Today, I am joined by Jannese Torres and we talk about her new book, Financially Lit!
Learn about Jannese’s journey and why she wrote Financially Lit! to provide culturally relevant personal finance advice for modern Latinas.
Join the Webinar: Increase Your Sales & Audience By 25% Using Profitable Content, happening Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at 5pm Pacific Time. Click here to sign up for free.
Buy the book, Financially Lit!, at financiallylitbook.com.
Learn more about Jannese and listen to the Yo Quiero Dinero Podcast at yoquierodineropodcast.com.
Transcription:
[00:00:00] What is up y’all. If you have not signed up to my upcoming webinar, I want to invite you now. I’m going to teach you how to increase your sales and audience by 25 percent using profitable content. Learn why great content doesn’t equal sales in the simple steps you can take to shift your content from being likable to profitable.
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And lastly, my four step process to create profitable content quickly. That feels honest, authentic, and you, this masterclass is happening June 4th at 5 PM Pacific time. Register here.
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My name is Catalina Del Carmen, and I am a wife, mother of two, daughter of immigrants, and a rule breaking business coach for women of color coaches, creatives, and service professionals. I spent years trying to figure out the online business game, creating fashion blogs, YouTube channels, Instagram pages, email [00:02:00] lists.
All of the things with little or nothing to show for it. Now I run a growing multiple six figure coaching business, keeping things radically simple so I could spend more time with my babies than my business. Inside my programs, show up real and show up and lead masterminds. I teach my clients how to build an online community using authentic revenue generating content that doesn’t require them to be everywhere.
Whether it’s your first four figures in business or six figures in my mastermind, less is more when you are committed to growing your impact and revenue at the same time. In this show, I tell the whole mother effing truth about what it takes to build and scale an online business. I don’t gatekeep. I don’t tell you half the truth.
I keep it real and I will challenge you to do it as well. Welcome to Show Up, real podcast.[00:03:00]
What is up y’all? Welcome to show up, real podcast. I’m so honored you are here. How you doing? I am. very excited about today’s podcast. It is a very special podcast because I have a very good friend of mine who I look up to, who I just admire so much and somebody I just love. I mean, I adore this woman. She has been such a huge inspiration and support to my business.
And she’s just such an example of what is possible. And I think she’s, she’s also such an example of the type. Of entrepreneur, the type of million dollar earner, the type of CEO that I just love. And today I get to [00:04:00] talk to her on the podcast about her book, which I’ve just seen this journey of her writing her book just through our friendship.
And she shares so much of it on her platform. That we’ve really been through this journey with her, and I’m just so excited because I get to have this whole episode dedicated to her and her book and this amazing accomplishment. Her book is out right now. right now. So let me tell you a little bit about her.
Okay. So Jannese Torres is an award winning Latina money expert. She became an accidental entrepreneur after a job loss led to her creating a successful food blog, delicious, delish delights. Now she helps her clients and listeners. Build successful online businesses [00:05:00] that allow them to pursue financial independence and freedom.
Jannese is on a mission to educate marginalized communities on topics like entrepreneurship and investing and financial independence through her personal finance podcast called Yo Quiero Dinero Podcast. And she recently published her book financially lit in the end of April and it’s available right, right now.
So financially lit is the modern Latina’s guide to level up your dinero and become financially rich. This book is the book that every single Latina needs in many immigrant households, money isn’t often a topic of discussion. So culturally lit offers you culturally Relevant and relatable personal finance [00:06:00] advice that will allow you to finally feel seen, heard, and understood when it comes to money.
On today’s podcast, we talk about some of that. We talk about having. Boundaries with your money and with your family. We talk about creating generational wealth. We talk about what it feels like to be a first generation wealthy woman and how uncomfortable that can feel. So y’all I’m so excited for this episode.
Get your pen and paper out or your, uh, your app ready to take notes. This episode is so, so good. And. If you have not purchased her book yet, go to Amazon, go to Barnes and Noble. It is available where all books are sold, financially lit by Jannese Torres. You guys are going to love this episode. Let’s do it.
Y’all, I am so excited to welcome my friend, my mentor. The most amazing human [00:07:00] that I know on this planet, who is a woman, she is a woman’s woman. She has the back of the community. She is someone I just deeply look up to and admire. And I’m so excited because today she’s on the show and we’re going to talk all about her book, her real book.
Welcome Jannese Torres. How are you? I’m great. I am so good. Thank you so much for those kind words, Cat. Like, I think back to both of our journeys a couple of years ago and just, how is this real life? Like, that’s the question I always have. I know. It’s crazy. It’s wild. Yeah. It’s so wild. It’s, it’s crazy.
We’ll talk about it a little bit today. I have a lot of questions for you. Um, first congratulations, like you have paved you’ve been paving paths, but you have paved [00:08:00] such a path, I think watching you do business. And watching you not only do business, but do business while you have a full ass life that you are creating has been such, so dope to watch.
And also, you have been so generous to share so much of it with your audience that I, I think, I mean, I think one reason we get along really well is because we’re both very real. We’re both very like, you know, you, what you see is what you get type of girls, but I just admire you so much. And I’m so excited because I want to talk about financially lit.
Mm. Yes. I mean, I, I appreciate the fact that you do notice that I’m just like, who I am is who I am. You know, I think a lot of people have this misconception for folks who, you know, follow us on social media and just like think we just have these perfect lives and we have it [00:09:00] all together and we’re like killing it all the time.
It’s like, no, y’all, we out here. Stressed out, depressed, through breakups, makeups, dating, relationships, and doing all the shit that you see here on social media. Exactly. Like we don’t, we don’t want to market every day. We’re whole ass humans. Okay. I wake up sometimes and I’m like, I don’t want to fucking do any of this.
But then, you know, the universe snaps us back to, to place and realize that there’s a lot of stuff that has to happen. And, you know, we got to apply the change we want to see. We like it. It’s like a toxic cycle with, it’s not that toxic, but it’s like a toxic cycle with ambition. It’s like, we’re just naturally ambitious.
It’s the high achieving existential practice. I wish I didn’t want all of this and more, but I kind of do. Yes, absolutely. But what I’m excited about is today. I really, really want to talk about long term thinking and long term wealth building. And I think one thing. I really love about your [00:10:00] book is that it gives such a like perspective for different levels.
I think a lot of books that I’ve read that have to do with money. They are either for like this type of person or this type of person, but I feel like. Even people like this is, this book could be for someone who’s like fresh into the money game and like wants to learn from scratch and then also this perspective of folks who have money, like folks who have money in some already have some type of wealth assets, whatever, and you give that whole perspective, which.
Is so fucking cool and I love this. I, well, I like it for me. Right. Like, because we, you know, I’m, I’m at a place where it’s like, my business brings in a good amount of money. We’re growing it. I have a house and we made some good money moves when we were younger and like, I still get value from this book.
So I want to be very clear [00:11:00] for my audience listening. It’s like this book. We’ll give you a breath, like a breath of information. Um, and, and it’s, and I just, it’s so, you like, it’s just so you it’s backed by all of the stats that like really got a little fire under you to even start your business. And, um, I’m excited.
So I, I do have questions. Let’s get into some. I want to talk. I have a question for you for people who are in the beginning of their journey. So, you know, a lot of people who listen to my podcast are either, either business owners, they want to start a business or most of them have. Kind of coaching businesses, either they’re doing it as a side hustle or some of them are doing it full time, but they might still be in that, like, I don’t know, somewhere between 25K a year to like 60K a year.
[00:12:00] I wanted to ask you a question. I want to know when cash flow is not 100 percent flow in like it’s, it’s, you’re like meeting the demands of your business expenses, but you want to contribute more to your house. You want to contribute more to your, your, you know, what you want to do in business. I’m curious.
And I know I’m getting right into money, but I mean, that’s why we’re here. Yeah. That’s why we’re here. Um, what should that person be thinking about? I’m thinking of someone who like is in. Not the beginning, beginning of the journey. Maybe they even have an asset or two, but they just feel like they’re in this, like, I’m never going to get out of this or my business is never going to grow or like, I’ll never be able to invest the way I want to invest.
Yeah. I’m curious in your experience, like what should they be doing and focusing on? So I, I love this question because obviously one of the main reasons why a lot of people start businesses is because they want to replace their paychecks. Right. And [00:13:00] so it’s, it’s something that we have to plan for if we’re going to make that a reality.
I know for me personally, I had a goal in mind that I needed to make a hundred K a year before I quit my job because that’s how much I was making. So I’m like, I’m not going to go and like, you know, quit my job, making 50, 000 with my I want to maintain my lifestyle. And so for me, It meant getting like very intentional about treating my business like a business and stop calling it a side hustle.
Okay, because when you have that mindset that this is just this little thing on the side, you don’t give it the same attention, you don’t give it the same respect that it deserves, and you don’t operate in a CEO mindset, you operate like a side hustler. So for me, I had to get very intentional about like making money, like serious money, like raising my prices, diversifying my offerings, making sure that I’m actually doing enough to bring in that cash flow.
I’d like to tell people like, if your [00:14:00] pricing doesn’t make you uncomfortable, It’s not high enough. You should feel a little cringe when you are out here putting prices on your products, because at the end of the day, you have to factor in all of the different things that you are going to have to supplement now financially by taking on this responsibility of being your own boss.
You can’t just be thinking, okay. I make 5, 000 a month, so I need to make 5, 000 a month in my business. You need to add to that. How much is it going to cost you to cover health insurance? Now, how much is it going to cost you to get that 401k match that you’re no longer getting? What is childcare going to look like now that you’re not getting subsidies or whatever it is that you get as like benefits from your job, you have to price all of that shit into your offer and your business so that you’re actually making a system, an ecosystem that is going to support you.
Sustain you financially, and I think you just have to be patient. Honestly, you have to get good at selling the thing that you want to make money at. You know, this, I think with social media, there’s a lot of [00:15:00] like perception that the shit happens overnight and I promise you, it does not. It took me seven years to make a hundred thousand dollars in a single year.
And that was after starting a second business, creating more income streams, messing around with pricing. getting hella uncomfortable, just like putting myself out there, pitching myself for different opportunities. And it’s going to take time. Making money is a skill. And I think that’s one thing that people don’t realize.
You have to practice it before you actually get good at it. Yeah, a hundred percent. And I think you said something, you were like, you have to do the work required to bring in the amount of money. And I, I want to emphasize that because it’s like, they’re look, I love a good, simple business. You love to hang out on the beach and take care of yourself and take care of your mental health and all of that.
And you can do that while building a business, but like, you’re going to have to, there’s a phase in business where you really have to put in the work. Look at that. Like, if you could, for me, at [00:16:00] least, I’m curious what you have to say about this, but like, if you could give, like, if you could give your full attention, obviously don’t let go of everything in your life, but like, in terms of goals, just give your business at least one year of like, I’m committed and I’m not going to let go of this for like a long stretch.
I feel like one of those can do you very, very well. Yeah, bare minimum. I think a year is like bare minimum, right? Because minimum, too many people just don’t understand the extent of effort that it takes to build what you see. Now, there is a grind season that you cannot. Skip. Okay. There is like the do not pass.
Go. Do not connect 200. There’s no fast lane to this shit. I promise you all the entrepreneurs that you admire and that you idolize have put in work, investments, sacrifice, time, energy, their mental health, [00:17:00] their relationships. Everything has been put on the back burner in some way, somehow for some amount of time.
And we need to give ourselves that perspective. And I think the, the thing to remember is at least I always have to go back to this is the, especially for the entrepreneurs, for the business owners. It’s like, we also can, it’s important to like realize the value of being an entrepreneur. Cause once you’re doing it for a while, you kind of just get a little cushy and you forget that, like, you don’t have.
You don’t have to ask anyone for a raise. You don’t have to ask anyone for time off. You don’t have to like you, it is the life, like this type of freedom. I mean, we’re probably, we’re very used to it now. Cause it’s just our life. But like, I never want to ask for a raise ever again. Hell no. To the no. The amount of money that somebody would have to pay me to go back into the corporate environment, [00:18:00] they just can’t afford me.
They just can’t afford me at this point. I’m too spoiled. Yeah. No, I totally, totally get it. No, that’s so, so good. Okay. So tell me if someone starts I’m, I’m curious about your experience in, and I feel like this is also like how you kind of laid out the book. It’s like, okay, let’s start here. Let’s get the side hustle.
Let’s look at these, then, then debt, then investing, then like all this stuff. And then like, once the wealth is blowing and the things are organized, right? Like that’s when you start thinking of these like higher level, you know, like investment and things to think about. Right. Now, for the folks who. Are at that same level, let’s just talk about personal finances.
So the folks who have, um, maybe they are in this phase where they. Uh, bills are getting paid. Okay. Bills are getting paid. They’re not, um, [00:19:00] maybe they’re hold holding them to money and cash, right? Like savings, um, all in the bank. And they also have their business. Like if, if it feels a little overwhelming to them in terms of like, what attention do I put on my business as it’s growing?
And maybe we’re talking over six figures at this point, right? Yeah. Business. Like. At that point, I’m curious for you and your experience, like when, when or how do you shift from what needs to happen in my business so that my personal finances are really thriving, right? Like that, I’m curious just how you think about that.
Yeah, because I think for entrepreneurs, we, it could feel like, Oh, my business finances can have to be this way. And my personal finances have to be this way. And I’m actually personally with my money in my business. I have like Such a better relationship, but in my personal finances, I’m like, Oh my God, [00:20:00] I’m horrible.
I’m such a bad spender. Like I have all this guilt on my personal finances. And then in my business, I’m like, Oh, but we can make money. Like we can just make money when we need it. Right. So I’m curious, I’m curious for you and not, not exactly for me, but like. What, how do you think, especially like a couple of years back before, you know, you’re at this level, but like when you were, did you ever feel kind of a resistance or like, how do you think about business and finances and separating them or do you, like, what are your thoughts about that?
Yeah, I love this. Um, one of the things that I like to caution folks is to not jump out of the plane. Without the parachute, right? Especially if, like, you’re a first gen kid and you don’t have a trust fund that you can just go back and fall back on because the business didn’t go well. I really wanted to make sure that my personal finances were in a place where I felt very comfortable to take the leap, a.
k. a. the [00:21:00] risk that it takes to run a business. Right? And so, I am a very conservative business coach. Like I’m never going to be like, yeah, follow your dreams. It’s fine. We’ll figure it out along the way. Hail to the now. Okay. We’re not trying to move back in with mom and dad. That’s not the goal. Okay. So for me, I said, there are a couple of key areas of my personal finances that need to be squared away before I’m ready to take this leap.
Number one, I need to make sure I am out of debt. And at that point I had a home. I had credit card debt. I had car note. I had a bunch of crap going on and I made some drastic decisions that set me up for financial freedom in the form of debt freedom. I sold the house. I moved to a lower cost of living area.
So I moved from New Jersey to Florida. paid off my student loans. So I was very intentional about using my money from my side hustle at that point to make extra payments towards my student loan. So instead of like my 500 minimum monthly payment, I was throwing 2, 000, 3, [00:22:00] 000, whatever I could find, cash windfalls, tax refunds, all that was going towards the student loan debt.
Because for me, I knew that student loan debt was not dischargeable. For basically any reason. So if you don’t pay it off or you stop paying it, they’re going to come after you. They’re going to garnish your wages. They’re going to ruin your life. And I said, I cannot in good faith and like the way my anxiety is set up, I can’t be out here quitting my job and still knowing I owe Sally may like 50 grand.
That’s not going to be the move for me. So it was really important for me to get out of debt. Um, I refinanced some credit card debt, got rid of all that, and then I started pretending to write my own paychecks. So part of my transition period between putting my job and going full time in my business, I stopped, like, Taking my paycheck from work, I started throwing all of it towards my 401k and basically like made that money disappear before I could even hit my account and started paying myself through my business.
I [00:23:00] literally put myself on payroll before I quit because I wanted to prove to myself, like, can we do this? Can I literally be out here, like, issuing myself my own paychecks and not even needing this corporate money? And I did that for like four or five months and was able to like build up that confidence that, oh girl, okay, we’re out here like doing thing.
I don’t need this boss. I’m literally becoming my own paycheck. So I did that. And then, um, I started researching like, what was I going to do from a healthcare perspective starting to, you know, am I going to get on my then Um, husband’s insurance plan. Am I going to go through the marketplace? What am I going to do for retirement?
Started investigating what retirement options look like for entrepreneurs. So I was very meticulous about setting up my personal finances in a way that like I could ignore them essentially in this transition period and be okay. So like maxing out my retirement accounts before I left. I took my pension out of work and made sure to like roll that over into a 401k when I left.
I did a lot of things [00:24:00] and a big part of the reason why I feel like, um, I had even like the foresight to do all this stuff is because I, I started working with a certified financial planner or CFPB. In that transition period. So that for me was good to like get a third party to do like a bird’s eye view of all my finances and really give me like that second okay of like, you’re good.
You can definitely quit your job. You definitely have all this stuff put into place. And, um, one more thing I want to mention. I got a postnuptial agreement before I decided to quit my job because again, my CFP was like, girl, you are here building an empire and you’re married and I need you to protect this because God forbid something happens.
Your business is a marital asset that is subject to divorce proceedings and we really don’t need that. So thank God I did because anybody who knows my story about 18 months after I quit my job, I ended up filing for divorce. I did not have to pay my spouse alimony. My business was safe. Everything that I’ve worked on so fucking hard was [00:25:00] protected because I took the time to make a plan and not just be like, let’s wing this shit and figure it out as we go.
So good. Oh, my God. I have, I have so many follow up questions. So the first, but the last one’s so juicy. Everybody’s asking about, I’m like, yo, all the T’s in the book, y’all. I get real fucking juicy. Yeah. Um, okay. The first thing I want to call out, uh, is the first, The first thing you said is like, okay, step one, like if I really want to get my personal finances thriving, not just good, but like thriving, the first decision you made was let me get out of debt.
And I want to just mention some of the things, the actions that you took, because yeah, let me, let me say them. You sold your house. You moved to a home with a, what [00:26:00] did you say? The lower cost of living, lower cost of living. You started paying bigger payments towards your loans. You refinanced some credit cards.
I just want to like say it and say it slowly because I want people to hear. So intentional, like the, like that was a commitment to getting out of debt. It was a commitment to getting your personal finances in order. Right. Like, and I think a lot of people feel very stuck in where they are. We’re like, well, I just live in this house.
Why own it? What am I going to do? Or like, I, um, like, this is, you know, this is just how it is. Like, this is what it is right now. And. I want to call that out because I had a really big transformation in my life when we moved from the Bay Area to LA in California, and it changed my life and my perspective, like actually [00:27:00] moving out of my hometown.
And I’m not saying everyone needs to move out of their hometown, but I. I think I am, I’ll, I’ll carry that. Get the hell out of the, get off the umbilical cord. My, my people, it’s going to help you grow. Like you will not believe it will so help you grow. And I don’t think I knew this. Cause I was like, I’m doing great.
Like, but for me, my perspective was, my experience was a little different because I feel like Paul and I were like, Kind of like we’re the successful ones in both of our families. So we were very much like we, the, the safety net for like everyone, right? Like so and so needs, especially for our close, close family, right?
Like our immediate, like if someone needs their rent paid, I got it. Someone needs like, we took in our nephew for four years. We like, we, there’s so many things that we’ve done and getting out of that environment, as much as I love our family, as much as we love our [00:28:00] family, Like actually coming out here gave us so much freedom to just focus on the things that are important to us, getting our finances in order, um, making some moves.
Now I didn’t quit with a good safety plan and I don’t recommend it. Um, I mean, I did have a safety plan, but that safety plan wasn’t, uh, it was my husband and we had a family at that time. And, um, yeah, everyone’s a little different, but. I think like what I love about this is like, it was so intentional and so thought out because I, when you were saying this story, like I would have been the person with like the, I would have been getting phone calls from collections.
Like that would have been me. Let’s be clear. Like my risk tolerance is so fucking high. Like that would have been me. But so this is why I do not recommend. [00:29:00] Um, That unless it’s like deep in your heart and you got to do what you got to do, then fine. Right. And that was me. I had to do what I had to do. That being said, I just love how intentional you are.
And like the, like the calculated risks you took, right? Like moving, literally moving from one place to another. And we did this when I quit my job, we. We, um, downgraded our, our apartment. Cause we had just moved to LA. We got this fat apartment. Oh my God. It was beautiful. Literally four months later, we downgraded to a smaller apartment because I quit my job.
So it’s like, I just want people to know. It’s like, you have to be willing to be flexible with your circumstances, flexible with your comfortableness. Like if you really want to create this, like. Financial future that is robust and big. It’s like there will be some decisions that you have to make that aren’t convenient, like that are straight up not convenient.
But I promise you, if you can do that for [00:30:00] yourself and for your family and for whomever. There is another side of it and like trusting yourself, trusting his journey, especially when there’s information available to us. Like this, like, I mean, I didn’t have this book, but I was like, yo, we are here, like in the trenches, learning the lessons to save you from all of the drama that comes with, you know, being the first and.
Um, I think it was really good practice in just like learning how to trust myself and trust that I can build and create the thing that I wanted of just like taking those little actions and like proving to myself that I can be intentional and I can be disciplined and I can follow through because those are all skill sets that you’re going to have to use as an entrepreneur too, right?
Like when you make those scary decisions and you’re like, I don’t know how this shit’s going to work, but I know I’m committed and I’m going to see this through the end. Like going on a massive debt payoff journey is going to teach you that. Learning how to become disciplined and investing is going to teach you that.
Like there’s so much [00:31:00] about personal finance that becomes an aspect of personal development that then permeates. the rest of your life. Yeah. Yeah. A hundred, a hundred, a hundred percent. And I also want to mention, um, one thing or two things. I love that you paid yourself from your business before you quit.
Yeah. I mean, that is incredible. I know what I can do if I don’t actually do it. I love that. I mean, it, it, yeah. Like it sets you up to be like, Oh, I’m good. Yeah. I’m solid. Yeah. So, so, so good. Okay. Let’s talk about post nuptials. So funny thing, I recently brought this up to my husband, which I’ve had a couple thoughts about it personally for a long time.
I just didn’t think that I needed it. And. I was like, no, but I have like a great husband. I totally trust him and la la la la. And I just didn’t see the need [00:32:00] for it, like full transparency. And recently I forget what conversation we were having, but we were having a conversation about money and I, so this was my thought process on it.
And this is why I love. Like the very, like the, towards the last chapters, you talk about this, like, uh, I think it’s called rich mommy money moves. Um, you talk about like, when I was reading through that part, I was like, okay, you have, we have to think. Bigger, like we have to think bigger than just like the basic, like buy a home, maybe even have some investments, a good 401k, like there’s so much more wealth out there and that’s what I’ve always loved about you and your journey and like the, the way we explained.
And shared your story, but I had a conversation with Paul. I forget what we were talking about, but what I told him, I was like, look, babe, we’re only going to get richer. And we’re like, we’re only going to get more rich. [00:33:00] We’re still young. And I have a feeling. That like, like things are only, I also said things are only going to get more complicated when it comes to money.
It’s not going to get simpler. Like the more money you have, it is going to get more complex and like, you have to be smarter and like where these all the money goes. Um, so I, I think we should maybe discuss a post natural agreement. It was so funny. He was. I think he was a little offended at first, but we ended up having, like, he was like, are you kidding me?
Like, where’s Sancho? Like, but, but after all that, we had a very, like, honest, real conversation and it became, and we haven’t done it yet. It’s, we’re trying to do it with like our trust and all of the other things, but It was so interesting because we ended in this place of like, yeah, this is what, and this is what I told him.
I’m like, babe, this is what really ambitious, wealthy Latinas do. [00:34:00] I mean, yes, yes. And we have to remind ourselves that we are the first generation of women who even have these problems. Like, what a fucking privilege to be wondering, like, how do I protect all this massive wealth that I’m building that literally one generation ago, my mother could not do because the, for a great example, the fucking Equal Credit Act of 1974 was the first time that women were actually granted access to credit cards.
Like, that is my mom’s generation, y’all. Yeah, it’s crazy. It’s crazy. And you, you also said something in the book. You were like. Which I really related to as a mother, you were telling a story about how your dad traveled and your, your mom, like really took care of you guys while picking up jobs here, here and there.
And you, I think the phrase you, you said is like, I saw her in this, like, almost like a prison of motherhood, or I don’t know if [00:35:00] you said it exactly like that. And I think a. A lot of moms could relate to that a lot of mothers. And I see this with my friends and it triggers the fuck out of me. I was raised by a single mom.
So I always have this thought of like, no, no, no. Like I always have to protect myself and be working and whatever. Yeah. Um, but there are so many women who are mothers. There are so many mothers who are in relationships, um, with, where, where there’s no type of agreement and they’re not, they don’t, I mean, even if you’re not married, there could be an agreement.
Yes. Um, and I think it’s so important to. To talk about that. And like, I love that you bring this up and that you freely talk about this because it is a conversation needed, especially for mothers. Like when I read that, I’m like, yeah, it motherhood very much could feel like a prison of motherhood where you’re stuck in this cycle, especially when [00:36:00] When there is one typical person who’s bringing in the money for rent and like the main expenses, so, so, so good.
This and it’s funny because I wasn’t even planning on having a chapter about like love and money and any of that when I first put the book proposal together and it wasn’t until I was navigating a divorce while writing this book that I realized like, holy shit, this is an entire aspect of money that we do not talk about that is very taboo.
But is very relevant to how many of us saw women, um, be able to exercise their, their autonomy or not. When we think about our grandmothers and aunts and people in our circle of influence who’ve been in abusive relationships 99 times out of a hundred, there was some sort of financial abuse aspect at play.
And it’s not even something that we’re made aware of and how. It’s one of the most difficult types of abuse to escape from because it literally. alienates you from the [00:37:00] resources that would get you out of that situation. So it’s something we need to talk about and something we need to protect ourselves.
And so if I have to be like, you know, the poster child for like, why we need to have uncomfortable ass conversations with our partners, because so much shit can go left, then I’m happy to like, blame it on me, y’all. Blame it on me. Yeah. And even like, I think that’s why I was so uncomfortable with the conversation first with my husband.
Cause I was like, well, I don’t really, like, we’re both very fair people. We also like, in terms of the wealth that we have, it’s mostly him that, that made the decisions. Although we, we own half of everything, of course, but so a part of me always had this mentality of like, well, he’s building, I’m building, he’s building, I’m building.
But I think. The more money you make and the more perspective you have, the more you realize like, okay, this is get, this can get complicated very quickly if we don’t, and I even told him when we had this conversation, I was like, but isn’t it good just to make decisions ahead of time? Yeah. [00:38:00] Like you don’t want the emergency fund after the emergency has happened.
It’s too late. Yeah, like this would be so much cleaner if, you know, whatever the case is. So anyways, I just appreciate this conversation so much and that you, you talk about these perspectives in the book because they are so, so, so important. Okay. I kind of want to switch gears to To mindset and a specific story that I loved watching on, on your Instagram.
And I know this was an experience for you. I want to talk about the Paris trip with the Paris trip with your mother. I think so many people watching you. Like live that felt like such a dream I so I had a chance. I forget how old I was, but I took for my [00:39:00] mom’s 60th. I took her to Hawaii and it was such a big deal to me, but this is before I started my business and like before I did everything and luckily I had the money.
But I think. You know, I wasn’t like, it wasn’t like now, like now it would look a little different at that time. It was like, we’re staying at this hotel and we’re seeing, um, but I watching you live that whole experience. You got a photographer, you stayed at an amazing hotel, you were in Paris, right? What was that experience like for you generally?
And then also. What did, did you have any aha moments about wealth, about life? Like, I just want your perspective about that very luxurious experience as a first gen Latina. Yeah. So I took my mom to Paris in April of 2022 and she was like, It was something that I had been wanting to do. My mom is a two [00:40:00] time breast cancer survivor.
She’s the most powerful, most resilient woman I’ve ever met. And for me, it was important for us to just like have this thing that I had been envisioning for so long to like actually be able to come true. And I knew that I wanted to do it. Um, you know, before she got to a place where she was too old or sick to travel.
And so I, I got the opportunity to take Easter break. My mom works for the school system, so she gets those breaks off that kids are off. And I said, we’re going to Paris. First class tickets, all expenses paid. We’re going to just like live a whole ass, like sex in the city, dream trip. And I mean, just, there were so many emotions that came up during that trip.
One was feeling like, even though they told me I was crazy when I told my parents that I was going to quit my job to do this content creation thing and build this [00:41:00] podcast and do all this cool stuff. Weird shit on the internet. It was like the confirmation that I followed the right path. Just being able to provide this opportunity to her because it was not something I could have ever done like logistically or financially with my old job.
You know, I didn’t even have the amount of PTO to be able to take two weeks to go to Paris and then, you know, be able to spend like over 10, 000 on a trip for us and not have to worry about like where this money was going to come from. It was like, yes, girl, you followed the scary. You did the scary shit and it paid off.
And this is like a physical manifestation of like trusting yourself and understanding that even if others don’t understand the vision, you understand it and you commit. Like this shit works out. So it was that, it was the ability to just like watch my mom’s face in awe, like looking at the Eiffel tower and like, you know, hearing French music coming out of a cafe and eating a croissant and us riding the [00:42:00] Metro and like living a life that looks like some shit out of a romance novel, but like actually being there, walking the streets of Paris, she cried so much.
And it was just like, yeah, this is why this is all worth it. You know, when I think about just the generations of women that have come before me, the amount of sacrifice that has been given, I feel like it is my responsibility to show not only her, but like also my niece and whoever comes after this, just like how much limitless potential we have at this point, the world.
That they grew up in, you know, the elders, the ancestors, that shit does not exist anymore. And it’s just such a privilege to be able to get beyond the struggle and show my mom, like why all of the sacrifices were worth it and, and have her experience it. So it’s, [00:43:00] I, I get emotional just even like looking back at the photos and stuff, because it just represents the, that the sacrifices were worth it.
So many levels. Yeah, it was so beautiful to watch. Do you ever feel guilty for being for growing your privilege? Like, I kind of feel this way. Sometimes I’m like, oh, this is a lot like This is such a luxury and it’s like, sometimes, you know, I think social media makes luxury and, um, you know, fancy things and we do too, right?
Like we, you, we, we get to be enjoy our luxuries. We, we get to share them in the world. Like, that’s a good thing. I’m curious if you ever feel like it’s, do you ever feel guilty for it? Or do you ever feel like too privileged? Um, I wrote a whole ass chapter in this book about these feelings because this concept of like [00:44:00] wealth guilt is real and it is so, it’s not something that anybody prepares you for, you know, everybody’s like telling you to do the things, go to school, get the job, make the money, move out the hood, but then it’s like, what do we do when we are on the other side of the struggle?
When so many of the people that we still love are there and you feel powerless to help all of them. And so the name of that chapter is, um, when Jenny from the block becomes Jenny with the bag, because it’s like, I’m still the girl from the hood. I just don’t live in the hood anymore, but nobody prepared me for the fact that the further and further along that I got, the less and less we would see of the people that are part of our community.
That made us who we are. It’s a lot. It’s a fucking lot. And I think what happens to some folks is like, that guilt turns into self sabotage, where you do take on that [00:45:00] responsibility to be the life raft for everyone. And it becomes something that’s to your own detriment, where you give Excessively to the point where now you’re at risk and the boat’s gonna sink, honey, and we can’t have that.
So, you know, while it’s important to acknowledge those feelings, I think we also have to put boundaries around those emotions, understand where they come from, but also not let them be the thing that derails all the progress that we’ve made. Yeah. And I think this, it all, I mean, it goes back to, to the decisions that you make when you are really getting your personal finances together.
Right. Like you said, like you had to move into a different location and like, it was a very much a commitment to, to building wealth and, and seeing things bigger from a bigger picture. And I think for my audience, I just, I want to make sure that they’re seeing the perspective of like, your business is just one investment and thing that’s going to be [00:46:00] in your wealth portfolio.
Like I talk a lot, like, you know, how my business was built. Like it was very simple and I need that right. For my own brain and like the, and my lifestyle, I have kids and like all of that, but like. You don’t build wealth just through one business, um, you build it with either multiple investment, um, businesses, multiple, uh, ways, like whether it’s real estate, investments, and I want, I personally, I, you too, obviously, um, you want it to be all those things, like you want it to be a mix of those things, and that’s how wealth is built, and it’s not, I think for business owners, they could just get so sick of And it’s like, that’s not, that’s not like everything, like, that’s not everything in your life that is money.
Like, there’s so much more that you can do to build. Well, and I think that’s one of the things that a lot of people don’t think about is what’s the exit strategy. You know, because it’s very [00:47:00] easy to pick a date when you want to retire, when you have a corporate job, you know, you’re saying, okay, I’m going to wait till I’m 65.
But what is that going to look like for you in business? Like, what are you going to do? How are you going to diversify your assets? How are you going to take money that is profits out of your business and go and buy real estate or go buy investments? Like, You need to still be saving for retirement. You still need to be figuring out like, what’s the thing I’m going to do after either I’m tired of this shit and I want to do it anymore.
I just, I can’t work anymore. Cause now I have to do X, Y, Z. I want to take. You know, five years off to raise my kids. There’s so many different things that are going to happen to us in life that are going to change the, Capacity that we have to even show up in our business. And so I like to remind folks, like, I’m going to need you to create some sort of exit strategy where that’s like, while you’re balling out of control in your business, go and buy your retirement home and go and use that as a rental and have other people paid for it.
So that when you’re ready to retire, there’s your little house, you know, that’s something that I did buying my property in Puerto Rico. I’m like, I already have where I’m going to retire like 38 [00:48:00] years old. So like, if the shit goes left. I know I’m, I’m good. Yeah. You have to operate that way. Just like you’re not always going to be popping.
Your business is not always going to be what it is now. And, and let’s be realistic and plan for that. Yeah. And there’s just different things you might want to do. I always tell my clients, I mean, I don’t talk about this too much, but like, this is just my first business. Like, like, uh, this is not like, I could have, like, I want this business for a long time and, and.
I think it’ll be like a good 10, 15, 20 years, maybe even, but I’m not going to be running it. That’s not the plan. Like I’m going to have probably a lot of other people running it while I run multiple businesses. Cause I like business. That’s what I like first foresee for myself. Um, but yeah, I just, I think it’s so important to, to see it that way.
I had one more question for you regarding, or I don’t know if it was a question, but regarding the. [00:49:00] Success, guilt, and like the need to take care of your family. I think I remember when I hit six figures in my corporate career and I, you know, I was like, Oh my God, I made it like, and I used to give so heavily to my family and gifts for my nephews and niece.
And like, I used to be, and I still am very generous, but like now it’s. I, I also don’t want to mention with that, we also have to realize that like, there is so we could think a lot bigger, like, like we want to give because we feel privileged. We want to give because we feel that guilt. But also like, is your house paid off?
Like, yes, like your family doesn’t need more shit. Yeah. And it’s like, We just got to think about it different. Cause I’m a person who I was just like, Oh my gosh, especially my first year in business. I was like, here, mommy, 800 [00:50:00] here, mommy, 1, 500, which is great. And like, that’s lovely, but also there’s a way to do it intentionally.
And also like our parents, our family, they’re, they’re not always going to get our world and they’re not going to get everything that. Also, they’re not going to get how much it costs to run a life of, um, but I think it’s so important to, to also realize, and this is, I mean, you talk about this, like, there’s more work to do, right?
Like, before we start giving and giving and giving to our families out of that, like, sense of first generation, like, Like typically Christian guilt, it’s like, we got to take care of our stuff. Let’s, let’s learn how to pay off our thing. Let’s learn how to invest, you know, with the resources that we have from this book, right?
Like let’s read up and get very, very financially, uh, I mean, [00:51:00] wealthy, but also just like great. And then, you know, then from that place, we can intentionally give and do the things we want to do. And you talk about the spending plan. I do. Yeah. And, and one of the concepts that like blows people’s minds, which is like such a simple idea, but when you think about it, it’s like, holy shit, why didn’t anybody tell me this before?
It’s the concept of a family emergency fund, right? Because you know, you want to be able to help your family, but. It’s hard to understand how much support you can extend when you don’t earmark specific amounts of money for that purpose. So when you decide like, okay, I’m going to create a family emergency fund and it’s going to be that pot of money is that pot of money and when it runs out, it runs out and y’all gonna have to figure this shit out, right?
It’s like very easy to say, I can help you up to this point. Um, and. Then we’re going to have to figure something else out, whether that’s recruiting other family members or going to support services or talking to somebody at the church or whatever. Um, that is a great way to put boundaries around the support [00:52:00] without sabotaging the rest of your financial situation.
And I think also, Your family doesn’t need more shit. You know, I’ll say that again, like if you want to bring them into this world that you’re building, your family is going to appreciate experiences way more than they’re going to appreciate some new shoes or some bullshit that is going to go and collect dust, right?
Like mom doesn’t need another Louis Vuitton bag. Mom probably would love a trip. To Paris, you know, so that’s how I operate. I’m like, yeah, I, for example, this year I’m taking my whole family to Puerto Rico for Christmas because it’s been like 25 years since we’ve spent the holidays with my grandmother and my aunts.
And like, that’s such a lifelong memory making trip that. That money is so much better spent creating those types of memories and experiences than it is like buying everybody some crap that they don’t need. So I think it’s important to just remember that perspective too. If you want to give, give something that’s really meaningful, that actually represents that type of success.
Cause I think [00:53:00] more than anything, those are the things we take with us. Yeah. And I think also just us being the example. That’s, that’s probably even better growth for them. Right. Like if there’s specific people, I’m just thinking in my life and for my clients or anyone who could relate to relate to this, if there’s specific people that are struggling in your life, just know that like they’re watching you.
And the more that you are intentionally creating a better life for yourself and making these decisions, like if you are willing to share that, right. If you’re willing to have those conversations. Feel you’re going to feel whatever you feel and you got to hold on to that and that’s okay. But like, if you’re willing to do that, just know that just you doing that work is showing them what’s possible.
Absolutely. Um, you’re amazing. I love you. I’m so excited for Financially Lit and the [00:54:00] domino effect that this is going to have in our community. Um, this book is something I wish I, I mean, it’s, it’s, I’m happy I have it now, but I wish I had it at a, as a young, like 20 something year old, like even just 18, 19, 20, like, That was, that was the time I really needed this.
I remember, I always look back to this time when I worked at Nordstrom and I got a bonus check because I was like a manager. And it was 10, 000. I fucking spent it on clothes. And I look back and I’m like, if I only had someone like Jannese, I probably would have put that somewhere else. But the reality is, um, you have done the work and not only have you done the work, but you put all that work in two words inside financially [00:55:00] lit the modern Latina.
Guide to level up your the needle and become financially, I’m so excited. The book is available April 30th and go get it immediately. Get it on Amazon. Um, the amount of. knowledge, wealth experience in it. Um, it’s well, well, well, well, well worth it. And if you could buy 10 by 10 and make sure to get the audio book because I narrate it.
And so if you love the podcast, I love getting this book read to you by me. I’m getting it. I’m just gonna get it just so I could listen to you. I, I love that you, you said, um, that about, you know, you wish your 18 year old self had gotten it because that is my vision for this book. I want this to be the book that every Tia gets for their niece on graduation day.
Every mom gets for their daughter. Yeah. Well, I guess for their granddaughter, I’m like, this needs to be the book that’s passed down because it’s structured in a way that it is, is going to follow you along your entire financial journey. Yeah. [00:56:00] And so I’m so excited for the impact. I think that’s what I’m going to do with my copies.
Um, my clients could buy them, um, um, and they probably will. Um, but I think, I think the copies are going to go to my primas, my cousins, my sister, like that’s who I want. That’s who I wanted to go to because I love it. Yeah, that’s who, and the book’s gonna come out in Spanish, so that’s gonna be even more.
Oh my God, I did not know that. Yes. Yes. I can’t wait for that. Hope. You see, oh my god, my mom needs this. Mm-Hmm. . Oh, she’s definitely getting once in Spanish. Once a bit. Oh, a lot of people are like the, uh, it’s not too late. Yes. Um, no, I definitely, my young self needed this, my young self who was like. Had like a 500 car payment or, uh, you know, you know, you know how it is.
Oh, I know, girl. I was hurt too. We’re going to save the next generation from all of our mistakes. Where, where can people find you? Obviously they’re going to find the book on Amazon. I imagine [00:57:00] Barnes and Noble. Everywhere you buy books. Everywhere you buy books. Where else should people, I mean, I know, but where else should people follow you to get all of Jannese?
Absolutely. So if you want to find out more about the book and order it at your favorite retailer, you can go to financially lit book. com. You can also find out about my book tour and the stops that I’m going to be making. I would love to see you at a city near you. Um, make sure to join the email list to find out when I’ll be coming to a city near you.
And if you want more of me and my craziness and my spicy Latina brand of personal finance, you can go to yoquierodineropodcast.com and join my world over there. It’s, it’s, you’re amazing, the podcast is amazing, everything you do, I’m so excited that this has come into fruition. I remember when this was just a goal, like, how fun is that for me to like watch this?
And now it is a real thing and you created it. You not only manifest it, you created it. It is a real thing. [00:58:00] And. Everybody go buy this book. Um, and might I add when you do share it on social media, share it on social media, tag us, tag Jannese and share it with the world. Thank you for being here. I love you.
I appreciate you. Thank you so much for having me. I love you too.
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