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Cultura & Cash

A practical and jargon-free money guide to help you tackle your finances as a First Gen Latina- written with love by The First Gen Mentor®.

Available in Paperback January 23, 2024.

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A Money Book for First Gen, By First Gen

Cultura & Cash: Lessons from The First Gen Mentor® for Managing Finances & Cultural Expectations by Giovanna González

I did everything right. I went to college. Graduated with a “safe” degree. Got a stable corporate job with benefits.

But I still constantly struggled with money. As the daughter of immigrants, I didn’t get a blueprint on how to navigate finances. I had no clue how to pay down my $50,000 in debt and no matter what I did, I always felt like I was one emergency away from financial chaos.

So I turned to money books to learn how money worked.

But what I found was that most personal finance books are written by white male authors. And although they were helpful, they often made me feel overlooked and invisible.

They didn't speak to my Latino money values or talk about how to manage money with family in mind. Those books didn’t represent my money experience growing up as a First Gen Latina who isn’t just responsible for my own finances, but also the financial wellbeing of my family.

Cultura & Cash is a culturally relevant money book that covers:

How the First Gen starting line is different than our peers and what we can do to catch up and and take charge of our financial journey.

How our cultura shapes our money experience, and how to unlearn immigrant money habits that keep us broke.
How to confidently manage your money by implementing my First Gen Five framework, with a focus on peace of mind funds, budgeting, debt repayment, credit building, and long-term investing.
How to factor financial support for family, how to set financial boundaries with loved ones, and how to prepare to help your parents with retirement.

Cultura & Cash is a practical and jargon-free money guide to help First Gen Latinas tackle their finances. This book teaches actionable money principles anyone can use to slay their debt, build generational wealth, and help take care of those they love.

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About The Author

Hi! I’m Giovanna "Gigi" Gonzaléz, a Financial Educator, Influencer, Speaker, Founder of The First Gen Mentor®, and a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants.

During The Great Resignation, I quit my 10-year corporate career in financial services to pursue my true passion: teaching financial literacy to young adults.

I teach personal finance and career navigation for First Gen at universities, ERGs, and other organizations, and on my TikTok account @thefirstgenmentor. I was named Top 25 Creator by Fast Company, 40 under 40 by the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, and "Latinx to Watch" by Hispanic Executive Magazine.

I have been featured on dozens of publications including The New York Times, Mitú, and Business Insider. I live in Chicago with my spouse and our mutt dog.

“Cultura & Cash empowers you to improve your relationship with money in an authentic and relatable way. A much-needed resource for our comunidad. Bravo Gigi!”

EVA LONGORIA

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Advanced Praise for Cultura & Cash

“Cultura & Cash isn't just a book; it’s an intuitive and practical approach to helping you unlearn thinking that doesn’t serve you and expand you into the rich bitch you deserve to become. This guidebook will serve as your trusted financial bestie, guiding you towards financial freedom and a legacy that's uniquely yours.”

VANESSA SANTOS, PARTNER AND CO-CEO #WEALLGROW LATINA
“Gigi's Cultura & Cash is a game-changer for first-gen Latinas like me. It's like having a trusted friend by your side, guiding you through the maze of finances with cultural understanding. If you're ready to unlock your financial potential while embracing your heritage, this book is your key!”

MARIVETTE NAVARRETE, FOUNDER OF THE MUJERISTA
“Giovanna’s wisdom, charisma, and genuine desire to help others shine through every page. I wholeheartedly recommend Cultura & Cash to anyone, especially first-generation individuals, seeking to take control of their finances, embrace their cultural heritage, and chart a path toward financial freedom.”

JANNESE TORRES, AWARD-WINNING LATINA MONEY EXPERT & HOST OF YO QUIERO DINERO
“As a first gen Latina that has been able to break out of generational cycles, one of the biggest relationships I needed to fix was my relationship with money. In this book, Gigi provides readers with a much-needed perspective on starting and maintaining generational wealth while understanding cultural implications one doesn't usually find in traditional financial education content.”

KATYA ECHAZARRETA, ACTIVIST AND FIRST MEXICAN-BORN WOMAN IN SPACE
“Cultura & Cash helps our first-generation comunidad understand how culture shapes our current mind-set with money along with the tangible ways to shift towards a more positive and impactful relationship con dinero! Thank you, Gigi, for helping Latinos build wealth.”

PATRICIA MOTA, PRESIDENT & CEO HISPANIC ALLIANCE FOR CAREER ENHANCEMENT, CO-FOUNDER OF SHENIX®
“Cultura & Cash will change the game for first gen young people seeking to transform generational cycles of financial insecurity into financial freedom. Financial trauma is a visceral part of the first gen experience and Gigi has written a book that is empowering, unflinching, and long overdue.”

ALEJANDRA CAMPOVERDI, NATIONAL BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF FIRST GEN: A MEMOIR
“Gigi's voice and message are so necessary in the financial literacy landscape right now. She is providing a financial roadmap so many of us lack when we are the "firsts" in our communities. This book is the perfect way to help you take charge of your finances and start building wealth not "some day" but right now.”

MANDI WOODRUFF-SANTOS, FOUNDER OF THE MANDIMONEY MAKERS CAREER ACADEMY AND COHOST OF THE BROWN AMBITION PODCAST.
“FINALLY! A finance book that gives you a real-life look into what it takes to build wealth as a first-generation American. "Cultura & Cash" not only guides you on the path from starting with very little to securing your financial future, but it also offers advice for navigating challenging money discussions within your family. If you're seeking practical financial tips from a financial expert who doesn't sugarcoat things, get this book!”

JANET ESCOBAR, AUTHOR OF THE LATINA TRAILBLAZER
“Cultura & Cash goes beyond traditional personal finance advice by addressing issues that are unique to the first-gen experience. It covers everything from paying off debt and investing to financially supporting—and setting boundaries with—our loved ones and helping our parents plan for their retirement. This thoughtful, honest, and refreshing book is just what our comunidad needs.”

CINDY ZUNIGA-SANCHEZ, AUTHOR, SPEAKER, AND FOUNDER OF ZERO-BASED BUDGET COACHING LLC.
“She gets me, and she gets our comunidad. This isn’t just another book about making money. It’s about shifting our perspective on how to build wealth without compromising our cultural values.”

ALEJANDRA AGUIRRE, OWNER + CO-FOUNDER OF CADENA COLLECTIVE
“Gio always delivers financial literacy online "sin pelos en la lengua" or without holding back, and this book does not fall short. To have someone speak to personal finance education in cultural context is a big deal for the Latino community. This book provides specific challenges first gen Latinos come across when it comes to navigating money, and how Giovanna recommends navigating them, leveraging her expertise and experience. It's the intersection of book smarts and cultural smarts we've been looking for.”

LYANNE ALFARO, HOST OF THE MONEDA MOVES PODCAST
“Cultura & Cash is a fantastic place to start your money journey. The book breaks down practical steps the reader can implement to take charge of their financial wellness. As a first gen immigrant, I'm a fan!”

JAMILA SOUFFRANT, AUTHOR OF YOUR JOURNEY TO FINANCIAL FREEDOM AND HOST OF THE JOURNEY TO LAUNCH PODCAST
“Cultura & Cash is the practical money guide you need to get your money right and secure your financial future with family in mind.”

FARNOOSH TORABI, FINANCIAL EXPERT AND AUTHOR OF A HEALTHY STATE OF PANIC