Like any other day, I was scrolling through TikTok, watching dog rescue videos and clips of that lumberjack with the tattoos. This punk rock girl with blue hair and safety pin earrings came across my screen. She was talking about how everyone at her business makes the same thing, even her. I was very intrigued. It was an immediate follow.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRc7SCwp/
Her name is Madeline Pendleton. She is the founder and owner of Tunnel Vision, a website offering a line of really cute punk/emo friendly clothing and accessories. She’s also written a brand new book, I Survived Capitalism and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt. It is very relatable, filled with anecdotes of growing up poor but not knowing it because everyone around you is also poor and later getting trapped in the predatory for profit college/student loan situation. It also contains easy to follow tips and tricks to adulting and managing money that she learned the hard way in a way that makes sense with the anecdotes that she is sharing.
Is any of the information she is sharing about writing resumes or understanding credit scores groundbreaking? Probably not, but it is AWESOME to hear financial advice that makes sense and doesn’t just repackage that crap Dave Ramsey espouses. (Which, btw, only works if you have money.)
The thing that I find most interesting is that she is an avowed socialist. Her business is very successful, but she is more interested in taking care of the people who work for and with her than she is in banking profits for herself. Her turnover is non-existent. She only hires new positions when her company grows. One year they did exceptionally well. They bought new cars or paid off existing car loans for every employee. Y’all. Can you say loyal for life? No wonder her people don’t leave. This is what it really means to invest in your employees.
Some of her personal stories are sad. Some of them are terrifying. (I’m still not over the bit with the carpet. You’ll know immediately what I’m talking about.) I see pieces of myself in many of them even though our childhood were polar opposites in many ways. All of them are worth your time, as is this book.
4 out 5 stars.