Author Francesca Rea’s Divine Wealth a story of real-life financial advice, power and personal growth
By JULIA SAWICKI
Beach resident Francesca Rea is set to release her first book, Divine Wealth, a project three decades in the making, later this month.
After a transformative trip to Bali, Rea found the inspiration to finally bring her long-held idea to life. A mother of two and a seasoned financial advisor with more than 20 years of experience, she is now adding “author” to her portfolio.
With a release date of Tuesday, Nov. 18, Divine Wealth splits fiction with real advice and tips that blend femininity and finances, brazenly diving into what Rea called a taboo topic for women.
The book follows eight women on a retreat, sharing stories that explore money, power, and personal growth.
Rea described it as a book for anyone who’s ever felt burned out or boxed in by the topic of finances, saying it’s, “a cross between The Wealthy Barber and Eat Pray Love.”
After facing some great personal challenges in her life, Rea embarked on a journey of rediscovery and growth. Through travel, reflection, and self-discovery, she realized that wealth is not just about dollars and cents, but about identity, self-worth, and purpose.
At the heart of Divine Wealth is the idea that finances carry both masculine and feminine energy. The feminine side covers the visions you have for life, your desires and purposes, and balancing them alongside the daily responsibilities and guilt that can come with chasing what you want.
“I grew up thinking you had to work hard to make money. And that’s what I did for a very long time. And I lost myself in that. And so that’s the piece that I worked through and realized that what I do as a wealth advisor, which is the structure, the masculine side of money, goes together with the feminine side of money,” said Rea. “And that’s what this book does, is it blends the two. And it allows you to stand in the middle of that and balance both sides.”
According to Rea, the book itself combines the two sides of finances in eight steps. Each of the book’s chapters explores one of these concepts through storytelling and reflection. Readers are guided through journal prompts and exercises that encourage them to take action and rethink their own beliefs about money.
Rea took from her own personal experience and the research she did on the most common concerns, issues, struggles and challenges faced by women surrounding money, and formed a story that encompasses the lives of women across various age groups and circumstances.
“These eight women are bits and pieces of myself. Some are also clients or friends stories,” explained Rea. “I would just say, OK one person is the overgiver, right? That’s one of the characteristics that most women carry. And so I thought, who is that person, what’s her story? What’s her beliefs around herself and money?”
Rea’s career was kick started by watching her own financial advisor, a support she never had before, guide her through difficult situations and options she never considered. Rea realized she had someone helping her for the first time, someone who was answering questions she couldn’t find answers to.
She said she wanted to be that for others. Decades later, she still loves her job and the feeling it gives her. And after years of seeing the same worries and concerns come into her office, Rea said the book felt natural to write. Her clients have been there for her every step of the way. As first readers, they saw themselves in the characters, and realized how much resonated with them.
“I’ve had clients for the whole journey. So it’s exciting to see them grow, and to see me grow within that,” said Rea.
Among the many challenges that Rea helps her clients solve, she said the biggest one women face right now is managing money is confidence. She said many feel they are not smart enough, informed enough or confident enough to make financial decisions for themselves. This is something Reas said she had to unlearn herself early on, and what inspired a lot of her work.
“I went on this journey and realized, wow, I didn’t have confidence in who I was personally. I did in my business. When I realized that, I started diving deep into my purpose in life, which is to empower women to be financially savvy,” said Rea.
She also wants to demystify talking about money, a topic that she feels many people still are uncomfortable discussing. Rea said she believes that conversations about finances need to start happening again, within couple settings and within groups, as it’s the only way to get a firm control and understanding of how your life is being impacted.
“Look into the beliefs and the stories you’ve been telling yourself. We tell ourselves, ‘Oh my gosh, if I talk about money, then I’m greedy.’ That was my story. And I thought, that is crazy. I’m not greedy as a person, so why would I think other people would say that? And you know what? I don’t really care what other people say about me. I only care about me and what I think of me. And I’m here to make an impact, and I want women to start talking about it. When others share, we can all relate, and that’s why I created that story.”
Divine Wealth will be available locally at The Great Escape Book Store on Kingston Road and online on Amazon. Rea will be holding a launch party for the book on Nov. 18 at Balmy Beach Club, 360 Lake Front, from 7 to 10 p.m.
Rea is no stranger to seeing how exclusive and judgemental the world of finances can be for women. But she said she hopes her book creates conversations, and encourages women to start putting themselves first, to ask uncomfortable questions, and to even get a little selfish when it come to finances and money.
“We’re last on the list all the time. And that was me. I am now standing tall and saying, no, this is what I want,” said Rea.
To learn more about Divine Wealth please visit https://francescarea.com/divine-wealth/
For more information on the launch party at the Balmy Beach Club, and how to purchase tickets, please visit
