Welcome to Season 8 of Yo Quiero Dinero.

In this solo episode, I'm reflecting on the lessons that defined 2025, my first year as a mom, nearly five years as a full-time entrepreneur, and over a decade of intentional financial decisions that made this season of life possible. From redefining success and asking for help, to choosing the right partner, building wealth, and walking away from traditional timelines, this episode is a reminder that financial freedom doesn’t happen by accident it’s built, one intentional decision at a time. I'm breaking down down how money impacts every area of your life, from parenting and relationships to peace of mind and challenges you to stop talking yourself out of the life you say you want. If you’re stepping into 2026 ready to move with clarity, confidence, and purpose, this episode is for you.

WHAT WE GET INTO

00:01 – Kicking off Season 8 and welcoming listeners into 2026

00:36 – Why solo episodes are back and what to expect this year

02:06 – Surviving the first year of motherhood and reflecting on 2025

03:30 – Stepping back from the mic and redefining productivity as a new mom

04:55 – Why being intentional about who you have kids with matters

06:28 – Planning for support, finances, and the realities of parenthood

07:55 – Lessons learned from the Jefas y Mamás series

08:45 – Why asking for help is essential and burnout isn’t a flex

10:10 – Breaking generational cycles of exhaustion and overwork

11:18 – How money directly impacts your quality of life

13:10 – Why financial stress affects every role you play

14:20 – Gratitude for past financial decisions that created present peace

15:40 – The danger of settling for “stability” instead of freedom

16:55 – Building financial runway in your 20s for long-term flexibility

18:10 – Turning 40 and entering a more aligned season of life

19:25 – Letting go of traditional timelines and societal expectations

20:56 – Questioning the life you built and exploring alternatives

22:10 – Discovering financial independence as a path to freedom

23:19 – Facing debt without accepting “work forever” as the answer

24:45 – Debt payoff strategies that changed everything

25:45 – Learning how investing actually works

27:00 – Quitting corporate America and becoming a full-time entrepreneur

27:41 – Why financial freedom is built intentionally

29:00 – Making the decision to want more — and act on it

29:45 – Introducing the New Year Dinero Reset Guide

30:04 – Season 8 kickoff gratitude and final reflections

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Free Download: New Year Dinero Reset Guide
• A 10-step checklist to reset your finances for the new year — covering debt, budgeting, investing, insurance, and estate planning.
• 👉 http://courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com/reset
• Have a question? leave me a voicemail https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/449160/2/u79sz3qexqzyh0
• Book: Financially Lit by Jannese Torres
• The step-by-step blueprint for paying off debt, investing intentionally, and using money to buy your freedom.

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

In this week’s episode,Jannese sits down with Diana Garcia, founder of Amigas y Dinero, to explore her personal journey from nonprofit work to becoming a full-time money coach helping Latinas rewrite their financial stories.

Diana shares how a pivotal decision during the pandemic, choosing not to return to a two-hour commute led her to create her own income, community, and career. She opens up about growing up in an immigrant household in LA, the scarcity mindset she witnessed, and her mission to help others build wealth from a place of joy, not sacrifice.

From saving $10,000 in under a year on a modest income, to helping clients break free from paycheck-to-paycheck cycles, Diana offers actionable insights for tackling debt, increasing income, and navigating the unique financial challenges first-gen families face. She also gets real about overcoming fear, advocating for yourself in the workplace, and having money conversations with your parents.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How Diana turned a pandemic pivot into a thriving coaching business
• Practical strategies to save more—without extreme sacrifice
• Why growing your income can be more effective than cutting expenses
• Side hustle ideas based on your skills and passions
• How to address limiting beliefs that hold you back financially
• Navigating family expectations as the “first-gen retirement plan”
• Why community, mentorship, and environment matter for financial growth

More from YQD™:

• Full show notes: Visit our blog.
• Watch the full interview on YouTube — don’t forget to subscribe!
• Grab my book Financially Lit! in English or Español.
• Ready to level up? Learn more about our signature programs.
• This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp — Get 10% off your first month: betterhelp.com/dinero

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

This week on Yo Quiero Dinero, Jannese is joined by the brilliant and unfiltered Eduek Brooks, a Canadian financial educator and founder of Two Sides of a Dime. Sis does not play when it comes to money — and in this episode, she gets real about how she paid off $47,000 of debt in just 20 months, turned her financial rock bottom into a thriving business, and created the Surplus Method — a roadmap that’s helping women all over reclaim their money power.

If you’ve ever felt like traditional personal finance advice wasn’t built with you in mind, this episode is your antidote. Eduek throws out the cookie-cutter advice and breaks down why building wealth as a woman of color requires a whole new approach — one rooted in mindset, community, and actual surplus (aka: MONEY LEFT OVER after your bills are paid!).

 What We Cover:

• The exact moment Eduek decided she was DONE being broke
• Why she still invested while paying off debt (and how it paid off big)
• Her no-fluff guide to building a plan you can actually stick to
• Celebrating small wins & avoiding burnout on your debt-free journey
• The truth about high earners still living paycheck to paycheck
• A breakdown of the Surplus Method (S.U.R.P.L.U.S.) and how to use it
• How Eduek knew it was time to quit her 9-5 and go full-time in her biz
• Canadian investment accounts 101 (hello, tax-free savings!)
• Why mini-retirements are part of her wealth strategy

Quote:

“Your income builds wealth, but your surplus is what gets you to your goals.”

👑 Meet Our Guest:

Eduek Brooks is a financial educator and the powerhouse behind Two Sides of a Dime. Through her membership community, Surplus Stack Society, she helps women ditch debt, build savings, and invest confidently — without sacrificing the joy of living. She’s not here to make you feel guilty about Starbucks. She’s here to help you stack, save, and spend with intention.

📲 Follow Eduek:

• Instagram: @twosidesofadime
• Join the Surplus Stack Society: surplusstacksociety.com

More from YQD™:

• Full show notes: Visit our blog.
• Watch the full interview on YouTube — don’t forget to subscribe!
• Grab my book Financially Lit! in English or Español.
• Ready to level up? Learn more about our signature programs.
• This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp — Get 10% off your first month: betterhelp.com/dinero

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

What happens when you do everything “right”—go to college, land the six-figure job, make your family proud—and still end up buried in debt, burned out, and feeling trapped? In this episode, Jannese sits down with Rose Han, a first-gen wealth builder, YouTuber, and now author of Add A Zero. Rose opens up about her journey from over $100K in student loan debt to becoming a self-made millionaire, and the mindset shifts, financial strategies, and rebellious choices that made it possible.

We talk about:

• The real impact of student loan debt on millennials & Gen Z’s version of the American Dream
• Why “employee income” is the least free kind of income (and what to focus on instead)
• Rose’s Add A Zero framework for going from negative net worth to your first million—step by step
• How money identity, family conditioning, and cultural expectations shape our financial choices
• Why sometimes you have to ignore your parents’ advice and carve your own path
• The freedom and fulfillment that come when you stop playing small and start building wealth on your own terms

If you’ve ever felt stuck in debt, confused about money, or pressured to follow someone else’s script for success, this conversation is your permission slip to rewrite your financial story.

📘 Grab your copy of Add A Zero at addazero.com and get access to Rose’s bonus content.

📺 Follow Rose on YouTube and socials: @itsrosehan

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

This week, Jannese is joined by Victor Zeledón (@ourjourneywithless) a husband, dad, and Airbnb mentor who proves you don’t need six figures, a trust fund, or a fancy investing background to build wealth through real estate.

Victor started with what most of us already have: a home, two extra rooms, and a need to build an emergency fund. Fast forward seven years and those two rooms turned into five cash-flowing rentals, a fully retired wife, homes in multiple states, and a roadmap to financial freedom.

This convo is packed with gems, game-changing strategies, and the kind of transparency that our comunidad NEEDS to hear — because real estate is not “just for other people.” It’s for us, too.

What We Get Into

• 04:30 — Who’s actually renting rooms on Airbnb? (It’s not who you think!)
• 05:50 — How they scaled from 1 room to 5 properties.
• 06:40 — The real talk on hosting strangers: Safety, locks, boundaries, and vibes.
• 08:15 — Airbnb vs. traditional renting: Why Airbnb was the wealth-building accelerator.
• 09:20 — The Airbnb landscape in 2025: Regulations, fees, and why boring listings get no love.
• 13:00 — Wild host lessons: What every new host should prepare for (yes, including tias who leave surprises).
• 14:30 — Emergency funds + financial safety nets: How to protect your pockets.
• 16:20 — Is Airbnb still worth it today? Victor breaks it down.
• 17:30 — Why they bought in Waco & Tulsa: Out-of-state investing made simple.
• 19:10 — How they bought a house in Tulsa with $0 out-of-pocket.
• 20:40 — How to manage rentals remotely without losing your mind.
• 24:00 — The family vision: From paying off debt → replacing his wife’s income → full financial freedom.
• 26:00 — How Victor mentors new Airbnb hosts for FREE through the Airbnb Ambassador Program.

Top Takeaways

• Start where you are. A spare room can be your entry point into real estate — not a barrier.
• Airbnb hosting is work, but the income potential is REAL. Many hosts earn 2–3x a traditional rental.
• 2025 is still a viable year to invest, especially if you explore mid-term rentals and lower-cost markets.

About Our Guest

Follow Victor: @ourjourneywithless

He offers free Airbnb mentorship in English & Spanish through the Airbnb Ambassador Program.

Links Mentioned

• Free Financial Guide: courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com
• Order Financially Lit!: FinanciallyLitBook.com

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

In this powerful episode, Jannese sits down with Jessica Fick of The Fioneers to break down one of the most game-changing concepts in the financial independence movement: Coast FI.If the traditional FIRE path has ever felt too intense, too extreme, or too unrealistic (hello, $20k/year budgets and biking everywhere), this conversation will feel like a breath of fresh air.

Jessica shares how she and her husband hit COAST-FI in their early 30s, how stepping off the corporate treadmill unexpectedly increased their savings rate, how they stopped using money to cope with burnout, and how Coast FI ultimately gave them the freedom to build a life aligned with their values — travel, entrepreneurship, flexibility, and joy.If you’ve ever wondered: “Is early retirement even realistic for me?” or “What would it take to never HAVE to work again?” this episode is your blueprint.

💬 What We Get Into

01:20 — What The Fioneers are all about: designing lives you love

02:09 — Are they OGs? A look back at the early FIRE movement

03:25 — Why extreme frugality turned so many people off

04:31 — What Coast FI actually means (hint: not living on the coasts!)

05:20 — The “aha moment” that changed Jessica’s entire financial life

06:50 — The freedom Coast FI gives: sabbaticals, risks, lifestyle design

07:37 — Why retirement is NOT an age — and how to rethink it

16:08 — Their financial starting point + saving 30–35% on nonprofit salaries

17:57 — Were they over-saving? Money dynamics in their marriage

19:42 — How their savings rate hit 50% without trying

27:30 — Her husband’s sabbatical → entrepreneurship → more freedom

28:44 — They haven’t contributed to retirement in 2 YEARS… and still on track?!

35:10 — Coast FI for older adults (yes, even if you’re 45+)

37:22 — It all comes back to: know your numbers + intentional spending

47:20 — Proactive ways to prep for healthcare costs

48:25 — Why uncertainty shouldn’t stop you from pursuing FI

49:53 — “If you lost everything, you could rebuild.” A listener story

check out Jessica’s previous episode here

https://yoquierodineropodcast.com/podcasts/episode-84/

📌 Links Mentioned

• The Fioneers Coast FI Calculator
• The Fioneers on YouTube @Phioneers
• TheFioneers.com

📚 Resources to Check Out

✨ Get my FREE financial freedom guide: courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com

📘 Grab my book: FinanciallyLitBook.com

🔥 Join the Black Friday waitlist: yoquierodineropodcast.com/friday

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

This week, Jannese sits down with therapist, writer, and Latina mental health educator Israa Nasir for a conversation that is about to drag all of us (in the best way). We're talking toxic productivity—why we glorify burnout, why rest feels like a sin, and why so many of us (especially first-gen, immigrant, and women-of-color communities) feel like the whole world will fall apart if we slow down for 5 minutes.

if you feel guilty taking a nap, or if your self-worth is low-key tied to your to-do list… yeah. This episode is for you.

What We Get Into

02:02 – The Moment She Realized Productivity Was Becoming Toxic

03:41 – First-Gen & Immigrant Upbringing + Hustle Culture

05:48 – Rest = Laziness? The Messages We Grew Up With

07:34 – The Emotional Payoff Behind Chronic Busyness

10:32 – Toxic Productivity vs. Healthy Productivity

14:44 – When Work Becomes a Coping Mechanism

16:56 – The Financial Pressure to Keep Producing

18:06 – Creativity as a Tool for Emotional Regulation

21:42 – Stop Monetizing Your Joy

22:43 – Social Media, Comparison, & Overstimulation

27:00 – It’s Not a Willpower Issue

28:41 – Separating Your Worth from Your Achievements

31:38 – How Busyness Is Breaking Community & Connection

34:33 – Israa’s Personal Boundaries & How She Stays Healthy

37:03 – Jannese’s Own Experience with Burnout & Book Tour Story.

39:23 – Breaking the Cycle as Parents

43:23 – Screens, Exhaustion & Parenting in Survival Mode

About Today’s Guest

Israa Nasir is a therapist, writer, and the author of Toxic Productivity. Her work focuses on emotional wellness, preventative mental health, and giving people the language they need to understand themselves. Her Substack dives deeper into culture, identity, emotional regulation, and community care.

📘 Book: Toxic Productivity

🌐 Website: israanasir.com

📝 Substack: longform insights + tools

📲 IG: @well.guide

Join the Black Friday Waitlist!

Don’t miss the biggest deals of the year! Get early access to my exclusive Black Friday offers, available ONLY to waitlisters.

👉 Join here: yoquierodineropodcast.com/friday

Grab My FREE Guide: The Financially Lit Latina!

If you're ready to start building wealth but don’t know where to begin, download my free step-by-step dinero guide.

👉 courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com

📚 Get the Financially Lit! Book

My new book, Financially Lit!, is your roadmap to money confidence, wealth building, and financial freedom.

👉 FinanciallyLitBook.com

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

Today’s episode is one for the books. Jannese sits down with The legendary María Elena Salinas — award-winning journalist, storyteller, trailblazer, and one of the most influential voices in Latino media. For over four decades, María Elena has informed, empowered, and represented nuestra comunidad on the world stage. And now, she’s keeping it real about career, identity, retirement, money, motherhood, and the power of telling our own stories. If you’ve ever questioned your path, your voice, or the value of your cultura in your career… this conversation is going to recharge your spirit.

Takeaways

• Tu cultura is your power — not something to tone down.
• Financial preparation gives you freedom.
• Never be the first person to say no to your dreams.
• Representation isn’t enough — our stories need to be told by US.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome & Introduction

02:08 – “Voice of Hispanic America”

04:02 – Why Latino Stories Matter

14:44 – “You Can’t Go Because You’re a Woman”

20:59 – Telling Latino Stories in Mainstream Media

29:24 – Why She Eventually Left After 37 Years

32:34 – Life After Univision: Reinvention & Retirement

34:07 – Freedom, Flexibility & Money Lessons

43:47 – Why She Launched Cinco Preguntas

50:53 – The Future of the Latino Community

🎧 Where to Find María Elena

Listen to Cinco Preguntas con María Elena Salinas on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Don’t miss the biggest deals of the year! Get early access to my exclusive Black Friday offers, available ONLY to waitlisters.

👉 Join here: yoquierodineropodcast.com/friday

If you're ready to start building wealth but don’t know where to begin, download my free step-by-step dinero guide.

👉 courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com

My new book, Financially Lit!, is your roadmap to money confidence, wealth building, and financial freedom.

👉 FinanciallyLitBook.com

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

In this special episode, Forever35 hosts Doree and Elise speak with Yo Quiero Dinero host Jannese Torres about savings, retirement, and investing — everything from how to find an accountant for your specific financial needs to why you have to be a part of the capitalist system in order to change it. 

Mentioned in this Episode

• Fidelity 0% Expense Mutual Funds
• Empower
• The Debt Lasso Method
• Financially Lit! The Modern Latina's Guide to Level Up Your Dinero & Become Financially Poderosa by Jannese Torres 
• investor.gov
• Click here to shop all of Forever35's ShopMyShelf recs.

Visit forever35podcast.com for links to everything they mention on the show.

Ready to join our best-selling programs for the best prices of the year! Join my black friday sale waitlist at https://courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com/friday

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

In this episode, Jannese Torres chats with marketing strategist Kar Brulhart, who turned a COVID layoff into a major glow-up story. Kar went from corporate burnout to building her dream business on Instagram and she’s spilling all the tea on how she did it.

They get real about what it takes to show up online with confidence, why networking matters (even if it scares you!), and how to stop scrolling and start using social media to make money. Kar also breaks down her go-to strategies for building a personal brand, growing an audience, and using email marketing to boost sales. If you’ve ever doubted that you can start late, pivot careers, or make money being you, this one’s for you.

You’ll Learn:

💡 How Kar went from corporate life to full-time entrepreneurship after being laid off

💡 Why Instagram is still a powerful tool for business growth

💡 The secret to sharing your story and building trust with your audience

💡 How to network without feeling awkward or fake

💡 Tips for treating your social media presence like a real business

💡 Why email marketing is a must for long-term success

💡 How to stay consistent and show up even when you’re over it

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