The best $100,000 investment I made
/I birthed Money & Mimosas in 2014. I had just quit my accounting job, on the first day, with no plan. The microaggressions, a term I did not know at the time, from my trainer were too much. I quit, took myself to lunch at a French café in San Francisco, ordered a mimosa, and penned out my dreams on the back of a napkin.
Dream number one: take a yoga class at noon on Thursdays without asking for permission from a manager.
Fast forward to 2022, my dreams have expanded to include mini-retirements. Last year, I took a 6-month mini-retirement to recharge and be re-inspired.
For the last eight years, Money & Mimosas has helped me and others heal their relationship with money and reach their dreams.
And now, we are ready to evolve. This means we’ll no longer share how to achieve financial freedom. I am now ready to share the beauty of life once you’ve achieved financial freedom. Keep reading to learn more about where we’ve been, who we’ve helped, and where we’re headed.
Money & Mimosas and Me in 2014
2014 was a transformative year of personal growth. It was the year I launched Money & Mimosas and dove hungrily into my journey of self-discovery and personal growth.
Prior to 2014, I had devoured personal finance books. That year, I coupled my thirst for financial knowledge with an appetite for enlightenment. Some of the books I read were Marianne Williamson’s “A Return to Love” and “The Divine Law of Compensation”. Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth” and “The Power of Now”. Steven Pressfield’s “Turning Pro” and “The War of Art”.
The books I read that year, combined with my financial expertise, helped form the foundation of Money & Mimosas. It began as a bookkeeping company and evolved into a financial transformational brand helping folks heal their relationship with money and learn how to make money on their own terms.
Magically, my first courtside pro basketball experience was also in 2014. It was in December in Oakland. Warriors versus Sixers. After the game, I vowed that I would manifest a life where I always had the best seats in the house.
Since 2014, I have invested nearly $100,000 in my business skills and personal development. This investment is in addition to my B.A. in Economics.
My first investment was a $2,000 marketing program. The next investment was $4,500 on sales training. Then, $24,000 on money mastery. $10,000 on private business coaching. $15,000 on speaker training. There were more investments, including countless therapy and spiritual sessions.
I didn’t use credit cards or ask my parents to help me. I hustled, made the money, and paid my way. It was tough, but, each bet I made on myself strengthened my skillset and mindset.
The Money & Mimosas legacy
Over the last eight years, the wisdom from my hard-earned lessons have helped so many folks achieve their dreams.
From a 65-year-old interior designer whose business was faltering to turning it around so she could hire two part-time staffers AND take two months off every summer to travel to Europe for inspiration.
To a married interracial couple who worked with our material to heal their money traumas and then buy their first farmland property.
To helping a racial justice educator earn her first $10K month as a consultant and five years later, her business is thriving.
To helping an entrepreneur go from earning less than five figures a year to multiple six figures per year within two years.
And so many more inspiring stories.
Many of my teachings were designed to counteract the flawed U.S. financial system and restore the individual’s agency. The credit scoring system is punitive and unfair. As an example, there’s no reason why a landlord can deny you rent based on your credit score, yet paying rent on time does not boost your credit score.
Taking it a step further, real estate has been the number one wealth-generating strategy for Americans. Yet, the median home price has increased 1,608% since 1970, while inflation has increased 644%. Put differently, if home prices grew at the same rate as inflation, then the median home sale price in the United States today would only be $177,788 (Source: Federal Reserve of St. Louis).
And one more step further, the ESG investing framework is a complete sham. The top three ESG funds include the world’s biggest plastic polluters.
Over the last eight years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Money & Mimosas readers to thrive despite these inequities and flaws. My teachings focused on abundance principles. In other words, making money by listening to your heart rather than solely your head, following your passions, and tuning into what feels pleasurable and joyful. I’ve worked with readers across the socio-economic spectrum as private clients, through our various group programs, our limited edition digital offerings, and in our Money Makers subscription offer.
Through these offerings, our readers learned how to heal their relationship with money and make money on their own terms. Our economic system, globally and in the United States, is wildly abusive. Energetically, it is just as harmful as sexual abuse. Therefore, healing our relationship with money is imperative to survival and being able to thrive.
2022: Money & Mimosas and Me
In 2022, I took a small step back from Money & Mimosas. We had passive income streams in place and after my six-month mini-retirement in 2021, I knew I needed a fresh perspective. There was a shift happening and I needed breathing room to fully witness it.
The fresh perspective ironically came through a W-2 role. A real estate data company asked me to be a writer. I joined the team, and within three months I was promoted to a role I created. It was Chief Economist + Spokesperson. I picked up new skills and learned a lot about company dynamics. Although I have been a guest speaker for countless organizations including Google and Healthline, these dynamics were eye-opening. I realized why so many employees do not practice abundance principles. The system is not designed to support this approach.
This sobering realization was necessary because I learned it was no longer wise to share these abundance principles in certain environments - namely startups and corporations. If folks in these environments were interested, they would do the work necessary to find Money & Mimosas. But, it was no longer our job to find them. It’s unfortunate because, arguably, they need these teachings the most. And now, with the deluge of avoidable layoffs, the wisdom from my hard-earned lessons is needed more than ever.
But, it is time for Money & Mimosas to evolve.
This means we’ll no longer share how to achieve financial freedom. We’ll now focus on life after you’ve achieved financial freedom. We are shining a light on life at the end of the tunnel. After years of intense inner work and committing to your financial education, there is abundance and true liberation at the end of the tunnel. Financial freedom is a part of this liberation.
On a personal and financial level, I’ve evolved to this place. And I’m eager to align energies with folks who are vibing at that frequency and intentionally designing their lives.
Money & Mimosas in 2023
Money & Mimosas is transforming into a lifestyle brand. We will continue to share investment opportunities with the intention of inspiring you to find ways to fund your dream mini-retirement. A mini-retirement is an intentional self-funded career break usually lasting between two to twelve months. Money & Mimosas will be the embodiment of what life is like once you’ve reached the “mountaintop” of financial freedom.
It will take a full year to complete the Money & Mimosas transformation and you are welcome to join in on the journey through our weekly newsletter. My hope is our newsletter and offerings serve as inspiration as you design your abundant lifestyle. Whether it’s designing your dream mini-retirement or creating moments of abundance in your everyday life.
As for me, in 2023, my abundant lifestyle includes buying Portland Trailblazer courtside season tickets and having a 3-4 month mini-retirement every year.
On Money & Mimosas, I will share my process of designing and curating my abundant lifestyle. This will be largely uncharted, and at times uncomfortable, territory for me. I have spent so much time becoming a financial expert, so I am a newbie in many areas of abundant living: including fashion and beauty. All the glam girls out there, help your sister out. I need you.
In 2023, I’ll share my journey of refining my personal style, exploring culinary classes, indulging in wellness retreats, improving my Spanish, and continuing my Italian lessons. If any of this sparks a desire to design your own abundance lifestyle, I invite you to join me. On January 1, 2023, I’ll launch my weekly paid newsletter through Substack and begin sharing my journey.
This newsletter will be a behind-the-scenes look at my life after achieving financial freedom as I share my process of designing an abundant lifestyle. My hope is that it serves as a small piece of inspiration as you design yours. My hope is you are also willing to share and be an inspiration to me as well.
Let’s make 2023 our most abundant year, yet.
Cheers,
Danetha
