Every journey begins with our earliest influences. In my case, different villages and cultures shaped who I am today and continue to inform my perspective on wealth, family, and community. Growing up, I learned that everyone shares fundamental desires: a sense of love, belonging, and purpose. While I was fortunate to experience love and belonging, my search for purpose led me down an unexpected path that would eventually allow me to help others navigate their financial journeys in Canada.
Cultural Roots and Early Adaptability
My story begins in Mozambique, a stunning slice of tropical paradise on Africa's southeast coast, where my first language was Portuguese and my biggest worry was keeping sand out of my shoes. Little did I know I'd soon trade those sandy beaches for something entirely different.
As I approached my teenage years, my parents, in their infinite wisdom (which I only truly appreciated years later), decided I needed better education opportunities and to learn English. Enter Zimbabwe – my first taste of a major life change that would shape my future relationship with cross-cultural adaptation. Zimbabwe's educational system was top-tier in Africa at the time, and it was "only" six to eight hours away – if you were good at playing dodge-the-pothole, that is. Let's just say I became an expert at spotting road hazards, a skill that would prove surprisingly useful in navigating life's bigger challenges ahead.
This early experience of leaving my Portuguese-speaking comfort zone for an English-language boarding school in Harare was my crash course in adaptability. Between battling homesickness and learning English, I was unknowingly preparing for an even bigger adventure.
The Canadian Immigration Journey: A Financial Perspective
Here's where the story takes an unexpected turn – like most good stories do. While my peers were plotting their European adventures, I found myself bound for Toronto simply because they were the first university to say "yes." Sometimes, the best life decisions are the ones we stumble into, right?
Little did I know this would become a masterclass in financial resilience and adaptation. As an international student transitioning through various immigration statuses, I experienced firsthand the financial challenges that many newcomers face:
- The complexity of building credit history from scratch
- The catch-22 of needing "Canadian experience" to secure employment
- Navigating work permit restrictions while trying to qualify for permanent residency
- Managing financial stress while dealing with changing immigration regulations
If you think mastering English was challenging, try wrapping your head around the phrase "Canadian experience" when you have exactly zero of it. Every job interview felt like a comedy sketch:
"Do you have Canadian experience?"
"No, but I have experience being Canadian-adjacent?"
(Spoiler: They didn't find that as funny as I did.)
Even more frustrating during my job search was that I had to ensure that the job I was hired for fell under a specific NOC code (0,1 or 2) if I ever wanted to maximize my chances of becoming a permanent resident.
At one point, I began second-guessing my life choices and the time, money, and effort invested to get to that point, only to be turned away time after time. I could have easily gone back home. That would have been the easy way out. Instead, I chose to dig in, and after months of doing odd jobs here and there, I found a company that was willing to take a risk on me. Full employment with the correct NOC code eventually gave me the necessary experience to qualify for my permanent residency application.
Regardless, the application process was not straightforward as the laws were changing. Sound familiar. I originally started my application under the provincial path of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, which would have helped me get the necessary points to get me into the federal economic class stream Express Entry system. But as luck would have it, there was a massive backlog of almost 8 months. If I remember correctly, it felt longer. I was running out of time on my permit. It was then that I sought help from an immigration lawyer to help navigate what I was going through.
Long story short, with the invaluable support of family, friends, and my lawyer, I became a permanent resident in 2017 and a Canadian citizen in January 2020. This experience underscored the vital role of community and support in the immigration process, a role that I am deeply grateful for and that I now aim to extend to others.
Understanding the Canadian Financial System
One of my most impactful learning experiences came from understanding the credit system. As a student, I received a credit card to build my Canadian credit history – a common starting point for many international students. However, what wasn't explained was how quickly your credit score can go from excellent to poor, impacting every aspect of your life in Canada. I nearly hit financial rock bottom during my post-graduation job hunt. My credit score was so low it needed an elevator to reach ground level. But here's the thing about hitting bottom – you learn exactly what you're made of. In my case, it turned out I was made of pretty sturdy stuff.
That financial near-disaster? It became my superpower role and allowed me to transform my challenges into valuable insights for others. After securing permanent residency (a story involving enough paperwork to fill a small library), I joined one of Canada's Big Six banks as a Financial Advisor. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade – or, in this case, turning credit card debt into a career in finance.
Today, as a Certified Financial Planner®, I help other immigrants navigate their financial journeys. I understand the confusion and frustration that can come from staring at a credit report and financial and investment statements, or the uncertainty of building wealth in a new country. I've been there, done that, and got the financial scars to prove it. But I also know that with the right guidance and support, these challenges can be overcome.
Beyond the Numbers: Where Heart Meets Finance
What I do now goes way beyond crunching numbers or explaining investment strategies. It's about understanding the emotional weight, whether it’s sending money back home while trying to build a life here. It's about managing the guilt of "making it" when others haven't. It's about turning those cultural money beliefs that we all carry into strengths rather than limitations.
I've learned that financial planning for immigrant professionals isn't just about money – it's about dreams, family obligations, and sometimes, just finding the courage to invest in yourself when everyone back home is counting on you.
I've observed that immigrant professionals often face unique psychological barriers when building wealth in Canada:
- Cultural differences in approaching money and investment
- The emotional impact of starting over in a new financial system
- Balancing homeland obligations with Canadian financial goals
- Managing the psychological pressure of providing for family while building long-term wealth
Understanding these behavioural aspects allows me to help clients with the technical aspects of financial planning and develop the mindset and habits necessary for long-term financial success in Canada.
Purpose Found: Empowering Financial Confidence
My purpose is crystal clear these days: helping others write their own Canadian success stories, one financial decision at a time. Sure, I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I'd ended up in a different country. But then I remember that some of the best stories come from taking the unexpected route and hitting a few potholes.
My mission now? Helping other immigrant professionals and entrepreneurs build both wealth and financial confidence. Because at the end of the day, financial success in Canada isn't just about making money – it's about making informed decisions, understanding your own behavioural biases (we all have them!), and building wealth habits that align with who you are and where you want to go.
My story is more than a personal narrative; it's a testament to the power of transforming challenges into expertise. And those potholes I mentioned? They're still there – they look different now. But this time, I'm not just avoiding them; I'm helping others navigate around them, too. Because sometimes, the best navigator is someone who's already taken the bumpy road and lived to tell the tale.
Remember: your financial journey is your story to write. The most fulfilling thing I do is caring for my clients' future so they can find meaning in the present to write their stories and live worry-free. It is what I wished someone had done for me.
