Women & Money: The Shit We Don't Talk About!
Women & Money: The Shit We Don't Talk About!
From $1m In Debt To Financial Freedom with Naseema McElroy
What if your biggest money mistake turned into your greatest comeback?
This week on Women & Money: The Sh*t We Don’t Talk About, we’re joined by the unstoppable Naseema McElroy, labor and delivery nurse, founder of Financially Intentional, and mom of three who paid off over $1 million in debt in just under three years.
Naseema takes us behind the scenes of what that financial rock bottom looked like- and how she climbed her way out with a plan, a podcast, and pure intention. From student loans and a Bay Area mortgage to budgeting breakthroughs and wealth-building for her kids, she shares it all.
00:00 Intro
00:36 Types of Debt and Their Implications
02:14 Personal Experiences with Debt
05:36 Guest Intro: Naseema McElroy
06:17 Naseema's Journey to Financial Freedom
10:24 Strategies for Financial Management
19:25 Teaching Financial Literacy to Children
26:38 Final Thoughts and Takeaways
Naseema proves that no matter how deep the debt or messy the moment, you can always reboot. And speaking of planning ahead, join us next week on Money Talks. We're getting honest about what it takes to build the future you actually want, one aligned, intentional step at a time. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions!
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Maggie: [00:00:00] sometimes I'm on Reddit and there's people on there who are like young and they're like, I have $2,000 of credit card debt. Like, how am I ever gonna get out? it's two grand, and then I have like other people on Reddit who are like, I have $160,000 of debt. They're like, should I declare bankruptcy?
And then you keep scrolling and then you'll see someone who's like, I have 500 k of debt. can I get out? And it's just. You got the whole board, and part of that is, always college debt. It's not always credit cards. Some people are, this one was 200 and and most of it was credit card debt, which is I think, much harder 'cause of interest rates.
Barb: Yeah. You do have to look at what kind of debt it is. Credit card debt a mortgage and it's different from, student loans, but with student loans. I go back and forth on this. If you've got student loans, but you completed your college education, it's still an investment in your education and in yourself, and you still need to pay that back.
You always need to pay it back. What I think is more difficult is [00:01:00] if there's student loans and you haven't completed your education, that's really a bummer because you still have a lot of debt and you don't have that education to really show for it. And, i've read a lot of circumstances where that can be a real bummer, but nonetheless, debt is debt.
You need to pay it back.
Maggie: Well, it's also if you have federal loans versus private loans for your student loans, that's very different as well.
Barb: yeah, and auto loans, that's different. Like if people wanna go buy a big fancy car and they take, I don't know, they can be upwards of 50, $60,000.
Maggie: I can't believe how expensive cars are getting.
Barb: Or I saw this one TikTok where people were like, what's your loan payment monthly for your card? People are like, oh, 475. One guy was like, oh 998, and I'm like, oh my gosh.
Wow. When I think my, when I had a car, it was probably in the two hundreds or something manageable, but you know, cars have gotten [00:02:00] expensive.
Maggie: Well, then you see these commercials where they're like the lowest down payment and the longest extension, which like I get vibes, like you need a car. But it's also like, all right, then this is gonna be a long time payment.
Barb: And you pay a lot more for that car than what it's really worth.
Maggie: how debt do you think you could live with?
Barb: Not a lot. I'm not good with debt. No. I remember, lived on my own for a long time and I watched every penny. As I said, I recorded everything, coming in and going out. Of course, I had to take on some debt to get through school and to get a car and things like that.
But I was never one to overspend on credit cards or anything like that because, I knew I couldn't afford it.
Maggie: I hate. When you tell your story about how you could just work two jobs and pay off college at the same time, like that is so not attainable anymore,
Barb: well, remember I went to junior college for a couple years and that
was
Maggie: did I.
Barb: yeah. And you had someone helping you pay, which I didn't. So, you just do what you gotta do and I was able to take advantage of some [00:03:00] work payment. Tuition payment, which was a good reimbursement. So took advantage of any benefit that I could get that way and just paid every month at it, just as a routine.
So, debt's a funny thing. How much is like your limit to where you can't sleep at night and it's outta control. But what if you got into let's say you found yourself a million dollars in debt.
Maggie: I would have to know what. My assets are, like, could you, could I sell off most of the things and then have it be a draw? Like is it a big house? 'Cause I have a ton of money and I just took it a house. But yeah, a million that would get me itchy.
Barb: A million dollars in debt. Yeah, and that's what our podcast guest. Paid off in three years, a million dollars in debt.
Maggie: That's wild. I'm still impressed,
Barb: It's impressive. And what's most impressive is it's because she didn't know how money worked or where her money was going. And when she finally got the [00:04:00] come to Jesus moment that said, I need to really figure this out, she figured it out. She made adjustments, she learned, she put some processes in place, was consistent
Maggie: I think we all need that moment that just kind of pushes us to be like, alright, I gotta do the thing now.
Barb: Yeah, because if we don't, it only gets worse and worse. You need to face your fear. Like I said before, the only thing keeping us from moving ahead in our lives. Is fear and vulnerability, but when you have community like you do at purse strings and like you do at other, community groups or whatever around you, that's when you're gonna get shit done.
Maggie: I just wanna send people letters every time they pay off like a debt payment. Like let me know. I'll send you a card. Congrats. I'll do a dance with you, but. Until then, let's dive into this episode with Naseema and learn how she paid off a million dollars and is now growing wealth for her and her children.
Barb: Yeah, let me tell you that there are children have a [00:05:00] lot of money saved, and they're only in grade school.
Maggie: All right, let's go.
Gloria Steinem once said, we will never solve the feminization of power until we solve the masculinity of wealth. Barbara Provost and Maggie Nielsen are the team at purse strings that will help you navigate the ins and outs of financial independence so that you can be financially fearless. This is women in money, the shit we don't talk about.
Maggie: Today we have Naseema on the show, and boy does she have a story to share. So before we dive in, Naseema, will you take a minute to introduce who you are and what you do?
Naseema: Sure. So I'm Naseema McElroy, labor and Delivery nurse by trade. Personal finance enthusiast for fun, mom of three girls, and have been on this crazy [00:06:00] journey of figuring out my finances and taking people along the way with me since 2016. And so just excited to dive into my story and share more with your audience.
Barb: All right, well let's get to the heart of it, right,
how does one get to be a million dollars in debt? Take us there.
Naseema: I love that question because it's just like, First of all, why would you wanna listen to somebody that has a million dollars in debt? They must be really stupid, but actually quite opposite. So I have two master's degrees, one in healthcare administration, one in nursing. So student loan debt is.
Part of that. And for context, when I was going to school, it was like $40,000 a year and I have over eight years of school. So I think I came out good with $200,000 in debt for that. And then you know, I live in the San Francisco Bay area where the median home prices are. Were at that time when I paid off my home or [00:07:00] sold my home was $700,000.
So, I mean, 200 plus 700, you're already at 900. So like the rest of it was just like regular debt cars, taking out loans against your retirement account to put down payment on your house, paying for braces for your ex-husband. Like all of those things that we do, you know?
Maggie: Yep. Life, which love that it's no Gucci purses, no extravagant vacations. Nothing out of the ordinary to get you there. It's hard to do,
And so when was the time? We said, enough is enough. And it really made you shift from earning six figures, but still struggling to deciding I'm gonna wipe out this debt.
Naseema: I didn't even like look at it like that. I was like, I just need to figure out this money thing. And I thought it was like, I really need to understand investing. 'cause that's something that I never really understood and I was like. I just need to know how money really works and I invested so much [00:08:00] time in my education and now I have like the time, like I know how to do deep dives into things.
Like I know how to implement things into my life. Like now I need to use it outside of my career. I need to use it for me and I was a single mom, it was me and my daughter. We lived in this big ass house. Like we had everything like that was like Instagram popping. But on the inside, like I was so scared that if something were to happen to me, like I don't know who would take care of my daughter.
Like, and I just had this extreme sense of urgency that I had to figure it out. And so I was just like. This is it. I'm gonna do this. And I had an hour commute to work one way. And I was just like, oh, I'm listening to NPR podcasts. I might as well listen to personal finance podcasts. And I started listening to personal finance audio books.
And so everything that I was consuming turned into those things that I needed to learn. Plus, like that's, you know, when Instagram was really taken off and so started [00:09:00] curating the people that I follow to, the people that I aspire to be like. And so I changed my circle of influence and those were the messages that I got.
And then realized that it wasn't, that I didn't know how to invest it was that I was kind of under this mountain of debt, that if I got from under that, then I can really be in charge of my finances, and it was in that process that I understood identifying and having a plan around my money gave me so much control as to where before I was making really good money, but I didn't understand where it was going.
But it was that intentionality of understanding and applying your money and putting it where it needs to go. That changed the game for me.
Barb: That's so cool and I love how you used your time in the car to listen to the podcast. We hear this a lot. You know where women have this. Moment that's like, I don't know this and I need to listen to it. We had someone who said every night after [00:10:00] work, she'd go to the library. All the librarians would wave, hello.
'cause I knew she was coming in. She'd sit down with those finance books and they would just start learning. So it's just about really getting started and learning and digging in. You were making a good income and like you said, it's just about knowing where your money is going and putting it in the right places.
So good for you. That's fantastic. So what were some of the changes that you made?
Naseema: So the first thing that I had to really do is understand what was going in and coming out every month. And then putting a plan in place for where that money was going. And that was called budgeting. I was like one of those early adapters event. So I thought that because I was categorizing my transactions that I knew how to budget.
But really understanding like how to give my money a plan, understanding like exactly where it needed to go and putting it there gave me so much control and so much power over that money. [00:11:00] It shifted that dynamic and so now my money was working for me. So budgeting was like one of the biggest things that really shifted and then just focusing on one debt at a time.
Because, you know, like if we give our attention to too many things, we can't really make the progress that we want. And so just focusing in on, you know, paying one debt off at a time and just continuing. Like learning along the process. And what really helped me was I actually started my platform just to share with my close friends.
I have a group of girlfriends, we've been friends since middle school and high school, and I just wanted to be a centralized place 'cause I hate repeating myself, solidifying those lessons that I learned. Teaching it reteaching. It is the way that you actually can learn something. And so those were the big things that I did to really accelerate my path to being able to pay off a million dollars in debt in under three [00:12:00] years.
Maggie: Wow, that's impressive. it's so interesting is everyone, we always tell people to start with, know it's going in, know it's coming out, and people are always like, eh, yeah, yeah. You know, like it's, it's ppo. It's like, Hey, I know, garbage in, garbage out, all the different things and it's just.
Anybody that we talk to who's paid off large sums, made a lot of money, all this stuff, it always comes back to know what's coming in, know what's going out, and it's just, it doesn't matter how much you earn, you have to know those numbers no matter what. It's just like through and through, and so it's everyone we hear it from, it's just you can't say it enough.
Naseema: Yes
Barb: because there's no magic. Code or secret handshake that makes money drop out of the sky to pay your bills off. I mean, it's the same routine, right? It's what you have to do. But I'm curious, so when you went to the budgeting, were there ahas about what you learned about the way you were managing money versus once you started budgeting, like changes that you made in the way you spent your money or saved your money?
Naseema: [00:13:00] I just realized I did not have any clue where my money was going because like I didn't make more during the time when I started paying off this debt. The only thing that changed was my intentionality, like actually paying attention to where my money was going, and I was just so blown away. Like I had this tool in my, purse the whole time.
Like I could have been using this and I think people. Really don't understand. Like I really think it's underrated, like you said, like you can keep on stressing, like understanding where your money is going, but in really understanding that and then having a plan and just being like, this is what I'm prioritizing and everything else needs to stay in whatever lane is gonna fall into, but this is what I'm prioritizing.
And that getting done, hitting that goal every month, just because you have a simple plan, it's like. Oh my God. Like where have you been all my life.
Maggie: hate that it's so easy that you, why didn't I sooner? [00:14:00] You know? And then it's
like
we can't live on that shame and guilt right now. We're gonna. Pick up and move on. And so I know like your, group is called financially intentional. You talk a lot about being financially intentional and we love that.
And so what does that look like in everyday life? What are the habits or decisions that like help you break those cycles?
Naseema: It is about being really thoughtful about what you consume and where your money is going. And it's not about deprivation. It's about living the life that you wanna live and knowing that in order to do that, it's great to be able to spend on the things that really bring you joy, being like, I don't need that thing out of the $5 section at Target.
Like it's really not that serious. It's really not going to bring me that much joy. And understanding that in practical, everyday decisions especially when you have kids that just think that they wanna pick up everything and being able to distill those messages into them, like [00:15:00] that's what being intentional is to us.
Maggie: I feel like with kids you could always just be saying no. All the time. And so you really have to talk that through of like, why I'm not just miss No. But, there's a reason why we're doing what we're doing and then I'm sure like a trip or something you go on, this is why we didn't buy all those $5 things at Target.
Barb: Yeah, it is what I like to say, it's like being financially conscious because sometimes we can spend very unconsciously because so easy. Right? Swipe and tap and hit your watch and blink just about and something, right?
Naseema: Exactly. Exactly. It's so, they reduced all the levels of friction from, you know, getting the things that you need and they make it so convenient and they just drop it off at your doorstep and it's there. Sometimes it's the same day and it's just like magical. And so why wouldn't you want those things?
Barb: I know we're going up against a lot of the marketing tactics that they use that are kind of [00:16:00] subliminal and make want all of these items that we don't really need in the long run. So I know a lot of our listeners are in healthcare service, professions working their tails off and still feeling stuck financially.
So what are a few money myths you would bust for them right now?
Naseema: I think like everybody is like, oh, you know, there's so much burnout in healthcare and you know, like everybody is like being sold like these entrepreneurial dreams. And what I like to say is like, even if you do wanna exit, like you don't wanna trade your time for money and all that kind of stuff, you know, that we hear.
You have so many things that you can take advantage of in the healthcare spaces. Number one, you have really cheap insurance. Like I pay $26 every two weeks for insurance for a family of four. Like, okay,
Maggie: that's impressive.
Naseema: okay, okay. So then you [00:17:00] have all these options of where to put your money. You have all these benefits.
You have your education that they can pay for, in the healthcare space, there's so much opportunity to really support and advocate for people. You're in a unique position to really change somebody's life. So instead of looking at all the bad things that are happening in the healthcare system, use your position in life to really pour into people because it's gonna come back to you.
But like on both levels, you have the tangible, like you can be saving in so many assets where it's matched. You have all these opportunities to get things paid for, but also you're in a position to serve people in a way that nobody else can, and you need to fully take advantage of that.
Maggie: Those are all great tips because I think sometimes we forget that.
it's just, it's way more than what the paycheck that hits your bank account and if that's the only thing you're trying to match, you're missing out on a lot of benefits. also get to hold the new fresh babies,
Barb: Yeah your labor and delivery. That's like the best of the best.
Naseema: [00:18:00] It is. And when it's up, it's up. But when it's down, down too. You know, like we have some really, really hard times too, and experiences that we have to go through. And those are the experience that you don't ever forget. And so to be in a position to be able to serve people and those times the best and the worst of times is a unique experience that I don't take for granted.
And people always remember. There are birth stories. And so I'm in a unique position to be able to influence that in a positive And I love that. I mean like there's some, there's obviously problems in the system and all that kind of stuff, but on a day-to-day basis, being able to serve those families is just, I feel like it's a gift for me.
Maggie: Yeah, I thank you for doing that. 'cause man, I could never, so anyone who go and do that, like please, let's keep 'em there. Let's do the thing. Because there's other ones out here who we will just never be able to do that. so you are also a mom of three. So talk about being a mom [00:19:00] for a second. How did becoming a mother kind of influence how you think about money and legacy and like kind of what you leave behind?
Naseema: It's crazy 'cause oftentimes we won't do for ourselves what we would do for our kids. And it's easier because sometimes we feel like, oh, it's kind of too late for us, but we can get a head start. For them, but people lose sight that you have to model that behavior for them for it to stick and learning that, I mean, it wouldn't, if it wasn't for my oldest daughter, this whole platform wouldn't exist.
Right. And so she motivated me to do that. But what I had to understand is that it wasn't just about making sure she was straight financially, it was about. Making sure that I was good in a good position so that she didn't have to take care of me like so many of us have to take care of our parents and all that kind of stuff.
I needed to set myself up first and then I would be able to put her in a position where she could succeed and, modeling those things [00:20:00] that I want her to be financially. And so that's what I've done. And you know, uniquely for me, I've been able to take my kids on this journey with me and they're part of my brand.
And so they get to hear these things over and over again, you know, and so hopefully like some of that is seeking through. Osmosis and then we have money lessons every day. And I know that they show up because they say stuff to their grandma, like, I don't know why you have all those things in your grocery
my mom has way more money than you when she don't spend all that money at the store.
Maggie: The lack of filter, my God.
Naseema: Right. But it's just, it is just that. And like being able to be in a position to. Not have my kids start from zero or like me going to the adult world or starting at a deficit I feel like is a superpower. And so I'm just really blessed that I am able to be in that space and that they get to be a part of this world too.
Maggie: I saw a post looking [00:21:00] uh, we got on this call about how, like you didn't hit six figures until like your mid to late thirties, and your kids have like a six figure net worth. how would you recommend to others to start building wealth for their children if that's something that they're, interested in doing?
Naseema: Yeah, I love teaching parents about money and investing for their kids, number one, because I trick them to get in the room. Because like they think it's gonna be about their kids. And then I'd be like, if you ain't maxing out at least a Roth, IRA, then get outta here. Okay.
Right.
I teach 'em how to do it.
Right. But so that's number one. Number two is, is that I think like kids have the power of time on their side. so with very little, you can make a huge impact on their lives. And by very little, I mean like as little as $5 a month. Like you can make a, a impact depending on what age you start at.
So it doesn't take a lot. It's just as about forming those muscles and then also [00:22:00] instilling the values in them. To be able to carry on. And so my kids have three investment accounts. I was heavily focused with my older daughter on her setting up her 5 29, and I was able to get that started for her when she was around three, going to four, and been able to put money in there.
And I don't even invest in that account anymore, but it, because I was able to start it so early, it's like grown crazy, like of that a hundred thousand plus dollars in there. 80 something of it is her 5 29 and I haven't touched that account in over five years. And then, you know, because my kids are part of my brand, I'm able to create retirement accounts for them because they have earned income.
And then I use a brokerage account to combat those messages of consumerism so that they understand that they're owners in companies and not just consumers like, yes. You like Roblox, like yeah, I can give you some Roblox, but I can also just buy the stock for you. So it's a little bit of [00:23:00] a balance.
And so understanding that and kind of gamifying it. 'cause my two older ones are really competitive and being like, well, you got the same? $20 this month, like, what are you gonna pick? And then at the end of the month, see how in returns it's done. And they're just like, oh, I beat you and you know, my company is better than yours.
And you know, like, so that's what I'm able to do with investing Again, it's not about just like giving them money and like throwing them out into the wild. It is about teaching them the lessons early on so that they can be responsible adults and hopefully keep on passing that on generationally.
Barb: Just brilliant. It really is. Thank you for saying all of that and doing all of that with your children. There's no financial literacy in schools. It really has to take place at home and it just doesn't. Right? It just doesn't. And because we. So many of us haven't been taught that, and we haven't made that a conscious effort in our own households, [00:24:00] but look how much we can learn from you and what you've done.
It's really a wonderful what you've done.
Naseema: And I'm just, I'm still learning. Like I just want people to know, like they don't have to have it all figured out. You just kind of have to do one thing and not be afraid to make mistakes and just keep on going. I mean, it's not linear. Like I have had several stumbling blocks. I've had a lot of setbacks, but it's like, I keep on learning and I keep on sharing and, you know, hopefully it is impacting people.
Maggie: And the other thing you know, I wanna just re-highlight is the importance of, you just saying to all these moms out there, like you have to put yourself first before you fund all your kids. And we see this way too often where they're paying for college when their retirement is not settled, like.
They're gonna go get a job and then back up your retirement. Like that's not, at least that's not what I signed on to.
Naseema: I've seen even worse, like I've seen people pull out of their retirement accounts to fund their kids' college, and I'm like, if that ain't the most backward thing I have ever [00:25:00] heard, like you better not touch that retirement Like your kids are gonna be okay, but you are not.
Barb: Right.
Maggie: and it's just a, another message. We can't, say enough it's, like we say, it's like the airplane. You gotta put on your own oxygen mask first. And You have to fund your own retirement first. And as much as you want to give to your kids, sometimes you just can't, and that's that.
They'll figure it out. We all, I mean, a lot of us have, and so I just really appreciate you practicing that and preaching that because it is so important especially for women as we're such givers to everybody. We have to make sure we're filling our own accounts, our own cup, whatever it may be.
Barb: I just wanted to say, especially with those, I see those parent plus loans for kids to go to college. That just, it scares me so much because, and if children don't finish college, and those loans are still out there, we know women are gonna live longer, typically outlive their spouse, and that's a time where they're gonna need more money.
So even more so good reason to share that [00:26:00] message that women need to fund their retirement account and think of themselves first. So thank you.
Maggie: And so you've been, where a lot of women are right now, kind of tired, buried in debt, overwhelmed. What is like the very first small step someone could take today to kind of start climbing out?
Naseema: I know this is kind of sound woo, but like, just believing that you're capable of doing it is like the first thing. But I just think that people just don't know what's possible for them. If I've done it, please know that it's possible for you.
And it's probably not gonna look like what you think it's gonna look like, but it's possible for you. But like really that first step is understanding where your money is going,
understanding what's coming in, what's going out, getting a firm grasp of that, and then you can start. Making your money work for you by creating a spending plan or a budget, wherever you wanna call it.
That sounds great for you to make your money, do what it needs to do for [00:27:00] you.
Maggie: do you use like a, an app or something now for your budgeting spending.
Naseema: Daily, like, personally, like I use Monarch but I have tools for people like, like there's my budget coach where you can get personalized budget coach that is like, you know, like walks you through that. I love my budget coach and I have a profile on there. I always like kind of hold back on, like refer, like recommending a budgeting tool because I feel like.
Sometimes people like try something. It's like, oh, this didn't work for me. So I always say, use the budgeting tool that works for you that you're actually gonna use.
Maggie: But it's still great to hear that even these years later, you're still using an app. You're still tracking it. It doesn't go
away
Naseema: No, no. It does not go away. It does not go away.
Barb: And I'm gonna date myself, but. Years ago when I was single, we had this thing called a checkbook, and our money came into our account, and then every time you had to pay a bill, you had to write a [00:28:00] check. It was like a budgeting app because you knew with every check where everything was going, you were writing it all out and subtracting it from there.
So you were really writing out your budget and it was right there in front of you in your checkbook,
Naseema: It's just the days like now, there's like Klarna, Afterpay credit cards, like the people's money is being taken in so many different places. Like it's so easy to lose track, like where your money is going and where it's coming from, what payments you need to make, how do you even track.
But credit cards, if it's not due on a certain day, and technically you don't have to pay the full thing. It's a little bit more complex. And I wish it was just as simple as, you know, sitting down and just like balancing your checkbook. And I remember that that's the financial literacy lesson they used to teach in school.
Right. But now there's apps and resources that can kind of simplify those things for you. it's a little bit of a learning curve for some people. And like a lot of [00:29:00] people are really just intimidated because. is scary.
Maggie: Yeah.
Naseema: It's scary. Or they think that they should have been able to figure it out by now and have a lot of guilt about not having figured it out.
Barb: Oh yeah we see that a lot and that's why our podcast is called Women and Money, the Shit We Don't Talk About, because we're starting to have these conversations and saying, you might be overwhelmed. You might say, I don't know, we don't care that you don't know. All we care about is that you get started today.
And you start asking questions so that we can answer them and get you on the right road so that you have these beautiful tomorrows. 'cause when you look back, if you get started, you'll be like, wow, look how far I've come. I paid off a million dollars. Right? Unless you get started, it's never gonna happen.
Naseema: And I just love you guys' podcast and your story just in general because yes, like women have been so underserved by the finance industry and like talked down to and like we, there's a lot of guilt and shame and people just don't act. And I've seen it [00:30:00] firsthand because like at my hospital, we have a great retirement plan.
Which, you know, not everybody can say 'cause we have a 4 0 3 B and they, you know, have a little bit less regulations around it. But I've looked through it and it's amazing. But like the person that sits in the cafeteria and administers it is like this guy who can be a little bit intimidating if you. I mean, he's great to me.
I love to death. Like he doesn't intimidate me, but I'm not a person that's easily intimidated. But you're in a field where there's nurses and you know that personality type is usually. Like a little bit submissive and a little bit like, like I, they need to be coddled a little bit with information like that, especially if they already feeling like they don't understand and they think that they should know and they're far behind.
And so I was just saying like, I just really love what you guys are doing and the messages and the empowerment that you're giving to people because you recognize this need in this space that these [00:31:00] women are out here so, so underserved.
Maggie: Appreciate that. Yeah. gotta get them the right help that They need to really their future. 'cause it's a lot. You need a team Right. There is a question we like to ask everybody on our podcast, and now it's your turn to answer. And so what is your own definition of financial freedom?
Naseema: financial freedom is having the control to live your life on your terms. Period.
Maggie: got prepared. She's ready to go.
Naseema: Yeah.
Barb: Yeah. Simple
Naseema: Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of people don't have control over their lives because of the money decisions that they have made or the money decisions that have been made for them. And shifting that relationship gives you so much control back over your life.
Barb: Yeah. Well, thank you for the work that you're doing. You're helping so many people step into their financial power. I mean, you are. We are. It's gonna take all of us, right, to lift [00:32:00] all ships and make sure women know that there are all these resources out there for them. Don't need to be afraid. Don't need to be intimidated.
One foot in front of the other. Reach out to Naseema. She's got a great Instagram. I've looked through it. Good humor on there as well. had a few chuckles, so, where else can they connect with you, Naseema?
Naseema: So along with Instagram where I hang out, unfortunately every day a little bit too much. you can listen to me on the Financially Intentional Podcast. I have nearly 300 episodes, probably more. And yeah, just even if you just in a podcast app, just put it Naseema, it's not a lot of namas out there.
Put in Naseema Naseema McElroy if you're feeling frisky. And just like, it's so much information that I've shared on different platforms. Just hang out with me there. I'm very responsive to dms on Instagram if you have some questions for me. But yeah, Instagram, financially intentional podcast.
I have a website. But yeah, those are the places.
Maggie: Awesome. Well, yeah, we [00:33:00] appreciate you taking the time today and having this conversation. It just is inspiring that, anyone can do it a million dollars in debt and you're still now raising three badass daughters who've all are making their own money as well. So we love to see it. And it really shows what, some financial education can do for all of us, and so all ships will rise.
And yeah. Thanks for coming on today.
Talk to everyone soon. Until then, be financially fearless.
Outro: You've been listening to Women Money, the shit we don't talk about. Now it's time to take what you've learned and make bold moves towards financial independence. Stay in the know by joining our newsletter for exclusive tools, resources, and updates that keep you financially fearless. Head to PurseStrings. co and sign up today. Need a financial professional who gets it? Turn to PurseStrings Curated Directory, your go to resource for financial experts who know how to put you first. Love this episode? Leave us a review and help us empower even more women to own their financial power. [00:34:00] Until next time, be financially fearless.
