3 Personal Finance Influencers Share Why the Elevate Influencer Conference Is Needed

It can be a little intimidating being an active member of a space where my distinction is not having my shit together. Seriously, that is what distinguishes a lot of people in the personal finance space. There are a lot of us who didn’t know what we didn’t know and then we shared our stories. Happily, there are a ton of financial stories out there. For people of color there are the stories of influencers who don’t have the struggle story. Or, they’ve managed to FIRE and have moved abroad as a single or as family. Or maybe there’s the POC influencer who is making bank and sharing how the hell they did it. Elevate Influencer is a community designed for POC influencers in the personal finance space. This community honors nuance, data and our stories. Sandy Smith, founder of Elevate Influencer and the community, has created a space where our stories are respected, shared and uplifted. Elevate Influencer is personal finance with a side of hot sauce. That spice is the kick of seasoning needed when talking about personal finance. This community has kept me going, shared my expertise and added my personal and professional growth. In this episode, you’re not just going to hear from me. You’re going to hear from 3 other personal finance influencers who’ve attended in previous years in the following episode. *In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Please read my disclosure here.*

Listen to the Episode

Resources

My goal is to change the conversations we have around money. You can be inclusive and win with money. You can pay more and sustain your business. You can create a financial policy that serves. You as an individual can make a difference. Grab your free “Financial Equity Tool Kit” today to learn how even one person taking small financial actions can make a difference to others and to you. Without hurting your finances.  I am a huge fan of the envelope system. It was one of the many systems that I used to help me organize my cash while paying off over $60,000 in debt. The only downside with the envelope system? The possibility of losing your cash. I really wish Qube money had been around back then. Qube money is a digital envelope app that pairs with a visa debit card. Your cash is kept in an FDIC insured account. Qube money is a great way to keep your money organized while you’re on the go. Qube Money is the envelope system on steroids. I love it so much and am a proud affiliate. Click on the link in the show notes to learn more. Please note that I may be compensated based. I currently use the free option.  If you’d like to start a personal finance brand or other online focused business and brand and are looking for tips, information and ideas on how to grow an online business that serves your ideal clientele, is positive and leads with equity check out my new project “The Brand Building Lab” where I talk about all about online business building. Want to learn how to design products, how to attract projects that pay or how to recognize when it’s time to hire help The Brand Building Lab has you covered. This week we hear about OnlyFans changing its core business model related to content. I spoke with Minnie St. Claire about her finances as a sex worker a couple of weeks ago on the show. She’s not using OnlyFans for her content, but people she knows does and I can’t help but wonder how this change will impact their finances. 

Related Posts

• Creating a More Empathetic Personal Financial Space One  Bad Take Bracket at a Time with Matt Lane

 

• Let’s Talk About Broke Bobby

 

• Are Billionaires Evil? Even if they are Rihanna?

 

• Curious About the Financial Life of a Sex Worker: Minnie Shares Her Story

 

• 42 Personal Finance Books Written by POC and 1 Amazing Ally

Show Notes

As a member of the Elevate Influencer community I never have to prove the following to other members:

• That gentrification negatively impacts Black and Brown communities

 

• Public policy has impact

 

• That POC aren’t bad with money that we just needed to learn about how to use different tools to grow our money.

 

• Representation matters.

 

• The wage gap exists

 

• Money is political

 

• A rising tide lifts all boats

Having to prove what we KNOW and have SEEN directly impacting the lives of folks around us gets exhausting. And lonely. So, when Sandy created the Elevated Influencer Community it was like going home. Instead of an army of one, we became an army of many focused on the same fight. Financial equity and equality. We were able to communicate, share, get angry and grieve as a collective in a safe space.  Our mission is bigger than just ourselves. And because of that it’s a heavy responsibility. And at the same time we POC financial influencers are working through financial lessons that have been seared into our DNA that impact our businesses. But, you’ve heard enough from me. My three guests: Alanna Anthony from Financialdemics, Rebecca Neal founder of Bedford Family Lawyer and Steven M. Hughes of founder of Know Money, Inc® share their experience at Elevate Influencer.

Alanna Anthony

             

Follow Alanna

https://financialdemics.com/ https://www.youtube.com/financialdemics *I said her name wrong when I introduced her in the episode-Sorry Alanna!*

• This is her third time attending

 

• She loves conferences but knew it would be different because it was focused on POC personal finance influencers

 

• Other conferences can show how to grow your businesses as well but this one was going to go deeper.

 

• The information was specific to the community that she serves.

 

• The approach towards money may be different because of who we are

 

• 2020 Virtual Conference DID NOT DISAPPOINT

 

• It’s clear how much work has been put in behind the scenes-the quality is unmatched.

 

• People of color experience things differently and it’s important that we can speak candidly about that.

 

• Elevate will be virtual this year as well.

 

• The energy is incredible! And the experience is well thought out and impactful for attendees.

 

• Attendees get a chance to meet one another.

 

• Alanna participated and really showed up to the event and connected with people in her home community doing “the work”

 

• The speakers were amazing. Panels got you thinking. The panelists shared the “ingredients” plus the icing on the cake for the event.

 

• The first day is free if you’re on the fence and is about the history of Black Wall Street, Day #2 focused on Influencers in the Space.

 

• Alanna believes you’ll have a great time and hopes to connect with you.

Rebecca Neal

             

Follow Rebecca

www.BedfordFamilyLawyer.com  

• “I’m not an influencer….I love to learn and talk about personal finance”

 

• I think about what I learned on a regular basis.

 

• I was revited and enjoyed Sean Rochester and Richard Rothstein’s talks and how much the laws impacted people’s lives.

 

• Yes, she bought their books after the event.

 

• She really understood 300 years of systemic racism impacted people of color’s finances today

 

• Elevate Influencer changed how she looked at personal finance

 

• Now, she just can’t “unsee what she learned” and it’s impossible to ignore.

Steven M. Hughes

               

Follow Steven

www.stevenmhughes.com Founder of Know Money, Inc®  

• The biggest difference with Elevate Influencer is that it’s half family reunion and half professional conference

 

• Complete clarity of community, messaging and content.

 

• Steven is speaking at the event. He remembers Sandy rounding up a giant group of POC at a previous conference so that everyone could SEE each other and our impact.

 

• Sandy is connecting so many people in the personal finance space.

 

• Financial wellness content and focus. Steven finds events like this are vital to rebuilding Tulsa and communities across the country.

 

• POC need more spaces like this. We’re talking about unique solutions specific to our communities.

 

• Focusing on the people that you’re serving when creating these events.

Buy Me a Coffee

I spend a lot of time at coffee shops working on my content. In fact, coffee shops helped me make it through the first year of the pandemic. I love supporting these small local businesses whenever I’m able to. Buy Me a Coffee is a quick and easy way to support my work and support a local business as well. You can support my work with a one off donation or a monthly donation of $7 a month to become a member of Money Hungry Nation. Members gain access to content curated specifically for Money Hungry Nation Members.