Mentorship for me has been life-changing. As a Latina. As a woman. As a first-generation Mexican American. I can honestly say I was almost a statistic. A single mother who had dropped out of school, couch surfing at my friend’s and family’s homes when they would allow it. I was uncertain about my future in my early twenties, but I knew I had the potential to do more. What I lacked was the opportunity to be able to do so. Had it not been for my high school principal -taking the time to call me and challenge me to go back to school, who knows if I would have dared to do it on my own?
Later in life when my mental health became prohibitive, I was once again faced with a challenge. I could either stay there or find a way to push forward, at my own pace. I was in my forties before I was officially diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Mental health was not something we talked about growing up. If we did, like in so many other Latino households, it was either jokingly or in a disparaging way. It took me four decades to reconcile that. It took me just as long to accept that taking medication was not a sign of weakness, but a necessity in my case. It has taken my mother almost as long to start to understand my mental health and I can proudly say now, to also become an advocate for mental health herself.
These two facets of my life are just two of the reasons why in 2020 when the Latina Leadership Podcast was first established, every fiber of my being was telling me this was the right thing for me to do. Just over two years earlier my sister Erika had passed away, and her loss was devastating. I couldn’t help but to think what could have been for her life, and for my own, had we had access to more resources, opportunities, and mentors when we were growing into ourselves. I thought about all the inner-city young girls who were growing up just like us, or who had, and I knew we had to do something to create change. You can imagine my excitement when upon launching the podcast Latinas from all walks of life began to share with me how much they could relate in their own way and how committed they were to supporting the journey we were embarking on. I say we because the Latina Leadership Podcast and the conversations it facilitates are about all of us. For all of us.
In 2023, we officially changed our name to the Latina Leadership Podcast and welcomed four new voices to the community we are building. Colombian American – Carolina Arenas, Mexican and Costa Rican American – Sonia Ramirez, Chicago Latina, by way of Northwest Arkansas Diana Rubi, and proud Latina Texan Jacqueline Villagomez. Each of these ladies bring a different perspective to the interviews we are hosting and to the mission of our budding purpose-driven media platform. We are truly a podcast for Latinas by Latinas.
The Latina Leadership Podcast was recognized as Podcast of the Year in 2023 and in 2022 by the Public Relations Society of America Houston Chapter. In 2022, we were also awarded a proclamation by the City of Houston designating October 13th annually as Latina Entrepreneurship Day in the City of Houston. On December 8, 2022 – on Latina Equal Pay Day – we hosted our inaugural Latina Leadership Annual Dinner event in Houston, which brought together powerhouse Latinas from across the fourth-largest city in the United States. The success of this event has now led to a forthcoming lunch and learn series with events in Houston and Chicago planned for 2023, and an annual conference that will take place on Latina Entrepreneurship Day in Houston this year.
This growth and momentum would not be possible without the support of our listeners, our online and offline community, and that of our generous corporate sponsors. I am excited about what is on the horizon for us and about continuing to scale because we are bridging the gap for young girls and women like me and Erika who wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity to hear directly from inspiring women like Ellen Ochoa, Adassa, or Ada Ortega. And vice versa, giving these leading Latinas access to be able to inspire the next generation who they may never meet. Enjoy reading about what we have accomplished so far in the following pages, and join us to continue to effect change for all of us. We need your support too, amiga.