Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariana Barajas.
Hi Mariana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Where do I begin? I feel like I’ve lived multiple lives in the past 35 years. I’m the oldest daughter of Mexican immigrants. I grew up believing that studying hard and getting good grades would lead to a good job, and that job would help lift me—and my family—out of generational poverty. And while that can be true in theory, I quickly learned that life doesn’t always follow a linear path.
I got a full-ride scholarship to UCLA, this was the first space where I felt small, incapable, and unworthy. It’s hard to admit because I loved so much about my time there, but it’s the truth. Two things can be true at once: a place can be both a dream come true and incredibly challenging. I remember telling myself, “Cs get degrees” and “I just need to graduate” to push through.
After graduating, I went on to get my Master’s in Counseling at LMU. That’s where I was first exposed to the idea of working for yourself. Some of my professors had private practices, and I remember thinking—that sounds incredible. After earning my degree, I started working at a nonprofit. It felt familiar and meaningful; I was offering bilingual counseling and felt a real sense of connection with everyone in this environment. The only problem? The pay was low. I was living paycheck to paycheck, with little savings and even less knowledge about retirement.
In 2018 I took a break from pursuing licensure and pivoted into the world of mental health tech. I learned a lot—especially from watching younger colleagues walk with the kind of confidence I wished I had. I played small. I hid in plain sight. I still didn’t feel worthy.
When the pandemic hit, I found myself reflecting. In 2021, I made the decision to go back to counseling, finish my hours, and sit for my licensure exam. I did the grind—working at sites with horrible work-life balance, where I was expected to provide excellent care and do all my paperwork while completely neglecting my own well-being. Whatever progress I’d made with my sense of worth was undone here.
But something started to shift. I began listening to podcasts by women talking about the first-gen experience, money, investing, and life post-COVID. I soaked it all up—it felt like advice from older sisters I never had. For the first time, I felt seen. They helped me feel worthy again—worthy of dreaming, and of taking action on those dreams.
During this time, I paid off $6,000 in credit card debt, opened a Roth IRA, and started contributing to a 401(k) and brokerage account. It was the start of something new—not just financially, but personally. I began to reimagine what was possible for my life.
Between 2021 and 2024, I stayed consistent—and I hit three major milestones: I became consumer debt-free, reached $100K invested in my retirement accounts, and hit a $100K net worth. Saying I was proud doesn’t even begin to cover it. Some people might see those numbers as small, others might see them as big—but to me, they were proof. Proof of the power of compound interest—but also of my own power. I had built a foundation for the kind of life I actually wanted.
I told myself that once I hit $100K invested, I would begin to help other women like me believe in their own version of financial freedom.
So here I am. I’m now a licensed therapist and a money coach. I help women of color move from thoughts like “I don’t have the skills,” “I’m not qualified,” and “I don’t see people like me doing this,” to thoughts like “I’m open to learning new skills,” “I am inherently worthy of my dreams,” and “With the right support, I can do anything.”
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve struggled deeply with my sense of worthiness, especially in spaces that weren’t created with women like me in mind. As a first-generation Mexican-American woman, I didn’t grow up seeing people who looked like me in leadership roles or corporate environments—so much of the time, I felt like I was making it up as I went. There was no roadmap, no mentor, no one to say “this is how you advocate for yourself” or “this is what negotiating your worth looks like.”
My intuition has always been a guiding force—it’s helped me cultivate deep, genuine relationships and make aligned decisions in my personal life. But in corporate settings, that same intuition often made me hyperaware of power dynamics, microaggressions, and performative values. I would sense when something was off, but still feel like I had to suppress my voice to stay “professional” or keep my job. That kind of emotional dissonance is exhausting.
There were many times I played small or held back—not because I lacked skills, but because I didn’t feel worthy of showing up as myself. The internal battle of trying to show up as my full self in environments that reward assimilation was one of the hardest parts of my journey.
But every time I honored my gut and made a move that aligned with my values—even when it felt risky—it opened the door to something better. Over time, I’ve learned to trust that my presence, my perspective, and my story all have value. And now I help other women see that in themselves too.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a licensed therapist and money coach who helps first-generation women of color heal their relationship with money and self-worth. My work sits at the intersection of mental health, money, and cultural identity, because you can’t talk about one without the others when you’re a first-gen daughter navigating expectations, scarcity, and systems not built for you.
My approach blends emotional insight with practical financial tools—because I believe real transformation happens when we address both what’s in our bank account and what’s in our belief system. The truth is, you can know all the “right” financial steps, but if you don’t believe you’re worthy of rest, ease, or abundance, you’ll sabotage your own progress.
What sets me apart is that I believe that authenticity is a superpower, that there needs to be more money in the hands of Black and Brown women, and that we are inherently worthy—before the degree, the salary, or the title.
After paying off $6K in credit card debt and growing my net worth to over $100K in 4 years, I committed to helping other women feel just as empowered. I want more of us to live lives rooted in freedom, not fear—and that starts by knowing we are enough, as we are.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned over the years is that authenticity is a superpower. For a long time, I thought I had to tone myself down, blend in, and follow a linear path in order to be seen as “successful.” I was quiet about the parts of my life that didn’t fit the mold—being a first-gen daughter of immigrants, navigating debt, learning about money later in life.
But over time, I’ve realized that the very things I once felt I had to hide are actually my strength. The more I embraced my full story—messy, powerful, and honest—the more I connected with others who were looking for permission to do the same. Now, I lead with my truth, not just for me, but for every person who’s been told they need to change who they are in order to belong or succeed. I want to be the role model I didn’t always have.
Pricing:
- 4 months of coaching for $2,000 (1x payment)
- 4 months of coaching for $500 a month
- Price per session $200-275
Contact Info:
- Website: https://calendly.com/lamoneytherapist/30min
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamoneytherapist/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariana-barajas-7a285283
