work life

Episode 251: Finding Our Core Selves & Changing the Likeability Trap with Alicia Menendez

This week’s interview is with powerhouse Alicia Menendez - MSNBC anchor, co-host of the podcast Latina to Latina, best selling author, and mother of two young daughters. Alicia is dropping straight GEMS 💎 in this episode! We talk about everything from how she balances her successful careers with motherhood to the meaning behind her book, “The Likeability Trap” and why it’s more complicated for women of color to feel likeable at work.

In Bricia’s words, Alicia “takes us to church” during this episode with knowledge she drops, but even Palina and Bricia were sharing real gems. Here are a few 💎:

“Sometimes you’re focusing on the work and sometimes you’re focusing on sharing the work and it doesn’t always have to be the same thing.” - Alicia

“You are no good to anyone else if you’re not taking care of yourself. “- Alicia

“It’s very rewarding to see what I am capable of doing. To know that I am more than what I thought I was.” - Paulina

“I look at her and I tell her, I want you to be a way better version of me and the only way you’re going to do that is if I become a better version of myself.” - Bricia

“If you grow up loving yourself and believing in yourself, how far can you go?” - Bricia

More about Alicia: Alicia Menendez is a journalist and multimedia storyteller. Named “Broadcast Journalism’s New Gladiator” by Elle Magazine, “Ms. Millennial” by The Washington Post, and a “Content Queen” by Marie Claire, Alicia has quickly become a force in American media. Alicia is the author of The Likeability Trap: How to Break Free and Succeed as You Are and an anchor for MSNBC. She is also a contributing editor at Bustle and host of its Latina to Latina podcast. 

A native of Union City, New Jersey, Alicia is a graduate of Harvard College. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.

Our Conversation with Alicia

The balance of career and motherhood

Has routine helped you?

Alicia’s book, “The Likeability Trap”

Finding the core version of yourself

The messages we give boys vs. the messages we give girls

Tips for being assertive, strong, and the most authentic versions of ourselves

Pick or Tip of the Week

All of Bricia’s tips right now are about babies! This month is Target Baby Month and there are new weekly deals for the whole month! Right now they are running their Car Seat Trade-in program where you drop off an old car seat to recycle and get a coupon to save 20% on select baby gear. Learn more about the program on Target.com.

Her pick for this week is more baby stuff, of course. Bricia’s favorite wipes of all time (for herself and Augustina) are the Honest wipes. They stay moist and don’t get stuck in the wipe warmer, making it easier for whoever is on diaper duty.

Paulina’s tip is Target Drive-up. It’s so much easier for her to load the girls in the car and get all of her items brought straight out to her car! Her other pick is the deep tissue percussion massager. If you’re keeping up with the podcast, you know she was injured a few weeks ago so she’s been focusing a lot on her recovery. Since she can’t go out to get a massage, she found this massager that’s really popular right now and has really helped her muscles after her workouts.

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!

Links

Follow Alicia Menendez on Instagram @aliciamenendezxo and Twitter @AliciaMenendez.

Listen to her podcast Latina to Latina with co-host Juleyka Lantigua-Williams and follow their podcast on Instagram @latinatolatina.

Buy her incredible book The Likeability Trap: How to Break Free and Succeed as You Are wherever books are sold.

Watch The Last Dance, the docuseries about Michael Jordan, on Netflix.