Kerry-Ann: everyone, welcome back to another episode of carry on friends, the Caribbean American podcast. We're back with Keisha. Keisha, welcome back to the podcast. How are you doing? 

Keisha: I'm excited to be here. I'm excited loving on you know. 

Speaker 1: Yes, yes, yes. So for anybody who didn't check out the last episode, why don't you tell the community, our friends, a little bit about who you are Caribbean country represent although I'm a think them have a hint the work you do? and then let's catch up on what's been happening since the last time you've been on the podcast yeah, sure. 

Speaker 2: So I am Keisha Bailey. You know, in these internet streets people refer to me as Keisha the teacher or, you know, the investment guru, and essentially what I do is that I teach and train persons on how to build wealth, specifically a lot of the Caribbean and the Caribbean diaspora. That's my jam. Showing people how to grow wealth, showing people who make more money, showing people how to create a legacy for themselves and the family that's my passion. I am very good at it because I've done it for almost 20 years now. I've grown wealth for a lot of persons and these days I am showing you know the up and coming million years how to take their nickel and turn it into million that's what we love to hear. 

Speaker 1: All right, so what's been happening since the last time you talk? so the last time we talk you, you kind of gave us the basis on how we should go about saving money. A lot of people ask questions. I saw somebody was like 50 Jamaica, 50,000 Jamaica and our 50,000 US so we talked about that. 

Speaker 1: But you know the word on the street and, as we know, you know there's a change in the market. Some people said maybe not as rough as they thought it would be. So kind of catches up as to where we are from the global financial marketplace and what we should be doing to to save our all of that good stuff. 

Speaker 2: So just catch you up on what's going on in a nutshell, 2020 is different and I think a lot of persons are starting to feel it that you know things are becoming a little tighter right. With 2022, inflation became a problem because everything did a gop, everything did a raise up and we weren't really feeling it doing our pocket because, though the inflation numbers coming out was saying why inflation going higher and higher, things going up in price, we never really did a feel it per se in our pocket. 

Speaker 2: This year though we are feeling even more right if we think last year somebody was a bum. I feel it at a guest pump, we feel it in the grocery store chicken price gone up, eggs gone up. This year you're feeling it even more because the prices are good, still continue to go up, and now a lot of companies are starting to struggle a little bit, and so if the company is struggling. 

Speaker 2: You know employees slowly starting to struggle. We see in bulletin layoffs coming as well. So the thing I get different, no, it's gonna get harder. That's what I'm here to say. Right, become why? everybody to get prepared that it is going to get harder this year going into the summertime. We may not have a summertime fine. May have a summer time. We may have a summertime where we really need to be buttoning up, you know, maybe doing a staycation, right? so this year it's gonna get harder in terms of prices will continue to go up, companies going continue to face challenges. Economies are going to also be facing more challenges. So we have to stay ready. That's what I'm here to talk about. We have to stay ready and there are certain things that you know we have to do to make sure we stay ready. But we can get into all of that both in our nutshell. The thing I get ton up times are getting harder. We need to get ready for that so that we're not caught. 

Speaker 1: You know, i wonder why, one old tier, we need to get ready yeah, like the hurricane, you know it's a calm, the forecast a calm, you know. But no, you know, reinforced the roof hurricane. 

Speaker 2: Why sometimes I'm saying, why are people having them accurate, you know, and things that are right, you know. So you have to take heed of what's coming. That's the main thing, right we're here to warn him and take heed when I went after the button up shovel up, we have to get ready so how do we get ready Keisha? 

Speaker 2: main thing is, you know, having cash and people may say, but oh my god, i've cash on everything I go. I understand we're gonna get creative then and start thinking about ways that we, you know, we can start making sure that emergency phone pile up, it is set, it is stuck up, the emergency phone half a stop, because what's gonna happen is that with harder times, more challenges, you're gonna find out. Maybe you know you always get caught back. Maybe you know the bonus no bonus this year. 

Speaker 2: So we have to make sure the emergency phone is there then to be able to take care of those needs that may come up that we never really planned for. So that means you know, i always say to persons you need to have three to six months of expenses talked away. 

Speaker 2: We need to be leaning now more to that six months. That's what we need to be leaning towards. It means then some people may say, boy, I didn't have one month, I didn't have one month. What should I do? Start putting aside money each month, No matter how small. start putting aside funds each month for that rainy day, And maybe we'll have to try and do some side hustles now to get extra cash coming in. you know, additional revenue streams. Maybe we need to be doing that now so that those funds are coming in and we can be putting them away. talking them away in the emergency fund That's what we want to be thinking about now. 

Speaker 2: So when the hard times come, we can say, hey, we were here listening to carry on friends, we're here, key shareholders, things, and we're talking, we're prepared. 

Speaker 1: So the last time you said you know and I want to make the distinction for anyone who listened the last time you said you know, if you want to do investment, you're putting aside a 50K, you're putting that in an investment growing account. What kind of account we need for put the? 

Speaker 2: emergency money. 

Speaker 2: Right. so I have to put them together because we're not stuck investing, because we still have to do that, because that's how we will be in the world, and if we're not stuck on the investments, nothing will be there in the future. After these hard time passes, we still have to think. So we have to bring the combination and it means maybe you know, it's not 50K now, it's probably 45 or 40, 35. And then the extra I'm putting to the emergency fund so that I can build it up faster. And then now, as we go through the hard time and hard time pass, we'll switch back over now to pushing back the full 50K to that investments. 

Speaker 1: All right. So we have to prepare for emergency, no matter how it look. You know, because you know maybe they live through Gilbert and so when they shine bright right until Until You know it start getting dark and you're like, hold on there, what is going on? So right now for some people it might look like the sun is still shining and it don't look like our storm is coming, but you still want to prepare anyway. And you said, you know, put a little bit aside, at least a month, and you said we might need to start looking No, I need three to six months. 

Speaker 1: Yes Three to six. Yes, three to six months. But you start see if every month you need to be putting money into that account, you might have to start a side hustle. Forget the little cash flow coming in. 

Speaker 1: So what about people who are already in feeling that financial P and R friction? how we come out of that? because when you're already in at the hard time you know you just survive. Try to pay the bill. You only have $5 and all of the bill they will come up to about $50. So how do we begin to kind of, you know, backpedal out of that situation? 

Speaker 2: So coming out of that situation is not easy, but it necessary. I have been there, i've been broke, i'm broke life in a nice. It is hard. I understand that. So where to come out of that situation quick and fast? 

Speaker 1: but in a nice. 

Speaker 2: So quickest way is that we have to find ways to bring in more money. Is the maths right? The maths of it that if your expenses higher than your income, if you have spent more than you earn and you can't cut back any more on the spending. 

Speaker 2: you know you explore everything, you look through the budget, your over budget, your triple check and still nothing can be cut. It meaning the other side of the equation, the income side, has to go up. So we have to think about side hustles. On my website, profitdomsartercom, we have a side hustle guide, because I get that question a lot from person saying Keisha, when we can do no money if you bring in some extra money? So on our website we have that side hustle guide. that's free but a lot of persons take and they say, oh, all right, here are some ideas, here are some easy ways, easy strategies that can implement to make some money. 

Speaker 2: right, No, you know on the side. So they take it and they implement. We have to get creative. It really is just the maths of it. I know people may say but you know, easier said than done. that is why I support you with the side hustle guide by giving you some ideas. I say, wait, all right, i can try this, i can do something else, let me try doing. you know one of these side hustles, but it's the maths of it If the expense high and they can't be caught. we have to bring up the income. 

Speaker 2: I want to take one and make fashions. 

Speaker 1: Turn it on and make fashions, and so it's gone. 

Speaker 2: That's who I know. that is where our ancestors get it from, because they obviously, you know, like us, would have been struggling and then say look here, we have to get creative. We can never feed our kids. We have to take care of our family. 

Speaker 1: Listen, i've lived that life. My grandmother's creative body, my grandmothers are sell ice because everybody did have electricity. 

Speaker 2: Right. 

Speaker 1: And so we have to make sure that you make drops and you make all sorts of things and sell you know so I see it with my own two eyes that you have to just get creative, look at the needs and say, all right, this aligned with what we want to do, so definitely check that out. And so, as we we're going through, all right, that storm is brewing and coming, we need to prepare And then, if you're in a tough situation, we have to figure out how we're going to get some money on the side. I mean, we are not going to be a part of people who you know do other men are men, are in that one, but you know they run errands, the supermarket and all of these things to get some more money. So we're covering the financial spectrum. There's one thing, keisha, we really need to talk about, and that's being diligent about avoiding scams. 

Speaker 1: And, you know, protecting the money. Yes, we have to protect it, right? So, storm we are for, see it up, money. So know how we protect the money. Any situation we're in now, talk to us about that, because there's a lot going on. When I call a utility company to pay a bill, they have a recording We will never show up at your door randomly. They said they have a list of things that they will not do And they will say call us if you're not sure. If it's us saying you must do X, y and Z. So it's in every way people are trying to get your money that you work hard for. So talk to us about how we can be more diligent about keeping our money and protecting our money in a world of scamming. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, this scamming is real and to be honest, it's not going away because it's been around It's been around and it's evolved over time as technology has evolved. 

Speaker 2: Back in the day, it used to be tree-cured man, and so, after three big up, whoever remember that, right, it used to be tree-cured man and do emptying. These days it's online. The tree-cured man put on emptying and realized that, hey, i can just sit down and just go online and do something different. So the thing though because scamming, i believe, will always be here among us in some way, shape or form. Let's then think about all right, how do we stay wise to the thing and protect our money that we work so hard for? right? After my work in 1995, and Keisha said before I do SID, i do SID also, i'm not bringing in money. How do I protect that? The main thing? couple of things. One, you have to monitor your account. You have to monitor your accounts. 

Speaker 2: Recently, when I was in Jamaica, i saw a transaction come up on my card. I went out to meet a client for a meeting and then, when I reach home, no, i see a transaction Two sisters and a dog. That's it Two sisters and a dog. Me never meet. No, sister and a dog. No, we're not in the team. I didn't meet anywhere. Right, i didn't meet anybody sister and them dog. So right away I called the bank and I said listen, i'm seeing this transaction here, two sisters and a dog. I don't recall doing any business with them or purchasing anything. Where exactly is this place? And they told me well, you know, it's a restaurant and it's the same restaurant that I had the meeting. Apparently, that's their business name Two sisters and a dog, That's it. Well, interesting name. 

Speaker 2: But you know it can create problems for people like myself will see that I'm like two season adult. But for me, because I'm so On it, right, i do the transaction, i get a notification, you know, to see, so dog. So I want everyone to take that same stance to make sure that Transaction, what you have the alert, transaction alerts in monitoring your account, no, to see some adult care richer. Yeah, let's see. That's a look here. What's going on. Because I got scammed before, because I saw transaction with a charity, some US charity. I was like I didn't do anything there and I called the bank to find out the name of the company. That time it was a illegitimate company, right? So I was able to, you know, report it and eventually got money. So I see to see some other. 

Speaker 2: I say oh, not again. Not again. But this one was legitimate So it went to. But I want everyone to be focused on their transaction. Money, tight like a hawk, is your money at the end of the day, your money, your responsibility, my money, my responsibility. I have to be that person right and I speak a lot about trust, but verify. We trust the financial system. We trust you know, i trust you, i trust you with my money. But make a verify. Where I do, i'm gonna do my due diligence. I'm gonna make sure that the rep that I have, that the advisor, is licensed is trained is How to open up. 

Speaker 2: I'm gonna make sure that the company have the right policies in place. I'm gonna say, look here, if one is your staff is allegedly scamming money. What's your policy around that? and You know a lot of the companies these days. They will tell you that we will reimburse you if there any fraud or any scam that affects your account. They tell you straight up. And that's the company I wanted to be. This way. If they say openly, look here, you will be reimbursed. Fine. If they tell me you are not gonna be reimbursed, i say, well, let me take my business elsewhere. Real quick, right? so monetary transactions trust, but verify and Ask the companies and the advisors that you do business with about their different policies The regulations that they follow and make sure you stay protected. 

Speaker 2: Right next thing is diversifying. Do not put all your money in one place. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Some people you know you have money at the bank, your work at a bank, your husband work at a bank, your sister work at a bank, your pension plan, your insurance at the one institution and, if anything, with, like anyone I don't know, many people listening out, watching, know about and run. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, that's, that's case study. You don't want that to happen to you. We're Minute. Anything happen to this company. All your money, all your wealth gets wiped out. So Sprinkly tarone spread around, diversify where your money is also diversify Investments, kind of same. You can happen when you have your portfolio and all your money in one single investment. You don't want that because anything you have to that one company, you lose all your wealth. So diversification is important too. 

Speaker 1: Listen. Yes, there's so many things, james, James. 

Speaker 2: James, that's why they call me teacher the teacher, because you know. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, you learn from experience, because it's the same Enron thing I worked in class action litigation resulting from the Enron collapse. So we see whole people, life saving money, just dissipate like poof, like gone. And you know I was scammed years ago. Somebody went to fuck all of these things on my card. Let me just call up the bank, look here. No, i was none of these places, i didn't buy any of these things And Uno should have alerted me because the alert is on my account And you know. So they did reimburse me And I think it's important. You know, like my alert, keisha, if anything overtreat, i'll spend the bank. I'll spend the bank. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, alert, look here. Trust, but verify, live by it. Trust, but verify. Yeah, trust but verify. 

Speaker 1: Even when I deposit coming on my account because I'm in work. The opposite way, you know they watch. 

Speaker 2: With all the things said, you have to go through it, man. So, some persons you know I say I'm in social media say may I keep my money and my mark. 

Speaker 2: Trust me, I put my money in the Bible. Well, look here, the thing is it's not growing there. Ren can't wait it, We can't money, paper Money can disintegrate And once it disintegrates boy, that's just on you. I can go with a piece of money and hope to get it back Right. So we need the banking system. We need it. You have to go, especially in a person who's building the creditors. Yeah, Your money has to be in the system, But we have to verify what's happening right. We trust you know we are going to make sure we're verified. You know, keep true and make sure, Because we're half a work with the system, but we are statewide and we're doing our due diligence. 

Speaker 1: So we talked about checking our bank account frequently and or in Well. for me, i was specifically talking about bank accounts, the ones that you interact with on a day to day. When it comes to the investment accounts, it's a little bit different. You might have to call up somebody, but you should be able to log in and you know, yeah, you should be able to just go online. 

Speaker 2: I mean, if you have a call of somebody, then you know that business needs a tech upgrade, Because 2023, right, Not 19,. oh, it's 2023. It should be online. 

Speaker 1: You should have online access right. So you need to log in and be diligent, and I think the challenge with that is is not necessarily you'll forget it, but because maybe you're not interacting with it as much, it may not be top of mind to check it as frequently as the checking account where you're using to do the transaction. So we just have to be a little bit more diligent about that. So, keisha the teacher, tell us what else that you see coming up that you want your people prepared for, and say, all right, listen, we have a tight in the building. Now we're the ones who say the rest of the year, i'm just playing but I don't know what I mean. 

Speaker 2: Good point there, because I believe in abundance, because our ancestors work hard, you know, to make life better for us. So I want everybody to enjoy life and live abundantly. Because one thing we know life is not guaranteed, not certain here today, gone tomorrow. Make sure what I hear I am best life To the end, sure that you have that best life. 

Speaker 2: You have to do several things financially, because money is what turn everything right. We can't take pretty smile and go for grocery I'm pretty smile and go on the plate. I can't go for vacation, right, we can't be blinking, we can't. You know I look good on my muscles. You know, put on the plate. Money is what's needed, right. So we need to be wise financially. We need to take control of our finances and knowing in our community. A lot of the time it's very easy to talk about yeah, we watch fan Netflix, you know which party I go, where I fly, you know where I see my fashion over on Sheena and all of that, but we ever talk about the money as well, and I'm encouraging persons to create a money circle for yourself. 

Speaker 2: People that you talk to about your finances regularly, people that you can. You know, hey, you know some investments coming out and you guys participating in this way. Think about this on the planning, on your insurance, your will done. Talk with your friends about that. Let's make financial conversations sexy. Let's make them the norm within our community and not boy watch, watch by Instagram. Who this Let's talk about? 

Speaker 1: our money. 

Speaker 2: And how to grow our money. That's what I want to do right. That's what I thought about. Anybody that comes into my Community they know meaning I know with conversation once Me I thought I'm going to be talking to you about business or money. If you come with anything else like, too busy for you, can't talk busy over here, you know, watching my portfolio, busy looking what I need to be doing with my finances. Can't talk to you with a careless conversation. 

Speaker 1: That's where I am, and if you're not there, you can't talk to me. Yeah, no, it's just us to be there. 

Speaker 1: No, man, it's real talk. We talked to my friends, you know. So, outside of your investing and your job, 401k, you know we go on the phone. Me have one account, you know me. I said, boy, business at this, stop for something, the gun don't. I will. You say, wait, you know like, you know, just trying to have these conversations because you know it's been taboo. We don't talk about money, we don't want people know how much money we have. But at the same time, i found that, having those conversations with friends who are In that same space, we can talk through those fears and encourage each other. So, no man, We're trying to. All right, you can't split the stack up by like what you know, all of these different things and you learn this way. And, as I think you said something in the last episode And it's about confidence, right? So if you don't, if you don't know anything, you know, feel confident, are your shame for us. 

Speaker 2: That's why Keisha, the teacher of Wollipop, video on the YouTube and she get My mission, my passion, my vision is that everybody in our community is wealthy Stinking rich, recall it, want that, and for you to get there, you have to know more about your finances And you have to take control. Is not that you know? Yeah, i've heard the say see a lot going where you're, so come up with spend money. It's hey, see a lot on our investments. Have you maxed out your 401k? Have you maxed out your IRA? You know what are you doing for my candidates? What are you doing with it If I say I RSP? those are the conversations we need to be having and That is what's gonna push forward Wealth within our community. Right, this wealth gap that we have. That's what we enclose it. So, as much as I can do all the other strings, pounding, pounding, pounding. Say look here, why is up to the thing? It's no time to take control about your finances? educate yourself, take action. That's what we want to make sure happen. 

Speaker 1: All right, wonderful Keisha. I really enjoy having these conversations. 

Speaker 2: every time I talk to you, i feel like, yeah, i'm so That's what I want to push you and I make sure I want to feel my passion and the technical of my passion and care with you, maybe in a really posh, and I have, boy, a finance book where you hear me speak. Your muscle, true, you know yeah, i really do something. 

Speaker 1: Not only that it's true, but it's possible and I think that's important. You know, it's like Which? 

Speaker 2: is our mission statement. Wealth is possible for me, for you, for she, for him, for everybody. Well, this possible because my story had from even we shared a bit of it on the last episode that I was not born with the money. 

Speaker 2: Right, single mother, all the stone, kingston, jamaica. Education was my thing because that's what my mother push at that time. It was, you know, study a book, study a book, study a book and Try and get a good job. It's when I started working that I realized wait, there, there's this thing called investing. There's this thing where I see you know all of these more wealthier people doing, let me go and learn more about it And, as I, you know, immerse myself in the world. So the thing set up and I was able to raise well for myself and my family, create wealth for one another, clients, and it's until I say, look here, i'm done with the making rich people richer and it helped my community to Advance. And this is how profit don't start. I was born and every day we get up and we say, alright, we need to be all time. Youtube so people can watch videos and learn feeling cold. 

Speaker 2: We need to be on Instagram. We need to be out there doing workshops, being on you know Podcasts like yours here. Carry on, carry on, friends, to make sure it's everybody. You're the team and everyone feels, inspired. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, no, and I mean From your episode I've been been a little bit more diligent. So, like you know, my son's birthday came up. They said what does he want for him birthday? and I say you know, this is the godparents just say I put money in the 529. I said thank you, Thank you, Yeah. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, that's what other communities, this code Do you think, like you know? or wealthy a food, that's what happens, that you have a trust account and on birthdays, you know, tom, okay, bill, they make a deposit. That's what we do, it or something every year. People come and they're like, what are you doing? 

Speaker 2: Yeah, here's his account information. Please make a deposit there and then you can send the receipt to his email. Here it is We'll file the tax at the year. That's why these people come like no, his birthday is coming up. I'm getting all of the question. Yeah, yeah, true, party, weird. I'm like no. No, when he requests a party, you will have a party. Until then, you can make a deposit to his education fund here at the account details. Thank you for your contribution. 

Speaker 1: Don't, I don't know party. The most party that I do for the kids is just like my husband and our immediate family. Happy Birthday, I caught cake and that's it. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the memories that you can have. Honestly, that's what lives on. You have this big party, this big elaborating and wine and dye. It's more for the parents than for the kids. Your child don't really care if it's one or 500 people, that's there. So why are we doing these elaborate things? Why We need to be putting the money towards investment so we can pay for college. What good is having 15, 16 years of birthdays? and then, when it comes to our college, we have screwed up and I said boy, how are you going to afford college? And let's go take a student loan. Maybe if we were investing our money over the 15 years, it could be oh, pick any college that you want to go. You want Ivy League or you want? yeah, go, The money is there. I would come by your car to go with it. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, no, it's real talk Like, let me tell you, nobody send no more time coming here. No drum no guitar, any noise making things. do not send them here. 

Speaker 2: Don't send none of them over here. Make a deposit to his education fund. Thank you very much. 

Speaker 1: Yes, it's true, and I think we also need this because I think we grew up having it. I remember growing up in primary school we had Trif Club at the church, our Trif Club at school, and it may not have been invested or you gain anything, but it was the early signs of teaching our kids about saving. So what can we do as parents to instill in our kids that they need to save? 

Speaker 2: It starts on birth. So I can tell you what we did Once my son was born. We immediately opened the education fund And then I did the maths, got the maths. The maths are for maths. I said, all right, how much do I need to put each month so that by the time he's 80, he's a millennium? What do I need to put in What growth rate that money needs to have? Because all I'll do now is just monitor to make sure it growing that much each year. I have the maths and he's on his way. Now what we're trying to do is when we start to speak to them about money, talk to them about saving and investing, putting funds away for our rainy day all right, get your lunch money, which is income. Don't foolishly spend off all that, but like a little. Maybe you want to save it up for something. You want to save towards your birthday, save towards encouraging the kids to be saving towards goals, because these are habits that when you create them early, it follows on into adulthood. 

Speaker 2: If we're training our kids to spend off your money, you know, spend your lunch money, you'll get more tomorrow. Spend it off, spend it off. Spend it off. They're going to be going into that right race and the same thing is going to happen when they enter the workforce And we say, oh, i'm going to spend off on my pay And they'll start to paycheck, to paycheck, to paycheck, because that's what I've been used to all my life. We don't want to talk to them about. Hey, you know, i have a portfolio for you. This is what is in there. We're saving for college. So know that you are going to college if you want. But the option is there, the money is there, right, so the child don't have to think that you know, oh, my only option is me need to find a rich person for Bui that you know me need to take to the streets. You want your child to know that there's a future And you tell them about that, Absolutely, Kisha. 

Speaker 1: Thank you so much for being on the podcast. Like I said, every time you come on here me feel empowered, me feel energized, and to go out and talk to my friends about all right. This is how Kisha, the teacher, say what we are doing, We are doing all right, boom, we are going to do that. All right, I'm going to try this, that type of thing, And I think that's another strategy that I'd like to share. Like, all of us don't try the same thing at the same time, We try, all of us kind of try different strategies and then tell the other one how it's working out, And then we say, all right, you know, make a decision about okay, all right, we go all the way, we go, try this the next go around, because then it helps us, you know, figure things out. So thank you for affirming some of the things making me feel confident about what is possible. And why don't you tell everybody where they can find you? 

Speaker 2: Right, so I am all over IG, profitjumstarter, on YouTube as well, profitjumstarter, and then, of course, our website, profitjumstartercom. You can join my weekly newsletter where I'm talking about these things every week, telling you what to do with your finances right now, giving you ideas and tips that you can use to implement so that you continue to build wealth. That's what it's all about. That's my passion. So if you wanna be a part of the ProfitJumstarter community, find us on IG, youtube and our newsletter. Those are main places we're there. So come on over. You know I say come join me on the money side, because that's where I am, the money side. If you wanna come over there, you know where to find us. 

Speaker 1: Wonderful guys. That newsletter is amazing, so just join up. Chuck full of information and same energy as well. I can attest to that. The same way she talked here. You know, nice up a little bit, but same straight talk, same way. 

Speaker 2: If the news, if you're realist, one thing you get with me is realist. No, sugar coating is realist, yeah. 

Speaker 1: Yeah, all right. So everyone, thank you again for listening and until next time, walk good.