How a TMU alumna turned financial literacy into content that connects on TikTok

What inspired you to choose Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) for your studies?

I chose TMU because of the business school’s reputation and the resources offered to students. TMU’s strong co-op program, vibrant student community and diverse body of students drew me in — it felt like the kind of environment where I could connect with others and access unique opportunities to accelerate my career. After spending five years at the Ted Rogers School of Management, I can happily say those factors were a big part of my university experience.

At TMU, you launched a personal financial literacy program and worked as a bank teller. Tell us about that and how those experiences influence your approach to money?

I co-founded Project BITS (Budgeting, Investing, Taxation, and Savings) with Aniel Molina, Marketing Management ’22, in 2018 after major changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Plan (OSAP) legislation caused confusion among our peers. As members of Enactus TMU (then Enactus Ryerson), we realized we had access to unique resources that could help, and we wanted to share them. From my experience working as a bank teller and project manager, it became clear that many people simply aren’t taught about money — whether it’s the complex topics like optimizing an investment portfolio or more basic ones like selecting the right bank accounts, most didn’t know where to start. This inspired us to take Project BITS further, partnering with Questrade and the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education to create a full curriculum for students. 

After graduating, you began sharing your payday routines on TikTok. What motivated you to bring your financial journey online?

The passion and interest around financial literacy that I fostered during my university days did not fade and I often found myself speaking about these topics with friends and co-workers. Feeling as though I had more to share and contribute to my community, I began posting on TikTok. At first, it was just for leisure, but I noticed spikes in engagement when I referenced dollar amounts — whether it was how much an experience cost me or what I spent while shopping. I loved watching videos about payday routines myself, though I never thought my own was particularly exciting. When I posted my own, I found that viewers loved the effectiveness of it. I think its simplicity is what resonates most with people. From there, I began sharing more of my financial strategies and journey online.

Can you walk us through a typical day balancing your product manager role with content creation?

Managing both lines of work can feel like two full-time jobs sometimes. My product manager career is my priority, so it’s important that I approach content creation in a way that isn’t distracting but allows me to be consistent and truly connect with my audience. Some fool-proof strategies that work for me have been:

1. Planning and batch-creating content: I know exactly what I’ll be posting for the next three to four-4 weeks, and often film three to four videos at once. This way, I can focus on editing/posting throughout the week, which I can do from virtually anywhere.
   
2. Timeboxing: I try to dedicate my mornings and commutes to filming and editing, so that I can truly focus during work hours.
   
3. Staying organized: Finding organization systems that allow my ideas to flow seamlessly into execution took some trial and error, but I’ve gotten into a great rhythm with tools like Reminders, Click-Up and following a daily agenda.
   

What are the top financial habits or tips you hope your audience takes away from your TikTok content?

I hope people learn the value of consistency and truly prioritizing yourself, by doing things like setting boundaries and paying yourself first. To me, self-discipline is the highest form of self-love; many of the sacrifices I make today align with the life I’m building for the future. It can be so easy to get swept away in overspending and impulse shopping, but I believe we work too hard to let our hard-earned dollars slip through the cracks. I often say “I’m one of the first women in my lineage with the privilege to be earning a consistent income, so here’s how I take care of my money…” and that couldn’t be more true — earning is truly a privilege that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

How has engaging with your TikTok audience influenced your own financial decisions or goals?

My audience has kept me accountable! When I publicize goals like No Spend Months, I get DMs and questions when I post things that might signal I’m falling off track from my goals. We’re all human, so building and interacting with this audience has fostered a stronger sense of accountability within my own spending habits.