Exploring Life & Business with Mariah Phillips

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariah Phillips.

Hi Mariah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My husband and I moved to Tennessee in 2006. I was a 29-year-old mother with three children working as a manager for Starbucks. My husband is a musician.

We settled in Murfreesboro and quickly became engaged in the local community. With another kid on the way, I decided to go back to college to finish my bachelor’s degree in political science at MTSU. I wanted to become a high school teacher.

In 2012, I started teaching the two most important subjects people need to learn – US Government and Personal Finance at a high school in Rutherford County. Teaching US Government during a presidential election year was always a lot of fun. Until 2016. The same unrest and division we saw in our communities was impacting my classroom. I decided to do something about it and I quit my job to run for US Congress in the Fourth Congressional District in Tennessee.

I had never wanted to run for office before but as a problem-solver, I knew that this was the most direct action I could take. I became educated on the process through Emerge Tennessee. I made connections, continued to build relationships, and ran aggressively to defeat two male opponents for the Democratic nomination. Although I didn’t win the general election in November, I know that I ran an impactful campaign.

For several years after that election, I kept my political science teacher hat on and educated people about the Democratic process, running again for Office, mentoring other candidates, and leading the Rutherford County Democratic Party.

Along the way, I also put my personal finance teacher hat back on. I became a financial advisor, this time helping adults understand various financial tools, and putting them on a path to overcome obstacles and reach their dreams.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Yes, and no. Because I’m a problem-solver by nature, I tend to find challenging times interesting and engaging. When I talk about my experience, raising four kids while working full-time and going to school full-time while my husband was a traveling musician, I think “Dang that was hard” but at the moment, in the day-to-day, I just did what I had to do to get to tomorrow.

Like deciding to run for US Congress, I often don’t take the easy way out.

Especially financially. Getting married at 20, starting a family by 21, and supporting my husband‘s early music career were all years of struggle. When I chose to take a pay cut to become a teacher, and then chose to quit my job entirely to run for US Congress, that was difficult financially for our family. Now a few years ago, starting and building a financial advising practice has been a lot of work, like starting any business is.

But I wouldn’t change any of those decisions.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
As a financial advisor, I get to listen to people’s goals and dreams and create a path to help them overcome the obstacles to reach those dreams. I enjoy working with women and creative entrepreneurs who have 3+ years in business and are ready to think about the next steps in planning.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Be authentic and live with integrity. Whatever others may fling at you to try to damage your reputation, it can’t stick if you are living authentically.

And treat EVERYONE with respect. I recognize that living according to the most important commandment is the best way to be: love God and all your heart and LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR as yourself. We are all connected.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Haveyoumetmariah
• Facebook: Mariah Phillips
• Linkedin: Mariah phillips