The prelude - You have to tell your story Why did I feel it was important to write this book? What is its purpose? What do I want readers to walk away with? Feelings about how writing this book was premature, rethinking that roadblock to see how sharing my journey thus far could positively impact so many women. The beginning of who I am My beginnings: My name, how I was raised, my parents, the place women in my family (education) and in my culture, what shaped me as a child, the value of education in my culture LESSON: Reflecting on what has shaped you has power to help you craft your future Coming of age College, the sacrifice my parents made, my partial scholarships, navigating college as the only black girl around rich college kids, building my confidence through experiences that shaped me: Navigating relationships and racism (Andreas, Christmas on the train), being questioned about where I come from LESSON: Building grit, defining realizations and leveraging them for your personal growth My career path From consulting to cable and telecom, not negotiating, earning less than my peers Discovering the world of personal finance, sitting at my desk looking up finance blogs Getting married and motherhood, reliving my mother's story Quitting my job LESSON: Negotiating, prioritizing self, stepping into your own Choosing financial wellness Why I chose personal finance, best-selling book for women written by white male, pursuing purpose and legacy as a new mother, focusing on a passion. LESSON : Why women should follow their gut and intuition about their life's pursuits My infamous 100k story Building up the courage to share how I saved 100k, the positive impact of my story trumping the trolls, how it helped catapult the brand. LESSON : Why sharing your story can be incredible impactful no matter how small it is My rich husband Addressing people attributing one's success to her husband, intimidation of seeing a strong woman standing on her own, what a rich husband really is, why being a rich wife is even more important LESSON: Not letting people's opinions shape your relationship, why partnership in marriage is important but so is standing on your own two feet as woman The crossroads - Choosing purpose over self Techstars, raising capital, facing biases and prejudice, believing in myself, growing thick skin LESSON: Stepping outside of your comfort zone is necessary to pursue purpose over self Imposter syndrome, mommy guilt and other personal challenges The lies I told myself, work life balance does not exist, choosing my own balance, self care LESSON: There's no perfect blue print to be CEO mother and wife The year 2020 Coming into my own, pivoting to serve my purpose, racial injustices, impact of COVID, reiteration of purpose of self LESSON: Building resilience, getting clear on purpose, using your voice Proudly black, female and successful Not being ashamed of the privilege I have earned, using my privilege for good and to open doors and create impact LESSON: Stepping into success on your own terms, sharing your success, doing good and leaving your naysayers in the dust What's next? Closing My goals and aspirations for myself and Clever Girl Finance.