Embarking on a transformative journey with Dr. Guadalupe Buitron, we unravel the threads of social justice and business acumen that weave together the tapestry of Financially Capable LLC. As the progeny of Mexican immigrants, Lupe's narrative is one of tenacity and cultural pride, guiding her path from a bilingual mental therapist to a beacon of financial wisdom for communities often left in the shadows. Her entrepreneurial spirit is a lighthouse for first-generation individuals and communities of color, illuminating the steps toward financial wellness and social mobility.
Amidst the confluence of academic rigor and entrepreneurial zest, Lupe stands as a bastion of innovation. Bridging her expertise as a Business professor with the realities of entrepreneurship, she imparts a wealth of knowledge on the psychological facets of financial literacy. Her approach cuts to the core of the mental blockades that thwart many from achieving economic prosperity. We navigate the nuances of financial therapy, and shine a spotlight on the burgeoning market of Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs in Southern California, underscoring the power of self-awareness in leadership—especially for those trailblazing first-generation college graduates forging their fiscal paths.
Confronting the daunting barriers of financial mindsets, we traverse the landscape of entrepreneurial evolution, where mindset shifts from scarcity to abundance can alter the course of one’s business voyage. Through Lupe's recounting of triumphs over financial literacy deficits, she emerges not just as an advocate but as a symbol of hope for young Hispanic women and all who dare to tackle their financial fears. Join us as we celebrate these victories and acknowledge the journey ahead, fortified with the insights and inspiration that Lupe imparts on our bi-monthly expedition toward financial empowerment.
thefinanciallycapable@gmail.com
Lupe Buitron: 1951-425-4021
www.ceo2rainmkr.com
You Tube- Ceo To Rainmaker - Gene Valdez
Embarking on a transformative journey with Dr. Guadalupe Buitron, we unravel the threads of social justice and business acumen that weave together the tapestry of Financially Capable LLC. As the progeny of Mexican immigrants, Lupe's narrative is one of tenacity and cultural pride, guiding her path from a bilingual mental therapist to a beacon of financial wisdom for communities often left in the shadows. Her entrepreneurial spirit is a lighthouse for first-generation individuals and communities of color, illuminating the steps toward financial wellness and social mobility.
Amidst the confluence of academic rigor and entrepreneurial zest, Lupe stands as a bastion of innovation. Bridging her expertise as a Business professor with the realities of entrepreneurship, she imparts a wealth of knowledge on the psychological facets of financial literacy. Her approach cuts to the core of the mental blockades that thwart many from achieving economic prosperity. We navigate the nuances of financial therapy, and shine a spotlight on the burgeoning market of Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs in Southern California, underscoring the power of self-awareness in leadership—especially for those trailblazing first-generation college graduates forging their fiscal paths.
Confronting the daunting barriers of financial mindsets, we traverse the landscape of entrepreneurial evolution, where mindset shifts from scarcity to abundance can alter the course of one’s business voyage. Through Lupe's recounting of triumphs over financial literacy deficits, she emerges not just as an advocate but as a symbol of hope for young Hispanic women and all who dare to tackle their financial fears. Join us as we celebrate these victories and acknowledge the journey ahead, fortified with the insights and inspiration that Lupe imparts on our bi-monthly expedition toward financial empowerment.
thefinanciallycapable@gmail.com
Lupe Buitron: 1951-425-4021
www.ceo2rainmkr.com
You Tube- Ceo To Rainmaker - Gene Valdez
Okay, good morning listeners. Social entrepreneurs can help communities and make money at the same time. What a concept. You don't have to be a greedy corporation you could give back. A technical definition is a social entrepreneur is an individual who is willing to take ricks and pursue profits by creating positive changes in society through their services or products. My guest today, Dr Guadalupe Butron, fits that definition to AT. The small business world needs more people like her.
Speaker 1:Before I ask Lupe to, before I ask her a few questions, I would like to share just a brief summary of her bio. It's very inspirational. Lupe's parents immigrated to the US from Mexico and Lupe was born here. Initially, Lupe was a bilingual mental therapist. We'll ask her more about that. Later, she earned her master's and doctorate degree from California Baptist University, where she majored in social work. Not satisfied with that, she wanted to do more to help the poor, marginalized individuals and their communities. She started her own business. She became an entrepreneur. Now, that's kind of weird. I don't normally see professors and entrepreneurs in the same breath, but that's what she did. So she formed the financially capable which mission statement is financial literacy and wellness that she formed a limited liability company. She's been doing all of that in the last two years and, as you can see on YouTube or hear her voice, she's only 30 years old, oh my God. So let's bring her out. Lupe, what drives you?
Speaker 2:You know what? That's a fantastic question, because I get asked that all the time, and I think this is a point 29,. I turned 30 this year, so Okay, so I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry, that's really old 30. Okay, got it.
Speaker 2:Thank you. You know what? I just have always been that type of person who just is always going and going and has ideas and likes projects and likes just doing good stuff in the world and things that help people and communities. It's I'm lucky that I really love the field of social work. I find it interesting, so it's just been part, just how I'm wired and I just find these topics really important and my past and, like my experiences have just all inspired me to just do the work that I do basically.
Speaker 1:Well, you like this as a kid too.
Speaker 2:I want to say, yes, I've always been the overachiever type. Okay.
Speaker 1:I like school.
Speaker 2:It just kind of worked for me basically.
Speaker 1:You have brothers and sisters.
Speaker 2:I have one sister.
Speaker 1:Okay. Were you competing against her as to who gets the best grades, or?
Speaker 2:not my sister, I would say more of the people around me like my people, my own age, Okay. Okay.
Speaker 1:Well, that's you know. That's you know because what we are today, a lot of it, is our family dynamics, our brothers and sisters, our parents. So, in 25 words or less, what is the mission statement of your new young company that financially capable?
Speaker 2:The final financially capable. Our mission is to help individuals first generation individuals of color, communities of color to increase their financial wellness or improve their financial wellness and be able to move up in their social mobility, help increase generational wealth and just learn how to have a healthier relationship with money.
Speaker 1:Are these? Is this personal finance or business finance, or both?
Speaker 2:Both. I've worked with both. I started it with the idea of doing personal finance, but I've just opportunities I've. I have ended up working with a lot of entrepreneurs this past year.
Speaker 1:Okay. Okay, so I understand you graduated from the caravan Soraya project. What did you learn from CP on how to start a new business from scratch, because that's not easy to do?
Speaker 2:Right, right, I don't know anyone else who has started a business in like my own personal community, so it was definitely a step into the unknown and the uncomfortable. So I'm so thankful for caravan Soraya project. The executive director, mihai, and his team have been like absolutely wonderful. The program really helped me just learn the basic, like fundamentals of like business, like how to file all of the paperwork, the legal paperwork, how to you know set up your business finances. And I think the most important part that I always tell people when I'm sharing about that experience is just being surrounded by other entrepreneurs who are, you know, doing good work, maybe not similar to what I'm doing, but are still, you know, impacting their communities, because they definitely specialize in helping entrepreneurs of color and in those who have like a social impact type of business. So I think that has been the best opportunity just to meet other like minded individuals.
Speaker 1:Well, but would you agree, now that you went through this and you ultimately started your business, that that any listener, whether they're female, young, no matter what their ethnicity, before you plunge in to start a business, you need to learn some of the basics of the fundamentals, because it's critical. Would you agree with that?
Speaker 2:Definitely. I think that doing your research that way you like decrease the risk right, Maybe doing mistakes that could have easily been avoided if you would have, you know, taken the time to just learn, like exactly what the steps look like for filing, and you know licenses and insurance. So I think that was just really helpful to kind of get all those fundamentals so that I was able to move forward in the best way possible for my business.
Speaker 1:Okay, because I am a big proponent of education and I have a number of clients that just they just plunge in. It's almost like they're rolling the dice. They they fall in love with their idea, but they're not really prepared for the, for the battle that's out there because there's so much option. So, okay, well, that's that's really good. Um, I know Mihai and his group and they do a wonderful job, so it's glad to see that they have a full-time graduate that went through the Roups and now is on their own business. And, and whether my listeners pursue some kind of student atmosphere doesn't really matter. They can get the information, the internet. There's no shortage of information on how they could learn the basics. So so how do you organize your time now? You're still a full-time business professor, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, so I'm a full-time social work professor, and then I do running your business. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:Do you sleep?
Speaker 2:Uh, yes, I try very hard to get enough sleep so that I'm able to, you know, perform the best, but it's definitely a lot to juggle. Definitely something to consider is it can be a lot of work in the beginning to set everything up and to get your you know the ball. It's a lot of work, for sure but you're managing it so far. I am. I'm thankful that I have a job that is that I love and that it's also flexible, so I'm able to make it work.
Speaker 1:Okay, so there you go, you. It is possible to be a Business professor and an entrepreneur, and an entrepreneur at the same time, mm-hmm. Provided that you're a little organized and you don't fall in love with too much sleep, all right right, definitely so you know I used to teach, so I'm gonna ask you this question.
Speaker 1:So when you're a business professor, you have your students that are that are taking your courses and you're gonna try and teach them certain issues, and then you have your for-profit business where you have clients and you're going to Teach and mentor them as well. Are there common denominators between those two audiences? Are they completely separate?
Speaker 2:Um, I Think that. So I teach social work, so social work students tend to be very diverse, to come from very different types of communities that Sometimes mirror the type of clients that I work with. So I would say that's a similar similarity and I would also think that, since I've been working with entrepreneurs mostly lately in like, least in the last year the only difference is that these, the students, are looking to go into the field and get a like normal nine-to-five job, and these entrepreneurs I'm working are trying to work through maybe some mental blocks, you know some mental barriers, to help them Get into that mindset of like. You know, moving forward, success, you know getting those goals set and and Working towards them.
Speaker 1:I say okay. So you know, in a real sort of Simple caveman language Well, the students, that's my job and my clients that's how I get paid. So students get it for free, sort of basically. Okay, so the your clap, your, your students primary, are going to enter into the workforce. For a nine-to-five job, your business clients. You're trying to teach them financial literacy and financial wellness in order to allow them to Expand their businesses the way I add that correct right. So do you believe there's any competitors are doing what you're doing?
Speaker 1:as far as your business.
Speaker 2:I think that I bring a very interesting perspective because my background is not business or finance, it's social work and psychology and I, you know, I worked as a mental health therapist and I have found that through my experience doing more traditional social work, mental health type of stuff, is that money tends to be a factor in a lot of when people are having issues.
Speaker 2:Sometimes, when they're having financial issues, a lot of it could also just be about where they're at mentally. You know, mental capacity, some of the thoughts or beliefs that they have. So I found that talking about money in this different way really helps people kind of like work through the more mental, emotional, psychological things that sometimes keep people from reaching their financial goals. So I think that because it's such an interest like a more, it's different. You know you have a lot of financial literacy programs out there. There's so much, you know push, which is wonderful for more financial knowledge, but I think what I bring is just a different. I approach the conversation differently. So I think that that's what sets me in my business apart.
Speaker 1:Okay, is there? Is it a fair question to ask you, lupe? Is there sort of like a profile of who your target market is in terms of age, education, experience, ethnicity, location, type of industry?
Speaker 2:So I have always wanted to focus on young adults. So, like post college, I am a first generation college student, college graduate, so I really have just a soft spot for first generation college graduates getting into the workforce and kind of, you know, getting exposed to a different environment or atmosphere than maybe what they were used to growing up. So that's definitely a pocket community that I'm really, really wanting to work with and I have. And then I have really enjoyed working with Spanish speaking entrepreneurs. I think that there's some, there's there's a bit of limitation and the resources that they can access. So I think that me being bilingual and able to have these conversations with them is really important and really needed. So I really enjoyed working with limited English speaking, so mostly Spanish speaking entrepreneurs as well.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, I can, that's. That's definitely a niche for sure. So your Spanish speaking clients, are they bilingual?
Speaker 2:Um, some of them are. I found that some of them are just very like. Their English speaking abilities are very limited, so it's mostly in Spanish. And then there's some that are more bilingual and we can kind of flip flop between both languages.
Speaker 1:But they're young, they have energy, they want to learn, they want to start their own business, they're not interested in a job and the whole area of money can sometimes be intimidating, because you know, I have another company that that deals with that and not necessarily everybody manages their money or is has the expertise to know how to acquire it, to budget it, etc. Etc. Etc. So how big do you think that market is that you're trying to tap in Southern California?
Speaker 2:From what I've researched and I have looked because there's other financial therapists out there, but I feel like I have not seen a lot. I haven't seen many who are doing this type of work in Spanish. So I think that I have a very big opportunity to really target this community, because there isn't really anyone that I see other than myself and maybe one or two other people doing this work.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, I notice you use the term financial therapist, so that's different than a, let's just say, a traditional chief financial officer CEO. But I can understand from your perspective and meeting other people that the, the, the mental and the and the therapeutic aspect of money is really critical. People don't even think about it A lot of times they just get depressed because they don't have enough money to expand the business or nor do they know how, and they get frozen. So what is your advice to small business CEOs, regardless of their ethnicity? To become better leaders, because I know that's one of the things that the subject matter say. You teach how do they become better leaders?
Speaker 2:I think that a lot of self-work is very important. I think if you understand yourself better and how you think and what are your values and beliefs, I think that helps you be more intentional about what you're wanting to accomplish with in terms of your leadership. So I think self-reflection, self-work is super important so that you can be your best possible self, so that, as a leader, you're able to make that impact that you're wanting to make or get something that you're wanting to make.
Speaker 1:And is that related to age, or that could just be young people, middle-aged or older people, or is your message to young people?
Speaker 2:I think everybody. I think that it might be just because of my social work, mental health background, but I think that truly doing that inner work and knowing yourself and understanding yourself and how you look at the world process things, is just going to make you a better leader, because you're going to be more self-aware and you're going to be able to have more capacity to deal with the things that life throws you, your business throws at you, and I think that that's really important. Okay.
Speaker 1:So, since in the beginning of the show, you classified yourself as always being busy, always working on something, do you have some future plans for the company in terms of services or products that you'd like to get involved in? Geographic areas? Yeah, and, if you might, would mind sharing those with me?
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely. So I've been really thinking about developing a program, because I am just one person right, so I can only ever like work with a certain number of clients, because I then reach my capacity in terms of hours in the week.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So my desire is to hire other social work background individuals so, whether they have their master's in social work or their bachelor's in social work, hire them, train them in this sub-specialty and have them also be able to provide this service so that it can expand my reach and be able to make a wider impact in the community that I am, because I'm just one person. So I'm like, how can I, you know, multiply this, the impact that I can have, and that's having more people who are able to use this lens or approach that I use with other clients.
Speaker 1:Yes, well, there's a famous book about that and the author says you know, you start off as the worker B. You're doing everything because you can't afford to hire anybody.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:And then you grow a little bit and you're able to hire a few people. Then you morph into the role as the manager. You direct their efforts and then you continue to grow and then you hire managers and now you're the chief executive officer, who's really focused on not getting the work out today but being the visionary and thinking and strategic planning on where do I want my company to be in three to five years. But you've got to. You know you have to crawl before you walk right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And do you ever see yourself expanding out of state or do you you're going to stay in Southern California, assuming you had enough personnel?
Speaker 2:Right, I would love to. I, like I said, I think this is so needed and I see such a huge like lack of this type of service or this type of approach or perspective out in the in our country and the different communities. So I would love to. I think that definitely something in the horizon to think about as I continue growing and scaling my business.
Speaker 1:Okay, so I know my listeners. I'm going to, I'm going to pretend that I'm one of the listeners of this podcast show. So, lupe, give me a concrete example of a client coming to you. What question are they throwing at you and saying Lupe, help me, every time I raise my arm it hurts. And then you say stop raising your arm. I'm just kidding. Give me an example of a real life case where a client had a challenge and what you did for he or she, what was the program?
Speaker 2:Definitely, that's a great question.
Speaker 2:I think that what I see often is individuals who are from the specifically from the community and, like the specific clients that I really want to work with, this person is someone who maybe financially in the past haven't hasn't had the best situation, didn't grow up with a lot of money, maybe struggled with unemployment, just you know instability.
Speaker 2:And now that they're in a place in their career where they have a lot there, they're financially stable, they're making good income, more than they, you know, had ever thought about in their you know lives. And then now they're just, you know, have this, the certain financial goals, but they find themselves just really still struggling to like mentally accept maybe that they're able to accomplish these goals. Or they find themselves like still struggling, like no, I need to save all my money. I can't, I can't spend my money on things that I want and it want to enjoy, because I still have this like fear that I am going to go back to this place of like instability. So working through. Then our focus would be just working through, like you know, getting out of survival mode. You're now in a place where there's abundance, right, you have income that's coming in, that is really steady and stable.
Speaker 2:And then you're able to let go of maybe these like fear induced strategies of like saving money and making sure you have enough for, like, a rainy day, but like being finding that like confidence and finding that like okay. I can now move to this new season of my life and be able to change my mindset about how I view money, like it's not something that's scary and stressful now, it's something that you can enjoy and grow and build something even greater.
Speaker 1:So it's sort of psychologically based, then, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So it's not. It's not so. People is the message. People should not be fearful of money as a subject, but how is it a asset or a tool that can help you accomplish in your life, which is whatever you want to accomplish?
Speaker 2:And basically, a lot of times when you have people coming from backgrounds of poverty or instant financial instability, you, I feel like they associate money and finances with stress and yes, yes, yes it can be hard to overcome that if you then get to a place where that's not your story anymore but you're still kind of acting and making decisions based out of that fear and you're just going to sabotage yourself, you're not going to allow yourself to be able to grow.
Speaker 1:And that you know you're you're. You're preaching to the choir because it's very interesting to me in my walk as an entrepreneur. I have a private company that I deal with in addition to this podcast, and about 60% of the clients of my target market for my private company are probably between the ages of 35 to 65. And at least 70% of them are financially illiterate in terms of the whole subject of money, and so what they do is they ignore it. They say, well, that's the office manager takes care of that, or that it. And what happens? That is the number one reason why small businesses fail is because the owners can't overcome the fear of dealing with money and they think it's going to fix itself, and it doesn't and the companies go bankrupt.
Speaker 2:Basically yep.
Speaker 1:So it sounds like being like you're preparing their minds for take it head on. Baby, you can do it. Yeah, I'm here to help you. You're like a money therapist.
Speaker 2:Basically. That's why I use the financial therapist is just helping people get out of that unsighted, stuck place.
Speaker 1:And they get stuck yeah. When they get older, they get stuck yeah. So, yeah, I get it. It's sorely needed. So my kudos to you for coming up with the idea. Thank you, and I'm so impressed by who you are and what you do at such a young age, congratulations. And whether you realize it or not, you're a role model to not only young people, but to young Hispanic women, because we're becoming. You know, the whole area of diversity and inclusion is out there, but you still got to go for it, right. You've gone for it, you've made it, and I suspect that you're going to continue to do more and more as you get bored and you need to throw more ideas in that brain of yours. So if you could leave one final statement to the audience, would you want them to learn or know? What would you want to share with them? Just one point to conclude our show today.
Speaker 2:Your mind is a powerful thing and if you're not working on maybe undoing these mental blocks or barriers, that it can really hurt your business. So if you really want to like succeed and work forward, really work on your mindset and work on maybe undoing unhealthy patterns, unhealthy beliefs, because we'll definitely get in the way of your goals and success if you let them.
Speaker 1:Right, well, put, well, put. So, okay. Well, thank you so much, lupi. That was a great show, so what I'd like to do now is say goodbye to everyone. This concludes our show. My shows air twice a month, every other Wednesday. You can access these episodes on my YouTube channel, cdo to Rainmaker, or any of the major podcast directories if you're into audio, like Apple, google, spotify, audible, or you can access all of my shows, including today's with Lupi, at my website, which is CEO, the number two Rainmaker. Maker is abbreviated, so it's CEO number two, rainmkrcom and Lupi. Thank you again for all of your time, and may I meet you in person someday.
Speaker 2:Of course.
Speaker 1:And everyone else. Peace and out, and I'll see you in about two weeks. Bye-bye now.