Glorianna’s Story: 21st Century Entrepreneur

Meet Glorianna, an aspiring entrepreneur who lives with her husband and youngest son in Las Vegas, Nevada.

How’d you choose Las Vegas?

I’ve been here since August 2013. I came here in 2011 because a girlfriend of mine didn’t want to live alone. She didn’t answer her phone for two weeks, so I was on the streets and stayed in a shelter during that time. At the beginning of the third week, she finally answered her phone. I slept on her floor until I could make things work.

Before moving to Las Vegas, I lived in Oakland, California for 19 years. It wasn’t sustainable. I had to work 2-3 jobs just to pay the rent. It’s much cheaper in Las Vegas.

Do you try to teach your son about money?

My son has autism, so it’s a little difficult. He doesn’t understand the concept of money at all. The value of money is something he’s been learning. I give him household chores to do as a financial incentive, but then he goes and spends his cash at Starbucks. If the chore isn’t written down, he won’t do it.

What do you do for a living?

I’m unemployed at the moment. Currently, I’m building a website on Shopify, but it’s been a month and nothing’s really happened. I’m trying to create a permanent domain for my website. My goal is to become an entrepreneur. Eventually, I’d like to build this website for an online store, make money, hire people, and become financially set.

I have four adult kids, and I want to make sure that they’re taken care of, especially if something were to happen to me.

What did your childhood teach you about finances?

It really didn’t teach me anything. My childhood was all over the place. My mom left then came back. Then my dad left and came back. We ended up on the streets. I just want to make sure that my kids don’t have to go through that.

How did you get from that point in your life to where you are now?
I don’t know. I just put it in my head that I didn’t want to go through life thinking, “What’s gonna happen next?” In general, I try not to worry about the little things, which is difficult because I was recently diagnosed with PTSD and hypertension. I try not to let the situation overcome me.

What are your goals for the future?

First, I’d like to get my website up and running. Second, I’d like to be able to generate more income. But most of all, I want to be able to bring my family physically closer. My daughters live in Virginia and my other son is living in Los Angeles, and I really want to create a bond with my kids who are living out of state.

How long have you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I’ve wanted to be an entrepreneur since I was 18. Years ago, I didn’t think I could do it because of monetary resources and the fact that my credit wasn’t good. The one thing I’ve discovered in my journey to become an entrepreneur is that it’s hard to get good advice from other people in this field.

What’s your background in website building?

Basically, I’m going to teach myself. My thinking is: if I can teach myself, I’ll be able to teach other people. Google has also been really helpful. I thank Google for everything.

How does budgeting work in your household?

I get food stamps since I’m unemployed, and they’ve been helpful. Other than that, I’m responsible for half our household bills. I’m very independent, and it’s hard for me to have someone else help me. Together, my husband and I have about $4,000 in bills monthly, and I’m responsible for $2,200 of that.

What does money mean to you in your life?

It really doesn’t mean that much. Truthfully, it would be nice to have more of it to afford things and go places. For example, I really want to travel with my son. He loves trains and haunted mansions. I would want to take him to a haunted mansion out in Pennsylvania.

How did you feel about winning $50 from the SaverLife Tax Time Pledge?

I was shocked as hell! I was happy. With me being unemployed, $50 is really going to help. I’m going to use my winnings to help build my business and pay for Facebook ads.