From Clueless to Compounding
Ahh, 2018.
Generally a great year before the world went on pause…but not such a great one for my finances.
I was 32, happily engaged, planning a wedding, buying a house, paying rent, paying student loans, and regularly writing five-figure checks to keep it all moving. While I felt a lot of joy and excitement about everything ahead, there was also a little voice in the back of my head reminding me (loudly) that I was in deep shit.
At the time, I was making about $80k and working 50–60 hours a week in advertising production. I was building a new service offering at my company and fighting like hell to be paid appropriately for it. But working for a large agency with a holding company meant red tape and a lot of time spent being the squeaky wheel.
So I started researching what else I could do to make, save, and grow my quickly dwindling cash.
Naturally, I started with the internet and stumbled into a New York–based group called Ladies Get Paid. They had an open Slack channel filled with threads on money tips, career coaching, starting businesses - the works. People were openly talking about things I didn’t even know I should be thinking about.
Around the same time, I reached out to family members and asked some very personal questions about how they built sustainable wealth with or without a W-2 job. That led me to great books, better budgeting ideas, and a totally different way of thinking about money.
Then Ladies Get Paid announced an Austin meetup where I met Allegra Brantley, who just so happened to be launching a new finance group and was accepting applications. Something lit up for me. And when something lights up for me, I pay attention.
I applied, interviewed, and nervously paid $500 for the pilot course.
It changed my life - and my finances - forever.
That course introduced me to three primary investment areas: paper assets, real estate, and business ownership. I knew next to nothing about any of them. Allegra broke everything into digestible exercises and brought in guest speakers - young women actively investing and openly sharing what they’d learned.
Something in my brain chemistry shifted. I could suddenly see myself doing this: investing, making my money work for me, and building wealth for my now-husband Jeff and me.
I was hooked.
I started reading books, listening to podcasts, and waking up in the middle of the night with investing ideas I couldn’t shake. Within a year, I had some meaningful wins:
Moved our savings into a high-yield savings account
Started quarterly money meetings with Jeff to understand our true net worth
Learned what a 401(k) actually was and increased my contributions, lowering our tax bill by 2%*
Refinanced our primary residence and cut our rate by 1%
Aggressively paid off student loans with 7.8% interest
Bought a $210k rental property in Kyle once we had a down payment and started cash-flowing $600/month immediately
Negotiated a major salary increase after receiving (and being willing to take) a competing offer
Opened brokerage accounts and began dollar-cost averaging monthly
*I now max out a Roth 401(k), funded with after-tax dollars.
It took nearly five years to get out of debt and cross the seven-figure net-worth mark. That’s when compounding really started to feel real.
During that time, we also started a family, and our goals evolved. The world changed. Work changed. And I became more grateful than ever that we had committed to this money journey early.
A single W-2 income now feels like one of the riskiest financial positions you can be in. Companies aren’t loyal to employees - their only legal duty is to shareholders. So Jeff and I decided to be both.
Today, we’ve diversified across real estate cash flow and equity, stock dividends and capital gains, and small business investments we hope will pay off long-term. Angel investing has been a goal of mine since grad school, and being able to invest in women- and minority-owned businesses feels incredibly empowering.
We’re not fully financially independent yet. With two kids and everyday expenses, we still work for a paycheck. But we’ve been able to take our foot off the gas and redefine what “enough” looks like.
If one of us lost our job, we’d be okay - and that freedom has allowed me to take smarter risks, not fewer ones. Money, when understood, becomes a tool for security and empowerment.
That’s what I’m leaning into, and I hope you will too.
If you’re not sure where to start, check out Season 1, Episodes 3 and 4 of the Less Than Expert podcast, plus the resources below. And as Jamilia Souffrant says on Journey to Launch: keep on journeying, journeyers.
Recommended Reading
The Richest Man in Babylon — George S. Clason
A classic on timeless money principles told through simple parables.
Rich Dad Poor Dad — Robert T. Kiyosaki
A mindset-shifting introduction to assets, liabilities, and financial independence.
Your Money or Your Life — Vicki Robin & Joe Domínguez
A foundational book on aligning spending with values and redefining “enough.”
The Simple Path to Wealth — JL Collins
Straightforward, no-nonsense investing advice that makes the case for index funds and long-term thinking.
I Will Teach You to Be Rich — Ramit Sethi
Practical, modern guidance on money systems, spending guilt-free, and automating your finances.
The Millionaire Next Door — Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko
Research-backed insights into how everyday people actually build wealth.
The Intelligent Investor — Benjamin Graham
A classic deep dive into value investing and long-term discipline (dense, but foundational).
A Pocket Full of Happiness — Richard E. Grant
Not strictly a finance book, but a reminder that wealth and fulfillment aren’t the same thing.
Smart Women Finish Rich — David Bach
An empowering guide focused on helping women take control of their financial futures.
Money: Master the Game — Tony Robbins
Big-picture investing concepts distilled from interviews with top financial minds.
Recommended Podcasts
Women & Money
Started listening to this to hear what the retirees are up to. Stayed because the advice is for everyone, all the time.
Money Girl
Quick, digestible episodes answering specific money questions — great for beginners.
Money Rehab
Personal finance meets real life, with practical advice that doesn’t feel preachy.
WSJ Secrets of Wealthy Women
Insightful stories and strategies from high-earning and high-impact women.
Journey to Launch
Start with the early episodes, then jump around. The beginning of this show helped me truly understand 401ks and how to survive on one income.
Afford Anything
Focused on decision-making, tradeoffs, and designing a life you actually want.
BiggerPockets Money Podcast
A great resource for learning about real estate, investing strategies, and wealth building through assets.
The Money with Katie Show*
Officially ended in December 2025, but still worth listening to. Katie is now on Diabolical Lies, a paid subscription with deeper dives.