Waiting for a raise is one of the biggest things slowing down your retirement timeline.

In this episode, I break down how one of my clients stopped waiting for more income and started building toward early retirement by optimizing the money they ALREADY have.

When they first came to me, they were doing “okay” with money.

They had income, a credit card, bank accounts, and a 401(k) from an old job.

But that retirement account was just sitting there in cash, losing value to inflation every single day instead of growing.

They also weren't making as much in interest as they could be in the right accounts to make their accessible cash grow for daily expenses.

Instead of waiting to make more money, we immediately gave their existing money a boost.

We rolled over that dormant 401(k), injected life into it and moved it into investments designed to actually grow.

We opened accounts to make them more passive income.

Now, they know exactly where their money is and what it’s doing without wondering how they're doing compared to everyone else, and now they have the tools to retire early without depending on just one job.

No more money sitting in accounts slowly losing value.

Instead, their money now has direction, and the potential to multiply over time so work becomes optional, not mandatory.

This is the shift I help my clients make all the time.

Wealth doesn’t come from waiting until you make more money.

It comes from directing the money you already have so it can start compounding while you sleep.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The exact questions to ask when comparing investment options so you stop feeling overwhelmed
• How to know if your old 401(k) is worth rolling over (and when to leave it alone)
• Why small moves now create exponentially bigger outcomes later

If you’ve been telling yourself you’ll start investing “once you make more,” this episode will change yo mind.

The longer you wait, the more time your money loses the chance to grow.

If you're LGBTQ+, BIPOC, or first-gen and ready to crush debt, boost your credit score, and start building a six-figure retirement, even if you don’t make six figures, I help you do exactly that inside my six-month one-on-one money coaching.

Together we organize your accounts, optimize your credit, and teach you how to manage your own investments with confidence so every dollar has a purpose and you finally stop living paycheck-to-paycheck in your mind.

Every month you wait is another month your money sits in the wrong accounts instead of compounding toward your retirement.

I currently have 2 spots open in March.

Book a call to start one-on-one coaching here.

This week I decided to do something that makes a lot of investors deeply uncomfortable: I sold $5,000 of stock.

In this episode, I walk you through exactly why I made that decision, the mental gymnastics that came up while I was doing it, and why selling stock doesn’t mean you’re messing up your retirement.

So many people believe that once you invest, you’re never supposed to touch the money until decades later. But the truth is that selling stock can be part of a thoughtful wealth-building strategy when you understand which accounts to sell from, when it makes sense to sell, and how to do it without creating unnecessary taxes or panic.

I share the real story behind selling $5,000 of VTI from my taxable brokerage account, how that investment grew by 71% over six years, and how I made the decision calmly and intentionally rather than panic-selling because of market volatility or world events.

We talk about:

• Why selling stock feels emotionally heavy for so many people
• The difference between selling from a taxable brokerage account vs retirement accounts
• How I decide when selling stock makes sense
• Why long-term investing gives you more flexibility than people realize
• The mindset coaching required to trust yourself with big money decisions
• Why investing isn’t about hoarding money forever, it’s about building options for your life

Selling stock doesn’t mean you’ve failed at investing. It means your investments are doing what they’re supposed to do: growing and giving you choices.

If you’ve ever felt like:

• You’re scared to sell investments because you might ruin your retirement
• You log into your investment accounts and don’t actually understand what you own
• You’ve been investing for years but still feel unsure about your decisions
• You want to retire early but don’t know if you’re doing things “right”

This episode is for you.

If you want hands-on support understanding your investments, opening the right accounts, selling out of overpriced or underperforming funds, boosting your credit score, and building toward early retirement, you can learn more about my six-month one-on-one money coaching here.

I help LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and first-gen folks crush confusion around money and start building a six-figure retirement, even without a six-figure salary.

Get my crush debt, retire early emails here.

This week in Portland, with ICE protests happening just blocks from where I’m pet sitting, I decided to do something I haven’t done in years: pick up a paint brush and paint the Portland protest frog. 

In this episode, I share how returning to painting (after years of telling myself creativity was something I’d get to do in retirement), has become a huge part of how I take care of myself now while still building toward early retirement.

I talk about growing up creative, how capitalism and survival mode taught me to shut that part of myself down, and why I used to believe art was something reserved for retirement. I share how reading The Artist’s Way, living alone, navigating grief, and moving through this political moment pushed me back into creativity as a form of regulation, healing, and self-trust.

Creativity belongs inside a wealth-building plan, not as a reward for fitting into society at the end of your life. 

I also share how I balance painting, rest, and pleasure with aggressively investing, maxing out my retirement accounts, and building long-term financial safety—so I don’t have to choose between future security and living my life now.

If you’ve ever felt like:

• You’re “too busy” or “too responsible” for creativity
  

• Art is something you’ll get to after retirement
  

• Wealth-building means delaying joy
  

This episode is for you.

Work With MeIf you want hands-on support understanding your investments, opening the right accounts, selling out of overpriced or underperforming funds, boosting your credit score, and building toward early retirement, you can learn more about my six-month one-on-one money coaching here. 

I help LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and first-gen folks crush confusion around money and start building a six-figure retirement—even without a six-figure salary.

Get my crush debt, retire early emails here.

In today’s episode, I break down what to invest in and why, based on how the stock market actually works. 

I share how I think about investing as a formerly undocumented, trans Latinx money coach and ex–stockbroker who has built a six-figure retirement without ever making six figures. We’re talking easy, repeatable, long-term strategies that let you build wealth without watching the market every day or spiraling every time the news drops.

In this episode, we cover:

• What index funds actually are and why they’re my go-to
  

• Index funds vs. individual stocks and when single stocks make sense
  

• The truth about ESG and socially conscious investing
  

• Why avoiding investing doesn’t make you anti-capitalist
  

• Which accounts to prioritize before investing in a taxable brokerage
  

• How fees quietly delay your retirement and how to spot them
  

• Why consistency matters more than income or picking the “right” stock
  

This episode is especially for you if you’re queer, first-gen, BIPOC, self-employed, or traditionally employed and tired of feeling like investing wasn’t built for you. It is, once you understand how it works!

Work With Me

If you want hands-on support understanding your investments, opening the right accounts, selling out of overpriced or underperforming funds, boosting your credit score, and building toward early retirement, you can book a call here to start six-month one-on-one money coaching.

I help LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and first-gen folks crush confusion around money and start building a six-figure retirement, even without a six-figure salary.

Get my crush debt, retire early emails here.

In this episode, Charly breaks down the exact investing habits that have allowed them to build a six-figure net worth without ever making a six-figure salary, and why retirement is less about how much you make and more about what you do with the money you already have.

Charly shares what they did at the very start of 2026, including how they maxed out their Roth IRA on January 2nd, how they prioritize retirement accounts, and why most people stay stuck working forever even when they’re saving.

This episode is for you if:

• You want to retire early or at least become work-optional

• You don’t trust TikTok stock advice

• You’re tired of “budget harder” being the only financial advice you hear

• You want to build wealth without selling your soul to capitalism

You’ll learn:

• Why maxing out your Roth IRA matters more than chasing “hot stocks”

• How compound growth builds wealth faster than raises

• Which accounts to prioritize first (and why)

• Why wondering about retirement is not a retirement plan

If this episode made you realize you need a clearer plan for your money, I want to invite you to my next investing class:

The 2026 Gay Agenda: Retirement Investing Made Simple on January 20th | In person in Portland, OR + Virtual

In this class, I’ll walk you through:

• Exactly where your money needs to go in 2026

• How to set up and invest inside your Roth IRA and 401(k)

• What to prioritize even if you’re paying off debt

• Which accounts actually grow your money (and which just hold cash)

• Why your non-retirement investing account is your side hoe

You’ll leave knowing exactly what to do with your money instead of just hoping you’re doing it right.

RSVP for the class here: https://calendly.com/travelercharly/invest

If you’re ready build a six figure retirement without needing a six figure salary, I’m taking new six-month one-on-one money coaching clients.

I help LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and first-gen folks:

• Crush debt

• Improve their credit

• Easily understand and manage your own investments

Book a call here to start 6 month money coaching:
https://calendly.com/travelercharly/clarity

In this episode, Charly interviews Jkiillem, a queer nightlife entertainer, creator, and influencer, for a rare conversation about money, career pivots, and building income outside the 9–5.

Jkiillem has built a career in queer nightlife through dance, content creation, brand work, and community-centered events. In this episode, she shares what it actually looks like to earn money as a creator, how she’s diversified her income over time, and why learning to invest mattered once her creative career stabilized.

This is one of the first times Jkiillem has spoken publicly about money and investing, making this episode especially valuable for queer creatives, entrepreneurs, and anyone trying to build a financially sustainable life outside traditional career paths.

You will learn:

• How Jkiillem built a career in queer nightlife without a traditional job

• What diversifying income really looks like as a creator and entertainer

• The financial realities of being self-employed in creative work

• When and why she started thinking about investing

• Why creative people don’t need a single “main thing” to build wealth

If you’re queer, creative, allergic to the 9–5, or trying to figure out how to make more money without burning out, this episode will help you think differently about income, career paths, and long-term stability.

Jkiillem is a 32-year-old creative and face for the LGBT+ community. Born and raised in South Jersey, she now lives in Los Angeles and travels the world as an entertainer, bringing a unique energy centered on sensuality and performing for queer spaces. You can find her on socials as @Jkiilem.

If this conversation got you thinking about your own income, investing, or long-term financial plan, I want to invite you to my next investing class on January 20th:

The 2026 Gay Agenda: Retirement Investing Made Simple

In this class, you’ll learn exactly which retirement investing moves to make right now:

• How Roth IRAs and 401(k)s actually work

• Which accounts grow your nest egg vs. just hold your cash

• How to set up and invest inside your Roth and 401(k)

• What to prioritize even if you’re paying off debt

• Why your non-retirement investing account is your side hoe

You’ll walk away knowing where your money needs to go in 2026, with a clear plan instead of vague advice.

The class is in person in Portland, Oregon or virtual. Anyone is welcome.

👉 RSVP for the class on 1/20 here

If you want hands-on support crushing debt, improving your credit, and starting to build a six-figure retirement—even if you don’t make six figures, book a call to start six-month one-on-one coaching:

Book a call here to start 6 month coaching.

I break down 3 easy year-end money moves for your cash, credit, and retirement so you can be work-optional sooner instead of working forever. You don’t need a perfect year or a six-figure salary to make progress with your money.

I also share a life update: navigating an ER visit alone and uninsured as a queer, nonbinary, single person estranged from family, and how the wealth I’ve built changed my options, my stress levels, and my ability to advocate for myself.

We’ll cover:

• Why your checking account is the worst place for your savings and how to quickly move your cash into a high-yield savings account

• How to look at your credit score, APR, and credit cards without shame—and start using credit as a tool for passive income, not a trap

• The exact retirement questions to ask yourself at the end of every year (401(k), Roth IRA, IRA), even if you’ve never “maxed out” anything before

• What it actually looks like to make these moves as a low-income, queer, first-gen person

  
  

  I want to invite you to my next investing class on January 20th: ⁠⁠The 2026 Gay Agenda: Retirement Investing Made Simple. ⁠⁠You’re going to learn exactly which retirement investing moves to make right now—Roth IRAs, 401(k)s, and the accounts that actually grow your nest egg, not just hold your cash. You’ll walk away knowing where your money needs to go in 2026, how to set up and invest inside your Roth + 401(k), what to prioritize even if you’re paying off debt, and why your non-retirement investing account is your side hoe. ⁠⁠RSVP for the class here. It is in person in Portland, Oregon, or virtual. Anyone is welcome. ⁠

  I help LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and first-gen folks crush debt and start building a six-figure retirement—even if you don’t make six figures. If you’re done trying to DIY this and want a customized plan for your savings, credit, and investments, I am taking clients.

⁠Book a call here to start six-month one-on-one coaching. ⁠Coaching includes bi-weekly calls, daily messaging, and a full curriculum covering savings, credit cards, debt payoff, investing, and money mindset. Investment: $6,000 or two payments of $3,100.

⁠Sign up for my Crush Debt, Retire Early emails here.⁠

About your host:Charly Stoever (they/he/papi) is a nonbinary Latinx money coach, speaker, and host of the Unicorn Millionaire Podcast. They help LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and first-gen folks crush debt, boost their credit scores, and start building a six-figure retirement—even without a six-figure salary. They’re a formerly undocumented Mexican American and ex-stockbroker who has traveled solo to 39 countries and is a full-time international pet sitter.

Viridiana Ponce, a Latina business consultant who turns cooks into CEOs and teaches entrepreneurs to build profitable, financially confident businesses, joins me.

We talk about the money stories we inherited, why financial education is liberation for our communities, and how Latina business owners can stop hustling in survival mode and start building real wealth.

Viridiana has spent over a decade guiding women through the realities of brick-and-mortar life: startup costs, funding, pricing, cash flow, debt, and what it actually takes to scale without burning out.

Her perspective is powerful not just for food entrepreneurs but for anyone who wants to build a sustainable business without sacrificing their joy, health, or family.

We talk about growing up in immigrant households where money wasn’t discussed, why so many women undercharge, the fear of looking at your numbers, the shame around debt, and how to build the financial confidence to make bigger moves.

We also talk about how she helps clients secure funding, raise their profit margins, and transition from cooks to CEOs with strategy and clarity.

If you're a first-gen entrepreneur, a creative, or a business owner who’s tired of working hard without seeing the financial results you want, this episode will help you see what’s actually possible when you get support instead of trying to figure it all out alone.

About today's guest:

Viridiana Ponce is a Latina Business Consultant and Food Expert on a mission to help Latinas stop playing small, make that money, and go from cook to CEO. As founder of VP Consulting, she has spent more than a decade guiding entrepreneurs with strategy, financial clarity, and the confidence to scale. She has helped secure millions in funding and turned hundreds of food dreams into profitable, sustainable businesses. For Viridiana, financial education is how we claim freedom, build legacy, and rewrite the narrative of what Latina entrepreneurs can do.

Find Viridiana here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vpconsultingsf/
Website: https://vpconsultingsf.com

Work with Charly:

I want to invite you to my next investing class on January 20th: ⁠The 2026 Gay Agenda: Retirement Investing Made Simple. ⁠You’re going to learn exactly which retirement investing moves to make right now—Roth IRAs, 401(k)s, and the accounts that actually grow your nest egg, not just hold your cash. You’ll walk away knowing where your money needs to go in 2026, how to set up and invest inside your Roth + 401(k), what to prioritize even if you’re paying off debt, and why your non-retirement investing account is your side hoe. ⁠RSVP for the class here. It is in person in Portland, Oregon, or virtual. Anyone is welcome. ⁠

If you want help getting control of your finances, rewriting your money story, and building toward a six-figure retirement without needing a six-figure salary, ⁠book a call here to start six-month private coaching.⁠

This episode shows how my 6 month money coaching client, Nora, went from impulse shopping and feeling scattered with money, to first-time homebuyer at 28 in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country.

Nora is a first-gen Latina, eldest daughter, and spiritual alchemist who used coaching, discipline, intuition, and astrology to transform her finances. She boosted her credit, helped her siblings and best friend improve theirs, and used money as a tool to create stability, safety, and long-term wealth for her family and community.

In this episode, Nora shares:
– How she shifted from impulse buying on Amazon Prime to long-term financial clarity
– How she healed first-gen money trauma and learned to trust her intuition
– How she boosted her credit score and helped loved ones raise theirs
– How to advocate for yourself as a woman of color in the workplace
– How she navigated the first-time homebuyer process and secured down-payment assistance
– How she thinks about renting, house hacking, and long-term wealth as a first-gen Latina

If you’re a first-gen listener trying to build wealth, improve your credit, or prepare for buying a home, this conversation will help you feel less behind and more empowered.

Join me December 3rd at 5:30pm PT / 8:30pm ET to use credit card rewards to make passive income. Learn how to turn your holiday spending into ore cash back, learn which cards actually pay you, and boost your credit score.

RSVP here for my free class on 12/3: Credit Card Rewards: Holiday Spending to Passive Income
BONUS: The first five in-person attendees to the class will get a free 30-minute coaching call. Virtual attendees also get a surprise bonus.

Work with Charly

If Nora’s transformation resonates and you want support crushing debt, improving your credit, and building a six-figure retirement without a six-figure salary, book a call here to start six-month one-on-one coaching.

About Nora

Nora Lozano is a first-gen Latina, eldest daughter, and spiritual creative who blends astrology, intuition, and financial empowerment. She became a first-time homebuyer at 28 and now inspires her community to pursue aligned, intentional wealth-building.
Find Nora on Instagram at @noracane_ and @carnelian_cosmos.

What if being transparent about money could make you a millionaire?

In this episode of the Unicorn Millionaire Podcast, I’m joined by Hannah Williams, founder of Salary Transparent Street, who went from being underpaid to becoming a million-dollar creator and global advocate for pay transparency.

After realizing she was being underpaid as a data analyst, Hannah and her husband, James, created Salary Transparent Street, a viral video series where they ask strangers how much they make to normalize pay transparency and expose real wages. Their movement has sparked international conversations, inspired corporate shifts, and even influenced legislation.

Hannah has testified in support of pay transparency bills in Virginia, Maryland, and D.C.—with the latter two now passed into law. In 2024, she made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and in 2025, she was named one of TIME100’s Most Influential Creators.

We get into how she turned activism into a seven-figure creator business, how she monetizes ethically, and what it means to build wealth publicly while staying true to your values.

You’ll learn:
🦄 How Salary Transparent Street became a million-dollar creator brand
🦄 The business model behind their viral content and partnerships
🦄 The mindset shift from underpaid employee to CEO creator
🦄 How pay transparency can close wealth gaps and empower workers
🦄 Why sharing your salary can be a revolutionary act

If you’ve ever wondered whether being transparent about money can actually build wealth—this episode proves that it can.

Follow Hannah:
Instagram: @thatmoneystreetgirl
Salary Transparent Street: @salarytransparentstreet

⁠Book a call here to start six-month one-on-one money coaching with Charly.⁠

Coaching includes bi-weekly calls, daily messaging, and a full curriculum covering savings, credit cards, debt payoff, investing, and money mindset.
Investment: $6,000 or two payments of $3,100.

Get Charly's "Crush Debt, Retire Early" emails here.⁠
Charly Stoever (they/he/papi) is a trans Latinx money coach, speaker, and host of the Unicorn Millionaire Podcast. They help LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and first-gen folks crush debt, boost their credit scores, and start building a six-figure retirement—even without a six-figure salary. They’re a formerly undocumented Mexican American and ex-stockbroker who has traveled solo to 39 countries and is a full-time international pet sitter.