¿Quién Tú Eres?

Most people think professionalism is about fitting in, but what if it’s actually the reason we feel disconnected from ourselves? This podcast explores the tension between who we are and who we feel pressured to be at work, in relationships, and in everyday life.

Through candid conversations, we unpack how different environments shape our behavior, how limiting beliefs form, and what it looks like to actually understand yourself beyond the roles you play.

Tools like ⁠⁠Plurawl⁠⁠ can help you break down your thoughts and understand what’s driving them → https://plurawl.com/

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Most people think professionalism is about fitting in, but what if it’s actually the reason we feel disconnected from ourselves? This podcast explores the tension between who we are and who we feel pressured to be at work, in relationships, and in everyday life.

Through candid conversations, we unpack how different environments shape our behavior, how limiting beliefs form, and what it looks like to actually understand yourself beyond the roles you play.

Tools like ⁠⁠Plurawl⁠⁠ can help you break down your thoughts and understand what’s driving them → https://plurawl.com/

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Pabel Martinez is a native New Yorker, storyteller, and former tech executive. Throughout his career, Pabel was trained to believe that many parts of his identity were unprofessional. Pabel would dedicate days out of the week to study "white popular American culture" and memorizing scripts he would later use for work conversations. He knew that talking about Bad Bunny and shows like Insecure, would not make him relatable. Instead, he would binge-watch seasons of Riverdale since it would help him build relationships with colleagues and senior leaders. The assimilation became overwhelming, and it was at the expense of his identity & mental health.

As a result, Pabel's mission in life became redefining professionalism by empowering authenticity. In 2020, he launched Plurawl to bring this mission to life.

In this week’s episode, Pabel opens up about his recent feelings through a video journal entry. He talks about how he feels both proud of his friends for their achievements and also jealous because he would love to have the same opportunities. These conflicting feelings can be damaging to his relationships and to himself, so in this episode, he discusses how he supports his friends and their accomplishments while also holding space for his own negative feelings. 

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

Most people think professionalism is about fitting in, but what if it’s actually the reason we feel disconnected from ourselves? This podcast explores the tension between who we are and who we feel pressured to be at work, in relationships, and in everyday life.

Through candid conversations, we unpack how different environments shape our behavior, how limiting beliefs form, and what it looks like to actually understand yourself beyond the roles you play.

Tools like ⁠⁠Plurawl⁠⁠ can help you break down your thoughts and understand what’s driving them → https://plurawl.com/

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Harleny Vasquez is a First-Generation Latina, a Licensed Social Worker turned Career Coach. She is the CEO and founder of yourEVOLVEDmind, a career consulting firm dedicating its efforts to supporting the next generation of social workers. Through targeted career consulting, her aim is to transform and redefine their career narratives, setting them on a path of empowerment and growth.

Her work has been featured on Hispanic Executive, Al DiaNews, Medium, Huff Post, and LinkedIn News. She was recognized as a 2022 Emerging Social Work Trailblazer and a 2023 Top 13 Inspirational Keynote Speaker for Career and Leadership Development. Also, a Co-Author of Latinx/e in Social Work Volume 2. She is committed to uplifting and elevating the next generation of leaders by providing career consulting services, creating content, speaking engagements, facilitating workshops, and hosting her podcast Social Work Insider. She pioneers a new era, where emerging changemakers question norms and build unique paths.

In this week’s episode, Harleny tells us how she found the intersection of social work and tech, as well as how she uses it to help those in her community. She talks about her own mental health journey, and how she often felt like she wasn’t good enough. Harleny took a hard look at her mental health, decided to make a change, and started becoming her own cheerleader. Now she is a career cheerleader for her community and has changed the lives of countless students around the world. 

Follow Harleny on: 

Email [email protected]

Instagram: @yourevolvedmind

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harlenyvasquez/

Website: www.yourevolvedmind.com

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

Most people think professionalism is about fitting in, but what if it’s actually the reason we feel disconnected from ourselves? This podcast explores the tension between who we are and who we feel pressured to be at work, in relationships, and in everyday life.

Through candid conversations, we unpack how different environments shape our behavior, how limiting beliefs form, and what it looks like to actually understand yourself beyond the roles you play.

Tools like ⁠⁠Plurawl⁠⁠ can help you break down your thoughts and understand what’s driving them → https://plurawl.com/

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Jeff Lapaix is a Bronx-born creative marketing strategist and producer with over 10 years of experience across sports and news. He’s also the founder of The Smartest Guys in the Room, a podcast platform that sets out to redefine what it means to be “smart” by celebrating creatives and changemakers, and the impact they’re making on communities across NYC. He’s the co-writer + voice behind the lip-syncing comedic duo “Juan Bago & O”

In this week’s episode, Jeff talks about his time in a hostile corporate environment as a creative man of color. From having his ideas stolen and a socially enforced office uniform, Jeff has had to navigate cutthroat company culture. And while many of his colleagues would kill to be in his spot, he was starting to see through the name-brand prestige. It wasn’t until he started withholding the details of his amazing ideas that he decided enough was enough. Tune in to hear how he got out and what he’s doing now as a creative strategist. 

Follow Jeff on: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefflapaix/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesmartestpod 

The Smartest Guys in the Room Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@thesmartestpod 

Most people think professionalism is about fitting in, but what if it’s actually the reason we feel disconnected from ourselves? This podcast explores the tension between who we are and who we feel pressured to be at work, in relationships, and in everyday life.

Through candid conversations, we unpack how different environments shape our behavior, how limiting beliefs form, and what it looks like to actually understand yourself beyond the roles you play.

Tools like ⁠⁠Plurawl⁠⁠ can help you break down your thoughts and understand what’s driving them → https://plurawl.com/

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Angel Rosario Jr. is a native New Yorker from Harlem/Washington Heights who explores his intersectional identities as a gay, Afro-Dominican, cis-gender doctor who is completing his training as a General Surgeon.

Coming from a low-income background, Angel explores race, health, power, privilege, and the socioeconomic disparities that result through this lens, articulating them through his memoir writing and poetry, health disparities research, and mentorship. Also known as ‘el dotoi con los rolos’, he further strives to challenge narratives of professionalism, notions of ‘success’, and criticisms of healing by donning his hair with rolos, a symbol of his community and a homage to the Dominican, Puerto Rican, and non-Latina Black women who raised him. He believes that a diverse, unapologetically authentic, and culturally humble healthcare workforce, working alongside community members, is crucial to ending race-based medicine.

He is a first-gen college graduate of the University at Buffalo, received his Master's in Public Health degree from Harvard University as a Zuckerman Fellow, and obtained his Medical Degree from the University of California San Francisco, where he focused on caring for Urban Underserved communities, receiving the 2020 Gold-Headed Cane award honoring the graduate student who exemplifies the qualities of a ‘true physician’.

In this week's episode, Angel tells us his experience growing up in the Bronx being tested into a gifted private school in the Upper West Side, and navigating the medical industry as a queer black man. Angel is a kind and generous man whose work focuses on reducing racial bias in the medical industry. He hopes to dismantle systems of oppression in his field so that future patients can have a more compassionate medical experience. 

Follow Angel on: 

Instagram: @angelcurandero 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelrosariojrmd2be/ 

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

Most people think professionalism is about fitting in, but what if it’s actually the reason we feel disconnected from ourselves? This podcast explores the tension between who we are and who we feel pressured to be at work, in relationships, and in everyday life.

Through candid conversations, we unpack how different environments shape our behavior, how limiting beliefs form, and what it looks like to actually understand yourself beyond the roles you play.

Tools like ⁠⁠Plurawl⁠⁠ can help you break down your thoughts and understand what’s driving them → https://plurawl.com/

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Pabel Martinez is a native New Yorker, storyteller, and former tech executive. Throughout his career, Pabel was trained to believe that many parts of his identity were unprofessional. Pabel would dedicate days out of the week to studying "white popular American culture" and memorizing scripts he would later use for work conversations. He knew that talking about Bad Bunny and shows like Insecure, would not make him relatable. Instead, he would binge-watch seasons of Riverdale since it would help him build relationships with colleagues and senior leaders. The assimilation became overwhelming, and it was at the expense of his identity & mental health.

As a result, Pabel's mission in life became redefining professionalism by empowering authenticity. In 2020, he launched Plurawl to bring this mission to life.

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

Most people think professionalism is about fitting in, but what if it’s actually the reason we feel disconnected from ourselves? This podcast explores the tension between who we are and who we feel pressured to be at work, in relationships, and in everyday life.

Through candid conversations, we unpack how different environments shape our behavior, how limiting beliefs form, and what it looks like to actually understand yourself beyond the roles you play.

Tools like ⁠⁠Plurawl⁠⁠ can help you break down your thoughts and understand what’s driving them → https://plurawl.com/

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Recently, Pabel had a speaking engagement at a financial services company in Milwaukee that was too good not to share! In his highly anticipated Q and A, Pabel shares how he learned how to be more authentically himself at work, how he navigated childhood trauma, and the art of revealing oneself in small doses.  

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

Most people think professionalism is about fitting in, but what if it’s actually the reason we feel disconnected from ourselves? This podcast explores the tension between who we are and who we feel pressured to be at work, in relationships, and in everyday life.

Through candid conversations, we unpack how different environments shape our behavior, how limiting beliefs form, and what it looks like to actually understand yourself beyond the roles you play.

Tools like ⁠⁠Plurawl⁠⁠ can help you break down your thoughts and understand what’s driving them → https://plurawl.com/

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Carlos Santos is a Colombian-born business owner featured on Vice, The New York Times, and Univision, and a New York 30 under 30 recipient. His story is rooted in the struggles of being an immigrant. His experiences shaped him to see the beauty of generosity and potential in bringing his culture to new spaces. After graduating college, Carlos had a short stint in finance followed by a career in high-end events and hospitality until he joined his mother at Aqui Es Santa Fe. He helped transform their family business into one of the highest-rated and respected restaurants in Westchester, NY. Now, Carlos is focused on growing his Manhattan-based company - Nadas - into a multifaceted Hispanic food brand, built on their signature Gluten Free Colombian Rainbow Empanadas.  

In this episode, Carlos tells us how went from a survival mindset to a flourishing mindset. He says that he’s watched his mom work hard, struggle, and pray that he lives a better life than her. Now that he has the opportunity to not only survive but thrive, he is investing in his mom’s dream and sharing the next generation of Colombian food with the world. 

Follow Carlos on: 

Website: https://www.nadas.nyc/ 

Instagram: @nadasnyc

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://feeds.megaphone.fm/SCOSR3144394743

Most people think professionalism is about fitting in, but what if it’s actually the reason we feel disconnected from ourselves? This podcast explores the tension between who we are and who we feel pressured to be at work, in relationships, and in everyday life.

Through candid conversations, we unpack how different environments shape our behavior, how limiting beliefs form, and what it looks like to actually understand yourself beyond the roles you play.

Tools like ⁠⁠Plurawl⁠⁠ can help you break down your thoughts and understand what’s driving them → https://plurawl.com/

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She's a first-generation Dominican American who was born and raised in New York City. Having spent five years living in the Dominican Republic and learning English as a second language, she was able to merge her two cultural worlds through storytelling and community building. 

She's had 10 years of retail management behind her and eventually transitioned into the world of tech for the past five years. These days, Madelyn is passionate about personal and professional advocacy, branding, and personal style. She uses her experience in Corporate America to raise awareness about the Latina experience. And if you follow her on social media, you know that this is what she talks about - what it's like to be a Latina in corporate, specifically within the big tech industry.

In this episode, Madelyn meets with Pabel in Bryant Park, NYC, and shares her unconventional career journey, and how every twist and turn led her to the path toward her own happiness. When Madelyn was young, she was encouraged by her father to live a simple life. He told her to just get a consistent job and not do too much. Later in life, her mother encouraged her to do whatever she wanted. whether that was nursing, tech, or English literature. She encouraged her to follow her dreams and live a limitless life.

Follow Madelyn on: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelyn-t-5a8b0316a/ 

Instagram: @lacorporatechica 

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

Most people think professionalism is about fitting in, but what if it’s actually the reason we feel disconnected from ourselves? This podcast explores the tension between who we are and who we feel pressured to be at work, in relationships, and in everyday life.

Through candid conversations, we unpack how different environments shape our behavior, how limiting beliefs form, and what it looks like to actually understand yourself beyond the roles you play.

Tools like ⁠⁠Plurawl⁠⁠ can help you break down your thoughts and understand what’s driving them → https://plurawl.com/

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A movement leader who dreams big and envisions the long-term possibilities around her, Francesca Mayca Wegner recognizes that it takes resources, access, and dedication to affect sustainable change and she has dedicated her life to that very mission. 

Francesca is the co-founder of Midwest Latina(MWL), an apparel and accessories brand that makes stuff for you to wear, so you feel good about how you look, who you are, and where you come from. As two first-generation Peruvian-American sisters who were born in Chicagoland and live in Milwaukee, Francesca and her sister Gabriella have always felt passionate about finding spaces and brands that make them feel like they belong. MWL is where design and identity unite for a one-of-a-kind Midwest Latina look—where cultura meets classic. Midwest Latinas is a reflection of Francesca and Gabriella’s multifaceted identities and creates space for other Midwest Latinas to be seen and celebrated.

Francesca also serves as President and Chief Possibilities Officer of Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee (HPGM). Appointed in April 2021, she is an advocate, connector, and convener, and has led the organization through a record growth period with its membership, philanthropic gifts, and revenue during one of the most challenging times within the global landscape. 

A trailblazer known for her advocacy of others, Francesca was recognized in 2021 by Madison365 as one of ‘Wisconsin’s 36 Most Influential Latino Leaders,’ as both a ‘40 Under 40 Winner’ and as a ‘Power Broker & Executive to Watch’ by the Milwaukee Business Journal in 2022, and BizTimes named her a 2023 ‘Notable BIPOC Executive,’ which was especially meaningful as she was nominated by her HPGM team.

In her free time, you can find Francesca cozying up with a good book or podcast at a local coffee shop with a cafecito in hand or spending time with her husband Ted and their dogs, Michael Jordan and Scottie.

In this episode, Francesca tells us how she had to leave her people-pleasing tendencies behind to become her most authentic self. As a survivor of domestic violence, she’s had to learn how to read the emotions of others and diffuse any and all tension in order to survive. And as an adult, she still felt she had to use these same survival tactics at work, even when she’s the executive. But by catering to everyone else’s needs, she was neglecting her own. It wasn’t until she was insulted behind closed doors and heard that she “wasn’t brown enough” to count as diversity within her company, that she decided to put down the weight of people-pleasing and start speaking up for herself.

Follow Francesca on: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francescamaycawegner/ 

Instagram: @francescamwegner

Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.