Why is talking about money so hard—even when you make good money? If you struggle with money anxiety, financial shame, asking for help, setting financial boundaries with family, or admitting when you don't know what to do with your money, emotional intimacy may be part of what's missing.

In this episode of the Wealth Para Todos Podcast, host Rita Soledad Fernández Paulino (they/them), a queer Mexican-American money and self-care coach, explains how emotional intimacy can affect your ability to spend, save, pay off debt, invest, increase your income, and move up the 10 Stages of Financial Security.

Soledad defines emotional intimacy as knowing what's happening internally—what you're thinking, feeling, fearing, wanting, and needing—and being able to communicate that experience with safe people. Emotional intimacy isn't simply sharing personal information. It requires awareness, vulnerability, and communication.

For ambitious first- and second-generation wealth builders, asking for help or talking honestly about money can be especially difficult. Growing up around financial insecurity, migration, discrimination, or family sacrifice may have required survival strategies that prioritized solving problems over processing feelings. Patterns like parentification, people-pleasing, perfectionism, hyper-independence, and conflict avoidance may have helped you become successful while also making it harder to admit, "I'm scared," "I don't know," "I need help," or "This isn't working for me."

And those patterns can become financially expensive.

You might understand investing but still feel afraid to put your money into the stock market. You might know you need to increase your income but struggle to negotiate your salary or raise your prices. You might want to save more while feeling guilty about setting financial boundaries with family. Or you may know exactly what you need to do with your money but struggle to follow through because of fear, shame, guilt, grief, exhaustion, or an unmet need.

This episode explores why financial literacy alone isn't always enough to change financial behavior. Your numbers tell you what's happening with your money; emotional intimacy can help you understand what you're experiencing while it's happening so you can identify the support you actually need.

You'll also receive reflection and journaling questions to help you explore your relationship with money, vulnerability, asking for help, and receiving support—and identify anything you may want to explore further through therapy, coaching, journaling, or conversations with people you trust.

00:00 Welcome and Mission
00:21 Why Intimacy Builds Wealth
01:26 What Is Emotional Intimacy?
02:55 Emotional Intimacy With Yourself
04:14 Emotional Intimacy vs. Oversharing
05:27 Why Talking About Money and Vulnerability Is Hard
07:27 First-Gen Survival Patterns and Money
10:53 Emotional Intimacy and Financial Skills
14:00 Asking for Help and Getting the Right Financial Support
16:17 Money Journaling and Reflection Questions
17:29 Key Takeaways
18:24 Work With Soledad + Upcoming Webinar
19:32 Closing and Disclaimer

✨ Register for my free webinar:
How to Increase Your Income Without Sacrificing Your Rest, Relationships, or Joy

✨ Interested in working together?
I currently have openings for 1:1 Financial Coaching through August 31st. Book a discovery call to learn more.

Website: www.wealthparatodos.com 

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

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Join the Wealth Para Todos email community here. 

Are you tired of overspending and feeling like you've failed your budget? 

In this episode of Wealth Para Todos, Rita Soledad Fernández Paulino (they/them), a queer Mexican-American money and self-care coach, shares why budgets aren't meant to be perfect—they're meant to help you adapt to real life. If you've ever wondered how to recover after overspending without giving up on your financial goals, this episode introduces one of Soledad's favorite budgeting tools: the low-spend weekend.

You'll learn what a low-spend weekend is, how to create one that actually feels enjoyable, and why everyone should know what their version looks like during different seasons of life. Soledad also explains how completing a weekly money routine helps you recognize when it's time to temporarily spend less, rebalance your budget, and continue making progress toward your savings, debt payoff, emergency fund, and investing goals.

This episode also explores why financial flexibility is one of the most important wealth-building skills you can develop. Instead of striving for a perfect budget, you'll learn how to respond to unexpected expenses with confidence, self-trust, and intention. And if you realize that reaching your financial goals would require constant low-spend weekends, Soledad explains why your next step may be increasing your income—not cutting more expenses.

00:00 Welcome to Wealth Para Todos
00:21 Why Budgeting Doesn't Have to Be Perfect
01:12 What Is a Low-Spend Weekend?
01:44 My Low-Spend Weekends Then and Now
03:28 Planning Low-Spend Weekends You'll Actually Enjoy
04:00 The Weekly Money Routine (Episode 64)
05:29 How to Know When It's Time for a Low-Spend Weekend
06:48 Recovering After Overspending Without Shame
07:39 Why Low-Spend Weekends Are a Tool, Not a Punishment
08:32 Financial Flexibility Is a Wealth-Building Skill
10:23 Five Key Takeaways from This Episode
11:38 Increase Your Income Instead of Cutting More Expenses
12:36 Closing Thoughts & Next Week's Episode

Website: www.wealthparatodos.com 

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

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

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@wealthparatodos 

Join the Wealth Para Todos email community here. 

In this episode of Wealth Para Todos, Rita Soledad Fernández Paulino (they/them), a queer Mexican-American money and self-care coach, explains why the way you increase your income matters just as much as how much you earn. 

If you're an ambitious first- or second-generation professional who's tired of hustle culture, burnout, or feeling like you have to shame yourself into taking action, this episode is for you.

You'll learn the three most common ways people try to increase their income:

Soledad explains why hustle and shame can create temporary motivation and short-term income growth, but often lead to burnout, anxiety, avoidance, poor boundaries, and self-abandonment. They then introduce a different approach—building income through self-trust—by cultivating four essential foundations: permission, worthiness, deservingness, and self-trust.

By the end of this episode, you'll understand how to increase your income without sacrificing your health, relationships, or joy, so you can continue moving through the 10 Stages of Financial Security and become work-optional con tiempo.

✨ Free Webinar: How to Make More Money Using the Skills You Already Have
Learn how to create additional income using the experience you already have so you can invest in your self-care, build wealth, and make work optional.

✨ 1:1 Coaching
Applications are open through August 30 for Soledad's four-month coaching program designed to help ambitious first-generation wealth builders increase their income, save one month of expenses, pay down debt, and begin investing consistently.

00:00 Welcome & Why Increasing Your Income Isn't Enough
00:21 Why Income Growth Matters for Wealth Building
01:20 How Financial Unsafety Affects Your Nervous System
01:53 Strategy #1: Hustle Harder
03:35 The Hidden Cost of Hustling for More Money
04:42 Strategy #2: Shame Yourself Into Action
06:42 Why Fear Doesn't Build Sustainable Wealth
08:53 Strategy #3: Increase Your Income Through Self-Trust
09:02 Foundation #1: Permission to Want More
09:56 Foundation #2: Worthiness
10:28 Foundation #3: Deservingness
11:04 Foundation #4: Self-Trust
13:05 Build Wealth Without Sacrificing Your Well-Being
14:33 Key Takeaways
15:43 Free Webinar & 1:1 Coaching Invitation
16:46 Closing Thoughts

Website: www.wealthparatodos.com 

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

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

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@wealthparatodos 

Join the Wealth Para Todos email community here. 

Why do so many high achievers still feel financially stuck, even after building a successful career? 

In this episode of the Wealth Para Todos Podcast, Rita Soledad Fernández Paulino explains why career success and wealth building are two completely different skill sets. If you're a first- or second-generation professional, you've likely mastered the habits that earn promotions, raises, and recognition—but those same habits may be preventing you from building long-term wealth.

You'll learn the 7 career habits that quietly keep high achievers financially stuck, including over-responsibility, relying on hard work instead of financial systems, people-pleasing, perfectionism, delaying joy, trying to figure everything out alone, and measuring success through constant achievement instead of freedom.

By the end of this episode, you'll understand how to redirect the strengths that helped you build a successful career toward creating financial freedom, long-term wealth, and a life where work becomes optional—not an obligation.

00:00 Welcome and Mission
00:21 Why Career Success Doesn't Automatically Build Wealth
01:11 What Makes Someone a High Achiever?
03:12 The Career Habits That Earn Promotions
07:57 The Wealth Builder Mindset Shift
09:08 Habit #1: Over-Responsibility
10:25 Habit #2: The Hard Work Trap
11:26 Habit #3: Always Saying Yes
12:29 Habit #4: Perfectionism and Analysis Paralysis
13:11 Habit #5: Delaying Joy
14:11 Habit #6: Trying to Do It All Alone
15:19 Habit #7: The Achievement Trap
16:57 Redirecting Your Strengths Toward Financial Freedom
23:14 Redefining Achievement Through Wealth and Self-Care
24:37 Seven Key Takeaways
25:59 Free Training Invitation + One-on-One Coaching
27:28 Closing Thoughts

✔️ High achievement and wealth building are two different skill sets.

✔️ Your career habits aren't bad habits—they're simply being applied to the wrong problem.

✔️ Many first- and second-generation professionals learned how to create value for employers and clients but were never taught how to build wealth for themselves.

✔️ Every strength has a shadow side. Responsibility can become over-responsibility, hard work can become overwork, and perfectionism can become analysis paralysis.

✔️ Wealth builders ask a different question: "What can I do today that my future self will thank me for?"

✔️ Building wealth isn't about working harder—it's about intentionally directing your time, energy, and money toward creating more freedom.

✔️ You don't need to stop being a high achiever. You simply need to evolve what achievement means.

How to Increase Your Income Without Sacrificing Your Rest, Relationships, or Joy

Register here.

Ready to build wealth without sacrificing your well-being? Book a free discovery call and learn how my one-on-one money and self-care coaching can help you become work optional, con tiempo.

Book your free discovery call here. 

#30: Why Every First-Gen Wealth Builder Needs a Loved One Emergency Fund

#61: Why Lending Money to Loved Ones Causes Resentment (And What to Do Instead)

Website: www.wealthparatodos.com 

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

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Threads: https://www.threads.com/@wealthparatodos 

Join the Wealth Para Todos email community here. 

 Why do so many high-income professionals still feel broke? Why doesn't making six figures automatically create financial security?

In this episode of Wealth Para Todos, money and self-care coach Rita Soledad Fernández Paulino explains why so many first- and second-generation professionals earn more money than their parents ever did but still feel financially behind.

You'll learn why earning more money isn't the same as building wealth, the hidden reasons high-income earners continue to experience financial anxiety, and how to stop measuring your success by your salary and start building real financial security.

Soledad walks through the top reasons first-generation wealth builders struggle to feel financially secure, including rising financial responsibilities, supporting family, inflation, student loans, healthcare costs, a lack of financial education, and building income before building wealth-building systems.

You'll also learn the 10 Stages of Financial Security, a step-by-step roadmap for knowing exactly what financial priority to focus on next—from building your first checking account buffer and emergency fund to paying off high-interest debt, investing for retirement, and ultimately becoming work optional.

Finally, Soledad introduces the Wealth Building Cycle, the four lifelong habits that help you move through the stages of financial security:

Develop a positive money mindset

Know your numbers

Build financial literacy

Increase your income sustainably

If you've ever thought:

"I make more money than my parents ever did, but I still don't feel financially secure."

"Where is all my money going?"

"Why doesn't earning more make me feel safer?"

"How do I build wealth without burning myself out?"

...this episode is for you.

Why high-income professionals still feel financially behind

The difference between income and wealth

The biggest financial challenges first-generation wealth builders face

Why financial security is about your foundation—not your salary

The 10 Stages of Financial Security explained

How the Wealth Building Cycle helps you build wealth sustainably

How to become work optional without sacrificing your wellness

✨ Free Webinar: How to Increase Your Income Without Sacrificing Your Rest, Relationships, or Joy
📅 Tuesday, July 28 | 9:00–10:00 AM PDT

✨ Apply for 1:1 Financial Coaching
Now accepting six new private coaching clients through August 30. Book a discovery call to learn how to build financial security through personalized systems, income growth, and D.I.V.E.R.S.E. Self-Care.

00:00 Welcome to Wealth Para Todos
00:21 Why High-Income Professionals Still Feel Financially Behind
01:24 Why Your Financial Obligations Grow with Your Income
02:23 The Financial Literacy Gap No One Prepared You For
03:14 Why the Cost of Living Makes Wealth Harder to Build
05:52 The Hidden Cost of Being Your Family's Financial Safety Net
06:16 Why More Income Without Systems Doesn't Build Wealth
07:10 The 10 Stages of Financial Security Explained
09:11 Stages 1–5: Building a Strong Financial Foundation
11:40 Stages 6–10: Paying Off Debt, Investing, and Becoming Work Optional
15:22 The Wealth Building Cycle: The System That Creates Lasting Wealth
15:49 Money Mindset, Knowing Your Numbers & Financial Literacy
17:16 How to Increase Your Income Without Burning Out
19:30 Key Takeaways
20:50 Free Webinar + 1:1 Coaching Invitation
22:06 Closing Thoughts

Website: www.wealthparatodos.com 

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

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

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@wealthparatodos 

Join the Wealth Para Todos email community here. 

Why do so many ambitious first- and second-generation wealth builders dream smaller than they truly want? 

In this episode, Rita Soledad Fernández Paulino shares a powerful coaching story that reveals why the biggest obstacle isn't fear of failure—it's fear of disappointment.

You'll learn why your nervous system may have learned that wanting something is dangerous, how childhood experiences and financial trauma shape your relationship with ambition, and why self-care is the foundation that makes pursuing bigger dreams feel emotionally safe.

If you've ever thought:

...this episode is for you.

Because financial security isn't just about having more money.

It's about becoming someone who can pursue meaningful dreams without abandoning themselves along the way.

✨ Register for my free webinar:
How to Increase Your Income Without Sacrificing Your Rest, Relationships, or Joy

✨ Interested in working together?
I currently have six openings for 1:1 Financial Coaching through August 31st. Book a discovery call to learn more.

00:00 Welcome & Why So Many People Dream Small

00:21 The Coaching Conversation That Inspired This Episode

02:07 Why Big Dreams Need Emotional Safety

02:57 Self-Care Isn't a Reward—It's the Infrastructure

04:12 Why We Self-Reject Our Biggest Dreams

07:04 How to Build Your Capacity for Disappointment

13:44 Practical Ways to Recover From Setbacks

19:47 Why We Mistake Certainty for Safety

24:03 How to Build Self-Trust Through Uncertainty

27:13 Key Takeaways

28:40 Free Webinar + 1:1 Coaching Opportunities

29:43 Closing Thoughts

Website: www.wealthparatodos.com 

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

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

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@wealthparatodos 

Join the Wealth Para Todos email community here. 

Can you pay off debt without shame, burnout, or sacrificing your wellness?

In this episode of the Wealth Para Todos Podcast, host Rita Soledad Fernández Paulino (they/them), a queer Mexican-American money and self-care coach, explores the emotional side of debt and explains why debt itself isn't usually the problem—our relationship with debt is.

Drawing from their work coaching hundreds of first-generation wealth builders, caregivers, women, LGBTQ+ folks, and people navigating financial trauma, Rita breaks down the three ways people tend to leverage debt:

You'll learn why debt shame can create urgency and discipline but ultimately erodes self-trust, how confidence can help you build wealth while also creating risks of overwork and self-abandonment, and why combining confidence and compassion may be one of the most important financial skills you ever develop.

If you've ever felt ashamed of your credit card debt, struggled to pay off debt without burning out, or wondered why financial security doesn't always feel emotionally safe, this episode is for you.

00:00 Welcome and Wealth Para Todos Mission
00:21 Why Debt Is an Emotional Experience
01:21 What It Means to Leverage Debt with Shame
03:17 The Hidden Pros and Cons of Debt Shame
06:18 Leveraging Debt with Confidence (Confianza)
08:01 The Benefits and Risks of Financial Confidence
10:21 Leveraging Debt with Compassion (Cariño)
13:37 The Tradeoffs of Choosing Compassion
14:43 Why Confidence and Compassion Must Work Together
16:06 Five Key Takeaways to Remember
18:04 Coaching Invitation and Next Steps
19:07 Educational Disclaimer and Closing

As you listen, ask yourself:

When I use debt, what emotions tend to show up for me—shame, confidence, or compassion?

If you'd like support learning how to save, pay off debt, or invest while protecting your wellness, schedule a discovery call to learn more about working with Soledad. 

Website: www.wealthparatodos.com 

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

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

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@wealthparatodos 

Join the Wealth Para Todos email community here. 

JOIN WPT ACADEMY TODAY!

What does it take to become a homeowner in Southern California, eliminate high-interest debt, and build a business without sacrificing your wellness?

In this episode of Wealth Para Todos, I sit down with Patricia Hernandez, a first-generation wealth builder, psychotherapist, business owner, homeowner, wife, mother, and daughter, to talk about the realities of building financial security while navigating entrepreneurship, caregiving, grief, and motherhood.

Patricia shares how launching her private practice just weeks before COVID changed her family's financial future, allowing her to pay off debt, save aggressively, and eventually purchase a home in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. She also opens up about the challenges that came after homeownership—including unexpected expenses, credit card debt, and feeling overwhelmed as a first-time homeowner.

Together, we discuss why financial literacy expands your options, how community support helped her avoid borrowing from a 401(k), and why self-care is an essential part of wealth building—not a reward you earn after reaching your financial goals.

If you're a first-generation wealth builder trying to balance financial goals, family responsibilities, entrepreneurship, and your own wellbeing, this episode is for you.

00:00 Welcome and Mission

00:21 Meet Patricia Hernandez

00:58 Growing Up First-Gen and Building a Family

01:19 How She Became a Homeowner in Southern California

02:19 Paying Off Debt and Saving During COVID

03:46 Family Support, Multigenerational Living, and Homeownership

04:50 How Collectivist Cultures Support Wealth Building

06:54 The Hidden Costs of Homeownership

07:56 Why Patricia Joined Wealth Para Todos Academy

08:51 Considering a 401(k) Loan to Pay Off Debt

10:29 Using a Home Equity Loan Instead

11:49 How Financial Literacy Creates More Options

13:01 Entrepreneurship, Private Practice, and Wealth Building

15:03 Money Mindset and Overcoming Financial Anxiety

17:33 Patricia's Weekly Money Self-Care Routine

19:13 Creating an Affirmation Deck for First-Generation Mamas

21:57 Asking for Help and Building Community

22:59 Advice for First-Generation Wealth Builders

24:36 Disclaimer

First-generation wealth building

First-generation homeownership

Paying off high-interest debt

Home equity loans vs. 401(k) loans

Entrepreneurship and financial wellness

Money mindset

Financial self-care

Multigenerational households

Financial literacy for women

Wealth building for first-gen families

Building financial security without sacrificing wellness

Website: www.wealthparatodos.com 

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

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

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@wealthparatodos 

Join the Wealth Para Todos email community here. 

Subscribe to the Wealth Para Todos Podcast so you never miss an episode.

Register for My Free Webinar on 6/22/26

Can you support the people you love without sacrificing your dreams?

If you're a first-generation wealth builder, caregiver, eldest daughter, child of immigrants, or someone who tends to put everyone else's needs before your own, this episode is for you.

In this episode of the Wealth Para Todos Podcast, host Rita Soledad Fernandez Paulino (Soledad, they/them), queer Mexican American money and self-care coach, explores the relationship skills required to increase your financial security without sacrificing your wellness.

Because becoming work-optional isn't just about learning how to save, pay off debt, invest, or increase your income.

It also requires learning how to set boundaries, navigate codependency, receive support, and remain connected to your community without abandoning yourself.

Soledad explains the difference between codependency, hyper-independence, and interdependence, and shares how books like Codependent No More by Melody Beattie and Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab helped them develop healthier ways of relating.

Through personal stories about marriage, caregiving, parenting, friendships, and supporting family, Soledad illustrates how compassion and boundaries can coexist—and why pursuing financial independence doesn't have to come at the expense of your humanity.

✔️ What codependency is and how it shows up in relationships

✔️ The difference between codependency, hyper-independence, and interdependence

✔️ Why setting boundaries can feel so uncomfortable for people-pleasers and caregivers

✔️ How to support loved ones without making their problems your responsibility

✔️ Why self-care is preparation, not selfishness

✔️ How to help parents financially while still investing for your future

✔️ Why saying no to friends can be an act of self-trust

✔️ How parenting boundaries can help children become more independent

✔️ Why sacrificing your dreams often leads to resentment

✔️ How to pursue financial independence without losing your humanity

📚 Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself by Melody Beattie

📚 Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab

🎓 Wealth Para Todos Academy

Free webinar:

How to Save, Pay Off, or Invest $5,000 in 90 Days Even With This Crusty Dusty Administration

Enrollment for Wealth Para Todos Academy opens June 22–30, with four bonus one-on-one coaching calls available for members who enroll during the first 48 hours.

00:00 Welcome to Wealth Para Todos

00:21 Why becoming work-optional requires relationship skills

02:23 Understanding codependency and people-pleasing

07:27 The trap of hyper-independence

08:31 Why interdependence is the goal

09:38 Lessons from Set Boundaries, Find Peace

11:43 Honoring your dreams without guilt

13:08 Real-life examples of compassion without self-abandonment

13:21 Supporting a spouse through tech layoffs

14:33 Practicing self-care during a family medical crisis

15:44 Helping parents without sacrificing your future

16:59 Saying no to friends while pursuing debt freedom

17:54 Parenting boundaries and raising independent children

19:09 How to hold both your dreams and your relationships

20:58 Wealth Para Todos Academy and webinar details

22:30 Final blessing and disclaimer

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who spends so much time taking care of everyone else that they've forgotten their dreams matter too.

And if you're enjoying the Wealth Para Todos Podcast, leaving a review and sharing episodes with your community helps us reach more first-generation wealth builders who want to build wealth without sacrificing their wellness.

Website: www.wealthparatodos.com 

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

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

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Join the Wealth Para Todos email community here. 

Register for My Free Webinar on 6/22/26

What does it look like to pursue financial independence when no one in your family has ever had the option to stop working?

In this episode, I sit down with my client Lupe, a DACA recipient, eldest daughter, child of farm workers, and member of Wealth Para Todos Academy. We talk about the tension many first-generation wealth builders face between survival, guilt, ambition, and the desire to create a different future for themselves and their families.

Lupe shares how growing up in a farm-working community shaped her relationship with money, why her family relied on tandas (community savings circles) instead of traditional banking, and how she learned to trust herself with saving and investing. She also opens up about redefining success, learning to rest, building a business, and pursuing a work-optional life without abandoning her values.

If you're an eldest daughter, child of immigrants, first-generation professional, or someone trying to build wealth while staying connected to your community, this conversation is for you.

00:00 Welcome and Mission
00:21 Meet Lupe: DACA Recipient, Eldest Daughter, and First-Gen Wealth Builder
01:46 Growing Up Where Money Covered Only the Basics
03:27 Tandas, Community Saving, and Financial Trust
05:55 Opening Her First Bank Account and Learning to Invest
08:03 Why Lupe Joined Wealth Para Todos Academy
10:04 The Dream of Becoming Work-Optional
12:31 How Wealth Building and Self-Care Work Together
14:40 Learning to Rest After a Lifetime of Productivity
17:11 Turning Creativity Into a Business and Increasing Income
20:21 Advice for First-Generation Wealth Builders
21:48 A Message for Fellow Eldest Daughters
23:22 Closing Thoughts

Website: www.wealthparatodos.com 

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

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

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@wealthparatodos 

Join the Wealth Para Todos email community here.