Stacks and the City

Latest Episodes:

Episode 17: CEO Spotlight Featuring Courtney Sanders of the Think and Grow Chick Aug 22, 2018

Show notes

Today's episode features a phenomenal young woman named Courtney Sanders of the Think and Grow Chick. Courtney's platform provides mentorship, empowerment, financial advice, and entrepreneurship help to millennial women all over the world. Courtney managed to make a multiple six-figure salary with her Think and Grow Chick platform. Courtney's road to success didn't come simply; in fact, Courtney earned a full ride to Howard University only to lose her scholarship the following year. Find out Courtney's wake up call, and her relentless drive to educate and elevate her financial position.

Key Takeaways:
The Side Hustle is Real:
Courtney managed to use odd jobs, waiting tables, and selling unused belongings to pay off credit card debt. Courtney humbled herself to use her drive to earn money and advance her financial position.

To What Extent Do Our Financial Purchases Appease Others?
Courtney said much of her consumer debt stemmed from delivery services and buying clothes to stay in fashion. It makes us both question to what extent do we make purchases to help elevate our social status or to show others that we "have money". Do we make purchases to show status and put on appearances?

The Story of Babylon
Courtney discussed a part from The Story of Babylon that she keeps with her to this day: for every dollar you make, keep ten cents. In other words, save 10% of every dollar you earn. To this day Courtney uses this mantra in both her business and personal finances.

It has been such an honor to interview Courtney. Thank you so much for the opportunity!

Follow Courtney:
@thinkngrowchick

Follow Ashley:
@stacksnthecity

Music: Bensound.com

Episode 16: CEO Spotlight Featuring Andre Albritton of The Millennials Next Door Aug 15, 2018

Show notes

Good morning everyone and thank you again for listening to yet another fantastic episode of Stacks and the City. Today we have Mr. Andre Albritton of The Millennials Next Door. Some highlights of his episode include:

The Concept of a Millionaire:
According to the Thomas J Stanley's book The Millionaire Next Door, most millionaires aren't driving flashy cars and living in penthouse suites. In fact, most are business owners and regular people who do plumbing, contracting, and ‘regular’ work. They keep the money they earn and acquire their money.

Financially Conscious Thinking:
Andre believes if you think about your items you want to buy before you purchase, you will make more financially responsible choices. Instead of ordering the Uber X, financially conscious thinkers will evaluate choosing the Uber X while considering the cheaper options.

Zombies:
Zombies are Americans who don’t have $1,000 for an emergency fund and continually spend money they may or may not have.

Dave Ramsey:
This man is THE financial guru. His tips from debt snowballing to the 7 baby steps have helped countless people get out of debt. Check him out here.

LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS:
Get out of the habit of spending more than what you earn, relying on credit cards (i.e. other people’s money to get your money to pay for discretionary items), or trying to put on heirs for others when your bank account is on empty. The true test of coin collection isn’t about the money you EARN, it about the money you KEEP. What’s your net worth?

Thank you again for listening and being such an amazing audience. I look forward to hearing from ya’ll soon!

Follow Andre Albritton:
@themillennialsnextdoor

Follow Ashley:
@stacksnthecity

Music:
bensound.com

Episode 15: CEO Spotlight Featuring Naseema McElroy of Financially Intentional Aug 08, 2018

Show notes

Hello my CEOs! Today’s CEO Spotlight features a Naseema McElroy, a delivery nurse who managed to pay off shy of ONE MILLIONS DOLLARS of debt in under TWO YEARS! Her feat allowed her to become one step closer to financial independence and inspired her to start Financially Intentional, a brand dedicated to helping other women get out of debt and live a financially stress-free life. Below are some key takeaways from the show:
Taking Control:
Naseema decided that she told bill collectors, students loans, and car notes how she planned to spend HER money- not the other ways around.

Dave Ramsey:
Naseema credits a huge reason for her accomplishment to finance guru Dave Ramsey. His podcast and ‘Baby Steps’ program changed her mindset to getting her money right. Check out Dave Ramsey's website for his money saving tips!

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone:
Naseema said that making herself uncomfortable was an extremely important part of her journey to financial freedom. Doing some aspects of her life differently helped her in the long run. Sometimes your comfort zone isn’t the best for you- but it is the life you’re accustomed to living.

Many many special thanks to Naseema for sharing such a powerful and touching story. Take a look at Financially Intentional and follow Naseema @financiallyintentional and get your coins on track. YOU CAN DO IT.

Follow Naseema:
@Financiallyintentional

Follow Me:
@stacksnthecity

Music:
Bensound.com

Episode 14: It Won't Yours To Begin With Month Aug 01, 2018

Show notes

Good morning everyone! Today is the FIRST day of August and what better way to commemorate going back to school, kickstarting a new year, or rounding off our summer than by talking about debt. This is the FIRST episode of It Won't Yours To Begin With month. We are talking about things debt, paying back money, and how to prevent yourself from getting into debt when thinking about college. I am absolutely looking forward to talking about the greatness that is this money!

Proper Money/Debt Management belies in the four following principles:

Planning:
As long as YOU control where you money goes, YOU have a plan. Planning for future expenses means you create a blueprint for where these coins get allocated.

Education:
We have to learn ways to properly get this money. Just because our parents or schools didn't teach us how to get this money doesn't make it a proper excuse to not learn. The information overload age makes it possible to learn everything from credit card repayment, to budgeting, to investing, to saving. The (free) information is there if you want it.

Discipline:
How focused are you to achieving your goals? Getting this money is about more than doing prep work. Stay focused on your goal. Persistence wins the race.

Sacrifice:
What are you willing to temporarily give up for a life of relaxation, choices, and opportunity? It may staying in more, getting creative with outfits, or learning to say no to friends and colleagues. Sacrifice is an investment for your long term happiness.

Thank you again for listening in! I can't wait to see you all next week!

Instagram and Twitter: @stacksnthecity

Music: Bensound.com

Episode 13: CEO Spotlight Featuring Maya Mitchell of Ms. Young Homeowner Jul 26, 2018

Show notes

Today’s CEO Spotlight features Maya Mitchell of Ms. Young Homeowner. Maya, along with four other under 25-somethings, decided to create a platform to share stories, provide advice, and offer inspiration to other young women on the pursuit of homeownership. Season 1 of Ms. Young Homeowner premiers on YouTube August 2nd and strives to deliver concrete advice on the homeownership process.

Show Notes:

E Trade: Maya speaks of being a conscientious consumer- that is, one who purchases commodities, but also invests and owns pieces of what she buys. She opened an Etrade investment account to invest in companies she regularly purchased from. Apparently it’s as easy as opening a Facebook account! Do it do it do it!
Research: Everything Maya does uses may references. From the Wall Street Journal, to asking friends, to Googling, Maya used all of her resources to make informed decisions with her investments and homeownership process.
Being RESOURCEFUL not HAVING RESOURCES: It’s not about what you have but what you DO with what you have. Maya has been blessed with opportunities to become a homeowner but she used them to her advantage. Take time to look at the opportunities and advantages you have in your life. We all have some. Be resourceful in each circumstance you have.

Thank you again for tuning in. Stay fabulous!

Follow Maya and Ms. Young Homeowner:
Instagam and Twitter: @__Myho

Follow Me!

Instagram and Twitter: @stacksnthecity

Music: bensound.com

Episode 12: CEO Spotlight Featuring Dominique Broadway Jul 18, 2018

Show notes

Good morning my wonderful CEOs! Today’s CEO Spotlight features Millennial Finance Coach, Entrepreneur, Speaker and Founder of Finances De-mys-ti-fied & The Social Money Tour. Domonique worked at top investment firms such as UBS Financial Services and Edelman Financial Services before realizing that she could better impact her community through entrepreneurship. Dominique strives to educate and encourage people to take control of their money. Her story on entrepreneurship, money, and homeownership at age 22 offers insight to getting what you want in your life.

Key Takeaways from this episode:

Get goals! Getting what you want requires planning and working to make your Dreams2Reality.
Be More Resourceful than Wealthy! The most successful people are able to use their resources to their advantage.
The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of American (NACA) is a homeownership organization that provides down payment assistance for first-time homeowners. More information is located here.
Spend money smartly! Dominque managed to learn how to save and spend money purposefully.
Is Kylie Jenner truly self-made?
I am teaming with top Real Estate Agent Alex Sardegna and leading lender Troy Toureau of McLean Mortgage Corporation to give the rundown on homeownership. We will be there July 26th at 6:00pm. Attendance is FREE. Sign Up Here.

Thank you again! I absolutely look forward to seeing and meeting you all! As always, please subscribe and rate my show! Let me know what you think!
The Socials:
Instagram and Twitter: @stacksnthecity
Music:
bensound.com

Episode 11: This Ain't House Hunters Jul 11, 2018

Show notes

So you want to be a homeowner eh? Here are my Top Ten Tips to helping you achieve homeownership from point A to ‘I got the keys’.

Why do you want to buy a home?
Is this something that you want to do because of others? To flex for the ‘gram? Because ‘everyone else is doing it’? You’re probably not ready to buy a home. Homeownership is a personal choice. DFo you want to start building wealth? Buy an investment home? Want the tax benefits? If that’s the case, then you may be ready for homeownership.
Get your money right!!!!
Homeownership is a NUMBERS game. This is not House Hunters. Homeownership is 90% financial and 10% searching for a home! The better your credit score and cash, the easier (and cheaper) your homeownership process will be.
Have Coin!

You need to have some money down to buy your home. Not only are you paying for the down payment for your home, but you also need to factor in inspection, titles, insurance, and commissions for your Real Estate Agent

Find a Real Estate Agent and get a Preapproval
You can find a Real Estate Agent through Zillow, Yelp, referrals, in restaurants- they’re everywhere! However, the key is to find an agent that has your best interests in mind. It is all about relationship building. Additionally, this person will connect you to a proper lender for a preapproval- this is essentially how much the bank is likely to lend you if you applied for a loan. So no, the $700,000 house on Zillow may not be yours- yet.
Start Searching!!
Look for your dream home!! Pretend like you’re on TV and be great!
Place an Offer
If you find a home you’re in love with, work with your agent to make a competitive offer.
Apply for a Loan
You have 30 days to formally apply for your loan- or mortgage. You need to have allllll of the financial documents in place again to apply for a loan. You want this part to be organized, and seamless. They monitor all accounts!
Get an inspection for your home
Someone should come to make sure that your home is livable. If there are serious issues with your home you can include in the deal to either
Set a Date
You want to find an official date where you, your Real Estate Agent, and a Title Attorney all sit down and go over documents to transfer the deed (rights of ownership) to you.
Get to the Signing!!
This is the date that has been a long time coming. You’re essentially signing away your life and officially becoming a homeowner! After this process you’ll have the keys to YOUR house to do whatever you choose!! CONGRATS!!!!

Instagram & Twitter: @stacksnthecity
Music: Bensound.com

Episode 10: My Real Estate Story Jul 04, 2018

Show notes

Happy Independence Day, ya’ll!! This is homeownership month! In this episode, I’m going to discuss my real estate journey from owning not one, but TWO condos in one of the most expensive cities in the country! Find out how the expensive mistakes I made with property number one, ways I saved for a downpayment, and how I used my savings to put a downpayment on yet another condo. We’re going to talk about getting this money ya’ll.

Episode 9: BONUS: Ask Ashley- Personal Finance Edition Jun 30, 2018

Show notes

It’s our first installment of Ask Ashley! Thank you so much for you submissions and questions. Keep them coming!

What are some effective ways to improve your credit score?

If you want to improve your credit score you have to know your credit score. You can get your report from three different credit bureaus- Experian, Equifax and Transition. They show exactly how much you owe and who you owe. I would also recommend downloading the Credit Karma app. The app shows credit scores from all three credit bureaus so you can work on repairing credit. I would focus on paying off collections, IRS/Government related taxes first and then work on credit card debt. Pay small balances first and then those with high interest rates.

What are some good interest rates? Should I negotiate or shop around?

For interest rates (at least in regards to housing), in my experience, I’d say stop around. The better your credit score, the more competitive homeownership rate you’ll get. Good credit scores always win!

What are some good reads for financial literacy?

I love finance blogs! I know I mentioned Investopedia, but I also want to mention J Money's Budgets are Sexy blog.

What does saving look like for different budgets?

At the end of the day, it isn’t about how much your earn, it’s about your mentality is like. It doesn’t matter if you make 6 figures or $20,000 annually, how do you approach you finances? Are you a natural saver or spender? Mentality doesn’t have a salary!

How can I be serious about retirement when it’s so far away?

I wouldn’t say you have to be super serious about it now, but i would say just put something away. Contribute to your 401(k) as soon as you can. A little bit goes a long way!

I cut out all my extra spending and paid my bills on time. What should I do now? Should I save on get rid of debt?

Focus on both! Saving is number one, but start small with savings. If you’re a natural spender, start with $10 to get automatically deducted per paycheck into a completely separate bank account that you have NO access to. From there, work on getting rid of some debt. Use an app like Credit Karma to see exactly what you owe.

How many bank accounts should I have?

It depends! If you’re a natural spender, have a checking account where you have your general spending and discretionary income, and a completely separate account where you have any savings that you can’t access.

Any leads on the best credit lenders?

Firs

Episode 8: CEO Spotlight Featuring Laurie Nicolas Jun 27, 2018

Show notes

This week features our first CEO Spotlight, where we highlight movers, shakers, and innovators in their respected fields. Today we have Laurie Nicolas of Pink Sunday, a not-for-profit organization established to promote wellness and health amongst women. Find out how Laurie got into credit card debt, and used her knowledge and resources to get out of debt and become an advocate for personal finance for women. HUGE thanks for Laurie sharing her story!

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