In this episode, we’ll be addressing the financial challenges that high earning women face, especially those who assume that a six figure income guarantees financial security. We’ll discuss why many still feel financially stuck and share insights on how to position your income for wealth and break free from the cycle of feeling broke at six figures.
Today’s guest is Tashieka Ma’at, a Certified Life & Financial coach and optimizer, who helps high-earning corporate women take control of their finances, break free from debt cycles, and position their income to build wealth without sacrificing their lifestyle. After paying off $115K of debt while growing her investments to multiple six figures in less than 5 years, she developed her signature framework to help ambitious women shift from feeling financially overwhelmed to financial ease. Her coaching focuses on clarity, cash flow, and confidence, ensuring her clients keep more of their money and turn their income into wealth with a vision-aligned plan that supports their financial freedom.
Contact Tashieka here:
- Website: https://jamaawealthfinancial.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tashiekamaat/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jamaawealth/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamaawealth/
- Threads: https://threads.com/jamaawealth/
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The Dr. Sev Talks Money podcast’s mission is to empower women to approach money confidently, reframe their financial habits, and build a future where their money is a tool for opportunity and security. Through Dr. Sev Talks Money YouTube channel and Podcast, I provide actionable advice and inspiration to help you achieve financial freedom. Join me for one-on-one coaching, group sessions, workshops, or speaking engagements as we journey to financial empowerment together. It’s never too late to begin again—let’s make it happen!
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Transcript
My net worth was a negative $266,000. The main question was, how do I actually shift this trajectory? You know, I remember sitting there and being like, you know what? I’m going to shoot to reach 1 million in net worth. Now I’m actually halfway to my million dollar net worth goal. And I truly attribute that to setting that clear vision. It was me identifying with the habits and behaviors that was going to change things for me to help me move the needle towards increasing my net worth.
Hey, hey, hey, Savvy Squad. Welcome to another episode of the Dr. Sev Talks Money, YouTube and podcast where we empower women to manage money confidently and create a future of financial freedom, security and opportunity. I am excited about today’s episode. In this episode, we’ll be addressing the financial challenges that high earning women face, especially those who assume that a six figure income guarantees financial security. We’ll discuss why many still feel financially stuck and share insights on how to position your income for wealth and break free from the cycle of feeling broke at six figures. Today’s guest is Tashieka Ma’at, a certified life and financial coach who who empowers high earning corporate women to break free from debt cycles and build wealth without sacrificing their lifestyle. And we’re going to hear about her incredible story and what drove her to focus on this area of personal finance.
Tashieka, welcome to the Dr. Sev Talks Money podcast.
Hey, thank you Dr. Sev, for having me.
You are welcome. All right, so let’s dive right in because like everyone else listening, I am excited about this topic. You’ve done an incredible job of transforming your finances for those who may not be familiar with you and with your work. Can you tell us a bit about who you are, what led you to this field and why you’re so passionate about helping high earning women achieve financial ease?
Yes. Yes. So where do I start? So I am first and foremost child of God. I’m a wife and mother of four. And this journey started who I want to say back in 2018. That’s when I really decide, like my journey to building well started because for me, you know, I’m first generation Jamaican American, you know, growing up one of eight kids. So smack in the middle of child number four. But growing up, you know, I didn’t hear a lot about, you know, managing money.
The main thing that I always heard was to save, save your money, get a good education, get a good job and you’ll be set right. So that’s the principles that I took with me throughout my life. But back in 2018, you know, I was making six figures, but found myself constantly in the cycle of debt. And I just couldn’t figure out, you know, how to move forward. I was always, you know, racking up debt, paying it off, and I felt like I was a master at getting out of debt. Right. But the main thing for me was, you know, there had to be a better way for me to shift. And it was right after coming back from a trip to South Africa.
And for me, I was, like, paying off, creating yet another debt payoff plan. And I just had this thought of, like, there has to be a different way to do this. And really, that’s when it started for me, of actually researching, you know, how do I actually build wealth? How do I actually move forward and shift my finances in a way where I’m not just, you know, working just to pay bills and expenses. So that’s really where the journey kind of sparked for me.
Yes, I can certainly relate to that. Also a Jamaican, although born in Jamaica, and I heard the same story of get a good job and save.
Right.
Get a good job and save, right. So I can. I can certainly relate to that. But you mentioned about going to South Africa, and then the aha moment of here I am creating just another debt payoff plan. But you had to have gone from there to this, where you are right now. You got that epiphany. Can you share a little bit about where that took you from getting the epiphany of this is another date payoff plan? I am great at this, but there’s got to be more.
Yeah. And so, like I said, I started, you know, first researching, you know, how. How do you build wealth? That’s like the question I Googled. And information that came up for me was tracking your net worth. And honestly, for me, the idea of tracking net worth, the only time I’ve really heard of net worth is when you think about celebrities and like, oh, the rock is worth x millions of dollars or so and so’s worth. So that was the idea that I had. I never associated net worth with, like, regular individuals, you know, working people. So when I calculated my net worth at that time, my net worth was a negative $266,000.
And for me, I’m like, oh, okay, so I’m starting. I’m starting somewhere. That’s not good. But I didn’t let that stop me. As I continued to research, like I said, the main question was, how do I actually shift this trajectory? And I don’t know what possessed me at that moment. But I remember sitting there and being like, you know what? I’m going to shoot two to reach 1 million in net worth. Like, it was just the number that I thought of. Like, I’m going to make it happen.
I didn’t know how, but I always say that that’s one of the most important things that I feel like got me to this point right now I’m actually halfway to my million dollar net worth goal. And I truly attribute that to setting that clear vision. And for me, it was more than just the, okay, I want to reach a million dollars. It was me identifying with the habits and behaviors that was going to change things for me to help me move the needle towards increasing my net worth. So I think that was like the main thing was creating that strong vision of, okay, where do I want to take my finances? Right this right here, what I’m doing, it ain’t it. So let’s figure out a way to move forward. And it really. That’s what jump started the journey.
Yeah, I love that because it’s. Our net worth can be positive, but can be positive with junk. So if you examine what the positives are, you know, what got you there, you know, total assets, those total liabilities, what this, when you subtract that, what do you have? But it can be junk. So identifying how you’re going to get there, the strategy and the value and the, that you’re going to have in reaching that net worth is so, so key. And I can certainly relate to that. Your story sounds so very familiar with, to mine. So I can relate. And I’m sure there are other people who are listening right now who relate because they got to a point of eureka, I need to do something.
Yeah, absolutely. I think for me too, that it, you know, at that time in 2018, I only had two kids. So right now I have four kids. But at that time I had two kids. You know, my husband was, I think at that time I just shifted into entrepreneurship. So I was working in corporate. But the, the, the thing is that, you know, I was making really good money. But again, my net worth was negative, obviously because I have student loans.
The student loans. But it was not even just that. The student loans, the credit card debt, really just spending beyond the income that I actually had. And I think that was the main crux of it is I was so reliant on. Okay, if I wanted something, if I wanted to go on this trip, I would just swipe my credit card. There was no plan, there was no thought. It was like well, I’ll just pay it back later. And so many of those, I’ll just pay it back later led to all of that debt.
Right. And so I think that’s the, that’s one of the things that I found for myself. And a lot of the women that I work with is like making really good money, but we’re finding that they’re reliant on other things, credit cards and not having a plan. And that’s what’s getting them stuck in the cycle of not actually seeing progress with their finances.
Yes. That six figure earning trap can be very dangerous.
Yes.
Because many high earning women assume, assume that making six figures means they’re financially secure so they can swipe the card and oh, I’ll just pay it because I make good money.
Yeah.
Why does this happen? And, and how can they break free from the cycle of feeling broke at six figures?
Yeah. And what I see a lot is, you know, the, the, this idea that if I earn more, if I work hard, I’m going to be financially free. So they do all the things, they get the degrees, they work hard, they get the job, they climb the corporate ladder, but then they find themselves stuck, like, okay, I’m making all this money, why do I feel broke? Number one, what I shared earlier is that you don’t have a clear vision for their life. They, the vision that they had was that they were going to get the good job and make the money, but once they got to that point, they didn’t know what they were going to do with that money. Right. And I think for me that was the main thing is like, I’m making this money. And so the first thought is, okay, now I’m making it, I’m going to spend it, or I’m going to, you know, do all these things. I’m going to help family, I’m going to, you know, do everything else but set myself up financially.
And what I found is, is that that’s one of the main things that’s missing, the not having the vision, the reliance on credit. Even though they make enough money, they’re relying on credit to fill the gap of their lifestyle, spending way more than what they’re making. So because they’re making more, they have this idea that, oh, I’m making enough money, my paycheck’s gonna come, you know, next week, I can spend this and then I’ll just pay it back later. And those things, those habits continuing over time is what leads them to the space of feeling constantly broke.
Man, you are just talking to me Because I. I can so resonate with this before my aha journey, making the six figures and knowing I can do these things because I can pay for it out of my salary, whatever I need to do. Whenever I’m called on, even in the church, to give a special offering, I’m the first to volunteer to do that. Because I’m not thinking from it from a spiritual perspective. I’m thinking from. Of it from I can afford to. And thinking of, okay, when I get paid, I will just go ahead and pay the shortfall. So I can certainly relate.
And I know that there are a lot of women who I’ve spoken with and who may be listening can relate to that.
Yeah, absolutely. And that’s just the mindset of, you know, because, you know, I’m a giver. I like to, you know, give, like to help and support family. And honestly, that was one of the things too, that was part of the piece of, like, well, I’m making money. You know, I’ve gotten to this place now where I’m able to pay my bills and I have a little bit extra. And, you know, here’s this family member who hasn’t yet reached this place. So you, you know, we give from our heart because we want to support them. But what we don’t realize is that when there’s no plan in place, when there’s no structure to your finances, you’ll find yourself either giving away that money, you know, to help and support family, or you’re finding yourself in the trap of other things, of overspending and things like that.
So it’s the thing that I always share is when you have a plan, when you have a plan of, okay, I’m going to set aside a family fund. And this is actually something that I do. I’m going to set aside a family fund, and I’m going to put X amount of dollars into this fund each month so that if a family member or a friend or someone needs support or help, then I know that I can confidently support my family without jeopardizing my own finances. And the thing with this fund is that when you have it set up, there’s a threshold, right? So you can put boundaries in place of, okay, I know that I have $200 a month in this fund. So if, you know, my cousin comes over and say, hey, can I get X, Y and Z, I can confidently say, hey, yes, I can support you or no, because I don’t have the money in there. And I think that’s something that I’m seeing a Lot with women, too. It’s like the heart to want to help because we feel like we’re in this place now where we’re making more money than most of the people in our family. We have this need to give and support, but it comes at the detriment of our own finances.
Yeah, you said some key things, and one of them is to set a budget for giving because we don’t have unlimited resources. We have unlimited source and going a little bit spiritual here. We have unlimited sources.
Amen.
Well, we don’t have. We don’t have unlimited resource right now. So we need to set a budget to give and let family members know ahead of time that, hey, I have a limited budget and once it’s gone, it’s going to be gone for that quarter or that month or that week, however we want to set. And another thing is because we are givers, and I am a giver, so I totally get where you’re coming from. We have to be careful not to keep pouring into leaky buckets because it’s not even just about giving to them. It’s about helping them understand how they can stop asking all the time and how we can set them up so that they can now become a giver to somebody else. So sometimes we hurt other people by giving. Yeah, because we don’t help them to set the boundaries.
We don’t help them to look at their finances and to get them to realize why they always need money. Because psychologically they know they can come to. Tashieka, they can come to Severine, they can come to whoever. So they are not really putting boundaries in place to take care of their money. They are in the back of their mind thinking, I know if something happens, I can go to Severine, I can go to Tashieka.
They’re our safety net.
Yeah. Yes, yes, so true. So you, having worked with high earners, what are some mistakes that you’ve seen them making with their finances and what should they do instead?
Yeah, so the. So many. Keep it brief, but I’ll say that one of the main things, I want to reiterate this, I know I’ve mentioned it before, but having a clear vision of what you want for your life, what you want for your finances and your family, because that’s really what’s going to direct your path forward. Right. So having that vision and a part of my framework, that’s what I always start with, is having that vision of what you want for your life. The next step is understanding what are the habits and behaviors that keep getting in the way for you, that is preventing you from moving forward. You know, that’s a lot. What I help women with is because sometimes we don’t even know or understand, you know, why do I keep going through the cycle? Why am I always finding myself in this situation? Because there may be some limiting beliefs or things about money that you’re holding that is preventing you from moving forward.
Right. And so when we talk about, you know, the vision, you had that vision, creating the plan of where you want to go. And when you’re creating your, I like to say spending plan, I don’t like to use budget because a lot of the women that I talk to, when they think budget, they feel like, ah, it’s restrictive. Yeah, no, it’s actually a plan for you to tell your money where to go. And so when you have that plan of, okay, this is what I want for my life. This is how I’m not going to then direct my income. But the number one thing I get on the call with them and the first thing I ask them is, how are you planning your expenses? How do you plan your money? And 100%. I’m going to say 100% because literally every time I get on a call, it’s, oh, I don’t have a plan, I don’t have a budget.
I just write some stuff down in a notepad, but it’s not clear and it doesn’t give them direction as to what they’re actually doing with their income. They often feel like, I make enough money, oh, I’m going to get a big, you know, windfall of a paycheck in another week. I’m good, right?
Yes, yes. Oh my. I’ve seen it too many times. Too many times. I hope this is helping someone to understand we’re not bashing anyone here because we have been where you are. Okay. And we understand what it means and the value that you get from having a structured plan. We are where we are and we can talk about it and share and help others because we’ve put those plans in place.
So I want, when you’re listening, I want you to really listen to understand that where you are is not where you you’re going to be always. And Tashieka is going to share some more and you’ll be able to work with her if you so desire. I’m going to also be sharing her contact information in the show notes and in YouTube in the description of the video and she will share verbally a little while for the best way to contact Her. So you did mention about your framework. Can you just give a quick overview of your framework and how it can help women?
Yeah, so my framework, I call it the Wealth Vibe framework and it’s intentionally named that because it is a vibe that you have to have. You know, I always talk about the things that wealthy women do. And as I’ve shared, so the V, the vibe is an acronym. So V. Vision and clarity. I is your internal beliefs, B is your balance and boundaries, and then E is for execution. So I walk my clients through understanding where they want to go before we even jump into any numbers. Because I can tell you right now, I have done this for a long time.
It’s not really about the numbers. It is about the habits and behaviors and the mindsets that’s really impacting you as to why you’re not moving forward. So we do spend quite some time understanding, getting clear on the vision and values, understanding what are those internal beliefs and mindset that keep coming up and that’s preventing them from moving forward. And then as we move through that, we talk about balance and boundaries. And why I talk about balance and boundaries because it’s not about you cutting things out of your budget. Like, I teach women how to work within their plan, how they can actually live the life that they want in alignment with their vision and values. I create like a vision aligned wealth plan. Right.
And the idea behind that too is when you’re looking at boundaries, you want to look at, okay, well, what are some things that I need to put into place to ensure that I’m able to stay on track towards my financial goals? Right. Is it talking to my family and letting them know, hey, I am on wealth journey right now and I’m trying to pay off some debt. So I just want you to be aware. So if I decide I can’t go to this event because my money is focused somewhere else, that’s something that I did when I was on my journey. As I shared with my family, I said, hey, I’m trying to pay off all this debt I’m on. You know, I’m on a journey towards building wealth. So there may be some things that I’m not able to do. And so that part of the framework is very important because this is where we’re going to understand what are the things we want to be proactive of, what are the things that are possibly or may potentially come into place that may throw us off of our plan so that we can think ahead.
Right. And then the E is for execution. It’s Now. All right, now that we have all those things aligned, we’re actually going to take the steps to take action and make it happen. Because there’s no point in doing all the things, making a plan and sticking in the drawer. You actually have to take action and move forward on this plan. So this is the framework that I’ve used for myself, that I’ve used for my clients. If you see on my page, I’ve shared testimonials of them, you know, paying off significant amount of debt or reaching their first six figures in investments.
But this is essentially what I walk them through to be able to achieve those milestones.
Yes. And that last part is so important because how many times have we gone to financial advisors, financial coaches, and we’ve talked the plan, we’ve gotten the plan, it’s written and sealed in gold, and it sits on a shelf collecting dust because a plan without execution is nothing. It’s nothing. It has to be executed. And we’re here to walk you through the execution phase. We’re not going to just give you a plan and leave you alone. We’re going to walk you through the execution phase. And I don’t want anybody listening to us to fear the execution phase.
And the reason I don’t want you to fear that is because we all make mistakes. So don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Don’t be afraid of doing something and thinking, oh, I shouldn’t have done that. Everything is correctable.
Okay, Absolutely. And that’s what is a good thing. You mentioned that, too, because that’s one of the things that I always share, is look at mistakes as lessons to learn on what to do differently. Like, yes, I got into six figures of debt. Now I know now that, oh, okay, in order for me to prevent that from happening, I need to have a plan. So I always look at those situations as, what can I learn from this? That’s what I tell my kids all the time. I’m like, it’s not a mistake. It’s an opportunity for you to learn a lesson.
So what lesson did you learn from this? Right. I say it’s only a mistake if you don’t learn the lesson and you do it again.
Right.
So you got to take that as an opportunity. And I also want to say this as well, because I feel like it goes back to the mindset of, yet you may be in a situation right now where you’re like, okay, but, yeah, I’ve been making the money. I’ve been doing all the things, but I just still can’t see a way forward. I can’t see, you know, how to even get to the other side. And I want to tell you, like despite what your current circumstances are, there’s an opportunity for you to move forward.
Yes.
You know, and I’m looking back at me back then having a negative 266,000 negative. I want to repeat that negative six figure net worth.
Been there.
And I said to myself, I’m going to reach this milestone. And that for me, I truly believe, because it’s the mindset of setting my intention of this is what I’m going to do. Even if you don’t even know what the next step is, set the intention, because I’ll tell you what happened to me is because I set that intention, then opportunities open up. I was more aware to see the opportunities that came into place that would allow me to take that one little next step forward. Step forward. Right. It doesn’t have to be a big step. It can be that one next step that’s going to move you into the, into that next phase.
And then before you know it, you’ve already gotten a half million dollars in net worth and you’re well on your way to your goal. Right. So I just want to encourage look at those mistakes as lessons because that’s what’s going to help you propel you forward and keep moving towards your milestones.
Yeah. I think that when you’re explaining that about the lessons and before you know it, you’re going to see the change. I think about when you’re trying to buy a car and you decide, oh, I’m going to get a red Maserati. All of a sudden all you see are red Maserati. It’s not because they weren’t there before, but because your, your mindset as focused on that as your goal. You’re seeing all the avenues and pathways getting your goal. So I just want you to understand, and I want to reiterate what Tashieka is sharing is that you have to first make up in your mind that this is what you want to accomplish and the ways will open up, you will find the ways. And if you’re looking for a way right now, you can contact Tashieka to get the plan that you need to move forward.
So Tashieka, you built a multi six figure network which we’ve spoken about before while raising a family and running a business. What are some of the key financial habits and strategies that helped you get there?
Yeah, so the key habits for me is having awareness of what’s happening with My finances. So for fire I was, I did have a budget. I’ve tried many different budget methods out there. 50, 30, 20 budget, the zero based budget. There’s so many different things. So for me, I had to figure out a method that works for me and for my family. So, you know, one of the ways that I was able to improve my finances was getting clear on, you know, what’s happening with my money, but then also having regular check ins. So I used to do these things called like daily money minutes where I would just check to look at what are the previous transactions that I had for the previous day just to make sure that I was in alignment with what I had planned for that week and for that month.
And I know in the beginning it was a little bit tedious, but as you get more confident and clarity over your money, like I, I can do like a weekly check. I know what’s happening with my money, but that was one of the things that I did. Another thing that I did, of course, as I started having more kids and my mental load was, you know, getting a bit more, I actually started automating a lot of things. So right now I automate my savings and investments. So as money is deposited into my bank account, it automatically gets dispersed into the avenues where it needs to either, you know, build up my freedom fund to continue investing on behalf. And it’s all automated. But the main thing that has allowed me to get here was creating that system. Right? It’s not enough to just make the money, but having a system that allows you to position your income in a way that it can work and build for you.
Because what I found too is if you’re trying to do a lot of this manually and paying the bills and all these things, things can get lost in the sauce. And you might find yourself like, okay, especially when you’re making, you know, a high income and you’re not clear on where everything is going, like you don’t know where your money’s going. That’s where that frustration comes from. So one of the things for me is always having awareness of what’s happening, having those regular check ins of, okay, this is how much money, you know, went to, dining out this month or what have you. Right? And I always like to say this too, especially with the women that I’ve worked with, no one person is going to have the same plan. Like the framework is there. But you know, what I do with my clients is what works for you and your personality. Because there’s some people who are like, I don’t like spreadsheets.
I don’t want to see a spreadsheet or anything like that. So then we don’t use spreadsheets. There may be some people, like, I just want a clean system where my money’s set up in a way that is working for me. I can check in on it and it’s good. Right? You have to find out what works for you. And that’s a lot about what I help my clients do is really understanding your personality and how you want to manage your money. The framework is there, but you have to figure out like, okay, how do I work best? How do I best operate with my money so that you can actually position it to build wealth.
Yeah. Personal finance, first of all, is personal. And the best budget is the one that will work for you and that you’re going to stick with whatever that method is. I’m a spreadsheet girl. I love spreadsheets.
I love a spreadsheet too.
I’m just a data nerd. Okay. And I love my spreadsheets. But I realized that not all clients, I do offer that first, but I realized that not all clients like my, like my daughter, she does not like spreadsheets. Okay.
Like my husband, he does not like spreadsheets.
Yeah. So. So again, whatever works for you and be open to trying different things. So whichever one works for you, that’s one that you’re was going to bring you joy. Because again, this is your money. Okay? None of us have the power and the authority to tell you how to manage your money. We can only give you tools and explain to you how the tools may help you. Then you have to make that decision about which one you’re going to use.
You have to take agency over your own money because it’s your life, your money. But we’re here as guides because we’ve either been through it before, we’ve been trained on these methodologies, and we’re here to provide guidance. But in the end, you’re going to make the decision that is going to help you based on your personality and how you manage things. So as we’re talking, I want you to think about what we’re saying and how you can apply it based on how you are. Again, I’m a data nerd, so I love spreadsheets. But for somebody who, like my daughter, who is like a type, I said I call her a type Z because she is that laid back. Okay, I’m a type A. Yeah.
And so she wants little, as little as possible. She wants everything automated. She wants Everything, things. She doesn’t have to think about it. So when I’m talking to her about money, I have to talk to her differently than I would talk to somebody who’s like me, who loves to see the numbers and the charts and, and all those things.
Absolutely. And it’s funny because you mentioned that, because that, you know, and I’ve been married for 20 years now, and so my husband and I have been the main one that manages the finances. But when we do have our money days and, you know, confusion, I’ve learned over the years, like whenever I pulled my spreadsheet up, like the eyes just glaze over. So I had to learn this thing because as I got more into like training with personal finance and having to understand the psychology of things, had to really work to find a method that works for him, that will allow him to be open and like, okay, now he understands because me, and I’m one of those people who, I have a one year budget, actually have a five year plan, but I do look at it one year at a time. So because it gives me the insights, okay, this is everything that’s happening for the year. I want to make sure that we can, you know, cover it. So imagine someone who does not like spreadsheets and you open it up and you see like all, a whole year’s worth and all these lines, like, you know what I mean? So, so luckily I found a system that works for him. But that’s exactly what I do with clients too.
I’ve had a client that was like, I am not a numbers girly, I don’t do spreadsheets. And so we were able to find a system for her that if you look at my LinkedIn page, you’ll see her transformation story. She paid off $11,000 worth of credit card debt. She has credit card debt free. And it was just amazing for someone who was like, I’m not a numbers person, I don’t even like spreadsheets. But still was able to find a system and a plan that works for her. Right. And I know you mentioned about the different plans and for different people.
And just to quickly highlight too, like for me, when I started the 50 30, 20 budget, that was a easy straightforward, like I can just take my income, plug it in there and it divides it into each of the buckets. So that’s 50% for your needs. 30%. Well, I’ll tell you what my 30 was. 30 was for my savings and debt. I know it’s flipped the other way 30 wants, but I do 50 for needs 30% for savings and debt and 20% for your wants. Right. And that allows you to just automatically divide your money in a way where you can manage it.
So for the person who’s like, I don’t want to have to deal with every little line item and zero based budgeting, I just want to have a quick system to manage my money. 50 30 20 may be the way for you, right?
Yeah.
But if you’re someone who you actually have no idea what’s going on with your finances, you don’t know where your money’s going, you don’t know what’s happening, maybe a zero based budget may work for you so that you can actually see the individual line items and get a clear grasp and understanding of what’s happening with your money. So it really just depends on you. Right. Or maybe you’re someone who’s like, you know what, I just never seem to be able to save any money. You’re trying to save money after, you know, you’ve had all your expenses. Maybe the pay yourself first method will work. Right? Where you put aside money first and then you live off the rest. Right.
There’s so many different methods out there that will work for you, but it just depends on your personality and kind of what’s, what’s happening, you know, with your finances.
Yeah, true. That is very true. You mentioned before one way that a woman who is maybe stressed, overwhelmed by her finances, one way that she can start. But let’s reiterate that what is a first step that they can take to gaining clarity and control over their finances?
Yes. And this is so important, the first step is awareness. Because what I find, it’s like you’ll say, oh, I don’t know what’s happening with my money. Well, you have to get aware. And what that looks like is understanding what is your income. And when we say income, what is the amount that hits your bank account each month?
Yes.
Not your salary, not the number that you get paid. Like what is the amount that hits your bank account each month that’s going to be your total monthly income. So once you have an idea on that, the next thing is you’re going to understand, okay, where are you spending your money? So there’s a couple things that you can do to figure this out. One, if you are a spreadsheet person, you can track your expenses for like a week or two just to kind of see like what’s happening where you’re spending your money. The other method is to use an app. One of my favorite apps That I use is, I won’t say it was personal capital, but now it’s called empower. Yes, Empower. One thing where you can actually just a track, put all your accounts in there.
And I love it because it actually gives you all of your accounts in one place. You can have a quick scan of what’s happening with your money and then as you put your information in there, it does. You can pull reports and see, okay, I’ve spent, you know, x amount of dollars on eating out this month or this amount on entertainment. But clarity and awareness, you want to get clarity with what’s happening with your finances. So that’s going to be the first place to start, right? Because you have to know where you are right now in order for you to be able to make a plan forward. Right. And align that with your goals. I always recommend is knowing your numbers.
So in addition to your income and expenses, understanding what your net worth is. And remember, your net worth is your assets. So all of the things that you own, that can be your house value, what’s in your checking account, savings accounts, investment accounts, all the things you own that has value. And then you’re subtracting that from your liability. So those are your debts, your student loans, your credit cards, personal loans, things like that, and then subtract that from that number. So the reason that why I mentioned net worth too is because that’s really a true measure of how you’re doing overall from a financial health perspective. Like, are you actually moving forward where your net worth is growing or do you find that your net worth is declining? Right. That’s going to be a measurement for you.
So knowing your numbers, your income, expenses, what’s your net worth, understanding your total debts, that’s going to help you understand where you are. I would also like to point out, because I know, sometimes I know for me, when I listed out my debts for the first time, it was a sticker shock of like, oh, at $30,000 credit card debt. So I always say the first thing is just take a breath, like, it’s going to be okay, right? You’re going to list this debt out. You’re going to see probably a large number because you’ve never seen it all in one setting before. Just like, it will be okay, you can take a step forward. But the most important thing is for you to understand what is happening right now. Where are your numbers? Because that’s what’s going to give you the clarity to know, okay, this is where I am. All right, now let’s make a Plan forward of what I need to do to get out of this situation.
Wow, this is so very important, all those points that you’ve shared. I’ve had clients tell me, I don’t want to know what I owe. You know, it’s like, I want to go to New York, but I don’t want to know how to get there. So, you know, we need to really understand what it is, even if it’s going to cause us to faint, but at least we know where we are and then we can make a plan forward. And we’re here to hold your hand when you see those numbers.
Yes.
We’ll help you breathe.
Yes.
So you don’t pass out.
I mean, because it is a real anxiety too. Like, you know, to take down the feeling. Like, I’ve mentioned a client before, but even anxiety of just looking at her bank account, right. I’m like, oh my gosh, I don’t know what I’m going to see in there. But the thing is, in order for you to ease that anxiety, you have to understand what’s happening, because that’s the only way that you’re going to change the moving forward. But that’s why you have people like me and Dr. Sev, who we help our clients with managing that anxiety of how to get awareness with their finances and making a plan forward. Because I can tell you having a plan is going to give you that clarity and confidence to be like, okay, I know where my money’s going, I know what I’m doing.
Okay, I got this saved over here. I got this in investments. I’m good. But if you don’t have that system or plan in place, that’s where a lot of that anxiety comes from. Because you don’t know. It’s like the fear of the unknown. You don’t know what’s happening. You don’t want to find out, so you avoid it.
But a lot of it’s going to calm down when you actually have that awareness and the plan in place.
Yes. We’re getting ready to wrap up, but I would love for you to tell the people, how can they find out if they’re your ideal client? What would your ideal client be?
Yeah. So my ideal client, again, you’re, you know, someone who, you’re a high achieving woman, but you’re overwhelmed with managing your money, right? You, you’ve done all the things, you’ve gotten, the degrees, you’ve gotten, you know, the career situation, and you’re just like, I don’t even know what to do with this money. I don’t know where my money’s going. Like, I thrive and help clients like that because it’s like, it’s fun for me to work with high achieving women because they know what they want, right? They’re like, just give me the plan, give me the solution, help me, help me through it, and I’ll get to that next slide. But yeah, so generally most of the women that I work with are in corporate and they’re usually just really just want a plan that helps them get to the next level of, you know, either starting investing or starting to save. So that’s really who I help.
Yeah. Thank you so much for that. So what do you want listeners to take away from our discussion today? We talked a lot about a lot of different things, and there have been a lot of golden nuggets that you’ve shared here. Summarize what you want listeners to take away from our discussion.
Yeah, what I want them to take away, you know, is understanding, number one, is that your, your current circumstances does does not dictate your future.
Yes.
Right. Your current circumstances does not dictate your future. And I, and I say that because you may be in a situation right now where you’re overwhelmed with your finances and you don’t know where to go, you don’t have a plan, and you’re just like, I just, you know, you’re, you’re just, you just feel stuck. Right. But I want you to understand that the first thing that you need to do is to get clarity and understanding of what’s happening with your finance right now. So that’s the one thing that I want you to take away, is to sit down, you know, make it an enjoyable experience. Like, I literally had this conversation with my husband about having a date where we make it enjoyable. We maybe have, you know, some chocolate or something just to sit and look over our money.
You want to make that experience fun. So when you decide to sit down with your numbers and look at it, create an environment that you want to look forward to so that you can look at these numbers and it doesn’t feel as overwhelming. But the main thing you want to do is go from overwhelm to clarity by getting an understanding of what’s actually happening, knowing your numbers, your income, your expenses, your net worth, and your debt. Because that’s what’s going to help you understand where you are right now so that you can have a plan moving forward.
Okay, folks, as you’re listening, I want you to hear where you can connect with Tashieka. You’ve heard what she shared and how her clients have been positively impacted. You can go and read the testimonials of how they’ve been positively impacted. Her own story of recovering or rebuilding after having six figure debt. If you are needing help, she is a person to help you wherever you are in your financial journey. So, Tashieka, please share with them one of the best places they can connect with you. And again, I’m going to be sharing the rest of the places where you can connect with her in the show notes and in the description of the podcast on YouTube.
Yeah, so you can connect with me on LinkedIn. That’s kind of where I’m hanging out these days. So I’d love to, you know, send me a DM if you have any questions. But yeah, that’s where you can find me.
Okay. And it’s going to be at Tashieka Ma’at.
Yes, at Tashieka Ma’at. So I do have a business page, but you’ll find me at Tashieka Ma’at on LinkedIn.
Yeah. And then they’ll be able to find all the other places. Awesome. So I love to wrap up my podcast with a fun question, and this one kind of ties in with money. But here’s the question.
All right?
If your money had a personality, what kind of personality would it have and what advice would it give you about your finances?
It would be very chill. I think it’d be very chill because it’s like, you know what? I’m chilling. I’m doing my thing. I’m, you know, the investments are doing its thing. It’s all automated. It’s just like sitting back and relaxing. So the advice that it would give me really would just be, it’s okay, you got this. Like, we working, we working in the background.
The money’s working in investments. Like, it’s all good.
Okay. I love that. I love that. Ladies and gentlemen, as you’re listening, the reason she could say that our about her money personality, because she put in the work. Okay? She put in the work. So your, your money personality too can send you that same message. Chill. You’re doing what you need to do and your money’s working for you.
All right? So again, thank you so much to Tashieka for coming on the Dr. Sev Talks Money podcast. This has been an awesome discussion, and my prayer is that someone listening will take you up on your offer and sign up for your services so they can get to where they need to get to so they can have the confidence that their money is doing what it needs to do. For them. So thank you again.
Thank you so much for having me. This is fun.
For those of you who are listening as we wrap up, please remember to subscribe to the podcast on YouTube. If you listen on Apple podcast, leave a review and a rating. If you listen on Spotify, leave a rating. Now, as you are completing your ratings, here is something to remember. We love the number five. Until then, this is Dr. Sev saying, stay savvy and we’ll see you next time.
