What's there to know?
I'm actively trying to combat the instinct to respond to the statement
“Tell me about yourself” by beginning with my job title.
Ever noticed how we tend to do that?
About Me – Personally
I graduated from the University of Florida in 2011 and after a year of work, I managed to get in early to their top ranked MBA program where I dual concentrated in Finance and Competitive Strategy, adding both a degree and another chunk of student loan debt (culminating in $41,000… and that's with full-tuition scholarships!)
My efforts during my MBA internship granted me a six-figure job offer, which I gladly accepted and signed before I turned 25. The job brought me to Atlanta, Georgia, where I have now lived going on five years.
The city has its ups and downs (maybe you've heard about our small traffic jams) but ultimately connected me with my now-husband. We are newlyweds, just married in June, so I can speak volumes about wedding planning and of course our next adventure – house hunting.
Travel has always been exciting to me, and that was amplified when my best friend and I embarked on a tour of 12 countries in 21 days during grad school. The history and culture experienced in-person can't replace all of the books in the world. Now, I continue to be an advocate for lifestyle design, finding ways to experience travel and adventure while still responsibly preparing for your future financially. Travel is also the way I have found to combat all of the anxiety, stress and perfectionism that innately comes with being a hard worker and overachiever. So forgive me if I veer off from career development topics to travel at times, but it has become a priority outlet for me and I want to empower others to actually use their PTO for personal travel, too.
I research and analyze decisions all day, and often have to remind myself to find balance. Personal finance, saving, and paying off student loan debt is hugely important; at the same time, living a life you love while you have time and health is equally important.
Why the website?
Many of us were raised in the “be humble, modest and polite” era and are now trying to climb a corporate ladder with those same traits working against us. Meanwhile, we were taught to work hard, save money, and travel once we retire.
Life has changed, lifestyle design has changed, and priorities have changed. We are right in the middle of the shift to millennials comprising a majority of the workforce, and there are can never be too many voices empowering people to think differently, take risks, and make big moves.
There are some fantastic resources about leadership, communication and lifestyle design out there and I've been excited to share everything I find for discussion. Until now, it's stayed between a small group of friends and colleagues. Now, I want to open the door of communication with others.
About Me – Professionally
I am a professional in my fifth year working in Leveraged Finance at a Fortune 50 Company. My day job requires me to engage with cross-functional teams in addition to building relationships with Owners and C-Suite Managers of prospects and customers. Through this, I have continued to hone communication skills and techniques, one of my most-prevalent development themes.
As both a banker and a subject matter expert in a male-dominated field, I have become increasingly aware of and intrigued by behavioral and organizational psychology, especially gender discrepancies and unconscious biases in the workplace. Admittedly, I felt as though many of the pain-points were self-induced (a la “women don't ask for raises”) but I have seen first-hand there is more to it.
I have worn many hats outside of finance, including jobs in marketing and research. Since I spend so much time building forecast models and analyzing financials now, I round out my skills on my off-time, honing my portfolio as a writer and freelance contractor for small businesses. I have performed a wide array of freelance jobs over the last eight years, culminating in taking the leap to incorporating my own small business.*
*Disclosure: None of the freelance work I performed involves any financial analysis or tasks remotely conflicting with my job, nor does my position at my job influence my ability to obtain these writing and editing roles. [Just to ensure there is no conflict of interest for any potential inquisitive HR members.]
Boring Disclaimers
Here’s my disclaimer—please recognize that I’m just a real peer blogging from my home office and sharing thoughts, ideas, and advice I have collected along the way. I’m not your personal wealth advisor or lawyer, and there is no one-size-fits all strategy for personal finance and career development. Always defer to a licensed professional who knows your personal circumstances for any specific needs.
I’m also blogging to share insights and help motivate others; at some point, it would be a dream to monetize the site through affiliate links or product reviews. However, I am a huge believer in transparency and will never, ever push products or services I can’t honestly speak to from personal use or experience. Reputation is not worth the compromise!