Strong Life Coach Podcast

Ally was born and raised in New York, before heading to Philadelphia and graduating from Villanova University. She eventually left the East Coast for San Diego, where she earned her law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law with a concentration in criminal litigation.

Ally got her first taste of criminal law at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office in college, before pivoting to criminal defense in law school and never looking back. Having seen cases prepared and tried from both sides of the courtroom, Ally knows how to evaluate her cases from all angles and strategize relentlessly to ensure the best results for her clients.

Ally has practiced criminal defense on both the state and federal level. Having handled various types of cases in every stage of the defense process, she understands the care and attention that every person accused of a crime needs and deserves. Ally is proud to have the opportunity to defend people in their darkest hour, and does not take her responsibility as a defense attorney lightly. She knows that at the end of the day, the most gratifying part of her job is being able to help her clients navigate our complicated legal system.

Since 2021, Ally has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Law at the University of San Diego’s School of Law Paralegal Program.

Agustin Peña, raised in the City Heights community, earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from San Diego State University in 2009, and law degree from California Western School of Law in 2012. Agustin is currently a San Diego County Deputy District Attorney assigned to the Major Narcotics Division where he works with state, local, and federal agencies in prosecuting offenses involving the manufacturing, transportation, and importation of narcotics. Prior to his assignment with Major Narcotics, Agustin prosecuted domestic violence and elder abuse cases in the Family Protection Division. Throughout his career, Agustin has prosecuted a variety of sensitive cases including homicides, carjackings, sexual assault, and other crimes of violence. In 2021, he was the only government attorney awarded the San Diego Business Journal’s “Leaders in Law” award, and in 2022 California Western School of Law’s “Adjunct Professor of the Year” for the L.L.M. program. Since 2014, Agustin has frequently trained law students, attorneys, judges, and law enforcement personnel from Latin America on successful investigative and prosecution techniques, as well as the rules of evidence and effective presentation of evidence in court proceedings. He continues to serve his community as the current President of the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association, and is also an adjunct professor for University of San Diego School of Law, and Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

Gilberto was born and raised in Miami. He attended Florida International University for undergraduate studies as well as the College of Law. He enjoys running and has completed multiple marathons. As a son of immigrant parents, he feels the strong connection to the South Florida community and is always available to lend a helping hand and guidance, no matter how big or small your case is.

Kiara Santos is the founder and managing attorney of Santos Legal Group. Kiara’s career in law began over seven years ago when she started working at a large firm as a paralegal assistant. While in law school, she transitioned to a small law office. Her externship at this small law office really engrained in her the importance and great need to bring generational wealth building knowledge and the importance of ownership to minority communities, as well as young entrepreneurs and creatives. Prior to founding Santos Legal Group, she created her own business and provided legal consulting services to a number of other small to mid-size companies. Kiara’s varying experience and exposure to Business and Trademarks law makes her a well-rounded attorney who understands business owners’ comprehensive needs.

She is passionate; she is genuine; she is insightful; she is a California attorney; she purposefully invests in personal development; she motivates; she educates; she captivates as a speaker; she’s deeply introspective; she is insanely entertaining; she is Ashley Laiken.

Attorney Ashley Laiken joins me for part 2 of her story. I’m convinced this one will empower you in your journey.

She's graceful in all she does; she's genuine; she's considerate; she extends power to women and aspiring attorneys. She is Taly Goody.

Attorney Taly Goody returns to the Podcast after three years to discuss her Iranian roots, suffering a miscarriage, her daughter, her husband joining the firm at Goody Law Group, her political perspective, and more!

Isadora Velazquez, Esq. was not born in the United States. In fact, she was born in Puerto Rico to a Puerto Rican father and a Venezuelan mother. Her experiences played a role in her decision to pursue a career goal of assisting immigrants who wish to fulfill their American dream. It was with this goal in mind that she studied for a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish from the University of Miami and eventually a Juris Doctor degree from The Dickinson School of Law in Pennsylvania State University where she received various merit scholarships. 

Isadora did not stop pursuing knowledge and experience after she graduated. Instead, she continued to learn and grow as an attorney who is dedicated to helping potential immigrants. She served as an Assistant State Attorney at the Miami State’s Attorney’s Office. She developed litigation skills during her time there as she argued motions and participated in courtrooms as a trial attorney. She also prepared trial, wrote appellate court briefs and memoranda, and worked as an associate attorney at Rudd and Diamond, P.A.. While working as an associate attorney, she legally represented clients from all walks of life in civil litigation matters. She was responsible for handling pre-trial discovery for around forty bodily injury and property damage cases. She also dealt with several tasks including conducting depositions, arguing pre-trial motions, preparing jury instructions, arguing motions, and many more.

Isadora is a former partner at Aigen & Velazquez, P.A. where she focused on personal injury representation that catered to each client’s specific needs. She sought to assist her clients in receiving the compensation they deserved for medical bills, lost wages, emotional distress, and other damages. 

Before founding Isa Law, she also gained experience as an immigration lawyer at various law firms. At Eran Ben Ezra, P.A., she helped clients obtain difficult work visas and renewals by writing visa application essays on their behalf. Isadora researched and gathered evidence to defend political asylum and religious persecution cases. She also wrote appellate court briefs and obtained approvals for change and adjustment of status applications. Isadora also served as the only immigration attorney at Trujillo Vargas Gonzales, LLP. 

Now, Isadora has more than a decade of experience in immigration law. She has represented and continues to represent clients in removal proceedings, cancellation of removal, asylum, naturalization, adjustment of status, and other cases. Additionally, thanks to her years of experience working at different law firms, Isadora has gained a lot of knowledge in various areas of law. Her time as an associate lawyer gave her successful litigation skills as a trial attorney. In fact, she has worked with respected law specialists as she practiced Insurance Defense. Isadora’s expertise in all of these areas gives her an edge in representing her clients as she is capable of giving comprehensive solutions and advice in all areas of law. 

Isadora has not forgotten about her resolve to help aspiring immigrants reach their American dream. She founded Isa Law to help clients navigate all the complexities involved in the immigration process. Immigration law is considered to be one of the most complicated areas of law in the United States. However, thanks to Isadora’s experience and extensive studying, Isa Law is more than capable of assisting clients in favorably settling their immigration matters. She brings all the skills, knowledge, and expertise needed to help people reach their immigration dreams.

Byron was born and raised in Long Island, New York. He is a proud descendant of two working-class Guatemalan parents who arrived in the United States in the 1980s and went through the process of becoming legal United States citizens, wanting a better life for their family. Byron witnessed first-hand how complicated the immigration process can be and how the language barrier is a massive issue for many, miscommunications causing the individual to miss dates and not understand procedures or what to do next. Byron acknowledges that he wants to recompense his parent’s struggles to achieve the American Dream by serving as a voice and a gladiator in the courtroom on behalf of his clients.

The struggles that his clients experience with the continuing complicated immigration process empowered Byron to gain a broad cultural awareness, which motivated Byron to help the same working-class Latino communities with their legal matters near and dear to his heart.

Byron’s dedication to helping others is a testament to his work. Byron is fluent in Spanish, and he has appeared as a legal advisor to educate the Latino community on the continuing changes to the immigration laws, as they happen quickly and can significantly affect people’s lives, on monumental television networks, such as Telemundo, Univision, and other national Latino mornings programs such as Vision Latina and TV Azteca. Byron serves as the point of contact in his Great Neck community for non-native speakers and those who need legal representation, and he opens the door to clients who continue to struggle to access it. Byron’s clients chose to work with his boutique law firm because of his extreme diligence, keen eye for detail, commitment to his client’s needs, and confidence in his approach to solutions to his client’s matters.

Attorney Irving Pedroza has dedicated his life to helping people feel less broken. Irving is a skilled and accomplished lawyer who practices in courts all over the State of California. Irving has litigated hundreds of cases and recovered millions for his injured clients. Irving was the first in his family to ever attend college. After College, he stayed in San Diego for Law School and went to California Western School of Law.

Irving Pedroza was born in Guerrero, Mexico from humble beginnings. At the age of six his parents immigrated to the United States, to Escondido, CA, where he grew up. Irving’s family struggled with poverty, his older brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a child, and Irving saw his mother be a victim of domestic violence. Due to the struggles, Irving has dedicated his life to helping others, through the justice system or during his spare time.

Irving is a relentless and passionate advocate for his community. He serves as a Director and Motivational Speaker with PowerMentor, a non-profit organization that focuses on developing young leaders through mentorship. Additionally, Irving sits on the board of directors for Youth Will, an organization whose focus is to equip the youth with the necessary skills to drive social change through projects, community outreach, and leadership training.

In his free time Irving enjoys meditating, reading, and watching sports.

Mikaela is from Long Beach, California, and attended the University of California, Davis, where she double majored in International Relations and Sociology.

Mikaela took a gap year after her undergraduate career and began working at The Simon Law Group in 2017 as an Administrative Assistant. While there, she knew she wanted to spend her days advocating and giving a voice to those who have been injured. With this reignited passion, she applied to Law School.

Since Mikaela always viewed school as an excuse to get to know a new place, she moved to Kentucky and attended the University of Kentucky College of Law. During her three years in Kentucky, she was an Ambassador for the College of Law and volunteered with Court Appointment Special Advocates. Mikaela spent both of her summers as a Law Clerk at the Department of Public Advocacy’s Trial Office. Mikaela also completed an Externship with the Department of Public Advocacy’s Innocence Project, where she advocated for wrongly convicted individuals. Mikaela was also a Research Assistant for Professor Blanche Cook where she worked on Sex Trafficking as well as 4th Amendment issues. During her last year of Law School, she worked as a Certified Legal Intern for the University of Kentucky College of Law Legal Clinic, where she advised, counseled, and represented indigent clients. She did all of this, while continuing to work remotely as a Law Clerk for The Simon Law Group. Mikaela graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law in May 2021 and received the Pro Bono Award for completing 120 pro bono hours.

Law School allowed Mikaela the space and time to develop her passion. She wants to spend her life and energy advocating for Justice for her clients, and The Simon Law Group gives her the opportunity to do just that.