71: Leaving the U.S. to Create Options w/ First Gen Money Coach Jenn Jamali

What if security didn’t mean staying put in a familiar job or city?

My client Jenn Jamali is a first-gen money coach who, like many of us, was rooted in immigrant “play-it-safe” mindset: buying a house, making six figures, saving hard. But even after checking those boxes, she still felt like something was missing.

When a Pinterest contract ended and she was eight weeks pregnant, Jen could have panicked—but she didn’t: she’d saved, invested, monetized her skills, and built financial cushions outside just a salary.

She declared her dream—to move back to her family's motherland in Colombia, to live in alignment—before knowing how.

Months later, a mix of family loss and a crazy opportunity to live in Bogotá led her to actually do it. She and her family just moved a month ago but it was ANYTHING but easy.

She worked through first gen guilt, family not understanding, fear and unexpected losses in her family. But through it all, she never made herself wrong for her move.

She and I talk through:

• How she made intentional, easier choices that felt like raises—without earning more
• Why values-first decisions opened pathways she hadn’t expected
• The emotional truth of leaving family behind (and still staying connected)
• How she deeply reshaped her mindset—and her money—to live on her terms

It’s a story of trusting yourself, choosing freedom, and resisting the urge to wait until you have it all figured out. It’s exactly the kind of conversation I want more of in this community.

About Jenn:

Jenn is a Financial Empowerment Coach, former tech recruiter, and first-generation wealth builder who helps women—especially fellow first-gens—rewrite their money stories and take bold action toward financial freedom. Through her signature coaching framework, she helps clients make more, keep more, and align their finances with their values so they can live with more ease, purpose, and autonomy.

After navigating career transitions, investing in multiple properties, and self-funding her maternity leave, Jenn recently made her boldest move yet—relocating her family from Texas to Bogotá, Colombia. In this episode, she shares how getting clear on her values, building financial systems, and trusting herself made it possible to build a life abroad rooted in connection, nature, and intentionality.

Connect and work with Jenn:

Instagram

LinkedIn

Website

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