I was very fortunate to sit down for a chat with Jessica Moorhouse to discuss her story and her business. If you didn’t know, Jessica is a Canadian money expert who shares her wealth of knowledge on her award-winning blog and highly-ranked podcast called ‘More Money.’ I found Jessica through her podcast a few years back and have since been an avid listener.

It wasn’t until later that I discover she was a Canadian living in my hometown of Toronto. As we are a tighter nit group, it was great speaking with someone who understood the Canadian financial industry’s specifics.

Although not included, we talked about the financial job market, the weather and complained about housing prices, as all Canadians do.

What I find most interesting about Jessica, which I discuss in our interview, is that she did not receive a traditional financial education. In fact, her undergraduate degree in film couldn’t have been farther from it. It wasn’t until after university that she set out on her own to acquire the knowledge she needed to succeed and find her financial independence. This is very inspiring to all of us who may feel like we’ve missed the mark on traditional financial education.

When Jessica started learning ten years ago, there were nowhere near the available resources today. Jessica makes financial knowledge accessible for everyone through her work on her podcast, blog, and online courses.

Now, let’s take a deep dive into how Jessica got her start, what she has going on amid the pandemic, and her business goals for the future.

An interview with Jessica Moorhouse

Sarah: You started your personal finance blog almost ten years ago at the end of 2011 when the space was still so new, especially in Canada. What was your initial hope for the blog, and what pushed you to keep going?

Jessica: Around that time, I had recently finished a film degree at university and was trying to navigate the real world, knowing very little about personal finance at that point. I was excited to finally have my independence, but I struggled with my entry-level salary and living in the expensive city of Vancouver. I started turning to other personal finance blogs and learning everything I could.

At the time, I thought it was crazy to see people sharing their income, spending, and debt numbers. It was really refreshing for me. I decided to start my blog as a fun, creative outlet for me to document my journey and hopefully help others. The first year or two of the blog was based on my personal experiences, and it became a great way to keep me accountable and connect with other like-minded people. It was just something that I wanted to do for me.

Sarah: I think many people would be encouraged to hear that you did not receive a traditional financial education and research this information independently, even as a financial expert. In addition to blogs, were there other resources that helped kickstart your financial literacy journey? How do you feel that resources have changed over the last ten years?

Jessica: No, I did not receive a traditional education and started learning out of necessity. The only resources back then were books and blogs. Podcasts and YouTube videos weren’t available like they are today. Back then, it was seen as risky to use online banking. It’s crazy how times have changed in only ten years. Now, I’m continuously learning through the experts on my podcast and taking a variety of certifications through the Canadian Securities Institute.

Sarah: You launched your podcast “More Money” in 2015 and have since recorded over 200 episodes. Where did you get the idea to move the essence of your blog to this platform? Your podcast mainly involves you interviewing expert guests. Where did you get that idea, and how did you connect with such powerful people to have on the show?

Jessica: Moving from mainly blogging to a podcast format seemed like the right shift for me at the time. I’d been sharing many of my personal experiences on the blog and was now moving my focus away from me and onto my followers and their questions. With four-plus years of blogging under my belt, I had built up a community of people in Canada and the U.S. Although it was intimidating, it was nice having a roster of friends to have on through the first season. Over time, I’ve gotten more confident and have a better sense of my audience. After over five years in the podcasting space, it’s nice feeling like I’ve hit my stride.

Sarah: I’m a big fan of the podcast and am always impressed by your confidence when dealing with complex subject matter on an impromptu basis. What helped you gain this confidence? And, how would you recommend other young females looking to start a podcast do the same?

Jessica: For me, it just came with time. At this point in my podcast career, I’ve talked to over 200 people. The key is just to keep going. The more you keep doing something, the more confident you’ll become. I was essentially winging it in my first year. What kept me going was positive feedback from my listeners. Now I’m confident in what I’m putting out and the audience I’m doing it for. You can’t make a show for every single person. If I get a negative comment, it’s usually because More Money isn’t the show for them.

Sarah: Obviously, when you started your blog and later your podcast, you didn’t anticipate the growth and traction it would have or that you could use it as a monetized business. At what point or what milestone did you realize that things were working and that this could potentially be made into a full-time career?

Jessica: The blog and the podcast were just hobbies for the first five years while working in the corporate world in marketing in Toronto. It wasn’t until 2016 when I started seeing the work I was doing as a legitimate career opportunity. I’d been at my company for two years and worked hard to earn a promotion that I’d been promised. Later, I found out that the promotion had been promised to everyone in my department.

At that point, I knew that I had to make a career change and decided to put my full efforts into the business over finding another job that I wasn’t passionate about. More Money had started to make some income, and so, mid-way through 2016, I finally decided to leave the corporate world and have never looked back. Except for my co-workers, I don’t miss it, and I know that the work that I’m doing would make me an attractive candidate if I ever decided to go back.

Sarah: What’s in the works for you over the next while discussing the podcast and your other businesses? I know that you had an online course launching soon. How is that going?

Jessica: When I first started doing this full-time, my primary source of income was brand sponsorships. Although that still makes up part of my income, I don’t rely solely on other brands to help me grow anymore. On top of that, I had been doing individual money coaching calls over the last few years. I enjoyed helping clients one-on-one but am now shifting most of my energy into my online courses. Although I had two courses available previously, I’ve been working hard on a complete revamp for both of them.

The first course, Wealth Building Blueprint for Canadians, launched two weeks ago, and the second course is in the works. The courses are self-paced, and learning is independent, but I’ve created many different resources, so students feel supported. The courses include worksheets, online tutorials, a Facebook group community, and live bi-weekly Q&A calls with me.

Sarah: What are some of the future goals that you’ve set out for yourself and your businesses? Do you plan far ahead into the future?

Jessica: Because I’m a planner by nature, I certainly used to plan what I wanted to accomplish and when. I’ve found that plans are constantly changing, and strict planning was causing me to be less open to new opportunities as they came up. Now, I have a plan for the year, but I’m ok with going with the flow if it turns out differently. I’m hoping to do more keynote public speaking engagements after the pandemic in terms of some goals of mine. I would also be open to having a column in a newspaper or potentially a book deal in the future.

But, I’d also be totally fine if my career kept on my current path, and I continued to build out the podcast and grow my courses because teaching is a passion of mine.

Everyone has a unique story and financial journey

Jessica is an inspiring young woman shaping her unique path to success in the financial marketplace. As someone in this industry, it’s refreshing to see the success outside of a traditional desk role. Her story gives me the drive to pursue my passions and be taken seriously in an otherwise male-dominated industry.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can find Jessica on Instagram, on her website, and you can find her podcast, More Money, on all podcast platforms.