Why $10K/Month Isn’t Enough: The Hidden Cost of Financial Avoidance
She was making $10K/month... and still drowning in $20K of credit card debt.
You ever look at your Stripe notifications, see all that money coming in… and still feel broke?
This week on The Brown Way to Money podcast, I sat down with Joyce Medeiros : Wall Street-trained, now solopreneur to unpack the story behind a common (but rarely spoken) reality: Making more money doesn’t mean you’re free.
We’re not talking about hustle. Not mindset blocks. Not even spending habits.
We’re talking about what happens when you don’t actually know what your business is doing with your money.
Joyce shared how one photographer, making $10K/month, still ended up $20K in credit card debt…. not because she was careless, but because she was unaware. She didn’t understand her cashflow, her expenses, or the difference between personal and business money.
Sound familiar?
The Perspective:
Financial Trauma Wears a Blazer and Holds Receipts
Most solopreneurs start off with zero financial literacy. Stats back it up, QuickBooks says 42% of small business owners launch without it.
But let’s get real: lack of literacy isn’t always about education. It’s about access. It’s about trauma. And it's about survival mode.
If you were raised not to talk about money or taught to just “make it work,” then yeah, you’re not starting with spreadsheets and systems. You’re starting with avoidance and memory.
And let me be clear: avoidance is a trauma response.
You’re just doing what your nervous system knows how to do: avoid what feels unsafe.
When we discuss bookkeeping systems, budgeting apps, or AI tools like Investrio, we’re not just talking about features. We’re talking about building safety, clarity, and nonjudgmental structure into our money lives.
We’re talking about giving ourselves the experience of a W2 employee structure, simplicity, visibility even as solopreneurs.
The Practicality:
Ask yourself:
Do you still feel unclear about your cashflow?
Are you commingling personal and business expenses?
Have you avoided your books for more than a month?
Do you feel a spike of shame every time you check your numbers?
Does your system actually help you understand what’s next?
If your answer to most of these is “yes,” your system isn’t serving you, and it’s time to try one that does.
Rewiring Your Ways
This week, take 10 minutes with your numbers.
Not to budget.
Not to fix.
Just to notice.
What feelings come up?
What stories are attached to those numbers?
What would safety around money feel like?
And then… come back again tomorrow. Let your nervous system know: We’re not hiding anymore.
Remember: The goal isn’t control. The goal is clarity.
Clarity that leads to ease. Ease that leads to growth.?
Shortcut to Build Wealth: Open Calls & Grants You Should Apply For
Sis, free money is still money. But only if you know where to look and how to show up for it.
This week, I want to highlight two powerful resources to help you do just that:
Forbes: How Entrepreneurs Can Successfully Apply for Small Business Grants
This is the guide I wish I had when I started. I break down:
Why most solopreneurs get stuck in the grant process
What funders are actually looking for
A simple reframe to make your application stand out
👉🏾 Read the full article here
🌱 REI Embark Program: $1M in Grants for Outdoor Entrepreneurs of Color
If your business touches the outdoor, wellness, community, or equity space this is for you.
Who it’s for: BIPOC entrepreneurs building businesses connected to the outdoors
Perks: Grant funding, business mentorship, storytelling support
Deadline: Applications are open now
👉🏾 Apply or learn more here
Last Thoughts…
I’m about to do something I’ve dreamed about for years.
After working with so many brilliant women of color, the ones building platforms, quitting jobs, breaking family patterns, and still wondering why it all feels so heavy, I knew we needed something deeper.
That’s why I’m creating REWIRED: a limited series of raw, honest conversations with Black, Brown, and Latina entrepreneurs who are already making serious money… but still battling the invisible weight of unspoken financial trauma.
This isn’t about motivation.
This isn’t about hustle.
This is about what we had to unlearn to finally feel safe, steady, and sovereign in our money.
You’ll hear from women who:
Built $200K+ businesses in less than two years
Signed book deals with 800K+ audiences
Created movements and platforms across industries
Still wrestle with the thought: “Am I doing enough?”
We’re stripping away the shame.
We’re getting honest about what wealth looks like when the world wasn’t built for us.
And we’re rewiring how we show up… not just in business, but in our bodies, our beliefs, and our bank accounts.
If you want to be in the first circle, reply to this email or comment.
And if you know one woman who needs to hear that she is not alone, forward this to her. That’s how we rewire Together.
✨ The Financial Freedom Builder Assessment
To uncover the hidden gaps holding your income back—even when you’re doing everything “right.”
👉🏾 Take the free assessment here
Let’s build wealth from a place of wholeness, not worry.
Sis, want to help me reach more people? 👇🏾
Until next time,
Alejandra Rojas
Founder, Brown Way To Money