Tell us a bit about yourself! How did you get started with your current career path/business journey?

I’m a networking Ninja. I love meeting people – all day long. Online and offline. I love figuring out how I can help people connect with others that will help in their career journey or beyond. I love being a champion for diversity. I studied marketing and communications and enjoy traveling to destinations where I don’t speak the language. I am a diversity strategy consultant and I help organizations engage their diverse employees. I develop and deliver training for ERGs (employee resource groups), these groups are there to create a space where likeminded employees share their challenges, help one another move up the ladder and also impact the company's bottom line. I've been in the diversity & inclusion space for over 15 years now and do a lot of workshops on: Unconscious bias, equity vs. equality, allyship and diverse recruiting. You may know me from The Latinista, which is the network I created specifically to help women elevate their careers via workshops and events.

How are you overcoming challenges during the pandemic as a business owner?

Because our temporary new world is now online, it actually gave me the opportunity to PIVOT and build out my webinar offerings - and it’s incredible. Before we would have to handle SO many logistics for in person events and now we literally just pumped out 6 webinars over the first month! It’s actually something I have always wanted to do but never made the time to - I'm glad COVID forced me to do so. Now i'm creating content at lightning speed and not worrying about venue logistics or event expenses. It also obviously allows me to connect with employees and companies across the globe - I'm learning so much about global diversity now that I have international workshops.

What does your day to day schedule look like working from home?

I wake up and make breakfast and coffee. I check my calendar to make sure I know my call and meeting schedule. I check my Trello (my fav productivity tool!) to see what 3 things I need to get done that day. I get out at least 3 new proposals to potential clients via LinkedIn (I do all my prospecting on LinkedIn). I'm either on client calls preparing for upcoming webinars or developing my Latinista community by reviewing speaker applications that have come in from subject matter experts. I always stop at 5:30 to do a 30 minute workout video and if it's not raining, I will do a 1 mile run - I try to do this at least 3-4 times a week. As an entrepreneur, I'm always working on either my website, client proposals or practicing for my upcoming webinars. I usually shut off the computer around 8 or 9PM and prepare for the next day.

In what ways are you taking care of your personal well being and what are your #selfcare tips?

I've actually been spending my quarantine time in the Poconos - it's been my safe haven from the city and I have gotten to really appreciate nature. Biking, hiking, running and walking outside has been good to my soul.

How are you inviting others to take a seat at the table #virtually?

Thankfully, I have an incredible community in the Latinista where we share resources and tips like "Negotiating Salary 101" or "How to Develop Your Professional Brand on LinkedIn" - through these webinars it allows us to empower, engage, excite and share confidence with all our members. I always make it a point to ask my members how I can help them in their careers - wether it's connecting them with a mentor or reviewing their profiles - it's always important to give back, give guidance and ask for help.

What impact has Luminary made in your career? eg: Business Generated, Revenue, New Clients, Career Connections, Advancement Opportunities 

Luminary has allowed for me to meet some incredible women who are also in the entrepreneurship space along with me - It's great to see the vast array of different types of businesses there are and I'm always looking for opportunities to collaborate.