Meet Naseema McElroy, a published author and the creator of financially intentional, a website dedicated to managing one’s money and leading a purposeful life. She works as a labor and delivery nurse in addition to being a mother. Naseema has financial difficulties despite years of earning six figures.
She had little financial background growing up, but she was aware that if she wanted to make money, she needed to increase her financial literacy. She became more regular and intentional with her spending as a consequence, which allowed her to pay off over $1 million in debt and increase her income to six figures in just three years without having to live in poverty.
The West Oakland native had a single father, which is unusual for a black person. She told Side Hust Pro that although her family did not meet the requirements for welfare programs, their everyday lives were difficult because her dad did not have enough money.
Growing up, she struggled with asthma, which motivated her to pursue a career in nursing. Her father did not believe in Western medicine, hence she did not receive treatment for her problem at an early stage.
“So he waited till the very last minute,” she said. “So I grew up going to Chinatown and doing herbal stuff. But he was waiting until the last minute and my asthma exacerbations were really, really bad to take me to a community clinic, where then we would have to wait for hours and hours and hours and hours to get medication…”
Later, Naseema developed a desire to work with sick children by becoming a pediatrician. She eventually found herself at the University of Southern California, where she began her pre-medical coursework. In her early 30s, she eventually finished her Master’s degree in nursing and began working in the Bay region, where nurse earnings are often high.
She accrued student debt totaling approximately $1 million during her academic career, including her mortgage. According to Forbes, she was able to get out of debt by combining her real estate, the freedom she had with her nursing career, and some savvy cost-cutting measures.