Divas That Care Network
The #divasthatcare movement is an ever-evolving movement of positivity and progression. It is a group of cohesive women working toward a common goal as way makers for the next generation. These women also plan to pass on the tools and resources necessary for future generations to eagerly step up to the plate. By defining your purpose, you can do tremendous things for people around you. You can contribute to making the world a better place every single day. The Divas That Care Change makers have walked the walk and are talking the talk and we do it one day at a time.
Divas That Care Network
Financial Literacy for Women
Join Host SheBa as she interviews a variety of extraordinary women whom are working to make the world a better place! #DivasThatCare
BIO: Sheila McMullen is originally from Staten Island, New York but reside in the sunshine state by way of Jacksonville. She’s worked for a credit union for the last 6 years and has dedicated her career to educating and sharing her knowledge in underserved communities specifically to those that need help with the home buying process.
Sheila McMullen, a credit union branch vice president, shares her powerful perspective on financial wellness as a relationship that requires emotional intelligence, intentional behaviors, and the willingness to get uncomfortable.
• Financial wellness differs from financial literacy by addressing your emotional relationship with money
• The three keys to financial wellness: your financial relationship, money behaviors, and getting uncomfortable
• Just like ignoring health symptoms can lead to serious illness, ignoring financial problems leads to financial sickness
• Seek financial accountability partners who are professionals rather than friends or family
• People can become jealous when you improve your financial habits, making it harder to maintain your new behaviors
• Sheila focuses on educating youth and supporting minority business owners with honest financial conversations
• A wealthy woman isn't defined by money but by her presence, confidence, and the wisdom she shares
• Financial wellness is generational - the principles we practice will impact our children and their children
For more Divas That Care Network Episodes visit www.divasthatcare.com
It's Divas that Care Radio Stories, strategies and ideas to inspire positive change. Welcome to Divas that Care, a network of women committed to making our world a better place for everyone. This is a global movement for women, by women engaged in a collaborative effort to create a better world for future generations. To find out more about the movement, visit DivasThatCarecom after the show. Right now, though, stay tuned for another jolt of inspiration.
Speaker 2:Well, well, well. Welcome again to Sheba Shares, a part of the Divas that Care Network. I'm so grateful and so I mean. This experience is just amazing. I love the fact that I'm able to interview, to share this space of learning. I've learned a lot. I'm just, you know, delving into certain topics and exploring, you know, things, expanding, you know, my mindset not only minds, but also those who are listeners, literally across the world. And so we have another amazing, amazing woman, who I so happen to know personally, right, and then as well as professionally, as far as my work that I do, and I thought that she would be a great person to bring onto our platform today, and so I wanted to introduce you listeners, everyone who's listening to my sister, my friend, sheila. Sheila, hey, girl.
Speaker 3:Hey, good morning. Thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited. I love it you are so, so welcome.
Speaker 2:So listen, I'm not gonna jump into the whole shebang just yet. I just want to take maybe like a minute or so. Introduce yourself, Let us know why. Why are you so amazing? Why Tell me All?
Speaker 3:right, I'll try to make it, make it short. So, um, as you said, uh, we are friends and, uh, I just think everything you're doing for the Divas that Care is amazing and so honored to be able to share in this platform. So I think the easiest thing is you know, I'm just very, very mindful of the position that I'm in and I just want to help weed more. So currently I am a branch vice president for a credit union and I just want to help weed more. So currently I am a branch vice president for a credit union and I've been doing that going on seven years.
Speaker 3:So a day in the life, I'm able to talk to all different types of people, from young to old to millionaires to someone starting out their first job, and I learn from each and every one of them. I think what makes me amazing is the title does not stop me from building a relationship and getting to really know and see what I can do to assist, because I believe everyone, in every part of their lives, need help. So I speak with a lot of different people and it's amazing how we have some of the same mindset. So I'm just really grateful to be able to use my platform to get out there in the community, especially our community, and share that knowledge, you know, wholeheartedly, not for any type of gain, but really just because it's what I love to do. I think it's my purpose for sure.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's so amazing. So, just to give you a little bit of content, our topic today is about financial literacy, and others would deem it as financial wellness, right, and speaking of which, let's just jump right into it. Let's jump right into it, right, because I hear these different terms financial literacy, financial wellness, you know. So is there a difference between financial literacy term, financial wellness?
Speaker 3:is something that you're going to hear a lot more of. It's more of like a hashtag phrase because it's more understandable than, like, your financial literacy. So you think of literacy, as you know that understanding it makes it more textbook and sometimes we lose our audience. So in financial literacy, I would point it as your understanding of your finances from you know how to balance a checkbook or how to pay your bills on time. I like to think that financial wellness, with that wellness piece, is, to you know, really assist. So you think about the core values. You know you need to eat, you need shelter and you need to be able to take care of the things that are important to you. And that's that wellness part and without that you can get ill that we start talking more about it so that we can have an overall wellness, because most people they'll have a lot of their stuff together. But then that last part, like financially, you know where are you with that?
Speaker 2:Wow, you know, that's amazing Because you know, if you think about it I mean, think about it in its simplest form, right, If I let's say, let's say, for instance, I start getting these symptoms right, Symptoms that appear to be like a cold or what have you, and I'm just like, yeah, you know, ignoring it, um, acting as if it doesn't exist, you know, maybe, perhaps, maybe, doing like little things to um, as they sayaid it right.
Speaker 2:So I'll get orange juice. You know something, you know whatever, and like you said, eventually you'll get ill. You know it might turn into a flu, it might turn into a pneumonia, it might turn into. You know all these different phases, if I can say, or different dynamics or aspects of illness. Right, and the same holds true as it relates to your finances. If you don't handle, your business right.
Speaker 2:If you don't, if you keep ignoring which? We're going to get into this in a minute, because I learned oh my goodness, I learned a lot about financial wellness and one of the biggest things that I've noticed is, you know, it reminds me so much of like emotional intelligence. There's some type of emotion. Like you said, financial literacy is just textbook. Listen, this is what it is.
Speaker 2:This is the fact, this is your credit score, this is your utilization, this is your, you know. But the wellness really connects and dives into this emotional relationship, if I can say that we have with money, right and like you know this hashtag, this coin phase. But people are really, really starting to pay attention to it because, in my opinion, I think just with a physical sickness right, there's like financial people are sick financially and then the funny part is that it actually does affect your physical well-being as well. You know what I mean? Absolutely, it's like it's so interesting so. So what do you have to say about that? What is your thoughts about that?
Speaker 3:So absolutely, I think. So I kind of go through like the especially for this topic, like the top three things is you know your financial relationship, your money behaviors and getting uncomfortable with that financial wellness, so to speak. Right, wait, wait, wait wait, wait.
Speaker 2:Hold on, sis. You know you got to say that again. Come on. You know you got to say it again. Say it again.
Speaker 3:So we're going to go your financial relationship, your money, behaviors, behaviors and getting uncomfortable with your financial wellness, because that is the ultimate goal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's true, right, it's so tough, right? I had to say that my heart started beating fast, right?
Speaker 3:So when I think so, let's start with the first one. So your financial relationship, so that relationship part, like with anything, because any relationship that you have, you know you have to nurture it, you have to be in the moment, you have to be um engaged right, it takes two to be in any type of relationship that you're in. So for a financial relationship, you have to find that information. So I'll tell you a short story. So for me, you know, sheba, we grew up together so we made it happen right. But we did not always have that guidance.
Speaker 3:So we worked a lot. I worked my first job, I worked, I saved up. I knew nothing about credit, nothing about finances. I had to figure that out and the relationship I had was I don't want to owe people, because I've heard so much about it from my mom and my family members and their relationship with it didn't seem positive. And I wanted a different financial relationship for me because I knew, especially growing up in New York, that I wanted something different. I didn't want that paycheck to paycheck life and I wanted to have a better relationship.
Speaker 3:Right, so that goes into the next one, your money behaviors. How are you with money? So behaviors are either taught or learned. Right? So someone teaches you. You know how to behave. You know. You go to church, you sit down, you listen, you don't play around, you don't scream or you get smacked. Right, right, okay, so right. So you know you don't cut up in church, but if you're outside, you can cut up a little bit. Right Now we're talking about what's learned.
Speaker 3:I watch the people around me and their behaviors with money. So don't spend what you don't have to show off for someone who doesn't care. So with my money, I made sure if I was going to spend money, I needed to make sure it was something for me, because it was what I wanted to do. I wasn't trying to attract someone else. If I wanted to go out to eat and have a nice steak, that's what I was going to do. My bills were always going to be paid, but I wasn't going to be just spending money just for the sake of it.
Speaker 3:Then you go on to your next one, getting uncomfortable. Although I am a VP and I talk about financial wellness all the time, there was a time where I was not where I am now. I am a homeowner, but I just recently bought my home, right before COVID. Lot of people think, oh, you've got it all together. No, this financial wellness is an everyday thing and, just like in any relationship, there are uncomfortable times. You're shifting, you're growing right, you are learning more about money, and now you're getting uncomfortable because now, oh, I've got a mortgage. I might not be able to eat all those steaks that I wanted to eat.
Speaker 3:I got to get uncomfortable to say, hey, I, I would love to go hang out and have drinks. I just can't because I have a responsibility. And if I don't get uncomfortable up front, then it's going to make me uncomfortable later. Because what happens? I can't pay that mortgage. Then something happens with my car and because my money behaviors were bad, I can't pay for that car. And then my financial relationship is bad because now creditors are coming for me because I haven't paid.
Speaker 3:So those all go together and you have to have those conversations, and especially especially in the black community, especially for black women, because we are trending as leaders of the household financially. Yes, we are, so we are now. We are leading. So it's very important because they always say more money, more problems. That is it, because you get more money and then the things that you had out of reach are now in reach and then your behavior is about money changing and then you're no longer getting uncomfortable with yourself because you're like I got it, I'm good. And then you get sick. And then your financial wellness has you sitting trying to figure out what to do next because you didn't game plan. Has you sit in trying to figure out what to do next because you didn't game plan?
Speaker 2:Wow, you know that's very, very, it's powerful, it's impactful, it's insightful, it's needed. You know it's needed. You mentioned something about having the right conversations, right? Do you suggest or do you recommend that a person whether it be a woman, man, whomever right, do you suggest or do you recommend that a person whether it be a woman, man, whomever right, do you suggest that they have these conversations with any and everybody Like? Do you? You know, cause? You know, sometimes they say, oh, I have an accountability partner or whatever. You're trying to obtain a goal, or whatever the case may be. You know who should people have these conversations with and what should these conversations look like?
Speaker 3:So you know, that's a really great question and maybe I would say, before you know this evolution of this wellness, I would have said, yeah, absolutely, shout it to the world, have a conversation with everyone in your circle circle. But now I would say, everyone usually knows an expert, someone that is top of their class and the thing that they do best. In my opinion. I highly recommend to speak to a financial advisor or a banker, someone that specializes in that particular thing that can be unbiased, in that particular thing. That can be unbiased. They can also be your accountability partner and they can be someone that you can be a hundred percent uncomfortable and honest.
Speaker 3:Because I'm going to tell you this, one of the top reasons people get divorced or have falling out is because of money, and it's because we're not having that uncomfortable conversation, because that person knows us and they use that against us. They start to judge us based off of how we want to change and have a better financial wellness relationship. So you start talking about money with your friends like, hey, I noticed the last couple of months you needed to borrow some money, but I also noticed you were going out every week. Why don't you have a conversation with me. Why don't you? Would you like to come meet my financial advisor? This is why I'm not going out.
Speaker 3:Sometimes you alienate people because they think that you're trying to be better than them when you're really trying to educate them, and then that in turn stops you from getting uncomfortable with yourself. So I would say, kind of, find that person that you look up to that has that experience, because you really are going to learn from them. You're going to see their behaviors. You're going to see why, if something comes up out of nowhere, they're not stressed, they're not running around, they're not asking, they're like, hey, something happened, I'm not going to be able to do this, but I was able to take care of this thing. That comfort in your financial wellness is going to override everything, and people get jealous. I'm going to just be honest with that too, because you are making changes that are different than anyone in their circle. So they tell you if you're the smartest person in the room, you need a new room, right? That's kind of like that mindset.
Speaker 3:So I would definitely recommend most of my members. I am their accountability partner. I am the person that is like okay, listen, this is what we can do based off of what we have. I'm not the person that's like, yeah, go and do that, but I absolutely think most places offer that service for free. My credit union does. Most places do like, hey, I need to speak to a financial advisor, I need to get some things in order. I need a game plan Right, and you need that because if you're not uncomfortable with talking to yourself about it, you need to be uncomfortable with talking to someone else, so that way, that conversation gets better and then your financial relationship gets stronger. And that's what every relationship needs strength by having uncomfortable conversations.
Speaker 2:It's so funny how I think that I mean literally everything, everything in this world. The foundation is a relationship. You know, it's like amazing how some of the principles that apply to a relationship or marriage, or you know a covenant, committed part, you know partnership, or or, um, you know it applies to money, you know it's just, it's like the greatest thing ever, like I mean, I actually had a conversation with my husband about that a few years ago, um, because I forgot, like he did something and you know me anyway, but we're gonna go to the part was where he taught me something and he said it.
Speaker 2:He said the more uncomfortable we are, the more we'll grow, and sometimes that is vice versa, like, oh, everything is gonna be, you know roses and wine and cheese and crackers and he's like no, sweetie, nope, nope, nope, that's not it.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean because, like you said, just like in any relationship, the longer you're in it, the more you learn about it, and the same holds true for money. The longer you're you have it and managing it well let me put it like that not, you know, not right, but and you're managing it well. Let me put it like that Not, you know, not right, but and you're managing it well the more you'll learn how to, uh, to work in, like you know. You heard this term um, I want money to work for me, and that's what's that alluded. What that is alluding to is I want money to work for me. So, in other words, what you're saying is that I want to learn how to manage money better, really, absolutely.
Speaker 2:It's not just, you know, having a thousand businesses and hustling, and no, no, no, no, no, because you can have a thousand businesses hustling and still know nothing about money. You know what I mean. That's why, at the end of the year or whatever the case, or the end of your goal phase, or whatever it is right, you can say what do I have to show for my money, like you know, cause you have all these different moving parts, but again, like no real game plan. Game plan, sorry, and no accountability. So I think that that is absolutely amazing and I know that you mentioned um, your, your clients. So tell me more. Like is you know? Tell me more about that. Like what is this? Something that's like very close to your heart? And, if it's, if it explain what it is and why is it that way?
Speaker 3:Absolutely, I would say. For the last two years my main focus has been to educating our youth, as well as talking to our minority members in reference to home ownership, and the reason being is there's a lot of fraud out there where it appears that people are unable to get homes. It's a mindset and it's a combination of the world, the people they're around and what so-and-so told them the world, the people they're around and what so-and-so told them. So if I'm given the opportunity, I have real conversations with my members and I let them know. So right now, I would say the last few projects, I've been going into schools and educating younger adults, as small as seven years old all the way up to high school, as well as their parents, educating them and letting them know Do the research. You know I can come and talk all day because I'm passionate about it and I love it, but do the research? Go behind me. This isn't stuff that I'm made of. It may seem hard, it may seem challenging, but if you set aside a goal for yourself, it can be achieved. Challenging, but if you set aside a goal for yourself, it can be achieved, especially with home ownership and having an asset.
Speaker 3:Covid came and destroyed a lot of people's mindset about that. So now it's like I'm just going to live in an apartment. You can still get the home that you want. You may have to wait a little bit longer than what you first initiated, but you can get it Right and that's okay. And I think, just going through those conversations and speaking with my clients and then, lastly, my focus is to just really invest in a small business minority owners because financial institutions have a lot of money to give. They. Do that's how we make money If we give you a loan and you pay us back Right. Do that's how we make money If we give you a loan and you pay us back Right. But what I want to make sure our minority owners know is it's okay to ask for help and it's okay if you ask for help and you get denied, don't run out the room and not listen. So what we weren't doing a good job is educating them and letting them know. Hey, I took this application, sheba. Right now it's denied and we gave no context.
Speaker 3:So what I'm doing is making sure that we have a really uncomfortable conversation. You know what's your credit score, what's your tax returns look like. Are they completed? If they're not, why not?
Speaker 3:You are a business owner. You need to get that taken care of. I'm not going to give you money if you don't have what I need and then if you're declined, this is what you need to do. You're getting all this money and you need to pay your debt. You need to pay what you have in collections. You need to stop having three Mercedes Benz. Why do you need that? And really helping them think differently. Why do you need that? Who are you trying to keep up with? And once we get that conversation, there's trust that's built. So all day, I'm just talking to business owners and helping pivot and get their business elevated to where they can come in. Call me. Hey, sheila, this is what I need. We're good and that's really what I've been doing and again, this is something dear to my heart. So I'm not asking for compensation. I'm not asking for anybody to show me around. I'm asking for an opportunity to be honest about your business, because that's what I specialize in. You do the work and we partner together.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's amazing. And so I mean how do you? What's your secret? How do you keep up with these things? Oh man I mean just you know, you have a beautiful family Girl you have a lot to tell.
Speaker 3:You know. I will say that. You know there I went to a business of African-American Black Forum last week and one of the things one of the speakers said is you know, as a business owner you have to sacrifice Right and those sacrifices come out for the better. So some people are like well, you're not a business owner, you just work for a corporation. To me, me working for the corporation and using my leverage to help business owners is my business. That's right.
Speaker 3:So what I do is I make time. If you're going to make time to listen to me, I make time. But I do set the standard. If you call me after six, I won't answer. I'll follow up as early as six in the morning. You know I'm up in the morning early and if I'm off or if I'm on vacation, I'll let you know a week in advance and I'll give you a point of contact. And if there's a 911, I'll try my best to assist.
Speaker 3:But I try not to overstretch myself because I do have a family. I do need to make sure my mental health is still intact and I also I want them to help is still intact and I also I want them to. I want to give them the tools so that they can go and they can share it with someone else. And I would say that's probably the most challenging part, because I'm so I want to help so much, but I've been learning to say no and just stay on track If I'm out of the office. Hey, I'm out of the office. I'll call you in the morning and they know. Okay, michelle, I got you Respect for each other's business.
Speaker 2:Respect for each other's business, respect for each other's time. That's very, very important. So, if you don't mind, if you can just repeat our I don't even know what to call them. I feel like I have to coin the time. Our top threes. One last time for the listeners.
Speaker 3:Absolutely so for the Deavers that Care series. The top three for financial wellness for me is financial relationship, money behaviors and getting uncomfortable with your financial wellness.
Speaker 2:That is so excellent and I'm hoping that the listeners they got that, they got that. So one last last, last, last, last, last question, because you know, I mean at the core of my purpose, right, and everything I do is centered around women, which I have a few men that I think I want to interview too. But what does a wealthy woman look like to you?
Speaker 3:Wow, that's a good question. So for me I would say, well, a wealthy woman has a beautiful smile, a warm, welcoming approach and has no color. It's just all in their present. You walk into them next to them in their present. You walk into them next to them, you immediately feel, feel that aura, get that vibe and you just want to know and be next to them and learn. It has nothing to do with money. I've learned so much from people that you would have never thought of. So a wealthy woman to me is just somebody that when you walk past, you see them and you're like, oh, she's that.
Speaker 1:I got to be like I got to. I got to get next to her, I got to see who she's talking with, what room she's in.
Speaker 3:And you know, I definitely hope that that's something that I attract and if not, then I'm working on that and just being yourself, knowing yourself, you know, being very confident, whether it's seen as arrogance, just knowing like, hey, when you see Sheila or when you meet Sheba, oh yeah, she's the real deal.
Speaker 2:Wow, yeah, that came to me. Like you know, I love it. I'm going to catch you off guard. I'm joking, but you did such an amazing, amazing job with that response. And you're right Wealth is so beyond money. Financial wellness is even beyond money because, you know, one of the things that absolutely basically saying is that it's you know, everything is relatable you know what I?
Speaker 2:mean so but it affects the next thing and, more importantly, which we've had, everyone say hello to our live audience and so, yes, yes, so we've had these, you know, one-on-one conversations as it relates to this, this, this desire, this burning desire for this financial wellness to trickle down to our children and our children's children, you know. So it's not only is it relatable, but it's generational. You know what I'm saying. And so that's the main reason and the reason why I said, okay, I have to get Sheila on here, I have to get Sheila on here. This can help. And even though, yes, we're in America, right, because there are listeners around the world, but some of the same principles.
Speaker 2:The core of the principle is what we really want you to get, and not only get, but practice, master, absolutely. So, master it, like you said, spread the word, because this is really what this platform is about. It's not only sharing this space, highlighting a maze of women, but it's how does what Sheila know? How can I get it to other people in the world? And so, thank you so much for sharing this time with me, girl. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. It's always an honor just to, you know, connect, and we, you know we've connected when we were younger.
Speaker 2:But now to say you know, these, these amazing things that we've been able to accomplish. So it's very humbling, it's, you know, it's honoring. I just, I just love everything about it. So, michelle, tell us, where can we find you? If we wanted your services, if we wanted to see you know, know more about you, where can we find you?
Speaker 3:So the best way I'm on social media, but it's more of a personal page the best way is my LinkedIn page, because I'm really active and you'll see a lot of my community involvement on there. So if you type my name in, I'll pop up through LinkedIn and I'll be posting a couple of things on my Instagram, but LinkedIn is probably the best way to catch me. I have all my contact information.
Speaker 2:I am available to talk to anybody at any time, as long as there's availability. Right, okay, you said as long as there's availability.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, I'm sorry it broke up. Yeah, as long as there's availability, if we need. I'm sorry it broke up. Yeah, as long as there's availability, if we need to schedule, if it's a time constraint, I'm really big with letting you know what I'm available, what I'm not available. Fastest way to catch me is probably email, just because I'm always back and forth with my phone or at my desk. But yeah, I'm available. I just love to talk and if anyone's interested in listening to what I have to say and some very honest feedback without feeling attacked just for the benefit of helping with the growth and that financial wellness, yeah, you can reach me on LinkedIn, sheila McMullen.
Speaker 2:Excellent, thank you so much. And then also, listeners, look out, because we actually have an event that's budding and brewing that we want to go a little bit further into this idea, this lifestyle of financial wellness. So look out for it, it's coming soon. We're just putting you know dates and things together. So again, for those who are listening, thank you so much for joining. Sheba shares a part of the divas that care net work.
Speaker 2:So look out for more to come. If you want to be a guest, listen, hit me up, reach out to me. My Facebook is Sheba empowers pretty much all over the platform. Pretty much all over the platform LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and, of course, you know, on the Divas that Care Network. So until next time, Jubilee says bye, Sheila. I'll check you another time. Joyce is sleeping. Thank you so much. You're so welcome. All right, Take care everybody.
Speaker 1:Thanks a lot. All right, take care. Thanks for listening. This show was brought to you by Divas that Care. Connect with us on Facebook, on Instagram and, of course, on DivasThatCarecom, where you can subscribe to our newsletter, so you don't miss a thing.