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 299: Revolutionizing the Gifting Experience For Our Kids with Elian Savodivker, founder of Nabu

Tired of gifting the same toys to kids? Our guest this week is super papá, Elian Savodivker, CEO and Co-Founder of Gift Nabü. Gift Nabu is a fun (and tactful) way to ask for swim lessons, zoo membership, dance classes, etc for your child’s birthday. Their goal is to increase access to incredible experiences for children who would otherwise be left out. He also talks about running the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative Education Scaling Program, where he met Paulina!

Before the episode, we also talk about our crazy experience at the 2022 Super Bowl! You’ll have to check out our recap video on Instagram too.

More about Elian: Elian Savodivker is the CEO and founder of Gift Nabü, a startup that is revolutionizing the gifts we give kids. Parents can create a birthday campaign for their child's birthday and share it with friends and family. Then, those friends and family can gift towards the campaign and the parent can book!

STEM, arts, and sports summer camps can be life changing experiences for kids, however they are often unaffordable for many families. With Gift Nabü’s collaborative gift giving. friends and family contribute toward the gift your child will never forget.

Apart from his work on Gift Nabü, Elian has helped hundreds of Latinx entrepreneurs through LBAN and the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative Education Scaling Program for which he has run since 2019.

Pick or Tip of the Week

Paulina’s tip this week is to READ THE REVIEWS before you purchase something on Amazon! She ordered some Valentine’s Day goodies for her daughters’ classmates off of Amazon and didn’t check the reviews as well as she should have. You’ll have to listen to the episode to listen to the major oops she almost gave to the classmates LOL - she was almost that mom.

Bricia is loving these cute shoes from Bobux for her daughter. They’re perfect for everyday wear!

LINKS

Learn more about Gift Nabü on their website. You can also follow them on Instagram @giftnabu and like the page on Facebook.

Can’t decide what experience is best for the little one you’re gifting? Let Nabü help! Check out their experience finder to help narrow down your choice of gift. Have a child's birthday coming up? Now you can onboard at giftnabu.com

A Few More Links…

The BEST Super Bowl Performance of All Time!

Am I the only person who expected an Eminem vs Slim Shady hologram to happen? #SuperBowl

— Bricia Lopez (@BriciaLopez) February 14, 2022

Episode 298: Finding the Funny in Life with stand up comedian, Aida Rodriguez

You know we love a good laugh and our latest guest is a pro at dishing them out! This week’s guest is stand up comedian, writer, producer actress and more, Aida Rodriguez. She’s the first Latina with an hour long comedy special on HBO Max and after this interview, we know exactly why she deserves it. From being “unhoused” with her children to shooting her comedy special during two hurricanes, talks about why we need to continue to lift up Latinx creators and why we don’t always have to be victims but can be victors. We also talk about funny moments, serious moments and she also reminds us that unless we have a healthy mental headspace, we will not see success in our lives. Aida has so many great projects coming down the pipeline (starting with her special that’s out on HBOMax now); she is serious, funny and a seriously funny mama that we will absolutely be having on the show again soon! 

More about Aida Rodriguez: Aida Rodriguez is a Comedian, Writer, and Actor. Lauded by Esquire Magazine as “raucously funny,” she has become a favorite with fans and critics alike. With her first hour standup special set to premiere, her own TV series in development, both at HBO Max, and a deal for an animated series with ITV, Aida is bound for the comedy stratosphere.

In November 2021, Aida’s first hour standup special Fighting Words premiered on HBO Max. In the special, the comedian takes to the stage to address today’s audiences about cancel-culture and the social issues of the day, not just because they’re ripped from the headlines, but because they are in the pages torn out of her personal life. Additionally, Rodriguez is developing her own half hour comedy series with HBO Max based on her own incredible life story, which includes surviving two kidnappings, sexual abuse, and a period of homelessness. Co-written and Executive Produced by Rodriguez, Chris Case (Showtime’s Flatbush Misdemeanors) and Nastaran Dibai (Netflix’s Dear White People), the project examines the struggle of a comedian (Rodriguez) who is trying to kick start a career while raising two very different teenagers on her own over multiple time zones. It is an uplifting story of survival and triumph in the face of a darkly funny Miami inner-city upbringing, where she learned skills that allowed her to thrive and endure. In addition to her HBO Max projects, she is developing an animated series with ITV.

In 2020, Aida headlined the HBO LatinX standup special Entrenos while also appearing in Showtime’s Shaquille O'Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam, one of only four women to have performed on the series in its 15 seasons. Prior to that, she had her own half hour special on Netflix’s hit comedy series They Ready, Executive Produced by Tiffany Haddish and Wanda Sykes. In reviews Decider gushed that the special “will have you laughing, crying and begging for more” and Esquire Magazine declared “This is Rodriguez's genius—using comedy to turn pain into progress, to give voice to the voiceless, and to laugh instead of cry.”

In addition to her TV projects, Aida was handpicked by director Taylor Hackford for his feature film “The Comedian” starring Robert De Niro. She is also the five-time host of PBS’ Imagen Awards, which recognizes and rewards creative excellence of Latinos in television and film. She is a guest writer for Buzzfeed as well as a regular Commentator on the popular online progressive political talk show The Young Turks. Rodriguez hosts her own podcast, Truth Serum, which is an interactive weekly wrap up show covering the week’s hottest topics, where inclusivity and diversity are a standard, not an initiative.

A longtime favorite on the standup circuit, Aida was a finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing and has been featured on several comedy fan-favorite TV series, including Comedy Central’s This Week at the Comedy Cellar, HBO’s Pause with Sam Jay, and TBS’ Tournament of Laughs. She tours the country performing her distinct brand of poignant and insightful comedy to sold out audiences, inviting her longtime fans to laugh hard, think hard, and feel hard.

Our Conversation with Aida

New Year’s Resolutions

All about Aida

How she got started in stand up comedy

Aida’s HBOMax special - Fighting Words

Her joke writing process

Where Aida finds her strength

Trauma Bonding and Mental Health

Pick or tip of the week

Paulina is late to the game but glue dots! They are so great for crafts because she stick everywhere and come off. She used them this week for the girl's’ Valentine’s Day crafts and they used them last year for their sister Liz’s bachelorette party.

In case you didn’t know, Bricia loves coffee. She and her husband stumbled upon Mariposa Coffee Company in Yosemite last year and now have a subscription. Every morning she grinds fresh beans and puts them in her french press. She gets the Mariposa Morning blend and Mariposa Blueberry and she loves them both!

LINKS

For more information go to www.FunnyAida.com

Follow Aida on Instagram and Twitter - @FunnyAida

Aida and her children recommend the book, Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty

Episode 297: Keeping It Real with the Super Mamas: Damn Loca, Where You Been?

Surprise! We’re back after a much needed break.

No, we weren’t fighting 🤣🤣In all honesty, we needed to let the podcast take a backseat while we focused on the restuarnt, our families and especially our mental health. We felt we needed to recharge because 2021 was more difficult than 2020 in a sense - we were dealing with the aftermath of the beginning of the decade. Our family’s restaurant and other businesses needed more of our attention, and we couldn’t dedicate as much time as we wanted to the podcast. So we both did some reflecting and thought about what we really wanted out this community we’ve created.

And you know what? That hiatus worked. We’re refreshed and know exactly where we’re taking our little podcast project. So sit back and catch up with us as we explain where we’re at in our lives and where we’re taking you next. Super Mamas, let’s do this!

GEMS 💎 from this episode

I had a choice. Do I sit back and wait for life happen to me? Or say okay I have to do something because I don’t want to live my life like this anymore. - Paulina

I needed to learn, I needed to grow and now I’m here. - Paulina

The more you grow and the more you put yourself in situations that make you uncomfortable, thats where growth happens. - Bricia

As you grow you have to deal with the demons that are inside of you. - Bricia

When we get stuck doing something we don’t like, more often than not its just based off other peoples expectations. - Bricia

It’s important that the decisions that you make aren’t based on others expectations, but are based on your inner reflections and what you choose to do for yourself and what’s best for you in that moment. Not let other peoples opinions drive you because that could be the end of your mental health. - Bricia

Pick or Tip of the Week

Paulina’s pick is the show Never Have I Ever on Netflix. It’s the cutest show and it’s a good introduction to what teenage years could be like for any parents who are about to be there, like Pau. 

Speaking about shows of high school kids, we’re still very into Euphoria - but these are two different high school experiences and definitely not a show for kids.

Bricia’s pick this week is also a show. The Sex Life of College Girls created by Mindy Kaling. Another show that isn’t for kids (I think we’re starting to see a theme here LOL) but more great prep for parents whose kids are going to college soon.

LINKS

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz

Check out our previous interview with Victor Pierantoni, Paulina & Bricia’s life coach

Bricia also talks about Viome, a microbiome gut health test. You send in a few samples to learn what food you should avoid, what to minimize and what are your super foods and things to enjoy. You also get suggested supplements best on your results. Bricia was shocked at her results but is going to try it out for the next six months to see if she can feel any changes. This is not sponsored, just something she wanted to try. Please talk to your doctor for personalized medical advice.

Episode 296: Representation Matters in Children’s Television, a chat with with Sonia Manzano, creator of PBS’ Alma’s Way

We have a Latina television icon on the show! We interview actress & writer, Sonia Manzano, AKA Maria from Sesame Street. This super mama has over 40 years experience bringing quality television to children & families on Sesame Street, and now she’s helping teach even more heartfelt lessons through her new PBS show, Alma’s Way. Together we talk about the importance of representation and why age appropriate TV will teach children lessons they’ll carry for life.

More about Sonia: Sonia Manzano is a first-generation American of Latino descent who has affected the lives of millions of parents and children since the early 1970s, when she was offered an opportunity to play “Maria” on Sesame Street.

Manzano was raised in the South Bronx where her involvement in the arts was inspired by teachers who encouraged her to audition for the High School of Performing Arts. She was accepted there and began her career as an actress. A scholarship took her to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and in her junior year, she came to New York to star in the original production of the off-Broadway show Godspell. Within a year, Manzano joined the production of Sesame Street, where she eventually began writing scripts for the series. She was thrilled to help write the story line for “Maria’s” marriage and birth of “Maria’s” baby, played for a while by Manzano’s real-life daughter Gabriela.

Manzano has performed on the New York stage in the critically acclaimed theater pieces The Vagina Monologues and The Exonerated and Love Loss and What I Wore.

Movies include Deathwish, Follow That Bird and Elmo in Grouchland.

She is an advisor for literary NY institution Symphony Space and is often a reader for Selected Shorts. She regularly reads for their adult literacy program All-Write.

She has written for the Peabody Award-winning children’s series, Little Bill, and has written a parenting column for the Sesame Workshop web site called Talking Out Loud. Her children’s book, No Dogs Allowed! published by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing in 2004. In 2005 General Mills selected No Dogs Allowed! for their Spoonfuls of Stories series. Over one million copies of No Dogs Allowed! were given away in cereal boxes courtesy of General Mills.

Her first young adult novel entitled The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano, published by Scholastic was a Pura Belpre Honor.  Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx, is a memoir published by Scholastic, 8/25/2015. Miracle on 133rd Street is a picture book published by Simon and Schuster, 9/25/2015.

She enjoys traveling the country giving comedic speeches with substance. 

More about Alma’s Way: Inspired by Manzano’s own childhood, ALMA’S WAY centers on 6-year-old Alma Rivera, a proud, confident Puerto Rican girl who lives in the Bronx along with her parents, Mami and Papi; younger brother, Junior; her Abuelo; and their lovable little dog, Chacho. In every episode, Alma speaks directly to young viewers with asides and her “Think Through” moments, where she stops, thinks, and processes. She models optimism and determination, showing that if she puts her mind to a problem, she can figure it out. Young viewers will tag along with Alma as she learns to speak up for herself, make tough decisions, figure out how to help friends, and so much more. Infused with Manzano’s humor and grounded in a social and emotional curriculum, the series will give children ages 4-6 the tools to find their own answers, express what they think and feel, and recognize and respect the unique perspective of others. 

“The stories on ALMA’S WAY are designed to help kids learn to think for themselves and take into consideration the perspectives of those around them,” said Ellen Doherty, Chief Creative Officer, Fred Rogers Productions. “As Alma thinks things through, she models self-advocacy, empathy and social awareness. She’s a smart kid with a big heart — we hope young viewers will think she’s way, way, way fun to watch!”

Each episode showcases different aspects of Latino cultures through language, food, music, and customs. All viewers will see how other families are both alike and different from their own. Music is the “backbeat” of the series and includes traditional Puerto Rican styles like Plena, Bomba, and salsa along with other Latino genres such as Cuban son and Colombian cumbia. The original theme song, written and produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Bill Sherman, is performed by Flaco Navaja and Summer Rose Castillo, who plays Alma. The series music is composed by Asher Lenz, Stephen Skratt, and Fabiola M. Mendez. The series will be available for viewers in both English and Spanish on all PBS KIDS platforms.

LINKS

You can watch Alma’s Way on PBS stations - check your local listings - and streaming for free on PBS Kids.

Episode 295: Keeping It Real with the Super Mamas: A Catch Up Session

We’re back from a long hiatus! We recorded this episode earlier this month but honestly, mom life and work life has gotten the best of us so we’re barely publishing now. The end of the year is always a time for us so we have a lot of updates! Between our kids celebrating Halloween, celebrating milestone birthdays for Krista and Paulina, plus Día de Muertos and family changes, there is so much going on in our lives. We’re so excited to be back recording new episodes and we promise we have more things coming your way! We couldn’t stay away any longer - we missed our sisters! Come catch up with us! 

Super Mama Lesson of the Week

Sometimes we can mean something but the other person may receive it a certain way. It’s not about you it’s about them. - Bricia 

Episode 294: Breathing Anxiety Away, a Conversation with Breath Work Coach, Ana Lilia

Breathing is something we do naturally, without giving it a thought, but what happens when you breath on purpose, when you do it properly? According to Ana Lilia a certified breath work coach, teacher and healer, it can literally change your life.  Ana Lilia specializes in managing anxiety, unique stress, fears and overwhelm amidst world affairs and in this episode she shares with us all the benefits and techniques that  she uses with her clients through guided breathwork, meditation and visualization exercises that can help us deal with all of these feelings regularly.  Make sure you take note and remember to be kind to yourself and  just breath Super Mama! 

More about Ana Lilia: Ana Lilia is a certified breathwork teacher and healer leading thousands of people to intimately connect with their breath as a pathway for transformation. Ana channels her intuition and seamlessly blends active breathwork, intuitive guidance, and curated music to create personalized and healing journeys. Ana specializes in managing anxiety with her exclusive 7 day Breathwork for Anxiety program where she offers a combination of guided breathwork meditations, visualization exercises, and intentional journaling. She also leads a weekly “Community Gathering” to help individuals manage the unique stress, fears, and overwhelm amidst the global pandemic. 

Ana regularly facilitates breathwork experiences within corporations and on behalf of leading brands, including Hyundai, Columbia Records, USC, Recording Academy and American Heart Association. She has led sessions at WeAllGrow Latina, the country’s largest conference for Latina creators and entrepreneurs, and at wellness retreats in Los Angeles and Peru. Her work has been featured on NBC Nightly News with Lestor Holt, BravoTV, Los Angeles Times, Harper's Bazaar and more.

Episode 293: Venting with the Super Mamas- My kid got into a fight at school, Am I a bad mom?

This week we have a venting Session with the Super Mamás, Paulina got a phone call from school saying one of her daughters got into a fight at school and immediately the Mom Guilt kicked in, Is it my fault? Am I doing something wrong? Am I a bad mom? When our kids do something considered bad, we immediately start blaming ourselves as parents, but is it really our fault? How can we divide our time and attention to all of our kids needs when haven multiple kids, and trying to balance work and life at the same time? Is there really a right answer to this? What do you think?

Episode 292: Bringing Good to The Hood through Holistic Wellness with Dani Solorio from Compton Health Bar

This week is all about feeling good inside and out! We got to chat with the amazing Dani Solorio, a renowned herbalist, Certified Nutrition Health Coach and founder of Compton Health Bar, a Holistic wellness space in Compton California. Dani's mission to bring Good to the Hood has become a movement that gives people in the community more access to Holistic practices to improve physical and emotional health. We talk about the ways that herbalism can help us deal with stress related issues as well as many other health issues affecting womxn today. Dani is a reminder to all of us that nature is there to nurture us inside and out.

More about Dani Solorio: Continuing the family traditions of generations of healers, Dani Solorio is a renowned herbalist and the founder of Compton Heath Bar, an holistic wellness space in Compton, California. She is also the residential herbalist for Telemundo’s Acceso Total.
Driven by her mission to bring health to the hood, Dani helps people reconnect to ancestral healing practices through her all-natural herbal remedies. She is at the forefront of the wellness movement in Compton, California, as well as for LGBTQIA+ and the Latinx community across the country.
Dani was born in Zacápu, Michoacán, Mexico and arrived in the United States at age six. As an undocumented student, Dani’s entreprenural journey began early when she realized that college was not an option. After working in warehouses and restaurants for years, she saved up enough money to open her first business, a small video store. As her business grew, so did her drive to open up one of the only natural medicine stores in Compton, California. Since 2012, Compton Health Bar has been nourishing the BIPOC community and celebrating traditional herbalism and healing practices.
Dani and her movement to make holistic health more accessible have been featured in a mini-documentary by BESE, along with dozens of features in CBS, PBS, Found/LA, Los Angeles Business Journal, Voyage LA, LatinX, and numerous podcasts.

Episode 291: Changing the Conversation in Fashion with Diversity and Representation with Karla Martinez de Salas, Editor in Chief of Vogue MX & Vogue Latin America

Karla Martínez de Salas is a twin mama and Editor in Chief of Vogue MX & Vogue Latin America. We talk about her journey in fashion, traveling the world and working at different magazines before landing in Mexico City, where she now works at Vogue. Karla is changing the industry by featuring people of different skin tones, backgrounds, body shapes and more in the magazine. She does this not only for her young daughters, but for all people who deserve & are grateful for representation.

More about Karla Martinez de Salas: Karla is editor-in-chief of Vogue Mexico and Vogue Latin America. She began her career as an assistant at American Vogue and became an associate fashion editor in 2002, collaborating with renowned Vogue staffers including Grace Coddington, Tonne Goodman, Camilla Nickerson, and Phyllis Posnick. From 2005 to 2010, Martínez de Salas was the fashion director for T The New York Times Style Magazine, where she covered fashion, interior design, art, and travel. At Interview magazine, she took on fashion direction, specializing in photography and design, and then became the fashion and accessories director of W magazine. In 2016, she became the editor-in-chief of Vogue Mexico and Latin America and, since then, she has spearheaded new alliances in the market. She has been interviewed by major publications such as El Heraldo Mexico and The Business of Fashion New York and Spain, where she has explored her expertise as an opinion leader in the direction of the fashion and luxury industry. She has also appeared on television and radio, where she has shared her achievements and projects.

Martínez de Salas' work for Vogue Mexico and Latin America was honored by Mexico's Fashion Digital Awards for best editorial content, and she was recently included in the BoF U.S. list of the top 500 international fashion leaders. Rather than feature the same light-skinned models and global celebrities as her sister titles, de Salas broke new ground in 2018, when she put the indigenous actress Yalitza Aparicio on the cover, not to mention the striking Mendoza sisters (three generations of Oaxacan tortilla makers), and has continued to celebrate the diversity and depth of the country that she proudly calls home. She continues to reflect her extensive knowledge in the publication of each issue of Vogue Mexico and Latin America and enriches the presence of the "Fashion Bible" in this growing region. Martínez de Salas is also part of Project Paz, a nonprofit organization headquartered in New York, whose goal is to create extracurricular activities for low-income children in Ciudad Juarez to promote peace.

She is a mom to twin girls.

Episode 290: Keeping It Real with the Super Mamas: Mastering New Skills & Back to In-Person School

How is summer break almost over?! This week we are catching up with each other since our kids have been so busy at summer camp, which they’ve loved. We talk about the relationships they made during camp and new skills - like singing, piano lessons and skateboarding - they’re picking up & thriving in. By the way, did you know it takes 10k hours to master a skill? Lastly we’re dropping some special gems during this week’s pick of the week, so turn your speakers up!

Pick or Tip of the Week

Bricia’s pick this week is a podcast that’s she’s been obsessing over called My First Million. One episode in particular, with Codie Sanchez, has been the reason for the shift in her mindset to create more opportunities for herself. She’s thinking big instead of staying inside the box. Check out the episode linked here and let us know what you think about it!

Of course Paulina’s pick has to be about going back to school! Every school year, the teachers at Paulina’s daughters’ school create school supplies lists. This school year we’ve partnered with Amazon and joined their #ClearTheList movement. Amazon will help the #ClearTheLists for these education heroes across the country by purchasing products from their Amazon Wish Lists that they most need and want ahead of this school year. And you can help too! Whether you’re fulfilling a list for one of your loved ones or just doing a good deed to help a stranger out, you know we’ll always encourage our Super Mamas community to help a sister. This is such a feel good campaign, and we love to see students & teachers benefit from it!

For more info on this campaign and how you can create your own Amazon Wish List, check out our latest Instagram post - and yes, there is a giveaway!

Links

Eduardo, the Beyblade Collector, has the coolest setup like these tops and stadium.

Watch Volume 2 of Song Exploders on Netflix to check out Dua Lipa’s voice. It’s the vibe we get when we listen to Sabina sing.

We also talk about how long it takes to master a skill, which is apparently 10,000 hours. I guess we’ll work on our skills one hour a day for the next 30 years. 😂

Episode 289: Eating Good Food & Feeling Even Better: the Mind-Gut Connection with Dr. Emeran Mayer

We all know that when we eat good food we feel good, but what does that have to do with our mind? 🤔🧠Gastroenterologist & author Dr. Emeran Mayer has had a career long interest in the brain-gut connection, and in this episode he tells us about the complex signals that go from your brain to your gut when you eat. We also talk about fasting, the connection between food & stress, how we can change our eating habits for a healthy mind & gut and SO much more. This episode will make you think twice about the food you’re putting in your body… and maybe make you a little hungry too. 

More about Dr. Emeran Mayer: Dr. Mayer is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Executive Director of the G Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress & Resilience and Founding Director of the UCLA Brain Gut Microbiome Center. 

He has been one of the pioneers in the science and practice of brain gut microbiome interactions with applications in a wide range of diseases in gastrointestinal, psychiatric and neurological disorders. He has published more than 388 scientific papers and co-edited 3 scientific books. He is the recipient of the 2016 David McLean award from the American Psychosomatic Society and the 2017 Ismar Boas Medal from the German Society of Gastroenterology and Metabolic Disease.  His current research interest is focused on the role of brain gut microbiome interactions in human diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, autism spectrum disorders, obesity and inflammatory bowel disease.

In addition to his academic interests, Mayer has a longstanding interest in ancient healing traditions and affords them a level of respect rarely found in Western Medicine.  He has been involved in documentary film productions about the Yanomami people in the Orinoco region of Venezuela, and the Asmat people in Irian Jaya.  He has recently co produced the award winning documentary “In Search of Balance” and is working on a new documentary “Interconnected Planet”. He is a strong believer in Buddhist philosophy, was a member of the UCLA Zen Center for several years, and got married in a Tibetan monastery by Choekyi Nyima Rinpoche in Kathmandu.  He regularly pursues meditative practices.

He has spoken at UCLA TEDx on the Mysterious Origins of Gut Feelings in 2015 and have been interviewed on National Public Radio, PBS and by many national and international media outlets including the Los Angeles and New YorkTimes, Atlantic magazine and Stern and Spiegel Online. He is the author of the 2016 bestselling book The Mind Gut Connection published by Harper&Collins and translated in 16 languages

In his upcoming book, The Gut Immune Connection, Mayer proposes a radical, unifying concept about the chronic disease epidemic we are finding ourselves in.  He discusses how changes in our diet, lifestyle and the way we interact with the world during the last 75 years have led to a profound dysregulation of the community of trillions of microbes living in our gut, resulting in a progressive chronic activation of our immune system.  This aberrant immune system activation is emerging as the root cause of our current epidemic of interrelated chronic diseases affecting every part of our body. In addition, it makes us more vulnerable to viral pandemics. He uses the One Health concept to explain the intricate interconnectedness between the microbes living in our gut, in the soil, the health of our plants and our own health. He proposes a solution to the chronic disease epidemic, which emphasizes the implementation of major lifestyle changes, and focuses on a radically different approach not only to our diet but to the world.

Dr. Emeran’s Top Tips for a Healthy Mind & Gut

• Time restricted eating is the best lifestyle change you can make. It will clear the acid and bacteria from your gut overnight. This can also be achieved with fasting.

• In terms of food - a largely plant based diet that is minimally processed and includes fresh fruits and vegetables make a big difference.

  • Beans are one of the healthiest foods. They are high in fiber and protein content.

  • Reduce your intake of red meat and fat, and increase the amount of fruits and veggies. This plus the time restricted eating will help you feel a difference in your mind and gut.

• Avoid situations where you don’t realize what you’re eating. For example: eating while commuting, road trip junk food, etc.

• Quantities of food make a big difference. Be mindful of portion sizes.

Links

Learn more about Dr. Emeran Mayer on his website - EmeranMayer.com.

Follow him on social media: @emeranmayer on Instagram, @emeranamayer on Facebook and Twitter and YouTube.com/EmeranMayerMD.

You can purchase both of his books, The Mind-Gut Connection and The Gut-Immune Connection on his website or anywhere books are sold.

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

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 287: Taking Care of the Family Business with McDonald’s Franchisees Lisa De Bono & Jenny Briones

Talk about a parallel universe! This has never happened to us, but for this week’s episode we interview two mamas who are not just sisters but also business partners & restaurant owners! Lisa De Bono and Jenny Briones are owners & operators of local Los Angeles and Orange counties McDonald’s restaurants. In this interview, we bond over the ins & outs of running a family business as well as the blessings & boundaries that come with working with family. These sisters have so much love for the community and they truly love what they do. It’s like they say: “We have ketchup running through their veins!”

More about Jenny & Lisa: Lisa De Bono & Jenny Briones are moms, sisters and 3rd generation McDonald’s Franchisees. They operate eight McDonald’s restaurants in LA and Orange Counties with their mother, Isabelle Villasenor and Jenny’s husband, Aaron Briones. 

They grew up in the McDonald’s family as their grandparents got into the business in 1968 and their mother becoming an owner/operator in 1981. Throughout their high school days at Mater Dei High School, they worked together in the restaurants during holidays and summers. Lisa says, “No matter who you are or where you came from, McDonald’s is the perfect first job.  You learn the basics of any business, from customer service to ‘the bottom line’ and simple practices like teamwork and responsibility.”

Their mother, Isabelle, always insisted on education first. In 1992, Lisa graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and an emphasis in Business Administration.  She continued to be involved in the McDonald’s business while working for UCLA Campus Events and holding an internship at a literary agency.  Upon graduation, Lisa accepted a position as the literary agent’s assistant. 

In 1994, Jenny graduated from the USC with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and pursued her dreams of a career in McDonald’s.  “As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a McDonald’s Owner/Operator.  It was evident early on that I had ‘ketchup in my veins.’”

Jenny trained as a manager in the Cypress restaurant and graduated from Hamburger University in 1995.  Jenny received the McDonald’s Outstanding Store Manager Award in 1996.  In 1997, she was promoted to General Manager and shortly thereafter she became Supervisor.  That same year, Jenny completed the McDonald’s Next Generation Program and was officially recognized as a McDonald’s Owner Operator.  

In 1993, after a conversation with her mother about the McDonald’s business and realizing she was more stimulated by “McDonald’s talk” than her current business, Lisa changed focus and began the McDonald’s Management Development Program.  Lisa trained as a manager in the Artesia restaurant and graduated from Hamburger University in 1995.  That same year Lisa received the McDonald’s Outstanding Store Manager Award for her accomplishments at the John Wayne Airport McDonald’s restaurants.  In 1996, she was promoted to General Manager and in 1997 she became Supervisor.  Also in April 1997, Lisa completed the McDonald’s Next Generation Program and was officially recognized as a McDonald’s Owner Operator.  

Although Covid has changed the way they engage with the community, the sisters continue to be a support to the nearby communities and constantly promote and connect with local schools, churches and sports organizations.  They look forward to the day when they can to advocate for children through programs such as McTeacher’s Nights, Feeding Healthy Families nutritional workshops, Open Doors, Family Day and Coffee with a Cop. 

Today, Lisa and Jenny run the restaurants with their mother and Jenny’s husband. They relish in the challenges & rewards, as well as appreciate and enjoy carrying on the tradition of a family business. Jenny is married to her Mater Dei High School sweetheart, Aaron, and is the proud mom of Jake (21) Michael (19) and Sara Isabelle (15). Lisa and her husband, Paul, are blessed with their children Anthony (22) and Joshua (20).

A Special Donation from McDonald’s, Lisa & Jenny on behalf of the Super Mamas

As moms, organizations that prioritize mothers and families are very near and dear to us. When McDonald’s offered to make a donation on our behalf to an organization of our choice, the first program we thought of was My Safe Harbor. My Safe Harbor’s mission is to strengthen families by empowering and equipping mothers. They accomplish this by creating programs like the Mother’s Club, where moms can enjoy friendship, skill-building, and learning together. They also offer enrichments electives, which offer an opportunity for mothers to dive deeper into relevant topics and skills. Elective classes are held once a week for 2-4 weeks and cover a range of topics from sewing and cooking to building self-esteem and parenting.

This organization is incredible in the work that it performs and the resources they provide for the community. The Super Mamas, Lisa and Jenny are honored to make this donation to My Safe Harbor!

You can learn more about the community and how you can help at MySafeHarbor.org.

Episode 286: Putting in Work & Learning to Stand After Life Has Knocked You Down with Rosie Rivera

Another super mama alumnus is back on the show this week - Rosie Rivera! This mama is an entrepreneur, podcast host and recently released another book, “God Is Your Defender” that we’re adding to our collection ASAP. We talk to Rosie about learning to let go of feelings of resentment & revenge for our own internal healing and putting all our faith & trust in God. She also tells us about recognizing when it’s time work on ourselves on our own, when to work with someone you trust or even reach out to a professional. Rosie’s strength and light really radiates when she speaks, and we hope you can feel it transcend through your speakers! 

More about Rosie: A businesswoman, television personality, and social media influencer, Rosie Rivera is one of the most influential and inspirational Latinas in the world. She co-hosts The Power of Us, a marriage podcast, with her husband, Abel Flores; is the mother of three children; has authored five books; has appeared on reality shows such as I Love Jenni, The Riveras, Mira Quien Baila, and Rica, Famosa, Latina; is involved in her family’s Christian outreach ministry; and carries out her sister’s mission of helping single mothers find affordable housing, shelter and treatment for abuse through the Jenni Rivera Love Foundation. Rosie has also worked closely with Telemundo to develop a series based on her sister’s life story, Jenni Rivera: Mariposa de Barrio (a chart-topper on Netflix) and is the founder of Sister Samalia, an organization that helps to restore and uplift women who have been victims of sexual abuse, human trafficking, drugs and domestic violence in Latin America so that they can experience God’s healing, as she has.

About the book: Businesswoman, television personality, and survivor Rosie Rivera shares how to lean on God as defender in the midst of life’s hurts and wounds while also grappling with the strong desire for justice and retaliation.

Revenge is one of our deepest instincts. When we have been hurt or when something has been stolen from us, whether that be our innocence or our good name or a loved one, the desire to retaliate is irresistible. But is it the right response of a follower of Jesus?

As a survivor herself, Rosie Rivera has walked in this tension, a sojourner in the search for healing and wholeness in the light of horrific wrongs. She has wrestled the desire to defend herself, her reputation, and her family while also wanting to let God be her Defender.

God Is Your Defender is about understanding the motives behind your thoughts and behaviors toward those who have wronged you. It is about the conditions you might have put on forgiveness. It is about fighting the urge to take over instead of trusting God. It is about learning how to truly rest in the Lord as the One who defends you and actively abiding in his peace.

Backed by biblical examples and personal stories, Rosie guides you to a place of healing as you:

• Learn the difference between a vengeful spirit and a heart of advocacy

• Stop the self-destructive cycle of the desire for revenge

• Discern effectively when to take a righteous stand and when to stand back and let God defend you

• Experience how to move from an “eye for an eye” mentality to an “I for an I” by exchanging “I am hurt” for “I am healing”

• Let go of the pain of the past without ignoring what happened

God Is Your Defender equips you to respond to hurtful situations, from the most minor to some of the most difficult, from a place of empowerment and peace.

Gems from this week’s episode

“God will speak to you and be like, ‘CHILL.’” - Rosie

“Whenever we get hurt, it’s really hard to let go.” - Paulina

“It’s hard to let God be our defender because we want it our way.” - Rosie

“I love when God speaks to me through my kids.” - Rosie

“I went from victim to victorious.” - Rosie 

Rosie’s Tips for Putting in the Work

• Go to a professional. Rosie goes to counseling at least once a year. Know in your process of the work when is the moment to do it by yourself, when to do it with someone else, when to do it with a professional.

• Be vulnerable. You’re going to be embarrassed but the love, caring and patience your trusted loved one will give you is a tremendous tool in healing.

• Know where you are. Is it time to talk to a professional, your husband, your mom? You have to know where you are in the process and know when the time is right.

REMEMBER : Work can look different and it will change. Different mechanisms can work at different times.

Links

Rosie’s new book is out now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, available at Christian book stores and even by audiobook in Spanish and English! 

Join millions of others following her journey on social media: Facebook @RosieRiveraOfficial, Instagram @RosieRivera, Twitter @SoyRosieRivera and YouTube. Also follow her on Tiktok @SoyRosieRivera.

Listen to Rosie & Abel’s podcast - The Power of Us, a marriage podcast

Bonus Episode: A Boss Baby Movie Interview with Boss Lady, Eva Longoria

Surprise! It’s a bonus episode!

We have an incredible interview with boss lady & super mama, Eva Longoria! She stars in the new movie, “Boss Baby: Family Business” and she talks about her mom life, letting kids be creative and how she used her super mama experience to help her get into character for her role. She’s basically dropping all the gems & life lessons that we normally have in an hour long podcast in our mini bonus episode.

Plus we recap our own experience back at the movies with our own private showing of the #BossBaby movie! Have you gone back to the movies yet? What has your experience been like?

You can watch

The Boss Baby: Family Business

this Friday, only in theaters and streaming on Peacock Premium.

EPISODE 285: Keeping it Real with the Super Mamas: I Think I fell In Love with Camping

This summer is already shaping up to be a busy one! Paulina is back from her camping trip and she’s sharing all the tips she picked up, the items that made the difference in her trip and what she should have left behind. Also huge thank you to everyone who messaged us their camping gear recommendations! Between days at the restaurant, shuttling kids to summer camp and going on trips, we are super focused on creating lasting memories with our families after last year indoors. Who’s joining us?! 

Episode 284: Introducing Your Baby to Real World Concepts with Jessica Rolph, Co-founder of Lovevery

Summer is here and we’re ready to play! This week we interview Jessica Rolph, cofounder and CEO of Lovevery, a stage-based play product company. We have been big fans of the brand for a while now with Bricia loving the sustainable, organic toys for Augustina and Paulina using the older stage toys for Zixta. In this episode, we learn that Jessica began her entrepreneurial journey with her first company, Happy Family, before moving over to the play space & Lovevery, where she has continued to expand her love of child development. We also talk about the power of observing your baby trying to understand the world & why it’s so important that they fail, even at a young age. Finally, Jessica shares a few of her favorite lessons for future entrepreneurs. 

More about Jessica: Jessica Rolph is Cofounder and CEO of Lovevery. Prior to Lovevery, Jessica was the Cofounder and COO of Happy Family, helping to launch, build and lead Happy Family to its position as a top organic baby and toddler brand in the US. Happy Family was acquired by Group Danone in 2013. 

Jessica also co-founded the Climate Collaborative , a non-profit organization helping companies in the natural products industry take meaningful steps to reverse climate change. She is an Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow and was awarded the Park Leadership Fellowship, graduating from Cornell’s Johnson School in 2004. Jessica also holds a BA from Cornell University, where she graduated cum laude.

Jessica and her husband, Decker, live in Boise, Idaho and are parents to Beatrice, Thacher and Leland.

A few lessons for Future Entreprenuers from Jessica Rolph

• When you have an idea, it becomes your baby. Some people will understand your concept and others won’t, and that’s okay.

• Separate your emotions from doing the work.

• You can’t learn unless you put one foot in front of the other.

Quotes by Jessica

“A child’s learning environment is you.”

“By doing, ideas will become.”

“I can’t be it all. So I tell myself the mess and clutter is okay. I’m grateful for my friend that are still there.”

Links

Shop Lovevery’s play kits at lovevery.com and learn more about their new Spanish book sets here. You can also sign up for their email newsletter (available to anyone, not just subscribers!) for a weekly email series of FREE resources!

Bricia also mentions the RIE parenting method. Check out our older episodes about the RIE philosophy here and here.

Episode 283: How to Help Close the Financial Gap For Latinos with Beatriz Acevedo, CEO & Co-Founder of SUMA Wealth

Is it more money, more problems or less money, more problems? This week we interview another podcast alumni, Beatriz Acevedo. Her latest startup SUMA Wealth was founded with the vision of closing the Latinx wealth gap by providing financial education via in-culture content, fintech tools, and digital experiences, all in a highly engaging wealth-building digital platform. We discuss the top tips for saving right now, financial resources provided by the startup and so much more. 

BTW … You can check out our previous episode with Beatriz by clicking here. We cover how she got her start in media, her multicultural family and our favorite topic: #MOMGUILT.

More about Beatriz: Beatriz Acevedo is one of the leading inspirational voices and Latina entrepreneurs in the United States. She has dedicated her career to empowering and opening doors for the next generation of Latino leaders.

Beatriz started her career in media at a young age, first on radio and later on television. Her work earned her three Emmys, one MTV Music Award, and a Media Correspondent Award, among others. She later became a tech media entrepreneur as the Co-Founder and President of mitú, the leading digital media brand for young Latinos in the U.S. Under her leadership, she went on to raise $50M in funding, led by some of the most successful venture capital groups in California. The mentorship initiatives that she created through her Accelerator Program, have also provided invaluable access to the next generation of multicultural storytellers, with an emphasis on female leadership. Beatriz's expertise has been to create content at the intersection of media, technology, and social impact.

Beatriz is a passionate and sought after speaker who enjoys discussions around diversity as good business, female leadership, and the economic impact of Latinos in America. Additionally, she sits on numerous boards and advisory committees.

Beatriz recently co-founded and co-chairs LA Collab, a Hollywood initiative aimed at doubling Latino representation in Hollywood, both in front and behind the camera by 2030. Her latest startup SUMA Wealth was founded with the vision of closing the Latinx wealth gap by providing financial education via in-culture content, fintech tools, and digital experiences, all in a highly engaging wealth-building digital platform.

Beatriz resides in Santa Monica, CA with her husband, an entertainment veteran and mitú co-founder Doug Greiff. Both are proud parents to bicultural and bilingual teenage twins, Isabela and Diego.

Top Financial Tips from Beatriz

1. You have to have an emergency savings / fund - whatever works for you and whatever you feel comfortable with.

2. Budget - watch your money come in & out. You really need to know what you have and what you can spend. There’s a budgeting app coming to the SUMA Wealth toolkit, but in the mean time Beatriz recommends checking out free apps like Mint which also work really well! You can also check out these budgeting articles on SUMA Wealth’s website:

   • Basic Tracking Budget

   • Things They Didn’t Teach You on Plaza Sesamo: How to Budget

3. Use community resources, like SUMA’s Dinero Toolkit with tools to help you decide if you should buy or rent a home, grow your savings and improve your credit.

LINKS

Follow Beatriz on Instagram: @beatrizacevedogreiff

Follow @wearesuma and @somossuma on Instagram and check out all the financial resources they offer on SumaWealth.com.

Episode 282: Reminiscing about the 4th Trimester aka New Mom Life with Grace Bastidas, Editor in Chief of Parents Latina

Another super mamas alumni is back for interview! This week we interview Grace Bastidas, Editor in chief of Parents Latina and Ser Padres. She tells us about her latest project as host of the podcast That New Mom Life, where she speaks with postpartum experts and real parents about the ups & downs of parenting (which we know all about 😉). Life as a new parent or with a newborn can be hard and isolating, and she reminds us as parents, we need to give ourselves grace and be nice to ourselves because we’re all just doing the best we can. 

More about Grace: Grace Bastidas (@brooklynwriter) is the founding editor in chief of Parents Latina, a bilingual magazine launched in 2015 that serves up culturally relevant content for today’s modern Latina mom. In January 2016, she was tapped to also oversee @serpadres, a cross-platform Spanish-language brand that has empowered and inspired parents for the past 26 years. A well-versed speaker and writer, Grace has contributed to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Travel + Leisure, among other media outlets. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and two young daughters, and serves on the Friends Board of the Good+ Foundation, which provides low-income parents with the necessary tools to maintain the health and safety of their children.

That New Mom Life Podcast

That New Mom Life, a new podcast from Parents Magazine, is here to hold your hand through those first bleary-eyed, isolating months of parenthood, when you’re not even sure what day it is. Each week, co-hosts Grace Bastidas, Editor-in-Chief of Parents Latina, and Desiree Fortin, mom of triplets and a newborn, share the mic with leading experts and fellow parents as they talk sleep deprivation, body changes, making mom friends, and more. No topic is off-limits! For more information visit parents.com/newmompodcast.

Topics featured on the podcast:

The first 24 hours of parenthood

Lactation and formula feeding

The emotional ups and downs

Sleep deprivation

Mom friends

How to stay in the moment

Body changes

How to share the parenting load

Establishing routines

Preparing for what’s next

Listen to That New Mom Life podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere podcasts are available.

Pick or Tip of the Week

Paulina recently traveled to Hawaii with her family and knew she needed some new, little games to keep her kids entertained. She found these magnetic games from the Purple Cow store that are perfect for the car, in her purse or on the plane because everything stays together in the case.

Bricia has been loving two shows: 1. Halston, a limited series on Netflix about fashion designer, Roy Halston (this show is for grown-ups ONLY 😬) and 2. Mythic Quest on Apple TV+. Does anyone else watch this, or is it just Bricia? LOL

LINKS

Follow Grace on Instagram - @brooklynwriter

Follow @parentslatina on Instagram and check out their website for tips on helping you raise healthy, happy multicultural kids who are rooted in your family's heritage even as they shape America's future.

Follow @serpadres on Instagram and check out their site for tips for Hispanic parents raising happy, healthy children in the U.S..