Today we’d like to introduce you to Steffa Mantilla.
Steffa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my business after my son was born. My husband and I had paid off over $40,000 in debt by then and I wanted to share our journey and debt payoff tips with others.
Before staying at home, I had been a zookeeper for 12 years. I quickly realized that if I went back to work after my child was born, I’d end up paying more than I was making in child care costs, car wear and tear, and gas. So I decided to stay home and start my business instead.
I also wanted a job that offered a better work/life balance so I could spend time with my family. Zookeepers typically work most holidays, weekends, and stay late for special events.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been some ups and downs along the way. I’m a stay-at-home mom first, business owner second. So while I’d set goals for my business, sometimes they’d get derailed due to the needs of my family.
Overall, it’s finding the time to work that has been the biggest challenge, especially during the pandemic. My childcare option that gave me two days a week to work uninterrupted was put on hold until recently. So I was left juggling taking care of an active toddler, running the household, and still trying to find time to work.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Money Tamer is a personal finance website that specializes in content about saving money, budgeting, paying off debt, and ways to make money. After starting the business, I earned the designation of Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI) in order to better serve my readers.
My background in operant conditioning allows me to help people understand why they make certain money decisions and how to change them. That’s a perspective I haven’t seen with other businesses before.
I’m most proud of the number of people Money Tamer is helping. I love to receive emails from readers and many of them are about how they’re getting out of debt as well.
I offer a lot of free content on my website and some paid digital budgeting trackers. Join my email list to get even more content surrounding budgeting and debt payoff motivation.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Persistence. While I set goals, when life got in the way and I didn’t reach them on my set timeframe, I didn’t give up. I just realized that things outside of my control happened and kept going. I’m not as far along in my business as I had projected to be by this time but I’ll get there eventually. If I gave up or got discouraged, I’d be nowhere so persistence and determination are key.
Contact Info:
- Email: steffa@moneytamer.com
- Website: https://moneytamer.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_wmEx6Tw2pcOJmS7C34iyg
- Other: https://shop.moneytamer.com/
Image Credits:
CJ Mantilla
