Cafe Con Pam Podcast

Listeners, we're back this week with Sandra Cisneros.Sandra is a poet, short story writer, novelist, essayist, performer, and artist whose work explores the lives of the working-class. Her numerous awards include NEA fellowships in both poetry and fiction, a MacArthur Fellowship, several honorary doctorates, and national and international book awards, including Chicago's Fifth Star Award, the PEN America Literary Award, and the National Medal of Arts. Most recently, she received the Ford Foundation's Art of Change Fellowship, was recognized among the Frederick Douglass 200, and won the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature. In addition to her writing, Cisneros has fostered the careers of many aspiring and emerging writers through two nonprofits she founded: the Macondo Foundation and the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Foundation. She is also the organizer of Los MacArturos, Latino MacArthur fellows who are community activists.During our conversation, we talked about:Mental healthBecoming a

Listeners, this week we're back with a solo episode. Pam shares her perspective on what finding your purpose means.This is more of an exploration and invitation for you to think about what your purpose is, rather than a lecture on how to find yours. Follow Cafe con Pam on all things social and share your thoughts with us.InstagramFacebookhttp://cafeconpam.com/Join the FREE Cafe con Pam Challenge If you are a business owner, join us for Aligned MastermindJoin PowerSisters! Findmypowersister.comSubscribe, rate, review, and share this episode with someone you love!And don't ever forget to Stay Shining! Thanks to our monthly supporters David HaberstockMartha Alonzo-JohnsenAida JarrettMaribel LaraBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/cafe-con-pam--6348411/support.

Listeners, we're back this week with Sandra Velasquez.Founder of Nopalera, a Mexican Botanical bath & body line. Sandra’s main ingredient, the nopal (cactus) is more than an ingredient; it is an ancient symbol of Mexican culture: strong, resilient, beautiful, and has always been here. Just like us. She founded Nopalera to elevate and celebrate Latin@ culture and remove cultural stigmas in body care. Her core mission is to fight racial injustice by showing up in the face of racism and anti-immigrant mentality and helping immigrants at the non-profit, Casa Cornelia.During our conversation, we talked about:Making a decision early on about her brand being a luxury brand.Her experience working in the CPG industry.Getting pushback from people in the community calling her brand "too expensive."How to know when your brand is ready for a retailer. This episode is brought to you by Apotheosis Art|Apotheosis Art was born out of a desire to cultivate an artistic community focused on passion, curiosity, and eagerness.

Listeners this week we have a conversation with Charisse M. Williams.Charisse M. Williams is a certified leadership coach, speaker and mindfulness teacher who has dedicated her career to advancing social justice and well-being for all.In launching her coaching practice she truly found her dream job by aligning her passions, strengths and values.She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University School of Law. As a certified yoga instructor, she brings a mindfulness lens to all of her work. A travel enthusiast, Charisse once traveled across Europe with no itinerary, starting in Amsterdam and ending in Marrakech five weeks later. She is insatiably curious about the mind and loves nerdy podcasts like The Hidden Brain on NPR Radio. Charisse lives in Atlanta, Georgia.During our conversation we talked about:How she decided to write a book in the middle of a global pandemic, after the murder of George Floyd.Writing her first draft.The power of accountability.Ment

Listeners, we're back this week with Lisbeth Garces.Since 2007, Lisbeth Garces has sought to provide dance therapy exercise for people with disabilities in memory of her late son, Juan Carlos Garces, who suffered from Muscular Dystrophy. Lisbeth was born in Venezuela, the youngest in a family of seven siblings. At the age of twenty she gave birth to her son Juan Carlos. After five years she received the devastating diagnosis of Muscular Dystrophy. At this point Lisbeth decided to devote all her time and energy to improving her son's quality of life. Lisbeth is not without personal experience in living with people with disabilities. Lisbeth's sister lives with cerebral palsy, her mother suffered with Parkinson's before she passed away and her brother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 60 and passed away at 68 in 2020. Her sister did not receive any medical support or an education, and had no social interaction outside of the immediate family. She witnessed the slow decline in her mother's health while carin

Listeners this week we have a conversation with Guillermo Chacón.Guillermo is the President of the Latino Commission on AIDS and founder of the Hispanic Health Network.Since 2010, Guillermo Chacón has served as President of the Latino Commission on AIDS, where he is a vocal advocate on the impact of HIV, viral hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Infections in Hispanic/Latinx communities. Under his leadership, the Commission has invested in national community mobilization programs to promote HIV testing and linkage to care and capacity building programing nationwide and special investment in our regional work in the South of the United States.Guillermo's work focuses on developing agendas on health policy issues affecting the health of Hispanics. Chacón was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to serve in the NYC Commissioner of Human Right in November 2019, to the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) community advisory board and the Committee on New York City Healthcare Services. Governor Cuomo appointed Chacón t

Listeners, we're back this week with Ber-Henda.Ber-Henda is a Visionary+Empath Coach. She supports empathic creative visionary empaths to find their voice, embrace feminine power, and create mission-based businesses in service of social transformation, justice and equity. When she is not doing that, she runs a girl’s leadership program, The Power of Girlhood for girls 8-18. Además, ella es una poeta bilingüe. She is a bilingual poet. She believes feminine empaths are here to disrupt the patriarchy and oppression with their mission-based businesses.During our conversation, we talked about:Anti Blackness in the Latinx communityCelia CruzHow she became a teacherBeing an empathHer journey with fibroidsHiring a coach aka your board of directorsThis episode is brought to you by the Procrastinator Quiz! Do you know what kind of procrastinator are you? Find out at procrastinatorquiz.com RELEVANT TIMESTAMPS:5:50 - Black people in Mexico13:25 - Getting interested in Spanish15:08 - Black presence in History16:27 - Reali

Listeners this week we have a conversation with Marie Claire Vasquez Durán and Maria Victoria Abreu.~ Este es un episodio en español ~Marie Claire Vasquez and Maria Victoria Abreu, both born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, studied Economics at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), and as adults emigrated to the United States, each pursuing their own personal and professionals goals.Marie Claire went to California, earning a master's degree in International Policy Studies from Stanford University, and then a PhD in the same area of study, from the University of Maryland. She worked for several years in research related to Latin American democracy and development, as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank and Brookings Institution, and then radically changed her career, dedicating herself to being a wedding planner and designer (Claire Duran Weddings & Events), recognized by some of the leading and most prominent experts and publica

Listeners, we're back this week with Gabriela Ulloa.Gabriela Ulloa is a Cuban-American journalist and mental health advocate. After working at Architectural Digest as the Assistant to the Editor in Chief, Gabriela went off to pursue her passion of sharing stories, focusing primarily on stigmatized topics. She’s been published in publications such as The New York Times, Byrdie, Architectural Digest and more.Gabriela is also the co-host of Thoughts May Vary, a podcast that illuminates stories and lessons about personal development and mental health.During our conversation, we talked about:Being a latina in the USBeing white-passing and privilegeMental HealthThe nuances among Spanish speakersCode switchingImpostor syndromeWorking in the fashion industryWe recorded during mental health awareness month (May)This episode was brought to you by Hombres HealthDid you know that the Latino community was amongst the most underserved communities for healthcare? Yes, 1/3 of all Latinos don't have health insurance.Hombres H

Listeners this week we have a conversation with Linda González.Linda González recently published Breaking Through Your Own Glass Ceiling, based on both hers and her coaching clients’ efforts to live a full-hearted life despite daily inequities. Her award-winning memoir The Cost of Our Lives is a family story of unearthing secrets in search of family and redemption. She has published many essays, served as a judge for the Latino Books awards, and is a contributing editor for aaduna, an online literary magazine. Linda firmly believes in the ‘danger of a single story’ about any group of people. She works tirelessly to write and support writing that enriches the current canon of literature. She constantly challenges the narrative that she cannot include Spanish in her work without explaining it or italicizing it.You can learn more about her writing and her thriving practice as a life coach at www.lindagonzalez.netLinda has lived in the Bay Area for over thirty years and is currently in San Rafael on the unceded l

Listeners this week we have a solo episode with Pam.We talk about the power of investing of yourself and the questions you can ask yourself before making a decision. Learn more about Align Workshop, head over to alignyourgoals.comFollow Cafe con Pam on all things socialInstagramFacebookhttp://cafeconpam.com/Join the FREE Cafe con Pam ChallengeJoin FREE online Recovering Procrastinator Manis Community! stayshining.clubJoin PowerSisters! Findmypowersister.comSubscribe, rate, review, and share this episode with someone you love!And don't ever forget to Stay Shining! Thanks to our monthly supporters David HaberstockMartha Alonzo-JohnsenAida JarrettMaribel LaraBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/cafe-con-pam--6348411/support.

Listeners this week we have a conversation with Luis Aguilar.Luis Aguilar is the co-founder of Molcajete Dominguero, a monthly pop-up event for Latinx vendors to showcase and sell unique items. Originally from Mexico City, Luis came to the United States when he was 3 years old. During a trip to Seattle, he attended a pop-up event and realized that Latinx vendors did not have a dedicated space to promote their products in Los Angeles, where he lived. As a result, he founded Molcajete Dominguero with only $50.Luis and Pam are really good friends, so this is a more candid conversation where they explore a lot of topics. During our conversation we talked about:The end of Latinos Who LunchLuis' healing journeyThe impact of COVID and losing peopleLetting go of people in our lifeHis multiple businessesThe lessons he's learned from Noa Noa PlaceStay until the end because Luis gives a shoutout to some Latinx queer brands you can support This episode was brought to you by the Small Biz Sponsorship Program:Are you a bus

Listeners this week we have a conversation with Richard Montañez.Richard Montañez is an inventor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and business executive whose inspirational journey has taken him from the barrio to the boardroom. A sought-after motivational speaker, he may be best known as the creator of Flamin' Hot Cheetos--the billion-dollar brand and worldwide phenomenon. Hailed as the Godfather of Hispanic Marketing, Montañez began his tenure as a janitor at Frito-Lay/PepsiCo before rising up through the ranks to head his own division. He serves on several non-profit boards and is widely recognized as one of the most influential Latinos in corporate America. Richard Montañez and his family live in SoCal California.During our conversation we talked about:Why he kept his life private for a long timeThe cookie story and how he grew up in Guasti CaliforniaGrowing up Latino in the 60sOf course, the Hot Cheeto storyHow his wife Judy influenced his driveHow he decided to begin practicing the future him, and how he s

Listeners, we're back this week with Juliet Menéndez.Juliet Menéndez is a Guatemalan American author and illustrator living between Guatemala City, Paris, and New York. While working as a bilingual teacher in New York City’s public schools, Juliet noted the need for more books that depicted children like the ones in her classrooms. She studied design and illustration in Paris and now spends her days with her watercolors and notebook. Latinitas is her first children's book.During our conversation, we talked about:Heritage and identityGrowing up moving between countriesNon-linear career and listening to your inner voiceHaving a career in art and finding your styleBeing an illustratorHer book Latinitas and how the project evolved.I love her mission of elevating Latina voices This episode was brought to you by the Small Biz Sponsorship Program:Are you a business owner and you'd love to hear the name of your business at Cafe con Pam? Well, your wish has been granted. We have reopened applications to the Small Biz

Listeners this week we're back with Kathy Sosa and Jennifer Speed.Kathy Sosa explores the artistic expression of mestizaje, the blending of peoples, races, ethnicities, languages, ideas, habits and cultures that characterizes the Texas-Mexico border region that has been her home since childhood.Dr. Jennifer Speed is a native Texan and a historian with a special interest in biography and storytelling. Her work ranges in space and time from medieval Spain to early twentieth century Mexico and the U.S.During this episode we talked about:What sparked the curiousity to create their book "Revolutionary Women of Texas and Mexico"How history is written by men and it was important for the stories to be told by womenThe creation of this book, how long it took and the lessons they learned.The Malinche, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, and Nahui Olin This episode is brought to you by the 30 Day Tapping Challenge with PamI created the 30 Day Tapping Challenge because I know, like me, you have limiting beliefs holding you back a

Listeners this week we have a conversation with Lilliana Vazquez.Emmy-winning host and TV personality Lilliana Vazquez is a trailblazing interviewer, style expert, and author. Capturing the audience’s attention behind the microphone, she earned kudos from Bustle with its headline “NBC's Golden Globes Red Carpet Host Is One to Watch.” The enterprising star has curated a career that began from a small blog to being seen by millions daily on numerous platforms including America’s #1 Morning Show, TODAY.Through her experience and research, it led her to realize how infertility disproportionately affects the Latinx community - her beloved community does not have the same access, education, or financial resources when it comes to advanced reproductive technologies (ART). This inspired her to collaborate with a fertility clinic, Kindbody, to create a community initiative that’ll help 12 Latinx women receive free hormonal tests, and one couple receive one IVF treatment. During our conversation we talked about:The dif

Listeners this week we're back with Manny Padilla.Manny wrote his first short story when he was 8-years-old and has been writing ever since. Despite his parents' protests ("You'll starve to death!"), Manny earned a journalism degree, and has since worked consistently in the media and publishing fields with over 36 years of award-winning writing experience, working as a newspaper reporter and editor; marketing, public relations and advertising professional; and public speaker.Manny "retired" from his position as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union in 2019. There, he was responsible for extending the not-for-profit financial institution’s work within the Los Angeles Police and Sheriff’s departments, as well as law enforcement communities.Prior to that, Manny held roles as First Vice President of Marketing, Metrocities Mortgage; Marketing Communications Manager, The California Endowment; Vice President of Marketing, City National Bank; and Writer/Edito

Listeners this week we have a conversation with Thatiana Diaz.Thatiana Diaz leads editorial strategy, ideation, and execution for Refinery29's first Latinx cross-platform channel, Somos. In addition to serving as the senior editor of Somos, Thatiana is a beauty contributor, producing deeply reported beauty pieces and exclusive celebrity features. She has covered beauty through a wide lens, including product reviews, debunking beauty myths, and igniting conversations on inclusivity and diversity within the industry. Thatiana joined Refinery29 from People en Español, where she launched Chica, Meredith's first brand targeting Latina millennials, with video and social media extensions. She is also the former Miss New York USA 2015 and finalist at Miss Dominican Republic Universe.During our conversation, we talked about:We talk about her panic attack when she decided to switch majors in collegeBeing first gen in the US and to graduate from collegeSwitching majors and choosing a different careerInternships and how

Listeners this week we're back with Lincy Ayala.Lincy Ayala is Co-Founder and CEO of BookSloth. Lincy began her career as a biologist, whose love for animals had her working at a Nonprofit Wildlife preserve. Soon after, she re-discovered her passion for design when preparing graphics for the wildlife enclosures. From there she became a freelance UX/UI Designer for Web and Mobile. Lincy has collaborated with projects that inspire other women to pursue tech careers while also advocating for more inclusive work environments. If she’s not working, you’ll find her cuddled up reading Young Adult Fantasy or Sci-fi books.This year is the 10th anniversary of Apple’s student scholarship program at the Worldwide Developers Conference taking place June 7-11. Lincy has worked closely with Apple on various occasions, including their immersive Entrepreneur Camp which focuses on optimizing the apps of women and People of Color.During this episode we talked about:Life in Puerto RicoBilingual life-brainDoing business in Englis

Listeners, we're back this week with Kim Cordova. Kim Cordova was elected President of the UFCW Local 7 in 2009 and is currently serving her fourth term. She is the first woman, in its 150-year history, to ever lead Local 7 and serves as Vice President of UFCW International. Cordova believes when there is a strong labor movement, there is a strong middle class – the key to rebuilding the economies of Colorado and Wyoming.Cordova, a Local 7 union member for 35 years and counting, has dedicated her career to fighting for the health, safety, and wellbeing of working people. In 1985, while still in high school, she began her career as a grocery bagger for Safeway. While working at the store she was held at gunpoint, an experience that sparked her passion for workplace safety. After eight years at Safeway, in several positions including stocker, checker, and baker, she was hired in 1993 as a Local 7 union organizer and later union representative. She served in that position until May 2009 when she returned to work