The First Gen Madrina

The holidays may ask a lot of the people who spend all year holding space for everyone else. In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, we're talking directly to the helpers, the social workers, therapists, and case managers who rarely get permission to need support themselves, especially during the holiday season.

We often forget that being good at our jobs doesn't protect us from being depleted at home and for first-gen practitioners, it can actually make things harder. We're not just showing up as a daughter, a sibling, or a hijo this season. We're showing up as "the one who made it," carrying language and expectations that our non-first-gen colleagues may never have to hold in the same way.

In this episode, we get into:

• Why burnout looks different during the holidays 
• How first-gen identity adds an invisible layer of pressure 
• Three practical tools to protect your capacity this season 

For more information on The First Gen Madrina and The Madrina Network Community for Social Workers, visit thefirstgenmadrina.com. 

In this episode, Sara sits down with Dr. Marisol Marroquin, a professor at Rutgers University's Department of Social Work for an honest conversation about burnout through the lens of first gen and Latine identity. From her journey into academia (as part of the 1% of Latinas with a doctorate) to the hidden ways survival mode, hustle culture, and countertransference show up in our work, Marisol and Sara get real about what school never taught us about burnout, and what it actually takes to rest without guilt.

• The 1% journey: Marisol shares what it took to become one of the few Latinas with a doctorate, and how her path from clinician to researcher was shaped by systemic gaps she saw firsthand in autism and immigration work.
• Survival mode & countertransference: A candid look at how growing up as translators, caretakers, and "the strong one" in our families primes us for burnout and why working closely with communities that mirror our own experience raises the stakes.
• Redefining rest: Practical, culturally grounded reframes for resting without guilt, unlearning hustle culture, and modeling healthy boundaries for the people who raised us.

Every year, another cohort of social workers leaves the field, and every year, the field calls it burnout like it's a personal failing. In this season premiere of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, Sara asks a different question: are people leaving because they're burned out, or because the support was never there to begin with?

This episode reframes burnout as a systems issue and not a personal one. We are talking about unpacking unsustainable caseloads, no clinical supervision, pay that doesn't match the labor, and workplace cultures where saying "I'm struggling" can feel like a threat to your job. Sara also opens up about the rarely-discussed overlap between burnout and ADHD in social work, the masking cost for neurodivergent and first-gen clinicians, and why rest can feel unsafe when your worth has always been tied to output.

In this episode, Sara unpacks:

• Why "burnout" is often the wrong diagnosis 
• The overlap between burnout and ADHD 
• The invisible tax first-gen clinicians carry 

For more information on The First Gen Madrina and The Madrina Network Community for Social Workers, visit thefirstgenmadrina.com. 

In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, Sara sits down with Michael Avila, a first-gen Latino therapist and founder of BrightMinds Therapy, to talk about what it's really like being one of the only men in the room in a field dominated by women.

Michael opens up about growing up as a first-gen kid navigating anger, identity, and machismo, and how mentorship helped him find his way to social work. Together, he and Sara dig into the double stigma men of color face entering the mental health field, why "having it all together" is one of the biggest myths in our profession, and how authenticity can actually be the thing that builds trust with clients rather than breaking professionalism.

If you've ever felt like you had to shrink yourself to fit what "professional" is supposed to look like, this conversation is your permission slip to stop.

In this episode:

• Why representation in social work isn't just about race, but gender too
• The myth of "having it all together" as a therapist
• Tattoos, self-expression, and redefining professionalism

For more information on The First Gen Madrina and The Madrina Network Community for Social Workers, visit thefirstgenmadrina.com. 

In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, we're tackling a topic that doesn't get enough attention in social work and mental health: representation. We break down the lack of male representation in social work, therapy, and other helping professions.

We also talk about why diversity in social work matters beyond gender including the need for more men of color, LGBTQ+ clinicians, and non-binary and gender non-conforming professionals in mental health spaces. Representation isn't just about optics; it's about creating a workforce that truly reflects the communities it serves and making healing more accessible for everyone.

Whether you're a social worker, therapist, clinician, student, or someone who's benefited from seeing yourself represented in care, this episode is for you.

For more information on The First Gen Madrina and The Madrina Network Community for Social Workers, visit thefirstgenmadrina.com. 

For the first time since launching The First Gen Madrina Podcast, I'm pulling back the curtain on a decision that's been months in the making.

Growth doesn't always mean starting over. Sometimes it means getting clearer about the impact you're meant to make.

In this episode, I'm sharing a personal update that reflects where this journey is headed, why this next chapter feels so important, and how it will create more intentional conversations for our community moving forward.

Whether you've been here since the beginning or you're just finding this podcast, this episode is an invitation into what's next and trust me, you won't want to miss it.

Press play to hear the announcement and be among the first to join me for this exciting new chapter.

Subscribe to the Madrina Money podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts or find it here: https://themadrinamoneypodcast.buzzsprout.com!

What does success look like when the version you were taught no longer feels aligned?

In this episode, Sara sits down with Melissa Gallardo, founder and CEO of Valorosa Candles, a culturally inspired home fragrance brand rooted in Latin traditions, identity, and belonging.

Together, they explore what it means to grow up first generation while navigating assimilation, identity, and the pressure to fit into definitions of success that were never fully our own. Melissa shares how growing up as a Salvadorian-American in a predominantly white community shaped her relationship with culture, language, and home and how building her business became an unexpected journey back to herself.

From climbing the corporate ladder and landing the “dream job” to realizing fulfillment couldn’t be found in titles alone, Melissa opens up about taking the leap into entrepreneurship, redefining success on her own terms, and building something deeply aligned with purpose, impact, and community.

This conversation is a reminder that success is not always linear and sometimes the bravest thing we can do is give ourselves permission to choose differently.

In this episode, we talk about:
• Growing up first generation and navigating identity across cultures
• Assimilation, belonging, and reclaiming cultural roots
• Building a business inspired by nostalgia, home, and Latinidad
• Letting go of traditional definitions of success

Because success isn’t always about reaching the top. It’s about creating a life that feels like home.

As first gens, many of us grew up with a very specific definition of success: get the stable job, make good money, buy the house, choose the career that others respect. But what happens when the life everyone imagined for you doesn’t align with the life you actually want?

In this episode, Sara shares her personal journey of redefining success from choosing social work despite criticism and concerns about money, to later taking the leap into entrepreneurship and creating The First Gen Madrina.

This conversation explores the pressure many first-generation professionals carry, the tension between financial security and fulfillment, and the belief that we have to sacrifice purpose in order to be financially stable.

If you’ve ever questioned your career path, felt guilty for wanting something different, or wondered whether you can build a life that includes both purpose and financial success.... this episode is for you.

In this episode, we talk about:
• First-generation expectations around career and success
• Choosing a path others may not understand
• Redefining success beyond status and income
• The relationship between money, survival mode, and fulfillment
• Entrepreneurship and building a values-aligned life
• Why time and flexibility became part of Sara’s definition of success

Because success doesn’t have to look the way you were taught. It gets to look like you.

In this episode, we explore what it truly means to reclaim your story and how your lived experience can become one of your greatest leadership assets. Our guest, Chris Ward Jr., Strategic Advisor and Leadership Storytelling Strategist, breaks down how visionary founders and high performers can transform complex life and business journeys into clear, compelling narratives that actually move people.

Chris introduces the idea of “Story Powered Confidence” and what he calls your “Human Premium”, which is the deeper, soulful expertise that comes from lived experience. Together, we unpack how storytelling isn’t just about communication, but about identity, clarity, and stepping fully into your voice as a leader.

If you’ve ever felt like your story was too messy, too complicated, or not “enough,” this conversation reframes it all: your story isn’t something to fix, it’s something to lead with.

This episode includes:

1. How to reclaim your personal and professional story and use it as a foundation for leadership and confidence. 

2. How storytelling shapes authority, influence, and the ability to turn complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives.

3. How to access your “Human Premium” and use lived experience as a strategic asset for impact and purpose.

Check it out now!

Welcome back to a brand-new season of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, and this month, we’re diving deep into Reclaiming Your Story as a First Gen.

In this powerful kickoff episode, we explore what it truly means to reconnect with your voice, your truth, and your narrative. As first-generation individuals, many of us were raised in environments where survival came before self-expression. Unfortunately, silence, sacrifice, and strength may have been necessary, but it often came at the cost of not being seen and heard.

This episode unpacks how and why so many of us “lost” our stories, not because they didn’t exist, but because we didn’t always feel safe, empowered, or supported enough to tell them.

You’ll learn:

•  What it actually means to reclaim your story (without forcing a positive spin) 
•  How inherited beliefs and unspoken rules shape your narrative 
•  Why storytelling is a form of healing, not just sharing 
•  The role of therapy and safe spaces in processing your experiences 
•  How to navigate guilt, family ties, and boundaries while honoring your truth 
•  Why discernment matters when choosing who gets access to your story 

This conversation is a reminder that you are not just a product of your experiences; you are the author of how those experiences shape you.

So, the question is: What story are you ready to reclaim?