WTF Does Multiplying Your Margins Mean Anyway?

Welcome to the Margins Memo! I am so glad you’re here. Each week, I’ll take a deep dive into how to navigate hidden systems that keep you from wealth, time, energy, and safety—and the blueprints to building something better.

Dear Reader, 

I realize I got ahead of myself since the soft launch of the newsletter and didn’t take the time to define some key terms for you to make sure we are on the same page.  So if you were lying in bed last night unable to sleep because you were ruminating over “WTF does multiplying margins mean anyway?” don’t worry I got you. I’m going to deviate a little from the typical newsletter format so hold onto your big girl pants (which I am hoping are a bright teal) as we venture into responsible adulting as a woman of color.

It was a rainy Tuesday evening. I was taking the bus home after my Personal Finance for Women Class. As I stepped off the bus, I made sure to pull my rain jacket hood all the way over my head. Because it was pouring hard that day, I decided to take a shortcut home. That was my first mistake. 

I was about a 100 steps from my apartment when I felt a tug at my bag. When I turned around, there were two men towering over me. I didn’t hear them come up behind me. And that’s when the tug-of-war with my bag ensued. “I just want my keys!” I screamed. I quickly loose my balance and end up on the ground. At this point, I am still stubbornly holding on to my bag. “Just let go,” says one of the muggers. And so I did. Then I watch them sprint down the street to their getaway car. 

I know what you are thinking, dear reader. Why didn’t I just give them my bag?  The truth is, I don’t have a good answer for you.  The most valuable thing in my bag was my class notes. There was no cash in my wallet. Everything else was replaceable. All I can say is logic is not typically what takes over in moments like these. Being tired and hangry didn’t help matters. I just wanted my keys. The irony is when I stood up and checked my pockets after they ran off, I realized my keys were in my coat pocket the whole time. 

After the mugging, my finances took a hit in a lot of subtle and not-so-subtle ways:

And it wasn’t just my broken finger that was holding me back. It was the constant state of hyperviligance that was born out of my compromised sense of safety. I no longer felt safe to take the bus. I no longer felt safe to walk around the neighborhood after dusk. I no longer felt safe to trust others or even myself. Till this very day–more than 15 years after the mugging incident–I still get easily startled if anyone approaches me from behind. 

I am not alone when it comes to the visceral fear that arises when walking alone at night. The shared sense of fear as a woman is a part of global phenomenon. Across the globe, one in three women will experience physical or sexual in their lifetime. ³ And the heightened sense of fear is real for women of color especially because of the numerous ways in which their physical and psychological safety is threatened each day.

Women are of color are more likely than their peers to experience:

And all of these experiences that threaten their safety come with an economic cost. The global cost of violence against women costs roughly $1.5 trillion each year—about 2% of the global GDP. ¹ On a macro level, violence against women creates strain on healthcare systems, judicial systems, social services, and employers.

The economic and financial impact on survivors can be devastating. Here’s what it can look like:

And then of course there’s the things that cannot be quantified. The trauma. The emotional pain and suffering. The fear. The hypervigilance. The grief. All these things have a palpable impact on the lives of survivors. And so it’s no surprise that violence against women has also been linked to intergenerational economic loss. ²

Economies are built by people who can thrive when they feel safe. And you are no exception, my dear reader. It’s why building margins in safety must always come first. No exceptions. This is why you’ll see me talking about safety explicitly in my newsletters.

So WTF does multiplying your margins anyway? Let’s get into it.

Margins in Safety means having a certain level of protection that allows you to live, work, and express yourself without being in constant state of fear or hypervigilance. Safety always comes first when multiplying the margins in your life. It’s foundational; without it, it’s hard to focus on anything else. It becomes nearly impossible to build margins in time, energy, and money without having margins in safety. Creating margins in safety is a proactive process. And whenever you ignore this part, it can be potentially devastating. Please don’t ever lose sight of this, my dear reader.

Margins in Time means having enough breathing room in your schedule to adapt to disruptions while still moving toward your ideal life in an intentional manner. There are often systemic barriers that often get in the way of being able to use your time effectively and intentionally. When you lack the awareness of these barriers, it becomes difficult to build safeguards against them. And when that happens it becomes near impossible to build margins in money and wealth. Building margins in time and money are not mutually exclusive; they are inextricably linked.

Margins in Energy means the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual capacity to absorb stress without losing your stability and vitality. When you don’t have margins in energy, you have a diminished capacity to multiply your margins in time and money. Depending on what season you are in your life, that are times you may need to prioritize margins in energy.

Margins in Money means having the financial resilience that allows you to withstand the shocks, make intentional choices, and shape your lasting legacy. This is what allows you to have agency in your life so you can decide for yourself what living and intentional life looks like. You craft your own narrative instead of letting society let you write it for you.

So here's the question I have for you this week:

What is your single greatest challenge when it comes to multiplying your margins in safety, time, energy or money?

Reply and let me know. I read every response, and would love hearing from you.

See you in the margins,

Miloney