How Financial Wellness Champion Cristina Livadary Harnessed the Hawaiian Concept of Power, “Mana,” to Design the Life She Deserved.

  • Published on:
    December 6, 2019
  • Reading time by:
    7 minutes

“Mana” is a native Hawaiian concept of power and vital life energy that flows through all things. “You have a chance to gain or lose Mana in everything you do,” says Cristina Livardary, CEO of Mana Financial Life Design and the Co-Founder / Course Creator behind Mana Money School

Her mission: to empower people around money and discover their Mana.

“You are the narrator of your own story.” 

– Cristina Livadary

Cristina had a long and complicated journey towards finding her power, but with hard work and determination, she rewrote her story and designed her own life plan. Today she bravely shares her experiences— triumphs, struggles, and failures— with hopes to inspire others. 

When Cristina was only eight years old, her family immigrated to the United States from the Philippines to escape political instability. Not long after, her father abandoned her family, robbing Cristina, her sister, and her mother of their safety and stability in a strange new country. While her mother struggled to keep a roof over their heads, Cristina assumed the role of caretaker for her little sister. She learned to live resourcefully, to stretch what they had, and to rely on her hard work ethic to get them through. 

After graduating from Bucknell University, she found herself living in New York City and deep in debt with over $100,000 in student loans and $30,000 in unpaid credit cards. She took a good look at her life, her goals, and her future, and decided that the first step on her path to financial freedom would be knocking out this suffocating debt. So, for over a decade after school, she worked with and consulted to financial advisors at one of the world’s largest institutional investment consultants. This gave her the opportunity to pay off both her student loans and her credit cards. 

In 2018 she took a break from the world of investing and transitioned to her dream job as a Certified Financial Planner™ to help others like her take control not only of their finances but also their futures.

Cristina then decided to partner up with her best friend – Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst® – Stephanie Bucko, to start Mana Money School.  The two finance professionals, with years of experience within the industry, had grown dissatisfied with the wide disparities in knowledge, empathy, and skill among financial advisors. So they joined forces with the goal of spreading financial wellness and literacy among those who have been historically underserved.

Cristina Livadary

“We believe that everyone, regardless of race, gender, background, culture and economic status, deserves the opportunity to live financially free.”

– Cristina Livadary

Together Cristina and Stephanie built an educational and engaging online experience that takes students on a holistic journey towards broader financial wellness. Each module has been carefully thought out and designed to help students build lasting healthy habits and positive money mindsets. 

Mana Money School recognizes that reaching a state of true financial wellness takes more than the knowledge of how to budget, manage taxes, and grow your assets and savings. It all starts with building a strong foundation, identifying the origins of your relationship with money, and manifesting your future with “money mantras.” The practical tools and actionable advice you receive set you up to take on life’s challenges and empower you with the financial confidence to live a happier, healthier and wealthier life.

“Wealth is whatever brings you joy in life. It’s the good stuff: what you really want to be rich in.”

Cristina Livadary

You might also enjoy..

Join the discussion!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *