Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Armas.
Hi Daniel, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We all have a money story.
Mine is the reason I started Wonderful of Newark (WoN), a social impact company, and why I’m building Wonderful – a forthcoming mobile financial education and savings app for anyone trying to strengthen their savings habit.
I grew up watching my single parent mom working two or three low-income jobs to make sure her three boys, or “tres ratoncitos” (her three little mice), were always clean, presentable, and had enough food to eat.
And we always were. But there were tradeoffs. Sometimes we were clean, well-fed, and dressed well for school, but sitting in the dark because the light bill didn’t get paid. Other times, she heated pots of water on the stove and in the oven to help keep us warm in the winter. She was doing everything she could to help us survive. But because saving money was never something she had the room, support, or tools to do consistently, my brothers and I grew up modeling those same survival-first habits. We became men who also struggled to save consistently.
It took me a long time to even understand that something like a “money story” existed. I clearly saw how my mom’s money story had impacted her life, but it took me even longer to accept how much my money story was tied to her’s and had been shaping my financial life.
That’s where the idea for Wonderful eventually came from. My thought was simple: if this can help my mom, maybe it can help others too.
Today, I feel blessed to be rooting Wonderful of Newark in lived experience, family, healing, and purpose. Because improving our financial habits isn’t just about knowledge, discipline, or access to tools. It’s also emotional. It’s behavioral. It’s personal.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oof – definitely not a smooth ride. Another thing I learned about my money story is how it was also connected to my mental health.
Looking back now, I can see that it took me a while to figure out my path. My journey went from the music industry to the Marines, from the Marines to photography and film, and from photography and film to social impact. In writing, that doesn’t sound too erratic. But while I was living it day to day, I didn’t realize I was struggling with PTSD from my time in the Marines, and likely depression rooted in childhood.
All throughout that journey, I was trying to help my family improve the quality of our lives. But I couldn’t fully see how my mental health was getting in the way — how it affected my habits, my decisions, my ability to plan, my belief that things could get better, and my money story.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
WoN is a purpose driven company dedicated to developing products & services to make positive social impact throughout the United States, always starting & ending in Newark.
“Starting in Newark” means we’re always developing our products & services to help the people of Newark first, before launching nationally.
“Ending in Newark” means we’re always finding ways to share any national success of our products & services with the people of Newark.
Wonderful is the very first product we’re currently developing & is meant to be complimentary to all other financial tools & resources users might already have access to, so it becomes part of their personal financial empowerment ecosystem.
By completing brief financial education modules, users Learn, Earn, Save towards their savings. They can also engage with curated content & ads from vetted partners that help them grow & protect the earnings they save with Wonderful.
Wonderful can be used to contribute towards an emergency fund, child education fund, set aside extra money to invest later, or any other savings goal. We encourage users to build financial wisdom & consistency through managed cash outs.
Every cent they earn gets them closer to a stronger savings habit. How Wonderful.
Wonderful is in Phase 1 testing of the prototype & anyone with interest can join our waitlist at www.wonderfulofnewark.com
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
– Join the waitlist at www.wonderfulofnewark.com for updates on app development, as well as which social media platforms we’ll be on.
– email me directly at daniel@wonderfulofnewark.com
Pricing:
- Wonderful will be free to use
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wonderfulofnewark.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-armas-028b42298
