Congratulations on 11,000 views!
Last weekend I sent out an irregular email on a Saturday evening covering the Ja Morant controversy through a lens of financial trauma.
The result?
It became the best performing post I’ve written since starting this Substack. I watched as the numbers steadily climbed from 2,000, to 4,000, to 9,000 and I said to myself I want to reach 10k! Although satisfied at 10k, I watched as the numbers continued to climb past 11,000 views and climbing so I want to take this time out to say thank you and congratulations to you.
On this journey as a writer I’ve learned that the impact of my writing is directly proportional to the amount of people who see it. Thank you for trusting me each week with your time, your mind, and your considerations in applying what I cover, sharing it with others, or bookmarking it for later review.
I know that not every week is going to be 5 figure roll out (yet) but as I continue to pour into building this community, growing paid and free membership, and delivering quality content, I know that if at least 1 person is impacted I’m doing my job.
Additionally, I’ve received some quality push back from the financial counseling and financial therapy community that keeps my sword sharp in this space. As I continue to develop ideas around concepts relating to “financial trauma”, “money invincibility”, and other intuitive observations based on my own life experiences and education, I am pointed in the direction of actual research done that either challenges or supports my findings.
When I was a child I didn't have a lot of positive financial modeling mostly because my family didn't have a lot of money. Once I started working in the financial services industry I started to make my money goals mirror that of my peers.
This was a doubled edged sword for me because:
On the one hand I felt an immense pressure to catch up in knowledge and resources and therefore was aggressive in my actions to acquire financial resources
On the other I later realized that their behaviors around money may not have been the result of specialized knowledge at all, but moreso the privilege of not having to operate out of survival
Recently I saw a post of someone saying that telling people that you used to be poor is not a flex and that people should stop saying it.
I challenged it
Not because I disagree that being poor isn't a flex, but because I know that by sharing the story of my beginnings it serves as a point of reference and connection for those who may have been there previously or are there now.
Additionally, I recognize that financial knowledge alone isn't the differentiator. That some of the people I modeled my goals after didn't necessarily have formal education in money management they just copied what they saw their families do and had the freedom to make mistakes, adjust, and recover without worrying about having to survive. This freedom provides security in the way of :
employment decisions
housing
and even the pursuit of entrepreneurship
That is why these discussions around financial trauma, financial empathy, and financial inclusion are important. Because often people “escape” their circumstances and begin to project someone else’s experiences and financial modeling on an audience of people. My goal here is not to tell you what you should be doing, but to show you that options exist and allow you to determine that on your own.
What do you think? Is it a value add for people to tell their story or has it become too cliche?
Before I let you go, last week I also had a wonderful conversation with a creator whose content I enjoy. His name is Sohaib Albadawee. I asked him to share a few words about the work he’s doing and to provide any resources that might help someone looking to monetize their audience and here’s what he had to say:
A job gets you paid, and entrepreneurship gets you freedom. Join 5,000+ others in Growth Tribe Newsletter and receive weekly actionable tips to grow, and Monetize your one-person business. Join Growth Tribe
As a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®) and Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC®) I have the skills you need to improve your knowledge, relationship, and behaviors around money. I help you overcome financial trauma and accomplish your financial goals. Reach out with inquiries regarding 1x1 or group bundle sessions or have me speak at your organization. Rahkim@rahkimsabree.com
If you’ve enjoyed any of my posts please share and encourage others to subscribe. Also consider subscribing to the paid version as well. I’ve been adding more exclusive content for the paid subscribers that you simply won’t get here. If you’re looking to level up financially in 2023 definitely hit that button. Also let me know what things you’d want to see on the exclusive side. Expert interviews? Live Q&A? Freebies? Tools? Giveaways?
Lastly don’t forget to check out and rate the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thank you always,
Rahkim