Today we’d like to introduce you to Teri Ijeoma.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. When I was in elementary school, I started my first business—I helped elderly people in my neighborhood carry their groceries into their homes for $5 a trip! In high school, I ran a successful candy store out of my locker and backpack, and in college, I began selling Mary Kay to my professors. I think at every stage I was looking for two things: ways that I could fill gaps in my community, but also ways I could invest whatever I had and see a return on that investment. So of course, once I learned about the stock market, I was instantly intrigued by the potential I saw in it. Google actually went public when I was a senior in high school, and they were selling shares for $83. I wasn’t old enough to invest on my own, but I remember begging my grandmother to invest for us. The problem was that neither of us knew how to even open an account to begin participating, so we ended up doing nothing. I think about that story a lot, especially when I’m teaching my classes—Google shares are now worth over $1200! If only we knew how to get started at the beginning!
I didn’t actually start investing in the stock market until after college, right after the housing market crashed in 2010. My plan had been to invest in a home, and my realtor would talk a lot about the stock market while showing me places. So I decided to not let my lack of knowledge stop me—I opened my first account and started learning everything that I could. And it wasn’t like I was an overnight success or anything. There was a lot to learn, and there are also a lot of insights that isn’t always public knowledge. I learned a lot by trial and error, but also from talking to other people and gleaning from them. I saw more and more of a profit every year, but it took until 2017 before I was proficient enough to quit my job and start trading and traveling full-time.
I actually never planned to start a course around trading. But while I was traveling, people were constantly asking me how I was able to support myself. And once I shared about trading, they started asking me to teach them how to invest. So, I put together a quick workshop, which I taught a few times overseas and then when I returned to the States, I kept it going. Now Invest With Teri is a full-blown business, and it’s been awesome to see it continue to grow.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges I faced when I started trading is that there is just so much information out there—and not all of it is good. When I started, I looked through YouTube, read books, and checked out courses, and it was hard to figure out which strategies and advice were the best. So that was the first thing I had to figure out: what would I participate in, and whose advice I should take. And once I did that, I was able to develop my own style.
Managing your emotions is also a challenge. Becoming a good investor takes a lot of discipline; you need to figure out what step you’re going to take at every part of a trade and then stick with it. Before you even start, you have to know your risks for every trade; otherwise, it’ll be difficult to be successful. Trading also takes patience. It’s not always easy to watch and wait and sometimes do nothing, but that’s part of a good trading plan.
Once I got into a rhythm and had a consistent plan, I was able to consistently earn a daily and weekly income—but it still took me seven years before I could live off of trading. It took me a while to develop my own trading plan, and I made a lot of mistakes mixed in with a few big gains. But, I learned from my mistakes and I’m actually grateful for them because I can now teach my students to avoid those novice mistakes as they begin building their own plans.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Invest With Teri – what should we know?
There is a growing interest among millennials and retirees to learn how to invest in the stock market, but there are also very limited resources to guide them through it. As I discovered, there’s a lot out there that isn’t very good, or it isn’t structured in a way that leads to successful trading. My niche is teaching people how to actively invest in the stock market for consistent returns that will supplement or replace their income. When I started, I was looking for a way to increase my income and ultimately have more financial freedom. Living paycheck to paycheck is so limiting, and I had the dream of quitting my job and pursuing my passion to travel. My intro course is actually called Trade and Travel because my strategy allowed me to quit working as an elementary school assistant principal and start traveling around the world as a full-time trader. I know not everyone out there wants to replicate my life choices, but I do think most people are looking for ways to increase their income and also want to be financially free and pursue their own dreams. My business is built with that mindset. I teach my trading strategy to my students, and their success helps bring in a regular income to supplement or replace their current incomes—and ultimately it helps them pursue their own dreams!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Since I started my business in 2018, I have been able to teach 150 students. It’s been awesome to hear their success stories and see their lives change and so my plan is really just teach more people! Right now my goal is to have taught 500 students by the end of this year. I’m looking forward to accepting more new students who I can teach to successfully invest in the stock market so that they can have financial freedom and a more fulfilling life.
Contact Info:
- Website: investwithteri.com
- Email: tijeoma@gmail.com
- Instagram: @imaninvestor
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/investwithteri/
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