Scarlett Cochran
Scarlett Cochran is an attorney, financial expert, and entrepreneur. In her career as a lawyer, she worked on behalf of everyday Americans at government agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (where she worked on fair lending and equity issues). Since launching One Big Happy Life, Cochran and her partner, Joseph, have touched the lives of millions. She loves hanging out with her two kids and slobbery Newfoundland and watching sci-fi/fantasy television shows. Her favorite author is Octavia E. Butler.
How This Teen Single Mom Went From Earning $14,000 a Year to Hundreds of Thousands in Revenue
Personal finance expert Tasha Cochran made $14,000 a year at age 19 as a single mom in the Marine Corps. Last year, her business and related YouTube channel generated hundreds of thousands in revenue. Here's how she did it.
By Julia Malacoff - Parents.com
Tasha Cochran has come a long way from her time as a single mom earning $14,ooo annually while serving in the Marine Corps. Now, the mom of Alexis, 18, and Reeves, 4, is a lawyer and wealth expert who runs a popular YouTube channel and personal-finance blog, One Big Happy Life.
Her path from the military to helping others secure financial independence was anything but linear. Cochran always knew she wanted to go to college, but wasn't clear on how to pay for it, so the G.I. Bill, which helps cover tuition costs for veterans, led her to join the military. During her time in Marines boot camp, Cochran got pregnant with her daughter, Alexis, and started to focus on her finances in order to budget for a baby. Before Alexis was born, Cochran rented a tiny apartment off of the military base in Quantico, Virginia for $300 a month. She also enrolled in night classes at the local community college using her active duty discount to pay for the credits.
After completing her courses at the community college, Cochran made the difficult choice to leave the military for civilian life. She decided to go to Yale Law School after research into its loan repayment assistance program, and became a banking and finance attorney. Along the way, she got married, then divorced, met her partner, Joseph, and had another child. Cochran's family, financial, and professional lives have shifted immeasurably since she was that 19-year-old single mom.
In whatever spare time Cochran could cobble together between being a lawyer and mom, she worked on her YouTube channel and blog. Centered on sharing the lessons that she and Joseph gleaned throughout their journey, One Big Happy Life now helps others achieve financial independence. Here's what she's learned along the way. Read full article