8 Amazing Female Entrepreneurs Crush Debt And Empower Others

Female entrepreneurs are taking the world of personal finance by storm!

During my visit to FinCon19, I saw first-hand that the number of women attending seemed to out-number the men.

The cool thing is that women are not only stepping up, but they’re using their money-savvy skills to:

• Crush debt
• Build businesses 
• Create wealth
• Empower others

In fact, I met female entrepreneur after female entrepreneur. And they all appeared to have one goal in mind — WORLD DOMINATION, of course!

I’m just kidding! They don’t necessarily want to rule the world. Instead, they focus their ambitions on taking control of their finances.

And it was fascinating to see so many amazing women, all coming from diverse backgrounds. Yet, they have all had to overcome unique financial struggles to go after their dreams.

Some have tackled devastating medical bills or growing up poor, or even money challenges in relationships.

But despite their different experiences, their messages are the same, to eliminate debt, help others, and build wealth.

Naturally, after seeing how successful these women are at kicking butt and taking names, I had to know more!

So let me introduce you to a few of them.

*Related Post: How To Be Successful Your First Time At FinCon: A Newbie Review.

1. April Stewart – April The Money Coach

I had the pleasure of speaking with April for a 1:1 interview. And here are a few of the highlights.

During our chat, April shared that she grew up in a low-income family. And she recalls being taught that money was hard to come by.

So it became her mission NOT to repeat the money mistakes she grew up around. And she took the necessary steps to educate herself, such as reading books like Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover. 

One good thing that worked in her favor is that she was never a big fan of credit cards. So her primary debts came from her auto and student loans. And when she was ready to start her Debt-Free journey in 2007, she was able to successfully pay off $25,500 in only 8 months. 

It’s probably no surprise that as her financial situation improved, she became the “go-to” person for money advice among her family and friends.

But the best part of all is that her money-savvy skills eventually led her to achieve Millionaire status. Boom! You go, girl!

Now, April is working towards becoming a full-time female entrepreneur. She feels that her background as a systems engineer allows her to take a more analytical approach to personal finance. And she plans to continue to coach others by helping them discover how all the pieces of their money puzzle fit together.

But wait, that’s not all!

Because what you’ve read here is just the tip of the iceberg. I will also be featuring April in an upcoming full interview post. She talks more in-depth about her money journey. And she provides some helpful advice on how she reached millionaire status that anyone can follow.

2. Ellie Matlock – Debt Free & Fitness

Relationships can bring on a whole new set of money challenges. And sometimes female entrepreneurs can’t do it alone. Next, Ellie will explain how she and her husband, Ashonzay, work together to take on debt and grow their business.

Our biggest challenge was that we grew up with different mindsets about money. Very early on, I was instilled with the notion of saving money, living below your means, and investing in your future. Meanwhile, Ashonzay only saw his family living paycheck to paycheck.

*Related Post: How To Make Ends Meet For Families In Financial Crisis.

Ashonzay made some significant money mistakes. It took seeing the value of what good money management could do through my family, to really open his eyes. This ultimately brought us to the same page about money. 

We have paid off 40k in debt while also paying 10k for a wedding (our family helped with this). And, saving 30k for a down payment on a house within 10 months. 

We started our own business because we know there are a lot of millennial couples who want to create a good foundation but aren’t sure where to start. 

We have been able to come together on both our money and our health. All while having to overcome the difference in mindset that comes from being inter-racial, inter-faith, and from different socio-economic classes. 

We feel like if we can have a good foundation for marriage with all our differences than other couples can too. 

We want to help couples get on the same page when it comes to their money and their health. Their plan doesn’t have to look like ours. Often people get divorced because of issues with money, or issues with attraction. We both come from families of divorce. And we want to help millennial couples avoid that!

3. Kiersten Saunders – rich & REGULAR

Here, female entrepreneur Kiersten talks about how she and her husband flipped the script on debt. And how they work together towards their goal of financial independence.

My name is Kiersten Saunders, but I’m known as Mrs. r&R.  My husband [Julien] and I are entrepreneurs, investors, real estate investors, and bloggers at richandregular.com. On our site, we share our journey to financial independence with the goal of inspiring others to join the FIRE movement. 

Between 2012 and 2017, we paid off $200K of debt inclusive of student loans, car notes, credit card debt, tax debt, and a mortgage on our old condo which is now a debt-free rental property.  

We decided to start r&R as a business because we believed we were onto something. And, that it had the potential to be lucrative if we focused our energy and talents on it. 

Furthermore, to us, the benefits of business ownership far outweigh employment. AND, it put us in a position to reach our financial goals more quickly.   

Our mission is to inspire the African American community to consider FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) as a viable path to a better life. And we do that by serving as a model so others can see what this lifestyle looks like. 

We want readers or viewers to see our story and to know that if we can survive the issues we’ve dealt with, they can too.

4. Leah Marie Collins – Leah Marie Collins

For my next female entrepreneur, I have to say that Leah used to be the quintessential representation of this website’s name — Extravagantly Broke! And, her old spending habits really underscore the point that it doesn’t matter how much money you earn. What matters is how well you manage it. However, I want to clearly reiterate the phrase “used to be.” Because, Leah will tell you below, how she began using her money-savvy skills to turn her downfall into a downpour of cash. 

 
Hi, I am Leah Marie Collins, The Millennial Mentor. 

I was a young, single, businesswoman working 15 hours a day on average.  I spent ten years helping Fortune 500 companies manage their “bottom-line” while my own personal finances were in disarray!

Eventually, I worked my way up the corporate ladder, earning six-figures and had ZERO to show for it.

So, I challenged myself to become my first client and set a goal to reach financial independence in a single-income household. I paid $40K of debt within 18 months.

I started the business to teach others to become debt-free and build generational wealth.

But my passion is to specifically help black people build generational wealth.

My thing is doing entertainment with a message. I try to make personal finance fun by incorporating pop culture and comedy.

5. Lynn Frair – Nurse Numbers

Now it’s time for you to meet Lynn. I had the pleasure of also doing a 1:1 interview her. And I’m going to share a few of the intriguing details from our conversation about her remarkable money journey.

First, think about this for a moment. How many middle schoolers do you know that are already planning for retirement?

Yeah, me neither (assuming that your answer was NONE)!

Can you believe that this fabulous female entrepreneur began her path to financial independence at the age of 12? You read it right…twelve! I mean, who does that?

Well, Lynn, that’s who! And she was able to build a nice nest egg before she was even 30 years old. Until…

Something terrible happened! She suffered a devastating brain tumor. And not only did it take a toll on her health, but also on her finances!

Miraculously, she was able to recover physically. But financially, she and her husband had to start over from ZERO!

*Related post: 9 Important Money Problems You Need To Take Care Of Now!

However, don’t cry for Lynn! Because the good news is that through hard work and determination, nine years later, she STILL achieved financial independence. And to top it off, she was able to retire from her nursing job by age 39.

(So, TAKE THAT— brain tumor!!)

Lynn now considers herself as “work optional.” And after receiving hundreds of money-related questions, she officially launched a coaching business.

Her passion is to provide financial coaching specifically for nurses. And she helps them gain the financial empowerment to create the life they love.

Now, I’m sure you’re probably dying to learn more about Lynn’s extraordinary comeback from broke. Well, good news. I will also be featuring Lynn in an upcoming full interview post. 

She talks more in-depth about her roller coaster ride to financial independence. And, she provides some helpful advice for anyone facing overwhelming money challenges. So, stay tuned!

6. Mabel Nunez – Girl$ On The Money

The sad truth is that so many of us fall short when it comes to investing. And whether it’s due to fear or lack of financial literacy, female entrepreneur Mable, describes here how she can help.

Hello! my name is Mabel Nunez, the founder and Chief Education Officer at Girl$ on The Money. A stock market investing education company for women, minorities, and individuals that don’t typically have exposure to learning this marvelous skill. 

I am also an immigrant born in the Dominican Republic, who attended public schools and DID NOT have a “millionaire” family.

With my story, I like to show that anyone can learn to invest and be successful at it. The stock market is for everyone. And I feel that is one of my God-given missions in life to spread this knowledge.

To be honest, besides student loan debt, I am grateful to say that I personally haven’t dealt with significant consumer debt. My parents (especially my father) did an AMAZING job when it came to teaching me the basics of personal finance growing up. 

When I first discovered the stock market, I immediately noticed something. Rarely (if ever) did my fellow ladies want to talk about stocks, funds, or anything related to the markets. Something told me that I could be that one person that could help change this. And so, Girl$ on The Money was born. 

I want to help others through EDUCATION, so they feel empowered and motivated to invest. There are levels to this, of course. But they are 100% attainable! And anyone with the desire to have a healthy and thriving financial life can do this.

FYI, Mabel will also be featured in an upcoming full interview post where she can share a few fundamental tips for smart investing.

7. Melody Johnson – Her Designed Life

By now, you’ve probably heard the phrase made popular by Oprah Winfrey to “Live Your Best Life!”I know you’re thinking, that’s much easier said than done. And it’s especially hard when your buried in debt or don’t have a clue where to begin. Fortunately, my next female entrepreneur, Melody, will tell below that she’s been there. And, how she can help get you on track to living your best life.

Hi, I’m Melody, a financial strategist for side hustlers and course consultant. 

Seven years ago, I was barely making ends meet. I worked hard, yet it seemed every paycheck was less than my bills.

But, I was able to turn my less than $20k income to over $70k in just a few years. I’ve paid off over $72,500 in debt and began to live life more intentionally. 

Now I help women through 1:1 coaching and masterminds. I help them overcome the overwhelm and figure out all the business and money stuff. More specifically, I help walk you through slashing debt, starting a business, and living life to the fullest.

I started my business because I had a lot of debt after college and no one to help me feel confident about my finances. 

Now, I want to give back to women who really want to make their business a priority. 

*Related post: Money Motivation – Finding Your Perfect Side-Hustle.

8. Tara Goesch – Midwest Miser

As a Registered Nurse myself, I can relate to the stress of raising a family, working odd shifts, and struggling with debt. Next, female entrepreneur, Tara will explain how she manages debt and has developed a passion for helping other nurses.

My name is Tara, and I am a nurse in the midwest. 

The only debt I’ve had was a Toyota Corolla. I was able to secure a crazy low-interest rate for one year, and then it went up to 6% after that. So, I paid that car off in one year by picking up extra shifts and cutting costs any way I could.

I worked as much as possible as a nurse’s aid while in nursing school, so I wouldn’t have any debt.  

Now I am working on finding a more flexible fit so when I’m ready to retire I can still have the comforts of a small income that I can do from anywhere. I love to travel so I’ve been extremely lucky to have fallen into becoming a travel agent that works from home.   

My ultimate goal is to help nurses build their savings so they can make choices that work best for themselves and their families. This might mean they can work part-time while their kids are small or go to dayshift when they no longer enjoy working a night shift.  

I believe most nurses feel overwhelmed when meeting with the hospital financial advisor, and then they don’t pursue building their wealth. I would like to open up a safe conversation in our facebook group, RN 2 Wealthy.

There You Have It!

As you can see, women are stepping things up when it comes to business and personal finance.

My experience from meeting all of these incredible female entrepreneurs has revealed that they are not letting anything hold them back.

Instead, they are taking control, crushing debt, starting businesses, and empowering others.

After all, like Beyonce’ says…

Who Run The World? — GIRLS!

Who Run The World? — GIRLS!

And if you’re ready to crush debt and begin living your best life, then click the pretty link below. Learn the top mindset secrets I used to become 100% Debt-Free!