EL ADN

Meet Thatiana Diaz, Remezcla’s editor in chief, previously at Refinery29 and People en Español. Thatiana spearheaded the development and launch of two successful Latinx digital media brands: People Chica and Somos. The former beauty pageant queen with Dominican roots turned her passion for beauty into a full-time career as a writer and later on as an editor.

We talked about a disclaimer she gives to all women she works with, her career mantra that has gotten her where she is today and how she hopes to change the media industry from within. 

Meet Karen Perez, the stylist who designed a chic mask that has since been worn by high-profile women like Jennifer Lopez and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She launched her brand Second Wind on Instagram and a year later, her designs can now be found stocked at Saks Fifth Avenue.

We talked about how she mentally dealt with a viral incident in which a popular influencer was accused of stealing her designs, the good and the bad of being popular and sought-after overnight and her step-by-step process of creating a product.

Julissa Calderon needs no introduction. You may think the Afro-Latina actress rise to stardom began after her viral videos on BuzzFeed’s "Pero Like" and her most recent Netflix series, "Gentefied," but her career really began much earlier acting Off Broadway.

In 2020, Variety named Julissa 'A Latinx Star to Watch' and they were not wrong. She co-hosts a Netflix sketch comedy talk show “Go Off” on YouTube and even launched her first product as an entrepreneur, the "Manifest That Sh*t" journal after literally manifesting her entire career. 

We talked about how comparing yourself to other women is completely useless, how letting your inner child guide you can help you throughout your journey and the success mindset that lands her all the gigs: working “10,000 hours.”

Meet Mela Pabón, the artist behind Latinos' favorite astrology page on Instagram, Checkinmela. Originally launched as a way to cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, the project now has almost 1M followers as a result of Mela's satirical horoscopes. With a sweet cosign from Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin, the interdisciplinary artist and author uses original illustration as a storytelling tool between Latino cultures and beyond. Her style is unique: she tells it like it is, as if she was your long-time friend.

We talked about why every creative should take an improv class, how to price your art and her future plans, one of which she shared exclusively with EL ADN Podcast.

Jearnest Corchado's success in the big screen didn't just happen overnight. The actress and singer from Sneakerheads, Little America and The Real Housewives of the North Pole (launching on December via Peacock), began acting in Puerto Rico when she was just 8 years old. We talked about what she calls "the jearney": the high and lows of her career, including how she landed her breakout role on Netflix months after the initial audition, and how she reconnects with her inner voice through music and journaling. 

You can follow Jearnest on Instagram @jearnestcorchado. Enjoyed this conversation? Go watch our full video interview with some extra gems on Victoria Leandra's YouTube channel and join the online conversation by following @ELADNPodcast and @VictoriaLeandra. Make sure you're subscribed to our podcast on your favorite streaming platform, we drop fresh episodes every Monday!

Emmy-winning host and TV personality Lilliana Vazquez is a trailblazing interviewer, style expert and one of the OG fashion bloggers. In 2008, she launched Cheap Chicas, a brand that has evolved into what we know today as the LV Guide.

Born and raised in Texas to a Puerto Rican father and Mexican mother, she’s been a host and contributor at NBC’s TODAY show, Extra, The Talk, Rachael Ray, The Wendy Williams Show and Steve Harvey. 

Lilliana made history at E! Entertainment's daily morning shows E! News and Pop of the Morning as the first and only Latina to hold the role in the show's 30 year history.

We talked about the “No” she received that made her think her career was over, how she goes about creating opportunities for herself in the media industry, and she opens up about motherhood - both her relationship with her own mother and the relationship she has with her newborn, Santi, and how they’ve both impacted her life as a career-driven woman. 

You can follow Lilliana on Instagram @LillianaVazquez. Enjoyed this conversation? Go watch our full video interview with some extra gems on Victoria Leandra's YouTube channel and join the online conversation by following @ELADNPodcast and @VictoriaLeandra on Instagram. Make sure you're subscribed to our podcast on your favorite streaming platform, we drop fresh episodes every Monday!

Juleyka Lantigua is the Founder and CEO of multi-million dollar media company Lantigua Williams & Co., a Peabody-nominated studio whose mission is to support and amplify the work of creators from the margins in digital audio and film.

Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in The Bronx, she’s a journalism veteran with 20 years of experience. Prior to launching her own business, she was Senior Supervising Producer/Editor of NPR’s Code Switch and before that, she was a staff writer at The Atlantic, where she became the first dedicated criminal-justice reporter.

Juleyka has been the recipient of several fellowships and grants, including the MacArthur Foundation and Fulbright Foundation.

We talked about embarking on a new career later in life, her networking strategy as a shy individual and how she made her work match her purpose in the world.

Serena Kerrigan, better known as SFK, is an entrepreneur and Internet personality who’s primary goal is to make women aware of their potential in all aspects of their lives, including dating and sex.

After almost 4 years as a producer and host at Refinery29, she quit the company to fully focus on her personal brand. At the moment she didn't have a set plan, then the pandemic hit. That's when she  decided to entertain her online community by dating a new guy every single week, that’s how "Let's F*cking Date" began - the first ever Instagram Live reality show that amassed over 5 million views over several seasons. 

With 400K followers on TikTok and almost 140K on Instagram, Serena launched a set of card games to help in intimate settings with a friend or a date.

We talked about feeling invisible when no one else sees your potential, how to build online momentum for your business and practical steps to become more confident.

Meet Lissette Rios, one of the most influential Latinas in the public relations industry. After 15 years of working at global PR agencies with major brand clients including Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nintendo, General Motors and others, she founded Chic Influence - her very own PR and talent management agency.

Prior to founding her own company, she left the corporate world as a Senior Vice President of a global PR firm.

Her agency is the complete opposite of how corporate America trained her. As a bicultural and bilingual expert, she combines “two markets": the “general market” and the “US Hispanic” market.

Beyond her professional career, Lissette is an avid runner who has conquered the 2019 NYC Marathon and just completed the 2021 Chicago Marathon.

We talked about creating a business plan, her productivity hacks to get everything done and still have a work/life balance and how she negotiated a salary increase after realizing she was severely underpaid.

You can follow Lissy on Instagram @LissyMarie. Enjoyed this conversation? Go watch our full video interview with some extra gems on Victoria Leandra’s YouTube channel and join the online conversation by sharing what you learned from this episode on your IG stories - don’t forget to tag @ElADNpodcast and @VictoriaLeandra for a regram. Make sure you’re subscribed to our podcast on your favorite streaming platform, we drop fresh episodes every Monday!

Before Alicia Menendez became the MSNBC anchor we know today, the only career path she saw for herself was running for public office.

Once in the political scene, she realized the media had the power to set the narrative and determine what stories matter. Today, Alicia is one of the most respected Latina journalists in the US media, she’s the author of "The Likeability Trap" and the creator and host of Latina to Latina podcast.

She’s been a correspondent for VICE News, an anchor at Fusion TV and a host at HuffPostLive. She’s also been a guest at your favorite TV shows: Good Morning America, The View and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

We talk about the importance of sponsors (as opposed to mentors), why you should create your own opportunities outside of your 9-5 job and how to master your mindset ahead of public speaking.

You can follow Alicia on Instagram @aliciamenendezxo. Enjoyed this conversation? Go watch our full video interview with some extra gems on Victoria Leandra’s YouTube channel and join the online conversation by sharing what you learned from this episode on your IG stories - don’t forget to tag @ElADNpodcast and @VictoriaLeandra for a regram. Make sure you’re subscribed to our podcast on your favorite streaming platform, we drop fresh episodes every Monday!