Latina to Latina

The prolific actress and star of Netflix’s musical crime comedy drama, Emilia Perez, shares her fears about being “too famous,” the risk/reward analysis of taking on a wildly ambitious project, and what she learned from sharing space (and the Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award!) with Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascón and Selena Gomez.

This week, we continue with one of our most beloved conversations with members of the new literary canon. As if setting out to write a book about the undocumented immigrant experience across the country wasn’t hard enough, Karla Cornejo Villavivencio set a much higher bar for The Undocumented Americans. “I promised everyone in the book, all of my subjects, that I would get Americans to care. And that's a promise that I couldn't guarantee that I could keep,” she tells Alicia in this searing conversation about not wanting to be a political tool, being among the first undocumented immigrants to graduate from Harvard University, and not thinking too much about herself to avoid “going into dark places.”

Follow Karla  on instagram @karlarrriott.

Raised in El Paso by a Mexican immigrant mother and a father who worked as a truck driver, this first gen college student started her career at the Republican National Committee. Then dual tragedies, the September 11, 2001 attacks and the sudden death of her father, changed everything. Olivia describes her career pivot to national security; her choice to work for Vice President Pence, her decision to leave and the fall out; and why she, a lifelong Republican, is now openly campaigning for Kamala Harris. 

Administrator Guzman, the fifth Latina to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet, shares how she learned to be “as entrepreneurial as the small businesses” she serves, the growing pains of pivoting from behind-the-scenes player to principal, and her best advice for other Latinas who want to do the same.

At UnidosUS's annual conference in Las Vegas this year, LTL's Juleyka Lantigua moderated a keynote conversation with the founder of the award-winning beauty brand during the event's Latinas Luncheon. Sandra opened up about the creative transition from rock musician to lifestyle entrepreneur, the business acumen and personal evolution required to grow Nopalera, and the powerful ways our choices as Latina consumers can generate community wealth.

This week, we share another one of our favorite interviews from Latinas in the art world. Her poems have gone viral and reached millions. Now the writer behind "Brown Girl, Brown Girl" opens up about finding her way out of an abusive marriage, the decade where her kids became her poems, and the power of putting what you want into words.

Find Leslé's latest book here and follow the author on IG @leslehonore. If you loved this episode, listen to How Coco Illustrator Ana Ramírez González Extends Herself with Her Art and How Writer Karla Cornejo Villavicencio Maintains Control of Her Narrative. 

For her newest YA book, Solis, Paola teamed up with co-author Abby Sher to tell the story of a near-future  America where undocumented people are forced into labor camps in service of an autocratic regime, and the four courageous rebels who decide to start a revolution. Paola shares the process of co-creating, what she had to say "no" to in order to say "yes" to YA fiction, and reflections on her own quest for freedom.

Follow Paola on Instagram @paolamendoza .  Find her new book Solis, here and her book tour dates here. If you enjoyed this episode, listen to her first episode on Latina to Latina, Paola Mendoza Teaches Us That Joy Is an Act of Resistance. 

The award-winning journalist delves into the reporting behind her new book, Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America; reflects on how being a Latina lesbian informs her storytelling; and shares what her grandfather’s life and death have taught her about the pursuit of individual freedom.

Follow Paola @paoramos on Instagram and find her new book here.

This week, we bring you one of our favorite conversations with Latina artists. iLe’s natural and inherited musical talents were nurtured between classic piano training and the hyper-political songs of Calle 13, Puerto Rico’s most influential group in the last few decades. Now the singer/songwriter takes center stage with her haunting and flaring album Almadura. She and Alicia revisit moments of inspiration and desperation—especially for her beloved PR’s political limbo—and pull threads from the vivid stories and powerful messages that elevate her music to anthem status.

Follow iLe on IG @cabralu. If you loved this episode, listen to Dessa for more on music. 

She was in her early 30s when a stranger's intervention forced Jessica to confront her addiction. Recovery required Jessica to revisit early traumas, and contend with deeply ingrained ideas about achievement and self-worth. Now, the founder of @NuevaYorka is sharing her story in her highly anticipated memoir First in the Family: A Story of Survival, Recovery, and the American Dream.

Follow Jessica on Instagram @jessicahoppeauthor and @NuevaYorka.  Find her new book here.

In her new book, Tías and Primas: On Knowing and Loving the Women Who Raise Us, Prisca helps us understand the women in our lives: la loca, tu tía escándalosa, la prima perfecta and so many more. Prisca shares her own path from la prima perfecta to la loca, and her best advice for truly getting to know the women we love.

Follow Prisca on instagram @priscadorcas. Find her latest book here.

Our Top 25 Countdown Continues! The Ivy League educated holistic psychologist is revolutionizing her field with Indigenous healing, curanderos, sound baths, and Reiki therapy. In this conversation we had well before the release of her book Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma, Dr. Buqué breaks down her work in mental wellness, and how we can use “micro moments” to connect with ourselves. 
 

Find Dr. Buqué's book here. Follow her on Instagram @dr.marielbuque. 

We continue with our favorite conversations with Latinas in journalism. She came to Miami on vacation from her television job in Colombia and, while visiting Telemundo with a friend, walked herself into an opportunity of a lifetime. Then Ilia Calderon really went to work, leading the country’s premier Spanish-language news program on Univision and making headlines for her intrepid reporting and intelligent disaster coverage. She talks with Alicia about confronting a KKK leader, reporting on the family separation crisis as a mother, and navigating life as a hyphenated Latina.

Follow Ilia on Instagram @IliaCalderón. If you loved this episode, listen to María Elena Salinas and Mariana Atencio for more on journalism.

This week, we share another one of our favorite interviews from Latinas in the world of journalism. Noticias Telemundo’s Washington D.C. bureau chief shares her unlikely path from correspondent to newsroom leader, and one of the most influential journalists in Spanish-language television.

Follow Lori on Instagram lorimontenegro_ .If you loved this episode, listen to Why Investigative Journalist Jean Guerrero is Leaning into the Power of Her Personal Experience.

This week we bring you one of our most beloved interviews with inspiring Latinas in journalism. After decades of beaming into our homes from her perch on the Univision anchor desk, María Elena Salinas is enjoying finally speaking for herself and pursuing her own ideas and work. She jokes that she didn’t want her legacy to be that “I worked at Univision and then I died,” but Alicia also gets her to open up about that lingering doubt we all feel, the hard choices of being a working mom, and the freedom that comes with stepping boldly into your destiny.

Follow Maria @MariaESalinas on Instagram. If you loved this episode, listen to Mariana Atencio and Cristina Costantini on their paths into journalism. 

We continue counting down our top 25 episodes of all time. It took her years to get back to herself, but now the singer-songwriter who exploded onto the world stage as part of Fifth Harmony has her first solo EP, Prelude. And she's also on a mission to help others heal.

Follow Lauren @laurenjauregui on Instagram. If you loved this episode, listen to Why iLe’s New Album, Almadura, Is Both Departure and Evolution from Calle 13 and Why DaniLeigh is Destined to Be a Music Mogul.  

This week, we bring you another one of our favorite interviews since the start of our show. She learned on the job as an assistant to one of the most powerful women in Hollywood, and spent nine years at Twentieth Century Fox before making the leap to Netflix. Now its director of original programing, she lets us in on what it takes to sell a big idea.    

Follow Carolina on Instagram @thedancingdiary. If you loved this episode, listen to How Showrunner Dailyn Rodriguez Stays in High Demand and LEVEL UP: This Life Coach Says Now's the Time to Level Up. 

Today, we bring you another one of our most beloved interviews with Latinas in entertainment. "If you find yourself in an industry doing all the jobs around the job you really want to do, check in on that," Linda tells Alicia. "There's some sort of fear around you not doing the thing you really want to do." She would know. After years of working in film and digital creative, Linda decided to follow her true passion: writing. Within two years of making that commitment, she was pitching and selling a television series. And there's so much more to Linda's story--breaking with tradition, sacrificing something of great value, and working harder than she thought she could.

Follow Linda @lindayvettechavezon Instagram. If you loved this episode, listen to Ilana Peña, and Gloria Calderón Kellett for more on creating Latina narratives in Hollywood.

We continue with our favorite conversations with Latinas in the entertainment industry. Growing up, television writer Ilana Peña was a student of books, where, she says, "girls could be complicated." Now, as creator of Diary of a Future President on Disney+, Ilana brings that vision of girlhood to life. She tells Alicia about rising from assistant to writer’s assistant to writer to creator, how the early loss of her father taught her to use “grief as an engine,” and why being in charge forced her to stop saying “maybe.”

Follow Ilana @lanstagram on Instagram. If you loved this episode, listen to Linda Yvette Chavez and Cristela Alonzo for more on creating Latina shows in Hollywood.

This week, we bring you one of our best-loved episodes about Latinas in the entertainment industry. Calderón Kellett runs the show. Literally. She’s the co-showrunner and executive producer of Netflix’s One Day at a Time, and with each season, she’d adding more credits to that list: writer, director and actor. She talks with Alicia about her rise through Hollywood’s writers’ rooms (How I Met Your Mother, Devious Maids, and Drunk History), and argues for letting good things be good. And reveals her plans to take her storytelling to the next level. 
 

Follow Gloria on instagram @gloriakellett. If you loved this episode, listen to Cristela Alonzoand Linda Yvette Chavezon what takes to write and run a television show. 

We continue with our Top 25 Countdown! The Hollywood A-lister reveals how she advocates for herself, maneuvers through complex power dynamics, and deflects the “Brown Discount.” She also shares about the work that went into Season 2 of the smash hit, Gentefied, streaming on Netflix now!   

Follow America @americaferrera on Instagram. If you loved this episode, listen to Why TV Showrunner Ilana Peña Craves Complicated Girl Characters and How Queens' Star Nadine Velazquez is Making the Most of a Second Chance.  

Today, we bring you another one of our favorite interviews with Latinas in the corporate world. The Chief People Officer for VICE Media has spent her career building better workplaces. She’s perfected a model: reflect, visualize, act, and persist. Now she's put everything she's learned into her new book, Inclusion Revolution: The Essential Guide to Dismantling Racial Inequity in the Workplace.

Follow Daisy on on Instagram @daisyaugerdominguezw and on X (formerly Twitter) @DaisyAD. If you loved this episode, listen to Powerhouse Marketer Ana Valdéz on Using Media to Create Change and Investor Nathalie Molina Niño Boldly Speaks Truth to Powerful Men. 

This week, we bring you another one of our favorite conversations with Latinas in the corporate world. Carla Vernón describes herself as “a very malleable piece of clay” with a sense of pride and self-awareness. She has used that singular strength to rise from associate to executive at General Mills. She reflects on her long tenure there, being among the first in her Afro-Panamanian family to venture into the business world, and setting and keeping her own standards as she gained success and status.

Follow Carla @CarlaInspired on Instagram. If you loved this episode, listen to Elisa Villanueva Beard's Aha Moment As Teach For America's CEO,  and Remix: How Ad Exec Nancy Reyes Became Undeniable.

We continue with our favorite conversations with Latinas in the corporate world.  After Alicia’s conversation with advertising superstar Nancy Reyes, she wanted to make t-shirts that read, "I am undeniable." That’s how inspiring this trailblazer’s story is. From learning that “everything feels better when you earn it” to “dealing with a massive career failure” and making the decision to go from “good to great,” Nancy’s success is a testament to what happens when grit and tenacity meet opportunity.

Follow Nancy on X (formerly Twitter) @reyesjimbo. If you loved this episode, listen to Daisy Auger-Dominguez on Making It in Corporate America and Top 25 Countdown: #24 How Meg Medina Summoned the Courage to Write.

Our Top 25 Countdown Continues! "Who is she? What does she want? Why can't she have it?" Those are the questions the Newbery Medal-winning children's author asks about each of her young Latina protagonists. What Meg Medina wanted was to write professionally, but first, she had to get brave.

Follow Meg on Instagram @megmedinabooks. and find all her books here.If you loved this episode, listen to What Sonia Manzano Knows Kids Need and  How Canticos Creator Susie Jaramillo Built an Inclusive Kids' Brand.

This week, we bring you another one of our favorite conversations around food. As she was researching her new cookbook, Asada: The Art of Mexican Style Grilling, the LA restaurateur began to realize how men dominate the grill scene. Now, she’s trying to change that by giving others the tools and inspiration to master asada. Bricia explains the financial margins necessary to sustain a successful restaurant, and the pride and responsibility of being Oaxacan.

Follow Bricia on Instagram @bricialopez and discover the secret to incredible asada here. 

If you liked this episode, listen to and How Chef Grace Ramirez Found Her Place Outside of the Kitchen and Remix: Chef Ariel Fox is Expanding Our Understanding of 'Authentic' Cuisine.

We continue with our favorite conversations around food. The VP for Dos Caminos and Del Friscos pulls back the curtain on what it takes to launch a restaurant, talks about the difference between competing on Hell's Kitchen as a newbie versus an established chef, and shares the personal change that inspired her new cookbook: Spice Kitchen: Healthy Latin and Caribbean Cuisine.

Follow Ariel on Instagram @chefarielfox. If you liked this episode, listen to Why Rum Master Distiller Sylvia Santiago Will Never Quit and Master Chef Lorena Garcia Says It Takes More Than Sharp Knives.

We are celebrating almost 300 episodes of Latina to Latina! For the first Monday of every month, we are counting down our top 25 episodes of all time. In between, we'll curate special playlists of some of our favorite episodes. For the next three weeks, we bring you some of our favorite conversations about food. When Karla Vasquez learned that there were virtually no Salvadoran cookbooks in print in the United States, this food writer and cooking instructor made it her mission to capture the food and the spirits of the women of El Salvador.

Follow Karla on Instagram @karla_tv and find her book here. If you loved this episode, listen to Why Pioneering Journalist Maria Hinojosa Put Herself in the Story and How Documentarian Cristina Costantini Fed Her Soul While Making Mucho Mucho Amor. 

To celebrate almost 300 episodes of Latina to Latina, for the first Monday of every month, we are counting down our top 25 episodes of all time. In between, we'll curate special playlists of some of our favorite episodes. Coming in at #25: This television executive turned entrepreneur took a major detour—mid career—to go back to school. Nely shares how that decision changed her life, as well as her insights on how to find your true purpose.

Follow Nely on instagram @nelygalan. If you loved this episode, listen to Fashion Entrepreneur Lilliana Vazquez: “Build Something for Yourself” and How Carolyn Rodz Is Connecting Entrepreneurs with Opportunities. 

When her parents’ tourists visas expired, and they were no longer allowed entry into the United States, Elizabeth, an American citizen, persuaded her parents to allow her to stay in Arizona solo.  She was only 15 years-old. Even as she contended with housing and food insecurity, Elizabeth managed to graduate valedictorian of her high school class, before going on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania. In this episode, we talk about the values tension in wanting to change the world and needing to pay rent, why the responsibilities she carried never allowed her to “let loose” like her peers, and her decision to share her story in her new memoir, “My Side of the River.”

Follow Elizabeth on instagram @lizzycancu and find her book My Side of the River here.  

If you liked this episode, listen to How Travel Empowered Nikki Vargas to Bring Her Life Into Alignment and What Jennifer De Leon Had to Confront to Become the First Writer In Her Family.

In her new book,Making the Latino South, the Hunt Family Assistant Professor in History at Duke University chronicles the dramatic racial evolution of non-Black Latinos living in the American South from the 1940s to the early 2000s.

Follow Cecilia on X (formerly Twitter) @ProfCeciliaM , and learn more about her research here, and find her book here.

If you liked this episode, listen to How Natasha Alford’s Lived Experience Informs Her Political Analysis and Storytelling and For Sociologist Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve Getting Latinos to Care about Justice Reform Is Personal.

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 Instagram @raquelreichard. Find her new book here. If you liked this episode, listen to How Robyn Moreno Gets Rooted and How Chef Grace Ramirez Found Her Place Outside of the Kitchen .

Check out our live recording of Latina to Latina x Poderistas in conversation with Xochitl Gonzalez, author of the new novel, Anita de Monte Laughs Last - taped before a live audience at The William Vale on March 27th, 2024!

Follow Xochitl on instagram @xochitltheg and find her book, Anita de Monte Laughs Last,here. Learn more about Poderistas and their work and follow them on Instagram @poderistas. 

Thank you to our lead sponsors, Fund for the City of New York and Telemundo's Mujeres Imparables, whose generous funding allowed us to bring you this recording of the event, and to the Latina-owned brands who showed up and showed out for our gift bag: 

Agua Bonita

Bloomi

Bonita Fierce

Brazi Bites

Cindy Castro New York

Loisa

Nopalera

Ocoa

Oeste

Reina Rebelde

Rizos curls

Siete Foods

She started her career as a political organizer, launching Mass VOTE, a state-wide voter engagement campaign, then parlayed those skills into economic development. As the EVP and Regional President at Berkshire Bank, Malia evolved the bank’s strategic focus to prioritize community impact. Malia shares how her theory of change evolved, how she identifies gaps between organizations’ intentions and their impact, and the very personal question she is constantly circling back to in therapy.

Follow Malia and her work on Instagram @theurbanlabz, and find her book From Intention to Impact here. If you loved this episode listen to Why Cristina Tzintún Ramirez Wants Latinas to Be Less Humble and More Demanding and  Code for America’s Amanda Renteria Lost Some Battles, but Is Winning the Political War.

The entrepreneur, TikTok star and author of the personal finance book “Cultura and Cash: Lessons from the First Gen Mentor for Managing Finances and Cultural Expectations” shares her tips for setting money boundaries with those you love most, and the importance of defining the driving values and “why” of your money plan.

Follow Giovanna on instagram @gigthegirstgenmentor and find her book, Cultura and Cash here. If you liked this episode listen to How Alejandra Campoverdi Traced Her Family’s Invisible Inheritances and LEVEL UP: How to Secure Your Financial Future Starting Today.

The prolific author and poet started her career as a community reporter, then pivoted to creative writing. Now, the award-winning author of the new book, Forgotten Sisters, blends fairytale, horror, suspense and more to capture the grit and mysticism of moving between worlds. Cynthia shares how her success has forced her to rethink her boundaries, and how being the mother to two children with autism informs her writing.

Follow Cynthia on instagram@cynthiapelayoauthor. Order her book, Forgotten Sisters, here.

If you liked this episode, listen to How Johanna Rojas Vann Wove the Truth Into Fiction and What Jennifer De Leon Had to Confront to Become the First Writer In Her Family

When the pandemic hit, she lost her news job and doubled down on creating her own content. Now, as a creator and influencer with hundreds of thousands of social media followers, Vanessa explains how her early foray into YouTube (doing song covers in her high school bedroom!) prepared her for the “TikTok Boom of 2020,” a subsequent job offer from BuzzFeed, and what to do when the algorithm steals the joy of performing and creating.

Connect with Vanessa on instagram @vanessacsirias and TikTok at @vanessacsirias. If you liked this episode listen to Why Kat Stickler Doesn’t Have Vulnerability Hangovers and Mayan Lopez Knows That Art Imitates Life.

The Executive Director of The Women's Equality Center shares her insights on the efforts to end El Salvador’s total abortion ban, and Honduras’ total emergency contraception, as well as the movement to expand women’s rights in Argentina, Colombia and Mexico. Paula shares how she came to see reproductive rights as central to civil rights, and how her own fertility journey shaped her advocacy.

Connect with Paula on Instagram @pauavilg. If you liked this episode listen to Why Zaena Zamora is Fighting for Our Reproductive Freedom and Why Jessica González-Rojas Champions Reproductive Justice.

She went from assistant to creative executive in just a few years, and now at OBB Media, she oversees content and strategy for Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Demi Lovato, and Kevin Hart. We talk about getting your foot in the door when you have no connections, learning by osmosis, and how to play it cool when you work with some of the biggest stars of your generation.

Follow Raquel on Instagram @raquellllly. If you liked this episode, listen to Why Marjorie Garcia Advocates for Recording Artists andHow TikTok Star Tefi Pessoa Gets Paid to Be Herself.

The Grio’s VP of Digital Content and Senior Correspondent, and CNN political analyst joins Alicia to talk about blending memoir and cultural analysis in her new book, American Negra.

Follow Natasha on Instagram @natashasalford and learn more about her book American Negra here. If you liked this episode, listen to How Claudia Forestieri Made the Pivot from Journalism to Scripted Television and How O Magazine’s Arianna Davis Made It, on Her Own Terms.

The celebrity hair stylist, curl expert and owner of 5 Salon Spa shares how a fortuitous offer forced her to early up her ten year plan, the ways the pandemic tested her business and her faith, and the importance of never being “too good” to be of service.

Follow Ona on Instagram @_thehairsaint_. If you liked this episode, listen to Julissa Prado, the Million-Dollar Curl Whisperer and Why Beauty Entrepreneur Aisha Ceballos-Crump Stepped Out on Faith.

The entertainment attorney behind J. Balvin, Juanes, Los Tigres del Norte, Carla Morrison and Snow the Product shares how she forewent a performing career of her own to advocate for others, what she’s learned about protecting artists’ rights, and the necessity of studying and understanding the entire entertainment industry.

Follow Marjorie on Instagram @pajareezy. If you liked this episode, listen to Why Doris Anahí Brings a 'Heart of Service' to Her Art and How Melania Luisa Marte Became a Word Weaver.

The civil rights leader behind Texas’ Workers Defense Project and Jolt, and now NextGen America, shares her insights on organizing and mobilizing young and Latino voters, the biggest mistake she made while running for the US Senate, and why she grew up believing that people were jealous of her Mexican identity.

Follow Cristina on Instagram @cristinanextgen. If you liked this episode, listen to How Monica Ramirez Embraced Solidarity to Build a Movement and Code for America’s Amanda Renteria Lost Some Battles, but Is Winning the Political War.

The author of Creep: Accusations and Confessions shares the familial roots of her irreverence, the surprising response to her viral critique of the book, American Dirt, and the work she did in the aftermath of an abusive relationship to make herself whole.

Find the book here. Follow Myriam on Instagram @alt_myriam_gurba666. If you liked this episode, listen to How Kali Fajardo-Anstine Fought to Tell Her Ancestors’ Stories or How History Inspires Cristina Garcia to Fill in the Gaps.

She always thought she’d be a doctor, then a college class refocused her on the power of preventative health care. Now, as a registered and licensed dietician with more than 100K social media followers, Dalina is encouraging us to eat without guilt, embrace our culture, and question dietary absolutism. In this episode, Dalina walks us through the CHULA method, her trademarked approach to freeing ourselves from diet culture.

Find Dalina on Instagram @your.latina.nutritionist. If you liked this episode, listen to Why Radical Health CEO Ivelyse Andino Wants to Reimagine Health Care or How Karla Vasquez Reclaimed Salvadoran Food.

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 on Instagram @dr.marielbuque. If you liked this episode, listen to our previous conversation with Dr. Buqué.

The fashion designer behind Cindy Castro New York shares how her childhood in Ecuador, and the waste and labor practices she witnessed in her early years in the fashion industry shaped her commitment to building a responsible luxury women's ready to wear brand.

Follow Cindy on Instagram @cindycastro_nyc. If you liked this episode, listen to Why Cuyana’s Karla Gallardo Believes in Fewer, Better Things and Why Nicole Chavez Wants to Help You Cultivate Style Confidence.

The captain and quarterback of Mexico's National Flag Football Team shares her journey to winning gold at the 2022 World Games, how being a competitive athlete has shaped her relationship to her body (and to dating!), and how a professional league would change the sport she loves.

Follow Diana on Instagram @dianaflres33. If you liked this episode, listen to Why Alicia Bassuk Believes Leading Others Begins with Knowing and Leading Yourself and How Health Coach Massy Arias Found Her Real Strength.

The actress and singer-songwriter (and Alicia’s one-time babysitting charge!) shares the magic of growing up in a matriarchal home, the early negative feedback that nearly destroyed her spirit (and the advice that empowered her to keep going), and the action she took early in the pandemic that allowed her to survive and thrive as an artist.

Check out Allison’s album Brontë here. Follow Allison on Instagram @allisontstrong. If you liked this episode, listen to Encanto's Adassa is Guided By Her Why and Ana Villafañe is Still a Supernova.

She helped launch Uber in her native Sweden, then served as Away’s Director of Brand Marketing before opening her own marketing agency. There, she learned the limits of being a consultant (good ideas without good execution are meaningless), and decided to focus her efforts on something she could lead from beginning to end. Babba shares how her journey led her to found Ceremonia, a clean hair care line rooted in Latinx heritage, and the pitch that earned her a $10 million Series A.
 

LTL is coming to a city near you! Subscribe to our email list and let us know where we should record next.
 

The DeMartini Family Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art shares how her career veered away from academia and into curation, the impact of exhibition choices on a museum’s collection, and the lessons she’s learned from Black curators who’ve come before her.

LTL is coming to a city near you! Subscribe to our email list and let us know where we should record next.

How much of our relationship to food begins with our parents’ relationships to food? And how much of that is informed by their experiences of uncertainty and scarcity? Yvonne, a mental health clinician, explores the roots of our relationship to food,  the connections between mental health and eating disorders, and offers a framework for talking about food, eating and well-being. 

Check out Yvonne's latest book Pork Belly Tacos with a Side of Anxietyhere! 

LTL is coming to a city near you! Subscribe to our email list and let us know where we should record next.

She navigated her way from “wannabe chola” to first-gen college student to White House aide to President Obama. But those bullet-points fail to capture the messiness and pain that exist in making the leap from one to the other. In her new memoir, First Gen, Alejandra is naming everything from the “Invisible Inheritances” we each contend with, to the “Trailblazer Toll” we pay for breaking those cycles and becoming the first.

Find First Gen here. Follow Alejandra on Instagram @acampoverdi. If you liked this episode, listen to Why Aida Rodriguez Believes in Giving Grace and Julissa Natzely Arce Raya Wants You to Reclaim Your Identity.

LTL is coming to a city near you! Subscribe to our email list and let us know where we should record next.

The beloved financial educator explores the importance of identifying money wounds, challenges us to rethink "emergency" funds as a form of opportunity (you can hear our host hyperventilate!) and teaches us how to set a money intention. If you love the conversation, check out Linda's new book, "Wealth Warrior: 8 Steps for Communities of Color to Conquer the Stock Market."

LTL is coming to a city near you! Subscribe to our email list and let us know where we should record next.

A senior editor for Fodor's Travel and the author of the travel memoir, Call You When I Land, shares how globe-trotting saved her from committing to a life she knew was not for her, along with her hard-earned insights on learning from failure, and planning trips that foster introspection and growth. 

LTL is coming to a city near you! Subscribe to our email list and let us know where we should record next.

The President and CEO of Consumer Reports, and author of Buyer Aware: Harnessing Our Consumer Power for a Safe, Fair, and Transparent Marketplace, explains why digital rights is the next frontier of consumer protections, and shares her best advice for flexing your consumer power.

Follow Marta  @MLTellado.

If you liked this episode, listen to Why Valarie De La Garza Calls Her Own Shots and Why Susan Gonzales Wants You to Understand Artificial Intelligence.

LTL is coming to a city near you! Subscribe to our email list and let us know where we should record next.

The beloved comedian shares the pain of growing up without her father, the decision to reunite with him decades later, and the healing power of giving grace. It’s all part of her new memoir, Legitimate Kid.

Find Legitimate Kid here, and follow Aida on Instagram @funnyaida. If you liked this episode, listen to Mayan Lopez Knows That Art Imitates Life and Why Kat Stickler Doesn’t Have Vulnerability Hangovers.

The Founder and CEO of Bloomi, a wellness brand focused on clean intimate care essentials, shares how her experience as a single mom inspired her entrepreneurship, the creative approaches she utilized to close a one million dollar funding gap, and the crossroads she finds herself at today.

Follow Rebecca on Instagram @rebeccaalvarezstory. If you liked this episode, listen to How Cece Meadows Built a Cosmetics Line as an Homage to Indigenous Beauty and  How Nopalera CEO and Founder Sandra Velasquez's Luxury Bath and Body Care Line is Disrupting Eurocentric Standards.

The Miami-born and based Cuban-Bahamian artist, designer and author shares her insights on the intricacies of brand partnerships, the power of introspection, and how she learned to manage the business of design without sacrificing her love of the craft.

Follow Reyna on Instagram @reynanoriega_. If you liked this episode, listen to How Illustrator Andrea Campos Is Using Art to Spread Positivity and Artist and Organizer Favianna Rodriguez Knows that Pleasure is Political.

The sex therapist and co-author of the New York Times Best-Seller Sex Talks: The 5 Conversations That Will Transform Your Love Life shares her best advice for talking about desire and pleasure, and fostering intimacy. 

Follow Vanessa on Instagram @vanessaandxander. If you liked this episode, listen to How Maude CEO Éva Goicochea Plans to Revolutionize Sexual Wellness and LEVEL UP: Your Relationships Could Use a Refresh.

Find Sex Talks here!

The Inside Edition correspondent shares her path from cheerleader to actress and sportscaster, the “dream job” as a Monday Night Football sideline reporter that quickly turned to a “nightmare,” and how the surprising choice to appear on the cover of Playboy allowed her to reclaim her narrative and rebuild her career. It’s all part of her riveting memoir, Warrior: My Path to Being Brave.

Follow Lisa on Instagram @4lisaguerrero. If you liked this episode, listen to How Lori Montenegro is Holding the Powerful Accountable and Alicia Tells Us about Her Book, The Likeability Trap.

The CEO of Fenton Communications, the largest public interest communications firm in the country, shares the key to successful social impact campaigns, the lessons that nonprofits can learn from consumer brands, and the questions she asks to decide if big opportunities are the right opportunities. 

Follow Fenton on Instagram @fentonprogress. If you liked this episode, listen to How Patty Arvielo Built a Multi-Billion Dollar Mortgage Empire and How Candice Smith is Helping Other Founders Tell their Stories.

The CEO and founder of Prados Beauty leveraged her skills as a make-up artist and her experience as a cancer survivor to launch a beauty brand out of her daughter’s nursery. Cece shares how her company’s strategic partnership with Thirteen Lune and JCPenny brought Prados Beauty to profitability, and how her experiences of domestic abuse and homelessness have shaped her commitment to giving back.

If you liked this episode, listen to How Nopalera CEO and Founder Sandra Velasquez's Luxury Bath and Body Care Line is Disrupting Eurocentric Standards and How Flores Is Reclaiming the Borderlands Narrative.

LTL is coming to a city near you! Subscribe to our email list and let us know where we should record next.

The writer, musician and poet shares how her parents’ migration from the Dominican Republic to New York City, and her reverse migration from the United States to the DR informs her exploration of colorism, colonialism, and love. She has poured it all into her new collection of poems, Plantains and Our Becoming.

Find Melania on Instagram @melatocatierra and order her book here.

If you liked this episode, listen to Why Ada Limón Refuses to Perform Identity and How Writer Leslé Honoré Knows Poetry Changes Lives.

She grew up listening to her mother’s stories of immigrating from Colombia to the United States, then decided to honor her mom by making those experiences central to her debut novel, An American Immigrant. Johanna shares the inner workings of her writing group, the importance of accountability partners, and the role faith plays in her creative process. 

Follow Johanna on Instagram @johannarvann and find ways to order her book here.

If you liked this episode, listen to What Jennifer De Leon Had to Confront to Become the First Writer In Her Family and How Kali Fajardo-Anstine Fought to Tell Her Ancestors’ Stories.

This serial entrepreneur built her firm, French Press Public Relations, after launching two start ups of her own. Candice shares her insights on how building a service-oriented ethos can take some of the ‘ick’ out of personal branding, the value of choosing which social media platforms to invest in, and the editing required to tell your brand’s story. 

Follow Candice on IG @frenchpress.pr. If you liked this episode, listen to UNSTUCK: How PR Pro Lissette M. Rios Connects the Dots and How Ana Flores Is Helping Latinas Grow.

The acclaimed author joins Alicia to talk about her newest novel, Las Madres, how a stroke changed her writing and her life, and the cruelest feedback she has ever received. 

Find ways to order Las Madres here.

If you liked this episode, listen to  How Living Icon Sandra Cisneros Became a Woman Without Shame and Isabel Allende x Alicia Menendez LIVE at the 92Y.

The newest narrative podcast from LWC Studios is out now! “Still Paying the Price: Reparations in Real Terms” is a 14-part series exploring how reparations should be paid and to whom. This podcast is meant to be enjoyed in an order that makes the most sense for our listeners. You can begin by listening to this episode or wherever you find your podcasts–-and start your own reparations exploration.

For more information, all episodes, and transcripts visit StillPayingThePricePod.com.

Original score by Kojin Tashiro. Cover art: "Gemini" by Fitgi Saint-Louis.

This series was funded by a grant from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The TikTok star’s funny impressions of her Venezuelan mom and her candid insights into motherhood and divorce have earned her more than nine million followers and counting. In this episode, Kat shares what happens behind the iPhone lens: how she learned to monetize her content, develop boundaries around followers’ feedback, and embrace the power of making others feel less alone.

Follow Kat on Instagram @katstickler. If you liked this episode, listen to How TikTok Star Tefi Pessoa Gets Paid to Be Herself and How Serena Kerrigan Became the Self-Professed Queen of Confidence.

The acclaimed novelist began her career in journalism before her first novel, Dreaming in Cuban, cemented her place in the American literary canon. Now, as Cristina prepares to release her eighth novel, Vanishing Maps, she shares her process for world-building, and her affirmation for anyone who believes they too have a story to tell.

Order Cristina's new book Vanishing Maps here. Follow her on Instagram @cristina_garcia_novelist.

If you liked this episode, listen to Why Angie Cruz Believes That Now is Always a Good Time to Start and How Living Icon Sandra Cisneros Became a Woman Without Shame.

The star of The Horror of Dolores Roach shares the ways her childhood in Chicago prepared her for the ups and downs of Hollywood, how the decision to focus on what was within her control reshaped her career, and why she encourages everyone to go to therapy.

If you liked this episode, listen to ODAAT’s Gloria Calderón Kellett Is a Boss in Any Room and Why Olga Merediz Is Ready to Let It All Hang Out.

This thought leader spent more than 20 years in tech and community engagement before founding AI & You, a non-profit committed to educating marginalized communities about AI and emerging technologies. Susan shares everything from her personal digital best practices to the breast cancer diagnosis that forced her to grapple with her own arrogance, and the freedom she has found in choosing to be child-free.

Follow Susan on Twiter @isusangonzales. If you liked this episode, listen to Why Tech Visionary Irma Olguin Jr. Went Back to Her Farming Roots and How Patty Arvielo Built a Multi-Billion Dollar Mortgage Empire.

The internet personality turned confidence coach and entrepreneur shares how she parlayed a brand into a business, and gets vulnerable about the limits of social media stardom and what happens when the real person and the online brand are no longer fully aligned.

Follow Serena on Instagram @serenakerrigan. If you liked this episode, listen to How Alisha Fernandez Miranda Became a 40 Year-Old Intern and What Medium Tatianna Morales Sees in Her Own Future.

On June 6, 2023, the iconic author and advocate joined our host on stage before a live audience at NYC's 92Y. Their conversation touched on everything from her new novel, The Wind Knows My Name, to her experiences of love and loss, and her reflections on love and sex in her eighties. 

Find The Wind Knows My Name here. Follow Isabel on Instagram @allendeisabel. If you liked this episode, listen to How Living Icon Sandra Cisneros Became a Woman Without Shame and Why Olga Merediz Is Ready to Let It All Hang Out.

LTL is coming to a city near you! Subscribe to our email list and let us know where we should record next.

This NBA and WNBA championship ring-holding leadership advisor shares the morning writing ritual that changed her life, an approach to interviewing potential job candidates that gets beyond canned responses, and her belief that information gathering is critical to effective management. 

Find Alicia’s book here. And follow Alicia on Twitter @aliciabassuk. If you liked this episode, listen to Karla Monterroso is Interrogating the Language of Power and Daniela Pierre-Bravo Wants to Help You Navigate Being 'the Other' at Work.

LTL is coming to a city near you! Subscribe to our email list and let us know where we should record next. 

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 episode, listen to Mountaineer Silvia Vasquez-Lavado Knows the Highest Mountain is the One Within and Why Kat Armas Believes Your Abuela Has the Answers.

As she was researching her new cookbook, Asada: The Art of Mexican Style Grilling, the LA restaurateur began to realize how men dominate the grill scene. Now, she’s trying to change that by giving others the tools and inspiration to master asada. Bricia explains the financial margins necessary to sustain a successful restaurant, and the pride and responsibility of being Oaxacan.

Discover the secret to incredible asada here. Follow Bricia on Instagram @bricialopez.

If you liked this episode, listen to Chef Ariel Fox is Expanding Our Understanding of 'Authentic' Cuisine and How Chef Grace Ramirez Found Her Place Outside of the Kitchen.

The former Pistolera bandleader launched her business, Nopalera, with a bold mission: celebrate and elevate Latino culture...and disrupt an entire industry in the process. Sandra shares the two year journey from making products by hand in her Brooklyn home to closing out a $2.7 million oversubscribed seed funding round. Come for the insights on product development and distribution, stay for the real talk on leveling up.   

Follow Sandra on Instagram @officialslv. If you liked this episode, listen to Chef Claudia Sandoval Wants You to Ask "Why Not Me?" and How Lory Martinez Rooted Her Business in Multicultural, Multilingual Audio Storytelling.

As a child growing up in San Jose, California, she wondered why her neighborhood was being sprayed with pesticides. The more questions she asked, the more she found herself drawn to environmental justice and community advocacy. Now, she is working to make sure that one of the biggest cities in the US is centering the most impacted communities in its climate change response.

Follow Marta on Twitter @Segura4Change. If you liked this episode, listen to How Estefanía Rebellón's Own Experience Seeking Asylum Informed Her Mission to Help Migrant Children and How Amanda Fernandez's Own Educational Challenges Inspired Latinos for Education.

The Showrunner for the new MSNBC/Peacock docuseries, Leguizamo Does America, pulls back the curtain on how a project goes from a four page pitch deck to a six episode television show, and shares how her family’s forced migration from Chile shapes her understanding of what it means to be American.

In this vibrant, music- and food-filled show, John Leguizamo travels across the U.S. to celebrate and explore the cultural contributions of Latinos. Leguizamo Does America airs through May 21st, Sundays at 10pm ET on MSNBC, and can be found streamingon Peacock.

If you liked this episode, listen to How Kate del Castillo Built (and Rebuilt) Her Life and ODAAT’s Gloria Calderón Kellett Is a Boss in Any Room.

This special episode of Latina to Latina is brought to you by Always.

The CEO and founder of Rizos Curls returns to Latina to Latina! In this engaging and emotional episode, Julissa shares how she broke her big dream (owning a business!) down into smaller, attainable goals; reflects on the unique pressure she navigates as a daughter of immigrants; and highlights the importance of “fun” in her continued success.

Rizos Curls is a clean, cruelty-free hair care brand designed specifically for creating defined, frizz-free curls. Julissa shares how she founded it in 2017 to create products that embrace and celebrate the beauty of curly hair, and how the brand has since ignited a movement across social media for curly haired individuals to embrace their natural hair. Growing up, Julissa struggled to find products that worked for her hair, so at 15, she had her first dream to start the hair care brand she wished she had. She attended UCLA for undergraduate and holds an MBA from Wake Forest University.

This May, Always is launching theAlways Soñando National Scholarship to provide financial assistance and mentorship to 50 emerging Latina college students. Apply now at https://www.always.com/en-us/sonandoscholarship.  Always believes that nothing should stop you from achieving your dreams – especially your period. That’s why Always Ultra Thin Day and Night pads provide up to 100% leak free protection, so you can focus on what really matters – going after your dreams.

The educator and author of the new YA novel, “Borderless,” shares the personal conversation that allowed her to break through as a writer, the unique considerations of writing about an immigrant experience that is not your own, and the dangers book bans pose to young readers. 

Find ways to get "Borderless" here. And Jennifer De Leon is on Instagram @jdeleonwriter.

If you liked this episode, listen to Erika Sánchez is Finding Meaning in the Hurt and Why Angie Cruz Believes That Now is Always a Good Time to Start.

This serial entrepreneur reflects on the lessons she learned as the co-founder and president of mitú, and how she’s applying those lessons to her new role as the CEO and co-founder of the fintech company, SUMA Wealth. Beatriz pulls back the curtain on raising capital, learning how to execute her first acquisition, and her (refreshing!) ambivalence about the sacrifice required to build a business while raising twins.

Follow Beatriz on Instagram @beatrizacevedogreiff. If you liked this episode, listen to How Patty Arvielo Built a Multi-Billion Dollar Mortgage Empire and Chef Claudia Sandoval Wants You to Ask "Why Not Me?".

The new Executive Director of The Young Center reflects on her own childhood experience of fleeing El Salvador during its civil war, the unique challenges children face in deportation proceedings, and why she believes big policy change must be coupled with direct service.

Follow Gladis on Twitter @GladisMolinaAlt. If you liked this episode, listen to How Monica Ramirez Embraced Solidarity to Build a Movement and Monica Muñoz Martinez is Confronting Our Past to Change the Future.

Culinary school helped hone her skills, but she still needed to figure out who she was as a chef. That journey led her to hunting, diving deep into the world of sustainability, and supporting communities in the aftermath of natural disasters. Grace opens up about the grief she experienced in the wake of divorce, and the life changing joy of nourishing others.

Follow Grace on Instagram @chefgraceramirez. If you liked this episode, listen to more of our interviews with chefs! Like: Chef Claudia Sandoval Wants You to Ask "Why Not Me?" and Chef Ariel Fox is Expanding Our Understanding of 'Authentic' Cuisine.

She grew her career as a journalist while serving in the US Army. Now the ABC News Network Correspondent reflects on how 9/11 inspired her call to service, the ways her perspective as a veteran informs her story telling, and how she “goes for it” even in the face of fear. 

Follow Stephanie on Instagram @thestephanieramos. If you liked this episode, listen to Why Lilia Luciano Prepares for Confidence, Not Perfection and Why Investigative Journalist Jean Guerrero is Leaning into the Power of Her Personal Experience.

The CEO and founder of Ochenta Studios, a Paris-based podcast company, shares the skills that have allowed her to differentiate her business and her audio offerings, the trick to scripting hilarious audio comedy, and how the childhood experience of communicating with her abuela shaped her new Spotify fiction podcast, La Cabina Telefónica. 

Listen hereand on Spotify! Follow Lory on Instagram @_lorymartinez_. If you liked this episode, listen to How Grace Bastidas Built a Media Brand for Modern Families and Why Beauty Entrepreneur Aisha Ceballos-Crump Stepped Out on Faith.

The star of NBC’s Grand Crew built multiple careers as a style blogger, filmmaker and actor in tandem, but as she approached her 40th birthday, she knew it was time to make some hard choices. Grasie shares the mental shifts that set her up for professional success and what she, a serial monogamist, learned by being alone.

Follow Grasie on Instagram @grasiemercedes. If you liked this episode, listen to Mayan Lopez Knows That Art Imitates Life and How Melissa Fumero Learned That She Was Funny.

She built an impressive career in television costuming before a friendship with a budding actress led her to celebrity styling. She had no idea what she was doing, but she figured it out. Nicole shares the vision and planning that goes into those red carpet looks, and how we can each simplify our style while still having fun!

Follow Nicole on Instagram @nicolechavezstyle. If you liked this episode listen to Cassandra Sethi Wants to Take Your Wardrobe to the Next Level and How Fashion Entrepreneur Camila Coelho Went from Working Retail to Building a Beauty Brand.

This first-generation Latina shares her journey from entry-level employee at a credit union to co-owner of New American Funding, the largest Latina-owned private mortgage company in the nation. Patty shares how leaving corporate America to become an entrepreneur enabled her to build wealth, and the (many) mistakes she has made once, but never again.

Follow Patty on Instagram @pattyarvielo. If you liked this episode, listen to How Carolyn Rodz Is Connecting Entrepreneurs with Opportunities and Why Rum Master Distiller Sylvia Santiago Will Never Quit.

The electrical engineer and civilian astronaut shares her journey from community college, to NASA intern, to first Mexican-born woman in space. 

Watch ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA in theaters.

If you liked this episode, listen to How NASA Engineer Diana Trujillo's Pursuit of a New Life Led Her to Space and How Amanda Fernandez's Own Educational Challenges Inspired Latinos for Education.

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 Anahí Brings a 'Heart of Service' to Her Art and UNSTUCK: How PR Pro Lissette M. Rios Connects the Dots.