Paid Vocation with Lupe Prado: Recent Episodes
Lupe Prado
Career and Life coach Lupe Prado dives into diverse, unconventional career stories from entrepreneurs and professionals who are doing work that makes them happy. Paid Vocation redefines career success by looking for joy throughout the journey, not just the arrival. Lupe shares stories of pivots, challenges, and victories to inspire you to pursue your own version of career success.
Episode #126. In this episode, I’m joined by Emma Grey—bestselling author of The Last Love Note and Pictures of You. Emma shares her remarkable journey from dreaming of writing as a teenager in Australia to finally becoming a full-time novelist in her 50s. She opens up about how writing became a healing path through personal grief after losing her husband, and how her books, now international bestsellers, are helping others navigate their own stories of love and loss.
We talk about embracing rejection as part of the process, finding courage to keep showing up for your creative dreams, and why it’s never too late to start—or start again.
This is such a powerful conversation about persistence, healing, and letting creativity unfold on its own timeline. If you’ve been doubting your dreams, I hope Emma’s story reminds you—it’s never too late.
Connect with Emma Grey:
- Website
Episode #125. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Toni Viva Muñoz—award-winning author, Ph.D. scholar, and founder of Model Behaviors, a nonprofit empowering women and children. Toni’s story begins at 16, when she moved to New York to pursue modeling, eventually working with top designers like Oscar de la Renta and Chanel.
From runways to research, Toni shares how her winding path led to a life rooted in purpose—blending art, academia, community service, and motherhood. We talk about recognizing when it’s time to pivot, allowing ourselves to outgrow old dreams to make space for new ones, and why you don’t have to do it all in one day to do it well.
We also touch on her debut children’s book, El Bowie Bakery, inspired by her family’s roots and her love for the U.S.-Mexico border.
This conversation is a powerful invitation to honor every version of yourself—and keep going, even when the path isn’t straight.
Connect with Toni Viva Muñoz:
- Website
Episode #124. In this episode of Paid Vocation, I’m joined by Andrea Wightwick, founder of Hapsy, the first bubble-free, low-sugar, non-alcoholic cocktail company made for drinking well with others. From receptionist to CEO, Andrea shares her inspiring journey building billion-dollar brands in the beverage industry—and the moment she listened to the nudge to finally create something of her own.
We talk about the courage it takes to leave stability behind, how to know when it’s time for a change, and why doing what lights you up is always worth exploring.
This conversation is a beautiful reminder that reinvention doesn’t require perfection—just a willingness to explore.
Connect with Andrea Wightwick:
- Website
- Website - Hapsy
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #123. In this episode, I’m joined by Gloria Chou, award-winning PR strategist and host of the Small Business PR Podcast. Gloria shares her incredible journey from being a U.S. diplomat—on track for a stable, prestigious career—to taking a bold leap into entrepreneurship.
Gloria opens up about the fears, mindset shifts, and limiting beliefs she had to confront along the way. From cold-pitching journalists without PR experience to building a thriving community of female founders, she proves that you don’t need connections to make an impact—you just need the right approach.
We dive into the mindset shifts required for reinvention, the power of letting go of limiting beliefs, and why sometimes, the best career moves aren’t the most conventional.
This conversation is a must-listen for anyone navigating career pivots, entrepreneurship, or simply wondering if there’s something more out there for them.
Tune in for an inspiring discussion on trusting your path, embracing reinvention, and building a career that aligns with your purpose.
Connect with Gloria Chou:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #122. In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Catherine “SC” Perot, author of Styles of Joy and adjunct faculty at Vanderbilt University. SC opens up about her transition from law to teaching, sparked by a deep love for storytelling and a desire to live more authentically.
SC shares how a playlist, a Harry Styles concert, and acts of kindness inspired her to reclaim joy during life’s toughest moments. SC reflects deeply on how grief shaped her perspective on life. She describes joy not as an elusive destination but as something we can actively seek—even in the smallest, most unexpected moments. SC’s vulnerability and insight remind us of the power of connection, community, and embracing what lights us up.
Tune in for an uplifting and inspiring conversation about finding joy, embracing change, and leaning into life’s unexpected turns.
Connect with SC Perot:
- Website
- Buy ‘Styles of Joy’ by SC Perot
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #121. In this episode, I sit down with Simon Perschbacher, owner of Simon Perschbacher Wooden Works, to explore his inspiring journey from a small town in Germany to building a thriving woodworking business in Catskill, NY. Simon shares how starting small but thinking big shaped his approach to both his craft and his life.
From starting small and building skills one project at a time to navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship, Simon offers insights on quality craftsmanship and staying grounded. Plus, he reflects on what it’s like to train someone completely new to woodworking—and how anyone can start their own creative journey.
Simon's practical advice, rooted in his own journey, is a reminder that anyone—regardless of age or background—can learn new skills if they approach it with curiosity and patience. His story is a testament to following your passion while keeping your goals in perspective.
Whether you're dreaming of building a business or picking up a new hobby, this conversation will leave you inspired to take the first step—no matter how small.
Connect with Simon Perschbacher:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #120. In this inspiring episode of Paid Vocation, I chat with Monica Lira Bravo, founder and managing attorney of Lira Bravo Law.
Monica opens up about her journey of overcoming challenges and building a life of service - from the resilience instilled by her parents’ migrant experience to the joy she finds in reuniting families through immigration law.
She explains why finding work that fulfills you is essential, how failure can lead to growth, and the importance of giving back. Her dedication to serving her community is a powerful reminder that each of us has the capacity to make an impact. If you’re seeking purpose, this conversation is for you.
Tune in and discover how to create a life—and career—filled with meaning.
Connect with Monica Lira Bravo:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #119. In this episode of Paid Vocation, I sit down with Assia Mahmood, the entrepreneur behind Windhaven Academy.
Assia shares her inspiring journey from corporate life to creating a childcare center with heart and purpose. As a mother herself, Assia knew she wanted to build a space that truly supports working moms, offering more than just care for kids, but a community for families. She talks candidly about the challenges of entering the industry with no experience, navigating a pandemic, and learning along the way.
Driven by her passion for creating a better childcare experience for working moms, she also authored the children’s book, My First Day of Daycare, to support families during pivotal transitions.
Assia’s story reminds us to trust our instincts, lean on our support networks, and never lose sight of our vision. Tune in to hear how passion and persistence help brought her dream to life.
Connect with Assia Mahmood:
- Website
- Website-Windhaven Academy
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #118. In this heartfelt episode of Paid Vocation, I sit down with writer and art gallery owner Sarah Gormley to explore the profound themes of love, grief, and the transformative power of community. Sarah shares the deeply personal journey that led her to write her memoir, The Order of Things: A Memoir About Chasing Joy including how the loss of her mother was both heartbreaking and healing. We explore the unexpected gratitude that comes with grief, the strength borrowed from loved ones, and the beauty of a supportive community.
Sarah’s story is a powerful reminder of the resilience found in human connections, the joy that can emerge even from life’s most challenging experiences, and the importance and following our passions.
Tune in to be inspired by Sarah’s story and reflect on how we can all prioritize the relationships and passions that bring us joy.
Connect with Sarah Gormley:
- Website
- Website (Gallery)
- Buy The Order of Things: A Memoir About Chasing Joy
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #117. In this inspiring episode of Paid Vocation, I sit down with Grace Griffith, a talented copywriter and messaging strategist who specializes in crafting trust-building content for small businesses.
Grace shares her journey from dreaming of being a singer-songwriter to finding her true calling in copywriting. We explore how her love for storytelling and creativity evolved into a passion for helping businesses connect with their audiences through empathetic and impactful messaging.
Her story is a testament to the power of following one's creative instincts and the importance of supportive relationships in achieving success.
Tune in for a heartwarming conversation filled with insights on balancing ambition, creativity, and family life.
Connect with Grace Griffith:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #116. This week on the podcast, I sat down with Elle Evans, an anesthesiologist and academic researcher by day, and a writer by night, who shares the emotional rollercoaster of her writing journey publishing under a not-so-secret pen name.
Elle delves into the intrinsic joy she finds both in her day job and pouring her soul into her writing, emphasizing the importance of cultivating an expansive life outside the hospital.
In this episode, she vulnerably recounts the challenges she faced, including the exhaustion of countless rejections and the inner turmoil of questioning whether to continue pursuing her dream.
Despite facing numerous setbacks and doubts, Elle persevered through the process of submissions and revisions, supported by her unwavering determination and the steadfast encouragement of her loved ones.
Tune in to hear how Elle navigates her dual identities and be inspired to chase your dreams, no matter how diverse they may be.
Connect with Elle Evans:
- Website
- Buy Wedding Issues by Elle Evans
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #115. In this uplifting episode, I sit down with Kelly Simants, an HR expert with over 25 years of experience, who shares her remarkable story of resilience. Kelly recounts the pivotal moment when her husband's accident turned their lives upside down and how she became the family's primary breadwinner.
From running a successful wedding planning business to returning to corporate HR and starting a resume writing service, Kelly’s journey is a powerful testament to adaptability and strength.
Listen in for her insights on navigating career transitions, the crucial role of community, and the power of stretching beyond your comfort zone. This episode is a beacon of hope and inspiration for anyone navigating life's unexpected challenges that will inspire you to face challenges head-on and find new paths in your professional life.
Connect with Kelly Simants:
- Website (podcast)
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
In this episode, we're joined by the incredible Ellen Yin, founder & host of Cubicle to CEO®️.
Ellen’s journey from corporate cubicle to entrepreneurial success is nothing short of inspiring. In our chat, she challenges the notion that planning alone paves the path to success. Instead, Ellen urges us to embrace action as the true catalyst for clarity.
As she eloquently puts it, "Action is what creates clarity, not planning." Ellen reminds us that every venture, whether personal or professional, comes with its share of uncertainty. But it's through action, through taking those initial leaps, that we gain invaluable insights and ultimately soar to new heights.
Ellen’s words on embracing uncertainty really resonated, offering practical lessons in resilience.
Join us on this journey of embracing discomfort and rejection, as essential steps for our journey toward success.
Connect with Ellen Yin:
- Website (personal)
- Website (podcast)
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #113. In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with the incredibly insightful Kristen Van Nest, the author of the captivating memoir "Where to Nest?"
Kristen's infectious energy and wisdom shine through as she shares insights from her book, urging us to break free from societal expectations and carve our own paths. Drawing from her personal experiences, Kristen encourages us to embrace creativity and freedom in our pursuits, reminding us that we have the power to create the life we desire.
As Kristen shares her insights, I find myself inspired to live more purposefully. She reflects on the transformative power of revisiting past chapters of her life, offering valuable lessons in growth and self-discovery.
Join us as we explore the impact of embracing vulnerability and authenticity, both in personal growth and professional endeavors.
Connect with Kristen Van Nest:
- Website
- YouTube
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #112. In this episode, I sat down with Pallavi Ridout, an executive leadership coach and dynamic keynote speaker who transitioned from a 20-year corporate career to a life of purpose and passion. Pallavi opened up about her passion for coaching and speaking, emphasizing the importance of leading a life of no regrets. From one-on-one impact to captivating speeches, her dedication to motivating and inspiring others shines through.
As Pallavi shares her wisdom, I can't help but feel inspired to live with intention. Join us for a deep dive into purpose, mindset, and actionable steps.
Connect with Pallavi Ridout:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #111. In this episode, Amy Lin, a captivating writer from Calgary and author of “Here After”, unfolds the intricate layers of grief, sharing a profound analogy of it being like a ball in a box. Her insights hint at the essence of time in understanding and processing grief.
She invites us to consider the diverse ways people hold grief. From ritualized remembrance to living in the daily ebb and flow, she beautifully articulates the personal nuances of this universal experience. Her wisdom serves as a guiding light for anyone navigating the intricate path of grief.
Join us as we explore the mysterious ways life and loss intertwine. Amy's words are a gentle reminder that, in the embrace of time, we find the strength to move forward.
Connect with Amy Lin:
- Website
- Order Amy’s Book, “Here After”
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #110. In this episode, we dive into the subtle yet impactful facets of energy management. Join me as I share about intentional choices, from the beats that lift our spirits to being mindful of our connections.
Listen to know more about transformative practices like morning pages – a journey into unfiltered morning reflections. And have you considered celebrating victories, both big and small? Ever wondered: what are the things that keep my energy up or bring it down?
It's time to reflect on being intentional with our energy.
Tune in and let's cultivate a life filled with positive energy and purposeful intention. After all, our energy is the cornerstone of our success and fulfillment.
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #109. In our heartfelt conversation, Kara Cecala and Lily Smith, founders of 101Media, unveil the secret behind their success: a culture rooted in shared values. They emphasize the transformative power of embodying values through actions and fostering a team dedicated to making a difference.
Join us as we explore the profound impact of aligning values with actions, not just in business, but in shaping entire communities for the better.
We hope their stories inspire you to infuse purpose into every aspect of your life and work.
Connect with Kara Cecala:
- Website
Connect with Lily (Kramlich-Taylor) Smith:
Connect with 101Media:
- Instagram (Dallasites101)
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #108. Join me in this inspiring episode as I sit down with Julie Chavez, a cherished elementary school librarian from Northern California and the author of the insightful book, ‘Everyone but Myself’.
In her compelling narrative, Julie opens up about a pivotal time in her life marked by anxiety and self-discovery. Her book is more than a personal story; it's a journey through the complexities of mental health and the pursuit of happiness.
What makes Julie's story unique? It's her relatable approach to life's ups and downs, infused with the wisdom of a librarian and the warmth of a mother to two incredible teenagers. Her home life, filled with love and books sorted by color, paints the picture of someone who finds beauty in order.
As we explore the key themes of her book, Julie shares valuable insights on overcoming adversity and finding joy in the small moments. It's a conversation that resonates with anyone seeking light in the shadows of life.
Connect with Julie:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #107. This week on podcast I am thrilled to be joined by Elizabeth Passarella.
Elizabeth is the author of It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway and Good Apple, which was named one of the best books of 2021 by Real Simple magazine.
Her articles and essays have appeared in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Parents, Martha Stewart Weddings, Real Simple, and Southern Living.
Elizabeth is originally from Memphis and now lives in Manhattan with her husband and three children.
This conversation was so much fun. I loved Elizabeth’s book It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway. I couldn’t put it down!
Connect with Elizabeth:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #106. This week on the podcast I am excited to be joined by Nancy McGruder.
As the CEO of NMc Coaching & Consulting and an expert in her field, Nancy uses powerful strategies rooted in research, practical application, and emotional intelligence to meet clients at the point of their needs. As an adjunct professor for DBU's Cook School of Leadership, Nancy teaches a Doctoral course on Professional Coaching and mentoring.
Nancy earned her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Dallas Baptist University (DBU) in 2016. She also holds graduate degrees in Foundations of Education, Higher Education, and Management.
She earned her coaching certificate from the NeuroLeadership Institute, where she learned to apply a brain-based methodology to facilitate productive coaching conversations using the neuroscience of learning, motivation, and change.
This conversation was a good reminder of the importance of having people in our lives that can help us in our goals.
Connect with Nancy:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #105. This week on the podcast I am thrilled to be joined by Fran Hauser. Fran is an author, keynote speaker, and startup investor who is passionate about leveling the playing field for women.
Fran has invested in over 30 female-founded companies across consumer packaged goods, media & publishing, and wellness.
She is the best-selling author of The Myth of the Nice Girl (Audible’s Best Business Book of the Year, 2018) and Embrace the Work, Love Your Career. Fran regularly speaks at conferences and organizations to help women build careers they love while staying true to themselves.
Much of her current work is informed by 15 years spent in media, where she rose through the ranks at Time Inc. to President of Digital.
She lives outside of NYC with her husband, two sons, and their beloved mini Goldendoodle.
I loved this conversation. Fran is passionate about supporting women and that really comes through in this interview. Her story will motivate you to find ways to embrace who you are and be successful doing it.
Connect with Fran:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #104. I am thrilled to be joined by Raquel Lovern Harris.
Growing up in her mother’s garden, Raquel has always had a love affair with flowers. She dreamt of being a floral designer but decided to study botany and biology at the University of Texas.
Raquel started designing her friend’s wedding flowers while in college and shortly after R. Love Floral was born.
While teaching elementary science and planting the seeds for her floral business, R. Love Floral blossomed into a successful floral business. It was then that Raquel made the difficult decision to leave teaching behind and become a full-time entrepreneur.
Through the years Raquel has built a dream team and designed over 500 weddings in 13 years serving couples all over the state of Texas and having her weddings published in magazines like BRIDE, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides of North Texas, and D Weddings.
Since starting her floral business in 2010, Raquel has worked with the most amazing wedding clients, large corporate accounts, taught hundreds of floral classes both in person and virtually, and mentored countless budding designers.
When she’s not designing beautiful arrangements, or teaching in the flower barn you can find Raquel in the garden, playing with her kids and spending time with her husband at their dream home in the country.
I loved this conversation. Raquel is so open about her story and her true love for flowers really comes through.
Connect with Raquel:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #103. This week on the podcast, I am thrilled to be joined by James Ijames.
James is a Pulitzer Prize winning and Tony Award nominated playwright, director and educator. James is the recipient of many awards, most recently the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Drama and a 2023 Tony nominee for Best Play.
He received a B.A. in Drama from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA and a M.F.A. in Acting from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. He is an Associate Professor of Theatre at Villanova University and lives in South Philadelphia.
This is one of my favorite conversations on the podcast. I first heard James speak at the Aspen Ideas Festival earlier this year. His story and message resonated deeply with me and I was so excited when he accepted my invitation to join me on the podcast. Today we talk about his journey to becoming a playwright, authenticity, the importance of Big Talk versus small talk and pursuing what you love.
Connect with James:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #102. This week on the podcast I am thrilled to be joined by Kate Myers.
Kate studied archaeology at Penn and recently published her first novel, Excavations.
She’s lived in New York, LA, and DC and worked for CBS in TV development, CollegeHumor and BuzzFeed.
She’s currently at work on her second novel and lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and daughter.
In today’s conversation, Kate shares the process of getting her book published. She was so open and honest about the process and her sense of humor made the conversation so much fun. She shares how important it is to not give up on our dreams even in the face of lots of rejection.
Connect with Kate:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #101. Rafael Barlowe joins me on the podcast this week.
After working in basketball operations for the Texas Legends (the Dallas Mavericks’ G League affiliate), Rafael launched Barlowe Basketball, a coaching and player-development operation that led him to becoming a skills trainer for players with the NBA, EuroLeague, EuroCup, Champions League, G League, and the NCAA Division I.
As a videographer, he created YouTube mini-documentaries for a few of the NBA players he trained and gained valuable experience working with elite AAU programs like Mo Williams Academy Elite and D1 Basketball that have produced McDonald's All-Americans and first-round NBA draft picks.
His combination of skills training and the ability to create video content has afforded him the opportunity to see the world while doing what he loves and what he is passionate about.
His video projects have led him to having numerous NBA and NFL players as clients, and his work has been featured on NBA.com, washingtonpost.com, USAToday.com, CBS.com, and NBA TV. He is the host of podcast, NBA Big Board.
I loved this conversation so much. I first met Rafael when he came to my high school to recruit students for an internship program called INROADS. After listening to his presentation, I knew I wanted to be a part of this program. That program eventually led me to an internship and then a full-time offer at one of the biggest accounting firms in the world.
I am so grateful to Rafael and I am so inspired by his incredible story. After leaving INROADS he went on to pursue his passion, basketball. He has an incredible story of perseverance. I can't wait for you to listen.
Connect with Rafael:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #100. I can’t believe its been 100 episodes! You’ll notice that this is the second episode that we are publishing this week and the reason for that is that my team and I launched the very first episode three years ago today. We thought it would be a special way to commemorate the podcast's anniversary.
For today’s episode, I thought it would be fun to switch things up a little and have my friend Hannah Davis interview me for the podcast.
Hannah is previous Paid Vocation guest, tv host, media personality, communications coach and formerly the host of Good Morning Texas.
She is an incredible interviewer and it was such a pleasure to be interviewed by her.
Before we dive into the interview, I want to thank you so much for listening to this podcast. I have loved all of the conversations and have learned so much along the way.
Thank you to my amazing Dklutr team led by Anne Garcia. This podcast is a labor of love and I’m deeply appreciative of every single team member who helps make it a reality.
Thank you for being a part of the Paid Vocation community. Here’s to a hundred episodes filled with learning, growth and stories that shape us.
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #99. This week on the podcast, I am delighted to be joined by Kimberly Lucht
Kimberly is a business coach and energy healer who helps entrepreneurs make money and magic doing what they love.
She's been featured as an expert in Money, Business Insider, Well + Good, Create & Cultivate, Greatist and currently lives near New York City.
This conversation was so much fun. I learned a lot about energy healing. It is a fascinating topic and I love the way Kimberly has been able to combine her love for business coaching with her passion for energy and the way it can provide healing.
Connect with Kimberly:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #98. This week on the podcast I am excited to introduce you to Paula Holland.
Paula is a women’s mental fitness mentor & coach, speaker, award-winning author & artist and a 20+ year cancer survivor.
She has inspired thousands of women living on the edge of burnout to triple their ability to take back control, take care of themselves, and joyfully live their true purpose.
Her heart-first approach and innovative growth tools strengthen the part of the brain that creates happiness and quiets the part that creates stress and negative emotions.
Her proven process builds the sustainable resilience required to flourish in today’s chaotic world.
In today’s conversation, we talk about how her cancer diagnosis led to a major transformation and how that has led her to help other women transform their own lives.
Connect with Paula:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #97. Marissa Valdez is a Latina children’s book author and illustrator who loves to create funny, ridiculous, and spunky characters for meaningful stories.
She originally received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Animation, but life swept her away from animation and into the world of children’s illustration in the midst of 2020 and the pandemic.
She’s now worked on books with the major publishing houses Hachette, Penguin Random House, Macmillan, and Candlewick Books. Two books that Marissa illustrated, Ambitious Girl written by Meena Harris and Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective written by Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett, reached the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestsellers list. She also recently won a Golden Kite Honor for her illustrations in Esme’s Birthday Conga Line, a chapter book written by Lourdes Heuer (pronounced Higher).
Marissa is currently working on several other projects, including her own book, that she both wrote and illustrated, which she’s excited to share with the world in 2025. Along with creating books, Marissa enjoys teaching and has collaborated with the online learning platform, Domestika, to teach a course on how to create a children’s book portfolio.
Marissa enjoys finding everyday inspiration in her vegetable garden, reading sci-fi and fantasy books, and rambling around villages in the United Kingdom with her two cats and husband, with whom she shares her West Midlands home. Originally from the South Texas border, Marissa also enjoys incorporating her Hispanic heritage, childhood experiences growing up in Texas, and love of bright colors into her artwork and stories.
Connect with Marissa:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #96. Lydia Fenet is the founder and CEO of the Lydia Fenet Agency, a boutique agency representing best-in-class charity auctioneers.
Over her two-decade-long career, Lydia served as the Global Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships for Christie’s and reshaped the fundraising landscape as the world’s leading charity auctioneer.
She has raised over one billion dollars for more than 800 organizations and broken-down countless barriers for women in the auction industry.
Lydia is also the author of two best-selling books, The Most Powerful Woman in the Room is You & Claim Your Confidence as well as the podcast host of Claim Your Confidence in collaboration with Rockefeller Center.
Lydia shares so much wisdom on how we can all create more confidence for ourselves. I am so excited for you to listen to this conversation!
Connect with Lydia:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #95. Travis C. Patterson is an award-winning Amazon Best-Selling author and tech entrepreneur.
He is the founder of HireAE, a website that provides sales professionals with career tips, workshops, and job opportunities in the tech industry.
With over a decade in human resources, two decades in sales, and a passion for helping others succeed in their careers, Travis is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise through his writing and work with HireAE.
In today’s conversation, we talked about his road to starting his own business. We also touch on why he didn't have an answer right away to what he wanted to be when he grew up. We had an offline conversation about it after we stopped recording and I had to hit record again and add it to the podcast because what Travis shared was so powerful. I can't wait for you to listen.
Connect with Travis:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #94. In today’s episode, I share some short conversations that I had during the Aspen Ideas Festival.
David Leonhardt is a senior writer for The New York Times. He writes The Morning, The Times' flagship daily newsletter, and also writes for the Sunday Review.
Kate Bowler is a New York Times bestselling author, podcast host, and professor at Duke University.
Tammy Stedman is the producer of the Kelly Corrigan Wonders podcast.
Wendy Suzuki s a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at the Center for Neural Science at New York University and author.
And Curtis Sittenfeld is a writer, novelist, and New York Times best-selling author.
I am so excited to share these short conversations with you. They are full of wisdom and inspiration.
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #93. Megan Tady is the author of the new book Super Bloom. She is a writer and editor who runs the company Word-Lift.
When she’s not scrutinizing copy, she can be found stocking her free neighborhood library, challenging anyone to a dance-off, or stewing over how Portlandia stole all of her jokes.
She is the author of the new book Super Bloom and She's hard at work on her next novel, Champions for Breakfast , which will also be published by Zibby Books.
In our conversation today, we discussed the path to getting her book published and what she learned along the way about herself. I can’t wait for you to listen.
Connect with Tady:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #92. This week on the podcast I am thrilled to be joined by Laura Belgray.
Laura is the founder of Talking Shrimp and co-creator of The Copy Cure with Marie Forleo.
She has been featured in Fast Company, Money Magazine, Forbes, Vox, and Business Insider, and has written for Bravo, Fandango, FX, NBC, HBO, USA, Nick at Nite, Nickelodeon, TV Land, VH1, and more.
She is the author of the new book Tough Titties, On Living Your Best Life When You’re the F’ing Worst.
Laura is hilarious and in this conversation, she gives us permission to be who we are and make money doing it.
Connect with Laura:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #91. This week on the podcast, I am thrilled to be joined by Anne Garcia. Anne is a virtual assistant turned agency owner and team lead for Dklutr.
Dklutr is a team of creatives that aim to help clients declutter their workflow. Our agency provides key services so clients can achieve a seamless system and workflow, be visible online and on social media, and have time to do the things that matter to them the most.
After leaving her corporate work due to a heart condition, she delved into the world of virtual assistants. Her “get-things-done-no-matter-what” mindset and “loves-to-check-things-off-the-list” personality fit perfectly with the VA world and remote work.
Anne loves working with collaborative, inspiring, and imaginative clients, and having a solid team of highly-skilled individuals with great personalities and strong work ethics has been the formula for the growth and success they now enjoy.
I met Anne when I really needed help with launching my podcast. I've worked with her and her team in the Philippines ever since. Hiring her and her company has been one of the best decisions.
In our conversation today, we talked about how Anne has built a successful team and found work that gives her a sense of purpose.
Connect with Anne:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #90. This week on the podcast, I am thrilled to be joined by Katherine Morgan Schafler.
Katherine is a New York City-based psychotherapist, author, and speaker, formerly an on-site therapist at Google.
Katherine earned her Bachelor’s degree in psychology at UC Berkeley before obtaining two Master's from Columbia University, one focused on clinical assessment and the other on psychological counseling. Additionally, she completed post-graduate training and certification at the Association for Spirituality and Psychotherapy in New York City.
She contributes as a mental health expert to a variety of popular publications like The Huffington Post, Forbes, ELLE, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, Reader's Digest, Bloomberg Businessweek, and In Style, etc.
During the pandemic, she wrote her first book, THE PERFECTIONIST’S GUIDE TO LOSING CONTROL.
In our conversation today, we talk about the different types of perfectionism, and how perfectionism isn’t a bad thing. I never realized I was a perfectionist until reading Katherine’s book. I had so many ‘aha’ moments while reading her book and loved having the opportunity to talk about it with her on the podcast today.
Connect with Katherine:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
This week on the podcast, I am excited to be joined by Lauren Palmieri. Lauren co-founded MEL Sleepwear, a small batch brand she created with her mother, Elaine, and sister Mia, during the pandemic.
Lauren grew up in Upstate, NY, and after graduating with her bachelor's degree in Psychology, moved to NYC, where she earned her Master's degree from Fordham University in Human Resources Management.
Lauren has over a decade of experience working as an HR professional in the financial services and legal industries.
It was while living in Manhattan that Lauren noticed her desire to live a more creative and colorful life. During the pandemic, she chose to lean into her inner artist and away from her inner critic and began dreaming up ideas to design beautiful and functional sleepwear alongside her mother, Elaine, a Nurse Practitioner, and sister, Mia, a junior at Boston University.
As women who struggle with sleep, Lauren and her co-founders hope to inspire women through their sleepwear and community to reconnect to themselves each night through the power of ritual and routine. MEL believes that sleep is a non-negotiable when it comes to following our dreams and hopes to contribute to changing the narrative to sleep being ‘a must have’ instead of a ‘nice to have.
In December 2023, MEL launched its first style, The Beatrice, via e-commerce and looks forward to growing this summer with the reveal of a new silhouette.
Lauren recently relocated from NYC, where she lived for a decade, to Palm Beach where she resides with her partner Remm.
In our conversation, we talk about what Lauren has learned as a new founder. She shares how the pandemic helped her realize that she wanted to do something more with her life. I think you will find Lauren’s story really inspiring.
Connect with Lauren:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
This week on the podcast I am thrilled to be joined by Natalie Franke. Natalie is an author, community builder, neuroscience nerd, and mama bear for small business.
As one of the founders of the Rising Tide, the Chief Evangelist at HoneyBook, and author of Built to Belong, she leads tens of thousands of independent business owners while fostering a spirit of community over competition around the world. She is the host of the new podcast Independent Business and the author of the new book Gutsy which will be released in August of this year.
In this conversation, Natalie talks about the importance of community and how we can go about looking for community in our lives.
Connect with Natalie:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #87. This week on the podcast, I am thrilled to be joined by Charlotte Cowles. Charlotte is a journalist and columnist for The Cut. She also contributes regularly to the New York Times.
In our conversation today, we talk about the power of writing and how we can improve it. I loved learning Charlotte’s perspective on writing.
Connect with Charlotte:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #86. This week on the podcast I am joined by Lori Mulady Burdick. Lori brings over 30 years of experience in the counseling profession, wellness and spirituality.
Lori has been drawn to soul-healing work from a very young age. Miraval Wellness Resort has provided a beautiful platform to integrate her wealth of knowledge, education, experience and spiritual wisdom to create space and to companion guests in navigating the waters of their lives.
At Miraval she specializes in life transitions, relationships, family dynamics, parenting, boundaries, health, and bereavement. She offers an opportunity to realign your perspective and receive support and guidance.
She also offers private consultations for each of those topics in addition to consultations for mindful relationships and mindful parenting. Outside of Miraval she is a private practitioner, educator, presenter and retreat facilitator.
In this conversation, we talk about the importance of mindfulness and how we can create space for more mindful moments in our lives.
Connect with Lori:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #85. This week on the podcast, I am joined by Meg Rentschler. Meg is an executive and leadership Coach dedicated to assisting management teams in maximizing the potential of individuals within their organizations, through customized team-building and/or coaching programs designed to meet business objectives.
As a psychotherapist and a business owner in private practice for more than two decades, Meg has the benefit of understanding people and their challenges, as well as the keys to building a successful business.
Meg is also the host of the STaR Coach podcast.
In this episode, we talk about Meg's pivot from a career as a psychotherapist to coaching. Meg is one of the most gifted coaches that I know and I am so excited to get to share her wisdom with you.
Connect with Meg:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #84. This week on the podcast I am delighted to have Steven Ross.
Steven is a spiritual coach, ordained minister, meditation teacher and intuitive medium.
His journey to his work today started about twenty years ago, when he moved to Houston, Texas. After living in the US for only a week, Steven had what some would call an epiphany.
An intuitive thought that there was more to life than meets the eye. This began a quest for meaning and self-discovery that has continued to this day. At that time he was a 26 year old, somewhat anxious, oil and gas accountant.
The quest for meaning led him into holistic and spiritual pursuits of all kinds. Eventually Steven dedicated all of his free time to healing practices and meditation.
In 2008 Steven and his wife moved to Austin, quit their jobs and opened a yoga studio. Over a 10 year period Steven and his wife built a vibrant community and taught thousands of students.
In 2018 he sold the business and joined Miraval as wellness facilitator, meditation teacher and intuitive medium.
At this point Steven has given close to 2000 "life readings". Last year Steven along with his teaching partner launched The Spiritual Living School.
In this conversation, Steven shares how we can tap into our inner compass to find our vocation. I loved this conversation. Steven has such a calming energy and brings so much wisdom.
Connect with Steven:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #83. This week on the podcast, I am thrilled to have Dr. Carol Kauffman.
Carol is known globally as one of the top leaders in the field of coaching. She has been named the #1 Leadership coach in the world by the Marshall Goldsmith group. Thinkers 50 shortlisted her as one of the top 8 coaches for her contribution as a thought leader and coach.
She is on the faculty at Harvard where she is the Founder of the Institute of Coaching. In addition, she supervises an international fleet of leadership coaches and has created a Coach Approach training program with a global footprint.
She is the co-author of the new book Real-Time Leadership: Find Your Winning Moves When the Stakes are High.
I am so excited to share this episode with you. Carol is one of the most respected coaches in the coaching industry and she shares a model for how we can think of any challenge that comes our way.
Connect with Carol:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #82. This week on the podcast, I am excited to be joined by Shana Rehwald. Throughout Shana’s decade-long career working in social media and marketing, she helped build brands like Alo Yoga and Grayson.
At 30 years old, the dream life she built, while coveted by others, had started to burn her out. Pouring herself into a journey of self-discovery and purpose led to her leaving her marriage and an established career path in the same year and shortly after to becoming an accidental entrepreneur.
Her product, the Me-est Me Journal launched in 2021 with high acclaim and has helped thousands build self-awareness, quiet the noise of the world, and embrace short-term discomfort to move towards their truest desires.
The Me-est Me Journal has been featured in CNN, Who What Wear, NY Mag, and was voted one of the best-guided journals in Shape Magazine.
In addition to being an entrepreneur, she is also the FoundHER Program Coordinator at the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute where she helps cultivate current and future entrepreneurs out of UT Austin
Originally from Los Angeles, Shana recently relocated to Austin where she resides with her partner.
In today’s conversation, Shana and I talked about how we can connect to our inner knowing and we can start practicing that skill with the smallest of decisions.
Connect with Shana:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #81. This week on the podcast I am thrilled to be joined by Alisha Fernandez Miranda. Alisha is the author of My What If Year.
She serves as chair and former CEO of I.G. Advisors, an award-winning social impact intelligence agency that consults with the world’s biggest nonprofits, foundations, and corporations on their philanthropy and social initiatives.
A graduate of Harvard University and the London School of Economics, her writing has been featured in Vogue, Business Insider, Romper, and Huffington Post. Originally from Miami, she currently lives in Scotland with her husband and children.
This conversation was so much fun. Alisha shares her story about taking a year off of work to pursue her passions and why she encourages people to try things that they might fail at and how that can lead to the most opportunity and the most growth.
Connect with Alisha:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
For this 80th episode of the podcast I thought I would invite someone very special. I am thrilled to be joined by Jose Luis Prado Sr, my father-in-law.
Jose Luis is a business and community leader with over 35 years of experience.
Jose Luis is an Executive Advisor Partner at the private equity firm Wind Point Partners. Jose Luis also serves as a Board Director at the Northern Trust Corporation and at Hormel Foods Corporation.
He is deeply committed to the community and serves as Trustee or Board Director at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, co-founder of the Latino Corporate Directors Association, Latino Donor Collaborative, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the National Museum of Mexican Art, and the Migration Policy Institute.
Most recently Jose Luis was named a founding Board member of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino to be built in Washington DC.
Jose Luis retired from PepsiCo in 2014 after a career spanning 30 years in three continents and multiple countries.
In his final assignment with PepsiCo, Jose Luis served as President of Quaker Oats North America, a $3billion dollar company, becoming the first Mexican to lead a major PepsiCo Division in North America.
Jose Luis has had a very successful career; and yet what I most admire about him is his love for his family, his love for my amazing mother-in-law Rosy, his love for his kids and of course his love for his grandkids
In our conversation today, Jose Luis shares his career journey and his advice for younger professionals.
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #79. This week on the podcast I am thrilled to be joined by Rachel Kleinman Green.
After 7 years working in financial services management consulting for Accenture, Rachel joined the Estée Lauder Companies in 2018, first in their internal consulting group to work on marketing and creative process optimization, then as director of strategy and innovation across the brand cluster which included MAC, Tom Ford, Clinique, Glamglow, Smashbox, and Too Faced.
Most recently, Rachel joined Too Faced as their executive director of integrated marketing where she oversees the go-to-market process and consumer engagement strategy from product development all the way to launch.
Rachel has always had a passion for makeup. In our conversation, she shares how her deep unhappiness in a consulting role prompted her to start looking for ways to pivot into the beauty industry and ultimately into a dream role.
Connect with Rachel:
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #78. This week on the podcast, I am thrilled to be joined by Andrea Campos. Andrea is a first-generation Mexican-American visual artist and New York Times Bestselling illustrator.
She began her career in illustration when the world went into lockdown in March 2020. Like so many others at that time, Andrea felt anxious and overwhelmed by the state of the world, so she turned to art as a way to make sense of it all.
Her work is positive, comforting, and colorful and sits at the intersection of playful with a purpose which has led her to work with some industry giants including Jimmy Fallon and Jennifer Lopez.
The daughter of immigrants, Andrea is committed to inclusive storytelling in her work.
I loved this conversation. Andrea is so open about her journey and the doubts that came with it. She shares how she got back into art and how that led to a life-changing opportunity.
Her story shows what is possible for us when we are willing to step outside of our comfort zone and pursue the things that bring us joy.
Connect with Andrea:
- Website
- Link to Buy Con Pollo
- Book Resource
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #77. For the final episode of 2022, I am thrilled to be joined by Ahmad AbouZanat.
Ahmad is a Qatar-born designer who balances modern minimalism with timeless elegance, seamlessly blending multicultural influences with different design styles and periods including his love for contemporary Parisian design. His design background can be characterized as the fusion of French and Middle Eastern aesthetics as well as his appreciation for contemporary architecture. Because he has been fully immersed in different regions throughout his life, he can relate to those who come from different cultural backgrounds or those with an affinity for distinctive design preferences.
Ahmad was raised in Lebanon and now resides in New York City, he has successfully carved out a name for himself at the helm of PROJECT AZ. With a degree in interior design from the American University of Science and Technology in Beirut and an extensive resume of hospitality and residential design work in both Lebanon and the States,
Ahmad has gone on to finish projects all around the world including Beirut, New York, Tennessee, Washington DC, Paris, Jeddah, and Doha.
Ahmad has been named to Architectural Digest Middle East's 2022 top 50 designers, profiled by the leading online marketplace 1stDibs' Introspective Magazine as a 2021 “Designer to Watch” and named as an “interior design visionary” in Christie’s International Real Estate Magazine.
Ahmad also serves as a Founder and active board member of the interior design platform, Interior Collab where after the startup Homepolish collapsed, he came together with numerous other designers to advocate for the power of community amongst designers in the industry, share resources, help connect clients to designers and spearhead events that help the planet and local communities.
This has been one of my favorite conversations on the podcast. I met Ahmad at the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Dallas, Texas and loved his warm energy and loved his amazing design.
In our conversation today, Ahmad shares how he has built his successful design firm and has never given up on his dreams. I am so inspired by him and his story.
Connect with Ahmad:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #76. Abi Gallagher is the CEO of Words for a Season. Her company offers a beautiful way to wear a meaningful word without the commitment of a permanent tattoo.
Her temporary tattoos work as fun self-expression, but also as encouraging pep talks to take wherever you go. She has blended her love for calligraphy and desire for a tattoo, and created a community of women who wear Words for a Season to celebrate their highs and find strength for their lows.
Abi has partnered with brands such as Anthropologie, Madewell, Magnolia, and Free People and has been featured in segments with Good Morning America and Good Morning Texas.
This conversation with Abi was so motivating, she shares how she came up with the idea for her company and how she built it for the past five years while working her corporate job. Abi is so warm and so generous in sharing her story. I can't wait for you to listen.
Connect with Abi:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #75. I am so excited to have Whitney Rowell on the podcast. Whitney is a mother, wife, and passionate entrepreneur. She spent the first decade of her professional career helping to launch new businesses and grow brand awareness through positions in public relations, digital strategy, marketing, and branding in Dallas, New York City, and Palm Beach.
Today, she is the founder and CEO of Miracle Milkookies, a direct-to-consumer lactation ‘Kookie’ company with the mission of giving mamas everywhere a boost.
Whitney is also founder and host of the podcast, Message From Mom, a platform for conversations with other moms, healthcare professionals, and influencers in the postpartum space to share the resources she wished she had as a first-time mom.
Whitney is co-founder and an advisor for HerStory, a marketplace she and two friends launched during COVID for local female-founded businesses to sell their products on a global scale.
She loves connecting with other female entrepreneurs and has helped build a local female founder network called Collective Thirty One.
I left this conversation feeling so inspired and energized by Whitney, her personal story on the why behind her company and her passion for supporting other women and women founders is so powerful.
Connect with Whitney:
- Website
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
I am so excited to be joined by Brodie Riordan, PhD. Brodie is an industrial psychologist, executive coach, author, and part-time professor at Georgetown University. Her career has included global leadership roles in talent and L&D at Procter & Gamble, Corporate Executive Board, and McKinsey & Company.
Brodie currently manages her own practice, Ocular, and is also an executive coach with The Boda Group.
She is the author of three books on coaching and feedback, including Using Feedback in Organizational Consulting, Feedback Fundamentals and Evidence-Based Best Practices, and The Coaching Shift.
I love Brodie’s energy and passion for her work around feedback. It is so needed because as Brodie points out in this interview. Most people are unskilled at giving feedback and it tends to have a negative connotation. She shares how we can change how we think about feedback and what we can do to be better at giving, receiving and asking for it.
Connect with Brodie:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #73. This week on the podcast, I am joined by Jacqueline Baker. From podcast producer and author to founder and speaker, Jacqueline helps her clients embrace their inner leader, confidently advance to their next level, and Just Start™ the things they want to do.
Jacqueline founded Scarlet Communications, a global leadership consultancy, in 2012. With thousands of students, Fortune 500s, and community organizations across the globe, Jacqueline makes a meaningful impact with a modern, relatable, and digestible approach to leadership content creation and delivery.
Prior to launching Scarlet, she spent nearly a decade serving in corporate leadership roles supporting companies like AT&T, Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, and AAA of Michigan.
Her most recent corporate role as VP of Startup Programming at AARP Innovation Labs provided a unique opportunity to discover disruptive startups across the globe and identify ways to collaborate with one of the nation’s largest nonprofits. She also aided in the leadership development of these startup organizations.
Jacqueline is the host of the podcast, Just Start™: From Ideas to Action.
Jacqueline has been featured in many publications and organizations including Essence Magazine, Medium, Ambassador Magazine, McDonald’s, and Michigan Chronicle/Michigan FrontPage, and on NBC, Detroit Public TV, CBS, and Metro Parent Magazine.
Her new book, The Unexpected Leader: Discovering the Leader Within You, will be released in Fall 2022 by Wiley.
In today’s conversation, Jacqueline shares her journey to becoming an entrepreneur and an author. I especially loved what she shares on being open and curious and the positive impact that has had on her life. I left feeling so motivated and inspired. Can’t wait for you to listen!
Connect with Jacqueline:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #72. This week on the podcast I am thrilled to be joined by Alex Cohen. Alex is a Dallas-based fashion stylist. She has produced numerous editorial pieces and her work can be seen on red carpets stretching from TX, Nashville, LA, and New York. She has been spotted sitting front row with clients at New York Fashion Week and behind the camera alongside Nashville’s soulful starlets.
Alex paved her way through incorporating her love for fashion and her drive to empower others. She has been able to bridge the gap and bring together high-fashion aesthetics and accessibility for her clientele base.
When you work with Alex, her belief of “Style is evolving and style is you” always shines through. She believes in the interconnectivity between the outer self + appearance with how you feel inside.
She has styled for Dolce & Gabbana, E! Entertainment, Fresh Faces Runway Show, CMA, and Grammys 2021. Her recent venture has landed her among the top Runway “Stylist” in Dallas.
I loved this conversation. Alex shares how she got started in her career and how important taking care of our mental health is to being a successful entrepreneur.
Connect with Alexandrea:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #71. I am thrilled to be joined by Alicia Menendez. Alicia anchors MSNBC’s “American Voices with Alicia Menendez” Saturday and Sunday nights. She is also the author of “The Likeability Trap” and host of the “Latina to Latina” podcast.
Alicia joined MSNBC in October 2019. Prior to joining the network, Menendez served as a correspondent on “Amanpour & Company” on PBS and formerly hosted a nightly news and pop culture show on Fusion called “Alicia Menendez Tonight” Her reporting and interviews have appeared on ABC News, Bustle, FusionTV, PBS and Vice News.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Alicia has been called “Ms. Millenial” by “The Washington Post”, “journalism’s new gladiator” by Elle, and a “content queen” by Marie Claire.
This conversation is one of my favorites. Alicia is so open about her experience finding the work that she does today, she shares her struggle in making the decision to pivot away from her original plans of law school and public service and following a different path.
We also discuss her book and why if we had to choose between success and likability, we should choose success because likability is never guaranteed. She shares her own experience on wanting to be liked and what she found out during the research for her book. As someone who has always wanted to be liked, this conversation really resonated with me.
Connect with Alicia:
- Instagram (Podcast)
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #70. I am thrilled to be joined by Danié Gómez-Ortigoza. Danié is a Mexican-American writer and visual artist who believes in the power of braiding with intention.
Creativity has been the only constant in her career, having worked as a television host for Disney, a Copywriter and Digital Strategist at various advertising agencies in Mexico and Canada, a Marketing Director for a media publication in Sweden, and Correspondent for Glamour Mexico and Latin America based in Miami, where she received a Fashion Group International Award for her work.
She braids her hair with a daily intention to help another woman succeed everyday as a Feminist Manifesto that resulted from her involvement in creating the first Mexican Delegation for the Women's Forum for Economy and Society in France, presided by Salma Hayek.
She has created a strong body of work composed mostly of video, photography, and performance.
She believes in community as the structure to re-engineer the world and co-created alongside Martha Graeff and a very special group of influencers, ‘The Bazaar for Good’ a philanthropic venture that uses fashion to raise funds for projects with social impact.
This conversation was so beautiful. Danié shares her story on her journey to becoming an artist. And some of the experiences that have made her who she is today and how braiding has become a symbol for what she values deeply in her life.
Connect with Danié:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #69. This week on the podcast I am thrilled to be joined by Patricia Rodriguez-Christian. Patricia is an entrepreneurial executive with 20+ years of C-level experience at privately held CRC Group Inc., a group of family-owned companies.
As CEO, Patricia has provided leadership and direction at B2B/B2C companies in retail, restaurant, business processing outsourcing, real estate, and construction, from start-up through maturity.
Patricia currently serves on corporate and non-profit Boards and is passionate about making diversity and inclusion a priority in all endeavors. She has been recognized for her leadership in the public, private and non-profit sectors. She has been inducted into the Women’s Business Enterprise Hall of Fame by the American Institute for Diversity and Commerce. She has a Master of Public Administration from University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, she holds a Corporate Director Certification from Harvard. She makes Dallas her home with her husband and son.
I am so excited to share this episode with you. I met Patricia as I looked for ways to give back to the Latino community. This conversation inspired me to keep looking for ways to give back and looking for ways to support women. I loved how Patricia explained the impact that supporting women can have on those around her and her community. I can't wait for you to listen.
Connect with Patricia:
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #68. This week on the podcast, I am thrilled to be joined by Chef Charles Webb, owner of Avanti Gourmet Catering and creator and host of the docuseries #ChefonTour.
Charles is a Chicago native who grew up in both San Antonio, Texas, and Guanajuato, Mexico. He began his career in Wall Street after finishing his studies at The European School of Economics in Rome. Feeling unsatisfied in his career, he returned to the familiar realm of food and beverage doing the work that put him through college. It wasn't until witnessing 9/11 at the nearby SoHo street corner, Prince and Wooster that he decided to pursue what he loved.
He spent many years on a worldwide adventure living out his mission to follow his passion. He worked at establishments such as The Mercer Kitchen in NYC, Casas Brancas & Spa in Brazil, Noma in Copenhagen, and on mega-yachts in the Côte d’Azur. However, it was not until 92 jobs later and his return to Chicago, that he decided to become an entrepreneur.
Charles launched Avanti Gourmet Catering in Chicago. Charles has built an award-winning catering business. His mission is to curate unforgettable, incredible moments for each guest at his table. He donates his time to One Goal Foundation and Lurie’s Children Hospital. He is also the host and creator of #ChefonTour, an engaging, digital series built around culture, community, food, and art wrapped into travel. It captures the essence of 40 cities as seen by locals and at each destination, Charles brings together major influencers, food experts, and tastemakers to a special curated dinner.
In our conversation today, Charles shares how being resourceful and open to possibilities has allowed him to do work he loves. He talks about what working 92 jobs taught him and how that eventually led him to become an entrepreneur. Charles has such a positive energy and an incredible story.
Connect with Charles:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #67. This week on the podcast I am joined by Olivia Lopez. Olivia is the owner of Molino Olōyō.
Originally from Colima, Mexico, in her childhood, she would join her grandmother Margarita on trips to the local market, where her grandmother taught her how to choose vegetables, fruit, and meat, and eventually taught her how to cook.
Once her grandmother passed away, Olivia had a mission: to become a chef, and pass along everything she learned from her grandmother.
Olivia moved to Dallas in late 2009 to attend the culinary program at the Art Institute of Dallas. After graduation, she worked in some of Dallas' most successful kitchens, including Craft at the W hotel; Charlie Palmer and CBD Provisions.
Olivia’s first sous chef job was at Americano at the Joule (a luxury hotel here in Dallas); she then served as sous chef at Mirador Restaurant. In 2019 she joined Billy Can Can Restaurant, becoming chef de cuisine the following year. However, it was after this role that she realized that what she really wanted was to showcase the beauty of Mexican cuisine through heirloom corn (maíz), and highlighting the essential role maíz plays in Mexican culture. That is how OIivia came to create her company Molino Olōyō.
You are going to be so inspired by Olivia and her love for food, Mexico and her dedication to pursuing her dream.
Connect with Olivia:
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #66. This week on the podcast, I am thrilled to be joined by Leigh Wright. Leigh is a Certified Equus Coach from the Koelle Institute of Equus Coaching. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas and has over 35 years of experience practicing as a Registered Nurse specializing in Neonatal ICU. In addition, she has continued her education to include Trauma Informed Equine-assisted learning from The Natural Lifemanship Institute having completed the Fundamental and Intensive course sequences.
Leigh utilizes equine-assisted learning with a mindful approach to guide her clients to their inner knowing and promote self-awareness of life’s recurring patterns. Her coaching is rooted in offering a meaningful experience centered on building a relationship with the horse as a partner, then allowing and supporting the thoughts or emotions that arise in the space of that relationship and exchange. Holding the belief that all relationships are sacred and it is in the support of relationships that we can explore our true essence. Leigh is also a trained astrologer and regularly integrates this education with her equine coaching.
I met Leigh at the Miraval Wellness and Spa Resort in Austin, Texas in February of this year. My best friend Marisol and I wanted to take some time to focus on wellness and to spend some time connecting.
In today’s episode, she talks about her journey to her work today and how we can heal through our relationship with others including horses.
Connect with Leigh:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #65.
This week on the podcast I am thrilled to talk to Gillea Allison. Gillea is the president of D Magazine Partners, responsible for advertising revenue, partnerships, and marketing for the D brands. She also oversees the People Newspapers division. She previously held roles as director of marketing for the company and associate publisher of D Home.
Before moving back home in 2016, she managed and grew Blue State Digital’s key nonprofit, advocacy, and brand accounts and technology suite partnerships in New York.
She has also held roles in political campaigns and was a brand marketer for Method Soap. She’s currently an Executive Board member of Dwell with Dignity and the Coalition for a New Dallas, and in the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Leadership Dallas Class of 2020.
I loved this conversation so much. We talk about Gillea’s experience and role as a manager, the importance that therapy has played in her life, motherhood, and how D Magazine came to be. I learned so much from this conversation. Can’t wait for you to listen!
Connect with Gillea:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #64. I am thrilled to have Shannon Murray on the podcast today. Shannon Murray is a reporter and anchor for Fox 4's morning show Good Day. She grew up in the Dallas area and went to Duncanville High School. She then graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.
Her career has taken her from Los Angeles to Midland/Odessa, back to Austin and now, finally, home in Dallas. Outside of work, you may catch her running on a trail around town or at a dog park with her blind rescue dog, Boo Boo.
Shannon volunteers as a coach for Girls on the Run DFW and serves on the Healthy Living Community Advisory Board for YMCA Dallas. You can watch her weekday mornings from 4-10 am on Good Day.
I loved this conversation so much. In today’s episode, we talk about her journey to her work today, how to be bold and let other people know about our goals, the power of networking, and how comparison can steal our joy. I felt so motivated after this conversation. I can’t wait for you to listen!
Connect with Shannon:
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #63. This week on the podcast I am joined by Cindy Pedraza. Cindy is the co-founder of CocoAndré, a Mexican-American-family owned chocolate shop in Oak Cliff, Texas.
Cindy and her mom Andrea began their journey as entrepreneurs nearly 11 years ago after they were both laid off. Facing this setback allowed them to realize that they could create a chocolate shop of their own and began with less than $1000 between the two.
Today, they are proud to have built a business that represents their heritage, culture, and story as Mexican-American-Texan mothers.
For Andrea and Cindy operating CocoAndré Chocolatier is about making guests feel like family. As Cindy explains, “We want you to feel the love of home when you come through our door.”
Today CocoAndré produces some of the finest hand-crafted chocolate in the world, selling their treats from the quaint family-owned retail store to legions of fans and scores of businesses throughout Dallas and across the United States.
And their business has led to many amazing opportunities like being invited to the White House.
Today I am joined by Cindy and I cannot wait for you to listen. Cindy and Andrea’s story is so inspiring. They have not only built a successful business, they have also created a wonderful community around them.
Connect with Cindy:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #62. This week on the podcast I am joined by Ashley Seeds. Ashley is an Executive Coach who works with leaders, professionals, and teams to deep dive into their professional development and become the best that they can be.
Ashley is passionate about helping others to develop their talents and strengths, increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence, and effectively communicate in meaningful ways.
She is a Certified Coach through the ICF, holds a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from the University of Texas - Dallas, and has her BA in Healthcare Administration from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
Ashley and I were in the same executive coaching program and she was one of the people that I feel lucky to call a friend as a result of the program. In our conversation today we talked about her experience as a leader. She shares some of the lessons that she learned as a leader like how we can have hard conversations with our teams.
I learned so much throughout this interview. I can't wait for you to listen!
Connect with Ashley:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #61. This week I am joined by Sandra Hinojosa Ludwig. Sandra is a Certified Life Coach from the Transformational Arts College in Toronto, Canada, a Qualified Solution-Focused Coach from Erickson International in Vancouver, Canada and the best selling author of “Chica, Why Not? How to live with intention and manifest a life that loves you back” published by Hay House.
Through her Facebook and Instagram communities, as well as her coaching programs, she helps Latinas intentionally manifest a life that loves them back.
Through her work, Sandra has connected with women from all over the Americas.
After leaving her childhood home of Monterrey, Mexico, Sandra poured herself into a successful 20+ year corporate career that took her to live in Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, and ultimately to Canada, where she now lives.
Tired from trying to unsuccessfully chase happiness, she turned to therapy and spirituality for help, eventually becoming a certified life coach.
This conversation was such a gift. Sandra shares what led her to leave her successful corporate career to become a coach and how we can use the concept of alignment to really connect with ourselves.
Connect with Sandra:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #60. This week on the podcast I am thrilled to have Alicia Becerra. Alicia is the owner of AliciasDelicias, she is a mother/wife, painter, and baker. She started baking cakes with her mother at the age of eight years old. Her mother was an artist and a stay-at-home mom. She saw the passion Alicia had for art and quickly enrolled her in art classes where she learned painting and sculpting. Alicia applied that skill in her cake making and through those years she honed her skills in the cake world by creating birthday and wedding cakes for friends and family. Competitions soon followed and she became an award-winning cake designer. Cakes were where she was most comfortable and what she originally set out to do.
However; after establishing herself in San Diego, getting married, and having her first child, cake art soon evolved into cookie art and AliciasDelicias was born. She has been thoroughly enjoying building her cookie business for the last seven years.
Cookie art has given her the canvas she has always wanted - the ability to showcase her painting skills, culture, and most importantly, her passion for art.
Alicia’s cookies are so beautiful and true works of art. Her love for her culture shines so brightly. In this conversation, Alicia shares how she got started with her business, her life as a mom and a business owner, and her love for her art. You are going to be so inspired by her story.
I can't wait for you to listen!
Connect with Alicia:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #59: This week I am so excited to be joined by Elie Bou-Issa. Elie has more than 17 years of experience in the IT consulting field. He has delivered projects in private and public sectors to large customers in over 20 countries including countries in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Canada and USA.
He has been working with Microsoft for the past 12 years and is currently based in Texas.
In 2020, Elie took his passion for wine to a higher level. He completed a 6-weeks program with University of Adelaide on “World of Wine: From Grape To Glass”.
And following the Beirut Port explosion in August 2020, Elie registered “Ana Beirut” (meaning “I am Beirut”) wine trademark under the U.S. trademarks and started his professional journey in wine.
A wine tasting in May 2021 in Texas enabled Elie to select six wine blends to be part of the Ana Beirut collection and they reaped an array of rewards, including three silver medals at the 2021 Lone Star International Wine Competition.
In addition, Ana Beirut Rosé wine was awarded 90 points by Wine & Spirits and listed as a Best Buy, while Ana Beirut Assyrtiko won the bronze medal at the 2021 Lone Star International Wine Competition.
The first shipment of wine made its way to Texas in December 2021 and launched this month.
Elie is so inspiring and gives so many great tips for anyone wanting to pursue a passion project. I can't wait for you to listen.
Connect with Elie:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #58: This week on the podcast I am so excited to be joined by Megan Scipione, founder of Inkberry Financial. Megan is a financial wellness coach who creates money plans for couples who want to make sure their money works as hard as they do. She helps clients optimize the management of their household finances so that they are positioned to confidently navigate all life milestones and build long-lasting financial stability.
Megan shares how her desire for wanting to help people understand and create a plan for their money led her to leave her job in asset management to start her financial coaching business.
This conversation motivated me to start taking small steps to become better about my money and financial wellness. I know that it is going to do the same for you. I am so excited for you to listen.
Connect with Megan:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #57: This week on the podcast I am joined by Rogers Turner, Jr. Rogers is the founder of Leveling Up Today, a referral coaching practice. He holds a Master's degree in Science Management and supports professionals reaching their next level of growth.
Rogers has extensive experience working with executive development, managerial development, and training. He is skilled at helping clients get in alignment with their why, while helping them develop a course of action to bring personal growth to their/our world!
He loves working with people who are "lost" and know it! He is a published author, Husband and father
In today's conversation, we talk about how he has found a sense of belonging moving all over the world and the benefits of coaching.
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #56: This week on the podcast I am thrilled to have Amy Norman. Amy is the founder and CEO of Little Passports, a series of award-winning and one-of-a-kind activity kits designed to awaken kids’ curiosity about geography, culture, science, and art.
Founded in 2009, Little Passports now has five subscription kits and a line of complementary standalone toys, games, and activity kits.
Amy’s sense of adventure began at an early age as she frequently moved between the US and England with her family, and was exposed to various cultures and traditions.
In addition to studying Spanish and International Studies at The Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, Amy’s countless travel experiences throughout her life further ignited her passion for learning about the world and sharing that excitement of knowledge with young children.
Drawing on this background, Amy designed Little Passports to give children the opportunity to see the world in a new way, via hands-on activities, exciting games, and stories that draw from science, nature, and global experiences.
Amy is a well-versed leader with over 25 years of experience in general management, strategy, and finance from leadership roles at McKinsey and eBay. She is a member of the Small and Medium Business Council at Facebook, was recognized as an Ernst and Young Winning Woman, was a finalist for Entrepreneur Of The Year in 2019, and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization.
I loved this conversation so much. Amy shares some of the personal struggles that she was going through in her life as she launched little passports. She also shares how mindset impacts what we accomplish in our lives. I was so inspired by listening to Amy’s story. I can’t wait for you to listen.
Connect with Amy:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #55: This week on the podcast I am thrilled to have Sandy Diaz Haley.
Sandy is the founder of Bada$$ Ladies of DFW, an online community bringing professional women together, to fuel passions, and cultivate business relationships in an organic way.
After experiencing a layoff in 2017, Sandy planned a happy hour as a way to reconnect with her network, create new connections, and potentially find leads for prospective job opportunities. That happy hour has resulted in a community of 2K+ like-minded professionals actively connecting, learning and growing, and cultivating business relationships with one another.
Sandy Diaz Haley is also VP of Digital and Social Media at Mr. Cooper, a national mortgage servicer. She is originally from Lima, Peru. Sandy is a wife, a mother of two bada$$ ladies in training, and a passionate spokesperson for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
In this episode, she shares how she created her women’s community and what she thinks about networking. This episode is so helpful and will motivate you to think about how you can make new connections and continue cultivating others.
Connect with Sandy:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #54: In this week’s episode, I’m sharing my journaling and gratitude practice.
I share how I use morning pages to tap into my intuition and I also share my gratitude practice and how I write my future goals.
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #53: This week on the podcast I am so excited to be joined by Emily Landers.
Emily Landers is a speaker, author, and host of the popular, ‘How’d She Do That?’ Podcast.
A born and raised Texan, now living in Los Angeles with her husband and golden doodle, Maui, Emily is passionate about helping other women realize and pursue their passions.
After graduating from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication, Emily moved to New York City where she began her career as an intern at Foot Locker Corporate.
During her time in New York, Emily worked in Marketing, Tech PR, and Social Media for both Fortune 500 companies as well as boutique agencies.
At age 23, Emily became the CEO of a tech startup and has since worked with businesses and brands across the country assisting them in her given areas of expertise.
As a natural connector of people, and more time on her hands during 2020, Emily decided to launch her podcast ‘How’d She Do That?’ to highlight the stories of other female entrepreneurs and businesswomen.
How’d She Do That is one of my favorite podcasts. I love listening in on the conversations with her guests and Emily has one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard.
In this conversation, we talk about what prompted her to launch her podcast, how gratitude can help us silence our inner critic, and how we can think about networking to help us connect with more people.
I can’t wait for you to listen!
Connect with Emily:
- Website
- Personal Instagram
- 'How’d She Do That' Instagram
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #52: This week on the podcast I am excited to have Amanda Stark. Amanda is a certified life coach and founder of Glitter and Gravitas. She is a former attorney who pivoted in her career to become a coach.
In our conversation, we talk about several pivots in her life which included deciding to become a stay-at-home mom, returning to her role as an attorney, and pivoting to becoming a coach.
I loved talking to Amanda and especially exploring the concept of giving ourselves permission to make a change.
Connect with Amanda:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #51: This week on the podcast I am thrilled to have Susie Moore. Susie is the author of Let It Be Easy and Stop Checking Your Likes.
She is a former Silicon Valley executive turned celebrity life coach and advice columnist, and her work has been featured on the Today show, Good Morning America, Dr. Oz, Oprah, Business Insider, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Cosmopolitan.
Born in England, she lives in Miami with her husband Heath and her Yorkshire terrier, Coconut.
I love Susie and having her on the podcast was soo incredibly special for me. Her positive energy is contagious and Her mantra of Let It Be Easy has been life-changing for me.
In our conversation, we talk about the concept of ease and how we can apply it to all areas of our life and not feel guilty about it.
Preorder her book at letitbeeasybook.com/
Connect with Susie:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #50: This week on the podcast I am excited to have Ayana Campbell Smith of Millennial Money Guide.
Ayana is a debt-free money coach with a passion for helping millennial women and couples get unstuck and become financially empowered so they can ditch debt, save more, and win with money.
In August 2019, she launched Millennial Money Guide™. Through her email newsletter, Instagram, blog, and money coaching programs, Ayana shares practical tips and money advice to help young adults navigate the sometimes intimidating and often misunderstood world of personal finance.
This conversation is so helpful and I think you will find yourself motivated to want to win with money.
Connect with Ayana:
- Blog
- Coaching Application
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #49: This week on the podcast I am joined by Lisa Jones. Lisa is the founder of LRCoaching, Lisa combines her leadership years in Corporate America, her training as a Certified Holistic Practitioner, Life and Health Coach and her 10 years as a Marriage and Couples Mentor, to help others achieve maximum potential. She is wife to Clay and mom to 3 daughters.
This is a great conversation about how to be more intentional in our relationships with our significant others.
Connect with Lisa:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #48: This week on the podcast I am thrilled to have Stephanie Harrison, Stephanie is the Founder and CEO of The New Happy.
An expert on happiness and well-being, Stephanie founded The New Happy based on her graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
She has been featured in publications such as Forbes and The Huffington Post and is a frequent keynote speaker on topics including happiness, workplace well-being, burnout, and performance.
Prior to founding The New Happy, Stephanie was a leader at Thrive Global, LinkedIn, and Deloitte Consulting.
I learned so much from this conversation. I am a huge fan of the work that Stephanie and The New Happy is doing. And The New Happy is one of my favorite accounts to follow on Instagram. Each post is beautiful and brings so much value to me. I am so excited for you to listen and learn from Stephanie.
Connect with Stephanie:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #47: Paid Vocation turned one!
In this episode, I share three lessons I have learned from a year of podcasting - from resisting the urge of perfectionism to learning to accept and embrace help from others.
This podcast has been one of the most rewarding projects for me. I feel so grateful that it has given me the opportunity to meet and connect with some of the most amazing people and allowed me to have a broader perspective about a variety of topics. I feel so fortunate to have a platform to motivate people in their careers and chosen vocation. I hope that it has helped you as well.
Thank you so much for listening!
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #46: This week on the podcast I am joined by Stanley Ward. Stan is a writer, educator, and leadership coach. He holds a PhD in leadership studies and has served as an instructor, curriculum writer, and administrator in American secondary and higher education settings.
During our interview, we talk about his book “How to Beat Burnout for Yourself, Your Family, and Your Team”.
I really enjoyed this conversation. Stan shares his past personal experience with burnout, the three dimensions of burnout, and what steps we can take to beat it.
This conversation is so helpful and will give you practical tools and ways to better manage stress in your life.
Resources Mentioned:
- How to Beat Burnout for Yourself, Your Family, and Your Team.
- At Amazon.com in Paperback and Kindle versions.
- The Audiobook Course - Use discount code Fall2021 for a 20% discount.
- Introduction to Tai Chi from Stan’s local Tai Chi instructor.
- Video of Stan teaching the deep breathing practice he mentioned.
- More about ADKAR.
- “Hero on a Journey” Planner by Donald Miller.
Connect with Dr. Stanley:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #45: Cristina Lynch is the CEO and founder of Mi Golondrina and a proud mother of two. She created the brand in 2013 to celebrate the beauty and traditions of Mexican artisans.
Today Mi Golondrina is proud to partner with hundreds of artisans from nearly a dozen different communities across Mexico. With a growing business and a true love for Mexico, Cristina has given birth to a thriving market for beautiful handmade clothing. Mi Golondrina continues to support and bolster the traditions and heritage of hand-embroidery and the families that create them.
I am a huge fan of Mi Golondrina. It was so much fun to get to connect with Cristina. I loved talking to her about her love for Mexico and her perspective on building a business. Can’t wait for you to listen!
Connect with Cristina:
- Website
- Instagram - Personal Account, Business Account
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #44: This week on the podcast I am so excited to be joined by Dr. Desiré Taylor. Desiré is a Clinical Health Psychologist who specializes in working with individuals who are navigating chronic and serious illnesses and sleep disorders.
Desiré attended college and completed her doctoral training at the University of Texas at Austin. She completed her psychology internship at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, and her post-doctoral fellowship at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System. For the past several years, Desire has worked in hospital and outpatient medical settings. In the last year, she began the process of building her own private practice and recently stepped into full-time private practice work.
I loved this conversation, we talk about the benefits of therapy, how therapy can help people experiencing a chronic illness, and how we can go about finding a therapist. I know this conversation will be very helpful for so many people.
Connect with Dr. Desiré:
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #43: This week on the podcast I am thrilled to share this conversation with Jessica Rolph. Jessica is the co-founder and CEO of Lovevery. Lovevery is a company that offers play kits to help create developmental experiences in the lives of new babies and families.
Prior to Lovevery, Jessica was the founding Partner and COO of Happy Family, helping to launch, build and lead Happy Family to its position as a top organic baby and toddler brand in the US. Happy Family was acquired by Group Danone in 2013.
Jessica also co-founded the Climate Collaborative, a non-profit organization helping companies in the natural products industry take meaningful steps to reverse climate change.
She is an Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow and was awarded the Park Leadership Fellowship, graduating from Cornell’s Johnson School in 2004. Jessica also holds a BA from Cornell University.
Jessica and her husband, Decker, live in Boise, Idaho, and are parents to three beautiful kids.
In this conversation, we talk about her journey to finding work that makes a positive impact, what she recommends for people who are looking to find a sense of purpose in their work, and how she handles running a company and time with family and friends.
Can’t wait for you to listen!
Connect with Jessica:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #42: I am thrilled to have Edward Brodkin and Ashley Pallathra, the co-authors of the book “Missing Each Other, How to Cultivate Meaningful Connections”.
Edward is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the Founder and Director of the Adult Autism Spectrum Program at Penn Medicine. He received his A.B. Magna Cum Laude from Harvard College and M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He did his residency in psychiatry and a fellowship in neuroscience research at the Yale University School of Medicine, as well as a fellowship in genetics research at Princeton University. His research lab and clinical program at the University of Pennsylvania focus on social neuroscience and the autism spectrum in adults.
Ashley is a clinical researcher and therapist. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree with Distinction in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania, she received a Master’s degree in Psychology and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Her current research and clinical work center around strengthening social competence and building resilience in families from diverse community settings.
Ted and Ashley discuss the four pillars of human connection that they learned through their research. This conversation is so helpful for anyone wanting to make deeper connections in their life.
Connect with the Guests:
- Website
- Book Facebook
- Book Instagram
Connect with Edward:
Connect with Ashley:
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #41: In this episode, Sarah Von Bargen shares how we can start to get really clear on what makes us happy and align our spending.
Sarah is an educator, speaker, and coach who helps people spend their time, money, and energy on purpose.
You will feel so motivated to be more intentional with your money after listening to this conversation.
Connect with Sarah:
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #40: This week on the podcast I am interviewing Deborah Atella. Deborah is a certified life coach, meditation teacher, and Reiki practitioner.
She is the creator of The Sisterhood of What Next?! Facebook Group. Deborah is the author of the new book, Is This Job My Jam?: The Guide for Grown Ups Who Still Don’t Know What They Want to Be.
Deborah spent years excelling at jobs that she didn’t love, trying to find work-life balance as a mom and hiding her spiritual gifts. This journey ultimately led to clarity and the start of her coaching/healing business.
Deborah helps her clients figure out what they really want to do, navigate the issues that arise with making changes and bring more joy into their lives.
I love Deb’s energy, she is so positive and fun and shares a lot of helpful tips around finding work that we love. I am excited to share this conversation with you.
Connect with Deborah:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Click HERE for the show transcript.
Episode #39: In this week’s episode, I share three powerful questions that can help us reach our goals and projects more quickly and easily. I also share two of my favorite books this year.
Check it out!
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Click HERE for the show transcript.
Episode #38: Saul’s uplifting story is sprinkled with tools to help us reach our own goals and fulfillment.
In this episode, he guides us through his journey to become a Disney animator and shares the steps we can take to be successful in any challenging and competitive field.
Saul has worked as a filmmaker for Disney, DreamWorks and Netflix. He began his career as an animator for Disney working on the hit films Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, & Tarzan. Currently, Saul is the Supervising Producer on the DreamWorks hit show Madagascar: A Little Wild on Hulu. He also hosts the inspirational weekly podcast; Life of AWESOME!
Connect with Saul:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Click HERE for the show transcript.
Episode #37: In this week’s podcast, I am excited to have Kristen Van Nest. Kristen is a writer, actor, and business owner based in Los Angeles. She's appeared on network TV, BuzzFeed, and more. Her work has also been seen in Forbes, the Huffington Post, and literary reviews.
In this conversation, we talk about her current work, her past career transitions, how her time living in Shanghai helped her figure out her love for comedy, and her advice for people wanting to pivot in their careers.
Kristen shares why we should keep our current job while building expertise in a new area when making a career switch, why pursuing work we love may look more non-linear, and how we can be more strategic when thinking about our careers.
This conversation will leave you feeling so motivated!
Connect with Kristen:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Click HERE for the show transcript.
Episode #36: In this week’s episode, I am interviewing Mercedes Barba. Mercedes is an Emmy-nominated, seasoned editorial leader and video producer who is currently a Senior Editor at NextAdvisor, in partnership with TIME Magazine.
In her career, she spearheaded the video team at Money.com and she has also worked with CNBC and NowThis. Her work has appeared in TIME Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Fortune Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, and People Magazine.
In this episode, we talk about her career in personal finance media, the topic of confidence, the importance of networking, and being open to opportunities.
Connect with Mercedes:
- Photography Instagram
- Next Advisor
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #35: This week on the podcast I am joined by Jennifer Barrett, the author of the new book, Think Like a Breadwinner, and Chief Education Officer at Acorns, a financial wellness app with more than 8.5 million users.
Over her career, Jennifer has also been the Personal Finance Editor at CNBC Digital, General Manager of four women’s magazine sites (Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Redbook, and Goodhousekeeping) at Hearst Digital, and Editor in Chief at DailyWorth. Jennifer is a contributor to Forbes and has written for publications like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Newsweek, where she was a writer and editor.
In this episode we talk about her journey to her work today and why it is so important to have a breadwinner mindset. This conversation will motivate you to look for ways to build wealth and to be unapologetic about wanting to earn more.
Connect with Jennifer Barrett:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #34: n this episode, I’m excited to share this replay of my conversation with my friend Angelica Marie. Angelica is a branding and wedding photographer. In this episode, she shares how she started her business and how embracing the mantra “practice makes progress” has allowed her to continue to grow.
Angelica’s photos have appeared in major publications like People Magazine, The Knot, Style Me Pretty, and recently in the new book The Wellness Remodel. Learn how to set yourself up for a business, step out of your comfort zone, and gain strong relationships to build your branding.
More about the Guest:
Angelica Marie is a lifestyle and wedding photographer. She is a free spirit with an attention to detail and an eye for seeing the beauty in everyone, and every moment. Her mission is to provide her clients with images that authentically capture them and their stories. She helps bring their story through life with intentional and meaningful images while capturing life's most intimate moments.
Connect with Angelica Marie:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #33: I'm excited to share this podcast interview I did for my friend and coaching client Estelle Mae’s podcast Grow and Tell.
In this episode, we talk about goal setting and what actions we can take to be more likely to achieve our goals, the mindset shift that we need to achieve goals and how we can break down our goals to achieve them long-term
Estelle was also a guest on my podcast where we talked about how she has successfully launched her passion projects.
More about Estelle:
Estelle Mae is the host of the Grow and Tell podcast and the founder of Luminate Retreat, a women's empowerment retreat in Bali. Grow and Tell podcast invites a wide variety of guests that help you become the best version of yourself.
Connect with Estelle:
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #32: In this episode, we will be featuring clips from our previous guests: JD Gonzales, Cleo Greene, Dr. Lindsay Bira, and Jessica Kent, who talked about making career pivots that led to their personal and professional fulfillment.
From overcoming fears, building relationships, learning from past mistakes, establishing values, positivity, and perseverance to conquering all kinds of challenges, this episode is filled with strategic, inspirational, and actionable tips. Listen in to stay focused, motivated, and confident in finding the right career path for you.
Connect with me:
- Website
Episode #31: In this week’s episode, I’m sharing clips from past interviews on how to create the best version of ourselves. I'm excited to share clips from past podcast guests: Monica Denais, Francisco Oller Garcia, Lauretta Nkwocha, Shayna Casey, Natalie Falco and Camille Kelley.
We talked about the power of therapy and coaching and investing in ourselves. We also discuss the importance of asking for help and why that might be difficult for us. And we discussed facing our fears and prioritizing ourselves. We also shared how to make small changes in our health, protect our energy and continue our overall personal growth.
I hope these conversations will be an inspiration for you to continue creating the best version of yourself. Happy listening!
Connect with me:
- Website
Episode #30: In this week’s episode, I’m excited to share this podcast interview I did for my friend Jen Obermeier's podcast, where we talked about career changes and fulfillment.
Jen is a special friend of mine, and she is one of the first few guests I’ve invited on my podcast. She is the founder of the Pro Organizer Studio and creator of the Inspired Organizer Program.
In this episode, we talk about my career transition from accounting to coaching, how I knew it was time to change careers, and what we can do to figure out what we want to do in our career pivot. We also talked about energy drains, the concept of tolerations, this book I’m currently hooked on, and so much more.
More about Jen:
Jen Obermeier is the founder of Pro Organizer Studio and the creator behind the Inspired Organizer™ system for professional organizers. Her mission is to make selling and serving luxury clientele both doable and FUN. A successful online course creator, she shares even more online business tips and hacks at jenobermeier.com.
Connect with Jen:
- Website
Connect with Lupe:
- Website
Episode #29: I’m eager to bring back this episode with Shayna Casey, a professional life coach, Emmy-nominated TV editor, and breathwork instructor who specializes in helping women overcome workplace self-doubt.
Shayna shares her story of how she discovered coaching when she was experiencing a lot of self-doubt at work. Learn from her first-hand experiences and the lessons she gained throughout her years in the industry.
She also offered advice on how to become more mindful of our thoughts and feelings to live a happier and more confident life. You might be an aspiring life coach or maybe a breathwork instructor, so this episode is just for you.
Check it out!
Connect with Shayna:
- Website
Click HERE for the show transcript.
Episode #28: I am so excited to re-share some of the most popular podcast episodes on my show so far. In this episode, I highlight my favorite clips from four amazing guests, Debby Jewesson, Angelica Valiton, Jen Obermeier and Laylee Emadi, on how they made strategic pivots that helped shape the successful business they now have.
Listen to them talk about their journeys, lessons learned, tips, and advice to those who want to build a successful business. From responding to uncertainty, finding your niche, pursuing your passion, building confidence, learning from failures, and everything in between, it’s an episode you won’t want to miss.
Connect with me:
- Website
Click HERE for the show transcript.
Episode #27: This week on the podcast I am interviewing Hannah Davis. Hannah is the host of Good Morning Texas at ABC's Dallas affiliate and is a content creator focused on connecting humans and teaching life lessons through storytelling.
Hannah is the creator and host of "Rise and Shiners", a series that goes undercover to profile everyday heroes and surprise them with a big public "thank you" on social media and broadcast because she believes the good deserves the spotlight.
She is so passionate about her work, and her love for storytelling and sharing people's journey is so inspiring. Learn more about how she found her voice and her thoughts on how to overcome fear and gain confidence to pursue your dreams.
Catch Hannah every weekday at covering DFW's best people who have something to teach, and places to eat, drink, learn and explore.
Connect with Hannah:
Click HERE for the show transcript.
Episode #26: This week on the podcast I am interviewing Adam Green. Adam is an art advisor and consultant. After a decade of experience in the art industry, Adam founded Adam Green Art Advisory in 2016.
Through his company Adam provides services to new and experienced collectors including advising clients on acquisitions of investment quality contemporary art as well as locating and brokering important contemporary artworks.
Adam also serves as the podcast host of the ArtTactic Podcast, the first and leading podcast covering the art market.
Prior to establishing Adam Green Art Advisory, Adam spent nearly a decade working at Christie's, the leading auction house for the art market.
Adam is one of the most motivated and hardworking people I know. He shares how he was able to create an art pop-up market during the financial crisis of 2008, his path to finding the work he does today and some of the important lessons he has learned along the way.
Connect with Adam:
- Website
Episode #25: This week on the podcast I am interviewing Kendyl Wright. Kendyl is an events professional who has spent over 14 years designing engaging experiences for consumer and lifestyle brands.
From the initial creative concepting to the final event production, Her experience ranges from bringing wine to millennials at New York Fashion Week to activating brand sponsorships everywhere from Little League World Series to the Super Bowl.
She founded her company LOUDER Experiences in early 2019 to be the type of firm that has heart and hustle at its core.
I met Kendyl through a Dallas women’s group and we quickly became friends,
I love Kendyl’s energy and her passion for her work. I really enjoyed this conversation, she shares how she found and created the work that she does today and some of the important lessons she has learned along the way.
Connect with Kendyl:
- Website
Episode #24: This week on the podcast I am interviewing Lisa Ong. Lisa is an award-winning diversity and inclusion strategy consultant, speaker, and professional certified executive coach.
As a widely-known "talent gardener" and "inclusion connector,” CEOs hire her to co-create their diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy to cultivate belonging cultures as great places to work.
Before launching Wishing Out Loud LLC, she was a national diversity director in PwC’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, an HR director, and a financial audit senior manager.
Dallas magazine, D CEO named her to The Dallas 500 in their 2021 and 2020 directories as "one of the most powerful business leaders in DFW" in the “Consultants” and "Corporate Diversity Officer" categories.
She shares how she has been able to work in her vocation throughout her life and she also gives a lot of practical tips on how to stay connected with our network.
Lisa would also like to share her renewed purpose to ask others to help join efforts to stop bullying, racism and hate in all forms. The attacks and hate crime killings and abuse on the Asian community have been happening over a year in individual episodes and did not get wide attention until another killing spree. Please see the link to her recent LinkedIn Post.
Can’t wait for you to listen!
Connect with Lisa:
- Website
- LinkedIn Post
Episode #23: This week on the podcast I am interviewing Danielle Hawthorne. Dani is a confidence coach and entertainment journalist. In her work as a confidence coach, Dani is on a mission to help women build confidence, achieve their goals and dare to create a life they love using the power of video.
Her work as an Entertainment Journalist has been seen on major media outlets like CBS, The CW and The Hollywood Reporter. Danielle created and is Executive Producer of The Reel Dallas an entertainment & film show dedicated to putting a spotlight on what's happening on the film scene from Hollywood to Dallas/Fort Worth.
In this conversation, Dani shares her struggles finding work when she first graduated from college and the lessons that she learned to help her find the work that she does today. She also shares the importance of pivoting, taking baby steps, staying curious and giving ourselves grace. You will be so inspired. Can’t wait for you to listen!
Connect with Danielle:
- Website
Episode #22: This week on the podcast I have Monica Denais. Monica is a Latinx Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, and Mental Health Coach.
Monica helps women entrepreneurs live their best lives so they can stop questioning their confidence in life and business. In her counseling practice, Monica works with women entrepreneurs who struggle with anxiety, burnout, codependency, entrepreneurial stress, perfectionism, life transitions, and self-esteem issues.
Monica is also the host of the Café with Monica podcast, where she helps millennial listeners by educating, sharing tools, and interviewing inspiring and resilient millennials to help others overcome their everyday issues.
Monica is really passionate about her work and in this episode we talk about a lot of different topics including why we might be afraid to ask for help, money, shame, honoring our feelings and toxic positivity.
Connect with Monica:
Episode #21: In today’s episode, Valerie Zaric shares her tips on how to future-proof your career. She shares the lessons that she has learned in her corporate career and she shares an easy to remember acronym STAMP and how applying it can benefit all of us in our careers.
She also shares what motivated her to start her own podcast and how this passion project has helped her grow in so many positive ways.
Check it out!
Connect with Valerie:
Episode #20: On this week’s episode JD Gonzales shares how he connected his passion for people with his career in real estate and fitness.
JD has such positive energy. His story will inspire you to look for ways to use your own passion in your work and to find gratitude in your everyday life.
Connect with JD:
- Personal Instagram
- Real State Instagram
- Terlingua Coffee Instagram
Episode #19: Camille Kelley shares her journey on finding her current work. She also shares how we can find our innate sense of creativity. Camille shares tips on how we can add more creativity to our life and how it can benefit us.
Camille is a mindset coach for overwhelmed leaders looking to release the pressure of the "hustle" and step into more flow, fun, and creativity in their work and lives. Camille provides individual and group coaching, and leads workshops and retreats centered around helping her clients reconnect to their most inspired, aligned selves.
Connect with Camille:
- Website
Episode #18: Natalie Falco shares her journey to pursue her passion of fitness and plant-based health coaching.
Through years of being a vegetarian, bodybuilding, weight loss and muscle gain, Natalie has created an approach to help clients reach their goals without sacrificing their lifestyle and wellbeing.
In this episode she shares her story on finding her current work and tips on how to help us become the healthiest version of ourselves.
Connect with Natalie:
- Website
- Natalie Falco Fit Instagram
- Proving It Plant-based Instagram
Episode #17: Saul’s uplifting story is sprinkled with tools to help us reach our own goals and fulfillment. In this episode, he guides us through his journey to become a Disney animator and shares the steps we can take to be successful in any challenging and competitive field.
Saul has worked as a filmmaker for Disney, DreamWorks and Netflix. He began his career as an animator for Disney working on the hit films Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, & Tarzan. Currently, Saul is the Supervising Producer on the DreamWorks hit show Madagascar: A Little Wild on Hulu. He also hosts the inspirational weekly podcast; Life of AWESOME!
Connect with Saul:
- Website
Episode #16: For the final episode of the year, my guest Lauretta shares her story. Lauretta Nkwocha, Lauretta is a British-born Nigerian entertainer living and working in New York. She is a wife, and mother to two young children. Her work as an entertainer ranges from several TV shows for the BBC, to singing and dancing on London’s West End stage; from playing Lady Macbeth in theaters across the UK, to playing an American on America’s longest running CBS soap; to singing for Bravo’s Real Housewives in New York City!
Her most recent endeavors have seen her host her own talk show on Facebook Live- “LEAVE IT TO LAURETTA” and then “LEAVE IT TO LAURETTA & THE FAMILY”, and now a podcast “LIVING OUT LOUD with LAURETTA”!
In this interview she shares how the power of relationships has helped her throughout her career and how we can do the same in our own lives.
Connect with Lauretta:
- Podcast Link
- Youtube Channel
- Linktree
Episode #15: Estelle Mae is the host of the Grow and Tell podcast and the founder of Luminate Retreat, a women's empowerment retreat in Bali. On today’s episode she shares how she successfully launched her podcast and other passion projects in the podcast.
Connect with Estelle:
Episode #14: Shayna is a certified life coach and Breathwork teacher who helps women with self-doubt in the workplace find their self-confidence. She is also an Emmy-nominated TV editor, When she isn't coaching her wonderful clients, she edits TV shows, like "Say Yes to the Dress", "Chopped", "Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles", and "RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked."
In today’s interview, she shares her story on how she found coaching when feeling a lot of self-doubt in her work. She shares tips on how to become more aware of our thoughts to create more happiness and confidence in our day-to-day life.
Connect with Shayna:
- Website
Episode #13: Nashira Lynton, Financial Counselor, shares her story on how she got out of $60,000 debt, left her corporate role and launched her company to help people reach their financial goals. She shares three concepts that help us learn and change our money mindset.
Connect with Nashira:
- Website
Episode #12: Franciso Oller Garcia is a digital operation and marketing specialist. In this interview, we talk about how gratitude has changed his life.
Key Takeaways:
- Gratitude can change our life
- Leaning into the unknown and uncomfortable, helps us grow in ways we never thought possible
- Most of the time success is not a rapid moment of brilliance, even little steps, small victories add up and compound
Books Mentioned:
Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
Connect with Francisco:
Episode #11: In today’s episode, I share five tips on how to set yourself up for success on a daily basis.
Main Points:
- Journaling Practice called Morning Pages
- Intentionally incorporate music into your day
- Add visual anchors
- Be intentional about what brings you energy and drains your energy
- Gratitude Practice
Discussed on the episode:
- The Artist's Way Website
- 750 Words
- Binaural Beats & Iso Tones
Episode #10: Cleo Greene, WFAA Weekend Morning News Anchor, shares her story on her journey to her current role. She shares what she has learned from a difficult work environment and how she has been able to stay positive through 2020.
Main takeaways:
- Get clear on what work brings you happiness
- Journal about the areas that are important in your life to get clarity both professionally and personally
- Life is short, take action to start figuring out what work is best for you
Connect with Cleo:
Episode #9: Laylee Emadi shares her story on how she left her teaching job to start her own business and she shares how she has been able to diversify her streams of income in her business. She encourages us to take action to move away from analysis paralysis.
Main Points:
- Look to join a supportive community that will uplift you
- It takes time to build a business, focus on one idea at a time
- Loving your job doesn’t mean that you will 100% love it all of the time
Connect with Laylee:
- Website
Episode #8: Jessica shares how she found her work on executive coaching and leadership consulting. She shares how important self-awareness is to be able to get clear on our career journey. We talk about how creating awareness around our values can help give us clarity in our personal and professional lives.
We talk about her background in public relations, her experience as a global leader at Deloitte, and a Senior Director at the Brene Brown Education and Research Group. We also talk about work integration, being a mom, and a helpful coaching tool “Circles of Influence”.
Main Points:
- Look for patterns throughout your life to figure out what kind of work you enjoy the most
- Create self-awareness by getting clear on your values so you can make personal and professional decisions based on what matters most to you
- There is something to learn from all roles, both good and bad
Connect with Jessica:
- Website
- Dare To Lead Resources on values
Episode #7
Main Points
- How she transitioned from her roles at Chanel and Google to building her own business
- Three key points in building a business: Be Available, Be Affable, Be Able
- Some great tips on how to think about function in our spaces
Connect with Diane:
- Website
- Podcast
Episode #6: Dr. Lindsay Bira shares her story on how she transitioned from academia to her private practice. She shares some tools on how to think about a transition in your career and how to grow your confidence.
Main Points:
- Confidence is self-acceptance and commitment to self-growth
- Suffering means that we are growing and pushing through boundaries
- Use the deathbed meditation to help you get clear on what is important about the work that we want to do
Episode #5
Main Points
- Figure out what matters most and what is essential for you in order to get clear on what you need to do next
- Find your zone of genius to find work that is meaningful for you
- Adopt a lighter approach to life by adopting the mantra “just play with it” and “dance with the times”
- There is a purpose for where you have been, allow yourself to dream and start taking steps toward that dream
Books recommended
What Color is Your Parachute? By Richard N. Bolles
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
The Power of TED (*The Empowerment Dynamic) by David Emerald
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
Connect with Debby:
- Branching Out Events: Website, Instagram
- The Roots Groups Website
- Branch Blooms Website
- Debby's Instgram
Episode #4: Angelica Valiton shares how she got started in photography and how she has been able to turn her passion for storytelling into a successful business and brand.
Main points
- Start by embracing Practice Makes Progress mantra
- Set aside 30 minutes every day to build your skills
- Shadow and learn from mentors
- It’s okay that success doesn’t happen overnight
Connect with Angelica:
- IG
- Website
Episode #3: Jen shares her story on how she got started in professional organizing and how that led to creating a successful online course, to help other professional organizers create successful businesses.
Main Points * Start creating by creating an outline and filling in the blanks, it doesn’t need to be perfect on day one * Create a safe space to start gaining confidence in your area of business * Experience builds confidence
More About Jen Jen Obermeier is the founder of Pro Organizer Studio, and the creator of behind the Inspired Organizer™ system for professional organizers. Her mission is to make selling and serving luxury clientele both doable and FUN. A successful online course creator, she shares even more online business tips and hacks at her website.
Connect with Jen * Facebook * Instagram * Pinterest * Website
Episode #2: In this episode, I share three tools that can be helpful in our journey towards making positive changes in our life: 1) the Identity concept, 2) Tolerations, and 3) Passive versus Massive Action.
Our identity, the little things that drain our energy, and the actions that could actually be keeping us from achieving our goals can be pivotal to creating change. The Identity concept and Passive/Massive action can be applied to any type of goal and tolerations can be helpful in creating more energy in our life.
- Identity Concept
- Outcome vs. Identity, as read in the book Atomic Habits by James Clear
- When setting the goal, it’s really important to start by looking at who we want to become in achieving the goal.
- Who and what do we want to be?
- Get clear on the identity you are searching for and then prove it to yourself with your habits.
- Passive and Massive Action
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- Passive action is important but mostly focuses on consuming (e.g. books, courses, training)
- Massive action is the opposite of passive because it is creating.
- Passive action is a form of procrastinating and usually keeps us from taking massive action where we are creating and doing things that create clarity and momentum.
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Tolerations
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It’s important to determine and remove tolerations or energy drainers in our life.
- Tolerations are the seemingly small things in our life that we tend to dismiss and that drain our energy (e.g. the squeaky door, the uncomfortable desk chair)
- These can really bring us down. As a result, we may not have the energy for our goals.
- Tolerations may seem small but they add up.
Quote:
Episode #1: It’s difficult to focus on one career path when you have more than one passion you’d like to pursue. That was the case for Liz Navarro, a marketing communications consultant and adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University. As a kid, Liz couldn’t decide if she wanted to be a writer, a teacher, a journalist or something completely different. As a college student she was constantly changing majors; as a young professional, often changing jobs.
Years later, she’s found a way to incorporate all of her passions into her work as a communications consultant and educator. In this conversation with Liz, we talk about making career pivots, career FOMO, imposter syndrome, experimenting, and finding clarity in your strengths and talents--even when you aren’t sure of the end goal.
For multi-passionate professionals and entrepreneurs, here are three of the episode’s key takeaways for pursuing a career you love.
Build intentional relationships through networking One of the key lessons Liz has learned is that opportunities come from relationships. By sharing her goals, interests, and ideas with advocates in her network, she’s been able to pursue opportunities with companies, organizations, or industries that interest her. Networking is what allowed her to turn her side hustles into a sustainable business, one that allows her to write, teach, speak, and collaborate with clients. Here are her key networking tips (and these are coming from an introvert…)
- Find your champions and advocates, and make it a goal to share your interests and ideas with them
- It’s OK to be different! Network with groups where you have something new to bring to the table, and you’ll be able to make a memorable impression
- Create content that showcases your skills (Liz’s was a TEDx talk), and share those packaged, polished ideas with your network to activate new opportunities
Let Yourself Experiment For many of us, it’s hard to move forward without a plan. When we don’t have a clear path to follow or specific goal to pursue, we stop taking action to move toward it. That was the case for Liz, too, until she accepted that it’s OK experiment without an end in mind. In the times in her career where she felt the most stuck, she’d take a small step forward to pursue something new. Here are some examples:
- Submitting articles for publications for free
- Collaborating with other consultants on their projects
- Saying “yes” to any opportunity that came from her network
After a few years of side hustles, passion projects, and introductions, Liz found that her small experiments were building the foundation for a larger career path. Experimenting helped her focus on projects that made her most excited and energized. Ultimately, she discovered that nothing is a waste of time if it allows you to learn, meet someone new, or develop a skill.
Say “yes” to new opportunities There are so many reasons we tell ourselves “no” when opportunities come our way. It’s easy to assume we’re underqualified, taking too great of a risk, or wasting our time. Liz discusses how saying “yes” is what ultimately helped her grow in her career--despite moments of imposter syndrome, uncertainty, or doubt.
As a multi-passionate person, she found herself saying “yes” to many different kinds of work while seeking clarity in her career. The result is her current business, Liz Navarro + Co, where she gets to spend her days doing a little bit of everything she loves: writing, learning, teaching, creating content, and meeting new people.
Are you a multi-passionate person trying to figure out the next step in your career? Listen to our full conversation here.
Hi, I'm Lupe Prado, a Career and Life coach. Welcome to my podcast, Paid Vocation.
Each week, I'll be joined by entrepreneurs and professionals with diverse, unconventional career stories of doing work that makes them happy.
Let this be a mirror for you to see yourself more clearly and be brought to a place of inspiration and joy with your work.
Connect with Lupe:
- Website