Leading Ladies Corpus Christi

Vinny Araujo, creator and owner of Rusty Nail Leather, joins me to discuss his very rich life of enjoying the outdoors, limiting screen time, turning an idea into a unique and handmade leather item, his love for motorcycles, why he decided to take a much-needed break, and the inspiration behind "The Eyesore" wallet he made for himself in this episode of Friends of LLCC.

My guest host Ashley Arevalo and I had the opportunity to sit down with Sarah Williams, Director of Operations at The Alamo Drafthouse Corpus Christi, and Jessica Cortese, Regional Sales Manager of The Alamo Drafthouse, to discuss keeping a movie theater afloat during a pandemic, what it's really like behind the scenes during a major movie opening weekend, their collaboration with local filmmakers...

Halie Mendoza, owner of Halie Rocha Lashes, takes me on a crash course through the world of lash extensions, starting a full fledged business during a pandemic while also being a full time college student, making it to the voting round for The Bend Magazine's 2021 Local's List, her genuine desire to make her services available to everyone, and how she's become someone her younger self would look u...

Madeleine Fontenot, Education Coordinator at the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay, joins me for an in-person tequila shot to discuss the Anthropology class that started it all, helping send a Peruvian mummy back to their country of origin, the first full-time job that allowed her to experiment with fashion, her amazingly open minded and supportive family, and why her 5th grade self would be so happ...

Ashley Seahorn, creator and owner of Bangle and Babe, discusses the the vintage bracelet key rings that inspired her modern take on the practical accessory, starting her own business after being displaced by Hurricane Harvey, the evolution of her bangle color, clasp and style options, and finally being able to put herself on her payroll in episode 129.

Alexis Cano, author of the "What IF? Diet Plan," discusses her fascination with the inner workings of the mind, how she stumbled upon intermittent fasting by chance, becoming her own reference for what is best for herself, how blogging her experience led to publishing a book, and why you have to get your mindset right when starting any health regimen in episode 128.

Jessica Gignac, owner of Eleanor's and co-owner of Lucy's Snack Bar, joins me to discuss her desire to move back to Corpus Christi after graduating Art School, how wanting to create her own space lead to opening Eleanor's Coffee Bar and Market 5 years ago, providing downtown Corpus a much-needed quick bites and natural wine location with Lucy's, the difficult decision to close Eleanor's physical l...

Jenny Espino, founder and director of CC Dance Collective, joins me in episode 126 as we discuss the late 90s and early 2000s pop music that inspired her dance career, her experience as a touring performer, accidentally becoming a community organizer with Tacos not Bombs, her teaching philosophy of no child is left behind, and why adults are more challenging to teach than kids. Help keep CC Dance...

Monica Escobar Ellison, owner and founder of 2020 Vintage, discusses the music and culture that influenced her style, the origin of her love of vintage, her appreciation for the support of the local community, her knack for finding unique and one of a kind pieces, only buying what she likes, and why she's grateful for the youth in episode 125. ***Keep an eye out for details on her event with other...

Amanda Flores, Floral and Abstract Painter, discusses her decision to major in Fine Arts, the freedom she feels painting large pieces, painting what brings her joy, how the pandemic influenced her experimentation with digital art, her natural gravitation toward color and florals, and the painting that got away in episode 124.

Lakeita Valon, singer-songwriter-dj-producer-model-photographer (whew!), joins me in episode 123 to discuss her 180° turn from psych major to a music major on a full scholarship, the synchronistic events leading to her turn as the talented DJ Mocha Loca and the formation of her band Venus Lily, becoming comfortable expressing her vulnerability through music, and how she's not afraid to take on a c...

Carla Gardiner, Director of Coastal Bend Volunteer Connection and Financial Advisor for Edward Jones, discusses her love of theater productions, her foray as an ASL Interpreter, how a difficult family situation lead to YouTube series "Hospice Pro Tips" with her sister Geri, the development of the Coastal Bend Volunteer Connection website, and misconceptions surrounding financial advisors in episod...

Rachél Payne, Creative Life Coach and co-founder of Laughing Lane Creatives, discusses how not knowing her family background led to creating her own, her beginnings as a performance artist, assisting individuals on their creative journeys through workshops and art-ventures, starting Laughing Lane Creatives with her husband Eric, and why you have to remove the "shoulds" in order to access raw creat...

Brittany Mouttet 5:16 PM (2 hours ago) to me I am so excited to share my conversation with Katy Jones-Gulsby, owner of Shell and Pine Vintage and freelance content writer, as we discuss her change in career path from fashion journalism to creative writing with an emphasis on poetry, always being a bit of a rebel, slinging vintage as a teenager, ghost writing for an Amish Romance series, her quaran...

Super stoked to share my conversation with Samantha Chamberlain, creator of El Local Collective, as we discuss living life authentically, always supporting local creatives, how helping a friend led to creating the collective, her innate love of the Coastal Bend, and why any action is better than no action episode 119.

BONUS EPISODE! The Gold Dust Cosmetic Collective: Tina Lain, Owner and Creator Allie Garcia, Cosmetic Tattoo Artist Sierra Lain RN, Cosmetic Nurse Injector and Paramedical Tattoo Artist Dr. Sophia Ommani and Carrie Sessions, Nurse Practitioner I sat down with these ladies to discuss their new venture into Medical Aesthetics, the importance of growth even during a year like 2020, emphasizing intern...

Carol Scott, Del Mar College Regent at Large for 6 years and up for reelection, joins me in episode 118 to discuss being a life-long advocate for Education, her extensive leadership experience in the Coastal Bend as President of League of Women Voters and the CCISD Board of Trustees (to name a few), the tremendous accomplishments she's helped facilitate at Del Mar College including increased stude...

Aundrea Victoria Salinas, owner of High Velocity Makeup and Hair Studio, joins me for episode 117 to discuss her innate ability to design without a structured plan, collaborating with other local creatives to bring her unique ideas to life, her anti-bullying short film "I Have Somewhere to Be", that amazing Mesquite tree-inspired dress, and why she's never done creating.

Marisol Ramirez, creator of Marisol's Blog, discusses her desire to create a space to be her true self, the vulnerability that comes with putting your innermost thoughts and feelings on the internet, her ingenious "Behind the Bar Cart" series featuring booze from local distilleries, and the inspiration behind one of her most powerful blog posts in episode 116.

Amanda Rodriguez, owner of Oak and Vintage, discusses O&V's very clever name, the synchronistic events that led to her setting up shop in Renaissance Antiques, her first pop- up event on one of the coldest days of the year, how she incorporated her love of photography into the marketing of her shop, and why she considers Oak and Vintage to be like her Alter Ego in episode 115.

LaToya Rodriguez, owner of Rose Soiree Floral Bar, discusses being thrown into the floral world when she worked for a big box store, leveling with herself when she realized she wanted to make a living doing what she loved, opening a brick and mortar during a pandemic, the blog posts she's written as a contributor for the Coastal Bend Moms Collective, and overcoming self-doubt in episode 114.

Crystal Garcia, co-creator of Revolve One Podcast, joins me for a digital tequila shot as she discusses dealing with her teen angst through writing poetry, her first-ever Poetry Night at The Exchange that turned into an avenue for the community to express themselves, the podcast episode that started it all, and why she and her brother Rudy Garcia are thick as thieves in episode 113.

Alex Martinez Garcia, owner of A+ Cookies, reflects on her introduction into making custom cookies, why her first attempt had her stay away entirely for 6 months only to come back stronger than ever, the independence she feels as a female business owner, and why she values collaboration over competition in episode 112.

Fatima Martinez, owner of Fa's Soaps, Candles and More, discusses her dream of becoming a Speech-Language Pathologist, her brave decision to start a business during a pandemic, her go-getter attitude in every aspect of her life, how she develops the scents for her candles and soaps, and the importance of time management in episode 111.

I'm joined by my first ever co-host Emily Barrera Luce and her best friend Courtney Sanchez, Director of Behavioral Health Services Outreach for Bayview Behavioral Hospital, as she discusses the Divine Intervention that led to landing her dream job, why community outreach is a critical resource for mental health, how anyone can walk in and get a free assessment at the hospital 24/7, the benefits o...