I'm a debt free millionaire at 37 and no, I won't apologize

If you ask Bernadette Joy what her super power is she will tell you it is her ability to take a complex idea and break it down and make it easy to understand. After working with Bernadette for six months, I agree with that wholeheartedly, however, I will tell you her real super power is attracting bad ass women. All. Day. Long. 

If you follow Bernadette, you know how awesome she is and the amazing things she has accomplished—paying off 300K of debt in three years and earning her first million. What you might not be aware of is the wonderful company she keeps. I introduced myself last week and gave you a peek at my journey-in-progress. We will continue our series with a look at a different bad ass woman that Bernadette has been fortunate enough to give guidance. We will find out about her financial journey as well as her personal evolution since she began working with Bernadette. 

It seems only fitting that we start with the OG bad ass herself, Bernadette. 

If you’ve spent any time with Bernadette, you can’t help but be impressed by how together she has her shit. I knew I loved her when she told me that she deals with anxiety too, but “just does that shit anyway!” Here’s the thing that makes her special: she continues to learn from her clients and constantly changes her approach to meet their needs. She grows with her clients. Bernadette gets women and she loves it! She understands the freedom that comes with financial independence, she wants to pay it forward.

“I’ve really become focused on how much people need to separate their net worth from their self-worth. Figuring that out for myself as well as my clients has really made me a better educator.”

Bernadette classifies herself as a financial educator, but she is way more than that to the people who work with her. At times she is a career coach, a tax advisor, a friend and even a therapist. For her, gaining control over her finances was also gaining control of her mental health and she wants to give that freedom to other women. While helping her clients in many different capacities, she is constantly encouraging them to surround themselves with experts who share their values. To prove her point, she brings such women into her classes, helping participants understand what is truly possible. 

When she started the CRUSH program in 2017, her initial goal was to help her clients pay off one million dollars of personal debt. Her squad has well surpassed that number and she has quit counting. While paying down debt is always top of mind, what Bernadette really continues to be impressed with is the serious mind shifts her clients make when it comes to money and life in general. She will tell you, “There is a certain type of person who is just determined. Then they find this random Filipino chick on the internet and are now paying off thousands of dollars of debt and not just changing their finances, but their lives!” 

Throughout Bernadette’s programs there is one point that she continues to emphasize, “You can do work that you love and get paid well for it and not have to work yourself to the bone.” This progressive view is apparent in Bernadette’s own life, having gone from the corporate world to running her own six-figure business. She will be the first to tell you, she works way less and loves it so much more. 

While finances are at the heart of Bernadette’s messaging, it goes deeper. “I’ve really become focused on how much people need to separate their net worth from their self-worth. Figuring that out for myself as well as my clients has really made me a better educator.”  With this observation in mind, Bernadette has created a safe space for her clients to talk openly about money and receive support from other like-minded women across the country. 

“If you’ve spent any time with Bernadette, you can’t help but be impressed by how together she has her shit. I knew I loved her when she told me that she deals with anxiety too, but “just does that shit anyway!” 

As Bernadette continues to build and grow her business and network, she wants to stay surrounded by bad ass women and also use her skills to help the BIPOC community. She dreams of investing in BIPOC and woman-owned businesses in the future and giving others the opportunity to live their dream. 

When Bernadette isn’t advising other bad asses, you can find her engrossed in a Korean Dramas or honing her piano skills. Her love for chocolate is only surpassed by her love for her husband, AJ. The couple call North Carolina home. Bernadette is the eighth of nine children and when asked about her future she says, “I want my legacy to be what I’m living right now. Helping other women and people live happier lives and realizing money is not the endgame—just the fuel to what our legacy is going to be. 

To find out about how to join Bernadette's squad of bad asses go to https://www.crushyourmoneygoals.com/. As a graduate of Crush Your Money Goals, I’m here to tell you, it is a game changer! If you’re into dogs, booze and food follow me on Instagram @kyspiritsgal.

--Angela Traver

Bad ass in training