Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Greshtchuk.
Diana, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Silicon Valley during the 80’s dot com boom. I received the briefest of education around financial literacy when, in 5th grade, a guest speaker from a bank came to our class and taught us about bank accounts, and how to write checks. Already excelling at math in AP Algebra and Geometry in high school, I sought out opportunities to be Treasurer in my extracurriculars whenever it was available. I double majored in finance and accounting in college, while opening and running a bookkeeping service with a full course load. After graduating magna cum laude from my college, I went on to work at one of the Big 4 accounting firms for approximately 12 years in total spanning the San Francisco, CA, and Sydney, Australia offices. I left public accounting for the private sector to work with a boutique asset manager in Seattle, a vertically integrated real estate and private lending firm in Redondo Beach, and currently serve as VP of Fund Accounting and Finance at an LA-based private equity asset management firm.
I’ve earned countless experiences in my 20 years in the financial services industry and after a life-altering loss of my mother, realized I wanted more from life. I wanted to have real impact, be of service, contribute, and help others who could benefit from my specific skill set. After losing my mother in 2020, I became certified in mindset work rooted in neuroscience and metacognition. I blend my practical business and financial knowledge with trauma-informed “inner” mindset work to empower my clients, entrepreneurs, and marginalized communities to achieve goals of financial independence, transformation, and abundance. My mission is sustainable growth in wealth and to democratize access to financial literacy. I aim to break systemic stigmas around talking about money using emotional intelligence and healing to address root causes (not just symptoms) around financial problems.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road is never smooth for long. I found myself navigating a forever-changed life after losing my mother. My trajectory shifted financially, and I found a deeper yearning for impact. I began angel investing in female entrepreneurs. I joined the Board of the Directors for the Point Foundation, a non-profit organization that empowers queer students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential. My actions became more aligned and attuned to contributing in a more meaningful way as a legacy play. In order for me to level-up, I needed to do mindset work required to get out of my own way, I had to be sick enough of my own disempowering inner self-talk and narratives, and as a result, generated massive change for myself. I did the best I could as I navigated new financial issues, a volatile market, piloting a mission-aligned impact investing strategy on a personal scale, and grieved. I found community during COVID, connection in an isolating age. I found love and got engaged this year. I disrupted the inertia of the life of mine that was spiraling into predictability and terrifying me and watched as things I never thought were available to me laid themselves at my feet.
We’ve been impressed with Fan Your Flame, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I founded Fan Your Flame to realize my vision of a future where anyone can fulfill their dreams because they have access to the support and resources they need. Through Fan Your Flame, I provide trauma-informed financial literacy coaching to a wide variety of clients to help them achieve goals of financial independence, transformation, and abundance. If you want to change your relationship with money, you have to shift your relationship with yourself. The outer work doesn’t work unless you’re doing the inner work to make growth and change sustainable. Fan Your Flame will help you build your financial literacy so you can achieve your dreams and live your best life — for yourself and for generations to come.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Ha! I think when people meet me, they, often like me, have no idea what will come out of my mouth. I’m unabashedly honest and call a spade a shovel. I keep my candor direct and kind. My humor and energy is magnetic, as I’m often told.
I’ve also led a very colorful life. My perspective and wisdom comes from experiencing and exploring myself in a completely unapologetic way. To know me is to know that I’m the first to hop on the mechanical bull at a party despite 5 knee surgeries, or cliff-jump into the ocean in Boracay. I’m a citizen of the world, learning from living and traveling abroad, feeling closest to the ME-est me when I’m out of my comfort zone. Lifelong learning is a passion of mine, and I love to share so others may apply what I’ve learned for themselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fan-your-flame.com https://linktr.ee/fanyourflame
- Email: fanyourflamellc@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FanYourFlameLLC/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanYourFlameLLC https://www.facebook.com/groups/fanyourflame
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/FanYourFlameLLC
Image Credits
Bernadette Marciniak Photography
