We recently connected with Christina Massalay and have shared our conversation below.
Christina, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I am the daughter of a West African survivor of human trafficking, who gave birth to me on her fourteenth birthday; once I was born, we were placed into foster care. My grandmother, although not biologically related, raised my mom and I in a loving and supportive home with prayer. Undoubtedly my resilience comes from consistent exposure to it as a necessary way of being by my mother and grandmother. I witnessed my mother work multiple jobs to make ends meet only to fall short many months. My grandmother fostered over fifty children in addition to raising her three biological daughters and seven adopted children. Yes, that’s a lot of personalities! I persist through challenges and disappointments because it was cultivated in me by these two women who sacrificed for me.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Due to an unconventional upbringing, financial struggles were not foreign. Our utilities were often disconnected, and at the age of fourteen we were evicted from our apartment. We struggled financially not because we lacked intelligence but because the family was ignorant of money relationships, including the impact of trauma on finances and lacked trusted financial resources. Being evicted was the single event that triggered my desire to not live paycheck to paycheck. I sought stability and business knowledge, which resulted in me becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and working in Corporate America. I founded Mass Financial Management in 2018 to help the masses of people identify their relationships with money before providing financial solutions and to bring a high level of trust, transparency, and transformation to financial services. Our services include financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, and business planning. I believe that everyone deserves financial services that are reliable, understandable, and innovative to achieve their goals. I am excited about transforming the financial lives of the masses while growing the business.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
First, my faith in God has anchored me and provided me with tangible guidance throughout my life. The creation of Mass Financial Management and every step of the process has been orchestrated by things that have been spiritually revealed to me. I am humbled that God has guided me to my calling to help transform the financial lives of the masses.
Secondly, discipline has been a continuous practice that has become central to my character and directs my focus on each of my goals. I embrace delayed gratification because I believe that if I focus and stay the course, I will achieve the end goal.
Lastly, my resolve has helped me to persevere even after failing numerous times. I endeavored to become a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) which required passing a rigorous exam. After taking the exam several times, I finally passed in November of 2022. At one point I wanted to quit but was reminded of my purpose for obtaining the designation and made up my mind to pass the exam. When you want to quit, go back to your vision and goals, get inspired and continue your journey. If you need to take a break, do so but do not quit!
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My mother showed me unconditional love by choosing to give birth to me through a difficult situation and at such a young age. My grandmother taught me the power of prayer. Unconditional love and prayer are the tenants that I live by. I love people unconditionally by looking for the good in them and I resort to prayer for everything big or small, good, or bad.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.massfinancialmanagement.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mass-financial-management
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
massfinmgmt/ 
