Personal finance educator Dana Miranda's initial audience was not an ideal fit. However, after she made the shift, she started to increase her audience. |

If Dana Miranda shifted her target audience to provide educational resources and education training to educators and non-profits, she found an increase in satisfaction and harmony her work.

In the two years Dana Miranda worked as a personal financial journalist, she observed the growing tendency. "Most of the financial content that is available on the web, especially advice and education, is from a singular perspective, and that is usually white, male heteronormative, or of a middle-class family background."

"I came from a working class family background" Dana shares. "I'm a queer woman. And I kept seeing that there was a deficiency of knowledge and awareness of the nuances of these diverse encounters that individuals have in relation to money."

Instead of reproducing the same information shared by everyone else, Dana decided to change the story.

Presently, Dana Miranda is a personal finance instructor and founder of Healthy Rich , which is a website that offers affordable, cost-free financial education. Here's how Dana built her online business and made sure that her mission was seen by as many people as possible regardless of taking a different route.

A monetization method that is a hit doesn't mean it's appropriate for your business.

Healthy Rich started as an extra-curricular activity which Dana ran while working as a writer for a company that was freelance.

"I started Healthy Rich as a project to tell different personal finance tales. The blog was a mere website but there wasn't any money coming in. I was unsure of what the process of monetizing would be, but I knew that I would eventually want to make it a business."

"I did not want to make money by advertising or affiliates," Dana explains. "That's very commonplace in the world of personal finance however I was not happy with what I'd seen on sites that I'd worked for. To make sure we were giving value to the user, I wanted remove ads from the equation."

Dana loved the course content she created. Dana also loved talking with her students, hearing comments, and responding to questions. There was something that didn't feel right about selling to her fans.

"I hated the entire launch. I resented the whole selling process of convincing people that they're suffering and that I can help. None was a good fit for me," Dana remembers.

Selling products to individual audience members wasn't the best way to go This was a huge problem. While this was Healthy Rich's monetization plan, she wanted her readers to have access to the details for free. Her goal was to make funds, but she didn't want the money coming from the pockets of those she was trying to help.

If the idea of creating products that appeal to your intended market, it feels unnatural, try shifting your audience

For a better understanding, Dana had conversations with educators and community organizers. After these discussions she realised that there was an enormous need for financial education for individuals -and she could be the person to provide it.

"The necessity for financial education is growing," Dana explains.

"There are many states passing mandates that you need to take an individual finance course before you graduate from high school however, the majority of them do not have funding and they don't provide a specific educational track for someone to become a personal finance teacher. Teachers who are entering the field usually are instructed that they must teach a financial course, but they don't have the confidence to do it."

The same issue existed among employees of non-profit organizations and also the ones who provide services to vulnerable groups.

"People employed by a non-profit organization may be helping people in another part of their lives, but it's all inextricably connected to money. They're fielding questions about people's finances, which they're not comfortable answering. I'm trying to assist people understand this subject so they are able to answer those questions confidently."

Dana realized that she could bypass selling products to end consumers and instead serve teachers and trainers by reaching an even larger market. The message she shared could be heard by more people, her business could earn money, and she'd feel confident about her impact.

"I love to offer content to the people that need it, for free whenever I can. Serving community organizations and educational institutions is a means for me to make these classes available to those who are in need because individuals are participating in those classes and programs for free," she shares.

"This opened up a new market for my company since I was able to enable instructors and facilitators. I can work on both sides of the table without advertising classes for each person."

When Dana started to build out her brand new educational program  It clicked.

"My initial course launch was a good test. I'm pleased that I learned the lessons I learned, however I'm also happy that I got it right before moving into the next chapter."

" lets me be flexible in creating what I'd like. I love that it allows me to create what I want."

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"People like to talk about what they're working on. Keep track of the companies you would want to work with and find out what they're up to," Dana notes.

"It's helped me to know the niche that I want to work with, which is educators and nonprofit organizations. I'm from Wisconsin which is why I'm beginning local with groups in the community. I can reach out as an acquaintance and tell them that I am concerned about the work that you're doing for my community. Let's talk about how we can collaborate.'"

Reimagining the audience she wants to reach and the products they need, Dana transformed Healthy Rich into beyond a site that provides financial advice for individuals. Today, it's an opportunity to change the way we talk around money.

"The way that we talk about money is a problem, and I want to do it differently. I'm hoping to supply the teachers with the resources they need, as well as ensure that it's being taught with the most inclusive and broad approach, not just the same old financial planning and debt repayment that I was seeing."

With her focus shifting away from individuals to teachers as well as non-profit employees, Dana stayed true to her ideals and came up with the best way to impart her knowledge with those needing it the most.

Discover new paths and beware of making comparisons with others

Dana informs the creators that "there's there isn't a perfect formula for the way to make this career. The only way to find out is to try and find out what works your best."

The first step to finding your personal path means not comparing yourself to other creators. Instead, Dana recommends looking to the past to determine the extent to which you've gotten better.

"Everyone is at a moment, aspiring to get to the next level. The most helpful thing for me is to think about myself in the past five or ten years," she says.

"When I began freelance work I was aspired to become writing. I took on a few freelance gigs and blogging in the first several years, I was earning very low pay. Whenever I feel frustrated with where I am in my business, I look back at me then and reflect on what I've done."

"I managed to secure a full-time job as a employee writer" the writer reveals. "In the past couple of years, I've made six figures freelancing. This time, I'm moving into an entirely new stage where rather than my earnings primarily being from writing freelance, I'd like to earn it from my own business .

"It's difficult to figure out how to get it done however, if you had have told me 12 years ago my future position in, I wouldn't think that this could ever happen. I'd be awestruck."

At the end of the day making the decision to pursue your passion is an enormous win and you've probably come farther than you think.

"I think that pursuing this type of goal is a huge thing to be celebrated no matter the phase you're at."