Episode 314: Keeping It Real with the Super Mamas: Look for the Helpers

TW: This episode discusses the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. 

Almost two weeks ago, 17 students and 2 teachers lost their lives in an elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. During this podcast episode, we have a conversation about our feelings that day and the days following. We are heart broken for the city of Uvalde, but also in awe of the people who came together to support & comfort the victims’ families in need and the surrounding community. We don’t have any answers as to why this happened or how it can be stopped going forward. All we want is to open the door to conversation about our thoughts & feelings about Uvalde, Buffalo and other communities who have experienced tragedy, what our children are feeling, and how we can continue to support one another when these events happen. What we do know is that we won’t forget what has happened in Uvalde or any other community who has experienced this type of loss, and when we need it most, the kindness of community is always there to help. 

We would love to speak to other community members who can give us more insight, resources and more on what we can do to help. If anyone is open, we would love to have them on the show. Please email us at hello@supermamas.com with suggestions. 

What You Can do to help

Donate to the families on the verified gofundme pages.

Write letters to the surviving children and families. You can mail them directly to the school:
Robb Elementary
715 Old Carrizo Rd.
Uvalde TX 78801

Donate to José Andrés’ @wckitchen. Your donation allows local restaurants to provide meals to the community, especially children. Helping the community with space to grieve without worrying about meals.

Donate to the Robb School Memorial Fund. The First State Bank of Uvalde has opened a memorial fund for the families of Robb Elementary. All proceeds will go the families:
Make all checks payable to “Robb School Memorial Fund”
Mail checks to: 200 E. Nopal St., Uvalde, Texas, 78801
Or to donate through Zelle, email: robbschoolmemorialfund@gmail.com

Donate blood.

Keep bringing awareness to all the issues surrounding what happened.

Show up and never forget.

Links

Support and donate to World Central Kitchen, who provide meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. You can also learn more about the organization by watching chef José Andrés’ documentary We Feed People on Disney+.

More ways you can help

Read more about our experience in Texas on Instagram - @bricialopez @pattyrodriguez @julissaarce

Episode 305: Generational Wealth, Rallying for Your Community and Moving On with mom boss with Patty Rodriguez

One of our greatest amigas, Patty Rodriguez, is back for a new episode! If you’re Angelenos like we are, you know that she just made a major move, leaving KIIS FM after over 15 years as a producer. Now she’s ready to grow in other ventures and she’s starting with helping her community. Patty talks to us about equity crowd funding for her company, Lil Libros, and why the time is right for our community to learn to invest & build generational wealth. She reminds us that it takes courage to change & make our dreams come to life, and we can’t wait to watch her dreams come come true during this next chapter of her life.

Patty is a great role model, an example leader and an inspirational super mama just looking to make her community a better place. We are honored to know her, excited for her next moves and hope you enjoy her episode!

More about Patty: Patty Rodriguez is one of the most influential American Latino leaders as a nationally recognized entrepreneur, radio producer, media personality, founder, angel investor, and best-selling author. Proudly raised in Los Angeles by Mexican immigrant parents, she has dedicated her work to elevating the voices and stories of the American Latino experience.

Patty founded Lil’ Libros, the #1 family-trusted bilingual children's media publisher, inspired by her journey toward motherhood and desire to raise her children in a bilingual environment that valued understanding, respect, and appreciation of their family's culture. After Lil’ Libros received numerous rejections from major publishers, she immediately recognized the historically underserved market she represented. Patty took matters into her own hands, partnering with childhood friend Ariana Stein to propel Lil’ Libros into what would become the critically acclaimed publishing company and industry titan. With over a million books sold, Lil’ Libros is recognized in the Latino community and beyond with shelf space at Target, Barnes & Noble, museums, boutiques, and independent sellers alike nationwide.

Her passion for uplifting her community extends past children's books, as Lil’ Libros became the first children’s media company to be community-owned. In 2021, over $2 million in equity crowdfunding was raised from over 5,000 investors in less than five days. As an influential Latina entrepreneur, Patty has also made angel investments in early-stage startups, including Hedley & Bennett and BLVD MRKT.

Being a storyteller at heart, Patty launched sin miedo productions in 2021 with longtime friend, Erick Galindo. Their first project, Out of the Shadows: Children of ‘86, is currently in production with iHeartMedia and explores the lives of children who were raised by the three million immigrants granted amnesty through the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Patty got her start at iHeartMedia’s 102.7 KIIS FM Los Angeles, infusing culture on and off the air for over 15 years working as a Senior Producer and On-Air Talent of the internationally syndicated radio show, "On Air With Ryan Seacrest." She also founded MALA by Patty Rodriguez, a jewelry line aiming to empower women to take pride in their identity through fashion. Fans of the collection include Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, and Becky G.

Among her accomplishments, Patty launched a grassroots campaign asking MAC Cosmetics to create a line in honor of the late Selena Quintanilla. Her petition collected over 30,000 signatures in just days, receiving national coverage in English and Spanish and capturing the attention of the makeup giant. The MAC x Selena collection was successfully released in October of 2016, making it the best-selling cosmetics collection of all time, proving the buying power of the Latino community.

Patty has been recognized as California’s Woman of the Year, along with having received the LA Times Latinos De Hoy Cultural Influencer Award. She has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, NPR, USA Today, LA Times, People, Buzzfeed, Univision, Rolling Stone, CNN Latino, Latina Magazine, People En Español, Cosmopolitan, and American Latino TV to name a few.

She currently lives in Los Angeles with her two beautiful boys, Alexander and Oliver, and their ten guppies.

Gems from this week’s episode

“Have the courage to make a change in your life.”

“What I want for my kids to understand is that there’s a purpose for every step that we take.”

“If you know me, my inner compass is what drives me 99% of the time. If I’m not excited, that’s the universe telling me that’s not the decision you should be making.”

“I felt that this was the least we could do for the community that helped build lil libros.”

“It was never for us, but now it is.” - Patty on financial literacy , generational wealth and becoming an investor 

Become an Investor!

You still have time to invest in Lil Libros! Visit wefunder.com/lil.libros until 4/30/2022 to invest in this community built company. If you have questions, send Patty a DM on Instagram (linked below)! We can build generational wealth together.

“Let’s make our children feel that this is part of our environment.” - Patty Rodriguez

Links

Follow Patty on Instagram @pattyrodriguez

Learn more about Lil Libros on their website and follow them on Instagram @lil_libros

Club de Cuervos on Netflix - the show that Patty was binge watching when she had the idea for equity crowd funding for Lil Libros

Episode 303: Empowerment, Support and Strength: Learning about Community Resources with Jessika Ahlberg of My Safe Harbor

Shining a spotlight on community resources is something we love, and today’s episode features one of our favorite organizations. This week we interview Jessika Ahlberg, program director at My Safe Harbor in Anaheim, California. This organization focuses on empowering mothers and strengthening families through education programs and community get togethers, and the success rate of program graduates is awe-inspiring. These are mothers who want to learn, work hard and support themselves and their families in ways that might not be possible without the resources provided by My Safe Harbor. We are honored to be able to donate to this wonderful group so that they may continue to support local moms who need encouragement in their lives and with their families. To learn more about this group and how you can help, listen to the rest of this episode and visit MySafeHarbor.org.

Before the episode, Bricia is talking about her new cookbook and the full on photoshoot production thats happening at her house! She also talks about last weekend, where the entire Lopez family got together at the park for a carne asada cookout for the book (and we taught you the right way to secure tables at the park LOL) and she also talks about her son’s freak accident.

A lesson from this episode

“You can’t be a good mother without mothering yourself first.”

Pick or tip of the week

Paulina’s pick is The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. She’s read it multiple times before and Bricia suggests even reading it once a year. Paulina goal is to pass the book around to everyone in the restaurant staff because she feels it always has new lessons to provide, no matter how many times you read it.

Bricia’s tip is from their life coach, Victor Pierantoni. He gave her a tip on how to take visulization to the next level. You visualize it from three points of view and read it every night. Check out their tips below and let us know if it works for you!

How to Visualize Your Goals into Reality

1. Write it in your goal down in a journal as if it’s happening.

   example: You want 5 kids.

2. Visualize someone talking to you about your goal and write it down as it someone is talking to you about it.

   example: “Omg Bricia, I can’t believe you have 5 kids!”

3. Visualize and write it down as if two people talking about it together.

   Example: “Wow, did you see Bricia has 5 kids?! How does she do it?”

   “She’s such a great mom! Her kids are great and so well behaved.”

Links

Learn more about My Safe Harbor on their website. You can also follow them on Instagram @my.safe.harbor and like their page on Facebook.

Episode 300: Regarding Her Big Owner Energy with Dina Samson, restauranteur and co-founder of RE:Her

Everyone is always what else we do for work (because yes, we have real jobs besides the podcast!) and in this episode we talk about one of Bricia’s passion projects. This week we interview Dina Samson, restauranteur and co-founder of RE:Her. The non-profit started as a covid era support group for women owned restaurants like the Lopez family’s Guelaguetza and Dina’s Rossoblu and Superfine Pizza, and now continues to support & encourage women in the hospitality industry and the communities they serve. Dina also runs us through her busy days as a twin mom and how she structures the rest of her restauranteur work between mom life, and she’s sharing her best advice for restaurant owners that mamas can also use when raising their kids. 

More about Dina: Dina Samson adeptly assumed the role of “unexpected restaurateur” when she opened her first restaurant, Sotto, alongside husband/chef Steve Samson, in 2011. Since then, she has become the visionary and operational glue for their two concepts, Rossoblu and Superfine Pizza which fall under their newly formed Mighty Nice Hospitality Group. 

True to their hospitality group’s core values of compassion and community, Dina has co-founded RE:Her, Independent Hospitality Coalition, and FeedLoveLA, all organizations which focus on supporting and uplifting the Los Angeles restaurant community. Samson is both a James Beard Foundation Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership and C200 WinLab fellow. 

More about RE:Her: Nine female restaurateurs in Los Angeles formed Regarding Her (aka RE:Her) in November 2020 as a response to the devastating impact of Covid-19 on the restaurant industry. Their first undertaking, 10 Days RE:Her, united over 100 female food and beverage entrepreneurs across Los Angeles for a 10-day festival featuring unique collaborations, thematic menus, virtual events and conversations, and more.

RE:Her is a 501(c)(3) non-profit fund actively seeking donors and sponsors to support its services and initiatives, including its RE:Her Grant Program, designed to distribute cash grants to women-owned restaurants in Los Angeles County impacted by the pandemic. 

The members of RE:Her’s leadership team operate the organization, and do so pro bono. Their hope is that their work will support and empower the community they hold dear – the female-led culinary world of Los Angeles and beyond – and, in doing so, help to save HER restaurants.

Our Conversation with Dina

Tell us about the non-profit. What is it about and who is it for? 

How do you structure your day? 

What else do you do besides RE:Her?

How to become a member of RE:Her

Dina’s best advice for restauranteurs

Mom tips!

Pick or Tip of the Week

We always talk about the importance of self care! One of Paulina’s self care practices includes studying her Bible. She always reads it in the morning and journals, and she found pens and highlights made specifically for thin Bible pages. They’re by Mr. Pen in the Amazon store and they have plenty of options at different price points. It makes her self care experience that much better!

Bricia pick is the Good Notes app on her iPad. You can create anything for taking notes! She uses it for her Bible study and even created her own template based on the templates available on the app.

Links

Follow Dina, her restaurants and projects on social media - @dinasam, @rossablula, @superfinepizza, @regardingherfood, @independenthospitalityla and @feedlovela

Become a member of RE:Her! More regions coming soon.

Kanye West - The College Dropout album

Watch the documentary jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy on Netflix

Episode 263: What We Learned in 2020 with Lernando Fopez

It’s our last episode of 2020!

This week we interview our one and only little brother, Fernando Lopez. The three of us talk about what a year it’s been - both positive & negative - and the lessons we’ve learned. We learned to adapt to new business practices and precautions, how to focus on just a few things rather than spreading ourselves thin, and best of all, we learned how empathic and supportive our local communities can be during times of struggle. Even though this episode gets a little serious, there’s a lot of sibling laughs and teasing! And maybe a special message from Fernando to all of his fans 😂 but you’ll have to listen to the end of his interview for that! We are so grateful for family this year and could have survived without each other’s help. 

We also could not have had the successful year that we did without our super mamas sisters! You overwhelming support listening to the podcast, engaging with our content and supporting our family businesses means the world to us. We can’t wait to truly celebrate our incredible community at some point next year - hopefully sooner than later!

Feliz Navidad and happy New Years, sisters! Enjoy the rest of this year with your families, and let’s all manifest a better year in 2021. 

Lessons Learned in 2020

• Fernando learned how nice and empathetic, giving and helping people can be in times of need.

• He also learned how cruel and mean people can be, doing the bare minimum to help people out.

• Paulina learned she could not run the business without her siblings / family. With the kids and everything else that has happened this year, one of them is always willing to step up and help and she is grateful for that and them. 

• Bricia learned that everything really is how you look at things, or “perspective on perspective.”

• Bricia, Paulina, and Fernando learned the power of focus - learning to focus on a few things instead of spreading themselves thin.

• They all learned to adapt - all the processes from work to school to shopping changed, and we were forced to change the way we do things.

• They all learned the importance of financial literacy during the pandemic. We recorded an episode about maximizing our finances during covid this earlier this year.

• Most of all, we learned how lucky we are to have healthy families, both spouses working throughout the pandemic, and a great support system.

Pick or Tip of the Week

Family nights on Zoom are Paulina’s tip this week. Since we can’t all get together for the holidays, we’re finding other ways to hang out. We used Quizizz.com and Kahoot.com to play trivia games and quizzes with each other last week and everyone was so into it. Both sites make it easy to log in and use one code for everyone playing, and everyone uses their own phone. A great way to bond virtually!

Bricia’s recommendation is a garlic peeler. Sounds weird, but it’s this magical silicone tube that you roll around and it peels garlic. It’s the best invention and she doesn’t know how she could ever live without it after this! It’s a great stocking stuffer, an awesome gift for your foodie friend.

Also if you’re looking for some last minute holiday gifts, be sure to read our 2020 gift guide! This year we highlighted local small businesses, and there are shops that you’ll want to shop at well into next year too.

Links

Match Made in Hell video - if you’re over this year but want a good laugh, this is the video for you!

Episode 252: Curls, Community, Culture, & Family Values with Julissa Prado of Rizos Curls

This week we interview the ultimate curly queen, Julissa Prado, founder and CEO of Rizos Curls. We have been big fans and supporters of this mamacita for the past few years and we’re exited to finally have her on the show!

During our chat, she shares how she created natural ingredient hair product concoctions for herself and ran an underground hair salon in her high school bathroom for all the underground curlies she encountered. She also talks about what it’s like to work with her family, and how all of her family member’s wants to see the other grow & succeed and will do whatever it takes to help each other get there, including working multiple jobs! Julissa honestly has the biggest heart for her family and her community, and she is such an inspiration in the Latinx community. We have so much love and admiration for her and we know you will too!

More about Julissa: Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Julissa Prado is the Founder & CEO of Rizos Curls, a Latina-owned hair care line aimed at embracing and celebrating the beauty of curls, coils and waves everywhere!

After years of making her own curly cocktail and being the “curl whisperer” within her community, Julissa decided to launch her own hair care line Rizos Curls. The result is a line of products made with quality natural ingredients that works across a variety of curly hair textures. The brand has amassed a global following of #RizosReinas, becoming a favorite among the curly hair community, shipped to over 57 countries and now available at Target stores nationwide! As one of the leading faces of the beauty industry and entrepreneurship, Julissa is an active national speaker with past speaking roles at Harvard University, The Girlboss Rally & the U.S. Department of State for The United Nations, among others. She also proudly organizes curated events and resources centered on entrepreneurship, including the Rizos Curls Small Business Summit.

Julissa holds a Masters in Business from Wake Forest University, is an alumni of UCLA, and has held corporate leadership positions at Nestlé.

Our Conversation with Julissa

What is Rizos Curls?

Undercover curlies & straight hair tendencies

How she started her business

What it’s like to work with family

Julissa’s Quarantine Routine

What advice would you give to your 17 year old self?

Pick or Tip of the Week

Bricia’s pick is another loungewear pick, because you know she likes to be comfy at home with her two month old daughter, Augustina. She loves this cropped sweater from Aerie. It’s lightweight which is great as the seasons start to change and it’s easy to breastfeed Augustina when she wears it.

Paulina’s pick is a Mexican movie on Netflix called, “All the Freckles in the World”. It’s such a cute love story and reminded her of when you’re growing up and have your first crush. It would be so cute to watch with your pre-teens or teenagers.

Links

Follow Julissa and her brand, Rizos Curls on Instagram - @julissa_prado @rizoscurls

Shop Rizos Curls online at rizoscurls.com. Head to her site to find a store location near you, including your local Target!

Follow the Prado cousins on Instagram @pradocousins and check out their viral video from last year.

This episode was brought to you by our sponsor Target. Head to Target.com and shop Baby Month Deals for the entire month of September!

Episode 222: Mentoring Your Community & the Importance of Play with Mom Boss Blanca Gonzalez, VP of @Nike LA

The year just started and it feels like it’s flying by! This week on the show, we interview Blanca Gonzalez, General Manager/Vice President of NIKE Los Angeles/West Territory. We talk about how making clothes for her Barbies as a kid sparked her passion for product, about being an advocate for children with disabilities, and the importance of having access to sports & play. She also stresses the importance of using your voice & being authentic in your work environment. This is an interview you'll want to replay over & over!

Before the episode, Paulina and Bricia discuss anxiety and the expectations that adds to the “alka-seltzer feeling” as Paulina describes it. Paulina talks about how she’s been feeling anxious since coming home from our Walt Disney World trip (btw - don’t forget to enter our giveaway! Learn more here). She decided to take a break from social media and has a new morning routine, because she knows that having structure keeps her busy and keeps her mind away from anxious thoughts. Paulina is also conquering it by talking to her loved ones and strengthening her relationship with God. When speaking about her feelings with her friend, the friend questioned Paulina saying, “So what if it all that happens?” It really gave Paulina a new perspective about her anxiety and feelings, and has helped her think: What is this going to teach me? What am I supposed to learn through this experience?

Pick or Tip of the Week

Bricia is still on her “no shopping” sabbatical and it’s so hard, especially with the new Ivy Park line that launched (you know how much she loves Beyonce). This week she is sharing her all-time FAVORITE pen. It doesn’t smear all over her pinky when she journals, it makes her writing pretty and it’s so light! Send her all the pens since she still can’t buy new things. 😂

Paulina asked for a few things for Christmas, one of them being the Party of Four kit from Drybar. It’s a game changer because it not only comes with great products, but also has travel sizes which are great for travel and also throwing in your purse when you have things to do throughout the day. It helps her get out the door quick & easy every morning.

Links

I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi - We are obsessed with this book!

Rise Podcast with Rachel Hollis - Episode 125: How to Supercharge Your Morning Routine

There’s still two weeks left to enter for your chance to win $500 to kick of your Walt Disney World Vacation Fund! Enter on Instagram today, and click here for official contest rules & to learn more.

Episode 215: Changing Young Lives & Parent's Minds Through Alternative Art Programs with Carmelita Ramirez Sanchez from @thebhac

We’re back with a new episode! This week, we sit down with Carmelita Ramirez-Sanchez, executive director of Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory in Los Angeles. Not only is she a dope super mama to two amazing kids, but she also directs an incredible youth program at BHAC. We talk about the classes & careers that students are exposed to through the program, how to explain a career in the arts to parents, and how the program is helping change the lives of incarcerated youths. Carmelita inspired us so much with her love of the arts and showing the local youth that there are more careers than what you traditionally might learn about, especially because we know the hard work that goes into being a chef, running a business and starting your own podcast. This episode will warm your heart, and we know you’ll be looking up this program before the interview is even over.

Before the interview, we’re talking about our Oaxaca Cookbook release party at the restaurant last week (SO MUCH FUN). Paulina talks about helping her daughters tackle their cultural day projects and Bricia says that Eddie has a new way he’s asking for attention. She also shares a great tip where you can ask Alexa to read your Audible books - check it out.

Also, now that our book is out, we want to meet you on the book tour!! Tonight we’re in Chicago - get your tickets here - but check out the rest of our stops this week and later this month. We would love to meet you, takes pictures, talk about the cookbook or mom life or whatever!

• Tuesday, 10/29 in Chicago, IL at Read It and Eat

• Saturday, 11/2 at Hollywood Forever’s 20th annual Dia de los Muertos celebration (not a book tour stop but we would still love to meet you!)

• Sunday, 11/3 in Pasadena, CA at Vroman’s Bookstore

• Tuesday, 11/5 in Brooklyn, NY at Homecoming

• Tuesday, 11/12 in Portland, OR at Via Raíz

• Sunday, 12/8 in West Hollywood, CA at Lucques

Pick or Tip of the Week

Birthday season is over, but Paulina has to share one last tip for you. Did you know that Sprinkles Cupcakes has cupcake ATMs in select locations? You just purchase the cupcake at any time of day and it comes out just like an ATM machine. Paulina and Ramiro did this every morning of the girls’ birthdays and it made them so happy.

Bricia is still in her no buying phase. It’s been a month and she’s doing okay, but she did have a moment when she wanted to buy something. Someone commented on her “door knocker earrings” the other day and at first Bricia didn’t understand, but after she Googled it, she’s loving them like these cute ones at Macy’s.

LINKS

Want to volunteer at BH Arts? Share your skill set, teach a course to the kids, and please remind the youth that they are part of the neighborhood, no matter what. Get involved.

Books mentioned by Carmelita: Como Agua Para Chocolate, Caramba, and Last Exit to Brooklyn.

Want to learn more about the benefits of avocado as mentioned in our intro? Visit SaboreaUnoHoy.com/Lutein.

Episode 189: Following our Instinct, Finding Community & Prioritizing Self-Care with Zoila Darton

This week on the show, we have Zoila Darton- NY native turned LA resident and Head Dot Connector of WORD Creative. Zoila is a born connecter and believes fostering community creatively will save the world- basically, an incredible human. We talk all about her birthing story and the grueling aftermath, her journey in finding community in LA as an outsider, how she practices self care and her other baby, her thriving business.

Our Conversation with Zoila Darton

What was your birthing experience like?

How did you find community when you moved to LA ? Who helps you?

What inspired you to start WORD? What does it stand for?

What is your morning routine/ritual that helps you stay grounded & present?

What is the one thing that you told you yourself that you wouldn’t do as a mom that you’re doing now?

You can follow Zoila on IG at @ZoilaDarton, her agency at @word.agency and check out her new podcast, The Women I Know.

Pick or Tip of the Week

If you would also like to pull a card, pick up Zoila’s first pick-Sacred Symbols Oracle Deck by Marcella Kroll and find clarity and guidance through divination. While you’re at it, book yourself an 80-min massage at the very trendy the NOW Massage boutique. Take a minute for yourself.

Bricia’s pick this week is the Fighting with my Family movie. It’s all the things you want in a family-friendly movie: funny, empowering and incredibly inspirational. It’s now playing in theaters.

If you’ve been following Paulina on IG (which you totally should be!) she' recently organized her pantry. She used leftover glass containers and these cute chalkboard stickers to label everything. Check out her post about it here.

EPISODE 160: Twins, career & fun at the LA county Fair with Cielo Castro

This week on the show we have mom boss Cielo Castro, Chief of Staff at Fairlplex to speak on how she navigates motherhood of TWINS and her new job/ career move. We also speak on work-life balance with a 10-12hr day, putting her mom guilt aside for her career and how she makes it all work at home with her husband's help. We also talk about all the new exciting things at this year's LA County Fair in Pomona. With Cielo's help, the fair has become so much more family-friendly and she shares with us all the ways we can all save. 

Before the interview, Bricia and Paulina reminisce on our Super Mamás Night Out event! Thank you ladies for making this one the best event yet! For more information and pics, click here. 

Also! Want to visit the LA County Fair this year? Visit our SM IG to learn how YOU can win a family 4-pack to the fair and/or use the LACOUNTY code for 6.60 entry on September 2nd! The fair runs from Aug. 31 – Sept. 23 (Closed Mondays and Tuesdays except Labor Day, Sept. 3).

For more information about the LA County Fair visit the LA County Fair website, Facebook , Instagram and Twitter & Fairplex's Instagram. 

BIO- Cielo is Chief of Staff at Fairplex, a nonprofit, 501(c)5 organization that leads a 487-acre campus proudly located in the City of Pomona.  Fairplex is a public-private partnership with the County of Los Angeles and is home of the LA County Fair and more than 500 year-round events.  She came to Fairplex after serving as Transparency Officer for the City of Los Angeles Office of City Administrative Officer, acting as executive liaison with external stakeholders and providing oversight support for the City’s $8 billion budget.  Cielo was previously Deputy to Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, where she was responsible for discretionary grantmaking; staff hiring, recruitment and development; and policy issues including immigration, housing and community development.   Cielo served the Obama Administration as Special Assistant at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, DC, where she advised the Assistant Secretary of Community Planning and Development on policy and political matters regarding a $50 billion grant portfolio and over 1,200 grantees.  Previously, she had seven years of experience working with elected officials as Director of Constituency Services with the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, and in outreach roles with the National League of Cities.  

Our conversation with Cielo Castro

(11:27): How did you get started with Fairplex?

(13:32): Tell us how amazing it was working for the Obama administration

via GIPHY

(14:53): Where did you get your masters?

(17:20): What is life with twins?

(18:17): How did you transition from your new role & motherhood?

(20:01): How did having kids help you in your field?

(21:44): How do you plan your schedule? 

(25:30): What did you family say about your marriage dynamic? How did that conversation start?

(33:45): What is it inside of you that helps you put your mom guilt aside?

Get your Kicks...at the LA County Fair

(38:50): How long have you been prepping for this?

(39:10): When does it open? & where is it?

(40:15): Have the twins been out to the fair yet?

(41:28): The theme of this year’s fair! 

(43:40): Stay saving at the LA County Fair- The LA County Fair has $6.60 admissions deals for LA County residents on Sept 2nd. Here is a link to more than a dozen ways to save 

(46:25): How big is your team?

(49:56): Fairplex app 

(51:42): Date night ideas 

(55:21): Animals at the Fair! 

(58:12): FairKids field trip programs

Pick of Tip of the Week 

(59:24): Cielo recommends everyone sign up for that Amazon Prime subscription! Get on it, ladies. 

(1:00:42): Paulina's secret to her under eyes is OLEHENRIKSEN's Banana Bright Eye Crème & OLEHENRIKSEN3 Makeup Wonders Kit

(1:01:56): Bricia is getting prepared for the LA County Fair with her SPF 50 spray from SUPERGOOP! & here's the photo of Bricia's ideal driving situation: