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Daydreaming about billions is a pastime for

many of us. The ability to have whatever we

want, whenever we want is thrilling. Although

many of us think ever joining the ranks of the

2,208 billionaires in the world is impossible, so

we just keep on dreaming. But, did you realize

the word “impossible” can also be read as “I’m

possible”?

The difference between the dreamers and

doers is action. As Yoda, from Star Wars,

says, “Do or do not. There is no try.” So if you

are ready to commit to start building your

financial empire, make your first stop at the

thousandaire milestone. While $1,000 may not

seem like a lot of money in comparison to your

ultimate goal, it shows you what is possible

when you put actions behind your objectives.

To begin, get a notebook and write down

your goal. You may be thinking there is no

reason to write it down, but research shows

written goals are 42 percent more likely to be

achieved. According to Think and Grow Rich

Author Napoleon Hill, “A goal is a dream with

a deadline.”

ON THE ROAD TO BILLIONAIRE, YOUR FIRST STOP SHOULD BE THOUSANDAIRE

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A good money goal would be something like:

I will open a savings account and save $1,000

in a year. Your situation may vary, but using

the above goal, it will require savings of at

least $2.74 a day or $19.18 a week. It doesn’t

matter how you decide to track your progress

as long as you do it. For help in setting up

your monetary breakdown, check out this site

to figure out the exact number of days that

fall between two dates: https://planetcalc.

com/274/.

Every day write an entry in your notebook

about your goal, such as: how you are feeling,

how you have worked toward the goal, what

are lessons you are learning or even if you have

set the bar too low. The more you are thinking

about your goal and investing your time on the

goal the easier it will be to reach.

The next thing you need to do is create a

budget. Even if you live at home and don’t have

any bills you need a budget. Take some time to

track your spending. This may seem like a pain,

but you track your Pinterest, or Instagram

followers so think about this the same way.

Think about the places you spend money such

as entertainment, shopping and restaurants.

If you have any bills be sure to include them.

Set a realistic amount in each category. If you

are serious about your goal, consider doing a

drastic cut in your spending to increase your

savings. If you think you don’t need a budget,

think again. A budget shows you where your

money is going and helps you determine how

quickly you can save $1,000.

Consider your income sources. If you don’t

have any, you need to get one quickly. Consider

all your skills and figure out how to monetize

them. Offer services to your community

including mowing lawns, babysitting, walking

dogs or teaching a class in something you

know well. You can also try to get a more

traditional job.

four tips to save money

1. Save all of your change, even the coins you

find in the street, in a container. Once the

jar is full, take it to the bank. Did you ever

notice that all change is stamped, “In God we

Trust”? Maybe God’s making sure there is a bit

of money on the ground for you to remind you

that he’s got your back and you can reach your

goal.

2. When you get money as a gift, don’t think

of it as money to blow on yourself, but capital

to invest in yourself. There is nothing wrong

with spending some money on yourself, but

you should always be investing in your future.

Think beyond today and plan for the life you

want to live as a billionaire. Consider putting

half or more of that money into your savings.

52 | LIVING

3. Be the one to plan outings for your friends

to ensure that events are economically priced.

Always check to see if there are free events

in your community. There are often concerts,

free museum days and other activities that

you could be attending. Saving money doesn’t

mean that you can’t still have fun.

4. Use YouTube and Pinterest to learn how to

DIY (Do It Yourself). People teach lessons in

how to do almost anything online. Instead of

getting a pricey manicure or pedicure get your

friends to meet at your home and give them to

each other. Think about other things you can

do for yourself.

A word to the wise, some people may try

to stop you from reaching your goal. Some

friends might not see the value or have the

discipline to save money. Decide now not

to listen to them. Trust that in the future the

people trying to convince you to spend today

will be kicking themselves when you make the

life changes they were not able to make. This

will take dedication, but you can do it. Just

remember, if it were easy everyone would do

it. Success is at hand. Remember you are on

the road to becoming a billionaire.

five important tips to assits with your

thousandaire journey

1. Be grateful that you have set this goal. Did

you know that you can’t be grateful and feel

negative at the same time? No matter how

long it takes, you are working on this endeavor.

As long as you just keep moving forward it will

all come together.

2. Celebrate your accomplishments. Each

time you put a deposit into your savings

account say out loud that you are proud of

yourself for your dedication to your goal. This

action is vital because we thrive when our

success is recognized.

3. Read, listen to podcasts and talk to people

who are financially successful. Others have

been down the path you are embarking on,

and they can assist you with potential pitfalls

and shortcuts.

4. Find a friend with the same goal. It can

be a relative, a church friend or someone

from dfree® Young Money. It’s great to have

someone to talk to about your triumphs and

struggles.

5. Don’t touch your savings. This is the seed

money to be used for getting you to a billion

dollars. Down the road, you may invest it, but

this is not spending money.

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Once you’ve become a thousandaire, it’s time

to set a new goal and get one step closer to

becoming a millionaire, and then a billionaire.

If you are willing to start making financial

changes today that most people won’t, then

you’ll be able to live the way most people can’t

for the rest of your life. One day you won’t be

dreaming of being a billionaire, you’ll just be one.

The difference between dreamers

and doers is action.

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JESSICA BROWN, YOUR FINANCIAL AID FAIRY GODMOTHER PROVIDES TIPS ON HOW TO PAY FOR COLLEGE

Attending college is part of the American

dream and considered by many to be the path

to prosperity. However, this route is filled with

numerous options and decisions that will have

repercussions that can last for decades. The

answers to questions such as how to select the

right school, how to finance your situation and

how to prepare for unexpected expenses have

real-world consequences.

African-American students are more likely to

be saddled with a mound of crushing debt

upon graduation, which they are often ill-

equipped to handle. That’s when the reality

hits that available jobs might not pay enough

for loan repayment and living expenses. So,

what is a responsible person to do? It almost

makes you wish for a fairy godparent to make

this process easier, magically.

Enter Jessica Brown, aka the Financial Aid

Fairy God Mother. Instead of magic wands and

fairy dust she uses hope, wisdom and financial

aid literacy as her tools to help guide students

on their journeys. Jessica’s passion for seeing

those in her community succeed fuels her

work. She is the CEO of College Gurl, the

President of the College Gurl Foundation, and

the author, of How to Pay for College When

You’re Broke.

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No stranger to higher education, Jessica

understands paying for college from both

sides. She has a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism,

an M.S. in Management in Leadership and

an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and

Administration. Additionally, Jessica is starting

a Ph.D. program because her ultimate goal

is to become president of an historically

black college or university. Her professional

experience in financial services comes from

Strayer University and Howard University

where Jessica served as a student financial

services specialist and the coordinator of

special awards. There, she helped over 40,000

students and assisted in granting millions of

dollars in scholarships.

Propelling Jessica forward on her quest to help

as many students as possible is the knowledge

that student loan debt has reached $1.3 trillion,

far surpassing credit card debt. Today’s society

demands a degree as a key element of success,

but there’s very little available about how to

pay for that major investment. Now more than

ever before students need to understand the

available options for paying for college. The

cost of not knowing is too great and could ruin

students’ credit scores to the point where they

may never achieve American dreams such as

homeownership.

Jessica offers insights on preparing for college

covering topics such as how to pay and save on

College Gurl, collegegurl.com and @collegegurljb

on social media or read her book. In addition to to

the material and tips for prospective students, her

program also offers participants the opportunity

of a scholarship.

tips from the financial aid fairy godmother

1. Decide what you want to do with your life.

Before selecting a college, understand your

educational goals so that you can choose an

institution that meets your needs. Parents and

children are not always on the same page.

Before spending $200,000, ensure that your

young person wants to pursue a field that

requires that type of investment, such as a

doctor and not a graphic artist.

2. Start saving money now. No matter how

much time you have before going to college,

save as much money as possible. Every penny

counts and will make a difference. Have a real

conversation with your family about what help

they can provide, if any.

3. Visit the colleges you are interested

in attending. If you are planning to spend

upwards of four years at a school take the

time to walk the campus, see what services

are offered and look at the programs you are

interested in studying. Decide if this is the right

56 | LIVING

requires that type of investment, such as a

doctor and not a graphic artist.

2. Start saving money now. No matter how

much time you have before going to college,

save as much money as possible. Every penny

counts and will make a difference. Have a real

conversation with your family about what help

they can provide, if any.

3. Visit the colleges you are interested

in attending. If you are planning to spend

upwards of four years at a school take the

time to walk the campus, see what services

are offered and look at the programs you are

interested in studying. Decide if this is the right

environment for you. environment for you.

4. Look at the actual costs of attendance.

Beyond enrollment fees and room and board,

there are so many other costs that are often not

included. If your family lives on the east coast

and you want to attend school on the west

coast add in travel expenses. Also, you might

be selecting a part of the country that requires

a different wardrobe from what you currently

own. Lastly, don’t forget about entertainment.

This is supposed to be the best time of your

life, so you should include a budget for fun.

5. Know the deadlines. Get a calendar and

mark all the different dates that you must

follow up with anyone. Remember that FAFSA

(federal financial aid) forms are due annually.

Lastly, note that receiving a financial aid

package one year does not automatically

mean you will receive the same package the

next year.

6. Read the fine print. Scholarships may have

requirements encompassing leadership and

academic. Ensure that you are maintaining

your standing by adhering to the rules.

7. Apply for as many scholarships as possible.

$100 million in available scholarships went

unclaimed last year. Start your search by

looking first in your local community and then

expand out to a national level.

8. FAFSA is time sensitive. Apply early

because awards are based on first received,

first served.

9. Remember that college is an investment,

not an expense. Look at what you can afford

and figure out which schools fit into that

budget. College is what you make of it. Note to

always look at a school’s endowment because

the higher it is, the more likely they will have

extra funding for their students. Also, check

the tuition increases over the past few years

to get an idea of how much of an increase you

can expect from year to year.

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SONIA LEWIS THE STUDENT LOANDOCTOR IS IN & ANSWERING QUESTIONSThere are a lot of things that bind many African

American women. Common culture. A priority

on family ties. Sharing the gifts that God has

given us. But another common tie, sadly, is that

many African American women are dealing

with crippling student loan debt. Sonia Lewis

also known as the Student Loan Doctor knows

this all too well. The good news? She’s here to

help.

Sonia, stopped by the In the Black podcast

and met with dfree® Founder Dr. DeForest

B. Soaries, Jr. and Tamika Stembridge, ESQ. to

discuss her accidental business “that could.”

Sonia did not set out to be “the Student

Loan Doctor.” Following graduation, with her

doctorate in education, she needed to contact

the owners of her student loan. While on the

call she found herself repeatedly (five times)

transferred because the representatives didn’t

know the answers to her questions. This caused

her to ponder about people who didn’t know

which questions to ask and what happened to

58 | LIVING

those who lost patience with being transferred

so many times. Sonia didn’t know it then, but a

seed had been planted.

After learning of her extensive education,

people at church started seeking Sonia out

to answer questions regarding their student

loans. To her the issues seemed natural and she

answered them for free, but, for others, they

were difficult and in some cases paralyzing.

Before Sonia knew it, she had moved from

giving advice at the church pew to a local

restaurant. It was there that she placed things

into perspective and realized that she could

monetize this service.

listening to the call

It’s important to note that Sonia started this

business part-time while she was working

a full-time, professional job. She had to be

disciplined with her time and even asked God

to provide a sign was about whether the new

business would earn enough to support her.

She knew there was no way to keep both jobs

long-term without burning out. Sonia felt that

God was calling her to move into the new

venture full time, and she did.

Before Sonia left her full-time job, she told

colleagues that she was being obedient to

God and following His will. In her mind, she

still had one lingering question: would she

become homeless or have to live off of Ramen

noodles? She was reasonably sure that things

would work out. And they did.

Sonia began with a hustle mindset and set small

goals. She said, “God will give you something

to birth, but you can play small with it or really

big.” A year later she had a team of eight

people helping with her growing enterprise.

When Sonia started to lean on and trust God,

it was no coincidence that things blew up

the way they did. She said, “I needed to get

out of my own way.” And doing so led to six-

figure earnings. She found herself connected

to Dee Marshall, a coach and lifestyle expert

who opened the door for Sonia to work at

the White House during Barack Obama’s

tenure. She discussed issues affecting African

American women and young girls. One day

Sonia found herself in a room full of 50 African

American women and asked if anyone had

problems with their student loan debt. To her

surprise 50 hands raised in the air. That’s when

she realized that this is a conversation we were

not having. She realized with God there are no

accidents .

Sonia said she sees this work as a ministry that

didn’t just fall into her life. It also came about

from a conscious decision to spend less time

on things like watching television and more

time finding religious mentors. Sonia attended

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conferences and workshops to hone her skills

and make new connections. She knew that her

specific talent was in sales, which directed her

to look toward entrepreneurs who were where

she wanted to be. Sonia found her social circle

changing and becoming a reflection of the

goals she was creating. This process allowed

her to be where God was calling her and for

her to hear His voice at the appointed time.

most clients are women

Most people who come to Sonia for assistance

are women in their 30s or 40s who have never

started the student loan repayment process.

The letters from their lenders have gone

“from white to yellow to green,” meaning

progressively worse, and some employers

were even notified. About 75 percent of her

walk-in clients feel paralyzed and need help

getting started. Sonia said the starting goal

is always to find the most affordable payment

for a client.

A surprising fact is that many people who are

not paying their student loan debt have the

money to do so. Sonia said the issue is one

of mindset, not finance. There needs to be a

review of what things are actual necessities,

and cable television may not make the cut.

The sad truth is that an unwillingness to tackle

student loan debt may be the main hindrance

to African American women achieving a

wealth plan, she noted.

Many people are unaware that people with

high student loan debt can be excluded from

getting a mortgage. Sonia has found that

approximately 90 percent of her clients are

interested in purchasing a home within a year

of working with her. To achieve this goal, she

said connections to the right program and

people are crucial. People with high student

loan debt shouldn’t just go to any bank, she

said.

what can the student loan doctor do for

you?

Potential clients who go to the Student Loan

Doctor can expect an individualized and

customized approach. Initially, the team

schedules a virtual sit down with a new client,

for a free discovery call to learn more and to

determine how effective the coaching services

may be.

After the first call, there is a paid personalized

consultation where debt is reviewed including:

who owns it, how much is owed and how

The Student Loan Doctor can assist with the

I needed to get out of my own way.

60 | LIVING

God will give you something to birth, but you can play small with it or really big.

situation. Please note that the Student Loan

Doctor does not purchase student loans, but

rather helps set up agreeable terms between

the client and lender. Following that meeting,

additional specialized services are available,

depending on needs.

The Student Loan Doctor focuses specifically

on student loan repayment plans. However,

Sonia partners with other financial experts

who specialize in complimentary services

focused on: credit card debt, life insurance,

stocks, bonds and legacy issues. When people

are ready to make lifestyle changes, she wants

to be able to point them in the right direction.

five essential tips from the student loan

doctor:

1. Lose the student loan monkey on your

back. If you haven’t started paying your loans

back, don’t waste another minute. They will

not magically go away. This is a problem that

must be addressed head-on. If you are feeling

paralyzed, get someone to help you with this

process.

2. Identify your passion and figure out how

to monetize it to increase your income. This

means taking the time to invest in yourself. Talk

to others about the gifts and talents that they

see you possess. Spend time talking to God for

direction and check your heart for dreams that

might be leading you to your destiny.

3. Drop the “I deserve” syndrome. It typically

shows up on payday and consumes your

income because you are trying to place a

band-aid on a wound that needs to be healed.

(At dfree® we call it compensatory spending:

spending to compensate for something you

are missing.) About nine out of 10 people

Sonia works with are unhappy about their

jobs and use money to make themselves feel

better. She said money can be used as a quick

fix, much like a drug, yet it will not solve the

underlying problem.

4. Develop your life goals. Be clear about what

you want to achieve. For example, if you’re

going to be an entrepreneur start hanging out

with entrepreneurs and exposing yourself to

the books, podcasts and other items they use

for their success. Create short-term and long-

term goals and then begin to achieve them.

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5. Stop living in the now and develop your

legacy. All of us are here for a limited amount of

time and we need to determine the legacy we

want to leave behind. Sonia noted that when

people die, they usually aren’t remembered for

the stuff they left behind but for the impact

they had on people. Let the reflection of your

life live on beyond you. This requires sacrifices

to be made and budgets to be followed.

Listen to the full In the Black podcast at https://

soundcloud.com/dfree-podcast-in-the-black/

episode-37-in-the-black-w-sonia-lewis-the-

student-loan-doctor.

To learn more about Sonia and the resources

available from the Student Loan Doctor check

out her Instagram account @studentloandoctor,

listen to her podcast on iTunes and at her website

http://www.thestudentloandoctorllc.com/.

She realized with God there are no

accidents.

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You can be quite influential in getting your kids to learn

delayed gratification and financial self-control. It takes a

little discipline at first, but as the old saying goes, “practice

makes perfect,” especially when learning a new skill. It’s

a lot easier if you start while they are still young, before

they’re headed off to college or have a pocket full of credit

cards.

1. mark time

Sow the seeds of delayed gratification by giving toddlers

and preschoolers their own calendars and noting special

occasions that are coming up: birthdays or family events,

outings to a concert or the zoo. If you don’t have anything

scheduled, plan something for several weeks away.

Regularly talk about the event with your child and mark

off each square on the calendar until the big day arrives.

This simple practice will not only reassure young children

that those far-away events are, in fact, going to happen,

but also it will (eventually) boost their patience quotient

and teach them that anticipating an activity, or an item

can make it more enjoyable.

2. provide low-key chances to practice

Give young kids concrete chances to experience the

benefits of delayed gratification — and to develop a

sense of mastery over their own behavior — by offering

opportunities for them to practice self-control. You might

tell your preschooler you have time to go to the park

for 20 minutes now, or for 45 minutes after dinner, for

instance. Even if he opts for immediate gratification at first,

over time he’ll realize patience has more of a payoff.

3. share smart strategies

Self-control doesn’t translate into willpower alone. In fact,

researchers now know that people who successfully resist

temptations rely on savvy strategies to meet their goals. A

few proven techniques for helping kids save money and

head off impulse buys at the store include: If your child—

* Wants to buy something, suggest he or she wait at least

a week before purchasing it. By then, passions will have

cooled and so might the desire for the object.

* Begs for you to buy an item, reframe expectations by

putting that item on a birthday or holiday wish list. Then

be sure to follow through. Studies show kids won’t delay

gratification if they don’t believe you’ll be true to your

word.

* Has a hard time saving for a big purchase, put a picture

of it on her piggy bank or on a poster in her room. The

visual reminder will help her pinch her pennies to reach

her goal.

4. arm them with an allowance

By the age of five or six, most kids are ready to handle

with Blanche Cheeley, prudential advisors, financial planner

DELAYED GRATIFICATION: AN IMPORTANT FINANCIAL LESSON YOU CAN TEACH YOUR YOUNGSTER

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an allowance and, if you make them responsible for

purchasing nonessentials ranging from gum to the latest

PlayStation game, they’ll glean the lessons of saving,

spending and budgeting while the stakes are still low.

The key is to give them just enough to cover any basic

expenses you expect them to pay for, plus a little more.

After all, you want them to have to save up to purchase

larger items — with no bailouts from you. Your kids will

quickly learn that if they buy every bauble that catches

their eye, they won’t have the reserves needed for more

meaningful purchases down the road.

5. show them the power of saving

The lesson is to invest your money today and you can

do way more with it tomorrow. Drive that point home by

letting your kids play around with an online compound

interest calculator. At investor.gov, they can see how much

money they would make if they save $10, $20 or $50

each month. Your children might be shocked to discover

that if they save just $200 a month from age 18 to age 68

earning 5% interest, they would wind up with $502,435.

A whopping $382,435 would be from interest. This is an

illustration and your interest rates and results may vary.

I can further assist you with these lessons and

answer any questions, please feel free to email

me at blanche.cheeley@prudential.com or call

(336) 541-7133. You may also visit Prudential’s

main site for additional resources and services

at www.prudential.com.

dfree® is a trademark of Corporate Community

Connections, Inc., dfree® and is not affiliated with The

Prudential Insurance Company of America or its affiliates.

Each company is solely responsible for its own financial

conditions, content, liabilities and contractual obligations.

“Prudential Advisors” is a brand name of The Prudential

Insurance Company of America and its subsidiaries.

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