Empower Hour with Gina Zapanta | Empowered With Gina

Gina Zapanta
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The Empower Hour Podcast, hosted by Gina Zapanta, is a bi-weekly podcast highlighting the importance of self-love, personal growth, and empowerment. Every other week, Gina discusses what it means to live life by your own design, and interviews guests who share their stories on what it means to be #empowered. Follow @empoweredwithgina on YouTube, @ginazapanta_ on Instagram, and don't forget to check out membership opportunities at empoweredwithgina.com!

  1. 4D AGO

    How LA City Attorney Heidi Feldstein Soto Turned Setbacks Into Leadership | Empowered with Gina

    In this episode of Empowered With Gina, Gina Zapanta sits down with Los Angeles City Attorney Heidi Feldstein Soto for a candid conversation about resilience, leadership, and public service.Heidi shares how a career setback early in her professional journey ultimately redirected her toward greater purpose. From growing up in Puerto Rico in an interfaith household to becoming the first Latina elected as LA City Attorney, her story is rooted in persistence, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to justice.The conversation explores what it truly means to be a civil servant, why traditional “work-life balance” is often a myth for women in leadership, and how coalition-building helped her office rescue more than 250 minors from sex trafficking in Los Angeles. Heidi also speaks on character, accountability, and why kindness and credibility will outlast any title.This episode is a masterclass in conviction, collaboration, and choosing impact over comfort.Topics include:• Overcoming professional setbacks• Women in leadership• Public service and civil responsibility• Combating sex trafficking in Los Angeles• Leadership under pressure• Character, resilience, and legacySubscribe for more empowering conversations that challenge you to lead boldly and live life by design.

    28 min

  2. FEB 14

    How to Gain Confidence and Stop Caring What People Think | Empowered with Gina x Caroline Baudino

    In this episode of Empowered With Gina, Gina Zapanta sits down with Caroline Baudino to talk about how to gain confidence and stop caring what people think.So many women struggle with self-doubt, people-pleasing, and the constant fear of judgment. Whether it shows up in your career, relationships, style, or the way you use your voice, the pressure to be liked can quietly run your life. Gina and Caroline break down what real confidence actually looks like and why it has nothing to do with perfection, age, or outside validation.They discuss reinvention, personal power, self-worth, and the discipline it takes to stop shrinking yourself. This conversation challenges the belief that confidence is something you’re born with. It’s something you build. And it requires letting go of the need for approval.If you’ve ever Googled “how to be more confident,” “how to stop caring what people think,” or “how to rebuild confidence as a woman,” this episode will give you the mindset shift you’ve been looking for.Confidence is not about being louder. It’s about being rooted.Subscribe for more conversations that challenge women to live life by design, not by default.

    45 min

  3. FEB 7

    Guest Holly Moore Explains What Women Need to Know About Marriage, Divorce, and Financial Power

    In this episode of  ⁨@empoweredwithgina⁩  Gina Zapanta sits down with family law attorney Holly J. Moore for an honest, unfiltered conversation about marriage, divorce, financial protection, and why knowledge is power for women. Holly breaks down the real legal differences between being married and simply building a life together without a legally binding contract, especially in California. They discuss why entangling finances, property, and assets without marriage can be dangerous, what women should be doing before a relationship ever reaches a breaking point, and how divorce truly impacts families long after the paperwork is finalized. Holly also shares her personal journey from growing up in a small mountain town to opening her own law practice just months after passing the bar, along with the realities of running a business, navigating family law, and helping clients through some of the hardest moments of their lives. This episode is for women who want clarity, protection, and the confidence to make informed decisions about their relationships, their finances, and their future. If you’ve ever wondered what rights you actually have, what mistakes to avoid, or how to protect yourself before it’s too late, this conversation matters. #empowerment #personalgrowth #podcast

    26 min

  4. JAN 31

    From Hoarder’s Daughter to 7-Figure Founder: How Tracy McCubbin Built dClutterfly

    In this episode of Empowered With Gina, Gina sits down with Tracy McCubbin, founder and CEO of dClutterfly, to talk about what decluttering really is: not a “clean house” goal, but an emotional reset. Tracy shares her story of growing up as the child of a parent with hoarding disorder and how that experience shaped the empathy and psychology-first approach that made dClutterfly a thriving organizing company.They unpack why clutter spikes during grief, divorce, identity shifts, and big life transitions, and why “just throw it away” is never the answer when emotions are attached. Tracy explains the difference between chronic clutter and true hoarding, plus the mindset shift that frees people from guilt, especially when it comes to inherited items and keeping “museum” boxes out of obligation.Tracy also gets real about entrepreneurship: starting her first business at 40, launching a second at 60, and building a model that creates economic freedom for women through franchising. If you want a calmer home, a clearer mind, or the push to finally start the thing you keep delaying, this conversation is for you.Guest: Tracy McCubbin, Founder of dClutterflyTopics: decluttering tips, emotional clutter, hoarding disorder, grief and keepsakes, women entrepreneurs, starting a business later in life, organizing psychology

    34 min

  5. JAN 31

    Language, Identity, & the Kids Caught in Between: A Necessary Conversation About Bilingual Families

    In this episode of Empowered With Gina, Gina Zapanta sits down with award-winning author, speaker, and bilingual parenting mentor Maritere R. Bellas to talk about the lived reality of bilingual and multicultural families.Maritere shares her journey growing up bilingual in Puerto Rico, raising bicultural children in the United States, and becoming a leading advocate for preserving language, culture, and identity. Together, they unpack the often invisible pressure placed on children who become the “voice” for their families, translating in schools, doctor’s offices, and adult spaces far too early.The conversation explores why raising bilingual children is not an inconvenience or a burden, but an act of love, empowerment, and cultural resistance. Gina and Maritere also address common myths around bilingualism, the shame many carry around language loss, and why exposure to culture builds empathy, confidence, and opportunity.This episode is for parents, educators, and anyone navigating identity, language, and belonging in a multicultural world.Guest: Maritere R. BellasAward-winning author of parenting and children’s books, co-host of Mamás 411 Podcast, and longtime advocate for bilingual and multicultural families.

    26 min

  6. JAN 24

    Immigrants, Due Process, Law: Public Counsel’s Gina Amato on Defending Rights in 2026 and Beyond

    In this urgent episode of Empowered With Gina, Gina Zapanta sits down with Gina Amato, Director of the Immigrants’ Rights Project at Public Counsel, for a necessary conversation about immigration, due process, and the state of the law in 2026.Gina Amato is on the front lines of litigation against the federal government, fighting to protect immigrants’ constitutional rights, including access to legal counsel and protection from unlawful detention and racial profiling. She explains what many Americans misunderstand about immigration law, why immigrants are entitled to due process under the Constitution, and how denying access to attorneys threatens democracy itself.Drawing from her upbringing as the daughter of an immigrant mother, Amato shares what led her to civil rights work, the emotional weight of representing vulnerable communities, and how trauma and systemic injustice intersect with the criminal and immigration systems.The conversation breaks down what is actually happening inside detention facilities, why family separations continue, and how policies are being enforced without regard for long-standing constitutional protections. Amato also addresses the common argument that undocumented immigrants are “not entitled” to rights and explains why that belief is legally and historically wrong.This episode is about law, humanity, and the consequences of abandoning due process. It offers clarity amid misinformation and speaks directly to women doing difficult, high-stakes work who are trying to stay grounded while fighting for something bigger than themselves.

    30 min

  7. JAN 10

    Founder Nekaya Carter Explains Why Bad Advice Is More Dangerous Than No Advice

    In this episode of Empowered With Gina, Gina Zapanta sits down with Nekaya Carter, broker owner of Carter and Carter Real Estate and founder of the nonprofit 2.18 Vision, for a direct and honest conversation about ownership, fear, grief, and why who you listen to matters more than you think. Nekaya shares her journey from early motherhood and higher education at UC Berkeley to building her own real estate brokerage and leading community-focused work through 2.18 Vision. Along the way, she breaks down what empowerment really looks like, why ownership is power, and how fear keeps people stuck in lives they’ve outgrown. This episode covers: Why taking advice from the wrong people quietly sabotages your growth How fear disguises itself as “being realistic” Credit, debt, and the fundamentals people are never taught about home ownership Grief that goes unrecognized, including displacement and loss after fires Choosing time, peace, and alignment over hustle and external validation Gina and Nekaya also explore how mentorship, community, and intentional decision-making can change the trajectory of your life, especially when you stop outsourcing your choices to people who have never done what you’re trying to do. This conversation is grounded, challenging, and empowering for anyone ready to make decisions that actually support the life they want.

    26 min

  8. 12/16/2025

    How to Handle Toxic Family Dynamics During the Holidays | Empowered with Gina

    The holidays have a way of magnifying family dynamics that already feel heavy, tense, or emotionally draining. In this episode of Empowered With Gina, Gina Zapanta breaks down how to recognize toxic family patterns during the holiday season and, more importantly, how to protect your peace without drowning in guilt.Gina explains why feeling dread, anxiety, or emotional exhaustion around family gatherings is not a character flaw or a lack of gratitude. It is a sign of growing self-awareness. She walks through common toxic behaviors that resurface every year, including emotional labor, dismissed boundaries, passive aggression, and behaviors that get excused simply because “it’s the holidays.”This episode offers practical guidance on how to stop overgiving, how to say no without overexplaining, and how to set boundaries that are realistic and enforceable. Gina also addresses the guilt that keeps people stuck in unhealthy patterns, including the fear of disappointing others, being judged, or being labeled selfish for choosing themselves.Listeners will learn how to limit their time, choose fewer events, create new traditions, and prepare exit strategies that prioritize emotional safety. Gina also prepares viewers for the backlash that can come when long-standing family roles change and explains why others’ discomfort is not a reason to abandon yourself.This conversation is for anyone who is ready to stop surviving the holidays and start moving through them with clarity, confidence, and peace. The holidays will come and go, but your mental health, self-worth, and well-being remain. Protect them.#toxicfamily #toxicrelationships #podcast #empoweredwithgina #empowered #holidays

    9 min
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About

The Empower Hour Podcast, hosted by Gina Zapanta, is a bi-weekly podcast highlighting the importance of self-love, personal growth, and empowerment. Every other week, Gina discusses what it means to live life by your own design, and interviews guests who share their stories on what it means to be #empowered. Follow @empoweredwithgina on YouTube, @ginazapanta_ on Instagram, and don't forget to check out membership opportunities at empoweredwithgina.com!

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