Werk Mija Podcast

Welcome to a solo episode with me, Xochitl Carmona, the host of the Werk Mija podcast and  owner of Werk Mija apparel & accessories for Latinas who unapologetically celebrate their culture through empowering and relatable messages. My last solo podcast episode was September 2022 (episode 38) and I wanted to share along the entrepreneurial journey updates and how we have navigated so far after year...

Today I am joined by Paulette Piñero. Paulette is an award-winning social entrepreneur, Latina business coach, writer, and speaker dedicated to closing the opportunity gap for Latinas and Women of Color.  Through her company Unstoppable Latina LLC, Paulette guides Latina entrepreneurs to harness their strengths, amplify their voice, and live their purpose so they become unstoppable CEOs of their s...

I am joined by Naibe Reynoso. Naibe Reynoso is a Mexican-American Multi-Emmy award-winning journalist and mom based in Los Angeles California. Throughout her journalism career, she has worked and contributed to various regional, national and international networks. In 2018 she created Con Todo Press, a publishing company that creates books to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities. Her...

I am joined by Michelle Barrionuevo-Mazzini. Michelle is a first-generation Latina from San Francisco and the Creative founder of Casita Michi, a brand that celebrates cultura through empowering and sustainable candles. With the lack of representation in the home fragrance space, she set out to create a product that would empower her comunidad to be seen and feel seen. Casita Michi candles provide...

Today I am joined by Jelitsa Legarreta. Jelitsa is the owner of Uviña Skin. Uviña skin makes it REALLY easy for busy people to have healthy, glowing skin. Giving you back the power of TIME, by scaling down the 10-step skincare routine to get you results in 3 simple steps with The Uviña Power Bundle which is designed to cleanse, calm, brighten, and hydrate using ingredients inspired by tradition an...

Today I am joined by Sophia Zarate. Sophia is a first-generation Mexican American who was born and raised in a Texas border town called Laredo. She moved to NYC in 2016 while she was a Sophomore in college. Since graduating, she has attained professional experience in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, and Social Media. Many of you may have come to know her from her infamously hilarious TikToks...

Today I am joined by Jessica Perjes. Jessica is the co-owner of Tacotlan, a family-owned restaurant located in Chicago that she runs with her father, Everardo Macias. Tacotlan has been in business since 2018 and is currently in growth mode. Jessica’s background has been in sales, specifically recruitment software sales but she has found a way to make her sales experience work for her when it comes...

Today I am joined by Evelia Torres. Evelia is the owner of De Mi Tierra, a natural skincare line that pays tribute to traditional Mexican skincare rituals.  De Mi Tierra is taking skincare back to basics, just like Abuelita, using only earth-made ingredients indigenous to Latin America. De Mi Tierra is inspired by nature and influenced by culture. Raised in Chicago by Mexican immigrant parents, Ev...

Today I am joined by Gabriela Marentes. Gabriela is the owner of Lavaderitos. The original lavadero for your makeup brushes & more! Gabriela was born in Virginia but considers herself from Mexico. She was raised in a modern-traditional Mexican household with her parents both from Zacatecas Mexico. Growing up, she spent her vacations from school visiting Mexico lindo. For three years, Gabriela purs...

Today I am joined by Daniela Rodriguez. Daniela is the CEO and co-founder of Neems Jeans, a Latinx-owned denim company that designs custom jeans to your unique body for a perfect fit. Each pair is ethically handcrafted in Los Angeles and exclusively uses sustainable, rescued fabrics. Neems' mission is to empower folks with the confidence they deserve in their perfectly-fitting jeans, while never h...

Today I am joined by Susana Castro aka Susie. Susie is the owner and head coach of O’Hare Crossfit. Fitness and wellness is her business but bringing those two lifestyle facets to the BIPOC community in the western suburbs of Chicago is her mission. Her Mexican background and seeing how the  LatinX community and especially women don’t make themselves a priority especially for their health is her d...

Today I am joined by Diana Stafford. Diana is the owner of Mota Magick, a Chicago based, Latina owned brand creating handcrafted CBD skin care products to encourage self-love, kindness and compassion for ourselves and each other, with intention and herbal magick. Like so many of us, for years Diana lived her life in survival mode. Working for over 15 years in a strenuous healthcare career. Taking...

Getting to year 2 in business has been a roller coaster ride that I could not have predicted. The day I was laid off from my full time job in November 2021, I knew it was a part of the journey I was going to talk about, but I also knew that there was still more to that story I had not yet experienced. There was still more to go through before I could fully share what the moment meant for me. Littl...

Welcome back to the Werk Mija Podcast, The podcast where Mujeres Empower Mujeres. I am your host, Xochitl Carmona.  Today I am joined by Rosy Haedo. Rosy is the owner of Rosys Chamoy Rim Paste, a chamoy based business located in chicago, delivering around the City & Suburbs of Chicago, but you can also find Rosy at local Chicagoland area pop ups to sample her delicious creations! Rosy’s chamoy Rim...

Today I am joined by Natalia Garcia. Natalia is the owner of Plant House, a plant shop located in Waukegan, Illinois. Plant House was created during quarantine after Natalia realized the impact of plant care for her mental health. She wanted to create a safe space for the community where we all learn, grow together and benefit from the love of plantitas. Plant House has become the community’s loca...

Today I am joined by Elizabeth Aguirre. Elizabeth is the owner of Juicey Gems, a handmade jewelry & accessories business. The mission of Juicey Gems is to offer bold and creative jewelry and accessories to help uplift your confidence and bring a pop of color into your wardrobe. From starting an online store and selling her products at local pop ups, Juicey Gems has recently opened a mini store fro...

Today I am joined by Laura Romani. Laura is a former dual language teacher with a Masters of education as well as certifications in library information science and spanish language instructions. She is the owner of Los Amigos Books. Los Amigos Books advocates for bilingualism and multiculturalism a través de los libros. They have created a space that welcomes families who share the same values. Th...

Today I am joined by Veronica Pesantes. Vero is the Co-founder of The Onikas, a lifestyle brand that lives at the intersection of design, sustainability, and wellness. The Onikas is on a mission to preserve and promote artisan-made textiles. Dedicated to slow fashion, their products are made with great care and respect. The artisan textiles preserve the arts of weaving and block printing, two trad...

Today I am joined by Carolina Acosta. Carolina Acosta is the founder and CEO of Tragos, the party game for Latinos by Latinos. She spearheads the Tragos product development and partnership initiatives, while wearing many other hats alongside her all-female and Latinx remote team. After working with her partner, John Lim, to launch Azn Flush – the Asian card game equivalent to Tragos – Carolina lau...

Today I am joined by Jen Ngozi. Jen was underpaid and underemployed for years. As a first-generation immigrant, she didn’t know how to ‘play the game’ at work. This inspired her to launch NetWerk®, a community and platform on a mission to help 1 million women get promoted by 2030. Today Jen is a global speaker and has spoken at events with the United Nations Foundation and Vogue. Her career advice...

Today I am joined by Denise Foley. Denise is the owner and Mompreneuer of Sunset Vibes Swimwear. Sunset Vibes Swimwear is on a mission to empower women to feel their absolute best in a swimsuit, instead of self conscious. Denise spent 16 years in the corporate world but always had the dream of starting her own swimwear line. In 2019 she took the leap and spent two years in product testing and deve...

Today I am joined by Lucia Diaz. Lucia, is founder of Lucia Diaz aka Fearless Yaya, a latina-owned small business that empowers and honors Latinas through high-quality art prints, one-of-a-kind greeting cards, and other exciting stationery products. Her designs are created with the goal of providing cultural representation and pride so that mujeres poderosas can see themselves represented in the w...

Today I am joined by Bethany Peak. Bethany is a former attorney turned beauty entrepreneur whose mission is to encourage other women to invest in their own wellness to live a life of fulfillment. Beth is the CEO of Taupe Coat a vegan nail care brand that creates high quality beauty products that promote physical wellness and self-care. She is also the co-owner of JP Operations, a warehouse and ord...

Today I am joined by Melissa Gallardo. Melissa is the founder of Bonita Fierce Candles, a candle brand dedicated to creating premium candles inspired by Latinx heritage and home. As burning candles was always her way of indulging in self-care, she decided that she would make her own candles during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Melissa realized that the scents she grew up with weren’t represented...

Today I am joined by Annie Leal. Annie, is the founder and owner of I Love Chamoy, a healthy snack company with the mission to make Mexican cultural flavors more accessible to people with different dietary needs. Annie was born and raised in Nuevo Leon, MX, and is passionate about sharing her culture with others through food and social media. Tune in to learn more about Annie's journey! Follow I L...