Freelance Writer & LOLA Retreat Co-Founder

SHOP

The following are tools and resources designed by Melanie Lockert to help you gain control over your finances.


 
A worksheet to help you take inventory of your money and mental health and money habits. Address your relationship with money and where your money goes when you’re depressed and anxious and what small changes you can make.

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This is the slide deck for my workshop on how to leverage your blog and score freelance opportunities. This is not limited to just writers. Learn how to use your skills, pitch your services, and turn your blog into a side hustle.

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This is the slide deck from my workshop on How to Craft Your Story and Get More Press. You’ll learn the formula to craft your story so it’s compelling, learn how to get more press through HARO, get a pitch template, and tips to get thousands of dollars worth of free press.

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This is the slide deck for my workshop on finding freelance writing gigs from Twitter. You’ll get 10+ search terms, a pitch template, and get the strategy I use to find gigs. You’ll also see real-life pitches I’ve sent, how much I’ve made, and more.

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A sheet to review your money and see where you’re at now and where you want to go. Review your essential expenses, non-essential expenses, and take an inventory of your debt and how much it’s costing you. Get clarity on where you want to spend your money.
 

  • Why shifting your money mindset is important
  • How to find what you owe
  • How to calculate your daily interest
  • 4 different repayment strategies
  • Tips and tricks to spend less and earn more
  • What to do if you’re struggling to make payments
  • How to stay motivated and disciplined, and more.

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Dear Debt is written by Melanie Lockert. This book is more than a personal story about overcoming the seriously heavy burden of student loan debt. It’s about breaking down complex financial concepts into bite sized chunks that are manageable and won’t send you into a downward spiral. 

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Want to work with Melanie Lockert one-on-one? She offers a limited number of sessions as a money coach and freelance writer coach. Send Melanie an email to get in touch and see if her coaching packages are the right fit. 

Email Melanie


ABOUT ME

Melanie Lockert is the founder of the blog and author of the book, Dear Debt. Through her blog, she chronicled her journey out of $81,000 in student loan debt. She is also the co-founder of the Lola Retreat, which helps bold women face their fears, own their dreams and figure out a plan to be in control of their finances.

She is passionate about empowering women, helping others get out of debt, and focuses on the intersection of debt and mental health. Every September she organizes a Suicide Prevention Awareness Blog Tour, to help share resources for those struggling with debt and suicide. You can find her at DearDebt.com and @MelanieLockert.

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THINGS I DO


Freelance Writing

Melanie’s work has been featured on Business Insider, Credit Karma, Student Loan Hero, The Globe and Mail and more.  She writes well-researched articles for clients. Samples of her work can be found in her portfolio and on Contently.


Public Speaking

A dynamic speaker covering general personal finance, her own debt story, and financial wellness, Melanie has graced stages across the country.  Short recordings of her recent talks can be viewed in her portfolio.  She is currently available for speaking engagements.

Podcast Guest

Melanie has been an invited guest on numerous podcasts, some of which are featured in her portfolio. She is currently available for select podcast appearances.


TESTIMONIALS

Not only is Melanie a savvy finance expert, she’s also a compelling story-teller. She held our audience’s attention throughout a 30-minute keynote that was full of illustrating stories, key take-aways, and accessible tips to help improve your financial situation right away.

Emilie Aries, Bossed Up Founder & CEO

Melanie is a welcome mix of compassion and a smart business woman.  She has been an invaluable resource for us at CentSai, providing us guidance as a consultant on both our business and our content strategy. I have seldom seen an individual so passionate about financial wellness and she is someone with an unparalleled amount of integrity.

Doria Lavagnino, Co-founder and President of CentSai.com and CentSaiAdulting.com

Melanie is one of the best writers I’ve ever worked with. She’s extremely thorough and detailed in her writing, and I always know I can count on her to get the job done right and on time. During the 2 years Melanie’s written for Student Loan Hero, our search traffic has increased by over 900%. A huge part of that is thanks to Melanie and her writing. We couldn’t have done it without her.

Jeffrey Trull, Former Content Strategist at Student Loan Hero

EXPERIENCE

Co-founder - LOLA Retreat

2016 to present

Lola Retreat seeks to empower women to take control of their finances right now. Lola Retreat is all about breaking taboos around money, building community, and empowering women to get their money right so they can live the life of their dreams. In the quest for equality, we can’t afford to ignore the financial and economic aspects that affect women. .

Author Dear Debt: A Story About Breaking Up With Debt

Published 2016

In her debut book Dear Debt, personal finance expert Melanie Lockert combines her endearing and humorous personal narrative with practical tools to help readers overcome the crippling effects of debt. Drawing from her personal experience of paying off eighty thousand dollars of student loan debt, Melanie provides a wealth of money-saving tips to help her community of debt fighters navigate the repayment process, increase current income, and ultimately become debt-free.

By breaking down complex financial concepts into clear, manageable tools and step-by-step processes, Melanie has provided a venerable guide to overcoming debt fatigue and obtaining financial freedom.

Founder - DearDebt.com

2013-present

Created in January 2013, DearDebt.com was founded as a way for Melanie to keep herself accountable in the debt payoff process. She paid off a total of $81,000 in student loan debt and now features stories of others as they pay down their own debts.

 


EDUCATION

NYU’s Tisch School of Arts

2011

California State University of Long Beach

2006.

 

PORTFOLIO

  • All
  • Articles
  • LOLA Retreat
  • Podcasts
  • Speaking
  • bigger-pockets-money
    bigger-pockets-money
  • Business Insider
    Business Insider
  • Personal Profitability
    Personal Profitability
  • LOLA Retreat
    LOLA Retreat
  • Road to Financial Wellness
    Road to Financial Wellness
  • Plutus Voices
    Plutus Voices
  • Centsai
    Centsai

TBD coming soon

RESOURCES

Here are a few of my favorite things. These are my affiliate links and help support my business. All my recommendations are my own and things I personally use or believe in. Hope they help you!

Financial resources

For budgeting, I recommend Tiller.

I recommend Trim to lower expenses

For a fee-free bank account, I recommend Capital One. Chime is also a good option.

If you need personalized student loan help, Student Loan Planner is the best. 

Business resources

I use QuickBooks for my business accounting. 

Wanna make extra money by writing ebooks? Michelle’s course is the best. 

Self-care resources

I am very pro-therapy. Health Sapiens offers affordable options. 

Books that have changed my life

Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World

Attached

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

 

 

CONTACT

Please complete the form below to contact Melanie.