Corporate Cafecito

Have you ever felt like you had to hide a part of who you are just to fit in at work?

Imagine being told not to bring up "the Hispanic stuff" because it might affect your career.
Well, that's exactly what happened to our guest this week, Dr. Robert Rodriguez.

I've known Robert for years, and I've always admired the work he's done for our community. He's helped open doors for Latino professionals and has been such an important voice in leadership and Employee Resource Groups.

But what I really loved about this conversation was getting to hear more of his personal story.

Born in Texas to Mexican immigrant parents, Robert grew up in Minnesota after his family spent years working as migrant farmworkers. He shared what it was like growing up being encouraged to fit in, and how that followed him into corporate America.

And boy, could I relate!

I shared how, when I was working at MillerCoors, I sometimes felt like a little brown speck in a big bowl of milk! 

Carlos and I talked with Robert about representation, the double standards we've seen in corporate America, and why finding your comunidad matters so much.

We also talked about how easy it is to start questioning yourself when the people around you make you feel like you don't belong.

Oh, and wait until you hear Robert's Milli Vanilli story!  I promise, you won't expect that one!

What stayed with me most was hearing how Robert learned to fully embrace his Latinidad. And it reminded me why we started Corporate Cafecito in the first place.

We need spaces where we can share our experiences, celebrate our culture, and remind each other that we belong.

Mi gente, nuestra cultura, nuestra historia y nuestra voz importan. 🤎

Thank you, Robert, for sharing your story with us. I loved this conversation, and we aren't finished yet!

🤎 Connect with Dr. Robert Rodriguez
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrrodriguez
🌐 Website: https://www.drradvisors.com/
📚 Explore Robert's books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robert-Rodriguez/author/B001JSFG3S

We would love to hear from you. Have you ever felt pressure to change who you are to fit in at work?




#CorporateCafecito #LatineLeadership #Latinidad #RepresentationMatters #Leadership #CareerGrowth

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email [email protected].

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email [email protected] today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email [email protected]. 

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact. 

I still trust people too quickly sometimes. And you know what? I’m not going to change that. 🤎

I've been disappointed. I've trusted people who didn't protect what I shared with them. And I've learned some difficult lessons along the way.

But I also know that I would be letting myself down if I allowed those experiences to change who I am and how I show up for others.

This week on Corporate Cafecito, Carlos and I had a conversation about something I believe deserves much more attention in the workplace: Trust as a Strategy.

We spend so much time talking about performance, results, and leadership. But what about trust?

Can your team count on you? Do people feel comfortable coming to you when they're struggling? When someone shares a vulnerability, do you help them grow, or do you use it against them?

And here's another one. When you ask your team for feedback, are you actually willing to do something with it?

Because trust isn't just about keeping your word. It's about your character, your consistency, and how you treat people when things get difficult.

Carlos and I also talk about what happens when trust is broken, because it happens to all of us. What matters is whether we're willing to own our mistakes, recognize the impact, and do the work to rebuild it.

For me, confianza has always been personal. It's about leading con respeto, con corazón y autenticidad.

And at the end of the day, I want people to remember not just the work we accomplished together, but how they felt working alongside me.

I'd love to hear from you. What's one thing someone has done that made you trust them more, or lose their trust completely?

#CorporateCafecito #Leadership #Trust #LatineLeadership #WorkplaceCulture

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email [email protected].

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email [email protected] today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email [email protected]. 

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact. 

Familia, we’re back! ☕🤎

We took a little break, but we're back with a conversation that couldn't be more relevant, especially with how quickly the world around us is changing!

This week, Carlos and I are talking about something that has been so important in our own journeys: SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING.

And one line from our conversation really says it all:

“It’s okay to feel stupid. It’s not okay to stay stupid.” 👏

Because here's the thing. None of us have all the answers, and that's okay! What matters is what we do when we don't know something.

Do we ask questions? Find a mentor? Take a class? Or do we let the fear of not knowing hold us back?

And that's what I love about this conversation. Learning doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it's as simple as taking 15 minutes to explore something new, asking that question you've been holding back, or being open to a different perspective.

The important thing is to keep growing, both personally and professionally. Con ganas, con curiosidad y sin miedo. 🤎

So grab your cafecito and join Carlos and me as we share our own experiences, a few laughs, and some practical ways to take charge of your learning journey!

🎙️S10 E4 - It’s Okay Not to Know: The Power of Self-Directed Learning

#CorporateCafecito #SelfDirectedLearning #LatineProfessionals #CareerGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #KeepLearning

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email [email protected].

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email [email protected] today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email [email protected]. 

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact. 

If you have been listening to Corporate Cafecito for a while, you may remember that Sergio was one of our early guests. Back then, he was already talking about where AI was headed and some of it honestly sounded hard to imagine.

Well... here we are.

So I asked him to come back and tell me what he is seeing now.

We talked about jobs, AI agents, what college students should be learning, lawyers, judges, marketing, coding, and where he thinks all of this is going next.

There were definitely a few moments where I stopped him and said, “Wait, what?” 

What I appreciated most is that Sergio does not try to make AI sound scary or magical. He just tells you what he is seeing and what he thinks people need to understand.

And that is really why I wanted to have this conversation.

Our comunidad needs to be part of these conversations. We need to understand what is changing, ask questions, learn, and make sure we are not standing on the sidelines while the workplace changes around us.

No tenemos que saberlo todo. Pero sí tenemos que seguir aprendiendo, haciendo preguntas, y creciendo juntos. 🤎

Grab your cafecito and listen in.

#CorporateCafecito #TackleAI #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #CareerGrowth #LatineProfessionals

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email [email protected].

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email [email protected] today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email [email protected]. 

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact. 

Angie Rey Kaiser of FluenTea  joined me this week. Our conversation started with AI, entrepreneurship, and language learning, but what really stayed with me was her journey back to her cultura.

Growing up Mexican American without speaking Spanish fluently, Angie carried a question so many people understand: Am I Mexican enough?

Then, after nearly 40 years, she returned to Mexico and reunited with her tía.

That moment became part of the inspiration behind FluenTea and Angie’s mission to help people stop waiting until they feel “perfect” and simply start speaking.

Because sometimes you just have to empezar.

Speak the words. Make the mistake. Take the trip. Start the idea.

Con amor, con orgullo, y con comunidad. 

Want to see what Angie is building? Visit FluenTea.com and sign up to start practicing the language you’re learning. You can connect with other learners and native speakers, practice with ChaCha, their AI language coach, and even try your first chat for free.

And before you go, check out our teaser for a little taste of this conversation.

The full episode is available NOW on YouTube, so grab your cafecito, watch the whole conversation, and make sure you subscribe to Corporate Cafecito at https://www.youtube.com/@CorporateCafecito, so you don’t miss what’s coming next.

Nos vemos en YouTube. ¡Vamos a aprender, conectar y crecer juntos!

#CorporateCafecito #FluenTea #Cultura #Comunidad #LatinaEntrepreneur #HeritageSpeaker

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email [email protected].

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email [email protected] today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email [email protected]. 

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact. 

We’re back, familia. ☕✨

Does this time of year feel a little like back-to-school season for adults?

The calendars start filling up. Routines come back. We pull out those goals we made months ago and suddenly realize there is still time to decide how we want to finish the year.

After our summer break, we are back at the cafecito table talking about something we both needed too: getting back into a rhythm without running ourselves into the ground.

Because resetting is not just about doing more.

It’s asking yourself:

¿Qué necesito cambiar?
¿Qué quiero priorizar?
¿Dónde necesito más balance?

We talk about revisiting your goals, setting boundaries, protecting time to eat and hydrate, making space for rest, holding yourself accountable, and remembering that you cannot pour from an empty cup.

And if your goals look a little different than they did at the beginning of the year, that’s okay. Reassess. Reprioritize. Give yourself some grace.

Then keep moving forward con propósito, paciencia y comunidad. 🤎

Grab your cafecito and join us for our first conversation back.

What is ONE routine you’re ready to bring back?

#CorporateCafecito #LatineProfessionals #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #WorkLifeBalance #LatineCommunity

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email [email protected].

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email [email protected] today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email [email protected]. 

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact. 

Can we talk about how hard it is to get that first “real” job right now? 🎓☕️

Because honestly, it is not the same world many of us walked into.

This week on Corporate Cafecito, we  started with a simple question:
What advice would we give our younger selves?

But the more we talked, the more we realized that our advice has to be different now.

Graduates today are walking into a workplace where entry-level jobs don’t always feel entry-level. The expectations are higher. AI is changing things fast. Salaries are not always matching real life. And that first opportunity can feel so much harder to reach.

But I need every graduate to hear this:
You are not starting from nothing. 🤎
You come with your story.
Your cultura.
Your familia.
Your comunidad.
Your grit.
Your lived experience.
And yes, all of that matters.

So my advice is this: learn the things other people are avoiding. Get comfortable with AI. Practice talking about what you bring to the table. Fix that resume. Go to the events. Ask questions. Let people know who you are. ✨

And when you finally get through that door, please turn around and help the next person behind you.
Felicidades to every graduate, every parent, every abuelita, every tía, every tío, and every person who helped make that cap and gown happen. 🎓💐

We are cheering for you.
Grab your cafecito and join us this week. ☕️




#CorporateCafecito #LatineProfessionals #LatinaLeadership #FirstGenGrad #RecentGrads #CareerGrowth #CareerAdvice #MentorshipMatters #LatinosInBusiness #LatinasInLeadership #AIInTheWorkplace #NetworkingMatters #CulturaYComunidad #FamiliaFirst #RepresentationMatters

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email [email protected].

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email [email protected] today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email [email protected]. 

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact. 

What if the next chapter of your career is not full-time, but fully aligned?

In this episode of Corporate Cafecito, Nallely and Carlos are talking about fractional work, what it means, why it is growing, and why so many professionals are starting to see it as more than just a backup plan.

Fractional CFOs, COOs, CHROs, consultants, strategists, and operators are stepping into companies for a season, solving real problems, and bringing years of experience without being tied to one permanent role.

But let’s be honest, mi gente.

This shift comes with both opportunity and concern.

For some, fractional work creates freedom, flexibility, and a chance to use your expertise on your own terms.

For others, it may feel like another sign that secure corporate jobs are changing.

So we’re talking about it all:

✨ What fractional work really means
✨ Why it is becoming more common
✨ How it can help entrepreneurs and small businesses
✨ What to consider before saying yes
✨ Why your resume, skill set, and confidence matter more than ever

Because sometimes the next move is not about starting over.
Sometimes it is about realizing that what you already know has value.

Pour your cafecito, bring your questions, y vámonos. This conversation is one many of us need right now.

Watch the full episode at www.corpcafecito.com

#CorporateCafecito #LatineProfessionals #CareerGrowth #FractionalWork #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #LatinasInBusiness #LatinosInBusiness #CareerStrategy #CafecitoConPurpose

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email [email protected].

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email [email protected] today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email [email protected]. 

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact. 

Michele Garcia is back on Corporate Cafecito, and this conversation goes deeper. So grab your pan dulce, cafecito, y ganas de escuchar una conversación bien buena. ☕🥐

Michele Garcia is back on Corporate Cafecito, and this episode gives us another side of her story.

We talked about her work on ABC 20/20 as a true crime subject matter expert, her career as a detective, motherhood, leadership, and her book, Model Detective.

What stayed with me was how honest Michele was about the road to getting published. Years of writing. Years of rejection. So many no’s. And then finally, the yes.

That is such a real reminder that sometimes success comes after you keep knocking, even when the door keeps closing.

And of course, I had to call Michele out a little because she has done so much and still tries to act like it is no big deal. 😂

Michele, it is a big deal.

This conversation is honest, funny, intense, and full of corazón. It is about resilience, pressure, motherhood, career, and learning to give ourselves a little more grace.

Grab your cafecito and come sit with us for this one. ☕💛

Michele’s website:
 https://modeldetectivebook.com/

Her book Model Detective:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GJTRRVFN

#CorporateCafecito #MicheleGarcia #ModelDetective #LatinePodcast #WomenInLeadership #TrueCrime #WorkingMoms #Leadership #CareerGrowth #RepresentationMatters #CafecitoConPurpose

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email [email protected].

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email [email protected] today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email [email protected]. 

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact. 

✨☕️ She’s back, and honestly, this conversation stayed with me in such a real way. 🤎

Michele Martinez came back to Corporate Cafecito, and this time we talked about something that so many of us carry quietly: what it feels like to be Latina and not speak Spanish. 🇲🇽💬

That shame.
That hesitation.
That feeling of wondering if you are “Latina enough” because you were never taught the language, or because you understand more than you can speak, or because someone made you feel small for trying. 🤍

What I loved about this conversation is how honest Michele was about her journey. She shared what it felt like to grow up with a Mexican last name, to have people assume she spoke Spanish, and to feel caught between worlds. Not white enough. Not Mexican enough. Not fully sure where she belonged. And I know she is not the only one who has felt that. 🌎✨

I believe our cultura should never be used as a test. It should be something that brings us closer to each other. We should not shame people for what they were not taught. We should celebrate the effort, the curiosity, the connection, and the desire to come home to community in whatever way that looks like. 🫶🏽🌱

One of the most beautiful parts of this conversation was hearing Michele talk about slowly finding her confidence, sitting with other Latinas at work, and realizing she was welcomed the whole time. Sometimes belonging does not start with everyone else giving you permission. Sometimes it starts with you finally believing, “I belong here too.” ☕️🤎✨

This episode is for anyone who has ever questioned if they were enough.

You are. 🤍

You belong in this comunidad.
Tu historia importa.
Your voice matters. 🗣️✨

Grab your cafecito and join us for this conversation. ☕️

Watch the episode here:
www.corpcafecito.com

If this episode finds the person who has been quietly wondering if they are “Latina enough,” I hope it reminds them: you are, and you always have been. 🤎✨

#CorporateCafecito #LatineLeadership #LatinaIdentity #Belonging #RepresentationMatters #CultureAndCareer #Comunidad #CafecitoConPurpose

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email [email protected].

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email [email protected] today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email [email protected]. 

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact.