i know what it feels like to be broke
and working at a job that makes you unhappy.
5 years ago, that was me. I was working a minimum wage job and stressed out beyond belief. Even though I worked 70+ hours a week, I never had more than $1,000 saved at any given time.
I knew I didn’t want to live like that anymore. I saw family members who were living with little to nothing, but I knew that managing your finances correctly was the key to making it. I was ready to take control of mine and build a better future.
that’s when I started fitnancials.
before fitnancials,
i had...
- enrolled in school to become a special education teacher
- took my first trip outside of the U.S. by myself to Cusco, Peru to volunteer at a special needs orphanage
- lived in Italy as an au pair and explored Europe on a solo adventure
- lost 60 pounds and completely transformed my health
- worked several jobs in the special needs field for five years, but knew I needed to make a change in my life
after all this, reality set in.
I was on a path that I thought I was “supposed” to take, yet I was so unhappy. I was making little to nothing, had to request time off to see my family (and it was often denied), and wasn’t looking forward to living like this for another 40 or so years.
I decided to dive into as many side hustles as possible to figure out where my passion truly lay.
Now, I’m working my dream job and living a lifestyle I never thought I could afford. I’m a finance and entrepreneurship expert, helping millennial women take charge of their finances and careers.
I started this blog as a hobby, with no intention of making money from it. Then, at the end of 2016, I decided to quit my day job and pursue blogging full-time.
One year later, I was earning $10,000 a month. You can check out my very first blogging income report here.
On FITnancials, you’ll learn how to achieve financial freedom and grow your online business.
featured
on:
my
timeline...
I’ve lived in Italy as an au pair, volunteered in Peru, and have traveled all around the Eastern Hemisphere with my mom.
However, I never thought the life I’m currently living would ever be possible.
I grew up with no financial direction and never thought I’d become an entrepreneur one day.
2008: abusive boyfriend and death in the family
I grew up thinking that I would be average.
I had an abusive boyfriend (both mentally and physically) and was also dealing with the death of my dad from lung cancer and brain tumors. It was rough.
My dad forgot who I was at the end, which was one of the hardest times I’ve ever gone through.
I broke up with my boyfriend the day my dad died, and from that moment forward, I decided that I was going to be something.
After going through all of this at such a young age (I was only 14), I knew I wanted to build a better life for myself, but there were going to be bumps along the way.
2010-2012: partying, feeling lost, and starting community college
These years truly felt like a blur. Our family house was foreclosed and times were getting tougher. I numbed any pain I felt by drinking and partying.
I also enrolled in a local community college and decided to work towards a degree, even though I still had no idea what I wanted to do career wise.
2013: started fitnancials
This was the year when things started to shift in my life. My priorities were slowly changing. Health and fitness became a major priority in my life.
I started Fitnancials as a health and finance blog after losing 60+ pounds. I had no intent to make money with Fitnancials – it was simply a weight loss diary.
2014: enrolled in university
I enrolled in Aurora University near Chicago, Illinois to become a special education teacher.
I completed a year at Aurora and never felt so lonely in my life. My serious relationship ended out of nowhere, and I found myself working three jobs just to make ends meet.
Then, one day my sister asked me if I’d like to move with her and my brother-in-law to Colorado. I was lonely, exhausted, and missing my family. So, I said yes.
2015: dropped out of college and went to south america
Before moving to Colorado, I decided to drop out of school and made plans to spend the summer in Peru volunteering at a special needs orphanage. The summer is Peru was incredible and changed my life forever. However, the trip had to come to an end.
I got back from Peru and started looking for jobs.
I found a job as a teacher’s assistant for a special education teacher, but it was a million times harder than I thought it would be, despite having several years of experience working in the field. And, I was only being paid a salary of $800 per month for full-time work.
On top of that, my heart just wasn’t in the job anymore.
All of those things together made me realize this wasn’t the right career path for me, so I quit.
2016: fell into a slump
Knowing that I needed some income, I found a job as a nanny.
This job took such a toll on me that I usually fell asleep immediately after getting home, sometimes sleeping until the next morning.
I hardly remember much of 2016. It was a bad year that turned me into a zombie.
On the bright side, I decided to finish my bachelor’s degree and ended up graduating with my B.A. in Psychology.
2017: quit my day job to go all in on my blog
But, I realized one thing, that I needed to change my business strategy. I needed to take education seriously and start investing in my business.
I spent as much time as possible learning business and marketing strategies from podcasts, books, coaches, and courses from Six Figure Blogger and Online Business For Her.
I implemented what I learned.
2018: designed my dream life
Despite being a self-help skeptic, I decided to start 2018 off by listening to one hour of personal development each day. To my surprise, I had a major wake-up-call and realized that my mindset was preventing me from growing my business.
I enrolled in Design Your Dream Life Academy and spent an entire season working on the course. This is when I really grew my business income, even though the course had nothing to do with business strategies. My mindset went from “you’re not capable of building a six-figure business” to “you can create absolutely anything in your future.”
winter 2018: launched my first product
After publishing an article called How I Make Over $3,000 Per Month With Sponsored Posts, I started receiving numerous emails from readers asking for advice on how to do sponsored posts.
Those questions inspired me to create a course all about brand partnerships and sponsored posts with my sister.
We launched Making Sense of Sponsored Posts in November of 2018, and the response has been incredible.
january 2019: earned over $80,000 from my business
In my second year blogging full-time and treating Fitnancials as a legit business, I made over $80,000.
2018 was the best year of my life – and I know every year will get better from here.
As I’m writing this, it’s May of 2019 and my business is on track to make more money than I ever even imagined. With the right mindset, I know anything is possible.
what now?
I truly feel like this is just the beginning of my business – and I’m so excited for the future.
Features
Forbes: How This Student Made $80,000 Per Year In College And Graduated Debt-Free
Forbes: 21 Ways To Earn $100 Every Day Online
The National: 8 Best Blogs To Help Women Manage Their Money
Side Hustle School: College Student Pays Off Debt With Blog
Solopreneur Diaries: 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started My Six-figure Business
The Financial Diet: The 7 Personal Finance Articles We Loved This Week
GoBankingRates: How I Eat Vegan on a Budget
The Mostly Simple Life: 5 Ways To Get Free Accommodations Abroad
GoBankingRates: My Ex Shelter Dog Is Living The Good Life (For Cheap)
Put The Kettle On: How I Became A Six-Figure Blogger: 5 Mindset Changes
GoBankingRates: An ER Visit Told Me The Value of Health Insurance
Appetite For Investing: How This 26 Year Old Paid Off $40,000 In Debt In 5 Months
GoBankingRates: Why I Would Never Go On A ‘Paid’ Volunteer Trip Again
The Wicked Wallet: Top 25 Female Bloggers & Podcasters In Personal Finance
GoBankingRates: Why I Refuse To Pay In Cash
Club Thrifty: The Ultimate Guide To Being An Au Pair Abroad
DollarSprout: 4 Odd Jobs You Can Make Money Traveling Abroad
Sweet Money Bee: The Best Personal Finance Blogs To Follow
Mediavine: Publisher Interview with Mediavine
Dollar Sprout: Make Money Traveling Abroad
Breaking The One Percent: How Do Bloggers Make Money And How Can You?
BlogProfits: BlogProfits Interview With Alexis From FITnancials
Mint: Personal Finance Interview with Mint and FITnancials
CreateandGo: 3 Steps To Find A Fun And Profitable Blog Niche
My Twenty Cents: The Full-Time Student Blogger Who Earns $10K A Month From Side Hustles
Method To Your Money: Band of Bloggers
Beautiful Dawn Designs: This Blogger Earns Over $3,000 Monthly From Sponsored Posts
Making Sense of Cents: How This 25 Year Old Earns $15,000 A Month From Her Blog
Vanessa Gowora: Profiting From Passions: Alexis Schroeder
Life And A Budget: Bloggers Success Series
Let’s Reach Success: How This 25-Year Old Became Her Own Boss and Makes $15,000 a Month Blogging
Beautiful Dawn Designs: Grow Your Blog Interview Series: This Blogger Earns Over $3,000 Monthly From Sponsored Posts
Puzzle Pieces: Build A Six-Figure Blog With The Right Mindset
Plutus Awards Best New Personal Finance Blog Finalist