Elaine Mejia
Financial Literacy Advocate
Personal Notes
As a child, I grew up in a household that relied on welfare. I went to the food pantry with my mom, learned what it meant to float checks, and experienced our utilities being shut off. As a teenager, I was told I couldn’t open a bank account because I needed good credit, so I cashed my paychecks at a currency exchange and donated plasma to buy groceries.
Those experiences shaped me. I promised myself I would build a different future. I joined the Army National Guard and took a job as a corrections officer because it offered steady income and benefits. It wasn’t glamorous, but it helped me make ends meet and gave me a path forward.
During my first deployment to Iraq, the Great Recession began. I started reading everything I could to understand why financial hardship happens, why so many people are left unprepared, and how I could keep it from defining my future. I took college courses in finance and attended budgeting classes through our chaplain program. Later, when I became responsible for my own soldiers, I added financial readiness to my counseling. Before long, I was also helping friends and family build budgets and create practical plans of their own.
Now, after 20 years of working for money, I’ve built a life where my money works for me. My household is stable, healthy, and far less burdened by financial stress. That journey is why I do this work. I know what it feels like to live without financial margin, and I know how powerful it is to gain the tools, structure, and confidence to move forward. I believe financial stability is vital to building a less stressed, more secure future, and I’m passionate about helping others create that for themselves.
Bio
Elaine Mejia is an NFEC Certified Financial Education Instructor℠ (CFEI), award-winning instructor, and founder of Sapling FI. She is also the author of the SECURE process, a practical framework designed to help households create a more organized, intentional, and manageable financial life.
Elaine’s work is rooted in the belief that financial progress is not just about numbers — it is about clarity, confidence, and building systems that support everyday life. Through her training and education approach, she helps individuals and families better understand their finances, set meaningful goals, and take practical steps toward a stronger future.
Over the course of her work, Elaine has supported hundreds of households in developing actionable strategies around financial education, daily organization, future planning, and goal setting. Her approach is both structured and functional, giving clients the tools to move forward with greater confidence and being less overwhelmed. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all advice, she focuses on helping people understand where they are, what matters most to them, and how to build sustainable habits that align with their goals.
What sets Elaine apart is her ability to combine financial education with process improvement. Drawing from her background in Lean Six Sigma and project management, she helps clients turn ideas into practical systems they can actually use in real life. This blend of education, strategy, and implementation makes her especially effective as a trainer for people who want more than inspiration — they want a clear path forward.
Elaine holds an MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and earned her instructor certification during her service in the Army National Guard. Her background in leadership, instruction, and systems-based thinking shapes the grounded, supportive, and organized way she works with clients today.
She lives in Hawai‘i with her husband, children, and family dog, and remains committed to helping households build financial lives with greater purpose, stability, and peace of mind.
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