From Quitting BigLaw to Building Her Dream: How Cindy Zuniga-Sanchez Paid Off 215K of Debt in 4 years

Before You Take the LSAT

Are you curious about how to rise to the top 10% of your class and become a member of the law review? Or how law school exams differ from undergrad? How to become debt-free as a recent law school graduate? How about how to avoid debt before you even get into law school?

Today's guest covers it all. Cindy Zuniga-Sanchez grew up the daughter of immigrants living in a one bedroom apartment in the Bronx with her parents and sisters. She attended undergrad on a full scholarship (including room and board), but by the time she graduated law school — with a partial scholarship, at the top 10% of her class, and as a member of the law review — she had accumulated over $215,000 debt. In our conversation, Cindy shares how she went from over $200,000 in debt to debt-free in 4 years, why she left a $300,000+ salary, along with the prestige and security of a BigLaw associate position, to bet on herself by expanding her own personal finance business. She wrote the book on financial freedom and generational wealth, literally, but started her journey with a simple google search: "how can I get out of debt?". Cindy shares insights from a path spanning from premed to interning for Hilary Clinton and Senator Chuck Schumer to creating her brand, ZeroBasedBudget, which has over 65,000 followers on Instagram and has been featured in national publications including Forbes, Business Insider, and Bloomberg Opinion. She has also been featured in national and local television including Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, and Telemundo.

She is incredibly humble and insightful. Whether you're prelaw, a recent law school graduate, or a seasoned attorney, this is not an interview you want to miss.

Time stamps:

+ 1:24 How can we avoid going into debt as a law school student?

+ 5:30 Writing a personal finance book from the perspective of a daughter of immigrants, Latina, originally from a low income community in the Bronx

+ 7:30 How coming from a family of immigrants can be an advantage

+ 11:00 Cindy's perspective on BigLaw

+ 12:15 Overview of Cindy's path to law school (from premed with a full scholarship at Stony Brook University to Hilary Clinton's intern to dreaming of becoming the first US Latina Senator)

+ 13:30 How did Cindy graduate at the top 10% of her class? What was it like doing a part time program at Cardozo Law?

+ 15:00 The biggest thing that changed Cindy's life; How to take a law school exam

+ 17:00 Law school exams are important, but it doesn't stop there

+ 17:50 Outlining law school courses + utilizing office hours

+ 19:00 how to set and achieve goals (effectively) - in law school and budgeting; systems and habits; Atomic Habits (James Clear)

+ 22:10 The value of buffers; balancing the reading in law school; trying to cram outlines; identifying your triggers; curbing your anxiety

+ 24:45 What did you learn about BigLaw being in BigLaw as a commercial litigation attorney and what do you wish you knew before working in BigLaw? How does the OCI process work? What is a mock interview?

+ 29:10 How Cindy chose which BigLaw offer to accept and how she chose her practice area within law

+ 31:45 Mindset; low income community, 1 br apartment in the Bronx, first generation Latina; leaving a well-paying secure job; believing in yourself; not knowing any lawyers before law school; imposter syndrome; the American Dream

+ 34:23 How do you make the calculation to leave a 300k+ salary to become a full time entrepreneur? Sabbatical funds, emergency funds, her exact revenue, her online course (100K+ revenue), having a runway, 4x revenue

+ 39:54 What are the first steps for law school graduates who are in debt?

+ 45:18 Budgeting is just a plan for your finances

+ 45:54 3 Actionable Tips for the Listeners

+ 46:04 Start with Why

+ 48:17 The 30 Day Spending Challenge (date, amount, am I happy with how I spend my money?)

+ 51:15 Building the Habit

+ 53:23 The Book, "Overcoming Debt, Achieving Financial Freedom"; "What's your net net net worth" - Drake

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