Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mena Cardenas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Mena, thanks for joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

At 17, my life changed drastically when my family was forced to flee Colombia due to terrorist attacks. We arrived in Canada as refugees, with limited resources and no knowledge of English. The challenges were immense, but I was determined to rewrite my story. I threw myself into hard work, becoming a relentless overachiever to prove that I could overcome my circumstances.

Over the years, I achieved many milestones, but something still felt off. No matter how much I accomplished, it was never enough—I felt like an overachiever trapped in an underachiever’s mindset. And I realized I wasn’t alone. So many people around me were chasing success yet feeling unfulfilled.

The turning point came during an unexpected moment: a bodybuilding competition. It wasn’t just about physical transformation—it became a mirror for my internal growth. I discovered a profound truth: success starts from within. If we want to build a truly fulfilling and abundant life, we have to focus on inner alignment first.

That realization led me to redefine success on my own terms, and become my most successful self from within. Today, I help others do the same by guiding them to connect with their purpose, reprogram limiting beliefs, and create lives that feel as good on the inside as they look on the outside. Because I believe that success is more than what you achieve—it’s who you become along the way.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Mena Cardenas—a speaker, manifestation coach, and success mentor dedicated to empowering ambitious individuals to shatter mental barriers and self-doubt. My mission is to guide you in stepping into your millionaire self—the most abundant, aligned, and unstoppable version of who you are truly meant to be.

My journey began at 17 when life forced me into a new reality. My family fled Colombia due to terrorist attacks, seeking refuge in Canada with little more than hope. I didn’t speak English, we had limited resources, and the challenges seemed endless. But I was determined to rewrite my story. I threw myself into work, chasing every milestone with relentless determination, convinced I could create a better future.

And I did. I achieved success by society’s standards, but it came at a cost. Despite my accomplishments, I often felt unfulfilled, stuck in a cycle of overachieving without feeling enough. I was chasing success from a place of scarcity, not alignment. It wasn’t until I entered a bodybuilding competition that I had my breakthrough: Success isn’t about the accolades—it’s about owning your power and aligning with your purpose.

That moment changed everything. I realized that to truly create a life of abundance and fulfillment, the transformation had to start within. That’s when I stepped into my millionaire self and began helping others do the same.

Today, I guide purpose-driven individuals to heal their money stories, reprogram their mindset for abundance, and use neuroscience-backed manifestation techniques to align their energy with their biggest dreams. Through coaching, workshops, and speaking engagements, I empower my clients to stop merely setting goals and start embodying the version of themselves who effortlessly creates, attracts, and manifests a life they love.

What sets my work apart is my blend of empowerment, actionable strategies, and soulful alignment. I believe abundance isn’t something you chase—it’s already within you, waiting for you to claim it. Becoming your millionaire self is about owning your worth, taking aligned action, and co-creating with the Universe from a place of confidence and joy.

The most rewarding part of my work is watching my clients shift from self-doubt to unstoppable belief. Seeing them heal their relationships with money, manifest dream businesses, and design lives that light them up is the ultimate reminder of what’s possible when we choose to step into our power.

So, if you’re ready to stop playing small, stop second-guessing yourself, and start becoming the abundant, powerful creator you’re meant to be—this is your sign. Your millionaire self is already within you, waiting for you to step up and say yes. Let’s make it happen!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’ve had to unlearn many beliefs throughout my life, but the ones that completely transformed my journey were the belief that “I am not enough” and that “I have to work hard to make money.”

Growing up with divorced parents who constantly fought about money, I internalized a deep sense of scarcity. It wasn’t just about finances—it was about love, self-worth, and the fear that nothing would ever be enough. At just 17, I moved to Canada as a refugee, completely starting over. I didn’t speak English, had no money, and worked tirelessly to build a life.

On the surface, I was achieving—learning a new language, creating a stable career, and transforming my reality. But inside, I still felt empty, trapped by the same belief that there wasn’t enough and that I wasn’t enough. That’s when I realized the real work wasn’t external—it was internal.

I embarked on a journey of self-discovery and transformation, unlearning the scarcity mindset that had shaped my life. I reprogrammed my thoughts, challenged the idea that my worth was tied to what I could do, and embraced the truth that I was already enough. I also let go of the belief that making money had to be a constant struggle and learned how to create from a place of alignment and abundance.

This shift changed everything. Not only did it allow me to manifest an abundant and fulfilling life, but it also redefined what success means to me. Success is no longer about how hard I work but about how fully I embrace my worth and align my actions with my purpose.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve pivoted several times in my career. At one point, I felt completely scattered, like I was moving in too many directions. But looking back now, I can see how all the pieces—money, food, and personal growth—came together to shape the work I do today.

I started my career in one of Canada’s largest banks. On paper, it was a great job, but deep down, I knew it wasn’t my calling. I decided to take a leap and go back to school to study nutrition because I was passionate about wellness.

I built a business as a holistic nutritionist, but as I worked with clients, I began to feel out of alignment. My heart wasn’t in it, and I realized why: their challenges with food—emotional eating, bingeing, restriction—were rarely just about nutrition. These struggles were tied to something deeper: emotions, self-worth, and even their relationship with food.

That realization was a turning point for me. I started to see that we’re fed by so much more than what’s on our plates. We’re fed by our beliefs, our relationships, and the stories we tell ourselves. Recognizing this, I made another bold pivot, transitioning from nutrition to mindset and manifestation work. I wanted to address the root causes behind my clients’ struggles—not just their relationship with food, but the limiting beliefs and emotional blocks holding them back in every area of life.

A few years later, I left the security of my corporate job at the bank altogether to pursue my passion for empowering women to believe in themselves. Today, I do that through a community for women entrepreneurs and my work in mindset and manifestation coaching.

It wasn’t an easy path, but it was the right one. Since then, I’ve helped hundreds of women reprogram limiting beliefs, shift their mindset, and create lives of abundance and fulfillment. Pivoting taught me that stepping out of what feels comfortable is often the first step to stepping into the life and work you’re truly meant to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.menacardenas.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmenacardenas/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mena-cardenas-67001273/