Yesterday was one of the proudest, most freeing and incredible moments of my life. It was the day I finally paid off over $80,000 in student loan debt.
My past is a huge part of my story. I’ve been wanting to share it with you for a long time now because I know so many people can relate and be inspired by this story. It hasn’t been an easy road, but I always knew what I wanted in life and that I’d do whatever it took to get there. In order to understand who I am today, you have to understand the earlier chapters of my life that molded me into the fighter and believer I am today.
First, it’s important for you to know that I have great parents that I’m extremely close to. I had an amazing childhood. My mom is the textbook definition of a selfless, loving mother that would do anything for her children. We talk daily, if not more. I get my strength, class, and perseverance from her. My dad and I have a very special bond. I get my work ethic, compassion, and enthusiasm from him. I wouldn’t be where I am without them pushing me, believing in me, and being my biggest fans since the day I was born.
But the past fifteen years or so have been extremely hard for my family. In one year alone, my dad suffered from a stroke, a heart dissection seven weeks later, thyroid cancer with metastasis to seven lymph nodes, and a brain aneurysm on top of ongoing and seemingly insurmountable stress from financial crises. He went from perfectly healthy to sick and disabled. It was more than any of us could handle. There were times we thought we’d lose him. I remember sitting by his bedside in the hospital wondering if he’d ever regain his speech. Watching someone I loved and admired so dearly suffer from so much in such a short period of time was and still is the hardest thing I’ve had to endure. Just when we thought “this has to be the lowest point,” there was yet another new low.
I’ve been financially independent for a long time now. I’ve worked multiple jobs since early college when I was doing a combination of babysitting, serving, demoing at grocery stores, and working as a research or catering assistant. After undergrad, on top of grad school and a full-time unpaid dietetic internship, I found time to babysit and serve and continue to build this blog that unbeknownst to me would eventually end up paying my student loans bills off in four years. I hustled because I had to. But also because I wanted to. My dreams were in my hands waiting for me to start bringing them to life.
I remember in my early twenties when I felt the weight of financial stress at its heaviest. I was in credit card debt and couldn’t get approved for a credit card. My loans were building. I couldn’t wait to finish school and start making real money, fast. The blog started to take off in 2016, meaning I actually made a full-time income. I wrote consistently for a solid three years before I made a dime, so you can imagine the shock and joy when I received my first check. When I started Hummusapien in 2011 I had no intention or desire to make money. That’s one of the reasons this blog has been so successful; it’s truly a labor of love.
No matter how tough things were at times, I always had the notion that I could live the life of my dreams if I wanted to. I recognize that people endure far greater challenges in life than what I’ve been through. What was stopping me besides my own limiting beliefs? There’s nothing that someone else is doing that isn’t in my power to achieve. I go after what I want hard, with insane enthusiasm and vigor and drive to grow and grow and grow. It’s in my DNA to hustle.
I used to drown in my own self pity about the overwhelming financial and health hardships my family went through. I was jealous that my friends had no student loans, that they were always traveling on family vacations, that their parents were in perfect health. But looking back, the struggles and pain of my past made me. They forced me to dive headfirst into my work, to lead with my passion and purpose and to do whatever the hell it took to fulfill my destiny. I would be successful. There was no other option for me.
When Alchemy first opened, I was there everyday at 6am and left around 4pm. I’d come home and work on my blog at night and on Sunday. Slowly but surely, my “side hustle” grew. As I gained followers and attracted an loyal audience, I was able to charge brands for sponsored posts on my site or on my social media accounts. I began to make a little money from affiliate links to different products. I added advertising to my site. I worked tirelessly to create meaningful content. At 9pm when I had worked all day at the restaurant, made dinner, and cleaned it up, I opened my computer and I wrote. For hours. And I still do.
There were so many times I didn’t “feel” like it. That’s what hard work is. I never wanted an average life and that meant not putting in the average amount of time and effort. I questioned many times if balancing two full-time jobs was sustainable. I had a panic attack in 2016 that forced me to take a step back. But I stuck with it. I worked when there were more fun things to do and I put in the time. I knew my worth and I charged accordingly.
I started paying off my credit card debt. Once it was all paid off, I decided the only way I’d use a credit card was if I could pay it off in full. I learned to call the credit card companies every six months to ask for a credit limit increase as long as everything had been paid off in time. I kept low balances on credit cards I barely used just to stay in good standing. I kept updating my income as it grew to get more credit. And after countless denial letters for new credit cards, I’ll never forget the day I was approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. There was a time my credit score was in the 400’s. It’s now 762.
I remember crying at the car dealership and the leasing office in college when they told me my credit wasn’t good enough to get a car or an apartment lease on my own and I had no one to co-sign the loan. Now, because of my perseverance and determination to succeed, I’m writing this post in the home I purchased this year and I will drive to work in the car I purchased last week.
Success wasn’t handed to me. I’ve had big dreams for as long as I can remember—to inspire change, to teach people that anything is possible, to help others thrive on an individual level and also touch the masses, to prove that our destiny is in our hands. My mindset and fierce ambition never changed. I’m eternally grateful for that.
Don’t let your past define your future. Believe in yourself and your dreams and work tirelessly for them. Fight for what’s GOOD. BE the change. You deserve the world.
Saw your instagram story hinting at this post last night and JUMPED when I got your email. Thank you so much for sharing this, you are an inspiration for so many young people dealing with student loans and big dreams, myself included.
Of course! There’s no better feeling than knowing I’m inspiring others. Thank you so much!
Keep on keeping on, Laine! You’re gonna so amazing things. Believe in yourself.
Congratulations! I still remember how accomplished I felt when I paid off my student loans. I can relate to your story and admire you so much for sharing it. I grew up in a tumultuous situation with a lot of divorce and moving. Like you, I pitied myself for not having an easy home life, but it made me who I am. I earned a full ride to college and took out a modest loan to pay for study abroad. I ended up in credit card debt shortly after college, and worked like h*ll to pay it off. Life is what you make of it, and you’ve made a beautiful, generous, joy-filled life and developed resilience along the way. <3
Thank you for your beautiful and kind words, Stepfanie! It’s moving to hear we’ve been in similar places. Keep kicking butt!
Thank you so much for sharing this post! I’ve felt so stuck career wise recently and I’m starting to feel myself turning around and regaining some lost motivation and this post was a push in that direction. It’s so inspiring to see people out there doing what they love and building their lives around it!
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Yes yes yes!! Sending love your way 🙂
What an amazing story! Coming from a somewhat similar background, your story is truly inspiring and shows me that there is evidence that things actually do get better! Reading this post first thing in the morning has truly given me hope and a renewed outlook for today so thank you for that!
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I’m so happy you read this first thing. Go take the world by storm!
This is really awesome and exactly what I needed to hear. I have been struggling to successfully manage my finances since becoming financially independent. It’s been a learning curve and something that has really worn on my day-to-day psyche. I made it my goal to REALLY stick to a budget in 2018 and get a handle on this, and after 3 months of doing so, I am so excited to finally be paying down my credit card in full next month. It’s NOTHING compared to what you were able to accomplish, but I really admire your hustle and hope one day to really chase my goals and push my limits like you have. Thanks for sharing!
It’s totally not nothing—you should be al proud!! Keep pushing the limits!
This is beyond inspiring!!!! I never would’ve guessed/didn’t realize the hurdles you’ve been through. You certainly have handled them with a great deal of grace and maturity. I’m so happy for you!! My twin sister and I have gone thorugh some interesting experiences. We, too, had amazing parents, but they struggled with alcoholism their whole adult lives. It’s throughout our family, and we witnessed just what it can do to a person. Eleven days shy of our 18th birthday we were informed that our mom had passed away in an accidental drowning at our family’s lake house because of extreme alcohol intoxication. We were both out of the state, so upon returning, we had to plan a funeral, begin working on probate, and were a few months shy of entering college, all while her accounts were frozen. We put ourselves through school thanks to our amazing grandparents who were incredibly intelligent with finances and made sure we were cared for even in their absence. My twin even helped me with some of my tuition for grad school, and we were thankfully able to get through undergrad debt-free. I did have to take out loans for grad school, so I’m still paying on those. We, too, felt jealousy for those who seemingly had a carefree, typical college experience. But I’ve come to appreciate what we went through as it’s built us as we are today. Thank you for sharing, Alexis!! XOXO
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It’s crazy sometimes to only know end results without seeing the behind the scenes. I’m so sorry to hear that alcoholism story. I can’t imagine how it must have felt to lose your mom so suddenly and so young. How incredibly tragic. Keep on killing it, Kori!!
Congratulations !! You are truly an inspiration.!!
Thanks friend!
You are AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story with us. And congratulations on all the hard work and the amazing feeling you must have felt in writing that last check <3
Girl it felt SO POWERFUL!! Thank you for your sweet comment 🙂
You have been an inspiration to me even before I read your incredible and touching story. You have worked so hard and are a true success story. You should be so proud of yourself! 🙂
Thank you thank you thank you!!
Thank you for your inspiring story & congratulations on your hard work and a job well done! And, you are so young to have accomplished all that you have….way to go!!! I would love to visit your restaurants one day 🙂
I appreciate that so much! I’d love to have you visit.
Congratulations! This is awesome news – hope you’re celebrating and celebrating! 😉
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
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Thank you so much!!
As someone who has recently gotten the itch to start my own food blog, I was thrilled to see this new post! I am extremely inspired by your story, so thank you for writing it!
Yay! That was my intent so I’m thrilled to hear that. Best of luck!
Thanks for sharing your story! I’ve enjoyed following your blog for several years! You are an inspiration to so many people. It’s nice to see your hard work has paid off! Wishing you and your family all the best!
Thank you, Jody! That means the world to me.
This speaks to me so much. My dad had an aneurism 4 months ago. He has yet to regain his speech and I have had to Manage all of his finances while he is in rehab and can not communicate what credit cards he has and where his money is. Thanks for being vulnerable and giving me hope!
Wow Jane I’m so sorry. I’ve been there and I know how overwhelming that must feel. You’ll get through this. Sending you and your family love and hope!
What a BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING STORY!! We learn our best lessons through the toughest times. My parents came to the U.S. from Brazil when they were 29 and 30. They worked hard at odd jobs for years until my dad started his business when he was in his early 40s. He was able to pay tuition for both my sister and we handle the federal loans. Even with that I am going to finish paying mine off in 3 years (did an unpaid DI, too) and all of it is because of what I’ve learned from them. The best lesson they’ve given me is to never spend more than I make. I struggle often with comparing myself to others in terms of vacations and having fun etc but I know that I will not regret my efforts in my 30s and 40s. Thank you for sharing your story <3 You're going to inspire so many people to see the value in hard work and spending wisely!
What an incredible story. Comparison really is the thief of joy. Thank you for sharing, Cynthia!
I love this! Very similar story. Sick/disabled parent. School loans out the wazoo. Credit card debt. I love seeing that your hard work paid off. Sometimes it seems insurmountable to be able to pay off such a large amount, but yourbpost has inspired me to keep chugging along. Thanks for being so honest.
Sending love to you, Sarah. Insurmountable is a very good word to describe all this. Keep on keeping on, friend! You’ll look back and be so glad you did.
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing your journey, it was so encouraging to hear about your perseverance in paying off debt and being intentional about improving your credit score. I’d love to hear if you use any budgeting tools to help keep on track.
Hey Lindsey! I didn’t have any budgeting tools per se but I met with a friend after college who was a financial advisor so I could learn how to prioritize paying everything off with loans and credit card debt. He helped me get organized and that was super helpful. I’ve always been big on saving where I can—buying a refurbished computer, using coupons at the grocery store, all things I still do and will always do.
Yes! This is so inspiring. It’s so true that your blog is a labor of love and it shines through in your posts. As a dietetic intern who works a 2nd job, babysits, and has a blog, I really resonate with this! You are a shining example of passion, kindness, and hard work. Congratulations!
You sound like me!! I can tell you’re gonna kill it in life, my friend.
reading this gave me chills. you are such an inspiration and i’m so impressed by your perseverance and passion. i know the life of working a million jobs, but in the end, i know it’s worth it! i hope to someday achieve the success you have, and i hope you’re so unbelievably proud of all you’ve accomplished!! thank you for sharing this story with us <3
The ultimate compliment! Thanks so much, Jordan.
I grew up poor ( I hesitate to say it, but we were definitely below the poverty level) I am a first generation college graduation. I worked my butt off in high school in a food job to save to buy textbooks, a computer, etc. I held a job (sometimes two) the entire time I was in college working at least 20 hours a week. This was not easy considering I was an engineering major, but I did it because I had to. With going to a state school, I managed to come out loan free. I also purchased a house, something my parents were never able to do. I’m super proud of what I accomplished. Being an adult is hard.
Amanda, thank you for sharing. I know what that can feel so heavy sometimes. You’re going to do amazing things!
I’m old enough to be your mom and I just want to say I love your blog and and have followed you for years. Congratulations – you should be extremely proud of what you have accomplished!! Linda from Canada
Hahaha thank you Linda. Feeling very proud today!
This is so inspiring! Congratulations!
Thanks lady!
Wow. Wow. Wow.
This post (and just about every other one) spoke to me on so many levels.
SUCH an inspiration. I appreciate what you do so much.
Hugs!
Thank you, Natalie! It means so much to be able to share this and lift others up.
It must be so satisfying to finally be in a place where you can see the fruits of your hard work. It’s so hard to keep going sometimes when you’re not seeing the reward and I’m sure these words will inspire lots of people, including
That was my hope 🖤🖤🖤
Congrats! Not only did I love/admire you for your recipes, now I do it for your integrity in paying off your loans and your work ethic. Class act!
Thanks so much Ellen 🙂
This is amazing. Your work ethic, spirit, authenticity, genuineness, and humility make you such an incredible person. I look up to you every day. Congrats, girlfriend!
I love this. I got chills reading your story. Keep trucking, congrats on your dreams and success ❤️
Thank you so much, Jod!!
Congratulations Alexis! Your work ethic is very inspiring . I think sometimes the sacrifices we make can make a achieving a goal that much sweeter and worthwhile. Thank you for sharing your story- you give me hope that I can pay off my student loans.
I completely agree! Sounds like you’re well on your way 🙂
Ugh- Alexis- this is beautiful . I don’t know what else to say except that you inspire me SO much and that you are a true example of hard work paying off. Thank you for sharing your story and for being a light on my Instagram feed and role model for me every day!
Love that I can serve as a role model to a young woman who I KNOW is going to be absolute trailblazer in the field! Love ya!
You’re amazing, Alexis. Wow, your story is truly remarkable. Praying for your dad and hope to cross paths again at some point in life. 🖤
Thank you Mindy! So good to hear from you! XO
So much yaaasss! Thank you for opening up & sharing your story. It was so empowering to read & a message that I’m sure many of us can relate to. It makes me want to take an impromptu CLE to CBUS road trip to high five you in person, enjoy delish goodies at Alchemy & head right back home. 🙌🏻❤️
Awww you’re so sweet, Abby. Thank you!!
Hi!
I was so happy you opened up about this on and it inspired me (+ I had no other choice, really) to make my first student loan payment and I paid an entire loan off! It was the smallest one but it felt good to knock the entire loan (and it’s interest) away in one full swoop after having only been chipping away. I’m so sorry what your family had to endure but I really appreciate you sharing the story.
PS thank you for paving the way for other dietitians to make a presence outside in the blogosphere. I feel like I’m not working hard enough sometimes but then I have to remember things also take time!
Have a fabulous weekend! I hope you celebrate 🙂
I ADORE this post! It’s so inspiring and truly motivating. I would love to read more posts like this in the future, if you’re open to it? Thank you so much for opening up and sharing your past and present. xo
I am currently considering grad school and one thing that has been stopping me is the fear of not succeeding and having a mountain of debt I can’t pay off. This was so inspiring! Like you said, what is really stopping me besides those limiting beliefs? Thanks for sharing your story.
Wow- that is an amazing amount of debt to pay off in such a short time. I had a little less and it took me a little longer to pay off but I hear ya. My Dad passed away suddenly two years ago at the age of 55 so there has been even more of a pressure to earn extra income to help support my mom if needed. I think one big takeaway from this is consistency- you just kept pushing forward and didn’t stop or get sidetracked. Such a great story to share and I love how relatable this is <3 Congrats on all that you have achieved- it is inspiring and encouraging 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your story. You are truly an inspiration. It’s so comforting to know that there are people out there who have the same struggles and have persevered through it all to come out on top. I, too, have some newly acquired debt after getting my master’s degree as well and it’s often hard to enjoy the success of the degree when the financial burden feels like too much to handle. Your story gives me hope and the courage to keep on plugging away towards my goal of financial freedom. Keep sharing your story. You have a great gift!!
Your story is so inspiring, thanks for sharing! I’ve been feeling stuck lately — I’ve been unemployed for a month after leaving my job to try to find one that’s more in line with my passions. I’m so grateful for my parents, who are letting me live with them while I job hunt, but it’s been frustrating to not get any offers, and I feel like a failure for being reliant on my family, after living on my own for almost 4 years. Thanks for the reminder that hard work can get you anywhere and that my past (or present) doesn’t have to define my future or what I can achieve!
Thank you so much for being open and honest enough to share your story – you are a true inspiration to all of us who are lucky enough to follow along your journey! I hope that your dad is doing better <3
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Thank you so much, Meghan. He’s doing much better <3
Congratulations, and thank you so much for your candor. <3 Also, thank you for the truly actionable tips! Getting a better handle on my finances, budgeting and trying my best to prepare the future is something I think about a lot, and I'm going to set a goal to put some of the practices you mentioned into motion for myself. Thanks for paying it forward! This is going to be helpful for a lot people.
Eeeeee thanks, Tina! My main goal here was to inspire people that are where I was so recently and to show that there IS an end in sight with hard work and perseverance. 🙂
Thank you so much for this post, Alexis!! It has truly made my week and inspired me to keep working hard at my financial wellness. Like many of us, coming from extremely difficult circumstances and trying to dig yourself out is no easy feat, but eventually the hustle pays off. Your story is the perfect reminder to keep going. Thanks for be a voice on so many important topics and congratulations!! Sending love from Cleveland 🙂
You made my day! Thanks so much. Keep on keepin’ on, Bilyana! 🙂
Thank you for your post. It came at a perfect time. I love your voice and your message and always enjoy what you have to say, but this was one of my faves. Thanks for being authentic and transparent.
You’re blog has been such an inspiration to follow 🙂 keep it coming!
Thanks for being vulnerable and for shedding lighting on the fact that blogging and entrepreneurship takes a lot of grit. Being ambitious and building our dream life is so difficult, but if the passion is greater than the struggle, the dream will become reality. Your new kitchen is gorgeous – an well-deserved! Wishing you continued abundance in your life and endeavors =)
Wow! What an inspirational story! It encourages me as I am at the beginning stages of a blog and side hustle and trudging through the really hard work. I don’t want to give up! Thank you for sharing!
Your story is so inspiring, Alexis! I’m 2.5 years out of graduate school for dietetics and have about $30,000 of debt on my plate. It’s definitely stressful to see those numbers and feel like I’m barely chipping away at them. My parents haven’t been able to help out with my schooling either. My mom had breast cancer when I was a junior in college, so they certainly have their own expenses to worry about. But I love hearing stories like this where you took control of your situation and worked hard to get where you are and pay off that debt. This is definitely the kind of encouraging story I needed today! Thanks for sharing your life with us, Alexis! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing your story, Amanda. Sending love to your mom! Keep on doing your best. Thanks for reading! ❤️❤️
You’re such an inspiration Alexis. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading your story and feeling your determination through your words. I go through phases of being really motivated, but I find it hard to maintain the same motivation for long periods of time.
I really needed to read this today, and get that little nudge of encouragement 🙂
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Such an inspiring story, Alexis! Congratulations! It’s an amazing feeling when you finally pay off those loans. (We paid off the husband’s loans almost 3 years ago –more than 20 years after graduation.) My husband has a lot of medical issues and I often wonder about the impact on our kids. Your story gives me hope that they will be OK.
congratulations on paying off your student loans! it is such a huge feeling of accomplishment and relief. this was a really great post – thanks for sharing. i think we often see successful blogs and think it all happened overnight – it’s nice to hear about the process sometime and realize how much hard work really goes into it. i’m sorry for all of your dad’s health scares. it’s hard and it feels like a punishment sometimes – like isn’t one of those things enough, without piling on the rest? in the past 10 years my dad had a pulmonary embolism, throat cancer (he’s now in remission!), and major heart surgery. he definitely never wants to see the inside of a hospital again, but we have to look at the positive side (even when it feels like there isn’t one). you’re a fighter and it sounds like your dad is, too!
Thank you so much, Kristin! I really appreciate your comment. It feels so good! Sending love to you and your family as well 🙂
I really enjoyed reading your post!
So happy I finally got the chance to read this post. It was as amazing as I assumed it would be. You are so inspiring in so many ways and i’m so lucky to have come across you and your blog about a year ago. Thank you for sharing your story.
Thank you SO much, Rachel!
Wow, this resonates so, so much! I’m considering a big career change to become a RD and that would involve around 30 prerequisite credits followed by a masters degree . I’m really passionate about it and excited but even starting down this path would require me to pay off almost $10k in credit card debt (by taking on a second job) and then taking on more debt to go back to school. I know it’s worth it, but it has been an internal struggle.
This was just the inspiration I needed! Keep up the amazing work and beautiful blog!
It’s a lot of hard work, but if you love it, let your heart guide you. I’m so glad I could inspire you!
You give me hope! I have to ask…how do you pronounce “hummusapien”? What does it mean or where did it come from?
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Like homosapien but with hummus 🙂 it’s a word I made up! A pun on loving hummus.
Om! Hi 🙂 Just discovered your website today. Great story. Love the title of the website too. Well done! I”ve been becoming a big fan of tahini, which generally goes pretty well in hummus…so I may start up Homotahinian…but maybe that isn’t as clear as your name. Anyway, sending abundances of Love and Peace, and thank you for your great service.
Hallelujah!