In episode 4 of our Money Unmasked series, Jonathan sits down with financial empowerment coach and educator rita zhang, founder of Community Roots Financials, to talk about money as something we feel in our bodies, hearts, and spirits—not just in our budgets and spreadsheets.   rita works with low‑income, immigrant, and communities of color, and she’s less interested in “perfect” financial literacy than in what it means for people to feel powerful, seen, and self‑determined in their financial lives. Together, she and Jonathan explore how stress, guilt, and anxiety around money are often coping responses to systems that were never designed with us in mind—and how slowing down to actually feel those emotions can become a deeply liberatory practice.   They get into: How rita went from racial and immigration justice organizing to financial empowerment coaching Why she thinks of her work less as “finance” and more as holding space for people’s wisdom to emerge The quiet courage it takes for working‑class and first‑gen folks to name what they truly want—not just what they need to survive How grind culture and capitalism convince us we’re “not doing enough,” even when we’re doing everything The idea of class straddlers: being the “bridge” generation between low‑income roots and a different material reality What it means to see yourself as one drop in the ocean and the whole ocean when it comes to healing, money, and lineage   If you’ve ever felt guilty for wanting more rest, more joy, or more “non‑essential” spending—or if you’ve felt behind because you don’t speak the language of traditional finance—this conversation offers a gentler, more honest way to think about money, power, and healing.   rita closes with an invitation rooted in self‑compassion: meet yourself exactly where you are, take one next step that feels possible, and let that be enough. Connect with rita zhang / Community Roots Financials: Website: https://www.communityrootsfinancials.com/  Community Roots Financials on Linkedin  Follow on Instagram: @communityrootsfinancials  Resources Mentioned in the Show (If you purchase any of the books below I get a small commission): Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey Learn more about “Class Straddlers”   🎧Listen to Previous Episode: Redefining a "Good Life" at 30 (with Dr. Tiona Sykes)   Stay Connected: 📺Join our Community on Youtube 📬Get updates, behind-the-scenes content, and first access to the upcoming newsletter  👉🏾Buy me Ko-fi ☕️ 🔗All links → https://linktr.ee/highlyvisiblepod 📲Follow us on Instagram  🕰️ Follow us on TikTok    Credits: Produced & Edited: Jonathan Dumas Produced & Additional Editing: Reggie Hall Socials & Community: Myron Bobyrk-Ozaki Email: [email protected]