Respected academics have extensively documented the cultural differences between the West and indigenous communities. One of the key insights is the contrast between the Western world's materialism, lack of divinity and the degradation of indigenous communities' connection to nature, and spirit. At first glance, people native to these cultures may disagree as religion in the West is abundant and diverse.
However, Sylvia Benito, a healer and wealth manager with over 20 years of experience argues that religion doesn't guarantee a true connection to the world and the people around us. To feel grounded in our lives without experiencing feelings of worthlessness or a lack of self-love, we need to find new ways of connecting. With her fluency in mysticism and finance, Sylvia provides unique insights into how Western society can foster a greater sense of meaning through rebuilding our relationship with money. By merging the principles of wealth management with age-old shamanistic concepts, Sylvia is harmonizing the material and spiritual realms.
As a niche within the financial services industry, wealth management has a culture focused on hyper-productivity and sales. Professionals in the space are divided on their jobs, either loving or loathing the 'grind'. However, underneath it all, they are managing an entirely energetic substance called money. Although there are specific rules for determining the value of money, these papers and coins all represent value. As a result, financial well-being is not just indicated by the amount of money you have but how you feel about it. For example, someone who has constant financial anxiety often hoards all material wealth out of fear. This action leads to a negative relationship with money which remains stuck in scarcity. This person may always be scared about not having enough money as they are focused on what they don't have, or what they can lose.
A major reason why holistic insights may be entering the financial world is due to innovation. Technology has democratized a space that was once reserved for high-net-worth individuals who had powerful connections. This change is a key factor in transforming society's relationship with money on an economic and emotional level. Since products and services are more accessible, intergenerational cycles of poverty can be broken and marginalized communities have an opportunity to get involved.
Sylvia Benito is passionate about delving into the nuances of capital and spirituality. Her experiences shine a light on the connection between materialistic societies and poor well-being. What's even more interesting is how Sylvia became interested in connecting the siloed worlds of wealth management and spiritual healing. Countless finance professionals enter the corporate world and leave it shortly after to search for the true meaning of life. They look for purpose in something that isn't money, and they often become deeply spiritual.
Sylvia took the same journey, but backward. When she was barely 20, she ventured to South America and co-founded a healing arts institute. Sylvia connected with spiritual mentors, experimented with plant medicine and meditation, and found inner peace. She had to confront many shadows along the way that were built from her fears, doubts, and societal conditioning. However, she was eventually led to her purpose. After returning to the US from South America, Sylvia entered the world of financial management. The choice may seem odd, but she was intuitively inspired to merge the material and spiritual realms.
A few years into this journey, Sylvia obtained her CFA Charter license and entered portfolio management, and family office investing. With over 20 years in the wealth management industry and a spiritual outlook, Sylvia strives to uplift women and improve the financial world.
"The wealth management industry is based on fear," says Sylvia. "People often pay advisors because they feel insecure and incapable of attaining the level of financial literacy to manage their money themselves. Our relationship to money is often hindered by our fears. This is especially true when things go wrong; when the economy stumbles, we lose a job or face a divorce. When fear is at its highest, we make our worst financial decisions. This is why I decided to try to bring healing and financial management into the same conversation. This perspective enables people to become more educated, empowered, and more conscious which can lead to financial security or at the very least more emotional stability."
Sylvia's work is pioneering the creation of a more effective and humanized wealth management sector. Her dedication to fostering divine connection in others can deeply change how society operates. Currently, she is designing an intimate weekly newsletter that unpacks the 'medicine' of traumatic experiences through actionable healing tools. This will serve Sylvia's mission of healing financial and emotional dysfunctions by transmuting the untouchable, unloveable, and unspeakable into the best thing about you.
As she continues on this path of awakening others, Sylvia plans to provide more speaking services on wealth, consciousness, and technology. On the March 6, 2024, she is set to facilitate the highly anticipated talk titled "Virgin Medicine Out of the Mess." This speaking engagement is Sylvia's next venture after the successful talk about "Sex, Money, Death, and Psychedelics" she delivered at the Psychedelic Science conference presented by Maps in June 2023.
