Episode 476: Redefining Success After Building Wealth & Navigating A New Season of Life w/ Tiffany “The Budgetnista”

Tiffany Aliche 0:02

When you're in this like Journey to launch the next thing, you have to be an amazing student. So I was asking all the questions, like, you know, I wasn't too proud to say, I don't know what about this and and then testing and testing and testing and seeing getting response from the market and going back, and I just kept going, No, was not an option. T minus

Speaker 1 0:21

10 seconds,

Intro 0:23

welcome to the journey to launch podcast with your host Jamila Souffrant as a money expert who walks her talk she helps brave journeyers like you get out of debt, save, invest and build real wealth. Join her on the journey to launch to financial freedom in

Speaker 2 0:41

54321,

Jamila Souffrant 0:50

if you want the episode show notes for this episode, go to journey to launch.com or click the description of wherever you're listening to this episode in the Show Notes, you'll get the transcribed version of the conversation, the links that we mentioned, and so much more. Also, whether you are an OG journeyer or brand new to the podcast, I've created a free jumpstart guide to help you on your financial freedom journey. It includes the top episodes to listen to, stages to go through to reach financial freedom resources and so much more. You can go to journey to launch.com/jumpstart to get your guide right now. Okay, let's hop into the episode. Hey, hey, hey, journeyers, welcome to the journey to launch podcast today I have on Tiffany, the budget, nista Alicia, who's been on the podcast before. I'll share those episodes in a bit. But she is, if you don't know, already, New York Times, Best Selling Author of get good with money and made whole, a NAACP Image Award nominated financial educator and creator of the get good with money club. She has had a Netflix show. She has hosted a PBS special. She's been in every publication you can think of, and she even has a law named after her, the budget needs to law mandating financial education to be taught in all middle schools in her home state of New Jersey. She's been on the podcast before, on episodes 209 back in 2021 and I know right episode 349, in 2023 so I feel like it's only fitting that you're back in 2026 to give us an update and to tell us all what's been going on with you. So welcome back to the podcast, Tiffany.

Tiffany Aliche 2:36

Thank you, Jamila and plus, we saw each other yesterday, which is so great.

Jamila Souffrant 2:40

Yes, so in real time. I mean, this will come out, like next week or a week after we saw each other, but we were at an event together yesterday before recording this, and it was talking to high school kids, which, you know, it's funny. So when I, when I was approached to do it, which we had a chance meeting, Raymond is the person who was a teacher at Brooklyn Tech, which is a high school in Brooklyn, actually, not too far from where I grew up. And when he reached out about it, you know, I always like to ask, who's all gonna be there? Like, you know, like, who's there? And then, you know, he was like, Well, you know, janelli from Miss be helpful, Tiffany the budget, Nissa. I was like, oh, word. I was like, so it was great being on the panel with you, because I just, I always tell you this in interviews, or whenever I see you, I just feel like you are such a warm light and presence and like who you are on social media and in what the public sees is who you truly are behind the scenes. I always give you props for a couple things. So one, I don't know if you knew this, but so you gave an endorsement for my hardcover book, and then the paperback for my book came out earlier this year. I know the paperback for your book came out,

Tiffany Aliche 3:49

yes,

Jamila Souffrant 3:50

and they put your endorsement on the front this time of the paperback. And you also sent me your full book proposal when we had a conversation about me thinking about writing a book, and I had to get a proposal together, so I just got to give you props, because you've been so helpful. And I know it's not just me. I know you do this with a lot of other people behind the scenes. So just thank you for being you and being so so helpful. No,

Jamila Souffrant 4:16

you're

Tiffany Aliche 4:16

welcome. You're welcome because I'm just like, I mean, I want to see us all win. And so if I have something that can be of use, then I'm like, do it, you know, I don't really believe in I mean, there's a little bit of a competitive sometimes. I'm like, okay, it gets me going a little bit, but not so much that wouldn't share a thing. Because I'm like, yeah, no, I want us to be in the race together so.

Jamila Souffrant 4:38

But I also think that helps model and show people what's possible. Because every time you do something that's like, groundbreaking or amazing, whether it's a Netflix show or hosting a special, I'm just like, like, look what's possible. And you know, really by just being yourself. So I just think it's just very encouraging to even not just me, I think tell other people, maybe not even just in the personal finance space, but. As entrepreneurs, if you want to see like, what it looks like to show up and like, just be yourself and have people gravitate to that, I would say, you know, if you're not following Tiffany, the budget needs to already do that, because you'll get to see what that looks like in real time.

Tiffany Aliche 5:13

Thank you. I appreciate that. Thank you. Yeah,

Jamila Souffrant 5:15

so All right, you know you are a preschool teacher in debt, living with your parents. I love it, because you talked about this a bit in your talk yesterday. And then you have, since, I don't know, a decade later, decades later, have grown into a

Tiffany Aliche 5:29

decade, decade No, I would say no, because I was 30. So, like, yeah, like, a decade and a half, yeah,

Jamila Souffrant 5:37

right, so. And then now, you know, a decade and a half later, you have grown a multi million dollar brand, but also a lot of other things have happened in that time. So can you just, like, give us, like, a quick almost rundown of, like, you know, you from preschool teacher to entrepreneur, and then we'll get into what you've been up to lately?

Tiffany Aliche 5:58

Yeah? So I Yeah, started off teaching preschool. I loved it, until I did it, and then my school closed during the recession because they lost their funding. They were nonprofit based, but I also victim of a credit card scam that left me in $35,000 worth of debt. I had just got my master's, 50 something $1,000 in debt, and I just bought a condo before all of that happened at 220,000 and then to find out I have no job and have basically, like $300,000 worth of debt, I moved back home with my parents. I was fortunate to be able to do so because I lived in Jersey, and they still live there. But I was 30, and I just remember feeling like a loser, if I'm being honest, and I started to rebuild from there, and as I rebuilt, because I learned personal finance at home, my dad was a CFO and an accountant, and my mom taught my four sisters. And I like approachable side of money, because she's raising five girls. Like, is how you get your hair done and your clothes and things like that. And my dad was like, the academic side, like, this is how you budget and your credit and debt. I started helping my friends because the recession hit all of us. And then one of my friends said, maybe you could turn this into a business. And social media was just starting to be less for school, like, so when Facebook first came out, you had to be in college. It was like a college tool, and so it was making the transition to everyone was allowed to join Facebook. So that's when, you know, like, I started posting, there was no Instagram, then Twitter might have just come out. Certainly, there was no Tiktok. So I started using social media to grow my reach of this financial education with just like, a tip a day. Then that led to speaking and engagements. And then, because I was a teacher, I started to develop educational tools like my my I had a literature challenge that I would do every year. Over 2 million women have taken that challenge since then, and it's just grown from, like, TV appearances. I mean, I just did the Today Show. I just take Kelly and mark a couple days ago to like, yes, Netflix, PBS, everything, the things I dreamed of, I surpassed it times 10 when I first started the budget usage Jamila, I honestly, I thought if I could just make $500 a month, that's what I wanted to close the gap for myself financially. And so now I've got four properties. You know, literally, I am a multi millionaire. Like, not just assets, like, it's, well, money is an asset too, but not just like, oh yes, my properties yes are add up to over a million dollars, but literally, I can look in my investment accounts and see multiple millions there. And so it feels surreal. I still don't really see myself as that. So there's nothing that I had on my if I could do this thing that I have not done. And so I'm in this, this transitional space, like literally launching journey. I'm on my journey to launch this new space for myself. Many of you have been, if you've been following for years, know that, like my husband, sadly, in 2021 passed away from a brain aneurysm. He was 41 and so it just happened, just like that. And so I think that was the beginning of the transition for me. You know, this year will make five years. But it kind of woke me up to say, is this it, you know, like I'm grateful, you know, so many blessings. But is there more than just budget needs to in store for me? And so I am on a journey to figure what that what that's going to look like,

Jamila Souffrant 9:20

and I would love to explore that more, because even, I mean, I've been in this game a lot less time than you and I, you know, I'm not gonna lie, sometimes I'm like, I'm just, I'm over talking about some of the same things, and I'm I'm finding myself in a position or just thinking about, like, what else is there? Like, what is next? Like, you don't have to be tied to just one thing that you built. So it's very interesting hearing you say this, because I always wonder, especially when people are super successful, and I know you took a break after your loss and but I always wonder, like, when I see you, I'm just like, you don't want to stop like you, I'm assuming you could. But what's driving you? Yeah,

Tiffany Aliche 10:00

I could, yes, well, I have enough money to stop. So a few things are driving me. So one, there was, like, some obligation stuff. So like, I'm so glad that the soft, the paperback version of my book get go with money came out. So it was a New York Times bestseller, eight weeks on the list, 400 almost 400,000 copies sold, like a really big hit. And so now it's more affordable, because now it's available in paperback. So that was kind of like a lingering thing that is like, Okay, you had to get done. But also, too, if I'm being honest, Jamila, my team largely looks like me. It's like 90% black women. And I serve like, like, I serve everyone. But if I look at my audience, it's like 70% black women. And so there is this part of me that is ready to kind of move on, but then there's another part of me that says I don't want the company to move on. So at first I thought, Do I want to shut budget nista down, if I'm being honest? And it just didn't sit right in my spirit. I was like, I feel like that's not it. And I don't think that it's it. I think that what it is is that the company continues to do the good work, but I'm not as face forward, if that makes sense, because at one point the budget needs to was like 80% me speaking and teaching and this and that, and then 70, and then 60. Now it's about 25% me speaking and teaching. So it's still this. It's an eight figure company. It's very profitable company that does good work, but now we're leaning more into contracts, because it's like, now I've hired people to write curriculum where I'm not just writing the curriculum myself and the trainings and the online school, I have teachers there. So you know, you don't be afraid that the budget needs is going anywhere. It's like, no, no, I'm still CEO. I'm still here, but I'm not what I call dancing for $1 because I enjoy dancing for $1 you know what I mean? Like, I liked being face forward. And it doesn't mean I'm not going to do speaking engagements anymore. I will, but I don't want to have to in order for the business to be here. And so I think you will see this transition from the budget needs to being like Tiffany to it being like the standalone brand that does the good work powered by my vision, because I'm still here, but I don't have to be on a stage or teach a class in order for it to run, because we're already doing that. Like, honestly, it probably doesn't. I don't know if it feels different to the outside, but like I said, 25% of it is me. I'm like, can I get down to 5% and then we have these series of contracts, you know? And so that part is exciting, because I was worried that, if I tried to pull back, would it all collapse. But I did a few things Jamila, that made it possible. One, I hired a great coo because I needed someone else in leadership to take over day to day, and it took a while to find the right person. His name is Dave. She's literally the only guy on the team. I always tell the team, we're the queens of the castle. Oh, and Devesh. We can do whatever we want, and so that's great, and that the vessel where I'm strong, he's not so strong. Like, I'm really personable, not to say the best is not personable, but you know, like, I know my strengths, which is, I connect, I'm personable, but where I'm not as strong, which is, like the day to day, the in and out, but the vest is very strong. So because of that, it runs beautifully, and the team had to vote on him. It wasn't like, and my vote was the same. It was all anonymous. I had our operations manager do an anonymous survey. Everyone voted. Everyone's vote was the same, and everyone he worked with us for like, four or five months. He was my business coach prior, so they knew him, so he wasn't a stranger, and he knew the business. And when I told the team, I need help in leadership. They were like, Nah, we'll help. I was because, you know, you're afraid of a shift. And I was like, No, I'm thinking about the vest. You're like, oh, okay, we like it. But still, now I said, Well, what if he does works with us in the capacity of COO for a few months, and then we vote, and honestly, if the voters know, then we just keep looking. But no, everybody voted yes. And so he's been a great addition. So that's given me some some space. And now I'm just asking myself, outside of budget, Lisa, what else would I like to do? And I know we mentioned this kind of like offline, but now I want to, because I want to use language that's clear. I'm writing a book about grief. It's called the gifts of grief, and nothing to do with money whatsoever. And it was hard for me to even acknowledge I wanted to do that, but it keeps coming up. Losing Jarrell was the hardest, you know, because my parents are still alive, my sisters are here. You know, I've lost grandparents, but that's different. You know, this is someone you wake up to every day, you sleep next to every night, you talk to regular, you know, like your person. And I was very much in love with my husband. I'm still in love with him. I probably love him even more now. And so for him to just be gone, like literally complaining of a headache on Monday and gone by Friday, it's like it still sometimes makes me be like, That's so crazy that my person is not here because I knew Jarrell since my early 20s. You know, so more than half my life I knew that man and the journey of grief has been terrible, beautiful, eye opening, the opportunity to grow mournful. It's like all. The emotions, and I want to write about it and how I'm navigating through it, because you navigate through it forever, to give people, maybe not necessarily a roadmap, but to do for me what my friend Bosma. So I have a friend, Bozeman, St John. Some of y'all might know her because she's like on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but honestly, bozma is a powerhouse. She's like, one of the most powerful people in marketing. She was cmo for Netflix, for Uber, for Papa John's for, like, just, she's a badass, literally, her name on Instagram is badass, Bose and the kindest, nicest, most generous person you'll ever meet. And so bozeman's husband sadly passed away a few years before Jarrell. And so when Jarrell was in the hospital, not doing well the week that he passed, she would call me, like every day, and she was the only person I in the sea that I wanted to hear from, because everyone else I get it so sorry. You know, maybe it's God's will, whatever it is that they were saying. I'm like, I don't want to hear from anybody else. But because she lost her husband, there was a perspective there that I was like, Okay. And something she said to me that like was so helpful. I remember I asked her one time, like, after Jamila passed away, had been some months. She used to call me, like, every day, then weekly, then monthly, you know. And now we still talk, but not as much, because she realized I needed it. And she I asked her one day, because Bozeman is so full of light and love and happy and joyous. And I remember asking her, will I ever laugh again? And she said, Yes, when something is really funny. I'll never forget that, because a year later, after jail passing, I was talking to my best friend Linda, and she said something, I know Linda literally since birth, because her parents were friends. And Linda said something that, oh, like, oh, like, you know only like your best friend with your inside jokes. And I laughed. And I remember thinking it shocked me, because it was so unfamiliar to me. And I thought, Bosma is right, you know, like it was a little she was the light at the end of this grief tunnel. And that's what I want gift of grief to be, to be the Bozeman for other people that like, if you're in the muck of it right now, I get it. You're gonna be in the muck for a while, but I want you to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel that you will laugh again, that there's joy to be had. It will not diminish the hurt and the pain, but it will add to the addition. You'll have additional feelings to feel. It won't just be the darkness, you know. And so that's why I want to write it. Maybe nobody will buy it. I don't even care. I just It won't let me rest. And so I need to get it up and out of me. And I just want to share that gift with the world. So that is one of the journeys that I'm on, to launch that side of myself, you know. Yeah,

Jamila Souffrant 17:37

right now, do you feel with now? You just exploring and being creative with this, like, I wouldn't say, like, new new lane or new topic, right? But you've been known for money and finance and, I mean, but there's obviously so many more parts of you, yeah, that strangers or people on the internet don't see. And now you are expressing and kind of, and you've always been vulnerable about the grief journey too. I feel like online, especially on anniversaries, like I always see you, post and talk about that, but now, with this transition, or this feeling of okay, I think I want to step away or pause, or even pull back a little bit more from one thing to another. Can we talk about what allows you to do that so and because I'm thinking about other people who are doing something, and maybe it's fine, but there's something else that's calling them. You see how you said, it won't let you rest. And I think the beauty of your situation is you have enough like resources that you can say, Okay, I am gonna follow this. And then I think about all the other people who are listening or who are not in the position where something is calling them, but they don't have the stability or finances to step away completely or a little bit from that, and it's taking up majority of their time. So can't we talk about what that looks like to build the stability or to do it alongside and is it possible like to follow your calling, but still being held to something else

Tiffany Aliche 19:03

Absolutely. Because the thing is, yes, I get to be this Tiffany, but I've had this calling before. That's why I recognized it. It was when I was teaching preschool I was being called to this budget niece. I didn't know that's what it was called. I didn't know what it was, but, and I didn't have any money, if anything, I had negative money. So I know the side I like I get to launch this part of my life with resources, but before I launched with negative resources, and so I'll talk about what it looks like to launch with negative resources first, right, which was I had to make my life as financially small as possible, to just conserve resources. So I remember, I moved in with my sister for a little while after my parents, and then a friend of mine was a teacher as well, and she said there's basically like that teacher house in Newark. And so the I remember when I started the budgetista, I thought, if I can make 500 bucks a month, because that's how much rent was because, but it was a room. Room. You know, I was renting a room, and it was like, it was like four other teachers, women, who are all each renting a room for 500 bucks. And so I remember, I had this old car that I would only drive absolutely when necessary. I did a lot of walking, a lot of public transportation. I, you know, I learned to do my own locks because I had to, I mean, YouTube University. I was like, because I don't have any money to pay the $100 to get them done. It was a lot of communal like, tapping into my community, you know, like, I can't afford to live by myself, you know, I have to use public transportation. And honestly, there was times where I couldn't even afford the regular bills. Like, there would be times when I just had to call my bill collectors and debt collectors and say I don't have it. So what you want to do, you know, what? I don't got it. And I would set aside the money for the things I absolutely must have, or else I'd be hungry or homeless. And even then, the hungry part, man, I was a queen of going to different events that I knew was gonna have food that were free. I'm like, Oh, the library's having an event. I don't gotta have appetizers. Okay? You know. And so that might be kind of extreme, because, you know, I was younger then I was like, but still I was in I was like, 30, so it wasn't like I was a baby, but there was a lot of cutting all the non necessities out, and even some of the necessities negotiating with debt collectors and bill collectors. That's when I learned about cease and desist letters, because they were calling me like crazy. And I was like, This is crazy. And so I looked it up. One of my friends was a bankruptcy attorney. He was like, you know, they don't have to call you Tiffany. I'm like, Well, yeah, because like, Oh, he's like, no, no, they you want them to communicate. It doesn't have to be a call. You can send them a cease and desist letter, which I found online. I googled it and said, Here's how you can communicate with me via email and letter. No more phone calls. And by law, they have to stop. And they did as a result, because, literally, they could pay hundreds of dollars per instance after because he's the one who told me he was like this, I'll make my money. Girl, if they break the law every time they have that phone call, we could get money and for every phone call, for every time they contact you in a way that you told them not to, because you have the proof that you sent them to tell them not to. So these are the kind of things. That's what it looked like. And honestly, it looked like putting everything into it. I remember, I mean, I worked seven days a week for my when I started the budget nista. I mean, I was asking every question, reading so many books. Podcasts weren't really a thing back then, but, like, books, going to all the networking events I can remember when I self published my first book, The one week budget, like I remember I was at like, one of my nieces or nephews, whatever, they had a career day at school, and, man, there was an author there. I waited in line with the kids to talk to him. That was like, I'm next. I said, So, because he had self published. And he told me, in the talk with the kids. He was telling the kids he sells a few 100 copies a week. I waited in line to say, I self published. My book is not selling. It sold 100 copies the first month, or whatever, and then after that, nothing. It's been months. What am I doing wrong? And he was like, so he was like, okay, he told me, email me. And I did. He's like, he was really busy because he was on tour for his book, and I didn't get to speak to him for months, but he gave me the best piece of advice that totally transformed the way my book started selling. He told me, at the time, ebooks were a new thing, and so he said, let me see how much your book is priced. The one week budget at the time, I think it was priced at like $12 something like that. And he said, Okay, how much is the ebook price? I said, $8 he said, That's too high. I said, That's not too high. It's the same book. You know, $8 is fair. He said, Okay, let's go on Amazon. So we went on Amazon, and he said, What are the like? I didn't even know Amazon had categories. He was like, let's look at your category, budgeting and money. I said, Okay. He said, who was in those categories? It was like, Dave Ramsey, Susie Orman, the usual, like, the same people now, you know, so I'm looking he said, Look at the top five books. How much is the ebook? They were 399, 499, that's not so now, but it was then. And I was like, why are they selling the book so cheap? He said, because that's what the market will bear. The market has said we're not paying $8 for a virtual book. They said we're paying $3 so you think you beat in Suzy and Dave with your $8 book? I was like, ah. And so I went on in I remember, I went on Facebook and said, Hey, I'm having a birthday sale, because around my birthday, my ebook is, you know, this $12 book is now going to be 3099 cents. So I priced it $1 under what Dave and Susie and all the rest of people were doing. And then it started selling and selling and selling. I was like, what it's been 15 years, and the book is still on sale for 399, and so but, but I was learning that's the thing, when you're in this like Journey to launch the next thing, you have to be an amazing student. So I was asking all the questions, like, you know, I wasn't too proud to say, I don't know what about this and and then testing and testing, and testing and seeing, getting response from the market and going back. And so that's what it looked like then, and I just kept going, No, was not an option. It took. It wasn't quick. It took me four or five years since starting the budget needs to about five years before I replaced my preschool teacher income, because by my last year teaching preschool, I was making about. $50,000 a year that included tutoring after school program and teaching. So about 50,000 and then year five, I want to say in budget, nista, I made 150,000 gross, but my take home was 50 after I paid the taxes and the bills. So it took me five years to get to I know everybody now makes like 2 million the first week. I'm like, whatever girl they lying. So it took me five years just to make my 50 back. And I was like, Dang all of that for all this work. But then it took me two years after that to make my first million in business, and then about a year and a half after that to make my first 10 million in business in a year. And so because I realized that success is cumulative, the knowledge it's compounding on top of each other, right?

Jamila Souffrant 25:44

Like money, yes, money, you invest, yes,

Tiffany Aliche 25:46

exactly. So that's what it looked like to do it with no money, with actually, negative money. And now that I have created wealth for myself where, technically, really, I don't have to work anymore. And I really, as long as I keep my lifestyle the same, I wouldn't have to work anymore. In some ways, it's a little harder in some ways, only because, not that I don't have that dog in me, but I don't need to, you know they mean, because it's not like, Girl, how we gonna pay these bills? So I'm kind of like, floating where I'm like, I don't know, like, even this book, I've been talking about it forever. I'm like, Tiffany, when are you gonna write it? Because I've been like, I have like, my notes app is filled with like, pages and pages, but I haven't got to it, because it's not like, you know what? I mean, it's not like you won't eat unless this book comes out

Jamila Souffrant 26:26

right, because you're in a more comfortable position. And I felt the same way that, like, when I first started journey to launch on the side of working full time, like you said, I had that dog in me, like I was, like, so proud. Like it was like, I was doing five days, because I have my commute, like, especially when I remember pumping and driving like I was so efficient. Yeah, and I get to work, I do my work, but then I work it on the side. Then I'll be doing interviews at lunch, like I was doing so much because I and something I wanted to bring up that being comfortable, like, it's so funny, people want to get out of the uncomfortable stage, especially when you know they don't have the finances, and maybe they are in the negative, and it's it doesn't feel good. But the thing about that where that will push you when you're ready, though, to do the most and to get yourself out of that position. Because sometimes when you get to that comfortable spot, I my case, it's easier to coast, which is not a bad thing, but the coasting and you, I think you accept a bit more sometimes when you're comfortable than you want to and should, because you're financially comfortable, or things are okay. And so it's a fine line to walk between, yes, rest you deserve, the rest you deserve, things not to be chaotic, but you might realize that you're not as motivated, and that might eat away at maybe some things about you, because you're used to doing things,

Tiffany Aliche 27:48

yes, because I used to be what, I mean, a beast, okay, you could, I mean, it was like seven days a week. I got it. I'm doing this. I'm doing that to the phone call. I mean, I look back at that Tiffany, I'm like, Girl, how did you manage, you know, but I'm proud of her, because she did like and honestly, I'll say this, during that time I was enjoying it. It wasn't, although it was like a lot, I was enjoying it. And when I realized it was time to stop navigating from that place when I was not enjoying it, and then all of a sudden, it was causing stress, because I wonder why wasn't I not that I wasn't stressed then. But it was a diff. There's there's stress that motivates and there's stress that, like, kills, essentially, and so maybe, like, the first half of the budget needs to it was like, Go, girl, go. And then the second half something shifted where I did not know how to shift from you don't have to work like this. Tiffany and my I call it my inside, Tiffany, outside, Tiffany, were incongruous, incongruent with each other, right? And so as a result, like, I was, like, I had gained like, 30 pounds. I was like, my face was breaking down. My blood pressure was spiking. I couldn't understand. It's because I was fractured internally. It wasn't the work, because working hard in itself doesn't have to necessarily be stressful if it aligns with how you want to navigate on the inside,

Jamila Souffrant 29:10

right?

Tiffany Aliche 29:10

But my outside was doing it, but my inside was like, no. So I became like two different Tiffany's, and the further away became, the worse I felt, and I couldn't put my finger on it. And you know, it's one of the gifts of grief, if you will, that like I got. Because one of the ways I was able to navigate and manage all of that when I wasn't aligned with myself internally, was that my husband was so great, like home was so good, although work didn't quite fit what I wanted it to be, I could manage because I was like, Girl, I'm happy. I come home. He's maybe made dinner. We talk on the cows, we hang out. You know, it was but when Jarrell passed away, I didn't have the balance anymore. All I had was the overwork. And then I was like, literally, my back went out. My blood pressure stayed spike. I'm talking about 160 over 100 I'm talking about go to the hospital, blood pressure. I mean, I was like, what's happening? Happening, Tiffany, and it took me a while through therapy to realize your balance is gone. And so one of the gifts that grief got me or gave me was is forcing me to fix what I should have been fixed, even when Jarrell was here. You know what? I mean, it's like. So now I'm like, no, no, no, no. So I my inside and outside, Tiffany are not quite one yet, but damn near close, like even today, right? Jamila, I almost didn't I, because you I don't work on Wednesdays, and so when I saw us on Wednesdays, I was like, Why do I have a podcast on Wednesdays? And so we had email to say, Let's reschedule it, because I had therapy on Wednesdays. And so my therapist, thankfully was able to reschedule. But I was fine with being like, I'm just gonna have to find another day. Because my inside voice was like, you usually take Wednesdays off so you can rest and relax. And so if that's what you need to do, then reschedule. I had my admin actually emailed and then, but then I saw you yesterday, and I was like, You know what? You know? Like, one thing I've learned through therapy too is that you don't have to be so strict with the rule. The rule is, what do you want to do?

Jamila Souffrant 31:04

Right?

Tiffany Aliche 31:04

Not I don't work on Wednesdays, you know what I mean? I said, Well, I saw Jamila. That's my home girl. I was like, Girl, Tiffany, you gonna have a Kiki? It's light, you know what I mean. This is not like, hello. This is Tiffany from CNN. You know what I mean. So I was like, You know what? I took it as a sign. And so I always enjoy you. So I said, No, if you want to do it, do it. But I was proud of myself. I said, What do you want to do? Tiffany, not what do you feel like you have to do? And I wanted to be here, so I'm here. And so that's the difference that I think the money has given me, that I don't have that dog on me. I don't need it. So I have to pull my motivation from someplace else, but also I get to do more what I actually want to do, if that means moving slower. Okay,

Jamila Souffrant 31:48

yeah, that's okay. And like you talked about the two Tiffany's, and it's almost like, you know the saying, where what gets you here won't get you there. And so you needed that. Like we needed those versions of ourselves, and we all have that right, like what helped us survive our childhood and get through certain situations and but we don't need to be those same people in the next phase of our journey. And maybe it's not a dog anymore. It's a little puppy. Maybe the dog is like resting. It might come out. It should need be for something that you can't help but to answer the call to. And I think that's important. Because, like you said, I think we all have callings and feelings and intuition and like, a guidance system within us. And sometimes our circumstances don't allow us to fully, you know, pursue them. And then sometimes you can't deny the calling. So whether you don't have the resources, like you figure out how to make it work, versus, you know, hopefully you're in a better stable position, and you can make the dreams come true, or put the work in to make it happen.

Tiffany Aliche 32:47

Yeah, I feel like, I think, like, there's nothing wasted. So if you're in the beginning and you're struggling, whatever, there's a beauty in that, like, lean in. Use that motivation to push you forward exponentially, you know. And then if you're in a place where that's not so, okay, lean back, use the rest of relaxation to get connected to yourself. So you get to achieve success on terms that fit where you want to be. So there's beauty in both. I'm glad for that Tiffany, but I'm also really grateful for the Tiffany I am now,

Jamila Souffrant 33:14

right? And the unknown, right? Like you don't know what's really next.

Tiffany Aliche 33:18

No, I don't.

Jamila Souffrant 33:22

Hey, journeyers, if you are loving this podcast, then you will love my book, Your journey to financial freedom, a step by step guide to achieving wealth and happiness. I wrote this book for you. This book is for you. If you want a clear and enjoyable path to having more money options and a rich life. This book is for you. If you hate your commute and the fact that you need to seek approval or permission from a boss, I hated that when I worked this book is for you. If you weren't born into wealth, you didn't marry rich or won the lottery, but you still want freedom. This book is for you if you're at a crossroads, a major decision or event is imminent. Maybe a career change, marriage, starting a family, pressures are reaching a tipping point, and the discomfort and the desire for more can no longer be ignored, and this book is for you. If you find yourself zoned out at meetings, looking out the window or daydreaming about the life you truly want. So go pick up your journey to financial freedom.com. So I can show you how to map out how to get from where you are today to where you ultimately want to be. And enjoy the journey while you're on the path, head over to your journey to financial freedom.com. To see where you can pick the book up. It's available on Amazon, bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble, your local bookstore everywhere go to your journey to financial freedom.com to get the book. Now, I told Tiffany the story. We're at the school Brooklyn Tech, which is like one of the standardized or specialized high schools in New York City. There's believe for them. I. Where you have to take a test to get in. So, like, the brightest and smartest kids, like, they get high scores when they take this test, and then they go there. And I remember joking with Tiffany yesterday that I scored when I was in about to go to high school. I scored right under, like the cutoff point to make it to go to Brooklyn Tech. And I live not too far from Brooklyn Tech at the time, and they said, Oh, you can come to summer school. And if you come into summer school, then you can come in, you know, and go. And I was just like, I remember telling my mom, like, I'm not doing that. I retold the story to my mom yesterday, and she was like, Yeah, you told me that if you couldn't get in the right way, or if the you did, they didn't accept you for who you were, then you were good. I'll just like, so I ended up going to a different school. And I say all that to say when we talk about the unknown and who we are, like, I thought back to, how did I know? Because there's some I do that now to this day, where I feel like, all right, if it's not gonna if it's too hard or it doesn't feel good, like I'll work when it's hard, when it feels good, but if it doesn't feel good, or something stopping me, I just have this thing where I'm not doing it. So if you thought back to the things where you did that, like as a Tiffany who was in this unknown space, but it worked out, or you made these decisions, and at the time you didn't understand it. And I'm now thinking back to Jamila, like at 14, how did you or 13? How were you so bold to make that decision, right or wrong? You know, because I feel like I'm fine where I landed up, but I think going back to realizing that you were okay, or you made the choices you made got you to where you are can help, maybe give some confidence in people, because you do have it. You do have something inside of you that that has allowed you to show up still and be alive, and so trusting that whereas when you things are unknown, it's not so scary, like, trust that things will work out, because they've always worked out for you.

Tiffany Aliche 36:44

Yes, and that's why I tried to remind myself, Tiffany, when you were like, they're homeless with, like, No, you know, after teaching preschool, and you didn't have a place to say, if not for your parents, it worked out. You know, when you started the budget nista and you had no business acumen or whatever, you didn't know how to do anything, it worked out. And when you had to start to hire people for your team and things, it worked out when I bought out my business partner. I had a business partner, not in the budget needs to, but in my online school that we now call the kicker with money club, that, like, I was scared to buy him out because he was like the business behind the business. But, you know, he had these other dreams that he want to get to, to get to. And so I bought him out. It was a seven figure buyout, and I was scared. I was like, what we gonna do without him? But it worked out. I've tried to remind myself that even if it doesn't look like it's working out in the moment, it is working out in the lifetime. And so like, for those who are navigating like, you know, like, I mean, if it's not working out now, it is working itself out. Like, sometimes not working out currently, is the part of the workout. You know what? I mean? It's like the first iteration. It's like, oh, you know the first iteration of the book. I have to, you know, there's going to be rewrites, but you have to get something down on paper. And I think a lot of people never achieve whatever it is they set their mind to. Is because they never get the initial the initial draft out, because they want the initial draft to be perfect,

Jamila Souffrant 38:06

right? Because they're so scared, right?

Tiffany Aliche 38:08

Yeah. It's like, get the first draft out and then work on it.

Jamila Souffrant 38:11

Yeah. You know one thing, one through line that I'm seeing you actually mentioned, and then I'm thinking about, kind of from the outside that I see, looking in for what you've built online, or just what I see is that you have built partnerships and community and people like you have, whether it's a team or like you said, you had a business partner with your the old online business. You just hired a COO. You said that like I know that you had the podcast brown ambition with Mandy. And so I see you, you yourself could have, and you tell me, if I'm wrong, maybe have done and grown this way on your own, but maybe not. But I'm seeing a skill or a something about you in which you're able to maybe partner and identify people that you can work with and potentially trust, and I'm not. Maybe you have been, you know, things have not always worked out with partners that we don't know about. But can we talk about that a little bit? Because I do find that, especially like, for like women, black women, like, there's this idea of, I'll just do it myself, like or not trusting people. Maybe I'll speak for myself, right? It's just like, this level of, I don't know, like you always think, like, what's Yeah, they're nice, but what's that? What are their ulterior motives? So can you talk about your ability to find people to trust, or to create these partnerships that seem to have taken you to the next level in your career, in life, maybe.

Tiffany Aliche 39:37

And yeah, I've definitely had people who did me dirty. I'm like, Oh, you caught that. Better be glad I don't use my hands. So I've definitely been playing out a number of times. But in general, I've always been a really trusting person. I start, you start at 100 with me, and then you just work your way back. One of my sisters is the opposite. You start at zero and you work your way up. So that's just like my natural nature is like everybody. So great, wait, what? And then another thing that I think is just my natural tendency is I give people a lot of grace, like, you have to do me dirty, dirty for me. Like, and that's happened a few times when I'm like, Oh, okay. Like, and, you know, before I really am like, Oh, it's over for you. Like, you know, we don't even speak in public. It's only like, maybe two or three people that, like, are in that space. Because most people, I'm like, Yeah, you know, time. You're like, Oh, hey, what's up? We're not besties, but I didn't kick your puppy. You didn't kick mine. So we good. But I will say that one of my skill sets is people. I didn't know that, but I was the kid that talked too much in class. I'm a yapper. Me and Natalie. We were giggling because I was like, see, that's my little soul, soul partner, because we were both, but that yappiness is one of because I really love to connect. I'm like, Oh my God, what's going on with you? Like when you were telling me you were gonna write your book, I'm like, Oh, I got a tool for you. And so for me, there is a lot of joy in giving and connecting and helping, and so as a result, for the most part, I attract good people back. As a result, you know, like I'm the kid that brings the basketball to the court and the toys and the this and I'm willing to play and share. And certainly you'll get some kids that'll break your toy, and you'll get some kids that won't share theirs. But typically people respond in kind, Oh, Tiffany always brings her toys, so I'm gonna bring mine next time, you know, and so that's what I'm finding, that like they're energetically, there's a karmic energy of, because I'm a giver, I also get to receive handsomely, you know, even people who sometimes would normally not. I noticed that once they realize it's genuine, they will shift. For me in particular, because I've seen it. They're like, You got such and such dude. I'm like, yeah, that's my homie. They're like, girl, she's mean. I'm like, she is but I know why, yes, but I'll say this is because, also too, the teacher in me sometimes can see the preschooler in you. I'm like, I see why she's so mean and nasty, because her job puts a lot on her, and so I give a lot of grace. And when people push up against they realize, Oh, Tiffany, ain't going nowhere, even though I'm trying to push her away. Her happy go lucky. Ass is still here. So then they're like, fine. They let go of that, that, you know, that hard, hard adder show, I'm really good at that, and it took me, in the beginning, I was doing everything myself, and certainly I could have grown the budget and grown the budget needs to myself, maybe not to, you know, $10 million or whatever, but certainly like speaking, teaching, all that, I could just do myself. And I probably would be like a still, seven figures, maybe just seven, like, you know, a million or two or whatever, but I would have been exhausted. But early on, there was a few people that I brought on to kind of help me that didn't work out. You know, that did take advantage. But my superpower is not letting that poison the next thought for the next person, because I want to say the first two people that I brought on, one in particular, it was like a terrible fallout. She locked me out of some of the things that we had created that weren't hers to lock me out of it was terrible. But even then, even now, like, we cool, like, which is crazy, but, you know, I'm like, whatever, you know, like, it's working out for me. So, yeah, I just say that there's so many reasons to be untrusting of people and to be and I get it, but I just don't want to live with that energy. You know, I'd rather be a little delusional. Honestly. Yeah.

Jamila Souffrant 43:24

No, I love that. I think that vulnerability and the risk, it's almost like, if we relate this back to, you know, finance, not that. I think we both kind of advocate for, like, taking calculated risk and not being, like, too risky, yeah, but I do think there is a level, even when it's starting your business, quitting your job, there is a level of risk you take to do something different, to get a different result, and to gain rewards bigger than, you know, the average person sees, because they're not taking that risk. And I do believe, like, I am a believer in community, and like, I'm not as trusting to like everyone, but I have people where it's just like, I'm locked in for like years, like it's like a deep love, and you know, whether it's like people I work with or relationships and friends, but it's so important on this life journey, even when we're bringing we're trying to figure out what we want to do, and like we're stepping into new stages of our life, or maybe we need to change careers or build businesses, To be vulnerable, to take the risk, right to trust and to because that, to me, is like, how you do get the opportunities, and you do get, like, Oh, I didn't even know, like, you were interested in that, but like, we're cool. I'm telling you about this. Like, so I think it's well worth it, even if you've been burned or hurt before. Because, like, this is the way, this is life. This is how we communicate with each other and live together.

Tiffany Aliche 44:42

Because even yesterday, when I was sitting there, I was talking to janelli, she was like, Oh, girl, here's some grants you should think about. And I'm like, Oh, thank you so much. And I was sitting next to this other woman from the Department of Education. We literally in our seats, we created a partnership where I'm going to be doing something with the Department of Education. Because I was just key keying with a sister next to me. I. While, you know, like, at this kid conference, Finn, you know, Fin lit kid conference. And so I have too many instances where people are good so, you know, in the off chance someone doesn't show up, like that, I'm, like, it's, I considered a one off, not a standard. That's what I'm really good at. Be like, Ah, that's a one off, you know, that's not a standard. Or like, and maybe, you know, like, people have hard times, you know, maybe something happened. It has nothing to do with me. Yeah. So I like, I think if you I tell us to like Alyssa, my daughter, my stepdaughter, all the time, because she's like, dating now, whatever. And she went, well, like this guy, this guy. I'm like, Alyssa. Remember if, if you want good, you got to be good, you know, if you're in a relationship, because she's a real cute girl, super chocolate, pretty, like, just everything tea, okay? And so I'm just like, I know all these little boys be liking you or whatever girl, but if you're saying this one is your boyfriend, then I don't want to see this other one. Because if you want good, you have to be good, you know. And but that's just a life in general. You know? My remember, my remember, my dad used to tell me that he would be like, if I was trying to sneak and not do my homework. He's like, look, I already graduated with all my grades. If you sneak it, don't learn it, well, then you won't know it. And then when you need it, you got to be like, I wish I should have done my homework, because I don't understand what's going on this test. And then that test is something that I'm going to use in real life. You don't cheat anyone but yourself. That's he would always say, you're only cheating yourself. And so I used to even ask, because I, like, I said, my husband was so great. I mean, he was just such an amazing man. He was, like, the black Mr. Rogers. He knew every neighbor, every kid, like, if you were 10 years old and like, your dad wasn't around, because at one point we lived in a kind of a rough area in Newark and with a lot of kids who didn't have both parents around. If he noticed that, he would like, literally collect bikes. And he would like, basically build you and clean you up a bike. And then all the kids knew when their grades came out, they could come to our back door. If you got an A, you got like, $10 you got a B, you got $5 per grade. And some kids would even come. And I guess he knows some some kids didn't have enough food to eat, so they would knock and say, Mr. Jarrell said that, like, you know, you made dinner. I'm like, what? I'm like, Well, you have his plate, but like, a good man. And I remember asking Dr green, my therapist, how, how do I get a Jarrell? Even when he was here, I remember, I was like, how did I get a Jarrell? She said, Because you're a Tiffany. And I was like, she's like, you don't think Jarrell is asking himself, dang, how did I get a Tiffany? And so in life, I want to show up as like a Tiffany, meaning the best version of myself, so I can get other jarrells, the best version of other people, right? So the teacher in me is really good at pulling out the best version in students, like, Yeah, I know jahim acts up for you, but not in my classroom, because I love on him. He knows I care about him. I'm vulnerable with him. I ask nicely. And so therefore, for the most part, I really get the best out of people. And I think ultimately, the connection like you strip away all the things that made us who we are, like our soul, our connection, you know, we're just like all like little, like you said, preschoolers running around trying to like, you know, figure out how to share and

Jamila Souffrant 48:01

keep

Jamila Souffrant 48:01

our things

Jamila Souffrant 48:02

and

Jamila Souffrant 48:02

live our life and be at recess instead of having to sit down in the class, right? And I think that's the beauty of life, right? Like money is a tool that hopefully we get good at enough to give us the lives we want. And so I know your work is helping people do that. So please tell everyone where they can follow you find your latest paperback book and anything else you want to share.

Tiffany Aliche 48:24

So, yeah, I am the budget Nissan, all the platforms. I'm on LinkedIn as Tiffany Alicia, but the budget needs to will bring me up to Instagram, Tiktok, YouTube and my book. Get good with money. Yes, it's available everywhere. Barnes and Noble all online you can go to get good with money.com because every month we highlight a small, typically women owned or or black owned bookstore that you could purchase the book from. But it's available like, literally, if you go into like Barnes and Nobles, you'll see it on the shelves next to journey to financial freedom. I remember the first time Jamila I saw at the airport.

Intro 49:00

I was like, so crazy.

Jamila Souffrant 49:03

It is,

Tiffany Aliche 49:03

I want to say I was in Dallas or something. And I was like, I may have even text you, because I know I took a picture of it. And I just was like, it's crazy that. Like, I know people like, at the bookstore,

Jamila Souffrant 49:15

it's so crazy to me. I'm just like, Who me? I was like, Okay,

Tiffany Aliche 49:18

it's amazing. And so yeah, get go with money.com if you're looking for a place to purchase the book. But yeah, and the 10 steps, so inside the book, it's 10 Simple steps to becoming financially whole. I get to live the life that I live now as a result of those 10 Steps, because I am fully financially whole. And so I get to make this transition, not like the first one, in deep debt, but from a place of empowerment, and I want that for you too. So

Jamila Souffrant 49:44

yes, oh my gosh, I love all of this, Tiffany, thank you so much for coming on the show as always.

Tiffany Aliche 49:49

Thank you for having me.

Jamila Souffrant 49:51

Yeah, it's been a pleasure, and we will link all of that in the episode show notes. Thanks again, Tiffany,

Tiffany Aliche 49:56

thank you.

Jamila Souffrant 49:57

Don't forget you can get the episode show notes for. This episode by going to journey to launch.com or click the description of wherever you're listening to this and you can still grab your jumpstart guide for free to help you on your journey to financial freedom by going to journey to launch.com/jumpstart if you want to support me and the podcast and love the free content and information that you get here. Here are four ways that you can support me in the show. One, make sure you're subscribed to the podcast wherever you listen, whether that's Apple podcasts, that purple app on your phone, your Android device, YouTube, Spotify, wherever it is that you happen to listen, just subscribe so you are not missing an episode. And if you're happening to listen to this in Apple podcasts, rate review and subscribe there. I appreciate and read every single review. Number two, follow me on my social media accounts. I'm at journey to launch on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and I love, love, love interacting with journeyers. There three, support and check out the sponsors of this show. If you hear something that interests you. Sponsors are the main ways we keep the podcast lights on here, so show them some love for supporting your girl four. And last but not least, share this episode, this podcast, with a friend or family member or co worker so that we can spread the message of Journey to launch. All right, that's it until next week. Keep on journeying. Journeyers. You.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai