The First Gen Coach

In this episode I interview Nikki Barua, Interim CEO of one of my FAVORITE organizations, Latinas in Tech! Nikki is a first generation immigrant and shares her journey of navigating the corporate sector, taking many career pivots, and eventually walking away at the height of her corporate career in order to pursue entrepreneurship. She talks about the power of creating your own access and community as a first generation professional, and about the power of curiosity in your career. 

We also discussed the AI revolution and why it is critical for Latinas to embrace AI. Nikki shares why she believes this is a pivotal moment in human history, and why that makes it even more important for Latinas to get started with AI today. 

Hello friends, I am back! May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so this episode is all about self-care practices that can promote your mental health and wellbeing. As you know, I don’t shy away from talking about the broader social forces that can impact our daily lives and careers, and this episode is no different. I address the grim circumstances that are happening in the world, while creating space for the areas in our lives that are within our locus of control and can promote better mental health and wellbeing.

Tune in for:

• ​Ways to audit the content you consume and the mental health resources that are available to you
• ​Ways you can practice self-care that are free or low-cost, can be done solo, or can be done with loved ones
• ​The difference between comforting self-care and growth self-care

In this episode, I interview Rosalie Ennes, founder of Portecua Consulting and author of Build a Beautiful Business con Confianza, about her transition from corporate life to entrepreneurship. We talk about the importance of community, discuss what risk strategy is, and how we all take risks in our careers, businesses, and everyday lives.  Rosalie also shares insights from her book, Build a Beautiful Business Con Confianza, and offers practical advice on financial decisions, balancing a side hustle with full-time work, and making the leap into entrepreneurship

If you’re thinking about taking a big leap—whether in business, writing, or another passion—this episode is for you.

In our conversation, we discuss:

• Her transition from a corporate 9-to-5 job to full-time entrepreneurship

• The importance of risk strategy in business and career decisions

• The process of writing and publishing her book

• Practical advice for those looking to start a side hustle, business, or creative project

About Today’s Guest

Rosalie is a risk strategist, advisor, and founder of Portecua Consulting, a Latina-owned consulting firm that specializes in helping entrepreneurs identify and get ahead of risks so they can build beautiful businesses that are protected, optimized and well-positioned for growth and impact. Whether it’s through a consulting project, as a 1:1 advisor, via workshops, or with her upcoming book, Build a Beautiful Business con Confianza, she equips business owners with a risk lens so they can make great decisions for their businesses and become the powerhouses and changemakers they were meant to be.

In this episode, Walli Miller, a first gen Latina who retired EARLY after becoming a millionaire, breaks down the essentials of financial independence, early retirement, and becoming work optional. We discuss why workplace retirement accounts are game changers, how to navigate stock market fluctuations without stress, and the real difference between investing in the stock market and gambling. 

Here are more highlights: 

• How to evaluate a job offer based on ALL aspects of compensation, not just base pay. 

• How to get started with investing. 

• Why financial independence is NECESSARY for Women of Color

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by investing, retirement planning, or understanding your compensation package—this episode is for you! Listen Now!

In this episode, I sit down with Walli Miller, a financial coach and early retiree, to hear her inspiring journey from growing up in a low-income household in the Bronx to reaching financial independence by age 39. Walli shares how her career in public service shaped her perspective on money, why salary negotiation is a game-changer, and the emotional side of wealth—including the guilt that can come with financial success.

She also breaks down how to build wealth through investing and gives practical, actionable tips to help you take control of your finances. You won’t want to miss this one!

Sound Bites From This episode: 

• "I handed in my retirement notice at 39."

• "I felt guilty about making six figures."

• "I didn't know what to do with my money."

About Today’s Guest

Walli Miller is a financial coach who guides professionals to leverage their income for financial independence, making work optional. Having achieved financial independence in her 30s and retired from a 19-year career in public service, Walli is now helping other millennials create a plan to be financially free.

As a millennial who once grappled with living paycheck to paycheck, Walli shares her journey from impulsive spender to an intentional wealth builder and first-gen millionaire to inspire others to what's possible.

Your resume should tell the story of your impact—not just list your responsibilities. In this episode, I break down how to make your resume stand out by focusing on what you’ve actually achieved. I introduce a simple yet powerful framework—activities, outcomes, and impact—to help you articulate your contributions in a way that gets noticed.

I also dive into why it’s so important to align your resume with where you want to go in your career. Plus, I share real-life examples and why leadership and community involvement deserve a spot on your resume.

Tune in to hear: 

• What most people get wrong about resumes

• Why thinking about your desired next step is crucial before you start updating your resume

• What questions you can ask yourself to best showcase the impact you’ve had on your teams

In this episode, I sit down with Nicole Stanley, a financial coach and entrepreneur, to talk about her journey to financial freedom. Nicole shares how she paid off $30,000 of debt in 10 months, leveraged job hopping and a career pivots, and shifted her money mindset. We discuss the emotional side of finance, the importance of financial education for women, and how investing is key to long-term security. Nicole also shares how breaking free from extreme frugality helped her build a more confident and flexible approach to money.

About Today’s Guest

Nicole Stanley is owner and head money coach at Arise Financial Coaching. Her mission is shame-free, accessible financial education that empowers women. As a Latina entrepreneur and personal finance expert, Nicole paid off significant debt and grew her family’s net worth through investing, sparking her passion for helping women build wealth and transform their communities.

In this episode, I welcome back Yvonne Armenta, a public speaking consultant and podcaster. Yvonne shares her journey from a shy child who was too scared to ask for a bottle of ketchup, to the confident public speaker and public speaking consultant she is today. Yvonne, who is naturally an introvert, talks about the unique strengths that introverts have when it comes to public speaking, and how we can all lean into our strengths to grow our careers through public speaking skills. 

We also talked about: 

• The connection between public speaking and self-advocacy 

• Defining your own version of success

• Financial stability, learning about high salaries, and the opportunities our jobs can provide us

• Growing your career through public speaking and as a public speaker

About Today’s Guest

Yvonne Armenta is a speaker of 10+ years, public speaking consultant, podcaster, and Founder of ¡Latina, Presente!, dedicated to creating spaces and products that guide introverts and Latinas in their public speaking practice.

Through her podcast, "Chats with Yvonne: Public Speaking con Cultura," and social media platforms, Yvonne shares practical strategies for mastering public speaking, con cultura. Her unique approach is to guide individuals to embrace their lived experiences as the foundation for their growth as speakers, making her a sought-after consultant and speaker for corporate teams, nonprofits, and individuals.

If you know you should be networking but don’t know where to get started this is the episode for you! Or maybe you have been going to networking events but you’re unsure if you’re making the most of them, then this episode is also for you. Regardless of where you are in your networking journey, this quick start guide will help you know what to do before, during, and after a networking event so you can be effective, feel confident, and build authentic relationships. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Prioritize events that resonate with you

• Make a day-of plan so you minimize stress

• Attend with an open mind

• Follow up with people you vibed with

Referenced Episodes: 

In this episode, I get super vulnerable and transparent about the toll it’s taken to grow a business while working full time. Essentially, I was dealing with burnout and I didn’t even know it. Tune in to listen to how I recognized it, how I am prioritizing rest, and what you can do to manage and ideally prevent career burnout. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Why prioritizing rest is essential for high achieving first gens. 
• How scheduling downtime will actually help you reach your goals faster. 
• How to reflect on what brings you joy and incorporate it into your routine.
• Why your worth is not tied to your productivity.

Referenced Episodes: 

New year, new career growth strategy! In this episode, I focus on career growth and job searching strategies you can implement in 2025. I talk about the realities of the current job market, challenges that job seekers are encountering, and steps that you can proactively take to grow your career this year! I also define internal career moves and lateral career moves, and explain how you can leverage these to pivot into a new role or industry. Listen now!

Referenced Episodes: 

In this Career Spotlight episode, I talk with Jeyra Arocho, an Afro Latina fire protection engineer and trailblazer. Jeyra, who was displaced from her home of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, shares the challenges she has overcome in her career, including language barriers and housing insecurity. But what stands out is Jeyra’s fierce determination and the joy she brings when talking about helping others through their own career journeys. We discuss all things mentorship, self-advocacy, and how to make it in a male-dominated field when you’re the Only in the room. 

Jeyra’s story is one of resilience, determination, and pursuing your dreams. It was such an honor to interview her!  

References: 

n this episode, I cover three specific actions you can take right now to get job offers in the New Year. Look, as of this publish date, there are still five full weeks in the year. That is five full weeks when you can be taking action that will help you get job offers. And no, I don’t mean endlessly applying into the void of an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). I mean actual, meaningful steps that are planting the seeds for the job offers you will harvest in the New Year. 

I also explain why not all job offers are right for you, and how you can decide what offers you should accept or reject. 

Referenced Episodes: 

In this episode, I teach you the strategies you can start implementing today to get job offers faster. These are the strategies that I teach inside my 1:1 coaching program and that my clients have leveraged to collectively increase their salaries by over half a million dollars! I share templates that you can use to follow up after you apply, reflection questions you can journal on to get into the right job searching mindset, and even share ChatGPT prompts you can use to be more effective in your job search. 

I also cover common mistakes that you may be wasting your time with that are not helping you get jobs and are leaving you with no responses, no job offers, and a whole lot of frustration and disappointment. 

Resources and Links

When I was growing up, I thought my only career options were: doctor, lawyer, teacher. In today’s episode, I talk to an actual lawyer and ask her ALL the questions I wish I had had answers to growing up. This week’s guest is Kimberly Lopez, host of the Latina Legal Minds Podcast. Kimberly is a badass Latina who is not only thriving in Big Law, but also paving the way for other Latinas in the legal field. 

Kimberly shares insight into the legal professional and what you need to know before you consider this career. She also speaks candidly about her own journey as a first gen Latina navigating law school and corporate environments. Tune in to hear all her gems as well as the wildly insensitive advice she got from a college advisor. 

About Today’s Guest

Kimberly Lopez is a powerhouse commercial litigator renowned for her unwavering advocacy. With an impressive track record, she fearlessly represents clients in courts across Florida and nationwide. A first-gen in many ways, Kimberly has worked her way up from summer intern to partner at one of America's largest law firms. An award-winning, DEIB advocate, Kimberly is on a mission to change the narrative regarding Latinas in the profession. She is the creator and host of theLatina Legal Minds Podcast, building community among Latinas in the profession and sharing knowledge on the climb.

In this episode,I speak to the founder and CEO of Bonita Fierce Candles, Melissa Gallardo. Melissa shares her journey of launching a candle brand that celebrates Latine Culture and Heritage. She talks about how she turned her hobby into a full-time business, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and the support she’s had and the investments she’s made that helped her get here. Melissa talks about how some of the oppressive structures in corporate, such as not having health insurance as a contracted employee, led to this pivot and to creating the life she wants to live for herself. 

Resources and Links

Money anxiety is a beast. In this episode, I talk through 5 steps you can implement to manage money anxiety while in your job search. I share my experience growing up low-income and continuing to earn a low salary even after I got my master’s degree, and how that led to making an “investment” decision out of desperation and lack of financial literacy. I talk about the lows that come with trying to make ends meet, and why being graceful with yourself if the absolute most important thing you can do while job searching. 

Referenced Episodes: 

76. Why Your Wellness is Essential to the Collective with Wealth Para Todos Founder Rita-Soledad Fernandez Paulino 

43. From a Financial Mess to a Financial Educator with Mayra Alejandra Garcia of @DebtFreeLatina

92. Redefining Financial Freedom with Lizbet of @LizbetTalksMoney

79. Increasing Your 9-5 Salary with Your Transferable Skills

Resources and Links

There is a wrong way to apply to jobs that takes forever and gets very little results, and there is a right way to apply to jobs that is much because it focuses your time on activities that will actually move the needle in your job search. This episode explains that 5-step process you can use to apply to jobs faster, without editing four resume for the ATS every single time. 

Referenced Episodes: 

In this episode I share the two crucial steps you need to take in order to get a six figure job. I debunk some myths about six-figure jobs, talk about money mindset, and share exactly what you need to do to get a six-figure job with the skills you already have. No additional schooling or tech bootcamp needed! 

Resources and Links

In this episode, I talk about how I more than doubled my salary in 10 months by job hopping from higher ed to healthcare to tech, and how I have balanced my career along with growing a coaching business. I talk about some extremely low moments in the past couple of years, including being disrespected and laughed at when I brought up a salary increase, and the time when a job offer for $135,000/year was RESCINDED. 

I get deep into the parts of myself I’ve had to heal in order to not just grow in my career, but embody the person who can grow a coaching business and have a thriving career. 

Resources and Links

This episode is as raw and transparent as it gets. I share how I went from making less than $20k a year for the first ten years of my career, to being on track to making $200k a year by early next year. 

I walk you through everything from my first minimum wage job at the mall as an undocumented worker, to my most emotionally draining job as a tutor for students in the foster system, to the moment I realized that I should become a career coach, and to the quantum leap that completely changed my life in July 2021. 

This episode  includes so much more than career events, because careers are just a small part of our lives. My journey includes my first exposure to the personal development world, dealing with the grief from losing my grandmother, and learning to advocate for myself both inside the workplace and outside of it. So excited to share all of this with you! 

Resources and Links

This episode is an open letter to every Black and Brown woman who has experienced career injustices. Being exploited and betrayed in the workplace can and should make us angry, and I am here to tell you it is not only safe to express that anger, but absolutely necessary. Because rage is part of the healing process. 

Don’t miss out on: 

• WHY it’s okay and necessary to feel and express your anger and rage in response to career injustices.

• WHAT you can do to express your anger through exercise, writing, or art. 

• HOW to reconnect with your body and start healing.

This episode answers one of the most common questions I have gotten since I started a business: what’s it like having a podcast. In one word: HARD! But this is where today’s guest, Podcast Relaunch Strategist Kristin Quiroz Bayona, comes in.

Kristin shares her insight on why podcasting is such a powerful and intimate form of media, and talks about why we need more BIPOC + historically excluded voices in podcasting. She also gives tactical advice to those who might be considering starting their own podcast!

About today's guest:

Kristin Quiroz Bayona is a Podcast Rebrand & Relaunch Strategist who helps entrepreneurs, creatives and coaches uplevel their podcasts for their next stage of business.

This episode is all about increasing your confidence during salary negotiations by advocating for yourself right now, regardless of how long you’ve been at your job. I share examples of how I have advocated for myself at different points in my career and how that gave me the self-advocacy muscles needed to negotiate my salary. I also share how my client was able to negotiate her salary to the very top of the range and secure an offer that is $29,500 higher than her previous job. 

Listen for specific ways to advocate for yourself, including:

• Requesting professional development opportunities

• Discussing workload priorities with your manager

• Setting boundaries around work hours

Plus, I share a story of a time I broke my own job interview rules and why it didn’t turn out well. 

Resources and Links

Grad school can take a toll on mental and physical health, particularly for women of color. Yet there is no denying that it can also play a role in advancing economic mobility. That’s why this episode is all about the good, the bad, and the ugly of graduate school, and what First-Gen BIPOC students, especially First Gen Low Income BIPOC students, need to know if they are thinking about it. My guests, Dr. Yvette Martinez-Vu and Dr. Miroslava Chavez-Garcia, talk about their book 'Is Grad School for Me?' and their journeys to addressing such a highly-needed topic in our community. Whether or not you’re considering grad school, listen to learn how you can leverage any level of education to advance your career. 

About today's guests:

In this Career Spotlight episode, Laura Valdes, founder of Valdes Language Services, shares her career journey and insight as a skilled linguist and owner of a language services agency. Laura, whose love for languages and bridging communication gaps was influenced by her Colombian heritage and Pakistani stepfather, breaks down the distinction between informal language services and the professional work carried out by trained linguists. 

Laura offers valuable advice for those who may want to consider a career in translating and interpreting. We also talked about AI disrupting the industry, the power of human communication, and so much more! 

About today's guest:

Laura Valdes, a skilled linguist with 14 years of experience in interpreting and translating, is dedicated to bridging the language gaps in San Diego, California. Trained in Interpreting for Social Justice and a graduate of Translation and Interpretation studies at the City University of New York, Laura brings a wealth of expertise.

Originally from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, Laura's multicultural background as the daughter of Colombian immigrants and a Pakistani step-father sparked her love for languages. Fluent in Spanish and English, Laura enjoys having casual conversations in Portuguese, German, and can say a few phrases in Urdu.

As a trusted language professional, Laura Valdes blends linguistic finesse with cultural understanding to break down barriers for individuals and businesses.

In this episode, Leslie Lew, founder of Reclaiming Your Courage, discusses trauma-informed self-defense and the intersection of self-defense and the workplace. Leslie emphasizes the importance of building psychological safety within yourself and the need for consent in self-defense practices. Leslie advocates for assertiveness without aggression and shares her experiences and insights on standing in power, setting boundaries, and advocating for oneself in. She also addresses the fear of retaliation that comes when we speak up in the workplace,  and empowers listeners to develop strategies to navigate workplace challenges. 

About today's guest:

Leslie Lew, also known as the warrior queen, stands as a trailblazer for women's empowerment, recently earning recognition in the Washington DC Chronicle News as one of the "Global Women to Watch in 2024." She proudly holds the prestigious 2022 Asian Woman Trailblazer award and serves as the visionary Founder of Reclaiming Your Courage and the Mind Body Voice (MBV) Method.

A recent milestone in Leslie's extraordinary journey was her Kenya Keynote Tour, where she addressed 13,000 students, sparking a global movement for change. Her unwavering commitment to empowering women and her dedication to the community make Leslie a beacon of strength and inspiration in the ongoing fight against gender-based violence.

This episode is all about the ways you could be betraying yourself in your career. So much of what we are taught about the workplace and how we “should” show up at work is actually just self-betrayal. Listen for three specific things to watch out for that may be a sign you’re betraying yourself in your career. 

Resources and Links

Job interviews set the stage for the type of working relationship you will have if you decide to accept the position. That’s why advocating for yourself, even from the very beginning of that working relationship, is extremely important. In this episode, I go over ten ways that you can advocate for yourself during the job interview process. 

Plus, I share a story of a time I broke my own job interview rules and why it didn’t turn out well. 

This episode is a conversation with attorney turned professor turned life coach Asha Wilkerson. Asha talks about working in Big Law, starting her own law practice, pivoting into academia, and then walking away from it when it was no longer fulfilling. 

Asha shares how she created her own paths and followed her own models of success multiple times throughout her career and life. She talks about the multiple transitions in her career, how she leveraged her strengths and inner passions, and how healing has played a major role in her life. 

About today's guest:

Meet Asha Wilkerson, a dynamic advocate, educator, and life coach dedicated to empowering BIPOC women on their journey to freedom. Asha has leveraged her legal expertise over the years to guide entrepreneurs of color through business formation and legal matters, ensuring their sustained success. Currently, Asha channels her passion into life coaching for BIPOC women, helping them break free from societal expectations and embrace a life of freedom. Whether it's freedom from expectations or the freedom to live their dream life, Asha's coaching empowers women to live in power, light, and love.

This episode is a conversation with Latina Leadership Coach Alejandra Thompson. We talked all things leadership, integrity, personal and career values, and community-building. We each shared our journey into becoming career coaches, what we learned along the way, and why it is so important for first gens and Latinas to invest in themselves and make bold commitments to their goals! We also talked about the importance of increasing your salary while honoring your values and uplifting your community. 

About today's guest:

Alejandra is a first-gen Latina Leadership Coach on a mission to empower Latina professionals to overcome imposter syndrome, get promoted into leadership roles, make more money, and feel confident. After cycling through 5 career paths in 6 years, she decided to stop chasing and start soul searching. She became an intern at the age of 27 then broke into career coaching in January of 2020. Alejandra lives in Miami with her husband and perrito Bentley Bear.

Your next job is going to come from a person, not a job board. This is gonna require you to ask for help and to lean on others as you seek your next job opportunity. But this is something that can feel very, very dangerous if you have interpersonal wounds. 

In this episode, I talk about why asking for help can feel so dangerous and how to trust yourself that you CAN find people who are safe and who are rooting for you. In essence, you will have to diversify your support system the way you diversify all your other assets if you want to build wealth through a six-figure job. This episode can help you do that. 

Related Episodes: 

In this episode, I am interviewed by Andrea Ramos, a money coach on a mission to help first-gen WOC feel confident and empowered with their money. She asked such great questions about topics I don’t usually get to talk about on my podcast, such as my experience buying my home at the height of quarantine and the wild housing market. I also talk about transferable skills, switching industries, and why you need to love yourself more than you love your job. 

In this episode, I describe the three types of coffee chats you need to have that will help you increase your income. Each type of coffee chat is taking place during a different stage of the job hopping cycle, a framework I developed to help you job hop to six figures faster. Listen to learn what to say when you’re building new relationships, how to learn about new roles, and who to talk to even if you don’t know anyone in your life who is making six figures. 

Our careers are deeply personal. Not only do we spend about 40 hours per week in our chosen career, there is usually significant preparation and planning that goes into choosing that career. It’s also normal to envision the type of life you’ll have as you progress in that career. 

But careers, like most things in life, rarely go as planned, particularly when you’re a first gen professional who is learning to navigate the workforce without that generational knowledge that many of your colleagues have. That means that plans change. And when a plan that you were deeply excited about changes, it’s normal to grieve. 

In this episode, I talk about grieving the career you thought you would have. Even if the new path you’re taking is exciting, it’s normal to feel multiple, often conflicting emotions. You have to hold space for all the emotions, even the ones that aren’t super fun. 

Resources and Links

In this first episode of Season 4, I interview Wealth Para Todos Founder Rita-Soledad Fernández Paulino. Soledad is a former math-teacher turned money and self-care coach who is on a mission to make sure marginalized communities have a financial plan to retire early. I love her “self-care your way to early retirement” process and the way she makes financial literacy so approachable. We talked about the different types of self-care, why your wellness is essential to the collective, and how to get started. 

About today's guest:

Rita-Soledad Fernández Paulino is a Queer Mexican-American, former math teacher turned money & self-care coach. After years of dealing with various autoimmune health issues, PTSD, and ADHD, Soledad learned to use money as a tool to support their wellness and is now committed to teaching other progressive BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ folk how to do the same. 

Connect with Soledad: 

My clients have collectively increased their salaries by $353k! I am still in awe of their accomplishments and so humbled by and grateful for allowing me to be part of their career journey!

In this episode, I talk about how they did it! I also spend some time reflecting on all their wins. Beyond the money, they have also achieved huge milestones and non-tangible wins, including traveling more, advocating for themselves, taking days off guilt-free, and so much more.

All this is also available to you! Let’s work together inside my 1:1 coaching program! If this is something that you’re interested in, NOW IS THE TIME! From now until the end of the year, I am offering $1,000 off the price of the program. Given that the median salary increase is $32,000/year, this investment more than pays for itself. Let’s chat!

Resources and Links