Yo Quiero Dinero

What does it actually mean to have enough when you didn’t grow up with money? Jannese sits down with Maria Melchor, creator of FirstGenLiving and author of Always Have Enough: How to Build Wealth When You Don’t Come From Money. Maria immigrated from Mexico as a kid, studied human rights at Yale and planned to become a lawyer. Then a pandemic Instagram page changed everything. We talk about defining your “enough,” supporting family without sacrificing your future, the three buckets every first-gen needs for their goals, scarcity mindset and why your safety net is bigger than your bank account. WE GET INTO: [01:46] Normalizing the money conversation [02:45] From Mexico to Connecticut: the original plan [05:15] Racial profiling and segregation in the Northeast [07:52] From human rights to personal finance [08:13] How FirstGenLiving was born [10:16] The CNBC Millennial Money moment [12:10] Choosing FirstGenLiving over law school [14:23] What “always have enough” really means [17:45] Why you need to define your “enough” [18:38] Being a good steward of your first paycheck [21:18] Supporting family without sacrificing your future [24:56] Your goals, shared goals and other people’s goals [27:47] Eldest daughters: it’s not your job to parent your parents [29:35] Siblings and planning for your parents’ future [30:37] Enjoying what you’ve built without guilt [31:49] Scarcity mindset: spenders vs. savers [35:15] Jannese’s shift from accumulator to real estate investor [36:50] Building safety nets beyond your bank account [39:19] The power of community and asking for help [39:00] What Maria hopes readers feel KEY TAKEAWAYS: → Get clear on what “enough” means to you, or you’ll chase more forever → If you don’t decide what your money is for, your bills will → Put your oxygen mask on first, even when family is everything → Sort your goals into three buckets: yours, shared and other people’s → Your parents’ retirement is ultimately their goal. You can help without owning it → Scarcity mindset shows up as extreme spending OR extreme saving. Same coin, two sides → Your safety net includes job benefits, community and government benefits, not just your balance → Community is a financial resource. Asking for help is part of the plan CONNECT WITH MARIA: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstgenliving/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@firstgenliving Website and free book club: firstgenliving.com Always Have Enough: https://www.firstgenliving.com/book TAKE THE NEXT STEP WITH YO QUIERO DINERO: 📕 Get the book, Financially Lit!: https://financiallylitbook.com 💸 Download the FREE Dinero Guide: https://courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com/ 💬 Book a Coaching Call: https://yoquierodinero.as.me/schedule/a5e9a3eb 🤝 Join the The Financially Lit Club: https://www.skool.com/financially-lit-club/about FOLLOW YO QUIERO DINERO: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yoquierodineropodcast 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoquierodineropodcast This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You hit the income goal, paid off the debt and built the life you dreamed of. So why does it still feel like it could all disappear? After I crashed out on Instagram asking “does it ever actually get to feel safe?”, so many of you told me I needed to talk to Saskia Katherine. Saskia is a spiritual mentor, educator and creator of The Integration Map, and she helps high-achieving women move from survival to self-trust. We talk about why milestones don’t make you feel safe, the signs you’re living in survival mode, being the responsible one in a first-gen family, wealth guilt, and why calm isn’t the goal. Saskia also leads a short guided practice live on the show so make sure you listen until the end! WE GET INTO: 00:00 Episode preview 00:47 Welcome + meet Saskia Katherine 03:01 What safety meant growing up 05:33 From education leader to inner child work 08:55 The imaginary finish line: why milestones still don't feel safe 12:08 Signs you're living in survival mode 15:32 The "responsible one" in first-gen families 18:27 Can high achievers avoid burnout? 23:12 Why knowing your patterns isn't enough 30:55 Wealth guilt, grief & building self-trust 34:37 Loneliness, growth & the clarity that comes with age 37:58 New and uncomfortable vs. not right for you 42:25 What self-trust really means 43:12 Nervous system regulation vs. self-suppression 50:06 Guided practice: "When does it ever get to feel safe?" 57:33 Janice's breakthrough moment 58:30 Where to find Saskia + free resources 1:00:30 Closing thoughts KEY TAKEAWAYS: → Reaching the milestone doesn’t automatically make you feel safe. A younger part of you may still be running the show → Survival mode looks like compulsive account checking, holding your breath at checkout, or spending money the second it lands → Being the responsible one is practiced. Every time your needs came second, you taught yourself they don’t matter → Keep the hustle. Just stop making it responsible for proving your worth → It’s not self-sabotage. It’s protection, and it responds to compassion → You can make the right choice and still grieve what you left behind → Fear doesn’t mean it’s the wrong move. Ask what that part of you needs to feel safe → Calm isn’t the goal. A healthy nervous system activates and comes back down CONNECT WITH SASKIA: Instagram: @saskia.katherine Website: saskiakatherine.com Free guided session: saskiakatherine.com/freebie TAKE THE NEXT STEP WITH YO QUIERO DINERO: 📕 Get the book, Financially Lit!: https://financiallylitbook.com 💸 Download the FREE Dinero Guide: https://courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com/ 💬 Book a Coaching Call: https://yoquierodinero.as.me/schedule/a5e9a3eb 🤝 Join the The Financially Lit Club: https://www.skool.com/financially-lit-club/about 📅 Upcoming events: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com/events/ FOLLOW YO QUIERO DINERO: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yoquierodineropodcast 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoquierodineropodcast This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week I was featured on Banking On Cultura, hosted by mi amiga Victoria Jenn Rodriguez. The conversation was so good that I wanted to bring it to the YQD feed! Take a listen and subscribe to Banking on Cultura wherever you get your podcasts. FOLLOW JENN: 📲Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iamvictoriajenn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📲 TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ iamvictoriajenn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW YO QUIERO DINERO: Ready to get your financial sh*t together? Work with me. 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yoquierodineropodcast 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoquierodineropodcast -- She launched a podcast from a closet, using an iPhone 11 and wired Apple earbuds, then built a digital business powerful enough to make her a millionaire. But the real story is bigger than the revenue. It’s about a Puerto Rican woman claiming space in rooms shaped by whiteness, turning cultural fluency into economic power, and refusing to separate wealth from identity. In this episode, Victoria Jenn Rodriguez sits down with Jannese Torres, creator of the Yo Quiero Dinero Podcast and author of Financially Lit: The Modern Latina’s Guide to Becoming Financially Poderosa. Jannese Torres breaks down what it takes to monetize attention without diluting your values, use pop culture with intention, build beyond corporate dollars, and create offers people will pay for in an era where information is everywhere. The conversation moves through privilege, brand safety, AI, direct-to-consumer strategy, community accountability, and the uncomfortable truth that our dollars can either reinforce exclusion or fund the rooms we actually want to enter. What We Get Into: 01:13 Why Latino buying power keeps growing while Latino creators still get overlooked 02:43 The introvert who used to break out in hives before public speaking 04:27 Her first paid workshop became a 45-minute tech disaster, and people still waited 06:34 The fear lesson that changed how she approaches entrepreneurship 07:30 The shower idea behind Yo Quiero Dinero, and how she claimed the name 11:12 How to use Bad Bunny and pop culture without chasing empty clicks 15:00 The arroz con gandules post that revealed her real content niche 18:26 How to discuss race, privilege, and controversy without posting reactively 23:31 Why your values need to be part of your brand before the brand deals arrive 26:30 The business protection of building both B2B and direct-to-consumer income 30:32 Why people no longer want more information, they want access and results 33:38 The shift from passive courses to retreats, boot camps, and build-in-real-time offers 39:58 “Brown girls on the flyer” does not mean the room was built for you 42:58 Why Latinos need to stop discounting their own community and start investing at full price 45:36 How grassroots funding, community partnerships, and voting with your dollars create change 49:06 The practical playbook: diversify your offers, deepen your work, and spend with intention Key Takeaways Fear shrinks when you stop negotiating with it. A delayed workshop helped Jannese Torres build her speaking career. Cultural relevance is a business asset. Create from your identity instead of chasing trends. In the AI era, people pay for access, accountability, and results. Direct-to-consumer revenue gives creators more control over their message. Build your values into your brand before the brand grows. Representation means little if the community isn’t truly included. Every dollar supports the businesses and systems you want to sustain. Invest in Latino businesses at full value to strengthen the community. Grassroots spaces create opportunities where traditional rooms fall short. Exposure to new environments expands your vision of wealth and leadership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're talking to a brujería. Depending on how you grew up, that word might feel like home or it might make you nervous. Wendy Mata, founder of Bruja Power Botanica and author of Bruja Curandera, spent 20 years in cybersecurity and digital forensics before a Día de los Muertos dream from her late grandmother changed everything. Now she runs a seven-figure business teaching people to reclaim their magic. We get into money programming, why wanting more isn't selfish, how money spells actually work, and how to pair spiritual practice with real financial action. WE GET INTO: [00:25] Intro: Why we’re talking spirituality and money [02:17] Meet Wendy Mata, founder of Bruja Power Botanica [03:04] Corporate success, an empty feeling, and the Día de Muertos dream [07:02] What a bruja really is, and reclaiming the word [08:51] Staying small, colonization and our money programming [09:32] The money stories we inherit [11:47] Si Dios quiere vs. Dios siempre quiere [13:39] Step one: making the decision [15:06] The mantra for when wanting money feels selfish [16:12] The viral TikTok that made $10K overnight [18:35] How to release your money programming [20:35] “You say yes, then you figure it out” [21:24] Ritual meets action: the practice of surrender [24:11] How money spells actually work [27:07] The full moon floor wash for business [28:25] Talking abundance without shame [32:07] How to know if you’re a bruja [35:18] From a sold-out retreat to kitchen candles [37:29] The path to seven figures [39:33] Charging for ancestral gifts [42:59] Writing Bruja Curandera [46:44] Your first step: I believe in my magic KEY TAKEAWAYS: → Spirituality without action is just wishing. Pair mindset and ritual with real moves → Dios siempre quiere. The support is there, but you have to do the work → When wanting money feels selfish, try: "The more money I make, the more people I can help" → Releasing limiting beliefs isn't enough. Decide what you'll believe instead → Ask for help. If you don't ask, you already have the no → Struggling isn't a mindset failure. Systemic barriers are real, and abundance goes beyond money → You're allowed to charge for your gifts CONNECT WITH WENDY: Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/brujapower/ Website:https://www.bruja.us/ Book: brujacurandera.com TAKE THE NEXT STEP WITH YO QUIERO DINERO: 📕 Get the book, Financially Lit!: https://financiallylitbook.com 💸 Download the FREE Dinero Guide: https://courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com/ 💬 Book a Coaching Call: https://yoquierodinero.as.me/schedule/a5e9a3eb 🤝 Join the The Financially Lit Club: https://www.skool.com/financially-lit-club/about 📅 Upcoming events: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com/events/ FOLLOW YO QUIERO DINERO: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yoquierodineropodcast 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoquierodineropodcast This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We were taught to work hard and save money, but nobody explained how taxes fit into building wealth. So this week, I'm joined by Laura Zarrate, CPA and founder of Athena CPAs and Advisors. Laura immigrated from Bogotá, Colombia, at 14 with her dad and two 40-pound suitcases. She started her career at Deloitte, then built her own firm. Today she and her team serve 200+ business owners across the U.S. We get into why the tax code is a playbook, what an LLC actually does, when an S Corp makes sense, and why "just write it off" is not a strategy. If you're an entrepreneur who only talks to a tax pro in April, this one's for you. WE GET INTO: [01:45] Meet Laura: from Bogotá to Athena CPAs [02:34] Not the typical "old white guy" CPA [03:53] Immigrant frugality and learning to ask for help [05:48] Choosing the world of "more than enough" [07:04] Deloitte and the road to her own firm [11:33] Why she left: freedom and meaningful work [13:24] The skill that humbled her: sales [16:56] The tax conversations Latinos aren't having [18:04] How taxes actually work for W-2 vs. business owners [20:21] Is the tax code confusing on purpose? [21:23] Tax prep vs. tax planning [23:03] Deductions entrepreneurs miss: home office and car [26:32] Putting your kids on payroll [30:14] When to hire a CPA [32:08] What an LLC does (and doesn't do) [35:39] S Corp elections explained [40:54] The "just write it off" myth [43:51] Tax tips that need to go: S Corps, Wyoming and Delaware LLCs [47:04] Making more money but still feeling broke [49:40] Paying yourself with unpredictable income [51:34] Retirement accounts for entrepreneurs [55:05] HSAs explained [58:30] Deducting health insurance as a business owner [1:02:50] Tax relief services: real or scam? [1:04:58] How to vet a tax professional [1:09:27] One step to take this week KEY TAKEAWAYS: → The tax code rewards three activities: owning a business, owning real estate, and investing. → Tax prep is not tax planning. Your tax pro should give you a plan with real numbers. → An LLC is for legal protection and business credit, not tax savings. → An S Corp is a tax election, not a new business. It comes with payroll and reasonable salary rules. → A deduction lowers your taxable income. It does NOT make the purchase free. → Hiring your kids can work, but only with real work, market pay, and good records. → Know your break-even number and check your books monthly, not yearly. → Anyone can prepare taxes. Check licenses and ask about experience with your type of business. CONNECT WITH LAURA ZARRATE: Website: https://athenacpas.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athenacpas TAKE THE NEXT STEP WITH YO QUIERO DINERO: 📕 Get the book, Financially Lit!: https://financiallylitbook.com 💸 Download the FREE Dinero Guide: https://courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com/ 💬 Book a Coaching Call: https://yoquierodinero.as.me/schedule/a5e9a3eb FOLLOW YO QUIERO DINERO: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yoquierodineropodcast 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoquierodineropodcast This episode is for educational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Talk to a qualified tax professional about your situation. Yo Quiero Dinero is the #1 English-language personal finance podcast for Latinas and people of color. New episodes every Monday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.