Simone Craig Helping Communities to Retain Generational Wealth

Simone Craig is a versatile personality who is a capital-building strategist, financial expert, and motivational speaker all rolled into one. She is the founder and CEO of SLC Global, a boutique accounting and wealth consulting firm for women business owners. Primarily a wealth expert, she is on a mission to close the wealth gap one woman at a time.

Simone holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting, from Hampton University, in Hampton, VA, and has over 25 years of experience in the financial industry, including with KPMG Peat Marwick and Prudential Financial in Newark, NJ. She advises women business owners to make savvy and wise financial decisions for maximized business profitability, increased personal wealth, and joyful living. She helps women business owners feel confident and at ease with their business finances, create miracles for their bottom line, and partner with them to create generational wealth.

The ‘Backstory’

With an accounting degree, Simone started her career in a public accounting firm and subsequently moved to the private sector. However, she was not happy with what she was doing, as she felt that she was not meant for the corporate culture. "I was not happy as I was seeking my original enjoyment with numbers," Simone told WomELLE in an interview.

So, Simone decided to make a complete change and moved to California, where she got engaged in singing, writing songs, and acting. Soon, she was struggling with her finances and moved back home to join corporate America again. Unfortunately for Simone, she found that she was doing the work of three people, and when her company refused to lessen her burden, she resigned in 2007. She thought, “If I can do the work of three people, I can as well start my own business.”

Business Journey

Soon, Simone founded SLC Global to offer CFO services to businesses, especially women business owners. Initially, she focused on finding out where businesses struggled most and when she figured this out, she started taking practical steps regarding money and finances in her business. Today, Simone helps women business owners to grow and realize the value of wealth and how to create it.

Talking about her modus operandi in helping women business owners, Simone says that she starts with changing their mindset. "I believe that mindset is responsible for 80% of our results vis-à-vis money," she says. According to Simone, it is important to make women realize they are worthy of their actions. Once they are aware of it, it increases sales and profit. Next, she advises women to keep their books clean to avoid paying additional taxes.

As a CFO, Simone Craig offers her clients options regarding tax savings, which accountants don't. Accountants help people file tax returns in compliance with their inputs. But she takes care of her clients by offering them options of utilizing their money for their business instead of overpaying the IRS. “I help them with their tax-paying strategy. I want my clients to be wealthy and create generational wealth," says Simone.

‘Pay Yourself’

Despite having paved the path to success and creating a roadmap, many businesswomen cannot create legacies. This is mainly because they are not paying themselves. It is important to segregate one's finances from business finances. "Make your income from your own business a non-negotiable investment," she says. Suppose it's a struggle to prioritize your paycheck, then put it in the hands of your bookkeeper. Simone advises business owners to start with a profit-first philosophy and remember that investing in them is also investing in their business.  

Paying yourself is an important step towards creating generational wealth. When you pay yourself, you can stop chasing waterfalls and tap into the human imagination and your power of creation.

Generational Wealth

Simone has been on a mission to help people to create generational wealth. Generational wealth is the wealth passed on from one generation to another, and people must know how to preserve it. "Statistics show that the wealth a family builds is either significantly reduced or gone by when passed on to the second or third generation," she explains. Her mission is to help communities retain this wealth, and this can be done by educating our children on the value of money. Besides, having the right people and proper skills are important to preserve generational wealth, Simone opines.

Signature Program

Simone's signature program is "How to Make Money Fall in Love with your Bank Account." It teaches one how to manifest a big money breakthrough in as little as two months. She claims that this is the exact system that her students have used to generate 5- to 6-figure breakthroughs in their business after just eight weeks. The program has been designed to help change one's mindset to deal with money by understanding the value of money. "It is like the law of attraction; I love money, and money loves me," she says. She advises people not to worship money but to love it in the right perspective and proper order. The emphasis is on appreciating money.

Simone is also the creator of the Abundance School for Generational Wealth, which features the program Abundance Accelerator. The program takes one on a journey from changing their mindset to appreciating money and creating generational wealth. She also organizes monthly group coaching calls where the members can discuss everything right from what is happening in their lives to their businesses and mindset. You will fail to appreciate money when you are emotionally disturbed. On the other hand, you will value money when your emotions are at peace. This is what I teach my students."

When asked to explain the biggest misconceptions about money, Simone says, “Money and finances are not a financial issue; they are tied to one's emotions.”

Dealing with the Pandemic

According to Simone, the Covid-19 pandemic has hit most businesses in the United States, and even her business was affected. She lost about a third of her business when the pandemic started in 2020 but managed to recover with the relief fund and by helping other businesses avail themselves of the fund. The businesses she helped get the relief fund returned to her as clients. Even today, she added that many small businesses are surviving on relief funds.

Advice to New Entrepreneurs

The key to success for new women entrepreneurs is willingness. They should believe that they are capable of creating something that doesn't exist with them – money or wealth. First, they need to understand why they want to start their business and want the money. At the same time, it is important to get some good advice, get a bookkeeper and realize how valuable their time as a businesswoman is. She advises that they should focus on how they spend time generating sales, business, and networking. “I believe that women deserve more and better. We have to create our wealth, and we are capable of doing it," she concludes.