As Latinas, we are often told that we have to follow through with our commitments. It’s not bad advice, but it’s also not helpful when we know that the thing that we committed to is no longer fulfilling us. We shouldn’t stay in a draining position at work just because we’ve spent a lot of time there. That only serves to perpetuate the sunk cost fallacy and keep us feeling miserable when we could be using that time to become more courageous. That’s why we’re talking to Maideli Garcia, a Courage Driven Latina alum who has taught us the importance of courageous quitting and how to tap into the abundance mindset. 

Maideli Garcia is a Latina money coach helping WOC save, invest, and earn more without sacrificing their JOY. She is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and the First-Gen to attend college. She got her BA in Elementary Education, but after experiencing burnout, Maideli pivoted out of teaching and into the tech space working remotely. She now has more energy and time to commit to her mission of helping WOC confidently take control of their finances.

This week on the Ch*ngona Revolution Podcast, Maideli shares how she’s completely pivoted her life, both on her own time and through the Courage Driven Latina program. In the last few years, Maideli has gained the courage to leave her unfulfilling teaching job to find a remote position in the Tech Industry and head out on her own to create My Daily Dinero. Listen to this week’s episode to find out how she was able to change her way of thinking and go from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset.

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Maideli Garcia is a Latina money coach helping WOC save, invest, and earn more without sacrificing their JOY. She is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and the First-Gen to attend college. She got her BA in Elementary Education, but after experiencing burnout, Maideli pivoted out of teaching and into the tech space working remotely. She now has more energy and time to commit to her mission of helping WOC confidently take control of their finances.

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Connect with Maideli:

IG: @mydailydinero

Website: https://linktr.ee/mydailydinero 

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Connect with Erika:

Website:
www.theerikacruz.com

Follow Erika on:
Instagram @‌theerikacruz
TikTok @‌theerikacruz
LinkedIn

How to work with Erika:

Join the waitlist for Courage Driven Latina here.

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Post-production for this episode was provided by CCST, a podcast production company.

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Episode Transcript:

[00:01:21] Erika: Hello Rebels and welcome back to Ch*nona Revolution podcast.

[00:01:25] Erika: I have had such a great day recording podcast today. This is my third podcast, but I’m not even exhausted because all of these conversations are extreme cup fillers. They are just very fulfilling. And I’m so excited about this one because it’s almost like a Courage Driven Latina reunion with Maideli, who was in Courage Driven Latina when it was called Purpose-Driven Latina.

[00:01:52] Erika: We were just talking about this, it was almost two years ago, so she was in the program in the summer of 2021 and [00:02:00] yeah, we’re like in the summer of 2023 and so much has happened and I love doing these episodes of where are they now? Because as much as things can feel transformational in the moment, I think that when you look back, you’re really able to see what happened and like what kind of transformation you experienced.

[00:02:18] Erika: So, I mean, I could sit here and go like on and on about that, but Del has such an amazing story. So, Del, can you please introduce yourself, tell us who you are, what you do, where you’re located, and welcome to the show. 

[00:02:31] Maideli: Yeah. Thank you so much. I am so happy to be here. I think it’s finally time that I, that we connect again.

[00:02:38] Maideli: I missed you. but yeah, my name is Maideli, I am a first gen daughter of immigrants. I am a former teacher Just. Pivoted out of teaching recently and we’re definitely gonna talk about that. and currently work remote, but I also have a coaching business. So I am a money coach for women of color, helping them save, spend, invest, and basically enjoy their money [00:03:00] and not sacrificing the things that bring them joy at the same time that they’re enjoying their money.

[00:03:04] Maideli: so yeah, that’s a little bit about me. I currently live in Des Moines, Iowa, which is very different than most people I meet online, but representing the Midwest. and yeah. 

[00:03:16] Erika: Yeah. And you received an invitation to be on the podcast about a year ago? I did. And tell us what happened. We talked a little bit about it, and I have your consent to speak about this.

[00:03:26] Erika: yes. To do. Tell us what was going on.

[00:03:26] Maideli: So, a year ago when I got that email to be on Erica’s podcast, I accepted, like I said, yes to the email, and then I go into The, what’s it called? the sheet where you know, you ask questions on like, what are the things that you wanna talk about? And I got so much mind drama from looking at that sheet, feeling like I don’t know what I wanna talk about.

[00:03:48] Maideli: Like, I don’t feel like I’m good enough, like I don’t feel like I deserve to be on Erica’s podcast, which now thinking those things makes me feel really silly. But they were true like that. That’s actually what [00:04:00] I thought when I was filling out that form. And so then I just didn’t complete it and I didn’t show up to the podcast because I’m just like, Nope, little me, like there’s no way I can do that.

[00:04:08] Maideli: Just because I wasn’t in the place that I thought I would be. Whatever that place might be like. I don’t even remember where I wanted to be, but it was just that self-doubt and just that feeling of almost imposter syndrome, which is weird because you know, your podcast is all about. Like first gens, Latinas.

[00:04:25] Maideli: And so for me to feel that it’s just, it sounds silly now. 

[00:04:29] Erika: it sounds silly to you now, but I think the reason I specifically wanted to ask about this is because I think people assume that the self-doubt just goes away. And that the imposter syndrome just goes away. But I, at every stage of which, I mean, we’re gonna talk about your journey, but.

[00:04:44] Erika: Every time you pivot, every time you do something new, it’s going to be scary. Right? Oh yeah. And there’s going to be moments when we do self-sabotage and it still happens to me now. So I’m just so glad that you are on the podcast now, but what would my Delia today say to my Delia a [00:05:00] year ago? If you could give her advice, like what would that conversation look like?

[00:05:04] Maideli: Yeah, I would probably tell her like, look at how much you’ve grown since you were in. Courage, a Latina, like, look at all the things that you’ve done. Like you are 100% worthy of those things and people need to hear your story. That’s exactly what I would say, and I think I would also say to her like, nobody, I.

[00:05:23] Maideli: Just wants to hear like the end results necessarily. Like they wanna see the journey because then they’re gonna feel like one day they’re in this place and then tomorrow they’re gonna have those end results. And that’s just not how life works. So for me to feel like I didn’t wanna share anything because I was still in the process of my journey and I didn’t feel like I had the end goal result, like I shouldn’t feel that way because people need to hear.

[00:05:46] Maideli: What somebody is going through in their journey. Right? It kind of helps them, and I think if I would have been in the podcast, it would’ve been so great to see now the growth from that time and kind of, you know, going along with the process and the journey. I think it would’ve been beautiful. So I [00:06:00] definitely would’ve told her, girl, just do it.

[00:06:03] Erika: Well, here you are now, so no regrets, lesson learned. Thank you for sharing that with us. Yes. So, okay, take us back because you have such a great. Story. Take us back to how did you even find me in the program to begin with and where was my then? 

[00:06:18] Maideli: Oh my God. Where were you two years ago? Let’s go back. so two years ago I was teaching, I had just gotten back from South Korea.

[00:06:27] Maideli: I taught in South Korea two years and had just gotten back and I was teaching in the States at a private school and then the pandemic hit. and I was just in that situation of. Basically burnout from my job of teaching, but also all the things from the pandemic and feeling like there had to be more, right?

[00:06:47] Maideli: Like there had to be more to life like I, you know, had been a part of, I had done my finance journey and that was really helpful for me. So, But then I’m just like, okay, like what’s next? Like there’s still something missing from my life and I [00:07:00] don’t quite know what that is. and I don’t even know how I ran into your content.

[00:07:03] Maideli: It must have been just scrolling on Instagram, to be honest. I think that’s how I ran into your content, but right away it spoke to me and the way I usually. Do like content is I’ll like secretly hide. Like I won’t DM the person, right? I’ll just like binge all their content and then that’s when like I’ll make my move.

[00:07:21] Maideli: And so I scheduled a call with you and I remember in that call just showing up and I was so tired. Like I had just gotten done tutoring. Like I remember exactly where I was in that moment, like the classroom that I was in. I think you still. Yeah, I was in the school. Yeah. Yeah, I was in the school, in the classroom and I just remember feeling like so tired and I had just gotten done tutoring a student because that’s what I did for extra income.

[00:07:42] Maideli: and yeah, and I was just like, what am I doing? Like, is this even gonna be like something that I wanna do? Like what am I doing? Like this isn’t normal to me because I had never seen anyone invest in coaching. So I was just in that space of like, I don’t know, back and forth. And then talking to you like.

[00:07:59] Maideli: I [00:08:00] dunno, I just felt like it was the right way to go. Like I felt it in my heart like, like, you need to work with this person. Like there, you know, it’s okay to ask for support and it’s okay to have help in your journey. Because at that point I had done my entire finance journey by myself and I just, I think I needed that hand.

[00:08:17] Maideli: From somebody who had similar background as me and just, you know, somebody who’s actually in a place that maybe I wanna be in someday. Right? And I think that was so powerful. and so, yeah, and I said yes to you right away. And then we started. So that’s kind of where I was two years ago. 

[00:08:35] Erika: And I, okay.

[00:08:36] Erika: Did you say yes right away? I’m pretty sure you had some finance things. 

[00:08:40] Maideli: I’m pretty sure. Maybe in my brain I said yes right away, but you know, the finance person in me was just like, this is an investment. Like you haven’t invested in coaching before. You know, like I started like. Like the analysis and then like, you know, all those things running the numbers.

[00:08:58] Maideli: Like is this something that is [00:09:00] going to have a return on the investment? You know, I started thinking all those things. That’s exactly what 

[00:09:03] Erika: happened. Yeah. Yeah. Like you, like, yes. But I think your finance, especially having just gone through the finance journey Because I remember you were like, I am You were in your master’s program too?

[00:09:13] Erika: Yes. Yes. So you were paying student loans, or you were paying your tuition and you were paying for a few things I wanna say. And you knew that you wanted to join, but you weren’t sure if it was the correct investment at that time. Yeah. So looking back now, like, I mean, and now what, you know, what you know about investing and being a money coach.

[00:09:31] Erika: Like what are your thoughts about 

[00:09:32] Maideli: it now? Yeah. I love how you remember that better than I do in my head. You’re right. Like it was a yes, but I did put those objections, just knowing what I know now about investing, and I just, and this is something that I love working on with my clients, is just like, money is a tool, right?

[00:09:50] Maideli: It’s a tool to. Get the life that you want basically, in simple terms. And before that, like in my own finance journey, I didn’t see it that way. I thought, you know, like it’s all about [00:10:00] saving. It’s all about investing. And with the spending, like, yeah, I was starting to get in a habit of spending on the things that brought me value.

[00:10:07] Maideli: But when it comes to like investing in something that. Like physical, not something physical that I can see. Like, it was just scary. It was scary to me, to invest in something like that because I had never seen it before from anybody around me. And so like now as a money coach, like, and being somebody who after Courage Driven Latina, kept investing in herself and different programs and different coaching, I just think like that’s where I’ve gotten the most return on my investment.

[00:10:33] Maideli: Even more so than the stock market. Like I truly believe that. And so that’s what I would tell anybody, you know, considering that just from a financial perspective. 

[00:10:42] Erika: Yeah. And okay, so why do you think people in our community have such a hard time investing in their personal development? Or to your point in something that they can’t tangibly see?

[00:10:52] Erika: Because we have no problem investing in cars or investing in homes. But when it comes to either the stock market or when [00:11:00] it comes to self-development, that is something that’s questioned, or even therapy, right? Like that all feels like. A waste or the narrative is that it’s a waste of money. So like, talk to us a little bit about what you’ve seen in our community, through your clients, maybe in yourself from a money mindset perspective and what those narratives are that we grew up with and how do we change 

[00:11:20] Maideli: them?

[00:11:20] Maideli: Yeah, I think that definitely comes from the cultural narratives that we grew up with. and not seeing people investing in their mental health, investing in all the things that you just mentioned, like not being able to see that from our community makes it feel like it’s. Taboo. Like it’s a normal, it’s abnormal for you to do those sort of things.

[00:11:40] Maideli: And in our culture, like we don’t like to be the one standing out. We don’t like to be the abnormal one. We don’t like to be the one who people talk about like, you know, all that stuff. and so, yeah, so I think in order to kind of go away from that money mindset of I could only. Buy things that I’m [00:12:00] gonna see physically and not necessarily invest in myself.

[00:12:02] Maideli: I think the work that needs to be done is knowing that you are your biggest asset, like your health is your biggest asset, physical, mental, all of that is your biggest asset, and you need to invest in that because if you don’t, then it doesn’t matter how much money you have, right? It doesn’t matter the car you have, the house you have, if you don’t invest in your own personal growth, in your, like I said, your physical and mental health, then.

[00:12:28] Maideli: What do you really have, right? Like you need to really think about what you value in life, and I think everybody should value like themselves and see themselves as the asset that they are. 

[00:12:38] Erika: Yeah. Agreed. That is so good. So take us through the journey of being in Courage Driven Latina. So you felt like you were, or at the time that you were in it, Purpose Driven Latina, so there was obviously the, okay, I feel like something’s missing.

[00:12:53] Erika: And then you join this group and then you meet people who I know you’re still friends with. So like what happens on this journey? [00:13:00] 

[00:13:00] Maideli: Yeah, honestly, Courage Driven Latina took me outta my comfort zone so much. Like, absolutely, like if you talk to like my friends that I had at the time and just like throughout college and even high school, like.

[00:13:15] Maideli: They would see me as the person who didn’t open up, like didn’t share things, you know, about how they’re feeling. And you know, that didn’t happen. Courage Driven Latina, I definitely found a space that I felt comfortable and safe opening up in. And that was very powerful cause I had never had that experience before.

[00:13:30] Maideli: And honestly like to me like it was just almost like magic. Being able to build those connections with people who. Were so far from me, especially because I was in the Midwest and a people were in the Midwest. But, you know, be able to have those connections and be able to find similarities in our story and be able to feel like I’m not alone in the thoughts that I’m having and the feelings that I’m having in the self-doubt that I’m having, the mind drama that I’m having, like I’m not alone and there’s other people going through the [00:14:00] same and.

[00:14:01] Maideli: Finding that power of community, I think was the most powerful thing that I took from it. and it’s something that I still try to find today and it’s important to me. And I don’t think I would’ve ever known how beautiful it was if I hadn’t joined. so yeah, I think I answered your question. 

[00:14:14] Erika: Yeah. Yeah.

[00:14:15] Erika: No, definitely. No, I would agree. I think especially, and each little group has their vibe and I think your group, as much as you were all like business savvy and financially savvy, there was definitely a big part of it. Of like, this is our safe space. And I think it was also, I mean, I think, I think your group was as soon as the vaccine had come out.

[00:14:38] Erika: Right. So it’s like people still weren’t out about doing things. Oh yeah. Like they were still really going through like the mental rollercoaster of being isolated and not having connection and things like that. So, yeah. And so what would you say, cuz I definitely wanna get into like some of the. I wanna get into the power of quitting, cuz there was a lot of quitting that came.

[00:14:57] Erika: and I remember being in the program actually, [00:15:00] and I remember thinking my deli’s gonna leave her Master’s program. 

[00:15:03] Maideli: No. Yeah. Like we talked about like how 

[00:15:08] Erika: you knew you didn’t wanna be there. And I was like, okay, she’s gonna like come to it whenever, like she comes to it. But now that you, have gone through like this program, like what would you say.

[00:15:20] Erika: Because I could have asked you what was the ROI immediately after, but now that it’s been two years, what do you think the return on investment was from joining the program? I. 

[00:15:30] Maideli: Yeah, I mean, honestly I would probably say that it’s been compounding since I left the program. You know, being that financial nerd, like it’s been compounding because maybe right away there was just that thought of, okay, what are you gonna do now?

[00:15:45] Maideli: Like, how do you feel? I like, I felt like when I just got done with the program, I started listening to myself more. and that’s kind of where the thought of is teaching for me. Like, is there something else out there for me? Validating [00:16:00] that thought, and not just ignoring it, but kind of going with it and listening to it.

[00:16:04] Maideli: so there was that part, you know, and then now two years later, you know, I left my teaching job. I left a job that burned me out and underpaid me and undervalued me. And that’s what it was. And being able to make that decision, it definitely came from Courage Driven Latina, even though I wasn’t in

[00:16:21] Maideli: Courage Driven Latina, when I made the decision, like just being able to validate my feelings and my thoughts toward this thing that I thought was part of my identity and being able to leave it. Like it was powerful. That’s where the compounding kind of came in. and so yeah, being able to leave my teaching job and now two years later I am at a job where I have more time, I make more money.

[00:16:43] Maideli: and you know, Sometimes like, like, yes, money’s important, but the fact that I’m able to make more money, having more time and flexibility, to me that’s just wild. Like that’s just wild. I can’t believe it and I can’t believe that. Before I was in a place where thinking like mlo, you know, like I already chose my road, [00:17:00] like I got my degree in this, I have to stick with it.

[00:17:02] Maideli: Yeah. Like there’s no going back like mlo, right? 

[00:17:05] Erika: Yes. do you find that your clients put themselves, try to put themselves in that box of like, oh, I already made this decision and this is the amount that I’m gonna make and this is where I am for life. Have you seen that? Cuz you’ve obviously seen this in yourself, but have you seen this in other people too?

[00:17:19] Erika: In our 

[00:17:19] Maideli: community? Yeah. 100%. Yes. And I think especially when you’re quitting something, right? Because quitting gets this bad rep, like quitting is terrible, never quit anything. and we internalize that. And when it’s time to really quit something that’s no longer for us, I always see. Like one of two things, right?

[00:17:38] Maideli: It’s either the fear of failure of what people are gonna think of you if you don’t do this thing that you were already set to do and people saw that you were set to do. So that fear of failure, but also the fear of like wasting time. You feel like you wasted all that time doing what you said you were gonna do.

[00:17:55] Maideli: You wasted money, you wasted effort, so might as well keep going, right? Because [00:18:00] you already wasted all those things. And I think that’s so harmful because, the idea of like waste, like you should. Think of it more like as a forward way of thinking, right? How much more time do you wanna waste? How much more money do you wanna waste?

[00:18:11] Maideli: How much more effort do you wanna waste? And so, whoa, we need to 

[00:18:16] Erika: hold on. Okay. Yes. This is such a good point because what you’re saying is people are like, oh wait, but I’ve already invested all this time in this degree. I better stay there. And what you’re saying is like, Yeah, you spent all that time, but like, are you literally gonna spend the rest of your life doing that?

[00:18:31] Erika: Or are you gonna actually do what you want now? It doesn’t matter how much you, there, there’s like a financial term for this, right? Or not a 

[00:18:38] Maideli: financial term. The sunk cost fallacy. Yes. Tell us what that is. yes. The sun cost fallacy. So basically the sunk cost fallacy is, it is a financial term, so, In investing, right?

[00:18:51] Maideli: You invest in this stock and you might invest in it when it’s really high. but then you see it start going [00:19:00] low, and you’re really scared. And maybe it goes bankrupt, but to you it’s like you already invested, like all that time, all that money into the stock, so you just, you keep sticking with it.

[00:19:13] Maideli: Right. And maybe this is a bad example because I usually tell people like, the stock market goes up and down, but I’m talking about one stock. Right. I’m not talking about like index funds or anything like that. But let, that’s an example and I’ll put the example. Of that same fallacy, the sun calls fallacy like in my master’s degree, which is something that I put a lot of time, effort, and money into.

[00:19:33] Maideli: I had literally one semester left when I decided to quit. And just talking a little bit about that is like in my head when I was deciding to quit or not, I had that feeling of like, girl, you already put in all this time. You already put in all this effort. You already put in all this money, and that’s the sunk cost fallacy.

[00:19:50] Maideli: Like you’re thinking of all the things that you already put into it. And in my head, what I really had to tell myself was, okay, how much [00:20:00] more are you willing to put it into this? Like, is it worth it? It’s a degree in something you don’t wanna do anymore. Yeah. So is that worth it to you? And the answer was obviously no.

[00:20:09] Maideli: You know, like it’s so obvious now, but at that moment, like I couldn’t really. See that clearly. And I really had to do that work of, okay, like, this isn’t what I wanna do. It’s okay for me to let go of this thing. Like, it’s okay for me to not do this thing that at one point I really wanted to do, but now I don’t like, it’s okay to change my mind.

[00:20:29] Maideli: It’s okay to quit this thing. And being okay with that. that’s something that I think was very powerful for me. and the same with teaching, right? My identity was tied to teaching, like I had done it for seven years. Seven, seven years and I thought I was gonna retire in teaching. And so again, that sun cost fallacy of that’s what I got my degree in.

[00:20:50] Maideli: Like I already spent all those years doing that. Like I already spent all that effort and honestly like those things weren’t a waste because I would never go back in time and be like, don’t go into teaching anymore. [00:21:00] Cuz I met the most incredible people in teaching. I went to South Korea because of teaching.

[00:21:04] Maideli: I traveled a lot because of teaching. Right. But yeah, you get to a point where you just need to be okay with okay, this is no longer aligned with me. And I, it’s okay to quit this and pivot into something else that’s not bad. 

[00:21:16] Erika: Yes. Oh my gosh. I love it. Okay, two quick follow-ups to that. One, this fallacy is also relevant for relationships.

[00:21:23] Erika: How many times do people not stay in relationships or friendships that are no longer fulfilling to them, but they’re like, but we’ve already been together for five years. 

[00:21:31] Maideli: Yes. Yes. So a hundred percent, 

[00:21:33] Erika: yeah. That was one of the things that I had to overcome when I called off my engagement. And then the second thing I wanted to mention is that I love that you said no time is like ever wasted as you’re doing this.

[00:21:43] Erika: Like whether it’s relationships or a job or a degree. Because if we look at what you’re doing now, you’re teaching background. Helps you so much. It helps you simplify these complex ideas, especially for our community. And you’re able to deliver it in a way that [00:22:00] somebody who didn’t have a teaching background probably would have a harder time.

[00:22:03] Erika: So how have you seen that play out in your business, and maybe even in the job that you’re in now? How has teaching helped you 

[00:22:09] Maideli: There? Yeah, in both circumstances, teaching has 100% helped me, and that’s why I kind of say like, I don’t regret, you know, being a teacher in my past life, because it 100% has helped me, like you said, with money coaching, being able to simplify those complex topics.

[00:22:25] Maideli: But my job, The one I currently have now in tech, literally hired me because I’m able to simplify complex topics like, you know, it’s a data software company that I had no idea what data software is. Like I know nothing about it, right? But the skill that they hired me for was to be able to take these complex data.

[00:22:45] Maideli: Topics and be able to explain them to customers in a way that makes sense to the average person. And I can do that because of my teaching background. So yeah. 

[00:22:54] Erika: yes. And as somebody who worked in tech for eight years, I can tell you that, you know, I think there’s a lot of imposter [00:23:00] syndrome in, or like self-doubt when you go into the tech industry with like, oh, I’m not an engineer, or I don’t know this, but a lot of times that is your.

[00:23:07] Erika: Ranked because most people are not engineers and the end customers are not engineers. So a big reason why I ended up getting so many opportunities when I worked in tech was because I was not an engineer. I spoke basic English, like I could simplify things and speak to the normal person. And then because I spoke Spanish and a lot of our clients ended up being in Latin America, and here I am like, oh, I’m Latina.

[00:23:27] Erika: I don’t belong here. And it’s like the fact I’m Latina is giving me these like opportunities. So you never know. Where like what we look at as like not good enoughness is a lot of times the strength that we have in these other spaces. okay. Wait, I wanna talk about like more, we’ve already been talking about things like letting go of things, but I wanna talk about the power of quitting and tell us everything that you’ve tell us, everything that you’ve quit and how it led you to something better.

[00:23:57] Maideli: Yeah, okay. Going back in time, [00:24:00] all the things that I quit. so first I think on my list is teaching, right? I decided to quit teaching in the fall of 2021. So the fall right after Courage Driven Latina, I decided to quit teaching. and from that obviously came my new job, working remotely, having more time from that quitting decision.

[00:24:19] Maideli: and then. While I was working my remote job, I was still in my master’s. In my head, I’m like, this does not make sense. Why am I doing this just to say that I have a master’s, you know, just to be able to be the one in whatever Latinas, to have a master’s, literally was that. It was my pride. And so then I quit my master’s and because of that I was able to, Accept my job that I had.

[00:24:43] Maideli: I didn’t mention that, but they wanted me to start in the summer and I was gonna do my masters’. So I had to decide. I had to decide, okay, either this job or the masters’. And the obvious answer was the job, because I don’t need the master’s to do what I actually wanna do now. and so that, yeah, I quit my masters.

[00:24:57] Maideli: and then, let’s see, what else did I quit [00:25:00] after that? And after that, like, I didn’t really mention this a lot because it’s not, there is quitting to it, but. Even in my current relationship, I think I quit the idea of I’m doing all this personal growth and all this mental work and all this, you know, improvement of my mental health.

[00:25:19] Maideli: And now I’m at a place where I can ask my partner if he’s gonna join me in this journey. You know? So quitting the idea of like, Well, I’m already here. You know, there’s nothing else but quitting that idea and asking for more. And that’s exactly what I did. Like even in my own relationship, like being like, okay, this is where I am now and I wasn’t like this when we started dating, but now I am.

[00:25:41] Maideli: So what are we gonna do? Are we gonna do this together or. Is our growth gonna happen separately? I love that. Yeah. And I’m actually still in that journey right now, so maybe in the next podcast things were gonna be different, but that’s where I am right now. what else have I quit? What did I tell you in [00:26:00] the beginning?

[00:26:00] Maideli: I remember, 

[00:26:02] Erika: well, you would’ve probably stayed at this job if it wasn’t for something 

[00:26:06] Maideli: happening. yes. And then so that one, it’s funny because I read a book about that sort of quitting and that’s like forced quitting, right? And sometimes forced quitting happens. Because the universe is on your side.

[00:26:20] Maideli: Like, that’s the only way I could describe it, right? So I was at my new job working remotely. I was making a good salary because it was more than I made in teaching to me. and I liked it. I really liked the flexibility. I loved it. I worked. There for six months and then I got laid off. So that was a forced quit from the universe telling me like, Nope, this isn’t good enough for you.

[00:26:42] Maideli: And I say that now, but in the moment it really sucked. And I was depressed for like a week. Yeah, that was in the moment. 

[00:26:46] Erika: Cause I have a lot of clients or like you know, a lot of my audience is also Latinas in tech. And there’s been a lot of layoffs. Yeah. lately. So I feel like layoffs can totally mess with your confidence and your worthiness and like, or your [00:27:00] belief of worthiness, like what you believe you’re worthy of.

[00:27:03] Erika: so what, tell us a little bit about how you dealt with that. 

[00:27:06] Maideli: Yeah, so I got laid off and honestly my, that same day that I got laid off, how I dealt with it was going on LinkedIn and applying to like over 50 positions that were just random. That was my brain’s way of being like, you know what? Like I’m in like, what is it?

[00:27:25] Maideli: Fight or flight mode like, and I just went straight to LinkedIn and I was just doing that because like I started feeling that scarcity of like, what’s gonna happen to me? Like, I’m not gonna have money, I’m not gonna be able to pay my bills. But like, here’s the thing. Like I had a six-month emergency fund at the time, so why was I having all these thoughts of scarcity in my head?

[00:27:43] Maideli: And it was just like, sometimes our brain is just wired that way, right? We’re humans. And even if financially I was okay, like. My brain and my body were going through this feeling of like, I just got rejected. And that was really hard, that feeling of rejection. it’s something that surprised me. Like I didn’t think that me being [00:28:00] laid off was gonna bring that fear of rejection up.

[00:28:02] Maideli: and that feeling of shame, like, you know, I did this thing publicly cause I shared on my Instagram, you know, that I got, finally got a remote job. And then that feeling of like, Now you don’t have it. You know, like now you have to go and tell the people you lost your job and just all these things started coming up.

[00:28:20] Maideli: So those were my feelings for like, about a good week. and then, you know, I kind of started journaling and doing that work. That’s something I didn’t talk about before, but Courage Driven Latina is what helped me start journaling. and so I started journaling about it and being like, you know, you’re okay.

[00:28:36] Maideli: You know, think about it. Like you already have six months of experience, which is great. You didn’t have that before when you got that job. What can you do with those six months of experience for your next job? And I really started to, you know, do that work of like, okay. What am I gonna ask for in my next one?

[00:28:51] Maideli: It’s gonna be a higher salary because I think I deserve it because now I have this experience, right? What are things that I had in the, that I didn’t have in this current [00:29:00] job that now I want and I’m gonna look for? So I started set setting my non-negotiables and my standards higher, and instead of being like, I’ll just take anything, right?

[00:29:08] Maideli: Which was my initial thought when I first got laid off was just gimme anything. Like I’m desperate because I just got laid off. But instead being like an abundance mindset of there are plenty of jobs out there, there are better jobs out there than what I currently have. And I’m gonna get one, like one of those is out there for me.

[00:29:25] Maideli: And keep in mind, this is in the middle of a recession, so those thoughts might be crazy to somebody else. But I truly started to believe them and that’s why like I tell a lot of people, and especially people who have asked me like, how did you do that? Like it was a lot of mindset work. Yes, there was a strategy in the job search, 100%.

[00:29:42] Maideli: But the biggest thing was the mindset work for me. How did you tap 

[00:29:47] Erika: into the abundance mindset? Because, you know, we were talking earlier about how as a money coach it’s really easy to think about the abundance of money and like, but when it comes to life in general, like jobs, opportunities, [00:30:00] friends, relationships, like, there’s also a lot of scarcity and abundance that comes into that play as well.

[00:30:05] Erika: So how do you go from a scarcity mindset to abundance? 

[00:30:09] Maideli: Yeah. So in that specific situation, like I said, I had to do a lot of journaling about my feelings. Let them all out, let those, you know, scarcity mindset feelings out in a journal and look at them and being like, I. You know, recognizing them and validating them because, you know, I was in a position that really hurt me.

[00:30:27] Maideli: and so validating those feelings, but kind of like nurturing myself to think differently and showing all the evidence of abundance in my life that I’ve witnessed before and really playing those. That evidence that has already happened in my life and to this, and just showing myself like, you have the systems down.

[00:30:47] Maideli: You, you know, you have done the work and like you’re gonna be okay and really nurturing, you know, my inner child who was really scared at the time, but telling her like, you’re gonna be okay. You’re gonna get through this and you’re gonna find something better. So I [00:31:00] think it was just that act of journaling a lot.

[00:31:02] Maideli: And honestly, like even I. Something like LinkedIn, like yes, I was seeing a lot of people get laid off at the same time, but I was also seeing people find jobs and I decided to listen to the people who were finding a lot of jobs instead of the people who are getting laid off. Because the truth is like there are so many jobs still out there even today.

[00:31:20] Maideli: There are so many jobs still out there. There are so many companies still hiring, but sometimes we choose to listen to all the noise of. People getting laid off the recession, the, you know, all these things that we see on the headlines. And I think being in a place where you get to choose what you listen to is very powerful.

[00:31:39] Maideli: And I had to make that decision. 

[00:31:42] Erika: Yes. 

[00:31:42] [00:32:00] 

[00:32:51] 

[00:32:55] Erika: Oh my gosh, I love that so much. The other day I was talking, I think I was Courage Driven Latina. It was, [00:33:00] we just ended. This week. So I think, we were, I used this analogy of there’s so much going on in our lives and in the world that we can’t focus on everything because our brains literally can’t process it.

[00:33:12] Erika: So it’s almost as if we have a magnifying glass and we decide what to focus on, but we are the ones holding the magnifying glass and we decide where we wanna look. So to your point about, yes, there’s a lot of evidence of people being laid off, but there’s also a lot of evidence of people getting jobs and you making that decision of.

[00:33:29] Erika: No, I’m gonna focus on this. I think that is so powerful and that’s how we take ownership of rewriting our narrative and creating our reality. That’s literally how we create our reality. Because what we focus on grows and it expands. And you chose to focus on abundance. So what happened? Did you end up getting a job?

[00:33:46] Erika: I did. 

[00:33:48] Maideli: So six weeks later after my layoff, I ended up getting two really good offers for jobs, like two, six weeks in a recession. You know, so that just shows like I. that really just [00:34:00] shows like, it’s, I don’t even know how to explain it. Like the universe is on your side. You just need to believe it.

[00:34:05] Maideli: and so I got two job offers. I actually, it’s a really funny story because I actually ended up accepting a. The one who offered first, because I still hadn’t heard from the one I actually wanted. And so I ended up accepting the one that offered first because I thought it’d be okay. Right? It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but it meant my non-negotiables.

[00:34:25] Maideli: And I’m like, okay, you know, I could work with this, but really I wanted the company with all the amazing benefits, like all these things that I didn’t have before. And so I accepted that position and then literally like three days before I was going to start the position, the company I actually wanted, Called me in to do like a presentation.

[00:34:43] Maideli: So they didn’t even offer me the job yet. They just called me in to do a presentation. They’re like, you have one day. Like, can you do, or no, they didn’t. They didn’t tell me. I had one day they told me, when do you need to come and do the presentation? I said, can I do it in one day? You know, because I was already gonna start the other job.

[00:34:58] Maideli: And so then I did it and like, [00:35:00] I obviously killed it because I was preparing myself for that job of course, and they offered me, you know, exactly what I wanted. And so I had to go and tell the other company like, I’m not showing up on Monday. And that was really hard for some reason. Like I felt really bad for them, of course.

[00:35:16] Maideli: And then I had to work through that. 

[00:35:18] Erika: Oh my goodness. Thank you for sharing that because I want everybody listening to know that you are allowed to change your mind. Yes. Yes. Even if you’ve already said yes to something, you are allowed to change your mind. Yes. You don’t owe anything to anyone or any company and just like.

[00:35:34] Erika: You were laid off from one company without expecting it like that could have happened. Like we have to choose ourselves. And of course, it was difficult because we’re conditioned to people please. As Latinas and as women. Yeah. So like, especially after you’ve committed to something, you see it through.

[00:35:49] Erika: So it was like you were literally unlearning. Yeah. And going against what we had been taught. But you had your own back. Yeah. And I’m so glad you did. 

[00:35:58] Maideli: Yeah, thank you. [00:36:00] Yeah. And to your point, like I had just came back from a layoff where they literally rejected me because it was what’s best for them, right?

[00:36:07] Maideli: It was what’s best for their business. They needed a reduction of force. They needed less people, so they don’t spend as much money, like they made the choice that’s best for them. So why can’t I make that choice for me? And that’s something that I preach a lot, especially if I’m helping somebody with like careers or pivoting, like I preach that a lot.

[00:36:22] Maideli: Like you need to make the choice that’s best for you. And actually I shared this recently, but the company I currently work at did a round of layoffs and I really had to sit with the thought of like, what if it’s me this time again and even like start working like, You’re just gonna find something better again.

[00:36:37] Maideli: Like, look at you, look at what you’ve done so far. And you know, being able to train my brain like when things like this happen, like you’re okay, you have your own back, financially, mentally, like everything, you have your own back. And I think that was very powerful. I didn’t end up getting laid off, but I easily could have.

[00:36:51] Maideli: And having that thought of like, even if I do, I’m gonna be okay, was very powerful for me. 

[00:36:57] Erika: Yes. It’s so crazy to, [00:37:00] because you know, layoff trauma is a real thing. Oh yeah. Like PTSD for me, it’s a real thing. And but I think that you’ve positioned yourself in such an incredible way because you don’t just depend on your job for an income.

[00:37:14] Erika: You also have a coaching business. Yes, I do. I do. Yes. Yeah. So how amazing. Like how empowering, okay. So then you, is there anything else you’ve quit? I think that was it, right? 

[00:37:27] Maideli: That we’ve talked about. Yeah. I started therapy, so that’s not quitting, but that’s starting. No, yeah. I didn’t even, you quit ignoring your mental health.

[00:37:34] Maideli: I quit ignoring my mental health, yes. So I started a therapy, I think, when was it? It was October of 2022. So it still took me a while after Christian and Latina to finally start therapy. Something that I felt like I needed to do and I hadn’t. And I finally started, I actually started it when I got my new job.

[00:37:54] Maideli: Because they paid for it. And now I think that’s silly because I would 100% pay for therapy. Like [00:38:00] even when I was laid off, you know, because obviously, I needed it more in that moment. I was paying for it, even though I was laid off, you know? Yeah. I was paying it in like cash, like it just straight up without insurance and so it’s crazy to think now, just.

[00:38:13] Maideli: What that investment in myself has done for me, like mentally. it’s huge. So that’s something I added to my life in therapy is kind of where I realized like, okay, my brain works in different ways. And my therapist recommended I talked to a psychiatrist to see if perhaps I have ADHD. And I got diagnosed with ADHD soon after.

[00:38:34] Maideli: So this year, how did that feel, that diagnosis? Yeah. Did it feel validating? Honestly. Yeah, I was gonna say honestly, like it felt very validating. It felt like I. Girl, your brain is just different. Like there’s nothing wrong with you. It is just your brain is different. This is why you think the way you do this is why, you know these thoughts come into your head.

[00:38:54] Maideli: This is why you get hyper-focused on one thing. You know, this is why you’re in the clouds a lot. You know, just [00:39:00] validating all those things that I thought were personality flaws and all those things that I thought like I wish I could change about myself. Just validating them and be like, that’s just a part of who you are.

[00:39:08] Maideli: Let’s learn to embrace them and use them as your superpower. So I definitely went through that this year. Those feelings 

[00:39:15] Erika: and how amazing that like you’ve been able to. Have a successful teaching career, be a tutor, go through, like the majority of a master’s program, start your own business, transition into tech, all with A D, H D, without even knowing it.

[00:39:29] Erika: Yeah. Like now that you think back, do you just have so much more like grace and compassion 

[00:39:33] Maideli: for yourself? Yes. Yes. Yeah. 100%. That’s big. The compassion for myself I think is huge. And just like, this is why you struggled with this. This is why you struggled with that, you know? Yeah. And that compassion validation.

[00:39:45] Maideli: Yes, 100%. 

[00:39:47] Erika: Yes. Okay. Tell me a little bit about how investing in coaching ended up leading you to become 

[00:39:51] Maideli: a coach. Oh, yes. so. I invested in your coaching after you. I have invested in, let’s see, one, [00:40:00] two, like three different coaching programs. Amazing. Which is a lot cause it’s two years. Right. and so just me being able to invest in programs and realizing how much they did to me Kind of helped with that thought of like me starting a coaching business. And asking people to pay me money. Right. That was a big thought that I had to get through. I felt like, you know, who am I to be asking people for money, especially if I’m helping them with their money. That was a big block that I really had to work through, like, thank you to my business coach right now.

[00:40:31] Maideli: But just that feeling and just realizing, okay. What have the coaching programs that you’ve done for you? And being able to see all of that. Would you go back and pay the same amount that you did? I would pay more. I would 100% pay for it. Right? Because they have influenced me in a way that is life-changing, like I said, with your program, like the return on investment is compounding, right?

[00:40:50] Maideli: So I’m gonna feel that for the rest of my life basically. Because of all the small little steps that lead into the other. Yeah. I’m gonna keep feeling that. And the same goes [00:41:00] with like my clients if they choose to invest in money coaching, it’s not just the 12 weeks that we work together. Like the things that I can provide for them, they’re gonna compound over time and help them for the rest of their lives.

[00:41:11] Maideli: And seeing coaching in that way, being able to. Have the perspective of a client and knowing how powerful it was for me to have coaching, really helps me now get in the mindset of like, now I’m the coach and I could 100% help this person. and being able to do that confidently and be able to say like, yes, it’s okay.

[00:41:29] Maideli: It’s okay to be in this position because I’m helping people. and I truly believe in what I’m doing. So, yeah. 

[00:41:36] Erika: A hundred percent. Yeah. And I love that you, like talked about this from both perspectives of like being the one, investing in coaching and then being the one providing the coaching because they both require.

[00:41:47] Erika: The work on your mindset, right? Yeah. They both require you to think abundantly, and it’s so cr, you know, especially you being a money coach, like not only are you helping people return their investment like financially But it’s [00:42:00] also like the tools you’re teaching them are gonna keep again, compounding, right?

[00:42:04] Erika: It’s gonna keep ensuring that they make good money decisions, that they invest, that they, I mean, just think about the impact that you’re having on people’s lives with like building generational wealth. Yeah. And even if all you helped them with was their money mindset, which I know you helped them with way more, but like even just that completely transforms the way that people live.

[00:42:23] Maideli: yes. 100%. I agree with that. and I really have to lean into that thought, right? When I get those roadblocks and that mindset drama, and remember that and remember those thoughts of like, you are literally changing the world. Like I know it sounds dramatic, but you are literally changing the world and you are changing the.

[00:42:41] Maideli: Path that so many of our communities are gonna take in the future. And, you know, bringing these conversations and like, yeah, you’re changing the world for generations to come is basically the thought. 

[00:42:52] Erika: Exactly. Exactly. Oh my goodness. Okay, so if somebody like wants to work with you, where do they 

[00:42:57] Maideli: find you?

[00:42:58] Maideli: Yeah. So if somebody [00:43:00] wants to work with me, they can find me on Instagram. that’s where I hang out the most, under my daily, Vito, a little play on my name. and yeah, that’s where I’ll be. I provide a lot of free content, but if you’re interested in 1 0 1 coaching, dm me, book a call so that we can talk.

[00:43:14] Erika: Perfect, and we’re gonna have all your links down below. I feel like this has been such a fun conversation. I’m glad I didn’t send you questions cuz I like how it just flowed. So is there anything I didn’t ask you that you wanna share with 

[00:43:27] Maideli: us? Yeah, it’s so funny that you mentioned that because I don’t know, I’m still trying to learn like how my ADHD works, but I have noticed that when I get the questions, I hyperfocus on them.

[00:43:38] Maideli: And they make me nervous. And I literally like try to script everything that I wanna say. And I realize that I show up in a different way because I’m still thinking of like, that’s not what I wrote down. Like, that’s not what I wanted to say. And my mind, I forgot that point. Yeah. Yeah. And then I get in my head.

[00:43:55] Maideli: So it’s so funny that you mentioned that you didn’t send questions because. Honestly, [00:44:00] like, I think it went better than my conversations where they do send questions. And again, I don’t know if that’s ADHD. I don’t know what that is, but that was just a thought. something that I didn’t talk about.

[00:44:10] Maideli: I mean, there’s the idea of like my entrepreneurship journey just because like I’m the first in my family to really, yeah. Tell us about this, really start a business. but it’s funny because yes, I’m the first to. Like, start the business on paper. But the truth is, like my dad who passed away in 2016, he was, he had that entrepreneurship blood in him.

[00:44:33] Maideli: And it’s, it honestly, it’s in our blood. And I think a lot of like LA Latinos, Latinas, like, they experienced that because you know, they kind of have to do that for survival. And my dad who was undocumented and you know, that’s basically was his survival method and he was so good at it. And it’s just crazy to think that.

[00:44:51] Maideli: At the time that I saw him do that, like I didn’t just realize how powerful entrepreneurship was. And like seeing me now, like I’m just, I’m [00:45:00] so proud of, you know, what he did at that time and now I’m able to see that as an entrepreneur myself. Like it’s crazy that, that is crazy to me. No, 

[00:45:08] Erika: I love it.

[00:45:08] Erika: I love it. I, yeah, I would agree. Like my mom has a house cleaning business, but like, she never scaled it. You know? Like she, like I heard her just get home right now. She was out cleaning. Rich white people’s houses, right? Yeah. And it’s like, but that’s still entrepreneurship and yeah, you’re right. it’s definitely in our blood.

[00:45:26] Erika: I’m just looking through to see if I wrote anything down that I wanted to ask you. oh, is there, yeah. Here’s a good question. Is there anything that you still use now that you learned, encourage driven Latina? Whether it’s like a tool or like maybe, like a moment of coaching that like sticks with you or like a big lesson that you take with you?

[00:45:43] Maideli: Yeah. Honestly, and I think this was the first session, I might be wrong, maybe you can help me, but I think this was the first session we had when you did that exercise of like the two paths that you can take and like, what would your life look like in this path and what would your [00:46:00] life look at look like in that path?

[00:46:03] Maideli: And I constantly have to do that exercise with myself even now, you know? So, When I’m making a decision, when I’m quitting something, when I’m starting something and looking at those two paths and how I envision it going, I think that was really powerful. And I think that, I’m pretty sure I cried during that exercise.

[00:46:20] Maideli: Encouragement? Yeah. I’m pretty sure I cried. But just, you know, having that awareness of like, Your thoughts, your choices like that’s what creates your results. that’s what creates your life. And you have power over that. Yeah. You know, you get to choose, you get to choose which path you take. and so yeah, I think that’s probably the biggest thing that I take.

[00:46:38] Maideli: And obviously also the, you know, fill your cup first before you start filling other people’s cup. I think as a natural people pleaser, I really had to. you know, work through that thought. And I still do sometimes. Right. The people-pleasing tendencies don’t just go away overnight. Yeah, definitely. And so still working through that and making sure that I’m taking care of myself before I start pouring into a lot of people, like, [00:47:00] that’s gonna help me be able to give back to more people after I’m okay.

[00:47:04] Maideli: After I fill my own cup. And, you know, that’s something I’m navigating in finances and relationship and professional. Like all around. And so, yeah, those are just two things, but like, honestly, like the whole program was very helpful. 

[00:47:16] Erika: Amazing. Well, thank you for sharing that. And yes, the two paths, it’s like essentially the power of visualization and seeing where your life would go if you choose the path that’s like safe and in your comfort zone versus the one you want.

[00:47:28] Erika: Yeah. And it’s really powerful when you take yourself down those paths and see it because you can’t unsee it once you see it. Right. And it forces you to lead with. Courage and it doesn’t force you, but it helps you lead with courage because you visibly see what would happen from one path to the other.

[00:47:44] Erika: Yeah. So, yes, thank you for 

[00:47:46] Maideli: that. Yeah. Because sometimes like honestly, when you’re choosing between two things, like, and if you’re not thinking about like what could happen, like sometimes you just go straight to the sunk cost fallacy, like I already invested time, money, the effort. But when you start thinking [00:48:00] like, okay, if I do this, let’s say if I stay in this job, like what are the chances?

[00:48:04] Maideli: Like let’s put math in there. What are the chances that I’m gonna be unhappy? 100% chances, right. If I would’ve stayed in teaching, it would’ve been 100% chance that I’d be unhappy because it was no longer fulfilling me. Exactly. What are the chances that if you leave teaching, you’re gonna be in a place that is fulfilling?

[00:48:20] Maideli: Okay, maybe it’s not 100%. But maybe it’s like, you know, like the misery percentage might be like 30, maybe I’ll be 30% miserable, you know? Yeah. But that’s still less than 100. So like, you know, you, sometimes you just, you need to visualize those two things and, make sure that you’re thinking about it instead of just going through just, you know, what’s expected of you or what you think.

[00:48:45] Maideli: You already wasted doing something. Yeah, 

[00:48:47] Erika: yeah. Yes, exactly. My, it has been such a pleasure to reconnect with you. I miss your beautiful face and your beautiful personality, and I’m just so happy that you’re doing what you’re doing [00:49:00] and I feel like this was the perfect time for you to come on the podcast, so thank you for coming on.

[00:49:05] Erika: Yeah. And I cannot wait to meet you in person. So let me know when you’re in California and I’ll let you know if I’m ever in the Midwest, which probably might happen soon. Oh, okay. So, yes. I like need to give you a hug in person. So thank you for coming on. All of your links are down below, so if people, everybody should follow Maideli cuz you do provide awesome free content.

[00:49:25] Erika: And if anybody wants to work with her, go down to the link below. If you’re interested in Courage Driven Latina, also go down to the link below and if you took anything away from this podcast episode, be sure to screenshot it and tag us both because we wanna see what you took away because my daily dropped so many gems.

[00:49:41] Erika: And, thank you again for coming on.

[00:49:44] Maideli: Yes, thank you for having me.