After years of hard work and sacrifice to get through college, we should be able to. enjoy our lives by starting fresh, getting great jobs, and building wealth. The last thing we should have to think about is student loan debt.

Unfortunately, it’s unrealistic for most people who attend college in the US.

Dreamer Andong Florinas graduated during the Great Recession. She had student debt couldn’t find a job in her field, moved in with her parents.

She went to pharmacy school and took on more student loans.

In this episode, she talks about how she paid off $220k of student loans in 3 years, more than tripled her salary in 6 years, and her journey towards reaching FIRE (Financial independence retire early).

Andong also talks about how she changed her mindset around the years and became more strategic with her money. She shares why she is pursuing a side hustle even though she and her husband have great jobs and earn multiple six-figures, and so much more.

She is dropping so many gems on the power that we have to change our circumstances and be free.

Get to know Andong more through her feature story in Business Insider.

In this episode, Andong Florinas shares:
  • How she increased her salary from under $40,000 to over $150k in 6 years
  • How she changed her mindset around money to pay off $220k of debt in 3 years
  • The strategies she and her husband used to get out of debt while also investing for the future
  • The importance of having accountability partners 
  • Her plan to reach FIRE and retire by 50 
  • How consumer society holds us back from our freedom 

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Dreamer’s Wealth of Wisdom:
  • “Money is a tool that we are supposed to use to make our lives better.” — Anne-Lyse Wealth
  • “Investing is important. It’s essential to look for ways to increase your income if you want to become financially free.” — Anne-Lyse Wealth
  • “If you don’t plan, you will fail at what you’re trying to achieve.” — Andong Flroinas
  • “It’s important to celebrate the small wins, to acknowledge that you’re going towards the right direction.” — Andong Florinas
  • “We’re so brainwashed by what society tells us what we need to consume that we no longer recognize the difference between a want and a need. So if you live below your means, it’s all about readjusting your mindset and understanding why you’re doing it.” — Andong Florinas
Show Transcript:
Other Resources Mentioned:
About the Guest:

Andong Florinas is a Clinical Scientist at BeiGene, Immuno-Oncology in San Diego, California. As a pharmacist, she designs and oversees global clinical trials for cancer. She has a doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Maryland.

Connect with Andong:
Connect with Anne-Lyse:
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