I don’t really want to throw shade, but let’s get an uncomfortable truth out of the way: The financial industry is overwhelmingly pale, male, and stale.
And because of that, it can be uncomfortable for many people who don’t fit into those three boring boxes to want to work with a financial planner.
Let’s Get Started!TBH, I didn’t get a great financial education from my parents, and I definitely didn’t learn about budgeting in school. Instead, I made it to adulthood before I had my “WTF moment” with money and realized I didn’t know all that much.
I had to teach myself how to positively think about my finances and make the right choices.
From that point, I decided I wanted to give back. My professional journey began in Minnesota (traditional territory of the Anishinaabe and Dakota Peoples), where I grew up and worked in personal finance for 10 years.
I saw that many people in the Twin Cities, including the LGBTQIA+ community, were lacking personable financial information so I decided to step in and launched Chillax Finance.
At first, my business was just me and another person sitting in a coffee shop, chatting about how to fix up their finances.
After that beginning, I found my way to the West Coast and now I’ve set up shop in San Diego, CA (unceded Kumeyaay territory). Don’t worry if you’re not in California, though; I serve clients, whenever, wherever.
I absolutely love Shakira.
So to describe my approach to financial coaching and what I want you to experience when you work with me, I think I’d use my fave Shakira lyric to do it.
In her song Te Dejo Madrid, Shak sings:
“Los gatos como yo caen de pie.”
When I think about what that means for you and your finances, it goes something like this:
Cats Like Me Fall on Their Feet . . . and So Can You!
Financial Coach Certificate – Center for Financial Security – University of Wisconsin-Madison
Financial Coach Certificate – Central New Mexico Community College
Candidate for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Certification – CFP® Board
Financial Planning Certificate – University of Minnesota, Mankato
Four Directions of Financial Security Certificate – Minnesota Department of Human Services
Graduate Study in Gender and Women's Studies – Universidad Nacional de Colombia
B.A. in Spanish and Latin American Studies – University of New Mexico