By providing simple and accessible financial advice, an influential digital educator has managed to connect with millions of young people, especially women, encouraging them to take control of their financial future. Her personal story reflects the importance of financial independence and collective empowerment.
Through her platform, Tu educates people on the importance of financial literacy and empowers millions of Gen Zers , especially women, to make smart decisions and take control of their financial future. Now, her influence extends even further through partnerships that combine financial empowerment with self-care, proving that investing isn’t just for Wall Street , but for yourself, too.
As a young Chinese-American woman from an immigrant family, Tu began her career on Wall Street after graduating from the University of Chicago . In a male-dominated environment, she often faced and battled sexism and cultural insensitivity. Recalling her time there, Tu shared the challenges she faced navigating the American corporate world as a minority. She also recalls her superior making racist and offensive comments.
«The final straw was when I came into the office one day in a cardigan and he looked at me, clasped his hands together, leaned over and said, ‘Is that a kimono? ‘ As an Asian woman, that was the moment I felt like I had to get out of there. I couldn’t stay. There was nothing for me in that place. This man was never going to be in the boardroom asking for a promotion or a raise. He was never going to advocate for me. It was so disheartening because it was awful and I couldn’t do anything about it. This guy didn’t like me because of things about me that I couldn’t change. I deserve to be where I’m treated with dignity and respect,» Tu shared.
After leaving Wall Street behind, Tu found success in her digital media strategy sales role at BuzzFeed . Her performance and hard work were recognized and rewarded. Tu explained, “It was very different because I was making what I worked for. And to me, sales was the ultimate meritocracy. If I could send 35 more emails than the guy sitting next to me, I was going to make more than him.”
Tu started sharing financial advice on TikTok as a fun New Year’s resolution in 2021. Her approach to explaining financial concepts to Gen Zers in an easy-to-understand and relatable way quickly gained popularity and millions of followers. As a result, she quit her full-time job to focus on expanding her financial education platform.
«I didn’t want to be 50 years old and look back wondering what would have happened if I had done this. I was just going to have 15 minutes of internet fame to try and make Your Rich BFF a full-time thing. I had to seize the moment. And it ended up being the best decision of my life. It was just perfect timing. A little bit of hard work, effort, and also a little bit of luck,» Tu shared. Since then, Your Rich BFF has become a resource for young professionals looking for financial advice.
Tu emphasizes the importance of making smart, holistic investments in finances and all areas of life, including self-care. Recently, Tu partnered with SkinCeuticals to celebrate the launch of the brand’s new peptide-infused wrinkle-modulating serum, P-TIOX . The campaign encourages people to view skincare as an essential investment, aligning with Tu’s message about long-term planning and making smart choices.
The SkinCeuticals campaign is a collaborative effort that brings together skincare professionals, financial experts, and influencers like Megan Boni . The term ‘ Skinvestment ’ refers to the idea of investing in the health of your skin, just as you would in your financial portfolio. Megan, known for her viral song “ Looking for a Man in Finance ,” highlighted the message of self-reliance.
By joining this collaboration, Tu is part of a diverse group of “Skinvestor Advisors,” alongside experts like Simran Kaur of Girls That Invest Media , dermatologists Dr. Daniel Sugai and Dr. Mamina Turegano . Together, they seek to empower consumers to make informed decisions about their skincare and financial future.
Tu sees parallels between financial literacy and skin care; both require long-term planning to get the best results. «At the end of the day, investing in your skin is the same idea as investing in your portfolio for the long term. You want to make sure you’re making smart decisions today so they’ll benefit you in the future, just like a retirement account would,» Tu said.
Your Rich BFF ‘s best advice for someone just starting out is to understand why you’re spending and consider whether those purchases will bring you lasting joy and long-term satisfaction. Learning from her own experience, Tu said, «Don’t spend money you don’t have on things you don’t need to impress people you don’t even like.»
Tu also encourages young women to talk to each other about money. «We’ve often been taught, as women, that there’s only room for one to succeed. Only one gets to senior management or gets that promotion. That’s not true. We’re going to go further, negotiate bigger raises, get more promotions and have a bigger slice of this pie,» she stressed.
Tu firmly believes that financial independence is a powerful driver for personal progress. She also advocates for women to support and push each other to break down the barrier of being the only woman in a male-dominated room of success. «If you want to go far, you want to be accompanied,» she concluded.
