Best-selling author and financial expert Laura D. Adams will visit Murray State to share insights from her new book, “Money-Smart Solopreneur,” and provide beneficial information for budding entrepreneurs.
A resident of Vero Beach, Florida, Adams said she has always been interested in personal finances.
“I remember asking my mother to let me have a checking account in middle school,” Adams said. “The idea of managing money seemed fun and grown-up.”
On her website, Adams documents her struggles with finances.
“After graduation, I fell into the trap that so many people do: living above my means,” according to Adams’ website. “I rented apartments that I couldn’t afford, spent too much on vacations and became a shopaholic.”
She said after bringing her debt into her marriage, it was evident she needed to make changes.
Adams said while working on her MBA at the University of Florida, she met many successful professionals who struggled with their finances.
“I realized that even if you’re intelligent with a great career, you can still be bad with money,” Adams said. “That pivotal moment was when I decided my mission was to make complex financial topics easier to understand and implement.”
Between working in finance, selling real estate, buying and selling her own floor-covering store and training flooring retailers, Adams has had a fulfilling career.
“After getting my MBA, I began blogging and hosting the “Money Girl” podcast, received my first book deal with Macmillan and have worked as a financial spokesperson and writer since then,” Adams said. “The weekly audio podcast continues with a wide variety of finance topics, nearly 800 episodes and 42 million downloads.”
Her latest project is a comprehensive guide to anyone who wants to be self-employed. It includes topics on navigating financial complexities of non-traditional career paths, like freelancing, contracting and building a side business.
Adams said “Money-Smart Solopreneur” is a book she wishes was available when she started her business.
“I receive many questions from “Money Girl” podcast listeners about becoming self-employed and earning more income,” Adams said. “I wanted to write a no-nonsense guide to help them through every step of self-employment with real-life examples, practical advice and inspiration to succeed outside traditional employment.”
Dave Eaton, dean of the College of Business, said he is very excited to welcome Adams to Murray State.
“Financial literacy is a key to making wise decisions and making the most of the resources you have,” Eaton said. “Additionally, many of our students have entrepreneurial interests, and Ms. Adams’ most recent book provides insights into the financial knowledge needed to be successful in entrepreneurial ventures.”
Adams said it’s important for college students to look into ways to ensure they are setting themselves up for a better financial future.
“For college students, keeping debt as low as possible is essential so they have more flexibility and never feel locked into a job or career to pay bills,” Adams said. “If they have income, opening and contributing some amount to a Roth IRA (individual retirement account) is an excellent way to kickstart their financial security.”
Adams said she hopes the audience will learn from her financial mistakes.
“The only thing better than learning from your own mistakes is learning from others,” Adams said. “My goal is for attendees to take away essential concepts like diversifying your income, paying yourself first, boosting discretionary income and the power of regularly investing small amounts.”
The event will be held at 2 p.m on Thursday, Oct. 26 in Lovett Auditorium. The first 300 people to walk in will receive a free copy of Adams’ latest book.
