TrailBlazing Latinos's Podcast Nicholas Aguirre

I've always known about Minnie Ferguson's accomplishments: she came from Mexico at a young age and dominated the English language; she helped lead the way to create a Chicana/o department at UCLA; and she opened a charter school that serves the East Los Angeles community. It wasn't until I thought about it more deeply that she is living every educator's dream- and she's thriving in it. In this episode, I explore details about her life and career so anyone interested or that is already in education can be inspired and learn from this powerful educator.
 
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For this episode, I speak with Dr. Elena Esparza. She is the founder of Just Breathe Healing, where is she an alternative medicine practitioner.
She uses plants, chiropractic, and applied kinesiology, among other practices, to heal her patients.
I ask her questions about each of her methods to heal people.
I also ask her what made her open her business in the first and what her advice is to all current and future business owners.
We end the interview by talking about her recent trip to Baja California  and she leaves the audience with two special pieces of advice.
 
Thank you for listening. If you like what the podcast has to offer, please subscribe to "Trailblazing Latinos Podcast" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts:
 
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Corissa Hernandez is the leader and entrepreneur that the whole LA community and Latinos want, and that we are blessed to have.
Corissa first went into teaching because she wanted to make a difference with the youth, and the best way to do that was to teach them for 8 hours a day.
Although she left the profession of teaching for a career in entrepreneurship, the spirit of teaching, educating, and inspiring others hasn't left her. In fact, her classroom has only gotten bigger. She is now teaching, educating, and inspiring a whole community who looks up to her, whether directly or from the sidelines.
I am her student, you are her student, her former students are still her students, the community is her student, and up and coming trailblazing Latinos are her students.
Her classrooms are her four businesses, where if the walls of those four businesses could talk, they would emphasis the importance of self-teaching, sacrifice, and teamwork.
Corissa is now standing in front of a bigger audience that affords her the same opportunities that she imagined she would be doing in front of her students as a teacher. Her goal was to make a difference for the youth. Not only has she accomplished that, but she is now making a difference for our society.
 
Thank you for listening. If you like what the podcast has to offer, please subscribe to "Trailblazing Latinos Podcast" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts:
 
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Today I interview Diego Benitez, who is the co-founder and co-owner of Progress Brewing in South El Monte.
Diego is currently at the top of his entrepreneurship career. His brewery is thriving, he's finishing his MBA at UCLA, he's opening a bar in El Monte, and he's on the cusps of making wine and liquor.
One of the things that makes Diego an exemplified entrepreneur is that he understands how to navigate through the natural blockades of opening a business and creating value for the customer. Those two traits can't be stressed enough for current and aspirational business owners.
As interesting, challenging, and fun as his current life is, his journey to getting here equals the same in weight.
He got a PHD at Cal Tech without a Bachelor's Degree, he was under the guidance of two scientists who went on to win the Nobel Prize in chemistry, and the way he prepared to be a brewer is a game plan that anyone can use in any aspect of life.
Diego left me, and hopefully he leaves you, too, the encouragement and inspiration that you could always be doing more to better yourself.
 
Thank you for listening. If you like what the podcast has to offer, please subscribe to "Trailblazing Latinos Podcast" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts:
 
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For this episode, I interview Kayden Phoenix, who is a director, producer, writer, and graphic novelist. I can assure you that Kayden is someone whom you want to put on your rising star list.
 Although she is new to the film industry, Kayden is quickly making a name for herself. She has hit the film festivals aggressively with her film, Penance. I'm happy to say that it has been lucrative for her. Penance has helped Kayden garner 10 film festival laurels, it won "Best LGBTQ" at LA Film Awards, and it received best director nomination from Queen Palms Film Festival.
 Kayden's momentum doesn't stop there. Jalisco, which is title of her first graphic novel, is set to be released this summer. I personally can't  wait to read about a Latina superhero that represents Mexican culture.
 What first caught my attention about Kayden is her selflessness to elevate other Latina directors and cinematographers in the film industry. She wants all Latinas to to have fair representation and equal pay. Thus, she created Chicana Director's Initiative. This organization will help ensure that more Latinas get more work in the film industry.
 To end the interview, Kayden touches on a piece of advice that anyone can implement in any industry or line of work, especially for Latinos in the film industry. And that is to find your tribe. What is finding your tribe and how can that benefit you? I'll let Kayden explain during the interview.
 
Thank you for listening. If you like what the podcast has to offer, please subscribe to "Trailblazing Latinos Podcast" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts:
 
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Dr. Kimberly Willard works in a career where Latinos are grossly underrepresented, but she evens out that underrepresentation by hard work, intelligence, professionalism, and altruism.
If you are a Latino thinking about a career in the medical field, Dr. Willard holds your hand throughout this episode and takes you step-by-step to help answer all your questions. She talks about her experience as a first generation Latina biology student at UCLA; she shares her experience of applying to various medical schools and what that entails; she gives details about her experience as a first generation Latina medical student; and she concludes her final journey to becoming a doctor after medical school.
What is most impressive about Dr. Willard is her selflessness to give back to the Latino community. Her list of community services is nothing short of what exemplifies a community leader. Her active participation in Hippocrates Circle and the UCLA Latino Alumni Association is helping the next generation of Latinos pursue a university education and open their eyes to potential career in medicine. (Trust me when I say her altruism doesn't stop at only those two organizations. Her resume is replete with volunteer work that would be too long to list.)
Dr. Willard knows no limitations. Her dedication to helping others without payment extends all the way to Paraguay, where she did work as a physician to help with operations that involved cleft lip and palate repairs. Not only is she a great example to her local community, but is an example to the world. I would imagine doctors become doctors because they want to help humanity. Dr. Willard is literately doing that in all aspects of life, and she's doing it with great passion.
Dr. Willard is forming the foundation of next generation Latinos to realize that a career in biology, chemistry, and physics is possible. When it is all set and done, Dr. Willard will one day look at the statistics of Latino doctors in America and the percentage will have risen. She will smile and know she had a participating hand in that.
 
Thank you for listening. If you like what the podcast has to offer, please subscribe to "Trailblazing Latinos Podcast" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts:
 
Apple Podcasts
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Follow me on social media:
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Feel free to send me an email at trailblazinglatinos@gmail.com