Self-Made
Rev. Dr. Tony Lin talks to Dr. Nely Galán about her book and podcast series on becoming empowered, self-reliant, and rich in every way
Ornamental money tree (Pachira aquatica), 2017. Also known as Malabar chestnut, French peanut, Guiana chestnut, Provision tree, Saba nut, Monguba (Brazil), Pumpo (Guatemala), the tropical wetland tree is considered a symbol of luck and prosperity.
Photo: Karl Thomas Moore
In this episode of OP Talks, Rev. Dr. Tony Lin talks to Dr. Nely Galán, entrepreneur, Emmy Award–winning TV producer, real-estate mogul, author, and podcaster. Her New York Times bestseller Self Made: Becoming Empowered, Self-Reliant, and Rich in Every Way (Spiegel & Grau, 2016), which features a foreword by financial advisor Suze Orman, inspires women to find their financial footing in the world and become entrepreneurs.
"God is going to help you, but you have to help yourself,” Dr. Galán tells Rev. Dr. Lin. Part of being self-made and helping yourself is being flexible and evolving, she says. “To make it to the end of your life, what I’ve learned is, you have to make yourself over, over and over again…You are on a trajectory, and that trajectory is an obstacle course…Along the way, if you are not flexible, if you don’t pivot, if you don’t evolve, if you don’t grow all the time, and are willing to change, and are willing to understand that the road is not a clear road, and go with that, you are not going to make it to the end of your life. You are going to be a very fear-based person [who] is suffering a lot.”
Dr. Galán knows firsthand about flexibility and pivoting. Born in Santa Clara, Cuba, she emigrated to the United States with her parents and her brother after the revolution. They were warmly welcomed by an American family in New Jersey, thanks to the missionary work of the Presbyterian church. Years later, when her son was in third grade and struggling in school, Dr. Galán decided to go back to college “to fill in her educational gaps.” She wanted to be a role model for her son and encourage him in his own educational journey. At the height of her television-producing career (she is owner of Galán Entertainment and former president of Telemundo’s entertainment division), Dr. Galán decided to return to college, where she earned a PhD as a clinical psychologist. She went on to work as a therapist at a middle school for a year. “Sometimes, in life, you have to do what the world perceives as taking a step backward to move forward,” she says. “You cannot be afraid to pivot, to change, to hear your inner voice. I always say I have deep conversations with God myself. I don’t need to go somewhere to do it. I do it myself. I ask God questions, and God answers me.”
In 2016, TJ Jakes, Senior Pastor of The Potter's House, invited Galán to his show to speak about personal economic empowerment, “because God can't do everything.” While her call for empowerment around abundance might easily be misconstrued in a society of overconsumption, Dr. Galán clarifies the spirit of her message. "I am not a grandiose person,” she tells Rev. Dr. Lin. “I don't live lavishly. I don't want money for those reasons. I want to live okay, but I really am more about having money for freedom to do the things I want to do. What I want is to democratize finance... I really feel like the missing link for us is lack of knowledge." In fact, Dr. Galán believes that money can be a spiritual practice: “How you deal with it. Why you make the money, what you do with the money, and then how you spend the money, is a spiritual practice."
SELF-MADE RESOURCES
STORIES
Nely Galán’s SELF-MADE Stories and The Adelante Movement: Our Stories web series showcase the success stories of self-made women from all walks of life.
Right: Cristina Jiménez, Co-founder of United We Dream and MacArthur Genius Fellow, transformed her pain into power when she founded United We Dream, a nationwide movement that unites young undocumented immigrants in a quest to impact national and local policy.
PODCAST
Money Maker/Mi mundo rico is the podcast for everyone with untapped greatness who just needs the tools to take flight. Nely Galán brings her hard-won business advice and interviews with other self-made gurus ready to pass the baton to the next success story. With the goal of reaching listeners who have traditionally been denied a seat at the table, Galán tapes weekly episodes in English and in Spanish.
BOOKS
Galán, Nely. Self Made: Becoming Empowered, Self-Reliant, and Rich in Every Way [¡Adelante!: Cómo ser emprendedora y autosuficiente para alcanzar una vida rica y realizada]. Spiegel & Grau, 2016.
What does it mean to be self-made? It's not just about having money, but financial empowerment is where it begins. It means getting out of survival mode, where you are one problem away from catastrophe. It means changing your mindset from instant gratification to goal orientation. It means being able to sleep at night without worry. It means being rich in every way: rich in money, rich in family, rich in love, rich in time - abundant!
“A much-needed and wise book that teaches women not to fear money but to see it as a means of reaching our dreams. Nely shows us how to become money courageous instead of finance fearful. I want to give this book to so many women (and men) I know. Thank you, Nely.”
