EMWJ
For women who earn a good salary and still feel broke. Let's fix that.
Hey there, I'm Jess!
Most days you can find me in back-to-back meetings as a Senior Project Manager, shuttling my two teenagers to whatever sport is currently running my life, and somewhere in between all of that — quietly building something that I hope changes everything.
That’s why you’re here. And honestly? I’m really glad you found me.
Here’s the version of my story nobody talks about.
In 2020, my world came apart at the seams. I was going through a divorce during a pandemic, unemployed, and suddenly the only financial safety net my kids had. A divorce attorney — the first one I interviewed, and definitely not the one I hired — told me I’d be lucky to earn more than $50,000 a year and suggested I lean into alimony (spousal support) instead of finding work.
I still feel the anger of that moment.
I got to work, generating income from gig work until I found a job. Then I got a better job. Then a promotion. I went from unemployed to six figures in less time than it took me to unpack my apartment.
But here’s the part that took longer to admit: earning more didn’t automatically fix everything. I had credit card debt. I had the financial habits of someone who had never been taught to manage money on her own. I had a good salary and a checking account that somehow still felt like it was held together with tape.
Sound familiar?
What I’ve learned — and what this blog is really about.
Earning more is the fastest path to financial stability. I still believe that. It’s why I pivoted careers, negotiated raises, and optimized every inch of my corporate life. And I will always be in your corner when it comes to earning what you’re worth.
But earning more is only half the equation.
The other half is knowing what to do with what you have — and feeling like you deserve to have more. That’s the part nobody taught us. That’s the part I’m figuring out in real time, right here, with you.
Right now I’m actively paying off $21,000 in credit card debt. I’m building a three-month emergency fund. I have a growing retirement account, a FIRE number I can tell you by heart, and a dream of leaving corporate behind — not because I hate my job, but because I want to choose it, not need it.
I’m not writing this from the other side of financial freedom. I’m writing it from the middle of the climb. And I think that’s exactly where you need me to be.
Ready to start?
→ Read why I started this blog (Why I’m Starting a Blog)
→ See where I’m at right now (Monthly Blog Income Report)
→ Get weekly posts in your inbox (TBA)
who this is for
This blog is for the woman who earns a real paycheck and still feels behind. The one who’s good at her job and quietly terrified about money. The single mom who is the only financial adult in the room and has had to figure it out without a manual. The woman who knows she’s capable of more and just needs someone to show her it’s possible.
I’m not a financial advisor. I’m a woman who lived through financial chaos, rebuilt from zero, and is documenting every step of what comes next. I’ll always tell you what I actually do with my money — the wins, the setbacks, and the real numbers.
a little more jess, for the curious.
I’m a single mom to two teenagers who keep me equal parts proud and exhausted. I’m a seasoned project manager who genuinely loves a good system. I’m a reader, a fantasy fiction lover, a hunter of quiet mornings, and someone who believes a honey almond latte is a non-negotiable.
I’m also someone who has dealt with an autoimmune disease (ulcerative colitis), which has taught me — the hard way, more than once — that your health and your financial life are more connected than people admit. When your body stops, everything stops. Building something that doesn’t require my physical presence every single day isn’t just a financial goal. It’s a health goal. It’s a freedom goal.
I started this blog because I needed it to exist. I hope it becomes the thing you needed to find.