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Episode 288: Going Viral & Giving Back with Kristine Rodriguez, founder & CEO of GRL Collective

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It’s been a minute since we had a super mamacita on the show! This week we interview Kristine Rodriguez, founder & CEO of GRL Collective, a lifestyle brand for grls that give a f*ck. This badass chick, with her activist mind and empathetic heart, created GRL Collective to continuously give back, represent our communities of color, and do whatever it takes to protect our planet for the future generations. She talks about going viral on social media (even we reposted her image!), growing her brand and why she will always be excited to donate to bigger causes. 

More about Kristine: Kristine Rodriguez is the Founder and CEO of GRL Collective a lifestyle brand for grls that give a f*ck.  This Latina trailblazer has curated an inspiring brand that began as a vision after going on volunteer trip to India Kristine’s activist mind and empathetic heart created GRL Collective to continuously give back, represent our communities of color, and do whatever it takes to protect our planet for the future generations. Since 2017, GRL Collective has been able to donate thousands to The Sambhali Trust, Black Lives Matter, and RAICES Texas for immigration rights. The fashion meet activism brand has also garnered the attention of notable fans such as AOC, Pitbull, Becky G, America Ferrera, Jessica Alba and more. Kristine and GRL Collective have been featured in People Espanol, POPSUGAR, LA Times, CNN, and others more.  Today, Kristine has her sights to expanding her women empowerment brand to be able offer job opportunities to women of color, support more emerging WOC brands and mentor aspiring entrepreneurs. Kristine’s goals for 2021 are to keep her brand sustainable, eco-friendly, and fair-trade, to make enough funds to support ten girls and their education, and to inspire others to turn their darkness into light. 

LINKS

Follow @GRLCollective on Instagram and follow Kristine too! @heykristine16

Shop all the swag for girls who give a f*ck only at grlcollective.com

Episode 172: The Power of Giving with Cynthia Perez

 
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This week on the show we have our dear longtime friend Cynthia Perez to talk about the power of giving. Since Cynthia was young, she knew she wanted to be a donor and this year, Cynthia’s dream was realized. She donated her kidney to a family friend without any hesitation. She takes us through her journey and talks about some of the challenges she faced, her husband’s undeniable support, her family’s reaction, her recovery and the misconception around organ donation in the Latino community. Cynthia takes the power of giving to a whole new level.

Before the interview, Paulina and Bricia talk about their Thanksgiving plans (check out this Harper’s Bazaar article), Paulina’s “Spartan Race” (LOL) and Bricia’s eventful weekend with her husband in Santa Barbara.

Check out Cynthia’s yummy baking creations by following her on the gram, @pastelcakeandconfections .

Our conversation with Cynthia Perez

Who is Cynthia Perez- tell us about a bit about yourself?

Who is Julian to you? 

What was the process of donating your kidney like?

How long did the entire process take from your decision to donate your kidney to the procedure?

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced?

How long was your recovery?

Did you go through some sort of therapy beforehand?

How did you explain to this your family? 

How has your body been affected post surgery? 

What lesson do you hope your daughters/husband/family/our listeners can take from this?

How is Julian today?

How do we confront the misconceptions regarding donating an organ? 

How is your life today as a donor?

Lifespan of a living kidney donor

If you or someone you know is interested in donating an organ, here are a couple of resources with plentiful information: 

www.unos.org – living donation organization

www.kidney.org – help people affected with all kinds of kidney disease;

www.georgelopezfoundation.org – helps raise awareness with underprivileged children, military regarding health and education and awareness with kidney and organ donation

www.donatelife.net – Register yourself to be a donor.

Pick or Tip of the Week

Cynthia’s tip is to never underestimate the power of feeling gratitude, but also expressing it. Say thank you not only this week, but every day. Also, make your appointment with the Santa at The Grove, they offer incredible service.

Paulina and Bricia’s tip is to visit Target for incredible Black Friday deals like these: