Latina to Latina

She spent her early career advocating on behalf of farmworker women. Then in 2017, as Hollywood reeled from revelations of sexual abuse and harassment, she wrote a statement of support that reshaped the #MeToo movement, and set the groundwork for the Times Up Initiative. Monica talks us through that choice, how she persevered through intense resistance, and gets candid about the personal cost of b...

She studied fashion and worked for big clothing brands like Vince Camuto and DKNY, but when it was time to step out on her own, she went back to her passion from childhood -- jewelry. Now, the founder of Jam + Rico reveals how to start even when you don’t think you’re ready, and how to turn a loss of job security into an opportunity. Follow  Lisette on Instagram @iamlisettescott . If you loved thi...

She was 18 years-old when she began dancing, but her talent and commitment was so undeniable that she quickly made her way from the Alvin Ailey Dance Program to the Knicks City Dancers to sharing the stage with Beyonce, Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez. Now the professional dancer and choreographer shares how to turbo-charge your start when others tell you you’re late to the game. Follow Jessica on Inst...

It’s an experience many of us share: working in industries and spaces where we are the first or the only. How do you harness the strength and power of your difference in the face of pressure to conform? That question is the focus of Daniela’s new book, The Other: How to Own Your Power at Work as a Woman of Color. Follow Daniela Pierre-Bravo on Instagram @dpierrebravo . If you loved this episode, l...

The creator and executive producer of Gordita Chronicles started her career as a producer and on-air reporter at Telemundo before making a big pivot into scripted television. In this conversation, she details the steps that move required, and the power of celebrating each small win.   Follow Claudia on Instagram @claudiforest . If you loved this episode, listen to Julissa Calderon Is Helping Holly...

Noticias Telemundo’s Washington D.C. bureau chief shares her unlikely path from correspondent to newsroom leader, and one of the most influential journalists in Spanish-language television. If you loved this episode, listen to Why Investigative Journalist Jean Guerrero is Leaning into the Power of Her Personal Experience and   Univision’s Ilia Calderón Is Grounded by the People She Covers . Show y...

The non-profit leader shares how her corporate experience prepared her to found and run her own organization, her insights on the occasional necessity of mission creep, and how advocating for her own son reshaped her understanding of what the future of education will require. Follow Amanda on Twitter @AmanFernan24 . If you loved this episode, listen to Elisa Villanueva Beard’s Aha Moment as Teach...

The R&B singer’s new EP, The Lives They Left , is an homage to her indigenous roots, her childhood on the U.S.-Mexico border and the strength of women. Flores talks about the message behind the music, the importance of people with these lived experiences telling these stories, and the relationship of indigeneity to Latinidad. Follow  Flores on Instagram @floresitadeluna . If you loved this episode...

Questions about the identity of her biological father led the author on a deeper quest for answers about who she is and what motivated her mothers’ omissions. Carmen details the journey in her new memoir, Why Didn’t You Tell Me?  Follow Carmen on Instagram @carmenritawong . If you loved this episode, listen to Why Novelist Xochitl Gonzalez Isn't Done Being Ambitious and How Author Alexis Daria is...

The New York Times best-selling author’s new memoir, Crying in the Bathroom, dives deep into mental illness, desire, “life and death” decisions and the power of creating the life you are worthy of.  Follow Erika on Instagram @erikalsanchez . If you loved this episode, listen to Julissa Natzely Arce Raya Wants You to Reclaim Your Identity and Why Novelist Xochitl Gonzalez Isn't Done Being Ambitious...

Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, the daughter of migrant farmworkers, she knew she wanted to acquire skills to protect her family. That motivated her to fast track her way through college and law school, make partner at a big law firm, and now handle complex litigation as the Associate General Counsel at Booz Allen Hamilton. Follow Melissa on Instagram @melissagomeznelson. If you loved this ep...

She grew up in a family of activists and led her first walk out as a high school student. Then she worked in city government and saw up close the need for community-based solutions. Now, motivated by Chicago's 20 year life expectancy gap, the non-profit founder and CEO is working to ensure that her community has what it needs to thrive. Follow Tanya on Instagram @_tanyalozano . If you loved this e...

As a kid growing up in Coney Island, luck played a big role in setting her life path. Now, as the president and incoming CEO of a nonprofit venture philanthropy fund, Frances is working to make sure that educational opportunity comes down to more than just luck. Follow Frances on Twitter @FrancesMessano . If you loved this episode, listen to Social Impact Strategist Elsa Collins Wants You to Under...

She made one of the most iconic photographs of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation hearings. But it almost didn't happen. Sarahbeth shares how she jockeyed to get into the room, the payoff on her patience, and the way she gives agency to her subjects. Follow  on Instagram @sbmaneyphoto . If you loved this episode, listen to Why Loira Limbal Spotlights Invisible People in Her N...

What is it like to have incredible success at something other than your big dream? What happens when you stop trying to prove yourself to others? Or when you begin to interrogate the things you once took as absolutes? Those are just some of the big questions comedian Anjelah Johnson-Reyes tackles in her new book, Who Do I Think I Am? Chola Wishes and Caviar Dreams . Follow Anjelah on Instagram @an...

The two time author has investigated everything from her father’s mental health to white nationalists in the White House. Now in her new role as an LA Times Opinion columnist, Jean’s examining both her own experiences and the limits of objectivity. Follow Jean on Instagram @jeanguerre . If you loved this episode, listen to Why Pioneering Journalist Maria Hinojosa Put Herself in the Story and Story...

The multi-hyphenate power house opens up about motherhood, divorce and finding her purpose. Follow Eva on Instagram @evalongoria . And listen to her podcast Connections with Eva Longoria . If you loved this episode, listen to America Ferrera Knows What Real Power Looks Like and Why Living Icon Isabel Allende Has Never Kept Secrets . Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter! S...

The reggaeton star reached new levels of global fame playing Dolores Madrigal in Encanto. Adassa shares the health ordeal that threatened her life and career, and the force that drives every decision she makes. Follow Adassa on Instagram @adassaofficial . If you loved this episode, listen to Ana Villafañe is Still a Supernova and How Artist Latashá Is Mindshifting Music . Show your love and become...

The serial co-founder (This is About Humanity, Poderistas, I Am a Voter) knows how to harness the power of celebrities for everything from political campaigns to direct service for migrant families, but she still believes that you are the most influential person in your own circle. Elsa shares how this ethos applies to everything from civic engagement to raising multiracial kids. Follow Elsa on In...

A personal leadership crisis shaped her understanding of how power is built and distributed. Now the leadership coach, strategist, and racial equity advocate shares how others can navigate the unique demands of leaders of color, and the work necessary to eradicate anti-Blackness in Latino communities. Follow Karla on Twitter @karlitaliliana . If you liked this episode, listen to How Mildred Otero...

The adventurer, activist, and first openly gay woman to complete the Seven Summits shares the childhood trauma and self-destructive behavior that brought her to the world’s highest mountain. Follow  Silvia on Instagram @silviavasla . You can order her book via the websites listed here . If you loved this episode, listen to How Olympic Gymnast Laurie Hernandez Regained Her Strength After Emotional...

The CEO and co-founder of the global e-commerce company shares how her upbringing in Ecuador shaped her approach to consumption, the skills she cultivated before diving into entrepreneurship, and how you set boundaries when you’re both a hustler and your own boss. Follow  Karla on Instagram @kggallardo . If you loved this episode, listen to Vanessa Birnbaum Rosler’s Yoga Philosophy Ignited a Boomi...

As a seminary student, she began to question why she hadn’t been trained to recognize the importance of women in the Bible. Now her book, Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us About Wisdom, examines how our lives would be different if religion centered the stories of women’s sacred practice of survival. Follow Kat on Instagram @kat_armas . If you loved this episode, listen to How Ther...

Growing up in Detroit, she wondered why her peers recognized her as Black, but not Mexican. Now, the Yo Soy Afro Latina founder is building the community she always yearned for. Follow Bianca on Instagram @biancakathryn_ . If you loved this episode, listen to other Latinas building community: Why Nathalie Huerta Founded the First Queer Gym in the Country and H ow Girls Night In Founder Alisha Ramo...

The Chief People Officer for VICE Media has spent her career building better workplaces. She’s perfected a model: reflect, visualize, act, and persist. Now she's put everything she's learned into her new book, Inclusion Revolution: The Essential Guide to Dismantling Racial Inequity in the Workplace. Follow Daisy on Twitter @DaisyAD . If you loved this episode, listen to Powerhouse Marketer Ana Val...