Welcome,
I'm AnnieI’m an author, accountant, coach, and content creator who’s spent the past decade studying how to manage personal finances and stand out in the job market.
My Story
How It All Started
“You’re not special. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg—they’re special. But Annie Yang, you’re not special.”
—Ms. Garcia, my high school guidance counselor
That’s what my high school guidance counselor, Ms. Garcia, told me when I decided not to go to college right after high school. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, to Chinese immigrant parents, and we were poor. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and it didn’t make sense to spend tens of thousands of dollars in tuition for a degree I wasn’t passionate about, just to end up with a mountain of debt.
Ms. Garcia didn’t like my decision and tried to convince me to take out $40,000 in loans for a degree in yoga, of all things! But I was determined to prove her wrong. I went straight into the workforce after high school, saved 25% of my minimum wage income, and moved out of my parents’ house. I wanted to learn about money and discover what I was truly passionate about without the burden of loans hanging over me.
Why I Started
“You’re not qualified to help people with their finances; you make minimum wage.”
—Everyone I approached to help with their money
Even though I didn’t go to college right away, I knew I could still be good with money. I became obsessed with learning how to budget and save, and by the time I was earning just $10 an hour, I was saving 25% of my income. People who earned double my salary were living paycheck to paycheck, and then it hit me – ‘higher earners weren’t necessarily better off financially.’
This ignited a passion in me to help others manage their finances. I started volunteering to teach Dave Ramsey’s financial courses, even when it meant traveling for hours for just one student. No one thought I was qualified, but I knew I had something valuable to offer. Over time, I began helping companies manage their finances as a bookkeeper and wanted to advance to be an accountant, but I was still told, “You’re not qualified to be an accountant.”
What Made Me Snap!
“You’re not qualified for this job because you lack phone skills.”
—The customer success recruiter
At this point, I thought, maybe they’re right. Maybe I can’t be an accountant without a degree. Maybe I should go for a customer service job. After all, I had experience in communications and had been answering phones at Domino’s.
But after being told I wasn’t qualified for that either, I realized people would always tell me, “You’re not qualified.”
So, I made a decision. If I was always going to hear that, I might as well go after what I really wanted. I applied to 50 accounting jobs a day, even without an accounting degree, and within a week, I landed my first accounting position. That was my breaking point—I stopped letting other people hold me back.
Then What Happened?
“You’re not qualified to earn more than $55,000 a year without an accounting degree.
If you’re lucky, you’ll make $60,000, but $70,000? You’re not qualified for that.”
—The recruiter with 10 years in the field
Yet, I did it. And I did it in just 5 days.
Here is the timeline of my growth after my decision
2017
I wrote my first book: 1001 Ways to Save Money.
2018
I got my first accounting job in 7 days.
2018
I got my second accounting job in 6 days.
2018
I started my YouTube Channel. My very first finance video got almost a million views.
2019
I got my third accounting job in 5 days—securing a $35,000 raise, despite headhunters saying I couldn’t earn more than $55,000 without an accounting degree. I needed the raise to qualify for a mortgage.
2020
I bought my first house at 25.
2021
I started my first company – an accounting firm that helps real estate businesses manage their finances.
2023
I wrote my second book: The 5-Day Job Search.
2023 – 2024
I appeared on over 130 podcasts.