In a nutshell: I want YOU to be financially stable.
Hi I’m Lionel. I’m the author of Money-Smart Millennials and the founder/owner of this website.
Welcome to the world of the ones who fight for their financial stability. Why ‘money-smart millennials’? My goal is to build a tribe of millennials who are bulletproof with their finances. This blog is not just about income and savings; from budgeting tips to entrepreneurship tips, we cover all the bases. Here, by working together, you will achieve your goals.
So, how did I get here?
At 18 years old, I was faced with the reality that if there was ever going to be any success in my life, it was all up to me. I was thousands of miles away from my parents, having moved right after high school to the US. I was shocked by the incredibly high cost of college education and ultimately very discouraged by the fact that I did not have the resources to pay for school. I had to find ways to afford my four-year degree. As much as I wanted to get student loans, the idea of owing thirty to fifty thousand dollars to someone else frightened me so I quickly erased the thought.
I graduated college without the stress of insurmountable student loans!
The good news is that a few years later, I did graduate college, free of the stress that so many students encounter. My senior year, I took a small federal loan but that was it. How did I do it? I worked, and worked, and worked. I figured it out. And truthfully, I don’t regret anything. While a lot of my friends were partying, going on spring break vacations and spending all their money on frivolous things, I kept focused. I knew I only had one shot to make it right and write my story.
It did feel very hard at times but my goal to graduate college without debt was so clear that it didn’t matter.
My big break!!
Today, I can share with you and thousands of people on the internet smart tips and practices that I’ve learned and applied in my life to become financially stable. However, it wouldn’t be fair to you if I didn’t share with you the full story. Yes, I had a BIG break. If you’re thinking that someone came along and helped me financially, stop and let’s step back. My big break came in the form of coaching and mentorship. I am forever thankful for the fact that along the way, through some very lucky set of circumstances, I was able to acquire mentorship from several successful individuals, millennials included, who had mastered financial stability.
I consumed the coaching and didn’t let go. At the time, I was so hungry for guidance that in the matter of just a couple years, I had read dozens of books on financial literacy, leadership, people skills, communication and relationships. I couldn’t believe the changes that were happening in my life, both financially and professionally. In fact, I quit some of the jobs that I was working and started several entrepreneurial ventures which grew and brought in enough money to pay for my tuition, my car, my rent and my food.
Getting Serious 🙂
A man would fight armies, break all barriers in any endeavor, achieve unbelievable levels of success in sports and academia no matter what the obstacles are. But it only takes a negative and non-supportive spouse or significant other to break his wings. God has blessed me with an incredible supportive best friend, Heather.
From the very beginning of our relationship, we knew we wanted to accomplish so much together. When I decided to write Money-Smart Millennials in early 2016, Heather backed me up and sacrificed a whole year in so many ways to see my goal accomplished in November 2016. The content of Money-Smart Millennials is not theory. It is from my own experience and our experience together as a couple managing our money. At the beginning of our relationship, we made sacrifices. We saved. We budgeted. We delayed. We invested and spent money on lucrative things. We paid off credit cards, loans and cars. We tried, failed and adjusted. And today, although we still work to improve our financial position, we are no longer worried.
Money-Smart Millennials is for YOU. While working in banking, I saw a need. I wrote the book as a response to the question millennials have long needed to be the answered: how to be financially stable in today’s economic world in your twenties and early thirties.
My #1 goal is to see a world of financially strong millennials. I need your help. The best way for us to do that is to work together. This website is your tool to financial stability. Join in and I can’t wait to meet you!
DISCLOSURE:
Money-Smart Millennials comes to fill a need for the millennial generation. The tips and mindset exposed in the book are not those of a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a financial planner or financial adviser. They are simply based on the experiences of a millennial who has achieved financial stability and has helped others to do the same.
Please keep this in mind if you decide to subscribe to my blog, take my advice, send me questions or criticize the content of the blog and/or book.
Thank you.
Lionel Hounkanrin
Money-Smart Millennials 