We love inspiring stories from amazing people across the globe who are doing great things. This week’s feature focuses on Aisha Taylor, FNPhenomenal

We had the pleasure of meeting and talking to this phenomenal woman, who is making a difference in many women’s lives. Aisha Taylor is the CEO and Founder of FNPhenomenal and shares some much needed info on being frugal and phenomenal! She is also the author of 5+5 FNPhenomenal ways to save $100 this week without killing your lifestyle.

FNPhenomenal (Frugal -n- Phenomenal) is a movement dedicated to helping women Live phenomenally by finding freedom from the financial yo-yos of overspending, under saving, and defining themselves by their closets.

Who is Aisha Taylor before FNPhenomenal?

I was an impulse spender and a shopper. I used to spend money that I didn’t necessarily have, and I also spent money to make myself look good and to fit in.  As a result it was causing me to max out my credit cards, to the point when I was scared that my cards would be declined at the cash register.

What made you change?

I couldn’t make the changes that I needed to my finances until I figured out who I was as a person. I had to figure out what made me truly happy, what were my financial traps/pitfalls, develop the confidence and self-esteem that I needed to make better decisions, and then apply my learning. I knew what I should be doing in terms of budgeting, but my desire to “keep up with the joneses” was too strong. I could not forget what it felt like to be teased and singled-out for wearing the ‘wrong things.’

I so badly didn’t want to ever end up in that place again, which resulted in bad decision-making because my fear of not being accepted was greater. I couldn’t be who I was really called to be because I was too busy living a life that I thought that I should live.

Whenever I would pay off a credit card, within a year it would be charged up again, because I didn’t work on me first. Until I worked on me by improving my self-esteem and taking the time out to figure out who I was, I couldn’t hone or apply my financial literacy skills and make better, lasting decisions that would improve my finances. Now I’m a lot stronger, more confident and love walking in my purpose. Now I control how my money is spent and I still have fun!

What is FNPhenomenal?

FNPhenomenal (Frugal -n- Phenomenal) is a movement dedicated to helping women Live Phenomenally by finding freedom from the financial yo-yos of overspending, under saving, and defining themselves by their closets.

Too many women are trapped by the use of shopping to manufacture happiness, define their worth, recapture missed childhood opportunities, or impress other people, resulting in a mountain of debt and a loss of their identities. Our financial empowerment movement liberates women from the need to seek validation from others and material possessions and living life based on other people’s opinions, allowing them to graduate from paycheck- to-paycheck and inauthentic living into a life of financial freedom, purpose, and abundance. A critical component of leading a Phenomenal Life is living on purpose and being a good steward of your money and talents. FNPhenomenal does not believe that financial freedom and Living Phenomenally are mutually exclusive because we serve an abundant God. We show women that it is possible to live a frugal life and still live a Phenomenal Life if you prioritize the things that matter and save on the things that don’t, while practicing gratitude in all aspects of your life.

At its core, Living Phenomenally is:

• Living life on purpose and with God.
• Enjoying life with abundance.
• Being a good steward over your money and talents.
• Having a high sense of self-worth and individuality.
• Using your gifts, talents, and time to help make the world a better place.
• Practicing gratitude.

What made you leap forward to make the first step to FNPhenomenal?

Honestly, I stumbled upon my purpose on accident. I just wanted to learn how to manage my finances a little bit better so I could get out of credit card debt. Therefore, I started to learn as much as I could and I started a blog started to share the knowledge. I didn’t even know that people read my blog until I stopped writing for a bit and people started to email, call, and text me to see what was going on! Trust me. I was scared to just “jump” because I knew that sharing what I learned would require me to expose some of the difficulties that I faced. I’m a very private person and I didn’t want to expose my own mess and insecurities. However, once I realized how much of an impact that I was having, I made a commitment to just keep sharing the information, and I haven’t looked back since.

Read more on Aisha’s story in our next installment.