Life Stories of Success in the Face of Adversity
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Volume VI - Europe Edition LIFE STORIES OF SUCCESS IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY JACQUELINE S. RUIZ VERONICA SOSA 1 Today’s Inspired Latina © Copyright 2019, Fig Factor Media, LLC. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced by mechanical, photographic or electronic process, nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or otherwise be copied for public use or private use without written permission of the copyright owner. This book is a compilation of stories from numerous Latinas who have each contributed a chapter and is designed to provide inspiration to our readers. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher and the individual authors are not engaged in the rendering of psychological, legal, accounting or other professional advice. The content and views in each chapter are the sole expression and opinion of its author and not necessarily the views of Fig Factor Media, LLC. For more information, contact: Jacqueline S. Ruiz Fig Factor Media, LLC | www.figfactormedia.com JJR Marketing, Inc. | www.jjrmarketing.com Cover Design & Layout by Juan Pablo Ruiz Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-7330635-5-5 2 Dedicated to Latinas around the world... And the voices and stories within each of them 3 Contents: Acknowledgements .................................................................................. 6 Introduction .............................................................................................. 7 Preface ....................................................................................................... 9 PERLA TAMEZ ........................................................................................11 FELISSA ARIAS .......................................................................................23 LYA MARTINEZ ......................................................................................33 ANDREA VILLAMIZAR LÓPEZ ...........................................................43 ANDREA MESIS-BRUNO ....................................................................53 DENISE PEDROZA SANDOVAL .........................................................63 MYLENE FERNSTRÖM ........................................................................73 MARIELYS AVILA ...................................................................................83 RUBMARY DÍAZ MARCANO .............................................................93 VIRGINIA CALLIZAYA TERCEROS .................................................. 103 SILVIA TAPIA ........................................................................................ 113 ESTEFANIA ROA ................................................................................. 123 4 MARITA VALDIZAN ........................................................................... 133 BETH MARMOLEJOS ..................................................................... 143 ADRIANA MÉNDEZ SNOWDEN ..................................................... 153 ALICIA PONCE-NUÑEZ ................................................................... 163 KARINA ENDULZA ............................................................................ 173 LIZBETH RAMIREZ ............................................................................. 183 ADRIANA HERNÁNDEZ MARTÍNEZ ............................................ 193 RENÉE RODRIGUEZ .......................................................................... 203 5 Acknowledgements Every volume of Today’s Inspired Latina fills my heart with gratitude, for I know these visions could not be fulfilled without a wonderful, inspired team to help me. First, to Veronica Sosa, who introduced me to a brave new world of authors with incredible stories and inspiration to share! I hope this collaboration will be the first of many. I am grateful to the members of my team who have worked tirelessly to make this possible, including the love of my life and business partner, Juan Pablo Ruiz, official series editor Karen Dix, Grizel Morales, Manuel Serna and all who believed in this inspiration from day one. I’d also like to thank the authors who took part in the maiden voyage of our European version, and all the past authors who continue to lend their support to the mission of Today’s Inspired Latina and the elevation of a vibrant, author community that perpetuates opportunity, and even bigger dreams. Love to you all! 6 Introduction BY JACQUELINE CAMACHO-RUIZ I’m a big dreamer. But sometimes, your dreams manifest in a bigger way than you could ever imagine! Five years ago, when I first developed the little idea for “Today’s Inspired Latina,” I never imagined that we would be unveiling a sixth volume in Europe in 2019! But it all aligns with the magic that is in my heart, not only for the Latinas in my own country, but those around the world. It all started when I met Veronica Sosa and she asked me to “cross the pond” to address the Latinas at one of her SHE (Seminars for Hispanic Entrepreneurs in Europe) events. There, completely unexpectedly, I was presented with an award for elevating Latina entrepreneurs in my own country. I knew I had found my European soulmate, a woman whose vision beat in sync with mine for the emerging Latinas of the world. Working together, we could make Today’s Inspired Latina a global movement. And so we have! Publishing this book, with so many authors from Europe included in the table of contents, has been a giant leap for the series. In Volume I, we gathered 25 authors from the Chicago area. In the consecutive volumes, we welcomed authors from across the country, and eventually, crossed borders into Mexico and South America. Now we welcome authors from England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Sweden, and Italy into our sisterhood of Today’s Inspired Latina authors. Additional volumes are also in production. In 2020, we will 7 launch two more volumes featuring authors from the United States and one volume of Today’s Inspired Latina for Latin America, featuring authors from Central and South America, to be launched in Colombia! It’s amazing to think that between May 2019 and May 2020, we will have launched four books on three continents! The series is now a full-fledged, international author movement to elevate and inspire Latinas to reach for their dreams, and to never stop, throughout the globe! To the authors in this volume, I say congratulations, felicidades, gefeliciteerd, congratulazioni, gratis, and Herzliche Glückwünsche! I know you will continue the magic, for as long as there are Latinas in the world with stories to tell, voices to be heard, and dreams to be achieved, there will be Today’s Inspired Latina. Here, there, and everywhere! Jacqueline S. Ruiz Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, Philanthropist, Pilot, Founder of Today’s Inspired Latina 8 Preface BY VERONICA SOSA Recently, the world has shifted. There is a rise in new paradigms, based on values. Values which many people believed had disappeared or been discarded. Well, I am celebrating with you today, because those values are returning. It may take time and effort, but slowly, we are claiming them back. Now is the time when women are taking charge of creating, changing, educating, nurturing, contributing, and campaigning for a better world. A world where we embrace co-creation to build on the magic of love, appreciating what we do and what we have. Creating a better life and world for our children to grow and enjoy harmony. I feel incredibly humbled and blessed to be a part of this wonderful change of paradigms. I am so grateful that I am a contributor to this change and that I have been given the honor of writing about it in this amazing book. Today’s Inspired Latina Volume VI is one in the series which gathers together remarkable stories of Latinas from around the world, who have not only encountered adversity, but have conquered it and achieved their goals. It is a great pleasure to introduce these entrepreneurs, mothers, sisters, and daughters whose words will inspire and give courage to others wanting to realize their hopes and dreams. I am extremely fortunate to be a part of two amazing communities. One of them I founded five years ago here in 9 Europe. It is called SHE (Seminar for Hispanics Entrepreneurs in Europe) and is an organization for Hispanic women which helps them to achieve their goals and reach their balance between body, mind, and spirit to achieve results and coherence in life. It aspires to provide Latinas on this side of the world with the tools they need to advance their personal and professional lives. We continue to expand globally as we reach out and discover more Latinas needing our help. The second one is the Today’s Inspired Latina community, led by my friend and collaborator, Jacqueline Camacho. SHE is very proud to support her movement here in Europe and anywhere else we can. I am so proud to be working with this amazing woman. I admire her not only for her beautiful soul and values but for everything she has achieved, including becoming one of the few Latina pilots in America. I had the good fortune of meeting her through a mutual friend, Steve Gallegos, two years ago. As soon as we met, we both felt a magical connection. Our goals were totally aligned, as we both had a vision to elevate and empower Latina women, and actually, not just Latina women, but all women around the world. My beloved Pilotina and I will support each other all the way! Although the way we use our individual talents may differ, what is identical is the love we feel