My guest today is Laura Cardona, 

Laura, also known as the Buena Vida Life Coach, is a Colombian Born, NJ-raised, Former NYer now turned Californian. Breaking barriers, she became the first in her family to attend college and pursue her passion for film and storytelling. Laura had a successful career in entertainment for 17 years but eventually heard the calling and transitioned into the role of a Life Coach. Her mission now is dedicated to creating a positive and supportive space for the Latina/e/x community, where everyone gets equipped with the tools and mindset needed to thrive and achieve their full potential. Her coaching style is characterized by a unique blend of gentle loving guidance and savvy real talk, providing her clients with an empathetic and realistic approach to personal development. Laura’s driving force is the unwavering belief that Latinas have the inherent right to balance their busy lives, have a strong sense of self-worth, AND live a joyful fulfilling Buena Vida. 

My next guest is Laura Tejeda 

Laura is a lifelong East Los Angeles resident. She has a Masters's Degree in Organizational Leadership and serves as an Equity & Social Justice practitioner in the non profit sector. Laura is also a multimedia journalist with experience as freelance writer for L.A. TACO and content producer for De Los, the LA Times Latino Initiative. She is the founder of Instagram-based page @hungryineastlos which began in efforts to challenge gentrification in East LA and support family-owned & people of color-owned businesses in East LA and beyond.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to be notified when her episode drops later this month. 

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My guest today is Maritza Diaz, 

Maritza is a Latina content creator and tech industry professional, is also a dedicated full-time mom. Before embracing motherhood, travel was her passion, offering her a sense of liberation and self-discovery. However, her world turned upside down when she experienced pregnancy during the pandemic and struggled with postpartum depression. Despite these challenges, she later found that being a mom ignited a new excitement for travel, both solo and with her family. I can’t wait for you to meet her!

@MitzyDays

Visit her website 

My next guest is Laura Cardona, 

Laura, also known as the Buena Vida Life Coach, is a Colombian Born, NJ-raised, Former NYer now turned Californian. Breaking barriers, she became the first in her family to attend college and pursue her passion for film and storytelling. Laura had a successful career in entertainment for 17 years but eventually heard the calling and transitioned into the role of a Life Coach. Her mission now is dedicated to creating a positive and supportive space for the Latina/e/x community, where everyone gets equipped with the tools and mindset needed to thrive and achieve their full potential. Her coaching style is characterized by a unique blend of gentle loving guidance and savvy real talk, providing her clients with an empathetic and realistic approach to personal development. Laura’s driving force is the unwavering belief that Latinas have the inherent right to balance their busy lives, have a strong sense of self-worth, AND live a joyful fulfilling Buena Vida. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to be notified when her episode drops later this month. 

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Michelle Aguilar, formerly Michelle Arredondo is a Chicago native and former Flight attendant, currently working a 9-5 in higher education. She is also the external communications manager for Rise & Thrive Latinas.

I am grateful to Michelle for choosing to lead with vulnerability. I’m grateful to her for the energy she came into this convo with and the stories shared.

My next guest is…

Maritza Diaz, a Latina content creator and tech industry professional, is also a dedicated full-time mom. Before embracing motherhood, travel was her passion, offering her a sense of liberation and self-discovery. However, her world turned upside down when she experienced pregnancy during the pandemic and struggled with postpartum depression. Despite these challenges, she later found that being a mom ignited a new excitement for travel, both solo and with her family. I can’t wait for you to meet her! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to be notified when her episode drops later this month. 

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Joining me today is Bianca Alba.

Bianca is a proud Latina and first-generation college graduate. She was born in the heart of South America in Cochabamba, Bolivia and is the oldest of four sisters. Bianca holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Public Health. Despite many years of schooling, Bianca managed to pay off all her student loans and feels liberated by being debt-free.

Bianca is the voice and creator of “This Latina Travels!” – A podcast about travel through the eyes of a First Generation Latina traveler/college grad sharing all her travel experiences first-hand! As a little girl, living in a single-parent household, trips and vacations were just a dream and felt unreachable. This Latina Travels is more than just Bianca telling you about her experiences, but it is a true reflection that dreams can become reality! To date, Bianca has traveled to 6 of the 7 continents in the world and her goal is to encourage and support women who look like her to travel the world too!

My next guest Michelle Aguilar (Formerly Arredondo) 

Michelle is a Chicago native. Former Flight attendant, Currently working a 9-5 in higher education. She is also the external communications manager for Rise&Thrive Latinas a convener and curator of spaces for Latinas to connect, build community, and work toward collective healing. I’m so excited for you to meet her! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to be notified when her episode drops later this month.

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Joining me this week is Stephanie Hebron Ortiz, Stephanie is a Healthcare Analyst and has been working in Healthcare for the past 9 years. She has a degree in  Communications and just completed a Masters in Public Health in Health Policy and Administration from UIC. She’s worked as a Birth and Postpartum Doula, high school teacher, Executive Assistant, Contract Management and did theater for 5+ years. She’s passionate about both Domestic Violence and Community Medical Advocacy. 

- She strives for overall well being, justice, accessibility and equity! Her goal is to continue to work to address the Public Health needs within the USA and Puerto Rico. Specifically in the areas of self and collective advocacy and women’s health. As she works toward this goal she is a seasoned traveler and plans to continue to travel, have fun and nurture her creative side!

Connect with her on Instagram @Salvaxeflor 

For those who are listening, Stephanie and I met at a book club meetup that we are both members of called Rise and Thrive Latinas. If you are in the Chicagoland area and are interested in sitting in community with some truly dope women and supporting emerging Latina authors, I sincerely recommend checking it out. You can find them on Instagram at @RiseAndThriveLatinas. Although that sounded like a commercial, it’s not. I just have found a lot of joy in that space since becoming a member and want to highlight it for that reason. Also, I’ve met a lot of amazing women who are friends outside of that space too. And we all know how challenging it can be to cultivate new friendships as adults so I am so grateful for the RTL space for that reason as well. 

Joining me next episode is Bianca Alba. Bianca is a proud Latina and first-generation college graduate. She was born in the heart of South America in Cochabamba, Bolivia and is the oldest of four sisters. Bianca holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Public Health. Despite many years of schooling, Bianca managed to pay off all her student loans and feels liberated by being debt-free.

Bianca is the voice and creator of “This Latina Travels!” – A podcast about travel through the eyes of a First Generation Latina traveler/college grad sharing all her travel experiences first-hand! As a little girl, living in a single-parent household, trips and vacations were just a dream and felt unreachable. This Latina Travels is more than just Bianca telling you about her experiences, but it is a true reflection that dreams can become reality! To date, Bianca has traveled to 6 of the 7 continents in the world and her goal is to encourage and support women who look like her to travel the world too!

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🎙️ Season 2 Episode #2  Meet Erica Gardunio

Erica is the face and brains behind @viajerica_ a platform she created to highlight her journey exploring new places. Viajerica is a play on the Spanish word Viajera which means traveler. For Erica the name embodies the spirit of her journey well. A journey she wholeheartedly embraced after a career shift from nursing to healthcare tech to “whomp whomp” unemployment. She took that unexpected career curveball and used it as an opportunity to explore the things that light her up and make her feel most alive. She’s taking this time to do it different, to do it her way and to share that journey with us all through the Viajerica Platform. 

🎧 Listen to her episode now on all your favorite podcast platforms. Link in bio. 

👀 Our next guest is Stephanie Hebron Ortiz, Stephanie is a Healthcare Analyst, passionate about Domestic Violence and Community Medical Advocacy. She strives for overall well being, justice, accessibility and equity for all! Her goal is to continue to work to address the Public Health needs within the USA and Puerto Rico. Specifically in the areas of self and collective advocacy and women’s health. As she works toward this goal she is a plans to continue to travel, have fun and nurture her creative side. You might recognize Stephanie from the episode we did last season discussing access, privilege and the impacts of over-tourism in places like Puerto Rico. She was essential to that conversation and I encourage you to make a mental note to go back and listen to that episode if you haven’t already. It’s a powerful conversation. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to be notified when her episode drops on January 2nd so you can join us in starting off 2025 with Stephanie’s story!

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My guest this week is Salena Davila-Shilling. Salena is the founder of The Traveling Project Manager, where she combines her expertise in digital project management with her passion for travel. Through her business, She is dedicated to empowering solopreneurs through strategic planning and skillful execution. A is proud Latina entrepreneur from Chicago, Salena grew up in North Riverside and quickly embraced city life, living in various neighborhoods throughout the city before settling in Chicago’s South Loop almost ten years ago. I can’t wait for you to meet her!

I’d like to thank Salena again for her time. I encourage you to reach out to her on her website thetravelingprojectmanager.com where you can find links to connect with her on social media. 

My next guess is Erica Gardunio - Erica is the face and brains behind Viajerica, a platform she created to highlight her journey as a traveler with 8 years of experience exploring new places. She also shares how a career curveball took her from nursing to healthcare technology to whomp whomp unemployment on to create the Viajerica platform. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to be notified when her episode drops on 12/19

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Season 2 y'all!

I’m so excited to take you on this next chapter of our journey. Last season, we were feeling things out, following our curiosity, and learning what this space could be. In Season 2, we’re building on that foundation—and doubling down. 

This season, we’re going deep. We’re talking about where it all started—how our guests first fell in love with travel, and how that passion has shaped not just their adventures, but their lives. From chasing sunsets across the globe to finding inspiration in their own neighborhoods, we’ll explore the journeys that have pushed them to grow, take risks, and see the world differently.

You’ll hear stories of resilience, creativity, and courage. We’ll laugh, we’ll learn, and we’ll celebrate the unique ways travel empowers us to live fully and authentically. Because Hood Girls Travel Too isn’t just about where we go—it’s about who we become along the way.

Season 2 drops, Today right now actually, you can jump right into episode one and meet our first guest of the Season, Salena Davila-Shiling better know as The Traveling Project Manager.

So pack your bags—or just your earbuds—and get ready to explore somewhere new with us. Hood Girls Travel Too is back, and we’re just getting started. 

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to be notified when new episodes drop!

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Y'all 27 episodes later and... 

Season one is wrapped, we've already recorded 90% of the episodes for Season 2 which will drop in December (ho, ho, ho). 

So before we break for the month of November we're taking a beat to recap Season 1, show gratitude to all the guests and collaborators this year and to share some sneak peaks for Season 2.

Thank you for listening. See you next season!

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Episode #27

Today, we’re continuing the conversation started last week with a special focus on another community that has a unique relationship with tourism and access—Puerto Rico. I’m joined by two amazing guests, one who was born on the island Stephanie Hebron, Stephanie currently lives in Chicago and calls both Puerto Rico and New Jersey home, and the other Bianca Alba who has called the island home for the past 8 years. In addition to their personal ties to the island both Stephanie and Bianca are public health professionals giving them a unique insight into the topics we'll be discussing in today’s episode. They'll be sharing what it’s like to live in a place that’s often marketed as a carefree paradise for tourists, but where the reality for locals can be quite different.

We’ll dive into their experiences with the scarcity of natural resources, the impact of government decisions that prioritize tourism over local needs, and what it means to be a responsible traveler when visiting such places. This episode is about listening, learning, and understanding how we can be more mindful in our travels.

If you haven’t listened to part 1 and 2 of this 3 episode series, I invite you to press pause and go listen to that episode first. To briefly recap this past summer, I had the opportunity to live in Mexico City for a few months, and it had some truly eye-opening experiences. I saw firsthand in a new way the impact of tourism, gentrification, and how access to resources can shift so dramatically depending on where you are in the world.

Be sure to join us next week for the final episode of the season! You won't want to miss it.

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