Financial Help for Founders

Despite earning a good salary working in finance and coming from a family of accountants, Alejandra Rojas had a terrible relationship with money. She found herself spending wildly on things she didn’t need but held herself back from spending on the things that mattered—like investing in her future. When burnout and debt forced her to take a hard look at her habits, she began to explore her own self-limiting money mindset and how, as an Afro-Latina woman, her generational trauma impacted the way she saw her finances. Now she helps other women do the same with The Money Mindset Hub, a platform dedicated to supporting female entrepreneurs’ financial growth through coaching, courses, and mentorship.

Where did the idea for your platform come from?

It started from my own personal experience, working as a finance manager. I’ve always been a finance girl, to the point where I would play with my accountant parent’s invoices when I was a kid. But even after receiving my degree in banking and international finance, I didn’t understand why if I was making so much money, I didn’t have any money left at the end of the month. I was in so much debt. But more than that, I was stressed, burned-out, and anxious the whole time. My health was on the line, and I knew I had to turn things around.

This is when I discovered what financial trauma is. I realized that your money mindset—your relationship with money, and any emotional or financial trauma—really shapes your financial life.

On her own financial traumas

I noticed that many of my behaviors were directly influenced by how I grew up—the things my parents would say or believe in. But I realized it wasn’t just about them. It was about how they grew up, too—their own struggles and survival moves with money that were passed down from their parents, and possibly even further back. For instance, my great-grandpa was from a beach town where money wasn’t used regularly, as there were other types of exchanges to get through your day. When he died at 106 years old, he didn’t care whether he had money in his wallet. There’s a ripple effect from these kind of experiences.

During my worst times with money, I would overspend on things that didn’t bring long-term joy or fulfillment, or move me closer to the life I was planning. I was buying things I didn’t need, just to fill a void. A lot of guilt and shame would come up if I spent on other things, and fear would take over. This fear-driven mentality led me to accumulate debt, trying to maintain a lifestyle I didn’t want. But it also made it hard for me to set boundaries with money, stick to my financial goals, or even voice what I wanted.

The initial goal

The big goal was to create a platform to help Black and brown female entrepreneurs create generational wealth. I come from a very long line of Black and brown women that have taught me strength but were very scared to put themselves out there when it comes to business and money. I’m surrounded by women who want to build a legacy but don’t know how—and most importantly, they’re afraid of not being able to do it. I wanted to give this platform to them and say, “This is why you’re afraid, and this is how you conquer it so that you can build what you want.”

First steps

The business began as a podcast called The Money Mindset Show. Since then, I’ve developed the brand to offer personalized programs to my clients to help them better their spending, saving, and overall relationship with money. As well as money mindset coaching and financial guidance, I run monthly moneymaking challenges and master classes.

A moment to feel proud

I really love helping women who are suffering with financial anxiety. One client of mine was an entrepreneur whose fear of spending was blurring her business opportunities. Through a process of programs and one-on-one sessions, she overcame her anxieties. It was amazing to see her results. She told me, “For the past 10 years of my life, I’ve been anxious about money, and now I don’t feel that way.” She recognized that her financial trauma was not because of her but, rather, because of what happened to her—it’s never really about us; it’s about how we’ve been taught to interpret money and what we do with it. She understood that her financial anxiety wasn’t something she was born with or something that defined her. It lifted all the fear, guilt, and shame she had carried for so long.

The hardest moment

The biggest setback I’ve encountered is impostor syndrome. I’ve knocked on so many doors, and people don’t reply, or they don’t listen to you. We are competing against our own impostor syndrome of, Am I good enough? Being an Afro-Latina, it’s difficult to realize you can do this and you can put yourself out there.

The moment you thought it might just work

I never had a doubt. For me, it was a matter of, How am I going to make this thing happen? My parents are accountants, and we always had that budget conversation and that money-planning conversation. But even coming from a background where finances were an open conversation, I still had anxiety with finances, and I didn’t understand why. So I decided to figure out my own anxieties to then help others figure theirs out.

On how her heritage has influenced how she runs her business

English is not my first language, and one comment I received early in my career that I will never forget is, “Who do you think you are, being a woman who doesn’t speak English well, trying to explain money to us?” But my heritage is everything I am today. I am here because of who came before me. My identity is important, not just for my business but for my finances, too. When you know who you are—your culture and your past—you plan your money that way. And I’m always thinking about my parents and how I can support them.

The results

With The Money Mindset Hub, we reached more than 5,000 people in 2024, while The Money Mindset Show has reached 10,000. We’ve supported more than 550 female entrepreneurs or aspiring female entrepreneurs through our workshops, programs, and in-person events. This gives me confidence to continue sharing the message and looking for ways to make an even bigger impact. When I see the transformation in my clients, the sense of accomplishment is irreplaceable.

Ruby Gregg is the Editorial Intern for Oprah Daily where she covers fashion, beauty, and culture. She is a student at Washington and Lee University, studying journalism and entrepreneurship. Outside of school, she enjoys going on long walks with friends, traveling, and trying new recipes.