From Broke to Financially Attractive

I'm still trying to figure out where September went?! The month literally said, "I ain't gonna be here for long!" As I reflect on a fun-filled month, I think about the amazing in-person training sessions I've attended for my business, the various last-minute invites I received to attend events, my road trip to Montreal and winning the SHOP20 Business Grant. I can't forget about it being Life Insurance Awareness Month and how great it is to see more and more people talking about it. Here's a recap on what I've learned because you know I don't gate-keep the gems. ANTI-SOCIAL BUTTERFLY Believe it or not, as social as I may seem, I have heavy introvert tendencies. WOW, shocker! I set a goal to attend various networking events, even events I wouldn't necessarily go to on a regular day, so I could meet new people, learn about local businesses and share my business. Sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves to make a grand entrance or hand out a...

Who else feels like summer is a mood not a season? I always say that my summer doesn't end until I see snow. Who else feels that way? I know it's been awhile; my last post was in March (cringing) but for good reason! I have been travelling a lot this year, building my business and am blessed to be booked and busy. But I also take accountability because just like my social media content, I should batch create my blog posts so I can be more consistent. Note to self!😅 There's so much to catch you up on! In this blog post, you'll hear a bit about the travel bug I caught (or that never went away), what I've been learning through my mentorship and the importance of committing to self elevation. Travelling: In January, I put $6000 into my Travel Fund with the intentions of travelling 4 times this year. I've been to NY, DC, Vegas and DR so far. And yes, I want to travel a few more times before the end of the year. Why? Firstly, I only got to briefly taste travel freedo...

We've been getting pockets of great weather lately! But beware: warmer weather means lots of parties and events. I want you to have fun but also be mindful. If you don't want to go broke early on (it's not even summer yet!!), keep reading! My top tips for managing your money: KNOW YOUR NUMBERS: figure out what income you're bringing in, what your monthly expenses are and how much disposable income you have to play with each month. Book a FREE financial analysis if you need help organizing your money:  https://calendly.com/financefortheculture/financial-consultation PREPAID OR CASH: Use a prepaid card for your non-essential "fun" budget and upload money onto it. I typically upload $200 per month to use on outside food/going out expenses. Separating your play money from everything else is key! Use one of these links to get free money when you sign up. You will also earn money when friends use your own referral link! KOHO PREPAID SPENDING CARD (get $20):  https:/...

And just like that, it's February! I always tell people that an accurate emoji to describe me is the tornado 🌪😃 January was a busy month for me with it being the start of the year. I'm taking some time off this month because self-care is key but the work doesn't stop. Self development is 24/7. It's officially been a WHOLE YEAR since I did my very first financial literacy workshop sharing my journey and since I monetized Finance for the Culture. A whole year, wow! I've learned so many new things about myself, finance, business, people, the world and I'm sharing those lessons on Instagram Live tonight (Tuesday, February 1st) @ 6:30pm EST. Tap in if you have the capacity! I'm a huge believer in paying it forward and giving back so I want to help the entrepreneurs and creatives that follow me better navigate their businesses. I'm not a business coach but I'm an expert in my experiences. A lot of the time, we see the finished products but not the journe...

One of the books I'm reading right now (yes, I'm reading 2 books at once 👀) is The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. I absolutely love it so far because it's detailing the lives and behaviours of well-known investors of the past. As you may know, I got started my financial journey in November 2019 and invested for the first time in November 2020. I'm super into finance and business books and content so this is right up my alley. There's also such good insight and awareness in the book so I'm going to share my favourite parts: No One's Crazy: I always tell people that despite someone's actions, I try to extend grace because I'm good at empathizing with why they might be doing said action. Example: some people from marginalized communities splurge every time they get a pay check. The general lack of financial guidance and the intensity of the scarcity mindset means that they're simply acting based on what they know. Even if they learned a few ...

Happy 2022! 2021 was a big year for me because I was let go of my 9-5 which catapulted my entrepreneurship journey, I committed to building my online presence as a financial advisor, I hit a bunch of business and financial milestones, I helped 130 clients through financial mentorship and ended the year with an intense, transformative epiphany. I learned to tighten up my boundaries (AGAIN🥴), heavily schedule my days, automate parts of my business, challenge myself with goals and much more! My goals for 2022 include introducing new elements to my business, continuing to fearlessly market myself, building a team and making smart investments. A friend sent me these super dope journal prompts to reflect on 2021 and prepare for 2022. There's about 36 pages so during my downtime, I complete the questions. I want to remind you to always be willing to learn from the past and use those lessons to thrive in the future. You can't change the past so focus on making each new day, new month,...

Time flies!!! My last post was in July! It's been a fun-filled summer with leisure and business. Since I became a licensed financial advisor back in June, I've been building my business, going hard on social media, promoting myself, hosting financial literacy workshops and enjoying the fruits of my hard work. Most recently, I've been really busy with financial analysis appointments which I've super grateful for. My clients are amazing and we have a great time getting to know each other and creating plans for their financial success. I know it can be intimidating and scary sharing your financial situation but being vulnerable is a huge step in asking for help and making changes. I officially hit my $10k goal today! I set my deadline as December 31, 2o21 and created a breakdown of $833.33 per pay check to reach it. I was able to hit it 3 months sooner because of an investment payout I received. I've said it before and I'll say it again: sa...

To say the last few months have been busy is an understatement . I'm officially licensed as a Financial Advisor in Ontario! My mission is to bridge the gap between finance and marginalized folk so they can improve their spending habits, build wealth and live better. Studying and taking exams was not easy and the work is not over. Finance is so layered that I'll always be learning. If you attended my virtual business launch party, THANK YOU! If you won a giveaway, YAY YOU! If you've supported me in any way, thank you so so much! These are my services: Insurance, Investment, Banking consultations Financial Analysis Appointments Investing 101 Sessions Financial Literacy Workshops Instagram Live Features, Interviews and Takeovers Event Hosting and Guest Speaking Workshop Facilitation Since starting my journey in the finance industry, I've met so many people, on social media and in real life, in the same field. I am always willing to connect and collaborate so we can make fi...

It's been awhile but I'm back! A life update will in the next blog post but today, I wanted to share some statistics I came across. Feel free to check out the links below and I encourage you to do your own research as well. Check out these statistics: nearly 50% of adult Canadians struggle with financial literacy 48% OF CANADIANS ARE $200 AWAY FROM BEING BROKE FOR EVERY $1 WE MAKE, OUR DEBT IS $1.77 ONLY 25% OF CANADIANS HAVE AN EMERGENCY FUND CPP (CANADIAN PENSION PLAN) IS NOT ENOUGH TO LIVE ON A YEAR OF TUITION IS APPROXIMATELY $27, 000 140 TORONTO RESTAURANTS CLOSED DUE TO COVID (JUNE 2020) AVERAGE RENT FOR ONE BEDROOM IS $1200; CONDO APARTMENT ABOUT $2200 AVERAGE HOUSE IS OVER $1.2 MILLION MINIMUM WAGE IS STILL $14.25 FOOD PRICES ARE SET TO INCREASE 3-5% THIS YEAR PUBLIC TRANSIT HAS INCREASED 300% IN THE LAST 30 YEARS Why are these statistics important? They show the volatility of the economy due to the pandemic, how the cost of living and minimum wage don't match, how ...

Call me the goal assassin because I attack every goal I create with passion and purpose. I firmly believe that we are the only ones standing in the way of greatness. I firmly believe that we can manifest our dreams with positive self-talk, hard work and a plan. I'm not making anymore excuses. My thoughts control my actions, periodt! At the end of February, I made 3 goals to hit by by June 2021: 1. Save $12k by June 2021 Get rid of an expense (no hair products + related expenses for 3 months) Online shopping only once a month Outside food only twice a month 2. Gain 10lbs by June 2021 Get a trainer Aim for 1980-2000 calories per day 3 weight-lifting workouts per week 3. Read 3 books by June 2021 Read when I wake up and/or before bed Take a book with me when I leave the house Read a few pages after work I'm proud to say I hit my $12k goal last night, almost 2 months early!!! I don't play about my goals, my money or my potential. I might be slacking a bit with my "read 3...

How? Information and implementation. I tell people all the time that education is power, money is just a tool . You can have $10,o00 but if you have horrible spending habits, you'll lose it in seconds. If you have a scarcity mindset, you'll always be worried about if the money will run out. More money doesn't mean you suddenly become a genius at finance. Just over a year ago, I had a low credit score, very little money, way too many clothes and terrible spending habits. I never once thought about investing or home ownership or how to become financially independent. I wasn't just surviving but I definitely wasn't thriving. Here are some of the things I did to go from 0-100 in 1.5 years: Got a financial advisor (10/10 recommend) Did a financial needs analysis to look at my income, expenses, savings, investments Got protection plans (life insurance & critical illness) Created a plan to save money Increased my credit score by 300+ points Set limits for shopping and ...

It's not too late to tap into my money challenge! Close your eyes and randomly pick one activity each day. Make it interesting! You can do this any month, for as long as you want. Continue to implement these activities to improve your spending habits. Stay tuned for next month's challenge! All love, always, Shay.💛 Instagram: @financefortheculture Email: financesfortheculture@gmail.com Book a FREE financial analysis:  https://calendly.com/financefortheculture/financialneedsanalysis?month=2021-07 Book an Investing 101 Session:  https://calendly.com/shaymoneyinvesting101/60min?back=1&month=2021-07  

You already know that I love SMART goals because they set you up for success. SMART  Goals have allowed me to manifest dreams into reality. Back in November 2019, after looking for a job for 3 months, I set the goal to land a 9-5 job that paid more than my previous job by the end of November and on November 22, I was hired for exactly that. SMART goals help you get focussed. S - SPECIFIC - say it with your chest M - MEASURABLE - can you monitor your progress? A - ACHIEVABLE - make it make sense R - REALISTIC - can you actually do this? *see above* T - TIMELY - give yourself a deadline Here are some of my current goals: 1. Save $12k by June 2021 2. Gain 10lbs by June 2021 3. Read 3 books by June 2021 You have to know your destination in order to know how to get there. Here's how I plan to achieve these goals: 1. Save $12k by June 2021 Get rid of an expense (no hair products + related expenses for 3 months) Online shopping only once a month Outside food only twice a month 2. Gain 10l...

No, really, what are you waiting? Time doesn't stop; if anything it feels like it's moving faster. It's already March!! Again?! A whole year has gone by! Did you know that 140 Toronto restaurants closed last year due to Covid?? Did you know that there are literal industries on the verge of disappearing because automation is taking over? The longer you wait to make changes, the deeper your financial instability will be. The longer you wait, the longer it will take to reverse the damage. I want people to be motivated by my story. I want them to see how small changes make a big impact. I didn't deprive myself of anything. I still ate outside food. I still treated myself every once in awhile. But my goal to become financially stable was bigger than instant gratification. My progress has been so fast because with each milestone, I get that much more motivated to keep going. I have to keep setting the bar higher and higher because the momentum is crazy! I went from $200 in m...

I started this blog to document my financial journey from being broke to becoming financially attractive. Along the way, I decided that my main goal was to educate people who look like me. People who are apart of forgotten communities. Millennials. Young, black folk. I decided that I wanted to bridge the gap between finances and our communities. Finance for the Culture combines financial literacy and motivational speaking to educate and inspire millennials to change their money mindset with small changes. I want to make finances accessible and digestible. I want to help people build generational wealth instead of generational debt. Through solidifying my purpose, I've found myself down different paths, offering different services. Updates: I'm still studying to obtain my financial literacy license I am hosting a lot more webinars and participating as a guest speaker I put together my public speaking resume and services price list I have been dabbling in content creation and bra...

2021 will be exactly like 2020 if you don't change.  This post was supposed to be posted in December 2020 but guess what? Better late than never! Which perfectly leads into my original inspiration... It's never too late to start but you'd better start now! Repetition builds habits and habits build your lifestyle. It's so important to start making moves as soon as possible and not when the calendar tells you to or when a friend tells you to because change takes time. It's okay that you didn't make New Year's resolutions. It's okay that January wasn't your month. But now what? We all know what happens when we procrastinate. We push things until tomorrow and tomorrow never comes. We suddenly feel like our goals aren't important. We make excuses as to why we shouldn't do it anymore. Then we'll forget about it altogether. Then a year will go by and we'll randomly remember and feel tons of guilt for letting a good idea/opportunity slip away...

A lot can happen in 1 year, 6 months, even 1 month! To recap, earlier this year, I made a SMART goal to save 10k for an emergency fund by December 2020. I had just started my financial independence journey so I gave myself a lot of time; a whole year. I didn't want to set myself for failure. Fast forward to June 2020 when I hit my 10k goal, 6 months early!! Call it my birthday gift to myself. Proving that I could focus, completely change my spending habits and get shit done, I kept pushing, saving 15k by August and 20k by the end of September.  The thing is, we can achieve such greatness if we have a plan. We can say so many things but without a plan and a way to execute that plan, they're just words flapping in the wind. I will forever talk about SMART goals because they brought me from 0-10, 000 real quick. I encourage you to write down some of your goals, big or small, make them specific, and organize them into categories (financial, personal, fitness, travel etc). Focus on ...

*trigger warning: death* What is your perception of life insurance? Good or bad? Do you know what it is or what it does? Back in the day, a lot of people, especially older people, were talked into getting life insurance that didn't make sense for them because financial advisors and banks were greedy as hell. These days, you can get solid, expert advice that will actually provide you with wealth and protect your assets. Wealth is an abundance of valuable possessions or money. Assets are property owned by a person or company. Most people's perception of life insurance is negative because they didn't learn about it or they know someone who had a bad experience with it and now their views are tainted. Reality is, there's good and bad for everything. Every industry has dishonest people, sometimes representing the majority but I assure you that you don't have to settle for lies and deceit.  Life Insurance is a contract between an insurance company and you (the policy owne...