Welcome back to Don’t Retire… Graduate! In this episode, we’re diving deep into the intersection of money, mindset, and healing from financial trauma. I’m thrilled to be joined by Alejandra Rojas, an entrepreneur, writer, and founder of the Brown Way to Money platform. As a financial mentor and the host of the Brown Way to Money podcast, Alejandra specializes in helping women—especially women of color—overcome the emotional and psychological barriers that can hold them back from true financial abundance.
Alejandra draws from her own story: coming from a finance background with accountant parents, she achieved professional success and a high paycheck but still found herself burned out and battling escalating debt. Her journey led her to uncover the “invisible” forces at play—internalized beliefs, generational experiences, and unhealed trauma around money. She transformed her approach by setting financial boundaries, understanding her triggers, and using practical tools like the snowball method for debt repayment—all while creating a new, more fulfilling lifestyle for herself. Through the Brown Way to Money, she now supports other women of color in not only learning the mechanics of financial health, but also in unraveling the deeper, often overlooked roots of financial anxiety and limitation.
In our conversation, Alejandra shares how financial trauma is more than a personal failing—it’s often a legacy, shaped by cultural, gender, and generational barriers. We talk about the pressure to hold on to “good” jobs despite the personal cost, the difficulty of speaking up for what you need, and the unique financial narratives that shape women of color's relationships with money. Alejandra provides insight into actionable steps for healing, crafting out-of-debt plans, and establishing financial independence—not just as a number, but as a state of emotional and mental freedom. She also discusses why traditional financial advice sometimes falls short, and why context matters when creating new paths to wealth and purpose.
Here are 5 key takeaways from my conversation with Alejandra Rojas:
- Financial Trauma Goes Beyond Numbers: Financial struggles often stem from deep-seated emotional and generational wounds—not just poor habits or lack of information. Understanding your relationship with money is key to breaking free.
- Boundaries and Lifestyle Design Are Transformational: You don’t have to quit everything to make substantial change. Small but decisive shifts—like setting boundaries or redefining your social environment—can drastically improve financial and personal health.
- The Snowball Method is Not Just Math—It’s Motivation: Alejandra used the snowball method (paying off smallest debts first) as a way to stay motivated and hack her emotional triggers, showing that psychology is as important as strategy in financial recovery.
- Financial Independence is More Than a Dollar Figure: True financial independence involves breaking generational patterns, healing inherited beliefs, and gaining mental freedom—not just reaching a certain net worth.
- Context and Culture Matter: Alejandra underscores that standard financial advice isn’t one-size-fits-all. Addressing systemic issues, generational trauma, and cultural context is essential for serving women of color and building sustainable financial confidence.
Join us as we uncover what it really takes to build lasting financial wellbeing—and empower a new generation to graduate into retirement with passion, purpose, and possibility. If Alejandra’s story resonates with you or someone you know, be sure to check out her podcast, Brown Way to Money, and share this episode to inspire others on their journey.
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