Stop Using Your Own Money: Keisha Allen on Money & Mindset

Keisha Allen, Financial Inclusion Leader at Truist Bank with 25 years in banking, breaks down money as a mindset. Keisha opens up about pushing through a childhood speech impediment, and about being told she was "too much" — and why that same energy is exactly what opens doors. She gets practical about building wealth on any income: giving every dollar a job, the 48–72 hour rule for separating wants from needs, and her reminder that we buy what we want and beg for what we need. Risha and Keisha also dig into confidence and presence — owning the room instead of just being in it — and the financial-literacy work Keisha does in partnership with North Texas school districts.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:56 The BS Keisha pushed through: a childhood speech impediment
13:27 Being told you're "too much" — and why that energy opens doors
30:57 Give every dollar a job
32:22 We buy our wants and beg for our needs (the 48–72 hour rule)
36:23 Own the room instead of being in it

Be Better Than Your BS is an original talk show from Zerlo Network, hosted by Risha Grant. Streaming on Roku and Amazon Fire — search: Zerlo Network.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

What's up, y'all? This is Big Better than your BS with which the grants of people's chance. No fluff, no filters, just real women with real receipts. Talking leadership, life, pressure, purpose, and what it really costs to show up for. Whether you're climbing the corporate ladder or building something of your own. If you've ever felt too much for some roads and not enough for others, pull up a chair. These conversations are frequently. This is the Zarlo Network, powered by people who make it possible. Life and business are about more than titles and wins. They're about how you show up and the culture you create around you. Sports taught me that early. Discipline, teamwork, and knowing how to pivot under pressure. And that's why I do this show. I'm Risha Grant, the People's Champ, and I am here to bring you real conversations with leaders, change makers, and everyday people who are shaping culture in powerful ways. Today's guest is a powerhouse in the world of finance and leadership. Keisha Allen is the financial inclusion leader for Truist Bank. And she's not just talking numbers, she's changing lives. With over a decade of experience coaching top performing teams, Keisha knows how to take a vision, turn it into strategy, and turn that strategy into results. She's passionate about helping people win, not just in their careers, but in their wallets and their well-being. From process improvement to people empowerment, Keisha brings both head and heart to the table. And she's here to drop some real-world game on how to be better than your BS when it comes to money, mindset, and leadership.

SPEAKER_04 1:30

Keisha, thank you so much for being here. I'm really excited to be here.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

Me too, because we are talking about something that is super, super important, which is finances. Yes. And you and I have talked a little bit before, so I know this conversation is going to be great. Before we get started, though, I want to start with this question that I ask everybody. Let's keep it real. Everybody is full of BS. What BS did you have to push through to get to where you are today?

SPEAKER_04 2:00

It was the BS of the narrative of I can't do it.

SPEAKER_01 2:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 2:04

And when they say I can't do it, meaning you're not good enough.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:08

You don't speak well enough. You haven't prepared enough. So being in the sports industry, I'm sure you're aware of individuals telling you you can't do it. So I love the fact that I now get to push through that day energy. And where did that come from for you? It came from childhood. So I'll tell you a little backstory. Growing up, I had a speech impediment.

SPEAKER_02 2:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 2:29

And I could not enunciate my words. And for a long time I let that hinder me in my career of how do I talk to people? Right. How do I show up for others? And how do I make sure that what you're hearing is what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 2:44

Exactly, exactly. So did that take you a lot of time to just learn and and figure out? And were there people along the way that it was definitely people along the way.

SPEAKER_04 2:54

It was a couple of no's when it came to promotions because of. It was a couple of, hey, work on this and hey, do better at this. Right. As I formed and got my journey to where I wanted it to be.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

Now, how do you distinguish between those that are truly helping you and those that are trying to keep you or criticize you? Let me let me put it that way. How are you able to distinguish between between those two people? Because I can see one person can say that to you and you're like, okay, that I need to work on this. Another person can say it and you're like, you can go to, you know. So how do you describe it?

SPEAKER_04 3:29

And it's hard because you think that everybody has good intentions, right? Especially when they look like you and have been through the trials and tribulations that you have been through. So it's really about the authentic the authenticity of that individual that's giving you the feedback and building that relationship. So I remember having individuals very early on that I knew that their feedback wasn't authentic.

SPEAKER_05 3:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 3:51

And then I remember having an individual that is still to this day my mentor, but it was very authentic. And it's authentic because it's, hey, you can work on this by doing this. Or hey, you can work on this by being more active in this. So that's how I knew that that was coming from a good place versus other individuals who say no because of this, but didn't give a solution.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

Right, right. I love that. And I think that's something for everybody to think about because you really do have to make the distinguish. You have to distinguish between who is there to help you and maybe who's there to hurt you. And sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. Now you spent your career helping others achieve all this financial success, but what beliefs and habits did you personally have to unlearn about money, success, or even leadership?

SPEAKER_04 4:37

Well, the one thing that I had to unlearn about money was it wasn't created equal for everyone. And I say that because being in a family where I felt like I was privileged. And when I say I felt like I was privileged, I went to the private schools, I went to the best schools, but then I had family members that didn't have the same opportunities. So very early on, I learned the value of a dollar and what it meant to save that dollar. And I always knew that once I got to a certain age, if I didn't see a certain dollar amount in my bank account, I felt like I wasn't privileged anymore. So that was my association with money. It valued whatever dollar amount I felt like valued me. Um, I would definitely say when it comes to leadership, teaching teams how to value themselves, right? Because even though my value was the dollar amount, their value may be the production. Right. So being able to turn that value into something different than dollars into production. So me being relatable to them in those aspects, because no matter how you look at it, it's about the end result, right? So whatever goal I'm trying to achieve, whatever dollar amount I'm trying to achieve, it's still there. Yeah. Whatever production, whatever you're trying to do, it's still there.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

You know, it's funny you bring up the childhood stuff because I I had not thought about it um when I was younger in terms of money, but I did realize that we had more than some of our some of our relatives. You know, some of our cousins and things like that. And I remember at a very young age telling my sister, let's not put out all of our Christmas gifts. Let's just take out a few because I knew that they maybe didn't get anything for Christmas, or maybe they got things, you know, didn't get uh near as much or something like that. Absolutely. And I remember feeling kind of bad about that difference. And so, but I didn't equate it to I didn't know what it was. You know, but it is it certainly is money, it is a mindset. It is, it it really is because you can grow up not having a lot and you can be used to things like the bills not being paid, the the lights cut off, and stuff like that. And I remember being with the friend, and I had I had moved to a new house, and it's a long story, but the there was two bills, and so I'd paid I paid the old bill, the old account, and so I came home and the gas was cut off, and I mean I was upset. Like, it was the gas or the lights or something, but I was upset, and this friend was like, Why are you so mad? Like it's not a big deal, and I was like, It's a huge deal. Like, what do you mean it's not a big deal? But I realized she had grown up like that. And for me, I'm just like, I mean, I am on the phone with this man who was on his way home, and I explained to him what happened, and he said, ma'am, I'm just gonna go by your house real quick on my way home, get this turn on for you. I said, Thank you. But I began to to realize that it is truly a mindset, yes. And it's something that I think we should learn in high school with our other classes that they make us learn, that we might not, you know, some things we can, I I would trade out some of those things that we they make us take before financial literacy. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 7:40

And I see that more and more in the ISDs. I do a lot of partnerships with some of the larger ISDs in North Texas because that is the thought, right? They're not getting it. And when I say they're not getting it, not saying that they're not getting it from maybe teachers, but you need it from someone that's that's their lane, right? Right. I always tell people stay in their lane. I can't tell you about life's challenges and what that equates from a financial standpoint, from an account standpoint, if that is not my lane. True. And sometimes we're trying to teach individuals outside of our lane.

SPEAKER_01 8:10

Yes, for sure. Now, I explain what a financial inclusion leader is because it was a I it was a title that I wasn't familiar with. And so I'm sure there are a lot of people that would like to understand more about it. It intrigued me though.

SPEAKER_04 8:23

So it's definitely an intriguing title. When it was created, it was with the wholeness of everyone in mind. Okay. So a lot of times when you think about financial education, you think about financial literacy, you think about the underrepresented, the underdeserved. And that's not true. Everybody can use some financial education, financial literacy. Because what we see is more individuals. I was just listening to the radio on my way in, and they were talking about individuals that's earning six figures are more stressed now than ever, right? Because they're still living paycheck to paycheck. But you would think that those individuals would have it figured out and have a nice savings. Right. No, that is not the case. So we had to take the the thought out of how can we not only represent one community, but represent all. So the inclusivity of everyone and making sure that that education bleeds over to everyone in every community.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

Now, do you find that your six-figure people have some shame around not knowing how to um because I know it was something important. I I kept telling myself, I'm running this business. Like, one of the things I really have to do is go get some financial literacy around because it's one thing to manage your bank account, right? Your personal account. It's another thing to manage a business and have PL statements and all of these things. And so you do get to a certain level where you're like, I should have already known this. I'm a little embarrassed. So, do you have to have those kinds of conversations?

SPEAKER_04 9:46

Definitely have to have those conversations, but more or less it's the trust, right? Because a lot of times individuals don't trust the person that they're getting the education from. So for me, it's understanding where your gaps are and how to relate that to trust, okay, and then allowing for you to open up to be able to get the information. What we see a lot of times is individuals have a wall up. And because that wall is up, you can't build the trust. So I can't tell you everything. It's like going to the doctor and saying, Oh, my pressure is good, but you know your pressure is not good. But you can't allow for him to know that your pressure is not good because then he may put you on medication, and then it becomes more vulnerability in everything that's going on. So, yes, that's what we see in a lot of our high income earners.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

And since we're talking about mindset, when it comes to our uh diverse communities, and I've seen this in the black communities specifically, where we really don't want people to know our business, right? So I I actually knew someone whose son did not get uh free money for college literally because she was going to have to turn in her her tax her uh her taxes. And she didn't want to do that. And I remember saying, but now you gotta pay for school. Like this makes no sense. But literally, in her mind, it made it made all the sense in the world. And you know, and I'm thinking this poor kid's in debt because uh trying to go to college because we can't we don't want to open up enough. Um is there do you notice that level of of mistrust in the work that you do?

SPEAKER_04 11:11

Absolutely notice that level of mistrust because it's almost like now you're in my house, right? Yeah, and now you can see where I may have things hidden or covered, right? And that exposure is everything because if I don't have to expose it, I don't have to live in the reality of it.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

And I guess it goes as the trust that you're that you're talking about. Yes. And is that is that something in your job that is is paramount?

SPEAKER_04 11:32

Absolutely, especially being in the community. I think that for me, people will trust me a little bit more because my job is to meet them where they're at, right? So when you think about the trust of somebody walking into a financial institution, it's already a wall up.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 11:47

But if I come to where you're at, your wall is down a little bit because now I'm where you're at. And that playing field is even and level. So now I can have that conversation. Gotcha. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 11:58

Well, y'all, that right there, that is the foundation. That's the mindset behind the mission. Now that we know what shaped who you are, let's talk about what you built with it. Coming up next is the play, the bold moves, the tough calls, and the powerful purpose behind Keisha Allen. Want more of what you're watching? Watch us on Roku, Amazon Fire, or listen on Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio to name a few. We are back with Keisha Allen, financial inclusion leader at Truist Bank. Now, let's get into the moves, the risk, and the results. Now, I always say that personal culture is the vibe you bring when you walk in the room and the impact that you leave when you walk out. That mix of how you see yourself and how others experience you. So, who did you have to become from a personal culture standpoint that to be where you are right now?

SPEAKER_04 12:55

Absolutely. Great question. For me, it was being my authentic self. Okay. Every person that experiences me experience energy. They experience smiles, right? Like I see you smiling right now. Like that's what you get when you experience me. But I try to humble myself in certain settings or in certain environments because it was too much. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 13:21

Do you think it's too much, or do everybody else think it's too much? Everybody else thought it was too much.

SPEAKER_04 13:24

It definitely wasn't me. Everybody else thought it was too much. Oh, you're doing too much, or you have too much energy, or you're overpowering the conversation.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

Yeah, the reason I started smiling is because I remember our first phone conversation. And literally it was like we had known each other for years. I mean, because you you brought that energy of me not being a stranger. Yes. And so, yes, I would I would agree. It was it's it's one of those things where um you don't know how it's gonna be when you talk to somebody that you've never met before, and I'm I'm talking about this show, and you just people can be really dry, and that was not the experience.

SPEAKER_04 13:59

And that will never be the experience. And I had to learn that that was me. And no matter how many times somebody told me, don't be that, that is who I am. And now that same energy has opened more doors than closing them, right?

SPEAKER_01 14:14

And not that you can just really get into their mindset, but do you know why they would think that? Because the warmness and now maybe it's from small town Oklahoma, and I like that. Maybe it's it's it's that, it could just be that.

SPEAKER_04 14:27

But um, why why do people I think that it was the Southern Hospitality? I'm from Louisiana, born and raised, and that's who we are, right? You never meet a stranger in Louisiana, New Orleans specifically, you never meet a stranger. But sometimes when you go into different atmospheres, some people are reserved and they don't like to open up and tell you good morning and all of those things. It's more of you're bothering me. Like keep that energy to yourself. Let me put my head down and do my work.

SPEAKER_01 14:56

And that didn't work for me. Right.

SPEAKER_04 14:58

So I was still good morning. How are you?

SPEAKER_01 15:01

Yes, and I and let me just give a shout out to Sepulpa, Oklahoma, because I talk about Tulsa a lot, but I am from I am from a really small town and only about 20,000 people when I grew up there. Okay. And it was the kind of place that I don't care who drove around the corner 10 times, you were going to speak.

SPEAKER_04 15:19

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

Or you were going to get in trouble. Yeah. And I specifically remember my grandmother's friend who had driven around probably 30 times, and I'm just waving, and one time, I guess I missed her. And as soon as I got to my grandmother's house, she said, You didn't speak to Sister Breaker Ring. Yes, I did. You're calling me a lie. No, no, but I promise I spoke. So it is, it's how I grew up. So it it's very uh it was very inviting to me. So I don't care what anybody's saying to you. So you you're known for turning feedback into real-time strategies that drive results. Walk us through how you do that.

SPEAKER_04 15:57

Absolutely. Sometimes feedback is not failure, right? It's a gift. Yes. And if you don't get it in the real time, then that gift is expiring. And a lot of times, individuals want to know in that moment, what could I what could I have done better? How can I course correct right now? So for me, the feedback is more on the financial side. Okay. And a lot of times individuals don't realize it's small things that they can do to be able to make big impact. So giving them that give us that small thing.

SPEAKER_01 16:25

Absolutely. I'm one trying to do something with my finances because I'm I'm all ears. Some of those small things.

SPEAKER_04 16:32

Absolutely. So one of the small things is assessing what we're spending our money on. A lot of times it's out of sight, out of mind. How often are you refreshing? How often are you looking at those things to wean out? Do these automations still need to happen? For most people, it's set it and leave it. Yes. And they don't revisit it. Okay. Well, when you revisit it six months later, you're with a different mindset, right? Because when I started it, I was in one mindset. Six months later, I'm in a different mindset. Do I really need that? So that's what I tell people the small things, right? So if I can say I need to get rid of my DoorDash. Absolutely. DoorDash needs to go. DoorDash.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

It is hurting my bank account so badly.

SPEAKER_04 17:07

DoorDash needs to go. Some other things that need to go. Maybe Uber eats. Like, how often are we eating out? We don't realize how much money we're spending on little things. And when we're looking for our budget, we're like, oh, well, I have to cut money on the big things. No, it's so small things. The small things are adding up. And then practice makes perfect. So that's the feedback. How do we start practicing cutting small things to then get to the big things? Give me one more thing. Um, one of the other things is how often are we assessing what we're spending our large dollars on?

SPEAKER_02 17:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 17:39

And when I say large dollars, for most of us it's mortgage, for most of us, it's rent. Those large dollars, how are we reassessing that to see where I can cut that cost in?

SPEAKER_02 17:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 17:50

And for some individuals, you may not have thought about what's my tax bill, what's my insurance bill, because again, it set it and leave it, right?

SPEAKER_01 17:57

And even refinancing, like it's something that I I just didn't think much about. It's like Andy and got the yeah, didn't yeah, did not did not think about it. But then it's it also it makes sense sometimes to go in and and re refinance some things for lower interest rates and you know, just whatever, whatever it is. But um that that is super helpful. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 18:20

And then for my business owners, a lot of times individuals take that equity out of their home, they take that 401k and they take all of these things and invest it into their business. Until you reassess that plan. Because six months, not in take everything and invest it into the business. And if that business doesn't become profitable in six months to a year, how am I reallocating those funds? Because I still want to retire. Yeah. I still want to have that life of luxury, but again, how often am I assessing it?

SPEAKER_01 18:51

There are things that happen that you can never account for.

SPEAKER_05 18:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

And everything can look a certain way. And you know, you go from speaking 70 times a year to to nothing because of the the climate around DEI and what happened this year. And when I tell you it threw me for a loop financially in a way that I never because when you're an entrepreneur, you don't have the 401ks and all that stuff. You really have to get to a certain level to be able to have those things. And so I had, I mean, I finally, I was like, I got it all. It's it's there, I've I've done it. I I did the thing. And I tell you this last year and a half pretty much wiped out everything that I had built and have been building for all these years. How do you, if if I because again, banks, all of these things that you're supposed to be able to go and get money from, banks are everything is risky to a bank, in my opinion. And don't get me wrong, I I I had the credit, had all the stuff to go and get these loans, but when you have your own money, you feel like it's better to spend your own money so you don't have to deal with it. But you're saying no.

SPEAKER_04 19:55

So it's like in my 25 years of experience of being in the banking realm, I never tell someone to use their own money. It's better to get money when you don't need it than when you do need it, right? So having that safety net, even if I never have to use it, having that safety net is gonna always provide you with more liquidity than using your own money. Because at the end of the day, your money should be growing and working for you in different ways.

SPEAKER_01 20:24

So go get go get the line of credit.

SPEAKER_04 20:26

Go get go get whatever it is.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

And it's there if you need it. If you don't need it, you're just building credit.

SPEAKER_04 20:32

Absolutely. Okay. Absolutely. And that's one of the things that we don't do, right? And kind of going back to your point feeling like banks don't lend, banks are a for-profit business. So that's the goal, right? They have to be able to make money. They are a for-profit business. Let's be very, very clear. Yeah. What normally happens is you don't have the right person telling your story to get the lending.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

Mmm. Now that's that's really something I want to get into because that feels like that feels like it can be privileged to a certain degree because I now I will say, in this challenging time, I went to an organization that I I've worked with for years. And this time they've changed everything to where you don't speak to the people yourself. Somebody else is telling your story. And I could tell through all these meetings with her, she was not getting the story right. And I text my friend who runs this organization because I know there's a level of she has to step out because everybody knows that we were good friends.

SPEAKER_04 21:29

Correct, correct.

SPEAKER_01 21:30

But I said, listen, can I do a video? I don't want her to tell my story because she's not getting it. Right, correct. She's not getting it. And so you saying that is so interesting.

SPEAKER_04 21:41

How do you find the person to tell your story? I always tell people, well, going back to relationships, that's number one. But then I always tell people you know when you have the right person when you ask certain questions, and they give you the answer that resonates within you. A lot of times we don't trust our good, we just go with that person because said person works for said place. Or a said place has so many locations, so they are doing said things. Trust your gut. Anytime that you have a relationship, you want to interview that person, just like getting into a relationship, right? Right. You're not gonna pick a significant other without trusting your gut. Right. It's the same thing in everything.

SPEAKER_01 22:18

And there and there is a lot of truth to it because even the help that I have gotten for banks, I've been in business 27 years, it has been through relationship. It I have never walked into a bank where I didn't know anybody and just said I want to apply for a loan. I made sure that I had an account at that bank, that I'm I'm maybe on the board with somebody from that bank, or I've gotten to know them because it is a different experience to be able to do that. But in that situation with this person that I've known forever, I said, Why did you go to that model? And I think it's because she's built so many relationships that it's hard. Um, it's hard for her. Yes. And the board is like you stay, you know, you stay out of it. But literally having somebody speak for you, um, it it made a it made a huge difference. I know that she I knew there was no way that she was representing me well. Right. Keisha, before we move on, where can people go to connect with you and learn more about how you can help them with their finances?

SPEAKER_04 23:15

Absolutely. You can always find me on LinkedIn at Tamika.alin. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 23:20

Now Keisha, y'all. Tamika.allen.

SPEAKER_03 23:24

I know. It's it's it's okay.

SPEAKER_01 23:29

All right, y'all. Coming up next, it is the postgame. Want more of what you're watching? Watch us on Roku, Amazon Fire, or listen on Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio to name a few. Welcome back to Be Better Than Your BS. It's time for the post-game where we slow it down, reflect, and share the real playbook for anyone out there trying to make their mark. And we've been we've been sharing the playbook, but I this is where I really want to give people as much as we can in terms of what they can do because finances make or break us. Absolutely. They can depress us, they can make us happy.

SPEAKER_04 24:19

Look, seeing certain dollar amounts can make you happy, and seeing you lose that can definitely make you sad.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

I don't care what you know. People say money is not everything, and I agree, it's not nowhere close to everything because it it doesn't matter. The people in your life are everything. But I will say I've been on both sides of the coin and I like more coins. I've been on both sides. I don't want to be out here without any coins. So tell us everything. And we talked about some of these, um, some of these things already. But what is one thing that people can start doing today to build financial stability no matter what their income is? I got $10. What can I do?

SPEAKER_04 25:00

Well, first of all, we got to save 20% of that $10, right? So I need to be saving $2 out of that $10. And that's something small, right? I can't even buy a combo meal with $8. Well, you got to change where you're going to get that combo meal from. And that's the other thing, right? Adjusting to the money that you do have instead of making the money that you do have not work for you because you're living outside of your means. If I now only have $8 and I'm trying to spend $10, then I'm already living outside my means. And then that becomes a mindset that people continue to do, right? I have $20 instead of me saving the four, I'm trying to spend the whole 20. Right. So starting small with that 20%. The other thing that I will say is how often are you setting a goal to what you want to have saved by the end of the year? A lot of times we do that at the beginning of the year. Look, we start with our New Year's resolutions and our goals, and by mid-year, that has gone and fallen by the wayside. Right. How can we continue that strategy and that pattern? Sometimes when that goal is too large, you don't achieve it. So how do we set smart goals to ensure that we can achieve it? And then the third thing is having an assessment of that financial strategy and plan. So often we feel like we can't get a financial plan done because we're not in a certain caliber of income to have that. No, you can have that plan done. You just have to find an organization that can do it and meet you where you're at.

SPEAKER_01 26:23

Yeah, that's true. I when when I did not have any money, you know, I was it was always something that I'm like, I'm gonna do that as soon as, you know. Um and I would, I would, and that was real, and I and I actually did that, but I wish I had started, even when I didn't have, even if I was putting up the 25 bucks a month. Yes. And I even tried that for a while, but I'm telling you, entrepreneurship is a different beast. It's tough because sometimes you don't know what your month-to-month looks like. You know, you are figuring it out, you're you're eating what you kill every day. So for those of us that are business owners out there, maybe we're just getting started.

SPEAKER_04 27:00

What should we be doing? So, one thing that business owners should be doing is investing into themselves in some shape, form, or fashion. So maybe your percentage looks a little different because you're putting it aside differently, right? What does that retirement strategy look like? Because at the end of the day, you know you don't want to do this forever. So you have to start building that other nesting to allow for it. If I'm already ready. I'm ready.

SPEAKER_01 27:24

If I if I could just kick my feet back, I'm tired.

SPEAKER_04 27:29

Yes. So but then you have to see the benefits of it, right? Sometimes the benefits outweigh the hassle that it becomes to do the thing. A lot of times, entrepreneurs do not look at what do their investments look like from a small business or from a strategy standpoint to ensure that, hey, maybe I'm putting these dollars over here to allocate towards retirement, but then it's gonna save me from a tax standpoint on this side over here. So just having someone take a look at that.

SPEAKER_01 27:58

Is there a book or something that you would recommend for one, the person that's just starting out, that's that's younger, and saying this is I know this is important, I don't know how to do it on my salary? And then two, for that business owner that um So for the individual, I always say Rich Dad, poor dad. That that's always that book. That book was was uh very inspirational and life-changing for me at an early age.

SPEAKER_04 28:20

And then for the entrepreneur, I always say the Simon Cynic why. Because it always goes back to your why, right? Yeah. So when I understand why I'm doing what I'm doing, then I can understand what my long-term goal is and what the outcome should be. So if I start with my why, then I can definitely make it.

SPEAKER_01 28:36

Now, have you ever read the book uh What Would the Rockefellers Do? No. You have got to read that book. That book was life-changing for me a couple of years ago. And it's something that I plan to read every day. But once you read that, we got we've got it. We have to come back and have a conversation. It's a very thin book, okay, but I would love from your perspective as a financial uh leader, adding that to my list today. Yeah, what you uh what you think of that book. So if I'm trying to get out of debt, where do I start? Because debt sits on our sits on your shoulders, and I always suggest a Dave Ramsey snowball effect.

SPEAKER_04 29:11

A lot of times what the snowball effect is. The snowball effect is listing your debt from smallest to largest. A lot of times we stay in debt because we don't even know all the debt that we have. That's true. And a lot of times we try to tackle the largest debt. Well, as I'm trying to tackle the largest debt, I might get exhausted and I might get burnt out. And guess what? The smaller things are still sitting there versus doing the smaller to largest. When I pay off that small item, you feel that sense of gratitude, right? You're like, okay, I did it. I can do this again, rinse and repeat, right? And that allows for you to achieve it. So definitely, snowball effect and listening.

SPEAKER_01 29:46

Well, and it was really easy. Like when I started making money, those small debts, I'm like, yes, I'm you know, and I started committing to every time I make money, I'm gonna take care of something. And it did, it felt great. I don't care if it was $20, and then you're sitting there like, now why did I wait this long to pay this bill? Like it is, it is, and sometimes we get mad about the bills, right? And then we just don't pay off because we're pissed off.

SPEAKER_04 30:11

And we definitely don't want to do that. But then we also have to get in the mindset of not all debt is bad debt. Tell us about that.

SPEAKER_01 30:17

So not because the word debt just bad is just bad. We're all like, no, there's nothing good about this.

SPEAKER_04 30:23

But so not all debt is bad debt. If I have a line of credit for my business, that's not a bad debt. Right. If I have a home, that's not a bad debt. Now, if I have an auto loan, that's a bad debt, right? Because that's gonna depreciate everything else, it's gonna appreciate. But just getting out of the mindset that I have to live debt-free. No, not all debt is bad debt.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

So it's it's good debt if it is making you money. Oh, right. And it's appreciating your property value or whatever it is, but it's bad debt if it is depreciated. Correct. All right, y'all. Yes. That's that's pretty simple. We we got that, okay? What's a financial habit that you think more people should develop?

SPEAKER_04 31:01

And then the one they need to break immediately. So the one that I think people should develop is diversifying their money and then assigning every dollar a job or a goal, right? Because when you think about your paycheck, if I assign $100 to retirement and I assign $200 to building a house, and I assign $300 to buying that new car, then now every dollar has been assigned, right? Okay. And it makes it a little bit different because when I'm trying to achieve that goal, I know that if I do this $100 for 52 weeks, I'm definitely gonna have $5,200.

SPEAKER_02 31:36

Right.

SPEAKER_04 31:37

If I do that $200 for 10 weeks, I know for sure I'm gonna have $2,000. And now that looks and feels a little different than me saying, I want to say $30,000 to do this, this, and this. When you start breaking it down to bite-sizing and assigning every dollar a destination, it just makes it feel a little different than where the money is going.

SPEAKER_01 31:57

I love that so much because I did, I was that person, I want to make a million dollars at this. And you make it up, you try to make a million dollars, but you bringing in $250 a month. Yes, yes. And it feels insurmountable. And I wish I I wish someone had said, do it like that. I love that. Now, what should we stop doing immediately besides trying to get rid of my DoorDash? Cause it's because I because I don't want to get out of the bed sometimes to go get the food.

SPEAKER_04 32:22

You know, I heard an interesting saying, and the saying was people will buy what they want, not what they need. I I heard it as people uh buy what they want and beg for what they need.

SPEAKER_01 32:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 32:34

We gotta stop doing that. Yes. We gotta stop doing that. Yeah. Because we tell ourselves, well, I need, but it's really your one. Or I have to have, but it's really just a one. So how do we change our mindset? And one thing that I can say that's very small is wait 48 to 72 hours to purchase that thing.

SPEAKER_02 32:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 32:55

And that's something small, right? If I know that I'm gonna buy something, wait 42 to 78. Well, I'm sorry, 48 to 72 hours to see if I still want that thing. And if I still think about it in 72 hours, then how am I financing it? Do I want to pay for it for a long period of time or a short period of time?

SPEAKER_01 33:12

Yeah, well, let me ask you this because now you have places like or companies like a firm. And a firm will allow you to buy anything. I mean, you can just it it'll be $20, then a firm will show up with the ad saying, you can get this for $4.99 a month. And so, and I'm thinking, you know what? That's that's great if you're if you really don't have the money, but you need the thing. Um but what what is your overall feeling about places like that?

SPEAKER_04 33:39

So I'm gonna take two deep breaths. Okay. And the only reason why I say that is because we've come to a culture where it's buy now, get it now, and I'll pay for it later. And then that increases the debt, right? Because if I didn't have the money to buy it now, then how am I gonna pay for it later?

SPEAKER_01 33:57

Well, you rationalize I can do $5 a month for four months. That's a rationalization that is that is in your head.

SPEAKER_04 34:04

It is, but how do I how do I think differently about that? So the first thing that I have to think about is where am I getting these five dollars from? Because if I didn't have the five dollars, where am I gonna get it from? And if every dollar is already accounted for, then I didn't have the five dollars to begin with. Okay. But when I start being disciplined about my funds to say that this money is going here, this money is going here. Because if I know that I love a firm and I do that, then allocate those funds towards a firm, right? Right. I'm not saying not to do it, but what I am saying is have that money already saved in some type of account where it's immediately paying it off after maybe two or three months. That way you're not really thinking when it gets to four months when it's due, where am I pulling that money from? But instead having that pool of money where I can pull it from. Okay. And just allowing me to grow it a little bit. And the reason why I say that is because sometimes it's not a bad thing if my money is sitting in a savings account that may be earning me three or four percent of interest, right? And I'm doing this for two months, but I'm building this money and I'm getting the interest and I'm taking the interest and I'm paying that. So now I'm not using my money, I'm using someone else's money to pay. So just being disciplined and smart about it.

SPEAKER_01 35:10

Okay. Okay. Because I I just that's something I always think about. Like, how is that hurting people that don't have a lot of money? Um, is it something that is further deteriorating their funds? And so I you're saying it's really all about your mindset going into your and and making sure, because I mean it's to me, it's the same thing as layaway. It's you know, it's just with layaway, you didn't get the stuff till you paid for it. And this, they send it to you and you're paying for it afterwards. So all right, you have just been handed the game. Trust me, your wallet and your future self. Well, thank you. Up next, we are going into overtime, and that is where we are going to learn some of those personal things about Keisha. Y'all, we will be right back. Want more of what you're watching? Watch us on Roku, Amazon Fire, or listen on Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio, to name a few. I am here with Keisha Allen, financial inclusion leader at Truist Bank. All right, y'all, it's time for this lightning round of fun, quick fire questions, and sometimes they're not that quick to answer the way you want. But we're gonna get to know Keisha a little better. One mindset shift. What is one mindset shift that has changed your career? Owning the room instead of being in the room. Mmm. Say that one more time.

SPEAKER_04 36:32

Owning the room instead of being in the room. How do we own the room? It's about your personality, it's about your mindset when you go into the room, knowing that what you have to offer is what they need to hear.

SPEAKER_01 36:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 36:43

And that took a long time for me. But now I own every room.

SPEAKER_01 36:46

Now you own every room. I love it, okay. What's a common money or leadership myth that you wish people would stop believing?

SPEAKER_04 36:54

Don't believe that you can't do it because of your past.

SPEAKER_02 36:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 37:00

And the reason why I say that is because a lot of times individuals didn't grow up with the money. So they don't feel that they can build a nest egg or the money goals that they desire because they didn't grow up with it. So stop believing that you can't just because you didn't have it. Okay. What is your biggest inspiration when it comes to leadership and why? I never forget my first real promotion came from an individual that looked like me. And the reason why I'll never forget that is because that was the most authentic and real person that was able to give me the feedback that I needed to grow. And the reason why I value that individual so much is because they seen the potential that I didn't see in myself.

SPEAKER_01 37:43

Those people are so important.

SPEAKER_04 37:44

Remember them for the rest of our lives.

SPEAKER_01 37:46

The rest of our lives. Yeah. The rest of our lives. If you had to describe your leadership style in three words, what would they be?

SPEAKER_03 37:56

Don't let anything stop me.

SPEAKER_01 37:58

Don't let any that's more than three words. I know. Love. I put both.

SPEAKER_03 38:03

It's D-O-N-T. Love. I tried. I tried. I tried to give you three words.

SPEAKER_01 38:09

I'm just messing with you. I am just messing with you. All right. What is the one piece of financial wisdom you think everyone, no matter their income, needs to know? Start small. Okay. Start small. And it sounds so simplistic when you say it, but it is truly everything because you just think I don't have it. Absolutely. I don't have it. My mom would tell me all the time, Rish, I know you're doing your own thing, but you need to put money up. And of course, when you're in your 20s, you're like, I got a long time to think about that. Right. I'm like, mom, I'll get I'll get to it. I'll get to it. But as my grandma would say, keep on living. You look up, you've been 40 and 50, and now it's like, ooh, I am way behind. This entrepreneurship thing really gotta work out. Yes. Or I'm gonna be a greeter at Walmart. Nothing was wrong with being a greeter at Walmart. Just not what I saw for myself. Right. So start small.

SPEAKER_04 38:58

Start small.

SPEAKER_01 38:59

Uh, what's one piece of advice you give to women who want to take control of their financial future but they don't know where to start? Get a mentor.

unknown 39:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 39:08

Get a mentor. Everybody says that. Is that as easy as um because everybody says it, and I've and I've had several, I still have several, but do you think it's easy to get a mentor?

SPEAKER_04 39:18

I think it is easy to get a mentor. Being a mentor myself, the one thing that I do always encourage individuals is reach out. If you love what I'm saying and you want to learn more about my journey and you want help to get there, reach out. What I find is a lot of people don't want to be vulnerable and reach out.

SPEAKER_01 39:34

I I tell people to get mentors all the time and they'll they will tell me it's hard. And I said, you know how bad it looks for somebody to tell you they don't want to help you. Right. And especially somebody that is out here doing things. Um But I will say one thing that I don't think we talk enough about in mentorship is reciprocity. Yes. Because it can it it literally can be draining. It can. Um, and so I tried I I heard that many, many years ago, and I was thankful for it. So when people mentor me, I try to figure out ways that I'm able to give back even if it wasn't on the the level that because you know when you have a mentor, they're somewhere that you're trying to get to. Absolutely. So you think you don't have things to offer, but you do. You definitely have to do that. I've had a uh this woman's been my mentor probably 20 something years now. And I love that now we can have these conversations where the information I'm giving her helped. But I realized early on she is she kills it in her lane, but I had a completely different lane that she didn't know anything about. So it reciprocity is super important when you're looking for mentors, not just what they can do for you, but also what you can bring to do for them. Absolutely. All right, what song do you have on repeat right now? I'm almost ashamed to say that. That's all right. I know you can say it.

SPEAKER_03 40:46

I'm almost ashamed to say it, Cardi B. A lot of people love Cardi B. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna say it. I'm not gonna say it. Just know it's one of her new ones. That's all I'ma say.

SPEAKER_01 41:00

I wish I could think of the name of her sub so I can start calling them out. But all right, it's Cardi B. That's what you get in hype tree right now. Yes. That's all I'ma say. Okay, I'm gonna leave you alone. Okay. What's one financial mistake you've made that taught you a valuable lesson? Allowing other people to use my credit at a young age. Now, could you could you help it? Was it one of the things I could have helped it? You could have helped it. Okay. I could have helped it. Yeah, well, I I did that before too, and it did not come, it did not come out well. But I will say my my parents borrowed my credit because my parents had me really young and didn't know anything about finances. So when I got to college, I had this 800 credit score.

SPEAKER_04 41:43

We're still soul sisters.

SPEAKER_01 41:46

But what I didn't know, I'm out there getting credit cards for t-shirts. Right, and you're getting and you're in the student union, and all of them are set up. And they're like, here's a t-shirt, a backpack, a thermos, and you're like, sure, right? Nobody says 10 years later, you're not gonna be able to buy the house, buy a house because you because you didn't pay that t-shirt bidder.

SPEAKER_04 42:07

I'm so happy that institutions are not able to do that anymore.

SPEAKER_01 42:10

I didn't know that. Okay, so you can't do that anymore?

SPEAKER_04 42:12

I'm not saying that they can't do it, but we don't see it as much anymore, right? And the reason why I say that is because normally on college campuses, you have a lot of banks that's really trying to sell and solicit. But now the way that you sell and solicit sounds a little different than hey, just sign here for this application. Because I don't know what I'm signing, but at least now you have to be more transparent in what individuals are signing.

SPEAKER_01 42:36

Because I I love that my parents, I I I know stories from other people whose parents kill their credit. My parents didn't. They they really set me up, but they didn't tell me that they set me up. And that's one thing I told my mom, and just being very transparent here, I said, I wish you had told me about money the way you told me about sex. Yes. Yes. I said I do. Yes. I said, because I didn't know enough. Correct. And I had every credit card that you could have. I had every credit card you could have. Yes. And I had some sense about it, but at the same time, I didn't know the long-term effects of it. So, all right, one thing that people misunderstand about you.

SPEAKER_04 43:09

They confuse the smile with being gullible.

SPEAKER_01 43:14

Take your kindness for a week, this is my daddy would say.

SPEAKER_04 43:17

Yes, yes. They take the smile as being gullible.

SPEAKER_01 43:20

But will you stop smiling?

SPEAKER_04 43:22

Absolutely not. Gotcha.

SPEAKER_01 43:23

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 43:24

I'm pretty. I didn't think so.

SPEAKER_01 43:26

Okay, Cardi Baby.

SPEAKER_04 43:30

What is that routine that you can't live without? Oh my goodness. That morning, singing in the mirror, looking at those goals on the mirror. I I can't live without it. Yes. I gotta have it every morning.

SPEAKER_01 43:41

I had my stuff on the mirror until we started cleaning up, and I have not put it back up yet. And I was just sleeping before I moved in, but I need to put my stuff back up because it really helped me to brush my teeth and and do other things and see those things. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 43:54

Goal for the day.

SPEAKER_01 43:55

Yes. Uh quote or mantra that you live by when things get tough.

SPEAKER_04 44:01

Weeping don't last all night.

SPEAKER_03 44:04

Joy comes in the morning.

SPEAKER_01 44:06

And what do you do when the joy when the weeping goes through? Because I've been there where it goes through the morning. Oh my goodness. It doesn't last. Here's one that that may be helpful. I ran across a few months ago by my Angelo that says every storm runs out of rain. And I love that because now I admit sometimes I'm like, my it's it's still raining. It's still raining, but eventually it's gonna run out. It's gonna run out. Yes. How do you define wealth beyond money?

SPEAKER_04 44:39

Assets, happiness. Sometimes for me, it's not about how much money I'm building, it's the legacy that I'm building and the lifestyle, right? A lot of times we hear that individual say, I built all this wealth and I didn't get to enjoy it. Yes. And I always joke with my parents and I always tell them, Y'all are building all this money, but I promise you, when you leave here, I'm gonna have a great time with it. I promise you, I'm gonna have a great time with it. Because your hard work is not going to translate into my sacrifices, right? So just know, I'm being very transparent, that your hard work, I appreciate you for it, but I am gonna live life.

SPEAKER_01 45:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 45:15

I'm not gonna not live life because you chose to, just so that you can build that for me.

SPEAKER_01 45:19

Yeah. You know, it's it's funny, my dad is quite a character. I'm not going to him too much, but he uh he always tells, because I'm like, Dad, if something happens to me, you know, I want to I'm I made sure that my sister gets a certain amount of money to help with their care. If I was to go before my parents and my dad's like, girl, I don't care about that. I need my money now. If you have something, if you have something for me, he's like, when I get old and I he's like, I want to spend my money now, I got things I want to do. And he tells me that all the time. I said, You realize you're the parent, right? Like, I'm just out of the kindness of my heart. I'm trying to, if something happens, my sister has some help. My dad's like, no, give it some. Give me my coins now. So do you like is it is it coffee, tea, or something stronger? Definitely tea. Definitely tea.

SPEAKER_04 46:05

Coffee is a downer for me. For some strange reason, I drank coffee and I'm ready to go night night.

SPEAKER_01 46:09

Uh, caffeinated coffee? I'm ready. Well, I'm one of those people, I think you have to uh develop a taste, acquire a taste for coffee in your younger years, because I hate coffee.

SPEAKER_03 46:18

Really?

SPEAKER_01 46:18

Yes, I love the smell, but every taste. Now, my partner makes me coffee sometimes and puts a lot of uh whipping cream in it. Okay. And then I can dig I can get that down. That don't seem like coffee anymore. It's not. It's not, and I absolutely love it. So, no, I love the smell of it, but every time I taste it, I'm let down. So, finish this sentence for me.

SPEAKER_04 46:46

Being better than my BS means showing up every day and doing it one day at a time better than I did it yesterday. I love that. Now, how do you define success for yourself? That's a good question. How many rooms did I impact on a daily basis? And when I impact that room, how many people listened? Because every room that I step in, I don't expect everyone to listen. But if one person listens, then I've done my job for that. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 47:15

All right, Keisha, before we get out of here, one more time, tell us where people can connect with you.

SPEAKER_04 47:20

Absolutely. You can find me on LinkedIn at Tamika.allan.

SPEAKER_01 47:23

All right. Keisha, I want to thank you for keeping it real with us today. You reminded us that financial inclusion isn't just about access, it's about awareness, accountability, and attitude. You showed that leadership starts with personal culture and that when we're better than RBS, we make better money moves and better life moves. So, to everyone watching, take the wisdom you heard today and put it in play. Don't just talk about building wealth, start today, even with something small. Because progress doesn't come from perfection, it comes from showing up with purpose. Thank you so much for doing this. My pleasure. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 47:57

Yes, I love this interview. How be better than your BS. Got a mirror in the mind, reflecting the test. What's the truth in your soul? What's the light to suppress? Till the layers back, onion of success. Gotta shut that oak in no time to regress. From the bullroom table to the block finesse. Richard breaking paints, working thought, no less.

SPEAKER_01 48:16

Want more of what you're watching? Watch us on Roku, Amazon Fire, or listen on Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio. Today was better before break through the stress. Don't do it.

SPEAKER_00 48:30

Humanity lifestyle.