[Photos courtesy of B FIRM PR]
Former celebrity hairstylist and salon owner turned author, motivational speaker, and licensed life insurance broker, Yvette Braswell (aka Yvette B Motivates), is rewriting the narrative of what wealth looks like in our culture. As the founder of Finance, Fashion & Fly ShT* and YBM Insurance, she blends strategy with soul, teaching creatives, culture-shapers, and legacy-minded entrepreneurs how to build generational wealth without losing their style or essence.
We sat down with Yvette B to talk “fly wealth,” cultural shifts, and why she believes money doesn’t make you—you make the money.
What does fly wealth look like to you in three words?
Yvette B: Assets, a plan, and options.
Fashion or finance—what comes first when you’re walking into a room?
Yvette B: When I walk into a room, both finance and fashion walk in with me. They’re equally important. But if I had to choose, I’d say finance—because it takes money to buy the fashion.
You’ve said we’re in a cultural shift where wealth is becoming “soulful, fashionable, and Black AF.” What does that look like in practice?
Yvette B: In practice, that looks like making intentional spending choices—NOT shopping at Target or Walmart, but instead buying from brands like Pat McGrath or Fenty. Supporting our own while building wealth with purpose.
And what’s the most “Black AF” way you’ve celebrated a financial win?
Yvette B: By taking my money and depositing it into my IUL (Indexed Universal Life) or Whole Life insurance policy. That way, I’m not just celebrating the moment—I’m stacking for my retirement plan and my future investments.
One luxury item you’ll always invest in?
Yvette B: Art.
One financial tool you think everyone should own?
Yvette B: Life insurance.
What’s a wealth tip you wish you knew in your 20s?
Yvette B: That I should’ve had an IUL policy.
What’s your go-to motivational mantra?
Yvette B: “All is well, and I am safe.”
Legacy in one sentence—go!
Yvette B: Legacy is the gifts we create now for future generations.
Who inspires your flyness the most?
Yvette B: My family—the ones who loved me before I even knew myself. My parents, my grandmother (“Lil’ Mama”), and those who raised me. They taught me that flyness is inside-out.
Finish this sentence: Money is…
Yvette B: Money is what I make—it doesn’t make me.
To learn more about Yvette B and her work, visit yvettebmotivates.com/life-insurance.
