Nely Galán is Teaching Female Entrepreneurs How to Become ‘Self Made’

Nely Galán is Teaching Female Entrepreneurs How to Become ‘Self Made’


Entrepreneur, TV producer, and real estate mogul — it’s safe to say that Nely Galán is a boss. What makes her even more of a ‘boss’ is that helping women to become self-made is a movement and a mission that she is most passionate about. In her new book, Self Made: Becoming Empowered, Self-Reliant, and Rich in Every Way, she shares valuable, candid, no-nonsense lessons learned on her own path to becoming self-made (“There is no Prince Charming;” “Think like an immigrant;” “In your pain is your brand;” “Don’t buy shoes, buy buildings!”).

For most women, we all dream of one day becoming ‘self-made.’ But what does that even mean exactly? Truly the definition has to be different for everyone. 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.

Though she drops many gems, one thing her new book emphasizes is how women can find “hidden money” in their own lives that can help jump-start their self-made dreams. Now who wouldn’t want to find hidden money?

Says Galán (excerpted from Self Made: Becoming Empowered, Self-Reliant, and Rich in Every Way”) “It pains me that one of the biggest things holding us back is a simple lack of information, what I call the knowledge gap. There are so many opportunities available to female entrepreneurs, but we don’t know where to look for them. If we don’t take advantage of these opportunities, in the form of grants, contracts, government pro- grams, and private sector resources that specifically target women, we are leaving money on the table. Knowledge is a tool for making money and keeping money, and we need to educate ourselves.”

This is just a sample taste of the advice that her book offers up to female entrepreneurs. But the question that many may wonder, is why her focus is on women? And the answer is simple: Out of necessity, women — especially multicultural women — became earners and entrepreneurs and now represent the largest growth engine in the U.S. economy. If growth continues at the current rate, by 2017, majority-female-owned business will be 44% of all business, and 23% of all business with employees. Because of these economic shifts, women from many different cultures and backgrounds are united in a quest for a new financial future — one they can control. That’s where being self-made comes in.

When you become self-made, the change in you inspires change in those around you, because one of the greatest rewards of a self-made life is seeing how the sparks from your personal revolution can light a fire in others. Galán says, “So come, join the Self-Made movement. The revolution starts inside of you!”


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