Series
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Ileana Musa

In this episode of "A LA LATINA: The Playbook to Succeed Being Your Authentic Self," we sit down with Ileana Musa, Managing Director and Head of International Banking & Lending at Morgan Stanley. Ileana imparts three invaluable takeaways that can transform your life.

1. Comfort with Money:

Ileana encourages us to break the taboo around money and financial discussions, emphasizing that being at ease with this topic is the key to paving the road to financial independence. By shedding our inhibitions and fostering financial literacy, we empower ourselves to make informed decisions.

2. The Power of Influence and Negotiation:

Drawing inspiration from her Latina roots and her father's resilience, Ileana shares her journey to becoming a master negotiator and influencer. Her story underscores the importance of leaning on our cultural strengths and experiences to assert ourselves in the corporate world.

3. Embracing Positions of Power:

Ileana dispels the fear of taking on leadership roles, emphasizing that these positions offer opportunities for personal growth and making a significant impact. Her advice is to embrace these challenges and create a legacy that helps future generations of Latinas succeed.

Ileana Musa's inspiring journey reminds us that success is attainable when we break free from our comfort zones, navigate financial conversations, and seize opportunities to lead. Tune in to this episode to discover how to flourish, excel, and empower yourself authentically.
Show transcript
00:00
Hola. I'm Claudia Romo Edelman and I'm Cynthia Kleinbaum Milner.
00:03
Welcome to the podcast A La Latina,
00:06
the playbook to succeed being your authentic self.
00:08
Today, we have a special guest,
00:10
Ia Musa, she's the head of International Banking and Lending at
00:14
Morgan Stanley. In this episode,
00:16
you will learn three things.
00:17
First of all, how Eliana teaches how to get comfortable talking
00:21
about money as a way to pave the way to financial independence
00:25
Number two, how leaning on your Latini that can make
00:28
you a master negotiator and influencer.
00:31
And number three, don't be afraid of putting yourself in a
00:33
position of power as a way to succeed these and more in
00:37
this episode of A La Latina Ola.
00:47
Welcome to the podcast A La Latina,
00:49
the playbook to succeed being your authentic self today.
00:52
An incredible guest, Ia Musa Iana is the managing director,
00:56
head of International Banking and Lending at Morgan Stanley.
01:00
She sits on the Girl Scouts National Board on the corporate advisory
01:04
board of the Association of Latino Professionals for America on the Florida
01:09
International University Honors College and the Cuban Heritage Collection of the University
01:14
of Miami. She has also been recognized by multiple publications including
01:18
the list of top 50 most powerful Latinas in the US.
01:22
Welcome, Leana Musa.
01:23
Great to be here,
01:25
Claudia. Nice to be here,
01:26
Cynthia. I'm super excited about today's conversation.
01:29
We are really excited to get deeper into your life,
01:33
your career, the tips and tricks that you have so that
01:36
Latinas can succeed in the corporate environment being their authentic self.
01:40
And I would like to start with your journey.
01:42
How did you start being the incredible trail blazer that you are
01:46
in the financial world.
01:48
who was an influence.
01:49
I've heard stories about your dad being such an influence on your
01:52
life. So tell us about it.
01:53
Sure. Well, my parents were an incredible influence early
01:58
in life for we had two different paths that eventually converged.
02:02
I was born in Cuba and my parents made the difficult
02:05
decisions to, for my mom to go ahead and we left
02:08
to Spain ended up in the U SI was about three
02:11
years old and my father stayed behind and the idea was that
02:14
we would all get reunited.
02:16
Unfortunately, my father ended up serving a prison term
02:20
He was a political prisoner and I didn't get to
02:23
reconnect with him until I was 17.
02:25
And so really that those 1st 17 years of my life were
02:29
shaped by my mother,
02:31
I grew up with a single mother of three Children,
02:34
getting to a country not knowing a language,
02:37
not having anybody else from our family and starting over.
02:40
So the first lesson,
02:41
and I remember at a very young age was,
02:43
you know, resiliency and this whole notion of having to pull
02:46
yourself back up and start over.
02:49
And, but doing it in a way that you innovate
02:52
and you create. So I I'm an optimist because I
02:57
saw my mother of three plowed through have multiple jobs and yet
03:02
she was extremely creative and very innovative and that stuck with me
03:05
and it carries through in everything that I do today.
03:08
And so the, I always say my childhood was
03:12
a lesson in R and R not relax and recover risk taking
03:22
and resilience. OK?
03:23
That, that's those are the big themes in terms of
03:26
my childhood because seeing this incredible woman that I lost
03:32
2.5 years ago, go at it over and over again,
03:36
ask and not hesitate to ask,
03:39
taught me at a very young age that it's important to understand
03:43
yourself worth and to go for it.
03:45
And so, you know,
03:46
her favorite phrase was no yo tt.
03:51
So whenever I would talk to her about,
03:53
you know, mom,
03:54
I'm thinking about doing XY or Z,
03:55
she'd say no, Yello Tiene,
03:57
go for it, lean in and do it.
03:59
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
04:02
And so practicing that over and over again,
04:05
hearing the rejection, but not using it as a deterrence to
04:09
go back at it and try it again until you get to
04:12
the right outcome or a different outcome.
04:14
Because sometimes these paths take you in a winding road to a
04:18
better outcome. And so all of those experiences shaped me.
04:21
And then when I was in high school,
04:22
I met my father.
04:25
That's incredible to start with.
04:27
And so you met your father when you were in high school
04:29
and you were already No,
04:30
Yello Tiene. So I'm going to go for the Yes,
04:32
yes. And then what happened?
04:33
And so then what happened is my father showed up at high
04:36
school. I was in cheerleading practice.
04:38
The principal came running over and said,
04:40
Musa, your, your father is here to see you.
04:44
And so that was the moment that I walked out and
04:48
I saw my father for the first time because when I left
04:50
Cuba, I was very,
04:51
very young. And so we started a relationship he had again
04:55
I mean, over a decade in prison finally gets out
04:58
finally starts over in a new country,
05:00
starts his business. He was an entrepreneur at heart.
05:03
And so we started this new relationship.
05:05
My, you know,
05:06
I spent many days,
05:08
weeks, months, years getting to know him.
05:10
And so at a very very early in that process,
05:14
he was very interested in our education.
05:16
Both of my parents were avid learners,
05:19
self taught. And he started asking a lot of questions
05:23
about college and where was I going to study and I was
05:26
thinking about being a dancer at the time I had been dancing
05:29
for, for many years.
05:30
I was very creative and they have the body of a dancer
05:33
Let's just say that yes.
05:34
And so he he convinced me,
05:37
he said, why don't you study business,
05:39
finance and minor in dance?
05:41
And he leaned in and leaned in.
05:43
And finally, I had a knack for numbers.
05:45
I loved it. And then I was observing him,
05:47
you know, starting a business from the ground up.
05:50
And we would sit and talk about his business.
05:52
It was a construction business,
05:54
but I learned a great deal just hearing the stories.
05:57
and observing him in action,
05:59
I always say, you know,
05:59
having role models that we can see in action.
06:02
I saw my mother in action,
06:03
I saw my father in action and then the conversations really influenced
06:06
me. And so I decided to pursue a degree in finance
06:10
at the University of Miami.
06:11
And then from there,
06:12
he said, keep it going,
06:13
go get your masters,
06:15
don't don't deviate,
06:17
don't pause, just go for it.
06:19
And so he was incredibly supportive and helpful.
06:22
And so I then obtained my master's in business Administration with a
06:25
concentration finance at Florida International University.
06:29
And so when I finished my studies,
06:31
I had been working full time,
06:32
I worked full time while I was going to school.
06:34
And so I was working in real estate sales.
06:38
And that's, you know,
06:39
everything I learned from my mom about sales because my mother was
06:42
a salesperson at heart really,
06:44
served me well.
06:45
And so I started to build a clientele in real estate.
06:48
But then, my husband was in the arts.
06:52
And so we ended up going to Russia for a little
06:54
bit. His last semester was in Russia.
06:57
And on the way back,
06:58
we decided to stay in New York for a little bit.
07:00
What I thought would be a year.
07:01
It ended being 14 years.
07:02
And so that's when I entered the world of finance.
07:04
That's, that was sort of the chapter on Wall Street.
07:07
So when I arrived in New York,
07:09
I didn't have a network.
07:10
I didn't have a rolodex.
07:11
I had a resume that showed experience in real estate,
07:16
an advanced degree and a job in Moscow at a gym teaching
07:21
aerobics because I was a fitness instructor at the time.
07:23
And so that was again reset,
07:26
restart. But I managed to find a recruiter that put
07:30
me in contact with the head of the business at Bank Boston
07:32
And that's how I landed my first role in private
07:35
banking. And I am like when we started talking about starting
07:40
the podcast, I always dreamed about having a conversation like this
07:44
because I thought how many young Latinas are coming to the US
07:49
without part of their family?
07:51
Like, can they like are,
07:53
are our guests gonna be able to share stories of their lives
07:57
that really connect. And I'm,
07:59
I'm so appreciative that you are sharing this because I'm sure that
08:03
a lot of the listeners will,
08:05
will feel like if they,
08:08
if they see you,
08:09
they can be you and you sharing this is,
08:12
I think it's going to make them feel like anything is possible
08:15
So I appreciate that it's important to share these stories and
08:18
you're creating the platform for us to do that because you're right
08:22
you can't be what you can't see.
08:23
But sometimes people assume when they see you in certain roles doing
08:27
certain things further along in your career,
08:29
that that's where you started.
08:30
That's what about you?
08:32
I was like, she probably has this fabulous parents that grew
08:37
up in Miami and a DC life.
08:39
So, yes and so,
08:42
so again,
08:43
I, I borrowed a suit for my first interview.
08:45
I I went in,
08:47
I, I just took the tool set that I knew I
08:51
had, which was confidence,
08:53
work ethic and the ability to push through.
08:56
And that's what I sold.
08:58
And so that door open,
09:00
I landed my first job.
09:01
I learned the business and that got me on my way.
09:04
And then those 14 years that I was in New York,
09:06
I worked for the major firms,
09:08
the major banks leading up to my current role at Morgan Stanley
09:12
But it was through a series of things that I knew
09:15
I wanted to do to be able to get to the
09:18
next level. And the we we've heard from,
09:22
from others that you have the superpower of influencing and negotiating.
09:27
Can you talk to us about like,
09:30
how does that superpower come to life?
09:32
And the more you can give us tips,
09:35
like to do action items for our playbook,
09:38
the better for our audience?
09:39
Sure. So I would say both of those are skills
09:43
you hone you develop,
09:45
they're not innate skills that you're naturally born with.
09:48
And so there's a couple of things,
09:51
first of all, it's your track record matters.
09:55
So before you, you start to influence or think about how
09:58
you're gonna change, which are really the roles that I assumed
10:01
over time where I was,
10:02
I became a change agent.
10:03
I became a disruptor.
10:05
You come in, you have a vision and you're trying to
10:08
get others to see that vision and you're driving change.
10:11
But before you do that,
10:12
you have to make your mark,
10:13
you have to build your brand.
10:14
And so I made it a point earlier in my career to
10:16
build a track record,
10:17
even though I had aspirations,
10:19
even though I shared with my bosses,
10:20
all the many things I wanted to do.
10:22
I delivered results. And so I tell Latinas and women
10:26
and employees overall, you need to make your mark.
10:30
And so you need to deliver results and build a track record
10:33
first and foremost because that's what's gonna help you get noticed.
10:37
Ok. And so as you make your mark,
10:39
that means that you're gonna use your work ethic.
10:41
That's certainly what I did.
10:42
I raised my hand a lot.
10:44
That's the other thing I would say.
10:45
And I said yes,
10:46
a lot. Do we have anybody that's willing to do XY
10:49
or Z without having all the answers without knowing that I was
10:52
100% prepared. I would say yes.
10:54
And then I would go and figure out how I was gonna
10:56
make it work. And I,
10:58
and sometimes we second guess ourselves and we,
11:02
and we first talk about all the different reasons for why something
11:06
may not work or why may me not be prepared?
11:09
And then we'll say,
11:09
let me go think about it.
11:10
I turn that on its head and say yes.
11:13
And then I go away and I said,
11:15
what did I just say?
11:16
Let me figure out how this is all going to work and
11:19
then I go back at it and I think that we have
11:22
heard in the guest that we have here very similar somehow
11:28
traits and experiences and also characteristics that are,
11:32
on the other hand,
11:33
very different to what we know.
11:36
It's true for the Latina community,
11:37
for Latinas in the community.
11:39
One is take never,
11:42
you know, like AAA point in time as the ending,
11:45
it's the beginning of the new phase.
11:47
So you never really stop.
11:48
You keep on going the ability to start all over to start
11:54
again, you know,
11:55
like you move from Moscow to here and they were like,
11:57
OK, let's do it again.
12:00
The incredible example from your parents that care about education and
12:04
that, you know,
12:05
like support you and give you at least the ethic that
12:08
you have. And number four,
12:10
I think is that the true embracement of your Latina power
12:14
as a, as a,
12:15
as a way to make sure that you're like doing more and
12:19
and, and taking that hard work to say like,
12:21
yes, I'll volunteer and so on because the reality is that
12:25
most of Latinos, we have the impostor syndrome.
12:27
We don't apply to jobs unless we feel that we're 100% you
12:32
know, like we,
12:33
we fit 100% men apply when they're like 50% 60% Latinos are
12:38
like under, under applying.
12:40
We have that imposter syndrome.
12:42
We are scared of actually,
12:44
you know, like failing our parents in the aspirations that they
12:47
have. And therefore we don't take a lot of risks and
12:50
we do have a lot of,
12:51
of results, we get results,
12:53
but we then don't know how to advocate for ourselves and get
12:57
promotions. And so I want to ask you about your mantra
13:00
But before that,
13:02
so having heard of that and having,
13:04
I hope that for our audience is clear that,
13:07
you know, like there are some constant that we're hearing in
13:10
this podcast of Trailblazer woman that you need to learn and you
13:15
need to take, what are,
13:17
how did you make it to go where you are?
13:19
What were pivotal moments where you were like,
13:21
I remember that, you know,
13:23
like between having this promotion and that promotion,
13:26
I had to do something and how did you manage actually to
13:28
get where you are?
13:30
telling us a little bit of the,
13:31
of the maneuvering and the pivotal moments that you had.
13:36
so that winding road is,
13:38
is to be expected.
13:39
And so you need to embrace it.
13:42
I remember moments early on in my career.
13:45
First of all, let's just talk about Latinidad,
13:48
my language, my bilingual skills gave me an immense advantage on
13:53
Wall Street. When I got to the Second Bank that I
13:56
worked, everybody that competed for that role to lead a team
14:01
And it was my first time leading,
14:03
had 1015 years on me in terms of experience.
14:07
And yet I had the language.
14:09
And so again, when I went in to position myself,
14:12
I was thinking bigger.
14:13
I was sharing a vision.
14:14
I call it visionary leadership,
14:15
which is I'm not here to just do the task at hand
14:19
I'm painting a picture for what I can do for you
14:22
Longer term as a leader,
14:23
as a Latina, I'm gonna use my language skills.
14:26
I'm gonna help you build marketing content.
14:28
And so I'm positioning greater value beyond what the job description
14:34
shows. And so creating a vision,
14:37
whether you're having a conversation about the role,
14:39
whether you're talking with your manager,
14:41
whether you're talking with your partner in terms of what is the
14:46
big dream, right?
14:47
What's a big dream?
14:48
And so being able to talk about that,
14:50
even if you have doubts about whether that's real or if it's
14:54
ever gonna materialize is very powerful,
14:57
I believe in the power of words,
14:58
I believe in the power of thoughts and in the power of
15:00
affirmation. And so reminding ourselves and putting those ideas out into
15:07
the universe and articulating it immediately gives you power because you are
15:12
starting to say what will be.
15:15
And when you say it enough times you actually start to believe
15:17
it and then it translates into your actions and that portrays in
15:22
the way you present in a meeting,
15:24
the way you negotiate and the way you carry yourself.
15:27
And so all of those practices,
15:30
I didn't look, I talk a lot about when I started
15:34
early in my career,
15:35
my knees would buckle.
15:36
I would hyperventilate when I had to present.
15:38
So I can't imagine that.
15:41
Well, I, I say it a lot of times because
15:44
many women come up to me and say,
15:45
how did you do it?
15:46
And I say it's a home skill.
15:48
It's something that all of us can do,
15:50
whether it's a negotiation,
15:52
being able to present,
15:53
articulating your vision or going for the bigger job,
15:57
the bigger opportunity. So some of the defining moments gladly that
16:01
you asked me about,
16:03
you work on Wall Street,
16:04
you work for large firms,
16:06
there's a lot of mergers,
16:07
many a acquisitions.
16:09
And so the there's constant change,
16:12
your ability to navigate and embrace the change is critical.
16:18
So the big role that you finally obtained and you're leading a
16:22
large market all of a sudden comes to an end because there's
16:25
a restructuring and then you have a decision to make.
16:28
Do you start to reflect on why me?
16:31
Do you start to use that as an opportunity to learn from
16:35
it? And I call fail forward,
16:37
how do you fail forward,
16:38
which is take that experience,
16:40
build more muscle and go back at it in a bigger way
16:44
And so that's what I did the first time that happened
16:46
to me about six years in,
16:48
I took a step back.
16:49
They offered me a lot of different roles and I said I'm
16:52
taking a break, I'm gonna,
16:53
I'm gonna reflect and look at where I've been and where I
16:57
wanna go. I worked with an executive coach and I spanned
16:59
the marketplace and now I could work with recruiters.
17:02
And so I took it,
17:04
I took the time to focus on me and I think that's
17:07
the other thing we need to do.
17:08
We need to focus on ourselves and we need to create margins
17:10
to do that. And the biggest asset for us is time
17:14
because we don't have enough time because we work at work and
17:18
we work outside of work and we take care of everyone and
17:22
we give of ourselves and we stretch ourselves and
17:25
sometimes without time you can't develop yourself and we don't focus ourselves
17:30
So you've been talking and I've been,
17:32
you know, since I got into the Hispanic market,
17:35
I've heard your name and for me you're associated with,
17:39
influence network,
17:41
supporting women and wealth.
17:43
I mean, like I associate it with a couple of words
17:45
and you know, like again and again,
17:47
I've heard your mantra of taking risks,
17:50
ask and using your influence.
17:52
How is that influencing even your life today?
17:54
Who taught you that?
17:56
How would you have used that,
17:58
you know, like,
17:58
I don't know. So yeah,
18:01
so the influence comes in again at a very young age,
18:05
in spite of everything that we had to go through,
18:08
right? at a very early age to just get by
18:12
there was a philosophy of abundance in my home,
18:16
talk about that a lot.
18:17
And so my mother was very giving.
18:20
And so she always made it a point to tell us
18:22
that there was always room to give to others,
18:25
there was always room to pay it forward.
18:27
I remember we used to sit in the dining room table once
18:30
a month to prepare care packages to send to her family,
18:34
to my grandmother, my aunt,
18:35
my cousins and it was,
18:37
it was a great time.
18:38
I have wonderful memories of that.
18:40
But if you think about doing that over 20 years,
18:43
every single month, you are maintaining your family in another country
18:48
and there's financial strain and there's stress and yet there's these happy
18:52
moments about being able to give to others.
18:55
So, you know,
18:57
glass half full, I always say when you get to travel
19:01
when you get these experiences and you get to give back
19:03
to others that, that,
19:05
that are in need,
19:06
it keeps you grounded.
19:08
And so I've always been very grounded in the world that I
19:10
get to operate because of these experiences.
19:12
And so those experiences is what's allowed me to say I can
19:17
drive, I can use my power for good.
19:20
And I want to use the talent to create broader impact in
19:24
the community where I live and the women that are coming behind
19:27
me that could get the shortcuts so they can do it in
19:31
half the time. I always say my,
19:33
my, what's your,
19:33
what do you want your legacy to be?
19:35
I want the next generation to do it in half the time
19:37
And so, you know,
19:40
that's what it is and,
19:41
and in everything that we do,
19:43
there's an opportunity to give back,
19:44
to pay it forward and to have a broader impact.
19:47
And that's the way II I see the world when I operate
19:50
and I, and it's a privilege.
19:51
It's a privilege to be able to do it.
19:53
And so, you know,
19:55
I work for Morgan Stanley.
19:56
It's an incredible organization.
19:57
It's given me the platform to do what I do in terms
20:01
of leading the business that I lead day to day.
20:03
And then also lend my talent to driving the Hispanic Latino
20:07
strategy to connect strategically in the marketplace,
20:11
to be able to do more and collaborate.
20:14
Because when you create scale,
20:16
you can do more.
20:17
I'm so inspired already.
20:19
It's incredible. This is,
20:20
this is pretty much I think that there's,
20:23
there's always something that triggers in a way our desire to
20:29
help others, isn't it to giving back?
20:31
And now listening to your mother having an abundance mentality,
20:34
when we as a community were grounded in a scarcity mentality because
20:40
we have been taught that there's only so few opportunities and that
20:44
you have to grab them.
20:45
And so I'm, I'm,
20:45
I'm really excited to learn more about like those triggers.
20:49
Now let's talk about wealth and why do you think wealth is
20:53
such an important element?
20:54
How are you going for financial inclusion?
20:57
How does that lead to equity and how are you using your
20:59
power for, you know,
21:01
like within Morgan Stanley and everywhere that you thought,
21:04
you know, like I've met so many people that pretty much
21:06
I'm like, oh,
21:06
so you work for Ileana Musa?
21:08
No, no, I work in a different bank.
21:09
I'm like, oh OK,
21:11
your footprint everywhere. Yes,
21:14
it gets to it gets to influence,
21:16
but it starts with the conversation,
21:18
which is as Latinas and women,
21:20
we need to have these conversations about wealth.
21:22
And traditionally, we shy away from it because we shy away
21:25
from things we're not comfortable with.
21:27
And so you're saying money is not comfortable,
21:29
it's not comfortable. You know,
21:30
when we think about negotiating,
21:33
one of the big elements there is what is your relationship
21:37
with money? Because as Latinos,
21:40
we didn't grow up and certainly in my household,
21:42
talking about money at the dinner table,
21:44
we didn't talk about wealth.
21:45
It wasn't a topic that was embraced.
21:48
We were talking about other things and when I,
21:51
when I speak to other Latinas,
21:52
I think it's, there's very strong cultural norms that don't always
21:56
serve us well, there's incredible values that give us strength and
22:02
then we have to be aware of those blind spots.
22:04
And I think this is one of those blind spots,
22:06
which is we need to reflect and say,
22:09
what is my financial philosophy?
22:11
Because that financial philosophy will impact.
22:14
Do we believe that we have a choice to negotiate?
22:18
Because more often than not?
22:20
I remember when I got my first job in New York City
22:23
I was, I was doing that the,
22:26
the Fred Astaire down Park Avenue because I was so excited that
22:30
I had steady income.
22:32
Right? And I had a good salary.
22:34
What I thought was a great salary.
22:35
It was a good salary.
22:37
Never, it occurred to me to negotiate that first job in
22:41
New York City. And so sometimes we're so grateful,
22:44
there's a lot of gratitude and because we work so hard that
22:48
it's a blind spot for us to not lean in and go
22:50
for more. So,
22:52
first thing I would say,
22:53
it's a choice. Negotiating is a choice and we need to
22:57
make that choice. And so I've become very self aware over
23:00
the decades that you need to do it when it doesn't matter
23:05
so that you're prepared when it does.
23:08
And that means you're negotiating at home for time and the way
23:12
you share the housework,
23:13
the, the kids,
23:14
the family because sometimes it's a sandwich generation and we are compressed
23:18
to do more for many more people than just the nuclear family
23:22
All of that impacts the way we think about finances.
23:25
And so the first thing is to reflect on what's our relationship
23:28
And then number two,
23:30
are we on a path to become financially independent?
23:33
Financial independence is different to financial stability?
23:37
I see those as how do you define financial independence,
23:41
financial independence? I define as being able to create a
23:45
path for yourself where you are building wealth,
23:49
not just for the near term,
23:51
for the long term,
23:53
for the next generation and to have a financial legacy.
23:57
So, I want to give some very specific advice to
24:02
our audience because you just said something that I didn't understand just
24:05
like you that you could negotiate and now that I'm on the
24:08
side of giving people offers,
24:11
I actually always have a little bit of wiggle room.
24:13
You, when you,
24:14
when you put a job out there,
24:17
a job that description and people apply,
24:18
correct me. If I'm wrong,
24:20
you have a budget,
24:21
but you always have a little bit of wiggle room in that
24:23
budget. So if somebody,
24:25
if you really want a candidate and you're going to give them
24:27
the offer, you expect them to negotiate if they don't negotiate
24:30
Great, you keep the,
24:32
the rest of the money.
24:34
But anyone listening to us,
24:36
if you guys get an offer,
24:38
there's nothing bad about negotiating that first offer.
24:41
Assume that there's a little bit of wiggle room,
24:43
there's ways to do it respectfully,
24:46
that's not going to mean that they're going to take the offer
24:49
away because I think that's the fear,
24:50
right? Like what if I negotiate,
24:52
they're going to take the offer away?
24:53
They're not going to take it away and you may end up
24:56
with a little bit more money than you expected.
24:58
So, and there's,
24:59
there's ranges and then when you think about what you're negotiating for
25:02
there's other things,
25:03
right? It's not just compensation,
25:05
right? There's time,
25:06
there's benefits, there's flex schedules that we're seeing now.
25:09
So it's thinking about all of it.
25:11
It's doing the research,
25:12
investing the time and being prepared.
25:15
You need to go in being prepared and knowing what you want
25:20
and setting those parameters because I always say,
25:24
knowing what you're going in for is gonna anchor the way you
25:27
think, the way you react,
25:29
the way you respond.
25:30
So the way you prepare really matters now,
25:33
that also translates to those same skills,
25:38
help you to influence,
25:39
to drive change, to accomplish the goals,
25:42
to secure resources. And so when I think about influence in
25:46
in essence, it's how do you instill followership?
25:49
How do you get others to see your vision and to want
25:52
to get behind what you're doing?
25:54
Some people would say,
25:55
well, I use my position,
25:56
I use my title,
25:57
I use my power.
25:59
I would say those are short lived.
26:01
They're not sustainable. It takes a lot more work.
26:03
You have to burn more calories.
26:05
But if you do,
26:06
if you invest the time to get somebody there on their own
26:09
because you are thinking about their goals and what they care about
26:13
then when they jump on board and they're in it with
26:16
you, they're going to stay the course.
26:17
And that's the a goal in terms of being able to influence
26:21
because you're driving change.
26:23
And so early in my career,
26:24
I would go in with the big idea.
26:26
Here's the idea. Here's a presentation.
26:28
I that doesn't work.
26:30
What I, what I tell women and Latinas is first build
26:33
the relationship, understand what's important to that individual and then you
26:39
land it because once you make that connection,
26:42
chances are they're gonna be much more willing to get on board
26:47
with you and to listen to that big idea.
26:49
So it's just the sequencing in the order in which you do
26:52
things that matters. And I think that also,
26:54
I, I think that for this generation of Latinos,
26:57
we're not used to taking risk when it comes to our salaries
26:59
and when it comes to our own wealth,
27:01
that we're very cautious because we have not had,
27:05
you know, like the family and friends capital that comes
27:09
to us in the wealth and inheritance.
27:11
So we have to actually start generating wealth.
27:14
And a number of times one is because you were saying it's
27:16
taboo and we don't discuss it as much.
27:18
But secondly, I think that we're not,
27:20
we're not trained to take risks when it comes to our
27:24
own wealth building. And if you don't take risks,
27:27
if you're risk averse,
27:28
it's gonna take longer,
27:29
which is fine. It is gonna be fine.
27:32
But I think that given the size of the community,
27:34
we should, you know,
27:35
like be able to totally start looking at risks with more education
27:41
so that we can take them in your own life.
27:42
You're saying you just ask and use your influence and cover yourself
27:47
Absolutely. And you need to have that plan of how
27:50
you're going to go about doing it.
27:51
And that again, my father taught me that early on.
27:54
He was an investor and,
27:56
and I was a saver early on when I started working and
27:59
he's like, that's not good enough.
28:00
You have to invest and he pushed me,
28:02
you know, the retirement account and maxing out the retirement contribution
28:06
and these small steps.
28:07
And he said, you know,
28:08
he said, if you automatically move the money every month,
28:11
you're not gonna notice it's not there.
28:13
You have to just build the discipline and it's about consistency,
28:16
not a one and done.
28:18
You don't wanna do,
28:19
you know a lot of money at the end of the year
28:20
you wanna just do the drip constant stay the course for
28:24
many, many years.
28:25
And that this is what I say right to your point.
28:28
You could start, you can earn the income.
28:30
Then the question is you're gonna save,
28:31
are you gonna invest,
28:32
what are the other steps you're gonna take as Latinos?
28:35
You know, the research shows we save,
28:37
we don't invest right.
28:39
Homeownership is big for us.
28:41
It's the largest asset many of us will own,
28:44
but it's, you've got to pull on all of those levers
28:47
I mean, we're in America like I think maybe in
28:49
some of our countries investing in the stock market or having different
28:53
like a more diversified approach to generating wealth wasn't a thing
28:59
but in the US,
28:59
we have the possibility.
29:01
So yes. And if you think about many of the countries
29:06
that we come from,
29:09
you don't have a lot of stability in the financial system
29:11
So it is definitely very powerful here and very different
29:16
and we can take advantage of that.
29:17
I certainly did. So now we want to talk about the
29:20
research that you shared with us from the Center for Talent Innovation
29:24
You spoke about the results that say that women want five
29:29
things they want to flourish,
29:31
to excel, to have meaning and purpose,
29:33
to empower others while being empowered and to earn well.
29:37
And when you think about these five things,
29:38
it's almost like the only way to achieve them is if you
29:41
are in a position of power,
29:43
like if you don't get to a position of power,
29:45
you can achieve some of these.
29:47
But the five only come if you get to a position of
29:50
power. So how can we get more Latinas into a position
29:53
of power? That was the aha moment of the study.
29:58
It definitely was for me and that the study is over
30:02
five years old, but it's still in my mind very,
30:04
very relevant. So a couple of things that came out,
30:07
number one, the women want the same thing as the men
30:10
So that was surprising of the study because they thought that
30:13
potentially those dimensions that were going to be important to women were
30:16
going to be different to the men.
30:17
They were not. Number two,
30:19
the perception by many women who answered the survey that by going
30:24
for positions of power,
30:25
you obviously you, you actually have less choice and less optionality
30:30
in terms of doing the things you like and want.
30:33
And it's the opposite.
30:34
So what the study calls out is by going for those positions
30:38
of power, not throwing in the towel,
30:40
staying the course, you're able to achieve those things that matter
30:44
most to you. And in turn,
30:46
you end up having more flexibility for the things that matter to
30:50
you. And so it's the opposite of what I think most
30:54
assumed reading the study certainly was for me.
30:58
And it's, it's universal,
30:59
I would say these are universal aspirations that sometimes we assume based
31:05
on gender, we want different things,
31:07
but we don't, we,
31:09
we want a lot of the same things.
31:11
Yeah. Absolutely. And I do think that it's a myth
31:13
and it's a myth that we have to and that we have
31:16
to actually make sure that,
31:17
you know, like the way that you're talking,
31:20
that money is not an issue for Latinos and it's like non
31:23
elegant to be able to talk about money.
31:26
you know, like the same with power and the same
31:29
with positions of power where we think that it is easier to
31:34
be more balanced in your life if you're like lower in the
31:37
ranks and you're higher in the ranks.
31:39
And that I think it's a myth.
31:40
II, I don't mean to,
31:42
I don't mean to oversimplify,
31:44
but I do think that it is,
31:46
it is something that we should be discussing more.
31:48
How do we embrace our power?
31:50
How do we claim power?
31:51
What does power mean?
31:52
How do we get there and how are we going to start
31:55
looking at it in a different connotation than negative necessarily only?
32:00
And how are we going to start positioning more and more of
32:03
all of us? And that's why I think that when I
32:06
look at you and I think that you've been trying to coin
32:10
Latinas and will like associate those two words,
32:13
Latinas with wealth is because we're not today.
32:16
And I would love to see more of that success where we
32:19
can start looking at the like,
32:20
how do we make the country realize that Latinas can be wealthy
32:24
and are wealthy and are on the way to be wealthy and
32:27
the same with power.
32:28
Right? Absolutely. And we are,
32:31
I mean, if you look at the sheer numbers,
32:33
60 million Latinos, over 50% are female,
32:37
the youngest cohort in the US in terms of numbers where they
32:41
are, right? So now the question is,
32:44
how do we put ourselves on this path to be able to
32:48
unleash that power? It's like a trapped resource and we have
32:52
to unleash it to maximize the benefit.
32:55
And it also starts with girls,
32:58
we've been talking, you joked about being a mom and,
33:00
and that's always a dilemma for us and we have to get
33:03
comfortable with trade offs.
33:05
OK? Some days you know Bella is gonna get more of
33:09
me some days work is gonna get more of me.
33:12
I talk a lot with my daughter about what it is to
33:15
be,, an executive in,
33:18
in what do I,
33:19
I talked to her half the things she doesn't understand,
33:21
but I still talk to her.
33:22
She's a girl scout.
33:24
She has her cookie business.
33:25
I'm teaching her how to sell,
33:26
how to manage money.
33:27
I talked to her a lot about savings investing all of these
33:30
concepts. She just turned 11,
33:32
probably 30% is sinking in.
33:35
But over time, 100% will.
33:37
But II, I firmly believe we need to start earlier in
33:41
the process. So that that next generation is best equipped has
33:48
the tool set to be able to lean in and do
33:52
more sooner. So that is half the time at the time
33:55
So that is half the time.
33:56
So before going into,
33:57
I would love to go into the Latina part like the
34:00
into the identity into the identity piece.
34:02
But I just feel compelled to tell you a personal story so
34:06
that I, I hope that we as mothers can talk to
34:12
our Children and can actually feel that sense of freedom in a
34:17
way to be able to recognize that we do what we can
34:23
with the tools that we want,
34:25
that we have in the moment where we are.
34:27
And it's impossible for us to be able to like be free
34:31
of guilt of, you know,
34:33
like working and mothers and so on.
34:34
But I hope that you know,
34:37
like by the time that everybody listens to the podcast,
34:40
they can go to their Children and go like money,
34:42
money, money, money,
34:42
money, power, power,
34:43
power, power, pride,
34:44
pride, pride, pride,
34:45
Latina, Latina, Latina.
34:46
And so that we can actually embrace it all.
34:47
So my daughter was six,
34:50
was turning six years old now.
34:52
She's 18. And so she,
34:54
I used to work for the UN refugee agency and,
34:58
and I was like,
34:59
hey Tamara, Tamara Ta Mara,
35:00
I love you so,
35:01
so much. What would you like to have for your birthday
35:04
And she was like,
35:05
ah, I would like to be a refugee and I'm like
35:07
hi mommy. Why do you say those things?
35:09
Why would you like to be a refugee?
35:10
And she was like,
35:11
I'd like to have you for a full week and it broke
35:16
my heart so hard.
35:17
But because I used to travel,
35:19
I mean, like my specialty was war and disaster zone.
35:22
So even to get to the places where I was working,
35:25
it took me a week.
35:26
So I was gone for 20 days in a row.
35:29
And I was like,
35:30
oh my God. And every time I came back from Darfur
35:33
or from Somalia, I used to tell so many stories is
35:36
about these incredible people that were the refugees that were looking for
35:39
asylum that were looking you know,
35:40
with dignity that didn't have anything.
35:42
And nevertheless, they,
35:43
they went forward and starting again and so on and she had
35:47
like full admiration for them.
35:49
But she was also saying I want to be like them so
35:52
that you see me so that you spend time with me.
35:54
And so it really shook me and I started thinking,
35:58
like, should I quit?
35:59
And then I didn't.
36:01
And then I kept on going to Africa for 20 days.
36:03
And then when she was 15,
36:05
I asked her like,
36:05
would you ever forgive me for having left you so long?
36:09
And she was like,
36:09
what do you mean left me?
36:10
And I was like,
36:11
oh, you don't remember?
36:13
Yeah. So at the end of the day,
36:15
we have to be able to be to,
36:17
to be able to do the things that we need to do
36:19
that we want to do and do it in a way that
36:23
you know, like it's is giving us permission to try
36:26
as hard as we think that our parents would be proud of
36:29
us understanding that our kids are going to be the result of
36:32
our example, the way that you are of your mom and
36:34
your dad, isn't it?
36:35
That's, that's, that's legacy right there.
36:39
You know, that's what,
36:40
that's where the next generation is left with,
36:43
which is those experiences,
36:45
those conversations, those memories that then carry you forward and allow
36:50
you to continue in those footsteps.
36:53
Get better because I always say the next generation,
36:56
you know, in these tables,
36:57
the next generation can have conversations about how much easier it was
37:06
just I want to say something about money because I work in
37:09
also a financial services company at Money Lion.
37:13
And then we talk a lot about the taboo of speaking about
37:17
money. And there's this phrase that we all use of money
37:21
can't buy happiness, right?
37:23
And the way we see it is it can't buy happiness.
37:26
But can you be happy if you are worried about money all
37:28
the time? And the reality of most Americans is that they
37:32
are worried about money,
37:33
even people making hundreds of thousands of dollars,
37:35
they are worried about money.
37:37
And I think the other data point is that women manage most
37:42
of the money, right?
37:43
The purchasing, it's not just the grocery bills that women manage
37:48
It's big purchasing decisions that are managed by money by women
37:51
And exactly. So we have to remove the taboo of
37:56
speaking about money. Why is it that it's so hard to
38:00
have a conversation about how much money I want to make.
38:03
How much money do you make?
38:04
How do I ask for a,
38:06
for a, for a raise?
38:08
I remember in my class in business school we made a pact
38:14
my girlfriends that we would tell each other how much each
38:17
one was making and we were going to help each other negotiate
38:21
when we would get an offer.
38:22
And that's what we do.
38:23
Now, if anybody gets an offer,
38:25
we talk to each other and we were like,
38:26
is this a good deal?
38:28
And people go in a database and we help each other negotiate
38:35
for jobs? There's no,
38:36
there's no envy. No,
38:38
there's really full transparency so we can raise the,
38:41
what is it? R the tithe?
38:43
So yeah, you can be,
38:44
I can add you to the whatsapp but it starts with the
38:49
conversation. It starts with the conversation because usually you're sitting around
38:54
these tables and I don't know,
38:55
we can talk about shoes or purses or you know,
38:58
when you start talking about real estate and you start talking about
39:02
net worth and you start talking about investment ideas.
39:05
I mean, this is what it's about and you don't need
39:07
to what I tell a lot of my friends that are not
39:10
in the business that I'm in,
39:11
you don't need to be an expert,
39:13
right? Because the goal around Latinas and wealth is everybody
39:18
it's like your driver's license.
39:20
Everybody needs to be equipped to do it.
39:23
You don't need to be in the industry.
39:25
You don't need to have a degree in finance,
39:26
to be able to do it and we have to get comfortable
39:29
and then we have to embrace it knowing that it starts
39:33
with a conversation. OK.
39:35
Now let's talk about Latinas and let's face it.
39:38
The reality is that we're talking with trailblazers,
39:41
but the being a Latina is a superpower.
39:45
We love it. We're focusing on it,
39:47
but it has been,
39:49
you know, like an obstacle to the careers of many.
39:51
It has been a point of rejection.
39:53
It has been, you know,
39:54
like the perception of Latinas is absolutely stereotyped.
39:58
We're underrepresented, we're underpaid,
40:00
we're undervalued. How have you experienced your Latini that have you
40:04
had to dial down,
40:06
like, talk more about like your,
40:08
like your, your identity as a Latina in your career?
40:12
Is it, you know,
40:13
because of that, despite of that,
40:14
where were the moments you were talking before about like how to
40:18
think about it? Almost like as a suitcase that you had
40:20
to, you were succeeding being Latina before it was cool to
40:24
be Latina in finance in New York 20 years ago.
40:28
Yes. And again,
40:29
you know, my,
40:30
my childhood memories were we were all in being Latinos at
40:35
home. You know,
40:36
some families got to the US and their goal was to assimilate
40:40
totally in my home.
40:44
It was all about embracing your Latinidad.
40:46
And I remember in Miami,
40:47
we used to drive after school,
40:49
my mother when she used to pick us up,
40:51
there were some signs that would say English only and she would
40:54
get very upset and she would say Spanish only and we'd get
40:57
home and it was Spanish only from the moment you walked in
41:00
And it was like that throughout my entire and she,
41:03
it didn't matter who said what we were true to our culture
41:07
loved, the language spoke the language and embraced everything about
41:11
our Latinidad. So when I got to New York,
41:14
I'm not thinking it's not gonna be welcome,
41:18
you know, but then I started to,
41:20
to learn that we needed to that I needed to adopt
41:25
And it wasn't,
41:26
I would say anybody that wasn't on Wall Street,
41:28
not just Latinas have to learn how to adapt.
41:30
When you come into a new environment,
41:32
you need to learn how to adapt.
41:33
And so the question is,
41:34
how do you leverage that superpower?
41:36
We're natural collaborators. I would say one of the things that
41:39
have given me has given me one of my biggest advantages
41:42
is the ability to bring others to the table.
41:45
I think horizontally all the time.
41:47
So that helps, you know,
41:49
when you work in a matrix organization in a large corporation to
41:53
be able to say we're doing on this.
41:55
But shouldn't we bring in somebody from technology?
41:57
And shouldn't we bring in somebody from this and I met this
41:59
person? And so your ability to collaborate and build relationships helps
42:02
you in bringing others to that table.
42:04
And when you bring others to that table,
42:06
you can think bigger,
42:07
you can get others on board with that big idea,
42:10
your vision and you get less resistance because you're,
42:15
you're engaging people early on and early adoption is what it's about
42:20
when you have a big idea or an idea that's gonna disrupt
42:23
you need adopters,
42:25
you need people that are going to see it,
42:26
who are gonna want to rally with you and be your ambassadors
42:29
And so being able to bring others to the table and
42:31
we do that, we,
42:32
we're natural collaborators, we enjoy working in groups.
42:35
And so that's one thing that really helped me.
42:38
Number two communications, I had a manager that came up
42:42
to me one time and said,
42:43
you need to be more succinct.
42:45
You're giving me every last detail of every idea that you have
42:50
and you're losing people.
42:51
I'm forever grateful to her.
42:52
She didn't sugar coat it.
42:54
She i it was a blind spot for me.
42:56
Well, I went off and I started to hone that skill
43:00
What are the headlines?
43:01
Start with the big idea and then get into more detail because
43:05
we, I remember when my daughter,
43:06
my daughter was delayed in speaking,
43:08
I remember when I went to her pediatrician,
43:10
she said your problem is you and your husband just talk and
43:14
talk and talk and you need to just focus on the one
43:16
word, focus on the one word,
43:18
let her master it and then go back and have the conversation
43:22
And so that's what I've learned in,
43:24
in my roles as well.
43:26
Start with the big ideas.
43:27
Give the outline no more than 2 to 3 things and then
43:32
get into the color and you start to give a little bit
43:35
more into each of those three big ideas.
43:37
And so it was the opposite of what I was doing.
43:39
I was giving a lot of detail and then my conclusion was
43:42
a big idea. You gotta turn that around.
43:45
There's a professor in H BS Francis Fry.
43:47
I don't know if you've read her books,
43:49
but she's, her,
43:50
her main book is called Unleash.
43:52
And she draws on a triangle and she says we usually have
43:57
like the triangle facing down.
43:59
So they start with all the information,
44:00
all the information, all the information and then give you the
44:03
take away. It's like we have to flip the triangle because
44:06
you lose everyone and it makes you look like you have no
44:09
idea like people leave and they're like,
44:11
I don't know what I was saying.
44:13
Like, and when you transition from being an individual contributor to
44:18
leading others to influencing many,
44:21
there's a big difference here.
44:22
There's a big shift from,
44:23
I'm gonna do what I need to do day to day to
44:26
I'm gonna lead others because I now have a team to
44:29
I'm gonna manage few,
44:30
but I'm gonna influence thousands.
44:33
That's hard work. So the,
44:35
the way you approach the,
44:37
the way you communicate and the way you engage others around those
44:41
ideas really matters on whether you're going to get that followership,
44:44
whether you're gonna get others to see that big idea and want
44:47
to come with you on that journey.
44:49
So you have to hone those skills and,
44:52
and it's not one size fits all.
44:53
You have to know your audience.
44:55
Are you selling something?
44:56
Are you informing or are you trying to influence to get buy
44:59
in? So you have to understand who's your audience?
45:02
What is the objective?
45:04
I would say the pre game is so important.
45:07
What is my goal going into this meeting?
45:09
To inform, to connect,
45:11
to build a relationship or to get to the desired outcome,
45:13
which is getting this person to agree that they are going to
45:16
support me with this idea when we go into the boardroom and
45:19
how do you do it now?
45:21
Because people always talk about the meeting before the meeting and the
45:24
meeting after the meeting,
45:25
which is where the actual conversation and the decisions happen,
45:29
right? How are you doing that now in this decentralized world
45:32
where there's little water cooler chat?
45:36
Yes. Well, and even,
45:37
you know, right during COVID,
45:39
we're all on Zoom meeting.
45:40
So, but now we're back in the office like we
45:43
we're, we're back.
45:44
And so here's, here's the way I think about it.
45:47
Number one who's going to be around that table and do they
45:51
know what you're bringing?
45:52
So chances are they don't and the majority of the cases they
45:56
don't. And so then you think about who are the individuals
45:59
that can really help lean in with you in terms of having
46:02
a conversation of what the benefits of what you're going to present
46:05
and it's not, you know,
46:06
if there's 10 people in a,
46:07
in a meeting, there's maybe 2 to 3,
46:09
but I do talk to them at the time before the meeting
46:12
So then by the time you go to the meeting almost
46:14
already have the vote from those people before.
46:17
Ok. Well, you have the vote or you have the
46:19
concern and that's what you're trying to get at.
46:22
You're trying to understand how,
46:25
how do you see this?
46:26
Do you see it like I see it or do you see
46:28
it different in terms of what's important to you?
46:30
Are you aligned with me or you or you,
46:33
do you have concerns that I'm not seeing,
46:35
you're trying to unpack that ahead of conversation so that it's productive
46:40
And you mentioned a couple of you know,
46:42
like in a way just like going into the Latinidad and how
46:46
how, what we're trying to do with this podcast is
46:49
to try to give the playbook and the tools so that you
46:54
can be yourself your authentic self.
46:57
You don't have because 76% of Latinos have to hide their Latinidad
47:00
today. That's a large number of people that are pretending to
47:04
be someone, they are not so that they can manage to
47:07
survive, let alone lead,
47:09
let alone influence. Never,
47:11
right? Like, because if you're not yourself,
47:12
if you're acting as someone else,
47:14
there's no way you can influence or lead anybody.
47:17
So talk about that,
47:20
you know, that suitcase analogy that you have about,
47:23
you know, like how to being,
47:25
you know,
47:25
like your true self and,
47:27
and, and leading,
47:28
you know, like being your authentic self doesn't mean that you
47:31
have to, you know,
47:31
like, like your suitcase analogy just,
47:33
yeah, it's not all or nothing.
47:35
So it's thinking about,
47:37
the path that you're on.
47:38
So let, let's continue with the same example,
47:41
if you're trying to get your idea,
47:43
your strategy to be adopted,
47:46
so you can start to execute so you can secure resources,
47:49
whatever it is that you're trying to achieve.
47:52
I give the suitcase analogy because whenever we take a trip
47:56
we pack a different suitcase and we're very comfortable doing it
47:59
I just went on a Disney cruise.
48:01
So I'm thinking I'm gonna be with Mickey and Minnie.
48:03
It's gonna be very casual.
48:05
Let me get my big ears,
48:09
right. So you're packing for that environment and you're not,
48:14
you don't even think twice about it.
48:15
You just do it.
48:18
It's still Illiana Musa,
48:19
but now it's Ileana Musa,
48:20
the traveler, not Ileana Musa,
48:22
the mom and it's not Ia Musa,
48:24
the the executive. Well,
48:26
it was a mom but because I went with my family,
48:28
but the point is you don't second guess yourself,
48:30
you just flex and adapt to that environment and you bring what's
48:34
gonna allow you to show yourself in the best way possible.
48:37
The essence is still the same,
48:39
but you're playing to win.
48:40
I always say we got to play to win.
48:42
So, when you're gonna enter the board room,
48:45
when you're gonna enter a corporate setting,
48:47
a board meeting again,
48:49
you're, you're asking yourself who's around that table and how do
48:52
I want to show up?
48:53
And what do you pack?
48:54
And, but what I do like about this idea and we've
48:57
been talking all over and I love that you bring the field
49:00
flip the at the pyramid,
49:01
at the triangle. We talk all the time about flipping the
49:05
script because Latino, we've been,
49:06
you know, like acting in a script that is not ours
49:09
I don't know who that is,
49:10
but it's not ours.
49:11
Our script is that,
49:12
you know, like,
49:13
so it was written for somebody else but we just play the
49:16
part. Yeah, but the,
49:17
the that we should have is what you describe.
49:19
I'm collaborative. I'm able to bring people,
49:22
I'm adaptable. I'm,
49:23
I'm able to navigate through change.
49:26
Instead, the script that we're playing is she's too social or
49:30
she's too loud. And that really has to be understood as
49:34
collaborative, not, not,
49:35
not too social or too nice is leading as a mother being
49:39
able to convene so that when you understand it is not too
49:42
social, which is the stereotype,
49:44
but it's collaborative, then you're able to pack it in your
49:47
suitcase. Yes, absolutely.
49:48
I think resilience is the other one.
49:51
You know, Latinos are incredibly resilient.
49:55
The stories we've been talking about here,
49:57
they shape us, they mold us when you have a setback
50:00
you can go back at it because it's something that you're
50:02
so comfortable with because you've experienced it your entire life.
50:06
And so you go through a crisis,
50:08
then you can navigate that because you know what tough feels like
50:12
you do the, the hard well.
50:14
And so that's an asset to a company because you need to
50:17
navigate different market cycles,
50:20
you need to be able to lean in and stay the course
50:23
Are there any other characteristics of being Latina that you feel
50:26
like we need to flip the script?
50:29
I'm asking because one of my favorite things that Claudia has taught
50:31
me is that it's not on Latinos to change the narrative,
50:35
it's not on Latinas to ask like we can't do it alone
50:38
like we can through the podcast and through all the things that
50:41
you do, we can educate and inspire Latinas.
50:46
But if the rest of the population doesn't also change,
50:49
it's gonna be, we're gonna be rowing against the current.
50:52
So we want the rest of the us,
50:54
the rest of corporate America to associate Latino employees with something that's
51:00
good for business. Are there anything that you can think of
51:03
that? any characteristics that you can think of that corporate
51:07
America sees as a negative characteristic that we should flip.
51:10
The script can be famil,
51:12
it can be having an accent anything that that comes to mind
51:16
So a couple of thoughts there,
51:19
the first is the our mindset,
51:22
we're entrepreneurs. I mean,
51:24
I, I saw it with both of my parents.
51:26
I think naturally, even if you work in a corporation,
51:28
you don't own your own business.
51:30
Having an entrepreneurial mindset really helps.
51:32
So, because then you are an innovator,
51:35
you're thinking outside the box,
51:37
you're challenging the status quo and that's where innovation happens because you're
51:40
able to bring other folks to the table and many of those
51:43
individuals are different to you because that's very powerful.
51:46
That's where the big ideas come in.
51:48
It's not people that think like us,
51:50
I would say we need to build networks that don't look like
51:54
us. We naturally collaborate.
51:57
Everybody does with people that think like us sound like us look
52:01
like us because in immediately there's a connection but it's when you
52:05
create a network with individuals that think differently that look differently that
52:10
grew up on Wall Street that went to an Ivy League school
52:13
These are all the people that I have wanted to connect
52:16
with because I learned from them because they've had a very different
52:19
upbringing because they bring something different to the table.
52:22
And because we all win when we go at it together.
52:25
So one of the things that we,
52:28
because we're natural collaborators,
52:30
we can lean in.
52:31
And I, I think sometimes when I always say you shy
52:35
away from what you don't know.
52:36
And if someone's not comfortable working with a Latino because they never
52:40
have, you're gonna have a choice to make who's gonna lean
52:42
in first. I always lean in.
52:45
I always lean in and reach,
52:47
I call it the give and the G so I always wanna
52:49
give before I'm gonna expect anything in return.
52:52
And that's always worked really,
52:53
really well for me because again,
52:56
once you lean in,
52:57
you're gonna find something in common.
52:59
And once you find something in common,
53:02
it's a slam dunk.
53:03
You're on your way because that person immediately is gonna have a
53:06
connection with you. And then they're going to be open to
53:08
hear the idea and you're going to collaborate.
53:10
And so I would say that's one area that could be
53:15
could be very helpful for us.
53:16
Love it. We're gonna go on a,
53:18
on a little like time machine to see Eliana at her
53:24
30th birthday. OK?
53:26
What can we give her as advice?
53:29
Like, what do you wish you knew?
53:32
So then the next generation does it in half the time.
53:34
OK. So the first thing is sr and the success,
53:42
we've spent so much time validating success as Latinas.
53:46
And in my case,
53:49
as an immigrant, you know,
53:50
you're trying to push so hard to allow your generation to do
53:55
more, to do better,
53:56
take care of those you care.
53:57
Sometimes you don't pause to smell the flowers and it's important to
54:03
savor those moments and realize that while there's so much more to
54:08
do, we've accomplished a great deal and so we need
54:13
to reflect on that and use that to fuel us.
54:16
I would say we all need a reservoir,
54:18
right? Because there is some very difficult moments where you need
54:21
to pull yourself back up.
54:22
What are you going to tap into and sometimes reflecting on what
54:26
you've done and how far you've come and the winds you've had
54:29
really helps propel you to go back at it.
54:31
So don't lose sight of the good.
54:34
I love that. OK.
54:36
So look, this is coming to an end.
54:38
This has been a wonderful,
54:41
a wonderful time.
54:42
I'd like to know who do you think we should be,
54:45
you know, like looking at or interviewing to hear from?
54:48
How do they make it whether they have claimed their Latinidad before
54:53
or not? Yes.
54:54
And it's it's so important to,
54:58
to bring more of those voices to the table.
55:00
So congratulations to both of you because it's incredible what you're doing
55:04
and creating this, this platform,
55:06
the setting to give greater access because this is about access,
55:08
right? Amplify the voice of the women that are doing it
55:12
in a very transparent way because we need to also talk
55:16
about the struggles it,
55:18
right? So that people can,
55:20
can learn from it and continue to push themselves forward.
55:24
You know, you talked at the beginning about the most powerful
55:27
Latina list. I like that list.
55:30
It's the first list that's ever been created specifically focused on
55:34
high performing Latinas that have made their mark in the industry where
55:38
they work. And if you scan that roster,
55:41
you're on it. It's incredible the level of insights that
55:47
you gain. And so I,
55:48
I always refer to that list in terms of,
55:53
I consider that a network of mine,
55:54
one of my networks in terms of different women at different stages
55:59
of their career, accomplishing very different milestones in their journeys
56:05
and amplifying those voices in this platform would be incredible.
56:10
And some of those are my colleagues at Morgan's family.
56:13
So I'm excited to also bring them to this table with both
56:16
of you looking forward.
56:19
Oh my God, this was amazing.
56:21
I got so many insights.
56:22
I think I'm gonna be listening to this podcast over and over
56:25
again. Thank you.
56:26
I Mua and this was a podcast.