Convos With Sazón

Cata Mejía

Convos With Sazón focuses on interviewing trailblazers of all walks of life, encouraging them to share their candid journey of how they got to where they are now (without glossing over the unexpected twists and turns along the way) in hopes of inspiring others.

  1. 6D AGO

    From the Bronx to the Big Screen: An Inside Look at the Mad Bills To Pay Film┃Convos With Sazón Episode 48

    Filmmaker Joel Alfonso Vargas and actress Destiny Checo unpack their upcoming film "Mad Bills to Pay," rooted in real stories, real people, and real New York.  Set during a sweltering NYC summer, the film follows Rico, a young Dominican man navigating responsibility, identity, and survival as he comes of age in the Bronx. Told through a raw, unfiltered lens, it captures the rhythm, pressure, and everyday choices that shape life for many young Latinos growing up uptown today. From afternoons at Orchard Beach to scenes shaped by neighborhood staples like nutcrackers, this film reflects the culture, resilience, and energy of a new generation of Dominican New Yorkers grounded in family, hustle, and community. This episode dives into authenticity, identity, and storytelling that refuses to be polished.

    1h 2m

  2. APR 7

    Before Becoming An Author, Luz Maria Mack Was A Mother┃Convos With Sazón Episode 47

    Dominican children’s book author, Luz Maria Mack, shares how she moved past seeking publisher approval to center her community, creating stories rooted in culture, truth, and lived experience. Along the way, she also opens up about the realities of self-funding her work and navigating rejection, while thoughtfully exploring how to translate complex themes like identity, struggle, and belonging into stories that feel gentle, affirming, and accessible for children. Through animations, games, and classroom visits, Luz is redefining what storytelling can look like, and ensuring it remains accessible to all. At the heart of it all is motherhood, the force that not only inspires her work, but makes it deeply personal and necessary.

    1h 7m

  3. APR 1

    More Than Books: Inside the Behind-The-Scenes Work of Libraries┃Convos With Sazón Episode 46

    Most people see the shelves, but not the work behind them. The New York Public Library’s (NYPL) curator for Latin American, Iberian and Latine Research Collections, Paloma Celis Carbajal, pulls back the curtain on what librarians actually do, from building research collections to maintaining cultural memory. She also reflects on how those ideas guide her work preserving the stories, literature, and cultural knowledge of Latin America and Latino communities.

    1h 14m

  4. MAR 25

    From Blueprints to Spirits: How Ximena Hoyos Pivoted from Architecture to Mixology┃Convos With Sazón Episode 45

    For architect-turned-mixologist Ximena Hoyos aka the Gin & Tonic Queen, hospitality has always been at the center of everything she does. From childhood memories of her parents entertaining guests to designing hospitality spaces and then hosting curated cocktail experiences across New York City, she shares why connection is the true ingredient behind every great gathering. She also talks about how the pandemic became the unexpected catalyst for reinventing her career. What began as curiosity about gin evolved into a mission to create unforgettable hospitality experiences rooted in design, storytelling, and connection.

    1h 6m

  5. MAR 18

    Stitching the American Dream┃Convos With Sazón Episode 44

    Growing up in a family of garment workers, Jenniffer Quezada’s parents experienced the harsh realities of the fashion industry firsthand. Today, they’re rewriting that story together by building a company that uplifts designers, immigrant workers, and small businesses alike. She joins me alongside her father, Pedro Quezada, to talk about Digital Moda’s inception, which is truly a family story decades in the making about resilience and believing in your own path.

    1h 12m

  6. MAR 11

    Trusting the Artist Within: Rey Fernandez On Choosing His Own Path┃Convos With Sazón Episode 43

    Photographer and director, Rey Fernandez, shares how a decade in corporate America left him successful, but spiritually depleted. In this episode, he opens up about choosing uncertainty over comfort and how picking up a camera at 27 changed the trajectory of his life. Rey’s story is ultimately about courage: the kind required to believe in yourself before the world does.

    1h 2m

  7. MAR 4

    Making Plates That Feel Like Home With Stephanie Bonnin┃Convos With Sazón Episode 42

    Named among The Maldon® Salt’s 50 in 2025 as a globally renowned chef whose skill, talent and creativity is making waves and headlines at home and abroad, Colombian chef and entrepreneur Stephanie Bonnin left behind the “stable” path to follow a calling rooted in memory, migration, and intuition. In this episode, she shares how nostalgia, courage, and Caribbean flavors shaped a culinary project that refuses borders and redefines what success looks like. This conversation also explores identity, biodiversity, and why some flavors are meant to be felt, not explained.

    1h 16m

  8. FEB 25

    Leandra Caprini-Rosica Photographs Legacy, Not Just Love┃Convos With Sazón Episode 41

    Leandra Caprini-Rosica redefines wedding photography as emotional storytelling and legacy-building. In this episode, she shares how empathy, intuition, and presence shape her signature blend of editorial direction and cinematic documentary style images that outlive the day itself. She also announces her digital artist residency and her British Vogue feature on out on stands this week.

    1h 10m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Convos With Sazón focuses on interviewing trailblazers of all walks of life, encouraging them to share their candid journey of how they got to where they are now (without glossing over the unexpected twists and turns along the way) in hopes of inspiring others.

Information

  • Creator
    Cata Mejía
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Cata Mejía
  • Show Website
    Convos With Sazón