Whether in business or in life, the old adage is definitely true. Patience does pay off, and so does persistance. Great news, friends! After several months of back and forth I was finally able to recover my hacked account from Meta. I'll tell you how I did it in this episode, and also share how these two characteristics have always been in my wheelhouse as tools to try to problem solve whenever possible. Let me know what you think, and if you can relate.

Recently I lost access to an 13-year-old Instagram account that had been developed over that many years, and while this loss was definitely unexpected and unwanted, it did also make me confront a harsh reality. When we are forced to start fresh and reassess what we have been doing all along it is uncomfortable and pretty difficult. On this episode I share more about this experience and the takeaways I am choosing to take from the experience.

In this episode we are talking about the process of planning and taking a step back to review and analyze your business today, so that you have a clearer vision of where you are going and how you are getting there tomorrow. After more than a year, I finally broke out the old SWOT analysis to review where I am in business and to identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats confronting my entrepreneurship journey right now. Happy to report the process was actually quite painless.

Those three leters - DEI - and what they stand for have been in the news cycle quite a bit this new year, but is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion now a bad idea? If you are anything like us, you probably have been having and hearing a lot of conversations on the topic of DEI, and you may be feeling a bit nervous about where we are and where we may be headed. As of Februrary 2025, these are my thoughts on how we can all do our part to make sure the principles of this work are not lost or unlearned.

In the business today, Juan sits down with entrepreneur, public policy advocate, and investor Gary Acosta. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), co-founder of L'ATTITUDE, and co-founder and partner of L'ATTITUDE Ventures. Throughout the conversation, Juan and Gary discusses his personal story, his work with the Latino community, and his multiple business ventures. Get ready to be empowered as Gary shares invaluable insights on chasing your dreams, refining your skills, and nurturing meaningful connections.

As an agancy, my team and I here at Big Oak Tree Media are fully committed to elevating diverse voices and communities - and our work through the Latina Leadership Podcast is just one way we are turning our commitment into action. So far this year we have celebrated two events under the Latina Leadership Podcast umbrella, and we have plenty more to come. In May, our inaugural Mind, Body, and Latina Soul event culminates, and in October, the annual Latina Entrepreneurship Conference is back! Tune in to learn more about these events and about our why for this work.

In the Business today, Juan sits down with American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, Will La Salle. Will is the founder of La Salle Productions, the production company behind the award-winning short film, Hillo II. Will speaks on his experience as an independent filmmaker, and how his passion for filmmaking is what inspired him to start a production company of his very own. Juan and Will go further in depth about what it takes to make a film, and Will shares some of his inside secrets about the film industry. You'd never believe us if we told you it was a red jacket that started it all, so hear it from the man himself, and tune in to learn more about Will and his accolades.

On this week's episode, Juan Alanis sits down to speak with Eric Salinas Nebel, a native Houstonian and writer, to discuss his personal life story, cultural upbringing, and writing journey. They also dive into Eric's debut book, Hispanic in the Box: Inside the Power of Latin-Americana. The book was written in the midst of a historic Hollywood labor strike and the first months of first-time fatherhood. The labor of love is a true testament of the importance of culture. Check out his book at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMJTF8HL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

In the Business today, Juan Alanis sits down with Robert Burns, the Home Region Program Director for the Walton Family Foundation. The Walton Family Foundation is a family-lead philanthropic organization that focuses their attention on education, environmental conservation, and improving local communities in the home region of the Walton family, Northwest Arkansas, and the Arkansas- Mississippi Delta. Robert goes further into depth about the philanthropic efforts the Walton Family is passionate about, including promoting equity through means of education and financial security, and helping to build a more vibrant and inclusive economy for their local community. Tune in to learn more about the granting processes at the Walton Foundation, and listen as Robert gives the audience more insight into the Northwest Arkansas region as a whole.

In the Business today, Anjelica Cazares sits down to interview Co-founder Juan Alanis and CEO of Speke Podcasting, Freddy Cruz, to share the details of their journey from a 9-to-5 job, to successful entrepreneurs. Juan and Freddy discuss the importance of believing in yourself, putting yourself out there, and learning when complacency becomes hazardous to your authenticity. The truth is, no one ever knows where they're going to end up. Try as you might, even after 400+ job applications, you can never predict where life wants you to go. If you think 400 applications is crazy, tune in to hear more about that from the man himself, and how he never let that stop him from chasing his bigger purpose.