Meet Shelby Walker of KHōNA Fitness

Hi Shelby! Please briefly tell us about yourself.

Hi! I am a fitness professional based in Atlanta! I am passionate about healing people through movement, it is my gift and my purpose!

I am the founder of KHōNA Fitness, a remote movement festival, curated and designed for BIPOC. We create safe spaces for black and brown people to move to music that reflects our culture , heal our unique traumas, and celebrate our diversity! Please join me on this journey!

Oh, it sounds amazing and something that we need in our community. Similar to KHōNA Fitness, The Financial Read is a safe space to have open discussions about money and building wealth in the BIPOC community. We appreciate you being our first interviewee. Well, let’s get straight into it!

Can you recall your first conversations about finances?
Finances have always been an abstract thing. I don’t recall ever having an educational conversation on finances. It’s so foreign in the black community.

How would you describe your relationship with money?   My relationship with money has fluctuated throughout my life, as my income has changed drastically in short spans of time. However, one thing that has remained consistent is I have always been more focused in saving money, than growth.

What financial mistakes have you made? What lessons have you learned from them?
I have spent money frivolously on things that gave me no return in investment. I look at money differently now. I am not currently investing in stock, but even small purchases, I stop to think, what can this do for me and my business long term.

How much debt have you accumulated, if any? If so, how do you plan on becoming debt-free?
I am debt-free. Years ago, I knew I wanted to shake all of my debt, so I paid off my car loan in a year, and student debt soon thereafter. I haven’t made any big purchases since.

Congrats on being debt-free! It is a goal that many of us have on our list of things to achieve. Do you have any other financial goals that you are working towards and why are they important to you?    Financial freedom. I don’t have great lining/materialistic goals for the future. But I want to not be concerned with money when it comes to the type of experiences I’d like to gain in my adulthood. I want to travel and experience the world without breaking the bank.

What steps are you taking to make your financial goals a reality?
I am focusing on the growth of my business and saving what I can. Hoping to get to another stepping stone soon, to be able to make my money work for me.

How do you keep organized and stay on track with saving? What tools or resources have you used?
I have fallen off my practices as my income has varied so much, though I know that’s even more reason to stay committed and aware. I tend to write out what I make, my bills, and what I have to spend to figure how much I can save.

Do you have financial conversations with your peers (i.e.friends, family, acquaintance)?
Many of my closest friends are entrepreneurs, so we check in mostly bout well-being, but don’t go in depth about numbers. The goal is to survive living your dream, so really the bare minimum.

Do finances show up in your dating life? How soon do you enquire about the person your dating financial well being (ie. credit score, debt, spender or saver)?
It’s something I’m aware of for sure. I hate debt, and made it a point to erase my debt in my 20’s, so I’d like a partner with the same outlook.

What advice do you want to share with our community about money and finances?
Live off what you make so you can keep building, even if it’s just a little bit. You will see financial freedom one day.

If you want to hear more from Shelby, please follow her on Instagram @shelbyadina and @khonafit .