Corporate Cafecito

Alex Miranda came to Chicago planning to stay for six months.

Fourteen years later, he’s still here.

We had him on Corporate Cafecito this week, and I went into the conversation thinking we were going to talk about marketing. We did, but it ended up being more about people than anything else.
One thing he said really stuck with me. We spend so much time thinking about logos, colors, websites…all the visible parts of a brand. But that’s not what people remember.

They remember how you made them feel.

And I started thinking about how often we’re building something a business, a career, a personal brand without ever really stopping to define that part. We assume people “get it,” but sometimes they don’t. And when they don’t, that’s where the disconnect happens.

We also talked about how marketing is shifting. It’s less about labeling people and more about understanding shared experiences. That part hit home, especially for the work we do and the community we care about.

And yes, we touched on AI too. It’s helpful, no doubt. But it still can’t replace real human creativity or the way people connect with something that feels genuine.

I don’t know… this one made me pause a bit.

If someone had to describe your brand today, would it sound the way you think it does? 🧠

#CorporateCafecito #BrandStrategy #Leadership #LatineProfessionals #Entrepreneurship #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. 

Some conversations stay with you. This was one of them.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Michelle Martinez, and what I thought would be a light conversation turned into something much deeper.

We talked about work, not the kind we put on our resumes, but the kind we feel every day, and if we’re being honest, work feels heavy right now.

Not because we don’t care and not because we’re not capable, but because somewhere along the way, work stopped making sense.

In this episode, we talk about why so many of us feel overwhelmed even when we’re doing everything right, what “collaboration fatigue” really is and why it’s draining us, why communication isn’t just a skill but the foundation of everything, and how we start creating space to just be human again at work.

There was one moment that really stayed with me. Michelle shared how she paused everything with her team and said, “let’s just complain,” no fixing it, no judgment, just listening, and in that space, people felt seen and things actually started to shift.

Y eso me hizo pensar…how often do we give ourselves permission to pause, to reflect, to say this isn’t working?

Familia, you are not alone in this. You’re not behind and you’re not doing it wrong. Maybe the system just needs to change.

💬 What’s something at work that hasn’t been sitting right with you lately?

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. 

Let’s talk about something that’s been sitting heavy for so many people lately…

This season right now… it’s heavy.
The job search feels longer. The silence feels louder.
And the rejection? It hits deeper than we like to admit.

In this week’s episode, we sat down and talked about what so many of us are going through but not always saying out loud…
 ✨ the emotional toll
 ✨ the identity shift
 ✨ the frustration of applying and hearing nothing back

Because this isn’t just about finding a job…
it’s about your livelihood, your familia, your purpose.

And if you’re in this season right now, I want you to hear me clearly…
tu valor no ha cambiado. Your worth is still there. You are still capable, talented, and needed. 

We also talk about how to navigate this moment with intention…
how to protect your energía, lean into comunidad, and treat your job search with both strategy and corazón.

You are not alone in this.
Estamos contigo. Siempre. 💛

If you’re in this season right now… what’s been the hardest part for you?

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… can I be honest with you for a moment? 💛

There have been times in my life where I felt like I had to choose between my career… and my family.

This week’s cafecito wasn’t just another conversation.
It was one of those moments where I found myself reflecting on my own journey… as a woman, as a Latina, as a professional… and as someone who has had to make hard choices along the way.

When I think about Women’s History Month, yes… I think about celebration.
But I also think about everything we carry.

The expectations to be everything for everyone.
The pressure to keep pushing forward.
The sacrifices that don’t always get seen.

I’ve lived that.

In this episode, Carlos and I talked about:
✨ The wage gap that still impacts our community
✨ What it really means to be a primary breadwinner
✨ The reality of stepping away from work to care for the people we love
✨ And why so many of us are choosing to build something of our own

But this part… this part stayed with me:

👉 Be the woman you want the next generation to experience

That hit me deeply.

Because when I think about my mom… my family… everything they sacrificed…
I know that everything I do today is connected to them.

And if you’re reading this and you’re in a season where you feel stretched, overwhelmed, or like you’re carrying too much…

I see you. De corazón.
You are not alone in this.

We’re figuring it out… together. Siempre. 🤎

If this resonated with you, share it with a mujer in your life, follow along, and help us continue building this comunidad… con amor, apoyo, y propósito.

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. 

This week on Corporate Cafecito, I had the opportunity to sit down with Chicago native, leadership coach, and author Isaias Mercado to talk about his new book releasing today, March 10th: 📚 The 10 F Words of Feedback

During our conversation, he said something that really stayed with me:

“Feedback should be a roadmap, not a verdict.”

Think about that for a moment.

So many of us experience feedback as criticism or judgment. Something that makes us feel like we’re being evaluated as a person rather than supported in our growth.

But what if feedback was actually meant to guide us forward?

In this episode, we talk about why feedback is one of the most important leadership skills we can develop, and why learning how to both give and receive feedback well can completely transform our workplaces and our careers.

Isaias shared another insight that really resonated with me:

“Feedback doesn’t define us. It refines us.”

When feedback is given with trust, belief, and clarity, it doesn’t tear people down. It helps people grow into their potential.

We also talked about something that matters deeply to both of us. Highlighting the voices in our comunidad who are sharing knowledge, writing books, and helping others rise.

Because when one of us grows, crecemos todos juntos.

To learn more about the book and connect with Isaias on LinkedIn and social media, visit: https://www.envisionleader.com/fwords/#form 

☕ Where to Find the Corporate Cafecito Podcast

🌐 Website: https://www.corporatecafecito.com
 

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… THIS ONE IS FOR YOU. 🔥

If you want to elevate in corporate spaces, preparation is your edge.

Not luck.
Not vibes.
Preparation.

In this episode, Carlos and I talk about why showing up prepared changes everything.

✨ It builds trust.
✨ It gives you calm confidence.
✨ It makes you flexible, not flustered.
✨ It shifts how people see you.

And let’s be honest… as Latinos, we do not always get unlimited chances to prove ourselves.

So when you walk into a room prepared?
Your presence speaks.

At Corporate Cafecito, we believe in representación, comunidad, crecimiento, y cultura. We believe you can honor where you come from while building where you’re going.

Take the course.
Practice the pitch.
Read the brief.
Build the network.

Prepare for what’s ahead.

If you’re early in your career, in college, or ready for your next level, this episode is your reminder that confidence is built, not borrowed.

☕ Where to Find the Corporate Cafecito Podcast
🌐 Website: https://www.corporatecafecito.com
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CorporateCafecito
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4hIRSdg9Mu4QJo0TMfeWMO
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/corporate-cafecito/id1650963959
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corporatecafecito
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corporatecafecito/
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@corporate.cafecito
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/corporate-cafecito/

Familia, let’s rise together. ☕✨

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. 

In moments like this, when immigration conversations feel heavy and uncertain, it becomes even more important to center lived experience.

This week on Corporate Cafecito, Nallely sits down with Reyna Grande, who crossed the border at nine years old as an undocumented child.

She shares what that journey felt like. Being caught twice. Hiding from helicopters. Running across a freeway in the dark. Arriving hungry. Living in survival mode.

But what stayed with us most was what came after.

Family separation.
Reunification that was painful and complicated.
Feeling emotionally homeless.
Choosing education as her pathway forward.

Right now, when immigration is reduced to headlines and political talking points, listening to stories like Reyna’s matters.

Because behind every debate are children.
Behind every policy are families.

Reyna has written nine books that center immigrant voices with dignity and truth. Her work reminds us that immigration is human.

📚 Visit Reyna’s website to explore her full body of work, pre-order her new book, and learn how to support her mission:  https://reynagrande.com/

Watch the trailer below, and head on over to our website to watch this amazing episode:  www.corporatecafecito.com

Now more than ever, we lead with corazón y verdad.

With love,
Nallely ☕✨

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. 

Today’s Corporate Cafecito episode is live, and I’m bringing Marie Quintana back because her journey cannot be contained in a single conversation.

In this episode, we go deep into the corporate chapters that shaped her leadership. From choosing systems engineering at IBM before laptops were even a thing, to leading complex transformations at PepsiCo during major acquisitions, to building what became the Multicultural Center of Excellence at a time when multicultural strategy wasn’t even part of the business conversation.

What makes this conversation powerful isn’t the titles. It’s the leadership moments we don’t talk about enough. The meetings that didn’t land. The resistance to change. The fear in the room. And Marie’s decision to stay, listen, and meet people one on one because real leadership starts with humanity.

We talk about non linear career paths, curiosity as a strategy, and what it means to keep walking into rooms where you are still the only Latina. Doing it afraid. Doing it anyway. Si tú puedes, tú puedes.

If your career path hasn’t looked the way you thought it would, if you’re stepping into something new, or if you’ve ever wondered whether you’re ready, this episode will meet you right where you are.

📍 Learn More
📘 Book: https://a.co/d/1P1hRV1
🌐 Website: https://www.mariequintana.com/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariequintana/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marietquintana/

Where to Find the Corporate Cafecito Podcast:
🌐 https://www.corporatecafecito.com
▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@CorporateCafecito
🎧 https://open.spotify.com/show/4hIRSdg9Mu4QJo0TMfeWMO
🍏 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/corporate-cafecito/id1650963959
📱 https://www.tiktok.com/@corporate.cafecito

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. 

Chicago is frozen right now.

❄️☕ Chicago is frozen right now.
 Negative digits over the weekend, snow on the ground, and one of those mornings where everything feels a little slower. The kind of day where you wrap your hands around your mug and sit with your cafecito instead of rushing through it.

That kind of morning invites reflection.

Because in this episode, we talk about trust. Not the buzzword version. The lived version. The kind that shows up in small moments at work. In who you confide in. In who shows up consistently. In who feels safe and who quietly doesn’t.

In this conversation, we explore
☕ How trust is built over time
☕ What erodes trust in the workplace
☕ Why predictability matters more than proximity
☕ Boundaries, feedback, and trust without oversharing

La confianza se construye despacio. Con acciones. Con coherencia. Con respeto.

If you’ve ever thought, I need to be more intentional about who I trust at work, this conversation will feel familiar.

☕ Where to Find the Corporate Cafecito Podcast
🌐 Website: https://www.corporatecafecito.com
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CorporateCafecito
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4hIRSdg9Mu4QJo0TMfeWMO
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/corporate-cafecito/id1650963959
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corporatecafecito
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corporatecafecito/
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@corporate.cafecito
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/corporate-cafecito/

Thank you for being here and for sharing this space with us. We’re grateful for this community and these conversations. One cafecito at a time. ☕

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 couldn’t imagine a more meaningful way to begin 2026.

Our first guest of the year on Corporate Cafecito is Marie Quintana.

Marie is a Cuban immigrant, CEO of Quintana Group, strategic advisor, executive coach, board director, and author. Long before ERGs, before representation became a strategy, she was building, leading, and opening doors in corporate America. From IBM to PepsiCo to serving as Chief Marketing Officer at Tenet Healthcare, her career spans decades of leadership, transformation, and impact.

But this conversation isn’t about titles.

It’s about her story.

Marie shares a moment from first grade she calls “White Dress Day.” Picture day. A handmade white dress. Walking into a classroom and realizing she was different. That moment didn’t break her. It became the foundation for resilience, courage, and leadership.

We talk about living in two worlds. About vulnerability as strength. About faith, cultura, and what it truly means to bring your whole self to work. Porque cuando compartimos nuestras historias, abrimos camino para otros.

Marie is also the author of Last Flight from Havana, a powerful memoir about leaving Cuba, identity, resilience, and healing. Her book is an extension of this conversation and a reminder that our beginnings do not limit us. They shape us.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to edit yourself to belong, this episode is for you.

📍 Learn More:

📘 Book (Last Flight from Havana): https://a.co/d/1P1hRV1
🌐 Website: https://www.mariequintana.com/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariequintana/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marietquintana/

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.