The Story Behind Girlfriend's, Budget!

Hey girl, hey!

I am so happy that you’ve taken the time to peruse through my blog and I'm really hoping you’re finding my little corner of the internet to be both fun and educational. However, today I wanted to take some time and get a little personal with my readers and share the story of how Girlfriend's, Budget! was born.

​Have you ever been at a place in your life where you weren’t quite sure what your purpose on this earth was? Maybe you’ve been a bit confused as to what your passion in life actually is and how to go about pursuing that passion. I know this all too well. I’ve been there…let me tell you my story:

Personally, I’ve always been good with my finances. It was something that was instilled in me as a child. I can still remember my mom laying all the bills out on the floor with reminders for herself on sticky notes (Thank God for online bill pay now, right?). She had a whole system worked out and I always took notice. When I moved out on my own at 19, I was in school and I had a job, but I was still receiving financial assistance from my parents. They made it very clear that the money they gave me on a monthly basis was to go toward bills and bills only (they definitely were not paying for my college lifestyle… “party, party, party… let’s all get wasted!”) With the expectation being clear upfront, I knew I had to manage my money properly, otherwise I’d be out on my ass. Since then, it’s been an everyday practiced lifestyle for me to live within my means and make my money work for me.

​It wasn’t until 2012 that I actually thought my money management strategies were practical enough to begin teaching others. I thought I was going to be the next young, black version of Suzie Orman… that I’d be so popular even Oprah would make it a point to get me on her show for an interview (Oprah… hey girl, hey!) I just knew that once I started to get myself out there as a Financial Coach that people would begin flocking to me, wanting all the help they could get to better manage their money.

Girlfriend, I was dead wrong! I realized that for most people, finances is a very difficult topic to discuss and many are embarrassed to be vulnerable about their true financial situation. Although my ultimate goal was to always help and to never judge, I understood that I couldn’t force people to come to me for guidance. With this realization at the forefront of my mind, I began to get discouraged. I thought this finance thing was never going to work and that I should just give up on my dream.  

Fast Forward to 2016. I’m in my beautiful apartment, in the middle of a beautiful city, with my beautiful fiancé (at the time) but yet I was still sulking… because I feel as if I have no purpose and no passion in this life of mine. I had stopped coaching and was working in Corporate America (Yuck!). My circle of friends around me seemed to have it all figured out! They knew exactly what they wanted and how to get there.

I voiced my concerns to them, explaining how I felt stuck and discouraged with no vision of purpose for my life. I still remember that night like it was yesterday. Luckily for me, I have a wonderful support system of friends and family who encouraged me to get back in the Financial Coaching game (there’s nothing like a good support system, get you one girl!), but this time around, I was going to do things differently. Instead of being the regular, serious, dried up ol’ Finance Coach, I decided to just be… Myself!

I’m fun, outgoing, and always willing to try new things, but I am also very honest, dedicated and disciplined (my clients know I will hold them accountable, and they thank me for it.) With this new found motivation, I thought what better way to get my financial tips and strategies out to the world than through blogging. Hence, Girlfriend’s, Budget! was born and it has so far been an adventurous ride! I get so excited to write fun financial information for you all and I graciously look forward to your comments and suggestions.  ​

So as I stand under this tree, it’s a metaphor for my realization on how fruitful my life has become and that I just needed a strong foundation filled with love, peace, faith and joy. Once my foundation was solid, my tree bloomed with belief, awareness, wisdom, and trust in myself and God. All these things and much more guided me to my life’s purpose.

So if you’re feeling down on yourself because you’re not sure of your purpose in life, I encourage you to do some soul searching and explore new things to lead you to where you’re supposed to be. Yes, initially you may fail… (if at first you don’t succeed… in my Aaliyah voice) but never stop trying! You have a God-given gift inside of you that is ready to be unleashed, girlfriend! Find your strength, listen to that inner voice inside you, and go conquer the world! It's your time to shine!

Tell me how you liked this post! Comment below and let’s chat!

​Until Next Time,
Elle