Ch*ngona Revolution

Some people would consider my journey a series of failures before finally getting it right. But I don't see it that way. Each path leads to another and even though a lot of those paths didn't work out for me long-term, I learned a lot from each of them. I learned that I could live without my tech job when I became a yoga instructor. I learned how to put myself out there on the internet as a food blogger. Even the tech job I fell out of love with gave me the safety net I needed to try and build something on my own.

What I'm saying is, you don't have to get it right the first time and the same thing goes for the new year. We're three months into the new year and most people I know didn't have a great three months! It happens. But that doesn't mean you have to write the whole year off. You can turn it around and I'm going to tell you how.

In this week's episode, we're talking about how to turn 2025 around, even if the year didn't start off right for you. I'm going to share with you three reasons why you haven't taken any action towards reinventing yourself. I am also going to tell you what you can do about it. This year is not over yet. In fact, let's work together to make 2025 your best year yet!

Follow Erika on: Instagram @‌theerikacruzTikTok @‌theerikacruzLinkedIn

Website: http://www.theerikacruz.com

How to work with Erika:

Secure your spot for the Courage Driven Latina program here.

Join the waitlist for the Magnetic Mastermind here.

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

Welcome to our highly anticipated webinar - The Purpose Pivot: Dare to Dream Again Webinar! This webinar has gotten so many incredible reviews that we decided to bring it back one more time, this time with brand new CDL bonuses! We had such an amazing time on live I just had to share the recording with the podcast.

If you know you need to make a change but don't know where to start, this webinar is for you. I have helped hundreds of clients change the trajectory of their lives and embrace the person they've always wanted to be. Through the Courage Driven Latina program, I have helped guide people through the most tumultuous times of their lives and see their dreams out to the end and start on a brand new dream, too. And now, I'm going to share how I did it in this webinar.

In "The Purpose Pivot" webinar, you'll discover the exact steps I took to transition from a stable, six-figure, yet unfulfilling tech career to building a purpose-driven business that aligns with my true calling—all within 90 days. And you can too! Everyone can align with their calling, and I can help you make your dreams a reality if you're ready to pivot to your purpose too.

Follow Erika on: Instagram @‌theerikacruzTikTok @‌theerikacruzLinkedIn

Website: http://www.theerikacruz.com

How to work with Erika:

Secure your spot for the Courage Driven Latina program here.

Join the waitlist for the Magnetic Mastermind here.

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

This is your life - you are the only one who can decide if you should go get more for yourself. It's great that everything looks amazing on paper, but to truly live your best life, it has to feel amazing IRL. That's exactly what this week's guest is striving for. She has a great full-time job, a great husband, and a great start to her career as a college advisor. But she wanted MORE. Yesenia wanted to keep traveling, to help more people, and to finally start working for herself. So she started her own company and started accepting clients - all while coming to terms with her identity and what that means for her new life.

Yesenia Bernal-Alcala is a proud Michigander with a heart full of wanderlust. She is the daughter of a Mexican immigrant and a first-generation college graduate. Her journey of breaking barriers and challenging the status quo has shaped her mission: to help others transform their dreams into reality. Now, she's embracing her next chapter: learning how to become her own jefa in her health, finances, and career—all while empowering others to do the same. Yesenia's dedication to nonprofits, grassroots organizations, and social justice led her to create YBA Transformations LLC, where she helps small organizations transform their impact with effective project management strategies. Yesenia inspires others to take bold steps toward their dreams through her work, travels, and story.

In this week's episode, Yesenia joins us on the podcast to tell us all about her transformative journey from working a 9-5 to starting her own business. Through Courage Driven Latina, she's been able to find confidence in herself, accept her identity in its entirety, and start accepting clients through her new business. It hasn't always been easy, but Yesenia is pushing through the doubt and making it happen.

Follow Yesenia on: Instagram @‌yeseniabernal37

LinkedIn: Yesenia Bernal-Alcala

Follow Erika on: Instagram @‌theerikacruzTikTok @‌theerikacruzLinkedIn

Website: http://www.theerikacruz.com

How to work with Erika:

Sign up for the "The Purpose Pivot" webinar here.

Join the waitlist for Courage Driven Latina here.

Join the waitlist for the Magnetic Mastermind here.

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

So many of my clients struggle with, first of all, knowing what they want to do next, and then being married to that decision for the rest of their lives. They think that they'll be stuck behind the confines of the decisions they make right now. But it's not true! This is the beginning of your next evolution and you can always keep evolving! This concept can be hard to imagine, so this week I invited a very special guest to show you what always evolving can look like.

Amy Landino is an entrepreneur, bestselling author, and award-winning host of the popular YouTube series AmyTV. For over a decade, Amy has been a leading authority on getting digital attention and is a trusted educator by global brands, including Adobe, Oracle, Audible, Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, YouTube, Intuit Quickbooks, and many more. An internationally renowned public speaker, Amy is a professional coach on how to leverage digital tools to increase brand awareness and build a profitable and sustainable business.

In this week's episode, we have a very special guest. My (unofficial) mentor Amy Landino is joining me on the podcast! I've been following her on YouTube for over ten years and I've been on her podcast not once, but twice. Now she's joining me on my podcast to talk about all things entrepreneurship, what she does when she's feeling stuck, and how she finds the passion to take action.

Follow Amy on: Instagram @‌schmittastic

Youtube @‌AmyTV

Website: amylandino.com

Follow Erika on: Instagram @‌theerikacruzTikTok @‌theerikacruzLinkedIn

Website: http://www.theerikacruz.com

How to work with Erika:

Sign up for the "The Purpose Pivot" webinar here.

Join the waitlist for Courage Driven Latina here.

Join the waitlist for the Magnetic Mastermind here.

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

That feeling you have pushing you towards your purpose is giving you permission to go for it. You don't need anything else to validate your thoughts, you just have to go for it. No matter what anyone else thinks.

This week's guest is Miriam Corona, a life coach and a Courage Driven Latina alum. Miriam has years of leadership and security experience at Microsoft's Data Center under her belt, as well as a background in Human Resources. During her time at Microsoft, Miriam learned how to inspire and guide people to embrace new opportunities. Now as a life coach, she helps women step out of their comfort zones and discover the confidence that's already within them without needing external validation to shine.

In this week's episode, Miriam and I talk about listening to that call you can't ignore and stepping into your purpose. Miriam used to be held back by what other people would think of her. What's more, she didn't feel like she was the type of person who quit their job and started their own business. She didn't think it was in her. Listen to this week's episode to find out what changed and how she made all her dreams come true in less than a year.

Follow Miriam on: Instagram @‌crownmiriam

Facebook @‌crownmiriam

LinkedIn

Follow Erika on: Instagram @‌theerikacruzTikTok @‌theerikacruzLinkedIn

Website: http://www.theerikacruz.com

How to work with Erika:

Sign up for the "The Purpose Pivot" webinar here.

Join the waitlist for Courage Driven Latina here.

Join the waitlist for the Magnetic Mastermind here.

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

Before I started this coaching business, I wanted to start a food blog. I was extremely passionate about it, but I wasn't putting any action towards making it happen. It wasn't until my ex, my boyfriend at the time, called me out on my inaction. At first, I was offended, but then I realized that he was right. I kept talking about this food blog I was so into, but I was too afraid to start actually posting.

I was stuck because I felt like I needed clarity before I started anything. I was researching blogging and taking notes on other people's blogs and just waiting for the moment I felt ready enough to post on my own blog. But that feeling never came. And it never would! Clarity is not what I needed to start my food blog - action was.

In this week's episode, we're talking about clarity and how to stop overthinking and actually start doing. It's time to take action and start working towards our most courageous lives. In this episode, I'm going to share my secret to manifesting my most amazing life. Here's a hint - structured, perfectionist action doesn't work but messy action does.

Follow Erika on: Instagram @‌theerikacruzTikTok @‌theerikacruzLinkedIn

Website: http://www.theerikacruz.com

How to work with Erika:

Sign up for the "The Purpose Pivot" webinar here.

Join the waitlist for Courage Driven Latina here.

Join the waitlist for the Magnetic Mastermind here.

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

Living your life's purpose doesn't have to be this huge apocalyptic event in your life. You don't have to quit your job and cut off all your connections in order to get closer to your life's goal. You can start with what you have right now.

So many of my clients felt stuck in this limbo of wanting to live for their purpose but not wanting to give up their whole lives for it. And the funny thing is, they never had to! Burning down your old life is not a requirement for starting your new one. You can start your business while you work your day job. You can write your book without getting an MFA first. You can do it, you just have to start.

In this week's episode, we're going to be talking about how you can live your life's purpose right now - no drastic changes required. Drastic changes in your life like quitting your job or getting an MFA are not what's going to align you with your life's purpose. What will align with your life's purpose is taking it one step at a time.

Follow Erika on: Instagram @‌theerikacruzTikTok @‌theerikacruzLinkedIn

Website: http://www.theerikacruz.com

How to work with Erika:

Sign up for the "The Purpose Pivot" webinar here.

Join the waitlist for Courage Driven Latina here.

Join the waitlist for the Magnetic Mastermind here.

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

Books have changed my life in so many different ways. Every time I want to make a change, or grow, or even if I'm just curious about a topic, I do a little bit of research and pick up a book. I can't tell you how much good it's done for me. Even just one book, the Alchemist, has changed the trajectory of my life three times! The Alchemist gave me the courage I needed when I wanted to break off my engagement, when I left my six-figure tech job, and when I decided to move back home. I needed a new perspective to give me the courage I needed to make those changes, and I found it in that book.

Books are an amazing way to start your self-development journey. They're accessible, convenient, and full of information. You can find books online, at your local bookstore, and for free at your local library. You can get a library card for a few bucks, or sometimes even free! Books are an incredible resource, and in this episode, I'm sharing a few of my favorites.

In this week's episode, I'm going to share the 10 books that changed my life and why you'll want to read them too. I'm sharing everything from fiction to non-fiction, some books on creativity and discipline, and some books from authors I personally know! I also share their corresponding podcast episodes if you're interested in learning more about their books and their journeys. If you're ready to take the next step and start attracting your most amazing life, this episode is for you.

Resources Mentioned: EP. 75: The Ultimate Courage Project: How Linda Garcia Pivoted to Teach POC the Stock Market with Linda GarciaEP. 113: Cultura and Cash: Managing Finances & Cultural Expectations w/ Giovanna GonzálezEP. 140: Become Financially Lit with Jannese Torres

Follow Erika on: Instagram @‌theerikacruzTikTok @‌theerikacruzLinkedIn

Website: http://www.theerikacruz.com

How to work with Erika:

Sign up for the "The Purpose Pivot" webinar here.

Join the waitlist for Courage Driven Latina here.

Join the waitlist for the Magnetic Mastermind here.

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

First of all, no one knows what they're doing. It's very rare that anyone knows exactly what their purpose is. That takes a lot of time and a lot of life to live so you're definitely not behind. Don't get too caught up in what everyone else is doing.

In fact, most people we know are stressing out about feeling left behind and how everyone else is doing. If you're feeling left behind because you're not married, the married people are probably stressing out about their marriage, etc. We all feel like the grass is greener on the other side. So how do we stop feeling like we're falling behind when we're really not?

In this week's episode, I'm going to break down why you're not falling behind - even when it feels like you are. To do this, I'm going to share a few examples of people who felt like they were falling behind, including myself, when they were actually exactly where they were supposed to be. You're not behind, you just need to accept where you are so the Universe can tell you where you're going.

Follow Erika on: Instagram @‌theerikacruzTikTok @‌theerikacruzLinkedIn

Website: http://www.theerikacruz.com

How to work with Erika:

Join the waitlist for Courage Driven Latina here.

Join the waitlist for the Magnetic Mastermind here.

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

The magic of mindfulness has gotten me through some of the worst times of my life. We know there are always ups and downs - in life, in business, everywhere. We know that balance is key and that everything will correct itself in the end. In those low moments, I spent way too much time anxiously worrying about all the worst things that could happen.

Worrying can feel like strategizing, but in reality, you're making your mind feel as if you're going through the traumatic event you're thinking of. So you're actually making the worst-case scenario come true because your brain doesn't know the difference between an imagined experience and a real-life event. Your brain needs a break from the negativity, and the best way to do this is to take a moment to be mindful.

In this week's episode, we're talking about the magic of mindfulness and how you can use it to see the light in the midst of all the chaos. Last year when I was stuck worrying about my problems, I couldn't think of any solutions to my problems. But when I refocused my attention on mindfulness, I was able to see the solutions that were right in front of me. And you can too! Listen to this week's episode to unlock the power of mindfulness.

Follow Erika on: Instagram @‌theerikacruzTikTok @‌theerikacruzLinkedIn

Website: http://www.theerikacruz.com

How to work with Erika:

Join the waitlist for Courage Driven Latina here.

Join the waitlist for the Magnetic Mastermind here.

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.