Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Krystal Middleton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Krystal, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. I attended Wayne State University, where I graduated with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business.
While in grad school I started adding up how much money I was going to owe in student loans. After adding up the amount, I didn’t like what I found, and I started my debt-free journey. I started paying down my debt and tracking my progress on social media, and surprisingly, other people started to ask me if I could help them do the same. During this process, I also realized there was so much I didn’t know when it came to money and personal finances, and that my community didn’t know these things either.
This grew into my purpose in becoming a financial coach, and Talk Money With Mel was born. Now I educate my community on Financial Literacy topics, concepts, and strategies to help families, individuals, and entrepreneurs save 3-6 months of monthly income, protect their income, get out of debt, invest for their future, and keep up with inflation.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am “Talk Money With Mel,” a Licensed Financial Coach!
I educate my clients and community on financial literacy topics and personal finance concepts and strategies that are not taught in school.
I create personalized plans to help people get out of debt, save and invest more money, and properly protect their income, providing a solid foundation for building generational wealth.
I am known for my debt-free journey, as that’s where I began with my finances.
I am not just another financial coach — I authentically share my personal finance journey (the good, the bad, and the ugly) to truly help others. I want people to know that I was just like them and still am in some ways when it comes to money but I want my clients to know that I am here to help every step of the way and I proudly share my personal journey to help encourage others to get on a better path by educating themselves first.
I am most proud of sharing my story with others because it shows vulnerability, and I want people to know that if I can change my finances, so can they.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey were, I had to make a shift in my mindset first.
Most Americans are in debt, have less than $1,000 in savings, and are not investing. In my mind, I already wanted more, especially growing up in a low-income household, seeing my family struggle, I knew I wanted more. The shift in my mind came when I discovered how much money in student loans I would owe, and I wanted to change my financial trajectory positively. So, making a plan to get out of debt and learning and educating myself on financial literacy concepts and topics shifted my mind to wealth building instead of repeating the same cycles that I saw around me.
Secondly, I got a mentor who was in finance and entrepreneurship, someone I could hang around, who could teach me the finance game and how to become a business owner, was a big game-changer for me.
Lastly, reading books on money and self-development has been huge in my journey. Have you ever heard, “If you don’t want someone to know something, hide it in a book?” Reading books, articles, and journals on topics in my field has been huge.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
This year, I have fallen back in love with reading books. The last book I just completed is “How to Win Friends & Influence People” by Dale Carnegie and “Beyond Positive Thinking” by Dr. Robert Anthony.
Impactful nuggets of wisdom when it comes to handling people:
– Don’t criticize or condemn other people, and give honest and sincere appreciation to others.
– You are always right: meaning what we believe about ourselves and circumstances turn into our results. You can either think /believe the positive or the negative; either way, you are always right because whatever you believe, that will show up in your life.
– Know exactly what it is you want in all aspects of your life. From your career, family relationships, etc. Once you know exactly what it is that you want, you can work towards it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://calendly.com/talkmoneywithmel
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkmoneywithmel/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
