Highly Sensitive Money for Highly Sensitive People who want to align their values with their money

Why Hoarding Doesn’t Make You Safe—And What Does with Jordyn Middlebrooks

Why Hoarding Doesn’t Make You Safe—And What Does with Jordyn Middlebrooks 
Jordyn Middlebrooks and I dive deep into what it means to reimagine wealth, safety, and belonging. Jordyn is a financial coach, organizer, and the host of the podcast Reimagine Wealth. With roots in the Sunrise Movement and a background in both community organizing and financial advising, Jordyn brings a rich perspective on money, justice, and identity. As we explored her story, we unpacked how her early environmental activism evolved into class-conscious financial work, and how stepping into her own class privilege—publicly—was an act of vulnerability and transformation.
We talked about what it means to build alternative safety nets, how her choice to leave a six-figure salary changed her relationships, and why conversations about money can deepen trust. Jordyn also shares her method for helping clients discover their “enough number,” blending visioning, practical financial review, and the framework of fundamental needs. This conversation touches on shame, solidarity, burnout, the limits of individualism, and the liberatory potential of mutual aid. And as always, we reflect on the internal work required to support collective change.
Meet our Guest
Jordyn Middlebrooks is a financial planner, coach, and community organizer working at the intersection of wealth, justice, and belonging. Based in Austin, Texas—on Tonkawa, Jumanos, Comanche, Coahuiltecan, and Lipan Apache land—Jordyn is the founder of Reimagine Wealth LLC and the host of the podcast Reimagine Wealth. They use their background in psychology, business management, and organizing to support clients in clarifying their financial values, redistributing wealth, and aligning resources with movement-building.
Jordyn holds a Series 65 license, a PMP certification, and degrees from the University of Florida. Before shifting into financial work, they co-led the Sunrise Movement’s Austin chapter and worked in the renewable energy and technology sectors. Today, they are a member of Resource Generation and Rad Planners, committed to supporting a Just Transition and the growth of a Solidarity Economy.
Known as someone who “makes shit happen” while balancing urgency with deep care, Jordyn’s work centers around creating accessible and permanent safety nets. They help people transform their relationship to wealth so they can act in alignment with their values—and show up as the person they want to become.
Episode Highlights
00:01:50 Meeting Jordyn and their entry into financial activism00:07:03 Hiding class background in organizing spaces00:10:30 Shame, anxiety, and the fear of being found out00:18:50 The “marathon metaphor” and seeing class clearly00:22:50 Divesting from Wall Street and choosing lower income00:24:50 How interdependence creates real safety00:29:60 Creating a soft place to land in movement work00:34:60 Guiding clients toward their “enough” number00:41:10 Planning for shifts and building adaptive money practices00:50:50 Asking for help as a radical act of mutuality
Keywords
#reimaginewealth #classprivilege #mutualaid #redistribution #enoughness #financialcoach #socialjustice #solidarityeconomy #restisresistance #movementwork
Resources
Reimagine WealthSubstackPodcast Reimagine WealthResource Generation Manfred Max-Neef and Pseudo-Satisfiers
Enjoy it on Youtube here
 
Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. All the Colors is not a registered entity and is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers and read our Form CRS.

Budgeting as Activism and Owning Your Time as True Wealth with Miriam Zoila Pérez

Budgeting as Activism and Owning Your Time as True Wealth with Miriam Zoila Pérez
 
In this episode, our guest Miriam Zoila Pérez and I dive deep into the emotional, cultural, and political layers of money, especially through our experiences of Latine children of immigrants. Miriam is a queer Cuban-American writer, activist, and budget coach whose career spans reproductive justice, feminist blogging, and Latinx music podcasting. Together, we reflect on how money influences our sense of belonging, our family legacies, and our everyday choices.
 
About Miriam Zoila Pérez
 
Miriam Zoila Pérez is an award-winning queer Cuban-American writer and activist whose work explores the intersections of race, gender, and health. A graduate of Swarthmore College in Anthropology and Spanish Literature, Pérez has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, and Colorlines, and delivered a TED Talk—viewed over a million times—on how racism impacts maternal health. They are the author of The Radical Doula Guide and have contributed to several acclaimed anthologies, including Not That Bad, edited by Roxane Gay.
 
Pérez is also the co-host of the bilingual Latinx music podcast Radio Menea and recently ventured into young adult fiction with their debut novel, Camila Núñez’s Year of Disasters (2025). Their activism has spanned over a decade in reproductive justice and digital communications, and more recently, they’ve brought their values-driven approach to money coaching through YNAB, working with clients from diverse backgrounds to build financial clarity and empowerment. They currently reside in Washington, DC, nurturing a love for houseplants and cultural storytelling.
 
Episode Highlights
 
00:02:08 Meeting Miriam Zoila Pérez and celebrating frikitonas00:03:38 How activism led Miriam to financial coaching00:05:08 Navigating a multifaceted career: writer, activist, doula, and podcaster00:08:28 Family history: wealth, exile, and class shifts between Cuba and the US00:21:48 Budgeting with YNAB: who Miriam works with and why00:27:09 Wealth hoarding vs. purposeful financial planning00:35:28 Practicing generosity: how Miriam approaches giving00:41:58 Managing finances as a self-employed creative00:47:08 Choosing time freedom over wealth accumulation00:50:38 Retirement planning, financial literacy, and the flaws of the 401(k) system
 
Keywords
 
#MiriamZoilaPérez #MoneyAndSocialJustice #QueerLatinxVoices #ReproductiveJustice #YNAB #FinancialEmpowerment #LatinxIdentity #BudgetingWithValues #GenerationalWealth
 
Resources
 
Miriam Zoila Pérez website YNAB Coaching with Miriam Instagram Camila Núñez’s Year of DisastersRadio Menea Ep 125: Frikitona Resource Generation
 
Enjoy it on Youtube here
 
Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. All the Colors is not a registered entity and is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers and read our Form CRS.

Navigating Money, Legacy, and Family Dynamics with Dr. Shay Harris-Pierre

Navigating Money, Legacy, and Family Dynamics with Dr. Shay Harris-Pierre
 
In this episode, our guest Dr. Shay Harris-Pierre and I explore the emotional and relational dimensions of wealth. Dr. Shay is a family legacy strategist and financial therapist with a background in marriage and family therapy. She shares her journey from training clinicians to working with families navigating sudden wealth, inheritance, and cross-class growth. Together, we dive into the emotional thermostat metaphor for financial comfort zones, the unconscious ways people sabotage or limit their financial growth, and how money beliefs shape behavior across generations.
 
About Dr. Shay Harris-Pierre
 
Dr. Shay Harris-Pierre, LPC, CFT, is a Family Legacy Strategist and Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in the emotional and relational aspects of wealth. With over a decade of clinical practice, she helps families with shared wealth navigate conflicts like apathy, entitlement, and estrangement, guiding them through challenging conversations that strengthen bonds and uphold values. Her expertise spans financial therapy, cross-class mobility, and intergenerational wealth transfer, with a focus on helping wealth creators and inheritors understand what their wealth is truly for.
Her career path weaves together marriage and family therapy, financial therapy, and family business consulting. After years as a professor training therapists, Dr. Shay transitioned into private practice, working with high-achieving women of color, couples, and families. She consults with Continuity Family Business Consulting, helping multi-generational enterprises resolve conflict and align leadership.
Living in Arlington, VA, with her husband and their Maltipoo, Dr. Shay integrates personal passion and professional insight into her mission: to help families not only preserve financial capital but nurture the human capital—the people, purpose, and values—that give wealth meaning. Through her work, she invites families to steward their legacy with intention, empathy, and courage.
 
Episode Highlights
 
00:01:48 Meeting Dr. Shay and her journey into financial therapy00:03:38 Early family dynamics and the roots of her career00:05:18 How sudden wealth and cross-class growth impact families00:08:08 The emotional thermostat: adjusting to new financial realities00:11:58 Defining cross-class growth and the struggle of wealth integration00:15:38 Finding balance between heritage culture and new wealth culture00:18:48 Grieving the past when stepping into new financial spaces00:28:58 How financial professionals can build trust with marginalized clients00:36:45 Emotional family governance and why relationships need structure00:43:38 Supporting sensitive clients through empathy and attunement
 
Keywords
 
#FinancialTherapy #FamilyLegacy #WealthTransfer #CrossClassGrowth #EmotionalIntelligence #MoneyBeliefs #SuddenWealth #FamilyGovernance #SocialJusticeFinance #GenerationalWealth
 
Resources
 
Harris Pierre Consulting Shades of Wealth Podcast LinkedIn InstagramAffluence Intelligence by Stephen GoldbartStrangers in Paradise by James Grubman We Need to Talk by Jennifer RisherThe Color of Money by Mehrsa Baradaran
 
Watch on Youtube Here
 
Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. All the Colors is not a registered entity and is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers and read our Form CRS.

Economics That Heal: Exploring Regenerative Livelihoods with Della Duncan

Economics That Heal: Exploring Regenerative Livelihoods with Della Duncan
Della is a Renegade Economist who challenges mainstream economic assumptions through her coaching, teaching, and documentary podcasting. Our conversation spans from the personal, like her advocacy for alternative metrics of success, to the deeply political and degrowth economics.
Together, we explore her journey upstream from social work to systemic economic change. Highlights include a discussion on what it means to be a good ancestor, how we can move from power-over to power-with, and the practice of balancing personal survival with building collective futures. We also explore practices like the Work That Reconnects and Max-Neef’s framework of fundamental human needs. Whether you're new to these ideas or already immersed in economic justice work, this conversation with Della offers grounding, insight, and vision.
About Della Duncan
Della Duncan is a Renegade Economist whose work spans coaching, education, activism, and podcasting—all with a focus on reimagining economics in service of justice, community, and ecological regeneration. She supports individuals in aligning their values with their livelihoods as a Right Livelihood Coach and collaborates with organizations working toward equitable and sustainable economic transformation. As the host of the Upstream Podcast, she curates powerful conversations and documentaries that challenge dominant economic narratives and uplift alternatives like Buddhist, feminist, and cooperative economics.
Della is a Senior Atlantic Fellow of Social and Economic Equity at the London School of Economics and the Course Development Manager for Fritjof Capra’s Systems View of Life. She is also a Gross National Happiness Master Trainer, a founding member of the California Doughnut Economics Coalition, and teaches at several institutions including the California Institute of Integral Studies and Gaia Education. With academic roots in International Relations and a master’s in Economics for Transition, Della bridges intellectual rigor with deep spiritual and community practice.
Her work is deeply informed by indigenous knowledge, Joanna Macy’s Work That Reconnects, and post-growth thinkers like Jason Hickel. Whether facilitating a workshop or tending to her local community (and now, in a new chapter as a parent), Della embodies the principles she teaches—living into a world where we care for one another, the planet, and future generations.
Episode Highlights
[00:01:47] Meeting Della and her many livelihood plants[00:04:07] From crisis work to upstream economics[00:06:17] Reimagining success beyond money[00:10:47] Donut Economics in practice[00:15:17] Quaker and Buddhist spiritual grounding[00:17:27] Seventh Generation exercise from the Work That Reconnects[00:21:07] Balancing small-scale action with systemic change[00:29:47] Degrowth as opportunity, not sacrifice[00:41:47] The journey upstream: from supremacy to interconnection[00:53:47] Redefining wealth: capital beyond money
Keywords
#Upstream #RegenerativeEconomics #DonutEconomics #PostGrowth #RightLivelihood #SystemicChange #GiftEconomy #Enoughness #Interconnection #WorkThatReconnects #EconomicJustice
Resources
Della Duncan's WebsiteUpstream PodcastInstagramDebunking Homo EconomicusWork That ReconnectsEveryday Utopia: What 2,000 Years of Bold Experiments Can Teach Us About the Good Life by Kristen R. Ghodsee Donut Economics by Kate RaworthLess Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World by Jason HickelBraiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer The Serviceberry by Robin Wall KimmererBarefoot Economics by Manfred Max-NeefSacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein
 
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Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. All the Colors is not a registered entity and is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers and read our Form CRS.

Wisdom & Money: Money as a Doorway to Spiritual Transformation

Wisdom & Money: Money as a Doorway to Spiritual Transformation
 
In this episode, I open up about the foundational spiritual and money work I’ve done with Wisdom & Money. You'll also hear about the spiritual practices that helped me embrace both the structured and the intuitive sides of my financial work. From silent retreats to shadow play, and from difficult career decisions to joining a nonprofit board, this episode brings together the playful, the profound, and the practical. I reflect on what it means to bring our full selves—including our quirks and contradictions—to conversations about money. My hope is that my story helps others feel less alone in their questions about wealth, values, and the kind of world we want to build.
 
Episode Highlights
 
00:01:59 Discovering Wisdom & Money through a friend's memorial00:05:49 Experiencing silence and Lectio Divina in a virtual retreat00:07:59 Retreats and facing a career crossroads00:09:59 Shadow play: Embracing both privilege and discomfort00:12:39 Finding balance between structured finances and open spirituality00:16:59 Letting go of the rescuer role and learning to receive00:18:19 The Bible passage that inspired my leap into entrepreneurship00:20:29 How community support shaped my evolving career00:21:59 Taking a step in faith as Treasurer00:25:19 Moving from personal transformation to systemic change
 
Keywords
 
#MoneyAndSpirituality #FaithAndFinance #EntrepreneurJourney #InnerWork #WealthAndJustice #MoneyStories #SacredEconomy #PersonalTransformation #CommunityCare #ValuesBasedLeadership
 
Resources
 
Wisdom & Money WebsiteWisdom & Money: A Community Supporting Mindful Financial Decisions  Money and the Meaning of Life by Jacob Needleman
 
Watch the YouTube video here
 
Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. All the Colors is not a registered entity and is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers and read our Form CRS.

Brat Energy & Budgeting: Taking Control of Your Finances with Nicole Stanley

Brat Energy & Budgeting: Taking Control of Your Finances with Nicole Stanley
In this episode, our guest Nicole Stanley and I dive into the emotional, strategic, and systemic layers of personal finance. Nicole is the founder of Arise Financial Coaching and the creator of the Money Momentum Method—a system born from her own transformation from debt and anxiety to a thriving six-figure net worth by age 27. We talk about the real reasons money creates so much stress, how our childhoods shape financial behaviors, and how to build confidence even when things feel uncertain.
Through her ADHD lens, we see a different way of thinking about financial planning—one that values automation, visual cues, and goal-based tracking over rigid spreadsheets. And when we talk about changing the world, Nicole makes it clear that empowered women with financial literacy aren’t just making better lives for themselves—they’re lifting whole communities. 
Nicole Stanley – Founder of Arise Financial Coaching
Nicole Stanley is a financial coach, entrepreneur, and the founder of Arise Financial Coaching, a growing practice that has already served over 600 clients worldwide. She developed her signature approach, the Money Momentum Method, after transforming her own life: from drowning in debt and stress to building a $250K+ net worth by the age of 27—all on an average salary and without shortcuts. Her journey was fueled not just by numbers, but by a deep need to reclaim her peace of mind and autonomy from the grip of financial anxiety.
Nicole began coaching informally—helping friends and family navigate their budgets—before realizing the power of what she’d created. In March 2020, in the midst of global uncertainty, she launched her coaching business officially. Since then, Arise Financial Coaching has grown to include a team of ADHD-informed coaches, group programs, and accolades from platforms like TIME, Yahoo Finance, and CNET. Nicole’s mission is clear: to help people stop feeling behind and start building financial lives that feel aligned, joyful, and free.
Episode Highlights
[00:01:41] Meeting Nicole and her early money story[00:05:31] Coast FIRE by age 27[00:07:19] Detaching from Dave Ramsey-style deprivation[00:10:56] ADHD, money, and the myth of laziness[00:18:21] Childhood financial anxiety and parental influence[00:23:48] Building confidence even in financial chaos[00:29:41] Redefining social justice through money[00:33:19] Coaching clients through tithing and debt[00:37:41] Resignation and learned helplessness in today’s economy[00:41:27] Why empowering women financially transforms communities
Keywords
#FinancialFreedom #DebtFreeJourney #ADHDAndMoney #WomenAndWealth #FinancialCoaching #MoneyMindset #EmpoweredSpending #CoastFIRE #MoneyAndFaith #NeurodivergentMoney
Resources
InstagramWebsiteThreadsTikTokFrancis CabriniPrince Charming Isn't Coming: How Women Get Smart About Money by Barbara StannyViking Economics: How the Scandinavians Got It Right-and How We Can, Too by George Lakey
 
Watch this episode on YouTube
 
Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. All the Colors is not a registered entity and is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers and read our Form CRS.

Money, Grief & Healing: A Former Advisor’s New Mission with DonJay Rice

Money, Grief & Healing: A Former Advisor’s New Mission
In this episode, our guest DonJay Rice and I take a deep dive into the complex relationship between money, grief, and healing. Early in DonJay’s career as a wealth manager a series of personal and professional turning points led him to add behavioral coaching skills to his work, way before it was a common practice for wealth managers. In our conversation, he opens up about how an experience with three widowed clients changed everything he thought he knew about money and human connection.
We explore how personal history shapes our financial behaviors, the ongoing impact of childhood experiences, and what it takes to truly feel emotionally safe with money. DonJay shares insights about his own upbringing in poverty, becoming the legal guardian of his special needs brothers, and how discovering his "transferable skills" outside of traditional finance became a catalyst for work filled with purpose and meaning. We also reflect on the journey from emotional numbness to the subtle joy of appreciating nature and why helping others reclaim their voice is part of his life’s work.
Get to Know DonJay Rice
DonJay Rice is a Financial Coach and the founder of Drumbeat of Wealth, where he specializes in guiding clients through the tangled intersections of money, grief, and trauma. With over 25 years of experience in financial services, including 28 years as a wealth manager, DonJay brings a unique blend of financial expertise and deep emotional insight to his coaching practice. His work is grounded in behavioral finance and shaped by his own journey through personal loss, hardship, and healing.
Having grown up in poverty and navigated complex family responsibilities from a young age—including becoming guardian to his special needs brothers—DonJay developed an acute sensitivity to how unresolved grief can shape our financial lives. Today, he draws on that lived experience, as well as formal training in financial psychology, to help others find clarity, purpose, and a renewed relationship with money. Whether it's unspoken money anxieties or long-standing emotional patterns, DonJay helps clients find their rhythm again—one beat at a time.
Episode Highlights
[00:01:50] Meeting DonJay Rice[00:04:48] The moment three widows changed his career[00:08:29] Leaving financial advising without a plan[00:12:10] Realizing he had transferable skills[00:16:22] Childhood financial enmeshment and trauma[00:21:22] Why people box up pain and how we eventually unpack it[00:26:02] The value of sensitivity and unstructured time[00:32:22] Bringing social justice into financial coaching[00:38:20] How DonJay works with clients post-therapy[00:41:53] Exploring “half-truths” and inherited money beliefs[00:47:50] The role of a coach: not an expert, but a mirror
Keywords
#moneyandtrauma #griefsupport #financialcoaching #healingjourney #financialbehavior #socialjusticework #donjayrice #traumainformed #moneyhealing #coachingwithpurpose #drumbbeatofwealth
Resources
Drumbeat of WealthLinkedIn InstagramFacebookNobody Nowhere: The Remarkable Autobiography of an Autistic Girl by Donna Williams
 
Watch this episode on YouTube
 
Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. All the Colors is not a registered entity and is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers and read our Form CRS.
 

Why Rest Is Radical: Reclaiming My Time as an Entrepreneur

Why Rest Is Radical: Reclaiming My Time as an Entrepreneur
In this episode, I take the mic solo to talk about something I've struggled with for years: rest. As a woman of color, entrepreneur, and daughter of workaholics, rest has never come easy. I share personal stories—from my time hustling in Los Angeles to a life-changing sabbatical in Costa Rica—and unpack how I’ve slowly learned to embrace rest, not as a luxury, but as a necessity, especially as I’ve learned more about what I need as a Highly Sensitive Person.
This conversation weaves through memories of burnout, the lessons I picked up in cultures that value community and slow living, and the deep unlearning required to step away from internalized capitalism. I reflect on what it means to decouple productivity from self-worth, how Highly Sensitive People are wired for rest, and why our society’s obsession with overwork is exploitative. If you’ve ever needed permission to slow down, this episode is for you.
Episode Highlights
[00:01:50] Why rest matters for entrepreneurs[00:08:00] Challenging the idea of “charging your worth”[00:09:40] Lessons from Tico culture and slowing down[00:11:20] Discovering that rest improves productivity[00:18:20] Hitting a wall: the moment of deep burnout[00:19:50] The illusion of rest while digital nomading[00:26:00] Building white space into the calendar[00:31:10] Rest as a core need for sensitive minds
Keywords
#MindfulBusiness #RestIsRevolutionary #BurnoutRecovery #WorkLifeBalance #RestOverGrind #MoneyMindset #WomenInBusiness #MinorityOwned
Resources
Breaking Toxic Patterns of Workaholism Debt: The First 5,000 Years by David GraeberThe Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow
 
Watch the video conversation on YouTube
 
Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. All the Colors is not a registered entity and is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers and read our Form CRS.

Work at the Intersection of Money and Purpose with Val Nelson

Work at the Intersection of Money and Purpose with Val Nelson
In this episode, our guest Val Nelson and I open up about the beautiful, complex journey of building a career that actually fits. Val shares how her path—from burnout and confusion to alignment and clarity—was anything but linear. We talk about what it really means to be someone who craves both meaning and stability in their work, and how energy, money, and purpose intersect. Along the way, Val shares how discovering her sensitivity shifted her relationship to career, business, and self-trust.
We also explore how social justice shows up in pricing models, what scarcity feels like in the body, and how nature’s seasons can become guides for our work. Val’s honesty and presence make this conversation a grounding space for anyone navigating a tender chapter in their professional life. Whether you're dreaming of self-employment or just need permission to take more breaks, you’ll find something in here that speaks to your inner knowing.
Val Nelson: The Black Swan Coach
Val Nelson is a career and business coach with over 15 years of experience supporting introverts and highly sensitive people (HSPs), including those who identify as sensitive extroverts. Known as the Black Swan Coach, Val helps clients find meaningful, sustainable work that aligns with their energy and values. Her compassionate, intuitive approach has guided countless INFJs and ENFJs toward careers and businesses that nourish both their souls and their bank accounts.
Val offers career clarity coaching, business mentoring for women solopreneurs, and online courses such as Find the Best Use of You Now and Could I Leave My 9-5?. She also leads intimate groups for SOULpreneurs—heart-centered entrepreneurs seeking wise pacing and grounded purpose. With a deep commitment to accessibility and social justice, Val integrates reparative pricing models and equity-based practices into her business. She lives in New England, where the rhythm of the seasons informs both her personal life and professional planning.
Episode Highlights
[00:03:33] A Winding Path to Purposeful Work  [00:05:44] The Myth of Choosing Between Meaning and Money  [00:08:06] Discovering Sensory Processing Sensitivity  [00:12:07] Sensitivity as a Superpower in Coaching  [00:22:04] The Financial Messages from Childhood  [00:28:34] How Scarcity Feels in the Body  [00:36:10] Seasonal Planning as a Grounding Practice  [00:38:34] Reparations and Equity-Based Pricing as an Entrepreneur[00:45:04] Navigating Criticism Around Equity and Inclusion  [00:50:04] Purpose-Driven Work and Social Justice in Coaching  
Keywords
#SensitiveEntrepreneur #EnergyBasedPlanning #PurposeDrivenWork #SensitiveFounder #QuietLeader #IntuitiveEntrepreneur #MindfulCareer #AuthenticWork #EconomicJustice #SomaticCoaching #BodyWisdom #HolisticMoney #ConsciousCapitalism
Resources
Val NelsonCoursesLinkedIn
 
Watch our video conversation on YouTube
 
Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. All the Colors is not a registered entity and is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers and read our Form CRS.
 

Money, Boundaries & Inner Healing: A Conversation with Mónica Duarte

Money, Boundaries & Inner Healing: A Conversation with Mónica Duarte
 
In this episode, our guest Mónica Duarte and I explore the courageous path of a first-generation Latina who has transformed personal trauma into a powerful practice of healing and coaching. Mónica Duarte is a Mental Wellbeing and Certified Parts Work coach, as well as a Credentialed Professional Goal Coach. She joins me to talk about her journey from surviving domestic violence and navigating poverty as a Mexican immigrant in the U.S., to now helping Latinas and cycle breakers process trauma and unlock their full potential.
 
Mónica shares pivotal moments of her life, including two near-death experiences that became catalysts for spiritual awakening and self-discovery. We talk about how internalized narratives from childhood shape our relationship with money, how imposter syndrome is often rooted in trauma, and how Parts Work can gently unravel the beliefs that keep us stuck. She also speaks candidly about reclaiming her indigenous heritage and the emotional weight of returning to Mexico after 20 years. This episode is a powerful reminder that inner healing opens the door to aligned action, meaningful success, and deep reconnection with self and community.
 
Mónica O. Duarte - Mental Wellbeing & Trauma-Informed Goal Coach
 
Mónica Duarte is a trauma-informed coach dedicated to helping Latinas, women, and entrepreneurs break generational cycles and pursue their goals with clarity, courage, and compassion. As a first-generation Mexican immigrant and a survivor of trauma, Mónica combines lived experience with professional training to support others on their healing journeys. She is certified in Parts Work (Internal Family Systems), credentialed through the ICF (ACC), and specializes in integrating modalities like NLP, somatic work, and emotional intelligence.
 
Through her work, Mónica empowers clients to identify and process the core wounds tied to limiting beliefs—whether it's imposter syndrome, money trauma, or inherited family dynamics. Her coaching supports sustainable personal and professional growth, emotional regulation, and deeper self-awareness. With a background in advertising and over a decade in the creative industry, she also helps entrepreneurs integrate brand strategy with inner transformation. Mónica is also a featured speaker and former Culture & Entrepreneurship Writer for Epifania, a Latina magazine.
 
Episode Highlights
 
[00:01:50] Meeting Mónica Duarte[00:02:50] Defining what it means to be a cycle breaker[00:04:25] Monica’s immigrant story and early trauma[00:05:15] Leaving corporate life after a near-death experience[00:06:50] How unprocessed trauma blocks goal achievement[00:08:05] When holding cash feels unsafe[00:17:25] Growing up in poverty and money-based shame[00:20:10] Scarcity responses: hoarding vs. overspending[00:24:50] A money miracle: student loan forgiveness[00:31:20] Healing internalized gaslighting through Parts Work[00:35:45] Reclaiming indigenous roots and ancestral wisdom[00:45:50] Why “charge your worth” is disempowering
 
There’s something quietly powerful about Mónica Duarte’s story that lingers long after the episode ends. It’s not just the transformation she’s experienced—from trauma survivor to professional coach—but the way she frames healing as an act of both personal and ancestral reclamation. You’ll hear how she was told to “be grateful” for having very little, even while her father withheld money that could have lifted the family out of poverty. You’ll hear how money felt unsafe until she redefined it on her own terms, with the help of Parts Work and a lot of inner listening.
What’s more, Monica doesn’t offer quick fixes or motivational fluff. Instead, she invites you into a slower, more honest exploration of why your goals might feel out of reach—and how you can start to feel safe enough to pursue them. We touch on spirituality, nervous system regulation, and the layered experiences of being a sensitive Latina in a culture that often glorifies hustle and sacrifice. If you’ve ever felt like your past is pulling you back just when you're ready to move forward, this conversation might show you another way.
 
Keywords
#TraumaInformedCoaching #LatinaEntrepreneurs #LatinaCoach #MoneyHealing #GenerationalTrauma #CycleBreakers #EmotionalRegulation #ImposterSyndrom #GoalCoaching
Resources
Mónica's WebsiteConnect on Linkedin Mónica's Instagram Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar ShafirInternal Family Systems (IFS), often referred to as Parts Work
 
Watch our video conversation on YouTube
 
Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC. Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. All the Colors is not a registered entity and is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers and read our Form CRS.