Growing Up Guyanese with Ramona
Growing Up Guyanese with Ramona
I know and hope that so many of us are taking away a number of life lessons from the experiences of 2020, and the start of 2021, and one of those lessons for me is the value of amplifying voices. I started this podcast over six years ago, as a dare to bring more female voices to the personal finance podcasting space. Over a million downloads later, I take this platform you’ve given to me, by listening over those years, very seriously.
Many of my long term listeners know that, like you, I’m on a journey to learn everyday and get better every day in all aspects of my life, especially finances, and I’m bringing those lessons to this community. Today, I’m excited to share the unique cultural and financial journey of my teammate at The Financial Gym, Ramona. Ramona’s family is from Guyana and she joins me today on how her family’s background and journey has influenced her.
What are we drinking?
Ramona - Black Coffee
Shannon - Black Cherry Schweppes
Podcast Notes
Ramona’s parents are from Guyana, which is a country in South America. It is the only non-Spanish speaking country in South America, and Ramona is first generation in the United States.
Ramona worked in the finance world at places including Wells Fargo, Chase, and Bank of America, and then she found Shannon and The Financial Gym. Ramona is now a Trainer at The Gym, and this job allows her to be more personable with clients and she is able to relate to them.
Ramona was unhappy at her last job and when she searched “financial coach” online, she saw an event The Gym was having. She attended the event with her sister, and liked it so much she looked to see if they were hiring.
This is Ramona’s first position at a startup, and, in September, Ramona will be at The Gym for two years.
Ramona’s ancestors are from India, and they eventually migrated to Guyana. About 80% of people in Guyana are originally from India, but there are some Asians, Caucasians, and Africans. She is mistaken for being Indian regularly, and she would rather have people ask than assume.
Indian food and Guyanese food are different. They both use curry, but they each use it in different ways.
Ramona’s parents had an arranged marriage and they came to the United States for a better life and because her mom’s dad was living in Brooklyn. Her parents are still married.
There is a prayer ceremony in Guyana and it is held if you buy a new house, if you have a baby, if there is a death, or any big life event, and it is done by a Hindu priest. This is something her parents continued after they moved to the U.S.
Ramona was raised Hindu. She went to Catholic school, but she also went to the temple. Her dad was baptized and her mom was brought up Hindu.
If you are 100% devoted Hindu, you don’t eat beef, because the cow is sacred.
Growing up in a Guyanese household, there is a stereotype where parents want their kids to go to school and become a doctor or a lawyer. Her parents thought this way and it did play a part in Ramona becoming a part of the finance world.
Ramona didn’t have financial aid for college, and she had to take out student loans.
Before going into more debt to get another degree, look on LinkedIn to see what you can do with what you already have. Check out Coursera and Skillshare to try out courses. Look for internships to try something new.
You will learn most jobs on the job. There are different programs, procedures, and processes in every company that need to be learned. The biggest thing most companies need are good communication skills, good writing skills, and good thinking skills.
Ramona’s parents were a little disappointed when they learned she was going into finance. But, Ramona’s first job at age 18 was being a teller at Chase Bank, and her parents were the ones that were pushing for her to get this job by talking to the bank manager about it every time they went there.
Usually the older sibling is the one who wants to do what the parents want them to do. Ramona is the younger sibling, so she didn’t feel that pressure.
If you are curious, Ramona doesn’t mind the questions, “Where is your family from?” or “What nationality are you?”. Whatever you say, “What are you?” is not the right question.
Takeaway: My biggest takeaway is the value of conversation, especially with people who don’t look like you. We all come to the table with stories, experiences, and journeys that are unique and teachable moments for so many people around us. Every conversation I have helps make me make smarter and more empathetic choices each day. As I say to the team at The Gym all the time, we might not get each day perfect, but we can get smarter everyday and that’s the best we can all hope for on these life journeys we’re all on.
Random Three Questions
What is your favorite dish and can you make it?
What is something you’ve been bingeing during the pandemic?
What do you do to relax?
If you have any topics you would like me to cover on this podcast, or if you’d like to get in the financially naked hot seat, I encourage you to email me to Shannon@fingyms.com, or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group, and let me know what you want to hear.
2020 was a challenging year, and if money was one of those challenges for you, please don’t let 2021 be more of the same. Despite a global pandemic, we witnessed Financial Gym clients achieve amazing goals all year long. We’ve worked with over 6,000 clients at this point and we’ve literally seen it all and would love to help you achieve your financial dreams in 2021. So head over to, or send friends to, financialgym.com to get set up today.