We were lucky to catch up with Sally Velazquez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sally thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

I would require students to take financial literacy classes in high school, which would make a big difference in our education system. Students should have the tools needed to step into the real world armed with knowledge about budgeting, saving, and investing. I became a business manager to help empower my clients to make smart financial decisions with their money. Knowledge about personal finance empowers individuals to take control of their financial well-being. Students who understand concepts like interest rates, taxes, financial planning, and signing a rental lease (etc.) are more likely to make responsible financial decisions throughout their lives.

So many young adults have the same horror stories about finances and their credit. By the time you’re 18, you’re receiving tons of credit card offers without fully understanding what having a credit card entails, what building your credit can do for your future, and what budgeting your accounts will do to enhance your financially security.

When we give our students the tools to handle their finances, we’re not just creating responsible individuals – we’re creating a stronger economy, a more informed society, and an opportunity to start their life without making these common pitfalls that can set you back for years to come.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Sally Velazquez is a Puerto Rican female tax attorney and the founder of Empower Business Management, Inc., based in Los Angeles. Sally Velazquez and her team of seven full-time employees oversee one of the industry’s most diverse client rosters representing superstar entertainers, among them 21 Savage, iann dior, jxdn, Tinashe, Amber Rose and many others.

Sally is known for her expertise in tax and structuring as well as helping her clients pivot to wisely navigate smart investment opportunities which will withstand turbulent times. Empower oversees a portfolio of over $30 million cash and over $100 million in assets (without any catalogs). As CEO, Sally’s sole focus is to help her clients make smart business decisions and understand their financial portfolios.

Sally serves on numerous boards; 21 Savage’s Leading By Example Foundation an organization dedicated to providing financial literacy education to inner city youth, and We are R.I.S.E. Inc, an organization dedicated to empowering elementary to middle school aged girls of color through equipping them with social, emotional and developmental skills they can use in their everyday lives.

In the past year, Sally has been a featured speaker at UTA’s Femme Fatale, Music Biz Association’s Next Gen U, and CalCPA Entertainment Industry Conference.

Sally was named in 2020, 2021 and 2022 Billboard Top Business Managers list, 2023 Variety Business Manager’s Elite list; as well as 2021 and 2022’s Trusted Advisor’s Future of Business Management.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being consistent, caring about my clients and the work I do for them, and being dependable. I am smart but so are many other people. I know how to manage people, and I gained a good reputation making sure my clients know I actually give a F about their business and them personally. I am a big advocator for mental health and so I lead with empathy in everything I do.

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

I decided to become an entrepreneur about 8 years ago. At the time, I was working at another firm and had been there for a few months. I learned that I loved what I was doing, but I didn’t like the processes in place (or not in place) and I wanted to manage my own time. I decided to take a chance on myself, and with my business partner Daniel Berrocal, we decided to start our own business. If we were a complete failure in 1 year, we figured we could essentially work anywhere else. Thankfully, we made it past are first year and are now running our own businesses today.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @sallytvelazquez
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallytvelazquez/