← Sustain This!
Sustain This!
Is the debt free journey a "sad lifestyle"? How sharing her story online paid off her debt & let her quit corporate for content (ft @alexonabudget)
01:08:34
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- [00:00]
Alyssa
Welcome to Sustain this, a podcast where we discuss mindful consumption, personal style, and the quest for living a more intentional life. I'm Alyssa, a sustainable stylist.
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Christina
And I'm Christina, a shopaholic turned minimalist. Ish.
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Sina
And I'm Sina, a color consultant and slow fashion style coach.
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Alyssa
Together we will unpack the nuances of what it really means to be a conscious consumer and find more joy in what we have right now. So grab your tea, your coffee, or whatever floats your boat and join us in the conversation.
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Sina
Let's go.
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Alyssa
Yay.
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Sina
Yay.
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Alyssa
What's it like to actually quit your corporate job to become a full time content creator? And how does that change your relationship with your finances, your budget, and your consumption habits? Well, today we're getting all the answers from someone who very recently did just that. Today we're talking to Alex Petrakieva from Alex on a Budget. She is wildly popular on TikTok and Instagram. She started sharing her budgeting journey on TikTok and Instagram and blew up, went viral and decided to take the leap to become a full time content creator. So she's here chatting with us today, a hot off the press perspective on going from corporate to full time entrepreneur. So excited for you to hear this episode. Let's get into it. Welcome back, everybody. We have such an exciting episode for you.
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Sina
Yay.
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Alyssa
We have Alex with us today. Alex Petrakeva. I hope I pronounced that correctly.
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Sina
Yeah, you did a really good job actually.
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Alyssa
Okay, thank you. Great. So we have Alex with us today and we've already done a quick intro about her, so I want to get right into this episode. Alex, this is a very special day for you.
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Sina
Yes, it is my first day out of corporate officially. No corporate for me moving forward.
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Alyssa
So you have left your corporate job to become a full time content creator. Tell us about this. How did you get here? What's the origin story? This is just such a cool day.
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Sina
All right, sounds good. Honestly, this was something that happened within the last few months that I officially made the decision. Originally, I didn't think I was going to go with a no full time job direction. However, last year when I started doing social media, my channels were taken off quite rapidly and everything was going really well for me. And what really stuck out specifically was the fact that I absolutely loved doing content creation. And to me, that solidified the fact that I'm supposed to do this full time. And so last year when we paid off all of our debt and we decided to really put all of our finances together, we decided hey, let's plan for you to leave your full time job. And by we, I mean me and my husband. So that way I can just focus on this and give myself the freedom and flexibility to test this out full time this year. And so at the beginning of the year I was feeling a little unmotivated with my job and I found myself really just clocking in, clocking out, not really putting the extra effort in. And I didn't want to do 5050 in two places. And I felt like that's what I was doing with my corporate job and content creation and I had to make the decision to do one a hundred percent. And so I just kind of made the official decision to just put in my notice and give this year, like the year of testing and experimenting and see what could happen with content creation. So I did it. I did it. And here we are.
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Christina
Congratulations. That's amazing. So, and I. Yeah, and your growth has been so inspiring and just amazing to watch. And I remember your first, probably one of your first videos that, that popped off and went viral. So can you talk about that and kind of where you started in your journey and how it sort of evolved in taking you to. I'm in all this debt and I'm just going to share paying it off to now. This is my full time job.
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Sina
Yeah. So it really started in December of 2023. I was a little bored of my job. It wasn't creative. I'm, I'm content, which means basically I write words for UX experiences and so it's fine, but it's not very creative. And I remember telling my husband, okay, I have always wanted to do social media. So this year, the upcoming year 2024, I'm just going to start posting on TikTok because I really like scrolling on there. It was kind of like the platform that I felt comfortable posting, mostly because nobody that I knew was on it. And I felt comfortable that no one's going to see my videos. Right. Just strangers.
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Christina
Yeah.
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Sina
And so I was like, okay, I'm just going to post whatever I want on TikTok. And I started posting and things weren't picking up any traction in December, but in January I just made lunch one day I sat at the kitchen table and I just started kind of blabbing about why my husband and I live on one salary and we use the other one to pay off debt and invest and, and something about that video just, I don't know if it was my tone or the things I said kind of triggered people and it went super viral. It went like 5 million views within a couple of days. And I took that opportunity and, like, the focus needs to be on this, the fact that my husband and I are paying off debt. So I became incredibly obsessed over the next two weeks, just creating content about this, you know, how much we're paying in rent or how much debt we have, what we plan on doing next. And because that one video was going viral, people were coming to my page, and every consecutive video was also going viral. And that's when the algorithm on TikTok was a little bit different. Like, when you would have a viral video, your other videos would also go viral. That doesn't happen anymore. I don't know if you have noticed.
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Christina
That, but they stand alone now. Yeah.
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Sina
Yes, yes. And so my page really took off. I ended up getting around 10,000 followers in a matter of days. And I started monetizing on TikTok right away. And that's just kind of how it took off. That was the one thing that really sparked the start. And, you know, because I was paying off the student loans, people were curious, but they weren't that like, okay, wow, she has a whole lot of debt going on. But the moment. The moment I mentioned the car and I knew this would happen, I remember telling my husband, I'm like, when I shift focus from the student loans to the car, get ready, because people are going to have really nasty opinions about this. And I know these videos are going to go viral. And that's exactly what happened. And that's kind of like what took off my page to the next level were the car payment videos.
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Alyssa
Why do you think that is? And can you explain for. For people who aren't familiar with your page, what. What was it that you think triggered everyone? And why was it such a hot topic, do you think?
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Sina
Yeah, the car specifically, was the fact that it was a new car. And people in the US have very polarizing opinions about car payments. They either want you to just get a used car if you cannot pay it cash or not have a car at all. And if you get a new car with a car payment, even though majority of people do have car payments, and it's actually pretty normal in the US to have a car payment, they see it as, you're being irresponsible with money. You should not be buying a car. You should get something used. But there's so many other circumstances to look into when people buy new cars. But my page is about finances and also just me navigating my life in my 30s because my husband and I moved to the US recently, so we're kind of starting life over and trying to figure out money as we go. And I'm just an oversharer in general, so I feel like people just know way too much information about my finances, and that's what kind of like, brings them to my page.
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Alyssa
Wow. So that deeply personal stuff.
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Sina
Yes, yes. And I have always said that if you plan on creating personal content on social media, you have to overshare in one aspect of your life, whether it's finances, maybe your relationship, maybe your pets, maybe your house. It has to be something otherwise people are not going to, like, grab onto your channel.
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Alyssa
Interesting.
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Sina
What do you think?
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Christina
Really? Because you did get a lot of polarizing comments. Like when you, you know, you guys talked about living on 1. On one income to pay off. To aggressively pay off your debt. You talked about, you know, you were like, literally come with me to make a car payment and I'm paying extra on my car this month. Like, what. What do you think was. So, yes, it was polarizing for some people, but I think for others, it really. You really shared a lot of vulnerability and created a lot of relatability and connection. What do you think about that content resonated with people?
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Sina
Well, I think it's mostly because a lot of Americans do have debt, first of all, but they don't feel comfortable talking about it. And when they hear somebody else sharing that information, I will say, I think now it's a little more normal to share online. I. I've noticed a lot of people sharing that. That payoff journeys now, but when I started, I don't feel like it was that spread out. So the fact that I was sharing very personal information about finances, the fact that I was in debt and I was willing to talk about it, and also the fact that we were living way below our means at the time because we live in a studio apartment as well. So that was also the other thing. There were just so many aspects of my lifestyle that half of the people resonated with and were like, okay, I get this. And the other half were like, you're making some really ridiculous decisions and you should not be doing this. How can you live in a studio apartment and have a new car? Those type of situations, Right?
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Christina
Yeah, yeah.
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Alyssa
The nuance.
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Sina
Yes. And.
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Christina
Oh, yeah.
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Sina
Oh, and with social Media, you have 30 seconds to a minute to explain yourself. And so people just grab onto whatever you say in the video. They don't actually go to your page most of the time unless they're a Loyal follower. So they don't know all of the nuances. The fact that we live downtown and housing is incredibly expensive. So yes, we live in a studio apartment, but it's so expensive, even the studio. And also with the car, it's a Honda Civic. It's not like, you know, a Bentley that I have. So these are the things that they don't even wait for. They just rage comment in a way.
- [10:43]
Christina
Right. One thing I think you talk about too is, you know, so you did pay off your car and I think you talked about how hate comments.
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Sina
Yes.
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Christina
Were the thing that paid off your car. Yes. So how did you. So I find that very fascinating in the world of, in the world of social media, you know, you know, I feel like our community here, we love you guys, you guys support us and I think, you know, it's really about building a place for like minded people and for your people. And I think that's what any content creator sets out to do. But you know, when things do go viral, they can kind of end up on the other side of the Internet.
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Sina
They.
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Christina
And, and you know, and that's when you kind of open yourself up to ideas and opinions that maybe you didn't even think of when you posted that content. So but it's engagement, but it's so, you know, from what's. From the content creator side. Can you talk about that? Because we love the positivity and that's, that's an amazing part of social media. But the negativity and the toxicity can.
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Sina
Be, can be quite a lot to deal with, 100%. And I think that TikTok is actually the worst place for this. There's a lot of group think because things tend to go viral quickly. I always say that once a video gets to a million views, I just stop checking the comments because at that point it shifts audiences and it goes in the totally negative direction because it finds the people that are going to just comment and comment hate things and people will start arguing with each other in the comments. At that point, it's not even, even about me. People are just arguing with each other. But because there's engagement, the algorithms push out your video even more and then more people find you and more people join in the conversation. And that's how videos go viral. It's very, very rare that an incredibly positive video will go viral.
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Christina
Like, I know that's the sad part about.
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Sina
Yes, yes, I would say out of 10 videos, probably two are genuinely, genuinely POS videos and most people agree in the comments. But the other Eight are super polarizing opinions, and that's what makes the videos go viral. And on TikTok specifically, you get paid through the creator fund and they pay you based on views.
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Christina
In the US we don't get that in Canada. Very sad.
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Sina
I have so much to talk about that though, because I will say that I have actually shifted focus out of the creator program. And I think that's a really important topic to talk about with creators because a lot of people stop themselves, people who are not in the US from creating content. But I will tell you, the money is actually with brand deals. But we can get into that a little bit later and I can share more about that. But with the videos, because they were going so viral, obviously the views were up, and so I would get paid for those videos. So each video would make me hundreds and hundreds of dollars, and I just use that money immediately to make the next car payment. And then the next car payment video would be an even bigger amount. So then people, you know, would just be like, oh, my God, why is your car payment $2,000 a month? They don't even listen to the video. Okay, first of all. And so those videos would go viral and that ultimately paid off my car.
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Christina
Yeah, that's. I just think that's so, so wild. It's such. Because I feel like if you're not prepared, because if you're just posting it, like, especially as you're getting started, because I feel like you went. You went pretty viral pretty quickly. So it's. It's kind of like, I don't know, wouldn't it be. Doesn't it feel like a little bit of a mind where you're kind of like, you're posting and you're sharing and I'm being vulnerable and like, this is information that is quite personal. You're sharing money and it's so transparent. And then you just get all these, like, kind of comments from that. You're, you're mentally. It's very difficult. You're not prepared for that. So I feel like it's really interesting that you were able to sort of flip the script and almost use it to your advantage of how can I turn this into a positive? And how can I push. How can I keep pushing forward as a creator even though I'm getting this kind of feedback?
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Sina
Yeah, 100%. Even to this day, I. I'm just waiting for everything to fall apart, you know, catastrophic thinking 24. 7. You know, like, I'm gonna wake up. All of of my accounts are going to be logged out and nobody's going to know who I am and it's just like the world's going to, you know, I have that, those type of thoughts all the time. But with social media, I am not so, so new to social media. And I say this because I used to work as a content marketer so I do have like the backend knowledge of I know virality and what it can do. Did I expect that to happen to me? Absolutely not. Not in my wildest dreams. So when it did start happening, I think the thing that really kept me going was the fact that I had so many positive comments on top of the negative ones and I chose to focus on those. There were so many people that were like, hey, you know what? My car payment is also this amount. And I really love that you're paying your car off and you're showing us that it's okay to have a car payment and that you we can't pay it off. And just understanding the math as well because a lot of people were not understanding just the math portion and they're like, I can't believe my car loan is at this percentage. I didn't realize I would be paying this much interest. So when I would get those type of comments, I'm like, you know what, I'm going to pay all this car. I know I will. To me it's not a big deal. If people are going to judge me for it, it doesn't matter. I made this decision with my husband. It's our life, but I'm helping other people. So whatever. I'm just going to post my videos.
- [16:35]
Christina
Yeah, that's awesome. I think, yeah. And I think sharing that journey is, it's, I wish more people would do it because I think debt is still such a taboo subject and so is money. Like, you know, now that you're debt free and maybe we could talk about that. Like how, you know, how that whole debt free journey was for you and kind of what you learned from it. But you still share a lot of. You're very open with your salary and you have a lot of salary transparency money being such a taboo topic like sharing debt and, or sharing salary. Like how do you, how do you get past that or how do you find comfort in sharing that?
- [17:16]
Sina
I will say I feel like because I moved to the US the last two years after being out of the US for 10 years, I feel like I'm coming back here and nobody knows me. And I think that's like the thing that allows me to share so much. I gave myself Permission to kind of start over. And so sharing this information to me is just numbers at this point. That's how I look at it. I just say, okay, well, this is just numbers. It doesn't define who I am. And maybe living in Europe, this had a little bit of an impact on that because people are not so focused on where you work, what you do, how much money you're making. To me, I just see it as numbers. And I'm incredibly proud of myself, of all the accomplishments I have made just by moving to the US and getting a job in tech, that I want to share that stuff. I don't mind. And I know there's people who make way more than me, and I know there's people who make less than me, but we all need to have some type of a number and a person we can relate to so we can see how we can get to the next level. And if people who make, let's say, $100,000 don't share their information because they're too worried what other people would think of them. Yeah, but there's people who will look up to you because you make that amount. So you have to look at it. And I am probably helping someone. There will be people who will be upset at me, who might be jealous of the things I've accomplished, but there's also people who want to get to that level, so why not share? And I will say that I am sure I have been underpaid so many times. In fact, I know I have been underpaid so many times that I need people to share this information because we can all help each other and ask for better salaries and even with brand deals, just be able to negotiate. So at the end of the day, I just see it as numbers. I'm like, it doesn't define who I am. Tomorrow I could lose everything, but I'm still myself, so whatever.
- [19:09]
Christina
Yeah, I think it's especially inspiring to see a woman share that and be so transparent, because I think, yeah, the more. I've always felt a little. I was very open about sharing my debt, but I. I'm a little, like, still iffy about sharing, sharing my income. But I don't know, you're inspiring me to. To maybe just be a bit more open about that, because I think it's important to see the potential of what you can earn and what other people are doing so that you're kind of more in a growth mindset and just being like, oh, maybe I can go for more. Maybe I can, like, what can I do? Differently and do. Do better. Better for yourself, you know, to reach your, to reach your financial goals. Because I think one thing, you know, maybe both of us have in common with our own debt repayment journeys is like one of the main things to, to make, to achieve that was to increase your income 100%. You know, we talk a lot about cutting things and especially now in this, you know, big stock market crash or whatever potential happening this morning, like literally right now in real time.
- [20:16]
Sina
I don't know her. The stock market.
- [20:18]
Christina
I don't know her.
- [20:21]
Sina
Ignore.
- [20:22]
Christina
Yeah, but I just think. Yeah, I just think more, more honesty and transparency is like very important. And I don't know. Yeah, you've inspired me, Alex. So I think, I think thank you for that.
- [20:33]
Sina
I will say if you do share, I would be the first one to watch. Okay. Like, people are nosy. I want to know.
- [20:41]
Christina
Okay, I'm nosy too. I want to know.
- [20:43]
Sina
Yes, I want to know this information. I will say, I do think because you, you have already created a platform not based on that. You have. I don't want to say more to lose, but you have way more thought behind it. And you're, you're thinking, what will my audience think about this when I've never talked about it? Will they judge me? But because I started fully as an open book, I find that in the opposite way, I cannot stop sharing now. And I even scaled back. I'm not sure if you've seen some of the videos, but I have said that with my business income, I don't share it monthly anymore. I do quarter income videos. And this is in a way to protect also all of the brand deals that I have done because I know people are nosy and they will put two and two together. They will see how much I made this month. They will go back to the other videos I see. You know, and so I feel like if I do quarterly, I'm in a way protecting the contracts because in the contracts it states that you can.
- [21:43]
Christina
Yeah, you can.
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Sina
Yeah. So that's one work away around it. And I know other financial creators who don't share the numbers, but they share a percentage. Like what is their. Yeah. Network comprised of. Percentage wise, is that as juicy? No, but it's still like, helpful.
- [22:07]
Christina
Yeah. I know one creator, I used to. She was actually who inspired me to pay off my own student loan debt years ago. And I don't know if you've heard of her, Asia Dang.
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Sina
She made a video.
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Christina
She's a, she's a YouTuber. She's also pretty fairly big on TikTok, but she paid off over $200,000 of debt in like three years or something like that. And yeah, she. So I'm curious if you get this kind of like feedback, but she was, she was sharing her income quite openly and then because you know, she got a lot of support and I think it's very helpful to know. But I think there was almost so much pushback that she started switching to percentage sharing her percentages too. Because it's, I think you get, you get the people who are inspired and then you get some people that might feel discouraged or like, oh, it's never going to happen for me. So how do you deal with that?
- [22:57]
Sina
Completely understand this. I haven't switched to that. So I do expect if I do switch to something doing percentages, I will get pushback 100%. I totally can see this happening. And I will say that I am noticing a shift in my audience in general. Obviously last year when I was doing all of the debt payoff things were going viral every other week. Right now that I'm not, things are not going viral. But I prefer that, I much prefer that because I kind of worried that I would be a one hit wonder type of situation where my videos were going viral because of my debt payoffs situation. And I was so anxious about how I would transition into a new style of content which didn't revolve around debt payments because now I don't have debt. Now I'm focused on other things and I didn't know how that would go. And my channels are still fine, everything is still growing, but it's definitely not these viral moments. So I go through like ups and downs as well. I have to really shift my focus of oh, you know what? People really want specific content that's like viral but actually that's not what I want to share anymore. And that's okay. It's okay to shift your content and go in a different direction. And I haven't had any negative feedback. There's people that do say, oh, I really wish you would do monthly updates on your business income. That's so interesting to me. But I just can't. So I just say no and that's it. And you keep moving because there will be new audiences that will find you. So that's also important and something to remember you, you don't have to stay the same content forever.
- [24:39]
Christina
Yeah, I think it's really as you, as you kind of mentioned there, it's like about how do you cultivate now that you've grown to almost like where you want to be or you've kind of done the viral content, you know, what works. But now it's about cultivating your own community and nurturing the community. So it's like, yeah, consistency is probably the thing that holds you more as a creator than those, those peaks and.
- [25:04]
Sina
Valleys, a hundred percent. And yeah, I am very middle ground and very balanced in a lot of my opinions when it comes to money, especially with, you know, frugality versus extreme spending. I am very much in the middle and those things are not interesting to people. They're not going to go viral.
- [25:22]
Christina
Right.
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Sina
I'm sure you follow some viral content or some content creators who do a lot of rage baiting and they're very much in the content of like this is extreme on both ends and I'm just not that type person and I don't want to rage bait because I know that's going to backfire eventually. All of those creators eventually have their downfall and I don't want to be in that space at all.
- [25:46]
Christina
Yeah, I think balance is definitely key.
- [25:49]
Sina
But I, I will say you have inspired me to move into YouTube because I know the way. No, the way I see, the way I see content creators is TikTok is where people find you because you can easily find people there. Videos can go viral easily. Instagram is a place where people really like you. They will continue to watch your videos, they will follow you, so they're a little more focused on you as A. And YouTube is where long term content creators live. Like, I know Everybody's name on YouTube. I don't know everybody's name on TikTok, even though I know their face. And I think if you want to do this as a career, you have to go to YouTube.
- [26:35]
Christina
I, yeah, I think long form is king. What do you think, Alyssa?
- [26:39]
Alyssa
Yeah, I love long form, but I think it's just because I talk so much and I'm not very good at putting things into 30 second soundbites. Like it just, I, I can't. I talk too much. That's out there.
- [26:52]
Sina
No, that's good, that's good. Because I tried to do YouTube videos and I will blab for what feels like an eternity and then it's a seven minute video and I'm like, what is going on? Like why it. No, it's. I know, I'm like, I felt like I just talked for 75 minutes. Why is it only a seven minute video? So I have to do the opposite because I'm so used to doing Short form. I need to switch into long form.
- [27:19]
Christina
Yeah. And I do think with the kind of like, I love short form and it's great when you want that like bite sized content. But I do think that actually I think people are craving long form. I think they're craving to slow down. Like with, for example, like watch time on TV for YouTube is outpacing Netflix right now. So there's this, I think there's this craving for like a comfort like for your favorite creator and just to kind of sit back and like you watch them on, on the couch on a Sunday morning or you're on the treadmill. But there's just like, I think we just want more slow, more slow absorbable content. Slow fashion, slow, slow content.
- [28:02]
Alyssa
You know what's so funny is like I always found it difficult to even consume the short form content because it's, it's too fat. It's like there isn't enough time for me to reflect and absorb. So I, I always found it difficult. But it's so entertaining. Like I watch short term content, short form content creators and I just think you're, you're genius. There's creative genius in that because you have to take a very complex concept and make it not only entertaining and engaging, but you also have to distill that concept into 30 seconds. It's, I, it's fascinating to me.
- [28:45]
Christina
It's definitely not easy, right?
- [28:47]
Sina
No, I completely agree. And I have noticed myself actually getting more anxious when I watch short form content. I, I don't know if you feel this way, but kind of stressed anxious just because you are scrolling through a hundred different topics at one time within 10 minutes and your brain becomes so filled with so many different concepts and ideas that it cannot process it. And so I really try to stop myself from watching TikTok. Whenever I open the TikTok app, I'm like, okay, now you're forced to watch a full YouTube video. Because I have to like slow down my brain and you know, just processing the information and understanding just one topic, one topic, that's it. But I fear what will happen with the next generation and their brains. I'm not even like exaggerating here. To me it's, I'm in my 30s and I catch myself like getting so wrapped up in it that I can't imagine being a teenager and living in that world. It's so wild to me.
- [29:54]
Christina
I know, it's. Yeah, I'm like, I'm almost 40 and like my brain is gonna like every time I'm on it I'm like, oh, let's just, like, look at some cat videos. And then it's like, oh, my God, I'm. My brain is, like, melted. It's like, I just can't.
- [30:09]
Sina
Yes, yes. Absolutely agree. Oh, I don't know. We shall see. I guess we shall see.
- [30:15]
Alyssa
I'm almost curious about. There were a few things that you said, Alex, when you were talking about how as you were growing and you were making more money, that you still seem to have a very grounded and centered approach in that I could lose everything, but money doesn't define me. It's not part of your identity. And I think this is something that I find amazing, because in the world we live in, it's so easy to equate worth and success and all of these things with how much you make. So how has this a. How did you even develop this mindset? Is it something you always had? And how has it helped you navigate your finances in the way you did and pay off your debt?
- [31:03]
Sina
And totally, I will say probably the biggest influence has been the fact that I traveled so much in my 20s. I lived in Asia, and I lived in Vietnam and South Korea for an extended period of time. And during that time, I was an English teacher. I. I kind of had an Identity Crisis at 24.
- [31:23]
Alyssa
Crisis.
- [31:24]
Christina
It happens.
- [31:24]
Sina
Yeah.
- [31:24]
Christina
Yeah.
- [31:26]
Sina
I jumped on a plane and I was like, I'm gonna go to South Korea and teach English. Let's go. And that's what I did. But while I was there, I traveled all over Southeast Asia. And just seeing how different people live was so fascinating and so eye opening to me that there were people that lived in extreme poverty, first of all. There was also people who have way less than we ever will have and are incredibly happy. So I saw that side as well. I also saw so many different cultures, and those are the things that actually made me happy. And it was never the stuff I had. And because I was, I guess, a nomad, I really had fairly few amount of things with me at all times for years. And that really showed me that I don't need half the stuff we think we need, actually. And so that had a huge impact. And then when I moved to Bulgaria, because I wanted to fix my Bulgarian, I was losing, like, kind of touch with my culture and also the language. I stayed there for a very long time for six, six, seven years because I met my husband. But also, living in Bulgaria, people earn a salary of like 800 level, a thousand level, which is about $500 a month. And that's a good Salary or that's a normal salary there. And you just see how they live. And they live fine. And they live fine. Okay? They live with their families, they have friends and they go to cafes once in a while. But they make way less than people in the US but they have also way less stuff. And ultimately, through all those experiences I saw I can accumulate so many things if I want, but that is not going to make me happy because at the end of the day, all I think about is I just want to go visit my family, I just want to go see my friends, I just want to go see my sister. And to me, money is the options to be able to do that. The options to leave your full time job, the option to, you know, go get a medical procedure. You need the option to go visit your family whenever you want. And that's what I want to use my money for. I could care less about buying the next thing because I don't need more things. I just don't need them. In fact, because I am on some PR list now and I get packages. I am, I get anxious because I have so much stuff. Like 50 blushes. Like, who needs 50 blushes? I do not need 50 blushes. So I create like a.
- [33:51]
Christina
It's a lot.
- [33:52]
Sina
Yeah, it's so much. And it's so much packaging and I'm just, oh, it's, it's wild. It's wild. So I think those things really help me just focus on what's important to me. And also the fact that, you know, I'm starting social media in my 30s, I feel like I already have these values in me. So I feel like if you started when you're young, you can really get wrapped up in it. So that definitely helped.
- [34:20]
Alyssa
Yeah, you're like already coming into it with, with your own core values. They're not being shaped by, by others. That's really smart.
- [34:28]
Sina
Totally. And I don't know, sometimes the things in the US that kind of surprise me is just how much focus there is on shopping in general. And I think it's because. Not to get so deep, but I think people are lonely in general. People are lonely. They don't have friends that are nearby. Not that they don't have friends. I'm sure they have close friends that they grew up with. But they all live so far away. But they don't see them day to day, face to face. And they don't have hobbies because sometimes hobbies are expensive, sometimes they're far away. They don't have the time. And so the Easiest dopamine hit is, is let's go shopping. And that is so normalized. It's so normalized. And also the convenience of it makes it so easy. Like Amazon next day delivery in Bulgaria. First of all, you do, you never order anything online because it will never arrive. Okay. One, you cannot return things. Like, it's literally impossible to return things unless it's some big store, like a name brand store that everybody knows and you have very strict rules on what you can return. And here it's just too easy. It's too easy. I feel like.
- [35:41]
Christina
So, yeah, there's no, there's no friction to it. And I agree, I agree with the point of loneliness and I'm going to add on to that as boredom as well. And I think we're so anxious and we just have all this energy that we need to put somewhere that I think, yeah, in like, at least in North America, you know, shopping is where we put that energy. And I agree, it's from. I think a lot of us are overworked because the cough cost of living is so high. And it's like, okay, I'm at work all day and then I have to go home and take care of my kids or I have all these other things that I need to do now. I need to go and take care of my household. It's like any, you know, for that little bit of downtime that I have, I'm just gonna like, release this energy and, and go buy something because now I have something to look forward to or it makes me feel like I, I did something, I like accomplished something more today or something. That's fascinating that you can't return things. I feel like return. The return policy thing is like, maybe that's what makes it so much easier to buy things because it's like, oh, if it doesn't work out, I'll just return it. The stakes are so low that the money spent is not a big deal.
- [36:50]
Sina
Yes. And people fall into the trap of, I will buy this, I will try it, and if I don't like it, I will return it. But they never return it. They just keep it in their home. They put it in a closet and forget about it. But yes, in Bulgaria, it's incredibly hard to return things. And so the people, first of all, they don't have extra money to spend on things. Second, I find that most of them are busy with their families, friends. They're actually focused on activities, being around town as opposed to shopping. And then, yeah, the returning things, you have to be just very Careful with what you buy. And the Western culture is definitely kind of coming into effect there as well. So it is shifting things for the younger generation. But for people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, they're just very careful about how they spend money.
- [37:40]
Christina
So what do you spend money on now? What are some. I think we kind of, like, leaned into the conversation of experiences over things. Life experience can help shape what you value spending your money on. And I think you are a great advocate in sharing the idea that money can be used as a tool. And like you, you know, you talked about earlier, you don't live at any extreme. You're not extremely frugal, but you don't live extremely extravagantly either. So what. What is worth the money to you? Yeah, in a balanced way.
- [38:15]
Sina
Well, first of all, gym memberships to us are very important. My husband and I take boxing classes and we have a gym that has actually done so much more than just positivity for our health. It has also introduced new friends to us. We have created a community there which is so, so important for us being new here. So that. And it's not, you know, cheap. I want to say it's about two for both of us. It's $200 each for both of us to go to the gym. So totally worth it to us. Other things that I'm finding myself investing in is technology because creation. So I do upgrade things that are going to help me work faster and smarter that are going to help my business. So I totally see value investing in that. Clothes, not so much is not something that I really focus on. I do have. I like to buy pieces from stores that I trust. So it's not something that I splurge on. Like, designer things are not my thing. We do want to travel more this year. Like next year we want to go to South Korea and Japan with my husband. So those are the things that I want to spend money on. And of course, going to Bulgaria. And this year when we go for three weeks, I just want to pay for everything. Like, I. Yeah, anytime we go to dinner with my family, I will be paying for it. My dad is having his 60th birthday. I want to pay for the whole party. Like, those are the things I want to take care of, and those are the things that are going to make me happy. Everything else is just me.
- [39:57]
Alyssa
I love that the generosity piece is always nice when you can be generous with your friends and family.
- [40:03]
Sina
Well, it's kind of funny because my parents still don't know I do social media.
- [40:07]
Christina
They do.
- [40:08]
Alyssa
They Don't. Wait, can you tell us why you haven't told, have you told them to quit your job? Like what?
- [40:15]
Sina
No. No.
- [40:16]
Christina
Okay.
- [40:16]
Alyssa
Can you tell us why?
- [40:17]
Sina
Or.
- [40:18]
Alyssa
Yeah, that's not too much to. If that's not.
- [40:20]
Sina
No. No. So when I obviously started Tick Tock, I had no expectations of anything happening. Like, it just kind of all unfolded. I ended up telling my sister, she loves it, she watches everything that I do. But with my parents, they're immigrants, okay? They came to the US they're very much like, go to university, get a.
- [40:41]
Christina
Job, become a doctor.
- [40:42]
Sina
Well, yes, we shot that, that long time ago. We're like, we're not becoming a doctor, an engineer, okay. But corporate job is like the pinnacle for them. And then get a house. And that's like, wow. And so I just don't know how I would explain social media to them. So that's the thing that really has stopped me. I worked at a bank up until, you know, last week for a very prestigious bank, I guess we could say. And they were just like, so proud. They, they think it's, wow, our daughter works at a bank in Americ. It sounds silly, but that's how they view it. And so with social media now, I'm like, what do I say to them? How do I explain this to them? Ultimately, like, it's, it's not that I'm hiding it from them that their opinion will affect my decisions because I'm an adult. It's not going to affect what I do moving forward. I don't take their opinions in that way. I'm just trying to figure out how to explain it to them that they would understand it. Because telling your parents, oh, I want to do social media, they're going to think all of the things, if you know what I mean.
- [41:56]
Christina
So I can definitely relate having Ukrainian parents as well.
- [42:00]
Sina
Okay, what did your parents say? Are they still, you know what they.
- [42:04]
Christina
I think they, yeah, they, they support it. They, they check in on me often, you know, like, how's it going? And you know, because same kind of thing, like going from pharmacist mainly full time pharmacist to now mainly full time content creator. It's very risky. And I think the mindset is, is like why the corporate job or why being a doctor or an engineer is so revered, especially in that kind of. I could definitely relate, like the kind of more immigrant household parent mindset is they just want to keep you safe, they want you to be secure, they want you to have a better life than they did. They don't want you to worry and they don't want you to struggle. And so a corporate job is something that's much safer. And I think, like, I still think even though my parents know what I do and they, like, check in on what I do, they. I think in a way, they still think that I'm like, dancing on the Internet. You know what I mean? Like, what everyone thinks that TikTok was like five, six years ago, or even like my sister. She is. She's an animator and she was always great at art. This is kind of like a little bit of a tangent, but, like, for example, like my grandfather, my ddo, you know, he thought that she. Her being an artist is like, oh, she's drawing pictures of like, sidewalk chalk and like, selling her art on the.
- [43:15]
Sina
Side of the road.
- [43:17]
Christina
Yes. Not creating, like, you know, not like having like a quote unquote, like, real job, you know, that actually supports her. So I think it's just kind of like what they. They just don't understand that. That it's. It could be more unstable, but I think they don't understand the potential behind it.
- [43:39]
Sina
Do you share financial information with them? It. Maybe just like on the broader scale. Do you think that would help?
- [43:50]
Christina
I do, but at the same time, it's almost like sometimes I wish I hadn't. I don't know. It's. Sometimes I think it's like when I share it, it's almost like, look how much I made. I'm safe, you know? And I just don't know if it's taken.
- [44:08]
Sina
Taken.
- [44:09]
Christina
It's. It's. Again. See, money's taboo. It's taboo. It's a little bit.
- [44:12]
Sina
Yeah, yeah, I can totally see that. For me, I think it would help because my parents, or my dad specifically, he is a business mindset person. He used to have a trucking company in the us they made really good money. They set themselves up and then they moved to Bulgaria. Like, they closed everything before COVID and they just moved to Bulgaria, retired, and they're done. So he does understand business and how important it is. But for him, the number one thing that matters is finances. And if you're making good money, it doesn't matter what you're doing, as long as you're making good money. So I feel like they would be incredibly curious why I'm doing this. And I know they will ask. And that's when I really have to have this conversation with them about finances and what is happening. So we shall see how that will go.
- [45:09]
Christina
You gotta show up with Receipts.
- [45:11]
Sina
I debated, you know, like, recording it and just having it for myself because I think it's gonna be so funny. But it could totally backfire. So we don't. I don't know. I'm kind of thinking now, when we go to Bulgaria in June to tell this, them, even my sister, every day is like, are you gonna tell mom and dad what's going on? What's going on? I think you need to tell them at this point. So we shall see.
- [45:37]
Christina
Yeah, I think. I mean, I think either way, like, you know, you. Because I don't know, I think it's almost. I still feel like. Like I'm a teenager sometimes. Like, I still almost feel like I need to ask my parents permission for certain things, even though, like, I'm a grown adult and it's my life. So I feel like maybe there's, like, a little bit of that too, sometimes where it's like, oh, I just need their stamp of approval or, like, almost their permission to be like, I'm a content creator now. This is what I'm doing full time. But it's like, yeah, a grown ass. Yes.
- [46:13]
Sina
Whatever their opinion is, to me, it doesn't matter. I'm gonna do whatever I want. To me, it's more like I want them to not worry, and I want them to just approve of it. It's just say, you know what, this is a good decision. However, also, we need to remember that our parents are immigrants and they are of a certain age. And I have just accepted the fact that they will never be able to express themselves the way I want them to express themselves. They will always speak surface level, and they might say things that they don't genuinely mean because they don't know how to express what they actually want to say. So I've just accepted that. And so whatever they say, I'm gonna not take it tart. But it won't be funny. It will be funny.
- [47:00]
Christina
Yeah. And I'm sure it'll be like a nice. Just, like, off your shoulders, you know, and it. I feel like that's something that's helpful and cathartic in itself. Thank you for sharing that.
- [47:11]
Sina
Wow. That.
- [47:12]
Christina
We got a little deep here.
- [47:13]
Sina
Yeah. Yeah. Oh, man, there's. And I just. To me, it's like when people say, how do you feel about sharing your personal life? To me, the only personal stuff that I would not share is sharing information about other people. So, for example, their situations, like, things that are deeply. My parents situations, or my husband's or my sisters, that, to me, is personal. Everything that for me in my life, I'm like, is it really that personal? We're all human to me. I. I despise, Despise small talk. I can't do it. I don't know if it's the European in me. The balcony, I don't know what it is, but I cannot talk about the weather. I need to know your, like, personal situations. What scares you, what makes you happy. Like, these are the things I want to talk about. Because everything else. Yeah, everything else is just like, okay, if I want that, I can just watch the news, you know? So I agree.
- [48:14]
Alyssa
Give some color to our interactions.
- [48:17]
Sina
Yeah, yeah. And another thing that people really ask me about, and I know this is going to be juicy, and this is where I'm going to say it, but about my husband and I, because I am the breadwinner, I get so many questions about this. And I find it so fascinating hearing the opinions that people have in the U.S. it's so polarizing. Again, there's no middle ground. It's like you either need to go in the trad wife direction or you need to be a boss babe and, like, own it. There's no middle ground. And I find it so funny. And that's like the one conversation that I feel like I don't know how to express properly to people in a short form. Video, for example. I know people are always going to take it wrong, so I kind of stay away from going too deep into it. But I will want YouTube for sure.
- [49:07]
Christina
Like, subscribe.
- [49:08]
Sina
Are we.
- [49:08]
Christina
Are you going to be at Alex on a budget on YouTube as well?
- [49:10]
Sina
Yes. A yes.
- [49:12]
Christina
Yeah. You have some videos up now, right?
- [49:14]
Sina
I do, I do, but I stopped. I started last month and I posted a few videos and I. I was just like, oh, my God, this is a beast. I was not prepared for this. This is too much. It's so much.
- [49:24]
Christina
YouTube is a beast. Yeah, it is. Melissa and I were just talking about it before you came on too. It's just like, the weekly upload is tough.
- [49:33]
Sina
No. When you said you did a spring cleaning video, I was like, oh, God. I was. I immediately thought the amount of hours and the amount of, like, rage she probably had to go through to do this video, because cleaning and filming, it's like the worst. Put them together. No.
- [49:54]
Christina
Alyssa, what just happened to you? Didn't you have a filming hiccup this week, too?
- [50:00]
Alyssa
Wait, did I Wait, Yes.
- [50:02]
Christina
You filmed for two hours without your mic on.
- [50:04]
Alyssa
Oh, my God. Yes, yes. Sorry, yeah, that was last week. Oh, my God. Yes. Yeah, two hours. And like, it's been so difficult for whatever reason to like get into sort of a flow. And I had my mic plugged in, but it had a different dongle. It was the dongle that I used for these podcasts. And I was recording. Like, I was, you know, like, when, when you don't have to, like, I was like, I'm doing so well, I'm not even gonna check my. I'm not even gonna like, watch the playback. Like, I'm on a roll. Let's go. No, no sound. No sound. And it wasn't even B roll that I could have been like, I'll just do a voiceover, it's fine. Like, sorry, I had. I blocked that out of my brain. Sorry.
- [50:44]
Sina
No, when that happens to me for like a 30 second video, I get so enraged. I can't imagine a YouTube video. No. But I've actually given.
- [50:54]
Alyssa
I filmed a roll for two videos actually. Yeah.
- [50:59]
Christina
So, okay. Yeah. Content creation. We're very lucky to do what we do. And I'm not saying it's hard, but it's challenging in its own ways. Can actually. What are you anticipating for that? Leaving? Coming from corporate, where there are certain challenges there, to a more creative, a more creative role in your life. Like what? How are you preparing for some of those challenges?
- [51:25]
Sina
I will say I think it can be hard. And I think it's okay to say that it is hard because you do so many roles when you're a content creator. You are the writer, you are the actor or the actress, you are the editor, you are the producer, you are literally everything in every role and everything falls on you. And then on top of that, you have to take criticism about every single thing that you post. Even though you've just put in hours of work into a video, then you have to sit and open, you know, the comment section and people are just like ripping you to shreds. Like about the smallest thing that you didn't even think about because you were so focused on this video that you were creating. So I think it is hard work. The difference is because you love it and because you have so much fun doing it for people who do really enjoy content, it doesn't feel like. Does not feel like work. And this is why I think it's okay to say it is hard work. But also it's so worth it. So worth it. And that's what's really missing in a lot of corporate jobs, nine to five jobs. It's hard work, but also you don't like it. And so you have these two really negative things. And so this is why people get upset at content creators when they say, my job is really hard. Like, what are you talking about? How is your job hard? You're doing something you love. It can be hard and you can still love it, and that's okay.
- [52:54]
Christina
Yeah. Yeah. Two things can be true.
- [52:56]
Sina
Yes. For challenges. You know what the challenge is going to be? Not working all the time. For me.
- [53:04]
Alyssa
I think that's still our challenge. Also. I'm speaking for both. Christina.
- [53:08]
Sina
Yeah, maybe.
- [53:08]
Christina
I don't know.
- [53:09]
Sina
Yes.
- [53:10]
Christina
Feel like it is.
- [53:11]
Sina
My husband says every single day, he's like, okay, today's the day we need to sit down and think of the schedule because we are working 24 7. It's like, we need to have a schedule of when you'll be filming YouTube videos, when I'll be editing them, when you'll be uploading. We need to have a content calendar with your ideas of what's upcoming. Because up until now, no, literally everything's day to day. This is how I've been doing things. And it's because, you know, I was working my full time job. And so that's going to be the biggest challenge, is coming up with a schedule that actually is going to set me up in a way that I can not work 247 because I've never had to do that until now.
- [53:52]
Christina
Yeah. And when you work for yourself, it's like, yeah, it's. It's harder to pull yourself away from it sometimes. But I will say that's something that I've struggled with because I went, I'm not full time. Like, technically, I'm not full time. I still work at the pharmacy about one to two days a week to maintain my license. So I still have a toe in there. But, you know, before when I was working full time, it's like any downtime you had, you work on your content, on your business, and it's almost like that, that lack of time and that sense of urgency is what almost helped me get things done. But it's like, no, I went. I, like, reduced the amount of work or, or even you, Alex, like, left corporate because this is burning out. You can't do both. You need that rest.
- [54:38]
Sina
No way.
- [54:39]
Christina
So having that content calendar and that downtime, like, it's very, very hard. And I still struggle with it two years later. But it's like, oh, man, no, you need it.
- [54:48]
Sina
I can completely see myself going down the direction of just hating everything. And so this is why I had to leave corporate and Then also now I need to think of a schedule. But I, I do really want to emphasize that I didn't just leave corporate and I'm going to be a full time content creator. I really want to trust the people that I put some serious thought and effort into it and some serious planning behind it. So we had an emergency Fund saved already 1 year emergency fund away. On top of that, we saved specifically for me to be able to do this this year in case something happens, even extra money on top of that. So that is what allowed me to really say, okay, I can do this. Also, I was not happy at my job that I was the corporation that I was at. I was not happy there. And also I was not happy with my role and I wanted to transition into a different role. So it was all of these things combined and the love for content that made me leave this job. And I say this because a lot of people I know, the videos of I quit my corporate job with no backup plan are very trendy and please don't do that, please do not do that. Like, that is especially right now, that is probably like the worst thing you can possibly do. And I think it's important to stress this because people listen to other people online and they think that they can do it as well. But there was a lot of planning that went into this and a lot of Plan Bs, C and so on. So, you know, for people do want to do content creation, please have some type of data behind you in terms of you're already making money, you're already making money that can sustain you before you actually jump because then you'll be really stressed if you don't.
- [56:48]
Christina
So yeah, yeah, I think there's also.
- [56:51]
Alyssa
Oh, sorry, go ahead.
- [56:52]
Christina
I was just saying. Go ahead.
- [56:53]
Alyssa
No, no, no, you go ahead. The preparation.
- [56:55]
Christina
Oh, I was just saying, yeah, just like, you know, yeah, preparation is key. And like having your backup plan, I think sometimes it can feel like, oh, if I have a backup plan then it means I don't truly believe in what I'm doing and like the universe isn't really going to give me what I need. But I think, you know, that's, to me it's always like, what am I going to do to keep myself safe? And like, in my mind this is what success looks like. But if it doesn't work out exactly the way I want, I'm not scrambling to, to, you know, to pivot.
- [57:26]
Alyssa
I think I was going to say something similar in that I think having the parachute and the backup plan and whatever Extra funds also allows you to stay true to your values and you won't have to take any contracts and compromise yourself because you just need the money. Which I think in this world of content, content creation that we're entering into is really, really important. Important because it's so easy.
- [57:53]
Christina
Yeah, that's such a great point.
- [57:54]
Alyssa
Whatever comes, you know, like, you can actually build a values based business when you have that backup.
- [58:00]
Sina
Agreed, agreed. I will say also the fact that I have dabbled into so many different parts of content creation, so digital products, but also earning money from social media and doing brand deals, you see how many different opportunities there are and you can easily take every single one and not all of them are the correct ones to do. And I'm even still going through this and trying to learn, okay, this is something I didn't like. I'm not gonna do this next time. This is something that I really enjoyed. I really wanna do this more of next year. So it's kind of a process. But yes. I don't know, just, it makes me nervous when I see those videos of like, I quit my job with no backup plan. I can't, I'm a type A person. I can't do this.
- [58:46]
Christina
Yeah, type A girly.
- [58:47]
Sina
Yeah, you're giving me anxiety. Why?
- [58:50]
Christina
I think you bring up such a good point too, Alyssa, with about the value based business. And like, there's so much that gets turned down that you don't see. Right. I think when you're a creator, ultimately, like you're creating content that you love to make, but you're also creating content for your community and your audience. And it's like almost, you know, we are also, we have to be the gatekeeper of that. We don't want you to like, we don't want to just push out anything to you. And it's like if we were just in it to make money or just like completely financially motivated by it, it's like then, you know, there's so much that you could take, but there's just a lot that, that does not align you.
- [59:34]
Sina
I can easily spot a content creator who does this for money and a content creator who does this because they love it from a mile away. It's so, it's so, so, so easy to spot that. And I, I like to think the audience is getting smarter with this and they're catching onto it as well. And it's important that people support creators who are actually doing this because they love it and who are going to show them products that they genuinely love and I know it's kind of difficult when you're not doing content creation to understand all of the backend stuff, but there's a lot that people promote that they've been paid some good money to say. And I don't think the audience understands this because the videos that I see that are an obvious, you know, push of a product. And I read the comments and I. I'm just shocked every single time. And I wish there was more transparency again, even about brands and brand deals. I love that slowly things are shifting. I've started also talking a lot about it because these brands, they're also a little sneaky. They're sneaky. They try to, you know, push things that are not really ethical, that are not good for people. And I'm just shocked that some creators are taking deals like that. So I think we also need to talk about that. Just like we talk about salary transparency in the corporate world, creators need to talk about brands as well. It's so taboo. I've actually. I actually think it's more taboo to talk about brands because it's such public information. And you're afraid that if you say something about one brand, you might, you know, completely.
- [61:18]
Christina
You lose that ch forever. Yeah, it's hard to. Yeah.
- [61:23]
Sina
You don't know who they're connected to, so you don't know if they're also going to, you know, blacklist you. I guess I don't. I don't even know if that exists. But, yeah, so much so interesting.
- [61:35]
Alyssa
We'll have to have you come back on in like a year.
- [61:38]
Christina
Yes.
- [61:38]
Alyssa
And do a little update. Like, how has it been?
- [61:42]
Sina
Yes.
- [61:43]
Alyssa
And how have your views changed?
- [61:45]
Sina
I'm so fascinated by content creation in general right now, and I do talk a lot more about it and just setting up my business as well. There's so much that goes behind it that again, I just haven't heard a lot of people talk about it or maybe my algorithm is not showing me those type of videos. But there's so much that goes behind the scenes for a content creator and it's not talked about enough. I wish people. I feel like if people talked about it more, then the audience would stop saying that. It's not hard work, but maybe that's wishful thinking. I don't know. We shall see.
- [62:19]
Alyssa
We'll see. You'll change it. Yeah, the conversation.
- [62:24]
Christina
This was such a good conversation we have. Okay, I want to ask you one more question before we get into rapid fire, if you have time. What is the one thing you're most Excited about moving into this year as a full time creator.
- [62:39]
Sina
I'm most excited to have the flexibility to experiment. I'm most excited to just have to own my time. And I'm excited about the potential because up until now I haven't had this type of potential looking at me and I don't even know what that potential is yet because I haven't gone there. But, but I am so excited about that because I know that with content you can actually have so many opportunities. And I'm so excited about that. Like I don't know what they will be, but I believe they will be really, really good. So that's what I'm most excited about. Love it.
- [63:20]
Christina
I'm excited for you.
- [63:21]
Alyssa
Positive.
- [63:22]
Sina
It's great.
- [63:24]
Alyssa
So good. It's the best attitude.
- [63:27]
Christina
Do you want to shoot off the rapid fire question?
- [63:29]
Alyssa
Thank you.
- [63:30]
Christina
No, no, go ahead. So Alex likes every time we have a guest, we like to ask just kind of some rapid fire questions. They're a little bit random, but they do help our audience get a little bit get to know you a little bit more. This is kind of just like a, just a quick, whatever comes to mind. Maybe tweetable answer.
- [63:50]
Sina
Okay.
- [63:51]
Alyssa
Nothing too hard. Yeah, first like your first instinct that comes to mind. Okay. When you take vacation, is that a save or a spend?
- [64:04]
Sina
Spend and save.
- [64:08]
Christina
Yeah, let's talk about it. I feel like, you know, because we talked about so much of the experiences, you know.
- [64:12]
Sina
Yes, I will spend on the experiences there, but I will save on the flights and just the things I have to get through. But I will spend on whether it's the hotel experiences, all of that stuff.
- [64:26]
Alyssa
Okay, cool.
- [64:27]
Christina
I love that.
- [64:28]
Alyssa
Great answer. A book that changed your life.
- [64:32]
Sina
Oh, I would teach you to be rich by Ramit Sethi.
- [64:36]
Christina
We love Ramit.
- [64:37]
Sina
Yes, yes. That is one of the first financial books I read and it's just so practical and it gives you step by step instructions, which I like.
- [64:48]
Christina
Okay, cool.
- [64:50]
Alyssa
Yes, I know. Christina's mentioned him a lot. Digital or paper agenda?
- [64:58]
Sina
Digital calendar. Paper for notes.
- [65:03]
Alyssa
Okay, perfect. That's cool. I do the same. Favorite meal of the day?
- [65:10]
Sina
Breakfast. And it's always high protein.
- [65:13]
Christina
Always love it. Get those gains going.
- [65:15]
Alyssa
Great.
- [65:16]
Christina
I love your food videos, by the way. Like, like I feel like you guys, Alex does everything on her channel. Honestly. We talked a lot about money, we talked a lot about corporate, but she does like what I eat in a day. She does makeup, she does outfits. Like you do the whole, you're a lifestyle amazing creator Early.
- [65:33]
Sina
It's all over the place.
- [65:35]
Alyssa
It's great. No, it's true. Because I was. I was looking and I was like, oh, okay. Like, recipes too. This is perfect.
- [65:40]
Christina
Yeah.
- [65:41]
Sina
Cool.
- [65:42]
Alyssa
Very, very cool. Your top three wardrobe, Staples.
- [65:48]
Sina
Jeans, white tee and a cardigan. I know they're not. It's not very specific, but great. If you just swap those out in different colors, you can make the whole outfit done Easy.
- [66:03]
Christina
We love a layer.
- [66:04]
Alyssa
Yes. Favorite platform to engage with.
- [66:09]
Sina
TikTok.
- [66:11]
Alyssa
Okay. It's great.
- [66:13]
Sina
TikTok. Yeah. Yeah.
- [66:16]
Alyssa
And where can our listeners find you?
- [66:18]
Sina
TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. It's all. Alex. On a budget across all three platforms.
- [66:26]
Alyssa
Beautiful. And we'll make sure to link all of those in our show notes. Alex, thank you so much. This was fantastic.
- [66:33]
Christina
That was so good.
- [66:34]
Sina
Thank you. Thank you for having me. And I just want to say that I have followed you well, Christina, specifically. Even when I was in Bulgaria, I was like, this girl, I love her YouTube. And so when I found out you follow me, Christina, I was just me, me.
- [66:52]
Christina
Aw, thank you.
- [66:53]
Sina
Thank you so much.
- [66:55]
Christina
Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, and I think it's really cool. It's. I love how it's kind of online is a very small world because the same thing happened with me and Alyssa. Like, I was following Alyssa for years and, you know, and then I was like, hey, wanna, like, be friends? And now here we are. So cool.
- [67:12]
Alyssa
Y.
- [67:15]
Sina
Maybe the new way to meet friends, it's not going to be those friend dating apps. It's going to be start content creation and then meet girls who also do content creation. And that's how you make your friends.
- [67:24]
Christina
Yeah, I think it's. And I think, like, it's just nice to see the support there, like, because I feel like in this world, it almost feels like everybody's competition, but I feel like really, it's. We're all kind of in the same boat and there's so much that we can learn from each other. So I think, you know, 100% support the team.
- [67:40]
Sina
Yeah, 100%.
- [67:42]
Christina
Thank you so much.
- [67:44]
Alyssa
Thank you.
- [67:44]
Sina
Thank you guys for having me. I appreciate it. Thank you so much for joining in our conversation this week. If you're enjoying the show, we'd love it. If you subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple and leave us a rating and review, it's one of the.
- [67:59]
Christina
Best ways to support the sustain this.
- [68:01]
Sina
Podcast at zero cost to you.
- [68:03]
Christina
We're also a community led podcast, so if you have any questions for us, topic requests, or even guests you want to hear from, please send us a DM on Instagram @Sustain ThisPodcast. We read all of our comments and look forward to hearing from you.
- [68:16]
Alyssa
We hope you join us again next Tuesday where we'll talk about so much more than clothes.
- [68:20]
Sina
Ciao.