Melissa Jean-Baptiste, financial educator and author of "So This Is Why I'm Broke" is a first-generation Haitian American and former NYC high school teacher. Melissa joins us this week to recount her journey of paying off $102,000 in student loans and buying her first home, all on a teacher's salary. As the founder of Millennial In Debt, she creates a shame-free digital platform dedicated to helping Millennials and Gen Z restructure their relationships with money, obtain financial freedom, build generational wealth and become future millionaires.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How Melissa's student loans grew from graduating with $50K owed to $80K in 3 years due to an interest-only payment plan she didn't fully understand and how she successfully paid it all off in 2018 through selling her teaching lesson plans as a side hustle.
- Her venture into homeownership and the challenges encountered during the home buying process. Melissa underlines the importance of obtaining an independent home inspection alongside the bank's appraisal.
- How she transitioned from teaching to dedicating herself entirely to content creation and entrepreneurship within her "zone of genius".
- The significance of having a supportive community, both online and offline, to navigate significant life and career transitions effectively + much more!
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