Real $tories Episode 69: Khiara Cureton

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Khiara Cureton once dreamed of becoming a doctor—but life had other plans. After realizing medicine wasn’t her true calling, she pivoted toward a master’s program that opened the door to a rewarding career in healthcare—and $120,000 in student loan debt.  But how to navigate her student debt was a problem for her future self.   

“Someday” came sooner than expected. While building a thriving wedding planning business on the side, Khiara became a single mom. Her son quickly became her motivation to build stability and create the kind of future she’d always envisioned. 

Today, Khiara is taking charge of her finances—tackling her student loans head-on and making steady progress toward a bright financial future for both of them. 

Key Moments

2:50 Khiara learns about the value of financial independence growing up. 

6:48 Khiara wrestles with big decisions—what to study and where to build her future. 

9:24 She accumulates over 100K in student loan debt, but frames this as a problem to be solved in the future. 

12:45 She starts a wedding planning business to bring in extra income. 

16:40 After her business closes, she launches two new ventures. 

19:24 Khiara shares her thoughts on the flow of money in the African-American community. 

21:14 She balances her own financial goals with those related to her son. 

23:23 She discusses her approach tackling her student loans. 

29:13 She speaks to her financial goals to save for travel experiences and philanthropy work. 

36:57 Our cohosts reflect on the themes from Khiara’s story.