Yo Quiero Dinero

She beat Bobby Flay with her Abuela's Arroz con Pollo. She trained under Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller, and José Andrés. She was a Hell's Kitchen finalist. And then she walked away from all of it to build a career entirely on her own terms.

Chef Mia Castro is a Puerto Rican chef, cookbook author, food influencer, and TV personality, and her debut cookbook, Cocina Puerto Rico: Recipes from My Abuela's Kitchen to Yours, is already making waves. We're sitting down to talk about her full journey: from her Abuela's kitchen in San Juan to elite restaurant kitchens across Vegas, Miami, and New York, to the 6-year road it took to get this book published.

We're talking about first-gen pressure, being the only woman in the room, hiding your identity to fit in, COVID FaceTime calls that accidentally created a cookbook, building a personal brand as a chef, what success actually looks like when you stop chasing the dream someone else gave you — and the dish that beat Bobby Flay.This one hit close to home for me. You know I started my whole digital career as a Puerto Rican food blogger. Having Chef Mia in this conversation was a full circle moment.

WE GET INTO:

00:01 — Intro + Chef Mia Castro

00:50 — What makes Puerto Rican cuisine one of a kind

01:57 — The responsibility of writing Cocina Puerto Rico

03:32 — What Abuela taught her that had nothing to do with food

04:26 — Growing up in la cocina (homework could wait)

07:21 — First-gen pressure and choosing passion over the "safe" path

08:06 — Starting as a prep cook: the real culinary hustle

10:27 — Being the only woman in elite kitchens

13:07 — Feeling pressure to hide her Boricua identity in professional spaces

14:51 — Reclaiming Puerto Rican food — all the way to fine dining

16:25 — Leaving restaurants and carving her own lane

18:46 — How COVID + FaceTime with Abuela created Cocina Puerto Rico

22:16 — Beating Bobby Flay with Abuela's Arroz con Pollo

26:30 — Modernizing recipes for the diaspora without losing the soul

29:02 — The 6-year battle to get a Puerto Rican cookbook published

32:39 — The recipe that made her emotional: las cremitas

34:42 — Shooting the entire book at Abuela's house in PR

36:27 — Personal branding advice: treat it like a portfolio

37:54 — There is no luck. There is only preparation.

40:16 — Behind the scenes of Hell's Kitchen + Chopped

43:27 — Success redefined: from Michelin star dreams to time freedom

47:49 — The legacy she hopes Cocina Puerto Rico leaves

49:06 — The first dish to make from the book (and why it beat Bobby Flay)

52:37 — Where to find Chef Mia

53:00 — Outro

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Staying humble and open to learning, at any age, is what keeps you from going stale. Abuela is still asking Mia how to cook things at 90. That's the growth mindset right there.
• You don't have to hide where you come from to belong in elite spaces. Mia spent years feeling like she had to stifle the Puerto Rican to fit in — and her biggest wins came when she stopped doing that.
• There is no such thing as luck. There is opportunity combined with preparation. Build the portfolio, show up consistently, and be ready when the call comes.
• Pivoting is not failing. Walking away from restaurants was not giving up. It was choosing to build a version of success that actually fit her life.
• Time is the real flex. Making money is cool. Having the freedom to spend it the way you want? That's the whole point.
• Getting a book published as a Latina author is NOT a straightforward process. It took Mia 6 years, a writing coach, months to find an agent, and two more years from contract to shelf. Know the process before you romanticize it.
• Consistency is the brand strategy. Not viral moments. Not follower counts. Showing up so that when the opportunity finds you, you're already prepared.

CONNECT WITH MIA:

• Instagram 
• Website 
• Buy Cocina Puerto Rico

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

• Yo Quiero Dinero Private Membership
• Read my book, Financially Lit!
• Leave me a voicemail

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

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

If you've ever fantasized about packing up your life, leaving the US, and actually doing the damn thing — this episode is your sign. I'm sitting down with Alicia Sanchez, founder of Felicita & Faustina studio shop, marketing expert with 20+ years in the game (American Express, ESPN, Klaviyo — the girl's got credentials), and now a full-time entrepreneur living her best life in Southern Spain with her wife and six-year-old daughter. She bought a house. In cash. For under $70K. And she wants you to know it's more doable than you think.

We get into the real — not the Instagram-filtered version. The financial planning, the digital nomad visa process, what attorneys actually cost (hint: not $10K), the tax reality, and why the thing that changed her life the most wasn't the house or the visa. It was watching her daughter have a childhood. This one's going to make you ask yourself: what's really keeping you?

WE GET INTO: 

00:38 — Intro: Alicia's back + why this episode exists

03:07 — Who was Alicia before all of this?

05:23 — What her Dominican grandmothers taught her about money

09:03 — Why she said "hell no" to corporate

10:35 — Build your business before you quit

11:13 — Why corporate stability is a lie

15:05 — Why Spain (she lived there before)

17:11 — The decision: February 2025

18:23 — The timeline: pods, visa, house

20:41 — Financial planning behind the move

22:06 — Buying a house in cash under $70K

24:50 — Digital nomad visa explained

27:07 — Biggest misconceptions about Spain

30:08 — What attorneys actually cost (not $10K)

33:07 — Bringing family on your visa

34:25 — Documentation you need to qualify

36:22 — The tax reality

40:50 — How their daughter's life transformed

42:33 — What's really keeping you?

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Don't wait to quit before you start building — start now, quietly, while you're still employed
• Corporate "stability" is a mask. You can be laid off tomorrow. Build income outside your W-2
• The digital nomad visa: apply in Spain (not the US) and get 3 years instead of 1
• You do NOT need to spend $10K to get your visa. The government fee is set. Be an educated consumer
• As a Latino/a, after 2 years on the digital nomad visa, you can switch to permanent residency through your lineage
• For the digital nomad visa, max 20% of your income can come from Spain — the rest must come from outside the country
• Clean, consistent bookkeeping and invoices are your best friend when applying
• A 5-bedroom home in Southern Spain — bought in cash, under $70K. Eliminating a mortgage changes everything
• Spain does a quarterly tax system. Know this before you go
• The lifestyle shift is real. No active shooter drills. No metal detectors. Their daughter just went on a museum field trip
• You are one decision away from a completely different life

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Episode 269: How To Be A Money Making Mama | Alicia Sanchez 
• Unlock your Puerto Rican Citizenship 
• Relocation & Immigration specialists in Andalucía – tell them YQD sent you!

CONNECT WITH ALICIA:

• Instagram
• YouTube  

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

• Yo Quiero Dinero Private Membership
• Read my book, Financially Lit!
• Leave me a voicemail

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

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

If the word "credit" makes you want to hide under the covers, this episode is for you, mi gente. I'm sitting down with Carol Pope — personal finance writer and author of Credit 101 — to break down everything you need to know about building credit from scratch, paying down debt, and protecting your score. No shame, no judgment, just an honest conversation. Carol and I have almost identical money origin stories. Neither of us learned a damn thing about credit growing up. Now we're both on a mission to make sure you don't have to learn the hard way like we did.

WE GET INTO:

00:02 — Intro + Jannese's credit origin story

01:58 — What Carol's book Credit 101 covers

02:17 — Carol's money story growing up

03:22 — The moment Carol realized she had to figure this out ASAP

05:04 — Cost of living + why this conversation is so timely

06:41 — What is a credit score and why does it matter?

07:59 — How your credit affects your job, apartment, utilities, and more

09:44 — The 5 factors of your credit score, broken down

12:29 — The myth: does carrying a balance help your credit? (Spoiler: no)

13:30 — Building credit from zero: secured credit cards explained

15:19 — Authorized users: pros, cons, and warnings

17:01 — How long does it realistically take to build good credit?

18:09 — Using credit cards as a lifeline vs. as a tool

22:07 — Buy Now Pay Later: what you actually need to know

24:33 — Already in credit card debt? Here's where to start

27:59 — Snowball vs. Avalanche: which debt payoff method wins?

29:05 — Balance transfers: when they work and when they don't

30:10 — The biggest auto loan financing mistakes people make

33:12 — Buy here, pay here car lots — what you need to know

35:22 — The 14-day rate shopping window that protects your credit

36:22 — Credit fraud: the most common scams to watch for

39:51 — Should you freeze your credit? (Yes. 24/7.)

41:45 — You can also freeze your Social Security number — here's how

44:49 — Debt as leverage, not shame

47:08 — Where to find Carol and grab the book

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• What your credit score actually is — and why it controls more of your life than you think
• The 5 factors that make up your score (and which one matters most)
• How to build credit from scratch the right way
• The big myth about carrying a credit card balance — please stop doing this
• Buy Now Pay Later: what nobody's telling you about how it works
• Where to start when you're already drowning in credit card debt
• The debt payoff method Carol personally uses
• How to shop for auto loans without tanking your score
• Why Carol says you should have your credit frozen 24/7
• A credit protection move most people don't know about: you can freeze your Social Security number

CONNECT WITH CAROL:

• LinkedIn
• Carol’s Book: Credit 101

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

• Yo Quiero Dinero Private Membership
• Read my book, Financially Lit!
• Leave me a voicemail

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

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

You know the good girl. She follows the rules, makes everybody proud, does everything she's supposed to do. She is me, and I have a feeling she might be you too. This episode was inspired by a recent keynote I gave in California, and I'm bringing it to the podcast because we don't talk about this enough: what it actually costs you to keep playing by everyone else's rules. We're going deep on the cultural conditioning that keeps women — especially Latinas — playing small, the moment I got laid off at 27 and felt relief instead of grief, and the solo trip to Puerto Rico that completely rearranged my life.

If you've ever felt the tension between who you are and who you've been expected to be, this one is for you.

WE GET INTO:

The question you need to sit with: has your ambition ever felt like too much?

Growing up in a Latino household where stability was the whole plan

Getting laid off at 27 — and why it felt like freedom, not failure

Why entrepreneurship doesn't fit our cultural script (and why that's okay)

The conditioning that keeps women dimming their light

The lie we keep getting fed: that wanting more is selfish

My solo trip to Puerto Rico and the question that changed everything

Choosing alignment over approval — and what that actually looks like

Why being the first also means being the blueprint

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Security is an illusion. Jobs are not guaranteed — so if nothing's guaranteed anyway, why are you playing small?
• Your visibility is not arrogance. It is leadership. Full stop.
• When women make money, everything changes. Ambition isn't selfish — it's the most generous thing you can do.
• The people questioning you aren't villains. They're just scared. Their definition of success was built around survival.
• Stop asking "what should I do?" Start asking "what would my life look like if I actually trusted myself?"
• If you're the first, you're also the blueprint.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

• Yo Quiero Dinero Private Membership
• Read my book, Financially Lit!
• Leave me a voicemail

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

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

What does it actually take to step into your power? In this episode, I'm sitting down with Alexis Meruelo — second-generation Cuban-American business leader, founder of the Business of Her conference, and author of the brand new book Getting You Ready for Power — to talk about the real, messy, beautiful process of finding your purpose and owning it unapologetically. We're getting into her family's entrepreneurial roots, why she spent six months with a career coach just to answer one question, the concept of "business karma," and why more women need to stop self-rejecting before they even ask. This one is packed, mi gente. Let's get into it.

WE GET INTO:

00:00 — Introduction

00:26 — Alexis's background and family entrepreneurial roots

02:01 — La Pizza Loca, Sahara Las Vegas, and the Cuban immigrant hustle

04:02 — Pain, rejection, and hitting a wall in her 20s

05:00 — Hiring her first career coach and betting on herself

07:25 — Redefining success without the ring or the kids

10:03 — How to deal with your Latino family's opinions

12:03 — Living in alignment and the new generation of young women

13:41 — The mentorship gap and why we self-reject before we even ask

19:21 — Business karma explained

22:25 — Her role at the Meruelo Group and CSR work

24:32 — Career reinvention: nothing is ever wasted

27:37 — Launching the Business of Her conference

32:05 — Getting You Ready for Power — the book and the three-phase framework

34:52 — Final message: you are ready, do it scared

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The best investment you'll ever make is in yourself. Alexis hired her first career coach at her lowest point and it changed everything.
• Define success on your own terms. The ring, the kids, the "right" career path — none of it matters if it's not your vision.
• Your Latino family will have opinions. Let them talk, then go do your thing anyway.
• We reject ourselves before anyone else gets the chance. Don't say no for a potential mentor — let them say it. Most women never ask, and that's why most women never have one.
• Business karma is real. Lift other women, support other businesses, and it always comes back. The crabs-in-a-barrel mentality only keeps you small.
• Nothing is ever wasted. Every year in the wrong job still made you better. You can pivot at any age, any stage.
• Life goes in phases. Your purpose doesn't have to be your paycheck right now — and "not yet" is not the same as never.
• Believe in yourself. Build your team. Rise to lead. That's the three-phase framework — and it starts with doing the inner work first.
• You are already ready. Do it scared, and do it in baby steps.

CONNECT WITH ALEXIS:

• Alexis' Website 
• Business of Her Website 
• Alexis on Instagram 
• Business of Her on Instagram 

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

• Yo Quiero Dinero Private Membership
• Read my book, Financially Lit!
• Leave me a voicemail

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

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

She built a women-only party empire that makes six figures as a side hustle, got herself onto the team that created the Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show field team through sheer hustle and genuine relationships, and did it all while juggling a corporate job and navigating a health diagnosis doctors ignored for years. Delilah Dee is back on Yo Quiero Dinero this week and she brought EVERYTHING. We're talking real revenue numbers for her event planning business, the Bad Bunny behind-the-scenes tea, fibroids and fighting for your health as a Black or brown woman, and the financial literacy lesson she wishes someone had taught her earlier.

WE GET INTO:

00:29 – What is Jefatona? The elevator pitch

03:02 – Growing up with a hustle mentality (shoutout to mom)

05:27 – How she got hired at iHeart with no corporate background

08:00 – Getting furloughed during COVID and pivoting to virtual events

11:11 – Launching Jefatona & selling out a club in 24 hours

11:32 – Revenue breakdown: how parties actually pay

16:09 – Multiple income streams + negotiating Fridays off

17:15 – The real numbers: $60K year one, six figures by year two

24:12 – Walking away from the startup that didn't align

29:54 – How she got onto the Bad Bunny Super Bowl field team

37:32 – Behind the scenes of halftime show production

43:00 – The dress rehearsal that made her cry

48:07 – The fibroid diagnosis and advocating for your health

54:43 – What she wishes she knew: financial literacy

56:10 – Where to find Delilah + Jefatona

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• You don't need the perfect resume to get into the room,  you need to know your value and be able to speak to it with confidence. \
• Referrals are the most underrated growth strategy in business. Do great work, treat people right, and let the recommendations do the marketing for you.
• You can make real money in the events business — but you need to understand how the money actually flows.
• Walking away from money that doesn't align with your values is one of the hardest and most necessary things you'll do as an entrepreneur. 
• Getting onto the Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show field team wasn't luck but years of genuine relationship-building paying off at exactly the right moment.
• Financial literacy isn't just for people who already have money, it's especially critical when the money starts flowing in. If you're building something real, get financially literate before the money arrives, not after.
• Black and brown women are disproportionately affected by fibroids and disproportionately dismissed when they report symptoms. If something feels off in your body, advocate for yourself. 

CONNECT WITH DELILAH:

• Jefatona 
• Instagram 

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

• Yo Quiero Dinero Private Membership
• Read my book, Financially Lit!
• Leave me a voicemail

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

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

She's back and she brought receipts!

Tiffany "The Budgetnista" Aliche is one of the most iconic voices in personal finance, and if you missed her first episode on YQD, it became the highest-watched episode in the show's history. Dead ass. So yeah, we had to bring her back. This time, Tiffany is opening up about EVERYTHING — from the $35,000 scam that left her broke and sleeping on her sister's couch, to building an eight-figure net worth, to why she's still learning how to stop giving her money away to people who didn't even ask for it. She also drops the full framework from her bestselling book Get Good With Money, now available in paperback, and why that book hits differently after everything she's been through personally. If you've ever felt like financial wellness was something that happened to other people, this episode is going to shift that for you.

WE GET INTO: 

00:00 – Welcome Back, Budgetnista: Why This Episode Is Already a Classic

03:06 – From Stuffed Animals to Preschoolers to Millions: Little Tiffany's Origin Story

06:52 – Tiffany's Financial Fiasco: The $35K Scam (Meet Jake the Thief)

12:25 – Why Shame Has Zero Business Being in Personal Finance

13:20 – The Budgetnista Law: Making Financial Education Mandatory in NJ Schools

15:14 – The "Just Cut Back" Myth: What Getting Good With Money Actually Looks Like

17:09 – Your Budget Is a "Say Yes Plan" — And You Cannot Budget Your Way to Wealth

21:22 – Charging Your Worth: Why Women Leave Millions on the Table

24:35 – Wealth Guilt & Giving: When Generosity Becomes Self-Sabotage

33:08 – The 10 Pillars of Financial Wholeness: From Managing Money to Building Legacy

36:16 – Estate Planning Isn't Morbid — It's Love: What Tiffany Learned After Losing Her Husband

43:04 – Prenups, Partnerships & Building Wealth With the Right Person

49:06 – Dating After Loss: Why Financial Compatibility Is Non-Negotiable

52:38 – Get Good With Money Paperback: Why It Hits Even Harder Now

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Your budget isn't a restriction — it's your "say yes plan." It's there to keep you financially safe so you can say yes to the things that matter.
• You cannot budget your way to wealth. Learning to earn is the single most transformative financial move you can make.
• Debt freedom is a goal you can pick up along the way. It is NOT the finish line. Wealth is.
• The 10 pillars of financial wholeness: budgeting, savings, debt, credit, learning to earn (the foundational five) → investing, insurance, financial team, net worth, and estate planning (the growth and protection five).
• Wealth guilt is real — and giving money away before you've even asked if someone needs it is about you, not them.
• The right financial partner doesn't have to match your income. They have to know how to provide for someone who doesn't need it in the traditional sense.
• Estate planning is the ultimate act of love. Don't wait until it's too late.

RESOURCES:

• Website 
• Made Whole  
• Get Good with Money 

CONNECT WITH TIFFANY:

• Instagram
• Facebook 
• YouTube 

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

• Yo Quiero Dinero Private Membership
• Read my book, Financially Lit!
• Leave me a voicemail

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

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

You've probably seen the late-night gold commercials and immediately changed the channel. Same. But here's the thing — what if that reaction is exactly what the banks, financial advisors, and the government want from you?

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Brandon Thor, CEO and founder of Thor Metals Group, to break down why precious metals investing isn't just for doomsday preppers — and why less than half of 1% of people invest in gold despite it being mentioned in the Bible 431 times. The gatekeeping is real, mi gente, and we're pulling back the curtain.

We get into what a self-directed IRA actually is, how physical gold is different from buying GLD in your Fidelity account, and why central banks all over the world are hoarding this stuff while the rest of us sleep on it. Whether you have $20K sitting in a savings account doing nothing or you're just curious about diversifying beyond stocks and bonds, this episode is going to break your brain — in the best way.

WE GET INTO:

01:46 — What is a precious metals IRA (in plain English)?

 02:41 — Self-directed IRA vs. traditional & Roth IRAs

04:05 — Paper gold (GLD) vs. physical gold: the counterparty risk nobody talks about

05:09 — Who should actually be investing in precious metals?

07:25 — Why gold has a bad reputation (hint: it's intentional)

09:19 — How long does the setup process take?

10:26 — Where does the gold actually go?

11:58 — Pros, cons, and the right time horizon for precious metals

13:17 — How to think about returns (spoiler: it's not like dividend stocks)

14:45 — Why gold prices dipped during economic instability

16:04 — Red flags: how to choose a legit precious metals company

17:39 — Yes, Costco sells gold. Is it worth it?

19:46 — Dollar cost averaging vs. lump sum in precious metals

21:22 — Why so few people invest despite gold's 5,000-year track record

24:54 — First steps for the curious but hesitant investor

25:45 — The 10-year outlook for gold and silver

28:12 — Gold: the secret investment hiding in plain sight

32:00 — What financial freedom means to Brandon

 34:18 — Where to connect with Thor Metals Group

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• A "gold IRA" is really a self-directed IRA — a specific account type that lets you own alternative assets like physical gold, silver, and real estate instead of just stocks and bonds.
• Physical gold eliminates counterparty risk. When you own GLD or another paper version, you're trusting a bank. If that bank fails? You're holding worthless paper. Physical gold is yours, full stop.
• The reason most people don't know about precious metals investing isn't an accident. Banks, financial advisors, and the government all benefit from you not having your money in gold. Follow the money.
• You don't need a ton to get started, but Brandon's sweet spot recommendation is $20,000 — enough to build a diversified metals portfolio and actually feel the market move.
• The ideal time horizon for precious metals is 3–5 years. This isn't money you'll need liquid in two months — it's money that can sit, grow, and do its thing.
• Red flags to avoid: anything obscure, anything priced way above spot price, and anything you can't find on a thousand dealer websites. Stick to American Eagles, Maple Leafs, bars, and rounds.
• Self-directed IRA fees are flat and low — roughly $225/year regardless of account size. Compare that to the AUM fees you're likely paying right now.
• Central banks worldwide are buying and hoarding gold at record levels. When the biggest institutions are buying something retail investors are ignoring, that's worth paying attention to.

RESOURCES:

• Thor Metals Group

CONNECT WITH BRANDON:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

• Yo Quiero Dinero Private Membership
• Read my book, Financially Lit!
• Leave me a voicemail

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

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

¡Hola mi gente! If buying a home has felt like a dream that wasn't built for people like you — this episode is going to change that.

Today I'm sitting down with Josie White, Home Lending Advisor at Chase Home Lending, who has spent 15 years helping people navigate the mortgage process and 30 years in banking. She's bilingual, she's been in the trenches with buyers at every income level, and she is here to tell you the truth about what it actually takes to buy a home in 2026.

We're busting the biggest myths: the 20% down payment (nope, not required), the "perfect credit score" (also not required), and the idea that being self-employed or having limited savings means it's not possible for you (also not true — with some asterisks).

WE GET INTO: 

00:00 - Intro: Homeownership for First-Gen Latinos (Sponsored by Chase Home Lending)

01:44 - Josie's Role at Chase and 15 Years in Home Lending

02:47 - How Today's Buyers Are Different From Your Parents' Generation

04:12 - Jannese's Real Estate Journey: From One Property to Two (and Counting)

05:19 - The Biggest Mistake Buyers Make: Don't Assume Before You Ask

06:38 - What You Actually Need to Know About Qualifying for a Mortgage

07:59 - What If I Don't Have 20% Down? Your Real Options

09:04 - Pre-Qualification vs. Pre-Approval: What's the Difference?

11:16 - Buy Based on Your Current Finances, Not What You Hope For

12:16 - How Chase Helps Buyers Who Feel Intimidated By the Process

14:29 - DreaMaker Mortgage and Low-to-Moderate Income Lending Programs

15:51 - The Free Credit Journey Tool and the Perfect Credit Score Myth

17:10 - A Cautionary Tale for Self-Employed Buyers

19:13 - Fixed Rate vs. Adjustable Rate Mortgages Explained

21:05 - FHA vs. VA vs. Conventional Loans: What's the Difference?

23:13 - How Jannese's Dad Bought His Home With a VA Loan

24:01 - Multi-Generational and Co-Buying Arrangements

25:19 - How to Strengthen Your Financial Profile Before You Buy

26:44 - Mindset for Navigating Today's Housing Market

28:42 - How to Take the First Step With Chase Home Lending

29:59 - Outro and Final Thoughts

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The real difference between pre-qualification and pre-approval (and why it matters)
• Chase's DreamMaker Mortgage and homebuyer grants of up to $5,000 that don't have to be repaid
• How your credit score actually affects your interest rate — and Chase's free Credit Journey tool to help you improve it
• Documentation you need to have ready (especially if you're self-employed)
• Fixed rate vs. adjustable rate mortgages — and which one is right for your situation
• FHA, VA, and conventional loans broken down simply
• Multi-generational and co-buying arrangements that more families are using to get into the market

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Josie and explore home buying options 

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

• Yo Quiero Dinero Private Membership
• Read my book, Financially Lit!
• Leave me a voicemail

This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero is sponsored by Chase Home Lending and produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

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

She was literally born the day her mother landed in the US — and that energy of showing up and figuring it out has followed Steph Michelle Pimentel her entire life.

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Stephanie Pimentel, a Dominican American executive and the founder of Lumena Global, whose work sits at the intersection of cross-border leadership, people strategy, and cultural intelligence. She spent 17 years in corporate — starting as an HR coordinator at $11.75 an hour and climbing all the way to the executive level — only to discover that being invited into the room is not the same thing as having real power in it. We are talking about the "fake seat at the table," what it actually means to be an asset that companies exploit without compensating, why US businesses keep fumbling Latino and Latam markets, and why with AI handing you every tool you need, there has never been a better time to say f*ck corporate and build your own table. Stephanie is also giving YQD listeners a free 15-minute strategy call — no charge, no catch. You need to take her up on it.

WE GET INTO:

0:00 - Intro: Born the Day Her Mother Landed in the US

1:06 - Growing Up Dominican & the "Work, Work, Work" Mentality

2:31 - 17 Years in Corporate Starting at $11.75/Hour

4:19 - The Fake Seat at the Table Explained

9:00 - Battling Imposter Syndrome When You're Losing Your Job

10:41 - Why AI Makes Right Now the Best Time to Ditch Corporate

11:44 - The $4.1 Trillion Latino Market (We Are Not a Niche)

15:02 - How US Companies Fumble Latin American Expansion

24:31 - Stephanie's Entrepreneurial Journey: Failures, LLCs & Rock Bottom

34:57 - Free Strategy Call + How to Work With Stephanie

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Being invited into the room is not the same as having real power in it
• Cultural intelligence isn't a soft skill — it's risk management
• The US Latino GDP is $4.1 trillion. We are not a niche. We are the market.
• US companies lose money in Latam because they treat it as cheap labor instead of a talent engine
• You don't need to wait until you hit rock bottom to start building — start before you're ready

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Lumena Global
• Book Your FREE Strategy Call

CONNECT WITH STEPHANIE:

• Instagram 

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:

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This episode of Yo Quiero Dinero was produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

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