Litsa DeJulio shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Litsa, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
Many people believe they’re bad with money. I know I did. And it took me a long time to realize I was not bad with money. Instead, I slowly realized I was overwhelmed and under-taught. Frankly, I was struggling with emotional overload. Decision fatigue. Burnout. Major life changes. Life often feels heavy. Adulting can be amazing, but it’s also freaking hard.
Most of us were never taught money basics—how credit cards work, or how debt and investing actually function. Never mind how to make day-to-day financial decisions without constant stress.
Or worse, we’re taught the wrong information, which leads to debt, little to no savings, and a lot more stress. Instead, we’re expected to just figure it out often during already tough seasons of life. So when someone feels scattered or stuck with their finances, it’s rarely a discipline problem. It’s usually a support and systems problem.
Most of us don’t talk about money, because we’ve learned talking about money is rude or taboo and we carry shame and guilt about decisions we’ve made. So we feel lost. We know on some level our current way of managing money isn’t working. But then we’re not supposed to talk about it. It’s a vicious cycle. And here’s an awful truth – it’s very easy to get into debt. It’s hard (though not impossible) to get out of it.
Money doesn’t exist in a vacuum. When we slow things down, clarify what matters, and build systems that fit real life, people don’t just manage their money better—they live more intentionally. Even better, they start to trust themselves again. It took me a long time to feel there is hope. And I now know it’s never too late.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a spending and mindset coach. I primarily help single adults manage their time, money and energy. My tagline is: Spend with intention and live with purpose. It’s what I personally strive for, and I help others find their own path to feel calmer, clearer, and more confident with how to manage their money and their day-to-day decisions.
I have over 20 years working as a mental health professional, and I’m a certified YNAB (You Need A Budget) coach. My work sits at the intersection of practical money and life management and understanding how stress, life transitions, and emotional overload actually show up in real life.
Through my coaching and programs like Cashflow Confidence, I help people move away from shame-based budgeting and toward systems that support focus, flexibility, and intention. My approach is rooted in the belief that money doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it’s connected to our energy, our capacity, and the season of life we’re in.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I was very sensitive. And I lived with a lot of anxiety. I grew up feeling like I wasn’t quite right. I was nervous, shy and needed time to myself.
Here’s the thing – I still am all of those things. I eventually learned that I was an introvert and a highly sensitive person who lives with anxiety. Over time I learned how to manage and live with anxiety. Anxiety can be a good thing, and it’s hardwired into living beings for good reasons aka to keep us alive from dangers. But of course anxious feelings can be overwhelming and downright painful. I know I’ll have moments of higher anxiety. In fact, I’m going through a period now (at the time of this interview in December 2025). But, I know these feelings shift. I ask for help and I take care of myself. It takes work, willingness to look inward, and it takes time, but it all pays off. You can find a lot of peace in learning about yourself, accept your whole-being and work with what you have, so to speak.
It was only a few years ago that I learned about being a highly sensitive person. I felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I can’t tell you how many times I said, “Oh, that’s why I do that or feel that.” It was a relief. Just like learning about personal finance, I wished I learned about being HSP years ago. Both could have saved me a lot of heartache. Ha.
So I no longer believe I’m broken or wrong. I fully accept being sensitive, and that at times, I’ll experience more anxious than other times. And I’m finally okay with it. It’s me. I’m stronger than I used to think and feel.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell my younger self that I’m not damaged. Weird is good. Weird is awesome. I’m just wired differently. I’m a highly sensitive, introverted, sometimes anxious person. So I would tell myself it’s okay to be. Just be you. What some may view as weaknesses, you can find strength. For I now know that sensitivity gives me the ability to help others, anxiety helps me be prepared. I’d tell little Litsa that it’s okay. Sure it’ll be rough at times, but you get through it and you’ll get through it again. I think we can all use someone saying telling us, “You’re amazing. Just be you.”
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
I used to believe I was bad with money. Even deeper than that, I believed I shouldn’t be thinking about money. That it was wrong somehow as someone in the helping profession. But money isn’t a bad thing. It’s not good either. It’s a tool. My old mindset was not only naive and silly, it was harmful. I was missing a lot of information, but I was mostly missing faith in myself to learn something that didn’t come naturally to me.
I like the saying, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best is now.” I’m 50 years old now. It wasn’t until I was in my late 30s that I started to question my money mindset. And it wasn’t until I was in my 40s where I did the work to learn about personal finance. Do I wish I believed differently and learned earlier? Yep. But I also believe it’s not too late. Most of the people I work with are between 40 and 70 years old.
If you asked me 20 years ago if I thought I would be a mindset coach with a focus on money, I would be sure you were confusing me with someone else. Not in a millions years would 20-something year old me think I would love learning about personal finance. The simple truth is that we’re not taught how to manage our money. And we don’t always remember how we spend our money, time and energy are all interconnected. Now it’s my mission to help all ages gain knowledge and faith in their selves.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I thought about saying, “I’d stop worrying,” or “I’d stop working.” But when I really think about it, if I only had 10 years left, I would stop caring about the little things. I know that I wouldn’t stop worrying because that’s a natural thing to do. And I think if I stopped working immediately, I would have a harder time adjusting to this new reality. So I would put a lot less emphasis on physical accumulations and even more on experiences. I recently turned 50 so I’ve already thought about shifting priorities. I want more experiences including travel, time with friends and family, and less “stuff.” My theme in 2026 is lighter. I want to feel lighter. Owning things isn’t bad. For me, I’m focusing on what I love in this stage of my life. I’m want to gain more experiences and memories with family and friends. And I’m making my way through my bucket list.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://litsadejulio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/litsadejulio/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/litsa-dejulio-793a0a73/
- Other: Free Quiz: “What kind of spender are you?” https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/68f81619f3908f0015093503
Image Credits
Headshot and photos by Litsa DeJulio. The photos were from my recent trip to Scotland, one of the countries on my bucket list.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
