In 2012, we had our first conversation and argument about money. Luckily, we recovered from it and somehow gained the courage to tackle some really difficult conversations about money with our friends, family and each other. Over the next five years we paid off $200,000 in debt, dramatically boosted our net worth and learned a lifetime of lessons along the way.
We started rich & REGULAR in 2017 after our stint in real estate investing led us to discover the F.I.R.E movement. At that point, we'd listened to our friends complain about doing everything right, and still not really "feeling" happy with the financial progress they'd made. Our blog became a place where we not only shared in their frustrations, but offered solutions to a richer and happier life. We could not have imagined that just a few years later, we would sign a book deal with the world's largest publisher, Penguin Random House. But that's not all. Our blog has afforded us opportunities to work with incredible brands, world-class media and into the fast-paced world of digital entrepreneurship.
Today, rich & REGULAR has grown into a community of like-minded people and because of them, our mission became clear; to inspire better conversations about money.
Kiersten's Story
My favorite piece of advice, and the thing I repeat to myself every single day is, "you can decide you're done waiting." I spent decades of my life just...waiting. Waiting for perfect timing and bulletproof certainty when it turns out, none of that exists. Instead, believing that I can be whatever I want, without feeling the pressure to be the best at it, has been life-changing.
I spent my 20s climbing the Corporate Ladder. By all measures, I was successful but I struggled with anxiety and was in debt with no plans for retirement. Back then, I was really good at making money and when Julien told me about the Financial Independence movement, I was skeptical. Luckily, I came around shortly after calculating how many days I could sleep in once I was Financially Independent. A few years later, I was able to quit my full-time job at 35. I'm still really good at making money, it just looks a little different these days.
For me, being rich is about having more options. These days, I spend a lot of my time chasing after our son while pretending to be a firetruck. When I'm not with him, I'm reading, writing and connecting with women around the world who want to use money to create a better quality of life.
Originally from Houston but raised in Atlanta, I am a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and spent most of my career in the retail and hospitality industry.
Julien's Story
"The key to thinking outside of the box is to recognize the box never existed". These words have shaped my thinking ever since the first time I heard them. It's the reason why I enjoy trying new foods, exploring the world and looking inwardly to unlock ideas that are buried in my deepest memories.
I'm originally from Brooklyn, NY and have lived in Atlanta since the mid 90s. I've earned degrees in Culinary Arts, a BBA in business/Hospitality Administration and an MBA in Marketing. My professional career has spanned over twenty years from preparing fine dining meals, training waitstaff, project management, distribution and brand marketing. And when I wasn't doing that, I was building a humble real estate investment portfolio.
These days, I spend the vast majority of my time writing, growing our online business, exploring other entrepreneurial ventures in emerging industries and inspiring the Black community to build generational wealth. My dream job is to be a full time artist that tells the stories of the Black experience through the lens of money.
