Do This Immediately If You Have Student Loans And A Wake Up Call For Black Women - Episode 102
In today's episode, I sit down with Dr. Sonia Lewis, the powerhouse behind The Student Loan Doctor. Dr. Sonia brings her expertise and passion to help us make sense of the ever-changing student loan landscape. We dive into everything from loan forgiveness programs to practical steps you can take today to reclaim your financial future. Sonia’s no-nonsense approach and her deep understanding of how student debt impacts Black women are both empowering and inspiring. Whether you’re overwhelmed by your loans or just need a nudge to take action, this conversation will give you the clarity and motivation to make real progress.
About our guest
Dr. Sonia Lewis is the CEO of The Student Loan Doctor LLC, founded in 2016 as the first African American and woman-owned student loan repayment company in the U.S. With over 14 years of experience in higher education and financial aid, she is considered the people's expert on student loan debt repayment. Her award-winning business has received two citations from the City of Philadelphia for its community impact, educating borrowers and assisting them in creating tangible repayment plans to promote social mobility and wealth building. An expert speaker for audiences of all ages, Dr. Lewis has shared her expertise across various media platforms, including appearances on CNN, RT America, Fox 29, and The BET Network; contributions to Essence Magazine, Money Magazine, Forbes, Black Enterprise, and SALON Magazine; participation in The White House Briefing on Advancing Equity for Women and Girls of Color; features on KYW News Radio 1060 AM; and speaking at Investfest (Earn Your Leisure). A three-time self-published author, she continues to influence and empower communities nationwide through her work.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Naseema: [00:00:00] Sonia Lewis is the CEO of an award winning business, the Student Loan Doctor, LLC. Sonia is considered the people's expert for all matters related to student loan debt repayment. She has over 14 years of practical higher education and financial aid experience. The Student Loan Doctor, LLC, founded in 2016, has been recognized as the first African American and woman owned student loan repayment company.
In the country, the business has also received 2 citations by the city of Philadelphia because of the businesses impact within the Philadelphia community. The student loan. Dr LLC was designed to educate others about their student loans and to provide assistance in making a tangible plan for repayment.
The social impact goal of the business is to help a generation of borrowers become free of debt to promote social mobility and wealth building. Dr. Lewis is an expert speaker across [00:01:00] all audiences, regardless of age. She has been invited to share her expertise in written work in conferences or live media, CNN.
The White House Briefing on Advancing Equity for Women and Girls of Color, Black Enterprise, Salon Magazine, RT America, Essence Magazine, KYW News Radio 160 AM, Fox 29, The BET Network, Money Magazine, Forbes, InvestFest, and a host of other notable platforms across the nation. Sonia is also a three time self published author.
What's up? My financially intentional people. I'm excited to be joined by Dr. Sonia Lewis. She's going to talk to us about student loans and what to expect in this next administration, because I know you guys with student loans have been holding your breath. Thank God I don't have any, but I am still following, [00:02:00] but still so very confused on what's going on with the student loans right now.
It's really overwhelming, so I'm excited to have you on to hopefully bring some clarity and also give some people some steps to actually take action over the next couple of weeks. So welcome. Yes.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: I'm excited to be here. We have so much to cover. It's a little time.
Naseema: Yes. Let's hop right into it. Just give us a brief background of who you are, how you got in the student loan space and we'll dive into what people need to know.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: Dr. Sonja Lewis, I'm from Philadelphia. The business originates out of Philadelphia as well. I currently reside in Maine. I know, long story for another day. Yes, there are two black people here, one of two.
Naseema: That's right.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: I'm really, really enjoying it. And, just in the space that we're in this season, the business has been around since 2016.
We are seasoned vets in terms of being an expert on this topic. And I'm very still much passionate about this topic as I am from day [00:03:00] one because of how it disproportionately affects black women. And so as a black woman, I'm wildly interested because when we just. Think about student loan debt, all the things that is attached to the barriers that can prevent in terms of wealth building.
It's a topic that has to have light shine on it. It has to be addressed. I'm super excited about it. All.
Naseema: Yes, I love it. And I've been following you since then, I believe, and so much has changed in the student loan space.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: Oh, yeah,
Naseema: Especially in the last couple of years after cobit, it seems like everything just got blew up. The way we look at student loans has totally changed, but I know there's some things that.
Are happening in the next couple of weeks that we really need to pay attention to.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: so a couple of those things would be, as we transition from the administration to the Trump administration there's a lot. Of concern I [00:04:00] have for student loan borrowers, particularly minority borrowers, and we'll get into that but there is still some hope there's still some good news. And by the time people listen to this podcast, they can still take advantage of it, which would be, there are still acts of forgiveness and programs that are still able to be implemented.
And so what I don't want people to do is simply just check out. And say, oh, I'm not going to get anything or I'm done. The Biden administration did a phenomenal job of cleaning up programs like public service loan forgiveness, borrower's defense and income driven repayment plans. My message is to everyone that's listening is to still stay tuned in and also figure out what, if anything, could they still be eligible for?
An example would be the public service loan forgiveness program. One of my favorites. It used to be that you had to work in the field, make your payment to get your credit. It's still that way for the current program, but there's a window that I don't [00:05:00] think a lot of people are still aware of that's available.
If you worked in a qualifying field, let's say you worked in education, healthcare, not for profit government. You could get credit for the work you did October 2007 to October 2022. That's a good time frame. And the credit that they're going to give you is not dependent on if you ever made a payment.
That's the big deal here. It's dependent on if you worked there. I can everybody hear that because the brain goes, but I didn't make a payment. No, did you go to work? And did you work there at least 30 hours a week? If the answer is yes, I want you to fill out a TEPSLF, Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness form found on studentaid.
gov. Our team can help with that, but so many people have worked at that time at a qualifying place, even if you just go back and get some of your credits. Towards 120 [00:06:00] payments, when you reach 120 payments, you will have your loans forgiven. We've seen people literally be in the same position, do the paperwork, be forgiven in 60 days. Because a lot of people thought they had to have made a payment. That's not what I said. It's about where you worked. That's just one example of how exciting. It is still in the programs that the by administration really cleaned up and put in place to give people credit. That's still happening, and that may change as we go into the Trump administration, but as of the recording of this podcast is still available.
Naseema: What do you think stands in people's way of like just applying for these programs?
Dr. Sonia Lewis: Oh, I think it's a little bit of mindset. I think it's a little bit of misinformation. Women also are too much in their feelings when it comes to business. It, it's weird. Like I applied in [00:07:00] 2003 and, okay. I hear you sis. I do, I do. And I'm not the one on the two for that. I am not emotional because not my money.
Okay. Mm-Hmm. . Yep. I heard you sis apply again. The last time I applied I didn't understand what they sent me back, so I just I threw it away. And so these are people, these are grown people that are working in our society. You cannot be that way about your stuff. Nobody cares for you like you.
So yes, you're upset, but guess what? Nine times out of 10, cause it wasn't a lot of education on this. You filled out the paperwork wrong and you missed one box. Fill it out again. I'm telling you, it's such a distinct difference between my men clients and my women clients. It really is. And so I tell ladies, this is your season to be cliche here.
Think like a man when it comes to your student loans. Just no emotions.
Naseema: Detach your feelings, get out of your [00:08:00] feelings and get these loans forgiven because a lot of people that I know are in the same position like me, who had 6 figures, a student loan debt. Okay. And if you're telling me that I can fill out a piece of paper that is going to eliminate 6 figures in debt what are we even talking about?
Come on it's a no brainer.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: Yeah, so when people tell me what they've been through, of course I'm always interested to listen. But we can't stay in that pity party. I don't know what do you think we're going to do here? Cause nobody cares for you. And I know they're probably like, Oh my gosh, you seem so sweet.
I am sweet, but not when it comes to your money. And I guess I just am so blunt in this season. Because I'm afraid that if I make it seem super optional, you'll miss out on everything that you deserve. So I want you to feel a little offended and go do some work.
Naseema: Exactly. And the further light, a little bit of fire under people's butts let's [00:09:00] talk about what could potentially happen when Trump comes into office, because putting the WWE lady and the department of education, like
we already should
know
Dr. Sonia Lewis: You see my little clip I put up here on my page? Oh, you gotta go look at one of my little reels. I, okay, I have a sense of humor. Even the one I put up today, which was about, I was like, Trump's last presidential act. It was definitely a spoof. And then the first thing that the captions was like, just joking.
That's just my nature. I have fun. If I can't have fun in my own business, my God, where can I have fun? Definitely one of my reels when I was talking about Linda, I put up in the middle of the clip, her getting slammed by a wrestler. I know, I didn't make this happen. She did it.
It's just to make people lighthearted and get their attention. But anyway. So she actually does have some experience in education. I don't know not enough for my liking honestly but she also has deep pockets. She's given trumped I think close to over 10 [00:10:00] million
um in support so I guess she is fit for the job.
I don't know i'm joking, but she also did Manage, and I don't know, this is where you could beg to differ. She was in the last administration over the SBA and so it's not like she's foreign to any of this. But, education to me is just such a different niche than a lot of others and the sensitivity around it when I'm very nervous about with this administration is it's all about classism.
And just the American people, I don't know who they think they serve in America, but most Americans need help and support with education. And if you put it all on the state to take care of its own people, even states are not created equally. There's disproportionately income spread throughout state to state.
So to say that the education in Pennsylvania is [00:11:00] comparable to, I don't know, another, it's just not. One of Trump's biggest things with everything is giving back the state autonomy, that could lead to another civil war.
Naseema: Mm-Hmm.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: Because you have a lot of disparity from North to South, from East to West.
And when you divide, you take away the name of our country, United States. We're not united with all this division. I don't know where the word united went. So you're putting things back into. Just the state's hand. It's not good business. So anyway, I said, let's say why is this important?
We call this a perfect storm. We've got someone that is very state focused and not a United focus. We have pawns in office people that purchase their way in that will say yes to what he is asking. We have a Congress who is. Set in terms of the Republican Party. [00:12:00] So we got to hope that there's some thinkers there that may say, we don't want this to happen.
There's a lot of extremists that things that can come out of the Republican Party, but I will tell you, though. More recently, I've been noticing that the Republican Party even is trying to find some bipartisan support on different initiatives. I'm just hoping I say all this to say to you, because I get real deep into this.
I've got time. I'm just hoping that there's between faith and common sense. I hope the 2 intersect very soon and we can temper down some of the radical thoughts that he's proposing.
Naseema: In eliminating the Department of Education or whatever he was proposing what would that do to people with student loans and disproportionately, we know women of color have a high percentage of student loans.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: Oh, yeah, there's 63 percent of the total amount of people who have student loan debt [00:13:00] in our country. Yeah, no. So what would happen is if the Department of Education got eliminated and again, very possible, very, very possible this will be turned over to the Treasury Department. Treasury Department did own student loan management at one point.
But the way you manage student loans is different than how you manage other financial products. Something that just came out recently, Mike Lawler, a Republican, just proposed a bipartisan bill that would lower, this is a good news here, that would lower federal interest rate on average from 6 to 8 percent down to 1%.
So that's a good thing because Republicans are not pro loan forgiveness, but they are in this season sensible to say, Hey, 8 percent is a lot on an education. Come on. It's what makes us, I would say, fit to fight in the global economy, but you're [00:14:00] charging home at 8%. That's higher than car notes.
That's higher than some credit cards. Why is education taxed at 8%? So I'm keeping in prayer and I hope. That it does go through it would take effect as of July and retroactive to a certain point as well. Now, when we talk about what repayment plans are available this makes things a lot easier because you're not taxed at a 8 percent margin or 6 percent margin.
1 percent could be the new standard and that is controlled by Congress. So that is very likely to that could pass through. Okay, so again, it's
a lot.
Naseema: That's good news.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: Yeah, by the tape in this podcast. I'm like I got a lot for her, a lot to share about.
Naseema: Yeah. But that sounds good for people who currently have student loans, but I think the goal is if you qualify for these programs. Fill out the paperwork and just get them eliminated if you [00:15:00] can, because we don't want to go into more uncertainty. Just lock in what you can for now, because it's just, I don't know, like you said, a perfect storm and this turning control over to the states and un unifying us, it's not a word, to me.
It just seems like it gives a disproportionate amount of power to people who are already in power, because there's not as many checks and balances.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: I just want everybody to be prepared. This is going to be the most radical time in all of our history, I believe, because everybody is asserting their power and not doing it in a covert way. We just saw Biden pardoning his son and then Trump pardons whomever and Trump elects whoever and creates new roles.
And this is not yesterday's politics. And it's very scary to be a part of it. I just want to just be honest with you. And I really love the work that you're doing with your podcast, because as we really speak to particularly Black women, I'm listening. [00:16:00] I'm hoping that every woman that listens to this episode, like if I was with them in the living room right now, we were having tea or something mimosa. I would say, girl, this is the year to get your ish together.
Naseema: Yeah,
Dr. Sonia Lewis: This is not debatable. You having finances in a sweet spot, you having your credit together, you having your student loans together, you having an understanding of stocks. Real estate, you cannot, as a black woman, an educated black woman at that, be left out of the marketplace and you will be left out because you were in your feelings.
So one of the things that I was very nervous about once I saw Kamala was not elected and I even went live the next morning at 8 a. m. We had like hundreds of people on the live. And one of the things I had said was, I was like. Chin up. You cannot afford to check out mentally.
And you would just, you have to say this to your friends and your family members and your peers because it almost was like when Kamala lost, black [00:17:00] women lost. It's like a heaviness, right?
Naseema: I don't like that. It definitely did
Dr. Sonia Lewis: Yeah, I'm gonna give, yeah, give that back. Nobody gave that to you. Give that back. Throw that away. You are not Kamala Harris.
And I love when they showed the next day she was having a glass of wine, playing with her family, and just relaxing. That was a symbol to say, let it go. She will be fine. The country will even be fine with this foolery in place, right? But if you as a black woman, don't move on and don't move forward and become more about self, because we know statistically when the woman in the household is well, all is well.
So if you're well, financially, physically, mentally, everything around you as well. You're the matriarch, right? Most of you are that are listening to this. You are the one. This is what it is. So you don't even have an option in 2025 to not listen to podcasts such as yours, to not implement [00:18:00] what they learned.
That was yesterday's. Thing that's not today. So I go off a little bit just because I'm really passionate that I almost want to shake a lot of people in this season and say this is not that whatever you think that is like this is not, but then in a loving way so where people don't feel isolated right so that's it take what they need from that part of the conversation but this is not yesterday's finances it's just not it's just not mm hmm
Naseema: Yeah, a lot of people are stuck on doomsday. If I do, if I don't right now, it really doesn't matter because it sounds like nothing that I do matters anymore. And it's just that is so not true. Like you said,
Dr. Sonia Lewis: yeah, that's not a winning mindset.
Naseema: It's, you are holding it down for so many other people,
but number 1, yourself, right?
And putting yourself in a better financial position opens up a whole lot of options, not just for you, but your [00:19:00] family. And. Taking advantage of those things like making sure You're getting your investments right making sure you're getting your credit right put you in a position to maneuver and build generational wealth And maybe take advantage of some of these opportunities that do come out of these.
Special times, right?
Yeah, have grown tremendously. And you have to pay attention to know when to take some money from your capital gains. So you have to be aware. It's unfortunate. It's a gift and a curse, right? Because let's say Kamala were like, was to be elected, right?
Dr. Sonia Lewis: Mhm. So she was elected. There's almost another effect that could have happened. It could have been similar, but it could also make women, particularly Black women, feel like they're good. They don't have to. And the reality is, you always still have to do more than your counterpart. That's just the unfortunate of what it is.
And so for sure, now that [00:20:00] she hasn't won, it's did you think it was optional to not be great at what you do? Did you think it was optional to not be successful? Did you think it was optional to have bad credit? What did you think? You are already at par with systemic racism and nepotism.
Like you, Already are behind the April, ma'am. So to have any other agenda than to be the very best version of yourself in this season, it's just not an option. So I know they're going to be mad at this podcast. Like
Naseema: hope it inspires people into action. Because there is a lot of complacency there is and. Not to blame it on Kamala or anything, but just people. Need to take action. I'm tired of people waiting. So I'm happy for a wake up call. I'm happy for the slap in the face get it together.
Yes. [00:21:00] People need to hear this piece. People need to listen and people need to take action. Yeah.
So let's just talk about. The way that you help people, you've been doing it for 16 years. And the way that it's changed
over these years, Sorry since 2016, I'm sorry, I'm dating you. Nah, it ain't been that long, girl.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: All my life, I had to fight.
How do we help people? This business was God's intentional accident. So nobody ever woke up saying they wanted to do student loans. I want to be clear.
People ask me all the time what made you, I did not start this. I didn't do that. What happened was I was in a financial literacy class at church. And because this is my professional background, I knew what to do and what not to do. So I knew how to advise people. And I was at church and I started giving out advice at the class at church.
Then that advice turned into another person asking for advice and then another person and the next thing you know, [00:22:00] people were lined up to speak with me after class. So then this got out that I knew what I was doing and then the line was wrapped around the church, literally. And now to this day, I have not heard the Lord say to serve these people for free.
I did not hear that. No. No, you don't know me. So what happened was I said, you know what? I actually am a consultant. I said, you can meet me. You ever been to like a panera bread before? There's a place called corner bakeries. It's popular. Okay, Philly, and I don't know if they have them out there.
And I said I have office hours at corner bakery and you can register for an appointment where I can look over your loans and help you. So I was doing it every day after work. I would rush right after work. I know. So I was there on weekends. Oh,
Naseema: you doing professionally then?
Dr. Sonia Lewis: that time I was a college advisor and a professor.
Naseema: Oh, okay. Oh, [00:23:00] cool. Okay.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: And I would get off work and I would head over and I would have to flirt with the manager to get The one now, the new cafe's got plugs Okay, this cafe had one plug and I let him know I need that seat at six o'clock You have to clear whoever's sitting there Not whoever's sitting there
Naseema: He's so funny.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: There's a date that I owe this man and he'll never cash in on, but if you're listening, sir, thank you for helping me with my business.
Long story short it was a good time. I did that for months until I opened up my second location at another bakery.
I'm telling you, you're going to learn something
Naseema: the Baker Lock.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: And then when the bakery, so now it's getting weird because now I'm having a full business model in these bakeries.
I'm like, maybe I could just get an office for, I think my first office was like 400 a month, little corner pocket room, nice area. I said, all right, [00:24:00] I'll take the money and I'll invest in a year lease and it worked out I was very glad I did that and then I would just rush there after work.
I had it timed out I needed to leave out of my office at a certain point from Center City to get there and I will work there till 11 o'clock midnight Go to sleep don't get home, go to sleep, shower, go to work. And that was my life. That was my life for a year. I don't remember seeing any friends or family almost.
And I just was like, this is possible. So then I started, I thank God for black women that came before me. My bosses and my mentors that really encouraged me and didn't stifle me. And they told me how to use my PTO correctly and how to do. Okay. And so now I'm using my PTO effectively.
Now we're looking at, if I do 3 day weekends, can I fill my calendar up to see if this is a thing? Is this viable in the marketplace? And I did that for 6 months and I was full every appointment now. Because at this point now social media started doing what social media [00:25:00] does and I started getting bookings from all over the country and, God just, oh my God, if you just have faith of a mustard seed, I never knew God would take it this far.
What do I mean by that? I envision myself to be a local consultant. I just wanted to make a couple extra thousand every month. And I wanted to, just travel a little more, a little happy hours. Oh my, baby. Nobody could have told me this would have been a multi million dollar business.
And in 2018 I put out a meme one of my great friends, he told me put it out there that you're the first black woman that's helping black women with student loans. I'm like, that's so facetious. I don't want to do that. He like, there's no, you do it. Sound like this. And I was like a hundred pounds heavier.
So I wasn't as confident and you got, this bigger version of me on this flyer. And I listen, honey, that's why when people come to me I don't know if I want to put my face out there. I don't want to baby. I was putting my face out there when my teeth was jacked up, but I want to smile for a minute.
Is this recording? Can I see
Naseema: Go ahead, girl. [00:26:00] Yes.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: 15, 000 work of teeth restoration because my teeth was messed up. You know what I'm saying? Like I didn't have the best. Dental care coming from college and then I started to work on a little bit when I went into my professional field, but even still, that's not good enough insurance.
If you really know, dental work, dental work costs, honey, like restorative work, restorative work, natural cavities and stuff. I'm talking about. We got to put that toothpick. Okay. First thing Cardi B said, when you get some money, fix your teeth. I heard that line and I did it. Okay. So anyway, what I'm saying is nobody knew a guy would take it this far.
And so The Shade Room posted us in 2018. Shout out to Myesha Essex. She used to work there. She said God told her to post me and people pay thousands to be posted and I've never paid to be posted with The Shade when I was posted twice. And she says what God told her to do. I'm like, girl, what else did he say? She posted it and [00:27:00] I always play big. I want people to listen to this. I don't know who I might be inspiring today, but I never had a Gmail account. I never played with spreadsheets. I always took the money and I just was like, let me get a scheduler. Let me get a link. Let me get it.
So when we went viral, Oh my God, I never forget. We were viral straight for a month. Every radio station, every news, everything you could think of, you listen to watch had us featured thousand emails in a week. People thought I was Jesus. And I'm like, I'm not Jesus. I'm just, I love the Lord, but I'm not the Lord.
They're like, you have come back to save us with the, I wish I got to go find some of this stuff. So What it said to me was this is a need and you have to be the one to fulfill it and it's really easy even just sitting here talking to you today. Sometimes you get lost in as a business owner Like it's not about you.
This is not about me. I benefit from it because I believe impact creates income So now don't get it twisted. I have a very [00:28:00] nice life, but I also Know that i'm very for people. I take this information very serious. I take podcasts very serious. I take live events very serious because I know even if I just could talk to one person and we free one person from six figure debt, we've changed someone's financial trajectory.
We've just changed someone's last name. So every day I show up and I wake up, I know I'm going to change one person's last name today. That's what I thrive on and sometimes I get those messages sometimes I get a thank you sometimes, the craziest thing I was black friday shopping the other day And i'm in mode like baby when i'm shopping.
I don't know nobody knows too long doctor I don't know. No, I don't know about no loans. I'm just this is my time I don't have a lot of time. So i'm in my time and this lady was looking at me now Don't think about nobody because I'm in a predominantly white area where I was shopping Again, not many black people and this [00:29:00] lady.
She's about 50 years old white lady. Just smiling at me Smiling back. It's getting weird. She's I'm sorry to do this. She said you're the student loan doctor. He said it real loud. I'm like And I said yes, she said, my God, can I hug you? So she hugs me and I actually don't really like hugs because it's very awkward, but I can do them.
And so I hug her back and she said she said, I watch you every day, every day. I go to your page when I wake up and I want to see what you have to say, especially now. And I'm like, every day, I'm like, damn, I gotta get back to posting every day. Sometimes it'd be a day or two. And that was so nice.
And she said, I don't know if you get a lot of thank you's. She said, because, she said, what you do matters. She said, everything you tell us to do, you've always been correct. You've always anticipated what we needed to know. She was like, and you're one of my favorite people with social media.
She's so just to meet you, I don't know what to do right now. And I'm like, I don't know what to do either. And that happens. It happens everywhere. I'm in Jamaica. It happens. I'm in [00:30:00] Mexico. It happens. Now again, these are people that are from the US, but it could be wherever again, if you're in Jamaica and you're living your best life, you're with your rum punch.
You are not thinking about student loan. Dr. Honey, I'm studying right now. But anyway, I just say God is so faithful because I hope that I come off palatable to people. Okay. Particularly to women and my job. I always tell people that are mentored by me, especially your job is. I don't need you to like me.
I need you to respect me in the sense of everything. I say is for your benefit. Sometimes as adults, we don't have people that can keep it real with us. You've got a lot of people that pacify you in your life and tell you or don't tell you things. You should know, I'm not that girl. Like I'm going to tell you the opposite most times because I care enough about you that if I tell you what it really is, you'll be intelligent enough to act on that.
So it could go a few ways. I always hope that people stick around, but, [00:31:00] and I had people come back to say, I didn't like how you deliver X, Y, and Z. But when I thought about it, You're right. I do got to take this year to work on my credit. That's why I can't get the home and rent is going You know how much rent costs rate compared to a mortgage is astronomical
Naseema: You talking about rent Girl. Let's talk about some childcare. Okay. You really
Dr. Sonia Lewis: what the Babies, I mean you got the really lovely babies because and again It's all about what you want your life to look like, right?
Naseema: Mm-Hmm.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: Everybody needs to do this activity and I want them to do it when they get a moment to themselves and the body's in your ear or buzzing around you. I want people listening to start to think about what do I want my life to look like?
Where do I want to live? What do I want to drive? What do I want to eat? What type of earrings, glasses, what do I want [00:32:00] my nails to look like? I'm so thoughtful in this season about my life that I'm so grateful that I can, one, have the finances to be that thoughtful. Two, that I have the headspace to be that thoughtful.
I'm not in a rush. I'm not bogged down. I'm not in an unhealthy relationship. What do you want your man to be like? Or your woman to be like, I don't know. What does that look like? Because a lot of times we are just taking what life gives us and not being on the other end and say, I don't receive that.
I'm so radical in this season that you could not bring me anything half ass. Okay.
Naseema: right.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: The food ain't right. I'm. Polite, but I'm stern. I did not come to a five star to get three star service I don't know what you thought this was about to be but we're gonna reset the tone here I don't know what this steak is doing.
This is not a tomahawk. I don't know what this I don't know what this is I don't and i'm so proud of [00:33:00] myself for getting to that because particularly as a woman and a black woman We've been taught to take what has been given I'm not that and money allows you this is what they don't tell you to assert yourself and to don't let people play with you
Naseema: Exactly.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: I drive a certain car.
When I go to the dealership, I expect first off. I drive already. A criminal criminality, I expect a certain level of service. My service package is keeping this place afloat. Hello, somebody like, so I expect a certain level of service because I shop a certain way.
I expect my glass of water, my champagne, I'm keeping this. I'm telling you when you start to understand, it's not just about like shopping and things of that nature. But when you start understanding your value in a marketplace, people cannot play with you. I hate to take these lovely coins somewhere else because they will go.
That's how you have to start carrying yourself. Even when you do bank transactions, I never [00:34:00] forget my bank was playing with me a few months ago. See, nobody talks to you about six figure, seven figure bank problems. You only know about the stuff on the other end when your ass is overdrafted and stuff, right?
So you don't know that there's a different level. Did you have to reassert yourself? And I never forget my bank was playing with me. And I remember there was some questioning. I've been with this bank for years. And then I just stopped in the middle of just imagine me putting my hands like, hold up like this.
I had to bring my hands down when a professional said, but they did go up a little bit. I said Oh, and I put my code on. And I did like this. I said, close it out. They said, what? Close it out.
Naseema: Why are we even having this
Dr. Sonia Lewis: I said, close these accounts out. I said, I don't like how I'm being treated. I said, you are treating me like it ain't what it is on that screen.
And I don't have to deal with this. And then the manager rushes out and now I want to rush out. I said, I'm not getting this, this, this, and this. And I said, and I know for a fact that [00:35:00] this is not because I have mentors that are not my same shade that are receiving. I said, so now I'm thinking I got to call my lawyer.
Now I start, now I got time. Grad goes into production mode, like lawyer. And so things was moved over. Did I really want to close it out? No, but I'm gonna have to show you. And how can we move like that? Because. When we as black people do not know our position in the marketplace, you can be treated.
Even so much I've decided, because I am mixed with a lot of things, I'm mixed with Puerto Rican, I'm mixed with white, I'm mixed with black. I have decided on applications, I'm now a white woman. Yeah, I don't feel bad about it, I don't care, don't send me no email about this podcast either y'all. I don't care,
yes,
Naseema: You have me in your Becky era, huh?
Dr. Sonia Lewis: yeah.
I'm now a white woman with financial applications, yep. Because. What I make does not correspond with a black woman. I'm triggering all types of red [00:36:00] flags and three system phone calls and underwriting calls. I'm being serious.
That if I was a white woman on paper elected as a white woman, I would not receive half of that scrutiny.
Naseema: And you can do that as Sonia Lewis. Okay.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: Yeah. I'm not even lying. I am white. You see that? Don't look at the wig.
Naseema: want to go back to the exercise. You talked about people doing imagining themselves. I did a powerful exercise like that in the past where I wrote a letter to myself in the future as if those things had already happened. So all
those things that I wanted had already manifested itself because it's more powerful to see it as it has happened than to imagine it.
And yeah, writing things out like that. So what car you want to drive? Like, all the way down to what your house also look like. What is the color of the paint in the room? What does your bedding look like? All very, very specific details. Write a letter to [00:37:00] yourself, have somebody mail it to you at a later date.
And reflect on that, but imagine what's possible because especially during these times, it is very hard. It was a very hard day, especially for black women from this election. And not just because Kamala lost, but just because of, I know I saw the increased like hate that I was getting like in social media posts and comments and responses and just in my neighborhood, the outright, just.
Racism that I was experiencing
people crazy to me and my kids. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I live in a predominantly white neighborhood and
Dr. Sonia Lewis: I want to say this because I live in a predominantly white area here, but I'm going to tell you something. I didn't feel unsafe or sad that day because I found out that the areas in which I live in shop were pro Kamala. Now I'm going to be honest. That made me feel a little better. They really do.
It really do. And I say to you as a black woman with many choices, you've got to find the balance of [00:38:00] having A good home,
a safe neighborhood, a thriving space, but you also need to find an area that is more acceptance of you because these next few years the tone of racism will be louder and see the thing is your creative.
You cannot live in that environment. I'm not saying to break your lease today, but I'm telling you find a new environment. Look at the recent statistics of how people voted where you live and let that be your guide even and you need to move because you're going to have to protect your mental health in this season.
It's nobody's job, but yours and when we found out what we found out about who we live next to and our neighbors and so forth. That was an eye opener for me. I'm just telling you and everyone else, if you can afford to break a lease, I'm pro break a lease, honey, I am. Break it out. But if you can't, do what you need to do, and then adjust, because your mental health is so important for what you do [00:39:00] professionally, and your kids will pick up on it too.
And then, White people are not bad people. I want to be very
Naseema: Oh, no. Yeah.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: people in the world that are white, black, Spanish, and Trump is making it to where it is Okay to say things that you would normally not say in a different climate. So we have to think about everybody's mental health in this season.
Naseema: yeah, that's that again, what you talked about and having that financial privilege to be able to move. I am in that space and thank God I paid off my student loans and I did the things to put myself in a financial position where I, do have a 7 figure net worth. and I can move and will, if I needed to,
Dr. Sonia Lewis: No, you might have to because nobody want to live like that. You don't have to live like that You work too hard to live like that That's a very real thing. You're not the best version of you when you're, coming out the house or your cortisone levels have risen because you got to be prepared [00:40:00] for the potential look you may receive.
Like, all of that is so deep. You keep your body height in a state of prepared. When do you come down? And you already got other 10, 000 stresses when you bleed. So I'm just saying, but let's go ahead.
Naseema: No, no. You are a hundred percent right. And I receive that and I hope other people receive that too, because that is so real and we don't think about that and like how that is impairing us mentally, physically, emotionally, and the toll that it's
Dr. Sonia Lewis: the longitude
Naseema: our kids too. Yeah, exactly.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: Yeah, yeah. No, girl, I'm telling you, I'ma look with this good skin for years because I don't receive stress. Yes, I can have a stressful moment. Yes, I can have a stressful situation, but baby, my bounce back game is so tough, I live in my own version of my mind because I cannot receive what others are putting.
I live in a bubble. I really, really do. I just, I've [00:41:00] developed that as an entrepreneur because I was, so when I was diagnosed years ago with lupus, I had to make a decision. This is a killer. Stress azorbates the lupus. It will kill me if I do not control. So the way that I've mastered my stress controls are it's just I should write a book on it because you could bring me a stressful situation.
Here's what and I'm so light about it. I'm light about a lot of things because If I don't stay light, this whole operation could go left, right? And when you are the one, or you're the caretaker, you don't have an option but to figure out stress management. But I also say, always control the controllables.
We can control where we live, we can control what we drive, we can control who we date, or who we marry. We can control a lot of things. And sometimes we give away that power because of circumstances. And I just want you to simply take it back. That was my little message. You
Naseema: Well, listen, listen, people didn't
know that [00:42:00] was coming here for a message. I didn't know I was coming here for a message, but we
got it
and we're going to
Dr. Sonia Lewis: link. Your dad pack you up while y'all go get ice cream. Okay, you only got that. You know that, they pay for that too. Trust me, I have lived in so many places recently. Girl, I'm a packer upper. Not me, I just only take my fine jewelry and furs. Other than that, you can pack the rest of this stuff, and I'm going to go eat.
And when I get back, it's done, or I'll assign someone there to help out. Everybody need a little extra money. I'm not there, packing's stressful for me. I'm going to go to the park. I'll check in. Is it well? Oh my god. Let's move it, unpack. I know this sounds very whatever, But why I don't have to live like that.
And so that's what having some additional income could do for you. So everyone listening to this conversation, you're listening to a woman who, before finding purpose, which created impact, which created income. I was check the check. I was hundreds of pounds [00:43:00] extra overwhelmed, 130 pounds overweight.
I had negative credit scores, negative bank accounts. And then the shift occurred. When I discovered my purpose and the shift occurred when I made a decision, I'm not going to live like that. That is really something I say a lot every day. I don't live like that when they mess up my order Starbucks.
I don't gotta live like that. They got a little warranty at starbucks fix this I don't gotta live and i'm pleasant about it, but i'm assertive too like when they act like they don't want to fix your coffee, maybe this is eight dollar coffee And I got stock in starbucks fix this damn coffee.
I don't got to drink this I don't know what this is. This is not the recipe. I go to starbucks all over the world and you messed it up You didn't take the training and man. It's like I can tell you what page in the book that you've messed So, but I know what I know, but I can live in that space because I know who I am.
I know my value in the marketplace. I do have time to use chat GPT to write long, contingent letters to the headquarters and get free gift cards. [00:44:00] Like I do. Yes. I don't know which one to call it. It seems I've got time for you, Eddie. Or a lawyer has time. I have a lawyer. So we'll pick, we'll figure it out.
Naseema: Between the
Dr. Sonia Lewis: But I like this version of me because that's what I wanted to be. Everybody, there's always a version of, and I'm still becoming, there's always versions that we're becoming and we want to become, but some people are too scared to be that version because they think that it will Make them isolated from their friends or their family.
They think they'll be called different. They think and baby My nine figure mentor recently told me everything and everyone you think you're going to lose when you go next level you already lost
Naseema: Let's go.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: I said, you could have said that a year ago and I could have made this money. Right, let's keep going.
I know we got to wrap up
Naseema: No but I love that. And you have mentioned several times that you have mentors and you have people that, help guide you. And I think that's another thing that a lot of people are really hesitant to take on is, or to even like [00:45:00] research and find people to really help, but.
There's always somebody who can teach you better. There's always people that are just a couple of steps ahead are way far ahead. That can encourage you. And I know that you offer some free training and you help people. So how can people work with you?
Dr. Sonia Lewis: So we have a class coming up. When we do a class weekly on just keeping people abreast about our student loans. I'll share that link with you to share in the show notes. Whenever you're listening to this, I'm sure there's a class that'll be occurring because that's something we probably will be doing every week or every two weeks.
As things go on. I do have forms of mentorship. We're starting our January 4th. I had a thrive mentorship and it's really just about personal development and mindsets for every woman that in my mind that wants to be a seven figure woman. And I said seven because most people can get to six.
Or stumble into six, right? But seven [00:46:00] takes a little more strategy. And I hope one day to launch an eight figure mentorship once I'm fully at eight. So there's a progression there. And I also think that this is the season for collaboration. So I loved how I saw how Kamala. I'm like, what if we did that on a daily basis? Do you know how powerful that is? And I don't know if it was just not enough time, wrong candidate, wrong issues. Cause baby, she was liberal on a little bit too much stuff, okay, I'ma let you know right now. A little too liberal for my liking, I ain't gonna go there, but, and even though I voted for the lady, I'm like, Lord, baby, I don't know, I don't agree with all this.
And I don't know why she necessarily didn't win. I would love for them to do a case study on it. Cause I thought this was the most, out of outside of Obama's administration, the most. Marketing turned up presidential election. I've ever seen I just knew, but we underestimated some things, [00:47:00] right?
And I think we still underestimated even how conservative some black people are some minorities are and just not gonna get another candidate like Obama. I'm sorry. Just I don't know. So
Naseema: Obama's just,
Dr. Sonia Lewis: I have some mentorships coming up in that sense and then also the work that I do is a student expert.
We've already this past year, put 300 people through the program where we train how to do student loan work and I'm so proud. Our students in 60 days have made 60 K or more. They're making a lot of money because there's a trillion dollar problem that we're in the middle of.
Naseema: Yes.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: I love my life right now.
I'm gonna be honest with you because my vision is and I want to say a quote to you. I dream dreams so big that other people's dreams live inside of my dream.
Naseema: Hmm. Hmm.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: move every day. And so I'm very grateful.
I'm very excited. I have a zest for [00:48:00] life because when I wake up and I show up and I do everything I'm supposed to do, how I'm supposed to do it. And am I perfect? No. If I drop the ball, yes. Just having a very frank conversation with my boyfriend who means the world to me. And he was like, all right, super woman needs some super woman over here because I'm traveling.
And I'm like, I can't drop this ball now, honey. I know all y'all ways by man now. So I'm like, okay, I gotta rebalance some things, but so my perfect no, but even the dreams I dreamed are so big, they encompass him in it too. So what I say to you all is you've got to, in this season, start to dream and assert yourself bigger because a lot of people that listen to your show, I know who I track, I know who you attract.
They're the one. I don't know why God selected you. I don't know, talk, take it up with him. But you are the caretaker. You are the one that's most financially astute. You are the most educated. You are the go-getter. And the wine has to know that [00:49:00] in this season there's a renewed sense of purpose that's been put over your life.
And so everything about you that when. You win and you do more and you go higher. Everything attached to you wins. Everything grows. I just say it's no accident that somebody listened to this episode today. I hope many people do. I know I'll share it out on my end. But and even just you, thank you for having this podcast because We could keep all this brilliance and greatness to ourselves, honey,
but that's just not
how our culture, our economy will benefit.
You have to have some brave women go before you. I'm grateful to the women that mentored me to this place. Whether they were white or black, every mentor wasn't black, right? I don't want anybody to think that. And I'm grateful for what I took from them. And I realized, even though that they were still human, these were these qualities that I wanted to emulate.
I always say get a mentor that's right above you, and further off than you, and you'll find yourself somewhere in the middle. Thank you [00:50:00] so much. I don't know what else we have left to say, girl. We done put it all on the
Naseema: know, I mean, I could ask you a question for days, but I just love the way you just summarize all of that. You wrapped it up. So perfectly and.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: You're probably like, it's so due to me, damn podcast.
Naseema: No, 1st of all, people came expecting to learn about student loans, which is dry and scary and all that kind of thing. And you brought a whole message and a whole word that we needed to hear.
I am grateful for
Dr. Sonia Lewis: could teach you some loans in a free class. Go and take the class. The podcast for me, I wanted the financially intentional podcast, right? This is perfect for this season. I was so glad to be on your show because the message is, and will be, this is not a season of option, so I can help you with your student loans.
In my mind, it's already done. You're here you're in the network. It's the mindset that has to now go with it. That will make all this thing, everything you talk about on your show [00:51:00] will have to come to fruition. They need to go re listen to the damn episodes, because this is not the season to play small or do anything other than,
Naseema: That meme came up when you were saying, you take a small, you got to think big you got to think big stop playing yourself.
Like, seriously. Yes.
Dr. Sonia Lewis: I'm so excited to share this out on my end and just I don't know where we can see the feedback for this show, but I'm so excited to read the comments and be nice. Cause I'm still not that saved. Okay. I'm working on myself with the Lord.
Naseema: I'm still sensitive about my stuff. Okay. No, I love it. I love it. Thank you so much, Dr. Lewis. Thank you for sharing that. The links I'll put them in the show notes and yeah, I hope people really take heat this episode, cause there's a lot of knowledge drop A lot of people should be inspired to take action.
Thank you for lighting a higher under all of our butts because I needed to hear what you had to say today. Thank you so much.[00:52:00]
Dr. Sonia Lewis: Thank you so much.
Hey there I’m Naseema
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