Michelle Schroeder-Gardner & her $1M blog

Original Show Notes: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner from Making Sense of Cents

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner graduated college in 2010 and then went on to receive her MBA in 2012.

She then worked as a financial analyst at a valuation and investment banking firm. She decided to leave that life behind and is now a full time blogger and freelancer.

Her website “Making Sense of Cents” has won more awards and mentions than can be named. She and her husband travel the country in their RV and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Welcome Michelle!

[1:11] So, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
·      Was financial analyst
·      Started blogging for fun
·      Quit day job 2 years after starting blog

[2:19] You said that you owed $38,000 in student loan debt. How did you pay it off so quickly?
·      Side hustled a lot

[2:54] What advice do you have for people who are paying theirs off?
·      Try to side hustle a little more
·      Cut down TV watching

[4:39] You report that you regularly make over $100,000 a month. How did you manage to make so much money off of your blog? What was your secret?
·      Affiliate marketing – sign up for the course here!
·      Create courses
·      Sponsored posts/ advertisements
·      Display ads

[5:57] About how many hours do you work in a week?
·      Over 100 hours a week in beginning
·      10-20 hours/ week recently

[8:14] Do people treat you differently now that they see how much money you make?
·      No- don’t broadcast the blog
·      Still act the same
·      Frugal with money

[9:6] What is one of your favorite blogs that you’ve written in the last year? Why?
·      Ones that talk about work from home money
·      “Why would you make $100,000+ a month and live in an RV?”

[11:5] Vacation vs. debt- If I owe student loans or credit cards, does that mean I shouldn’t go on vacation?
·      All about balance
·      Stay-cations
·      Maximize credit card rewards

[12:40] Why is it so important for people to create a budget?
·      Stops living paycheck to paycheck
·      Increase savings
·      Reduce/ eliminate credit card debt

[13:28] Tell us about your RV life?
·      Started 2 years ago
·      Thought it would be a weekend thing
·      Did not plan to live in it

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Value Link Round (VLR)

[16:19] Why do you think people fail at achieving their dreams?
·      Make too many excuses

[16:54] Do you recommend any other podcasts or books?
·      Book: Broke Millennial
·      Podcasts: Heath and Alyssa, Money Peach, Adulting.tv

[17:24] What is the best advice someone ever gave you?
·      Bad advice- spend all your money while young

[18:4] What is your favorite quote?
·      James Dean: Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today”

[18:19] How can our listeners get in touch with you?
·      Makingsenseofcents.com
·      Instagram

[18:49] Any last advice?
·      If you have debt, find ways to make extra money