I grew up on the south side of Chicago with my parents, 7 siblings and extended family members. We moved around quite a bit. Usually, it was because the landlord found out how many people were living in the apartment. But that’s neither here nor there.

I watched how everyone around me struggled. So, at a very young age I decided that I had to break a vicious cycle. So, I made sure that I did everything I was supposed to do. I got good grades; I was the first to graduate high school and then I went on to get my Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering. There was no example before me, so I knew I had to set a good example for those that came after me.

Although I got this higher level of education, I was not taught about personal finance. One would think that personal finance is the most important topic to learn about. However, it was not a topic of discussion.

While in the corporate world, seeds were planted. I found out that I could own a house oppose to renting. So, I purchased a home. I was excited because the process was simple in my opinion. I had to ask myself, why were so many people renting vs buying. It was at that point when I decided to get my Real Estate License. I had to know what happened behind the scenes. After working with some family and friends, I understood that many people were misinformed or just didn’t have the information needed to buy property.

Many people that I spoke with either didn’t have their credit together, didn’t have the money or both. I began to realize that it was deeper than buying a home. It appeared that many people just did not understand how to manage their finances. My research confirmed that it doesn’t matter how much money you make, what matters most is how you manage it.

A light bulb went off! It became my goal is to enrich the community by providing accessible education and guidance on making extra money, credit, real estate, saving money, budgeting, managing debt, investing, planning for retirement, dealing with taxes, understanding insurance, and using debit & credit cards wisely.

So, The Dollar Navigator was born.