ORLANDO, Fla. – This week on “Black Men Sundays,” host Corie Murray interviews Lashea Reaves.
Boasting multiple degrees and a relentless work ethic, Reaves’ story is one of struggle followed by success. Her mother died when Reaves was just 14 years old, largely lending to what she told Corie were the first 23 years of a life knowing what it’s like to be dependent on government systems and the generosity of other people.
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“We all been in that situation where our money ain’t moneying right. Like, no matter what we do, we try to rob Peter to pay Paul, it’s still not working, and one of the things that I learned early on; temporary sacrifices for permanent gains. So let me say that again, temporary sacrifices for permanent gains. Yes, we deserve nice things and we want to treat ourselves, but one of the things that I learned in college and I’m so grateful that I did it, If I can just sacrifice two years of being uncomfortable, it will give me a lifetime of comfort,” Reaves said.
Reaves aggressively pursued her financial independence, feeling the spark from her job as a bank teller and going on to graduate cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business management and economics from FAMU. Now, she serves as senior vice president - director of DEI Business Administration & Risk at Truist Bank, well as in advisory roles for Orange County Government and at UCF.
“It is my job to hold the organization accountable from a DEI perspective, but then also when we think about the culture of the organization and the purpose of our teammates and then the clients that we serve. So I do everything on the administrative compliance and risk side to hold the organization accountable from those departments, but then also to validate what we say is true and accurate, and making sure that we are holding up to the standards that we set for,” Reaves said.
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In 2016, she founded the nonprofit 8 Cents in a Jar, where she aims to empower future generations with the same financial wisdom that changed her life.
“While I was in college, I had to adopt my younger sister and I found out that (our father) was selling and using our identity. So by the time I got it fixed, pleading with all of the creditors and went through a two year dispute, I literally had eight cents to my name. I did not have enough to even have a bank account. The bank called me to say, ‘Hey, we need to close out your account and we’re gonna write off your eight cents.’ I said, ‘No, that’s my eight cents, give it here.’ So I went to the bank, grabbed my eight cents, came back home and threw it in the jar, and never again. So, that popped in my head, and that’s why the company is called 8 Cents in a Jar,” she said.
Hear the full interview in Season 4, Episode 19 of “Black Men Sundays.”
Black Men Sundays talks about building generational wealth. Check out every episode in the media player below.