What does it take to completely rewrite your family’s financial story? For a single mom investor, this question can be especially important and transformative.
For many first-generation Latinas, the answer begins with sacrifice. We grow up watching our parents work tirelessly, save every dollar, and prioritize survival above everything else. We learn how to be responsible, how to work hard, and how to put everyone else first. But what happens when the financial blueprint we inherited no longer aligns with the future we want to create?
In this powerful episode of Say Hola Wealth, Luzy sits down with entrepreneur, speaker, and transformational coach Mariela De La Mora to talk about what it really means to build wealth as a single mom, first-generation Latina, and daughter of immigrants. From growing up with scarcity to rebuilding after divorce, learning how to invest after 40, and creating financial security for her daughter, Mariela’s story is a masterclass in what’s possible when women decide that survival is no longer enough.
About Mariela:
Mariela De La Mora is a leadership and business coach who helps first-gen entrepreneurs and women of color become in-demand thought leaders by turning their stories into their biggest advantage.
After a 16-year career as a Marketing Director, she left corporate to build a business rooted in her values as the eldest daughter of Mexican immigrants.
She’s since built a million-dollar company as a single mother and has been featured in Forbes and Newsweek for helping hundreds of clients create demand, visibility, and opportunities through story-led marketing and thought leadership.
She’s worked with organizations ranging from QuickBooks, Salesforce and the United Nations, and coached women across the globe to lead with clarity, integrity, and self-trust.
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Growing Up With Scarcity and Immigrant Money Beliefs
Mariela grew up deeply connected to her family’s immigration story. As the eldest daughter of Mexican immigrants, she understood from an early age how hard her parents and grandparents worked to create opportunities for future generations. Her grandfathers worked in the fields, her parents built stability through sacrifice, and like many eldest daughters, Mariela quickly became aware of how precious money was inside her home.
She shares how, as a child, she would save money in a small box in her bedroom—not for toys or vacations, but in case her parents ever needed help paying the mortgage. That level of responsibility shaped her identity and her relationship with money for decades. Like so many first-generation women, she learned how to save, how to achieve, and how to make smart decisions academically and professionally. She climbed the corporate ladder, earned multiple degrees, and did everything society told her success should look like.
But despite all of those accomplishments, there was one thing no one had ever taught her: how to make money grow.
Divorce, Starting Over, and Rebuilding From Zero
Life took an unexpected turn when Mariela experienced divorce—not once, but twice. Each transition brought emotional healing, but it also brought financial challenges that forced her to confront what true security actually meant.
She openly shares what many women are afraid to talk about: starting over financially can feel terrifying. Between paying for housing, legal expenses, relocating internationally, and eventually becoming a single mother, Mariela found herself rebuilding from scratch. There was even a season where she needed food assistance while navigating one of the most vulnerable chapters of her life.
For many women, experiences like these can create deeper fear around money. For Mariela, they became the catalyst for transformation. Instead of asking how she could simply survive, she began asking a more powerful question: How do I make sure I never have to start over from zero again?
Why Saving Money Wasn’t Enough to Build Wealth
Like many first-generation women, Mariela was exceptional at saving money. Saving represented safety. It represented control. It represented protection.
But over time, she realized something important: savings alone were not creating financial freedom.
Her money was sitting in accounts, untouched, helping her feel emotionally secure—but it wasn’t growing. Inflation was quietly reducing its purchasing power, and despite doing everything “right,” she realized she was still trading time for money.
That realization became one of the biggest mindset shifts of her life.
Saving creates stability.
Investing creates freedom.
Once Mariela understood that her money could work for her instead of waiting for her next paycheck, everything began to change.
How She Started Investing After 40
Like many women, Mariela believed investing was complicated. She thought she needed to understand stock picking, market trends, and financial jargon before she could even begin.
What she discovered instead was far simpler—and far more powerful.
She didn’t need to know everything.
She simply needed to start.
Mariela began with small investments that allowed her nervous system to build trust. Instead of moving large amounts of money immediately, she started slowly, learning to feel safe watching her money grow. Over time, those small decisions turned into bigger actions, and eventually she moved over $50,000 into investment accounts.
For a woman who didn’t begin investing until after 40, this wasn’t just about numbers. This was about reclaiming financial power.
Building a Six-Figure Investment Portfolio as a Single Mom
Within just a few years, Mariela watched her investment portfolio grow into six figures. For someone who had once relied on food assistance, rebuilt after divorce, and carried generations of scarcity mindset, reaching this milestone represented much more than financial success.
It represented freedom.
It represented choice.
It represented proof that the stories we inherit about money do not have to become our destiny.
As a business owner and single mother, Mariela also shares how investing changed her relationship with work. Instead of feeling like her safety depended entirely on how many clients she served or how many hours she worked, she began understanding that wealth could exist outside of her labor.
Her money was finally working for her.
Opening an Investment Account for Her Daughter
One of the most emotional moments in this episode comes when Mariela talks about opening an investment account for her daughter.
As a single mom, she knew she wanted to create something different. She wanted her daughter to inherit not just love, values, and resilience—but financial opportunity.
She began investing consistently on her daughter’s behalf, and when that account crossed five figures, she found herself in tears. Not because of the money itself, but because of what it represented.
Her daughter would never have to start from zero.
That is what generational wealth looks like.
Redefining Wealth on Her Own Terms
Today, Mariela is making bold financial decisions that prioritize freedom over appearances. She’s rethinking where she lives, how she works, and what kind of lifestyle truly supports her peace, creativity, and long-term financial goals.
When asked to define wealth, her answer was simple but powerful:
“Choosing when, where, and how I spend my time.”
And honestly, that may be the most powerful wealth strategy of all.
If you’re a first-generation Latina, a single mom, or a mujer ready to stop simply saving and start building true financial freedom, this episode will remind you that it’s never too late. Not after divorce. Not after debt. Not after starting over. Not even after 40.
Your wealth journey begins the moment you decide that survival is no longer the goal.
Financial freedom is.
Thank you, Mariela, for coming to the show.
