For Neysa Garcia-Muhammad, success has always been about more than just a job title or salary. With roots in hospitality and tech, and a passion for sociology and creativity, Neysa's path is one of constant evolution. Today, as a money mindset coach and creative entrepreneur, she empowers others to redefine their relationship with money and embrace their true potential. In this candid interview, Neysa shares how her background shapes her unique approach to coaching, and why understanding your money mindset is crucial for achieving lasting success in the creative world.

Garcia-Muhammad: What a beautiful, thoughtful question. To understand my career trajectory, you have to dive deep into my story. Growing up as a child of Jamaican immigrants, everything was about survival and assimilation. My childhood was largely informed by following the rules, staying afloat, and keeping my head down. In college, my objective was simple: find any job to get out of my mother’s home. I wanted autonomy, creative freedom, and most importantly…physical safety. After years of physical and psychological abuse, that first restaurant job was my ticket out. I worked in hospitality for almost 7 years, graduated college with a degree in Sociology and a deep passion for photography that only my friends knew about. I didn’t know what was next or what was even possible. I have a degree in Sociology and I knew that I needed it just for me. I wanted to learn about my history, how the world really worked, and put language behind my experience as a Black woman. I didn’t know back then that it would be a rock-solid foundation for my coaching. At that time I was looking for money and stability. This goal launched my tech career. I started with a bootcamp certificate, took the first tech job that I was offered, and grew from there. In my consulting job, I saw that the decisions were being made on the product team and I was drawn to that. I didn’t want to work on things just because I was told to. I wanted autonomy and an understanding of the thinking behind our decisions. That’s how I got into product management. That career gave me the ability to influence, lead, and advocate for others. I took my Sociology background, my hospitality sensibilities, and carved out a space for myself in every role. With all that career growth, it wasn’t long before burnout started to creep in. On the heels of the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, Amaud Aubrey, and massive protests right outside of my downtown Atlanta apartment…I started to ask more questions. Is this really it? I’ve finally “made it” with a 6-figure tech salary. I was working from home, but it seemed like no one cared about me. If I was gunned down by police, would anyone notice or believe my story? All this work and sacrifice that I made to have a career was really to prove something. It was to prove that I was good enough, that I deserved to be here in America, that I deserved a life. The thing is, when you spend your life trying to prove something to other people…you miss out on yourself. You miss out on your gifts, you feel a quiet resentment, and even worse…it’s almost impossible to pinpoint where it’s coming from.

I made a promise to myself: Let me just try having a creative career, for real this time. I can figure out anything, I got into the tech industry for crying out loud…maybe I can do this. So, I did. One step at a time, I built a portfolio and along the way, my husband joined me and we started Ginger and Carrot Productions. After that first year, however, I found out where my money wounds really were - that these beliefs about proving myself to others and worthiness impacted our bottom line. I was so fixated on the tactical things that I didn’t realize that my thoughts and beliefs were in the driver's seat all along. I was fascinated by this and I wanted to learn as much as I could. I started coaching my peers for free, creating content, I created a podcast, and all of a sudden, the pieces started to come together. The drivers for success weren't what we were told. Business and finance coaches were missing the social context, the mindset work barely scratched the surface, so I went deeper. I went for my certification in Trauma of Money and created a thread for my career. I stopped trying to prove myself and started being what I truly was - a creator. So, now in my coaching I pull from all aspects, my corporate background, my Sociology studies, and my empathy from hospitality. I didn’t know then what I know now, which was that the only person who’s approval I needed was my own.

Garcia-Muhammad: Your money mindset consists of your thoughts, beliefs, and values about money. These are mostly on a subconscious level and they inform the decisions that you make about money every day. They inform what you think you’re capable of, what you believe other people are capable of. It influences your politics, how you treat people, and even little things like the reaction you have when you’re told you have to wait at a restaurant. Are you patient and thankful? Or triggered and ready to grab the host by the collar? These behaviors all trace back to your money mindset. By now, you’re already seeing how crucial it is for you to have a money mindset that serves you. I don’t assign good or bad to thoughts and beliefs because my philosophy is that we can’t grow from shame and guilt. If a belief is serving you and creating results that you’re happy with, then you’re on the right path. If you’re not happy with the results you’re seeing, if you’re having a negative experience with your team, your work, or your business as a whole…then it’s time to examine your thoughts and see where you can expand.

Garcia-Muhammad: Some common beliefs that creatives have about money that don’t always serve them is that they know what their problem is. They think “oh once my website is done, I’ll be legit and I’ll make more money”. They get a website and still results trickle in slowly. “Well, once I finish my branding, then I’ll start to make good money”...same results. Another one of my favorites is the comparison game- “Well, that creative has these things that I don’t have so that’s why they get to do things that I can’t do.” Here’s my favorite one, “I need to be more financially literate” so they binge-watch cringy financial influencer’s content, feel all the shame and guilt, and stay right where they are. Plus, they’re more sad at the idea that it’s wrong for them to want a fancy car. Overcoming these beliefs is going to look different for everyone. You actually do have to talk to the individual to trace back to the core belief that’s driving these thoughts. We’re all conditioned in our larger society to go after a specific kind of success. The kind where you follow the rules, the status quo, and don’t ruffle feathers. We’re not taught to be self-aware and examine our own thoughts. Even America’s history of psychotherapy was only created to control the masses with propaganda for war or politics. You can take your power back by examining your thoughts, reconnecting with your body, and conditioning yourself to believe what serves you. I believe there are 5 core currencies that we have to manage. There’s money - we all know and love her. Then, there’s time, energy, emotions, and attention. Our relationship with money is so deeply connected with how we think about where we’re spending our time. Is it in the past with regret? Or in the future with anxiety? Our energy is one of the most important things because if we don’t have the self-awareness to thoughtfully budget our energy, we burn ourselves out. Our emotions are often swept under the rug, but when you bring them to the surface, they’re powerful teachers that point us in the right direction and tell us where we need to point our attention. Our attention provides clues to where our resources are being spent. It’s all about being more conscious. Anyone who tells you “Do this and you’ll make millions”...or “Do exactly what I did and you’ll get my results”... is missing one key piece to the story. They’re missing YOU. They are missing your story, your thoughts, your beliefs, your triggers, your pain. You don’t even have all the details about your own journey, so how can they? Become a student of yourself, then become an expert on who you are. That’s where you start in the work of money mindset.

Garcia-Muhammad: This one is simple, and it’s creating systems. Often, the conversation about systems is targeted at huge corporate entities who have tens of thousands of employees. These principles still apply to artists, solopreneurs, and small business owners. Understand what drives and drains your energy and create systems that support that. This goes for your personal life too. Have you rested enough to have a full day of editing? Have you eaten enough to have big workouts at the gym? Have you experienced enough play to inspire new ideas? Have you integrated enough alone time to recharge your social battery (as I like to call it)? Understand what you need to be successful and be absolutely committed to maintaining these boundaries for yourself and those around you.

Garcia-Muhammad: I really believe that everything happened for me and not to me. If I knew back then what I knew now I wouldn’t be here, I would be somewhere else. I’m so grateful for every single challenge, every single mistake, because it’s the reason I can stand in self-authority and support the people I work with. It’s the reason why every single creative client we take on experiences something different than with other production companies. I’m so profoundly grateful for what I did to get here even off the beaten path.

Garcia-Muhammad: This approach was the result of Tabari, my husband, and I following our own curiosity and excitement. We would sit down after a big shoot and process how it went, and how it felt for us to deliver the work. Tabari would say “I don’t really care about doing random brand work, I just care about the story. I don’t want to learn more tricks and gimmicks to get people’s attention, I only care about who they are. When we had discovery calls with clients, they were saying the same thing. They said, “I don’t want to just do the trends, and follow the crowd. I want people to know why this matters to me”. We took that as a green light to make documentaries. We realized quickly that everyone doesn’t need a 20-minute Chef’s Table episode, but we took those principles and created shorter versions of that. Not only did they perform extremely well on social media, but it was undeniably authentic.

Garcia-Muhammad: What I’ve seen so often in my work is that it all connects. When you’re working with people who want to create an impact, expand their thought leadership, show their multitudes…there’s several things going on. They don’t believe that people want what they have to offer, they are afraid to show up in their true light, they are afraid of making others feel bad, and they’re afraid of success. What’s so amazing about having a production company and now being a coach is that we can do the work of transforming your money mindset and create bold content that reflects your new beliefs. The content that you create when you are in full belief that you’re worthy, wanted, and needed is very different from the content you create when you’re in self-doubt and fear. Most brand photographers might take your preferences, make you look great, and send you on your way. My clients know that I’m not here to take a few photos, I’m here to uplevel your business and if there is one takeaway from this article you can walk away with, upleveling your business starts with inner work.

Garcia-Muhammad: One project I’m really proud of is the brand photoshoot we did for Lauren Morrison, an executive and business coach based here in Los Angeles. We drove the creative direction, found stunning locations to shoot right in her home, and inspired her to enjoy the process. She wore a badass yellow suit which popped in her teal office. We also took shots in her stunning kitchen and on her stairwell. I was inspired by the portraits I often saw in Architecture Digest. You could celebrate the artist’s success just by having an invitation to witness the fruits of their labor. I loved shoots like that because it wasn’t just beautiful, but it was also an expansive invitation to create that kind of success as well. Lauren told us that she normally dreads doing photoshoots, but we made it fun for her and she loves the photos. She not only looks great and her values are clearly illustrated. That was a dream project.

Garcia-Muhammad: LinkedIn is where I connect with people. On other social platforms, you can sort of hide behind your brand, but on LinkedIn, it’s an invitation to be an individual and make it your own. So, I did just that. What’s beautiful about LinkedIn is that even with a small audience, you can have an impact. People can see the conversations you’re in and learn more about you. I love the opportunity to connect on that level.

In the work that I do both on the brand side and coaching side, it’s all about relationships. So, any opportunity that I have to build and nurture relationships is what I’ll say yes to.

Garcia-Muhammad: I can’t live without my money ritual. A money ritual is a concept that I created to establish a trusting foundation with money as an energy. Anyone that works with me will create a money ritual of their own as well. It allows me to take the negative story out of it and treat money like a best friend or someone that I care deeply about. My money ritual consists of journaling about the need-to-know info about my business, questions that I have, and leads that have come into the business. I do this in a physical journal and I’ve been so consistent with it, more so than any CRM I’ve used for this process. Then, weekly, I review all of my money flow on my tracker. I make sure that everything is labeled so that I understand what my money is being spent on and where adjustments need to be made. Lastly, I automate my goals. I automate debt pay downs and savings, no matter how small. This takes the perceived strain away from these processes and allows me to focus on the things that are easier on my nervous system.

Garcia-Muhammad: Honestly, sometimes I think everyone is my coach because everyone is teaching me something about myself. Just now, I got a voice message from my Dad who said “Soon, you’ll thank them for firing you because it created an opportunity for the next big thing”. We were talking about my hospitality journey and how my career survived twists and turns over the years.

I’ve also worked with some incredible coaches and mentors that I will happily name-drop here. I’ve worked with Lauren Morrison for over a year, Natasha Ho - an amazing sales mentor, I was a member of We Should All Be Millionaires, a community by Rachel Rodgers. Coaching is transformational. When you pay, you pay attention and surrounding yourself with people who are building and growing is essential to success. You really have to condition yourself to believe that you can do something that you’ve never done before. That’s the way that I’ve chosen to climb this mountain.

Garcia-Muhammad: My number one piece of creative advice is that you’re not a sellout for wanting to be paid to be creative. If you want to get your work out there, grow as a creative, and change the world - that requires money. If you want to take time off, spend time with loved ones, and be inspired - that costs money. If you want to invest in your mental health, plan for the future, provide for your family, be a light, and show up as your best self - that all requires money. There is no need, no virtue, and no reward for rejecting the energy flow of money into your experience. Empower yourself, know yourself, love yourself, and see what magic comes from that place.

-----------------------------------

Stay #InTheLuupe 💌 Subscribe to our newsletter to get conversations with today's most inspiring creatives and stories on creative culture sent straight to your inbox.