The Nopalera Podcast

In this short solo episode, Sandra invites the community to become owners and investors in Nopalera via a private WeFunder campaign. After meeting someone from WeFunder at her Morgan Stanley accelerator graduation who suggested the idea, she realized it made sense to open up the opportunity to the community who has helped get the brand to where it is today.  Tune in to learn more about why sh...

Welcome the New Year with Sandra as she kicks off 2024 with an interactive episode, inviting your questions on the beauty industry, entrepreneurship, and embracing your self-worth. Get insights into running your own business and receive updates on the latest from Nopalera. It's your chance to engage, learn, and set the tone for a year of empowerment and success!   Please submit your ques...

In our special year-end episode, join Sandra for a short meditation experience to take a moment to pause and connect with your inner self.  It delves into the essence of self-worth, prompting you to recognize and appreciate the value you bring to every aspect of your life.  May this meditation be a source of empowerment, encouraging you to stand confidently in your worth and craft a narr...

Explore a treasure trove of wisdom in our second year-end episode, featuring personal anecdotes from the remarkable guests who shared their insights on The Nopalera Podcast throughout 2023. Delve into the diverse answers to Sandra's 'fire round' question about the best advice ever received, spanning the spectrum from practical to philosophical. Whether brief, profound or raw with emotion, each res...

Ep. 43 Solo Episode- Gratitude For The Journey And Why It Gets Harder As the year comes to a close, Sandra speaks on her practice of gratitude and opens up about her entrepreneurial venture, sharing the genesis of her business and emphasizes the importance of gratitude for the journey, a mindset that has become a cornerstone of her success.  Sandra provides a raw and honest account of the dif...

Venture capital can be elusive and seemingly untouchable so Sandra sits down with Shalene Guiriba this week to give you a down to earth perspective on what it is, how it works and where to begin.  Sharlene is a Chicago native and Filipina immigrant passionate about creating pipelines and mitigating equity gaps for under-resourced communities through investments in innovation. She focuses on e...

Sandra kicks off October addressing the deeper messaging and storytelling you must convey in building a successful business or brand. Today’s guest is her gifted amiga Beth Carr.  For the last 18 years, Beth has been building brand systems at well-known companies such as Nestlè, LA Fitness and various biotechs and Bay Area start-ups. Applying her design, messaging strategies, and marketing ex...

Airing in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month, today’s episode features a woman that makes up the heart of the beauty industry, Margarita Arriagada.  A veteran of the fashion, home interiors, beauty industries and champion of women entrepreneurs.  She and Sandra journey into not only the education and business background but the importance of one’s upbringing, role models and mentors a...

In today’s short solo episode, Sandra documents the journey of deciding to open a brick and mortar store in Los Angeles in support of Nopalera’s Dulce De Cuerpo product launch. This launch signifies a new chapter of Nopalera moving into liquids and custom, clean fragrances. A trend they expect to continue as the brand evolves. The store is located in Silver Lake, Los Angeles at 3118 Sunset Blvd an...

Hispanic Heritage Month has arrived and what better way to rise up and celebrate than with Yessy Downs, a guru of defining, uplifting and empowering Latino entrepreneurs through today’s inequitable landscape. Yessy Downs is the creative director of the Oxford Comma Collective–a Latinx-owned copywriting studio that is reshaping and decolonizing the way brands communicate and show up in the world. W...

As we near Hispanic Heritage Month, Sandra sits down with fellow Mexican - American, New York Times best-selling illustrator and creative storyteller, Andrea Campos. Their similar backgrounds and journey’s of reinvention serve as an inspiration to all searching for a new creative/business opportunity in one’s life. Andrea is renowned for her vibrant and playful artwork that brings stories to life....

Sandra dives into the essential topic of accounting for running a successful business. She sits down with Nopalera’s own Alex Corral to shed light on the importance of establishing and maintaining a solid understanding of the financial landscape from the early stages of your business. Alex, who previously worked in finance for multinational corporations, founded The Accountrepreneur, LLC to assist...

This month Sandra dives into some of the often overlooked aspects of starting your own business beginning with YOUR intellectual property.  The legal side is often confusing, overwhelming and left to be ‘dealt with later’ but today’s guest Deneen Warmington will help demystify the steps and provide the guidance you need to make your knowledge your currency. Deneen Warmington is an intellectua...

This week Sandra speaks with Lyanne Alfaro. Lyanne tells stories about what’s next in the world of technology, business and entrepreneurship.  An NYC journalist turned multi-hyphenate, she's especially passionate about exploring the Latino influence in the world of business. She has launched a newsletter and podcast all about it called Moneda Moves .  Today’s discussion brings her expert...

Kicking off this month’s episodes, Sandra chats with Taylor Bryant, writer and editor for Beauty Independent which is a trade publication that covers primarily indie beauty brands and general happenings within the industry.  Notably, Beauty Independent is the sole publication that covered the launch of Nopalera in November of 2020.   Taylor mostly covers BIPOC founders, the struggle...

In today’s episode Sandra gets behind the scenes with Christina Funke Tegbe, the founder and creative visionary behind 54 Thrones, a clean African beauty brand inspired by the richness, diversity and cultures of Africa and its people. Christina is passionate about creating a brand that is truly authentic, using natural ingredients that are grown on African soil and inspired by ancient African trad...

This week Sandra welcomes Nikita Charuza in an uplifting discussion about her unique take on becoming a founder while being a long time editor in the fashion & beauty space and how this has led her to values at the core of her own culture centric story and brand, Squigs Happy Headcare.  In addition to personal and professional challenges, her editorial perspective attracted her to brand a...

Sandra concludes the four part series of providing mentorship to entrepreneurs of various categories in our community. Part 4 features Sonja Haile of Satya & Sage, a candle and home fragrance brand and Bela and Amara of Pacaiba, a curly hair care brand. You will hear excerpts of questions asked from different stages of each entrepreneur's process and Sandra’s transparent explanations and advic...

Sandra continues a new four part series of providing mentorship to entrepreneurs of various categories in our community. Part 3 features Isabel Cueva of mayaluna a kids clothing line that helps littles celebrate their latin@ culture through modern and aesthetic designs. Vanessa Arroyo of Seres footwear and Jose Rodriguez of Calaca coffee.  You will hear excerpts of questions asked from differ...

Sandra continues a new four part series of providing mentorship to entrepreneurs of various categories in our community. Part 2 features Melissa Gallardo, founder of Bonita Fierce Candles, a candle brand that honors her latin roots and Cindy Convery, the founder of PureWild Co. clean marine collagen products.  You will hear excerpts of questions asked from different stages of each entrepreneu...

Sandra kicks off a new four part series of providing mentorship to entrepreneurs of various categories in our community. Part 1 features Jemila Alharazim, the founder of Ocean Olive, a natural eczema skincare brand for babies and families that is mindful of the skin’s microbiome. Irene Legaspi, the founder of Plantas Medicinas, an Ayurvedic beauty & wellness brand that is elevating the shampoo...

NEW EPISODE! Ep. 26 Imposter Syndrome: Don't Let The Voices In Your Head Prevent You From Getting To The Finish Line Rounding out Women’s History Month, Sandra shares her take on a state of mind that far too many entrepreneurs (specifically women entrepreneurs) find themselves battling with, imposter syndrome.  Low self-esteem, lack of confidence and unworthiness can permeate through all aspe...

NEW EPISODE! Ep. 25  Making Financial Literacy Fun with Beatriz Acevedo Beatriz Acevedo is one of the leading inspirational voices and Latina entrepreneurs in the United States. She has dedicated her career to empowering and opening doors for the next generation of Latino leaders.  Beatriz and Sandra discuss financial histories involving family and educational upbringings and how her lat...

NEW EPISODE! Ep. 24  Living Your Best Life with Angel Aviles Much has happened in the three decades since Angel Aviles brought the role of Sad Girl in the film Mi Vida Loca to life. A decade-long career in marketing communications followed her time in the film industry, as did marriage and children. Despite having what looked like an ideal life, in 2008, Angel had her first panic attack, whic...

Sam Ogborn is a fractional CMO and marketing mentor. She spent 12+ years in the corporate world working for major brands like Walgreens and Red Bull before venturing out on her own to help startups and founders embrace marketing. Sam is a big believer and advocate for marketing education and loves to help founders stay ahead.  She is a regular consultant for Nopalera and today’s discussion wi...