Hello. My name is Tamika. I live in Washington, DC and a mom of twins. I’m here to get financially educated and become more smart with my money and credit. I look forward to learning from you all. Life is a journey, always learning. I never want to be the smartest person in the room and I look forward to learning!☺️

Before you build wealth, you build a self-image. Most of us were taught to see money as something we survive, fear, or react to. That shapes how we move. If you see yourself as “bad with money,” you’ll avoid it, or waste it. If you see yourself as “just getting by,” you’ll make decisions that keep you there. An ownership mindset starts with a different identity: I am someone who plans. I am someone who learns. I am someone who builds. When you change how you see yourself, your behavior follows. Budgets stop feeling like punishment. Saving becomes protection. Investing becomes a vote for your future. You don’t become disciplined and then change your indentity. You change your identity—and discipline grows naturally. This is the work: Not just learning what to do with money, but becoming the kind of person who does it.

I watched Joe the Wealth Architect video on F.E.A.R. and I really enjoyed it I suggest all the members to watch the video sooner than later.

Yesterday (10/27/25), one of my investment portfolios earned roughly $2,000 — in one day. I don’t share that to brag. I share it to illustrate what’s possible when you shift your mindset from worker to owner. Because here’s the truth: Fear keeps too many of us stuck: Fear of not knowing enough. Fear of losing money. Fear of taking a risk. So instead of building wealth, we keep trading our time for money — stuck in the same cycle, hoping one day we’ll finally get ahead. But wealth doesn’t come from hoping. It comes from owning. It comes from taking that first step — even if you’re scared. If you’re waiting for the “right time” to invest… Let this be your sign: Start now. Not all at once. Not with thousands of dollars. Just get started. Because when your money starts working for you, everything changes: - You stop living check to check. - You stop fearing the future. - You start experiencing what freedom really feels like. The SSI Method is your roadmap. You don’t need to know everything. You just need to begin. 👉🏾 Let fear be a signal, not a stop sign. 👉🏾 Let today be the day you choose ownership. What’s stopping you from getting started? Drop your thoughts below and let’s talk.

Last week, I had the powerful opportunity to sit down with Pistol Pete and BX Tone on the Dog in the Yard podcast — and we went deep. We talked about where I came from: growing up in East New York, the choices I made, the years I spent incarcerated… but most importantly, the transformation that happened from the inside out. This wasn’t just about redemption. It was about reinvention. About how I went from a long prison sentence to becoming a personal finance educator and inspiration for people impacted by the justice system. About why I created the SSI Method, and how I'm on a mission to help our people think differently about money — and themselves. We chopped it up about: - Why the fast money trap leads to dead ends - How wealth-building starts with mindset - Why justice-impacted individuals can rewrite their story - And how patience and discipline can build real power and real freedom 👉🏾 Please go check out the full episode on YouTube. Watch it, comment, share it with a young person who’s still on the fence, or someone ready to get on the right track. We’re not just surviving anymore. We’re reclaiming our power — and rebuilding wealth from the ground up.