>> FOR >> FIRST GENERATION INDIVIDUALS, BUILDING WEALTH CAN BE INTIMIDATING.

AND WHILE LEARNING HOW TO NAVIGATE FIND FINANCES CAN BE CHALLENGING.

IT IS POSSIBLE.

OUR NEXT GUEST HAS MADE IT HER LIFE'S MISSION TO PASS ON LESSONS AND TEACH OTHERS HOW TO TACKLE THEIR FINANCES.

WELL, PACKING CULTURE IN SYSTEMIC BARRIERS.

THAT'S A SUBJECT OF A RELEASED, A BEST-SELLING BOOK GOING END CASH LESSONS FROM THE FIRST GEN MENTOR FOR MANAGING FINANCES.

IN CULTURE, EXPECTATIONS.

AND THERE.

JOE ON SILAS JOINS US NOW.

I'M SO EXCITED THAT YOU JOINING US.

THIS IS YOUR BOOK.

I LOVE THE COLOR OF YOUR BOOK.

SO I I READ THE FIRST CHAPTERS AND OFF THE BAT.

WHAT STOOD OUT TO ME WAS WHEN YOU WROTE, NOBODY TEACHES US HOW MONEY WORKS.

IT'S NOT TALK TO US IN SCHOOL.

AND IF YOU HAVE IMMIGRANT PARENTS LIKE ME, IT LIKELY WASN'T TALK TO YOU AT HOME.

I FELT THAT I FELT LIKE I NEVER GREW UP LEARNING HOW SAVE MONEY.

MY DAD WAS LIKE, SAVE MONEY, BUT I'M LIKE >> YOU KNOW, CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CHALLENGES YOU HAD WITH MONEY GROWING UP?

YEAH.

SO I'M I'M LUCKY THAT WE NEVER WENT WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, WE VERY MUCH LIVE IN A LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD.

SO BUT I DIDN'T SUFFER FROM FOOD SCARCITY BEING HOUSE LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY.

>> WHEN I WAS IN MY 20'S, THAT'S WHEN I HAD A LOT OF FINANCIAL CHALLENGES.

AND THAT WAS BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE A SAFETY NET.

MY I DON'T HAVE RICH PARENTS.

YOU KNOW, LIKE MANY PARENTS HAVE IMMIGRANT ROOTS.

SO THAT MEANT THAT IF I WAS IN A BAD SITUATION I WAS AT WORK AND I WAS GETTING BRING OW, I COULDN'T TO QUIT.

I HAD TO KEEP WORKING.

IT AFFECTED MY HEALTH OR IF I WAS STUCK IN NIGHTMARE.

ROOMMATE SITUATION FROM THIS PERSON RAN A ON CRISIS AGAIN.

I WAS IN SITUATION THERE.

YEAH, I THINK WE ALL PERRY 20'S RIGHT?

SO SO MOST OF THOSE WERE THE TOWN HISTORY IN MY 20'S.

THEN AGAIN, I'M LIKE, OH, IT'S KIND OF HAVE PEERS TO BILL MEOW COMPARED DOING THE BEST THEY CAN WITH WHAT THEY HAVE.

AND, YOU KNOW, GG TO YOUR FOLLOWERS ON TAKE TALKS.

>> ON YOUR TIKTOK, WHEN DID HOW DID YOU START SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES AND WHEN PEOPLE STARTED SENDING YOU MESSAGES, HOW WHEN DID YOU REALIZE LIKE, WELL, I HAVE SOMETHING GOING ON HERE.

GROWING A FOLLOWING ON TIKTOK.

YES, I THINK IT WILL HELP IF, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF A MINOR BACKGROUND.

SO I SPENT 10 YEARS WORKING IN FINANCIAL SERVICES.

MOST RECENTLY WORKING IN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT.

AND ON THE SIDE, I DEVELOPED A PASSION FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY.

AFTER I READ 50 MONEY BOOKS.

I SAID, HOW CAN I SHARE THIS KNOWLEDGE WITH OTHER WOMEN OF COLOR?

SO I LOOKED INTO UP ORGANIZATIONS AND I FOUND A NONPROFIT CALLED THE YWCA VOLUNTEER HIS FINANCIAL EDUCATOR.

I THAT FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS.

WHY DID MY CORPORATE JOB?

AND THEN I START ADDING SAME TIPS ON TIKTOK A MARCH OF 2021 AND THAT TOOK A LIFE OF ITS IT'S JUST OUT.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE JOURNEY TO TO DIE IN CASH.

YEAH.

YEAH.

GOOD.

CASH CAME FUNDING AND GOT FROM THE TIKTOK BENDIX CREATIVES GRANTS.

SO THAT'S IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MACKEREL AND UNBELIEVABLE.

AND I'M A LITTLE BECAUSE I WAS A TIKTOK RADAR WITH A DOUBLE FOR PICK 10 WINNERS TO FUND THEIR DREAM PROJECT.

SO FOR ME, IT WAS TO WRITE THIS BOOK FOR THE FIRST COMMUNITY REALLY ALLOWED YOU TO BE ABLE TO WRITE THIS BOOK.

ABSOLUTELY.

COSTS A PUBLISHING A BOOK ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.

WEICHEL PUTTING CASH.

WHAT'S THE CONNECTION?

YEAH, BECAUSE OUR VERY MUCH AFFECTS HOW WE NAVIGATE MONEY AND THERE WERE NO OTHER BOOKS.

AND AGAIN, I READ OVER 50 AND NONE OF THEM ADDRESS THAT.

SO WITH EVEN LEARNED A LOT FROM THOSE BOOKS, THE ABC'S OF HOW TO BUILD WEALTH, HOW TO SAVE MONEY, HOW TO PAY DEBT.

NOBODY IN THOSE BOOKS TAUGHT ME HOW TO MANAGE MONEY WITH THE COURT.

EXPECTATIONS LATINO FAMILY HAD.

THINK I DID READ A CHAPTER ABOUT GOING OUT TO EAT AND SPENDING.

THAT'S UP A MONEY PAYING FOR YOUR FAMILY.

YEAH, THAT'S VERY TRUE.

SOMETIMES THOSE KIND OF FINANCIAL BOOKS STILL CARRY THAT.

IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED YOUR BOOK TO HAVE?

ABSOLUTELY.

YEAH.

EVERY SECTION THERE'S 5 PILLARS.

SO IT'S THAT CAUGHT THE FIRST IN 5.

SO FOCUSED ON BUILDING EMERGENCY FUNDS 30, HOW TO BUDGET PAYING OFF CREDIT BUILDING AND INVESTING.

SO I TEACH ALL THE ABC'S OF THOSE 5 FINANCIAL PILLARS.

BUT THEN AT THE END, I'M ALWAYS LIKE HOW TO EMERGENCY FUNDS PLAY WITH YOUR FAMILY.

SO WHAT IF THEY HAVE A FINANCIAL EMERGENCY?

YOU DON'T USE YOUR EMERGENCY FUND TO USE ANOTHER EMERGENCY FUNDING SET UP FOR FAMILY.

ONLY OR IF REGULARLY PROVIDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO FAMILY AT THEM INTO A LINE IN YOUR BUDGET SOME TIPS.

WOW.

AND WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE FOR YOUR FAMILY?

2 HOW DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN ALL FAIRLY?

I KNOW.

A LONG JOURNEY.

IT MANY OBSTACLES.

YEAH.

BEEN LIKE FOR YOUR FAMILY TO SEE.

YEAH, MY THEY'RE EXTREMELY PROUD, ESPECIALLY MY GRANDMA KNEW.

I RECENTLY HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HER BECAUSE I RECENTLY FOUND HOW POOR SHE GREW UP.

AND I SAID GRANDMA, ALL THAT SUFFERING.

WAS IT FOR ANYTHING?

>> I NOW GET TO EMPOWER OTHER WOMEN SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO SUFFER AS MUCH AS YOU DID.

AND HOW THE FINANCIAL STABILITY THAT SHE ALWAYS CRAVED.

WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL IN THE OPEN THE BOOK AND THE FINISH READING YOUR BOOK?

WHAT WOULD YOU WANT THEM TO FEEL?

THE SCENE HEARD VALIDATED.

MY BOOK IS TO INSPIRE ACTION.

SO IT WOULD BE A FEELING PEOPLE READ THE BOOK AND THEY DON'T TAKE ACTION.

IT'S I WANT THAT AND BE LIKE, YEAH, MONEYS FOR ME, TOO.

AND IT'S POSSIBLE.

YES, POSSIBLE TO SAVING GOOD LIFE.

ABSOLUTELY.

WE HAVE MORE OBSTACLES IN THE BOOK AND KNOWLEDGE IS THAT.

BUT IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE SECONDS.

BUT WHAT'S ONE TIP?

THEY WANT TO TALK TO OTHER FELLOW LETTING US.

YEAH, I WOULD SAY TAKE OWNERSHIP OF YOUR FINANCIAL LITERACY JOURNEY.

THAT'S WHAT REALLY EMPOWERED ME AT FIRST.

YOU KNOW, THE LANGUAGE IS VERY SCARY.

BUT THE MORE THAT YOU READ BOOKS, YOU LISTEN TO PODCAST.

WE GET MORE FAMILIAR