RVE 184: Why Nick & Hanna Opted Out of their Jobs to Start a...Finance Blog?

Going onto grad school seemed like the next logical step for Nick and Hanna until one day Nick realized two things:

He didn't really want to go into engineering People actually make money blogging

That's when he got an idea: drop out of college and become a personal finance blogger.

Together, Nick and Hanna created what is today called "Mapped Out Money", a blog and Youtube channel all about personal finance.

In this episode, we discuss how Nick and Hanna left behind their degrees (and the sunk cost of years of education) to go all-in on their blog. But they didn't just up and quit their jobs and to start spending 80 hours a week filming Youtube videos (they are finance bloggers after all). They found ways to extend their financial runway by picking up freelance clients (Nick) and working as a travel physical therapist (Hanna) while growing their content online.

My favorite part of this episode is when Nick talks about his approach to freelancing. Instead of just taking on whoever was willing to hire him, Nick strategized to find clients who could propel him forward because they were directly related to his niche.

What we talk about in this episode: Why Nick and Hanna couldn't get any traction for their first year of blogging How a dog helped Nick and Hanna get on the same page with their finances How Nick ruined their honeymoon How to use freelancing as a way to make connections Volunteering at conferences as a way to find freelance clients Making the decision to walk away from their careers and education to blog How Mapped Out Money actually makes money Nick and Hanna's process for deciding how to spend their money