Werk Mija Podcast

Today I am joined by Lisbeth Vargas. Lisbeth is a first-generation community builder and Chicago native. A marketer by training she has successfully grown companies in the tech and cannabis industry. In 2018 she was inspired to launch Canna Marketing U - an educational community aimed at increasing the involvement of black and brown professionals in the cannabis industry. Since then she has risen...

Today I am joined by Alba Mendez. Alba is the owner of Flores by Alba, a small floral shop owned by a 1st generation immigrant.  This small floral Journey started in 2018 when Alba was working at a Little Village flower shop, Floreria Gardenia. Her business has since blossomed into an S-Corp as of May 2021. A woman of many talents who is also a baker, artist, crafter and balloon designer, Alba dec...

Today I am joined by Ariana Lozada. Ariana is the owner of Ari’s Wicks. She is an artisan crafter of premium, soy candles and more! Ari’s Wicks really took a turn for the better once the Pandemic hit in 2020. From there Ariana turned her candle making hobby into her full time job. It has been growing ever since. I was able to meet Ariana at a pop up we had together at Level Up Nutrition earlier th...

Today I am joined by Elizabeth Vallejo. Elizabeth is a wellness coach who helps her clients reach their goals for spiritual, mental, emotional, relational, and physical health. She works closely with clients to find solutions together and build a sustainable path to wholeness. Accountability and a commitment to a healthier and fuller life is a large part of her own path and her coaching framework....

Today I am joined by Ana and Lizet. They are the founders of Mirasol Accessories which sells unique leather accessories inspired by the colors and flowers of Mexico.  Each item is handmade by expert artisans in Leon, Guanajuato - Mexico's leather capital. They hope that each piece inspires their customers to MIRAR -AL-SOL (look for the sunshine in everyday!) wherever they go. Tune in to learn more...

Today I am joined by Erica Jimenez also known as Kika. Erica is a 31yr old daughter of immigrants. Most might know her as the owner of the very popular small business “Kikas Jewelry” but she is also the owner of a Mexican food restaurant located in Cicero, IL. She grew up working in the restaurant business since she was 11 years old when her parents opened their first location almost 20 years ago....

Today I am joined by Karina Mora. Karina is a professional photographer devoted to showing Mexican culture, and podcaster elevating other Latinas in their area of expertise as they empower the next generation. She is also a speaker helping people reclaim their cultural legacies through workshops.  Tune in to learn more about Karina turning her passions into her business ventures. Follow Karina Mor...

Today I am joined by Amanda Ontiveros. Born and raised in La Villita, Chicago, Amanda is a 32 year old graphic designer and owner of Twenty8, Ink. a stationery and design studio that creates planner stickers, custom invitation and accessories for all stationary lovers.  When she's not working her 9-5 in educational publishing she's collaborating with small businesses on their marketing material or...

I wanted to talk about Social Media Marketing for your small business and why you should challenge yourself to prioritize content creation in the new year!  I discuss why you should focus your efforts on the Tik Tok platform and how I grew my following on that platform from 330 followers to 12,000+ followers in the span on 7 weeks and boosted my sales. Tune in to learn how you can leverage this pl...

Today I am joined by Marisa Elise Melton. Marisa is a 27 year old Latina entrepreneur, CEO and founder of Ris Events LLC and Mariposa Chicago. She is a mother to a beautiful 10 year old with special needs and a very cute chihuahua. Marisa was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, she enjoys being crafty, decorating and spending time with her loved ones. She has a passion for the community...

Today I am joined by Aisha Cort.  Aisha Z. Cort, PhD is a lecturer of Spanish in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Howard University in Washington, DC. Dr. Cort earned her BA in Spanish from Yale University, and her MA and PhD in Spanish Literature from Emory University. Her research focuses on Afro-Latinx and Latinx film, literature, and cultural production, with a specialization...

Today I am joined by Juana Rosales. Juana is the Owner of Dulce Bella Sweets, a custom sweet business with a heavy emphasis on some of the most beautifully decorated cookie creations! Juana loves creating sweets showcasing her vibrant cultura. Juana is a DACA recipient full of dreams and goals for Dulce Bella Sweets. Dulce Bella Sweets is 5 years old an on February of 2022, will complete 2 years s...

Today I am joined by Angie. Angie is the Owner, creator and designer of Angmir. A brand creating somewhere over the rainbow, sharing her love of flowers, la Luna & all things magical. She loves handcrafting wearables & mixed media art with the intention of promoting self love & confidence with a lil bruja flair. Tune in to learn more about how Angie got started in her business and continues to thr...

Today I am joined by Liliana Camacho. Liliana is a first generation Mexican American born and raised in Los Angeles California. Liliana is also a first generation college graduate with a Master's in Health Administration. She jumped on the entrepreneur wagon initially in 2019 and has since relaunched Victress, a makeup brand in 2020. Victress represents the celebration of growth, victories & life...

I celebrated my first year in business and it was crazy how quickly that came. Within my first year in business, I have learned so much and I wanted to share more about what I have experienced. I am sure I will have even more to discuss after year 2! Follow Werk Mija on Social Media Instagram: @werkmija Facebook: @werkmija TikTok: @werkmija www.werkmija.com Music by: The Rewrites

Today I am joined by Evelyn Medina. Evelyn is the Co-owner of Las Crafty Anties. Las Crafty Anties is a Chicago based brand that offers art and accessories for the colorful soul. You might have seen them at festivals and local pop ups in the Chicagoland area. Monstera earrings for the plantita lovers, Friday earrings, crochet hoop earrings, paleta earrings and more. So many items to choose from. T...

Today I am joined by Sandra Garcia. Sandra is the founder of Papelitos Lindos, a LatinX stationary brand. Papelitos Lindos is representing cultura through stationary, one papelito at a time. Tune in to learn more about her journey and how she went from pursuing her passion from part-time to now full-time.  Follow Papelitos Lindos IG: https://www.instagram.com/papelitoslindos/ Website: https://www....

Today I am joined by Cynthia Soto. Cynthia Soto is the founder of Pocha Shop, a pet clothing store located in Pilsen, Chicago. Where she likes to focus on the well being of animals while looking stylish. All of our products are made in Mexico using authentic textiles. Cynthia also designs a lot of the Mexican-American prints you see on the tshirts. Tune in to learn more about her journey and how s...

Today I am joined by Tanya De Leᴏ́n. Tanya is a Chicago native that has just returned home after a marvelous five years living in the magical New York City. She is an actress, a singer, full blown out story teller and coffee connoisseur. Tune in to learn more about her journey and how she managed to navigate a career as an actress and singer in one of the most elitist industries.  Follow Tanya: IG...

Today I wanted to share an updated after celebrating 7 months in business. I Wanted to talk about what I have learned as a small business owner and what I have been experiencing throughout this journey. The list of things I have learned are items I felt were important to talk about to help other small business owner, creatives and anyone else embarking on a journey of making their passion their ca...

Today I wanted to talk about Fear and how it has affected my journey and growth. As I talk to business owners and creatives, a very common topic and word that comes up a lot regarding a delay in their success has been Fear. It affects us all and I wanted to share my story of how I have managed to move past the Fear of Failure, Fear of Judgement and even Fear of Rejection as I navigated towards sta...

Today I am joined by Elizabeth Requena, a freelance video editor currently living in Brooklyn, New York. Originally from the South side of Chicago, she moved to NYC shortly after graduating from Columbia College to pursue her career in editing. She has worked for high profile clients and brands such as Pat McGrath, Sasha Velour, Target, Revlon and many more. She has also worked on multiple short f...

Today we are joined by Anabelle Martinez who started off pursuing a career as a lawyer, but ultimately realized that she did not necessarily have to go to Law school to help people. She followed her passions and with her experience in tutoring, started a Bilingual Tutoring Center in Pilsen and Berwyn, IL called Maestri Tutoring. Since then she has opened up a new business called Juice Vibe Bar in...

On this episode I want to share my most recent experience with Burnout and how it led me to rethink how I was doing things. An intense experience woke me up to realize that if I wanted to keep going, I could not keep going like this. How could I continue everything I had set out to do in a healthy way?  Follow Werk Mija on Social Media Instagram: @werkmija Facebook: @werkmija TikTok: @werkmija www...

On this episode I want to share how I was able to start my business, Werk Mija and how my business journey is very much intertwined with my weight loss journey. I talk about my personal story of feeling lost since graduating college and trying to find my career path and direction. Feeling depressed about not knowing what I wanted to do with my life really took a toll on my body and my overall moti...