July 6, 2025 • 21 mins
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Leketa Hawkins.
Also known as the Pocketbook Strategist. She is a financial literacy advocate and business consultant based in North Carolina, offering tools and resources to help individuals and small business owners take control of their financial futures.
🔑 Key Themes and Takeaways: 💼 About Dr. Leketa Hawkins
- Founder of PocketbookStrategies.com, which offers financial literacy programs, tools, and resources.
- Also runs Hawdleigh.com, a platform for financial education courses and templates.
- Her mission is to provide low-cost or no-cost financial education to underserved communities.
💡 Financial Literacy & Upbringing
- Like many, Leketa grew up in a household where money was not discussed—a common cultural norm that left many unprepared for adult financial responsibilities.
- She emphasizes the importance of breaking generational cycles by involving children in financial conversations early.
🧠 Emotional Spending
- One of the most common financial pitfalls she sees is emotional spending—buying things to cope with stress, boredom, or celebration.
- She recommends tracking spending for one week to identify patterns and triggers.
- Online shopping makes emotional spending easier and more dangerous due to its convenience.
📊 Budgeting Strategies
- Advocates for the 50/30/20 rule:
- 50% for needs
- 30% for wants
- 20% for savings or debt
- Encourages people to “name your money before you spend it”—assign every dollar a purpose.
👧🏾 Youth Financial Literacy
- Stresses the importance of teaching kids that money is a tool, not a goal.
- Encourages parents to:
- Let kids ask financial questions.
- Teach saving from every dollar earned.
- Explain compound interest and the value of investing.
👩🏽💼 Empowering Women Financially
- Many women feel overwhelmed or disempowered financially.
- Dr. Hawkins encourages women to take small steps toward financial clarity and view financial wellness as a form of self-love.
💬 Final Lessons
- “Money doesn’t change who you are—it amplifies who you are.”
- Understanding the difference between assets and liabilities is foundational:
- Assets put money in your pocket.
- Liabilities take money out.
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST #AMI
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Iver Sean McDonald I host this weekly Money Making Conversation
Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show provides
off for everyone. It's time to stop reading other people's
success stories and start living your own. If you want
to be a guest on my show, please visit our website,
Moneymakingconversations dot com and click to be a guest. But
feel out your information. If you're a small business owner,
(00:22):
you got a product, you're an entrepreneur, and you want
to tell your story on my show, let the world
get out to the drone public a nationwide, a worldwide.
You can do it on Money Making Conversations. Now, let's
get this show rolling. My guest continues to drive impactful
change through her platform, Pocketbook Strategist dot com, where she
offers financial literacy, program resources, tools, strategic insights for those
(00:46):
seeking to take control of their financial future. Her business
consulting company educates and educational resources and services for small
business owners and inspiring aspiring entrepreneur. Just like I told you, please,
Welcome to Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Lakiita Hawkins. Lakita Hawkins,
how you do Lakita.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
I'm doing well? Vershan how are you?
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Thank you, thank you, thank you for coming on my show.
I know you you're in North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Correct, that is correct?
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Now and raise born and raised? Now what keeps you
in North Carolina? Know? I know your business is there.
But basically your business allowed business allows you to speak
to everybody worldwide international. Tell us about your business structure.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Now, my business structure is regarding financial literacy, helping out
those that lack financial literacy, and then offering resources to
small business, small business owners and entrepreneurs.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Now I read here say your mission is to provide
access to low costs and no cost educational and pocket
resources for aspiring entrepreneurs like I said earlier and small
business owners. When you say that, what exactly is the
pocket Book Strategists? Which is your website pocketbook strategist dot com.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
So the Pocketbook Strategists came from a mix of Southern
culture and real life experience. I was always told that
I had a lot of pocketbooks and I talked about
money a lot, a lot of.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Pocketbooks of Miss Hawkins. What do you mean a lot
of pocketbooks? What do you mean?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
A lot of persons? A lot of them, big.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Ones, small ones, you know, backpack type size, a little
little corn purses, all type.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
All types are shigned, all types, big ones, small ones,
corn purses, backpacks, all of them, all of them. So
growing up, you know, we didn't talk about financial literacy
a lot, but everything we needed seemed to come out
of that one sacred place, the pocketbooks the person. So
I basically wanted to reclaim that image and use it
(02:57):
as a tool for transformation. Step into this word because
I saw how financial instability impacted families not included, and
I knew that once you teach someone how to manage
their money, then you give them the power to change
their life. So that's kind of where the pockebook strategist
was born.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Well, you know, people have heard my story many times
on this show about where I've come from, and and
you know it wasn't a classic lifestyle that you had
seen a popular story. I've come from the inner city.
You know my father I told many times, and I say,
I honestly tell people he was just a truck driver,
you know, a truck driver that he did his job,
(03:37):
He went to work, work over time, He had flaws,
but he provided for us and put food on the table. Now,
when you said the word instability and you talk about
financial literacy, and now I will tell you that word
financial literacy, which is a modern word now, but the
word finances were never discuss that our house, especially with
the children talk to us about your household.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
It was never discussed in my household either. It was
more like a I would say, a taboo if you will, like,
it was never discussed. I just assumed that money grew
on trees from my mom, as most people think. So,
you know, I just assume that that's how it was.
I got whatever it is that I wanted. But I
was the only child for my mom, so I was
more spoiled and just assumed that that's how life went.
(04:23):
Grew up and got older, once to college, moved to
a different city, and soon realized, oh, this is not
how this works. I actually have to work for my
money and I actually have to pay bills. So yeah,
I feel the same for my household as well.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Well, you know, because you know, growing up, if you
were a child, a teenager and you was in the
room with grown folks, you could get popped in the mouth.
I'm just being real. Back then, back in the day,
they first of all, they stare at you and asked
for you in this room with grown folks, and so
that stare alone moved you out the room quickly. Now
(04:55):
if you for some reason lost your mind and didn't
know the stair and growing folks moved closer to you
to the remind you you need to get out the room.
And that level of I guess to's say discipline. I
felt hurt us because we were never engaged in decision making.
(05:17):
Oh listen how decisions were being made. And that's I
think it's a crippling calls to a lot of our
inability to be entrepreneurs, our inability to understand financial wealth,
our inability to communicate with our parents or adults, because
we tend to be more respectful than and get the
(05:38):
information from them than to be able to, you know,
speak when spoken to am I saying anything different from
the lifestyle that you grow up in, Miss Hawkins.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
No, I definitely agree with that. Rashaan as well. I
think that more families have to incorporate their children in
these conversations, you know, even as little kids. You know,
you can start by incorporating you know, financial leadercy with
counting as they're growing up, and then including them in
those conversations with paying bills and things like that, so
(06:09):
they are aware. So yes, I experienced that as well,
and I'm pretty sure others are currently experiencing it.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Right now, I'm talking to Lakita Lakita as l e
k E. T A. Hawkins. She's based out of Charlotte,
North Carolina. Her website platform their pocketbook Strategies dot com.
What she offers financial literacy, program resources, tools, and strategic
insights for those seeking to take control of their financial future.
(06:37):
With that being said, Ms Hawkins, what are some of
the most common financial mistakes you see people making and
how can they start correcting them today?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Absolutely wish. I just want to go back for one second.
I actually reside in the Riley area, not in Charlotte's.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
North Carolina's still Carolina Carolina. Okay, we will just keep
saying North Carolina. I won't say no mostly. Okay, Yes,
that's right.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yeah, So I think I heard your question correctly. So
one of the biggest pitfalls that I see is basically
emotional spending, you know, trying to heal or celebrate with
purchases that don't serve any of our long term goals.
Another is not budgeting at all because it feels restricted,
(07:24):
and so my advice for them today is to start
with awareness, tracking their money for just one week and
see where it's going, and then ask themselves is just
spending serving me? And then ship from autopila to being intentional.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Now let's talk back to the emotional spending. I've never
heard that, and I'm gonna tell you, when I get
bored or I get tired, I tend to spend money
that I shouldn't spend. And that's always and I noticed
that about me, and I go with Sean, it' stop
stop you being stupid, okay, because you just there's no
rational reason. I there are things that I have in
(08:01):
my closet. I look at it and go when you're
going to wear that? And why did you buy it?
So let's go back to the emotional spending, because I
think people need to have some warning signs about that,
because it is important to know when you have a
trigger like that and when you slow down. And I
love the fact that you pitch the idea of tracking
(08:22):
your expenses for the week. I never heard that. That's
a very smart moved, miss Hawkins.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
So emotional spending, it kind of comes back, goes back
to what we were talking about earlier, our upbringing, our childhood,
and it brings in the psychology of money, so we
kind of go off of what we experienced as a kid.
That kind of develops our habits of how we spend
as adults and or what we're currently experiencing. So if
(08:50):
we're going through a bad day, we had a bad
day at work, or we want to assume that emotion
by going to those spend. So those are some triggers
that actually, you know, we're trying to heal or have
to stop us from doing, I guess because we tend
to do that from childhood to adulthood. And so just
tracking your money during that week or a couple of days,
(09:13):
you can kind of see where your ebbs and blows are.
You can see, Okay, I wasn't having a good day,
and I spent all this money on Amazon and aware
of that, and.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
I think online is really dangerous. First of all, I
knw rooms were dangerous, But one can find it much
more easier to spend money because you don't have to
get in your car or go to a store, because
you can just sit around there and press press the button,
brows and things like that. So you are much more
in a position to spend money that you were talking
(09:47):
about emotionally or why are you fatigued or in boredom?
And that's important that you understand that correct.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yes, being self aware. You know you have goals and
trying to make sure you b reach those. So just
being self aware and being aware of the spending that
you're doing. In order to correct something, you have to
be aware and the knowledge that that it is actually happening.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Wow, that's great. We're talking to miss Lakita Hawkins, pocketbook
Strategist dot com. Don't go nowhere. She's offering us tips
on financial literacy, program resources, tools and strategic insights. You
listen to Money Making Conversation Masterclass.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
(10:47):
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
So let's get back to show money Making Conversations. Because
I have doctor Hawkins. She's known as the Pocket Strategists,
as pocket strategist dot com. It's her website platform and
you've been sharing us a lot of stories, doctor Hawkins.
But it's another website that you have, and I didn't
want to see it because you know, I didn't want
to mess it up. Because I'm from the South. I
have a country voice. I try to talk as clear
(11:11):
as possible. If I hear certain words, I just avoid,
so I can say, pocket strategists dot com. What is
your other website there, doctor Hawkins's.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Hockley dot com.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
See spell it, Please spell that to my listeners.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
So it's h A W C L E I g H.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Now tell us about that doc that website.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
So that website just talks about what you were saying before,
with all of the resources, the financial literacy resources and
that classes and courses and things like that on that
particular website. And pocketbook Strategists has products on that webcast.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Okay, cool, So pocketbook Strategists, I would send them to product.
If they want to get the financial information, the courses,
the strateg the insights, they go to that website. And
what's that website down again? Because I'm not going to
say because I'm gonna mess it up.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
It's just hockey. So if it's said like h A
w k l e E, when it's felt Hackley, like Raleigh,
where I'm currently located. So A h A W c
l E I g H.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
I know, but tod, I try to leave it in
the in, the in, the founders and the speakers like this.
You speak your truth. See that's your truth, and I
stay in my lane. I tell everybody you are the
financial expert, are you my subject matter expert? I am
only the storyteller and this story I stay in my lane.
And one of my questions I want to ask you
(12:43):
right now is about because we talked about budgeting, and
we talked about a lot of great things on this
interview so far. We talked about which I love the
old concept of tracking your expenses for a week. I
love that idea of emotional spending. Never heard that that
is a that is something then I know I've fallen
victim too, And especially with online being available, we really
(13:05):
have to look at our budget and I want to
go to that conversation to budget strategies. Talk about that
and also youth financial literacy. We kind of talked about
it earlier when as far as adult time, they treated
young people back then, but we in today's time and
youth are being allowed to understand and appreciate and train
(13:29):
in financial literacy. So two questions budgeting strategies and then
slide right over to youth financial strategies.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Yes, regarding budget strategies, I use one that is the
fifty thirty twenty. Some people call it twenty thirty, fifty
ten ten, twenty thirty, but basically it's fifty percent of
your needs, thirty percent of your wants, and twenty percent
goes to saving their dad. For some people use it
(14:00):
for tithes as well, and so every paycheck that you
get you actually break it down and too these percentages.
I don't care if grandmother gives you one hundred dollars,
you didn't take that one hundred dollars, and he's going
to break it down. Fifty dollars is going to go
to your needs, thirty to your wants, and then twenty
to savings their debt. So it gives you structure and flexibility.
(14:23):
And for those people who feel overwhelmed, you know, always
say name your money before you spend it. If you
don't give your dollars a job, they'll just wander off
without telling you where they went, right, So just having
a place for your money and telling your money where
to go. And I think your next question, I think
(14:45):
you said was regarding you financial literacy.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Right, right. We talked about how I was treated. There
was a whole generation of people who are listening to
this phone call. Know that when grown people were discussing
what they felt with grown folks information it wasn't shared
with the youth. But in the world of financial training
now we are more inclined. I know I am with
my daughter. I was very upfront my wife, and I
(15:08):
was very upfront of trying to get her to understand
stock and what to do with her money and engage
her even now as an adult, to try to educate her.
But as in the youth, how does that change and
what can a person who's listening to this show that
has children or teenagers can do an assistanm there their
growth in financial literacy.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
So I believe in basically planning, planning the seeds early
in the youth when they're younger. I think young people
need to know that money is a tool, is not
a goal. Right, we start with the with the basics.
You know, you earn more than you spend. You know,
you don't just earn more, just suspend it. We save
(15:51):
something from every dollar that we get. We just talked
about those savings rules, understanding the power of compound interest,
knowing that we can actually make make money off of
our money. And then, uh, just never being afraid to
ask questions about money. I think, being able to allow
your kids to ask you questions. And then if you
don't know, invest in your own self, investing in your
(16:12):
own financial education so you can learn and teach your kids.
And I think when kids understand how money works, they're
less likely to be manipulated or taken advantage of later.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Right now, you know, I would show I have a
lot of listeners who are female and women. I work
with six sisters, so I understand the value of a
woman's voice. That they said that in the home when
the leading purchaser or decision maker is the woman when
it comes to purchases at home. Now, empowering women financially,
(16:46):
that's a question you submitted to me. What do you
mean when you say empowering women financially, doctor Hawkins?
Speaker 2 (16:52):
So I believe as a you know, a successful woman
and finance myself. The message for women we feel financially
overwhelmed or sometimes dis empowered. So you know, just telling
the women out there that they're not alone, you're not behind.
I think many women carry the emotional and financial load
(17:13):
that you talked about and for others without ever being
poured into themselves. As we mentioned, so I think we
deserve financial clarity the piece the joy, and it starts
with just one step. And you know, we learn one
new thing this week, just like we're tracking our budgets
this week, learning new one thing this week, and then
knowing that every decision you make towards financial wellness is
(17:37):
a form of self love. So basically investing in your
own financial education, learning financial literacy for yourself.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Well, that's important, doctor Harkins. As we are near the
close of the show, like I said, you have two websites.
Once a website is about product and the other website
is about the lessons or insights the courses. You a
little bit more breakdown of what their website brings to
the table, so my listeners can know and also out
(18:05):
of curiosity, may visit their website to gain more information.
Is yours?
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Absolutely so the Pockert book Strategies dot com. It's a
guided experience is basically designed to help individuals smash through
their limited beliefs and map out of strategy to help
them safe. That's where that product comes in. At at
Hawkley dot Com is building a resource hub of tools
and templates and training because I believe everyone deserves access
(18:32):
to real transformation. I'm not here just teaching numbers. I'm
changing narratives. So that's mainly the difference between the two.
I want everyone, no matter their background, to have access
to tools that change their money story. I believe your
pocketbook or your pocket is personal and your power starts
with what's inside of it.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
You know, as we close out, this is my final
question to you, what's what's one financial lesson that you
have personally that you have and that came into your life,
it personally transformed your life, and how can you share
that with others or can you share with us on
this show.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Money doesn't change who you are, it amplifies who you are.
I think some people think if I make too much money,
it's going to change me. Or this person made this
amount of money and it changed them. So if you're generous,
it gives you more room to grow. If you're scared
and would expose that. So just healing your relationship with
money is deeply personal work. I teach him experience because
(19:35):
I lived on both sides, struggling and thriving, and I
want others to know the transformation is possible. And if
I can just one other thing, because I feel like
it's not just one. Everyone needs to know the difference
between assets and liabilities. Assets puts money into your pocket
and liabilities takes money out. So once we have that
concept down, then all the other things will begin to
make better sense.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
I think, you know, I agree with them. I have to.
You know, I've been fortunate to been on both sides
and of the track, and you know, people always say,
you know, as you gain money, you cannot live the
way you live when you didn't have money. In other words,
you know, if you was buying McDonald's, which is nothing
wrong with buying McDonald's, you might want to buy a steak.
(20:19):
Because you're making more money, you start treating yourself, you
start moving. I won't live in this neighborhood. I want
to live in this neighborhood, so you're always going to
uplift there. You always hear these rare stories by people
who got all this money, but they still living like
they don't have money. You hear these stories now that
ain't ra Sean McDonald. Okay, not that I spend what
I get, but I do spend. Okay, But in anyway,
(20:43):
your valuable information you've given us, Doctor Harker's to my
listeners again, I want to invite you back on my
show middle of the summer. You know, values change, and
I want to bring people on because the information you
gave today I think was filled with common sense and
I think that's a lot of things. That's something people
don't understand about money. If common sense stays at the
(21:03):
top of your list, you keep a lot of your
money for a lot lower. Thank you for coming on
my show, doctor Harkins. I appreciate you and we'll talk soon.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Okay, thank you, have a good one. Mite.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
hosted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today, and thank you our listening to audience.
Now if you want to listen to any episode I
want to be a guest on the show. Visit Moneymakingconversations
dot com, our social media handle is money making conversation?
Join us next week and remember to always leave with
(21:36):
your gifts. Keep winning,
Iver Sean McDonald I host this weekly Money Making Conversation
Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show provides
off for everyone. It's time to stop reading other people's
success stories and start living your own. If you want
to be a guest on my show, please visit our website,
Moneymakingconversations dot com and click to be a guest. But
feel out your information. If you're a small business owner,
(00:22):
you got a product, you're an entrepreneur, and you want
to tell your story on my show, let the world
get out to the drone public a nationwide, a worldwide.
You can do it on Money Making Conversations. Now, let's
get this show rolling. My guest continues to drive impactful
change through her platform, Pocketbook Strategist dot com, where she
offers financial literacy, program resources, tools, strategic insights for those
(00:46):
seeking to take control of their financial future. Her business
consulting company educates and educational resources and services for small
business owners and inspiring aspiring entrepreneur. Just like I told you, please,
Welcome to Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Lakiita Hawkins. Lakita Hawkins,
how you do Lakita.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
I'm doing well? Vershan how are you?
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Thank you, thank you, thank you for coming on my show.
I know you you're in North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Correct, that is correct?
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Now and raise born and raised? Now what keeps you
in North Carolina? Know? I know your business is there.
But basically your business allowed business allows you to speak
to everybody worldwide international. Tell us about your business structure.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Now, my business structure is regarding financial literacy, helping out
those that lack financial literacy, and then offering resources to
small business, small business owners and entrepreneurs.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Now I read here say your mission is to provide
access to low costs and no cost educational and pocket
resources for aspiring entrepreneurs like I said earlier and small
business owners. When you say that, what exactly is the
pocket Book Strategists? Which is your website pocketbook strategist dot com.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
So the Pocketbook Strategists came from a mix of Southern
culture and real life experience. I was always told that
I had a lot of pocketbooks and I talked about
money a lot, a lot of.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Pocketbooks of Miss Hawkins. What do you mean a lot
of pocketbooks? What do you mean?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
A lot of persons? A lot of them, big.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Ones, small ones, you know, backpack type size, a little
little corn purses, all type.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
All types are shigned, all types, big ones, small ones,
corn purses, backpacks, all of them, all of them. So
growing up, you know, we didn't talk about financial literacy
a lot, but everything we needed seemed to come out
of that one sacred place, the pocketbooks the person. So
I basically wanted to reclaim that image and use it
(02:57):
as a tool for transformation. Step into this word because
I saw how financial instability impacted families not included, and
I knew that once you teach someone how to manage
their money, then you give them the power to change
their life. So that's kind of where the pockebook strategist
was born.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Well, you know, people have heard my story many times
on this show about where I've come from, and and
you know it wasn't a classic lifestyle that you had
seen a popular story. I've come from the inner city.
You know my father I told many times, and I say,
I honestly tell people he was just a truck driver,
you know, a truck driver that he did his job,
(03:37):
He went to work, work over time, He had flaws,
but he provided for us and put food on the table. Now,
when you said the word instability and you talk about
financial literacy, and now I will tell you that word
financial literacy, which is a modern word now, but the
word finances were never discuss that our house, especially with
the children talk to us about your household.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
It was never discussed in my household either. It was
more like a I would say, a taboo if you will, like,
it was never discussed. I just assumed that money grew
on trees from my mom, as most people think. So,
you know, I just assume that that's how it was.
I got whatever it is that I wanted. But I
was the only child for my mom, so I was
more spoiled and just assumed that that's how life went.
(04:23):
Grew up and got older, once to college, moved to
a different city, and soon realized, oh, this is not
how this works. I actually have to work for my
money and I actually have to pay bills. So yeah,
I feel the same for my household as well.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Well, you know, because you know, growing up, if you
were a child, a teenager and you was in the
room with grown folks, you could get popped in the mouth.
I'm just being real. Back then, back in the day,
they first of all, they stare at you and asked
for you in this room with grown folks, and so
that stare alone moved you out the room quickly. Now
(04:55):
if you for some reason lost your mind and didn't
know the stair and growing folks moved closer to you
to the remind you you need to get out the room.
And that level of I guess to's say discipline. I
felt hurt us because we were never engaged in decision making.
(05:17):
Oh listen how decisions were being made. And that's I
think it's a crippling calls to a lot of our
inability to be entrepreneurs, our inability to understand financial wealth,
our inability to communicate with our parents or adults, because
we tend to be more respectful than and get the
(05:38):
information from them than to be able to, you know,
speak when spoken to am I saying anything different from
the lifestyle that you grow up in, Miss Hawkins.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
No, I definitely agree with that. Rashaan as well. I
think that more families have to incorporate their children in
these conversations, you know, even as little kids. You know,
you can start by incorporating you know, financial leadercy with
counting as they're growing up, and then including them in
those conversations with paying bills and things like that, so
(06:09):
they are aware. So yes, I experienced that as well,
and I'm pretty sure others are currently experiencing it.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Right now, I'm talking to Lakita Lakita as l e
k E. T A. Hawkins. She's based out of Charlotte,
North Carolina. Her website platform their pocketbook Strategies dot com.
What she offers financial literacy, program resources, tools, and strategic
insights for those seeking to take control of their financial future.
(06:37):
With that being said, Ms Hawkins, what are some of
the most common financial mistakes you see people making and
how can they start correcting them today?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Absolutely wish. I just want to go back for one second.
I actually reside in the Riley area, not in Charlotte's.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
North Carolina's still Carolina Carolina. Okay, we will just keep
saying North Carolina. I won't say no mostly. Okay, Yes,
that's right.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yeah, So I think I heard your question correctly. So
one of the biggest pitfalls that I see is basically
emotional spending, you know, trying to heal or celebrate with
purchases that don't serve any of our long term goals.
Another is not budgeting at all because it feels restricted,
(07:24):
and so my advice for them today is to start
with awareness, tracking their money for just one week and
see where it's going, and then ask themselves is just
spending serving me? And then ship from autopila to being intentional.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Now let's talk back to the emotional spending. I've never
heard that, and I'm gonna tell you, when I get
bored or I get tired, I tend to spend money
that I shouldn't spend. And that's always and I noticed
that about me, and I go with Sean, it' stop
stop you being stupid, okay, because you just there's no
rational reason. I there are things that I have in
(08:01):
my closet. I look at it and go when you're
going to wear that? And why did you buy it?
So let's go back to the emotional spending, because I
think people need to have some warning signs about that,
because it is important to know when you have a
trigger like that and when you slow down. And I
love the fact that you pitch the idea of tracking
(08:22):
your expenses for the week. I never heard that. That's
a very smart moved, miss Hawkins.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
So emotional spending, it kind of comes back, goes back
to what we were talking about earlier, our upbringing, our childhood,
and it brings in the psychology of money, so we
kind of go off of what we experienced as a kid.
That kind of develops our habits of how we spend
as adults and or what we're currently experiencing. So if
(08:50):
we're going through a bad day, we had a bad
day at work, or we want to assume that emotion
by going to those spend. So those are some triggers
that actually, you know, we're trying to heal or have
to stop us from doing, I guess because we tend
to do that from childhood to adulthood. And so just
tracking your money during that week or a couple of days,
(09:13):
you can kind of see where your ebbs and blows are.
You can see, Okay, I wasn't having a good day,
and I spent all this money on Amazon and aware
of that, and.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
I think online is really dangerous. First of all, I
knw rooms were dangerous, But one can find it much
more easier to spend money because you don't have to
get in your car or go to a store, because
you can just sit around there and press press the button,
brows and things like that. So you are much more
in a position to spend money that you were talking
(09:47):
about emotionally or why are you fatigued or in boredom?
And that's important that you understand that correct.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yes, being self aware. You know you have goals and
trying to make sure you b reach those. So just
being self aware and being aware of the spending that
you're doing. In order to correct something, you have to
be aware and the knowledge that that it is actually happening.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Wow, that's great. We're talking to miss Lakita Hawkins, pocketbook
Strategist dot com. Don't go nowhere. She's offering us tips
on financial literacy, program resources, tools and strategic insights. You
listen to Money Making Conversation Masterclass.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
(10:47):
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
So let's get back to show money Making Conversations. Because
I have doctor Hawkins. She's known as the Pocket Strategists,
as pocket strategist dot com. It's her website platform and
you've been sharing us a lot of stories, doctor Hawkins.
But it's another website that you have, and I didn't
want to see it because you know, I didn't want
to mess it up. Because I'm from the South. I
have a country voice. I try to talk as clear
(11:11):
as possible. If I hear certain words, I just avoid,
so I can say, pocket strategists dot com. What is
your other website there, doctor Hawkins's.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Hockley dot com.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
See spell it, Please spell that to my listeners.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
So it's h A W C L E I g H.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Now tell us about that doc that website.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
So that website just talks about what you were saying before,
with all of the resources, the financial literacy resources and
that classes and courses and things like that on that
particular website. And pocketbook Strategists has products on that webcast.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Okay, cool, So pocketbook Strategists, I would send them to product.
If they want to get the financial information, the courses,
the strateg the insights, they go to that website. And
what's that website down again? Because I'm not going to
say because I'm gonna mess it up.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
It's just hockey. So if it's said like h A
w k l e E, when it's felt Hackley, like Raleigh,
where I'm currently located. So A h A W c
l E I g H.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
I know, but tod, I try to leave it in
the in, the in, the founders and the speakers like this.
You speak your truth. See that's your truth, and I
stay in my lane. I tell everybody you are the
financial expert, are you my subject matter expert? I am
only the storyteller and this story I stay in my lane.
And one of my questions I want to ask you
(12:43):
right now is about because we talked about budgeting, and
we talked about a lot of great things on this
interview so far. We talked about which I love the
old concept of tracking your expenses for a week. I
love that idea of emotional spending. Never heard that that
is a that is something then I know I've fallen
victim too, And especially with online being available, we really
(13:05):
have to look at our budget and I want to
go to that conversation to budget strategies. Talk about that
and also youth financial literacy. We kind of talked about
it earlier when as far as adult time, they treated
young people back then, but we in today's time and
youth are being allowed to understand and appreciate and train
(13:29):
in financial literacy. So two questions budgeting strategies and then
slide right over to youth financial strategies.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Yes, regarding budget strategies, I use one that is the
fifty thirty twenty. Some people call it twenty thirty, fifty
ten ten, twenty thirty, but basically it's fifty percent of
your needs, thirty percent of your wants, and twenty percent
goes to saving their dad. For some people use it
(14:00):
for tithes as well, and so every paycheck that you
get you actually break it down and too these percentages.
I don't care if grandmother gives you one hundred dollars,
you didn't take that one hundred dollars, and he's going
to break it down. Fifty dollars is going to go
to your needs, thirty to your wants, and then twenty
to savings their debt. So it gives you structure and flexibility.
(14:23):
And for those people who feel overwhelmed, you know, always
say name your money before you spend it. If you
don't give your dollars a job, they'll just wander off
without telling you where they went, right, So just having
a place for your money and telling your money where
to go. And I think your next question, I think
(14:45):
you said was regarding you financial literacy.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Right, right. We talked about how I was treated. There
was a whole generation of people who are listening to
this phone call. Know that when grown people were discussing
what they felt with grown folks information it wasn't shared
with the youth. But in the world of financial training
now we are more inclined. I know I am with
my daughter. I was very upfront my wife, and I
(15:08):
was very upfront of trying to get her to understand
stock and what to do with her money and engage
her even now as an adult, to try to educate her.
But as in the youth, how does that change and
what can a person who's listening to this show that
has children or teenagers can do an assistanm there their
growth in financial literacy.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
So I believe in basically planning, planning the seeds early
in the youth when they're younger. I think young people
need to know that money is a tool, is not
a goal. Right, we start with the with the basics.
You know, you earn more than you spend. You know,
you don't just earn more, just suspend it. We save
(15:51):
something from every dollar that we get. We just talked
about those savings rules, understanding the power of compound interest,
knowing that we can actually make make money off of
our money. And then, uh, just never being afraid to
ask questions about money. I think, being able to allow
your kids to ask you questions. And then if you
don't know, invest in your own self, investing in your
(16:12):
own financial education so you can learn and teach your kids.
And I think when kids understand how money works, they're
less likely to be manipulated or taken advantage of later.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Right now, you know, I would show I have a
lot of listeners who are female and women. I work
with six sisters, so I understand the value of a
woman's voice. That they said that in the home when
the leading purchaser or decision maker is the woman when
it comes to purchases at home. Now, empowering women financially,
(16:46):
that's a question you submitted to me. What do you
mean when you say empowering women financially, doctor Hawkins?
Speaker 2 (16:52):
So I believe as a you know, a successful woman
and finance myself. The message for women we feel financially
overwhelmed or sometimes dis empowered. So you know, just telling
the women out there that they're not alone, you're not behind.
I think many women carry the emotional and financial load
(17:13):
that you talked about and for others without ever being
poured into themselves. As we mentioned, so I think we
deserve financial clarity the piece the joy, and it starts
with just one step. And you know, we learn one
new thing this week, just like we're tracking our budgets
this week, learning new one thing this week, and then
knowing that every decision you make towards financial wellness is
(17:37):
a form of self love. So basically investing in your
own financial education, learning financial literacy for yourself.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Well, that's important, doctor Harkins. As we are near the
close of the show, like I said, you have two websites.
Once a website is about product and the other website
is about the lessons or insights the courses. You a
little bit more breakdown of what their website brings to
the table, so my listeners can know and also out
(18:05):
of curiosity, may visit their website to gain more information.
Is yours?
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Absolutely so the Pockert book Strategies dot com. It's a
guided experience is basically designed to help individuals smash through
their limited beliefs and map out of strategy to help
them safe. That's where that product comes in. At at
Hawkley dot Com is building a resource hub of tools
and templates and training because I believe everyone deserves access
(18:32):
to real transformation. I'm not here just teaching numbers. I'm
changing narratives. So that's mainly the difference between the two.
I want everyone, no matter their background, to have access
to tools that change their money story. I believe your
pocketbook or your pocket is personal and your power starts
with what's inside of it.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
You know, as we close out, this is my final
question to you, what's what's one financial lesson that you
have personally that you have and that came into your life,
it personally transformed your life, and how can you share
that with others or can you share with us on
this show.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Money doesn't change who you are, it amplifies who you are.
I think some people think if I make too much money,
it's going to change me. Or this person made this
amount of money and it changed them. So if you're generous,
it gives you more room to grow. If you're scared
and would expose that. So just healing your relationship with
money is deeply personal work. I teach him experience because
(19:35):
I lived on both sides, struggling and thriving, and I
want others to know the transformation is possible. And if
I can just one other thing, because I feel like
it's not just one. Everyone needs to know the difference
between assets and liabilities. Assets puts money into your pocket
and liabilities takes money out. So once we have that
concept down, then all the other things will begin to
make better sense.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
I think, you know, I agree with them. I have to.
You know, I've been fortunate to been on both sides
and of the track, and you know, people always say,
you know, as you gain money, you cannot live the
way you live when you didn't have money. In other words,
you know, if you was buying McDonald's, which is nothing
wrong with buying McDonald's, you might want to buy a steak.
(20:19):
Because you're making more money, you start treating yourself, you
start moving. I won't live in this neighborhood. I want
to live in this neighborhood, so you're always going to
uplift there. You always hear these rare stories by people
who got all this money, but they still living like
they don't have money. You hear these stories now that
ain't ra Sean McDonald. Okay, not that I spend what
I get, but I do spend. Okay, But in anyway,
(20:43):
your valuable information you've given us, Doctor Harker's to my
listeners again, I want to invite you back on my
show middle of the summer. You know, values change, and
I want to bring people on because the information you
gave today I think was filled with common sense and
I think that's a lot of things. That's something people
don't understand about money. If common sense stays at the
(21:03):
top of your list, you keep a lot of your
money for a lot lower. Thank you for coming on
my show, doctor Harkins. I appreciate you and we'll talk soon.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Okay, thank you, have a good one. Mite.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
hosted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today, and thank you our listening to audience.
Now if you want to listen to any episode I
want to be a guest on the show. Visit Moneymakingconversations
dot com, our social media handle is money making conversation?
Join us next week and remember to always leave with
(21:36):
your gifts. Keep winning,
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