MEET THE FOUNDER

Contrary to most personal finance stories, I wasn’t born into poverty . I grew up in a mixed-race neighborhood with a middle-class family. My mom owned our home and she taught me the importance of financial stability at an early age. In fact, I had a savings account at 16 to put the money that she made me work for ( because working builds character, in her words ). I had the basics of money management down, or so I thought. But as I matured in age, I quickly realized that not only was her knowledge limited, but it was also a little outdated as times had changed.

My mom came home almost daily and complained about the BS she dealt with on her job . And the more I worked, the more I could relate and eventually feel the same. Statistics show that black women earn 63 cents for every dollar earned by white men , so I knew that I would never earn what I was worth. Nor was it worth the passed-over promotions, office politics, and micro-aggressions . So to compensate for that, I would spend money impulsively because I felt like “ I deserved it ” - which was not the best idea as I couldn’t even afford the home I wanted (at the time ), or cover my bills on my own without a job . 

Though my mom was well-versed in “ saving for a rainy day ”, she wasn’t as well-versed in investing. Or what I like to call, making your money work for you . And as a young professional, I needed that more than I realized. It was a combination of experiences – such as quitting a toxic job with no real income plan, struggling to purchase my first home, and being laid off unexpectedly – that taught me that having a savings account just wasn’t enough. I needed financial independence. I wanted to earn money without trading my time for it . 

Those 8 months of unemployment were truly some of the lowest days of my life. It was during that time that I realized that my money habits were poor. All the random trips, unplanned happy hours, and lunchtime shopping I did left me with a low bank account. It got to the point where I was dipping into my savings to pay my bills and asking family/friends for money as the state unemployment checks were just not enough. I felt exhausted and helpless - mentally, emotionally and physically.

However, it was also during that time that I decided to reframe my mind and change my spending habits so that I would never have to be at the mercy of an employer (or a limited salary) ever again .

So I did what was most familiar. I worked. I ended up securing 2-3 jobs at that time and I quickly burnt out . It slightly worked because I paid off over $80,000 in student loan debt early, but it came at the expense of my health and my time. I knew there had to be a better way to manage my money and build wealth ( which sounded nice, but I really didn’t understand what wealth meant at the time ). So I started reading books, listening to podcasts, and expanding my financial education. Two platforms in particular ( Wealth Noir and The Budgetnista ) were instrumental in providing realistic, relatable, and transparent financial advice that I was able to confidently implement.

Eventually, I purchased my dream home, paid off all of my debt, and started generating monthly passive income within a 2-year time span . It felt good. I felt like I had unofficially given myself a raise because I had more money sitting in my account than ever. And I felt confident enough to start investing and building wealth outside of my 9-5 income . If I had stayed where I was, I would probably still be renting when I always desired to own. I would still be moving money around in different accounts to avoid overdraft fees. I would also still be complaining about not having enough money, or not being confident enough to speak up at work in fear of losing my job . If I had to sum it up in one word, I felt fearless .

And I want all women to feel this way. I envision a world where women aren’t stressing about money because they make smarter decisions with the income they already earn . As a Certified Financial Educator , my goal is to create a safe, open, and honest environment where we can come together and improve our relationships with money. I believe we deserve options and freedom to do what we want when we want, and without worrying about if we have the money to do so. Maximized Money is a place where women are supported, encouraged, and educated in a way that makes sense for the financial struggles that are unique to us.