About Marginalized Margins

Dear Reader,

I know you want to build generational wealth not solely just so you can build the life that you want, but also...

So you can build a life that doesn’t just work for you, but FULFILLS you, as well.

So you can finally take the ancestral return trip you have been dreaming about all your life to reconnect with your lineage and reseat and remember the true source of your power.

So you can fund your daughter’s education without taking out a loan or putting her in debt before she can even experience the world.

So you can go to your doctor’s appointment and fully prioritize your health without worrying about what insurance will and won't cover.

So you can create an investment approach that aligns with your values.

So you can give back to your community and contribute to causes you care deeply about.

So you never have to worry if someone is coming to save you, because you always know your margins will help you save yourself.

So you can say FU–without saying a word–to anyone that is not treating you with the dignity and respect you deserve.

And here’s the thing: you have been gaslighted by exclusionary economic and financial systems and policies that are not designed for you to thrive. You’re told that if you just leaned in more, you’ll be able to climb the career ladder all while sporting a power suit and high heels. What no one bothers to warn you about is that hustle culture is propped up on the backs of women providing unpaid domestic work and childcare for their homes and families. Caregiving comes with a high price tag: lower or lost wages, slowed income growth, and reduced retirement savings and income, and less leisure time. With unaffordable healthcare, expensive childcare and eldercare, and no paid family leave, it is no surprise that the math in this equation never works in your favor. Even if you opt out of having children you still have to spar with the “the maybe baby” bias. And when you wake up with a pounding migraine, you are told to take a deep breath and pop a Xanax. It’s too hard to breathe when you feel capitalism is choking your time, energy, and money out of you and your life.

Beyond the inequities in the workplace, there are other ways the deck is stacked against you. Want to start your own business so that you can have more autonomy over your time? Just know that you are more likely to see “REJECTED” stamped on your bank loan application than fresh-out-college Chad. And when it’s time to pitch a Venture Capital firm to scale your company, you’re going to have to pitch another guy also named Chad (what is up with the name Chad???) who emails you to say he “has decided not to move forward.” When you zoom out, you learn that Venture Capitalists (VCs) seldom take chances on all-female founder companies like yours (and even less so if you're a woman of color), as they funnel just 2% of their investment dollars in their direction. And when the time comes to sell your business, you are more likely to sell it for much less than Chad (there he is again).

Want to invest in real estate? Chances are you will pay more for your home, and reap less when you sell it. Not to mention the fact that every time you call your plumber, he’ll ask to speak with your husband. And then quote you $10K for something that you don't need to fix. It starts to feel like you're trying to single-handedly dismantle the patriarchy every time you deal with a home repair (with your power drill in hand, of course).

Want to invest in the stock market? If you don't know what questions to ask or what to look for, you’ll get stuck with a financial advisor who politely asks how to pronounce your name and then convinces you the best option is to go with their “Gold Package” which charges “only 1% fees.” Then he says all this fancy financial jargon (i.e., dollar cost averaging, tax loss harvesting, wrap fees, etc.) to confuse and make you believe investing is too complicated for you to do it on your own.

Whether you are dealing with the gender or racial pay gaps in the workplace, the homeownership gap, the investing gap, or the exit gap, they all are designed to do the same thing: prevent you from building and growing your wealth. But don’t let that be the reason to throw a pity party with rainbow confetti. Let that instead be the primary driver for getting your assets in formation and build your margins like your life depends on it.

I’m here to tell you that it’s not your fault. Do you have every right to be angry? Yes, of course you do. But being angry isn’t a strategy for building margins in your life. Anger is what gets in the way of what you want and need to build. Because the moment you fall for anger’s seduction is the moment the patriarchy straightjackets you into compliance and silence. So instead of being out in these streets proactively building an empire ecosystem that nourishes you and your bank account, you know what you find yourself doing? Wasting your precious time and energy justifying and defending yourself because now you’ve been casted as that angry woman of color. The ill-tempered one. The rude one. The aggressive one. The loud one. Please don’t fall for this energy-eating, patriarchal piranha of a trap that weaponizes your righteous anger. And no, I’m not suggesting you bottle up your anger and surrender with a forced smile.

What I’m implying is that you play on a different field altogether, one where you don an impenetrable shield from those gross, sexist and racist vultures that are constantly feasting on your energy. And where you finally can build your margins with sheer focus and intention. Because once you get to that place, you're no longer succumbing to a world that’s on fire. You’re the one who’s on FIRE (cue my favorite Alicia Keys song).

Think of me as your go-to generational wealth expert—with a face and lived experience similar to yours–so you can get to that place with ease, calm, and confidence. I'll make sure you know what hand to play based on the cards you’re dealt -- all while I show you how to deal yourself the hand you truly want. That’s why I created Marginalized Margins – to move you from frustration to freedom when it comes to building your margins in your life.

If this message speaks to you, activate that subscribe button with your magical fingers. This is not about joining another newsletter that collects dust in your inbox. This is about joining a movement that puts you on path towards reclaiming your power and building generational wealth. Each week, I’ll be chipping away at financial gatekeeping, by sending my most trusted resources, strategies and tactics on how to build your margins.

Here’s the hard truth you need to hear:

No one is going to advocate for your generational wealth as much as you are.

No one is going to plan, strategize, and push for your margins more than you.

Don't make the dire mistake of leaving your wealth-building potential on the table.

You simply won't get this type of learning anywhere else. Why? Because I was you. Scouring the internet trying to find anything to help me navigate predatory financial systems that weren't designed for or welcoming of me. I have the scars so you don't have to.

See you in the margins,

Miloney

Hi, I’m Miloney, Founder of Marginalized Margins

This is How It All Begun

Confused when my aunt pointed to the photo and said “that’s your mom.”

Saddened whenever my childhood friends asked “What happened to her?”

Curious when I thought about what life would be like if she survived the car accident.

Gutted when I found my mother's old Toys R’ Us paystub.

Floored when I saw the long gap in my father’s resume during the Reagan Recession.

Shocked when I found my mother’s name-without my father’s-on the title of our family’s first car.

Thrilled when I started working at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Disillusioned when I led a high-profile workplace discrimination investigation.

Reenergized when I went to grad school at the London School of Economics to study gender and social policy.

Excited when I landed a new job evaluating multi-million dollar gender equity initiatives.

Upset when I was forced to resign from a company I had been loyal to for years when father got sick.

Nourished when my father stood over the stove each evening cooking samosas from scratch.

Lucky when I found him an amazing team of doctors.

Tenacious when I landed a client contract that equaled my annual salary.

Devastated when I found my father in his bedroom.

Livid when a neighbor passed out business cards at my father’s funeral.

Lonely when I felt the void.

Bittersweet when I signed the papers to transfer the assets into my name.

Irritated when people kept prying into things that were none of their business.

Frustrated when people kept asking me “What do I plan to do with the house?”

Overwhelmed when I sorted through the 37 pairs of jeans in his closet.

Trapped when I had to constantly deal with the backlog of home repairs and maintenance.

Empowered when I completed my first home repair class and started fixing things myself.

Startled when a creepy man rang my doorbell.

Powerless when I realized he was never going to take no for an answer.

Anxious when I no longer felt safe in my own home.

Determined when I decided not to be a victim of my circumstances.

Thrilled when I finally signed the contract with the architect.

Lighter when I removed the last few boxes from the house for demo.

Vulnerable when I realized there was no turning back.

Demoralized when the city inspector requested the toilet be moved one inch.

Impatient when the renovation took twice as long as planned.

Nervous when the realtor listed the house for sale.

Concerned when it started snowing the weekend of the open house.

Hopeful when I received the first offer within 24 hours.

Elated when I received the second offer well above the asking price.

Confident when I received the third offer.

Ecstatic when the house finally went under contract.

Nostalgic when I did the final walk through.

Tickled when the buyers looked surprised to see that I was the one selling the house.

Relieved when I signed the closing papers two days before my father’s birthday.

Glad I didn’t listen to any of the naysayers who underestimated me.

Proud that I set a record with the house sale and changed the trajectory of my life.



This was so much more than selling my childhood house. It meant I finally had the space and time to finally sit with the questions “what do I want?” and “how do I make it happen?” And since then, I’ve slowly created a life that looks completely different than one I had before.

I now wake up every morning savoring the view of the San Gabriel mountains while sipping a matcha latte.

Most days, I have a short commute into an office with a desk that is parked right next to my ride-or-die best friend.

I take daily sunshine strolls during which I actually stop and smell the roses.

I take the time to recreate my father’s samosas from scratch. I found myself being more discerning in how I spend my time, energy, and money. Even in the most ordinary of moments, I find myself truly happy. One thing that has stuck with me over the past several years, is the myriad of ways marginalized women are gaslit into believing they are not worthy of wealth. And that they are not capable of being good stewards of wealth once we attain it. I launched Marginalized Margins newsletter with a mission to show marginalized women how to navigate systems that weren’t designed for them to prosper.

So hear me loud and clear when I say this:

Society tells you that if you just worked harder, optimized your calendar, or "leaned in" a little more, you’d finally feel like you’re winning. They lied.

You deserve more.

More safety.

More time.

More energy.

More money.

Attaining more of each of these is not mutually exclusive; they are inextricably linked.

I’m here to show a different way to deal with the unexpected twists and turns and inevitable ups and downs you encounter on a nearly daily basis as a woman of color.

And the best part? They won’t see you coming.

Because being underestimated will be your superpower. Not the reason for your demise.