What if the way you handle money... how you earn it, spend it, save it, or even fear it... was never entirely yours to begin with?

What if your financial habits, anxieties, and income ceilings were actually handed down through generations, deeply embedded in your subconscious long before you even earned your first dollar?

This is exactly what we unpack in this week’s episode of Rich Woman Rising, featuring Ksenia Belova, a personal branding photographer and empowerment coach. Her story is a powerful reminder that our money struggles don’t start with us—but they can end with us.

The Scarcity Mindset We Inherit

Ksenia grew up in Russia, in a post-Soviet environment where scarcity wasn’t just a mindset—it was a way of life. Food shortages, financial instability, and the constant need to “make do” were normal.

And like so many of us, she inherited these beliefs without even realising it.

One story she shared really stuck with me. Ksenia’s grandmother received beautiful gifts from loved ones over the years... clothing, home items, thoughtful presents. But instead of using them, she tucked them away, saving them for a “better time” that never came.

And when she passed away, those gifts which were still in their original packaging, untouched... were found hidden away in her home.

This is what scarcity conditioning looks like.

It’s not just about money. It’s about safety, survival, and deeply ingrained beliefs that we must hold onto what we have... because more might not come.

And for Ksenia, this pattern unconsciously played out in her own life, even when her financial situation changed.

How Old Money Stories Keep You Stuck

Even after building a successful photography business, Ksenia realised she was still operating from scarcity.

She undercharged. She second-guessed her worth. She felt guilty about making money doing something she loved.

You might be thinking... "hmm this sounds familiar"

The reality is... your nervous system doesn’t care about how much money you have. It cares about what feels familiar.

If you grew up watching your parents stress over bills, if hard work was glorified over ease, if money always felt like something that could disappear at any moment...  your subconscious has learned that this is normal.

And even when you try to shift your mindset, you’ll find yourself repeating the same patterns:

• Undercharging and overdelivering because somewhere inside, you don’t feel worthy of charging more.
• Struggling to hold onto money because your subconscious sees wealth as unsafe or temporary.
• Feeling guilty for ease so you create unnecessary stress, even when you don’t need to.

If you’re nodding along, you’re not alone. This is exactly what so many ambitious women experience, no matter how much financial success they create.

BUT... awareness is the first step to rewriting these patterns for good.

Rewiring Your Nervous System for Wealth

For Ksenia, everything shifted when she started doing the deeper work... she took herself beyond mindset, beyond strategy.

Because when your body still associates money with stress, no amount of journaling or affirmations will create lasting change.

Instead, here’s what actually works:

🔹 Noticing where your nervous system still feels unsafe with money. Do you feel anxious when you raise your prices? Do you immediately “do something” with money as soon as it comes in—spending, reinvesting, or giving it away? These are clues and we can do some detective work to explore why these patterns show up. 

🔹 Releasing generational patterns with compassion. Instead of judging yourself for the beliefs you’ve inherited, ask: Where did this pattern come from? Who taught me this? And most importantly: Do I want to keep this story?

🔹 Expanding your capacity to receive. Can you hold money without rushing to get rid of it? Can you allow ease without guilt? These small shifts retrain your nervous system to see wealth as safe.

Your Money Story Doesn’t End Here

Ksenia’s story is a beautiful example of what happens when you choose to break the cycle.

She’s no longer undercharging. She’s no longer stuck in survival mode. And she’s no longer operating from an outdated script that says success must come with struggle.

And you don’t have to either.

If you’re ready to go deeper into this work, listen to the full episode of Rich Woman Rising to hear Ksenia’s journey, the exact shifts she made, and how you can start rewriting your money story today.

🎧 Listen now

And if you’re ready to reprogram your nervous system for wealth, check out my free masterclass, Wired for Wealth, where I’ll guide you through the exact shifts that help you move from hustle to effortless expansion.

💸 Get instant access here: https://www.eloisetomkins.com/masterclass

Because money isn’t just about what you do—it’s about what your body believes is possible.

And once you change that... everything shifts! 

💸 You know you’re meant for more, but every time you try to level up financially, something stops you.  It’s not that you’re bad with money, it’s that your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.

I get it! That's why I help women just like you rewire their nervous system’s response to wealth, so they can stop living in financial fear, break the feast-or-famine cycle, and finally feel safe earning, keeping, and growing their money.

Because financial confidence isn’t just about knowing what to do... it’s about being able to hold wealth without stress, guilt, or panic. And when your body stops seeing money as a threat? Everything changes.

What next? 

Click here to take the free quiz to see whether your nervous system is secretly keeping you stuck making more money.

Ready to step into your Expansive Self? Let’s regulate yourself to riches!