Daily Inspiration: Meet Mercedes Collins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mercedes Collins.

Hi Mercedes, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I always knew from the time I was in high school that I didn’t want to work a corporate job my entire life. I liked the freedom and flexibility to work from anywhere and not have money to keep me from enjoying life, so I decided to become a real estate investor. At 18 years old, though, I had no idea where to start or how to get the money to buy my first property. So I got into the medical field as a dental assistant to start earning some money and spent my time reading every book and listening to every podcast I could on investing in real estate. This naturally led me to learn more about money in general since it closely ties to being able to qualify for a house as an investor. And after a few years of making some poor financial decisions (as most young adults who don’t know much about money do). I fell in love with all things finance and other areas of investing that weren’t just real estate. At 22, I decided to get my real estate license and started my career in New Home Sales, working for a builder to help me gain experience in the real estate world. I was making an excellent income at that job and quickly fell into some lifestyle creep that got me into a significant amount of credit card debt. I had spent all this time educating myself about money, yet here I was, failing to follow any advice. A year or so later, I knew something had to change.

Long story short, It lit a fire in me to get clear on my financial goals (I still wanted to be a real estate investor), and now I also pay off all this debt, build my savings account, and start investing for my future. Not to mention, I didn’t want the corporate life forever. So I knew something had to change. I spent the next few years laser-focused on my goals, paid the debt down, built up a solid savings account, and was able to leave my corporate job a few months ago (back in January this year). Because of everything I had learned on this journey, good and bad, I started my own money-mentoring business in April of 2022. It started with me posting content to social media giving money tips, investing, and sharing my story. And now, I mentor other women in achieving their financial and life goals through my mentorship program and soon-to-be courses. I advocate for having multiple sources of income and want to show women that it’s possible to make additional money outside of their 9-5 jobs (or even replace them if they choose). I’m also in network marketing with a health and wellness company called Arbonne, and I love helping women achieve their financial goals and live healthy lifestyles.

At 28, I can finally say I’m a real estate investor! I went in with a partner on a deal, and we are now renovating a 7-unit property to convert it to short-term rentals and RV spaces. I currently run all these businesses from home and am thankful I spend more time with my husband, 1-year-old daughter, and soon-to-be new baby boy.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was a struggle back when I realized I needed to change my habits and mindset around money if I was ever going to reach my goals. More recently, I decided it was time to leave my high-paying job to bet on myself and my businesses, which I knew would grow into something amazing if I put the work in. They say you have to choose your hard though. Leaving my baby with a nanny all day and not seeing my husband often was hard because I was away from home 10 hours a day/ 5 days a week with work and the commute. I also worked weekends and often missed out on fun activities with friends and family because I had to choose my 14 vacation days a year wisely. Ultimately, it was worth temporarily giving up the larger income to regain my freedom with time. Now I get to choose when I work, and I can do it from home if I want to. It’s been an adjustment going from an employee to my boss. I’ve had to get better at managing my time wisely and just the learning curve of selling digital products and services online and learning how to do that well enough and stay strong. The rental property is still under construction, so I must learn to be more patient and be okay with a short-term “loss” for long-term gain.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m known as a money mentor for young women (I primarily work with women in their 20’s and 30’s). I’m also known for educating them on how to earn multiple sources of income, showing them what is possible by doing it myself, and showing up online on social media to share my story and journey. What sets me apart is truly me and how I’ve brought all of my businesses together to tell a story. Not every money mentor/coach is also a real estate investor and network marketer. I’m most proud of taking the leap of faith in myself and my businesses because I know it will pay off for me and my family in the long run. Giving us the life I always dreamed of as a kid and my reasoning from the beginning on why I didn’t want the corporate life. I also recently started a podcast that I’m super proud of called “The Abundance Generators Podcast.” It’s been so fun sharing my experiences there and giving all my listeners tips on money management, investing, and how to live their most abundant life!

Any big plans?
My plans for the future are to continue to grow all three of my businesses. They are all in the early stages, and I can feel their potential to be much bigger. My next goal is to retire my husband from his corporate job within the next few years so he can have the space to find what he’s truly passionate about and spend more time together as a family.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mercedescollins.com
• Instagram: @mercedes.a.collins

Image Credits
Some photos where done by FemForce Brand Photography