At 23, I walked into BlackRock‘s New York office fresh out of Wesleyan University, ready to conquer Wall Street. By 28, I had traded my corporate badge for a ring light and a mission to empower women through content creation. Along the way, I learned that the biggest impact doesn’t always come from the biggest institutions. 
The journey began in 2018, when I joined BlackRock’s Financial Markets Advisory team. In my role, I advised governments and banks on complex financial issues. At 23, I was analyzing balance sheets and sitting in rooms where billion-dollar decisions were made. After two years, I moved to an investment bank as a corporate bond trader. Fast-paced, high-pressure, complex work.
But even as I was building this impressive Wall Street resume, I kept thinking: What am I really building toward? I had access to financial knowledge that most women would never get. But, because of the limitations some Wall Street institutions impose on their employees, I wasn’t permitted to share basic financial knowledge with the world.
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The Moment That Changed Everything
After leaving BlackRock, I went on to work at an investment bank, and that’s where everything shifted. It was there that I uncovered systemic pay inequity. Hundreds of Black employees, including myself, were doing the same work as our white counterparts.
However, we were significantly underpaid. I gathered data, documented discrepancies, and wrote a letter to the head of HR. That email led to a formal review and correction of compensation, resulting in revised pay for hundreds of Black employees across the firm.
That email did not lead to immediate change. It took months of internal review before compensation was formally corrected, ultimately resulting in revised pay for hundreds of Black employees across the firm.
It was a win, but it came at a cost. Even before I sent that letter, the person responsible for pay equity attempted to dismiss my concerns. Afterward, I was repeatedly told that our compensation was already correct. It wasn’t. The data proved otherwise.
That experience of being gaslit, even in the face of clear evidence, clarified something for me: I no longer wanted to spend my career fighting for equity in institutions that failed to recognize it or value me until external pressure made it unavoidable.
My passion wasn’t climbing the corporate ladder. It was educating women on their finances, beauty, and wellness. I wanted to encourage women to embody health and wealth in everything they do. As my slogan says: stay healthy and wealthy.
I wanted to build something where my voice and values weren’t up for negotiation.
The Pivot: From Trading Floor to TikTok
In May of 2022, I posted my first vlog on TikTok as a form of self-expression.
I technically missed the big creator boom of 2020 and 2021, but I wasn’t chasing virality. I was simply showing up as myself.
I started sharing day-in-the-life videos as a Wall Street trader, and people were fascinated. Then, I wove in life lessons, beauty routines, and wellness tips because those have always been part of who I am.
Beauty wasn’t new territory for me. I got certified in makeup artistry and skincare back in spring 2014, when I was still in high school in Jamaica. When I moved to the U.S. for college at Wesleyan University, I was the girl doing everyone‘s makeup for graduation, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween.
So, when I started creating content, I didn’t pick a niche and force myself into a box. I showed up as my full self: a finance professional who also loves a good skincare and beauty routine, a green juice, and a perfectly curated outfit.
The audience grew rapidly because I wasn’t performing. I was just living out loud. I had put “The Finance Baddie®” in my TikTok bio almost as an afterthought, just a fun name while I was randomly making content about my life.
Then one day at a women’s Wall Street networking event, the host mentioned that younger professionals there had recognized me from TikTok, excitedly telling them, “That’s The Finance Baddie®!” I realized then that the name had stuck. Younger women on Wall Street were actually looking up to me, not for my corporate title, but for the content I was creating in my free time.
Building a Multi-Dimensional Brand
Today, I‘ve partnered with brands across beauty and skincare, health and wellness, home and kitchen, food and beverage, technology, fashion, and travel. That range isn’t random. It’s a reflection of how I actually live.
I’ve been able to work with so many brands across different sectors because authenticity is my platform. I incorporate these brands genuinely into my lifestyle.
When I partnered with Primal Kitchen, it was natural to feature their dressings in my meal prep videos because that’s what I actually use in my kitchen. When I worked with Aveeno Skincare, it was a natural fit because their products have been a part of my skincare regimen since I was a little girl. Most recently, I collaborated with Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare™, whose LED FaceWare Pro Mask has been a regular part of my nighttime skincare routine. I only recommend high-quality products and services that I believe in, like, and use.
Some creators have a niche. I am the niche.
My audience follows me for different reasons. Some come for financial wisdom. Others want beauty tips, meal prep ideas, juicing recipes, fashion inspiration, or skincare routines. The common thread? They trust me.
That trust comes from offering value beyond brand partnerships. I host finance workshops and classes for women. At my financial vision board party, Rich Girl Reset, I guided women through setting their financial intentions and creating an action plan to actually help them follow through.
At my Finance Masterclass, Time Is Money, I taught women how to maximize their earning potential and monetize their time. The goal is to put themselves in a financial position where they can pivot for any scenario.
I share real insights, not just sponsored content. My reputation goes before me, and brands work with me because they know I’m building a community, not just promoting products.
Lessons I’ve Learned
My journey from Wall Street to content creation taught me lessons that anyone considering a career pivot needs to hear:
- Your expertise is portable. The financial knowledge I gained on Wall Street didn’t disappear when I left. It became the foundation of my content and what makes my voice credible in the creator space.
- You don’t have to choose one passion. Finance, beauty, wellness, fashion — they can all coexist. The most authentic brand reflects all of who you are, not just one dimension.
- Authenticity builds trust, and trust builds longevity. I only partner with brands I genuinely use and believe in. That integrity is why my audience trusts my recommendations and why brands continue to work with me.
- Timing matters less than authenticity. I started creating content in 2022, well after the pandemic creator boom. But, showing up authentically and consistently mattered more than being early.
- Offer value beyond transactions. I host workshops, provide real financial education, and build community. That’s what separates content creators from influencers and what makes partnerships meaningful.
- Your reputation is your currency. Whether on Wall Street or as a creator, how you show up matters. Build a reputation for quality, integrity, and value.
- Freedom is the ultimate wealth. The ability to work on your own terms, share what you‘re passionate about, and impact lives in the way you choose? That’s worth more than any Wall Street bonus.
- Sometimes the most powerful move is building something new. Fighting for change in broken systems is exhausting. Sometimes the answer isn‘t fixing the institution from the inside. It’s creating your own platform on your own terms.
Why Authenticity Wins
The transition from Wall Street to content creation wasn’t about running away. It was about running toward impact.
On Wall Street, I was one voice in a system that often didn’t want to hear me. As a creator, I reach hundreds of thousands of women every single day. I can teach them about compound interest and the latest lip plumper in the same breath. I can show them that you don’t have to choose between being financially savvy and loving beauty, between being strategic and being creative.
I went from advising governments on some of the most complex economic and financial decisions to advising women on how to build wealth, confidence, and a life they love. And honestly? The impact feels bigger. The fulfillment is deeper. The freedom is real.
Your Wall Street might not be an actual trading floor. It’s any place where you’re undervalued, boxed in, or told to dim your light. But remember: You have permission to leave. You have permission to build something new. And you have permission to show up as your full, multi-dimensional, unapologetic self.
That’s where the real wealth is. Not in the salary. Not in the title. But in the freedom to live and work on your own terms.
And trust me: that’s a return on investment no Wall Street firm can match.
