Millionaire Monday: Meet April Stewart
Introduce Yourself!
I’m April Stewart @AprilTheMoneyCoach on Instagram, a self-made millionaire, and financial coach. I help high-achieving women create a plan to turn their 6-figure incomes into 7-figure net worths.
I grew up in a low-income household where I wasn’t taught about money except that “there wasn’t enough of it” and that “it was hard to come by”. As a result, I developed a fear-based relationship with money. I feared that money would not be present for my wants and needs.
Upon graduating from college and entering the workforce, I felt ill-prepared to handle the money I made. I spent my early career living paycheck to paycheck. Wanting more from life, I spent the next 15+ years teaching myself personal finance and transforming my money story.
I love personal finance and number crunching, so when I’m not looking for new ways to build wealth, you can find me traveling the world (thus far 16 countries on 4 continents). Or attending live performances and cultural events. I love to get out, explore and soak up culture.
How’d you, April Stewart, become a Millionaire?
Becoming a millionaire actually wasn’t something that I sought out. It came as a result of practicing the timeless principles of budgeting, debt elimination, saving, and investing. Before I knew it, I had reached millionaire status in my 30s. Doing the basics in the right way, and on a consistent basis, really does pay off. My net worth consists of my investment portfolio and my personal real estate property.
If you could share a lesson or advice with others who are looking to achieve millionaire status, what would it be?
I wholeheartedly believe that becoming wealthy is attainable for anyone. It truly is not about how much money you make, but what you do with your money. There are teachers with more wealth than doctors and lawyers. Building wealth doesn’t have to be complicated.
People jump to the “advanced” because they think it will fast-track them. But they skip doing the basics on a consistent basis, in the right way. Financial simplicity is what I teach in my Millionaire Money Plan™ course. It made me a millionaire and will do the same for others.
What would it have been like to have a millionaire role model that looked or sounded like you when you were starting your journey to $1M?
Having a millionaire role model that looked like me would have normalized wealth for Black women and showed me that it’s possible. Twelve years ago, when I began my money transformation, the examples that I learned from were primarily white males. And I wasn’t always certain that the model was a good fit for me, or truly attainable. But I kept at it and made the adjustments that I deemed necessary for me. This is one of the main reasons that I have entered this space as a money coach for women. I want to show other Black women that if this young, Black woman with a humble beginning can become a millionaire, they can too.
Anything Else?
I encourage you to get started, right now. Any positive step forward will create confidence and more positive action. You can further transform your finances by implementing a money plan. Having a money plan is how I became a millionaire. A plan provides clear, actionable steps and eliminates ambiguity and guesswork. Then all you have to do is execute the plan. My free Millionaire Money Checklist is a great list of things to consider on your journey to building wealth.
Millionaire Stats
1 in 7 white Americans is a millionaire (Washington Post, 2017). Compare that to 1 in 50 Black Americans. To put a finer point on it, of all millionaires in the U.S., 76% of them are white; only 8% are Black. The three biggest contributing factors to net worth in the U.S. are homeownership and equity, investments, and inheritance. That’s why this Millionaire Monday series is so important to me. Because we need to see a broader representation of BIPOC, queer, and young wealth. Did you like this interview with April Stewart? You might dig these ones, too!