How a TikTok Finance Star Made $300K in 6 Months

This social media career and money expert earned $300k in six months by sharing her knowledge through TikTok videos.

Tori Dunlap is an internationally recognized career and money expert who works to help women better their lives financially. She recently made $300k in six months by sharing her expertise via TikTok videos. Keep reading to find out more about how Tori did this and to check out some of her money and business tips.

This 26-year-old made 100k at 25

Tori is a 26-year-old former corporate marketing professional turned career and money expert.

She developed an interest in personal finances early in life and met her personal goal of saving $100k at 25.

Tori recognizes that privilege played a part in her success. She graduated college debt free not only by working multiple jobs while attending classes and earning scholarships, but also thanks to financial help from her parents.

After meeting her goal, she quit her corporate job to share her knowledge with other women. Through her company, Her First 100K, Tori helps women:

• Negotiate salaries
• Pay off debt
• Save money
• Invest
• Start businesses

Her business principles are focused on advocacy for equality across all genders and races in the financial industry. Women and people of color have been repeatedly systematically disenfranchised, and she wants to help change that.

How she made $300k in six months of posting content on TikTok

Tori currently has 1.6 million TikTok followers. If you've ever watched her TikTok videos, it's easy to see why, and you can see her former theater background shine through. Tori tackles personal finance topics in a shame-free, approachable manner. As a result, she was able to bring in $300k in income within six months of posting on the video-based platform.

Yes, you read that right -- $300k. How did she do that? When asked about it, Tori noted that she developed systems to point people towards the many resources on her website. She has free and paid resources available and has found success by offering a Money Personality quiz. This quiz helps people learn more about their own financial needs.

Tori has also had success on the platform because her target audience is there, and she posts relatable, interesting content.

Her target market is millenial and Gen Z women, and they want to learn more about personal finance matters. They also appreciate authenticity, and Tori makes sure to be her true self in her videos and throughout all of her content.

For those who want to make money off of social media, whether as a side hustle or business venture, Tori suggests that in order to build trust you, "Find a niche, have a clear and consistent message to start." But that's not all.

"Don't be afraid to show your personality. The Gen-Z and millennial audience are so much more open to hearing from someone who shows up as themselves online."

Tips to get ahead with your finances

It can feel impossible to know where to begin when you struggle with money management or never learned about personal finances growing up. I asked Tori what advice she had for anyone who is looking to change their financial situation.

Tori recommends that you, "Take a deep breath and start where you're at. I see a lot of people so scared to start because the information can be so overwhelming." She also suggested, "Remember that your financial journey will look different than everyone around you, and you have no idea what situations other people are in -- so stay out of the comparison game. Put on those blinders and take the next right step for YOU."

Even if you don't make a lot of money, you can make positive changes. Tori recommends a budgeting method focused on value-based spending.

When setting up your budget, consider what you enjoy spending money on and make sure your budget includes room for those expenses. Getting a side hustle can also be beneficial. Tori personally had success with this approach.

"Working full-time with a side hustle was absolutely exhausting at times, but that money helped me reach my $100K goal, which eventually helped me take my business full time. The trade-off was worth it."

And finally, don't deprive yourself of that latte or avocado toast. Some personal finance gurus claim these extra "luxuries" are a big part of the reason why the younger generation struggles financially. But, according to Tori, "We have one life here, and depriving ourselves of small joys is not the way to live it. There are always times to cut back or be more frugal, but a balance can exist!"

If you'd like to learn how to take charge of your finances and get career and money advice, we have a variety of personal finance resources available to anyone who needs them.