Tash Billie is the Co-Founder and CEO at Meant2BFree where she provides services to help financial professionals whose clients are at the beginning of their wealth-building journey.
AFCPE: Tell us a little about Meant2BFree and how you started.
Tash: Meant2BFree is the product of being excluded from the luxury of financial advice. There are so many tools available for Financial Planners, Investment Advisors, etc. They obviously service a certain segment of the population. That leaves the rest of us with excel spreadsheets, DIY budgeting tools or solutions that are not shared between the professional and their client. Meant2BFree exists to create that shared experience and a safe environment where financial professionals can meet their clients where they are and guide them on their journey.
AFCPE: What does Black History Month mean to you?
Tash: Black History Month is another opportunity to reflect and educate myself and the people around me. I look to the past experiences of my people for inspiration and guidance. We don’t face the same challenges they had but we need to be reminded of their resilience and persistence.
AFCPE: How has your identity influenced or informed your work in personal finance or financial counseling?
Tash: It means everything to me. I’ve experienced and seen other people be treated unfairly because of the color of their skin. Without a solid financial foundation, we find ourselves staying in those situations because we can’t afford to just leave. So, it is very important to me to help individuals and families build their financial foundation. We deserve the freedom to choose!
AFCPE: What do you want financial professionals to know about working with the Black Community? Do you have any resources & tools that you would like to share with the larger AFCPE community and public?
Tash: I believe that more financial professionals need to take a look at the Financial Fitness Coach Designation provided by Saundra Davis. The soft skills that she is teaching in the course are monumental in helping someone overcome their own financial behaviors. A lot of those behaviors are passed down from generations to the next, so being patient, understanding and holding people to a high regard is very important when earning our respect and trust.
AFCPE: How did you learn about AFCPE & AFCPE Membership? How has your AFCPE Membership impacted, or how can it impact, the work you do within your community?
Tash: I learned about the AFCPE through LinkedIn. It’s created an opportunity for me to connect with an organization I did not know existed. I think it’s important for AFCPE to find more ways to connect with the public. The services provided by the professionals in this organization can hugely impact the finances of everyday families.
AFCPE: What is the best way to connect with you (social links, etc.)?
Tash Answers the Friday 5!
My Why: Being a great example for my children and the people around me. I want them to not be afraid to take chances. We are meant to be free!
My Favorite Quote: Use your energy to build not destroy.
My Hero: Harriet Tubman: She reminds me that we only get one life to live, so what do you want to be remembered for?
My Favorite Resource: LinkedIn, I love the positive vibes and overall sharing of information.
My Best Advice:
- For someone starting the journey to financial well-being: Find a great accountability partner, bring your full self and be patient.
- For a new professional: Meet people where they are and always understand that everyone makes decisions based on what makes sense to them. Those decisions are driven by their past experience, something they lived.
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