Who Is She?
ABOUT
Hey!
I’m Shonnita
I graduated college during the great recession with two degrees. I also had $100,000 in student loan debt, $30,000 in consumer debt, $3,000 in medical debt, and a beat-up car that was on its last leg, I quickly realized that if something didn’t change I was going to remain in financial shackles forever! I needed to make drastic changes to my lifestyle.
I was laid off from work multiple times, gaining first-hand experience on what would now be known as one of the worst financial crises in American history. It was time to pivot. I ended my leasing contract with my landlord, packed all my bags, shipped out my car, and bought a one-way ticket halfway across the country to Houston, TX.
I decided to start over, brick by brick. I picked up a part-time job at a local retail store and another during the summer months. These odd jobs definitely helped move the needle towards releasing the financial shackles I had put myself in, but they still weren’t enough. I found myself competing to get a spot on the work schedule at these retail jobs, and I hated working under performance evaluations and hourly wage time restraints at these places, I didn’t like my time being dictated for me. I needed another way out, and I was determined to find it!
I brainstormed different ways to make money, but the one I kept going back to was food delivery gig work. There was no barrier to entry (no skills needed), I could work whenever I wanted (no time constraints or competition to get on a work schedule), and I already had all the resources I needed (a phone and a car)! Bingo.
First-hand experience on what would now be known as one of the worst financial crises in American history.
featured in:
In a little more detail:
- A survivor and graduate of the 2009 class of the Great Recession
- A scholar with a Masters of Education Psychology with a Concentration in School Counseling
- A proud HBCU Virginia State University Alumni
- A moonlighting plant enthusiast
- A full-time public educator in higher education!
- A type-A, personal finance nerd!
I started with the consumer debt, taking the snowball approach and chipping away at it. Then my car died and I started all over again tackling the leasing payments. That was my breakthrough moment. I began teaching myself about taxable expenses, business ownership, and tax incentives. I learned about accounting and bookkeeping, and I even dabbled into understanding real estate while on my delivery routes.
Once I made the financial payment on my car, it was time to tackle my biggest financial mistake of them all: My student loans. Going in, I never bothered doing the math on how much I borrowed or how much I’d ever see a return on. I knew I’d never do something like that again. Now it was time to roll up my sleeves and devise a plan to pay it down. Thus my journey began on YouTube, sharing my struggles with finances, my love and hate relationship with the gig economy, and tips so that your learning curve isn’t as steep as mine had been!
Representation matters!
That was my breakthrough moment.
The benefit of working with me is that I’ve been there. Heck, I’m still there! I’m sharing my journey with you as my personal cheat sheet to life. Plus, I’m a lot of fun!
What’s most important to me is meeting you where you are, whether that’s hearing your life stories of struggle, learning about the path you’re on, or celebrating how you’ve overcome your challenges. I love connecting with other people who have found financial stability and success and sharing their stories with you!
Why work with me?
Click here to get started!
