Latina to Latina

She pirouetted into our lives on Season Five of So You Think You Can Dance, stole our hearts on Roswell, and is now making us question the line between villain and hero on this season of Prime’s Cross. Jeanine talks with Alicia about the lessons in leadership that come with leading a television series, going through IVF days before filming, learning to inhabit a pedestrian body after years as a da...

She handed her law degree to her mother to thank her, and quit an elite Miami law firm on her first day. Then she headed to culinary school—in France. Might be easy to say the rest is history, but that’s not the case with this Venezuelan powerhouse and former Top Chef Masters star. From being told her accent would hold her back, to being discouraged from having her own television show, Lorena has...

The successful owner of makeup brand Reina Rebelde talks about how she chose to leave a high-profile law career to find her way back to herself. And how she convinced her family that starting a business was the right path for her. Follow Regina Merson on Instagram @reginamerson . If you loved this episode, listen to How Girls Night In Founder Alisha Ramos Started a Stay-at-Home Movement and How Be...

Her hilarious BuzzFeed portrayals of Latina moms hooked us, and now, her magnetic energy keeps us glued to Netflix's  Gentefied . Julissa reveals what she willingly risked to earn roles that welcome her fullest self. Follow Julissa @lajulissa on Instagram. If you loved this episode, listen to America Ferrera Knows What Real Power Looks Like and When Gentefied Co-Creator Linda Yvette Chávez Realize...

Her body was really sick and giving up on her--fast. Indifferent doctors recommended unthinkable treatments. But her natural instincts were pushing her in a different direction. In a way, by taking charge of her health, lifestyle guru Fran Medina took her life into her own hands. She studied, she learned, she listened to people who knew more, and to her own body. Some years later, she’s crafted a...

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...

One of the original innovators in the personal blogging space, Ana Flores is not only an early adaptor but also a born innovator. She saw an opportunity in connecting brands to popular online personalities—today’s influencers—and ran with it. Her company brought in millions one year and filed for bankruptcy the next. Like a phoenix, Ana rose from the ashes to build the super successful We All Grow...

This Panamanian-Jamaican-Jewish New Yorker spent the early part of her career in Latin music, before launching her own creative agency. Zoila reflects on how she secured her first clients, the three years she spent building Word Agency before she started making money, and the secrets to great brand campaigns.  Follow Zoila on Instagram @zoiladarton . If you liked this episode, listen to Why Doris...

After decades of keeping her psychic abilities hidden from her family and friends, Zulema Arroyo Farley found herself unable to deny that she could communicate with the spirit world. The decision to be public about it came with much criticism and pushback, but she knew to be her complete self she needed to not just accept this part of her, but share it with others. In this fascinating episode, she...

For more than two decades, she has led the largest Latino civil rights organization in the United States. In this revealing conversation, Janet shares her stewardship of a massive brand transition, her personal frustration with the elusiveness of immigration reform, and what it requires to go toe-to-toe with the President of the United States.   Visit www.unidosus.org to learn more about the organ...

Becoming a doctor is a huge accomplishment unto itself, requiring years of study, sacrifice and discipline. But if you’re a smart, driven, black Latina it can often feel like a Herculean feat. Dermatologist Dr. Laura Scott and her close cohort of friends created a bond that strengthened and protected them as they navigated and excelled at Harvard University and beyond. Today, under her Instagram h...

She was 17 years-old when she moved from the Pacific Northwest to NYC to pursue her dream of becoming a professional dancer. Hannah danced, she performed as an aerialist, and began teaching movement classes. But it was an audition to coach at Peloton that would take her career to the next level: beaming her constant encouragement to “treat your body like it belongs to someone you love” to millions...

She grew tired of seeing the women in her family sacrifice their ambition for their men, so she vowed to build a life that wouldn't force her to choose. At 17, she immigrated to the US, learned English, and decided to study aerospace engineering. Now at NASA, Diana is at the forefront of missions that could tell us if there is life beyond our planet. Follow Diana on Twitter @FromCaliToMars. If you...

Set on being a brain surgeon since childhood, and armed with “unwavering self-confidence” instilled in her by her mother, Analiz powered through college, medical school and a PhD program. Facing steep climbs and faith-testing challenges along the way. Now, the accomplished neurosurgeon and research scientist opens up about leading in the operating room, navigating bias as an Afro-Latina doctor, an...

The comedian had her breakout moment on "Last Comic Standing,” and since, has used comedy to explore everything from politics to familial trauma. It’s all part of her new HBO Max special, Fighting Words.  Follow Aida on Instagram @funnyaida . If you loved this episode, listen to How Gina Brillón Became a Comedy Junkie , and Trust Us, Cristela Alonzo Gets the Last Laugh . Show your love and become...

After a difficult breakup, Christine sought out deep healing from childhood abuse wounds and toxic people. Then, she became a therapist, trained in spiritual and shamanic practices, and was initiated in the priestess path. In her new book, I Am Diosa, she draws on wisdom from her own experience to help other women heal and tap into their worth.  Follow Christine @cosmicchristine on Instagram. If y...

The Columbia University-trained, trauma informed psychologist and practitioner of holistic healing weaves together scientific research, best practices, and personal experience to help us unpack intergenerational trauma in the service of building a legacy of abundance. It’s all part of her new book, Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma. Find Dr Buqué's book here . Follow her...

She made history as the first Latina to create, produce and star in a network sitcom. But how does Cristela, a border town kid who grew up squatting in a diner, deal with becoming rich and famous? That’s the central question of her Netflix trilogy‘s final installment: Upper Classy.   Watch the full episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/GYp4l4fap_s Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.a...

This media-maven turned curandera shares her experience of self-transformation, the loss that defined her early life, and practices you can use to find yourself. It’s all part of her new book: Get Rooted: Reclaim Your Soul, Serenity, and Sisterhood Through the Healing Medicine of the Grandmothers. Find ways to order Get Rooted here .  Robyn Moreno is on Instagram @robynnmoreno . If you liked this...

She launched herself as an Instagram model. And then Nicole Mejia built an entire fitness brand, Fit and Thick, to empower women to embrace their natural shape and work to enhance it. Now, the fitness entrepreneur is rebranding her empire as LULY, and encouraging a different type of well-being: one that begins on the inside. Alicia gets her to go deep on acceptance as the starting point of transfo...

Listening to Scherezade Garcia talk about her art and her creative process is watching someone relive the many ways she has made herself free— from other’s scrutiny, from expectations, from the need to justify her very existence. Alicia visited Scherezade’s studio and spoke with her about the notion of selling the Caribbean as “paradise”, the business of being a working artist, and what it means t...

The Pulitzer Prize winning playwright’s first novel, The White Hot, takes readers on an epic journey of self-discovery and begs the question: when is leaving an act of generosity? Quiara shares the exhilaration of creating a Latina anti-hero, the places where fear shows up in her earlier writing and the creative freedom that comes with growing older. Watch the full episode on Youtube: https://www....

This captain of industry comes from a family of self-starters that has always banded together--from her father’s travel agency to her billion-dollar company. Did we mention she owns 100% of it? But her story is also one of unthinkable tragedy and immeasurable sacrifice—from her and her family. Today, Nina is among the most respected CEOs in the country, an advisor to presidents, and a tireless cha...

She wrote her book, Self-Care for Latinas: 100+ Ways to Prioritize & Rejuvenate Your Mind, Body, & Spirit , deep in her own grief, a year after suddenly losing her best friend. Raquel shares what that experience taught her about self-care and community care, living with life-changing loss, and how she is building a career in media from her beloved Orlando, Florida. Follow Raquel Reichard on Instag...

There's a direct connection between climate scientist Nicole Hernandez Hammer's childhood in rural Guatemala and her tireless work to teach the rest of us how to adjust our lives so we can preserve our planet for the grandchildren. And the life that unfolded between those two points is remarkable, including that time she stepped on Michelle Obama's foot. Follow Nicole on Twitter @NHH_Climate and I...