The Ambitious Woman of Color

You worked hard. You built your expertise. You became the person everyone trusts. But if you’re still wondering why leadership opportunities are not coming your way, this episode is for you. In this episode of the Summer of Leadership Series , Jessica Lynn Rojas shares why the strategies that helped many women of color succeed early in their careers are not always the strategies that help us move...

In this episode of The Ambitious Woman of Color Podcast , host Jessica Lynn Rojas sits down with Jenn Jamali, Money Coach and former tech recruiter at companies like Pinterest, Spotify, and Indeed , for a strategic conversation on career growth, job hopping, networking, and how women of color can use the “outside game” to increase income and get to leadership faster. This conversation is especiall...

In this bonus episode of The Ambitious Woman of Color Podcast , host Jessica Lynn Rojas joins Cafecito and Rise (now Rise Differently Podcast ) with Iris Canela , a life coach helping high-achieving women of color and Latinas stop over-proving and start living with more intention, presence, and self-trust. Together, they explore burnout, anxiety, mental health, career pressure, and the hidden cost...

What if burnout isn't the problem—but the signal? In this episode of The Ambitious Woman of Color Podcast, Jessica Lynn Rojas and Evie Prete unpack burnout, career growth, self-worth, and the unique pressures women of color face at work. Burnout doesn't always look like working 80-hour weeks. Sometimes it looks like anxiety, overproving, people-pleasing, carrying everyone's problems, or feeling di...

What if the reason you feel behind in your career and your money isn’t because you’re doing something wrong, but because of the money story you were never taught to question? In this episode of The Ambitious Woman of Color Podcast , Jessica Lynn Rojas sits down with Andrea Ramos of Building Gen Wealth for a conversation at the intersection of money and career for first-gen women of color — where i...

What does it actually take to build a career in medicine as a woman of color — and what happens when the system that trained you starts breaking you down? In this episode of The Ambitious Woman of Color , Jessica sits down with Dr. Kristine Goins, a board-certified psychiatrist and founder of Nomad MD, for an honest conversation about burnout, identity, leadership, and what it really looks like to...

What does it actually take to build and grow a career in law as a woman of color? In this episode of The Ambitious Woman of Color Podcast , Jessica Lynn Rojas sits down with immigration attorney and leader Moona Siddiqui to break down the real experience of navigating the legal field—from early career decisions to stepping into leadership. This conversation goes beyond surface-level advice. We tal...

Trying to break into luxury real estate—or any high-income, commission-based career—but feel like you don’t have the connections, exposure, or access? For women of color, real estate and similar industries come with an added layer: being underestimated, overlooked, and having to prove yourself before you’re given real opportunity. This episode is part of the Industry Series—where we break down wha...

Want to become a pilot but don't know where to start—or feel like it's not a career path for someone like you? Aviation is one of the most expensive, technical, and male-dominated industries out there. And for women of color, the barriers are even higher. Less representation. Fewer mentors. And no clear roadmap for how to break in without the right connections or background. But women of color are...

Worried that stepping away from your career will cost you everything you’ve worked for? For ambitious women of color, a layoff or career break—especially after maternity leave—doesn’t just feel like a pause. It can feel like you’re losing momentum, falling behind, or quietly wondering if you still “have it.” You did everything right. You built the career. You showed up. You delivered. Now you’re t...

Have you ever done everything right—built the career, checked every box, stayed committed—and still felt disconnected from your own life? For many ambitious women of color, that feeling isn’t random. It’s what happens when you’ve been taught that staying is strength, sacrifice is expected, and choosing yourself comes last. So you stay. In the job that looks good on paper but drains you. In the rel...

Do you feel like you’re outgrowing your career… but don’t know if you’re allowed to change it? You’ve done everything “right.” The degree. The job. The promotions. But now something feels off. And the hardest part is not knowing if you should stay or choose something different. For many high-achieving women of color, career paths are supposed to be linear. You pick something and stick with it. So...

Why do you feel exhausted, overwhelmed, or on edge… even when you’re doing everything “right” in your career? For many high-achieving women of color, burnout isn’t just about workload. It’s deeper than that. It can be unprocessed trauma stored in the body. You’re showing up, performing, hitting your goals—but your body is carrying stress, tension, and pressure that no amount of productivity hacks...

Have you ever felt stuck but couldn’t quite explain why? On paper, things look fine. You’re responsible. You’re performing. You’re doing what you’re supposed to do. But internally something feels off. Like you’ve outgrown where you are. Maybe it’s your job, a relationship, or the version of yourself you’ve been trying to maintain. And the hardest part? Not knowing whether you should stay and fix i...

Can you grow your career, be present in your marriage, and raise a family without losing yourself? For many ambitious women of color, marriage and motherhood don’t make ambition disappear. But they do test your identity. Suddenly you’re navigating new expectations at home, shifting priorities at work, and the pressure to hold everything together. You’re showing up as the employee, the partner, the...

Why does everything feel so hard when you’re doing everything “right”? You’re high-achieving. You perform well at work. You hit deadlines. People see you as capable. But behind the scenes? You’re exhausted. Focus feels impossible. Organization is a constant battle. You buy the planner. You try the productivity system. You promise yourself you’ll “just be more disciplined.” And nothing sticks. So y...

Can you take care of yourself and still be ambitious, or does slowing down mean falling behind? For many women of color, rest comes with guilt. You want more energy, better health, and space to breathe, but you’ve been taught that success requires constant output, overworking, and pushing through exhaustion. In this episode of The Ambitious Woman of Color Podcast , Jessica Lynn Rojas is joined by...

You did everything right. Degree? Check. Career? Check. Hard work? Check. So why does success still feel exhausting, unsafe, or unsatisfying? In this episode of The Ambitious Woman of Color Podcast , Jessica Lynn Rojas sits down with Bianca Alba, first-gen Latina, public health professional turned entrepreneur, and founder of This Latina Travels . They unpack why career success doesn’t always brin...

Can you grow your career and keep your relationship thriving—or do you have to choose? For many ambitious women, career growth comes with tension at home. You get the promotion, and your partner feels threatened. You work longer hours, and they don’t understand why it matters. You prioritize yourself, and suddenly there’s guilt or pushback. In this episode of The Ambitious Woman of Color Podcast ,...

In this episode, Jessica Lynn Rojas is joined by Miryam Valdivia Romero (Miryam Valdrom) , Leadership & Capacity Strategist, to unpack the eldest daughter tax —and how early family roles shape how Latinas and women of color show up at work. If you’ve always been the responsible one, the fixer, the emotional backbone, or the person who “handles everything,” this conversation will feel familiar....

Building wealth shouldn’t require burnout, constant side hustles, or sacrificing your well-being. In this episode of The Ambitious Woman of Color , Jessica Lynn Rojas sits down with Maideli Garcia , Latina money coach and financial educator, to break down what building wealth on a W-2 actually looks like for ambitious women of color. They explore how career strategy, mental health, family expectat...

In this episode of The Ambitious Woman of Color , Jessica sits down with Carla Santamaria , career strategist and host of The First Gen Coach Podcast , to unpack why women of color are systematically underpaid—especially in mission-driven and nonprofit spaces. We explore how women of color are socialized into low-paying roles in the name of “giving back,” how purpose is often used to justify inequ...

What if getting paid more didn’t require working harder, sacrificing your mental health, or proving your worth over and over again? In this episode, Jessica sits down with Evie Prete , Latina salary negotiation coach and host of The Págame Podcast , to unpack the deep connection between self-worth, money, and mental health . Evie shares her journey from burnout in high-pressure environments to hel...

What happens after you get the promotion? Stepping into a Director-level role as a woman of color isn’t just a title change—it’s an identity shift. Suddenly, you’re not just managing work, you’re leading people. You’re navigating power, visibility, and expectations—often as the only woman of color in the room. In this conversation with Elvy Garcia, certified life and leadership coach, we talk abou...

Seven years ago, I made a call I’d been avoiding for six months. I called my company’s Employee Assistance Program—from my desk at work—while still showing up every day, high-performing on the outside and drowning in anxiety on the inside. I had done everything “right.” A Master’s in Public Health. A healthcare consulting job alongside Harvard-trained doctors. First in my family to break into corp...