Chicana Chisme

Natalie Garcia is a dynamic Chicana poetry artist, author, media personality, and actor. As LA's leading Chicana correspondent and the host of Chicana in the City, she spearheads a multimedia digital platform dedicated to reshaping narratives, educating audiences, and amplifying social, political, and fashion awareness within the community through compelling interviews and editorials.Natalie is unapologetically herself, embracing her culture on her own terms and carving out space for Chicanas in industries where representation is scarce. A celebrated author and spoken word artist, her work has resonated across multiple platforms, including literary publications and musical collaborations.

Charles Mario Henry Sr. is an Army Veteran, an owner of a consulting business and founder of the House of Henry Foundation. He uses his experiences to help his clients create the best custom plan for their businesses. With the foundation his vision is to change the lives of young minority future leaders by providing scholarships, entrepreneurship training and mentorships. 

Claudia Aceves has been a dynamic business owner for 14 years, establishing herself as a prominent figure in the beauty industry. She is the Owner and Senior Artist at Vanidosa Beauty Studio, recognized as San Antonio's number one beauty tattoo studio, and the proprietor of Vanidosa Hair Salons. In addition to her thriving businesses, Claudia Co-Hosts The Beautytainment Podcast with her husband, where they delve into the beauty business, and beautificantes sin filtro with fellow beautypreneurs offering unfiltered and hilarious insights into the industry.

Angelique Atwell is  a certified mindset & life coach for millennial women of color, mother, crossfitter, and lover of all things chocolate!She graduated from University of the Incarnate Word in 2015 with my BA in business marketing. While in college, she started to truly understand my struggle with self love and my mindset…She has battled with mindset, self empowerment, and self love journey for years until utilizing reflection, reading, and the realization that  life is too short to hate herself based upon unattainable societal standards.She continued learning self advocacy, deep inner work, affirmations, mediation, and more, she was able to become the confident, empowered woman that she is today.

Desiree Klaus, the founder of www.letsvamonos.com, has a compelling and diverse background. Since the age of 9, she has been using her voice in public, initially through reading scripture and singing in church choirs, and later exploring genres like Tejano, pop, and mariachi. Born to a Mexican mother who is a writer and community leader, and a father who was her partner in community activism, Desiree's upbringing in Baytown, Houston, infused her with a strong spirit and community focus.Her academic life was marked by excellence, but upon reaching college, Desiree faced uncertainty about her career path. This period of self-learning and exploration significantly shaped her character. Her professional journey includes a start in the coffee industry at Starbucks in 2004, a transition to home health services in 2012, and a stint in insurance with Farmers Insurance in 2016. However, her father's passing in 2017 led her to reevaluate her life's direction.The birth of Let's Vámonos! Live in 2020 was a pivotal moment for Desiree. It began with an impromptu interview with Latina wrestler Melissa Cervantes, also known as "Thunder Rosa." This experience, captured with just an iPhone and her husband as the cameraman, became a defining moment for Desiree, encapsulating her belief in the power of community, opportunity, and pursuing dreams without the confines of traditional education.

Desiree Klaus, the founder of www.letsvamonos.com, has a compelling and diverse background. Since the age of 9, she has been using her voice in public, initially through reading scripture and singing in church choirs, and later exploring genres like Tejano, pop, and mariachi. Born to a Mexican mother who is a writer and community leader, and a father who was her partner in community activism, Desiree's upbringing in Baytown, Houston, infused her with a strong spirit and community focus.Her academic life was marked by excellence, but upon reaching college, Desiree faced uncertainty about her career path. This period of self-learning and exploration significantly shaped her character. Her professional journey includes a start in the coffee industry at Starbucks in 2004, a transition to home health services in 2012, and a stint in insurance with Farmers Insurance in 2016. However, her father's passing in 2017 led her to reevaluate her life's direction.The birth of Let's Vámonos! Live in 2020 was a pivotal moment for Desiree. It began with an impromptu interview with Latina wrestler Melissa Cervantes, also known as "Thunder Rosa." This experience, captured with just an iPhone and her husband as the cameraman, became a defining moment for Desiree, encapsulating her belief in the power of community, opportunity, and pursuing dreams without the confines of traditional education.

Elvira Zamora an LA native, fashion designer, and Founder of Chicano Elegance and I discuss about the real meaning of what it is to be Chicano. Many Latin American/Indigena people have experienced the same struggle, prejudice, and obstacles. When they discriminate against our community they do not bother to ask which country you are from, or if you were even born in the US, it does not make a difference.Chicano Elegance unites these people from coast to coast, especially west coast neighborhoods/barrios that were created by immigrants who share not only struggle, but also food, music, culture, and slang. Through an immersive event, that celebrates a rich subculture, we continue to make noise, create space and be unapologetically proud of everything that makes us who we are. Not only do we celebrate our Latinidad & Indigenous roots, but we amplify nuances of our community of Chingones that share talent, goals, and beauty as Chicanos, "de aqui & de alla". 

Melissa Torres is a San Antonio Southside native/entrepreneur and holds the city's first plus-sized beauty queen title.  She is also a Texas-certified bilingual educator and an executive board member for Friends of Mission Library. We chat about all endeavors from being a beauty queen to her passion in educating young minds. 

Mariel Amador is a first generation Latina on a mission to close the gender investing gap (even if just a tiny bit more) one IRA at a time. She does this by talking all things dinero, including scarcity mindset around money, living within your means, and of course, investing for retirement. Mariel is passionate about helping women retire on time and with more than enough. Be sure to keep an eye out for 'Investing for Beginners' workshops both virtual and in person.'

Research shows that literacy has a direct correlation to success in adulthood. Increasing reading skills in children positively affects their financial skills and health literacy. Unfortunately, as Corpus Christi grows, our community's literacy rate continues to decline. ​The Traveling Library aims to combat these statistics. By providing access to age-appropriate books, we increase our local children's reading achievements. Each book added to a Coastal Bend families' library increases their child's reading skills and love of reading. By supporting our communities' youth, The Traveling Library can foster an environment of success, one book at a time. The founder, Abigail and I chat about how she started the organization, all she plans to do in this new year and a bit about her own personal ventures.

Every life matters, and no veteran should ever feel alone in their struggles. Combat 22, stands united, embracing the spirit of camaraderie, and working tirelessly to ensure our heroes receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Together, let us combat veteran suicide, restoring hope, and empowering veterans to live fulfilling lives in honor of their service to our nation. With the support of our communities and donors, we strive to achieve long-term, tangible results for veterans and their families, helping them not just survive but thrive in their civilian lives. Their ultimate goal is to put an end to veteran suicide. Through advocacy, awareness campaigns, and comprehensive assistance programs, they are determined to make a lasting difference. By fostering resilience, mental well-being, and social connections, we offer a lifeline for those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. I sit down with the founder, Johnny Valdez, as we speak about this organization and our time in the service. https://combat22.net

The House of Neighborly Service has humbly served San Antonio's Westside for over 100 years and are intimately connected to this community's rich culture and history. Their Mission is to provide opportunities that encourage, educate, and empower the families of our Westside community. What today serves over a thousand neighbors annually began as a small Presbyterian mission in 1917. Listen as we chat with the Development Director, Linda Brady about all this organization has to offer and how you can volunteer or donate.

Angel Marie Barrera is the owner of Good Morning Lashes, Angels Events SA, and can even officiate your marriage if you needed her too! She is a hustler to say the least! We chat about how she got inspired to start working for herself, challenges along the way, and how she had no idea Spanish was her first language. lol IG: @angels.events.sa @_good_morning_lashes_

I sit down and catch with with Tejano Star, Shelly Lares.

April Monterrosa is an author, speaker, business mentor, media personality, and community advocate based in San Antonio, Texas. She is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Live From The Southside Magazine, the first Latina-owned publication in Southside San Antonio. April's impressive achievements have earned her recognition as an influential Latina in San Antonio by KSAT12 News. April was also honored by the 87th Texas Legislature for her achievements as a civic leader and community advocate.

Jorge V. Gonzalez is the author of the International Best Seller "ANSWER THE CALL", Life lessons, from family origins through invention and struggle. In his #1 bestselling book, Answer The Call: Life Lessons From Family Origins Through Invention And Struggle, Jorge Gonzalez shares his personal journey of reinvention and offers practical insights on how you can do the same. After spending two decades perfecting his craft, Jorge was faced with a disability that left him unable to continue working in his chosen field. But rather than succumbing to anger and grief, he drew inspiration from his family's legacy of taking calculated risks and pursued a new path forward. Jorge shares the lesson that with the right mindset, setbacks can be transformed into opportunities for growth and self-discovery. He emphasizes the importance of resilience, hard work, and high expectations in achieving success and reinventing oneself. By sharing his own experiences and examples, Jorge hopes to inspire and empower others to pursue their true purpose in life. IG: @jorge_v_gonzalezwww.jorgevgonzalez.com

Janeskha Solis, a 30 year old devoted mother, born and raised in San Antonio, Texas is a Plus Size model & influencer, she has been featured and recognized by online stores such as “Shein” & “FashionNova”. She is a Writer & Co-content creator for a Local Celebrity/Comedian and the contributing writer for Live From Southside Magazine. She is owner and founder of The Fashion Glow Up Project. Janeskha genuinely has a passion for fashion and honestly believes that when you look good, you feel good. Documenting the transformation on multiple platforms, she helps style potential clients, women & men, all shapes & sizes. She assists them with putting outfits together that's suitable for everyday life, special events etc, all while being budget friendly. Janeskha Solis is the former Miss. Bexar County 2020, Miss. Texas Plus America 2021, Miss. Heart of Texas Plus America 2022 & last but certainly not least, she is The inaugural 2023 Plus USA Miss.

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Stephanie Guerra founded Puro Pinche (puropinche.com) in 2010 to help celebrate and support San Antonio's vibrant cultural arts community. She curates weekly picks of music, art, and cultural events happening in and around downtown San Antonio and has a segment on KSAT12 news every Friday to share them with viewers. Puro Pinche's recognition has made Stephanie the “go to” person for when and what is happening in the city. Puro Pinche's website and social media channels constantly aggregate and share need-to-know information about community causes and events to its audience of 60,000+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Antonio's Chicano culture has always flown under the radar. Davy, founder of Eterno Steelo Culture, uses his brand to promote events, local chicano entrepreneurs, music, and love of the chicano culture in Texas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chone E AKA Joanna Estrada is an actress/comedian from San Antonio Texas, who blew up on TIKTOK and is now killing the comedy scene. She's a mom and wife, often using her husband in her comedic content. You can see Joanna performing at live shows, meet and greets, across the United States. Chona is having a big Homecoming Show in San Antonio October 27-29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hustle + Socialize is led by CoFounder Christina Olivarez and has evolved into a go-to community where TEXAS women come together and experience business education and build meaningful connections through our annual conference, online programming & events throughout the year. This community consists of business beginners looking to get their business idea off the ground & running and business builders looking to scale their current businesses and skyrocket their income & impact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

La Mujer Creative is a dynamic local creative agency based in San Antonio, founded by two passionate entrepreneurs, Morgan Taplin and Stephanie Garza, who are proud San Antonio natives. Their mission is to empower and elevate small businesses in the heart of Texas through expert branding, captivating content creation encompassing photography and video production, strategic social media management, and meaningful community engagement. With a deep commitment to their local community, La Mujer Creative is a driving force behind the success of countless small businesses, making them a true powerhouse in San Antonio's business landscape. www.lamujercreative.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the Arredondo Law Firm, they absolutely believe in the necessity for excellent representation in any legal matter. Their legal team is comprised of attorneys who have experience, tenacity, and aggressiveness and have been diligently serving the residents of Texas in various legal matters since its founding. When you choose to work with this firm, you will have access to each of their attorneys who will all work to provide you with the best possible assistance that the team can offer. Augustin Arredondo and I sit down to chat about accidental/ family law, and why or why not you should get a prenup! https://www.arredondolaw.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After different antidepressants conquered her, Tiffany Estremera, decided to change her path. She dove deep into a personal development journey that will never end. Now, Tiffany is leading a community with thousands of women who are working towards their goals daily. boldsuccessproject.com IG: @mindsetqueen_ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JoAmber, a Multi-genre singing sensation with 18 Music Awards, 6 music nominations, and featured music played over 11 radio stations in the southwest region keeps creating pathways in which listeners can come together and dance to the sounds of either the best Mexican-influenced Cumbia sounds, Country, Reggaeton, R&B, or Pop music. Her fanbase keeps growing exponentially, residing mostly in the Southwest region such as New Mexico, Texas, Southern Colorado, and California. She expects to expand her reach to the masses as she plans to continuously release new singles this year and set on a promotional tour throughout various cities nationwide. Since this renaissance woman's work is never done, be assured that the best is yet to come on this journey to success! www.joamber.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yesenia Roman, is a cannabis content writer in Chicago who's blog, Cannabaddie Talk, is empowering women and Spanish speaking communities in their cannabis journey. Cannabaddie Talk speaks to women about everyday things such as celebrities, lifestyle, beauty, sex and dating all while normalizing the consumption of cannabis. www.cannabaddietalk.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luz María is a proud mother of three children and one granddaughter, friend, and one in love with her community. She feels that her reason is to live life as a passionate detective in order to find out who she is and who we are. She is a writer, psychologist, public speaker, teacher, entrepreneur, and Coach. She is the President and CEO of Discover Passion With Dr. Luz. President and co-founder of Latinas With Purpose a non-profit organization. Luz has provided mental health assistance and Coaching to individuals, couples, and families throughout her career from the East to the West Coast of the United States and in Mexico. In her career, Dr. Luz has given many workshops on sexuality, self-esteem, love, parenting and many others. She served as a teacher at Grossmont College and Southwestern College for almost a decade. Previously, Dr. Luz wrote for a column in the newspaper La Prensa and she currently does it for Latinas Con Poder magazine. She is about to publish a book with a colleague on Sex and Money and another book in collaboration with 45 Latinas on art and short stories. She has also directed a radio show, En Familia con la Doctora Luz, in Spanish on the US-Mexico border. Dr. Luz, through her brand Discover Passion With Luz, offers her services as a sex and intimacy coach for individuals and couples, as well as a personal life coach. This episode we discuss how to talk to your kids about sex and intimacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly one million people are living with MS in the United States, according to a study funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This is more than twice the original estimate and means solutions for MS are now twice as important. Researchers used to believe that Hispanics/Latinx in the United States were virtually untouched by multiple sclerosis. Studies have found that, compared to others with the disease, Hispanics/Latinx are diagnosed at a much younger age and are more likely to have more severe MS and an earlier onset of symptoms, such as mobility issues and optic neuritis. This episode, Louis and Melissa share their MS journey and educate us on how to support the National MS Society. https://www.nationalmssociety.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anabell Arias is a licensed clinical social worker, a certified trauma psychotherapist, and relationship coach. She will help you understand your relationship difficulties from different perspectives and use her trauma knowledge, therapeutic relationship skills and coaching tools to construct a holistic approach to resolving your difficulties. IG: https://www.instagram.com/theauthentic.lab/ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/737559304454087/ Website: https://www.authentic-lab.com

Erick Galindo is a five-time Telly Award-winning writer, director, and showrunner originally from Southeast Los Angeles. He is the co-creator, writer and executive producer of “The Mexican Beverly Hills, a sitcom currently in development at CBS. His co-written screenplay "“A Christmas to Remember” was recently optioned by Broken English and Grandave Studios. Erick is also the creator, head writer, executive producer and host of multiple international hit podcasts including: The Ballad of Chalino Sanchez, WILD, Out of The Shadows. He has written essays on life and culture for the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, and is currently the showrunner on “Snooze” for NPR station KPCC/LAist Studios. Erick and I chat about growing up trying to see ourselves on TV, the great California/ TX debate, and latino RomComs!

Linda Garcia is the founder and CEO of In Luz We Trust, an initiative to help communities of color and children of immigrants understand their relationship to money and leverage their resources to invest. Linda has used her platform to build a stocks course for Latina/os and BIPOC folks of color to introduce them to the stockmarket.

Krystal Camargo, on top of being a Texas Latina Plus Size Influencer, is a caretaker. Krystal has, for years, taken care of her grandfather and now her father full time. Just like myself, who takes turns with my mother taking care of my grandfather and great uncle. Care taking  is hands down one of the hardest jobs, and biggest acts of love you can experience. Her and I discuss our challenges and victories through this journey.

Nadia Ramon decided to take the plunge from the corporate world to entrepreneurship with her jewelry line Dezynr. We chit chat about the challenges she faced on her journey and how she is helping other women to do the same! 

Criss Madrigal is a highly motivated woman, wife, and mother of three. She has a deep passion to help working moms break the self-imposed barriers that create mom guilt, overwhelm, and burnout to achieve a daily state of clarity, balance, and confidence to put themselves first as women to find their purpose and achieve their desired goals in life!IG - @crissmadrigalFB Group - The WoMom Society: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thewomomsocietyhttps://linktr.ee/crissmadrigal

My guest, Jasmine Hunt, was looking for a way to help her community when she found CASA. Court Appointed Special Advocates, which is a national association in the United States that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children. In San Antonio, Texas alone there are THOUSANDS of children in this system who could use someone on their side.  Jasmine and I speak about the importance of helping the kids in our community and how you too can become an advocate.

Did you know Life Insurance is for more than a death? It assists with financial security, medical expenses, loss of income, debt payoff and living expenses. Yet why is it that so many minorities do not feel the need to invest? My Guests, Patrick and Daniel, will fill us in on how they are trying to help spread the word and help people take one step closer to financial freedom. 

This El Paso Native is taking Nashville by the horns. Latina Country Singer, Valerie Ponzio, is taking her Bordertown roots to Country. We chat about her time on the Voice (Team Blake), trying to find her place in music, and her goals for 2023! 

With the popularity of Tenoch Huerta in Wakanda Forever, and Jenna Ortega in Wednesday on the rise, the gente feels seen! Latina Content Creator, Lorena La Mera Mera Mom, and I sit down and talk about the latest Latino representation in media, and reminisce about the first time we felt seen on television.

With over 3 released albums and a recent tour under his belt, Bob Ram is an established independent musician on the rise in the Tejano world.Hailing from south San Antonio, Texas, Bob has performed with numerous big-name musical influences in his community such as Los City Boys and Group Fama while working on his own projects.Bob Ram is currently performing with Tejano Superstar Stefani Montiel and is the official photographer for the Tejano Mundial Awards.

Lauren Cortez is a research professional with over 13 years of experience in military suicide prevention, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), military sexual trauma (MST), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and military caregiving primarily in clinical trials for behavioral, pharmaceutical, and medical device studies. As a current graduate student she weaves her experiences as a former military dependent and as a military suicide loss survivor in her studies at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, focusing on health equity in military veterans despite varied access and quality of care.The Help for Heroes® program was created to address the unique needs of military personnel, veterans, first responders and other high-risk frontline professionals. Through our specialized treatment tracks, individuals can overcome challenges brought on by repeated exposure to stress and trauma in the line of duty. (2022, Help for Heroes. https://helpforheroes.com/treatment-program/). TAPS is the national nonprofit organization providing compassionate care and comprehensive resources for all those grieving the death of a military or veteran loved one. https://www.taps.org/Homelessness prevention, rapid rehousing, employment services, mental health care and military life transition assistance for Veterans and their families. https://endeavors.org/Helping veterans and families everywhere: Our dedicated outreach team is here to help you in your time of need. Feel free to call or email us whenever you need someone to talk to. https://veteransuicideawarenessproject.org/

Lopez Broadcasting is a family-owned radio broadcasting group with stations all throughout Texas. The founder Humberto Lopez had a great history starting out as a young man in radio, and had many first as a young Hispanic Male. Humberto Lopez Jr. and I sit down to talk about his fathers legacy and his family's plans to continue honoring their father.

Mercedes Bristol found herself raising her grandchildren and somewhat lost on how to proceed getting services for herself and them. After many attempts she realized she needed to help herself, as well as other grandparents who were going through the same issue. So she started the non-profit Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. Their mission statement being:We advocate and empower grandparents raising grandchildren by providing access to resources, information and support.Listen in to hear her story and her hard work to help others in her community going through similar situations! https://www.txgrg.com/

Circumcision is rare in Hispanic culture, so often many Latino parents know little about the procedure and its consequences, according to Georganne Chapin, executive director of Intact America, a child health advocacy organization based in Tarrytown, New York. And that's the problem. Latino parents are not prepared for the pressure they'll face from doctors and nurses to circumcise their newborn baby boys.Often, Latino parents who have their first baby boy circumcised say no to circumcising any sons that follow, according to Alexandro José Gradilla, an associate professor of Chicana and Chicano studies at California State University-Fullerton and a national authority on Latino attitudes towards circumcision.

Popular TikToker, Jose Zamorano, and I chit chat about his rising fame on TikTok, lack of latino representation in the entertainment business, and his future goals! 

Latina PR veteran, podcaster and multicultural marketing expertMelissa Vela-Williamson has released her first book, “Smart Talk: Public Relations Essentials All PR Pros Should Know.” The book provides experience-based insights to help aspiring students, transitioning journalists, and marketers from all backgrounds enter and navigate today's PR field successfully. Her book is meant to bridge the gap between classroom and career, showing up-and coming professionals how to avoid detrimental mistakes and excel from day one.

Brittani Williams, Therapist/ Social Worker, talks to be about her unique approach to therapy using Hip Hop. She is her true authentic self and shows up for her clients so that they are comfortable being vulnerable in a space that is new to many POC.Find her at: https://instagram.com/bwilliamslcsw?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=Tiktok: bwilliamslcsw

Up and coming Tejano singer, Angelica Alcoser and I sit down and chat about her music, goals, and how women sometimes feel they have to choose between their personal goals and family.

Hispanic Heritage Month is almost here!!! This is a very special time for me, Tori, because I feel it is very important that the gente knows about all our contributions, history, and accolades hispanics have made in America!