I am not a sales person. Marketing is not my forte. I don’t like taking risks or putting myself out there. Promoting myself and my work feel downright unnatural. Yet, most of the work I’ve been doing related to this blog needs me to be creative, social and promotional. In the process of developing those skills, I have to learn to face and overcome some of my biggest fears. And that has been hard. However, frequently, I find myself pushing harder (in personal growth) so that I can do more. Advocating for a way of life that I truly believe in and feel passionate about is worthwhile.
Push for the change that you wish to see.
It’s been a little over two months since I published my first post. For weeks, I hesitated clicking on the “Publish” button. Despite having a clear vision and a powerful message I want to share with the world, I had self doubts. Seeing that I was struggling with my feelings, my husband reminded me of my cause. In my husband’s exact words: “You care about the girls and women in this world. You’ve got a beautiful message to share with them. Your contents are important to spread”. Over time, his encouragement provided me the clarity and strength I needed to work through my doubts. And I’m grateful for him.
This blog has been growing in readership. Thank you for taking the time to share your financial stories with me. I’ve been inspired and I’ll continue doing my best to be resourceful. You can always reach me through email and Twitter and Facebook direct messages. To the 78 of you (!!!) who have subscribed to my weekly newsletter, thank you for being my loyal readers. Thank you for welcoming my messages into your Inbox. Your support gives me the energy and motivation to keep bringing new contents to you. I am touched knowing that my messages have inspired and encouraged so many of you to seek financial clarity and financial confidence. I love this community and am grateful we’re able to connect through the Internet!
Push For Change
My husband and I used to be very private about our financial life. We allowed money topics to be a taboo during conversations. Starting this blog has been adventurous for us. However, we aren’t doing this alone.
A group of personal finance bloggers share their net worth, income and expenses on their websites. While some of them have reached millionaire status, many are working toward financial freedom and financial independence. The group also includes bloggers who are working diligently paying off their debts. And all these people are normal and genuine! I’ve chatted with many of them over the Internet and met several of them in person.
Why do they share their financial numbers with the whole wide world? From my understanding, they are doing this for two reasons: (1) bringing awareness and (2) holding themselves accountable. This group is committed to getting others to talk about money. For those who have debts, they revealed their numbers so that their readers can hold them accountable for their financial goals, too. Many people tend to achieve goals faster when there’s community support. With every post they publish, these bloggers are encouraging others to pursue financial freedom and financial independence. Their message is loud and clear: financial freedom is possible. And they are living proofs!
Once I decided to share my messages with the world, I was faced with a dilemma. How much to share? How can I ask other people to share their financial stories with me when I’m not sharing? How can I inspire and encourage others to join my vision and mission for Ms. Financial Literacy when they don’t know about my financial journey? If you’ve been following along for a while, you know I’ve been sharing a lot. I’ve taken the first step being open and vulnerable.
As I started writing and sharing contents on my blog, I quickly learned that I need to help other people find me. I started commenting on other personal finance bloggers’ social media and talking to strangers in public places (such as on the bus, college campuses, meetup groups, on the streets, inside cafes,… etc). I also created custom T-shirts and flyers for my blog. In order to develop my marketing skills, I’ve been watching Youtube videos and reading books on marketing. To improve my public speaking skills, I’ve attended workshops and read books on persuasion. My personal growth has been explosive in the past two months.
I still get butterflies in my stomach each time I go up to someone to share my work. Sometimes the messages felt so repetitive that I sounded as if I was reciting poetry. Sometimes I felt sad, shy, embarrassed or frustrated. And sometimes, I just felt tired. Mostly though, I keep finding myself eager to do more and being able to contribute more. I want to become very great at doing the things that I need to do to reach a mass. I want to build a community of people excited talking about personal finance. Eventually, I want to create a Ms. Financial Literacy foundation. There’s so much I want to accomplish. I keep telling myself that I cannot let my self-doubts and fears hold me back. And each day I’m learning and building new knowledge and skills that are helping me get there. I’m very passionate about my cause, and I’m willing to put in the efforts, time and energy it would take build this vision.
Leverage Our Social Media
I like to think each of us have a vision or cause we deeply believe in. How are you spreading your cause(s)? You don’t need a blog to spread messages that are important to you. You already have your own social groups. My husband and I share my writing on our personal Facebook, twitter and email accounts. We will continue to inspire and encourage others to pursue financial freedom and financial independence. And we will continue doing this by leveraging social media and other similar platforms.
Most of the social media updates are as follows: photos and videos of kids, pets, travel, food and life’s milestones; political statements; and large purchases (such as cars, houses, vacation homes). We humbly brag about all those, yet keep our financial lives private. Most of us think about money all the time, yet, personal finance topics generally doesn’t show up on our social media news feeds. Remember, money topics are only taboo because you allow them to be.
Use your social media to do good. Push for the change that you wish to see. I hope financial freedom is on your list. Help yourself, your family and friends create a life free of financial stress.
If you’re interested in personal finance, building wealth and pursuing financial freedom, use your social media to build a community of like-minded people. This is your chance to find out who your money nerd friends are! Each of us have a financial story to share. Most of us want to live a prosperous life. What’s that life look like for you? Which financial goals do you need to achieve in order to get there? What are you doing to build wealth?
Today, you can share your financial story and financial goals with your friends and family. Let them know what’s important to you. What resources and support do you need? How can they help? How can you help? Your friends and family are your support system. Give them a chance to help you. Be open to helping each other.
Push for the change you wish to see.
Like what you’ve read? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter to receive new post updates every Monday.