Ordinary Thoughts

Nicol Varona Cancelmo is the co-founder and Marketing Lead of Ocoa, a premium hair care brand dedicated to helping Latinas embrace their natural curls. Inspired by the beauty of the Dominican Republic, Ocoa offers high-end curly hair products with clean, nourishing ingredients, empowering women to love their natural texture with confidence.

Founded in 2021 by Nicol and her sister Cory, Ocoa emerged from their personal curl transformation journey, igniting a passion for natural beauty and self-love. Nicol oversees Ocoa’s marketing strategy, ensuring the brand’s message resonates with its community.

A mom of two and a lover of curls, Nicol blends her personal passion with professional expertise to drive Ocoa's success. She holds a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Penn State University and a Social Media Certification from Georgetown University.

Through Ocoa, Nicol continues to inspire women to embrace their authentic selves.

Moments:

1:38 meet Nicol and learn about her Dominican upbringing and growing up around entrepreneurs

5:23 how Nicol and her sister Cory found their way to haircare with no experience

10:37 rebranding to Ocoa and feeling like they finally “arrived” as a brand 

11:30 is the narrative on curly hair shifting? 

12:40 what Nicol has learned from starting a business and quitting her full-time job to go all-in on Ocoa Beauty

17:23 changing popular narratives about curly hair and the Dominican Republic

24:07 mistakes Nicol made along the way and what she's learned about brand building

26:48 tips for working with family

29:10 advice for turning your passion into a sustainable business

33:35 Some of Nicol's favorite things

Connect with Nicol and shop Ocoa:

We have the honor of kicking off Season 2 with poet, educator, event curator, and artist JRose. 

Hailing from Queens, NY, JRose was Inspired by her love for Hip Hop, she began writing poetry at just 16, developing a profound and relatable style that transcends genres, from love and heartbreak to mental health, sexuality, women's empowerment, trauma, and more.

JRose has headlined iconic venues such as The Nuyorican Poets Café, Inspired Word NYC, Voices In Power, The Annual NYC Poetry Festival, and many others. 

When she’s not performing and winning slams, JRose is a dedicated workshop facilitator, teaching spoken word, creative writing, and social media skills to diverse communities including incarcerated women at Riker's Island through the Youth Justice Network. We talk about all of this, and her published book, Pieces of My Crumbled Thoughts, in this convo so tune in! 

Moments: 

2:07 meet JRose 

4:15 early poems, first performances, and organizing her first slam 

13:40 themes and topics JRose explores in her writing 

17:32 living in her purpose, working with youth, and teaching incarcerated women at Rikers Island 

27:37 community building: it’s rewarding, but exhausting 

33:30 curating her book, spoken word album, and events 

40:10 collaboration and community over competition 

45:23 advice for aspiring poets and community builders

49:00 some of JRose's favorite things 

52:05 Next Event: Legends, A Spoken Word Affair in Queens, NY on October 13th

Connect with JRose:

On Instagram

At her events 

Purchase her book

Listen to her album 

Connect with narrative: 

On Instagram

Our newsletter 

Alejo A. Rodriguez, hailing from Dyckman, New York, is a published author, poet, and former professional basketball player.

In 2022, Alejo made a notable debut with *Bad Poetry Vol. 1: Tumbleweed*, a collection that explores vulnerability and the human experience through raw and unfiltered poetry. His work has been praised for its authenticity and emotional depth.

Alejo's highly anticipated second volume, *Bad Poetry Vol. 2: Rain*, is set for release in early 2025. This sequel delves deeper into the human experience, exploring emotions of joy, sorrow, love, and loss.

Navigating these emotional peaks and valleys, Alejo's poetry demonstrates that vulnerability is a strength. Readers are encouraged to embrace life's challenges and find resilience and beauty in the face of adversity.

Moments:

1:16 Meet Alejo

4:18 Redefining himself from a pro ball player to a published poet

9:05 Vulnerability in writing

11:15 Inspiration behind “Bad Poetry Vol. 1: Tumbleweed” title

13:42 Editing and publishing process

15:20 Spoken word experiences

20:00 Finding therapy in writing and familial relationships

21:20 Retiring from basketball

24:35 Growing as a writer after publishing

26:40 Going into his second book

27:08 Being tall and basketball in middle school

31:58 Caribbean culture and supporting LatAm artists

34:15 Growing up in a supportive community

39:05 Stepfathers and the men who step up in our lives

43:15 Building community as a writer

53:10 Advice to young athletes

1:00:35 Alejo’s favorite things

Connect with Alejo:

On Instagram

Purchase his book

Alyssa Rivera is a poet and entrepreneur whose work centers creatives on a mission to change the world with their art. Our conversation is about overcoming obstacles and choosing the life you want.

Moments:

1:15 Meet Alyssa

12:00 Redefining herself

15:10 Healing through writing

17:50 Being a creative person

19:30 Stepping into her authentic self

32:00 Do artists need notoriety to be artists?

46:00 Leaving corporate America

52:00 Being Puerto Rican

55:00 Entrepreneurship & creative assistance

1:02 Astrology

1:05 Alyssa's favorite things

Connect with Alyssa:

Our conversation is a tour through his migration experience, navigating racism in America, writing in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, and so much more. Y’all are going to love this one.

Moments:

connect with Daniel:

We had the pleasure of getting to know Yariana Torres, a Bronx-based writer, with roots in the Dominican Republic. Her work focuses on identity, love, and culture, ultimately using her voice to illuminate the adolescent experience.

She has worked with platforms including the Dominican Writers Association, Dreamyard, Letras Latinas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and more. Our conversation is a journey through her creative process, cultural inspiration, open mic experiences, plans for the future, and beyond. We hope you enjoy it! 

Moments:

1:20 Meet Yariana

2:30 Getting started in her writing career

3:45 Imposter syndrome and confidence in writing

5:00 Her experience with Julia Alvarez, Angie Cruz, and Elizabeth Acevedo

11:00 Collaboration with Bronx-based designer Jordan Alexandra https://www.instagram.com/jalexandradesigns/

15:00 Themes Yariana explores in her writing

20:00 Self-publishing

23:00 Combating writers' block

26:00 Writing for your audience

30:10 Being old (at 30)

35:50 Why you don't need to know grammar to be a published author

37:00 Working with an editor

40:00 In her señora era

48:30 What Yariana has learned about herself through writing

55:52 Salmon lasagna and lasagna with raisins

57:20 Learning Korean, maybe

59:00 Gloria Trevi

Connect with Yariana:

Mariah Espada is a Zillenial nuyorican journalist whose works have been seen on the cover of TIME magazine, Axios Latino, and more. We discussed her journey from growing up in Brooklyn public housing to sitting with some of our culture’s elite.

We had a blast learning more about Mariah, her family, her sources of inspiration, her passion for storytelling, and bringing more Latine representation to journalism. We hope you enjoy it! 

Moments:

1:20 Meet Mariah

3:05 How being Nuyorican shapes Mariah's work

6:05 Becoming a writer/storyteller

9:45 Breaking boundaries with multimedia storytelling

14:10 Tokenization in legacy media newsrooms

21:20 Bias in the way our communities are covered

28:00 Bad Bunny cover story for TIME Magazine

37:00 Mariah's TikTok walking tour series: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoodhistoryhere

40:25 Gentrified Brooklyn

54:25 Mariah's advice for combating writer's block

58:50 Mariah's advice to her younger self

Connect with Mariah:

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariahespada

On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hoodhistoryhere

In this episode, we’re talking to writer, poet, speaker, and mental health advocate, Sandra Bittar. In our first international interview, this Egyptian-born, Ottawa-based creative powerhouse gives us the inside scoop on her creative inspiration from her culture through her faith. 

We learn about her journey from her first open mic to hosting open mics of her own – and how she’s growing to merge her professional and personal passions into an amazing opportunity for artists and writers to speak their words in safe and sacred spaces.

Connect with Sandra:

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandraspoesy/

at her next event: https://linktr.ee/sandraspoesy

Y’all are not ready for this! In one of our warmest conversations yet, we’re talking to Dr. Andrea Jacobo – a multi-lingual spoken word artist, storyteller, and community health organizer. She is first generation Afro-Dominican American, and her creative expression stems from her cultural roots and upbringing. Her writing is a tool to connect bridges across communities, disciplines, borders, and cultures. 

As you’ll learn in this episode, Andrea is talking to us on the heels of a BIG WIN. We’ll learn more about why she believes that community-centered, people-centered approaches are key to addressing health inequities. Her passion for community health, our culture, and the craft of writing are a few of the things we jump into today. 

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did! 

Moments:

Connect with Andrea:

This episode is a masterclass for early entrepreneurs.

We have the pleasure of talking to Valerie Diaz and Gelly Guzman, the founders of Raices Media - two Dominican women based in Miami by way of Rhode Island. Their story– from early-life creatives to entrepreneurs in multiple joint ventures– is nothing short of inspiring. 

As you’ll hear, Raices Media sets out to empower creators to share their stories, nurture talent, and shape meaningful narratives across diverse communities, fostering innovation and lasting impact. Needless to say, their mission was a perfect match for the work we’re doing here at narrative, making this conversation that much more special.

Moments:

1:23 Meet Valerie

2:05 Meet Gelly

4:20 Learn about Raices Media

6:15: Competitive edge

10:30 How Raices is expanding

13:00 Landing the first client

17:30 Cultivating relationships with clients

19:45 Having a cofounder

29:00 Balancing personal & professional

35:00 The "aha" moment

41:00 Narrative and amplifying our stories

43:20 Creative process

50:00 Advice for entrepreneurs

Connect with Raices Media:

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raicesmedia/

Website: https://www.raicesmediaco.com/

Valerie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejefacreator/

Gelly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gelsandra_guzman/