How a Poor Immigrant Built a Financial Empire

When we come to the United States, we face many challenges. I serve the Spanish speaking community with my business. I'm working through empowering the community so that we need it right now. Fabiola Rivera is an economist, business consultant, tax specialist, and the founder of Adobe Accounting and Financial Services Inc.

Drawing from more than 30 years of experience, she helps entrepreneurs and business owners achieve financial success through tax expertise, strategic planning, and practical financial education. It's very common with immigrants, they all want to come in open business. They have an idea.

They know what they want to do. They just don't know how they don't know what to start. So my job as an accountant is to be sure that they do things right. I give them a checklist what they need to do. Like, register the business, open in the bank account,

whatever they need to do, so they know.

I'm a big believer in marketing, and this is one of the advice that I always give my clients

invest in advertising because... The living your legacy podcast for those who live to leave a legacy. Hey, welcome back in one to another episode of Living Your Legacy Podcast. I'm your host again, Jason Langen, and we're here at the brand new studios in Miami, South Beach. In the heart of it all, right on Collins Ave, about two blocks from the beach, it's lovely, and I'm here with our lovely guests.

“Introduce yourself, what's your name, where you from, and what's your business?”

My name is Savio La Reira, I am a financial advisor. My business is Sadova County Financial Services, and I am from New Mexico. Alright, so from New Mexico, it's a dry heat over there, right? Very dry heat. Yeah, and you like humidity or the dry heat?

Kind of like in the middle. Yeah, that's a dry heat. Yeah, it would be perfect, but in the middle location was, they got probably got dry heat. But anyways, I notice a accent, everyone knows an accent, so where's your accent from? I am from Mexico.

From Mexico, okay, you grew up there? I wasn't in Mexico until 1415, and then I immigrated to the United States. Okay, and to New Mexico, where were you on a place?

I went to the bus first, Texas, and then to New Mexico.

Okay, and why you immigrated the US at that age? The economic situation basically looking for a very job, a very life, like everyone else, we come here because this is the greatest country in the world, and everybody wants to be here. So you had that American dream in your eyes? Yes, pretty much.

Yeah, and so how's it been?

“Now you got your business, your financial advisor, right?”

Yes. So how's that American dream been working for you? So far so good, yeah, it's been working good. I went with Spanish speaking community in New Mexico, mostly in migrants. My job is mostly within migrants, and I'm working through empowering the community, so we need right now.

All right, so you're trying to help other immigrants walk the American dream like you are? Exactly. So yeah, tell me, tell me kind of who you work with, what are the biggest problems you see immigrants with their financial situation? There's many things, when we come to the United States, we face many challenges.

First of all, the language, the language is a big one.

We don't have enough financial education to make decisions. The legal status also, the immigration status is a big one. So we come with forced to overcome many challenges. And by doing my work, by doing financial advice in through different media, in podcasts and channels,

“I think I'm helping my community to overcome a little bit of those challenges.”

Yeah, so you kind of lead by example. Probably, it's when I pretend. And so when you came to the States, did you speak English? No, I didn't. Okay, and so now, look at you.

Now you're on a podcast in Miami Beach Studios, right? Speaking English, you've been doing a great job. Thank you. And so how did you pick up English so far? Well, I started learning English in Mexico when I lived there because I, I love metal rock.

Oh, okay. I'm a big fan of, you know, I see this feeling healing. I'll see. I'll close the guys. So we're hiding a lot of that.

You are not seeing it, right? So one of my dreams was to come to the United States to meet those bands, which I have

little by little.

Then I came to to the past and went to school, I came to New Mexico and went to school.

When I went to a UNM University in New Mexico, I didn't speak enough English to be in a degree, so they wanted to put me on a two-year English and a two-year program to learn English first. And I went to find many people because I didn't want to spend two years on my life learning English.

And I'm like, no, I just take it like that and I'm like, you don't have enough English. You can't go to a degree straight to a degree. Well, at the time, that was the beginning of the night, there was no computers, no cell phones. So I heard a little recording that I recorded that I put on class. I was recording the classes because I had no clue what the professor was saying.

So then I used to come home, listen the recordings, and take notes. So if I spent four hours in school, I used to spend another four hours at home, taking the same class. So in about two or three months, I was already taking notes with other record and by the end of the semester, I was already understanding everything in participatory in class. Well, yeah, it was a little bit of the process. Yeah, you got to put the work in.

Yeah. And you got to put the music on full.

Oh, yes. Absolutely. Still now. I still, I love it.

“So let's rewind. What, what, what concerts have you been to? What are the big ones?”

What kind of what concerts? Oh, I see the concerts. Oh, yes. I mean, it's not a concert roses. Yeah, when I was living in Juarez, it's about a series.

So we start, I started going to concert when I was 12. Me and my friends used to cross the river, which didn't have water at the time. We used to cross the river walking to the bus. We used to cross the bus to buy the tickets and then later to for the concerts. So yeah, I've been going to concerts so many times.

My first concert. So when you cross, you say cross the river to go to the concert. Walking, yeah. Yeah. So it's through the river. Yeah, but didn't have water.

So it's a little bit of water. You can walk through a whole piece of wood. Okay. In another time, immigration wasn't that hard. So they even, they saw us at distance.

They didn't do anything. They just live. It's going. Come back and go up again. That's hilarious.

Yeah, it was different times. Yeah, yeah.

“Of course, it was not a immigration wasn't that hard.”

And then you were kids who went to do something and come back. Yeah. Wow, that's amazing. So yeah, I mean, here in South Beach, we have such a huge lack of community. And it's sometimes it's upsetting that, you know, you talk to some of these Uber drivers.

And they don't speak a word of English. And then so my Spanish is horrible. You know, I'll be a little bit keep to us. But you know, I'm a green go through and through. Okay. But, you know, I try to, I'm an extrovert.

So I like to talk to them. And it's like, wow, you've been here for 10 years. And you don't try to speak the language. You know, you're missing out on so much, right? That is true.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I lived in Thailand for what's in Southeast Asia for 16 years.

And I can speak flu and tie because I put the work in. You know, I put the time in. And then I became, you know, manager of a travel company working with the ties. Working in type speaking tie, you know. But so much more opportunities given to you if you just put the effort to speak the language.

So you got to watch the movies, listen, a metal, do put the record around. Do what you got to do. But I highly recommend it, right? Yes. Yeah.

And so when someone comes to you, they don't speak English.

What's the first thing you said?

That's step one. You got to put in the work. Yes. Of course, the first thing is to learn English. Like you say, you can survive because a lot of people have this mentality like,

oh, my dad has been here for years for years and he does speak English and he's doing good. Yeah. But I don't know. It depends why you called being good. Some people just being being good is just making enough money to pay bills.

And it depends why you want to accomplish and why you want to do. But you want to do something better and better your life and your family's life.

“You have to learn English because there's more opportunities for bilingual people.”

Yeah. But if you can more than one language, that will be better people come to you. Like what's the, what's the typical person that comes and works with you? Normally in migrants in New Mexico, they are Spanish speaking. Yeah.

I serve the Spanish speaking community with my business. They come with all kinds of questions and problems. Taxes, immigration, they want to start a business. They don't know how. A lot of people already have business, but they don't do things right.

Because they want to do it, it's just because they don't have the knowledge to do it. So my job as an accountant is to be sure that they do things right. They comply with the law, they fight the taxes, they pay the taxes.

So they think they don't have to pay taxes, they don't make so much money. Like in other countries, it's, that is allowed to do that.

“Here, you have to pay taxes, no matter what.”

So they have a lot to learn, they had to learn the system. The United States tax system is so complex. Even for America, it's very complex. Even for politicians, congressmen, even for the president, probably it's very complex. Yeah, and so it's hard to understand.

Just imagine somebody that speaks language, they have a different background, different culture. So it's hard. My job is to make them or help them understand the system. Yeah. And when you were here, right, and you're getting to understand the system,

it must have been so overwhelming.

How long did it take you to finally think?

Okay, I'm speaking English. I understand taxes, business. So that person that comes to you, the immigrant, right? They don't speak English, right? And you look at them and you say, well, I was on that same path, right?

I didn't speak English. And now I speak English. I understand taxes. I've started my business. How long did that journey take you?

I'm not sure. I can still live. I've been in the country more than 40 years. And I'm still living every day. I don't think you finished learning.

Of course, of course. But to give kind of the inspiration to the person that comes to you. And they're on that same path, right? And you can say, well, first you got to learn English. Take a few years to do that.

And then you got to get your finances together. I'll help you while you learn English, right? Do they? Do they have? How long did it take you to get the system?

I will say at least ten years.

Yes. It's a long process. Because you have to learn English. You have to learn the system.

“You have to learn how to navigate into things right?”

And most people, when I tell them learning English, I don't mean like learn the full language. Maybe just enough to start a business in the way they can communicate with the providers or the clients. And after that, I think over the over the years,

they can keep learning and learning until they master. Yeah. You help with immigration services, too, or just financial services. In your Mexico is not legal. They would do immigration services.

So I would with lawyers with some attorneys that I refer people for. They want to be people. They want to become citizens. So they want to get legalized. Or different services here.

And how do you charge for your services? Do you charge? Do you have packages? Or do you look at each person individually? Or is it hourly?

And normally for a bookkeeping payroll. Business services we have flat rates. Regardless of the size of the business. I would with flat rates. And I have packages, too, for a day one to open a new company.

It's very common within migrants. They all want to come and open a business. So I help them with the process. Because a lot of people, they have an idea. They know what they want to do.

They just don't know how they don't know what to start. So I do workshops in Albuquerque and I do. I have conferences and I. I help with the process where to start. I give them a.

Some types check list.

First time I meet with everybody.

I give them a check list. What they need to do? Like register the business, open in bank account. What are they need to do? So they know.

Yeah. And so how do you find your customers? Do you do marketing? Is it word or mouth? Both.

There's a lot of word or mouth. But I also I do a lot of marketing. I do a lot of advertising. I read in three books for. In Spanish for my community.

So they know the taxes and about finances. And. Is that TV? Yeah. I do commercial some TV.

I do appearances. So like local, local TV. Local TV exactly in the state. Within the state. In the view, sometimes they.

They can be in the views for about. If so. How has the return on the local TV commercials been? Always been great. Yeah.

You have to advertise any business.

“So you have to invest in advertise money.”

You have a business. Yeah. But specifically the TV. The returns being good. Do do people say.

Oh, wow. I saw you on TV. Yes. Okay. Wow.

Yeah. I think it's a media. It works better. TV. And then social media.

And then radio. Oh, it's for me. He sees it. Yes. And then social media.

For me. Yeah. Yeah. I'm going to show you that works the same for everybody. Oh, that's it.

We're trying to get your advice here. Yeah. For me. TV social media. And it used to be.

TV radio social media. But now it's. It's social media. Second. And so how.

How was it. How are your commercials? You do. Do you. Just serious.

You put some production into your TV commercial. I do my own productions. Wow. Okay.

Yeah.

“Because I don't have time to go to the studios and do the shootings.”

And normally we.

We advertise your in taxes.

So everyone in the community. So we had this word of. One of here one there from all the companies doing taxes. Even national companies advertise in the community. Yeah.

So basically what I do. I advertise what I have new to offer this specific year. When we start taxes. And I said, OK. I'm going to say that these are the chances that I work for in the tax code.

These are the new requirements for this. These are these benefits. No longer. We have it. They are they disappear.

Now we have these new benefits.

So whatever these new is what I advertise.

All right.

“So what do you what do you most excited about?”

I ask everyone on the show. What do you most excited about? It can be personal. It can be business. Like what's on what's going on in the future?

Most excited for me is helping my community. Having seen my community coming together through different organizations. And different different programs that we create. I have a podcast where I give a financial advice. I have a really show every Sunday morning.

There is really. You really put yourself out there. That show is been there for 35 years. Every single Sunday in the tax season. There you go.

So normally whatever happens that specific week. I have it on videos. So people know when they come to my office to do taxes. I have to do something else. They are very prepared because they are very here.

What they need to bring what kind of papers. So it's like this. You look so humble and innocent. But you're your beast aren't you? You have so much marketing and so much going on with the radio show.

The TV commercials. You said you have a podcast. And you're on like every social media out there. I think you're a hustler. Well, I'm a big believer in marketing.

And this is one of the advice that I always give my clients.

Invest in advertising because a lot of people in our community. They're Latino community. They don't they they see other ties. Sin assets as an expense in their investment. Yeah.

And I'm like, no, if it was an expense, you didn't get nothing out of it. You are not doing it right. So you supposed to invest the invest one dollar. You have to come back with five work. Yeah.

It's an investment. So it's a huge investment. And I think I have five. You are a beast. One.

Yeah. So most people say two. You say, I put in one. You got to get back five. All right.

Well, I is the number one advice for my business when I start. I'm like investing other ties in most people don't do it. And I had to find them every day. My clients because they don't believe in other ties. Yeah.

Yeah.

“And then you got to just play around with what works, right?”

Yeah. Over the years, you know what works. Any chances also. And then it's just over time, depending on because I work with the Spanish community. So sometimes we have many Spanish stations in New Mexico.

Sometimes we'll have only two or three. So we have to work with what we have. Yeah. Well, it's been a pleasure to have you on a show, right? I love your accent and I love that you're, you know, kind of like this.

You know, you look so cute and humble, right? But you're it's a heavy metal. You're piecing with your business doing so much marketing. And yeah, it's been a pleasure to have you on a show. Same here.

And thank you for allowing me to use this space and for having me here. All right. And thank you guys for joining us for another episode. And we'll see you next time, everyone. Cheers.