Feeling behind, burned out, or unsure if you’re doing enough? In this episode of Desktime Stories, Mirtle Peña-Calderón shares an honest conversation about creativity, identity, boundaries, grief, food, and learning to trust your own voice. She talks about the pressure many women feel to do everything, the importance of knowing when to pause, and why keeping track of small wins can help us remember that we are still moving forward.

From The Book of Awesome Latinas to The Bocadito and Confessions of a Tired Latina, Mirtle reminds us that we do not have to have it all figured out to keep growing — and that we are enough simply for existing.

You can connect with Mirtle on LinkedIn under Mirtle Peña-Calderón, follow her on Instagram at @myrtlepcalderon, and read her Substacks: Confessions of a Tired Latina, The Bocadito, and Awesome Latinas.

You can also support The Book of Awesome Latinas through Bookshop.org, local bookstores, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.

00:00 Storytelling Matters

00:10 Meet Myrtle Pena Calderon

02:06 Origins of a Chismosa

05:56 Pain Grief and Poetry

09:17 Boundaries Hedge vs Wall

13:41 Confessions of a Tired Latina

14:50 Making Awesome Latinas

20:09 Lessons from 500 Years

22:03 The Bocadito Food Stories

26:14 Burnout Wins and Bandwidth

31:23 Where to Follow and Support

33:21 You Are Enough

34:06 Final Pep Talk and Goodbye

At 14, Olga Camargo was asked to translate a financial pitch to her own mother — words she didn't have in Spanish, from a man who stopped looking her mother in the eye. That moment sent her into a 25-year career in financial services. Now CEO of Prosperity Rise Mindset and the first Latina board chair of the Northeastern Illinois University Foundation, Olga breaks down what the industry still gets wrong about Latino families, why Latinas make roughly 70% of family financial decisions, the retirement mistake almost everyone makes at 18, and the advice from her father that pushed her to take the biggest risk of her career.

Books (Amazon — beginner guides to 401(k) and 403(b) retirement accounts):

Rise: Embrace the Future That You Can Build (English)

Sube: Abraza el futuro que puedes construir (Spanish)

Website:

prosperityrisemindset.com — free download, Building Wealth and Financial Resilience / Cómo crear la riqueza y tener resiliencia (English & Spanish), plus webinar sign-up form

Webinar:

Retiro Listo Now — webinar series with Negocios Now (publisher Clemente Nicado), launching ~September

A layoff became the beginning of something bigger. Sandra Sertel, former Oracle and LinkedIn leader and founder of Tzun, shares how resilience, intuition, and her first-gen Latina experience led her to build technology that brings accountability to AI-assisted decisions.

A powerful conversation about career pivots, confidence, AI governance, leadership, and believing you are more than enough.

#DesktimeStories #LatinaInTech #AIGovernance #WomenInTech #CareerGrowth

Centro Legal de la Raza: centrolegal.org

Tzun.ai

This episode is in Spanish, for subtitles in English, visit the Desktime Stories YouTube channel here.

Networking is not about using people. It is about building real trust before you ever need help. In this episode of Desktime Stories, Rebeca de la Piedra shares how genuine relationships can open doors, support us during hard seasons, and make our professional lives more human. We talk about referrals, empathy, follow-up, humility, boundaries, common networking mistakes, and why the smallest gesture can change someone’s career. A warm and practical conversation for anyone who wants to connect better without feeling fake, awkward, or transactional.

 #Networking #CareerGrowth #DesktimeStories #Leadership #ProfessionalGrowth #Mentorship #WorkplaceRelationships

00:00 Networking Isn’t Asking for Favors — It’s Building Trust with Rebeca de la Piedra

00:06 Welcome to the Show

01:24 What Networking Is

02:53 Recommendations and Shortcuts

04:59 Listening and Following Up

08:50 Empathy During the Pandemic

10:35 Fake Networking and Boundaries

11:21 A Referral Story

14:43 A Support Network During Crisis

17:44 Humility and Forgiveness 19:06 A Lesson from September 11

22:24 Ethical Inside Information

24:55 Serving with Love

25:31 Everyday Connections

27:53 Practicing Awareness

28:40 Networking for Introverts

29:35 Humility in Business

32:47 Mistakes That Break Trust

35:23 Boundaries and Saying No

37:48 Doors That Change Lives

40:31 Keeping Relationships Alive

41:36 The Power of a Gesture 43:41 Stay Humble, Stay Hungry

45:11 Closing and Contact

En Español

00:06 Bienvenida al show

01:24 Qué es networking

02:53 Recomendaciones y atajos

04:59 Escuchar y dar seguimiento 08:50 Empatía en pandemia

10:35 Networking falso y límites

11:21 Historia de recomendación

14:43 Red de apoyo en crisis

17:44 Humildad y perdón

19:06 Lección del 11 de septiembre

22:24 Información privilegiada ética

24:55 Servir con amor

25:31 Conexiones cotidianas

27:53 Practicar la conciencia

28:40 Networking para introvertidos

29:35 Humildad en negocios

32:47 Errores que rompen confianza

35:23 Límites y decir no

37:48 Puertas que cambian vidas

40:31 Mantener relaciones vivas

41:36 El poder de un gesto

43:41 Stay humble stay hungry

45:11 Despedida y contacto

Lily Lopez, Director of External Affairs & Sustainability at Walnut Valley Water District and founder of Latinas in Water, shares how she broke into the water industry, prepared for a leadership role at 27, handled rejection, built mentorship relationships, and learned that true leadership is not about ego — it is about listening, building trust, and opening bigger doors for others.

In this episode of Desktime Stories, we talk about career growth, leadership, mentorship, emotional intelligence, Latinas in leadership, public sector careers, and how to become the kind of leader people actually trust

In Work Life Flow with Natalie Mendez, Natalie returns to Desktime Stories to talk about ambition, boundaries, motherhood, leadership, and learning how to enjoy the life you worked so hard to build. From career growth to protecting your peace, this conversation explores how success can flow with family, health, joy, and authenticity.

Carlos Martín, executive coach and CEO of Continuum Leaders, shares how becoming the coach he needed as a young Mexican American shaped his approach to leadership, growth, emotional intelligence, and helping others feel seen.

In this episode of Desktime Stories, Carlos talks about finding your why, getting comfortable with the unknown, asking for help, and why great leaders treat people like people.

#DesktimeStories #CarlosMartin #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #EmotionalIntelligence #CareerGrowth #PersonalGrowth #SelfAwareness #LatinoLeadership #GrowthMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #Coaching #Purpose #Mentorship #WorkplaceCulture

One email, one comment, or one frustrating moment can ruin your workday if you react too fast. In this Short, Luisa from Desktime Stories shares the P-A-C Method: Pause, Anchor, and Celebrate, a simple work happiness hack to help you feel calmer, reconnect with your impact, and move through the day with more personal power.

#Shorts #CareerTips #WorkHappiness #WorkplaceWellness #DesktimeStories

One email, one comment, or one frustrating moment can ruin your workday if you react too fast. In this episode, Luisa from Desktime Stories shares the P-A-C Method: Pause, Anchor, and Celebrate, a simple work happiness hack to help you feel calmer, reconnect with your impact, and move through the day with more personal power.

#Shorts #CareerTips #WorkHappiness #WorkplaceWellness #DesktimeStories

Want to get noticed and promoted faster? In this Desktime Stories episode, Luisa shares three career skills every professional should practice: communicate your value, ask for feedback, and follow through. These simple habits can help you build trust, grow faster, and become someone leaders see as ready for more.

Subscribe to @DesktimeStories for more career tips, leadership lessons, and real stories about work, growth, and success.

#viralvideos #CareerAdvice #WorkplaceTips #GetPromoted #SuccessTips #LeadershipTips