Welcome to episode 50 of Between 2 Mics!

In this episode, Zach and Rock chat with Jen Hemphill of the podcast Her Dinero Matters. The three of them discuss autonomy, personal finance, podcasting, and so much more. Jen’s podcast helps women make sound financial decisions through honest conversations. It’s a bilingual podcast “for women who want to become reinas of their money and love their dinero more.”

In this conversation, you’ll hear about Jen’s podcast, how she decided to start another podcast, and how she got past the initial slump of only getting a couple hundred downloads per episode. Hint: she was mentioned on My Favorite Murder, which sent a ton of new fans her way.

About Jen’s podcast: You can say this podcast is definitely not your typical money talk. I don’t talk about the best coupon hacks, or how you can be more frugal in your spending. Instead we tackle issues so you can be more, do more and enhance your money confidence. And when you are more money confident YOU are unstoppable. (And she’s a long-time SquadCast user)!

Show Notes

Episode Transcriptions

[music]

JEN HEMPHILL: It’s a long game. I’m sure you’ve heard this time. You’re aware of it. It’s not a one and done. You need to stick to it. I’ve been doing this for five years, and it served me well, but I’ve started like everybody else with, I don’t know, whatever, couple hundred downloads per episode or whatever that was. And so I think you need to do that.

[music]

ROCKWELL FELDER: Welcome to Between Two Mics. 

ZACHARIAH MORENO: I’m Zach.

ROCK: And I’m Rock. 

ZACH: We’re the co-founders of Squadcast [dot] fm. 

ROCK: The best way to record remote interviews in studio quality like this one. 

ZACH: Here on Between Two Mics, we explore the challenges, opportunities, and new ideas with the people who are pushing the limits of what’s possible in podcasting.

[music]

ZACH: Jen Hemphill, thank you, uh, thank you for joining us on this, uh, on this episode of Between Two Mics, welcome.

JEN: I’m really excited to be here, especially as a Squadcast user.

ZACH: Yeah. And, um, that’s something that we always value long-term relationships and, and, uh, you know, and, and listening. And we’re really proud to be of service to your show for, for as long as we have, I thin were, were you, uh, were you recording with us when we were in beta or what, what, what point did you, uh…

JEN: That’s a good question. I, I just remember I found your service right after I was using Skype. So I’ve been podcasting since 2015 and somehow with Skype. That’s what I was using and didn’t fail. I mean, you know what, there’s some hiccups right? With the internet. There’s always internet just causes the issues. And I couldn’t log in to Skype. And to Skype is connected to what is it, Microsoft, whatever. And somehow my oldest who was into the XBox and everything, he somehow he set up, I don’t know, long story short. I had to go through him and he’s in school to be able to reset my password. That’s connected to his XBox. Don’t know how that happened. And I’m like, I can’t do this. I got to find something else. And then somehow you all stumbled upon me. And I’m like, it’s time. I don’t have to do everything for free. I can, I’ve been podcasting and I can splurge here and here we are. So it might be, it’s been more than a year, right?

ZACH: I think so. Yeah. I mean, it, it blows my mind how long we’ve we’ve, uh, been working on this we’re we’re over our, we just had our fourth anniversary, so that’s really, really cool.

JEN: Congratulations.

ZACH: Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. It’s um, yeah, I dunno. It’s still feels like day two for me or something like that. So I don’t know, but, um, but I think we, uh, we ran into, you just before, just before things kind of closed down at Podf est in 2020, how was the event for you there?

JEN: It was good. It was good. That was my first Podfest. I hadn’t even been to his event yet, but it was a good event. He, he definitely does a good job. Of course, Chris is really a good networker. He’s a people person and he’s in his element. It was a good, good event. And then the next week, everything just tumbled.

ROCK: Yeah, he was super lucky. I actually had the pleasure of speaking with Chris earlier today. So, uh, yeah, it’s really cool to see what they’ve been doing and always, always fun to talk to him. So unfortunately I missed that event. I was, I was sick before I actually think I might’ve had COVID unfortunately, but, uh. Yeah, it wasn’t, it was one of the sickest I’ve ever been. Um, but fortunately all is good, but, uh, I did miss that on the last in-person podcast event. So that was a bummer, but we definitely got to catch you at the Podcast Movement virtual. So that’s, we know that that’s how we know you. You’re, you’re, you know, definitely active in the, in the community and that’s actually one of the, the topics I wanted to touch on. So, um, you know, your podcast is Your Dinero Matters. Uh, I believe it’s was another name, uh, before that, so. You know, before we get really into the, to, you know, more podcasting related topics. Why don’t you tell us more about your show and what your, what your mission is and why you created it?

JEN: Sure. So I started, like I mentioned in 2015 and it started as Her Money Matters and why I started a podcast was because I had started a business, and I was told you need to create content. Write a blog post. And so I got my website set up and there is that part of writing the blog post. And I think in the first year, I don’t think I even made it to 12 blog posts. And what I learned in that time frame is that in order for people to get to know me, they need to see some content from me to really make a decision, whether they want to continue the relationship, whether they want to work with me. And I, so I knew blog posts like that was not me. Uh, that was clear. 

ROCK: Me too.

JEN: [laughs] I played around with YouTube videos. I played around with YouTube videos because that was the thing. And I noticed, well, I have to not only set up the, the sound, or the, the mic, but I have to create the lighting. And I took, I did study photography and lighting. I still haven’t gotten it. And so that was rough, especially in that time, I’m a military spouse. And I lived in what I called “The North Pole,” which is North Dakota. And it was constantly, it was winter, pretty much 90% of the year, which was, it was just dark and, and I would have to get the lighting. So that was a mess. So I said, no video, YouTube videos. No, that’s not me. And I had heard about podcasts. And I’m like, let me give that a shot. But before I made the commitment, I said, because I need to be consistent. I need to have some help. And so even at the, I don’t know how to edit podcasts. This is where I’m going. So even at the very beginning, I decided I’m going to find myself an editor because I want to commit to this. And in order to commit to this, I know my perfectionism. And if, even if I learn editing, I didn’t want to take three, four, however many hours it took to edit the podcast. So I committed to finding and outsourcing that aspect. And that has served me well, for sure.

ROCK: Yeah. That’s something that I’m, I am. I, I definitely support that and promote that to other podcasters that like, if you love editing, by all means, you know, do it. But if not, you should look for help. Cause there’s plenty of people that do love it. They’re going to make your show sound that much better, and it’s not going to be this huge weight on your shoulders, because it can be a lot of time and you can, you can spend all the time in the world, editing your show and, and, you know, miss actually releasing it and getting it out there. So, uh, yeah, the quicker you can kind of find ways to have people support your show. And because it is a lot like running a business, right. You know, there’s all these different activities and hats that you need to wear. So having people help take that load off you is really important.

JEN: Right. And so I did that, Her Money Matters, basically it’s focused on the money story.  And if we look at the world of financial education or financial literacy, it really comes down to three things: Save more, spend less, and get out of debt. And I always ask, how is that working for you? And I’m not saying if you don’t implement this, that you won’t have success. But what I found in my journey is that I applied all those things, but there was something missing. And that was the mindset. That was the money story: how you grew up, what you saw, what you experienced, and that really has a really big impact on how you manage money, your relationship with money, how you see money, whether you’re really going to man-whether you’re going to do a budget or really stick to a game plan of paying off that, all those things. And so my podcast is focused on the money story. I’m bringing the light that don’t just focus on, save more, spend less, and get out of debt, which is yes, is important, but you really need to understand your money story. So that’s what I really focus on as well as keeping things simple with finances so women can become more confident. Because I think confidence really speaks volumes and does a lot when it comes to managing finances because it’s a taboo subject. It’s a scary area and our lives, uh, that isn’t really important part of our lives because it impacts so many things. So I really focused on that, on just that professional woman. And then years later, when, after you do a podcast for a certain period of time, you get, you see different shiny object syndrome. I don’t know if that’s the right term, but I wanted to do something a little different, and I’m thinking, why am I not talking to Latinas. So then I started a second podcast, call me crazy. I started a second podcast.

ROCK: Loca!

ZACH: It happens.

JEN: Loca! [laughs] And because I wanted to serve the Latino community, and it was called Su Dinero Importa. So it’s the same focus. It was all in Spanish. Well, yeah, it was mainly in Spanish and, um, same purpose, money stories, bringing the light to money stories and so forth for the Latinas. And I did that starting in September. I did that through December. So I was publishing weekly podcasts for both podcasts, and I was going nuts. 

ZACH: That’s a lot of work.

JEN: I was, it was, I mean, I don’t do that editing, but I was going crazy. And I’m like, I can’t do this. And when I started looking at the direction I wanted to go in, I realized, let me just go back to one podcast. Let me focus on Latinas because I was seeing through, when I started the podcast in 2015, yes there was personal finance podcasts. There wasn’t a lot talking to women if you look at the research. So I’m like, this is where I need to be back in two thousand- when I started the second. Uh, Su Dinera I think I, I started in September of 2018. At that time, a lot of women podcasts for personal finance, but there wasn’t much for Latinas. So I’m like, okay, this is where I need to be. I feel like I needed to serve where it was more needed. And then I decided in January of 2019, while I still was doing the two podcasts. But, for Her Money Matters, which really did really, was doing really well. I got mentions. I got recommended by a true crime podcast. My Favorite Murder. I don’t know if you know that podcast, but they recommended my podcasts and my, that that was…huge growth, not just in the podcast, but in my business, uh, clients and so forth. And so that was Her Money Matters. And then I decided, let me go to two episodes a month for Her Money Matters. And because I was afraid, I was afraid of that change and still continue to do what I called Her Dinero Matters. I started calling it Her Dinero Matters weekly, but it was still too much. And so it was, I literally needed to just rip the bandaid off and say, thank you so much for supporting me. I’m going to go in a new direction. And so that was June 2019 at where merged it, basically. I merged the podcast to Your Dinero Matters. And it’s really been a really great decision. Uh, opportunities that I didn’t know what opened up for me have opened up just because I narrowed down. Granted, I have seen it still hurts my ego to go from the number of downloads I would get every single month per episode in the first 30 days for it to decrease, which I knew was what happened. I just didn’t know by how much, but that tells me, gives me a gauge of who was in my audience. Maybe there weren’t, maybe that number was not as Latinas, not as many Latinas as I thought. Right? Uh, so that has been interesting. So that is, it’s been a great ride. And I, at the moment I decided on, uh, becoming a podcaster, I will never look back because it’s really done me well.

ZACH: That’s really great to hear your story and that you’ve, uh, evolved. I think that, you know, it, it’s something that’s not talked about enough. Um, within podcasting, I think there’s a lot of emphasis on the planning and the design phase kind of upfront. And then I think it can kind of become rigid over time where you get stuck in that format. Um, not really experimenting and, and, it takes courage to make those changes because, uh, you know, in your story, there’s there’s, there are, the numbers aren’t going to look the same after you make a decision like that for you. It’s part of your business, which is a topic that comes up often on, on, on the podcast is that’s, uh, something that a lot of people focus on advertisements when they think of how do I become a professional podcaster. Um, you are a professional who became a podcaster, you know, and, and it’s part, part of your, uh, your business strategy. So, um, how did you think about those two things. Like the, the courage to make that the, those steps to evolve your show over time and your brand and how that was, um, you know, intertwined with your business, like um, you know, respect you for that.

JEN: Thank you. So your question was how…?

ZACH: Yeah. So the, how did you think about making those changes? Um, because there was so much at stake. And then how do you think about, uh, how do you think about your podcast as part of your business strategy? How do those two things fit together?

JEN: Right. So when I decided to merge the podcast, it was a painful decision because I felt like, well, I have these loyal listeners who have been there since the beginning that have supported me, that have rooted for me in the finance world. There’s, what’s called the The Plutus Awards, which recognizes, uh, personal finance bloggers, podcasters and the sort. And my loyal listeners had been there from the beginning, and I had the opportunity to be a finalist on those, in those awards. Which was huge for me, right. I didn’t win. That’s okay. And so it was a hard decision, but I was making a shift, right. I was making a shift as to who the direction of what I wanted to do with my business. And I was really adamant that I needed to support Latinas. Latinas with the gender wage gap are on the bottom of that scale amongst all women. So I wanted to go where I was needed most. That’s what that’s always been like my focus, where would I serve better? And so that’s the direction I went. And again, hard decision in terms of the podcasters and downloads. It was, I had a decrease of 50% over time. So it hasn’t decreased more thankfully, but that, that was painful. And in terms of the podcast, how I see it in my business is like my marketing arm. Yes, I have podcasts advertising. Not all the time, but it doesn’t matter because it’s, it serves me in terms of advertising my business, uh, in my services and whatnot. So that’s how I see my podcast.Is like my marketing arm. It was also the opportunity for a potential client to get to know me. And it also shows because I’ve been working with brands, it also shows the caliber of my work. I have been asked to do…I was in negotiations with an agency to do a podcast, co-host a podcast with them. It didn’t didn’t work out. They’re budgeting change and all that stuff. So it gives me the opportunity to really show the caliber of person that I am. Um, the caliber of work that I bring to the table for these other different oppor-opportunities. So it’s not just the business to consumer in terms of clients and helping them with their budgets and, and getting out of debt, but also working with other brands, as well.

ROCK: So I really love, uh, in your message that you’re not just talking about like how to get rich quick, or make all this money and stuff like that. And I’m extremely, uh, passionate about personal finance and not because I just want to be super rich and lay in a bed full of money, like Scrooge McDuck or something like that. Maybe the, the old me did, but like now where this passion for personal finance comes is like, it’s so much more than about money. It’s about like behavior. It’s about, um, uh, like it’s psychology is involved. I mean, you talk about confidence all the time on your podcast, which is another thing that I think isn’t really talked about enough. So with your unique expertise in, in the, the, the money world, but then also being a podcaster, what do you think the podcaster community can learn about like podcaster finances. Like what are things that you come up with that you hear other folks in the community. I mean, obviously monetization is always a big topic and it sounds like you have a lot of perspective on that, but like, you know, what, where, what do you think we can help podcasters get better with their finances?

JEN: It’s always about getting clarity as to where you’re at currently and where you want to go. It comes down to that bottom line. And we are scared to get the clarity. Because we don’t want to see the reality of our finances. We don’t want to see that we are overspending and not making the, I mean, we’re overspending-we’re spending more than we’re making or that we continue to get into credit card debt or whatever that may be. So you need to get clarity as to where you’re at. It may be painful to see that, but it’s a number, that’s it. And you can’t move forward and make that number better into the positive or whatever that, that may be for you, uh, until you know, where you stand right now. And that’s where people get stuck is at the very beginning, they’re afraid to know the reality, but you just have to rip off that Band-Aid know where you stand so you can move forward. And with podcasters, I think we need to, really, I know as podcasters, we focus on the podcast advertisers and everything, but open yourself up to, we need to have different revenue-revenue streams, right? So it’s not just podcast  advertising. I think you can give yourself the, the, the opportunity to think outside the box. Because you don’t have to podcast that one way of the advertise-the podcast ads and all that. I don’t, when I work, when I work with advertisers, I don’t go by the, the, what is it? The CPM model. See, I’m a podcaster, fire me now. I don’t go by that CPM model. I go by the value that I bring. I am very upfront with my download numbers. But I also share with them, this is, this is my community. This is the listenership and the value that I bring. So I, that is a side note. So I think you need to open up yourself with different revenue streams. I think you can be creative about it. So I think that, that’s key because I hear that a lot. Just not making the money. They thought it was going to be easy. I think, you with podcasting, you, not everybody should podcast. It’s so popular, but not everybody

ZACH: No, that’s totally fair.

JEN: Not everybody should podcast just because it’s that shiny object that, oh my gosh, everybody’s doing. And then make it, everybody,it’s made out to be like, okay, this is the thing you need to do. It’s going to take you to the next level. And then nothing happens for them and then they don’t stick to it. It’s a long game. I’m sure you’ve heard this time. You’re aware of it. It’s not a one and done. You need to stick to it. I’ve been doing this for five years, and it’s servedme well, but I’ve been, I did it. I start, like started, like everybody else with, I dunno, however, a couple hundred downloads per episode or whatever that was. And so I think you need to do that.

ROCK: It just sounds like you, like we, as most of us people, and this is, you know, whether you’re a podcaster or not, we just kind of avoid it because we’re afraid of, of the reality. But it sounds like the quicker you can get over it, the better it is for the long-term. And that’s something I can relate to on a personal level. Like, uh, my, my partner and I, like, we’ve been talking about finances a lot recently and it’s, again, it’s not because we’re just like, so money motivated, but we want to be on the same page and like, I have not really done that with anybody else. And I don’t know why. I think I was afraid to, to learn about that kind of stuff. But now it’s like, you know what? Feel like we’re more in tune than ever. And you know, now we’re having like little competitions of who can save the most money, which is probably what happens when two, two accountants get in a relationship. Right. But, uh, it’s really been better for our relationship in total. So, um, I don’t know if that like, uh, you know, uh, help trigger anything that you were going to say, but that’s just seems the general theme of like, we kind of avoid it, um,

JEN: Right. We do. We do. And I think we just need to talk more about the finances. That’s, I mean, because that’s a part, we avoid it, but, and we also avoid talking about it. So avoiding it is one thing. And then when we avoid talking about it, that even triggers more avoided, even more of the, if that makes sense. 

ROCK: That’s a good distinction.

JEN: And so you need to be able to talk about it, but here’s the thing: When we think about talking money, we revert to, okay. I got to talk about the bills with my partner. We had to talk about the debt. We got to talk about that debt collector that keeps calling. We got to talk about, uh oh, we went over in the budget. But that doesn’t have to be. There’s other things that you can talk about when you talk about money. It can be, you mentioned with your partner, that you have savings challenges. It can be, uh, about your financial goals. It can be, let’s say that you, if you’re a Starbucks fanatic that you usually go to Starbucks often, and then you drove by the Starbucks, and you didn’t stop. That is that is like a, win. Uh, you can, it can be that you heard some tip on a podcast, since we’re podcasters, and you apply to it and you have success. That’s another conversation. So that conversation can be so many things. And when you, or you can ask your partner about their money story. How they grew up, because then that gives you a better perspective on your partner and understand why they do the things with money, why they do what they do with money. Right. It gives you a better perspective because something about the upbringing really impacted them in some shape or form. So money conversations don’t have to be about the bills about the debt, about the doom and gloom. It can be other things. And that will help you become more confident. Once you have those other conversations that aren’t about the doom and gloom, you become more confident. And that triggers other things, or you take more action, and you have progress and so forth.

ZACH: Yeah. And I wanted to come back to something that you shared earlier about, um, making this decision to, to be more specific to your audience. And I also want to applaud you being mission-driven like, it comes back to whatever your definition of success is as a podcaster. Is that for you, is that for other people? Is it, you know, helping other people with their financial literacy in your case and a specific group of people? Um, I think, you know, really speaks to one what you said about the value of your audience, right? There’s there’s big numbers, and then there’s meaningful numbers. And I think, you know, you’re talking to a very specific group of people, um, that has value beyond, uh, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s quality over quantity. So, um, I think that when people talk about, you know, this advice we hear in the podcasting community all the time about, uh, niche down, like get more specific, get more specific. I think you’re actually still pretty, pretty big audience that you’re talking to. There’s, there’s a lot of Latinas who, uh, probably, you know, can benefit from your message and can tell their story about how they’ve applied, applied, that, that wisdom that you’re sharing. So, um, you know, that that’s really another example of why, of why the niches like really, really matter and are, are beyond just: okay, I can find a community to talk to in your case that you’ve been doing this for long enough, where you’ve seen that play out and be, uh, be meaningful to, uh, to relationships with advertisers. So like how, how, how has that really resonated when you have those conversations with, uh, with potential partners, either for your business or, or, and, or the podcast?

JEN: It’s gone well, and I don’t know if it’s, it was my decision to just narrow down the focus to Latinas. I don’t know if it’s also the times that we’re living, where diversity, equity, and inclusion is really, really, really important. It always should be important in my opinion. But i’s just like on the headlines. 

ROCK: It’s top of mind. 

JEN: It’s top of mind. I don’t know if it’s a combination of that, but I have had a podcast advertising agencies contact me because their client wants to support a podcaster that, um, is, um, Hispanic or Black or a person of color. So I’ve had those conversations. I have worked with brands who, uh, are working with Latinos. And in, because of the work that I do and because of the education that I’ve received, because I’m also an accredited financial counselor, uh, and the book that I wrote, that also helps. But then being able to listen to my podcast. And what I do also helps them make a decision. Do they want to work with me or am a little too crazy? Cause I get a little goofy at times or what. But, so that, that helps as well. So again, I don’t know if it’s me solely niching down or just the scope of where we’re at as a society, society with diversity, equity and inclusion. But I think that also has helped.

ZACH: That’s good to hear. Yeah, I I’ve, I’ve heard other stories. I mean, we have elements of our story, uh, that, that are similar. And, um, I just think it’s, it’s, it’s a prime example. It’s a great example. Um, your story of, of, of why that advice of like niching down can have many benefits to your podcast. I mean, another way to say it is, uh, is focus, right? You’re, you’re talking to a more specific group of people now. So I’m curious how your conversations and like your, your content strategy has evolved once you made that decision to, uh, to focus on Latinas with their finances.

JEN: Well, I’ve had to be, cause I shared with you that I started that second podcast. That was all prim-primarily in Spanish, which was fun to do, but what I realized and when I looked at the stats of the downloads, I, and because it was all in Spanish, I saw I’m more primarily Latin America, which, which is fine, but I had to even really think. Uh, and not think but, I had to really get strategic. Okay: Who do I want to serve? Like this content can help someone in Latin America. Absolutely. But when it comes to other certain aspects of personal finance, it may not resonate with them because they’re not in the United States. So that was another reason I’m like, I can’t do this just-I have to think of me in terms of, okay. When I hang out with my friends, what does that look like? Right. And I realized that the person that I’m talking to, the listener that I am targeting is the U.S. Latina that has been here for a long time that may or may not speak Spanish. So, and they understood, but they do understand Spanish. “No se con usteds,” but when I hang out with my friends that are bilingual, that speak boht. That are here in the U.S.. We end up speaking primarily English knowing well that we can speak Spanish. We may mix in Spanish here and there, but for whatever reason, I don’t know. So that’s how I am taking when I do the podcast, is taking that in consideration. I also am trying to get really better at making sure that I include more stories. Not just of my stories, but that’s helpful, but include more stories that are relatable to Latinos. Because when we talk finance, uh, Latinos don’t have that trust with the financial institutions. Right. We know that. And there’s a reason for that. There’s a reason for that because financial institutions aren’t talking to them. They are just it’s that lingo that talking to the people that created it. 

ZACH: Systemic, perse. 

JEN: Right, yeah. And so I’m trying to make sure that I think about the listener. Who am I, who am I wanting to listen and make sure that not just the content, but how I explain the content. I explain it, I explain it in a relatable, in a cultural way that they can connect with. That’s really important. Am I perfect with it? No, absolutely not. But that’s what I’m trying to get better with. Uh, because I think that’s, that’s an important component, especially when it comes to personal finances, such a private thing. Yes, that may be able to connect with me, but if I can tell like some story about “mi abuelita” and, and something about finance, that where they’re like, yes, she completely gets me because that happened to me too. Now we’re talking. Right. That’s what I really, the goal of what I want to get to. Again, I am a work in progress.

ROCK: And always a work in progress. But I think that’s a great example of like how you’re going about finding, figuring out who you want to directly speak to and really just, you know, really empathizing their situation and not just making it all about you you’re really listener focused, which is something that we’re, we’re always promoting here. So I think it’s a great story. And just, you know, again, uh, like I said earlier is I’m a big fan of personal finance. But one of the downsides that I, I have found is that most of the information is coming from white males. And, you know, specifically, I, I care I’m looking for avenues or, or, content creators rather that are talking about like personal finance from like a, a couples perspective, a family perspective. Too often it’s just from that singular perspective, which so I, I really appreciate what you’re doing because like sure, you’re focused on Latinas, but there’s so much beneficial information that’s not being said that can be, uh, impactful for a lot more folks.

JEN: Right. And then there needs to be more personal finance for Latinos because then yes, I speak to the U.S. Latinas that’s already established in the U.S., but what about that recent immigrant? What about that DACA recipient? They have certain needs and situations that need to be addressed. And so I, I’m trying to bring in those guests, but I can’t do it all. So if there is that person, and plus I am not DACA. I am not an immigrant. I was born in Colombia, but I had the privilege that my dad’s American. So I was born a United States citizen. Right. So that is my story. That is my experience. So I cannot talk to being the immigrant. I can’t talk to being the immigrant experience, or having the immigrant experience because I didn’t have that. So if there’s a podcaster that can speak to that, that listeners going to relate and connect with them more than me. Like I was definitely privileged. Or the, the DACA recipient. I had a conversation with a DACA recipient and their financial challenges. And that financial challenges in terms of making money but navigating the system. Yeah. Right. There was a lot there to uncover, right. And dig deep.

ZACH: Even if you are coming from a very privileged background and moving to this is just a thought experiment, but it even if I was to move to another country or you are to move to another country, you know, uh, next month that would be a tremendous financial undertaking. A life undertaking. So, you know, add a bunch of complications to that and, and language barriers and not understanding the system that you’re moving within. Like these things compound on each other and work against you in a really tremendous way. So, um that’s a, that’s, that’s a hell of a story. Like to, to be, you know, part of your mission and helping people with-on that level. Uh, how, how do you feel like, is that, is that something you’ve been kind of focused on more recently? Or what, how did that come in?

JEN: I’ve been trying to figure out how to tackle that besides having because I, I can’t speak to that. So I’m not going to try to. I’m a very genuine person, very direct, to the front and up to the, to the point, if I don’t know the answer, I’m going to tell you. I’m not going to front. And so I, I’m trying to figure out how to do that. It could be in, with a virtual event. It could be that type of thing, because I think that is important because here’s the thing with Latin America. The financial system that they have for like retirement and everything. Is just, who do they look to for that? The U.S. right. So they try to copy that in their own way. And I can only speak to Colombia and to like my family, and that isn’t always like, doesn’t work out the same way as here. Right. So they have the experience of that system. And unless they emigrate, or they move to the United States and there’s a lot more options. And how, like if they only have seen, it’s just basic, like you go to the grocery store before, if you went to the chip aisle, you had maybe three options. Right. And then now with finance, you may have a couple options, and now you have a multitude of options. So think about the immigrant experience you’re coming, maybe more of a simplified experience. You come to the United States, and there’s all these options to choose from, like that is overwhelming for anybody. And so I think it’s just important to take that in consideration. There’s a lot of work to be done. I’ve been fortunate where I’ve been asked to do a module for an organization, for again, diversity, equity, inclusion to help financial professionals uh, help the Latino community and what they need to consider. So that, that has been great, uh, because it has, it’s really pushed me. Do more research on the history of Latinos here in the U.S. to really look at what has been done or hasn’t been done by financial institutions and so forth. So it’s been definitely a great experience. I’ve learned a ton. So I’m excited to, uh, to take that and implement what I can. Or help others, whether organizations, uh, consult, we’ll see where all it takes me.

ROCK: Well, it’s going to be something special and we’ll keep our, keep our attention on it. Um, and I really liked that you kind of touched on…And it’s actually one of my biggest gripes with the finance community is it is very loud and noisy and overcomplicated. And there’s like too many options when the best thing is often just very simple. Like, and, and again, that’s why I really gravitate towards folks that have a message like yours, because I think simplifying it is, is the best approach, in my opinion. I mean, once you get more awareness and, uh, uh, you know, aptitude for it, like sure. Go and do some, some funky stuff. But like when you’re just starting out, especially like it’s all about building habits, it’s all about building that confidence. And so that’s really what I really liked that your show is just so focused on confidence and the psychological stuff. Because, and frankly, it’s just not, what’s talked about enough. And again, I think it’s, it’s to the detriment of the finance community because they, they fall into line of like wanting to sell more products or, or get more clicks, you know, get more people watching their YouTube videos or reading their blog posts. And it’s, I don’t think it’s good.

JEN: Um, well I appreciate that.

ROCK:Yeah, absolutely. Well, we, I mean, we appreciate what you’re doing. It’s very important.

ZACH: Yeah, and definitely uh, you know, mission-driven listener driven, um, and, and finding a way to make that be a win-win for, for your business and what matters to you. I think the, you know, the conversations and the information you’re bringing to your listeners is definitely meaningful work and, and is going to have a positive impact, no doubt. So just wanted to applaud you for that contribution, Jen, and thank you for, for, uh, letting us help you with your podcast for so long and being a part of your podcast journey and, and also, uh, you know, uh, contributing members to the overall, the podcast community. Uh, thank you for joining us today, Jen. 

JEN: Well thank you for having me. I enjoyed this.

ZACH: Where can uh, where can our listeners subscribe to your show and find more information about the great work that you’re doing? 

JEN: Pretty much all the podcasts platforms that are out there, you can find me. Or you can go to my website, jenhemphill.com or look up, look me up on Instagram @herdineromatters.

ROCK: And we’ll put links to all of that in the show notes and your book. And again, she, she is accredited. So she is, uh, not just anybody talking, like she knows her stuff. Yeah, check her out. 

JEN: Thank you so much. 

ROCK: Absolutely.

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ROCK: This has been another episode of Between Two Mics with Zach and Rock from Squadcast. 

ZACH: The best way to record remote podcast interviews like today’s, in studio quality.

ROCK: Visit bit.ly/squadpod to check out our resources page where you can download your free remote interview checklist.

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