Lately entrepreneurship has become an increasingly discussed topic. Although the rise of the digital age and increasing numbers of new online platforms to generate wealth has created opportunities, the perceived risk involved in forging one’s own path to success, to some, still seems too high. The pressures to follow a traditional career path remains paramount in the lives of young people; however, some individuals take the leap to achieve financial freedom their own way. A perfect example of these individuals is Naleisha Pedro-Rabena, a modern entrepreneur who has turned substantial profits by following her dreams.
Naleisha was born and raised on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. She later moved with her family to Las Vegas where she worked as a cashier at Panera Bread. From that very first job Naleisha knew that the 9-5 grind was not for her, and the desire to achieve her potential outside of the corporate cocoon was set in motion.
After completing her highschool education, Naleisha relocated once more to Washington State, where she currently resides. As a modern, forward-thinking individual, Naleisha knew that her environment played a key role in her success and she sought the best possible opportunities for advancement to propel her further to achieving her goals.
In August of 2020, Naleisha registered at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. Although Naleisha went to college to pursue her passion in Musical Theatre, she ended up finding a new opportunity in her very first week of college that could lead her to the financial freedom she had always envisioned for herself: trading in the financial markets. Naleisha took this vision that was planted in her mind and nurtured it, doing thorough research into entrepreneurship and mastering the skill set of trading – she had found more value in just 4 months of self directed research and learning than she felt she had gained from her zoom classes in college and thus decided to discontinue her studies.
When speaking on her decision to leave her college education behind, Naleisha says:
“I did pay for the semester in full but I honestly wasn’t even bothered about not getting my money’s worth out of the semester, I was more upset having spent 4 months of my time not really learning anything when I could’ve harnessed all that energy toward the skillset. I learned early on that money isn’t the most important currency, time is.”
Naleisha worked hard building her brand and mastering her craft, and being a natural born leader, she became an independent business owner within one of her mentor’s organizations “Hustle Over Handouts”. Naleisha’s goal is to impact as many lives as possible, educating the masses on the new opportunities that are available to us if we think outside the box.
“Trading was never something they taught us in grade school. We all grew up being told that the one and ONLY way to be successful was to get good grades, go to school, and give our time for money at a job. Little did we know, this whole time there’s been a way to make our money work for us that doesn’t require us to clock in,” says Naleisha.
Although Naleisha has found great success in the financial markets, she remains grounded through her positive mindset, placing high priority on personal development and building an empire through helping others. When discussing her passion for bringing value and a sense of inclusivity to people’s lives, Naleisha says:
“This opportunity is way deeper than just the money. If I was doing this for just the money, I could’ve easily remained working for an hourly wage. Jobs teach us how to make money, but they don’t necessarily teach us how to be smart with our income or how to better yourself. My business has no discrimination, it doesn’t matter how old you are, your race, whether you have a degree or not, if you have children, if you have a criminal record – anyone and everyone is welcome to learn how to get paid and step into the best versions of themself. With anyone who enters this space, my goal is to give people their time back. Everyone deserves to spend their days doing what they love and living on their own terms instead of having to clock in, that’s true financial freedom.”
Naleisha has established her business far outside Washington State, with an international client base and continues to find ways to expand her portfolio. Naleisha and her business partner run online stores through the Depop app, selling preloved clothing that they no longer wear.
Now, as a successful entrepreneur and multifaceted businesswoman, Naleisha hopes to share her story of success and help others achieve their goals under her mentorship. When discussing her goals for the future of her business, Naleisha says:
“I started this opportunity for my own personal wishes, but I continued to pursue it from the joy I got watching others achieve their goals. Every person in my organization has a why, a reason why they choose to trade and impact. I mentor many people who want out of the 9-5 work cycle, a few parents and older sisters who want to break generational curses and provide the best life possible for their children/younger siblings, and a few artists who simply just want a sustainable way of income that’ll also give them time to pursue their passions.”
Naleisha continues to inspire and motivate others to break out of their comfort zone and pursue what they truly desire to get the most out of life. As a successful businesswoman leading by example we would all do well to remember her words:
“Every single person deserves to live out their biggest and wildest dreams, and I’m grateful that I get to be a part of their journeys in achieving them”.
Find out more about Naleisha and how she continues to break down barriers on her instagram page @naaleisha.
