Your bills might be eating your future!

Is your bank account suffering from "death by a thousand cuts"? Most of us are overpaying for our basic existence without even realizing it. In this episode, Rita and I sit down with Kirby D. Wilson, a North Carolina based financial strategist and entrepreneur, to learn how to turn those "dead weight" expenses into serious leverage.

What We’re Diving Into:

• The "Bills To Bags" Blueprint: Kirby explains how she helps households and business owners across the US and Canada slash costs on telecom, energy, and healthcare.
• The Origin Story: How the pressure of first-time homeownership led Kirby to uncover the hidden money systems they never taught us in school.
• Escaping the "Not Broke" Trap: Why the "if it’s not broke, don’t fix it" mindset is actually costing you thousands in hidden fees and outdated rates.
• Shifting from Consumer to Strategist: A deep dive into using credit to build opportunities rather than funding shopping sprees.
• Generational Wealth: Tackling student loan stress, common borrowing pitfalls, and why financial literacy is the ultimate head start for the next generation.

Most people aren't broke; they're just overpaying for a life they haven't optimized yet.

Listen now and stop guessing with your money!

Website: www.speakuppodcast.ca (audio)

(video)

Transcript

[00:00:10] Ellington Brown: Welcome to SpeakUP! International with Rita Burke and Elton Brown! 

[00:00:16] Rita Burke: As you know, on SpeakUP! International, we traverse the globe to find individuals we consider to be community builders. Today's no exception. We have with us a person from North Carolina, Kirby Wilson. Kirby is a US-based financial strategist, entrepreneur, and educator.

She's also the founder of Bills to Bags, which is a platform centered on turning everything or turning everyday expenses into income opportunities. There's a lot more that I want to say about Kirby today, but as we say on SpeakUP! International, we prefer if our guests tell their own story.

And so today, I welcome you, Kirby, to SpeakUP! International! 

[00:01:12] Kirby Wilson: Thank you. Thank you. I'm glad to be here. 

[00:01:17] Ellington Brown: Congratulations on being recognized among the 2026 Women, who You Need to Know by Black Leaders Worldwide! Congratulations! I saw it all across the internet!

It was like, wow, you know? Yeah. I've got to get this. I- I've got to talk to this lady. So I'm really glad that you, accepted and- Yeah ... so we got a chance to talk. So what personal experiences, shaped your perspective on money and financial empowerment? 

[00:01:54] Kirby Wilson: Well, I would say probably being broke, just to be honest, but not broke-minded.

And I'll say, this is what I'm saying, like, when I first got out of college and became a homeowner and all of this, expenses kept, um, coming in, so, um, I started to learn about life really fast. But, uh, what I was learning about finances, I hadn't been taught. So I wanted to go back and, um, put more inter- interest or learn more things about finances so that I could, uh, be more positioned or better positioned as I got older.

Um, my parents lived a very, you know, um, mindful life, middle class family, traditional American middle class family. However, my, my mindset was that I wanted to, um, uh- Do more with less, if that makes sense. Uh, w- you know, do more in less time than it may have taken them. Um, and, and that's how you break a generational curse.

So I just wanted to find out, um, s- shape myself or maybe position myself around people who had, not necessarily the lifestyle, but people who were, in my eyes, um, who worked smarter and not harder. So I wanted to get around those type of people and implement what they were learning about finances, because I had missed something.

I had missed something. But it wasn't that I missed it, because you can't... I wasn't taught it because my parents grew up in a different time. So you can't teach what you don't know. So now I've learned about financial literacy. I'm teaching them things, you know. Um, talking about wills and trusts was not a conversation that we had at our dinner table, you know?

So now it's, it- My interest in financial literacy came from not having and wanting more. So I had to discuss, or I had to examine what people that had more were doing, and they did not have one stream of income. They had multiple streams of income. They had income that worked while they were sleeping, not worked while they were working.

So I had to learn how to, um, how to make more use of my time and leverage my time to produce more income. So it came from not having, to be honest. Not having and wanting more is where it came from. 

[00:04:17] Rita Burke: I, I like that. Not having and wanting more. Mm-hmm. And something else you said that kind of resonates with me is you can't teach what you don't know.

Right. And that is so accurate. And I'm glad that you are in this field now. So you're helping people to become more aware of their finances and how to use those finances. So talk to us a little bit about Vision Unlimited Consulting. 

[00:04:45] Kirby Wilson: Well, with my, with Vision Unlimited Consulting, we're more so a financial education and consulting firm, um, and we focus on helping individuals and businesses, um, stop overpaying on their bills, expenses or however you wanna say it.

And, and what I teach people to do is how to make those expenses work for them. So I have a different conversation with people. Um, we specialize in cost reduction, uh, financial literacy, and, um, creating income opportunities for those who understand leverage, um, on different bills that you have: gas, electric, um, internet, um, cell phone, um, and other healthcare.

Uh, in, in the US we pay healthcare. So, and healthcare, um, expenses. So expenses that people have to have, I teach people how to monetize, re- uh, reduce and even eliminate those. That's what we do. 

[00:05:40] Ellington Brown: Wonderful! I know when you were, when you and I were talking about this, and I found this whole thing to be a, amazing.

So if you can just go into debt. Now, the way I remember it, tell me if I'm wrong, the way I remember it is, okay, y- they come to 

you. 

[00:05:59] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. 

[00:06:00] Ellington Brown: They talk about their financial situation. 

[00:06:03] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. 

[00:06:04] Ellington Brown: And then you say, "All right. So you have phone bill, gas, electric." 

[00:06:10] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. 

[00:06:10] Ellington Brown: "You gotta eat. You gotta pay that car note. Why don't you just, you know, bring it on over here to me?"

[00:06:17] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. "

[00:06:18] Ellington Brown: And then this way, as you're spending money, you're making money." 

[00:06:22] Kirby Wilson: Yes! 

[00:06:22] Ellington Brown: Can you explain to our audience how that works? 

[00:06:27] Kirby Wilson: Well, what that is, is basically turning your assets or your liabilities into assets, so if you wanna say it that way. Um, turning your necessary expenses into opportunities. What happened was, there's a company that I partnered with over 15 years ago that allows me to become an independent consultant, to be able to be a licensee or a, like, basically a franchise owner in different telecom, energy, and healthcare companies, right?

Or partners. So as a independent consultant, I'm a wholesaler. So on this consumer side, my consumers or my customers benefit from getting a reduction or some type of upfront bonus or just getting a wholesale price. Think about Amazon, right? Or I don't know if we can say names, but Amaz- if you go to Amazon, you might can get the same thing at Walmart, but on Amazon it's just more convenient, right?

You just click and go. So I'm like the Amazon for bills, if you wanna say it like that. A one-stop shop for bills, whereas you can go, "I'm a wholesaler," versus going to pay retail for it. So on the, that's how you benefit as a consumer. But on the back end of that, um, I just, I was like, you can make money on these bills?

It made sense to me when someone shared this with me, um, in 2011. So I'm like, I pay all these bills anyway. How... And, and, and biblically, how do I become the bor- the lender and not the borrower? How do I become a producer and not a consumer? Well, you take those everyday bills that you have paying out, and you're, as a c- consultant or independent consultant with these company, you are a licensee.

You are able to turn around and make income on those bills because you're becoming the customer or the consumer, and you'll be able to turn those into- Bills to bags, if that makes sense. That's what the concept comes to. So I teach people how to... the educational side of how to potentially save money, but then, hey, you're paying all these bills every month, let me teach you how to put that money back into your pocket as a, as a producer.

So it's just a concept of does everybody... is everybody entrepreneurial and want to make money on their bills? No. But m- a lot of people are consumers, so there's a benefit to both ends. Either you wanna make money, potentially make, you know, make money, save money, or both. Both made sense to me, um, because we were paying off those bills.

So basically I, in 20... over 15 years I've been a part of a 30-year-old brand, um, or company who has been able to, uh, provide entrepreneurial opportunities for people in the US and Canada to wholesale everyday bills. So if that makes sense. 

[00:09:20] Rita Burke: Bills to bags. It has a beautiful ring to it. 

[00:09:24] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. 

[00:09:25] Rita Burke: And certainly that was one of the questions that's been asked you to explain to me.

 Explain that concept, and you, you have done that. So who are the people that come to you for support, for assistance, for counsel, for education? 

[00:09:40] Kirby Wilson: Huh, pretty much it ranges from individuals to families to companies. Because in my business, we support, um, you know, residential clients or consumers, and then small businesses with 49 employees or less.

Um, so we're basically... They found me through networking. I network a lot. I'm always at workshops. Because it's about relationship. You won't see me doing, like, cold marketing or something, because cold market customers are great, but they may not retain. Um, I develop relationships, I build relationships, I build trust.

'Cause when people know, like, and trust you, they'll do business with you. So, um, a lot of my business has been, over the years, from referrals, just doing good business with other people and say, "Hey, you need to contact this person." But it's more so, um, community, family, and just word of mouth. Um, and then LinkedIn.

You know, LinkedIn, um... But it's, to, to be honest, it's relationships. Building relationships and referrals. I've not had to do a lot of advertising because my business speaks for itself. Um, like I said, people know me because I built my brand, I built a trusting and a following, but it's more so through relationships and building trust with people.

But I, I, I, I do individual, um, to small business. It doesn't matter. Residential and consum- uh, and, and commercial. So anybody can benefit from my services. If you are 18 and older and you pay a bill, then I can... then it's a conversation that I can have with everybody. 

[00:11:19] Ellington Brown: Wow! Okay, so I have two questions. After that statement, I know our audience is probably wondering, "How can I get in contact with this lady?

I've got 40 bills here that I've been struggling with, and maybe she can, help me navigate my way through that. So if you can give your, address, web address- ... that would be great, and then I'll ask, ask my next question. 

[00:11:42] Kirby Wilson: Okay. Awesome. Well, my website, um, for the free consultation, 'cause people like, "Oh, what's your charge?"

I charge nothing to, to take a look at people's bills to see if there's a way to reduce their expenses. If I can, we move forward and help them. If I c- if I... if they're in a good position, then that's a great, that's a great opportunity for them, right? Um, just to check, but it's billstobags.com, so B-I-L-L-S T-O-B-A-G-S.com.

You can go there. There's a quick video on there to kind of give you an overview, like a little mini commercial. But then you... it says, um, schedule a consultation or a free services analysis. I'm sure, not sure which one. Click on that button i- and upload, upload a copy of your bills. So, like I said, I do this in US and Canada.

Upload a copy of the bills that are listed there. It's gonna be traditional bills, internet, phone, stuff like that that are, like, traditional in your home. Now, don't, don't do your mortgage. Actually, we do mortgages in Canada. In the US we don't. But in Canada we offer mortgages, um, electricity. So any bill that you may want to have reviewed, um, you, if you upload that confidentially and we'll meet on Zoom and we'll go through them together to make sure you're getting the best rate.

So billstobags.com, right? If you're interested in saving money potentially, right? If you're interested in saying, "Hey, this is something... I'm business and entrepreneur minded. This sounds like something I would want to do. I just need to know more information," you go to the same type of website except for .com, you're gonna put .biz.

So it's gonna be billstobags.B-I-Z. So .com to become a customer, and .biz to explore the business and get more information on that concept. Because we're not a s- you know, we're not a gatekeeper type of organization. We want to share this wealth opportunity with other people who are interested and open.

And you guys, and I'm in The US, but US is a huge market for us. But Canada is, might be small, but it's very mighty in what we do. S- Canada is a very, very, very a big opportunity in Canada for our company. 

[00:14:04] Ellington Brown: So why do you believe that if people just, I don't know, they just accept the bills. They come in, they never think about, "Wow, you know, there's got to be a way."

You know, I'm not trying to, to get out of paying, but come on, there must be a way that, you know, I can figure a way where I can, don't have to pay, you know, the $200. Maybe I can have it where, you know, 10% is, is knocked off. Why do you think people fall into that, "Okay, well, whatever"? 

[00:14:38] Kirby Wilson: Most people are c- are conditioned for comfort.

They're in the mentality, "Oh, if it's not broke, don't fix it." But a lot of times it is broke, and it does need to be fixed, but you can't fix what you don't know to fix, right? So I was, uh, doing a review for a business owner here in North Car- I mean, actually, you know, Georgia. Looked at their, their electricity bill.

Most people aren't saying, "Hey." Most people are busy. In this eco- in this economy right now, we... I mean, I don't know what y'all doing in Canada, but in the US we are fighting for our lives. I don't know if y'all paid attention to the news. We are fighting for our lives over here, so nobody's saying, "Oh, let me go see how many therms I'm paying on my electricity bill."

They're just paying it because they're like, "Oh, this is here." But most people miss it. You miss it because you're not paying attention to it. But a lot of times, I've found a business owner, it's loopholes in these systems. So if you're a business owner, you have multiple locations, you're just trying to run your business.

But a lot of times you're paying unexpect- you're paying fees that you don't need to be paying. You're paying extra. Like, people aren't paying attention to this stuff. So when I reviewed the business owner that I did in, um, in the US, um, save them, huh, how much? 64% on their gas electri- on their gas bill.

Now, it might not sound like a lot, but when you have 20 locations, it adds up. So you're talking about potentially saving enough money to open another location, to make more money. So people don't miss what they can't see, if that makes sense. So it's just up to me or a consumer advocate. What I do is I show people the loopholes and where there are expenses and show them.

And I've had people write me back and say, "Thank you so much." Like, you know, saving $500 a year might, might be significant. It might take care of a, a, a, a expense for a child or something like that. So, and then, um, in the US, healthcare is very, something that a lot of people are dealing with. Um, the expenses for that is going up.

So people are conditioned for comfort, and they just really need an advocate to say, "Hey, let's take 30 s- 30 minutes to look at your expenses," because, you know, they're just so used to paying it, but they don't know, they don't realize what they're, what they're... You know, until they sit down and, and assess their expenses, they don't see it.

And, um, you can't miss what you don't see. So I'm here to help them see it. 

[00:17:05] Rita Burke: We're, we're talking with Kirby Wilson, who is an educator and, as we said, financial strategist. And, and on SpeakUP! International, we seek to inform, educate, and inspire. And I know what you're saying to us, we'll do this for our listeners, Kirby.

Kirby, would you say there was a time in your life when you had to say, "Enough"? 

[00:17:34] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. 

[00:17:34] Rita Burke: Can you think of a time in your life when you had to say, "Enough"? 

[00:17:39] Kirby Wilson: Man, which one? Which one? I c- but if I think of a time- In my life, when I said enough, I would say probably over the last maybe two years when, um, you know, build-- as building as an entrepreneur, a lot of people build their business part-time, spare time around their, their employer.

But my employer, um, let us go twice. Same employer let us go 20 thir- 2024, um, on Teams. Had a Teams meeting and let about three hundred of us go and said, "Hey, um, we'll give you insurance, um, um, through COBRA." I don't know if y'all have... Y'all don't have that problem there. But COBRA is not-- it's very not, and it, it's very expensive.

Um, and by the way, 30-- you have 30 days because legally they have to tell you, um, give you a notice, right? So that was strike one. And then, uh, got another job, right? Really quick at the same company. Moved up technically, right? Got more money, but then it was different. Um, fast-forward a year later, that job was taken away.

So, okay, three strikes, you're out with me. That was two. So I'm not gonna give you a third time. So here, here was my thing was like, okay, I am positioned in a company that will give me the ability to take that yearly salary, that will position me to take what I was making yearly and make on a monthly basis.

It would give me a position to do that. Why am I letting six-figure years keep me from six-figure months? So what, what made me think differently was having that level of comfort ripped away and having to, having to use what I already have. So I think it wa- it really came in this season, actually, um, where I, I was in a room with people, and I think, um, you're probably alluding to, like, maybe a-another question.

I, I think I'm gonna probably answer it for you. Um, I was in a room with people who were... I was-- This past weekend, I was in a room with... It was Eight Figure Mastermind. That was the name of the room. And you-- In order to get in that room, you had to make, you had to net five hundred thousand or more, okay? And it was only, it was only, it was Black, it was Black women that looked like me, right?

Now, I was invited to that room, okay? I wasn't, I was by the, the person that had it. So not there yet, right? But they, they see the potential, right? So I got in that room and, um, they were saying, "Give your number. What's your income you wanna make next year?" Right? I wrote down my number, very humble, just a number that made sense to me.

But m- when I talk-- when I heard the other people's numbers in the millions- It made me realize I'm not thinking big enough. I'm not thinking big enough. So what, what made me realize that it was enough was I got into a room with people who didn't, um, let their... Here's the saying: You don't let people's ce- hold on.

What is... How does it go? You don't let... You're stealing somebody else's floor. That's what it was. So what, so what it was, the number I wrote down, the person beside me said, "I made that last week."

So that was my moment. Now, that was my moment, and it, it made me... So when I tell people that, you know, you either thinking too small or not big enough, right? It's the same thing, right? So I was like, man, I am limiting the calling that's on my life. So I tell people all the time, "Do not let a six-figure year keep you from a six-figure calling."

So that was, that was, you know, six-figure month calling. Six-figure years versus what you can do six figures in a month. So that was my... I just really had a aha moment. This was recent. This was, like, as of last week. So that was my moment to, um, to really think, think, um... My pastor always says, "Think local, build global."

[00:22:07] Rita Burke: It's your moment to, your moment to revisit and to reframe what your- M- ... what, what your goals are financially. 

[00:22:16] Kirby Wilson: Yeah. It... But see, my, my goals financially are, yeah, mine are great, but they're also tied to other people's goals financially, if that makes sense. So people need me to do what God has called me to do so that they can get to where they need to be financially, too.

So if that makes sense. You know, somebody's, somebody... My pastor used to say, "Somebody's," um... And I'm sorry, I don't know what kind of show this is. I'm just talking about my religion. But my, um, my spiritual leader says that, um, y- some- your calling, somebody's yes is attached to your calling. So in order for me, I have to...

I'm kind of responsible for other people. Not really, but I am. Um, it's placed on me because y- I do things that I do because I know it can help others, whether they're saving money or potentially making money. So my drive is, is it isn't ma- really money v- motivated. It may sound like that, but it's mission motivated.

Because when you have more income coming in, you can do more. You can give more. And with your more, when you're able to do more, um, for, for yourself, right? But your overflow is gonna come from what you do from other people, if that makes sense. 

[00:23:36] Ellington Brown: Yes, that make, that definitely makes sense.

[00:23:39] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. 

[00:23:39] Ellington Brown: All right! So we talked about your, your comp- your company and its benefits. So can you give us a, a real-life example of an individual who came to you with- their bills and- saw the light? I'll leave it there. 

[00:23:59] Kirby Wilson: Oh, I mean, I do it all the time though. I'll just, um, I'll just do a cell phones, uh, customer.

I just told her, we did a comparison. This is what she was paying. She was paying almost $600 for her cell phone bill, and I looked, I told, showed her our rate, and it was, like, 200. It wasn't even 200. It was close to... It wasn't even 200. I feel like it was less than that, but it saved her more than half on her bill.

But, and you know what I'm saying, sometimes I can help people with that. Sometimes they may be in a better situation. Um, this particular customer, um, when she saw the savings, she referred me to other people. So it's just, I, I can't think of one time. I mean, with the business owner I told you about, when they saw, they saw, um, their bill go from, you know, they saw it go down 60-something percent, that was a aha moment because especially when you have multiple locations.

So I, I do it all the time. I just had a customer share yesterday that their bill went down 30-something, 32%, I believe, in, in Georgia. So I mean, I get those stories all the time, and I, I didn't highlight this, but one of the services, I talked about the telecom and the other services I have. I don't know if you guys have a, have a lot of people with student loans, um, there, but student loans is a, a trillion dollar deficit, um, around the world, and I help people, um, save money on that.

We're identifying, um, forgiveness programs that people don't know that they're eligible for, you know. Um, literally helped sev- In the last six months, I've helped establish over, um, over a million for my clients in forgiveness money. So, um, I, I, I see it every day. I have, I get stories. I get screenshots every day.

So I can't really think of one because it, it's, it's every day somebody saying, "Thank you for showing me this," or, "Thank you for helping me save," even just if it's a couple hundred dollars a month, so. But I mean, I just sit down with them, and I let them see the difference, and then they're like, "Wow," you know, "Thank you for showing me."

So. 

[00:26:11] Rita Burke: So based on what you're saying- I get the sense that you hold people's hands and walk- alongside of that to get them out of their financial valleys, so to speak. And, and you are a financial strategist. And so Kirby, did you go to school to learn how to do that? 

[00:26:35] Kirby Wilson: Absolutely not! Absolutely not! I didn't!

I got the training after school. I, I got my... Um, I went to North Carolina A&T State University, which is a HBCU, the number one public HBCU in the US. Um, I studied sociology and w- went and got my master's in counseling. So nowhere in there was anything financial, business, nothing at all. I didn't even go to the business building.

But through life and experiences and working three jobs at one time, I decided this could not be it. So I went and got self-educated to learn. I learned through books, I learned through mentorships, I learned through people, through people who were very super successful. I learned through coaches and, like I said, coaches and mentors in my business.

And each industry that I'm a part of, I learn from the best in those industries. So if they... And they're successful in those industries, 'cause I need... I don't need anybody. You know, you're not gonna go to a, um, to a, a, a over, over, overly obese, um, trainer, right? And, and say, "Hey, teach me how to be healthy." I'm going to the best in the industry.

I'm learning from those people who have, who have been there, who have made the mistakes, um, who understand, who are teaching me to do h- to do, uh, what they did in less time. So I didn't have a traditional education with, with this aspect of life. It came from self. Self and people that were already writing books from their mistakes, and mentorships.

And mentorship is important in business, in any business that you have, 'cause you don't come in day one knowing everything. I didn't come... Day one and day 15 looked completely different for me. So I came in, um, with the expectation that I'm gonna learn this, I'm gonna, uh, grow with it, I'm gonna earn, uh, ea- earn as I learn, and then I'm gonna teach other people.

So that's where. 

[00:28:31] Ellington Brown: This reminds me of someone else that we talked to about finances and how our people are not in the right mindset- 

[00:28:45] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm .

[00:28:46] Ellington Brown: .. in order to take advantage of all of these opportunities that are out there. 

[00:28:53] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. 

[00:28:54] Ellington Brown: People are struggling with student loans. Because, okay, we don't have the money. We know we need this education or we are never gonna have any money, so we go ahead and stack up the loans in order to get that piece of paper. So when it comes to managing debt, especially, uh, student loans, what are people missing?

What are they commonly missing that you, if you got and contact them, you would go, you know, "Hello." You know, "Let me show you something here." 

[00:29:34] Kirby Wilson: Well, I'll tell you this, and I'll tell you from my experience. I did not need as much money as I took to go to college. You don't take out... Just because they offer it to you doesn't mean you have to take it.

Um, a lot of times I was taking it to live, and if I knew what I knew now, I would've got, I would've got just enough to, to go to class. But here we are, right? So people are taking money that they don't need because you don't, you should not be multiple six figures in debt and then be making less than 100,000 a year.

It's, it's just the math doesn't match. But most people are. So I see a lot of my clients, when I see their lo- I mean, I, I don't... It's client confidentiality, but when I see their loans, I see most people are six figures in debt. Um, and the ma- So it's like, I don't know where, I don't know the answer. Like, if I know what I know now, I wouldn't have took all that money.

And you don't have to keep getting educational degrees. You don't have to keep going back to school. That's where I think a lot of people messed up. "Oh, my loans are going into repayment. Let me go back and get a master's. Oh, let me get ba- get finished that master's. Let me go back and get a PhD." And then you just getting all this education, maybe not even going into that field, but you're buried in debt.

So I, I don't know. We need, we need to teach financial literacy early, like, um, you know, middle school. And it really needs to be a f- I think it should be... I don't know if it's in the, um, curriculum there, but it needs to be in the curriculum here. It needs to be, "Oh, I got PE, but then I got finan- financial education 101."

Just like you have to go to PE and take a test, a physical education test, you need to go to a financial, financial literacy course. Do you know the basics about financial literacy? Do you know what a trust is? Do you know what, um, what the, what a high val- you know, high yield savings account is? So we gotta s- start teaching this stuff to our kids early.

We need to position them early on to not have to take debt. Like, I don't have any kids- My kids will not have to pay a dime to go to college if they decide to go to college, 'cause I refuse to have them live in debt, um, y- for the rest of their lives. So we gotta stop saying generational wealth. We, we gotta start saying, sorry, generational wealth, and start putting that in our mindsets early.

I think that we're just not implementing this early on, um, but we're having to learn now because we're in a season where we have to f- where financial education is, um, more s- you know, it's, it's talking about all, all the time. So the information is there. So, um, I feel like we just need to teach this early on and not ta- just because they give it to us don't mean we have to take it.

And just be more smarter about our finances and saving for a rainy day, and not robbing Peter to pay Paul. That's another thing. 

[00:32:30] Rita Burke: I agree, I agree with so many things you've said, that we need to begin to teach our young people about financial health-

[00:32:44] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm ... 

[00:32:45] Rita Burke: And how not to get themselves into unnecessary debt.

[00:32:51] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. 

[00:32:51] Rita Burke: I remember way back, a relative of mine, and he doesn't, he wouldn't mind me telling this story. He was graduating from university, and I suggested to him that he starts off with a used car. But he didn't pay much attention. And he tells that story now because he realized it wasn't the wise decision on his part.

He went out and got himself in debt for a brand-new car, and that didn't serve him well. So yeah, I hear you, I hear you. But sometimes we tell them and they don't pay much attention, do they? Mm-mm. They still have to do their own thing. 

[00:33:35] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. 

[00:33:36] Rita Burke: But I, I, I need to know from you, who or what is responsible for the person that Kirby is today?

[00:33:46] Kirby Wilson: Man! I would say... I would say God, for one. I, I'm a spiritual person. I, I, I believe in a higher power, and that's the reason why I am who I am today, because I've had to go through... I tell pe- tell people, "You go through to get through, and you get through to go up." You know what I'm saying?

So sometimes you have to do that. But I would say- God and my, and my, and my parents. Um, um, I, I have... My parents are blessed to still be with me. My dad, 92, my mom is 80. And, um, they're still here with me, and I would say just learning from them, there's... Like, I'm, I'm adopted. Um, and then for, for my parents to have taken me on, made sure I had any and everything and above all my, what I needed.

Um, and just watching their work ethic, um, their training, their humbleness, it made me who I am. So I would say just my parents and God, but, but and, and, and, and me wanting to be a better person. 'Cause if you... I tell my, uh, people all the time, my greatest competition is the person I see in the mirror. So how can I be better tomorrow than I was today?

So, um, that's just how, who... God, faith, and family is, like, what, where I, um, try to keep, keep myself grounded. But I wouldn't say... I would say my parents. They just instilled in me early to be a good person, make good decisions. Um, you know, pray. Pray before you leave, and s- just little stuff that they did that I take with me in, in my life and my business that have made me who I am, and I would just...

Life experiences, too. 'Cause the older you get, the wiser you get. You ever talk to s- I'm like, dang, my dad is 92. It's so many things I wanna ask him 'cause I, I appreciate that. He, he can tell me life lessons that I can't get from a book. You know? So just being, being that person molded and wanting to do right by people and be an integrous is, is...

I owe that, I owe that to, to my parents, just being raised right. You know, I'm gonna c- from the country, you know? They... Country girl. They raise you, you know, raise you right so you can, uh, do well in the, in, in the, in the community and, and in life. So it's just my parents and, and God for, for sure. 

[00:36:13] Ellington Brown: So how old is your dad?

[00:36:15] Kirby Wilson: 92. 

[00:36:16] Ellington Brown: God bless him! I, remember when you were a kid-... and you did something naughty? I'll just put it like that. 

[00:36:26] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. 

[00:36:27] Ellington Brown: And then you went to your parents, and you thought you got away with it. And then your parents come back and tell you what you did, and then you go back to your room scratching your head saying, "How did they know that?"

[00:36:42] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm!

[00:36:42] Ellington Brown: It's because they probably they probably- They did ... they di- they've already done it already. Absolutely. So today so these tricks we think that we're playing on our parents, they've already done them. So this is how come they, they already know. 

[00:36:58] Kirby Wilson: Yeah. 

[00:36:58] Ellington Brown: There's a phrase or term that I ran across. Uh, it's called the SMART financial system.

Mm-hmm. What i- uh, can you give us a, a, a taste of what that is, what that system is? Are you talking about... I know SMART goals, so what, th- what about SMART goals? 

Um, strate- I, I'm trying to remember what they reme- I, I talked to this years ago. Um, strategic, it's, it's abbreviated.

Strategic, measurable, um, ooh, and I forgot the other three type. Time- That's okay ... timely. Um, so I'm trying to think. But y- when you're setting... I'm, I'm sure those are tied to finances too, right? Make smart financial decisions. Make accurate, you know, uh, well, measurable financial decisions. So I would think it would be in the same alignment of, of, uh, as the SMART goals.

But, um, and then timely goals. So you don't say, "Oh, I'm gonna, I'm gonna start a business this month, and I expect to make a million next week," you know? So timely goals and finances. So I'm assu- sure it's probab- they're both aligned in some... accurate, measurable. Um, they're probably aligned in some type of aspect.

But, um, that's something, that's something new to me. So I'm, I'm f- sure I'll s- I'll probably Google it and be like, "Oh, that's what he meant." But, um, yeah. I would say they're probably aligned together. 

[00:38:24] Rita Burke: I wanna get a little playful now. 

[00:38:27] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. 

[00:38:27] Rita Burke: And do a rapid fire question. 

[00:38:31] Kirby Wilson: Yeah. 

[00:38:31] Rita Burke: And I'm gonna throw it to you, and you go wherever you want with it.

Shopping. 

[00:38:37] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm.

[00:38:38] Rita Burke: I want you to take that word and go wherever you want with 

[00:38:43] Kirby Wilson: it. If you can't buy it with cash, you don't need it. That's it. Don't put it on credit. The credit is meant to- Credit is meant to... And I know I'm probably gonna be have some people that'll be like, "Nope." But I'm learn- like, I don't...

It's a s- I'm in a season where I'm building, so I'm not even sho- I'm, uh, reusing clothes because, like, those things don't mean a lot to me right now because I'm in the builder phase. Now shopping, go out. Buy, buy those shoes, buy that purse. But if you can't afford it, if you, if you gotta go and pay somebody else for it, then you can't afford it.

So, you know what I'm saying? So live beyond your, uh, up, up, what is it? Live within your means. Mm-hmm. And just don't be... Because you're gonna have to pay that back with interest. So unless you just wanna keep doing that, you know, go out. But if you c- somebody always told me if you can't buy it cash, you can't afford it.

So that's just the, what, what was instilled in me. Um, and they always told me that, um, credit is meant for business owners to build and make more money, not to go shopping. So, you know, um, but it's, it's... If you feel like you w- want to treat yourself to dinner, you worked hard, and you want a, a $50 steak, $60 steak, then by all means, go treat yourself.

But remember that you gonna have to pay next week. Next week. But no, I mean, shopping, I... And I, I'm a avid... Like, I love to shop. I love to shop. But I'm like, "Okay, is this adding value to me right now?" Is it a- adding value? Because when you, when you go out and shop, you're making somebody else richer. You know?

But this is what I learned, too. Okay, if you're gonna go out and buy stuff, do you have stock in what you're buying? You know, maybe s- spend it that way. Okay, you gonna spend money, you gonna buy some Exxon gas. How much stock you got in Exxon? So think of a producer mindset. Um, y- you can consume, but own a piece of what you're buying.

Own a piece of who you're wearing. That way, there's making it more sense to g- I'ma go out and shop, but I also gonna get a percentage back. So if you're gonna turn it to that. But shopping, if it's... I used to say it was my therapy. But you know, shop, but, but... And then there's also programs out here where you can s- spend more to earn more, too.

Get a percentage back on what you're shopping. So it's always a way to monetize any kind of expense that's out here. So shopping is fine. I would just say just don't spend what y- a lot of what you don't have, 'cause you'll keep doing that. But go shopping. I know we like, women, we like shopping, so- I can't. 

Yeah ... 

[00:41:38] Ellington Brown: You know, truth be known, men, they lo- we, we love shopping too. Y'all love shopping. Maybe not for the, you know, the clothes and everything, but, you know, maybe sporting equipment- Yeah ... you know, that kind of stuff. You know, men are, you know, we, we wanna do that, you know, especially if we're, you know, we're playing up here, hockey.

Of course- Mm-hmm ... you want, you know, you want the very best. You wanna look good while you're out there. So you'll go out and spend the seven, eight, $900 for- Yeah ... the total package, and you haven't even hit the rink yet. So- 

[00:42:09] Kirby Wilson: Yeah ... 

[00:42:10] Ellington Brown: It is, I think that is a very important rule to follow. If you don't have the money, then, you know, don't spend it.

That's like my grandfather used to always tell this, joke about credit, and he would say, "Yeah, uh, if you go out there and you spend money you don't have, they'll lock you up!" Then my grandma would say, you know, you can't get blood from a turnip." 

[00:42:32] Kirby Wilson: Yeah. 

[00:42:33] Ellington Brown: And, um, and then my grandfather would come back and say, "Yeah, but, you can throw that turnip in jail." 

[00:42:39] Kirby Wilson: Right. 

[00:42:40] Ellington Brown: There are consequences- involved in not being stable financially. So how can undeserving communities begin reclaiming control over their financial futures in a tangible way?

[00:43:00] Kirby Wilson: Well, I would say financial literacy, having maybe workshops Um, there are different platforms now. There's Skool, S-K-O-O-L. I don't know if y'all familiar with that. It's a community based platform where people, uh, like, I, I s- I kept seeing them, seeing advertisements. If you know real estate, we want you on Skool.

If you know podcasting, we want you on Skool. Well, Skool p- Skool is S-K-O-O-L and they're not paying me for this. I'm just sharing information. What they do is they teach you how to... They teach you financial literacy based on what the school did not, school system did not teach you. So I have a Bills 2 Bags community on that platform.

So I teach people about making and saving money strategies. Basically sharing is Bills 2 Bags, right? That's basically sharing... Everything we're talking about today, I put that in my community. Um, savings tips and stuff like that. But they also have other communities. If somebody wants to learn how to do real estate, if somebody wants...

If you have a craft or something that's making money, they have communities that are, that are for that. So I say get into a community where people are actually producing results, um, providing education and support. So there's, there's those platforms right now that are going. But I would say knowledge is everything.

So teaching people, um, how to manage their finances and providing support. Um, I think, I, I feel like our, um, s- uh, churches are doing great, but we can always do, do more, um, and just increase the awareness. So I would just say more, more literacy earlier. So I, I wish I had learned... I wanna teach my children early what I learned late.

So teaching this early on, I think would be, would help reduce a lot of, uh, gaps that we have. Um, and this, this generation is getting this early. They, they are, you know, they taking phones to another level, making money on their phones. So they're getting it, but they're also, um... You, you get the money, but teaching people how to invest and keep it is something that we need to teach people too.

Okay, you got this money, but do you know you have to put a certain amount away for, for taxes? Um, you know, and preparing for, um, later life early on. You know, not, not wanting to work to retire, you know? The retirement age is what, 72 I believe? Some... It's, it's, it's a long time. And I'm like, I was trying to retire at 30, to be honest.

You know, 30 was my, was my goal, but not there. But you know, teaching people... Because retirement is another thing. You got people out here that can't afford to retire. And it's like because w- um, we're not, we're not, um, teaching people how to plan for that early on. So I just think, um, implement education a little earlier and, um, holding people accountable is probably gonna be something that's gonna, um, help our communities moving forward.

[00:46:08] Rita Burke: But you know, I'm not a financial strategist like you are. 

[00:46:13] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. 

[00:46:14] Rita Burke: But in looking around me, I, I see that our people are heading in the right direction. The information that you're offering is available. And not everyone, but I, I, I'm feeling hopeful that people, our people, particularly the women- 

[00:46:37] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm ... 

[00:46:37] Rita Burke: Are pausing to reflect on where they should be going and what they should be learning and what they should be knowing, and how they should be using their money.

And I'm not saying we've arrived, but I believe we're, we're moving in the right trajectory, in the right direction. 

[00:46:53] Kirby Wilson: Absolutely. Absolutely! 

[00:46:54] Rita Burke: But I have another, another rapid fire for you. 

[00:46:58] Kirby Wilson: Mm-hmm. 

[00:46:58] Rita Burke: And it's the word joy, as in J-O-Y. Take that wherever you wanna take 

it. 

[00:47:04] Kirby Wilson: I would say joy, I, I align it with peace. You know, they kind of align together. Joy is being fulfilled at where you are now. I think that that, that would say what joy is. Or having, um, just having a peaceful mindset. Um, because I think that's where I'm at now. You know, I might not be where I feel like I should be, but I'm o- I'm, I'm at peace with where I'm at because I understand that that's a part of my journey.

And so when you have joy, y- you're happy generally. Like, when people... Sometimes people ask me, "How was your morning?" I, my concept is I woke up, I'm happy, so I don't have a bad day. Um, so that's what joy is to me. Being ha- being okay with where you are, but expecting of where you're going. So you're at a sense of alignment and you're at a sense of peace.

So I'd say that that's, that's what joy means to me. So... Yes, Lance. 

[00:48:11] Ellington Brown: Well, I must say that it has certainly been a joy to have you, on SpeakUP! International. It has been informative. I think we need to have conversations like this where they're open- and, people are allowed to speak their minds, their truth- Hopefully initiate, uh, change in individuals' mindset so that they are open to the idea of being able to spend money, to make money through, your, support.

Rita, do you have anything you wanna add to that? 

[00:48:53] Rita Burke: I, I just wanna say thank you, Kirby, for joining us on SpeakUP! International. Something that you, you mentioned that has left or will leave a mark on my DNA is the fact that, uh, your competition is the person you see in the mirror. That is so profound, and yes, it would be nice if many people, most people could buy into that, could embrace that philosophy of life.

So thank you for sharing everything that you've shared with us. And I'm sure that our, our listeners would benefit tremendously from everything you've said. Thank you! 

[00:49:35] Kirby Wilson: Oh, thank you for having me. Appreciate it!

[00:49:40] Ellington Brown: Thank you for tuning in to SpeakUP! International. If you wish to contact our guest, Ms. Kirby Wilson, please be prepared to submit your name, your email address, and the reason why you wish to reach Kirby Wilson at kirbydenise.com.

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