Vivian Tu, also known as Your Rich BFF, with 3 million followers on Instagram, didn’t set out to be the social media financial guru. Tu’s journey began with a viral TikTok video of financial tips, which has made her one of the most influential voices in financial literacy today. Through her platform, Tu educates people on the importance of financial literacy and empowers millions of Gen Z’ers, especially women, to make wise decisions and take control of their financial futures. Now, her influence extends even further through partnerships that blend financial empowerment with beauty—proving that investment isn’t just for Wall Street but also for self-care.
As a young Chinese American woman from an immigrant background, Tu started her career on Wall Street after graduating from the University of Chicago. In a male-dominated working environment, she often encountered and struggled with misogyny and cultural insensitivity. Looking back on her time there, Tu shared her challenges while navigating corporate America as a minority. She also recalls that her superior made racist and offensive remarks. “The final straw for me was one day I came into the office with a cardigan on, and he looked at me, touched his hands together, bowed, and said, is that a kimono? From Asian woman to Asian woman, that was the moment that I felt like I needed to get out of here. I can’t be here. There’s nothing for me here. This man is never going to be in the back room demanding that I get a promotion or a raise. He’s never going to advocate for me. It was so defeating because it was awful, and I could do nothing about it. This guy didn’t like me for things about myself that I couldn’t change. I deserve to go where I am going to be treated with dignity and respect.” Tu shared.
Leaving Wall Street behind, Tu found success in her digital media strategy sales role at BuzzFeed. Her performance and hard work were recognized and paid off. Tu explained, “It was so different because I ate what I killed. And for me, sales was the ultimate meritocracy. If I could send 35 more emails than the guy sitting next to me, I would get paid better than he did.”
Tu started sharing financial tips on TikTok as a fun New Year’s resolution in 2021. Her way of explaining financial concepts to Gen Z’ers in an easy-to-understand and relatable manner quickly gained popularity and millions of followers. Consequently, she quit her full-time job to concentrate on expanding her financial education community platform. “I did not want to be 50 years old and look back on this moment and wonder what would have happened had I done this. I was only going to have the 15 minutes of internet fame to potentially try and make Your Rich BFF a full-time thing. I needed to strike while the iron was hot. And it ended up being the best decision of my life. It was just perfect timing. A little bit of hard work, elbow grease, but also a little bit of luck.” Tu shared. Since then, Your Rich BFF has become a resource for young professionals seeking finance tips.
Tu emphasizes the importance of making intelligent and holistic investments in finances and all areas of life, including self-care. Recently, Tu partnered with SkinCeuticals to celebrate the launch of the brand’s new wrinkle-modulating peptide serum, P-TIOX. The campaign encourages people to see skincare as an essential investment, aligning with Tu’s message of long-term planning and smart decision-making. The campaign by SkinCeuticals is a collaborative effort that brings together skincare professionals, financial experts, and influencers like Megan Boni. The term ‘Skinvestment’ refers to the idea of investing in your skin’s health, much like you would invest in your financial portfolio. Megan, known for her viral song “Looking for a Man in Finance,” has reemphasized the message of self-reliance. Joining this collaboration, Tu becomes part of a diverse group of “Skinvestor Advisors,” along with experts like Simran Kaur of Girls That Invest Media, dermatologists Dr. Daniel Sugai and Dr. Mamina Turegano. Together, they aim to empower consumers to make informed decisions about their skincare and financial futures. Tu sees parallels between financial literacy and skincare; both require long-term planning for the best results. “At the end of the day, investing in your skincare is the same idea as investing in your portfolio for the long term. You want to make sure you are making smart decisions today so that it’ll pay off for you in the future like a retirement account would,” said Tu.
Your Rich BFF’s top advice for someone starting out is to understand why they are spending and to consider if the purchases will bring long-term joy and lasting satisfaction. Learning from her own experience, Tu said, “Do not spend money you do not have on things you don’t need to impress people you don’t even like.” Tu also encourages young women to talk to each other about money. “Often, we have been taught as women that there’s only room enough for one woman to succeed. Only one girl gets to be in a C-suite or get that promotion. That isn’t true. We are going to get farther, be able to negotiate bigger raises, get more promotions, and have a bigger chunk of this pie.” Tu strongly believes that financial independence is a powerful motivator for personal advancement. Additionally, Tu advocates for women to actively support and uplift each other to dismantle the barrier of being the sole woman in the male-dominated room of success. “If you want to go far, you want to go together.”