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Last Updated on March 18, 2021 by Daniella
Welcome to the Entrepreneur Stories series where I interview inspiring online creators and business owners.
Today’s interview is with Jannese Torres-Rodriguez, 2 time blog founder, the founder of the #1 podcast for the modern Latina, Yo Quiero Dinero, and friend of mine in the blogging/side hustle space. She inspires me so much and am honored to have her here today to share her expertise with us.
Let’s learn more about her and her mission.
Table of Contents
Tell us a little about yourself and your business(s).
I’m Jannese Torres-Rodriguez – a Latina money expert, entrepreneur & side hustle coach who built a six figure network of side hustles and is pursuing financial independence. I help women of color level up their finances & build wealth through investing & creating multiple income streams.
I became passionate about personal finance literacy after a layoff helped me discover the power of side hustles, & digital entrepreneurship. I now have 10 income streams and teach women how to secure their financial freedom through the Yo Quiero Dinero blog, social media platforms, podcast and digital courses.
What made you want to start your first blog – Delish D’lites?
My personal finance journey began by accident. I was 25, “living the dream”, in graduate school getting another degree I didn’t even care about, and dealing with a quarter life crisis. I hated my job, and felt like I was living a life that wasn’t mine. One day in 2014, I walked into work, got fired, and then drove home in a snow storm. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was literally the best thing that happened to me.
About 6 months before I got fired, I started a food blog, Delish D’Lites. I’ve always been passionate about food and cooking, and toyed with the idea of quitting my job to go to culinary school, but I realized something in that moment I wanted a life that wasn’t tied to having to show up to a specific place to get a paycheck. I wanted freedom to live and work anywhere. I wanted to earn passive income, and make money while I slept. So as I sat there on my couch, just having been fired for the first time ever, I knew I wanted to build a life that revolved around FREEDOM. I dove headfirst into learning everything I could about blogging. And just like that, I became an accidental business owner!
What prompted you to later start the Yo Quiero Dinero blog and podcast?
As I continued to understand and learn about the many avenues for generating passive income, in 2018, I stumbled upon the concept of FIRE (Financial Independence/Retire Early). I started listening to a ton of personal finance podcasts, devouring everything I could find. I started implemented FIRE concepts into my finances, and now I’m on the path to financial independence, and plan to be retired from traditional 9-5 work by age 45. I was shocked that no one I knew was talking about how you can use investing to generate financial freedom and independence. I desperately wanted to connect with other Latinas who were talking about personal finance, building wealth and financial independence. Surprise, I couldn’t find any! And so, the Yo Quiero Dinero podcast was born.
What were some online platforms/resources you used to get started?
I had to teach myself everything I know. I’ve never paid for education/courses around what I do, I am self-taught thanks to youtube and google.
What are some of your favorite tools and systems that help you in your day to day work?
Calendly and Asana are essential in my life. I use Calendly to keep me from overbooking my schedule, booking meetings without having to go back and forth. Asana is what I use to collaborate with my VAs on content, marketing and communication strategy for my podcast.
What inspires you the most in your work and creation?
I love seeing the impact of my work. Whether it’s a comment from someone who was able to recreate a traditional dish that their mom used to make by using my recipe, or a DM from someone who was able to pay off debt and start investing thanks to the podcast, there is nothing that fulfills me more than knowing that what I’m doing matters.
Can you give us a glimpse into a “day in the life” of how to juggle multiple blogs, a podcast, and your day job (and not lose your mind like I sometimes struggle with lol)?
I am always multi-tasking, which doesn’t work for some people, but it’s where I thrive. I block out times and days of the week for meetings, lives, workshops, building, and also resting. I used to let people bombard my calendar and it got overwhelming fast. Now I’m way more intentional of when I work. I don’t book meetings on Fridays, that’s my day to decompress. Also, hiring 2 VAs was critical to my ability to balance everything. Letting go is a must.
What are the main income streams you’ve built up in your business(s)?
I have 9 income streams from my businesses:
- Display Ads
- Podcast Ads
- Sponsored Content
- Affiliate Marketing
- Merch (Drop Shipping)
- Freelance Writing
- Business Coaching
- Digital Courses
- Freelance Writing
Do you have any tips for someone looking to get into content creation with blogging or podcasting? Where should they start?
Watch my video on how to start a blog:
I love the anchor app for new podcasters, you can launch your podcast right from your phone!
Start a Money Making Blog Free Email Course
In this free 5 day email course, I show you everything from creating your blog from scratch, to SEO keyword research strategies, basic branding, creating an email list, social media strategies and monetization strategies to start building a profitable blog.
Sign up for the newsletter to receive regular updates and get instant access to the free course.
Did you have a mentor and if so, can you explain that relationship and how it helped you in building your business(s)?
I actually didn’t. I had to become my own mentor. Now I have a group of WOC entrpreneurs who I’ve formed a mastermind group with, and we bounce ideas off of each and keep each other motivated and inspired.
What are your favorite books, other creators, podcasts, movies, or another sort of inspiration that helped you in the past and continues to help you through your day to day work as an entrepreneur/sidepreneur?
Book: The Year of Yes By Shonda Rimes
Creators: Jamila Souffrant (Journey To Launch Podcast) & A Sassy Spoon (Jamie Silva, Food Blogger)
What’s next for you?
Become fully self-employed by 2022!
Entrepreneur Bio:
Host Jannese Torres-Rodriguez is a Latina money expert, entrepreneur & side hustle coach who built a
six-figure network of side hustles and is pursuing financial independence. She helps women of color
level up their finances & build wealth through investing & creating multiple income streams. Jannese became passionate about personal finance literacy after a layoff helped her discover the power of side hustles, & digital entrepreneurship. She has 10 income streams and teaches women how to secure their financial freedom through the YQD blog, social media platforms, podcast and digital courses.
You can follow her on Delish D’lites, Yo Quiero Dinero blog and podcast, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest.
More entrepreneur stories:
- How Danielle Creates Passive Income as an Author, Blogger, & Podcaster
- How This Former Creative Director is Running Her Own Creative Business
- How One Actress Took The Leap Into Entrepreneurship
- How This Professional Cosplayer Monetizes Her Craft
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Daniella is the creator and author of iliketodabble.com. When their wife Alexandra and them aren’t globetrotting or playing with their 7+ animals, they are dabbling and working towards a future of financial freedom.