Smart advice for smart women: Money and career tips you really need to know

Téa Angelos is the founder of Smart Women Society, one of the world’s largest online education platforms helping women get smarter with their money, careers, wellbeing and love lives. Téa joined the Flying Solo podcast to share how the SWS community grew to over 400,000 members in three short years, and some of her best money and career tips every woman should know.

Smart Women Society was borne out of a peculiar talent – Téa was adept at creating summaries and infographics to help herself and her friends with their high school studies. Moving on to do the same for her students as a university tutor, Téa discovered that her unique offering was so popular, she began to think about expanding the idea into various life topics.

“I’m passionate about feeling confident and empowered in all areas of your life, and to do that you need knowledge and education,” says Téa. “I wanted to create a platform that women of all ages could come to get the information they needed to feel empowered and in control of their life.”

Starting as a simple Instagram page, the SWS community now boasts hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, and a popular website selling how-to guides to help women get ahead in all areas of their lives. Téa has also authored the new book, Smart Moves: Simple Ways To Take Control Of Your Life, which dishes up actionable tips for success.

Building a community of loyal supporters

When it came to turning her creative resources into a business, Téa says building a community of loyal supporters was the first step.

“I’m a big advocate for building a community, not just an audience or followers,” she says. “So, the first six to eight months was purely a project of passion, listening to our community and creating content that they wanted to see. Then we started launching products and bringing in brand partnerships and influencer collaborations, and it skyrocketed from there.”

Téa’s best community-building advice is to put in the time to treat followers as your friends.

“Engaging with our community as if they were our best friends has been the key for us. It’s those little interactions where people see your business and the team behind it as human, as opposed to a one-sided, transactional perspective. Carving out that time pays off so much in the long run because online businesses are so saturated, how can you stand out? Creating that community is a big part of it. I found that once momentum starts to build, it keeps building.”

Smart advice for smart women

Téa has shared a treasure trove of career, finance and wellbeing advice for women in her new book, Smart Moves. Topping the list of things women want to know about, are money and career, so Téa shared some of her best tips on these topics.

Listen to Téa Angelos on the Flying Solo podcast:

Money and finance tips

Knowledge is power

“The first step is getting honest with yourself and evaluating where you are right now – how much money you have coming in and going out every month. Then, look at your non-essential discretionary expenses. How much are you spending on going out or personal shopping every month?

Tip!

Look at your last few months of bank statements and see where that money is going.

Don’t be afraid of the ‘b’ word

“‘Budget’ is not a scary word!” Téa insists. “A budget is simply a plan for your money – mapping out where you’re allocating money and giving every dollar a job every month. Then you can start setting financial and investment goals.

“It’s also important to attach a ‘why’ to your goals. A lot of people say, ‘I want to save more money this year’, but why do you want to save money? Is it saving for a house deposit or a dream holiday?”

Tip!

“If you have a big financial goal that you’re working towards, set it as the wallpaper of your phone,” Téa suggests. “This constantly reminds you of the goal you’re saving for and makes you question when you want to spend your money on something frivolous.”

Money and relationships

“It is so common to have a saver and a spender in a relationship,” says Téa. “Like any good relationship, you need to communicate actively about your money goals and habits. I recommend having a money date once a week, sitting down with your partner and being open about how you’re running your budgets together. There’s no right or wrong decision for every couple, so it’s important to discuss your money goals, both individually and as a couple, and make sure you’re getting on the same page.”

Tip!

“So we’re not nit picking each other’s spending, my husband and I set a threshold for how much we’re allowed to spend without consulting with one another. We’re working towards our financial goals as a couple, but having that freedom to make our own decisions day-to-day gives us independence and keeps us on the same page.”

Career and business tips

For women who are feeling like their careers are at a stalemate or considering starting their own business, Téa has more great advice.

Examine and take action

“Pinpointing what is making you not enjoy your role is an important first step. Look at what exactly in your current job or industry you are enjoying and not enjoying.

“Next is figuring out your action plan. For example, internally, are there any other teams or projects that you could try to get a new experience or shake things up a bit?”

Expand your horizons

“If you’re wanting to move to a different industry or company, talking to different people is essential. Message people that are potentially in your network such as friends, family, friends of friends, or even cold message people on Linkedin and ask them for a quick virtual coffee to learn about what they do. This is so helpful in getting an insight into other options that are out there for you.”

Messy action is better than no action!

“If you want to start your own business or take your business full-time, my biggest advice is take action, because I don’t think there ever is a right time. Many people make drastic and fancy plans and map everything out perfectly. But I’m a big believer that messy action is better than no action. So, keep trying and testing – nothing is set in stone, and you can always pivot and adjust.”

Téa shares a treasure trove of excellent advice on this inspiring Flying Solo ep. Wrap your listening ears around it here.

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