{"id":92489,"date":"2025-02-21T11:25:21","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T16:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/?post_type=rbc_my_money_matter&p=92489"},"modified":"2025-02-21T11:27:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T16:27:10","slug":"just-start-how-one-creator-built-a-career-and-a-financial-future-on-her-own-terms","status":"publish","type":"rbc_my_money_matter","link":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/inspired-investor\/ideas-and-motivation\/just-start-how-one-creator-built-a-career-and-a-financial-future-on-her-own-terms\/","title":{"rendered":"Just start! How one creator built a career and a financial future on her own terms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When Oorbee Roy picked up a skateboard at 43, she had no idea it would change her life. What started as a fun way to spend more time with her kids quickly turned into something bigger. She began sharing her journey on TikTok during the pandemic, hoping to spread some joy during a difficult time. \u201cEveryone was depressed, and I just wanted to make people smile,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also known as \u201cAunty Skates\u201d on social media \u2014 Oorbee\u2019s videos went viral, amassing over 100,000 followers in just four months. \u201cI wasn\u2019t working at the time, so I just kept going,\u201d she says. But behind the viral success, Oorbee\u2019s financial journey has been shaped by her upbringing, her family, and a series of hard-earned lessons about money and investing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Balancing Family, Finances, and Investing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a mother, Oorbee is focused on making sure her kids have a strong financial future. \u201cKids are king,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have to invest for their future and make sure they have money for their education.\u201d She learned the importance of long-term investing early on, thanks to a lesson from her parents that stuck with her for life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I graduated from university and was still living at home, my parents started charging me rent,\u201d she recalls. \u201cBut what I didn\u2019t know was that they were actually investing that money for me. Later, they gave it back to me for a down payment on a house.\u201d At the time, she admits she would have spent that money frivolously had they not saved it for her. \u201cIt was one of the best financial lessons they could have given me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, she\u2019s passing down financial lessons to her own children. Her kids have Mydoh cards<\/a>, a financial tool that allows them to manage their own allowance and learn about budgeting early on. She also makes it a point to have open conversations about money at home, something she believes many parents struggle with. \u201cMost parents want to teach financial literacy, but we don\u2019t always know how. We end up learning it ourselves in our thirties after messing up a few times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding the Right Financial Support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite those early lessons, Oorbee didn\u2019t always feel confident about investing. She worked on Wall Street in her early career and was eager to take risks\u2014until a financial advisor shut her down. \u201cI once had an advisor tell me, \u2018You don\u2019t make enough money to take risks,\u2019 and that completely turned me off from investing,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For years, she avoided the market, feeling like investing wasn\u2019t for her. It wasn\u2019t until she got married that she revisited the idea, but even then, she struggled to find an advisor she trusted. \u201cThe first advisor we met made us feel stupid, and I was turned off again,\u201d she admits. \u201cIf you don\u2019t vibe well with your advisor, it can really throw you off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, she and her husband found an RBC advisor who understood their goals and made them feel comfortable. \u201cNow, our advisor is great\u2014he never talks down to us, and he was actually the first person to jump at the idea of turning my TikTok skateboarding account into a business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Oorbee, the key to a good advisor is trust, transparency, and a willingness to listen. She also reminds people that it\u2019s okay to change advisors if the relationship isn\u2019t working. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to give them all your money right away. If something doesn\u2019t feel right, you can always switch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entrepreneurship and Financial Freedom<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Becoming a full-time content creator brought a new level of financial uncertainty. \u201cIt\u2019s a hustle to be an influencer,\u201d Oorbee says. Unlike a traditional job, her income fluctuates, with most brand deals coming in the summer when skateboarding is in season. \u201cThere are months where I know I have to be lean. I have to tell my kids, \u2018No, you\u2019re not getting an expensive jacket and boots this year.\u2019”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That unpredictability has forced her to be strategic with her money. She prioritizes investing in her RRSPand TFSA, knowing that they can offer tax benefits while helping her plan for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But her financial goals go beyond just saving. \u201cThis year, my goal is to build more passive, regular income so I don\u2019t have to rely so much on brand deals. That way, it\u2019s more consistent and less stressful,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lessons from an Immigrant Upbringing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Growing up in an immigrant household, Oorbee saw her parents struggle, and it shaped her mindset about money. \u201cOur understanding of a dollar is so different from our kids\u2019 experience today,\u201d she says. That\u2019s why she makes a point to include her children in financial conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI celebrated with my daughter how much I made last year,\u201d she says. \u201cI want them to see the hustle, to understand that making money takes effort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite her success, she still believes in living below her means. \u201cI\u2019m 50, and I\u2019ve been driving the same Subaru for 12 years,\u201d she says. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to spend more just because you earn more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking Back: What She\u2019d Tell Her Younger Self<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If she could go back in time, Oorbee\u2019s advice to her younger self would be simple: \u201cIt\u2019s never too late to start investing.\u201d She knows that her ability to take risks today\u2014whether in business or in life\u2014comes from having a financial cushion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be perfect. Just start, take small steps, and keep going,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the same advice she gives to those learning to skateboard\u2014and to anyone looking to build a more secure financial future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s never too late to start investing. Oorbee shares how consistently working hands-on with an RBC advisor helps her build a secure financial future for her family. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":92488,"parent":58194,"menu_order":0,"template":"wp-custom-template-optimizely-mmm","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[570,249,77],"rbc_content_type":[31],"rbc_audience":[39],"rbc_lob_group":[71],"rbc_difficulty_level":[33],"rbc_mmm_category":[395,393],"class_list":["post-92489","rbc_my_money_matter","type-rbc_my_money_matter","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-investing","tag-mutual-funds","tag-personal-finance","rbc_content_type-article","rbc_audience-parents","rbc_lob_group-investments","rbc_difficulty_level-beginner","rbc_mmm_category-ideas-and-motivation","rbc_mmm_category-inspired-investor"],"acf":{"contently_publication_id":"","custom_author":"Royal Bank of Canada","rbc_video_header":"","rbc_media_duration":"","rbc_toc_for_mmm_tag":"h2","rbc_toc_for_mmm_limit":6,"rbc_toc_for_mmm":null,"rbc_toc_for_mmm_action":""},"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n