What It’s Like To Be Here

What happens when business becomes a vehicle for community change?

In this episode, I sit down with Jesse Íñiguez, founder of Back of the Yards Coffeehouse, to talk about leadership, entrepreneurship, and what he learned running for Alderman in Chicago. After ten years of building a successful neighborhood coffeehouse, Jesse reflects on influence, responsibility, and the work of uplifting the community that raised him.

This is a conversation about purpose, growth, and stepping fully into where you’re meant to be.

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Silvana Casas-Perez joins What It’s Like To Be Here for a grounded, thoughtful conversation about finding your professional path and staying intentional along the way.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with Chicago Public Schools, Silvana shares how she arrived at social work, what keeps her rooted in the mental health field, and how motherhood has shaped her approach to care, boundaries, and purpose. We talk about the quiet, ongoing work of aligning values with action — especially in careers centered on supporting others.

Silvana also reflects on how her immigrant experience informs her worldview, even when it’s not the defining chapter, and why being clear about priorities matters so much during uncertain and demanding times.

This episode is about listening, choosing with care, and doing the work — on purpose.

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/whatitsliketobeherepod/ 

And on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhatItsLikeToBeHere 

Don’t forget to subscribe, comment, and like the podcast! Find it wherever you get your podcasts! 

APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-its-like-to-be-here/id1848903390 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4pVo7MzDRo2hzoYJX8Hnjx 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CliqueCommunications/podcasts

Podcast Page: https://whatitsliketobehere.podbean.com/ 

In this episode of What It’s Like to Be Here, I sit down with my longtime friend Lorena Diaz — an actor, Executive Director of Teatro Vista, and a familiar face on Chicago Med for over ten years.

We talk about her recent autism diagnosis and how it’s reshaped the way she sees herself and her life. Lorena reflects on what it’s been like to finally have language for parts of her experience that didn’t quite fit before, and how that clarity has helped her grow in both her personal and professional worlds.

We also take a walk down memory lane to when we first met at a pub on Halsted Street — back when I interviewed her for a story during my journalism days. From those early improv days to her approach to leadership and collaboration at Teatro Vista, Lorena opens up with honesty and insight about what it means to understand yourself more deeply and show up authentically in your work.

Join us for a heartfelt conversation about friendship, identity, creativity, and how our stories continue to unfold in unexpected ways.

Follow Lorena and Teatro Vista for more. 

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/whatitsliketobeherepod/ 

And on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhatItsLikeToBeHere 

Don’t forget to subscribe, comment and like the podcast! Find it wherever you get your podcasts! 

APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-its-like-to-be-here/id1848903390 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4pVo7MzDRo2hzoYJX8Hnjx 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CliqueCommunications/podcasts

Podcast Page: https://whatitsliketobehere.podbean.com/ 

In this episode of What It’s Like To Be Here, I’m joined by actor, producer, director, creator, mama, wife, and my hermana del alma, Wendy Mateo.

What began as a writing assignment turned into a lasting friendship rooted in Latinidad and shared experience. Wendy reflects on what brought her to Chicago, how the city became home, and how her creative eye for storytelling evolved along the way.

We also talk about her understanding of the universe, alignment, and a full-circle moment in her journey: directing the upcoming stage production of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, playing at the Goodman Theater.

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/whatitsliketobeherepod/ 

And on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhatItsLikeToBeHere 

Don’t forget to subscribe, comment and like the podcast! Find it wherever you get your podcasts! 

APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-its-like-to-be-here/id1848903390 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4pVo7MzDRo2hzoYJX8Hnjx 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CliqueCommunications/podcasts

Podcast Page: https://whatitsliketobehere.podbean.com/ 

In this episode, I sit down with photographer and entrepreneur Abel Arciniega to talk about photography, Chicago, and what it really takes to build a business off your art. Abel shares his journey working city events, collaborating with organizations like the Chicago Fire, and photographing Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias at his record-breaking Dodger Stadium shows. We get into consistency, growth, and trusting your creative path.

Follow Abel @tequilagraphics on Instagram 

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Find out what the podcast is all about. 

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/whatitsliketobeherepod/ 

And on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhatItsLikeToBeHere 

Don’t forget to subscribe, comment and like the podcast! Find it wherever you get your podcasts! 

APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-its-like-to-be-here/id1848903390 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4pVo7MzDRo2hzoYJX8Hnjx 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CliqueCommunications/podcasts

Podcast Page: https://whatitsliketobehere.podbean.com/

In this episode, I sit down with Vanessa Torres, Associate Director at The Miracle Center on Chicago’s northwest side. We talk about growing up in Chicago, meeting at the University of Illinois, and how community has shaped our paths — especially as we realized corporate America wasn’t built for people like us. We also reflect on turning 40, redefining success, and building spaces rooted in connection.

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/whatitsliketobeherepod/ 

And on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhatItsLikeToBeHere 

Don’t forget to subscribe, comment and like the podcast! Find it wherever you get your podcasts! 

APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-its-like-to-be-here/id1848903390 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4pVo7MzDRo2hzoYJX8Hnjx 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CliqueCommunications/podcasts

Podcast Page: https://whatitsliketobehere.podbean.com/ 

In this episode, I sit down with Adrian Rosado, a Chicago-raised entrepreneur now based in Puerto Rico. Adrian has built programs and immersive experiences for first-generation college students, from local workshops to international experiences in locations like Puerto Rico, China, and the Philippines.

We talk about what it’s been like to grow a mission-driven business, the importance of consistency, and taking time to be grateful for where you are. Adrian also shares his family’s migration from Puerto Rico, growing up on Chicago’s north side, and how those experiences continue to shape where he’s spending his time and energy now.

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In this episode, I talk with my friend and longtime creative collaborator, Norma Rios-Sierra — an artist, community organizer, and Chicago School Board member. We discuss her journey through Día de los Muertos art, including her altar at The Field Museum, and the impact of collective activism in our communities. It’s a conversation about art, ancestry, and building power together.

Source links:

https://wgntv.com/daytime-chicago/dia-de-los-muertos-traditions/ 

https://www.cpsboe.org/about/bios/2037 

https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/chicago-school-board/norma-rios-sierra-appointed-board-member-district

Connect with me! 

📧 Email: @clique_communications

In this episode of What It’s Like to Be Here, I sit down with my cousin, Noel Perez-White — a native Chicagoan, writer, poet, and mother whose life is deeply intertwined with the city she calls home. We talk about what Chicago means to her, and how it shaped her.

Noel also opens up about her experience as a teacher today — the challenges, the joys, and the complex realities facing educators in this moment. From classroom stories to poetic insights, this conversation explores the intersections of art, place, and purpose.

Join us as we explore Chicago through Noel’s eyes and hear what it’s like to live, write, and teach in a city that never stops shaping the people who love it.

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