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

Kelly, appreciate you joining us today. How do you think about vacations as a business owner? Do you take them and if so, how? If you don’t, why not?

Many of us start a business for Time Freedom. We dream of setting our own schedules, of attending our nephew or niece’s school events during the day, of buying flights without worrying if our PTO request will get approved… you get the picture. This is the dream we bet on when we start a side hustle or go all in. However, we soon realize that the thrill of running our own business – of being our own boss – means being responsible for everything that happens in our business. This makes many entrepreneurs feel like they can’t step away from their business at all or it will fail. But denying ourselves the right to rest is falling back into the employee mentality we wanted to escape in the first place.

Instead, here is the mindset shift that needs to happen: responsibility does not mean obligation. Yes, as entrepreneurs we are responsible for the outcome of our business, but this does not mean we need to be tied to our business around the clock. Rather, it is our responsibility to set up systems for us to be supported and taken care of. This can look like hiring help. It is also our responsibility to make sure we are planning ahead and creating a financial buffer so we don’t lose revenue if we take time off. This can look like investing in sales funnels that run on their own or creating a stream of passive income. For some of us, this won’t happen right away – I myself am still working on this – but we need to get into this mindset now to intentionally build our business this way.

For now, I focus on saving enough so my livelihood doesn’t depend on me working all year. The truth is, if we don’t build a business that allows us to recharge and recenter, we won’t get very far and we’ll fall back into the burn out trap. So if you’re a business owner who feels like you can’t step away from your business: remember your WHY for starting your own business, intentionally create systems or savings to support you while you take a break, and take care of the genius behind your business… YOU!

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 am a money mindset coach who helps women of color and first-gen individuals build wealth, even if they make under $100k. My secret sauce: lots of compassion! Over the years, I have observed that people avoid looking at their money because they feel ashamed, scared, or unsure of how to move forward. I am not surprised since we receive external messages that our “money mistakes” make us bad. We have also bore witness to instances where capitalism and greed have hurt our communities and environment. The unfortunate consequence of all of this is that we view money as complicated or evil, but I am here to change that. I am transforming the financial landscape by showing that money can be a tool for good, even revolution. And this starts by being kind to ourselves.

The problem I solve for my clients is this: I help them heal their relationship with money so that they can get money things done. My signature service is 1:1 private coaching where I meet with clients regularly. Together we dive into their beliefs around money so they feel empowered to make changes. Together we assess their financial situation to come up with a sustainable plan of action. As their coach, I help them see their blindspots and I provide financial education to solve their money issues, whether that’s making more money, saving, investing, or paying down debt. More importantly, I provide a non-judgmental space where my clients can process their thoughts and feelings around money, because trust me when I say it’s never just about the money. Our financial lives reveal other areas in that need work, like family, relationships, health, love, or career. Our financial lives push us to take charge and face deeper issues like setting boundaries, improving communication, or believing in ourselves. This is precisely why it is important to center compassion throughout the process.

In addition to private coaching, I love offering money mindset or financial literacy workshops. My favorite part of addressing a group is the collective realization that we are not alone in our financial struggles. For far too long we have been made to think that something is wrong with us for not knowing how to manage our money, or that we need to solve our problems on our own. In reality, building wealth is a community issue because many of us have been denied the tools to improve our financial lives. When we come together to heal and leverage our skills to help one another, we are able to build and retain wealth collectively. And the more financial wealth we create as a community, the more capital we have to create change from within.

If you are looking for a money coach who makes room for ALL of you, and one who believes money is a tool for collective liberation, then I am your coach!

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Exactly three years ago today I read “We Should All Be Millionaires” by Rachel Rodgers. This book helped me see how some of my money behaviors and beliefs were reinforcing the gender and Latina pay gap. Rachel Rodgers also gave me permission to unapologetically seek wealth. In her book she provides illuminating examples of how women use money for the collective good. Through the process of unlearning what she calls “broke ass decisions”, and instead making more “Millionaire Dollar Decisions”, I have been able to increase my net worth while building a business that serves a meaningful cause.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I have built my audience on social media by showing up as my multidimensional self. I am a first-gen Latina and queer daughter of immigrants, and this is how I show up on Instagram. Whereas in other spaces I feel pressured to code switch or wear a mask, on my social media I talk about money from my point of view and lived experiences. My story resonates with people because we all want to be celebrated for being our authentic selves. My following is not large by any means, but I actually interact with and have met many of the people who follow me. If you are just starting out, my recommendation is to focus on your message instead of aesthetics, and to focus on building community instead of getting followers. This will motivate you to keep going, because maintaining a social media presence does take work and time. Now go tell your story!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kellyzuniga.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekellyzuniga/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kelly-money-mindset-coaching-san-fernando-valley
• Other: https://kellyzuniga.kit.com/welcome

Image Credits

Nicole Godinez Medina
Hannah Edmondson