Juan of Words: Recent Episodes
Juan Alanis & Anjelica Cazares
Whether in business or in life, the old adage is definitely true. Patience does pay off, and so does persistance. Great news, friends! After several months of back and forth I was finally able to recover my hacked account from Meta. I'll tell you how I did it in this episode, and also share how these two characteristics have always been in my wheelhouse as tools to try to problem solve whenever possible. Let me know what you think, and if you can relate.
Recently I lost access to an 13-year-old Instagram account that had been developed over that many years, and while this loss was definitely unexpected and unwanted, it did also make me confront a harsh reality. When we are forced to start fresh and reassess what we have been doing all along it is uncomfortable and pretty difficult. On this episode I share more about this experience and the takeaways I am choosing to take from the experience.
In this episode we are talking about the process of planning and taking a step back to review and analyze your business today, so that you have a clearer vision of where you are going and how you are getting there tomorrow. After more than a year, I finally broke out the old SWOT analysis to review where I am in business and to identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats confronting my entrepreneurship journey right now. Happy to report the process was actually quite painless.
Those three leters - DEI - and what they stand for have been in the news cycle quite a bit this new year, but is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion now a bad idea? If you are anything like us, you probably have been having and hearing a lot of conversations on the topic of DEI, and you may be feeling a bit nervous about where we are and where we may be headed. As of Februrary 2025, these are my thoughts on how we can all do our part to make sure the principles of this work are not lost or unlearned.
In the business today, Juan sits down with entrepreneur, public policy advocate, and investor Gary Acosta. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), co-founder of L’ATTITUDE, and co-founder and partner of L’ATTITUDE Ventures. Throughout the conversation, Juan and Gary discusses his personal story, his work with the Latino community, and his multiple business ventures. Get ready to be empowered as Gary shares invaluable insights on chasing your dreams, refining your skills, and nurturing meaningful connections.
As an agancy, my team and I here at Big Oak Tree Media are fully committed to elevating diverse voices and communities - and our work through the Latina Leadership Podcast is just one way we are turning our commitment into action. So far this year we have celebrated two events under the Latina Leadership Podcast umbrella, and we have plenty more to come. In May, our inaugural Mind, Body, and Latina Soul event culminates, and in October, the annual Latina Entrepreneurship Conference is back! Tune in to learn more about these events and about our why for this work.
On this week's episode, Juan Alanis sits down to speak with Eric Salinas Nebel, a native Houstonian and writer, to discuss his personal life story, cultural upbringing, and writing journey. They also dive into Eric's debut book, Hispanic in the Box: Inside the Power of Latin-Americana. The book was written in the midst of a historic Hollywood labor strike and the first months of first-time fatherhood. The labor of love is a true testament of the importance of culture. Check out his book at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMJTF8HL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
In the Business today, Juan Alanis sits down with Robert Burns, the Home Region Program Director for the Walton Family Foundation. The Walton Family Foundation is a family-lead philanthropic organization that focuses their attention on education, environmental conservation, and improving local communities in the home region of the Walton family, Northwest Arkansas, and the Arkansas- Mississippi Delta. Robert goes further into depth about the philanthropic efforts the Walton Family is passionate about, including promoting equity through means of education and financial security, and helping to build a more vibrant and inclusive economy for their local community. Tune in to learn more about the granting processes at the Walton Foundation, and listen as Robert gives the audience more insight into the Northwest Arkansas region as a whole.
In the Business today, Anjelica Cazares sits down to interview Co-founder Juan Alanis and CEO of Speke Podcasting, Freddy Cruz, to share the details of their journey from a 9-to-5 job, to successful entrepreneurs. Juan and Freddy discuss the importance of believing in yourself, putting yourself out there, and learning when complacency becomes hazardous to your authenticity. The truth is, no one ever knows where they’re going to end up. Try as you might, even after 400+ job applications, you can never predict where life wants you to go. If you think 400 applications is crazy, tune in to hear more about that from the man himself, and how he never let that stop him from chasing his bigger purpose.
Housekeeping and organizing your priorities are very important, but what comes next? I use a variety of effective techniques to make sure I figure out how to effectively handle the day-to-day tasks in my personal and professional life.
On this week's episode of In The Business, Juan chats with Fidel Martinez, Editorial Director for Latino Initiatives at the L.A. Times. Fidel is originally from Texas, having grown up in the RGV, where Juan is also from. There is a lot of Latino pride that comes to play in this conversation and the importance of harnessing that pride to make our voices heard. They discuss the changing times and how increasing representation and visibility of Latinos in media is at the forefront of what Fidel does at De Los, the new media platform from the L.A. Times focused solely on highlighting Latino stories. Find their trailblazing work at delosangelestimes.com to learn more and to reach out to Fidel with an idea you may have for a Latino story.
Watch and listen to all our podcast episodes here: https://linktr.ee/juanofwords
On this week’s episode of In The Business, Juan chat’s with Jose Avalos, co-founder and CEO of TECH23, a media and entertainment company for the advancement of Latinos in tech. TECH23 is helping to bridge the gap between technology and the Latino community - all 23 countries. Juan and Jose discuss the meaning behind TECH23 and why this number was so important to them. Jose has a vision for the broader Latino community through his work at TECH23, and Juan and Anjelica, being “padrinos” for the startup, are excited to see what’s next for them.
In this special episode, Juan chats with former NASA Astronaut, José Hernández - the inspiration behind Amazon Prime's new film "A Million Miles Away." José shares his inspirational story from starting out as a migrant farmworker to becoming an astronaut for NASA, and he gives credit to his father for passing on some important words of wisdom that shaped his destiny.
In this episode, Juan sits down with the very inspirational, Jeff Jenkins. He is the host of the National Geographic show, Never Say Never with Jeff Jenkins, now streaming on disney+ and hulu. A content creator and former teacher of 9 years, Jeff shares some great advice for anyone with a dream. Dream BIG, write it down, and never give up! What’s on your dream list?
Journalism picked her. We’re talking to Joy Sewing this week - the talented journalist who has covered everything from fashion to issues affecting people of color. A current columnist for the Houston Chronicle, Joy has proven she is a passionate writer and shares her journey in the business. As a native Houstonian, Joy reflects on her upbringing, the people, pets, and things that inspire her in life, and what the future may hold.
Hello friends! Hang on a minute while we wipe the cobwebs off our studio just a bit... Seriously though, we are happy to be back on the mics. Well on the mics for this show that is. Let's kick things off with a little conversation about buisness and growing pains, and lessons we are still learning along the way. Take a listen wherever you are, whatever you are doing, and share your thoughts with us también.
This has been weighing on my mind this week, and I thought I’d share some of my thoughts in this video. The topic is having difficult conversations. Or more accurately, avoiding them. Would be great to hear your perspective too in the comments.
On this week's episode, we're just checking in with each other and talking about how we're doing so far in 2023. From sickness to car accidents, come hang out with us as we recap our year so far, and laugh along as we poke fun at each other too! That's married life, right? How are you doing? Let us know in the comments!
Thinking about our first steps and lessons learned as newbie business owners and the journey that brought us here! This week we're talking about taking risks when stepping out on your own and what has worked for us being entrepreneurs. If you're a business owner or entrepreneur then you know those first steps can be scary. I think we can all agree that stepping into the unknown is a necessary part of growth. What was your "leap of faith" in your career or life? Listen to our conversation and let us know your thoughts!
Let's face it. We are all naturally curious and yes, maybe even a little nosy! Have you ever been asked something quite "personal" in an unexpected moment or an expected question at an inopportune time? Preguntas necias - you might have heard of these questions being referred to as such. That's what we are talking in this very last episode of 2022. Friends, we are welcoming a new year tonight and we wanted to go ahead and pose these questions to you as we close out the year. Give it a listen. Don't take anything personal. And let us know your thoughts. Happy New Year!!
He's an international Latino Book Award-winning author and his latest novel "Valley of Shadows" is very much on brand with his polished storytelling, cultural immersion and magical realism style. It is a visionary novel that explores and upends classic American genres: Western, Southern gothic and horror all along the Texas-Mexico border.It was great to talk to author Rudy Ruiz about his latest book and his path in life thus far. "Valley of Shadows" is a mesmerizing read so get your copy today!
When it comes to self-esteem two factors really come in to play. Often, whether it's perceived or real, we feel judged and that can directly affect our confidence. Both in ourselves and others. That lack of confidence can impact our role as professionals and business owners as well, and that is why this episode we are spending some time talking about both judgement and confidence.
After more than two years of starting our podcast journey we finally have taken the plunge and given the show new name! You are now about to listen to the In the Business with Juan and Anjelica podcast. Same station, same crazy hosts, but with a new purpose and commitment. In this episode we talk about how we came to this point of changing our name - although we don't necessarily agree on how we got here. Anyhow, we hope you will join un and enjoy this episode.
After more than two years of starting our podcast journey we finally have taken the plunge and given the show new name! You are now about to listen to the In the Business with Juan and Anjelica podcast. Same station, same crazy hosts, but with a new purpose and commitment. In this episode we talk about how we came to this point of changing our name - although we don't necessarily agree on how we got here. Anyhow, we hope you will join un and enjoy this episode.
Since we’ve been in Northwest Arkansas, one thing we have started to understand is that making friends as adults is not always easy. The same could be said for the idea of cancel culture, and we talk about it in this latest episode. Take a listen and shareyour thoughts and tips with us on both topics if you have any experience. We would be most grateful.
We are not leaving Texas. As crazy as it sounds, we are splitting our time between two states. Expanding our growing business in a new place, and taking a leap of faith on what we hope will be a very worthwhile investment of our time and resources. Aquí les damos todo el chisme!
Dr. David Persse is the Chief Medical Officer for the city of Houston at the Houston Health Department. It's been under his guidance and leadership that we continue to navigate public health and safety around the global pandemic. On this episode, he joins me for a very informative conversation on the state of health matters in Houston.
We are back! And this time coming live to you all the way from Northwest Arkansas. On this episode we get into what made us decide to give this part of the country a try as our new additional zip code to call home. Texas, you are always still with us!
The Houston Health Department's Porfirio Villareal joined me for this important conversation in our COVID-19 Series. To increase parents’ awareness and consideration of the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-17 years old, the Houston Health Department is working diligently in the Houston community to create more awareness about how to keep families and our city safe and secure during this ongoing global pandemic.
Recently I had the opportunity to speak with the Houston Health Department about their public health COVID campaign called "Your Choice. Their Health." Through this initiative they are vaccinating children 5-17 years old in schools here in our community with the consent of their parents.
Hard to believe we are almost three months into the year, pero como buenos Latinos, why not take the time now to talk about our goals for this year - 2022! What are your goals? Any learnings from previous years you care to share?
There is an exciting new round of oppportunities available through the ComcastRISE Initiative. We hosted a panel discussion to explain who should apply and to go into detail about this great funding opportunity for small business owners.
Luis Garza has been a friend to Anjelica's family for years. On this episode he speaks to us about his candidacy and call to service as Justice of the Peace Precinct 6, Place 2 in Houston.
It has been a minute since our last episode, but we are back today with a new podcast for you all. This time we are talking about our experience with COVID recently. Please keep in mind this is our personal account of this experience and in no way any medical advice. Hope your new year is off to a good start!
"You can't handle the truth!" Or can we? We talk about white lies, not so white lies, and everything in between when it comes to "being honest" in this conversation. Take a listen and let us know how you truly feel about the truth.
We continue our trek through the southwestern United States with a stop at the Sandia Mountains in New Mexico. There we found a cliff at the top of the mountains where we set up to have a conversation with you all, and to share some of the amazing views we were witnessing.
We filmed this episode live from Hurricane, Utah during our recent travels. And we talk candidly about some of the "profiling" we experienced while in Arizona as Latinos and Mexican-Americans.
Things are starting to open up again. People are eager to get together, and we are seeing more and more people on the road too. As we get into the last quarter of 2021, we check in on how things are here and now in this part of the global pandemic.
You all have heard us reference Anjelica's Latina Leadership Series before. Today, we wanted to spend a big part of the show discussing it even further and giving you the full story behind this exciting series.
Since Halloween is right around the corner, we get into some of the shows we grew up watching that used to scare us as kids. We also talk about a few current topics that we have been paying attention to recently.
If you enjoyed part 1 of our 2-part series, "21 Questions," this is the final installment, where we go through some of the best questions yet.
Comcast is offering 600 - $10,000.00 grants in six cities across the United States, including Houston. The grants available are intended for BIPOC small business owners and the application deadline is October 14th.
Juan speaks with Toni Beck, Vice President External Affairs, Comcast Houston; Paul Gor, Director of Community Development, Asian Chamber of Commerce in Houston; and Tammi Wallace, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce, on this episode.
Get full details and apply at: comcastrise.com.
We take turns answering random questions on this first part of our two-part series that we are calling "21 Questions." Take a listen and share your answers with us too if you're so inspired.
More and more this word is coming up in our conversation with others. Technically, I guess, you could say we are "Empty Nesters" ... and we are trying to figure out what that means now. Take a listen to our conversation about this now.
On this episode, we connect with a few folks from Houston's Lone Star College as they share about their Latino outreach initiative known as the Puente Program.
And we finally make it to Disneyland California on this final episode of our three part Lover's Road Trip series! We hope you have stuck with us through the adventure, and that you found it funny at least, or informative.
On this leg of our trip we hit sunny San Diego, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, and all the beautiful cool weather in California. Join us as we discuss part two of our recent Texas to Cali road trip!
On this episode we are on the road. Headed for San Diego and So Cal in California, but making few stops along the way in New Mexico and Texas. This is part one of our three part series sharing our experiences on the road from this Texas to Cali trip.
We get into everything from Eros to Stergo, and the rest of the seven kinds of love according to the research Anjelica conducted on the topic. It leads to some really interesting conversation about how we connect to each other and those in our lives as well.
Or the closely related ciesta or merienda. We talk about this unique Swedish tradition, and also confess some of our most "real" guilty pleasures. Juan also shares some exciting personal news.
Now bare with us for a moment... we do share our take on reaching 40 and what it feels like to be entering a new stage in our lives on this episode. However, we do fully acknowledge that our age may be showing. Join us for this fun conversation and let us know how you're feeling about your own stage at this point in your life.
On this episode we talk about Graduation 2021, and the excitement of what might be next for grads, for us, and for all of you on the same boat as us at this stage of our lives.
Mexican slang! Or Spanish words we say en español that can have a completely different meaning depending on how you use them. We talk about some of our favorite Mexi-Vocabulario words Juan has written about over the years.
We're joined by our friend Leticia Manzano of the Houston Area Women's Center, and artist and creator of the one-woman performance "Delejos," Julie Piñero for this episode of the podcast in which we discuss grief and hope.
Last year in March we started this podcast. On this episode, for our one year anniversary, we take a look back at some of the most telling episodes about who we are and share what we remember about recording each episode.
We are finally ready to talk about it, y'all... the Texas freeze!! In this new podcast episode we go into detail about what it was like for us in Houston with no power and no water... but a lot of ICE!
It is almost second nature for us, and until recently we had forgotten that the actual term for what we were doing was code switching. We talk about this, and about getting vaccinated for COVID-19 on this episode.
What does this expression actually mean? Apparently it has shifted over the years, and in this episode we get into our own interpretations of this common phrase. We also talk about "selling out" and who gets to decide how that label is used.
Or nightmares in some cases. Juan recounts a vivid dream he had recently that has stayed with him for the last few days, which leads us into a conversation about interpreting our dreams and nightmares. We also touch on our first impressions of the new social media audio app Clubhouse. But first we go into what happened at the Capitol on January 6.
For the commenter who sent us a message about how great we are about communicating with each other, this one is for you. We thought it would make sense to share how much of a work in progress communication has been and is in our marriage and relationship.
Can you believe it? This is the last week of 2020! And yeah, while we don't know what will come next in 2021, on this episode we spend some time discussing how it feels to be at the end of what has been such an unpredictable year. We also talk a little bit about what it means to be a "hater."
We break down our thoughts on the new Netflix series about the life and times of Selena, as well as the Black Eyed Peas latest collab with Shakira, which also happens to mention Selena. This leads us into a more in depth conversation about Mexican American identity vs. Latinx and Latino.
Something came up while we were in Hot Springs last week. It made us take a step back to talk about our own identities as first generation Mexican-Americans. We would love to hear from you about your own self-identity stories.
This Thanksgiving feels a lot different from other years, and it also reminds us that 2021 is literally right around the corner now. We talk a little bit about our expectations for the New Year, as well as what we are most thankful for in 2020.
Anjelica is getting ready for her session at an upcoming conference in Houston, and she decided to share some of her business basics tips on this episode. Take a listen and let us know if you would add any more tips!
We are live, from Arkansas, in this episode. And since we are on the road we decided to talk a little bit about our travels via car. Anjelica also shares some very important life lessons she has learned.
Welcome to the Halloween episode of our podcast! This holiday has always been one that we enjoy a lot as a family. And even though the last few years have been a little different, this year we decided to dress up, and record an episode for you all. Happy Halloween!
What does it mean to be Latina and in charge? What are the challenges still impeding Latinas' path to leadership? We talk about this topic and more about Anjelica's IGTV series that directly addresses these topics in a lot more detail. Watch it now and share with a friend!
We're talking about it on this episode. Juan shares why he is still a little resistant to the terminology, while Anjelica goes into detail about the origins and the increasing spotlight on terms like gaslighting and toxic masculinity.
We realize that some of you may be new to who we are, and some may just not know us all that well. Consider this a reintroduction. This was a fun Q&A session between us!
We go pretty deep in this episode to kick off Emotional Wellness Month on the first day of October. Listen and share with a friend or with anyone experiencing an emotional wellness issue.
Our guest this week is Rolando Rodriguez, Co-Founder of Trill Multicultural here in Houston. We talk about equity, marketing, and getting comfortable with using your voice as a New Majority business owner.
Loyalty, Sincerity, and Honesty. Three of the characteristics we discuss on this episode all about friendships. How to make them. How to keep them. And how to strive to be better friends.
In this episode Anjelica interviews an old classmate from the charter school they both graduated from. Tirzo Ponce opens about his life then and now, and the lessons he has learned along the way.
Is jealousy part of romance? Can being celado be romantic? We couldn't let this month end without talking a little bit about the subject of romance. And somehow that also led us to jealousy. Listen now and weigh in with your thoughts.
In this multigenerational conversation, Edgar and Anjelica breakdown a few of the key differences between Millennials and Gen Z. Plus Edgar talks about getting ready for college and growing up with us as parents.
Erika Cazares is Anjelica's sister. Moises Alanis is Juan's father. We do our best on this episode to honor their memory, and hopefully to share what our grieving process has been like.
At the charter school for at-risk youth Anjelica graduated from, Jay Cherin was a teacher. Two decades later they connected for a little walk down memory lane, and some pretty inspiring analogies. This is that conversation in full.
Things got a little intense in this conversation when we started talking about our pasts and our relationships with our parents. We focus on three things this episode: Fear, Embarrassment, and Shame.
He says he grew up with these superstitions. Some of them are kind of funny, others just a little weird. Tune in for a fun conversation on Juan's Mexican superstitions.
Over the years in business we have learned a thing or two about networking. In this episode, Anjelica shares some of her best tips on making genuine connections with new people.
According to us, we each have our versions of how we met. This started out as Juan's version of the story, but hey, I'm the one telling it, right?
How we deal with it and how we come to terms with it. Failure is the topic of our conversation on this candid episode of our podcast.
Here's an excerpt from the blog post I'm reading this time: "As human beings we have a tendency to look back at our pasts and contemplate what could have or should have been different. Maybe it would have changed the course of our life in one way or another. Perhaps if that one defining moment hadn’t taken place, or it would have happened when we were more prepared, we could have dealt with it better."
The pandemic has affected all of us, including our teenagers. We discuss what students might expect this upcoming school year, as well as the latest about the situation in Houston.
Another blog post read on this episode of Hey, But Did You Know? I'm reading from the blog post "Bartering with Gorditas." Hope you enjoy!
Personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. That's the definition, and that's what we are talking about this week.
This was a blog post Juan wrote in 2011, about "Growing Up, Growing Old, and Holding on to the Niño Terco."
Things in Houston are getting serious. In this episode we share some of the things we are missing the most while social distancing, and a few other updates.
I have been wanting to bring Juan's written words to video for this podcast since we started. So, let me introduce you to a blog reading series we are starting as part of Hey, But Did You Know?
Recently Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio sparked renewed conversation about the often controversial word "prieta" on social media. For this first episode of our "Hey, But Did You Know?" series we are touching on the word briefly. Have a listen.
On our latest podcast episode we are talking about the book 'Finish' by Jon Acuff, which is all about helping people get better on actually finishing deadlines. We will tell you how the advice is going in a few weeks, but in the meantime, take a listen and let us know what you think.
Last week we were in the Rio Grande Valley. This is where Juan grew up and spent his childhood, and it had been more than 30 years since he had visited. On this episode we recount the trip.
The book 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck' by Mark Manson is what we are discussing on this episode of the Juan of Words - Podcast. If you're into self-help books or practical life advice, take a listen.
They say depression is something we will all experience in our lifetime. However, not everyone will experience it in the same way. Join us this episode for a conversation about Anjelica's personal journey through depression.
On episode 14 we are talking online shopping before getting into a more-serious-than-usual conversation about our relationship and the four basic needs of a relationship, according to the Worldwide Marriage Encounters.
While in Austin for Social Media Week, Anjelica spoke to Priscilla Castro who is Director of Marketing for Planoly after her session titled, Social Media Strategy Mapping. If you've heard the rumors about likes going away on Instagram, you'll want to listen to this interview to hear why that may not be such a bad thing after all.
This episode Anjelica sits down with "Creator of #Chingonatude" and digital influencer Sheila Lopez, better know as @ladivina.latina on Instagram for a conversation on confidence, self-love, and women supporting women.
This is week eight of our quarantine and we are feeling it. Apologies in advance because this episode is a little random, but the eight weeks is catching up to us already. How is your social distancing going?
More than likely, it's not what you're thinking. For our 10th official episode - woo hoo! - we talk about the meaning of this expression. If you are anything like us, you might have your own interpretation of this terminology. We'd love to hear what it is!
Yes, we said it! Tuna fish potato salad. Juan thinks it is a thing - is it? We also end up talking about communication and trying to do a better job of communicating with each other in our marriage. It's been a process, y'all. It is a process!
Like it or not, the influencer market is changing. As we all have begun to normalize the unusualness of being in a pandemic, people's attitudes towards what they now consider of interest is also different.
According to psychologists, toxic positivity is "the excessive and ineffective overgeneralization of a happy, optimistic state across all situations." It was a new term for Juan and we decided to have a conversation about it in this episode.
What does essential mean? As we consider the long term effects of this pandemic on our local, national, and global economy, on this episode we explore the topic of "essential jobs and skills" in times of crisis or economic depression.
Or not, depending on which one of us you ask. On this episode of the Juan of Words podcast we are talking about our latest trip to the grocery store and how we ended up spending way above our normal budget for groceries.
From Walmart to John Krasinski, and even the potato boss, this episode we are talking about all the things that have made us smile in the times of COVID.
Facing one more month of social distancing, a lot of people may be starting to feel the pinch of stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. On this podcast episode we dive into a conversation about mental health in week three of this pandemic experience we are living with all of you from Houston.
On week two of our self-isolation experience in Houston, the city has officially issued a Stay Home, Work Safe initiative through April 3, 2020. On today's episode we share how we are coping with the "new normal," what we are noticing on social media from brands, individuals and influencers, and our overall thoughts on saying something when it counts.
This was our first outing since Houston was asked to avoid gatherings of 10 people or more. We were recording live from the parking lot of a Walmart in El Campo, Texas.