Who Is The Chic Capitalist? A Little About Me!
My Story
Hi there! My name is Mikaela. I’m ecstatic to have you here and can’t wait to share with you a little about me!
Anyone who knows me knows that I grew up in an Italian-American household where I learned the importance of saving a buck from a young age. In fact, my mom would never leave the house without her coupons. To this day I have vivid memories standing at the cash register with her, as the salesperson would sit there patiently, albeit annoyed, scanning coupon after coupon until my mom’s coupon stash was completely depleted.
This upbringing instilled in me a thoughtfulness towards how I spend my money. Listen, I love romping around town wearing that cute dress or those new shoes as much as the next girl! And that’s a lifestyle choice I never want to give up. But isn’t it also a great feeling to watch your account balances grow every month? Now what if I told you that you could have both?! Shopping in the traditional sense made possible by shopping for stocks. That’s right: investing!
Why I Invest
I invest as a means for building long-term wealth. This allows me to live my best possible life. From reaching important milestones like buying a house to affording dream vacations or even to buying my puppy a healthier, fresher brand of dog food, investing makes it all possible. And I want to teach you how to do the same!
Many of our favorite self-made millionaires and financial gurus have been quoted saying that investing is absolutely necessary if you want to build wealth. Legendary investor Warren Buffet famously said, “if you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die” (Learn Stock Market). Essentially, put your money to work 24/7. Why work harder when you can work smarter?
Want to get started investing, but don’t know how? Check out my FAQ Page.
How My Investing Journey Began
The idea of investing in the stock market was incredibly daunting to me at first. Although I pride myself on being fairly intelligent and a fast-learner, I lacked confidence.
And then, as part of my undergraduate degree, I took a course on portfolio management where I learned all about investing.
Following completion of the course, I invested in my first stock. Needless to say, it was a pretty measly purchase. As a cash-strapped college student with no prior experience investing, I was by no means ready to drop my all my life savings.
To this day, I still follow a similarly cautious approach. I’m prepared to lose 100% of my investments. Who’s to say that company you’ve just invested in won’t go bankrupt tomorrow? Anyone remember Enron, Theranos, or more recently FTX? Although I’m perhaps being a bit dramatic, it’s important for any investor to recognize the risk involved and to determine the level of risk he or she is willing to accept. Check out my investment philosophy for more information on my approach to investing.
My Mission
The purpose of The Chic Capitalist blog is to promote smart financial decisions in a fun, down-to-earth manner.
The blog covers a variety of different topics, including investing and personal finance, lifestyle financial wellness, affordable outfits and styles, wedding inspiration, and budget friendly travel.
I hope you find this useful in your quest towards achieving greater financial independence.