Latina Mic Drop™ The Human-First Leadership Podcast

¿Cuántas veces has permitido que tu pasado decida lo que mereces en tu presente?

¡Oye, Chingona! Este episodio es especial porque por primera vez nos vamos completamente en español. Y créeme, esta conversación viene con verdades que muchas necesitamos escuchar.

Hoy en Latina Mic Drop me acompaña Karola Castro, una afrolatina hondureña, coach certificada y coautora de Chingona Playbook: Secrets to Dance to Your Own Beat.

Karola no viene a contarnos una historia perfecta. ¡Aquí no estamos para eso!

Desde pequeña enfrentó discriminación, abuso, violencia y momentos que la hicieron cuestionar su propio valor. Pasó años buscando amor, aceptación y respuestas fuera de ella, hasta que comenzó a descubrir algo poderoso: no necesitaba que alguien viniera a rescatarla. Necesitaba comenzar a creer en sí misma.

Y espérate, porque esta historia tiene de todo.

#LatinaMicDrop #ChingonaPlaybook #MujeresLatinas #AmorPropio #SanacionEmocional

Desde el libro que comenzó a cambiar su manera de pensar hasta sus encuentros inolvidables con Deepak Chopra y Oprah Winfrey, Karola nos recuerda que a veces las oportunidades llegan y ni siquiera creemos que las merecemos.

Pero lo que más me impactó fue algo que dijo al final de nuestra conversación.

Le pregunté: ¿Cuándo supiste que eras chingona?

Y me respondió:

"Cuando me di permiso."

¡BOOM! Ahí está el mic drop.

Porque, mujer, ¿cuántas cosas tienes esperando porque todavía no te has dado permiso?

En este episodio hablamos de sanar las heridas de la infancia, dejar de cargar con las expectativas de otros, reconocer nuestro valor, superar el autosabotaje y atrevernos a contar nuestras historias.

También hablamos de por qué escribir puede convertirse en una herramienta de sanación y de cómo una comunidad de mujeres puede ayudarnos a encontrar nuestra voz.

Karola es autora del único capítulo escrito en español de Chingona Playbook, titulado "Soy lo que mis ancestros soñaron".

Y esa frase lo dice todo.

Porque tú no eres solamente lo que te pasó. También eres lo que decides hacer con tu vida.

🎙️ Escucha este episodio de Latina Mic Drop, compártelo con esa amiga que necesita recordar su valor y suscríbete para seguir teniendo conversaciones que nos hacen pensar, sentir y actuar.

📖 Conoce el libro Chingona Playbook, una colección de historias de 21 mujeres latinas que decidieron bailar a su propio ritmo.

Visita: https://chingonaplaybook.com

Y recuerda, Chingona: tu historia tiene valor, tu voz merece ser escuchada y no necesitas esperar a que alguien te dé permiso para vivir la vida que quieres.

¡Eres chingona también, y te mereces lo que tú pides!

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Girl, when was the last time you asked yourself: How do I actually feel?

Not what needs to get done.

Not who needs you.

Not what everybody else is eating.

Not what the scale says.

How do YOU feel?

On this episode of Latina Mic Drop, I sit down with Chingona Playbook co-author Berenice Vargas Luna for a conversation about food, self-love, body image, Latina wellness, and what happens when mujeres finally stop putting themselves last.

Bere shares how her relationship with food completely changed as she began looking at food differently and paying attention to what her body was telling her. We talk about growing up without necessarily being taught how food affects our energy and well-being, the cultural pressure around our bodies, and the comments many Latinas know way too well: *You gained weight. You're too skinny. You're eating too much. You're not eating enough.*

Can we just eat in peace, por favor?

But this conversation goes deeper than what's on the plate.

We talk about the women who make sure everybody else eats first. The high-achieving women who work all damn day without eating and then wonder why they're exhausted. The eldest daughters who automatically take responsibility for everybody. And the Chingonas learning that asking for help, feeding themselves, resting and taking care of their bodies doesn't make them selfish.

It means we're finally including ourselves in the people we take care of.

Bere also shares how going through divorce forced her to rediscover herself, how cooking helped rebuild her confidence, and why learning to love herself became one of the biggest lessons of her life.

In this episode, we get into:

- Latina self-care and why we often put ourselves last

- Food, body image and our complicated relationship with both

- Why listening to your body matters

- High-achieving women who forget to eat, rest and recharge

- Eldest daughter syndrome and always feeling like you have to handle everything

- Rebuilding confidence after divorce and major life changes

- Learning to ask for help instead of doing everything alone

- Self-love beyond the cute quotes and spa days

- Becoming a new version of yourself

- What it really means to be a Chingona

One of my favorite takeaways from Bere?

Before we even talk about food, ask yourself: Where are you with YOU? How can you show yourself more love?

Because Chingona, you can love your familia, serve your community, build the career, run the business and handle all the things.

Eres Chingona también, y te mereces lo que tú pides para los demás.

🎙️ Listen to the full episode of Latina Mic Drop featuring Berenice Vargas Luna, co-author of Chingona Playbook: Secrets to Dance to Your Own Beat.

And if you're a Latina, Chicana, eldest daughter, high-achieving mujer, entrepreneur, leader, or Chingona learning how to choose herself without guilt, this conversation is for you.

Latina podcast, Latina wellness, Latina self-care, Chicana podcast, Latina health and wellness, food and self-care, self-love for Latinas, eldest daughter, Latina entrepreneurs, Latina leaders, women of color wellness, body image, food as medicine, Berenice Vargas Luna, Chingona Playbook, Latina Mic Drop Podcast, Chingona, Hispanic women, Latina empowerment

Have a story that belongs in Volume 2: Chingona Playbook Secrets to Rewriting the Rules? Applications now open until 10/31. Email [email protected] for more details.

Learn more https://www.chingonaplaybook.com

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Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon

Website: www.MiriamSimon.online

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you stop asking permission and start owning every room you walk into?

Dr. Vanessa Nazario joins Latina Mic Drop to share her journey from humble beginnings as a Boricua growing up in Trenton, New Jersey, to earning her doctorate and becoming a senior leader. She gets real about Latina identity, motherhood guilt, career sacrifices, rejection, resilience, and learning that a closed door can sometimes be redirection.

As a contributing author of Chingona Playbook: Secrets to Dance to Your Own Beat, Dr. Nazario also shares why our stories matter, why we need to stop hiding behind titles, and the rule she lives by now: keep aiming higher.

Chingona Playbook launches September 29.

Learn more about Dr. Nazario the other 20 Latina Chingonas at https://www.chingonaplaybook.com

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Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon

Website: www.MiriamSimon.online

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you stop trying to fit into spaces that were never built for all of you?

In this episode of Latina Mic Drop, Miriam Simon sits down with Carmen Noonan, Chingona Playbook contributing author, holistic nurse, speaker, founder of Cultivated Consciousness, and host of Chingona y Chisme.

Carmen shares what it meant to grow up being told she was too loud, too much, and too different, and how those messages followed her into relationships, healthcare, and leadership. After years of shrinking, code-switching, and trying to earn a seat at the table, being labeled a “disruptor” became the turning point.

Instead of shrinking again, Carmen chose herself.

They talk about authenticity, assimilation, proving your worth, creating your own table, trusting your gut, and why being a disruptor may actually be part of your power.

Mic Drop: “I don’t shrink. And I don’t sugarcoat.”

Grab your copy of the Chingona Playbook: Secrets to Dance to Your Own Beat launching 9/29 to read Carmen’s full story, and subscribe to Latina Mic Drop so you never miss the next conversation.

Learn More https://www.chingonaplaybook.com

Follow Latina Mic Drop Podcast

Instagram: @LatinaMicDropPodcast

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Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon

Website: www.MiriamSimon.online

Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when keeping your head down, working hard, and saying yes to everything finally breaks you?

In this episode of Latina Mic Drop, Miriam Simon sits down with Melany del Carpio, a first-generation, firstborn Peruvian American, corporate tech professional, and one of the 21 contributing authors of The Chingona Playbook: Secrets to Dance to Your Own Beat.

Melany shares how a toxic work environment pushed her to a breaking point and ultimately led her to take medical leave. That pause became the beginning of something bigger: reclaiming her voice, setting stronger boundaries, changing careers, and learning how to take her power back.

We talk about the cultural pressure many Latinas experience to work hard, stay quiet, be grateful, serve others, and worry about qué van a decir. We also get into burnout, workplace boundaries, leadership, identity, creativity, career pivots, vision boards, community, and what it really means to know yourself.

One of Melany’s most powerful lessons?

“To not know yourself is a tragedy.”

This conversation is for anyone who has ever ignored the warning signs in their body, stayed too long in a toxic workplace, felt guilty for needing rest, or realized they were living according to everyone else’s expectations.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Toxic workplace culture and burnout

• Taking medical leave from work

• Reclaiming your voice and personal power

• Setting healthy workplace boundaries

• Latina leadership and doing the inner work

• Career pivots from higher education to corporate tech

• First-generation Latina experiences

• Cultural expectations and qué van a decir

• Breaking generational patterns around work and sacrifice

• Why strong leaders have to know themselves

• Creativity, vision boards, and creating a life you actually want

• The power of writing your story

• Latina representation in publishing

• Casa de Chingonas and authentic community

• Becoming unapologetically yourself

Melany is also one of the 21 contributing authors featured in The Chingona Playbook: Secrets to Dance to Your Own Beat, a collection of real stories from women who stopped waiting for permission and started choosing their own rhythm.

📚 The Chingona Playbook launches September 29, 2026. Learn more at https://www.chingonaplaybook.com

If this episode speaks to you, share it with the Chingona who has been running on empty, questioning herself, or needing permission to choose herself.

Because sometimes taking your power back starts with finally listening to the warning lights.

Subscribe to Latina Mic Drop for conversations about Latina leadership, identity, career growth, entrepreneurship, publishing, breaking generational cycles, and becoming more of who you already are.

#LatinaMicDrop #ChingonaPlaybook #LatinaLeadership #ToxicWorkplace #BurnoutRecovery #WorkplaceBoundaries #LatinaAuthors #CareerPivot #FirstGenerationLatina #WomenInLeadership #TakeYourPowerBack #LatinaPodcast

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Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon

Website: www.MiriamSimon.online

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"What Will They Say?" Denise Soler Cox on Breaking the Latina Taboos No One Talks About Latina Mic Drop Podcast

Okay, mi gente, we need to talk. Denise Soler Cox got on this call, said "I could not be more excited," did the happy dance BEFORE the interview even started, and then proceeded to hand Miriam ten years of "the line of secrets and dreams" wrapped in one conversation. Producer's note: I tried to find a boring moment to cut for time. There wasn't one. You're welcome.

In this episode, Denise, filmmaker behind Being Eñye, veteran of 400+ stages, and author of the new book What Will They Say?, breaks down the qué dirán that's been running your life rent-free, the "good Latina would never" exercise that will wreck you in the best way, and why compartmentalizing at work might be costing you more than you think. Miriam and Denise also get into marriage, motherhood, corporate code-switching, and why this book had to be released in Spanish and English at the same time.

We are on a mission to make this woman a New York Times bestseller. Do your part. Buy the book. Tell your tía. Let's go.

• The "line of secrets and dreams" - what a decade of film screenings taught Denise about every Latina's hidden dream
• Los trapos sucios se lavan en casa and the taboo Denise says cost her the most
• The "a good Latina in my family would never ___" exercise, do it, then burn the paper
• Why being a great professional compartmentalizer can quietly hollow out your identity
• The book's twin release in English and Spanish, and why that's a bigger deal than it sounds
• Rapid fire: pearls or tattoos, heels or barefoot, and the advice Denise ignored but wishes she hadn't

• 📖 Pre-order What Will They Say?
• 🌐 Denise's website
• 🎬 Watch Being Eñye
• 📩 Join Denise's newsletter
• 📸 Instagram: @denisesolercox
• 🎵 TikTok: @denisolercox
• 💼 LinkedIn
• 🐦 X/Twitter: @DeniseSolerCox

• 🎙️ Casa de Chingonas community https://www.MiriamSimon.online
• Rate, review, and subscribe - it's how we get more chingonas like Denise in front of more of you

Follow Latina Mic Drop Podcast

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Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon

Website: www.MiriamSimon.online

Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 summary

In this episode, Miriam Simon interviews Vanessa Macias, a first-generation doctoral candidate, DACA recipient, and proud member of the LGBTQ community, about her journey to embracing her identity as a chingona. They discuss overcoming cultural expectations, the power of storytelling, and living authentically.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Vanessa Macias and the Chingona Playbook

01:58 What does being a chingona mean to Vanessa?

03:07 Growing into the identity of a chingona

03:59 Misunderstandings about Vanessa's personality

07:04 Vanessa's story as a DACA recipient and LGBTQ member

08:58 Advice to her younger self

11:58 The emotional process of writing her story

14:55 The importance of community and witnessing others

17:09 The lesson Vanessa hopes to share with other women

18:53 Overcoming self-doubt and embracing authenticity

21:00 Recognizing when it's time to change and live true

23:01 The significance of living without societal labels

26:01 What dancing to your own beat requires

29:03 The power of sharing your story for healing

30:56 The importance of community for chingonas

34:00 Reclaiming identity and confidence

37:08 The impact of vulnerability and storytelling

39:07 Encouragement for others to share their stories

41:02 Final thoughts and words of empowerment

Chingona Playbook is currently accepting applications - Submit Your Interest Here

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Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon

Website: www.MiriamSimon.online

Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Latina Mic Drop Podcast with Miriam Simon

What has self-doubt already cost you? Que te ha costado la pinche duda?

Maybe it was the job you did not apply for, the business idea you kept delaying, the price you were afraid to charge, the story you never shared, or the win you refused to celebrate.

In this episode of Latina Mic Drop, Miriam Simon explores how self-doubt, fear of failure, family expectations, cultural pressure, and imposter syndrome can keep high-achieving women from taking action.

You may find yourself asking:

Am I good enough?

Who am I to do this?

What will people think?

What if I fail?

What if I make the wrong decision?

Do I get to have what I want?

These questions do not always mean you are unprepared. Sometimes doubt appears because you are stepping into a new level of leadership, visibility, confidence, or personal growth.

Miriam shares how doubt can be connected to childhood experiences, family criticism, cultural expectations, workplace pressure, fear of rejection, and the belief that it is safer to stay invisible. She also challenges listeners to identify whether the critical voice in their head truly belongs to them or was inherited from someone else - la mami, el papi, la titi, el jefe/a o alguien más.

In this episode, you will learn how to:

- Recognize the difference between self-doubt and genuine lack of preparation

- Identify where your fear and inner criticism originated

- Stop allowing family expectations to control your decisions

- Understand how doubt can affect your career, business, income, and visibility

- Use criticism as useful information instead of proof that you should stop

- Build a “receipts file” of accomplishments, testimonials, results, and wins

- Move forward before you feel completely confident or ready

- Take one visible action that your doubt has been delaying

The Doubt Reset Exercise

Complete these four statements:

Doubt has been telling me:______

The truth is:______

This week, I will:______

The version of me I am becoming would:______

You do not need to eliminate doubt before you take action.

You need to stop treating doubt like the person in charge.

Your Next Action

Choose one decision doubt has delayed and take one visible step within the next 24 hours.

Post the win.

Send the pitch.

Raise the price.

Submit the application.

Tell the truth.

Begin the work.

Join Casa de Chingonas

Casa de Chingonas is a community for women who are ready to stop hiding, share their truth, celebrate their growth, and build meaningful connections with other women doing the same.

Join a space where your wins are celebrated, your voice is valued, and you do not have to make yourself smaller to belong.

Join Casa De Chingonas - Biweekly Saturday meetings 7am PT | 9am CT | 10 am ET https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/AovH6gGBRxGH1684g66RCg

Write Your Chapter in the Chingona Playbook

Your lived experience may be the exact lesson another woman needs.

Become a co-author in Chingona Playbook: Secrets to Dance to Your Own Beat and turn your story into a chapter that creates connection, authority, impact, and legacy.

Apply Here: https://forms.gle/LvZRppScKnLYmZt66

Subscribe to Latina Mic Drop

Subscribe to Latina Mic Drop so you never miss an episode about self-doubt, leadership, identity, confidence, visibility, career growth, entrepreneurship, and becoming the version of yourself you were told was too much.

self-doubt, how to overcome self-doubt, fear of failure, imposter syndrome, confidence for women, Latina leadership, women in leadership, personal growth podcast, overcoming fear, visibility in business, fear of judgment, career confidence, entrepreneurship for women, high-achieving women, stop holding yourself back, Latina podcast, leadership mindset, confidence at work, family expectations, cultural expectations

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Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon

Website: www.MiriamSimon.online

Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this short episode of Latina Mic Drop, Miriam Simon celebrates the one-year anniversary of The Chingona Times and shares why she created a blog to complement the podcast, her book, and the larger Mi Sí House brand.

This episode is about building thought leadership that outlasts social media. Miriam talks about the importance of owning your platform, creating digital real estate, staying consistent, and giving your audience different ways to connect with your message.

From podcasting to blogging to building a brand with chingona energy, this episode is a reminder that leadership is not only about being seen today. It is about creating something with longevity, purpose, and impact.

If you are a leader, entrepreneur, creator, or first-gen professional with something to say, this episode will challenge you to stop relying only on rented platforms and start building a home for your voice.

Work with me Chingonas. Learn more at https://www.MiriamSimon.online

Follow Latina Mic Drop Podcast

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Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon

Website: www.MiriamSimon.online

Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I Am Not La Amiga: A Latina LGBTQ+ Pride Story About Love, Family, and Being Seen

In this powerful Pride Month episode of Latina Mic Drop, Miriam opens up about her 20-year love story with her wife, the pain of not being fully accepted, and what it means to live honestly when family, culture, religion, and fear try to define you.

This episode is for anyone navigating coming out, LGBTQ+ identity, Latina culture, family rejection, workplace authenticity, and the courage it takes to be fully seen.

Miriam reminds us that we cannot live our lives for other people. We have to find our community, honor our truth, and stop shrinking ourselves to make others comfortable.

Latina LGBTQ podcast, Pride Month episode, LGBTQ Latina story, coming out, family acceptance, Latina wife, authentic leadership, workplace authenticity, queer Latina, LGBTQ family rejection.

Follow Latina Mic Drop Podcast

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Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon

Website: www.MiriamSimon.online

Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.