I've ghosted y'all, and I need to apologize — because it wasn't intentional, and we need to talk about why. For years I shared everything: the brand deals, the $144K year that replaced my corporate paycheck, all of it. But after crossing a quarter million in revenue, I got quiet. In this episode I'm breaking down why success got harder to talk about than struggle, the family side-comments that made me want to shrink, and why I'm committing to radical, responsible transparency from here on out — revenue AND expenses, wins AND costs.

WE GET INTO:

00:01 The Ghosting Confession

02:20 The Accidental Business Origin (2019)

04:49 Celebrating Early Wins: The $144K Milestone

07:14 From $125 to $50K Brand Deals

09:37 The Discomfort of Outgrowing Her Old Self

10:21 Fear of Becoming Unrelatable

12:44 Struggle vs. Success in Latino Community Narratives

15:08 Family Side Comments and Feeling Like an Outsider

17:25 Committing to Radical Transparency

19:40 Why Latina Wealth Visibility Matters

21:54 Hope Over Guarantee: What This Show Is For

24:22 Honoring Every Version of Herself

26:48 Reconnecting With Her New Self as a Mom

29:10 Outro: Create & Cultivate Festival + Sign Off

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

→ Making the commitment to radical, responsible transparency — sharing the expenses and real costs behind every revenue win, not just the headline number

→ My financial arc: $144K in 2020 to $500K/year for the past four years and the first millionaire in my family

→ The bigger my numbers got, the quieter I became because I was afraid of seeming unrelatable or being judged by family

→ The real emotional cost of success: strained family dynamics, side comments, and imposter syndrome

→ Why hiding wins is a disservice to the community and keeps success feeling out of reach

→ A personal reflection on postpartum, my book tour, and my first year as a mom

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 free Money Call: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com/links/ 

FOLLOW YO QUIERO DINERO:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast 

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yoquierodineropodcast 

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoquierodineropodcast 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Yo Quiero Dinero I sat down with Leslie Priscilla, a Parent Coach, founder of Latinx Parenting, and author of the brand-new book CHANCLA: Healing Our Families, Ourselves, and Our Culture. Together we talk about the things that aren’t always so easy when it comes Latino parenting: the good, the bad, and la chancla itself. We're getting into intergenerational trauma, why "gentle parenting" content ignores the reality Latina moms actually live in, what reparenting really looks like day to day, and how the money scarcity messaging we grew up with shapes our kids for life. Don’t sleep on this one! 

WE GET INTO:

1:13 Latino Parenting & Breaking Cycles

2:15 Leslie’s Parenting Journey

6:58 Parenting with Compassion Under Pressure

18:11 Why La Chancla? Reclaiming a Cultural Symbol

24:51 Setting Boundaries in Multigenerational Families

35:36 Reparenting Yourself

44:39 Healing When Parents Won’t Take Accountability

45:39 Scarcity, Money & Self-Worth

49:15 Raising Kids to Question Authority

56:46 Building Self-Worth & Emotional Safety

1:03:28 A New Vision for Latino Family Healing

1:07:22 Where to Find Leslie & the Book

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

→ All behavior (yours and your kid's) is a strategy to meet a need and reframing "bad behavior" this way changes everything.

→ Reclaiming la chancla means aiming it at the systems (patriarchy, capitalism, white supremacy, harmful religious dogma) instead of at your kids.

→ Reparenting isn't about indulging your inner child; it's a disciplined practice of asking "what would be loving right now?"

→ You can't control how your parents or grandparents react to you parenting differently — but you can still do it differently.

→ Scarcity language ("we don't have money") shapes a kid's relationship to money and self-worth long into adulthood.

→ Respect ≠ obedience. Teaching kids to question authority is a survival skill, not disrespect.

CONNECT WITH LESLIE:

– Latinx Parenting: https://latinxparenting.org

– Buy the book: https://latinxparenting.org/chancla-book/ 

– Follow Leslie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latinxparenting 

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 free Money Call: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com/links/

FOLLOW YO QUIERO DINERO:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yoquierodineropodcast

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoquierodineropodcast

Website: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mi gente, this one is going to trigger you — in the best way. This week I’m sitting down with Denise Soler Cox, a cultural excavator, award-winning filmmaker, keynote speaker, and author who's spent the last decade going inside the cultures that shape how we lead, belong, and become who we are. After speaking on stage, women kept pulling Denise aside to share secrets they'd never told anyone. From this, Denise began to realize the cultural rules keeping Latina leaders shrinking and sidelined — and how to finally cut them out. Throughout the conversation, Jannese and Denise get into it: the two conflicting rules about money most of us grew up with (don't talk about it when it's bad, don't talk about it when it's good — and what that silence actually costs us), why corporate America rewards "polished" over honest, the hardest chapter Denise had to write (her relationship with her mom), boundaries, the "no contact" pendulum, and why the book is releasing in English and Spanish on the same day.

WE GET INTO:

01:50 – Origin story: Being Enye and the 17-year wait to make it

04:36 – How backstage confessions became a book about 10 taboos

09:31 – Corporate polish vs. real authenticity

11:56 – Cultural rules around what emotions are "acceptable"

16:10 – The two conflicting rules about money

19:20 – "Thermal equilibrium": the cold rooms in our families

21:06 – "White people problems" and the guilt of making more money

24:26 – Becoming the villain of the family story

27:32 – No contact vs. the hard conversation

31:33 – Gratitude vs. losing your ambition

34:04 – The hardest chapter to write: her mom

40:00 – Why the book releases in English and Spanish the same day

41:59 – What women should feel comfortable saying out loud

44:14 – Pay transparency and speaker rate shame

47:09 – Fill in the blank: what makes Latinas financially unstoppable

50:30 – Where to find Denise, the film, and the book

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

→ The rule of staying silent about money — whether things are good or bad — costs Latinas real dollars and real validation from the people who love us most

→ "Thermal equilibrium": some family topics stay frozen forever unless someone actively warms them up

→ The people who get upset when you set a boundary are usually the ones who benefited from you not having one

→ Corporate spaces reward "polished" — but the realest, most transformational work happens when you stop performing

→ Healing happens in community, not isolation — which is exactly why this book and this podcast exist

→ Pay transparency (rates, salaries, what you charge) is one of the taboos most worth breaking first

→ Ambition and gratitude aren't opposites — you're allowed to hold both

CONNECT WITH DENISE:

Website: denisesolercox.com/ 

Book: https://denisesolercox.com/book 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisesolercox 

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 free Money Call: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com/links/

FOLLOW YO QUIERO DINERO:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yoquierodineropodcast

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoquierodineropodcast

Website: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a minute since I gave you a full behind-the-scenes update, so today's episode is a solo catch-up plus is Nara Smith a trad wife or a genius businesswoman cosplaying domesticity? A mom informed her three adult daughters they now owe her $300/month, should they pay? And OpenAI took a group of creators on a luxury brand trip that the internet did NOT let slide, but who actually deserves the scrutiny? Stay till the end because I'm sharing all the ways you can work with me right now and diving into the biggest takeaway of this episode: money, power, and influence are always operating behind the image.

WE GET INTO: 

0:00 – Intro: what's on deck today

0:00 – Business update: Sales Without Social launch recap

4:54 – New digital products program (coming soon)

7:15 – Financially Lit Club school community + the $75K challenge

11:50 – Rich Mommy Retreat: Costa Rica, Nov 2–5

15:17 – Personal health update: GLP-1, HRT, and 50+ lbs lost

17:41 – Perimenopause, chronic illness, and Latino community health gaps

22:21 – Is Nara Smith a trad wife?

26:40 – Am I the Asshole: the $300/month "daughter dividend"

35:17 – The OpenAI creator brand trip backlash

39:46 – The common thread: money, power, and image

42:12 – Ways to work with Jannese + closing

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Passive marketing beats algorithm dependency
• There's no ceiling on what you can earn
• Domesticity ≠ financial dependence, and vice versa isn't automatically liberation
• Family generosity shouldn't be a mandatory recurring invoice
• Brand partnerships come with responsibility — ask what you're lending your name to
• Financial literacy goes way beyond budgeting

EPISODE RESOURCES: 

🔗 Idea to Income Webinar: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/idea 

🔗 The Financially Lit Club: https://www.skool.com/financially-lit-club/ 

🔗 The Rich Mami Retreat: ​https://trovatrip.com/trip/central-america/costa-rica/costa-rica-rich-mami-2026 

🔗 The First Gen Founders Circle: https://courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com/founders 

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 free Money Call: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com/links/

FOLLOW YO QUIERO DINERO:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yoquierodineropodcast

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoquierodineropodcast

Website: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Yo Quiero Dinero, Jannese sits down with Jessica Rivera — proud Boricua, mom at 19, and 20-year corporate vet who climbed from receptionist to senior leadership without ever following the "traditional" path. Jessica is here to help us decode the psychology of corporate power, promotions, and why your work ethic alone will never be enough to get you promoted. This episode gets into the imposter syndrome that doesn't disappear even after you hit the title and the money, the moment Jessica realized she had to bet on herself, and why she believes women's emotions are a leadership superpower — not a liability. They also get into the messy, real stuff: crabs-in-a-barrel dynamics in the Latino community, boundaries with people who take shots at your success, and the one standard Jessica refuses to lower for herself.

WE GET INTO: 

01:21 – Becoming a mom at 19 and choosing grit over the traditional path

03:26 – Being "the only" Latina in the room

05:29 – Learning corporate chess: playing the game on her own terms

07:12 – Imposter syndrome and the nitpicking that wears you down

09:05 – From receptionist to sales: Jessica's career trajectory

11:46 – The $50K retention bonus — and the promotion that never came

17:33 – Betting on herself: leaving corporate to coach full-time

21:23 – Building the BRAVE Method

26:09 – Burnout as a "badge of honor"

28:32 – Redefining success in the Latino community

30:41 – Judgment, boundaries, and who gets to stay in your life

33:57 – Confidence, courage, and owning your voice

36:23 – Why women's emotions are a leadership superpower

41:32 – Chasing who you're becoming, not just the goal

45:16 – Living a full life: family, love, and what's next

47:41 – Jessica's Puerto Rico retreat, resources, and the standard she refuses to lower

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

→ Hard work and grit will get you far — but they won't get you promoted. Understanding the psychology of power and politics will.

→ Imposter syndrome doesn't disappear once you hit the title or the money. It requires ongoing internal work.

→ "Struggle culture" and "hustle culture" are not the same thing — and confusing the two keeps high achievers stuck.

→ You have to be willing to lose people who can't handle your growth. That's not arrogance, that's a boundary.

→ Chase who you're becoming, not the goal itself — the goal is just a byproduct.

→ Women's emotions are a leadership superpower, not something to suppress to be taken seriously.

CONNECT WITH JESSICA:

Website: jessicarivera.co 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicarivera.co/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicarivera/ 

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 free Money Call: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com/links/

FOLLOW YO QUIERO DINERO:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yoquierodineropodcast

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoquierodineropodcast

Website: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hola mi gente! This week I'm switching things up. My husband Ray is joining me in an actual whole ass podcast studio to talk about the real estate business we've started building: house flipping. We closed on our first fixer-upper here in Florida, in cash, and we're pulling back the curtain on why we did it, what the real numbers look like, and how we keep being business partners from turning into a threat to our marriage.

WE GET INTO: 

00:00 Welcome to the studio: meet Ray

02:03 Ray's construction background (his dad and grandfather taught him everything)

09:41 Why they sold the Puerto Rico condo to fund this

12:50 Finding the house: the comps, the negotiation, closing at $140K

19:21 Inspection day: the good, the bad, and the roaches

24:17 The full renovation scope, room by room

34:04 The real numbers: budget, target sale price, profit margin

38:59 How they split roles: the LLC, the credit card, the labor

45:10 Keeping the flip from taking over the marriage

47:44 Rapid fire: who's most likely to...

51:27 Plan B if it doesn't sell

54:42 Final thoughts: budgeting for the unexpected

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

→ You don't need a mortgage to get started, but you do need liquidity and a plan for where that cash comes from

→ Comps are everything. Know what renovated properties are actually selling for before you fall in love with a "deal"

→ Budget for the worst case on every line item (roof, HVAC, electrical) so a surprise doesn't wreck your numbers

→ Permits exist because someone got hurt before you. Don't DIY the things that legally require one

→ When you're in business with your spouse, define your lanes clearly, money person and labor person, and stay in yours

→ Always have a Plan B (long-term rental, Airbnb) if the flip doesn't sell fast

→ The real ROI in this episode isn't the house, it's the years of money mindset work that made a six-figure cash purchase feel possible instead of terrifying

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 free Money Call: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com/links/

FOLLOW YO QUIERO DINERO:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yoquierodineropodcast

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoquierodineropodcast

Website: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com

This episode was recorded at Tampa Studio Collective (https://www.instagram.com/tampastudiocollective) and produced by Heart Centered Podcasting. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're picking up where we left off last week after I shared my own journey selling my condo in PR — and this time we're going deep on buying real estate on the island. I sat down with Krystal Vias, a proud Nuyorican and founder of Buy The Block PR, who's on a mission to reconnect la diáspora with Puerto Rico, one block at a time. Krystal didn't step foot on the island until she was 38 and that first trip changed everything. Now she's helping thousands of Boricuas navigate the confusing, often antiquated process of buying property back home, from finding trustworthy realtors to avoiding land scams. We get into the real talk: the identity crisis so many of us in the diaspora carry, conscious investing versus gentrification, and why speaking perfect Spanish is NOT a requirement for belonging. If you've ever thought about buying property on the island, this episode is your permission slip.

WE GET INTO:

• 00:00 – Intro: Welcome Krystal Viaz, founder of Buy The Block PR
• 01:26 – Krystal's story: first trip to PR at 38 and falling in love with the island
• 02:26 – Financial education roots + losing her brother-in-law to colon cancer
• 04:49 – Why there's no Cash App or Zelle in PR (and why that's by design)
• 06:44 – What Buy The Block PR actually offers
• 07:40 – Krystal's podcast, By The Blockcast
• 08:14 – Navigating identity: being "from here but also from there"
• 10:34 – Dealing with backlash: "you're not really Puerto Rican"
• 12:37 – Misconceptions about buying property (it's not just hopping on Zillow)
• 13:44 – How to actually find listings on the island
• 16:30 – Vetting real estate agents, lenders, and contractors
• 18:43 – Common scams and red flags to watch for
• 20:17 – The risks of buying land (inheritance issues, unpaved roads, protected land)
• 22:27 – What you need financially before you start looking
• 25:41 – Conscious investing vs. displacement and gentrification
• 30:05 – Airbnb, tax incentives, and long-term rental income
• 34:09 – Building remote income to fund the move
• 37:24 – "Spanish shame" and the myth that fluency is required
• 39:37 – Internal pressure vs. external validation of Latinidad
• 41:25 – The history behind Puerto Rican migration policies
• 43:41 – How to get involved with Buy The Block PR
• 45:19 – Closing thoughts: ownership, privilege, and being about it

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Puerto Rico doesn't have one central MLS like the mainland — off-market properties, Facebook groups, and word-of-mouth are huge parts of the process
• You'll need a trusted, vetted local team (realtor, lawyer, mortgage broker) — and red flags include people who go dark on communication
• Land purchases carry unique risks: unresolved inheritance issues, unpaved roads, no electrical/water access, and protected land you can't build on
• Mainland buyers typically need a second-home loan (20% down) unless they can prove 2 years of remote or island-based income
• Long-term rental income in PR can be tax-free — a lesser-known incentive worth knowing about
• Conscious investing means asking "how does this affect my neighbors and community?" — not just "what's my ROI?"
• Not speaking fluent Spanish does NOT disqualify you from reconnecting — the real barrier is internal permission, not language

CONNECT WITH KRYSTAL:

• Buy The Block PR Website: https://www.buytheblockpr.com
• Buy The Block PR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BuytheblockPR

TAKE THE NEXT STEP WITH YO QUIERO DINERO:

SALES WITHOUT SOCIAL BUNDLE: Get discovered and make sales in 30 days without posting on social media. LEARN MORE HERE.

📕 Get the book, Financially Lit!: https://financiallylitbook.com 

💸 Download the FREE Dinero Guide: https://courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com/ 

💬 Book a free Money Call: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com/links/ 

FOLLOW JANNESE:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoquierodineropodcast
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yoquierodineropodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By now you've probably seen me post on social media that I sold my condo in Puerto Rico, and the reactions have been... a lot. So let's get into it. In this solo episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of why I bought that condo right after my divorce, what it represented to me, and why — three and a half years later — I decided to let it go. This is not a "never sell real estate" episode. This is a "your life changes and so should your money moves" episode. We're talking numbers, we're talking mindset shifts around debt and leverage, and we're talking about what's next: a fixer-upper flip in Florida with my husband, and a bigger PR condo for our family. Grab a coffee (or a copa), this one's personal.

WE DIVE INTO:

02:20 – The origin story: buying the condo after my divorce

06:59 – What the condo really represented — reclaiming my connection to the island

09:17 – What changed: becoming a mom, remarrying, outgrowing the space

11:39 – The HOA drama and why the condo stopped making sense

13:56 – Let's talk numbers: what I paid vs. what I sold it for

16:19 – The plan: flipping a fixer-upper in Florida with my husband

18:45 – Reframing my relationship with debt

21:04 – Why I'm financing the next PR condo instead of paying cash

23:19 – The real lesson: alignment over accumulation

25:42 – The emotional side of letting go

28:00 – Where to find my PR real estate guide + money tools

30:25 – Rich Mommy Retreat + how to stay connected

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

→ Your financial decisions should evolve as your life does — what worked for single you might not work for married-with-a-baby you

→ Selling an asset isn't automatically a bad money move — rich people reposition capital all the time

→ Debt and leverage aren't the enemy. Used strategically, they let you preserve cash and acquire more assets

→ Cash purchases give you flexibility and control (hello, fixer-upper flip); mortgages can be the smarter move when you want to preserve liquidity

→ You don't owe anyone an explanation for your money moves — get around people who understand the vision

RESOURCES:

• Jannese’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast/ 
• Rich Mami Retreat: https://www.richmami.com/ 
• FREE GUIDE: Buying Your First Property in PR: https://courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com/pr-real-estate 

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 free Money Call: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com/links/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Jannese sits down with executive coach, speaker, and author Diana Bernal to talk about something a lot of us never learned how to do: build a career on purpose instead of just falling into one.Diana is a first-gen success story who climbed the corporate ladder in nonprofit fundraising, hit "senior vice president" energy, and realized the corner office wasn't actually the goal. Now she coaches ambitious women through the exact roadmap she used to pivot, and she just released her book, Career with Intention. This conversation covers the signs you're autopiloting at work, why "loyalty" doesn't always pay off, how to give yourself permission to walk away from a degree (or a decade) without it being a waste, and how motherhood and marriage can completely reshape what ambition even means.

WE GET INTO:

01:32 Diana's first-gen story and career roadmap

04:19 Redefining success beyond the corner office

06:53 The false narrative of the corporate ladder

09:36 Loyalty culture vs. career mobility

09:45 What it means to build a career "with intention"

13:15 Signs you're autopiloting at work

15:12 Overcoming the sunk cost fallacy

16:26 Key questions to ask before a career pivot

18:36 Why high-achieving women struggle to own their value

22:14 Cultural scripts Latinas face at work

25:00 Testing the waters before quitting your 9-to-5

26:44 It's never too late to reinvent yourself

30:22 How motherhood reshaped Diana's ambition

31:26 A mindset shift that changed her life

33:15 Breaking the breadwinner stereotype

36:34 A journaling exercise for career clarity

37:06 Advice to her younger self

40:11 Where to find Diana and her book

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The clearest signs you're autopiloting at work — and why your boss already knows
• How to overcome the sunk cost fallacy around a degree or career you've outgrown
• Diana's 3-part framework for a career pivot: values, skills/interests, and place
• Why it's never too late to reinvent your career (Diana made her pivot in her 50s)
• Breaking the "man as breadwinner" script in marriage
• A simple journaling exercise to get career clarity fast

CONNECT WITH DIANA:

• Get Diana's book, Career with Intention: https://bit.ly/4cp2Etu
• Connect with Diana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diana.bernal.inc/
• Diana's website: https://www.dianainc.com

TAKE THE NEXT STEPS:

• Join my Passive Profit workshop on July 28th: http://crowdcast.io/c/passiveprofit
• Get the book, Financially Lit!: https://financiallylitbook.com
• Download the FREE Dinero Guide: https://courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com/
• Book a free Money Call: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com/links/

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's talk about something a lot of us have been quietly researching — cosmetic procedures. Whether you've gone down a TikTok rabbit hole on facelifts or you're seriously considering something, the money side of this decision matters just as much as the medical side.

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Ruslan Zhuravsky — board-certified facial plastic surgeon and founder of Z Face Plastic Surgery in Aventura, Florida — to break down the real economics of cosmetic surgery. We're talking about why bargain procedures can end up costing you way more in the long run, which procedures are actually worth the investment, and what to look for (and run from) when choosing a provider. This is the informed, empowered conversation you need before spending a single dollar on your face. Let's get into it.

WE GET INTO:

00:00 — Introduction: Why plastic surgery belongs on a personal finance podcast

01:22 — Dr. Z's background: from art and architecture to facial surgery

04:03 — Why he chose a boutique practice over high-volume centers

05:23 — Building a practice from scratch: loans, word-of-mouth, and the grind

08:07 — The economics of cosmetic procedures: price vs. value

09:34 — The danger of over-filling: why "cheaper" treatments compound costs

11:05 — Real patient story: years of med spa treatments vs. one surgical solution

13:04 — How to evaluate if a quoted price is fair

15:11 — Going abroad for surgery: real talk on risks and rewards

17:31 — The three pillars of aging: laxity, volume loss, and skin changes

20:48 — Where to invest first if you have a limited aesthetic budget

22:44 — Botox 101: cost, longevity, and what can go wrong

24:46 — Med spas vs. surgical practices: what's actually different

26:52 — Skincare myths and social media trends to be skeptical about

28:22 — Retinol: is it worth the hype?

29:45 — Best long-term value procedures vs. worst investments

36:27 — Facelifts and Ozempic face: what GLP-1 users need to know

36:55 — The honest surgeon test: red flags to watch for in consultations

39:05 — What a good consultation actually looks like

41:13 — When the right answer is NOT to have surgery

43:11 — How to verify credentials and board certifications

46:18 — Dr. Z's money lesson: let your money work for you

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

– Cheap treatments aren't just less effective — they can make future surgery harder and more expensive

– The three pillars of aging are laxity, volume loss, and skin changes — each requires a different solution

– Board certification is the bare minimum, not the finish line — do your research beyond that

– Rhinoplasty is often the best long-term investment because a quality one is one and done

– Neck liposuction and buccal fat removal are frequently bad investments — most patients don't actually need them

– Good consultations take time — if a doctor is rushing you out, that's your sign

– About 30% of patients Dr. Z sees are told not to have surgery at all — an ethical surgeon will tell you the truth

– Skincare basics (sunscreen, moisturizer, microneedling) are the highest ROI foundation before any procedure

– Always get multiple consultations — even Dr. Z encourages his own patients to shop around

CONNECT WITH DR. Z

• Instagram
• Website

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

• Download the FREE Dinero Guide
• Read my book, Financially Lit!
• Book a Call with Jannese

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's episode is basically my love language: multiple income streams. I'm joined by Meghan Lim, AKA Meghan Makes Money, who went from a $78K corporate finance job to building a six-figure creator business with 160K+ followers, all in about two and a half years. We're talking side hustles, affiliate marketing, brand deals, pricing your worth, and why "selling" isn't a dirty word.

WE GET INTO: 

00:00 Intro: Meghan's journey from corporate finance to content creator

00:49 Meghan's origin story: childhood side hustles and the layoff that changed everything

03:48 Money messages from a Filipina immigrant household

05:38 Switching her major to finance (and why it didn't teach her personal finance)

07:30 Stepping into the creator economy as a Gen Z creator

11:47 The viral paycheck breakdown video that changed everything

13:07 Side hustles worth your time (and which ones are a scam)

17:05 How Meghan actually makes money now: affiliates, brand deals, coaching

18:45 The disconnect between followers and revenue

21:45 What to have in place before pitching brands

25:49 Favorite underrated monetization method: affiliate marketing

29:33 How content creation has changed Meghan's life (six figures, comped trips, free LASIK)

32:35 The Cartier ring story: rewarding yourself and abundance mindset

36:48 Navigating the pressure to choose stability over risk

38:18 Redefining success after leaving corporate

39:55 Biggest financial mistake (and the lesson behind it)

42:14 The #1 skill every creator needs to learn

42:46 What's next for Meghan Makes Money

44:20 Final advice: you don't need permission to make money

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• Multiple income streams beat relying on one (especially brand deals, which can be inconsistent)
• You don't need to be "the expert" or already have results to start sharing your journey
• Documenting > performing — people want to follow along, not just see the finished product
• Reframe selling as serving: your product or service genuinely helps someone
• It takes 14-17 touchpoints before someone takes action, so don't be afraid to repeat yourself
• Affiliate marketing in the finance niche is one of the most underrated income streams
• Reward yourself for milestones — it's not just about ROI, it's about breaking scarcity mindset
• Surround yourself with people doing what you want to do; proximity changes your mindset

CONNECT WITH MEGHAN:

• Meghan's Instagram: @meghanmakesmoney
• Meghan's Website: https://www.skool.com/money-makers-circle-8363

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

• Download the FREE Dinero Guide
• Read my book, Financially Lit!
• Book a Call with Jannese

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.