When Is It Enough to Feel Enough?

I’m a sixth-generation college graduate. Third-generation woman in my family to hold a master’s degree. I won’t even be the first Latina CEO in my family.

I was born and raised in the United States to parents who were basically raised and educated here too. On paper, my story is one of progress fulfilled—a multigenerational climb that should have erased doubts and insecurities long ago.

And yet…

I still carry the doubts. The inherited anxieties. The quiet questioning that can plague even the most accomplished Latinos who were “the firsts, the seconds, or on the way to being the next.”

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I’m here to tell you: no amount of skills will replace what needs to be examined.

Because even with all those accolades, I sometimes feel the drag of old scripts whispering in the back of my mind—scripts that weigh me down unconsciously. Scripts that weigh down so many others, too.

When is it enough to finally feel enough?When do we get to feel fully prepared, certain that we “got this,” and able to walk into any room with no shame, no overthinking—just pure conviction and belonging?

I spent years serving the Hispanic community. Years simultaneously preparing myself—specializing, studying, delivering results. And then, at a turning point in my life, I took a step back.

Instead of leaning out, I leaned all the way in.

I decided to speak out loud the things that had been lying dormant in my subconscious. Rather than keeping it to myself, I started sharing these thoughts with a few other Latina women. They encouraged me not to leave this journey hidden in my journal.

And so, I cringed…and did the unthinkable.

I started recording myself on video.

Because journaling sharpens your thinking—but sharing stretches it. It’s one thing to gain clarity for yourself, and another to transform that clarity into something that might help someone else.

But even then, there was—and still is—a part of me that hesitates to share.

Because I often think: Who am I to give anybody advice when I’m still a work in progress?

I hope we can recognize that this, too, is part of being a high achiever—the constant drive to improve, to be better. That’s one side of the coin.

But the other side is murkier.

Sometimes I wonder if that same drive is also me chasing an ever-moving target, trying to finally feel “enough.”

I’m not really sure where one ends and the other begins.

Is it healthy ambition…or the weight of old scripts telling me I’m not ready yet?

I hated being on camera. My accent and my voice made me hypercritical of myself. I’d think—Who decides to start filming themselves at 47? Isn’t that what influencers do? I definitely did not want to be one.

I value privacy. Until recently, I’d used social media only for selective professional branding and to keep myself relevant on people’s radar.

Cringe.

But I tucked my fear of being misunderstood—or judged—into a little box under my ribcage and leapt forward.

I hit publish. Then I hit record.

I’m far enough along in life now that if something I share doesn’t add value, I move on. I have several other projects and possibilities. I also want to enjoy my kids as they head off to college—and enjoy them in a way I couldn’t when I was running newsrooms 24/7, moving cities twice during their childhoods.

I love this new chapter.

All of this—the writing, the videos, the vulnerable truth-telling—may ultimately serve just one purpose: preparing me for what comes next. But I made a choice to share it.

Because media, to me, has always been about helping others. Teaching, empowering, calling things out so people can be informed and make better choices.

If sharing my journey helps even one other Latina woman feel less alone, or helps her name and release the scripts holding her back, that’s an added bonus.

I write and speak publicly now for a few reasons:

* Reflection. To make sense of my own experiences, and hopefully spark reflection in others.

* Explanation. Because sometimes we need words, frameworks, or logic to help us see invisible patterns.

* Permission. To step away from guilt, if anyone needs it.

* Awareness. To name the baggage we carry so we can examine it—and choose whether it helps or hinders us from being the best version of ourselves, the version we define, not anyone else.

It’s not my goal to define success or ambition for anyone else. God knows our lives are not all about work. This generation, at this juncture, is filled with women redefining success on their own terms—and I think that’s powerful and necessary.

Are my videos perfect? Absolutely not. I still say “um” a lot. And I refuse to get fully made up for recording, so yes—I do use a filter to soften things a bit. Otherwise, I’d be way too self-critical and never post a single thing.

I’m sharing this because our wounds matter.

When I first set out to write my book—on Latina women and networking—I thought I’d start with strategy. How to build social capital. How to leverage connections. How to sit at the table, speak with confidence, and turn relationships into results.

But the more I wrote, the more I realized:

I was starting in the middle of the story.

Because for so many of us—especially Latina professionals—networking and ambition carry emotional weight. It’s not just about tactics. It’s about the silent beliefs we inherited. The invisible scripts we never consciously chose.

And so, I created the Latina Leadership Journey Map. And I had an oh my God moment when I realized: I’ve been starting in the middle.

We need to talk about the wounds.

We need to name them so they don’t quietly run our lives from the shadows.

That’s why I’m sharing this journey—imperfect, raw, filter and all.

Because someone else might need to hear it.

At the very least, it’s a record for my kids. So one day, when I’m not here, and they remember how they rolled their eyes at me as teenagers, they can listen and learn from the parts they ignored.

And maybe, just maybe, they’ll feel freer, lighter, and braver to walk into any room and say:

“I’ve got this.”

About the Author

Teri Arvesu Gonzalez is the founder of The TAG Collab, a consultancy that helps mission-driven companies align purpose, brand, and strategy from the inside out.

With a Master’s in Management and Leadership and more than 25 years of experience leading newsrooms, launching initiatives, and driving transformation across Miami, Chicago, and national corporate teams, she brings deep expertise in storytelling, culture-building, and operational alignment.

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