Episode 304- From Making $30K per year to Millionaire; Tips for Boosting Your Income and Building Wealth Through Negotiation, Real Estate & Side Hustles w/ Andrew Giancola

Maya Corbic is a first-generation immigrant, CPA, author of the kids’ book "From Piggy Banks to Stocks: The Ultimate Guide for a Young Investor", and founder of the Wealthy Kids Investment Club. From challenging beginnings in shelters and government housing, Maya draws from her experience of overcoming financial challenges & simplifies money matters to inspire children to pursue financial success. Her vision is to empower every child to become a financially independent adult.

Maya Corbic grew up in war-torn Bosnia before immigrating to Canada at the age 15. She started working at a young age to support herself and her family. This immigrant experience drove her motivation to get an education and have a successful career as a CPA where she worked at accounting firms before quitting to spend more time with family and start teaching kids about personal finance. By the time she was 32 years old, she and her husband paid off $60,000 of debt, in addition to their mortgage.

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• The value of social capital and interpersonal skills, how to seize opportunities, and the importance of learning and networking. 
• When is the ideal time to start teaching kids about key money lessons such as understanding needs vs wants, paying yourself first, & aligning money personalities with family values. 
• How transparent we should be with our kids about how much money we make and how it’s earned, to help them understand the value of money.
• How to invest for your child using 529 plans and custodial Roth IRAs in the U.S, but also how important it is for parents to get their own financial situation in order before investing for their kids
• How to lead by example when it comes to instilling good financial habits in children + much more

Other Links Mentioned in episode:

• Check out Maya’s Book: "From Piggy Banks to Stocks: The Ultimate Guide for a Young Investor"
• Get your copy of my book: Your Journey To Financial Freedom
• Leave Your Journey To Financial Freedom a review!
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE
• Check out my personal website here.
• Join The Weekly Newsletter List
• Leave me a voicemail– Leave me a question on the Journey To Launch voicemail and have it answered on the podcast!
• YNAB –  Start managing your money and budgeting so that you can reach your financial dreams. Sign up for a free 34 days trial of YNAB, my go-to budgeting app by using my referral link.
• What stage of the financial journey are you on? Are you working on financial stability or work flexibility? Find out with this free assessment and get a curated list of the 10 next best episodes for you to listen to depending on your stage. Check it out here!

Connect with Maya:

• Website: www.Dinarii.com
• Instagram:@teach.kids.money
• Facebook: Dinarii Financial Education Academy
• Twitter:@Educ8Money2Kids

Connect with me:

• Instagram: @Journeytolaunch
• Twitter: @JourneyToLaunch
• Facebook: @Journey To Launch
• Join the Private Facebook Group
• Join the Waitlist for My FI Course
• Get The Free Jumpstart Guide
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE

In this solo episode, I share the five key insights from my book, “𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦: 𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩-𝐁𝐲-𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐓𝐨 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.”

I talk about varying definitions of Financial Freedom, how to stay motivated on your financial journey, Five Journey Stages of Financial Independence, and more! 

In this episode you’ll learn about:

• How Financial Independence is a marathon, not a sprint
• The importance of not comparing yourself to others
• The real benefit of pursuing Financial Independence
• Determining how to identify your lifestyle, the six essential components to work on to reach Financial Independence, money mindset + more

• Get your copy of my book: Your Journey To Financial Freedom
• Leave Your Journey To Financial Freedom a review!
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE
• Check out my personal website here.
• Join The Weekly Newsletter List
• Leave me a voicemail– Leave me a question on the Journey To Launch voicemail and have it answered on the podcast!
• YNAB –  Start managing your money and budgeting so that you can reach your financial dreams. Sign up for a free 34 days trial of YNAB, my go-to budgeting app by using my referral link
• What stage of the financial journey are you on? Are you working on financial stability or work flexibility? Find out with this free assessment and get a curated list of the 10 next best episodes for you to listen to depending on your stage. Check it out here!

Connect with me:

• Instagram: @Journeytolaunch
• Twitter: @JourneyToLaunch
• Facebook: @Journey To Launch
• Join the Private Facebook Group
• Join the Waitlist for My FI Course
• Get The Free Jumpstart Guide
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE

Jessica, co-author of award-winning blog The Fioneers, speaker, and lifestyle design coach, joins the Journey To Launch podcast for a second time to discuss how her and her partner transitioned from corporate America to van-life entrepreneurs. 

We chat about unconventional paths and balanced approaches to Financial Independence, tips to reach FI, navigating feelings of fear and scarcity surrounding money and FI, and more! 

In this episode you’ll learn about:

• How Jessica and her partner saved money and diverted funds from retirement to afford entrepreneurship and the flexibility of van-life
• Why you need to implement a strategy for the future as you transition away from your traditional career into self-employment 
• What surrounding yourself with a community of people can do to improve your mental health as an entrepreneur
• What the definition of Coast FI is, What “Guac Level” Jessica identifies as, the strength of having a partner aligned with your financial goals + more

• Get your copy of my book: Your Journey To Financial Freedom
• Leave Your Journey To Financial Freedom a review!
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE
• Check out my personal website here.
• Join The Weekly Newsletter List
• Leave me a voicemail– Leave me a question on the Journey To Launch voicemail and have it answered on the podcast!
• YNAB –  Start managing your money and budgeting so that you can reach your financial dreams. Sign up for a free 34 days trial of YNAB, my go-to budgeting app by using my referral link.
• What stage of the financial journey are you on? Are you working on financial stability or work flexibility? Find out with this free assessment and get a curated list of the 10 next best episodes for you to listen to depending on your stage. Check it out here!

Connect with Jessica:

• Website
• Instagram:@TheFioneers
• Facebook Fioneers Group
• Twitter: @TheFioneers

Connect with me:

• Instagram: @Journeytolaunch
• Twitter: @JourneyToLaunch
• Facebook: @Journey To Launch
• Join the Private Facebook Group
• Join the Waitlist for My FI Course
• Get The Free Jumpstart Guide
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE

Rose Mendonca, educator and financial enthusiast joins the Journey to Launch podcast to talk about her mission: helping all educators create wealth and the retirement of their dreams.

Rose is a serial entrepreneur and founded Teacher Talks Money when she realized educators need more guidance, support, and literacy surrounding their finances and retirement options.

Our conversation delves into topics such as Rose's decision to pay off her mortgage, the importance of optimizing earning potential early in a teaching career, how teachers can create wealth and more!

In this episode you’ll learn about:

• Why you need to consider the “golden handcuffs” of pension and time if you’re considering moving districts as a teacher
• Retirement options for teachers and the differences between a 403b and a 457
• Ways teachers can leverage their in-classroom skills to earn more money
• How teachers can invest with a limited income, strategically picking your school district, the power of investigating other interests + more! 

Other Links Mentioned in episode:

• Adam Minsky: Student Loan Lawyer
• Travis Hornsby: student loan planner
• Episode 228- Everything You Need To Know About Student Loan Repayment W/ Travis Hornsby
• Get your copy of my book: "Your Journey To Financial Freedom"
• Leave Your Journey To Financial Freedom review!
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE
• Check out my personal website here.
• Join The Weekly Newsletter List
• Leave me a voicemail– Leave me a question on the Journey To Launch voicemail and have it answered on the podcast!
• YNAB –  Start managing your money and budgeting so that you can reach your financial dreams. Sign up for a free 34 days trial of YNAB, my go-to budgeting app by using my referral link.
• What stage of the financial journey are you on? Are you working on financial stability or work flexibility? Find out with this free assessment and get a curated list of the 10 next best episodes for you to listen to depending on your stage. Check it out here!

It’s my birthday! In my latest episode, I delve into post-book debut developments, the upcoming stages for my business, my commitment to self-care this year, and the significance of leading a life you can take pride in. Additionally, I provide step-by-step instructions on what actions I would take if I were just discovering Financial Independence.

Don’t forget: you can celebrate my birthday with me by listening to this episode and reviewing my book, “𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙏𝙤 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙢: 𝘼 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥 𝙗𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥 𝙂𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙏𝙤 𝘼𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨,” on Amazon here or Goodreads here! 

In this episode you’ll learn about:

• What you can do to celebrate my birthday (it’s FREE!)
• What my goals are with Journey To Launch and how I’m looking forward to the future
• How community and social capital raises your internal and external wealth
• The control that comes with autonomy, readjusting plans and goals, working on myself + more

• My Book: Your Journey To Financial Freedom
• Leave Your Journey To Financial Freedom a review!
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE
• Check out my personal website here.
• Join The Weekly Newsletter List
• Leave me a voicemail– Leave me a question on the Journey To Launch voicemail and have it answered on the podcast!
• YNAB –  Start managing your money and budgeting so that you can reach your financial dreams. Sign up for a free 34 days trial of YNAB, my go-to budgeting app by using my referral link.
• What stage of the financial journey are you on? Are you working on financial stability or work flexibility? Find out with this free assessment and get a curated list of the 10 next best episodes for you to listen to depending on your stage. Check it out here!

Connect with me:

• Instagram: @Journeytolaunch
• Twitter: @JourneyToLaunch
• Facebook: @Journey To Launch
• Join the Private Facebook Group
• Join the Waitlist for My FI Course
• Get The Free Jumpstart Guide
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE

This week on the Journey to Launch Podcast we’re featuring Israel and Sunem Tovar, two first-gen Latine siblings who empower people to use money to live their lives on their own terms. They discuss their financial journeys & achievements by sharing how Israel built a six-figure net worth by the age of 26 on a teacher salary and as a first-gen, openly gay latino, and how Sunem built a $250,000 investment portfolio and holds a Master's in finance. 

Despite attending prestigious institutions, Israel still felt that he initially lacked financial literacy. Sunem also reveals that she didn’t learn much about personal finance while pursuing her Master’s in Finance. It was through their siblings sharing information with each other that they discovered personal finance blogs & podcasts which helped them  save, invest, pay off debt and start the journey towards financial independence. 

In this episode Israel and Sunem discuss: 

• Their backgrounds, experiences with education, and how they navigated financial challenges.
• Israel’s journey to building wealth, starting with a $45,000 teaching salary, buying a house, and making strategic financial decisions, such as living with roommates and aggressively investing in retirement accounts.
• Sunem’s experience of paying off $42,000 in debt, managing multiple side hustles, and transitioning to aggressive investing. 
• Their upbringing in a Latino culture that emphasizes strong family bonds which shaped their desire to share knowledge with their siblings and build wealth together 
• The ethical considerations of investing in real estate, the importance of being intentional with spending + so much more.

Check out the video to this episode on YouTube below or by clicking here: https://youtu.be/fhU2Q_z3Z5A

• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE
• Check out my personal website here.
• Join The Weekly Newsletter List
• Leave me a voicemail– Leave me a question on the Journey To Launch voicemail and have it answered on the podcast!
• YNAB –  Start managing your money and budgeting so that you can reach your financial dreams. Sign up for a free 34 days trial of YNAB, my go-to budgeting app by using my referral link.
• What stage of the financial journey are you on? Are you working on financial stability or work flexibility? Find out with this free assessment and get a curated list of the 10 next best episodes for you to listen to depending on your stage. Check it out here!

Connect with Israel & Sunem:

• MoneyNoticiasPodcast.com
• Instagram:@MoneyNoticiasPodcast

Connect with me:

• Instagram: @Journeytolaunch
• Twitter: @JourneyToLaunch
• Facebook: @Journey To Launch
• Join the Private Facebook Group
• Join the Waitlist for My FI Course
• Get The Free Jumpstart Guide
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE

Maria Melchor, financial educator and creator of FirstGenLiving, joins the Journey To Launch Podcast to talk about her experience being the first in her family to build lasting wealth in America and how she built FirstGenLiving into the successful business it is today. 

We also talk about taking on student loan debt to avoid burdening parents with school expenses, “survivor’s guilt,” the fallacy of the “working harder will make you wealthier” narrative, and more. 

FirstGenLiving began in 2020 and reaches an audience of 130,000+ across social media platforms. FirstGenLiving provides personal finance education tailored to the experience of first-generation immigrants, students, and professionals in the United States. Maria has been featured in outlets including CNBC, Univision, and Money Magazine.In this episode you’ll learn about:

• How Maria’s immigrant background shaped her journey and influences her finances
• The challenge of raising second generation kids with grit through intentional parenting
• Guilt and anxiety surrounding making more money than anyone in your family 
• Navigating helping family financially, starting an online content creation business, pitching yourself to loved ones, and more

Other Links Mentioned in episode:

• Instagram: @Journeytolaunch
• Twitter: @JourneyToLaunch
• Facebook: @Journey To Launch
• Join the Private Facebook Group
• Join the Waitlist for My FI Course
• Get The Free Jumpstart Guide
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE

Chris Hutchins, avid life hacker, financial optimizer and host of the top ranked podcast, “All the Hacks,” joins the Journey To Launch podcast to discuss how he amassed 14 million credit card points and upgrades his life without spending a fortune. 

We also talk about the dangers of optimizing too much, intentionally spending and hacking your personal finances, analysis paralysis, and more. 

Before jumping into the content creation world, Chris was the Head of New Product Strategy at Wealthfront, an investor at Google Ventures, co-founded Milk (acquired by Google) and built an organization called LaidOffCamp. He has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and CNBC. In this episode you’ll learn about:

• How selling a business does not always mean making a profit 
• Why falling down rabbit holes of information changed Chris’s life
• What being in a job Chris hated taught him about Financial Independence
• Travel hacking, using money to have experiences you can uniquely have now, memory dividends + more

Other Links Mentioned in episode:

• Instagram: @Journeytolaunch
• Twitter: @JourneyToLaunch
• Facebook: @Journey To Launch
• Join the Private Facebook Group
• Join the Waitlist for My FI Course
• Get The Free Jumpstart Guide
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE

Vanessa Van Edwards, a best-selling author and behavioral researcher on professional communication and leadership, joins the Journey To Launch podcast to discuss science-based communication insights and give actionable social skills tips to advance your career, relationships, and overall life.

We also chat about navigating stereotyping and biases , the importance of making definitive decisions about personal connections, leveraging cues to shape perception, and more.

More than 50 million people have seen Vanessa on YouTube and in her viral TED Talk. She has been featured in Entrepreneur, CNN, CBS, and more. Her book, “Captivate: The Science of Succeeding With People,” has been translated into 17+ languages and her latest book, “Cues: Master The Secret Language of Charismatic Communication," was an instant best seller. 

In this episode you’ll also learn more about:

• Actionable posture tips and desk setups to optimize how others perceive you
• How to recognize if you have weaker people skills and what you can do to improve them 
• Why we should go into interactions wondering how we can like the other person more
• The Halo Effect, the definition of a “sticky person,” why charisma is just as important as a lucrative idea + more

Other Links Mentioned in episode:

• Order my new book, Your Journey to Financial Freedom and get 2 months free of Freedom Quest & access to the FIRE STARTER Course for FREE 
• Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People
• Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic
• How to Win Friends & Influence People
• A Model of (Often Mixed) Stereotype Content: Competence
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE
• Check out my personal website here.
• Join The Weekly Newsletter List
• Leave me a voicemail– Leave me a question on the Journey To Launch voicemail and have it answered on the podcast!
• YNAB-Start managing your money and budgeting so that you can reach your financial dreams. Sign up for a free 34 days trial of YNAB, my go-to budgeting app by using my 
  referral link
• What stage of the financial journey are you on? Are you working on financial stability or work flexibility? Find out with this free assessment and get a curated list of the 10 next best episodes for you to listen to depending on your stage. Check it out
  here!

Connect with Vanessa:

• ScienceOfPeople.com
• Instagram:@VVanEdwards
• Facebook.com:@VVanEdwards
• Twitter.com:@ScienceOfPeople

Connect with me:

• Instagram: @Journeytolaunch
• Twitter: @JourneyToLaunch
• Facebook: @Journey To Launch
• Join the Private Facebook Group
• Join the Waitlist for My FI Course
• Get The Free Jumpstart Guide
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE

Arlan Hamilton, serial entrepreneur, author, and master multitasker, joins the Journey To Launch podcast to discuss her main idea that 99.9% of people can become millionaires. She gives us powerful insights on proactively creating opportunities, overcoming distrust, and maintaining consistency for sustained wealth building.

Following Arlan's interview, I share the questions I’m asking myself as we transition from 2023 to 2024  and how making an impact, no matter how modest, fuels my determination to reach and inspire a broader audience.  

In this episode you’ll also learn more about:

• How to identify if you have a money mindset issue + the power of self-belief 
• Why creating multiple revenue streams is the key to long-term wealth
• What opting for exploring the best case scenario if you go for something looks like
• The power of embodying what we desire before we achieve it 
• Planning to allow for surprises, questions to ask yourself as the new year approaches + more

• Order my new book, Your Journey to Financial Freedom and get 2 months free of Freedom Quest & access to the FIRE STARTER Course for FREE
• Arlan’s Book: Your First Million: Why You Don’t Have to Be Born into a Legacy of Wealth to Leave One Behind
• Episode 155- Strengthen Your Mindset & Confidence To Turn Being Underestimated Into Your Greatest Advantage with Arlan Hamilton
• Listen to The Valley Podcast, here
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE
• Check out my personal website here.
• Join The Weekly Newsletter List
• Leave me a voicemail– Leave me a question on the Journey To Launch voicemail and have it answered on the podcast!
• YNAB –  Start managing your money and budgeting so that you can reach your financial dreams. Sign up for a free 34 days trial of YNAB, my go-to budgeting app by using my referral link.
• What stage of the financial journey are you on? Are you working on financial stability or work flexibility? Find out with this free assessment and get a curated list of the 10 next best episodes for you to listen to depending on your stage. Check it out here!

Connect with Arlan:

• ArlansFirstMillion.com
• YourFirstMillion.live
• Instagram: @ArlanwasHere

Connect with me:

• Instagram: @Journeytolaunch
• Twitter: @JourneyToLaunch
• Facebook: @Journey To Launch
• Join the Private Facebook Group
• Join the Waitlist for My FI Course
• Get The Free Jumpstart Guide
• Get The Budget Bootcamp for FREE