Now that is the million dollar question everybody is asking, right? Well let me tell you, I learned how to go from minimum wage to six figures over a period of time. It was an interesting journey that I believe anyone can take with a plan.
So how do you do it? You do it by having a plan of action and actually taking that action until you reach your goal. That’s it in a nutshell. As easy or simple as it sounds, believe me it is not an easy journey and not for lazy or scary people.
My Single Mom Minimum Wage to Six Figures Story
I did it with my two kids, a full-time job, classes and homework, and a ton of determination. There were times I wanted to quit. There are days I cried and felt like giving up. Sometimes there were even people who tried to stop me. I even got distracted and off course for a little while, but I would not give up.
I went from working at the Probate Office in the county courthouse for the then minimum wage of $6.35/hr to a temporary job for $8.00 at AFLAC. Then I was hired full-time with benefits at $10.00/hr. My journey took me back to college after 10 years with a 6-month old and a four year old to a new city. My pay dropped to $8.50/hr working for the college then went up to $12/hr part time as an intern at NASA.
I was then hired as a full-time contract technical writer making $17/hr. Within a year I was promoted to Sr. technical writer and received a raise to $20/hr. From there I went to other companies and made $27/hr, $32/hr, $45/hr, to $50+/hr. As my skills and experience increased so did my income. I went from court clerk to SharePoint Corporate Trainer. None of what I’m sharing is to brag but it’s to show you that my hard work, prayers, and determination made the difference.
Even though I am a single mom it has never kept me from going after my dream. Maybe part of it is that I’ve always been an over achiever, but it’s mostly that I did not and would not let my circumstances or other people dictate my life and financial future. I decided what I wanted to do and I did it because I had two amazing kids keeping me motivated.
Dreams, Goals, & Plans are Key
You simply cannot give up on your dreams. You have to turn those dreams into goals. You have to create a plan. I’m not saying it has to be perfect but it has to at least drive you toward something better.
My process for going from $6.35 an hour to six figures was not a cut and dry path. I did not have a blueprint or cheatsheet. The truth is I had to piece together several parts to get to where I wanted to be. I can share those pieces with you but it’s up to you to take them and apply them to your life. In the end, it will probably look nothing like my journey.
Get the Puzzle Pieces Here
If you want to get the pieces to my puzzle you can join, enroll, or grab my $6.35 to Six Figures Master Class. In it I share how to create a Money Master Plan to elevate your income and upgrade your quality of life! There is no magic bullet but I can say my methods are sound and will help you along this financial journey.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Have you ever asked yourself “Why am I on this roller coaster ride? How do I get off?” What can you do to silence the nagging voice that keeps whispering in your ear “just quit”? Despite having faith and juggling life, as a single mom, there will be times that feel like everything is suffocating you. This does not indicate weakness. This is life—the life of a single parent. While I have no silver bullet that will help you defeat trying times, I do have a set of invaluable coping strategies that will empower you on your journey.
These are the 5 coping strategies:
Crying-Purge set some things free
As much as crying yourself to sleep at night will bring no positive result or qualified answers to the problem that you are facing in the moment, it is still effective. Crying is a purging process that ultimately relieves some of the heaviness you carry daily.
Faith- You have to have something you believe in and that fills you up
Having faith to know and believe that no matter what is happening in your life there is something greater than you and will never fail you is critical. Believe in the power of the universe to hold you up, show you the way, and open up closed doors when you have met the end of your own strength.
Quiet Time- Rest your mind, Reclaim your power and Rejuvenate your spirit
As a single mother, a lot is asked of you. You give until you have nothing left in you. Take the appropriate time to sort things out and to spend some time alone relaxing your mind.
Self-Improvement-Feed yourself positivity. Feed Your Mind
It is critical that you as a single mother do not stop growing and becoming better. It keeps your mind alert and continues to open up the door to opportunities to offer more to your children. And let’s be honest, it is good to lead by example.
Devotion/Meditation- Tap into your inner core
My favorite scripture is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” from Philippians 4:6. Whether it is to run over, step over, climb over, roll over, or even crawl over the mountains before you, it has to be done; quitting is never the only option. Single mother’s you must pull out your mantra/verse and recite it with unwavering belief to produce the inner strength and power to make it a little longer.
These strategies are a starting point for overcoming the “I quit” syndrome. You have no barriers or boundaries except the ones you create. Single mother’s, you will never be faultless or handle every situation the right way, but you can give your best. You are more than you think you are and can go much further than you know. Be confident and be bold. You must have faith to know that you are chosen, equipped, and ready to change the face of the next generation. You have to release “I quit” in order to receive “I can”.
About the Author
Grayce Bernard is the founder of IMPAC, Inc. and the author of the book: Raising Giants-Repurposing the Life of the Single Mother. She helps women break the cycle of generational poverty to build wealth by creating a life plan and step into a bigger vision of herself. C. Grayce serves as a voice and advocate for the voiceless. She specifically helps single mothers reframe their stories of shame into stories of empowerment. C. Grayce Bernard is a coach, speaker, trainer and transformational leader. Book C. Grayce Bernard for your upcoming event at443.364.8789 or email: cgb@cgraycebernard.com. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
Are you still running out of money before the month is up? What about your savings account? Is it just a fantasy you hope will come true one day?
This used to be my life but fortunately I changed my money mindset and now I have a surplus and less stress.
So how can you get to this point in your life? Would you like to learn 6 Ways to Turn Up the Volume on Your Bank Account? I encourage you to listen up.
I was invited by my friend Sarah Aderson over at Mom-in-Chief Lounge and Arise Single Mom Conference to share my secrets of how to attract wealth in your life.
If you want your life to move in a positive direction and discover how to have more financial freedom head over to listen to this class. Listen to the end to hear about my special offer.
The regular price for this class is $25 but if you enter the discount code money you can get $15 off! So you only pay $10 for the course.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
It’s that time of year again for Rich Single Momma to retreat at Cohutta Springs in the Georgia Mountains. The trip has a dual purpose. First is for rest and relaxation and the second is to bond with women in my book club.
Over the last three years my friends and I set out to prove that black people do read! We also proved that women, black women can be true friends, bond, and support each other. This kind of friendship is hard to come by so when you find it do whatever you can to cultivate it and make it stronger.
In a world with so much hurt, fear, and pain it is important to find people you can love, support, and have friendship with.
Getting Away with Women Who Read
This past weekend my book club escaped the busyness of life to a North GA mountain retreat just because. It was a fantastic time bonding with each other, affirming, and confirming that black women not only read but can actually enjoy each other’s company without any hidden agendas.
We went to Cohutta Springs retreat center in Crandall, GA. I’ve been to this retreat center many times but never stayed at one of the chalets. What a treat!
A Perfect Place to Retreat
Chalet #3 is a beautiful 3-story get away with six bedrooms, 3 baths, a full kitchen and breathtaking views of the lake and mountains. It sleeps up to 16 people.
There were 11 ladies in all with nine of us staying for the weekend. We laughed, danced, ate, and talked throughout the entire weekend. Saturday morning we walked around the retreat area, took pictures, visited with the horses, and enjoyed the brisk, cold air.
I have to say that I have never been so relaxed after a vacation. It was no muss, no fuss, no schedules, but just pure relaxation.
Here are a few pictures to make you either jealous, or ready to book a retreat of your ladies group or family. 🙂
Walking the long road to nowhere if we wanted to. The pastures contain horses that could either take us or leave us, LOL!
A couple of horses grazing
It’s cold in November in the mountains but we braved it to take a brisk walk
The lake in the middle of the retreat center with the fall leaves in the backdrop. So beautiful!
The big dinner table with food prepared with love!
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
As much as it seems like I am content to be single I want you all to know it’s total BS!!! I don’t hate being single but I strongly dislike not being a part of a healthy coupled relationship. I’m not without options but the question is are they quality options? That’s what I’m holding out for and you should too. Read on to see the 10 Worst Things About Being a Single in a Couple’s World served with a cup of humor.
Being able to take up the whole bed, watch whatever you want on TV and being accountable to nobody are just a few of the great perks of being single. Unfortunately, for many singles, those things are not always enough. Here are the ten worst things about being single:
Weddings
All that love and happiness is only slightly counteracted by the free wine. Once you’ve attended your fifth wedding of the year, it’s hard to keep calm when people question you about your love life and tell you you’ll meet someone soon.
Life is just better when you have someone special around all the time, keeping you company at the cinema, giving you excuses to get out of boring events, and stopping you from buying really stupid outfits. There’s not much that can beat having someone you can be with whenever you like.
No relationship means fewer reasons to eat well. It’s hard to keep preparing meals for one when you could just as easily break out the chips and jumbo-sized chocolate bars.
Singletons usually end up as the odd ones out at parties and other events. When you’re in a relationship, you’ve got some back-up should you want a breather – but when you’re single, you either try and fit in or go home alone. Third wheel, anyone?
Even the most resilient singles have 3am freak-outs where they worry they’ll never find love again. These freak-outs can also happen at parties, festive seasons or other people’s weddings (see above). To combat this, using sites such as eHarmony who match people based on their shared values and beliefs can help.
It’s only so long that you can convince your friends that you’re absolutely fine with being alone and you really don’t want to meet anyone. Ever. Really. It’s fine.
Because of course that’s why you haven’t found love – you’re much too choosy. If only you’d married Johnny Depp/Scarlett Johanssen while you had the chance, eh?
When you’re single, you really don’t want to be reminded of how happy and in love other people are at all times, particularly not first thing in the morning or when you’ve had a grueling day at work.
Spend enough time around couples and you start feeling like you’ve got ‘single’ stamped on your forehead whenever you go out anywhere. This is especially awkward when your friends start trying to set you up with every eligible person they meet.
Because there’s nothing worse than having an entire day dedicated to reminding you of how single you are (not to mention all the “maybe next year” comments from your coupled friends).
This article was brought to you by eHarmony Canada who are experts in matching singles with suitable dates using their unique patented Compatibility Matching System.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
There are so many options on the home décor front today that allow an individual to showcase their own unique personality. Whether you’ve chosen your décor to purposely match your style or not, you’ll find the items and colors that surround you to say a lot about who you are. While there’s no right or wrong way to decorate your own dwelling, you want to remember to have fun with it and choose what suits your own brand of home furnishings and not someone else’s.
Colors
The palette of colors to paint your home is quite extensive today, and you’ll find there to be a shade to suit every personality and mood. Buying high quality framed art for the home will make all the colors pop when passing by.. Guests walking into a home with bright yellow and pink hues may need their sun glasses to navigate through your home. However, if you like the colors, and they fit with your décor, you can feel proud knowing that you’ve added your own style and flare.
If you border on being orderly, and you like everything in place, your colors may be a bit more sterile and neutral oriented. Whichever you decide, the cost of hiring painters can be expensive. There is a simple solution. You can try doing some of it yourself by painting the walls and hiring someone to paint the trim. Another solution is to opt for an accent wall which would only cost a portion of the price to cover the entire room.
Styles
From contemporary and Asian to country and elegant, you’ll find a host of styles to choose from when decorating your home. However, the style that you select isn’t the most important part of the equation. Your home should speak volumes about your personality the moment your guests enter your home. If your style is more reserved and elegant, leggy furnishings and cool fabrics may showcase your personality best.
If you’re more on the quirky side, you may wow your guests with a more unusual themed home with modern chairs, vibrant sofas and ornate lamps. You don’t have pay a lot to achieve this. The trick is to shop at discount stores such as Ross or Garden Ridge that specializes in providing closeout items at low prices. You can also design pretty floral arrangements and unique wall decor yourself by shopping from a craft store. You can actually order some items in bulk online. That is the ultimate way to show who you truly are.
Artwork
In addition to your home furnishings and paint choices, you’ll find that paintings and artistic displays can add to your personal tastes. An individual with Victorian tastes may lean toward a floral print with an ornate frame painted gold that hangs over the fireplace mantel. Modernized quality framed art for the home, paintings, and eclectic pieces displayed throughout your dwelling can display artifacts collected around the globe or from your favorite retail establishment. Believe it or not, you can find some very interesting reasonably priced pieces at Family Dollar and Dollar General stores. You may even be able to find a classy antique piece that you can refurbish a your local thrift store.
Have Fun
You’ve probably waited all of your life to finally have a say in how you decorate your home environment. While you may have been able to decorate your room as a child with posters, toys and wall art, you’ll find that there’s nothing like furnishing your own home. Before you set out to begin the project, you’ll want to do some research by looking online for ideas. You’ll also find some great examples through your favorite magazines and books too. Since this is your own living space that you’ll be creating, you want to have fun and light up your inner personality.
While visitors to your home may not say anything about your decorating style, you’ll be able to read their response in their expressions. However, it’s not your guests that you need to worry about impressing. Choosing ideas that mesh with your personality and allow it to shine through is your primary focus and a decision you’ll be happy about.
Domonique Powell is owner of Sweet Solutions Inc. which parents Sweetpea’s Wearhouse & Gifts; a small retail store. She has many hobbies which she enjoys such as freelance writing. But, her greatest joy is raising her four children.
Hi! Welcome to RichSingleMomma.com. I started this website almost a decade ago because I couldn't find any blogs back then that helped single moms with money. I was having some success in that area so I decided to share what I knew about side hustles, making extra money, and managing money. Read more...
