Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Perez.
Kara, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I discovered my love of finances courtesy of my quarter-life crisis. Broke, underemployed and saddled with student loan debt at 26, I realized that my lack of financial education was crippling my adulthood.
In 2013, I earned $16,183.51
In 2014, I earned $18,423
In 2015, I earned $32,249.63
(All of these numbers are before tax.)
Total, I paid off $25,302 in loans on a salary of less than $30,000, the final $18,000 in just ten months. After becoming debt free in June 2015, I started my company, Bravely to help other women take control of their financial lives. Bravely hosts pop up financial events around the country, as well as provides financial tools and information online at our website, www.bravelygo.co
I felt strongly that no one was talking about money in concrete terms for women and the unique obstacles we face. I read about women who had managed to claw their way to the top of the business world like it was my job. I wanted what they had — a business that provided for me, and meant I could afford the lifestyle I dreamt of living.
Much as I read, I noticed a common thread about all the articles. None of them spoke to the financials of how did these women funded their lives while starting a business.
Where did they get the money to pay rent while they ran their clothing empire out of their bedroom? How much upfront cash did it take to start that baby product company, and where did that cash come from? How did they meet investors? Did their partner pay the bills while they spent 18 hours a day on their passion project? What were the financial realities of starting a business?
That’s when the seed for Bravely was planted. I wanted to create a platform where women could learn from other women in business. There needed to be a place where a woman could go to find the hard numbers on what it’s like to start a clothing company, as well as tools to pay down her student loans. I wanted to see actionable advice for women to get their money right. I felt like it didn’t exist anywhere and so I figured: I can do that.
I chose the name Bravely because you have to be brave to change your life. You have to be brave to face up to your money when you don’t know anything about it. You have to be brave to go against the grain and change your financial habits. I wanted women to feel powerful when they hear my companies name.
I had to be brave when I was making 18k a year and thought “I want to be debt free, and I’m willing to do whatever I need to to do it.” And it was hard but paying off my debt changed my whole life! Bravely seeks to help make big financial changes and education less daunting than it was for me five years ago.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Definitely not- but what is ever smooth?
I started Bravely with $3,300, so certainly financing a company, our events, and paying myself has been challenging. I’m proud to say that Bravely has been profitable since day one, but it’s been a steep learning curve.
It’s also difficult in my niche at times- people don’t want to talk about money. It can be hard to face their realities, or they may want to change their financial lives but they don’t want to change any of their habits. So, getting people to a place where they’re ready to learn, adapt their lives, and be in tune with their own changes can be tough sometimes.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m most proud of the notes that I get from individuals about how I’ve helped them change their lives. Frequently people will DM me on Instagram (@webravelygo) and say ‘I paid off one of my credit cards today! Thank you for your help!” And it’s absolutely wonderful!
Fundamentally Bravely is about educating people so they can change their lives, and then change the world. Once people have their own finances under control they have enough time and energy to be better partners, friends, and advocates for social change.
I think the thing that sets Bravely apart from other financial educators is that I talk openly about the systems we live in. Money is not just about personal choices- our personal choices are colored by things like our race, our gender, or our age. Not a lot of people want to talk about that because of course, these are huge systems that require a change in many ways. It’s much easier to say ‘you should save 15% each month and if you don’t, it’s probably that cup of coffee you bought last Tuesday’s fault. Stop buying coffee!’
But really the issue might be that you’re paid less because you’re a woman or the fact that we have pretty extensive wage stagnation in the US. I talk about those things at Bravely, because that’s the only way to have an honest conversation about money in our world.
What were you like growing up?
I’ve always been very outgoing and very confident. Sometimes to a fault! I played sports all my life, including in the first three years of college. I was on the Model UN team and I remember going to school board meetings in high school to protest budget cuts. I’ve always had a clear vision of what I’m interested in and how I want to be a part of it.
On the flip side, I’ve often felt like the weirdo. It was weird to be 16 and going to a school board meeting! And now as an adult, a lot of people applaud me for things like being tenacious or bold, but it doesn’t mean that everyone gets what I’m trying to do. Not everyone understands you all the time. That’s ok, that’s part of life. But sometimes, it’s isolating. I’ve always kept a journal and I think that’s a great habit- to chronicle your life and see where you’re coming from and where you want to go at different points in life.
Pricing:
- Money Coaching- ranges from $300-$1,600
- Bravely events- ranges from $25-$100
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bravelygo.co
- Email: info@bravelygo.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/webravelygo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/webravelygo/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bravelygo
Image Credit:
Kelsey Lawrence
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