• 52 minutes 14 seconds
    Exactly How to Buy Real Estate in Puerto Rico with Krystal Vias of Buy the Block PR

    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:



    TAKE THE NEXT STEP WITH YO QUIERO DINERO:


    Join my free training July 28th Sales Without Social


    📕 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:



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

    27 July 2026, 4:00 am
  • 34 minutes 21 seconds
    Yes, I Sold My Puerto Rico Condo — Here's What I'm Doing Next

    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:



    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.

    20 July 2026, 4:00 am
  • 45 minutes
    Stuck in Autopilot? How to Build a Career With Intention with Diana Bernal

    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:



    TAKE THE NEXT STEPS:



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

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

    13 July 2026, 4:00 am
  • 52 minutes 29 seconds
    The Real Cost of Cosmetic Surgery: What You Should Know Before Going Under the Knife

    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



    TAKE THE NEXT STEP:



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

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

    6 July 2026, 4:00 am
  • 49 minutes 32 seconds
    From Corporate Finance to 6-Figure Creator: Meghan Lim's Blueprint for Multiple Income Streams

    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:





    TAKE THE NEXT STEP:




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

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

    29 June 2026, 4:00 am
  • 31 minutes 13 seconds
    I'm So Sick of What Latino Parents Are Doing With Money (And We Need to Talk About It)

    The Guardian recently featured my plan for how I'm raising my toddler to become a millionaire and it got me fired up about something I've been sitting on for a while. Today I'm calling out the financial patterns that Latino parents normalize that are actually keeping our community from building real wealth. I'm not talking about our elders who came here with nothing and survived on grit. I'm talking to us — the millennial parents with smartphones, podcasts, and investing apps at our fingertips — who still aren't doing enough differently. We'll talk about why spending $20K on a quince but skipping the 529 is a problem, why your child is NOT your retirement plan, and the five mindset shifts that need to happen so we can stop breaking generational cycles and start building generational wealth.

    This is a tough love episode, mi gente, but I think you're ready for it.


    WE GET INTO:


    00:24 The Guardian feature + Jannese's toddler wealth plan

    02:53 Who this episode IS (and isn't) for

    04:18 Problem #1: Spending on appearances, skipping financial foundations

    06:03 Problem #2: Treating your children like a retirement plan

    08:01 Problem #3: Preaching education without a financial plan for it

    10:30 College vs. retirement — why you must always choose retirement

    14:07 Problem #4: Shaming kids for wanting more

    16:12 Problem #5: Dismissing financial tools as "too much" for kids

    18:30 When it's not that there's no money — it's that there's no mission

    19:20 Action steps for Latino parents (talk about money earlier, stop saying you don't know)

    20:32 Action step: Open the accounts — 529, brokerage, Roth IRA

    20:44 Action step: Redirect family gifts to the college fund

    21:50 Action step: Plan for your own retirement + money tools resource

    23:45 The $4 trillion spending power problem — and what we need to build instead

    24:49 The vision: celebrate AND invest

    26:44 Closing + how to get The Guardian article

    27:23 Outro — Stay Poderosa


    KEY TAKEAWAYS:


    • Spending on appearances while skipping financial foundations isn't tradition — it's a decision
    • Your child is not your 401k, your emergency fund, or your exit strategy
    • Preaching education without a financial plan for it is setting your kids up to drown in student loan debt
    • If you have to choose between saving for college or retirement, choose retirement — every single time
    • Wanting more does not make you ungrateful. Sometimes it's how you honor where you came from
    • Silence is the most expensive thing you can give your children when it comes to money
    • The most generous gift you can give your child is a financially free parent


    Read: A finance podcaster plans to make her daughter a millionaire by 18 – here’s how 


    TAKE THE NEXT STEP:



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

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

    22 June 2026, 4:00 am
  • 23 minutes 40 seconds
    Why Most People Will Never Build Wealth on a $65K Salary And What High Earners Understand About Money

    Earlier this year, I posted a question on Instagram asking Latinas making over $200K what they do — and the answers revealed something that most people in personal finance aren't willing to say out loud: you cannot build wealth on a median income when the cost of just existing has gone through the roof. In this solo episode, I'm breaking down why traditional money advice keeps failing us, what high earners actually have in common, and why your problem isn't discipline — it's your strategy.


    WE GET INTO:


    00:00 Introduction to Financial Realities

    02:42 Understanding Income Limitations

    05:58 The Path to High Earnings

    08:47 The Disconnect in Personal Finance

    11:53 The Rise of Latina Entrepreneurs

    14:48 Reevaluating Job Security and Income

    17:55 Strategies for Financial Freedom


    KEY TAKEAWAYS:


    • Most people cannot build financial freedom on $65K/year — not because they're doing something wrong, but because the math literally doesn't work when cost of living is this high.
    • High earners are either in high-level leadership or ownership. That's it.
    • Jobs are tools, not automatic wealth-building vehicles. Your employer controls your ceiling.
    • A paycheck is predictable. Entrepreneurship is scalable.
    • The only difference between a job and a business is the middleman selling your skill set.
    • Your income problem won't be solved by better budgeting — it requires a strategy shift.


    TAKE THE NEXT STEP:



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

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

    15 June 2026, 4:00 am
  • 58 minutes 19 seconds
    From Compton to PhD: Breaking Generational Cycles with Dr. Xochilt Alamillo

    What does it actually look like to not become a statistic? Dr. Xochilt Alamillo — Chicana therapist, PhD, business coach, podcast host, and retreat creator — is the living proof. She grew up in Compton, moved to Colorado as a teenager and experienced full-on culture shock, fell into the wrong crowd, and ended up with a criminal record by 20. Fast forward through community college, side hustles, three kids, and a whole lot of tunnel vision: she became the Latina therapist she couldn't find when she needed one most. In this episode, Dr. Xochilt and Jannese get into ALL of it — bicultural stress, emotional neglect in Latino families, what healing actually looks like (spoiler: it's not the cute Instagram version), survivor guilt as a first-gen cycle breaker, and how she built multiple income streams as a therapist while everyone in her field was taking a so-called vow of poverty.


    WE GET INTO: 


    00:00 – Welcome and Intro: Meet Dr. Xochilt Alamillo

    02:02 – Growing Up in Compton: Not Knowing What You Don't Know

    04:22 – Culture Shock, the Wrong Crowd, and a Criminal Record

    08:25 – Becoming the Latina Therapist She Couldn't Find

    10:24 – First-Gen Resilience and Why It Can Also Hurt You

    11:00 – The Biggest Mental Health Struggles Latinas Carry in Silence

    12:31 – When "Being Strong" Becomes Self-Abandonment

    14:05 – Bicultural Stress: Not Latino Enough, Not American Enough

    19:52 – Emotional Neglect: The Harm We Normalize in Latino Families

    24:53 – What Healing Actually Looks Like (It's a Process, Not a Glow-Up)

    29:04 – Survivor Guilt and the Weight of Being the Enlightened One

    34:37 – Navigating Family Expectations vs. Your Ideal Life

    36:45 – Why Finding Your People Is Non-Negotiable

    37:45 – Debunking Therapy Stigma in the Latino Community

    43:32 – Dr. Xochilt's Entrepreneurial Journey as a Therapist

    47:46 – Hosting Latina-Only Healing Retreats (Including One in Oaxaca!)

    51:22 – The First Step Out of Survival Mode


    KEY TAKEWAYS:


    • Being rejected by both your culture and mainstream America has serious mental health consequences, and you didn't make it up.
    • Anxiety in Latinas isn't just personal worry. It's your whole family's future sitting on your chest, and the weight is not yours alone to carry.
    • Emotional neglect is one of the most normalized (and damaging) patterns in Latino households. Naming it isn't talking trash on your cultura but the first step to changing it.
    • Healing is not a cute Instagram journey. It hurts. But the goal isn't a pain-free life, it's being equipped to handle whatever comes your way.
    • Survivor guilt is real when you're the first to "make it out." Surrounding yourself with people who get it is how you stay grounded.
    • Therapy doesn't have to look like a couch and a notepad. It's a conversation with someone who has no skin in the game.
    • When therapy isn't accessible, lean into what your cultura already does well: cafecito with amigas, curanderismo, time outside — do more of it with intention.
    • Therapists: you do not have to take a vow of poverty. Retreats, groups, trainings, and coaching are all legitimate income streams.
    • Finding your people — online or off — is one of the most radical acts of self-preservation a first-gen woman can make.


    CONNECT WITH DR. XOCHILT


    TAKE THE NEXT STEP:



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

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

    8 June 2026, 4:00 am
  • 50 minutes 39 seconds
    The Child-Free Money Playbook: Estate Planning, Legacy, and Financial Freedom

    What does your financial plan look like when the traditional script doesn't apply to you? In this episode, I'm sitting down with Bri Conn, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and co-host of the Child-Free Life by Design podcast, to break down everything child-free people need to know about building wealth, planning for the future, and defining legacy on their own terms. If you've ever been asked "but who's going to take care of you when you're old?" — this episode is for you.


    WE GET INTO:


    0:00 – Welcome + Jannese's personal journey with child-free financial planning

    0:57 – Introducing Bri Conn: CFP® serving the child-free community

    1:11 – How Bri accidentally fell into child-free financial planning

    4:04 – Who is actually seeking child-free financial planning (hint: it's not who you think)

    5:14 – What traditional financial advice gets wrong for child-free people

    7:09 – Redefining legacy when children aren't part of the equation

    9:06 – Navigating cultural expectations around family obligation and caregiving

    11:30 – Estate planning without default heirs — and why Child-Free Trust exists

    13:56 – Busting the myth: do child-free people automatically have more money?

    17:02 – Long-term care planning: who's actually going to take care of you?

    20:42 – Life insurance: do child-free folks even need it?

    22:29 – Building your "bench" of decision-makers (healthcare proxy + POA)

    24:34 – How to find a financial planner who actually gets it

    26:18 – What happens if you die or become incapacitated without an estate plan

    29:05 – FIRE vs. FILE: Financial Independence Live Early

    34:41 – Myth-busting: the worst financial advice child-free people always get

    36:44 – The one traditional money milestone you have permission to skip

    40:41 – What wealth actually means when you're child-free

    43:01 – Permission to want freedom and happiness — fully and unapologetically


    KEY TAKEAWAYS: 


    • The single most important question child-free people need to answer: Do you care how much money you leave behind when you die? Your entire financial plan changes based on your answer.
    • Legacy doesn't require children. It can look like a garden that inspires strangers, a community you've poured into, or friendships you've built with intention.
    • You are NOT the default family ATM just because you don't have kids.
    • Long-term care currently costs ~$129,000/year and is rising 5% annually. Women average 3.7 years of care. This is not a plan-later situation.
    • If you don't have estate documents in place, the state decides who makes decisions for you — and that could be someone you're estranged from or have never met.
    • FIRE = grind now, quit later. FILE (Financial Independence Live Early) = redesign work now so you can enjoy life sooner
    • Homeownership is not a mandatory financial milestone, Renting can absolutely be a wealth-building strategy
    • Build your "bench" early: medical professionals, estate planning decision-makers, and financial advisors who actually understand child-free planning.
    • If your financial planner looks at you like you have three heads when you say you're not having kids — find a new one.


    CONNECT WITH BRI:



    TAKE THE NEXT STEP:



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

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

    1 June 2026, 4:00 am
  • 57 minutes 25 seconds
    How Chef Mia Castro Built a Career from Her Borinquen Culture

    She beat Bobby Flay with her Abuela's Arroz con Pollo. She trained under Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller, and José Andrés. She was a Hell's Kitchen finalist. And then she walked away from all of it to build a career entirely on her own terms.


    Chef Mia Castro is a Puerto Rican chef, cookbook author, food influencer, and TV personality, and her debut cookbook, Cocina Puerto Rico: Recipes from My Abuela's Kitchen to Yours, is already making waves. We're sitting down to talk about her full journey: from her Abuela's kitchen in San Juan to elite restaurant kitchens across Vegas, Miami, and New York, to the 6-year road it took to get this book published.


    We're talking about first-gen pressure, being the only woman in the room, hiding your identity to fit in, COVID FaceTime calls that accidentally created a cookbook, building a personal brand as a chef, what success actually looks like when you stop chasing the dream someone else gave you — and the dish that beat Bobby Flay.This one hit close to home for me. You know I started my whole digital career as a Puerto Rican food blogger. Having Chef Mia in this conversation was a full circle moment.


    WE GET INTO:


    00:01 — Intro + Chef Mia Castro

    00:50 — What makes Puerto Rican cuisine one of a kind

    01:57 — The responsibility of writing Cocina Puerto Rico

    03:32 — What Abuela taught her that had nothing to do with food

    04:26 — Growing up in la cocina (homework could wait)

    07:21 — First-gen pressure and choosing passion over the "safe" path

    08:06 — Starting as a prep cook: the real culinary hustle

    10:27 — Being the only woman in elite kitchens

    13:07 — Feeling pressure to hide her Boricua identity in professional spaces

    14:51 — Reclaiming Puerto Rican food — all the way to fine dining

    16:25 — Leaving restaurants and carving her own lane

    18:46 — How COVID + FaceTime with Abuela created Cocina Puerto Rico

    22:16 — Beating Bobby Flay with Abuela's Arroz con Pollo

    26:30 — Modernizing recipes for the diaspora without losing the soul

    29:02 — The 6-year battle to get a Puerto Rican cookbook published

    32:39 — The recipe that made her emotional: las cremitas

    34:42 — Shooting the entire book at Abuela's house in PR

    36:27 — Personal branding advice: treat it like a portfolio

    37:54 — There is no luck. There is only preparation.

    40:16 — Behind the scenes of Hell's Kitchen + Chopped

    43:27 — Success redefined: from Michelin star dreams to time freedom

    47:49 — The legacy she hopes Cocina Puerto Rico leaves

    49:06 — The first dish to make from the book (and why it beat Bobby Flay)

    52:37 — Where to find Chef Mia

    53:00 — Outro


    KEY TAKEAWAYS


    • Staying humble and open to learning, at any age, is what keeps you from going stale. Abuela is still asking Mia how to cook things at 90. That's the growth mindset right there.
    • You don't have to hide where you come from to belong in elite spaces. Mia spent years feeling like she had to stifle the Puerto Rican to fit in — and her biggest wins came when she stopped doing that.
    • There is no such thing as luck. There is opportunity combined with preparation. Build the portfolio, show up consistently, and be ready when the call comes.
    • Pivoting is not failing. Walking away from restaurants was not giving up. It was choosing to build a version of success that actually fit her life.
    • Time is the real flex. Making money is cool. Having the freedom to spend it the way you want? That's the whole point.
    • Getting a book published as a Latina author is NOT a straightforward process. It took Mia 6 years, a writing coach, months to find an agent, and two more years from contract to shelf. Know the process before you romanticize it.
    • Consistency is the brand strategy. Not viral moments. Not follower counts. Showing up so that when the opportunity finds you, you're already prepared.


    CONNECT WITH MIA:


    TAKE THE NEXT STEP:


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

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

    25 May 2026, 4:00 am
  • 52 minutes 48 seconds
    She Quit Corporate, Moved Her Family to Spain & Bought a House in Cash for Under $70K

    If you've ever fantasized about packing up your life, leaving the US, and actually doing the damn thing — this episode is your sign. I'm sitting down with Alicia Sanchez, founder of Felicita & Faustina studio shop, marketing expert with 20+ years in the game (American Express, ESPN, Klaviyo — the girl's got credentials), and now a full-time entrepreneur living her best life in Southern Spain with her wife and six-year-old daughter. She bought a house. In cash. For under $70K. And she wants you to know it's more doable than you think.


    We get into the real — not the Instagram-filtered version. The financial planning, the digital nomad visa process, what attorneys actually cost (hint: not $10K), the tax reality, and why the thing that changed her life the most wasn't the house or the visa. It was watching her daughter have a childhood. This one's going to make you ask yourself: what's really keeping you?


    WE GET INTO: 


    00:38 — Intro: Alicia's back + why this episode exists

    03:07 — Who was Alicia before all of this?

    05:23 — What her Dominican grandmothers taught her about money

    09:03 — Why she said "hell no" to corporate

    10:35 — Build your business before you quit

    11:13 — Why corporate stability is a lie

    15:05 — Why Spain (she lived there before)

    17:11 — The decision: February 2025

    18:23 — The timeline: pods, visa, house

    20:41 — Financial planning behind the move

    22:06 — Buying a house in cash under $70K

    24:50 — Digital nomad visa explained

    27:07 — Biggest misconceptions about Spain

    30:08 — What attorneys actually cost (not $10K)

    33:07 — Bringing family on your visa

    34:25 — Documentation you need to qualify

    36:22 — The tax reality

    40:50 — How their daughter's life transformed

    42:33 — What's really keeping you?


    KEY TAKEAWAYS:


    • Don't wait to quit before you start building — start now, quietly, while you're still employed
    • Corporate "stability" is a mask. You can be laid off tomorrow. Build income outside your W-2
    • The digital nomad visa: apply in Spain (not the US) and get 3 years instead of 1
    • You do NOT need to spend $10K to get your visa. The government fee is set. Be an educated consumer
    • As a Latino/a, after 2 years on the digital nomad visa, you can switch to permanent residency through your lineage
    • For the digital nomad visa, max 20% of your income can come from Spain — the rest must come from outside the country
    • Clean, consistent bookkeeping and invoices are your best friend when applying
    • A 5-bedroom home in Southern Spain — bought in cash, under $70K. Eliminating a mortgage changes everything
    • Spain does a quarterly tax system. Know this before you go
    • The lifestyle shift is real. No active shooter drills. No metal detectors. Their daughter just went on a museum field trip
    • You are one decision away from a completely different life


    EPISODE RESOURCES:



    CONNECT WITH ALICIA:



    TAKE THE NEXT STEP:



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

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

    18 May 2026, 4:00 am
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