Hella Latin@

Alchemy of Brownness with Christopher Rivas

Today I'm talking to Christopher Rivas  — a storyteller, actor, social commentator, podcast host, speaker and filmmaker. He's the writer behind the Brown Enough book and voice behind the Brown Enough and Rubirosa podcast. He's also the creator of "The Real James Bond... Was Dominican!"

Christopher has a breadth of experience amplifying stories that matter and spark conversation, one that we unpack in this episode is his work in creating Brown Enough. He openly talks about his journey with Brownness, identity, and the struggle to be “perfectly” Latinx, woke, and as Brown as possible to make it in today’s America. 

Tune in to hear more about Christopher's love story with Brownness and his journey in owning his identity (which is forever evolving).

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

Emotional Incarceration with Cloud Kent

Cloud Kent, a proud Latino with Colombian and Ecuadorian roots 🇪🇨🇨🇴 uses acrylics, oil sticks and spray paints to illustrate his message from the heart. His work embodies the freedom and child-like innocence that connects the audience back to that pure part of themselves.

In the heart of New York City, his morals and his world view were nurtured by his single mother. His creative spark came in the form of art that his father would send from jail. Through an innocent mind, he channeled his empathy from his father as fuel to power and grow his love for art.

In 2015, at the age of 25, Kenneth Jeremiah Gomez underwent life saving open heart surgery. After this rebirth, his heart illustrations gained new meaning full of vulnerability. Calling on the imagery of a superhero’s flight, Cloud Kent emerged as an alter ego to save him from himself - his fears, depression, and emotional incarceration. 

In this episode, he shares about it all — his story, his surgery, his love story with art, and his relationship with vulnerability.

Connect with Cloud Kent via cloud-kent.com and @cloudkent on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook. For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

Mezcladita 🇻🇪🇭🇳 with Gabriela Milla

Meet Gabriela Milla, an actress, writer, creator and one of the stars in Apple TV+'s hit bilingual comedy series, "Acapulco." Gabriela portrays Isabel, the main character's outspoken, tough, and mischievous love interest that challenges him like a mujeron would. 

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Gabriela was immersed in the arts and a melting pot of culture from a very young age. Her Venezuelan mother and Honduran father decided when she was seven years old to make the move back to Honduras, where she spent the rest of her childhood and attended high school. 

In this episode, she shares her beautiful story of owning her bicultural roots, moving back to the U.S., becoming an actress in LA, moving to Miami and going on her own self-love and self-discovery journey. In choosing herself, doors of opportunity opened up — including her role in Acapulco.

I hope this episode serves as a reminder for you to continuously choose and love yourself. When you do, opportunities that align with your purpose can and will open up. 

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

Systemic Disrespect with Lester Larios

Lester is a First-Gen Latino professional from LA with years of experience in higher education, non-profit organizations, community development, and more. Son to immigrant parents, the oldest of siblings and cousins, and the unofficial lawyer/event planner/advocate/etc. of la familia, Lester knows the challenges and resilience of navigating a world where you don't know what you don't know and figuring it out as you go.

Lester is passionate about Men's mental health/issues, empowering others, and inspiring Black & Brown communities to thrive. In this episode, he talks about his story and the systemic disrespect Black and Brown first-gen men experience.

Connect with Lester on LinkedIn and follow him on Instagram @llarios116. For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

Identity Shifts with Kristen Dreher

Meet Kristen Dreher — a faith follower, fourth-generation Mexican American, and soon-to-be mama of 2! 

Kristen is all about connection, community, and storytelling. So it’s no wonder she found herself working as a communications professional at Big Tech companies like Google and LinkedIn. When not working, Kristen is all about familia. From a young age, the importance of hard work was instilled in her… and that life lesson has driven her to not only ensure her parents’ sacrifices were not in vain, but also secure more (happiness, freedom, and financial security) for her future familia. 

In this episode, Kristen talks about breaking generational cycles, what it took for her to feel comfortable leaning into her Latinadad, and what she calls the biggest identity shift she ever went through: becoming a parent.

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

Crème de la Crème with Eilyn Jimenez

Eilyn Jimenez (who you may recognize from her Netflix series, Designing Miami) is the founder and creative director of Sire Design, the internationally recognized Miami-based interior design studio. As an interior design creative, her role is to transform and re-purpose each space, breathing new life into every project.

At the forefront of the South Florida design scene, Eilyn and her team built of badass Latinas continue to produce incredible projects which has earned her media coverage in Casa Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, Robb Report, Insider, Mansion Global and more.

In this episode, we hear more about her story, her Cuban roots, and her journey to Sire Design and Netflix. Get ready to take some notes!

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

Corporate Hustla with Joél Duran

Joél is a Dominican born and Brooklyn raised Corporate Hustlaaaa! From section 8 to Big Tech, from selling hats on the street to being a Product Manager at Microsoft, he’s here to tell his story and make y’all laugh along the way.

Joél comes from one of NYC’s lowest income neighborhoods — as of 2018, East New York's rate of violent crimes per capita is greater than that of the city as a whole. And the incarceration rate of 1,065 per 100,000 people is higher than that of the city as a whole. Despite systemic disparities, he hustled his way into big tech and is creating generational wealth everyday. Tune in to listen Joél’s triumphal journey!

Connect with him on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter! For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

Historias, Memorias y Legado with Jonathan Hermida

We have a repeat guest! Jonathan Hermida came on back in 2020 to tell his story, now he's back to tell you about Capsul — a company focused on capturing our family's stories.

Jonathan is a serial entrepreneur and transformational coach committed to helping individuals connect more deeply to themselves, others, and the world around them. As the founder and CEO of Capsul, Jonathan has created a revolutionary company that captures and preserves the stories, memories, and essence of individuals on camera so that future generations can look back on, connect with, and learn from their loved one long after their gone. 

His vision is to create the largest and most beautiful collection of individual and family memories the world has ever seen. 

Follow Capsul on Instagram and find more info at yourcapsul.com. For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

Latino Feel, Mainstream Appeal with Susie Jaramillo

Meet the one and only, Susie Jaramillo, the brilliant storyteller behind Canticos, Skeletina's World, and Tiny Travelers. Brands that every mami y papi should take note of! Susie is an Emmy-Nominated illustrator, bilingual storyteller, and co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Encantos Media Studios.

This Venezuelan-American mama created Encantos' first brand: Canticos, a bilingual baby and toddler brand inspired by Latino nursery rhymes. And it all started as a way to share her culture and language with her bilingual and bicultural kids. Now, Canticos is the #1 bilingual preschool brand, designed to help children become kindergarten-ready in two languages.

Her stories are brilliant, captivating, diverse, and most importantly representative of Latino culture, music and beauty. If you remember anything from this episode, I hope you remember to turn off Cocomelon and download Encantos for your bebecitos! 

Download Encantos today on your app store and buy any (or all) of Susie's books on Amazon. You can also follow Susie Jaramillo on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

’We’re Going to The States’ with Stephanie Nuesi

Stephanie Nuesi is the CEO and Founder of Max Up, a career coaching firm whose mission is to maximize the potential of the future leaders of the nation. She has interned in various top accounting firms, tech companies and is now a financial analyst at Google. 

Stephanie is passionate about career coaching and public speaking. She has given over 300 workshops and events in 10 countries and has been guest speaker for companies like Wiley, The AICPA, UBS, LinkedIn, and more. 

She has helped over 5,000 students and professionals from all over the world with her company Max Up. Because of her passion to keep involved with the community, she was chosen as a 2019 Forbes Under 30 Scholar and is now a NextGen 30 Under 30 for the hispanic executive magazine, which highlights the most successful latinos worldwide.

In this episode, Stephanie talks about moving from the Dominican Republic to The States and how it turned her world upside down. But her immigrant/first-gen experience was the catalyst behind Max Up.

Follow Stephanie Nuesi on LinkedIn and Instagram, and visit www.themaxup.com for more information. For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.