Catch The Upswing

Jessica Espinoza | Catch The Upswing

Catch The Upswing - Turn energy into action. Catch The Upswing is a business and leadership podcast exploring how people build, lead, and navigate complexity in a rapidly changing world. Hosted by global finance leader Jessica Espinoza, the show features candid conversations with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and emerging voices shaping today’s economy. Each episode explores the real journeys behind leadership — from setbacks and reinvention to resilience and purpose — while translating these experiences into practical insights listeners can apply in their own work, decisions, and lives.

  1. Aug 5

    When You Follow Your Dreams, You Don't Lose | Carolina Suárez

    What does it actually cost to walk away from a career everyone tells you not to leave? What does it take to build trust across an entire continent — when the thing you're building doesn't exist yet? And how do you hold onto hope when the geopolitical context keeps shifting beneath you? Carolina Suárez Visbal is the CEO of Latimpacto — the leading impact investing network in Latin America, connecting foundations, impact investors, academia, and families working toward the same goal across the region. Twenty years ago, she was a corporate lawyer with a successful career ahead of her. She chose a differentpath. In this conversation from Lima, she shares what it took to make that decision, what she learned building a regional network from scratch, why the best leaders get closer toreality, and why she believes the most important thing we've learned in impact investing is that we cannot work alone. 🎙️ In this episode: Why she left corporate law — and what she saw that changed everything What it actually takes to build trust across an ecosystem Why the best leaders get closer to reality What gives her hope in uncertain timesWhat she would say to anyone wanting to leave a conventional career to build something that matters ⏱️ Chapters   00:00 Trailer 01:09 Introduction — Carolina Suárez and Latimpacto 02:00 Why she left corporate law — and chose a different path 06:16 "When you follow your dreams, you don't lose" 11:53 Building Latimpacto — creating a movement from the start 17:56 Why building a network is harder than building a project 23:15 Trust — the foundation of every ecosystem 24:51 What gives her hope for Latin America? 26:48 "We cannot work alone" 28:07 How she stays grounded — and lives in the present 29:08 Why she brought her network to the Amazon 36:41 How success has changed over time 45:05 Advice for the next generation of leaders 46:53 Staying patient when change takes time 49:32 The legacy she hopes to leave behind 50:07 Thinking about leaving your career? Start here. 🔗 Follow Carolina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mar%C3%ADa-carolina-suarez-visbal/   🌎 Learn more about Latimpacto: https://latimpacto.org/   📅 Join Impact Minds 2026: https://impactmindsconference.com/ 📺 Watch more episodes: Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world.Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and changemakers about what it actually takes to keep going, lead well, and stay hopeful about the future. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one. 🔗 Follow & connect: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswing Instagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswing TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing

  2. Jul 27

    Why Success Doesn't Feel Like Success | Simon Alexander Ong

    What happens when you finally achieve the life you've been working towards... and something still feels missing? Build the career. Reach the goals. Tick every box. And still find yourself wondering why success doesn't feel the way you thought it would. How does that happen? And how do you know whether you're building a life that's truly yours — or simply becoming successful at someoneelse's definition of success? Simon Alexander Ong is the bestselling author of Energize, an award-winning coach, and an internationally sought-after keynote speaker whose work on energy, leadership, and purpose has built a global following. This isn't a conversation about becoming more productive. It's about asking whether the version of success you've been chasing is actually your own. Together, we explore what happens after success — when everything looks right on paper, but something doesn't quite feel right inside. We talk about the difference between achievement and fulfillment, the stories we inherit about what success should look like, and the quieter questions that often emerge only after we've reached the goals we once believedwould make us happy. We also get into a story involving Richard Branson that Simon rarely tells — and a strange decision-making exercise he still uses before making hard choices, involving a room that doesn't exist and six people, some living, some dead. 🎙️ In this episode: Why success doesn't always feel the way we expect it toThe subtle difference between achievement and fulfillmentHow to tell whether you're pursuing your own ambitions — or someone else'sWhy two people can work equally hard and experience work completely differentlyThe four dimensions of energy that shape how we live and leadThe role courage plays in changing the direction of your lifeA simple exercise Simon returns to whenever he's facing one of life's biggest decisions ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Trailer 01:15 From Investment Banking to Finding Purpose 03:20 "On Paper, I Had It All" 06:00 The Signs You're Living the Wrong Life 10:00 The Four Types of Burnout 15:45 Why Purpose Gives You Energy 20:14 Create an Environment That Makes Success Inevitable 28:30 Journaling & Closing the Loop 33:50 The Loneliness of Reinventing Yourself 36:20 The Imaginary Room with Six Mentors 38:02 Stop Saying "Should" 42:45 The Wormhole Effect 43:35 Richard Branson, a Paper Airplane & Courage 46:15 Ambition Without Losing Your Peace 53:00 Is Hustle Culture Doing More Harm Than Good? 58:00 Recharge Yourself Like Your Devices 1:01:15 Plan Tomorrow the Night Before 1:04:40 Can You Have Energy Without Purpose?  1:08:40 Where to Follow Simon   🔗 Follow Simon's work: Website: https://www.simonalexanderong.com/ Instagram: @simonalexanderong LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonalexanderong/ Simon’s best-selling book Energize: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/321571/energize-by-ong-simon-alexander/9780241502761 📺 Watch more episodes: Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world. Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and changemakers about what itactually takes to keep going, lead well, and stay hopeful about the future. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one. 🔗 Follow & connect: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswing Instagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswing TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing

  3. Jul 21

    What Becomes More Valuable in the Age of AI?

    What becomes more valuable in the age of AI? Everyone is asking what AI will replace. But I think there's another question that's just as important: What becomes more valuable because of AI? In this first episode of Walk With Me, I reflect on why judgment — not information — may become one of our greatest competitive advantages in an AI-powered world. Drawing on an experience from a senior leadership meeting, I explore why the hardest decisions are rarely about having enough data. They're about weighing competing priorities, making trade-offs, and deciding what matters most. AI can summarize. It can compare. It can analyze. But leadership begins where the data ends.   Chapters 00:00 Everybody's asking what AI will replace 00:00:19 What becomes more valuable because of AI? 00:00:42 A leadership meeting that changed how I think about judgment 00:02:17 Why data alone doesn't make decisions 00:03:00 What AI can't replace 00:03:21 Why judgment is becoming the ultimate leadership skill 00:03:47 The question we should also be asking   I'd love to hear your perspective: What human skill do you think becomes more valuable as AI becomes more capable?   🎙️ Walk With Me is an invitation to step away from the noise for a few minutes. Join me for short reflections on leadership, technology, decision-making, and the ideas shaping our future.   Subscribe for more episodes from Catch The Upswing. #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Leadership #FutureOfWork #DecisionMaking #CriticalThinking 🔗 Follow & connect:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswingInstagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswingTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing

  4. Jul 15

    Imperfections Are Underrated | Daniela Alfieri — Noharanda

    What if the moments of self-doubt you've been trying to overcome are actually a sign that you're leveling up? What if the gap between where you are and where you want to be is smaller than you think? And what if embracing your imperfections — rather than hiding them — is the thing that finally sets you free? Daniela Alfieri is known to hundreds of thousands of people around the world as Noharanda — an artist, healer, and community builder whose work sits at the intersection of creativity, consciousness, and what it truly means to be fully and imperfectly human. What began as a series of digital illustrations has grown into a global community, inviting people to reconnect with themselves, embrace life's imperfections, and discover that our greatest transformations often begin by remembering who we truly are. In this conversation, we explore Daniela's journey of reinvention — from a nine-to-five job she didn't love to becoming one of the most distinctive creative voices on the internet — and the lessons she's learned about growth, healing, and what it means to show up as yourself. 🎙️ In this episode: Why self-doubt is a signal you're leveling up — not a reason to stopHow to tell the difference between fear and excitementWhat rapid resolution therapy is — and why healing can happen faster than you thinkWhy high achievers often feel something is missing even when life looks greatThe practices that keep Daniela grounded — without sacrificing ambitionWhy imperfections are underrated — and what wabi-sabi teaches us about freedomWhat's shifting collectively in the age of AI — and why humanness matters more than ever ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Trailer 01:18 Art, healing and becoming more of who you really are 06:46 Reinventing your life — Daniela's journey to Noharanda 13:07 Being called to share — art as a mirror for others 19:26 Why self-doubt may mean you're leveling up 21:17 Fear or excitement? The feeling we often misread 25:24 Can healing happen faster than we think? 28:35 Closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be 33:11 How to achieve big things — and still feel alive 36:48 Why being human matters more in the age of AI 🔗 Follow Daniela's work: Website: https://noharanda.com/ Instagram: @noharanda YouTube: @noharanda Pinterest: @noharanda   🎨 Visuals & artwork: B-roll images featured in this episode were provided by Daniela Alfieri and showcase her work and art as Noharanda.   📺 Watch more episodes: Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world. Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and changemakers about what it actually takes to keep going, lead well, and stay hopeful about the future. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one. 🔗 Follow & connect:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswingInstagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswingTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing

  5. Jul 9

    Beyond Unicorns — Rethinking Success in Entrepreneurship | Mansi Gupta & Clôd Baumgartner

    What does it actually mean to build something meaningful when the dominant story of entrepreneurship is: scale fast, raise capital, and exit? What if success isn't measured by valuation, but by the problems you solve? What if the businesses the world most needs aren't unicorns — but something more grounded, more regenerative, and ultimately more human? In this conversation, Jessica Espinoza is joined by two entrepreneurs who have spent their careers building exactly that. Mansi Gupta is the founder of Unconform and a pioneer in women-centred design, exploring how products, services and systems can better reflect the lived experiences of the people they serve. Clôd Baumgartner is a regenerative innovation and upcycling fashion entrepreneur who has spent years rethinking what business can look like when it works in harmony with people and planet rather than against them. Together, we explore a different kind of entrepreneurship — one built around joy, purpose, circularity, and the courage to define your own metrics of success. 🎙️ In this episode: Why the unicorn narrative puts pressure on all of us — and what zebras have to do with itWhy every design has consequencesWhy we live in a one-size-fits-men world — and what it costs usThe difference between scaling high and scaling deepWhy joy — not hustle — is the fuel for regenerative businessesHow to define success metrics that actually reflect what you care aboutWhy you should never build aloneWhat it means to become a time millionaireHow to just start — without boiling the ocean ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Trailer 00:41 Introduction — rethinking entrepreneurship 01:24 Mansi's journey: building meaningful ventures 03:03 Clôd: demystifying the unicorn — why zebras matter 05:57 Mansi's ventures: leather upcycling, women-centered design, and what came next 10:51 Every design has consequences 13:07 Clôd: regenerative innovation and the garden metaphor 20:32 What if businesses were designed circularly? 27:00 The blind spot in human-centered design — and what fixes it 34:02 We live in a one-size-fits-men world 44:58 What and how — the permaculture ethics of people, earth, and fair share 49:40 Practical advice for founders: just start, don't do it alone 53:07 Just start does not mean boil the ocean 56:27 Choosing who you build with 57:00 Circular models of collaboration 01:01:40 Redefining success metrics and vanity metrics 01:05:12 Who is an entrepreneur, really? 01:13:26 Final thoughts: start, rest, and find the balance that works for you Check out Mansi Gupta's work: Unconform & women-centric design: https://www.unconformstudio.com/women-centric-learning LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mansigupta/ Check out Clôd Baumgartner's work: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cpbaumgartner/   📺 Watch more episodes Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world. Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and changemakers about what it actually takes to keep going, lead well, and stay hopeful about the future. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one. 🔗 Follow & connect YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswing Instagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswing TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing

  6. Jul 2

    How I Judge Someone's Character Before Trusting Them | Jessica Soto Vera

    How do you know if someone is genuinely trustworthy — before it costs you to find out? How do you spot manipulation before it's too late? How do you say no without guilt? How do you protect your energy without becoming closed off? Jessica Soto Vera has spent more than a decade finding answers to those questions. As the founder of Mujeres Líderes, one of Peru's most influential leadership networks, she has developed a sharp and specific eye for reading people, protecting her energy, and building spaces where the right culture takes care of itself. In this conversation, recorded live in Lima, she shares the lessons she's learned — from the tiny behaviors that reveal someone's true character, to the inner work that makes boundaries feel less like a battle. 🎙️ In this episode: The specific behaviors Jessica watches for before trusting anyoneWhy how someone reacts to your "no" tells you everythingHow to spot manipulation before it costs you How envy quietly destroys relationships — and how to see it coming The difference between inner peace and happiness Why "no" is a complete word and doesn't need explanationHow to build a community that protects its own culture ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Trailer 01:06 Introduction 01:46 Hearing your own voice when life gets loud 03:26 Inner peace — what it is and where it comes from 07:00 How to help someone through a crisis 09:54 What was quietly missing — consciousness and the workaholic pattern 13:06 The scholarship that changed everything 17:14 The special moment that became a turning point 24:42 How to know if someone is taking advantage of you 25:10 How they react to your no 27:01 The restaurant test that reveals character 31:09 Language patterns that signal manipulation 32:18 How to protect your energy 36:20 Every day we have one day less 39:59 When someone pressures you — go to the bathroom 41:11 Guilt, childhood patterns and the inner judge 48:26 The mirror — seeing yourself through others 56:00 Envy and the scarcity mindset 01:22:06 How to build a culture that protects itself 01:26:34 What true happiness actually feels like 01:29:02 If you're a bird, your strength is in your wings   Follow Jessica Soto’s work: Instagram: @mujereslideres.pe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mujereslideres/ Web: https://www.mujeres-lideres.com/   📺 Watch more episodes: Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world. Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and changemakers about what it actually takes to keep going, lead well, and stay hopeful about the future. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one. 🔗 Follow & connect: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswing Instagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswing TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing

  7. Jul 1

    How to Answer Tough Investor Questions Without Undermining Yourself

    Have you ever walked out of an investor meeting thinking, "I answered every question... so why do I still feel like I lost ground?" It might not have been your answers. It might have been the questions. In this episode, I share a practical framework for assessing investor questions in real time — so you can decide when to answer, when to reframe, and when to push back. Drawing on practical questions from our global community — from Singapore to Copenhagen to Colombia — we explore how to handle difficult investor conversations, respond whenquestions become personal, and why rejection is often data rather than failure. This isn't only relevant if you're a woman founder. If you're building something outside conventional patterns — whether because of your market, sector, background, or business model — these same dynamics can show up for you too. 🎙️ In this episode: The three silent questions to ask yourself before answering any investor questionHow to tell whether an investor is testing your business—or your legitimacyWhat to do when an investor says your market is "too niche"How to respond when fundraising questions become personalWhy the best founders treat investor rejection as data, not failure ⏱️ Chapters:00:00 The pattern: prevention vs. promotion-oriented questions00:56 Why this isn't only a women founders' issue01:24 The first mistake founders make: doubting themselves, not the question02:10 The three-question framework for assessing investor questions03:45 Real example: "Isn't this customer segment too niche to scale?"05:12 Reframing without being evasive05:42 When 'niche' is actually focus 06:46 What to do when investor questions get personal07:58 The parenthood question—and how to answer it09:04 The simple rule: business question vs. legitimacy question09:16 How to deal with investor rejection11:27 The real goal isn't getting a yes 📺 Watch more episodes Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world. Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and changemakers about what it actually takes to keep going, lead well, and stay hopeful about the future. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one. 🔗 Follow & connect: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswing Instagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswing TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing

  8. Jun 24

    What Nobody Teaches Women About Money | Ana Paola Villegas

    Most financial education focuses on information and tools. But what if building a healthy relationship with money also requires understanding our emotions, habits and fears? And what if one of the biggest reasons so many women stay in situations that aren't good for them has less to do with love, and more to do with money? In this episode of Catch The Upswing, Jessica Espinoza speaks with Ana Paola Villegas — financial educator, author of Despechada Pero Con Lana (Heartbroken But Not Broke), and founder of Mompreneur Mexico — about what nobody teaches women about money, and why that gap has consequences that go far beyond finances. Ana's story begins with her own experience: a divorce she wasn't financially prepared for, and a period of rebuilding from nothing that forced her to rethink everything she thought she knew about money, security and independence. Out of that experience — and out of watching the same patterns repeat across hundreds of women she later worked with — she built a mission: to give women the financial tools, language and confidence that most of us were never given growing up. Because as Ana says, money is never really about money. It's about peace. It's about freedom. It's about being able to choose. This is a conversation about financial independence, emotional resilience, the hidden psychology of how we spend, and what it actually takes to build a financial life that belongs to you. 🎙️ In this episode, we explore: The emotional dimension of money that financial education rarely addressesWhat divorce taught Ana about financial vulnerability and starting overWhy so many women stay in difficult situations because of financial dependenceThe one simple rule that puts you ahead of 80% of people financiallyWhy financial independence is not a luxury — it's a form of freedom How to talk about money in relationships before it becomes a crisis What the bicycle tells us about women and financial freedomWhy exercise became Ana's lifeline through her lowest point — and what it taught her about resilience How to start investing even if you think you have nothing to invest What to teach children about money so they don't have to learn it the hard way ⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial or investment decisions.   🔗 Connect with Ana Paola Villegas: Book Despechada Pero Con Lana: available on Amazon worldwide Instagram: @ana.paola.villegas and @mompreneur_mexico   ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Trailer: "You Can't Bet On One Person" 00:42 Welcome: Meet Ana Paola Villegas 01:24 Why Money Is About Emotions, Not Numbers 02:56 Getting Pregnant at 21 and Learning to Control the Narrative 04:35 The Divorce She Wasn't Prepared For 06:56 Why Women Stay Longer Than They Should 09:08 Rebuilding After Rock Bottom 15:05 How Exercise Became Her Lifeline 20:00 The Simplest Financial Rule (The 80/20 Rule) 22:00 The Hidden Psychology of Spending 23:57 Why Investing Matters More Than Saving 28:07 The Bicycle Story: Why Money Means Freedom 30:14 How to Talk About Money in Relationships 36:52 Why Financial Independence Matters 39:06 How to Start Investing (Even If You're Late) 43:45 How Do You Support Your Partner's Financial Independence? 46:45 What If Your Partner Doesn't Support You Financially? 49:58 Teaching Children About Money   📺 Watch more episodes: Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world. Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and changemakers about what it actually takes to keep going, lead well, and stay hopeful about the future. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one.   🔗 Follow & connect: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswingInstagram: CatchTheUpswingTikTok: @catchtheupswing

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Catch The Upswing - Turn energy into action. Catch The Upswing is a business and leadership podcast exploring how people build, lead, and navigate complexity in a rapidly changing world. Hosted by global finance leader Jessica Espinoza, the show features candid conversations with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and emerging voices shaping today’s economy. Each episode explores the real journeys behind leadership — from setbacks and reinvention to resilience and purpose — while translating these experiences into practical insights listeners can apply in their own work, decisions, and lives.

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  • Creator
    Jessica Espinoza | Catch The Upswing
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jessica Espinoza | Catch The Upswing
  • Show Website
    Catch The Upswing