She Said No to the Money Why She Needed, with Fernanda Da Silva Tatley

This week on the Ways to Wealth Podcast, Charlie speaks to Fernanda Da Silva Tatley, the founder of natural skincare company Azurlis, and a woman who describes herself as an artist in her heart, a scientist by training, and a Reiki master in her soul. Early in her journey, a group of overseas investors offered Fernanda the money she badly needed. Just sign here, they said, and don't worry about what we want in return, we'll decide that later. She was bootstrapping, stretched thin, and desperate for the funding. And she said no. She couldn't move forward on something that wasn't in black and white and didn't align with her values, and she's convinced it was the right call, even though it made her road far harder. Fernanda holds a PhD in medical microbiology and once helped a university win tens of millions in research funding, yet she's spent fifteen years quietly bootstrapping her skincare company, working her day job to fund it and building it after hours and on weekends. She's remarkably honest about where that's left her. When Charlie asks what those years have produced, she admits the business hasn't transformed the way she hoped, but she has. It changed her. This is a conversation about staying true to your values when money is on the line, why she refuses to sell anyone hype, and a hard-won redefinition of success, where a chance conversation on a bus can matter just as much as winning the lottery. Watch every episode of the Ways to Wealth Podcast here: www.eccuity.com/podcasts Learn more about Fernanda here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernanda-da-silva-tatley-phd-mentr-08a09b4/ Learn more about Fernanda's company here: https://azurlis.co.nz/ #waystowealth #skincare #entrepreneurship #bootstrapping #values #naturalskincare #nzbusiness #science #founders #womeninbusiness #vegan #azurlis #mindset #wealthbuilding