We recently connected with Cecilia Revan-Hernandez and have shared our conversation below.
Cecilia, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
My life purpose now is obvious, but it wasn’t always that way.
I lived most of my life in survival mode, navigating an alcoholic father, abuse, food insecurity, numerous evictions, and ultimately homelessness.
When I graduated from university and landed my first finance and accounting job at an advertising agency, my life slowly transformed for myself and my family.
I had always thought that achieving these milestones – getting a degree and an income – would make me happy and solve all my problems. Little did I know that was just the beginning, and I would have to focus a lot of my attention on healing and taking care of myself beyond simply financial means.
That was how I came to discover my life purpose is to heal and support others on their healing journeys.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Although I had co-founded my first business while in university, I never imagined myself becoming a full-time entrepreneur years down the line. As a first-generation college graduate who grew up in the Bronx to Dominican parents, I was raised to believe a college degree led to getting a traditional job as a full-time employee. Anything else was thought too risky and, therefore, should not even be considered.
I realized two things when I started my career at an agency and running my first business:
1. No one was teaching us financial concepts for business reasons or for managing personal finances
2. Our personal upbringing with money impacts our viewpoints and decision-making with money as an adult
I wanted to change that, which was why I started Wealth Healer, a financial planning firm that bridges the gap between finances and well-being.
Becoming a full-time entrepreneur has been the scariest thing I have ever done, but it has also been one of the most healing things I could’ve done for myself. Through entrepreneurship, I felt empowered to write my own narrative and no longer navigate my life through the lens of a victim. I have had to face and overcome serious money scarcity and limiting beliefs. With therapy, coaching, a supportive partner, family, and friends, I’ve been able to push through this new chapter from a place of courage rather than fear.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
One of the most impactful things I learned in my journey is that you will not always like what you do, and it will not always feel good as you navigate and learn new skills. When I started my finance and accounting career, it was a completely different language for me, and I was unsure if I liked it. I had to put a lot of effort into learning and developing the skills. Making mistakes, working late, and using my free time to learn did not always feel good, but I am so grateful to myself that I did not give up because it has led me to an amazing career that I love.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without my community of mentors. I am so grateful that they have poured time and effort into helping me navigate my career. I am also proud to say that I have also impacted their lives as a mentee.
Lastly, I have failed numerous times to get here. Before 30, my first business did not work out. I had multiple jobs in different industries and even tried a career in a different field. All of these lessons and twists and turns have helped me run my business now.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
When I started my career, I would give the client their financial plan and schedule our next meeting. I soon realized that method was never effective because my clients were not yet educated on financial concepts, and they did not see how their money stories were impacting their personal and business finances.
For example, one of my clients kept her personal and business finances disorganized and always felt the need to spend all the revenue she earned instead of saving for her business and taxes because, growing up, she had limited money. She avoided looking at her finances and made decisions that made her feel free but were, in fact, restricting her in many ways. Her ability to transform this money script and feel empowered to learn financial concepts have transformed her business and increased her revenue, which, as a result, has improved her personal finances.
That is the power of combining numbers with healing!
My ideal clients are full-time entrepreneurs or individuals who work a 9-5, have a business or side hustle, or are considering starting one.
They are finally earning a decent income but have found themselves unable to optimize their money or stop making financial decisions that don’t align with their goals. They know that they need financial and well-being healing to live the life they always dreamed of.
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