How April Built Financial Freedom on a 9 to 5 Income - Episode 98
In today's episode, I talk to April Stewart, a personal finance coach who became a millionaire without starting a side hustle or business. April shares her journey of transforming her corporate salary into long-term wealth. After a tough job loss, she got serious about saving and investing, building a strong financial foundation and becoming debt-free. We discuss the importance of budgeting, why building wealth doesn’t have to mean extreme sacrifices, and the impact of mindset on financial success.
About our guest
There’s a common misconception that only stock traders, real estate investors, and business owners can become millionaires. April Stewart defies this belief by sharing her story of using a corporate salary to achieve a million-dollar net worth.
After experiencing a job loss, April transformed her 6-figure salary into a $1M net worth. Now, she empowers women to build wealth through personalized coaching, speaking engagements, and workshops.
April’s expertise has been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Black Enterprise, Success Magazine, and AfroTech.
April's free Millionaire Money Checklist:
https://april-stewart.mykajabi.com/millionaire-money-checklist
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TRANSCRIPT:
Naseema: [00:00:00] There's a common misconception that only stock traders, real estate investors and business owners can become millionaires. April Stewart defies this belief by sharing her story of how using a corporate salary to achieve April Stewart defies this belief by sharing her story of using a corporate salary to achieve a million dollar net worth After experiencing a job loss, April transformed her six figure salary into a million dollar net worth.
Now she empowers women to build wealth through personalized coaching, speaking engagements, and workshops. April's expertise has been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Black Enterprise, Success, and Afro Tech.
right, my financially intentional people. I'm super honored to be joined by a longtime friend, April Stewart, or as you might know her as April the money coach. She has an incredible story of Her journey to [00:01:00] financial freedom and just doing it in the nine to five space, which I don't think you hear enough about.
So I want to talk about that because, everybody's on this hype of entrepreneurship. And I think that that's incredible, but to show you that it's possible to do it just with your regular corporate job. First of all, welcome April,
April: Thank you. Glad to be here.
Naseema: of course, of course. So let's just dive into your story. First of all, just.
Share with us like how you even got into this money space. how did you learn about money? Were you taught about money when you were younger?
April: I was not. I would say if anything, I was taught what not to do with money. So I came from a family lower middle income, and I was never taught about money, like what to do with it. I was taught actually a lot of fear based or lack things around money. There was not enough money to go around.
Money doesn't grow on trees. Money is hard to come by, things like that. So I used to have a [00:02:00] fear based relationship with money where I felt like, Money wouldn't be there for me. If I ever needed it it's fleeting, things like that. And then I also saw family members do some
questionable things in terms of trying to get money. Yeah, I feel like I grew up with a lot of lessons around what not to do around money, but even those are lessons. So I actually took those things that I saw and was determined to not repeat those things and not repeat that cycle. So in turn, I decided that I wanted to do something differently with money.
I begin to study personal finance because, I felt like there were people that were quote unquote rock stars with money and they knew how to do things with money that I felt like I didn't know how to do. So I was like, let me read, the books, listen to the the interviews and the TV shows and things like that, just learn what I could about personal finance so that I could, hopefully begin to win with money.
Naseema: So when did you start your introduction into personal finance? Was it earlier in your career? Was it when you were in high school?[00:03:00]
April: I would say it was More so early in my career, like early in my working career. So in college I was told, by a family member to get a credit card to start to build my credit. But my thought was, I'm a student, I don't have a job, like, how am I going to pay for what I put on this credit cards?
I was like, okay, that doesn't sound like good advice. So I didn't do that. But once I got into the. The working field or the working word, I felt like there are things that I should know how to do with money that I don't know how to do. So I think that was when I began to just get that introduction to personal finance.
Naseema: And I think we grew up in the same time frame, went to college in the same time frame where we were inundated with credit card offers. It was before this was illegal, like credit card companies used to just be on campus, handing out all the swag and enticing you. And I remember, asking my dad the same thing should I get a credit card? Like they're offering me all these kinds of things. And he was [00:04:00] like, I guess so. Just like you said, we were taught, okay yeah, you can build your credit, but other than that taught no lessons outside of that. And so I remember getting into really big trouble with credit cards, not even understanding.
Yes, you have to pay them back. Interest. All of those kinds of things. So I'm glad you made a better decision than I did.
April: Yeah, it's tough out there. And the same it, it may not be the table set up on campus. I don't know how it is, but it's still that same, pulling people into credit very young. And yeah, it just sets up a vicious cycle.
Naseema: Especially without the education. Yeah. So you educated yourself, a lot of times people. Learn about finances, maybe they get investment advice from their coworkers or, they follow a certain family member, like who really inspired you in the personal finance space.
April: Initially it was a coworker set me down and he tried to teach me how to budget. And the way he tried to teach me how to budget was [00:05:00] miserable. I mean, thankful that he tried to, he introduced me to it. But the way he taught me, I was just, it was like, basically let's sit down and create this budget that you're going to live every month of your life by.
And that felt really restrictive. That felt horrible. And I couldn't wait to get out of his presence and throw everything he told me away. But I began to learn how to do it and create a spending plan in a way that was much more sustainable. Something that I like to say that my budget is really like my financial BFF. when I learned how to do it the right way back in 2008 I began to use a spending plan every month of my life. For the past 16 years, I've been using a spending plan every month of my life to be very intentional and just, forward thinking about how I'm going to spend my money and the way, I use it the way I like to.
teach it to my clients is that every month of your life is going to be different. So create a spending plan to maximize how you're going to use your money that month, but also tailor it to what's going on in your life that particular month. So it's okay for it to [00:06:00] fluctuate month to month. There's some things that are going to be, consistent, but there are things that are going to fluctuate and that's okay.
Like you don't have to pitch your life into this perfect box, which feels restrictive and which a lot of people don't stick with and which I couldn't stick with.
Naseema: Yeah, I like that. You use a spending plan versus budget. I say budget because I really feel like people are really intimidated by that word because yes, it can sound really restrictive just because of the negative connotation that it has had and I'm sure it's because of really strict, fix budgets it sounds like that person was trying to put you into, but yeah, you're right. Your budget needs to look different month to month because your life is never going to be the same and you need to know how to flex within your budget to make it even something that you can even, you know, continue to do, because, if not, you're going to be like, this doesn't work for me. I'm not going to do it, but I tell people your budget is going to be the baseline for everything and budgets look different. And everybody's what is the [00:07:00] best budget? I tell people the best is the 1 that you can stick to.
But I know you have a specific way to budget that you teach your clients. What do you feel like? Is special about your budget that it makes it so that, you were able to stick to it for 16 years.
April: really helps us to stick with it is again that the fact that it's different month to month, it incorporates what's going on in your life every particular month. The fact that you don't have to. Fit yourself into this box. Also, the fact that I do zero base budgeting.
So I think it's been very helpful for me because, I really put every dollar to work. So there's no money slipping through my fingers. And I think that what was really powerful for me was sticking with budget was once I created it for the first time. So prior to recreating a budget, I felt like my money was a black hole.
Like it would come in and it would go out what happened in between. I could not tell you. And no [00:08:00] matter what I couldn't save. So that was like one of the biggest things. That was one of my initial motivators. I was like, I want some savings, but I feel like I don't have anything left over to save. And I tell you like instantaneously created my first budget.
I was like, I have surplus. I had thousands of dollars of surplus. Like where did that money come from? Where was it going? So my budget was the thing that helped me actually begin my financial journey. So from there. I think I had 25, 000 in debt that I like paid off in eight months. So if you do the math, that was like 3, 000 per month I was throwing at debt.
Whereas before that I felt like I had nothing left over. So I think the fact that every dollar was allocated to something, every dollar was put to work, nothing was slipping through my fingers. I realized there were surplus there that I, didn't really. Realize before was what motivated me to, okay, I can stick with this.
This is powerful. Like, why would I go back? Why would I have a bird?
Naseema: Yeah, you saw it was working.
April: yeah,
Naseema: This is it right here. I
April: Yeah, [00:09:00] absolutely.
Naseema: I think our stories are similar because I remember. Yeah. I made really good money, but I cannot tell you where that money went until I finally figured out how to budget. And then all of a sudden, it's you find money.
Like, where is this money coming from? It was always there. It's just money is 1 of those things that if you don't give it a job, and if you don't tell it what to do in advance. It's just disappear. You're not going to have any kind of accounting for it. And yeah, that made the world of difference to me.
And that's why I tell people, but just aren't supposed to be restricted budgets open up your eyes to what's possible. And then that's why that's your foundation. So I love that. I love that story. Yeah. And you were able to save not only pay down debt in an incredible amount of time. So I don't want to over overlook that, but you were able to save a substantial amount of money in a short amount of time as well.
Right.
April: Yeah. [00:10:00] After I paid off my debt, I went on to build up an emergency fund because my goal was, okay, you don't want to pay off the debt and then continue that cycle. So if you have nothing saved, you're going to whip out a credit card again, if an emergency happens. So it's okay, you got to build some savings.
So I built up a, I think an 18, 000 emergency fund in about six months. So again, I was taking that 3, 000 per month surplus and now applying it towards saving. And what I call my financial foundation, like having that debt paid off, having that emergency fund built up, I was able to do that in a year and a half.
So I was like, you can take a year and a half of your life to really position yourself, in a strong way. So
Naseema: And a year and a half goes by really, really fast. So I'm just thinking like my daughters. The baby is like a year, a year and a half, and I'm just like, Oh my God. It seems like yesterday I was pregnant. So I can imagine wow. Like in that short amount of time you can do it. But what I found is that when somebody has a goal and they [00:11:00] really set their mind to it, they can usually accomplish that goal in.
A couple of years it does not take that long. It just really takes that intentionality that we talk about.
April: yeah, and the time is going to pass anyway. Like, why not use it to accomplish a goal?
Naseema: Exactly. But the thing is a lot of times, we hear people just putting it off. I'm going to do it tomorrow. I'm going to do it later. I don't have enough time and it's 1st of all, it does not take a lot of time. Once you establish it, once you set it up, it takes a couple of seconds a day to really maintain it, but it sets you up in such a way that you can never imagine. And the thing is, is that, like you said, the time is going to go by, but we can't get that time back.
And you were able to also do some incredible things like investing your money as well, which is the power of compound interest that, we overlook in time is our greatest asset in with that in investing. [00:12:00] So talk us through what you were able to do with your investments and, setting yourself up for financial freedom in that way as well.
April: Yeah. So after I had that financial foundation set of the debt eliminated, the mercy fund built up. So then I went on to increase my investing. And, as a corporate employee, that of course, the taking the match, the company match, but then going beyond that and maxing out my investments up into, the IRS max.
So just doing that, consistently diligently over the years. So what was what built me my 1, 000, 000 net worth, using my corporate salary. In my, while I was still in my thirties, I was able to achieve that 1, 000, 000 net worth by just really intentionally, investing, taking advantage of the company match and just really being consistent and diligent with it.
And it's not hard. It's like you could put a money plan in place and then just work it and you can get on with your life. So it's like I set those foundational pieces and then I just let them, play out over time. And I, enjoy my life along [00:13:00] the way. I traveled, but I had to get my financial house in order first.
So I, Took that pause for a year and a half. Okay, let's get out of this debt. Let's build up these emergency fund. And then let's put this financial plan in place. And then from there, I just continue to work it as I live life. Yeah, that really was, how I was able to maximize the use of my income and build wealth.
Yeah,
Naseema: told this story so many times, but I don't want people to miss the fact that she said she became a millionaire in her thirties just by automating her investing and just doing it consistently in her corporate job. It wasn't no crazy side hustle. It wasn't all of these extreme things that people think that you have to do to become a millionaire.
She just said it forget it. Set a plan up and just did it automatically and was able to become a millionaire in her 30. So I just want people to hear that and reiterate that again, because a lot of times people just [00:14:00] don't know what's possible. I definitely didn't know what was possible until I came into the space and.
Heard stories like this, and it's also super important that we hear stories like this from people that look like us because then it makes it real for us to attain and. reason why I like to share these stories and I like to talk about it because it's not hard. It's just basically changing your mindset to know that it's possible for you and putting the plan in place to do those things that makes the biggest difference.
It's less about what's different? What are the steps then about I know it's possible. I know I can do it and just doing some simple things. Yeah, I just, I I really love your story because of that.
April: And no, thank you. And I would also say that like you said it doesn't have to be as hard as we tend to think it is. And I think that, having that plan that you put in place that you work that you let, do a thing over time. Of course, [00:15:00] compound interest is going to.
Work for you over time, but also the fact that you don't have to sacrifice, your lifestyle longterm. You're in the beginning to get some things, if you have debt, get that cleaned up, get emergency fund in place, get your investment set up. But then once you, I like to say, I created a plan, I set it, forget it.
And then you just live your life. So I don't live a deprived life. Like people think, oh, you have to, deprive yourself and not do things like, no, like once I put my, have those things cleaned up, have my financial plan in place. I just worked it. I let it play out. I, went back to the things I love to do, traveling the world enjoying concerts and VIP experiences and things like that.
Fully living my life. It is not about deprivation. It wasn't, a path of deprivation at all. And I think, of course, being a six figure income earner. And that's a lot of the space of who I work with, the women I work with. Your income is a powerful wealth building too. Like you can do powerful things with your income.
You just have to make it work for you instead of just spending it, squandering it. You can enjoy it, and [00:16:00] it's proper place. Like you have to put some things in place to build wealth for yourself. Cause you don't want this to all be for not you make all this money and then you end up having nothing to show for it.
you can
Naseema: we see it all the time, but we see it all the time, right? Lifestyle inflation is real. And I'm not saying don't spend on nice things. I'm not a believer in like beans and rice and deprivation and all of that stuff either. Just be intentional and pay yourself first, right? Prioritize the things that matter.
And then you can spend on the things that you enjoy. I think people are so caught up in being uncomfortable. For a little bit amount of time, even if that discomfort is just trying to learn a new thing that they spend a whole life in discomfort because they never achieve the levels of financial freedom and it's crazy.
It's you rather have that. Slow burn. Either way, that time is going to pass, like you said. So you might as well put the things in place that are going to set you up so that [00:17:00] you can make work optional make better decisions for your life. And I'd talk about financial freedom is just not about accumulating money.
It's about the freedoms that you have. To do the things that you want to do in your life. Now, do you still work in your corporate job?
April: So no, and actually when you said that, that made me think about that. No, I left my corporate job in 2021, the end of 2021. So I've been self employed for three years now just over three years. And it was definitely having. plan in place I was at a point where I was actually set up to retire early.
So I'm currently set up to retire early, I think maybe in my mid fifties. So I not only had set myself up and had my retirement on track, but I had to set up in a way that, I didn't have to be as aggressive. So I actually was able to pull back on my retirement investing and I began to invest in what we call a taxable investment account.
So I backed off on like [00:18:00] the traditional retirement investing and I began to invest in a taxable investment account because that's something, if you do retire early, that's something where you can tap into the money. You have money that you can tap into without the penalties of, tapping into your retirement early.
So yeah, I put my pat myself on a path actually to retire early and Also I would say. Yeah, just being a good place where I'm able to now, come out of the traditional workforce and pursue my financial coaching business full time.
Naseema: That's nice. Was there a reason why you just decided to leave corporate and start her own business? Or was it just like you had reached this number? Was it, you didn't have enough PTO? What was it? Cause, sometimes, a lot of people don't want to leave, like they really enjoy what they do.
Or they have that I have enough say, but just like one more year of What was it that really was that impetus for you to be like, I'm done in the corporate space. I'm going to just do it on my own.
April: I just wanted to just take a bet on myself. So [00:19:00] it wasn't like I couldn't have continued to do both, but I felt to maybe grow my business and just really Just put my all into it. I just wanted to try that. And I felt like I had enough margin financially to be able to do that. I decided to leave my corporate job and go full time in my financial coaching business and Yeah, it's been a powerful, and I think I would say a little bit the pandemic, not that this wasn't the plan, already.
But I would say, during the pandemic, the type of work I did as a government contractor, things were I don't know things are interesting there. That was an interesting space. I think just a lot of things lined up for me to say, let me. Let me go full time in this financial coaching and yeah it's working out well.
And I love it. I'm not going to say it's not hard. It's definitely challenging, but I think it's worth it.
Naseema: I think people think you leave your job and then it is just all like sailing, like easy coasting and things like that. It's really not like you just change bosses, right?
April: Yeah, it's [00:20:00] not, but yeah. And I love, I know you continue in your nursing work and you run your business and everything. And I love that. I think there are different paths for everyone. You do the path that makes most sense for you. And there's no, some people like that. And there was, I felt some coaches I'd work with, some people that, were just really pushing me, I think, to come out of corporate and do this full time.
And I think it was for the wrong reasons. I think I was a little slower in taking that step because I wanted to make sure it was right and the right time for me.
Naseema: yeah, and that's the main message is it has to be right for you and it's going to look different for everybody else. And just like personal finance, it is personal, there's no dogmatic way. But, your story just sounds like, so perfect. It seems like it's just so linear.
You made up your mind. You decided to do something. You achieved it. Did you face any setbacks on your path financially?
April: yeah, definitely. So in the beginning when I first started my financial journey, early on I [00:21:00] lost my job. So I was,
Naseema: hmm.
April: I would say I wasn't prepared financially because I was just starting out. So I didn't have any savings built up. I still had debt, but you I mean, fortunately, I was able to, just continue.
I took whatever job I could at the time just to get some income coming in, and I continue to look for a job in my field. But I just had this, bounce back quickly. So I definitely went through that whole thing of, losing my job and having those setbacks and things I had to just really work and fight through.
And then but also that just let me know that I didn't come from a family with money, so I couldn't call up mom and dad and ask for help. So I was like, okay, I have to position myself to not. Being in a situation like this again, where I am now unemployed, I don't have any savings, I have debt.
So it's okay, I got to clean this up, get out of this mess. And then also position myself to hopefully, never be in a situation like that again. It definitely has not always been, a lineage during the, [00:22:00] there've been ups and downs. And I would say even a new level as becoming a full time entrepreneur, I've had a new, Situation financially is it's been, a really long time since I've been in this type of space where things were so uncertain.
Because in corporate, eventually became a six figure income earner. So it's everything is just on autopilot. Everything is secure. But it's once you go full time, entrepreneur, there's ups and downs, there's ebbs and flows. And So yeah, that just put me in a different space again.
But also I would say helped me to really better understand and connect with maybe some of the things that my clients experience. So I think a good reason for that or a learning experience for me and that was, being able to better connect with some of the ladies that I coach.
Naseema: I love that because that could have easily deterred you like been like, you know what? I lost my job. What was me? I can't do this. But it sounded like it motivated you to even go harder because you understood that. [00:23:00] Financial freedom will position you to be in a better position if you did experience another job loss.
And I just, a lot of people think corporate jobs are so secure or just in your nine to five is so secure and there's no sense of security in anything, like even as a nurse I'm nurses are in high demand, but there's no. Real security things change the markets fluctuate.
There's layoffs. And so the better financially prepared, you can be the better. But I see time and time again, people. Not prioritizing their financial wellness for 1 reason or the other and especially if they're going through something like a layoff. How do you coach people through getting their finances together, even in hard times?
April: Yeah I think what I like to say, so 1 of the examples that I [00:24:00] use a lot or 1 of the things I really touched on a lot being that, I'm in the D. C. area. So federal government work is really big here. So we went through periods of, when we have the government shutdowns. So I don't know, how.
Big, it impacts other, I know the federal government is more than here in D. C., but I don't know how much it impacts other areas the way it does in D. C. because so many people work for the federal government. And we would have these federal government shutdowns, and, you would have people, government employees, government contractors, even if they earned, six figure incomes, they would have nothing saved up, nothing prepared for these shutdowns, and they would be in dire straits when they would happen. And one of my big things was like life is going to happen. There's going to be the ups and downs, the ebbs and flows. Like you have to prepare yourself for this. While you have this income, instead of let it just slip through your fingers, instead of squandering it save something for yourself, create something that gives you margin, gives you cushion, gives you a safety net if anything ever happens to your income.
So nothing is guaranteed. Nothing is certain. Like you want to [00:25:00] protect yourself as much as possible. And not to say that, an emergency fund or anything you save is going to be just full proof. Nothing can happen to you, but it definitely gives you a lot of peace of mind. And that actually came to pass for me during the pandemic in 2020, when everything began to shut down.
So I was a government contractor and we were sent home. Everyone was sent home. The government people, we were told we'd be going home. It was like around holiday in March. ST Patrick's Day. Yeah. So we told we'd be going home and I thought it was gonna be short, but I've heard that the government employees were told to put in eight weeks of leave.
So I'm like, Oh wait, they're told to put in eight weeks of leave. Like we're going to be out for eight weeks. So I was like, okay, what am I going to do? So I was sent home, not knowing what was coming next. And and I was just like freaking out what am I going to do? But the peace of mind I had was at the time, when I looked at it, I was like, okay, I think at the time I had about 12 months of living expenses [00:26:00] saved up.
So I was like, okay, while the world figures itself out, at least I have a cushion.
and, fortunately, with some time, they put the cares act in place and, as a government contractor, I was able to get paid during the time I was out, but it was important having that financial safety net, those emergency savings to get me through.
So. There's nothing secure. There's nothing sure in our jobs. We really have to position ourselves. We really have to take that income we're making and create, some kind of safety and some kind of security for ourselves because, you don't know what you can depend on.
You can't necessarily depend on your job at all times. You just never know what's going to happen. If things want to shut down again, just there's so many unknowns and you can control some of the unknowns, yourself with your financial plan with your money plan.
Naseema: Yep. That is true. So what made you make that transition into coaching? Couldn't you have just retired and been chilling and maybe, took some little side contracts if you wanted to, and then, chilled the rest of the time? What inspired [00:27:00] you to go into personal finance coaching?
April: I just, I love it. Like I love, speaking to the woman that I was. So I think of like my ideal client being maybe the woman I was when I started my financial journey. So she's a, high earner. She's a six figure income earner and she has a great income, but she's maybe letting it slip through her fingers.
Like she's squandering it. She's not intentional about her spending. She doesn't have a plan in place for how to, optimize the use of her income. And I'm just really passionate about reaching back and, helping that woman. Because I just feel like there's so much continue.
There's so much power in what she has. She just doesn't realize it. So I want to help her to, fully realize the power of her income and what she has. And yes, I just felt could do other things, but there was really that draw. And cause I also, I just love personal finance itself.
So it's like when I thought about if I did leave my job, like what would I want to be? I actually, I wasn't sure that I was going to become a financial coach. I was exploring all other different avenues and I was like, okay, I want to work for myself with what I want to do. [00:28:00] And All Roads kept leading back to personal finance and coaching because it's just what I really love.
It's just ingrained with me. My last name is Stewart. I just felt okay, I was born to be a financial steward and I was born to, help people with their stewardship, with their financial stewardship. So it's just really a big part of me.
Naseema: I love that. I love that. And coaching is extremely challenging, right? Because like as much of a drive as most of like me and you have in an, a love for personal finance, it's really hard. To change mindsets around money. And I found that out the hard way, girl hats off to you. Cause coaching like you do is a little bit taxing for me.
I don't do it, but
April: I felt the same way initially. That's why I wasn't directly going for a financial coach. I felt okay, I'm good with, disciplining myself around my money and working a plan, but I'm not trying to tell anybody else what to do with their money. And so that's why I [00:29:00] initially was running from it.
I was like, I don't want to be a financial coach. That's not what I want to do. So I was searching all these other paths and it kept coming back to this. So I was like, all right, let me stop running.
Naseema: but coaching is like something that's a real skill set to you, you're trained to be like an engineer,
April: I am.
Naseema: you are trained to be a coach. How did you learn to coach and, how did you specifically work with people? And I know your avatar is, professional women. How did you come up with your coaching framework?
April: So you said, Oh, how did I learn to coach? So I did. I took a, I think for me it was just something, I think it's something that's been really been natural to me. So I was a person where, cause I'm so passionate about it. I was passionate about personal finance. So when I began my personal financial transformation and I was learning all these things, I wanted to teach others.
So I actually would hold like little workshops at my house. I invited family and friends over and they came into my house and I just put together [00:30:00] this slide deck and I just taught them what I was learning and a friend, I think a couple of friends like love what I taught them.
And it was like, come to my house and teach some of my family and friends. So like I did that. And I just was passionate about sharing what I learned, what I knew. And So from there, it was like, okay if I'm gonna, more formally do it, and I think people started to ask me can you coach me?
And I never intended to be a coach, but some friends were like, okay, but can you sit down with me and help me create a money plan? Like, how much are you charging all that? And I was like, oh, I don't do this for money. So I was like, okay, let me figure out, a framework around this and how to do this.
And so I got a financial code certification and that, it's necessary that I need it, but I guess, some people like to see the papers and the credentials, but really it's lived experience. So I'm teaching, my lived experience, what I walked out for the past 16 years and my personal finances, how I've won with money, things I've coached, taught family members and friends and things they've And you came and said, even when I didn't know they were doing it, I learned later. It's Hey, I have an emergency fund. And it's Oh, I [00:31:00] didn't know you were working on an emergency fund or I paid off all my credit cards. Oh, you didn't tell me you were paying off your credit cards.
Like they never told me they were doing these things. They were just watching me, live out what I told them. And so they were like, okay, let me go ahead and do some waiver. Told me you it out and getting their how I think I initially, to get into this. It was becoming that bei around money for family a
So it was really the things that I put in place around my money. When I started my financial journey, one of the first things I did was create that spending plan or that budget. I was like, okay, I got to be intentional about what I'm doing with my money each month.
I have to have a plan for it. And then 1st, I was like, I want to get rid of this debt. I need a bit of emergency fund and then I want to increase my investing. So these were like the key things I did. Okay. And so basically I, that's my financial framework. So it's, and of course it starts with money mindset.
So my financial framework is money mindset. Like you have to. [00:32:00] Understand what's possible for you with you and your money. You have to set some goals around money and those goals are going to anchor you and help you to determine, going forward, what decisions are you going to make around money?
Because, if you say you want to do these things and they're going to have to frame, your decisions and things you do with money. So it was like putting that money mindset piece in place. And then, that spending plan, your debt elimination plan, your plans to build up your savings and then that investment strategy.
So those were like the. The core pieces that I worked on and building on my financial foundation, and it worked so well for me. And, I've been implementing it. Once I put this framework in place, I've been walking it out over the past, 15, 16 years without fail this money plan is not a one and done thing.
It's something. In different stages of my life, every visit, like it really guides and anchors, the way I deal with money. So I'm like, okay, this is not fly by night. This is not a fluke. I've been working that I've been walking it out for the past 60 years. I get solid. So it's okay, this is what, I can teach people and how to win with [00:33:00] money, how to take control of their money, how to have a plan for their money that they can actually walk out and, when with their money.
So that was really, how I built it out, like from my personal experience. from the things that even friends and family were starting to do and work on. And then even, what my classes I started to early on, coach people around money, some of the things that they were able to gravitate and, grab, hold on to and walk out.
Naseema: Yeah, I love that. You said that because in the world of all these people, given all this crazy financial advice online and not even really live in it. And the, I don't know. I like to call it like the snake oil salesman. You teach only what you teach. No, what has been tried and true for you and what the successes that you've been able to make and again, you revisit because it's not linear, over time.
I really, really love that. It's not you teach in some hypothetical theory is okay, this is what I did. This is what work [00:34:00] and being able to teach people in a way that they can replicate it and make it work for them. So I really, really love that. Yeah. Yeah. Is there any like success story or like a coaching moment that really made you proud?
Mm-Hmm.
April: Yes. And I would say, and so I had a client who was a really high earner. I would say maybe around her salary was around maybe 200, 000 or just under, but she got big bonuses from her company. I think she got a bonus of maybe 50, 000 or something per year maybe in two increments and the thing was, despite having this great income and this big bonus, she was in debt and she had a significant amount of debt.
She had no savings and. She was just really letting a lot of money slip through her fingers. And instantly within us beginning to work together, it was like night and day. Like she paid off. And I know her numbers tend to sound intimidating to people, but again, you got to consider the [00:35:00] fact that she got big bonuses, but she was able to pay off 50, 000 in debt and like within three months because my coaching program was three months.
When her next bonus came up, she was like, okay, in the past, I was going to get, This luxury bag and take trips and things like that. But now she was like, okay, I'm tired of having this debt. Like I'm tired of being in a situation where I am making so much money.
I have nothing to show for it. Like something has to change. And she even went beyond things I told her, cause I'm never really going to tell anyone, go sell your bags and things like that. But she decided on her own. Cause she was so motivated and she was like, okay, I want this debt knocked out as quickly as possible.
Like I'm going to sell some of my luxury bags. Like I have a lot of them. They're just sitting around. So she began to, sell her bags and she just really began to get focused around her finances and put things into place so that she was no longer, having this great income and these great bonuses, nothing saved still in debt.
Just investing on her job at the minimum. Yeah. So that's one of my favorite stories because she just really like night and [00:36:00] day. Just really took what we, I was teaching her and put into place, but then even went even more intense, which I love. I'm an intense person when I start to do something and, even decided Hey, I'm going to.
Make even more sacrifices. And it's for a short time. Like she put these things in place so that she could clean up the mess. And then it's okay, now I can, she's back to enjoying life. Not to say she wasn't enjoying life, back to vacation. Some of those things she was doing before, cause I cleaned up this debt quickly.
I got my emergency fund in place. And then, now I'm going to, just continue walking out my investing and enjoying life.
Naseema: I love that, but I like that. She said you have to put a disclaimer sometimes people find these numbers intimidating when you share them. But it's all relative, right? Just because you have a high income doesn't mean you have a greater ability to reach financial freedom than somebody that has less of an income and I've been told.
Oh, you're not relatable because you don't make 30, 000 a year. I'm like. What part of my story do you think maybe you could take [00:37:00] and apply it to yours because it's the same concepts. It doesn't change because I might have more money. I bet you. I have a lot more bills too. So it's all relative.
So when people tell me, oh I can't really do that because, I don't make 200, 000 a year. You're already psyching yourself out of, like, all of the wins that you could have. And I know you work with people. Who are professionals and maybe are six figure earners But those aren't the only people who can reach financial freedom I know so many people who have reached financial freedom making twenty thirty thousand dollars a year Yeah
April: in a book I was reading, I don't know, I want to say it's a millionaire next door, but it talks about or everyday millionaire, but it talks about like millionaire status by salary and like in the top of the top five professionals of people that become millionaires, teachers I think lawyers managers Oh, [00:38:00] accountants. And I forget the fifth one, but people are surprised to see teachers in that list. and I'm big on quite really, really, really big on. It's not about how much you make. It's about what you do with it. Because I personally know people that, make great salaries. Their engineers, things like that have nothing to show for it.
But then, there's stories of teachers and And I don't know if I name accounts and if not, that was the other one. But yeah, people like that who, you may not think of Oh, there's a really big income, but they have achieved millionaire status. They have achieved, some levels of financial freedom, some levels of financial independence.
And it's because they are really good with really maximizing, the use of their salary and their work in a system is all about. And I think the, Thread that makes those people successful is that a lot of times they know how to work, a system they know how to, take a plan and implement it and walk it out.
I feel like that's the part that's important. It's not really the income so much, but it's about, [00:39:00] what you do with that income, like how much of it you keep, how you manage it and grow it. So yeah, I'm very big on, you could be a six figure earner or you could not, but there's still pop, that you could still achieve financial freedom.
You can, still build wealth either way.
Naseema: I love that. I love that. So April, if people want to work with you or just learn more about you, where can they find you?
April: So on Instagram, I'm at April the money coach pretty much everywhere. Same with my website. It is. dot com. And I actually have a resource that I love to share with people as my millionaire money checklist. So that gives you the key steps that I took to become a millionaire. It tells you some of the key things you should look at you should keep in mind as you're building wealth.
So it's like these key areas of your money. And, some things I call it a checklist because it's like, what kind of things can you check off in these key areas in terms of what you've done with money, or maybe what you haven't done yet that you need to do? And then also just basically how you can do that all while still not sacrificing your lifestyle.
You can [00:40:00] put a money plan in place that, Oh, allows you to enjoy your life along the way and not feel deprived. It's not about deprivation cause you're not going to stick with it. That's a powerful resource. I'm sure we can drop the link to it, but you can also grab the link in my bio on Instagram, April the money coach.
There's a link in my bio for the it's called my millionaire money checklist.
Naseema: Yeah, I definitely put that link in the show notes and yeah, so definitely check out April. She has a powerful platform. She's sharing all of this stuff before she quit her job before she started coaching full time. She's been in this space. I've known her for years and years and she's real. So I just, I love what you're doing.
I, especially wanted to share your story because I really feel like it's powerful and it's impactful. Just because it's. It's not click, baby, it's just doing X, the simple things and, just by doing those things, you became a millionaire in your thirties. And so you're an inspiration for me, and I know you're an inspiration for so many other [00:41:00] people.
I just appreciate the work that you're doing and anything that I can do to help spread the good word about you. I'm going to do, so I definitely appreciate you April
April: Thank you. I appreciate being with you today and I love your story. I know we've talked but yeah, all the great things you've done with, paying off your dad, building your wealth, building wealth, building your network for your children as well. Like it's very inspirational.
Naseema: Thank you. Thank you, girl. I couldn't have done it without friends like you,
April: yes.
Hey there I’m Naseema
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