Amiga Circle

We had a great conversation with Argentinean-born author, Valeria Aloe. In her new book “Uncolonized Latinas: Transforming Our Mindsets and Rising Together”, she helps Latinas to embrace our individual and collective greatness, honor our stories and our ancestry; and become more aware of the limiting cultural narratives that have been plaguing us. As a Latina or an ally, learn to thrive in your career and life from a place of self-esteem, as you learn from the stories in her book of Latinas who figured out how to navigate the systems created by bias. To receive your free chapter of Valeria's book, click here. Connect with Valeria on Instagram and Facebook. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please rate and subscribe to our podcast. Make sure to connect with us on social media: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Podcast Host: Jocelyn Loza, Founder of Latina Professionals of Chattanooga. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now. To learn more about this full-service marketing agency and see what they can do for you, click here. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ For past episodes of Amiga Circle, please check out our episode achieve on our website, click here! To support our mission, we welcome gifts of any size to support Latina women and girls in our community, click here.

With so many changes in our tax system due to covid, we decided to highlight the topic and discuss the basics of our tax system with local tax guru Vivian Barrera owner of Maya Professional Services. She shares with us tips and resources on how to file individual and business taxes, covers the difference between deductions, credits, explains which one's better, and some common tax misconceptions that she's seen over the years.  You can contact Vivian via email at info@spmaya.com, call her office at 423-899-1801 or you send a text message at 423-834-7181. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please rate and subscribe to our podcast. Make sure to follow us on social media: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Podcast Host: Jocelyn Loza, Founder of Latina Professionals of Chattanooga and Host of Amiga Circle. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now. To learn more about this full-service marketing agency and see what they can do for you, click here. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________For past episodes of Amiga Circle, please check out our episode achieve on our website, click here!

With the holidays over and the new year right around the corner, we want to give you tips on how you can plan successful actionable goals to win for the new year. That’s why we reached out to our friend, life and business coach, Wendy Amara. She is a highly accomplished transformational Strategy coach, speaker, trainer, and best-selling author. It’s an honor to have her on our Amiga Circle podcast again. If you loved this episode, listen to our motivational conversation with Wendy Amara, where she explains how to lay out the action steps that will help you accomplish your goals, and shares personal stories. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now. Learn more about this full-service marketing agency visit, www.hooplamarketingnow.com.

In this final episode of Season 2, we talk to Velvet Hernandez-Johnson, a native of Guatemala who has lived in Chattanooga for years about her journey of moving to the U.S. to complete her education and finding purpose in helping her community and advocating for girl power with her daughter. If you loved this episode, listen to our motivational Conversation with Wendy Amara, a transformation strategy coach. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now. Learn more about this full-service marketing agency, www.hooplamarketingnow.com

The economic status of women in Tennessee has made considerable advances in recent years however women of color still face inequities that often prevent them from reaching their full potential. Unfortunately, Tennessee still ranks in the worst third in the nation for both women’s Employment & Earnings and Poverty & Opportunity. That’s why we had this conversation with three local Latinas from different industries, Arielle Garcia-Hayes, Nahomi Ortiz and Veronica Perro focused on awareness, advocacy, and structural change to build true equity for Latina women in Tennessee as we navigate inequality through the covid-19 crisis and beyond. Let’s start by clarifying what is Latina Equal Pay Day, is the approximate day Latina’s must work into the new year to make what White non-Latino men make at the end of the previous year. Latinas nationally earn only .55 cents for every dollar earned by a white, non-Hispanic man and must work nearly 23 months to earn what white men earn in 12 months. That means it takes Latinas almost two years to earn what white men earn in one. Many people assume that Latinas face a pay gap because they're concentrated in lower-paying roles. But even in the same job, Latinas are paid less than white men. For example, Latina nurses earn 28% less than white men nurses, on average. This hurts Latinas and their families, making Latinas, many of whom are single heads of households, at risk to experience poverty.  For those listening, you can be an ally and advocate for us by talking about the many contributions we are making as a community and telling our stories. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now. Learn more about this full-service marketing agency, www.hooplamarketingnow.com

Claudia Caballero is President & CEO of Centro Hispano de East Tennessee, a nonprofit that works to empower the Latino community through education, workforce development, youth, and family engagement, and resource referral services. During her five-year tenure at Centro Hispano she has increased the organization’s annual income tenfold and expanded its staff from one employee to over 30 full and part-time team members. Raised between Honduras and the United States, she is both bicultural and bilingual. In 2021 Caballero was the first Latina to join KUB’s board. She is a member of Conexión Américas’ Mosaic Fellowship class of 2018, the 2019 class of Leadership Knoxville, and class VII of Leadership Tennessee. She is the recipient of the YWCA Emerging Leader Award, the Young Professionals of Knoxville Outstanding Young Professional Award, and was named to the 2019 Knox.biz list of 40 Under 40 and VIP Knoxville’s 2020 list of VIP Women. Caballero is currently pursuing her Executive MBA from Vanderbilt. If you want to listen to other conversations, listen to our Conversation with Jeannette Ceja. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now. Learn more about this full-service marketing agency, www.hooplamarketingnow.com

Born and raised in Texas, Sarah Marquez Berestecky is a third-generation Mexican-American/Chicana who grew up navigating the borderlands of living as a light-skinned Latina in the United States. Her engagement with Be the Bridge to Racial Unity inspired her to develop Anti-Racism and Cultural Competency Training (ARCC) after relocating to Chattanooga. Her anti-racist work is closely tied to her efforts as a nationally trained community organizer. As a self-declared introvert, you can find Sarah taking a break from people watching Netflix, reading a provocative book, or blasting Mariachi music in her house. If you want to listen more on racism and our cultura, listen to our Conversation with Silvia Ramos. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now. Learn more about this full-service marketing agency, www.hooplamarketingnow.com

In this episode, we talk to husband and wife entrepreneur duo Gisela and Luis Contreras, owners of The Local Juicery and Kitchen, Local Paletas, and Squeaky Clean, on how taking a leap in their relationship set the course on taking leaps in their businesses. They share their roadmap to their success and future business goals, and the source of inspiration that they find in each other, their family, and their community in Chattanooga. If you loved this episode, listen to our motivational Conversation with Coach Jimmy Obleda. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now. Learn more about this full-service marketing agency, www.hooplamarketingnow.com

In this episode, our conversation is more relaxed and personal as we talk to Dominique Brandt, originally from Miami, FL, and relocated to Chattanooga in 2013 to work in community engagement and development. She talks about her previous life, as she calls it, as a real estate paralegal, event planner and how she never stops looking for the next professional venture and life adventure thanks to her Dominican mom who played a huge influence in her life and taught her how to adjust to new circumstances. If you loved this episode, listen to our Conversation with Coach Jimmy Obleda. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now. Learn more about this full-service marketing agency, www.hooplamarketingnow.com

This is our first episode where we interview a Latino and not a Latina. We wanted to include the men in our lives and in our community who not only support Latinas but who were influenced by them. In this episode, we talk to the head coach of the Chattanooga Red Wolves of the USL League One Division, Jimmy Obleda, a New Yorker Uruguayan who later moved to California to pursue his soccer career and play professionally for 8 years in South America, Europe, and the United States. Jimmy’s success speaks for itself as he also holds degrees in child development, cross-cultural development, and Kinesiology. This extensive educational background creates a unique perspective on his coaching philosophy and style. You can follow Jimmy on Instagram and Facebook. If you loved this episode, listen to our Conversation with Jeannette Ceja. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now. Learn more about this full-service marketing agency, www.hooplamarketingnow.com

This episode gets real quick as we talk to Silvia Ramos an Afro-Indigenous Peruana about how we can figure out what type of changemaker we "want to be when they realize that many of us have inherited systems of inequities and in order to dismantle those systems, we have to be intentional and examine ourselves." She utilizes her background as a transformative equity strategist professional to partner with higher education, non-profit organizations, and corporations to assist them in achieving systemic equity and inclusive excellence. Her passion quickly grew into a lifelong commitment to dismantling barriers within education that prevent underrepresented students, schools, and their communities from experiencing the full benefits of education.  If you loved this episode, listen to our Conversation with Afro-Latina Shadrina Booker on how being dark-skinned wasn't Latina enough. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now. Learn more about this full-service marketing agency at www.hooplamarketingnow.com.

Let's talk finance with Jully-Alma Taveras, the founder of Investing Latina, an online community for financially powerful women. She is an award-winning money expert, writer, and YouTuber that covers topics around personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship. She's a speaker and facilitator that has led workshops at Nasdaq, Google, other Fortune 500 companies, and startups. Her money philosophies have inspired thousands of women to live minimally & spend intentionally so that they can invest more. Her program The Investing Workshop teaches foundational investing principles and strategies. You can text her where she invites you to “Ask Me Money Things™” and follow her on Instagram where she shares funny #moneymemes inspired by pop culture. Get financial pointers on her website and on her YouTube channel. If you loved this episode, listen to our Conversation with Strategic Life and Business coach, Wendy Amara. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now. Learn more about this full-service marketing agency, www.hooplamarketingnow.com.

Jeannette Ceja is an award-winning seasoned bilingual Travel Journalist, TV Host, Travel Advisor, and Global Public Speaker. Her work and experience has taken her to over 60 countries to date. She also has interviewed countless celebrities, politicians, athletes, and travel experts on the red carpet. Jeannette's work has appeared on ABC7 Los Angeles, FOX 11 Los Angeles, Mexico Travel Channel, and countless media outlets around the world. Founder and podcast host, Jocelyn Loza, talks to Jeannette about her journey and how she continues to shed light on the lack of diversity in the Travel industry. Follow Jeannette Ceja on Instagram at JetSetwithJeannette and on Facebook at Jet Set with Jeannette. Also listen to the latest episodes of Global Conversations with Jeannette that feature unique perspectives from travel professionals, global thought leaders, and the media. If you loved this episode, listen to our Conversation with Strategic Life and Business coach, Wendy Amara. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now. Learn more about this full-service marketing agency, www.hooplamarketingnow.com.

This episode is in English. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has hit U.S. Latinos disproportionately hard in many areas of the U.S., making vaccinations a crucial public health mission. That's why we will be discussing all COVID-19 related topics with our special guest, Dr. Pablo Pérez a well-known physician who serves both the Chattanooga and Dalton area. 

Este episodio está en español. Desafortunadamente, el Covid-19 ha afectado a los latinos de manera desproporcionada en muchas áreas de los Estados Unidos. Las vacunas se han vuelto una misión crucial de salud pública. Es por eso que hoy estaremos hablando sobre los mitos y realidades del COVID con nuestro invitado especial, el médico del pueblo, el Dr. Pablo Pérez, un médico que trabaja en el área de Chattanooga y Dalton. 

Shadrina Booker is a proud Afro-Latina that strives to break down the stereotypes of what a ‘Latina’ traditionally looks like. As a Dominican-American raised in Miami, FL, the change of moving and adapting to a less diverse city like Chattanooga has brought all sorts of unchartered assumptions and questions. Her work in education and non-profits allows her to align her professional and personal passion of being a part of increasing competency as it relates to culture, ethnicity, and race. Thank you for our sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now, the only cross-cultural marketing agency in the Southeast, www.hooplamarketingnow.com

Wendy Amara started her career in the non-profit industry. She thought that this career path would make her happy but it made her realized that this isn't her type of happiness. Life changed for her when she attended a life coaching seminar. She learned that she can take control of her life, her decisions, and her future. Today, Wendy is a Strategic Life and Business coach, speaker, and trainer. She has coached thousands of individuals over the past 15 years into achieving their life goals. Learn how to take your career to the next level and how to speak to your future self. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now, the only cross-cultural agency in the Southeast, learn more at www.hooplamarketingnow.com.

Arielle Garcia-Hayes started as an inner-city schoolteacher and today leads one of the best turnaround schools in the Chattanooga area. Arielle opens up about her path to being a principal and recognizing the strength of her experiences as she tackles educational inequity. Arielle also talks about how the cultural challenges of being a Latina who doesn’t speak Spanish really means and how, together, we can battle these outdated stereotypes. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now, the only cross-cultural agency in the Southeast, learn more at www.hooplamarketingnow.com.

Carolina Calderón is a Latina who 10 years ago left her native Costa Rica to come and live in the U.S. with her family.  She, like many other fellow immigrant women, had to learn how to adapt to a new country, a new language, and a new culture. She has adapted to her new home in Chattanooga and has been involved in several community projects. She recently joined the Board of A Step Ahead Chattanooga and the American Red Cross, and can’t wait for the next challenge where she can continue helping and supporting her community at the same time sharing the love for her Latino culture. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now, the only cross-cultural agency in the Southeast, learn more at www.hooplamarketingnow.com.

Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez founded Beyond Engagement, a Social Media Solutions company in the Johnson City area in January 2012 a year after relocating from Miami, FL and she has not slowed down since. She has a passion for assisting small businesses in growing their engagement online using social media marketing strategies. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Hoopla Marketing Now, the only cross-cultural agency in the Southeast, learn more at www.hooplamarketingnow.com.