Four Phenomenal Women in Finance
March is Women’s History Month, and I have to give a shout-out to some of the ladies who have fueled and influenced my personal finance journey from afar. These four women are young and phenomenal, and I have followed their journeys for a few years now. I have watched them evolve from their brands from mere ideas to up-and-coming start-ups to empires within the personal finance and fintech space.
Some of you who follow my articles, or maybe know me personally, know that I am obsessed with personal finance and financial freedom. My goal is to unlock the processes and systems that will enable me, my family, and my community to live financially free or, at least, debt-free. It takes dedication, research, and good habits to become comfortable with, and grow, your finances.
When I began my journey, I spent considerable time researching the internet at one point in time or another. I came across many people who inspired me to tell my story and figure out my financial situation. These four ladies stuck out, and they all had different roles to play. To close out Women's History month, I wanted to highlight their journey and successes and how they might help you through your financial journey.
All these women have played their role in my growth, from budgeting and savings to having a relatable financial education with money from people one can relate to. Read along so you can learn a bit more about their expeditions and how to find them and learn more about the fantastic things they are doing. Here is a collection of thoughts, narratives, and accomplishments from these women so you can get to know them more, follow and join their movements.
Tiffany Aliche
Tiffany Aliche is the budget queen, and so fitting her brand is called The Budgetnista. She was one of the first people that provided a budget sheet I could actually use, and she taught me how to use it correctly. Tiffany is best known for her Live Richer Challenge. (Listen to the podcast below to learn more about that!) The Live Richer Challenge has morphed into an academy that has over 1 million women participating. The challenge helps them learn about eliminating debt, achieve homeownership, increase savings, and build credit.
You can learn more about Tiffany below:
Tiffany "The Budgetnista" Aliche, is an award-winning teacher of financial education and is quickly becoming America's favorite personal financial educator
How the Budgetnista Went From $300K in Debt to $10 Million a Year with Tiffany Aliche
Better with Paul: A conversation with Tiffany Aliche.
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-with-paul/id1519016457?i=1000486360063
Bola Sokunbi
I became aware of Bola, in 2018. I have learned a lot from her about my finances; however, what is most intriguing is watching her branding evolution and her journey to full-time entrepreneur. At that time, I was exploring how to become a full-time entrepreneur, and she helped me figure out how I would accomplish it by being more financially prudent with my current income and lifestyle. Her articles explained how she built up an emergency fund, saved up, and waited until her business generated revenue before quitting as validation that her idea was real. And lastly, mental preparation comes with walking away from security and into the rollercoaster that is entrepreneurship. This type of teaching and conviction continue to push me into my goal of being financially resourceful.
You can learn more about Bola at her website: https://www.clevergirlfinance.com/
"If becoming a full-time business owner is one of your goals, then you can definitely do it and do it successfully too, as long as you are willing to plan accordingly, put in some effort, and be patient with yourself."
"Empowering women to ditch debt, save money and build real wealth!... Now more than ever, women are focused on their finances and prioritizing their financial well-being."
"I was able to apply the money lessons I learned from my parents and by figuring things out on my own as a then single woman (through trial and error, learning from other people, reading books, etc) towards in a little over 3 years with a starting salary of just $54,000 before taxes even though I had a mortgage and other expenses."
I must also mention that both Tiffany and Bola come from immigrant backgrounds. They both have roots in Nigeria. As I am from Sierra Leone, the fact that they both hail from West Africa was very instrumental in helping me with my decision to learn more about personal finance and write my articles.
Sheena Allen
Sheena Allen's story is unique and well known, as so many major media outlets have told it. She set out to find a solution for the underbanked in Mississippi and is well on her way to building a fintech company and bank called CapWay. CapWay is making its name as one of the new wave financial tools to revolutionize banking from an accessibility and educational standpoint. Sheena hailed from Mississippi and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Her story resonates with me because I have spent quite a bit of time in Hattiesburg over the years and have experienced and witnessed firsthand the challenges of being underbanked. Her desire truly comes from solving a real problem too many people in that part of the country experience daily.
"Don't focus on trying to prove everybody else wrong. Stay focused on proving yourself right."
— Sheena Allen
You can learn more about Sheena and CapWay below:
The Making of Sheena Allen: The Youngest Person in the World to Own a Bank
Better With Paul: The Youngest Person in the World to Own a Bank.
Business website: https://www.capway.co/.
"We understand the problem, but most importantly, we understand the people with the problem, and that is one of our biggest competitive advantages!"-- Sheena Allen CEO and Founder of CapWay
This Founder Has a Vision for Blacks in Fintech | Inc.com
https://www.inc.com/teneshia-carr/sheena-allen-capway-inspiration.html
Ashley Fox
Ashley Fox started Empify because she saw a need for more financial education. Empify teaches basic wealth-building fundamentals to both adults and kids. I have a love-hate relationship with the stock market, but that is a story for another time. When I first started out, it was comforting to see her navigate her way through it based on her experience and be willing to teach others. I was drawn to using that to fine-tune my investment skills.
"She quickly went from a six-figure income to losing everything. Ashley later had no home, maxed credit cards, and overdrawn accounts. Every lesson for a greater blessing. She now shares her lessons with others while working to help them prevent bad behaviors and modify current financial habits."
You can learn more about Ashley below:
Website: https://wealthbuilderscommunity.com/
Follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleymfox1/
All of these women are powerful, skillful, and strong. They are doing their part to empower their communities and society at large. They have touched the lives of thousands directly and millions collectively, and that is compelling. They all started from humble beginnings, they had their financial struggles, issues, and challenges, but they rose above it to be better and shared their stories and lessons. All of these women are heroes that are making the world a better place and are beacons of hope to everyone out there that your dreams can be real, too.
Who are some of the women that you admire in the financial space? Tell me in the comments!
Comments