Getting out of debt is not just about spending less and saving more. For many, there are many emotional and psychological factors that affect their ability to move forward toward being debt-free.

Chris Browning talks with Melanie Lockert about her own journey to deal with the mental and practical aspects of dealing with debt and how her voice resonates with many others who have similar struggles.

• Melanie shares her most memorable Plutus award and what made it so poignant at that time she received it
• Her passion for bringing conversations and situations to the forefront to shine a light on the impact debt really has on day-to-day life
• She talks about her own story about getting out of debt and the psychological struggles along the way
• What her brand is built on and the message she is sharing that differs from many in the personal finance media space
• How she keeps empathy in her work and come from a place of caring

Melanie Lockert is the founder of the blog and author of the book, Dear Debt. Through her blog, she chronicled her journey out of $81,000 in student loan debt. She is also the co-founder of the Lola Retreat, which helps bold women face their fears, own their dreams and figure out a plan to be in control of their finances. She is passionate about empowering women, helping others get out of debt, and focuses on the intersection of debt and mental health. Every September she organizes a Suicide Prevention Awareness Blog Tour, to help share resources for those struggling with debt and suicide.

You can find her at DearDebt.com and @DearDebtBlog.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://plutusfoundation.org/2019/16-melanie-lockert/