In this episode, we are going to be talking about a topic we are all passionate about. Debt. And how to most efficiently pay it off.

Our guest in this episode, Melanie Lockert from Dear Debt, is an expert at paying off debt. She successfully paid off $81,000 of student loans while living on a low income.

We're talking graduating from NYU with little to no job prospects, moving to Portland for better non-profit opportunities that didn't surface, living on food stamps, and taking control of her career and finances by side hustling and eventually becoming self-employed (while making a heck of a lot more!).

Melanie shares some of her biggest struggles, tips for paying off debt, and more in this inspiring episode.

In this episode we discuss:

• 1:20 – Melanie's story
• 9:50 – Why "Dear Debt" letters?
• 18:30 – What being debt free feels like
• 27:40 – Entrepreneurship and things you might miss from a "traditional" job
• 35:40 – The emotional toll of debt and reaching out for help

Related links to check out:

• Chonce's Dear Debt Letter
• Kayla's Dear Debt Letter
• Erin's Dear Debt Letter
• Find out about contributing to Dear Debt
• Dear Debt: A Story About Breaking Up With Debt