would pick 842 00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:25,200 Speaker 2: stocks and they would have a contest at the end 843 00:44:25,239 --> 00:44:27,279 Speaker 2: of the month to so you see who has the 844 00:44:27,360 --> 00:44:30,399 Speaker 2: highest returns. The other thing that I did in that 845 00:44:30,480 --> 00:44:34,000 Speaker 2: process was to train them that when the market is down, 846 00:44:34,400 --> 00:44:36,800 Speaker 2: that means that you get things at a discount. Everything 847 00:44:36,840 --> 00:44:39,360 Speaker 2: is on sale. So my kids won't even buy nothing 848 00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:42,480 Speaker 2: unless it's at a discount, like it's in. 849 00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:43,880 Speaker 3: The red from the day before. 850 00:44:44,080 --> 00:44:47,120 Speaker 2: They'd be like, that's all sald, I'm about to cop fat, 851 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:50,040 Speaker 2: you know, and so like, it taught them ownership. It 852 00:44:50,120 --> 00:44:54,160 Speaker 2: taught them about investing. It taught them like how money grows, 853 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:56,480 Speaker 2: because they see how their money grows, especially if you 854 00:44:57,000 --> 00:45:00,759 Speaker 2: leave it, and you know, and so like, those are 855 00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:02,439 Speaker 2: the kind of lessons that I teach my kids. 856 00:45:02,480 --> 00:45:04,560 Speaker 1: Okay, maybe I should tell homeboy how much money he 857 00:45:04,600 --> 00:45:06,480 Speaker 1: has in his investment account. I just don't mention it. 858 00:45:06,520 --> 00:45:08,399 Speaker 1: He's always like, Mommy, how much money do we have? 859 00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:13,839 Speaker 2: I was like, enow, now I feel they know, they 860 00:45:13,880 --> 00:45:16,160 Speaker 2: know their balances. I show them their balances. I have 861 00:45:16,239 --> 00:45:18,840 Speaker 2: it all on my mom my dashboard at anytime they 862 00:45:18,920 --> 00:45:19,640 Speaker 2: go and look at it. 863 00:45:19,680 --> 00:45:20,799 Speaker 3: Like my middle daughter likes to go. 864 00:45:21,080 --> 00:45:24,280 Speaker 2: She's like, I got thirty thousand dollars in this account, 865 00:45:24,400 --> 00:45:28,000 Speaker 2: So you know you're telling her daddy, I. 866 00:45:27,960 --> 00:45:28,759 Speaker 3: Got more ready to you. 867 00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:31,879 Speaker 1: So yeah, oh thanks for the so yeah, maybe I will. 868 00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:34,080 Speaker 1: Because the way I spent ninety dollars on a freaking 869 00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:36,200 Speaker 1: Lego last week, I'm like, they're probably public. We can 870 00:45:36,239 --> 00:45:39,319 Speaker 1: spend some week get some Lego stocks. Yes they are. 871 00:45:40,440 --> 00:45:42,600 Speaker 1: I bet, I bet their per share price is less 872 00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:46,040 Speaker 1: than ninety dollars a share because she's for sure sure. 873 00:45:46,160 --> 00:45:50,040 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness. Well, Nisima, it's always an immense pleasure 874 00:45:50,239 --> 00:45:52,880 Speaker 1: having you at Brown Ambition. Thanks for coming back again 875 00:45:52,960 --> 00:45:56,400 Speaker 1: and again the Where can the girls find you and 876 00:45:56,719 --> 00:45:59,000 Speaker 1: check out all your incredible content? Get to know you better? 877 00:46:00,320 --> 00:46:02,279 Speaker 3: Uh? You know, I usually hang out on Instagram. 878 00:46:02,360 --> 00:46:07,000 Speaker 2: I'm scared of TikTok, but on my Instagram at Financially 879 00:46:07,080 --> 00:46:10,719 Speaker 2: Intentional financially intentional dot com and please check out the 880 00:46:10,760 --> 00:46:12,719 Speaker 2: Financially Intentional podcast. 881 00:46:12,920 --> 00:46:16,359 Speaker 1: Yes all nama ariba fam I'm gonna put all her 882 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:18,960 Speaker 1: links in the show notes as well. Take care and 883 00:46:19,160 --> 00:46:22,160 Speaker 1: we will see you next time on Brown Ambition. Bye y'all, 884 00:46:27,560 --> 00:46:29,600 Speaker 1: and before I go, BA Fam, I want to shout 885 00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:32,760 Speaker 1: out the team that helps make Brown Ambition possible. Huge 886 00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:36,800 Speaker 1: thanks to my fam at iHeartRadio, Katrina Norvel and Jenna Cagel, 887 00:46:37,239 --> 00:46:40,880 Speaker 1: my worker Bees behind the scenes, booking Assistant Brittany Laie 888 00:46:41,080 --> 00:46:45,080 Speaker 1: and virtual Assistant Cameron McNair who keep organized, and of 889 00:46:45,120 --> 00:46:48,120 Speaker 1: course my editor Courtney Dean. Thank y'all so much for 890 00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:51,200 Speaker 1: supporting the show. If you love Brown Ambition, share it 891 00:46:51,239 --> 00:46:53,880 Speaker 1: with a friend, tag us on social and don't forget 892 00:46:53,880 --> 00:46:56,759 Speaker 1: to leave a comment or review Until next time. By 893 00:46:56,840 --> 00:46:57,680 Speaker 1: BA Fam