Rewriting the Money Story: The Brown Way with Alejandra Rojas
When you think of someone who was born for the world of finance, you might imagine a Wall Street exec in a sharp suit. But what if we told you she’s a Colombian-born entrepreneur who started her journey as a kid processing invoices beside her parents—and is now redefining what financial freedom looks like for women of color?
In our latest Badass Women in Business episode, we had the absolute joy of sitting down with Alejandra Rojas, founder of Brown Way to Money, financial coach, writer, and host of The Brown Way to Money podcast. Her story? Equal parts hustle, healing, and high-impact transformation.
Here’s what we learned—and why this conversation will stay with us (and likely with you) long after the episode ends.
From Numbers to Burnout
Alejandra’s love affair with finance started young—like, really young. Imagine a six-year-old voluntarily stamping invoices while her peers played outside. That was her. Raised by accountant parents, spreadsheets and client calls were her playground.
By age 12, she had her first job in bookkeeping. By adulthood, she was on a fast track to Wall Street, mentored by industry pros and stacking up accomplishments like a textbook success story. But success came with a cost.
Her body gave her the first warning: fatigue, illness, purple spots, and ultimately, a fainting spell on a crowded DC bus. Still, she pushed through—until she couldn’t. Her burnout wasn’t just professional—it was existential. “I realized I was doing everything ‘right’ and still had nothing to show for it,” she told us.
What followed was a radical pivot.
Financial Trauma: The Missing Piece No One Talks About
Alejandra didn’t leave finance—she reclaimed it. Her aha moment? Realizing that money problems aren’t just about numbers. They’re about stories, beliefs, and emotional scars.
Despite having formal training, a solid career, and the “know-how,” she still found herself deep in debt and disconnected from her own dreams. And she saw the same pattern in other women entrepreneurs—especially Black and Brown women.
“Financial trauma isn’t just overspending or undercharging,” she says. “It’s that persistent fear, that ‘not enough’ feeling, even when the money is flowing.”
That insight launched her on a new mission: helping women heal their relationship with money. Not through budgeting apps or spreadsheets (though those can help), but by digging into the emotional roots of why we behave the way we do with money.
Introducing: The Brown Way Framework
Out of her experience—and a deeply personal desire to create a better world for her daughter—Alejandra developed a trauma-informed financial framework she calls The Brown Way.
It’s built around five pillars (which she cheekily calls her “W questions”) that guide women from financial anxiety to independence:
What is your real goal?
Why is it important to you, not just your accountant?
Who do you need to become to reach it?
Where are the emotional blocks holding you back?
When can you take one bold step—immediately?
The beauty of her method is that it acknowledges your context, your upbringing, your generational story. This isn’t about fitting into a traditional mold. It’s about breaking it, burning it, and building something that actually reflects your lived experience.
More Money ≠ Less Fear
One of the biggest takeaways from our chat? Making more money doesn’t magically make the money issues go away. Alejandra works with entrepreneurs already bringing in solid revenue—$10K, $20K, and beyond—and yet, the fear still lingers.
If you’ve ever hit a milestone and still felt like the rug could be pulled out from under you at any moment, you’re not alone. That’s not a “you” problem. That’s unprocessed financial trauma talking.
The key? Awareness. Then action.
And Alejandra is all about action. She guides clients to take one small, immediate step—right after the mindset shift. Book the call. Raise the rate. Cancel the underpriced offer. Signal to your brain (and your business) that you are ready to lead with clarity.
Travel, Freedom, and Owning the Dream
Alejandra’s definition of financial independence? It’s not about passive income or fancy retirement calculators. It’s this:
"To travel the world with my family, run my business on my terms, and feel at peace doing it."
And she’s doing it. From New Zealand to Spain to small towns in Holland, she’s living the dream she once thought she’d never reach. Not because it came easy—but because she redefined what wealth looks like on her own terms.
For her, success isn’t a bank balance. It’s the ability to binge-watch a show with her daughter or hop on a plane without panic. It’s the freedom to be fully present, without money anxiety whispering in the background.
The Realest Advice: Start Talking to Your Money
If there’s one exercise she left us with (and we’ve already started doing it), it’s this:
When you sit down for coffee or dinner today, take a second and reflect:
What were the thoughts you had about money today?
How did you feel when you paid a bill or bought groceries?
Is that how you want to feel five years from now?
Start the conversation. Money is just an object—but the way we relate to it? That’s a whole relationship. And you get to rewrite it.
Connect with Alejandra Rojas
If this conversation resonated, and you’re ready to move from stuck to sustainable, here’s where you can find Alejandra:
🌐 Website: brownwaytomoney.com
📸 Instagram: @moneymindsetexpert
🎵 TikTok: @moneymindsetshow
📺 YouTube: Brown Way to Money
💼 LinkedIn: Alejandra Rojas
Whether you’re just starting to unravel your money story, or you’re deep in the trenches of entrepreneurship wondering why it still feels hard, this episode is your permission slip to get curious, get honest, and most of all—get free.
Ready to change your story? The Brown Way might be your next best step.
