Jannese Torres is teaching financial literacy to her community

Name: Jannese Torres

Location: Tampa, FL

Business: Yo Quiero Dinero, a personal finance literacy platform for the Latinx community & Delish D’Lites, a Latin food blog.

Describe yourself in three words.

Creative Latina Entrepreneur

Why did you decide to start your own business? How did you get started? 

I started my journey as a content creator nine years ago because I didn’t enjoy working in a corporate setting, and wanted the freedom to turn my passions into my paycheck. My first foray into entrepreneurship was through food blogging. I started sharing my family recipes on my website and social media, and eventually grew it into a six-figure business. My personal finance platform came from the desire to see more Latinas in the podcasting space talking about wealth and business. I had been listening to podcasts for years, so I decided to create the podcast that I wanted to listen to. I downloaded a podcasting app on my phone, sat inside of my closet, and started talking. The rest, as they say, is history.

What is the biggest lesson you learned in the first year? 

That you probably won’t make any money, and that’s okay! Your first year is meant for experimentation, figuring out who your audience is, and what problem you’re solving with your business.

What was the most surprising thing about becoming a business owner? 

How much personal development work is required to succeed. I always tell people, if you want a guaranteed way to work on yourself, your limiting beliefs, and your insecurities…go start a business.

How does running your own business make you feel?

Like I can literally create the life I want with my ideas. My brain is a money printer, and that’s an incredible superpower that we all have within us.

What are some of the challenges you’ve overcome or are working to overcome? 

Being humble enough to ask for help. I was a solopreneur for seven years before I hired help, and by then I was incredibly burnt out. Nowadays, I’m happy to outsource anything that feels overwhelming, or that I’m just not equipped to manage. My time is valuable, and I’m not afraid of spending money to buy back my time.

How is your business handling recent inflation and supply chain issues?  

My prices have gone up with inflation and my business has grown. I’m a firm believer that when you offer value, people will pay what you ask for. You will never have to justify your pricing to your ideal customer.

What challenges do you feel are unique to Latino or Latina small business owners? 

The lack of representation in the space and the access to capital. This is why I’m such a big fan of digital entrepreneurship. The barrier to entry is infinitely lower and way more accessible for many of us.

What do you like the most about the small business community you’re a part of? 

How much it feels like a family. I am surrounded by Latina entrepreneurs and we are always cheering each other on and offering advice and mentorship. There’s a real spirit of camaraderie, because we know that when one of us succeeds, we all succeed.

How do you engage with the community/how do they engage with or help your business? 

Social media has been a key factor in cultivating an engagement community. I also host virtual events where community members meet and network, and it’s resulted in lots of amazing collaborations and friendships.

What are your proudest moments? 

Quitting my job and taking my mom to Paris on a first-class trip. It made all the sacrifices to build a successful business worth it. In addition, my podcast was named the 2022 personal finance podcast of the year by the Plutus Foundation!

What are the next big plans you have for your business? 

I’m writing my first book! It will be the first book that’s geared towards the Latina community in the personal finance space. I’m honored to be paving this path for us.

When you’re having a tough day, who or what inspires you to keep going? 

My community. Everyday I get messages about how much this work that I do matters, and how much it’s impacting them. That’s what keeps me going.

What advice would you give to other business owners just starting out?

Have patience. In this world of instant gratification, it’s easy to feel like everyone is doing better than you. They’re not. Focus on your goals, and echale ganas!

What’s your “power song” and why?

Definitely “Dinero” by J.Lo & Cardi B. I’ll have to tell them the story of how I named my podcast—I was listening to their song when the idea came to me!