The Corporate Latina: The Genesis

I am the queen of writing stories, books, blogs, articles and even the occasional comedy skit that sits on my computer for no one to read. Why? Because I’m afraid, and that’s enough for me to keep those words within the confines of my computer. However, a friend of mine, who I deeply respect and who occasionally gets on my nerves, recently inspired me to be brave. This friend, let’s call him Bryan, is the kind of person who laughs in paragraphs; each laugh having the potential to fill an entire page in a book. You see, Bryan is a corporate guy who also happens to be a poet. So, this had me thinking: if my friend Bryan can publish his poetry, what’s to stop me from publishing this? Challenge accepted.

So, why The Chronicles of The Corporate Latina? Firstly, because I said so. I want other Latinas to find themselves in my stories. These stories are meant for anyone who has had to navigate being different or a first—first to college, first to corporate, first to beat teen pregnancy—but with Latinas in mind. For too long, Latina voices have existed without a platform. We have been footnotes on pages that no one ever seems to read; in The Chronicles of The Corporate Latina, we are the main character.

A little background on me. I’m a first-generation college graduate, soon to have my Masters in 3 months 20 days and 4 hours—but who’s counting? I have this very fun and spontaneous disability called epilepsy, I’m bisexual, I own several unicorn shaped things including a backpack, a mug, and a pair of light up slippers (don’t ask). I will try anything once and most things twice. I started my career at Johns Hopkins Medicine, then I moved to Allstate, a fortune 100 company where I am currently the Senior Manager for Inclusive Diversity & Equity. I also serve as the VP of Operations for the ALPFA Baltimore Chapter and sit on the board of two other non-profits. Basically, I have accomplished some stuff and I’m going to start my series with the things I wish I had learned much earlier:

Lesson #1: Find Your People.

Finding your people isn’t just about finding people who look like you or people who are self-aware enough to realize ice cream is better enjoyed with a fork (wink). It’s finding people that you can be your most authentic self with. The people you can let down your hair with and just be.

Lesson #2: Embrace Your Weird.

We’re all weird; some more than others. However, I’ve spent so much time being afraid to be myself, and for what? I remember trying so hard to act “older,” wearing clothes that felt foreign to me, using phrases like “oh golly.” I pretended so intensely and so long; at times I felt like I lost sight of who I was. But does it really matter if you get to the top and don’t even recognize your own reflection in the mirror? Embrace yourself in all your uniqueness. Diversity yields creativity, productivity, and is an opportunity to fall in love with who you were born to be; and that’s a gift.

Lesson #3: Realize, You Will Figure it Out

I reflect on my journey a lot, because it has sometimes felt like I’ve stumbled through success. When I graduated from my undergraduate studies, I applied to over 200 jobs with a measly 2 interviews that I completely and utterly tanked. But guess what: I figured it out. I see so many people afraid to apply for roles or speaking engagements because they don’t feel ready. Spoiler alert: you’re never going to be fully ready. There will always be something to learn, to read, to watch, to hone, but guess what? You will figure it out. The same way you figured out how to jump rope, how to pay bills, and how to respectfully check someone with a “per my last email.”

These are things I’ve struggled with and sometimes still do. Nevertheless, because of these three lessons, I’ve found friendship, self-love, and more opportunity than I could have ever dreamed of. My hope is the very same for whoever is reading this. Let’s chronicle life together, mujeres!