CHARLOTTE, N.C. — To celebrate Women’s History Month this March, WCNC Charlotte is highlighting a woman every Wednesday who is crushing it in and around the community through her business or non-profit.
Meet Bernadette Joy, a Charlotte woman who is making a difference by helping other women clear mental clutter, particularly in terms of debt.
“I am a loving wife, I am child-free by choice, I am a first-generation Filipino American," Joy said.
Joy runs a company called Crush Your Money Goals, which teaches others how to use her approach to eliminating debt.
"We help train current and future millionaires based off my story of having paid off $300,000 in debt in three years," Joy said.
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She said it all started with a post on social media about paying off student debt.
"I put up a post of how much I had paid down in my student loans," Joy said. "At that time, it was like $30,000 in a couple of months and several people who had all their stuff together were like, 'how are you doing this?'"
Years later, everyone is still asking how she helps others quickly wipe out debt.
"This morning I was calculating how much debt my students paid off just this week, and it was $60,000," she said.
Text 704-329-3600 to let us know who your #WCW is and why this Women's History Month.
Joy said there are three essential steps to burn your debt:
1. You have to know your net worth
“Simply put, net worth is your assets minus your debt," Joy said.
2. Map out a budget
“The way that I teach budgeting is not about tracking expenses, it's not about pinching every penny," Joy said. "It's about having a plan for the next 30 days."
3. Figure out your non-negotiables
“I encourage my students to say these are the things that really matter to me so let’s be confident about it," she said. "Then, what are the things that don't really matter? Let's get rid of those."
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Joy said she didn’t grow up learning how to save money. But now investing in herself has led to finding her purpose.
“Seeing these women actually advocate for themselves and to be able to make these big moves even though they are afraid to do it, honestly inspires me to keep going," Joy said.
Q: What does Women Crushing it Wednesday mean to you?
A: “Women Crushing it Wednesday means growing your worth and knowing your worth."
We want to hear more stories of women making a difference!
Contact Ruby Durham at rdurham@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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