We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Taylor Rodriguez Kempton. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Taylor below.
Taylor, appreciate you joining us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?
Everyone remembers March 2020 all too well, especially me. I was stuck at home. I was bored out of my mind. I’m someone that is used to staying busy, so when I was forced to stay at home without anything to do, it was really challenging for me. I tried puzzles. I tried drawing. I watched movies and binge-watched Netflix like everyone else, but even that got old. I was sad and confused and stuck inside because of forces outside of my control. I needed something new.
I guess “the algorithm” also knew that I needed something new because I happened to fall down the rabbit hole of the personal finance community on Instagram, and I was immediately hooked. I was fascinated by all of this knowledge about money and investing and budgeting that I had never known before, and I craved more. What I found on Instagram led me to start learning about finance on my own through podcasts, books, etc. I found a passion that I didn’t know was there, and it captivated me in a way that I had never felt before.
As I began to interact more with the personal finance community on Instagram, I felt the need to begin sharing what I was learning with others. I saw people from all different backgrounds and from all parts of the world sharing their “money journey” and knowledge through their social media content, and I decided that I wanted to do the same. I had no previous experience in content creation and to be honest, I used to make fun of “social media influencers.” But I went for it anyway.
In August 2020, Uncommon Cents was born – a page I created where I share my money wins, my money fails, but most importantly, I spill ALL of the personal finance “tea” in an effort to help others learn about their own finances. I had no expectations when I started my page, but looking back almost 2 years later, I’m so proud of the community I’ve built. Uncommon Cents began as a passion project, and now it’s so much more than that. It’s a genuine community where thousands of people discuss money and ask questions and cheer each other on towards their money goals. I’m one of countless personal finance pages on Instagram, but I’m truly grateful for every “like,” every “comment,” and every new follower. Uncommon Cents has changed my life.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Similar to most people, I wasn’t taught about money. I didn’t learn about personal finance in school. I was raised by a single mom on a teacher’s salary, and we weren’t rich but I always felt like I had everything I needed. My mom instilled the idea in me that we live in a world of abundance, and to embody this mindset regardless of my financial circumstances. I truly think this helped me to develop a healthy relationship with money.
I graduated with an undergraduate degree in Business Management in 2018, and I spent the first two years post-grad as a high school math teacher. When Covid hit, I transitioned into the mortgage industry. However, this transition into the mortgage industry was around the same time that I was diving into personal finance and starting Uncommon Cents. My passion for finance was growing exponentially, and it quickly caused me to start exploring career options in finance. Less than a year after starting Uncommon Cents, I began my career at Fidelity Investments as a Financial Representative, where I’m tasked with supporting advisors in clerical and administrative needs as well as helping the clients that walk in to our branch. This role has given me the opportunity to enter the finance industry with no previous financial experience and has also allowed me to obtain my Series 7 and Series 63 financial licenses – two professional licenses that are essential to working in the finance industry in almost any capacity. Studying for these licenses while also working full-time was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. Though I’m only 8 months into my career in finance, I know that my future is bright in this industry, and I truly can’t wait for what’s to come.
My career at Fidelity has helped further my finance knowledge that I share on Uncommon Cents. It is truly a blessing to have found my passion and to be living it in every way possible – professionally, creatively, and personally. My platform on Uncommon Cents is purely for educational purposes, but the best part about it is that I’m still learning too – and each one of my followers knows this. We are all learning together.
How did you build your audience on social media?
When I was first starting Uncommon Cents, I had no idea how to create content. I also used to think of myself as the least creative person ever. I was never artistic and had no experience in graphic design. But I’ve also never been afraid of taking risks or trying new things, which I think was the most important factor in helping me start Uncommon Cents.
Because I essentially had no idea what I was doing, I reached out to those that did. I asked other personal finance pages on Instagram for advice on growth and engagement and content creation. The most common piece of advice I received was about consistency. Many pages said that with posting consistently, my following would grow. At first, I was frustrated with this answer because I wanted something faster. I wanted a magic formula or trick to help me grow overnight. But I soon realized that this doesn’t exist. I took their advice and was posting about 5 times a week while also posting stories and replying to every comment and DM. I also took time to engage with others’ content in the personal finance space. These consistent, daily actions helped grow my following without any ads, partnerships, etc. I have grown this community from the ground up, and although I’m yearning for more growth, I remind myself that I have built a community of over 4,000 people that look forward to my content and are rooting for my success as much as I’m rooting for theirs. And that in itself is the best feeling.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The lack of financial literacy in our society drives the work that I do everyday, both in my professional career and with Uncommon Cents. Especially with my experience as a former math teacher, it saddens me that basic finance knowledge such as budgeting and investing are not taught in traditional public education. There are so many misconceptions around money that could be solved by implementing personal finance education to help increase financial literacy. Though this education may not be happening on a large scale right now, my goal with Uncommon Cents is to help spread financial literacy to make a positive impact on others and their finances. I believe that building wealth can be done by anyone and everyone with the right knowledge and resources, so Uncommon Cents is a platform designed to help share this information with the world.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @uncommn_cents
- Twitter: @uncommn_cents