Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Weaver.
Hi Anthony, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My financial story began in the Alameda area of Baltimore, Maryland. My mom was single with three kids, working three jobs, and we lived in a two-bedroom apartment. During those years, she would take us via two or three buses downtown in the wee hours of the morning to get to her first job. I knew that I did not want that for myself.
Growing up, I learned how to waste and spend money, but not how to save or invest it.
I realized in 2016 that my financial behaviors affected my physical health. My teeth were brittle, my hair started to turn gray and I felt weak.
I moved closer to work to reduce my commute from 45 minutes to 8 minutes – 15 minutes by bike. Around this time, my student loan provider and credit card companies were calling me and rent was due. One of the credit card companies did a soft pull of my credit to show me my credit score. It was 324.
I had to do something. I grabbed a calendar and began to map out my bills and paydays. I had outstanding balances on six credit cards. I contacted those companies to negotiate repayment plans. They warned me that agreeing to the terms would cancel the cards. I didn’t care.
The companies gave me the option to pay down my credit cards at a 0% interest rate in $40 monthly installments over the course of four years. This was perfect for my income at the time. I needed all the help I could get. I listed the cards smallest to largest and started paying off the smallest card first.
While I was getting everything together, I met my then-girlfriend, and informed her of my goal to pay off my debt. She, an accountant, asked me a simple question. “Do you still pay for your cell phone?” She suggested I use some of my savings to pay off the phone and eliminate that monthly payment. I hesitated. I didn’t have much saved, but she convinced me that paying off my phone would free up some of my dollars on a monthly basis to pay down my credit cards. She then guided me through the process of freezing my credit as I paid off my credit cards.
Now, as my wife, she continues to ensure that I stay in line with my finances.
In early 2019, I started listening to financial podcasts. The first three were Earn Your Leisure (hosted by Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings), Journey to Launch (hosted by Jamila Souffrant), and The Ramsey Show (hosted by Dave Ramsey). They opened my eyes to a different world, where people who had less than desirable situations can make it in today’s society.
I started the About That Wallet podcast in 2020, because I realized that many Americans have the same financial behaviors that I had before I learned how to manage my money.
I downloaded an app that allowed me to record, edit, and share my show with my phone. The first episode aired on June 29, 2020, and had about five listeners. Now after almost two years of recording, I’ve upgraded my equipment, am recording live, and have additional exciting guests to come!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has not. It’s tough starting a business with no one to guide you through the process. There is a lot of conflicting advice about how and when to start a business. It can get confusing. For instance, when I was researching starting my business, some recommended handling the administrative side first: coming up with a name, obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN), using the EIN to start a business bank account, creating a logo, business plan, etc. Others recommended developing and selling a product first, then handling administrative duties after establishing a client base.
Another struggle is keeping the topics interesting. It takes a lot of creativity to turn dry topics into something fun.
As you know, we’re big fans of About That Wallet LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
About That Wallet is about learning from others’ mistakes and misfortunes. I help you build strong financial behaviors so that you can live the life that is meant for you.
I introduce listeners to guests in various fields who share their stories about how to navigate financial systems. I also interview everyday people for their perspectives on life and how they were able to overcome their financial challenges. I’m known for providing financial advice for those wanting to start businesses, increase their net worth, invest in real estate, and much more. At the end of a show, listeners will have learned how to invest in themselves.
There aren’t many financial podcasts that can share the same cultural experiences that I have.
Growth – my listenership has grown exponentially since my first episode.
I’m always willing to try new things to bring content to your ears and eyes. The quality of my content has increased greatly since my first episode. I plan to bring on more guests to help listeners tackle just about any financial situation.
This year, I also plan to offer group financial sessions, a self-paced course on how to start a podcast, one-on-one financial guidance, pre-marital financial sessions, and tax services in partnership with a tax accountant.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I would say I’m a mild risk-taker. The first risk I took was having guests on the show. I was nervous and wondered why anyone would want to be a guest on my new podcast. I went from my comfort zone – talking to myself – to talking to a wide range of people about topics that interest me. Now, I’ll interview anyone who has touched money. We all have stories. So why not share them?
Another risk was showing my face via episodes on YouTube. There was a lot I didn’t like about how I looked on camera. This is why my first show was posted on YouTube (youtube.com/aboutthatwallet) February of 2021- seven months after my first audio-only episode. It took me another three weeks to show my face for the first time. And since then, my face has been in every episode.
I realized that I was the only person holding myself back from sharing my message on a different platform. I was not allowing myself to try because I didn’t want to fail. We want to be perfect when we put something out there with our names attached to it. I learned from taking this risk that I can only improve once I put something out there. If I keep it to myself, I’m the only critic. I’m the one who says it’s not worthy. In reality, not many people are going to see it. Not many are going to comment. So, let the show begin!
Contact Info:
- Email: anthony@aboutthatwallet.com
- Website: aboutthatwallet.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/aboutthatwallet
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aboutthatwalletpodcast/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/aboutthatwallet
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/aboutthatwallet
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/4cvhtqNV7QCMbk2vD0HGCk
Image Credits
Anthony Weaver
