See Jane Write

The See Jane Write member of the month for October is personal finance blogger Tracie Threadford.

Tracie is a member of the See Jane Write Mastermind program and is one of those clients that blog coaches love to have. Tracie signed up for the program because she wanted help with relaunching her blog and help with turning that blog into a business. Tracie loves makeup but she also has a passion for helping others improve their personal finance. I encouraged Tracie to find a way to combine those two interests and she did just that, dubbing herself as your “Money Makeup Artist.”  This is why Tracie is a dream client —  she works so hard and when I give Tracie advice, from the smallest tip to the most challenging assignments, she takes my suggestions and runs with them. (She is also hilarious and I spend half of our sessions together laughing hysterically at something she’s said.)

Read on to learn more about Tracie, her blog, and how she plans to give you a money makeover.

Tell us about your blog and the products and services you hope to offer readers in the future.

My blog is a personal finance blog. I offer tips and advice on cleaning your credit and living a frugal lifestyle. Right now I am working on my signature program, Pretty Money: Total Money Makeover. This program will teach basic budgeting concepts that anyone can use. In the future, I hope to offer my readers courses on investing, cleaning their credit and a short course on frugal living. My goal is to empower the family unit to create sustainable wealth for generations to come. I also plan to host a financial seminar in January of 2016. It will encompass finance and tax advice. Through my business, GlamPowerment Enterprises LLC, I aspire to do community outreach to low-income families and help them change their financial situation for the better.

How did you get interested in personal finance?

I became interested in finance after I became totally broke with no options other than to declare total bankruptcy. I grew up in home where I was taught basic financial principles but when I became an adult I strayed away. After declaring bankruptcy, I felt really low as a mother, a woman, a wife, and a person. I felt as if I had somehow failed. I vowed that I would not let the poverty mindset stick, that I would not wallow in shame and brokenness. I vowed that I would implement all the knowledge I had been taught and study to gain more knowledge so that I could change the trajectory of mine and my family’s future.

You have a clever way of combining your interest in finance with your love of makeup. What tips would you give to other bloggers looking for ways to marry two interests that seem completely unrelated?

I would tell other bloggers to take a look at all of their interests, their passions, and see what meshes, what goes together. I would tell them to just do what comes natural to them and see what comes out of it. I had to “makeover” my finances so that just came natural to me with makeup, because in the makeup industry we give people makeovers. I like the way that Jennifer Dome King married her fitness and fashion together, I thought that was clever so I said, How can I do that? and that’s how i came up with finance and makeup. I am multi-passionate, so it was quite easy to marry the two.

If someone reading this wants to makeover her finances, what’s the first step she should take?

I feel the first step is get your credit straight. You can’t do anything if your credit is out of sorts. Even if your score is not low per say, you would still want it high enough where you would get a lower interest rate on things like a mortgage or car loan. You know, if your credit is not up to par then you are going to pay high interest and that is going to cause a ripple effect. You will spend more money over time, and in the interim you will be paying higher notes. The goal is to have more of your money in your pocket so that you can do things like invest.

What do you enjoy most about being a member of See Jane Write?

There are so many things I enjoy about being a member of See Jane Write, it is so hard to name just one thing. Since I have to pick, I would say the fearlessness of the other members. They are so encouraging and so willing to help the newer bloggers such as myself. The camaraderie is unparalleled, like nothing I have ever witnessed before. There is no shade or hating — and that’s almost unheard of when you get a group of women together.

What have you accomplished so far through the mastermind program?

I have started my blog and newsletter, started a Facebook group, landed a freelance writing/editing spot with WOW Magazine as the fashion editor, I held my first webinar and I have been asked to speak at a marriage conference in February 2016. I also have overcome my fear of networking.

Why did you decide to join the See Jane Write Mastermind program?

I decided to join the mastermind program because I felt deep down inside that this was the boost I needed in order to set my vision in motion. I needed a tad bit of prodding and I knew YOU would be the one to help me get over my fear and just do it.

Be sure to visit Tracie’s blog, join her Facebook group, and check out her latest article for WOW Magazine.

Would you like to be the next See Jane Write member of the month or do you know someone who would? Send your nominations to javacia@seejanewritebham.com.