Latina to Latina

Linda Briceño’s career as a trumpeter, vocalist, and producer has allowed her to rub shoulders with the likes of Wynton Marsalis and Arturo Sandoval. It also earned her a Latin Grammy. But all of that success took more practice and hard work; it demanded Linda break with people who’d been instrumental in her professional growth, and to stand firm in her vision for herself as an artist.  Follow Linda on Twitter @ellabric and IG @ellabricmusc. If you loved this episode, listen to iLe, DaniLeigh and Dessa for more on making music. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

"What I'm trying to do is motivate people into their purpose." Easy, right? It is if you're Jess Morales Rocketto, a digital political organizer ninja who helped orchestrate historic runs by Hillary Clinton and Stacey Abrams. Now she's mobilizing millions in the fight against family separation and the movement to bring the masses to the ballot as the Chair of We Belong Together, National Domestic Workers Alliance's feminist campaign for immigration reform.Follow Jess on Twitter and IG @jesslivmo. If you loved this episode, listen to Paola Mendoza and Nelini Stamp for more on politics and activism. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

“I was a comedy junkie at 14,” she admits. And now Gina Brillón is a rising comedy star, headlining tours with the likes of Gabriel Iglesias, premiering an HBO Latino special, “Easily Offended,” and hosting a comedy showcase. Gina tells us how comedy helped her process a toxic relationship, and how her #MeToo moments forced her to choose between her career and her dignity. Follow Gina on Twitter @ginaBrillón and IG @gBrillón. If you loved this episode, listen to Cristela Alonzo, and Sasha Merci and Dee Nasty for more on comedy. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz emerged as one of the most recognizable critics of the Trump administration’s response to the island’s recovery. She tells Alicia how the grit she demonstrated in those moments was a lifetime in the making, what it will take to fully rebuild the island, and why she is throwing her political weight behind Bernie Sanders’ presidential bid.Follow Carmen on Twitter and IG @carmenyulincruz. If you loved this episode, listen to Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez for more on politics and leadership; and iLe for more on Puerto Rican topics. Follow Carmen on Twitter and IG @carmenyulincruz. If you loved this episode, listen to Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez for more on politics and leadership; and iLe for more on Puerto Rican topics.

Jackie Cruz, a star on Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, is so much more than people sometimes expect. “Instead of me just being in a box, like ‘Oh. She’s Latina. That’s all she is.’ No, no, no.” For seven seasons, she’s brought Flaca Gonzales to life, but she’s also been fighting for causes like DACA and recording her first album.Follow Jackie on Twitter @MsJackieCruz and IG @JackieCruz. If you loved this episode, listen to iLe, Scherezade Garcia, and Latashá for more on finding your creative voice.  Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

The executive director of the Latina Institute for Reproductive Health talks about how legislative restrictions on abortion impact our health and our communities. Jessica recalls how a trip to a clinic to get birth control became her first act of political activism, what it means to reframe the abortion debate as a matter of reproductive justice, and how Latinas, often perceived as either “virginal” or “hyper-sexualized,” actually view sexual health.Follow Jessica on Twitter @jgonzalez_rojas and IG @pararican and @votejgr. If you loved this episode, listen to Alexandra Rojas and Nelini Stamp. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

The executive producer of Latina to Latina just launched Feeling My Flo, a reported podcast where menstruation is an event that happens to all types of bodies across the gender spectrum. Aimed at the 12-16 years in your life, Feeling My Flo wants to be a tool to help important conversations get started among loved ones. Take a listen then subscribe wherever you listen to Latina to Latina.

Cristela was one of the very first guests on the show. And still one of our faves. With a new book, Music to My Years, due in October and already out for pre-order, we wanted you to hear about her rise to comedic stardom, including her trailblazing sitcom and a starring role in Disney’s Cars 2.Follow Cristela on Twitter and IG @Cristela9. If you loved this episode, listen to Elle Huerta and Fran Medina for more on processing grief. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

Gina Torres is everything we’ve ever wanted to be: brilliant, strong, stylish, and funny. And now, with Pearson, we get to watch her stride into her greatness. In this episode, she opens up about the real and very personal reason she left Suits, how she spearheaded the creation of Pearson, and why life at fifty is simply fabulous. (This is also our 50th episode!! See what we did there?)Follow Gina on Twitter @ginatorres and IG @iamginatorres; and Pearson on Twitter @PearsonUSA. If you loved this episode, listen to Gloria Calderón Kellett and Christy Haubegger for more on creating space for Latinas in Hollywood. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

After weeks in television limbo, One Day at a Time has been picked up by Pop, a CBS-owned cable network. And millions of us breathed a little easier. Gloria Calderón Kellett, the co-showrunner and executive producer, very publicly declared the vital role ODAAT plays in today’s television landscape. She talks with Alicia about her rise through Hollywood’s writers’ rooms, and reveals her plans to take her storytelling to the next level.Follow Gloria on Twitter @everythingloria and IG @gloriakellett. If you loved this episode, listen to Linda Yvette Chavez and Ilana Peña for more on creating Latina shows in Hollywood. Follow Gloria on Twitter @everythingloria and IG @gloriakellett. If you loved this episode, listen to Linda Yvette Chavez and Ilana Peña for more on creating Latina shows in Hollywood.

Daniela Pierre Bravo has never met an obstacle more formidable than her will. Disqualified from college scholarships due to her legal status, she built a thriving local Mary Kay business to pay for it. Invited to an interview for an unpaid internship in NYC, she took an 18-hour overnight bus from Ohio and showed up the next morning. And nailed it. Now And now she's the coauthor of the new book, Earn It: A Career Guide for Women in Their Twenties and Beyond with MSNBC Morning Joe host Mika Brzezinski.Follow Daniela on Twitter and IG @dpierrebravo. And buy her book, Earn It: A Career Guide for Women in Their Twenties and Beyond. If you loved this episode, listen to host Alicia's episode on her book The Likeability Trap and Cecilia Muñoz for more on workplace advice. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

Gina Rodriguez will always be associated with her star-making and award-winning portrayal of the titular character on Jane the Virgin. And she's so grateful. But she's also ready to move from in front of the camera to behind it as a producer and director of shows and films that reflect the many ways of being Latina today. On this episode, she talks about the setbacks, the family support, and the toll of being an outspoken public figure.Follow Gina on Twitter and IG @HereisGina. If you loved this episode, listen to Christy Haubegger and Gina Torres for more on finding your place in Hollywood. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

After experiencing violence and media censorship in her native Venezuela, Mariana Atencio embarked on her journalist career in the United States. An early opportunity at Univision gave her the chance to hone her skills before making the leap to English-language television. But soon a personal tragedy tested ethics, faith, and her place in the world. She put it all in her new book, Perfectly You.Follow Mariana on Twitter and IG @marianaatencio. And buy her book, Perfectly You: Embracing the Power of Being Real. If you loved this epsiode, listen to Ilia Calderón and María Elena Salinas for more on journalism. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

On Starz’s megahit Vida she plays a determined, smart and sensual woman. And Mishel Prada readily admits her character reflects part of who she is. She talks to Alicia about making it in showbiz as a Latina, growing up in a religious home, and refusing labels that limit with whom she can fall in love.Follow Mishel on Twitter and Instagram @MishelPrada; and follow Starz on Twitter and IG @VIDA_STARZ @Starz. If you loved this episode, listen to Stephanie Beatriz and Melissa Barrera for more on acting. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

Fun fact: This was the first time we had to check protocol before interviewing someone. And Alicia had to call the current head of the United Nations’ General Assembly Madame President. It was amazing! And María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés deserves that accolade and so much more for her decades-long career in international affairs and diplomacy. Only the fourth woman to preside over the assembly, she is steadfast in her belief that women should lead at every level--and she’s working from within to make it so at the UN.Follow María on Twitter @mfespinosaEC; and follow the UN on IG @UN and @UNWomen. If you loved this episode, listen to Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz for more on politics and leadership. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

This captain of industry comes from a family of self-starters that has always banded together--from her father’s travel agency to her billion-dollar company. Did we mention she owns 100% of it? But her story is also one of unthinkable tragedy and immeasurable sacrifice—from her and her family. Today, Nina is among the most respected CEOs in the country, an advisor to presidents, and a tireless champion of Latinos and immigrants everywhere.Follow Nina @ninavaca on Twitter and IG; and follow Pinnacle on Twitter @pinnaclehq and IG @ninavaca. If you loved this episode, listen to Katia Beauchamp and Nathalie Molina Niño.  Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

Legal weed is among the fastest growing industries right now. And thanks to women like Gia Morón, from Women Grow, more people will have a chance to enter the business. For her, opening doors to legal weed is about inclusion and the potential for some redemption in an industry whose legal ramifications have long maligned black and brown people in the country.Follow Gia @gia_vm on Twitter and IG; and Women Grow @womengrow on Twitter and IG. If you loved this episode, listen to Julissa Prado and Nathalie Molina-Niño for more on entrepreneurship and disrupting industries. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

By the time she was 26, Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton had worked her way from cocktail waitress to being a partner in a bar. She’s now applying her experience in hospitality and natural flare for branding and marketing to grow her new venture, Chillhouse, a day spa that serves signature cocktails and fashionable coffee in spaces designed to help us slow down and relax. And Cyndi has an even bigger ambition: to turn Chillhouse into a global brand for modern self-care.Follow Cyndi and Chillhouse on Twitter @cyndiramirez @chillhousenyc and Instagram @cyndiramirez @chillhouse. If you loved this episode, listen to Nicole Mejia and Joanna Vargas for more on the business of wellness. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

There’s no denying Latinas are making serious moves across the political map. But the real power players are not always in the spotlight. Alexandra Rojas is one Latina working to change the face of politics thanks to her role as executive director of Justice Democrats, which helped elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other history-making women to Congress. Rojas talks about her political awakening, how she stays centered amid the chaos, and why she believes the future of the country depends on electing a new wave of leaders.Follow Alex on Twitter @alexandrasiera and IG @rojasalexandra. If you loved this episode, listen to Jess Morales Rocketto and Nelini Stamp for more on politics and advocacy.  Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

She came to Miami on vacation from her television job in Colombia and, while visiting Telemundo with a friend, walked herself into an opportunity of a lifetime. Then Ilia Calderon really went to work, leading the country’s premier Spanish-language news program on Univision and making headlines for her intrepid reporting and intelligent disaster coverage. She talks with Alicia about confronting a KKK leader, reporting on the family separation crisis as a mother, and navigating life as a hyphenated Latina.Follow Ilia on Twitter and IG @IliaCalderón. If you loved this episode, listen to María Elena Salinas and Mariana Atencio for more on journalism. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!