Meet The Entrepreneur Who Believes Wealth Is In The Mindset Of The Beholder
Money Talks is an xoNecole series where we talk candidly to real women about how they spend money, their relationship with money, and how they spend it.
Samari Ijezie is the creator of The Female Economist, a platform created to challenge and disrupt the stereotypical gender norms within the financial industry while educating millennials of financial literacy. However, before founding this financial literacy company for women and marginalized millennials, she had a career in fashion and style as a model that started in her preteen years. Though she briefly kicked off her modeling career at the age of fourteen, it was short-lived because soon after high school, Ijezie decided to go off to college but later had to drop out during her freshman year due to not receiving financial assistance in the next term.
After reigniting her determination to excel, Ijezie eventually pursued getting her degree once more and later earned her dual degrees in Economic and Political Science from University of Massachusetts Amherst. Though crunching numbers and secretary duties were never easy to her due to her dyslexia, the current New York resident overpowered her disability to become an expert in finance as leverage to escape poverty. After multiple jobs in finance and accounting from a Massachusetts state agency to Spotify and Publicis, the Boston native eventually launched The Female Economist platform where users can learn through articles, courses, webinars and is soon creating a tool that matches individuals with their own certified financial advisor.
In this installment of "Money Talks", xoNecole spoke with Samari about splurging on much-needed vacation time, her alternative definition of wealth and success and having a scarcity mindset.
On how much she makes in a year and how much she saves:
"Each month, I try to save at least $5K. Because my monthly income varies each month from trading and brand gigs, I always ensure that I have at least $5K coming in on a monthly basis. I do have a Roth IRA. I like having this account because I can see the companies I have in my index fund."
On her definitions of wealth and success:
"Wealth has no dollar amount. Wealth is the amount of time that you can sustain with the amount of money that you have. In other words, how many days can you survive without working; living off your savings. I define success by someone accomplishing their goals and dreams."
Courtesy of Samari Ijezie
"Wealth has no dollar amount. Wealth is the amount of time that you can sustain with the amount of money that you have."
On the lowest she’s ever felt when it came to her finances and how she overcame it:
"The lowest I've ever felt with my finances is when I was in college. I personally was not making any money but also was acquiring loans to put myself through school. I was ignorant when It came to understanding money and personal finances. I overcame this by fully taking the time to understand personal finance. I worked on building my credit score. I used websites like Credit Karma to find the best credit cards to set myself up with to help build credit. I consolidated my loans and started paying them off on a monthly basis. After I fully took control over my personal finances, expenses and savings, I then began to invest."
On her biggest splurge to date:
"My biggest splurges are on vacations. I consider splurging money on experiences and memories to be comparable to an asset. Traveling to me helps me become a worldly person, and that is something that contributes to my education and knowledge. So, I do not mind spending thousands of dollars on a vacation where I am learning about the country's culture."
On whether she’s a spender or a saver:
"I consider myself a spender. I do splurge on unnecessary items. I do enjoy shopping and looking fly. However, if I buy expensive products/materials, if I cannot afford to buy it twice, I tell myself that I cannot really afford it. I am a spender because tomorrow is never promised, I could save millions, but If I never spent it, how can I truly enjoy being a millionaire? I train myself to properly manage money by spending money on things that help better my life. I rather spend thousands on opening an investment account that can allow my money to compound rather than spending it on designer, nightlife, or any other guilty pleasures that us millennials face."
Courtesy of Samari Ijezie
"I am a spender because tomorrow is never promised, I could save millions, but If I never spent it, how can I truly enjoy being a millionaire? I train myself to properly manage money by spending money on things that help better my life. I rather spend thousands on opening an investment account that can allow my money to compound rather than spending it on designer, nightlife, or any other guilty pleasures that us millennials face."
On her savings goals and what retirement looks like to her:
"My plan is to retire by 35. I have been working since I was 14 years old. So, retiring in my thirties is very important too. I will be able to fully retire when I have enough money that can allow me to not work. I do enjoy keeping busy, so by the time where I can retire, it won't be fully retiring, but doing things that I enjoy that continue to make me money."
On the importance of investing:
"Investing is very important to me. I invest by figuring out my goals. Some of my investment accounts are short-term investment goals and others are long-term. Depending on the financial product, I have different goals. When I trade options, I have the intent that I will make a short-term investment."
On her budgeting must-haves:
"In my budget, I do allocate money to doing the things I like which include food. I am a big foodie and take pride in eating very well. As everyone knows, to eat healthy is very costly. So I do allocate a monthly spending budget for food. I enjoy seafood which can be very costly, but that is something that I will spend money on because it makes me happy to eat well."
Courtesy of Samari Ijezie
"My mindset completely changed in regards to money. I used to have a scarcity mindset where I would tell myself at times I cant afford this or complain about my financial situation. Once I started reading more books and opening up my horizon when it comes to wealth and abundance, I started making more money. Wealth is truly in the mindset of the beholder."
On her intentions behind multiple streams of revenue:
"I created The Female Economist to have six streams of revenue. The first one is through ad revenue, affiliate marketing, e-courses, brand merch, membership, and consultancy. When I created this business, the business model was only through ad revenue, but as the demand increased for more objectives, the business structure changed to adapt to that. The intention of having multiple streams of revenue was purposely so the business would be able to function with or without me."
On unhealthy money habits and mindsets:
"My mindset completely changed in regards to money. I used to have a scarcity mindset where I would tell myself at times I cant afford this or complain about my financial situation. Once I started reading more books and opening up my horizon when it comes to wealth and abundance, I started making more money. Wealth is truly in the mindset of the beholder. I stopped using words like 'can't', and instead started saying, 'How can I afford this?'
"Growing up in a single-parent home, I had a lot of unhealthy ideologies when it came to money. I grew up in a household where it was us trying to make ends meet regardless so, as I aged, I always just had that scarcity mindset of I need these now because I may never be able to attain it again. As I became financially independent and literate, that changed."
For more of Samari, follow her on Instagram.
Featured image courtesy of Samari Ijeze
Originally published on August 14, 2020
The Reality Of Living With Severe Asthma – As Told by 2 Women On Their Disease Journey
This post is in partnership with Amgen.
The seemingly simple task of taking a breath is something most of us don’t think twice about. But for people who live with severe asthma, breathing does not always come easily. Asthma, a chronic respiratory condition that inflames and narrows the airways in the lungs, affects millions of people worldwide – 5-10% of which live with severe asthma. Severe asthma is a chronic and lifelong condition that is unpredictable and can be difficult to manage. Though often invisible to the rest of the world, severe asthma is a not-so-silent companion for those who live with it, often interrupting schedules and impacting day-to-day life.
Among the many individuals who battle severe asthma, Black women face a unique set of challenges. It's not uncommon for us to go years without a proper diagnosis, and finding the right treatment often requires some trial and error. Thankfully, all hope is not lost for those who may be fighting to get their severe asthma under control. We spoke with Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq. and Jania Watson, two inspiring Black women who have been living with severe asthma and have found strength, resilience, and a sense of purpose in their journeys.
Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq.
Juanita Ingram has a resume that would make anyone’s jaw drop. On top of being recently crowned Mrs. Universe, she’s also an accomplished attorney, filmmaker, and philanthropist. From the outside, it seems there’s nothing this talented woman won’t try, and likely succeed at. In her everyday life, however, Juanita exercises a lot more caution. From a young age, Juanita has struggled with severe asthma. Her symptoms were always exacerbated by common illnesses like a cold or flu. “I've heard these stories of my breathing struggles, but I remember distinctly when I was younger not being able to breathe every time I got a virus,” says Ingram. “I remember missing a lot of school and crying a lot because asthma is painful. I [was taken] to see my doctor often if I got sick with anything so I was hypervigilant as a child, and I still am.”
Today, Juanita says her symptoms are best managed when she’s working closely with her care team, avoiding getting sick and staying ahead of any symptoms. Ingram said she’s been blessed with skilled doctors who are just as vigilant of her symptoms as she is. While competing in the Mrs. Universe competition, Juanita took extra care to stay clear of other competitors to ensure she didn’t catch a cold or virus that would trigger her severe asthma. “I would stand off to the side and sometimes that could be taken as ‘oh, she thinks she's better than everybody else.’ But if I get sick during a pageant, I'm done. I had to compete with that in mind because my sickness doesn't look like everybody else's sickness.”
Even when her symptoms are under control, living with severe asthma still presents challenges. Juanita relies on her strong support system to overcome the hurdles caused by a lack of understanding from the public, “I think that there's a lot of lack of awareness about how serious severe asthma is. I would [also] tell women to advocate and to trust their intuition and not to allow someone to dismiss what you're experiencing.”
Jania Watson
Jania, a content creator from Atlanta, Georgia, has been living with severe asthma for many years. Thanks to early testing by asthma specialists, Jania was diagnosed with severe asthma as a child after experiencing frequent flare-ups and challenges in her day-to-day life. “I specifically remember, I was starting school, and we were moving into a new house. One of the triggers for me and my younger sister at the time were certain types of carpets. We had just moved into this new house and within weeks of us being there, my parents literally had to pay for all new carpet in the house.”
As Jania grew older, she was suffering from fewer flare-ups and thought her asthma was well under control. However, a trip back to her doctor during high school revealed that her severe asthma was affecting her more than she realized. “That was the first time in a long time I had to do a breathing test,” she describes. “The doctor had me take a deep breath in and blow into a machine to test my breathing. They told me to blow as hard as I could. And I was doing it. I was giving everything I got. [My dad and the doctor] were looking at me like ‘girl, stop playing.’ And at that point [it confirmed] I still have severe asthma because I've given it all I got. It doesn't really go away, but I just learned how to help manage it better.”
Jania recognizes that people who aren’t living with asthma, may not understand the disease and mistake it for something less serious. Or there could be others who think their symptoms are minor, and not worth bringing up. So, for Jania, communicating with others about her diagnosis is key. “Having severe asthma [flare-ups] in some cases looks very similar to being out of shape,” she said. “But this is a chronic illness that I was born with. This is just something that I live with that I've been dealing with. And I think it's important for people to know because that determines the next steps. [They might ask] ‘Do you need a bottle of water, or do you need an inhaler? Do you need to take a break, or do we need to take you to the hospital?’ So, I think letting the people around you know what's going on, just in case anything were to happen plays a lot into it as well.”
Like Juanita, Jania’s journey has been marked by ups and downs, but she remains an unwavering advocate for asthma awareness and support within the Black community. She hopes that her story can be an inspiration to other women with asthma who may not yet have their symptoms under control. “There's still life to be lived outside of having severe asthma. It is always going to be there, but it's not meant to stop you from living your life. That’s why learning how to manage it and also having that support system around you, is so important.”
By sharing their journeys, Juanita and Jania hope to encourage others to embrace their conditions, obtain a proper management plan from a doctor or asthma specialist like a pulmonologist or allergist, and contribute to the improvement of asthma awareness and support, not only within the Black community, but for all individuals living with severe asthma.
Read more stories from others like Juanita and Jania on Amgen.com, or visit Uncontrolled Asthma In Black Women | BREAK THE CYCLE to find support and resources.
Unleash Your Inner Goddess With These 16 Bubble Braid Looks
Ever since I found the joy that is twisting up my hair with added hair in an effortless protective style that can be achieved in four hours or less (and in the comfort of my own home), I've been obsessed with simple hairstyles that are easy to do and not a pain to maintain.
Throwing some simple albeit a little messy twists into my hair whenever I want to tuck my natural hair away for a bit or have the ease or a break from daily manipulation is a welcomed change, especially when you are a lazy natural who never quite got the hang of doing her own hair beyond rocking an afro.
Another style that has been luring me into trying more hairstyles in my own at home? The much-talked-about bubble braids, or "poodle puffs," that have been trending around the web for a minute. The fun and playful style got its name from the small "bubbles" or "puffs" of the rubberbanded sections that make up each ponytail/braid. Bubble braids can be created with your own hair or with added length through extensions and can vary in length depending on whether you're opting for a short, medium, or long length.
Another variation of the style, sometimes called "bubble ponytails," can be achieved using a single ponytail that would then use elastics to rubberband large sections into an added pony. This one feels like more of a cross between that and classic twist styles.
I first came across them on my FYP when a creator named Ava shared a TikTok of herself in different stages of styling and installing bubble braids into her hair.
Bubble braids for da WINN
@ava_tocloo Bubble braids for da WINN
Tell me that didn't just inspire you to go cop some packs of Afro Kinky Twist hair and get to work! In a separate TikTok, the creator also showed her audience an in-depth tutorial on how to achieve the style at home. Check that out here.
For its versatility, personality, and simplicity, bubble braids should most definitely be on your radar in 2024 if the protective style isn't already. Need more motivation? Keep reading for some bubble braid styles we are currently loving.
16 Best Bubble Braids Styles
@ava.tocloo
@isasnovaes
@brianna.who
@curlielexi
@curlielexi #stitch with @⭑ Ava ⭑ I was inspired to do poodle puffs... bubble braids.. however you call it🥰 #poodlepuffs #bubblebraids #protectivestyles
@satur.nine
@kayratheodore
@queen_esie
@plus_237
@saturnbaby__
@saturnbaby__ Underated protective style 💗 #naturalhair #naturalhairstyles #poodlepuffs
Underrated protective style 💗 #naturalhair #naturalhairstyles #poodlepuffs
@the.priscilla.in.me
@gjdallas
@nextawe_pturals
@claireateku
@raerays
@lokebadt
@lokebadt I forgot how much I liked this song🔥 #poodlepuffs #blackgirltiktok #gingerhair #copperhair #4chair #backtoschoolhairstyles #fyp #puffbraids #bubblebraids #marleytwist
@ohsolovelyrae
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Featured image via @ava_tocloo/Instagram