After graduating from college in 2011, I had $30,000 in student debt and was working a part-time waitressing job for $19.50 an hour.
My quarter-life crisis made me realize I needed to figure out my finances fast. I didn’t want to continue being stuck in debt and living on $19,000 a year, so I started learning everything I could about personal finance.
Thanks in part to several side hustles and being frugal with my money, I eventually paid off my debt. I also started an educational platform called Bravely Go, where I help women create sustainable money habits and build wealth though digital workshops, courses and speaking engagements.
Today, at 34, I run a business that brings in more than $100,000 in sales and $27,000 in passive income a year. Here’s how I took charge of my finances and built a community that empowers women to do the same:
1. I shared my story to help me stay accountable.
One of the biggest things that helped me turn my finances around was blogging about it, especially as I made progress with paying off debt.
In addition to my catering gig, I took on part-time jobs as a social media manager, a high school lacrosse coach, and a freelance writer. All of that brought in anywhere from $900 to $1,700 a month, and I was working about 50 hours a week.
In 2015, I paid off my loans, but I continued blogging. I started earning money from it in 2017 through product sales and a few sponsored posts.
Sharing my goals, triumphs and setbacks helped other women feel comfortable talking about their own financial struggles.
2. I kept my business costs low and separate from my personal expenses.
While I was preparing to launch Bravely Go in 2017, I put all my startup money into a dedicated account so I wouldn’t be tempted to use it on personal spending.
I spent $12 on the domain name through GoDaddy, and $50 on website hosting for a year with Bluehost. Another $308 went toward establishing an LLC in Texas, where I was based at the time.
And $900 went toward hiring a lawyer…
Read the full article here
