Makers & Movers: It’$ My Money
In this edition of the Makers & Movers series, we sit down with Patrina Dixon, founder of It’$ My Money. Through her financial education company, Patrina is helping people gain the tools and confidence to take control of their finances.
1. Introductory Insight
What is your name, and what is your side hustle or business?
Patrina Dixon and the business name is It’$ My Money (Financial educational company)
Briefly describe your business or side hustle.
I have a financial education company where I facilitate financial workshops in group settings for businesses, nonprofits, high schools, Colleges, and organizations.
How long have you been operating your business?
Over nine years.
2. Business Journey
What inspired you to start your business?
I didn’t have a good relationship with money, nor did I know how to make it work for me. Once I learned how to do better. I wanted to teach others how to do the same.
How did you transition from idea to execution?
Motivation
What were the initial challenges you faced?
I wanted to work with students, but I thought I was too old to connect with the things they engage with. When I shared my idea with others, many people said that many others were already doing what I wanted to do. Those were some of the initial hesitations I had when getting started, and they caused me to doubt my ability to make the dream a reality.
3. Strategic Moves
What does a typical day look like for you?
Because I also have a nine-to-five, my typical day involves working during those hours. When needed, I connect with my assistant during breaks or lunch so they can handle business tasks until I’m free to step in.
How do you manage and prioritize tasks?
Because I also have a nine-to-five, my typical day involves working during those hours. When needed, I connect with my assistant during breaks or lunch so they can handle business tasks until I’m free to step in.
What tools or systems do you use to run your business?
I use Canva, Honeybook, QuickBooks, Mailchimp, Substack, WordPress, and all the social media platforms. Lipsyn, Penzoo, Zoom, Microsoft, and Google products.
4. Financial Insights
What was your initial investment?
I don’t typically share the exact dollar amount, but what I do is align my expenses and due dates to either fall monthly or around the payday from my nine-to-five job. I made an initial investment to get up and running, which meant starting my business, registering the business name, getting a virtual address at the time, and understanding other expenses like supplies and related costs. I covered those initial expenses myself. Then, when the business needed more funding, I infused it with income from my day job rather than pulling from my savings. As the business grew, it eventually began to fund itself.
How has your revenue grown over time?
I’ve been in business for over nine years. Initially, I would assess the business annually, reviewing what worked well and what didn’t. Around the two-and-a-half-year mark, I secured the services of a bookkeeper, which allowed me to review my finances more frequently and make necessary adjustments along the way. The most significant revenue years in my business were 2019 and 2024. In 2020, I had just secured a large contract, but then COVID hit. That forced me to pivot how I operated. Despite the challenges, I was able to sustain the business, retain staff, and continue moving forward. And now, here I am, over nine years later, still going strong.
How do you manage cash flow and profitability?
Knowing my numbers.
5. Growth & Outreach
What marketing strategies have been most effective for you?
I’d say Instagram, in-person networking, and then Facebook.
Have you leveraged social media or other platforms for growth?
Yes
6. Challenges & Lessons Learned
What significant challenges have you encountered?
One significant challenge I faced was that the people I started the business to impact weren’t typically my paying customers. Many of them struggled to justify paying for financial services, despite being the ones who needed them the most. My goal was to help them manage their money and develop better financial habits, so it was difficult knowing that my intended audience couldn’t afford the support.
How did you overcome them?
To overcome this, I shifted from a B2C (business-to-consumer) model to a B2B (business-to-business) model. Instead of targeting individuals directly, I began working with organizations, such as churches, nonprofits, and companies, that would pay my business to facilitate workshops for their communities. This allowed us to still reach and impact the end users, without requiring them to pay out of pocket. As long as they’re part of the group that brings us in, they benefit from the information and support we provide.
What lessons have you learned that you’d share with aspiring entrepreneurs?
Don’t compare yourself to others. Instead, compare yourself to who you were a month, a quarter, or a year ago. Know your numbers and review them regularly. If you have a team, ensure they are on board with the overall goals so you can all work together toward them. Also, be open to feedback.
7. Future Plans
What are your short-term and long-term goals?
My short-term goal, given my current situation, is to get more established in my new location after moving from one part of the country to another. My long-term goal is to have my money curriculum delivered simultaneously across the world to various audiences who can benefit from it, helping them become more financially astute and start building wealth.
Are there any new projects or expansions on the horizon?
Not at the moment.
How do you plan to scale your business?
I’m putting more effort into marketing the It’s My Money Academy more effectively and working on licensing my curriculum.
8. Personal Insights
How do you balance work and personal life?
Not well, it’s still a struggle. But I’m getting better at it month after month. A big part of that progress is having a solid team supporting the business. Knowing that each person is diligently contributing to their part gives me peace of mind and helps reduce stress. It also gives me more time back, which allows for a better work-life balance.
What motivates you to keep going?
I feel like what I do is part of my purpose, and I’m purpose-driven.
If you could have dinner with any entrepreneur, who would it be and why?
Probably the Budgetnista. The reason is that she’s done tremendous work in the financial industry for a similar audience. I’d love to understand the approach she’s taken to get that audience actually to hit the payment button; that’s really what I want to learn.
9. Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
What advice would you give to someone starting?
For someone just starting out, do it. Don’t wait for perfection; make tweaks as you go along.
What do you wish you knew before starting your business?
To get help and hire sooner.
How can one stay resilient during tough times?
I believe that what I do is part of my purpose, and I’m driven by it.
10. Fun Rapid-Fire Round
What’s your favorite productivity hack?
Right now, it’s a to-do list.
If your business had a theme song, what would it be?
“All I do is win, win, win no matter what”
What’s a fun fact about you that most people don’t know?
I love, love fresh beats and music.
How can people follow your business?
Itsmymoney_ on all the social media platforms
Jason Butler is the owner of My Money Chronicles, a website where he discusses personal finance, side hustles, travel, and more. Jason is from Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Savannah State University with his BA in Marketing. Jason has been featured in Forbes, Discover, and Investopedia.
