Syama Bunten
Women don’t talk about money the way we should. Not honestly, not openly, and not with each other. But that’s changing. I’m Syama Bunten, founder of Wealth Catalyst. And Getting Rich Together is where the conversation lives. Every week, a different woman, a different path, and a conversation that will change how you think about your own financial power. This community is growing and you belong in it.

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I am here today with the incredible Alicia Umpierre. Alicia, you are a brilliant woman, you know, working with innovative companies at the cutting edge of biotech and life sciences, being a patent attorney, you know, having a PhD in chemistry. It is so incredible to meet someone who has worked as a scientist before moving into law.

And being someone who’s been able to understand innovation not just as an abstract idea, but really, I think, from like the lab bench to the boardroom, like you have an incredible purview and insight. I’m so excited for this conversation to not just hear about the brilliance of what you do today and the fascinating work that you do, but to really learn more about this incredible human who has really built this beautiful life.

And all of the things that bring you to this conversation today. So thank you so much for being here today on Getting Rich Together. It’s a gift to have you.

Alicia Umpierre
Thank you so much for having me.

Syama Bunten
So Alicia, take us back to a young girl, maybe one who wasn’t wearing such fabulous blouses. I love your top today. But maybe the little girl who was somewhere between the ages of ten and twelve years old. Tell me, Alicia, where were you in this beautiful world of ours? What was the life like around you and what was money like?

Alicia Umpierre
Yeah, so I’ll tell you where I was location-wise. So I’ve been in Southern California my entire life. So I was in a smaller city in San Bernardino County called Fontana. And I lived there until I was about in high school. And I pretty much was

I didn’t think much about the future. I didn’t think much about money. I think my main goal at that age was to have perfect attendance in school, which I don’t even know why it was that big of a deal to me. But that is what I was thinking of. I didn’t really do any sports or a lot of extracurricular activities. It was really just going to school, doing my work.

Not really thinking much about the future at all, not really thinking much about money because in that situation everyone around you, you know, in middle class is kind of in the same boat. You don’t really think about it until you go out into the world and you see the differences in different classes that you understand kind of where you fit in the world. So at that time you just kind of think everybody’s the same.

Yeah, I was pretty innocent childhood, I would say. I was very naive.

Syama Bunten
I love that. So did you have any favorite subjects? Like were there did you always know you’re into science? Like when you were in high school, for example, was it did you already know that you wanted to be a scientist? Like what is it that you knew of yourself at that young age in high school? And how did you sort of think about the context of the world around you?

Alicia Umpierre
Yeah, that’s a great question. I actually I’ve always really loved math because there’s one right answer, and I found that very satisfying that I would always be able to know what I can get to. And there’s a, you know, you can solve it in a certain amount of time versus writing. I always struggled with writing. I didn’t, I never enjoyed it. It’s always my least favorite thing to do because there’s so many different ways of doing it. But math is so concrete. It’s very satisfying. And so

Even as a young kid, when I was bored sometimes in the summer, I would make my own math problems, which looking back is a little strange, but it’s something that I really enjoy.

Syama Bunten
Kids that did that made their own math problems. You know, they’re like, here, let me come up with the worksheet for my friends to work off of so that like we can all advance it. It’s so smart. You’re so smart.

Alicia Umpierre
Thank you. So yeah, I really liked math. And then when I was in high school, I thought, well, I don’t know what I’m going to do with math. I saw, you know, physics or things where people use a lot of math. That just seems so intangible to me. And I didn’t understand like what sort of a career, what could I do with that. But math was the thing for me. Science was okay. I didn’t like biology because I also don’t like memorizing things.

So I guess I was a little particular when I was younger. I liked things to be nice and easy. So I thought, you know, I would do chemistry because biology, to me, I thought, well, biologists just have to memorize all the different parts of the body and names of everything. And well, that seems like a lot of work. So I thought, you know, maybe chemistry would be good because it had a lot of math to it and a lot of formulas that I could you know, you kind of understand one formula and then you can apply it over and over again.

So I thought, you know, maybe I’ll go into chemistry and that’s what I ended up doing for my undergrad degree.

Syama Bunten
Wow. And so when it came time to think about university and making that jump, you know, were you thinking about, okay, I’m gonna have to get a part-time job in university or I’m gonna apply for scholarships or you know, did you have to think about sort of the complexities of university other than let’s say being an outstanding student?

Alicia Umpierre
Yeah, so I was very fortunate in that I went to a state school. So I went to Cal Poly Pomona when I started.

Syama Bunten
Excellent. What an excellent state school, Alicia. That’s incredible.

Alicia Umpierre
So I was very lucky that I lived at home and so didn’t have to worry about that. And when I started, the tuition was six hundred dollars a quarter. So it was much different cost wise. And so, you know, state schools I think are fantastic. I did work, I’ve always been

A huge believer in hard work that was instilled in me from a very young age. That if I wanted to do anything, I would have to work really hard. And so I was never afraid of that. So I always had a job in college. I was a math and science tutor. That was very satisfying. So I would tutor mainly students that came into the university that came from high schools that didn’t prepare them well for undergraduate or they were in

Remedial type classes or they just generally needed some help. And so there’s a program at the university. And so I worked there the entire time and it was really satisfying. I’ve always loved teaching. I always tutored when I was in high school. So to me, yeah, always worked. I think it’s very important.

Syama Bunten
And when you were working, like how’d you, you know, in terms of like what you did with the money, was it like Alicia the saver who was like, all right, I’m making money I’m saving it to build an empire? Was it going towards fabulous? Like how what were your early sort of like ideas, I guess, around money?

Alicia Umpierre
So I would still say I was very naive in college as well. I didn’t think much about the future. Even with the chemistry degree, I thought I don’t know what I’m going to do with this. And I think maybe that’s why I ended up in school for so long. But I should have saved it. Did I? No. So I think that was the wrong choice. I didn’t really have

An understanding about what I would need in the future. You know, you’re young, you’re twenty, you think just gonna think about the here and now.

Syama Bunten
I did. I think a lot of kids do that. You know, but some of them there are a few Alicia who are like, you know, I knew I was building the empire at nineteen, and I’m like, how did you

Alicia Umpierre
No.

Syama Bunten
Well, tell me a little bit about, you know, emerging yourself outside of university. You know, how did you start to establish yourself in the world and what were some of the options and like opportunities presented in front of you?

Alicia Umpierre
So I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my degree. I had I was extremely fortunate and that’s why anytime somebody needs mentoring I’m always open to talk to them because I had no idea what to do with my degree and what I was going to do, you know, as soon as I got out. And so when I was in college I was part of a program that gave a lot of mentorship and

What my mentors told me to do is they said, you know, you’re a chemistry major, you need to do research in a lab. That is what your job is going to be in the future. That is what you need to get experience doing. And so they had me apply to different programs. And so I went to do research over the summer. So the first one I did was at the University of Colorado in Boulder, and that was a fantastic opportunity. I went and spent my summer there and they

They paid you, I think it was maybe a stipend of like a thousand dollars or something, but that was all I needed to live there for the summer and do the research. So I did that one summer. The next summer I was even more fortunate. I got into a program that allowed me to do research at York University in England. And so that was fantastic.

Syama Bunten
Oh my god, how fun. And also like what interesting. Like you probably learned, you know, not just obviously about whatever you were learning in these places, but then also just like the socialization, right? Like how people think about things and what’s important to them. That’s so fascinating.

Alicia Umpierre
So that was where I pretty much realized, okay, this is what scientific research is like. And then everyone basically told me, you know, you need to keep going, you need to get your PhD. And I thought, wow, I don’t even know what a PhD is. I don’t even think I heard about it until I was in college. I really, that was the level of I would say I had in kind of understanding the circle of folks that I was around.

When I was younger, I didn’t know any scientists, I didn’t know anybody with a PhD, I didn’t even know what it was. You know, you have these abstract ideas of what professions are like doctor, that is something very tangible. A PhD, I had no idea what it was. And so I thought, well, I don’t know if I really need that. And so at the end of college, I was working at a wastewater treatment facility, which tests chemicals coming out of wastewater.

To make sure that they comply with government regulations. And I thought, okay, if this is the best I can do with a bachelor’s in chemistry, I think I do need to continue on in school.

Syama Bunten
So cool. So when you were thinking about PhDs and like where you thought the PhD was going, was there an understanding of like I get this PhD and then I do this with it, you know, or was it like this is amazing and I want to further the way that I’m thinking and so this feels right.

Alicia Umpierre
It was more of this is what I’m gonna need to do to have a proper job that I don’t hate. So I thought it seemed like

I have to do it. And I was really lucky because it extends out. I mean, it’s just six years and they do pay you to do the research. And so you have, you know, lived in student housing. It was a very small amount, like I think twenty-four thousand a year for six years, but as someone in your mid twenties, that’s fine. So I was living by myself and

And it was fantastic. I thought, you know, maybe I’ll be a professor, I’ll be a teacher because I really like teaching. I tutored, I mentored when I was in graduate school and I thought, you know, I can do that. So yeah, that’s originally what I thought I would do. I would be maybe some sort of university professor.

Syama Bunten
I mean it’s and so then as you were then, you know, embarking on your PhD and started to sort of go down that path, I mean, you have such an interesting background, Alicia, from you know, getting your PhD in chemistry and then just a few short years later going back and getting your JD, which is like, you know, really, really kind of incredible. So talk to me a little bit about

Some of your experiences and like what was it like for you, you know, after getting your PhD and sort of launching yourself a little bit into the world, how did you start to navigate and what were some of the early decisions that you were making as you were figuring out, who am I in this world? And, you know, how am I sort of setting myself up to succeed?

Alicia Umpierre
Yeah. So I started when I graduated, I was just looking for jobs as a scientist. And I was lucky I found one. And I worked in science for a little bit doing infectious disease research, which is what I had done during my PhD. I really didn’t enjoy working in a lab and I always thought I want to do more than this. And I think that’s what’s always pushed me throughout my life is that

You know, I see the current opportunity that I’m in or the current situation and I think I want more. What can I do to get more? And so my thought was, how do I get out of the lab? How would I maybe be in management or start making some of the decisions at these biotech companies? And I realized that wasn’t going to be easy. And maybe I wasn’t well suited to be in one of those positions. I definitely didn’t see it at the current company I was at. So I started looking at alternatives.

And seeing what else can I do with my scientific degree that doesn’t have me behind this lab bench testing, you know, samples that have HIV in them. I didn’t like doing that. It was dangerous. It wasn’t fulfilling, you know. I just really didn’t enjoy it that much. And so then I thought, okay, law, maybe I can do this.

And so I basically went online and I looked at all the different law firms in the San Diego area that were hiring someone with a scientific background and I applied to all of them.

Syama Bunten
Like what did some of those roles look like that you saw?

Alicia Umpierre
So they were scientific advisor or patent agent roles. And they were basically saying, you know, we need someone with a technical background to be able to help translate scientific inventions into patent applications so that they can protect their inventions. And so they need folks with higher degrees so that we can understand the science and then help them protect that. And so that’s what I was looking forward to, you know.

It would be fantastic because I could read about all these cool latest and greatest innovations. I don’t have to do them myself. I can just learn about them and then summarize them and help them get their patents. So that seemed very appealing to me.

Syama Bunten
I love that. And so as you’re then sort of advancing like these decisions, right? So then you apply for this job, you apply to all the places, and then what happens?

Alicia Umpierre
I got a call for an interview and they said, if you’re really serious about this, you need to take the patent bar. And so I said, yes, I am definitely serious. So hung up the phone on that interview, signed up for the patent bar. Two months later, passed the patent bar. Coming out of the testing center, I immediately called the HR person at the law firm and said, I passed the patent bar. I am dead serious about this job.

So and I was lucky enough to get hired about a month later.

Syama Bunten
Oh my God, that is so exciting. And also like one of those things that I think is so amazing for you to be able to find a place that’s sort of commensurate with like your own interests, you know, like this idea that you had to like how do I expand and realize and being young and self reflective is not always easy, right? Sometimes it’s like jarring to be like, I thought I wanted this, then I didn’t and

You know, how do I start to uncover these layers of who I am and, you know, what it is that I’m doing? And I think it’s really, really incredible that you were able to make this transformation and then sort of find yourself in a space that ended up feeling more at home with your heart, you know, in terms of like where you wanted to be and spent your time.

So how did things sort of unfold at this job? And tell me a little bit about some of your inflection points or experiences along the way.

Alicia Umpierre
Yeah, so I really enjoyed it. I had fantastic mentors that were attorneys that had a similar background than I did. And they really took me under their wing and helped me, staffed me on cases. I realized, wow, this is where I fit in. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life. And I realized that.

I’m not gonna be able to move up as a patent agent. It’s pretty much that’s all the level you can do. You can’t give legal advice, right? So I said, okay, I’ve gotta go to law school. And I realized that’s the only way I’m gonna advance where I want to advance at the firm. And so I decided I’m gonna do it.

What complicated it a little bit was that I was in my 30s and I wanted to have children. So I thought, you know, I’m gonna have to do both. And so I had my first son and he was about a year and a half when I started law school. And it was difficult, but it was something that I knew I needed to do to move forward. And

I have an extremely supportive husband, extremely supportive coworkers, and they supported me throughout the entire time that I was able to have both my first son right before and then I had my second son in the middle of law school.

Syama Bunten
That’s a big deal. That’s not I mean, that is quite, you know, it’s so incredible to have such support around you, but also be able to have such conviction around, you know, this is something that I’m feeling called to. And even though, you know, universe is gonna ask of me some hard things here, I know that I can sort of rise up to those challenges.

Alicia Umpierre
And I was very, very fortunate. And one of the things that allowed me to do it was that I had seen other women in the office that had done something similar that had young children when they were in law school. And that was so comforting to know that, you know, people have done it before. I was warned this is going to be very difficult. It was very difficult. But

The fact that I had the support means everything to me, really. And I wouldn’t have been able to do it without all the assistance from everyone.

Syama Bunten
So incredible. And so talk to me a little bit, you know, obviously, like, you know, post getting your JD and starting to enter into the work that, you know, truly allows you to be at this intersection of things that are fascinating and important and interesting and, you know, being able to build this career, you know, along the way, you’re also building family, right? And you’re building foundation with your husband. You know, how did you guys together sort of start to think about financial decisions, you know, post

Post your degree, you know, now that’s sort of like we’re now fully in the build mode, right? Like you got a lot of degrees now. You’re brilliant. You know that. But how are you guys like how did you guys start to have those conversations and what how have those conversations sort of changed, you know, over time?

Alicia Umpierre
I think originally our goal was a home. That was something that we really wanted when we got married. We said we want to have a house. So it’s very expensive in San Diego. So I think we were just focusing on save, save, save. And so for I would say most of the past few years, that’s really all we focused on.

Again, naive, right? We’re very one, you know, focused on one aspect. But that’s really what we did. We didn’t spend a lot or you know, do anything elaborate. We enjoy ourselves, but we thought, you know, we really want a home and it’s really important for our kids to be in good schools. And so we basically just did that and saved and saved and saved until about a year ago we actually

Moved into finally a house, which is nice. The kids have a backyard. And so really that’s all I focused on for ten years. I was trying to save for a big down payment. But we got the home, so very happy about that.

Syama Bunten
You know, being aligned, I think, in partnership on what your values and goals are are not a thing to be overlooked. You know, it’s one thing when, you know, when you build together, it’s so much stronger and faster. And, you know, things can really come together, I think, in a more robust way than when two people are building in different directions, you know, or when things are sort of in stages of

Real independence where it’s hard to come together on sort of what the visions are. You know, as you guys are sort of looking at and you are sort of looking at this, you know, ecosystem of creating stability. You know, I imagine also for the way I think of it is, you know, all the women that I talk to on the show, we all have treated our children and our are creating environments that are really different than the ones that we were growing up in, you know, whether that’s from a financial context, emotional.

I call it emotional intelligence sort of context, you know, how we think about the food we eat and lifestyle, you know, the upbringings that we had seem to be rather well intended, but also very different than some of the ways in which we’re now sort of operating with our children. What are some of the distinct differences or things that you think are sort of different between your upbringing and the way that you’re choosing to usher and raise your children and

You know, I know your kids are young, but you know, what are some of the ways in which those conversations or experiences sort of meet them where they’re at right now?

Alicia Umpierre
Yeah, that’s a great question. So I would say I think I knew too little as a child and I think I wish that I knew a lot more. So we didn’t really discuss money a lot. All I knew really from my parents was that had to work really, really hard and that life can be really, really difficult. But in terms of saving that

It was very clearly reflected in my college years that that wasn’t something that really thought about lifelong goals, retirement accounts, things like that. Never really thought about that. But one thing that we do try and teach our kids is that and it’s not so much about money, but it’s more about hard work. Is that you have to work hard and you have to save. And that is really important because I although I

Put a lot of emphasis on saving for the house. You also need to really just have savings, right? Like obviously that is important. Because you never know when something bad could happen. And so I think what we always try and teach our kids is the value of that. What is worth spending your money on versus what

Not getting into the immediate gratification of buying a skin on a video game that’s just gonna you’re gonna, you know, play with it once, things like that, trying to think about long term goals for themselves. Like long term, like what do they want to save for? You know, things like that I think is really important.

Syama Bunten
I think that’s so exciting. You know, obviously there are so many different ways in which kids are less connected to money, right? And the ways other than the ways we were, right? I remember getting like a paper check and like, you know, I remember having to like go and cash it and you know, there was this real physical understanding of money. And now it’s so interesting because children

Just know like, and then this costs money or this isn’t that expensive. And we’re like, but when we were younger, that was so expensive. Like such an interesting way in which there’s a bit of desensitization, I think, to what things cost. Especially if children are not growing up with a tremendous amount of financial struggle. You know, it’s like that contacting piece I think is probably every parent’s dilemma. You know, how do we

How do we show the importance of working and so being self-directed and you know, and that money comes commensurate to sort of your self-direction? You know, as you’re sort of looking towards your future, you know, and the areas that you are looking to cultivate and develop in your life, you know, what are some of the things that really are speaking to you right now, Alicia? What are you calling in right now?

Alicia Umpierre
My future financial goals.

Syama Bunten
Financial goals, personal goals, like what what is it that you are knowing of yourself today that you are wanting to create and celebrate tomorrow?

Alicia Umpierre
I think in terms of I’ll start with personal, because that’s something that I thought about a lot more. And the personal is I really want my kids to be happy and successful and self-sufficient when they grow up. And that is something that you know, I’ve seen a lot of family members and associates that have struggled in that aspect. And

I really and that scares me a lot because you can see how it can go one way or another. And so what I really hope for is that I instill in my kids the value of working hard, not over stressing them, not putting them, you know, in all of these crazy classes or anything, but just that they have to work hard, enjoy what they’re doing, be self sufficient, think about things in the future, not just

You know, immediate satisfaction. And that’s my main goal personally is to have happy, healthy, well adjusted adults one day, adult children, who aren’t spoiled. That’s a big thing for me. I don’t want them to feel entitled to anything. You know, I think to be humble, to be appreciative of everything that they have, and to be willing to give back.

That’s what I would like personally. Financially, I want to be able to comfortably retire. I think that’s my next big goal. My dad has worked since he was a kid. He was a farm worker. He’s an immigrant and he worked picking in the farms from a very young age.

And even, you know, in high school and beyond. And so I see all of the work they had to go through. And he’s worked his whole life. And when I was younger, he was always like, yeah, I’m gonna, you know, I’m gonna work until I die. And I had, I think, that mentality for a long time too. I’m just gonna keep working and working, I can do it. And now I’m getting older and I’m seeing my dad get older and seeing the toll that that took on him. And I

Don’t want to be in that situation where I am just working to survive in my seventies. I want to be able to be comfortable enough to take a break and you know, rely on a nest egg. So I think that’s really what I’d like for myself financially in the future.

Syama Bunten
I love that. And like as you’re thinking about what, you know, some of the things I’ve been thinking about, it’s like, what’s it gonna take? You know, like what’s the you know, what are the moving targets, you know. You know, I do feel like we are living so much longer than ever. And, you know, there’s so many advancements in our healthcare and science. And, you know, I used to be of the mindset that

You know, you play it safe and you put your money in the stock market and then it you know, it’ll double every seven years. And you know, there’s sort of these ways in which we think about it. And then there’s also sort of, you know, aspirational ways of using capital or other ways to invest your money to create, you know, impact and returns. And for me it became really clear that, you know, in order to see returns that I wanted in my life, I was gonna have to really diversify.

What I looked at, you know? And so it sounds like right now you’ve got like the dream home, which is amazing and sort of a wonderful place to nest and maybe grow old in. And it sounds like you guys are also savers and you know, kind of making sure that there’s enough there. Are you guys also is it public equities? Are you thinking about other things? Like how are you looking at sort of the financial ecosystem, I guess?

Alicia Umpierre
I’m very conservative financially, I would say. It is right now a lot of my money is actually in my 401k and in savings and in the high yield savings and in CDs. In terms of investing, some small investments here and there, one of my goals is obviously trying to

As you’ve mentioned, diversify and try and find other ways of getting money because the 401k aspect is not aggressive, right? The return is not very high there. So that’s something that I am trying to look into a little bit more with my husband. But unfortunately it’s you know our background is just not there. And so I’ve looked at different financial advisors and it’s interesting because

Everyone promises you everything, right? And just like who do you trust? And not having a strong network, I think, of folks that I can trust with that aspect, not knowing that, you know, my parents or this person used this person and I can trust them. You just kind of feel a little lost sometimes.

Syama Bunten
You know, it brings up such an interesting thing, which is, you know, when it comes to navigating the world of money, if you’re not a financial professional, it really is difficult to get into the rooms and to start to understand how things operate together like a jigsaw puzzle. And then also, what are the right pieces to the puzzle? You know, it feels like if you don’t have that

In network family relationships, you know, and things like that. It’s tough to navigate. I know that just from my own personal experiences. You know, it’s one of the big reasons why we started the Wealth Catalyst ecosystem was because, you know, how do you know what is available to you? How do you know who you can trust? How do you know how to context things, you know, if you don’t know how to context something, it’s very hard to make a decision. And

So many service providers are trying to transact on you that it’s really hard to know, you know, like is this real? Is it not real? You know, how do I sort of like where is who’s vouching for who? You know, like how am I sort of, you know, getting the right information? And you know, it’s really interesting to bring that up because that is exactly on the nose of why

We created this platform because it’s like how do we sort of have that in network trust and sharing opportunities. You know, as you’re sort of thinking about, you know, the coming years in your life and the areas of growth and certainly the areas of fun. You know, I know you’re very conservative, but I also know that you like to enjoy nice things, Alicia. And I know that you like to have fun.

I’m really curious, you know, what are some of the ways in which you have really been able to enjoy yourself, you know, and obviously savings provides security, but I want to know what’s providing some fun and what have been some of your most fun ways to spend your capital or ways that you will be spending your capital.

Alicia Umpierre
It’s a great question. I would say the way I enjoy myself, Orangetheory, I’ll give a plug to Orangetheory. It’s not that expensive. But I love it. I love working out. My husband says I have a Napoleon complex because I am short, like small statured, I have a you know, like young sounding voice and look, and so

Said, well, you know, I’ll go and get really strong and then I’ll like feel like I have a bigger presence than I do. So for me, Orangetheory is fantastic. But that’s not where I spend a lot of money. I would say it’s actually on my kids in the sense of like their sports and their extracurriculars and their birthday parties. Nothing extravagant because I again don’t want them to be entitled.

But I do, you know, I want them to do their sports, have fun. I like to make fancy cakes for their birthday parties, and then trips. So I had mentioned before the call of going to Japan. So things like that where I can spend time with them. Because, you know, my son gave me this fantastic Mother’s Day poem this past year, and one of the comments on it was about

How much I worked. And it was meant in a positive light. But I didn’t go, you know, I took it seriously, right? Because I do work a lot and they do see me working. I work at home, I’ll be in the office late, I’ll work on weekends. And they see that. And so I want when I have the time off, I want to spend it with them and I want to create memories with them. And I want to have a lot of fun. And so

What I really enjoy is going to their sporting events on the weekends or taking them on a trip like twice a year where I can just leave my computer in the hotel room and focus on them. And so that’s really what I want to do until they’re too old to not want to hang out with me anymore.

Syama Bunten
I love that. You know, one of my favorite questions to ask our guests is really around what the audience can do for them. And so I would love for you to share, Alicia, like what are some things and ways in which those who are listening to this show can show up for you.

What are the things that you’re calling for? Is it a recommendation? Is it you know, something you want us to read or some visibility or a mindset or anything? What is it that we can do to help support the things that are important to you?

Alicia Umpierre
I would say I have two. So the first one I would say is in terms of how you approach people and the implicit bias that everybody has when they first meet folks. And so one of the things that I’ve as my husband mentioned, maybe I do have a Napoleon complex, but I’ve always had trouble being taken seriously from the jump.

I think that once people realize that I have these credentials or once they’ve seen, she’s worked on this deal, you know, okay, now I can trust her. But just showing up in a room, I don’t give that warm, fuzzy feeling that, you know, a big CEO is gonna say, okay, this is the attorney that I want handling my stuff, right? And so for that, and I know that a lot of my colleagues feel the same way, whether it be because of their

Gender or because of their, you know, background. I think being more open minded and realizing that, you know, everybody comes with different situations. That there’s just try not to be too judgmental, I think, when you first meet folks. I think that’s one thing that would have helped me a lot my whole life and would have made me feel like I had to push a lot less.

You know, I always thought like I had to be the one that was most prepared in the room. I had read everything, gave everybody the down low before the meeting because I was afraid that people would think that I wasn’t, you know, pulling my weight or I wasn’t prepared or something. I always had to prove myself. So I think helping folks change their perspective on that I think would be really helpful and that there’s a lot of attorneys out there that aren’t like the ones you see on TV that go to the courtroom and have the big pants.

And they’re like tall and amazingly good looking. There are other ones like me.

Syama Bunten
You are amazingly good looking, so I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Alicia Umpierre
Thank you. So I guess that’s one. And then the other one is to really if you’re in a good place in your life to be a mentor to other folks because I feel very lucky with the opportunities that I’ve had. And like I mentioned, I was super naive. I would not have gotten anywhere without people telling me, hey, like this is a possibility for you. You can go to grad school, you can

Apply to work in these other countries and do these amazing programs and hey you can be an attorney like that unless I had folks that kind of showed me that path I might still be working in you know testing wastewater in Ontario, California. So I think if you have the opportunity to mentor other people and to help elevate them to the best of your ability, that’s something I’d like people to do more of.

Syama Bunten
Amazing. Alicia, you are a gift. Thank you for being so earnest and honest and unpacking your life and how you’re thinking about things. And, you know, this beautiful context and narrative of, you know, what does it mean to have enough? You know, and what does it mean to sort of feel a sense of safety and security and, you know, live in this life in a way that feels very much around a sense of self-responsibility.

You know, and I think that it’s a really beautiful narrative. I’m grateful to have you here today on Getting Rich Together. Thank you so much for sharing your spirit and your life with us.

Alicia Umpierre
Thank you so much for having me. What you do for women is fantastic. So I really appreciate it.

Syama Bunten
Thank you for listening. This is the conversation we come back to every single week. Real women, real wealth, and what becomes possible when we stop being silent about money. If today’s episode moved you, don’t let it stop here. Wealth Catalyst is where women go to take it further. Our Freedom Tour salons are gathering women in 32 cities this year. Intimate evenings in homes and private spaces where women talk honestly about money, risk, and what they’re building.

And if you’re ready to go even bigger, join us at the Wealth Catalyst Summit, a full day event in San Francisco this October. Find your city and claim your seat at wealthcatalyst.com. We’ll see you there.