Latina Life With Jen and Milena

The Sauce to Success In The Restaurant Industry with Christy Vega, Award Winning Restaurateur

How do you start a restaurant and have it become a financial success in today's world? Super Latina Christy Vegas, a revolutionary force in the culinary world,  shares the secret sauce on how to be a successful restaurateur and chef. Christy is second generation of Mexican descent and  is preserving the legacy of her family business, and L.A. landmark, Casa Vega. The Mexican restaurant has been around for over 65 years and is the recipient of the James Beard 2022 Classic Award. Christy shares how leaning into your identity can establish important business roots, why the food industry is one of the last remaining pathways to the "American Dream", and how her advice to "keep it solid, keep it small and keep it sustainable" will lead to Success. 

Here's to each step we take that gets us closer to our dream!

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How To Get That Blue Check Mark & Amplify Your Identity On Social Media with Brand Manager and Strategist Sarah Olea

Today's Super Latina is a risk taker who grew up surrounded by strong women and without limitations placed on her....or so she thought. As Founder of Identity Amplified where she manages brands and social media strategy for creatives and talent Sarah Olea always thinks outside the box but didn't realize the box she put herself in during her journey as an entrepreneur.  This descendant of the famous Pio Pico (the last Mexican Governor of California) shares how being raised in a mixed household (Mexican/Italian/Native American) impacted her identity, how external factors limited her, why risk can result in failure & success and why she wanted to lead the social media strategy for the American Reality Television Awards. Most importantly, especially for those relying on social media for their brand, Sarah reveals important tips on how to increase followers and how to get that coveted blue check mark! 

Here's to being limitless and taking risks!

Check out how Sarah uses social media to amplify the identities of creatives, talent and more at www.identyamplified.com 

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Representing Afro-Latinas, Generational Wealth and Reality Television with Amara La Negra

Our Super Latina today is ready for her TED Talk! You may have noticed her first on VH1's Love & Hip Hop: Miami but she is making her mark by being vocal about colorism. Amara La Negra embraces her Afro-Latina roots and credits her Dominican Republic-born mother (and best friend) for teaching her to be proud her heritage and culture. She is an international entertainer, singer/songwriter, actress, model, author and successful entrepreneur. During our conversation, Amara discusses how she dealt with challenges as an Afro-Latina, why she embraces her negridad, why she asks to be recognized by her full (stage) name Amara La Negra, how she is setting up generational wealth for her newborn daughters, being a single mother and the importance of faith when you chase your dreams. She shares her thoughts on the impact of reality television, representation in reality television and taking part in the American Reality Television Awards. Here's to embracing who we are!

Watch The 9th Annual American Reality Television Awards on YouTube

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Listen to Amara La Negra on Exactly Amara on iHeart Podcast

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-exactly-amara-84301498/

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The Importance of Faith, Love and Making Changes with Designer Flor De Maria

You could say that our Super Latina today is The Queen of Reinvention. Before launching her in-demand luxe shoe line, Flor De Maria, she was a successful sports anchor for Telemundo, the publicist for the San Jose Earthquakes, a fashion blogger and a brand ambassador. As the founder and designer of her shoe line, Peruvian born Flor's mission is to make every woman feel beautiful and to strut like a queen. Her designs have been worn by many celebrities including Xochitl Gomez, Kyle Jenner, Jada Pinkett Smith and Carrie Underwood, among others. During our conversation she shares how the loss of her father and the lessons he taught her about taking chances has influenced her life and career choices. Flor also tells us how her internship led her to become a television anchor, how a back injury led her to a fashion career and how faith and belief in yourself, as well as preparation, will lead you to what you are meant to do. Here's to strutting like queens!

 

 

Why Failing Is Part Of Succeeding and How Our Stories Are Used In Politics with Monica Ramirez & Olga Segura

We shine the spotlight on two Super Latinas who are putting our stories in the forefront in order to have impact on policy that affects Latina/o community across the United States. Monica Ramirez, a third-generation Mexican-American from a migrant farm-working family in Ohio, is a social entrepreneur and attorney. Olga Segura, a Panamanian-Mexican born in Mexico City, is a film producer and activist. They met through their work with TIME's UP. Together, along with co-founder Alexandra Martinez Kondracke, they created Latinx House, a non-profit organization that brings together the Latinx community and it's allies to discuss societal issues, celebrate Latinx contributions and provide opportunities for Latinx. At their inaugural Raizado Festival they brought together a host of leaders for panels, flash talks, film screenings and discussions on topics covering topics impacting our community like  the closing the wealth gap to health equity and the midterm elections. During our conversation they share how our identity crisis as Latinas impact our stories, how our stories (true and false) are used for policy that impacts us, why failing is part of succeeding and the importance of changing the idea of what a leader looks like. Here's to moving forward together!

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Why Your Personal Story Will Guide Your Success with Naomi Rodriguez, VP Los Angeles Dodgers

Our Super Latina's personal story guides her life, her successful career and the impact she makes on the City of Los Angeles.  Naomi Rodriguez is a leader with one of the most beloved Major League Baseball teams - the LA Dodgers. This L.A. native is the VP of External Affairs and Community Relations where her mission is to lead the team's civic, community and philanthropic outreach and to be a pillar of support when the community is in need. Being shaped by Mexican parents and a family that dedicated itself to giving back, despite their own hardships, has prepared her for this role. She shares why it's important to embrace your personal story, how to use that to anchor your career, the importance of harnessing your generational power and what to ask when you finally have that mentor. She also shares how you can celebrate someone special through some fun Dodger opportunities! Gooooo Dodgers and Naomi!

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Breaking Into the Business with Jen and Milena

Today Jen and Milena share how they got into their first jobs in television. Jen shares how an internship helped her break into the news world and why saying yes to new opportunities, even if you doubt you can do it, is the best way to grow. Milena talks about how a friendship in an extracurricular class she was taking led a position at a national entertainment news show. They also discuss the lack of Latina/o representation in this year's Emmy nominations (why did Selena Gomez not get a nomination?!), MLB All Star week and their upcoming guests. @latinalifepodcast

The Importance of Going Through The Roadblocks With Actress Diana Maria Riva

Today our Super Latina Diana Maria Riva enlightens us on the importance of knowing when to keep pushing through challenges as well as knowing when to let go. This first-gen's roots reach to the beautiful Dominican Republic. Her mother's teachings prepared her for the journey from Cincinnati, Ohio to Hollywood, CA where she is a recognizable presence on-screen in some of today's popular TV shows and movies. The award-winning actress shares the first casting challenge she faced, the responsibilities we have to our daughters to always keep going, how her new show "The Gordita Chronicles" conveys the universal message of finding one's place no matter where you are from and more.  Here's to not letting others decide what your story will be! 

The Gordita Chronicles streams on HBO Max June 23rd

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The Importance Of Saying Yes To Yourself with Chef Bren Herrera, ”Culture Kitchen”

You could say that our Super Latina Bren Herrera's journey from a paralegal to an award winning chef on Cleo TV's "Culture Kitchen" was not planned but it was destined. Her family left Cuba as political refugees and made their way to Washington D.C. by way of Miami. While growing up in D.C. her parents made sure to keep her connected to their culture with comida, musica, telenovelas y hablando español. This Afro-Latina embraces and shares her love of her Cuban-Jamaican roots through food and history. Today's conversation dives into the inclusion (and lack of) in the Latina and Black communities in her early years, how it made her question her identity and the challenges she still faces connecting with the Latina community. She shares why she had the courage to change her path without financial security and how an introduction and a dinner party led her to her television show. This conversation is multi-faceted with a look into how food can lead to better understanding of each other and how cultures (Latin, African, Caribbean, Southern) are intertwined. Watch Chef Bren on Cleo TV and remember to always say yes to yourself! 

 

 

How To Be The Master Of Your Own Destiny with Claudia Martinez

She's a leader in one of the most recognizable companies around the world. Our Super Latina Claudia Martinez's path to Head of PR at Amazon Prime Video started in Durango, Mexico before making Los Angeles her home base. You could say that Claudia's sports-loving family trained her for her journey that started off in the finance sector but has taken her into the world of sports and entertainment.  She shares with us how to be the master of our own destiny, the importance of a supportive and helpful Latina community and why a sports mentality will help you be better and prepare you for the challenges in career and life.

Here's to reaching our full potential together!