Transporting kids across the universe to create fun and original arts and crafts or introducing them to Fifi y los Floriguitos, a flower tot and her friends who inhabit a colorful garden, is all just in a day’s work.
Bilai Joa Silar, VP & Channel Director Discovery US Hispanic Networks & Discovery Kids Latin America, tells MCAE that viewer feedback like “with this show I learnt this, or this show makes a difference, my child learned this, we were able to have a moment together,” give her the greatest satisfaction. Bilai answered a few questions for our readers and shares her journey along with some words of wisdom:

What would you say are the key qualities you should possess in order to get ahead in your job/career?

It is funny because both of my nieces are in college and I try to give them advice. I tell them to do something they really enjoy. When you do something you love and feel passionate about it does not really feel like work. Another thing you need to do in order to get ahead, is be willing to take calculated risks and take responsibility for those risks. You cannot just play it safe.
I have never seen my career as that of a woman’s, a minority, a Cuban, or a Hispanic. I see it as that of a person who loves her job. It is not about gender or race.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome along your career?

Early on in my career, I was speaking with a former manager at a cocktail party and said to her, “I don’t think I could ever supervise an area that is not my expertise. If I am involved, I need to know how to do it”. I remember her response was, “that is not what is key. The key is to surround yourself with people who are really good at their job”. It took me a long time to feel comfortable not being the one who had full control. I have my area of expertise, which is programming, but I am not a marketer, a publicist, or an on air creative producer.

But in the role I am in now, I feel very comfortable managing the strategic vision for a network and delegating the work to the talented individuals that work with me. I’ve learned that as you grow professionally you get farther away from the day to day, and you have to trust the people around you more. I think working outside your comfort zone is certainly a lot easier when you work with really good people.

What are the factors in our professional life we control and what are the ones we don’t control and how do we manage the ones we don’t?

Everybody has their own philosophy. What I personally believe, and it has taken me where I am today, is centered on making sure that I am content and happy about what I am doing. If I do not enjoy my job then I need to walk away. That is just my personality. I think we need to make decisions not based solely on title and money but on the day to day job itself. There was a time in my life that I took a demotion in salary and it paid off more than I could ever have imagined. Why? Because I took a position I was really passionate about and it led me to greater opportunities in the long run.

Is there such a thing as life/career balance?

A couple of factors play into that. I think you have to prioritize what is more important to you: your family, your life, or your career. There is no such thing as total balance, but I think the only way to get closer to it is to have a really good support system. In my case, it is my husband and my family. I do not think it can ever be perfect, especially if you are a mother because once you are a mother you have guilt, no matter what you do. Whether you are a stay home mom or you are a working mother you always have guilt. I think you do the best you can. Somebody told me once you do what is best for you based on your own personal situation.

I am the only career woman in my family out of my sister, my mother, and my sisters in law. They are stay at home mothers, but that is not what I choose to do. I would never be a stay at home mom. It would not make me happy, so I am very comfortable and very honest with myself. That is what I chose to do, and I am very happy doing it. But when I am at home, I do not do work. My focus then is entirely on my kids and on my husband.

How can we, as Latinas, do a better job of coming together to support and mentor each other?

There are various ways you can do it. You can do it officially or privately on a more personal level. Because my time is very limited, and the time I am not at work I devote to my family, I do not participate directly through any organizations or groups. What I do try to do in my professional life is to maximize opportunities to mentor colleagues and people starting out in the industry. I still do not see myself as somebody with great experience, but I believe other people do, and I remember what it was like when I was trying to get into the business, when I was trying to understand what I wanted to do with my life. Even if my schedule is crazy, I do my best to make time. You try to make a difference, and instead of doing it in a big way, maybe sometimes you can make small contributions and that makes a difference.

What is the best career advice you ever got?

That it is important to trust your instincts. I have and they've never let me down.

What is the vision you have, in terms of programming at Discovery en Español & Discovery Familia, in the long/short term?

My vision honestly is being able to provide quality entertainment alternatives to the different audiences Discovery en Español & Discovery Familia serve. We want to deliver the thrill of discovery to our Spanish speaking viewers. Both networks serve as a window into the world and we strive to inspire learning and growth with the programming we air.

Who would you like to run into on the street? What would you like to tell him/her?

Dave Matthew and I would ask him how he gets the inspiration to write such beautiful songs.

I think this is so cliché, but one of the principles I try to live by is trying to be a good person in the decisions I make each and every day. I am not saying I am perfect. But when I go home at night I want to be at peace.

Tillie Hidalgo LimaImagine having to drive yourself to the hospital, check yourself in with a sudden ailment or worsening condition. The last thing on your mind is the caring of your home, pets, getting your bills paid and informing your family and friends where you are.

But a person is at the hospital shortly after to meet you, she goes over a list of things with you: What personal toiletries do you need? Who should be contacted? Where is your car parked so it can be driven back to your home and oh, yes … what is your favorite music? Frank Sinatra? No problem! Within hours you are recovering knowing that your Personal Concierge has taken care of the big and small things you could not attend to.

Peace of mind is priceless but for Best Upon Request it’s a business that has grown exponentially since CEO Tillie Hidalgo Lima took it over from her husband six years ago. Her company’s motto is “We ease the day…you seize the day” and in that spirit her associates take on the endless requests that go from dressing up like a patriot to announce a vacation to Williamsburg to a spouse to making a large sum cash deposit to the bank.

Best Upon Request focuses on B to B serving large clients in the health care industry with services that include running errands, child and elder care, event and travel planning among others.

“Some request are fascinating, interesting, huge, one customer wanted us to put gift baskets together.” Says CEO Tillie Hidalgo Lima but it’s her team’s ability to meet every request with timeliness and efficiency that has kept her business growing “This year our growth has been over 30 percent” but the business is feeling the effects of the economic turbulence “I am hearing of clients that are ready to sign and say ‘let’s wait’. However, Tillie is confident that her services are helping her clients’ bottom line by minimizing the stress on employees and families during hard times.

Tillie has taken Best Upon Request to a multimillion dollar company and credits her growth with her philosophy of focusing on the 3 pillars of excellence: culture, sales and strategy “your business strategy has to be very deliberate” says Tillie who as a former pharmacist knows that holding a persons trust in your hands is a great responsibility “You are putting together prescriptions for people that are keeping them healthy” her business philosophy runs along the same vein of caring and supporting a person with their most personal needs.

Want to be a personal concierge? See related article here.

Dominican Filmmaker and journalist Marisol Gonzalez once worked on a story about children who crossed the border to be with their parents. As mother of a ten year-old boy the topic hit home and she decided to document the stories of the children left at the border of Tijuana and San Diego. It was then that Behind the Wall, her documentary about Tijuana ’s children was born, funded by her own personal savings.

During her first trip to Tijuana, she found young children who had crossed the border illegally with their parents, been caught and sent back. Left to fend for themselves children like Maria began using drugs as young as nine years old many turning to prostitution to support their habit. “These children are caught in a vicious cycle of drug use and some would do anything to get drugs even kill” says Marisol.

The children of Tijuana have become Marisol’s symbolic children through her documentary, and ironically despite their heart-breaking stories this project has also become a personal source of inspiration as she embarks in a search for funding to complete the project.

“They are the reason I keep going, I have a commitment to those children, to tell their stories to the world. At times when a source of funding falls through I think of them and know I must keep going” says Marisol who has received excellent initial reviews from HBO, where she is also a producer, and other media outlets.

Marisol recently was awarded by Siempre Mujer Magazine as Vocera de Cambio for having undertaken a great humanitarian feat within the Latino community. “The problem of the children at the border does not belong to Mexico alone. It is a problem of two countries and two governments” concludes Marisol. See a preview of her project at http://behindthewalldocu.com/page_trailer.html

Marisol talks to MCAE about her project:

What do you hope will be the impact of this documentary on the situation of children at the border?
I hope that my documentary will be an eye opening for both governments (US and Mexico ) and that they'll take action and help stop this situation. I also hope to break the vicious circle in which some children are by awareness and education.

How has this project changed you?
it has changed me a lot. Now, I am thankful everyday for what I have. it's changed my view of the world in all senses. Yes, there are bad situation in life but we can do something to change that.

What can the rest of us do to help those children or bring awareness to this problem?
Well, as I said we need to unite to help stop the circle.As producer I think the best way to make a big change is through awareness and the best way to bring awareness is with a strong image or example of what are talking about. That's why I am doing this. A camera is a great vehicle to bring light to the situation.

What are some organizations that are helping those children?
Well, soon, I will post some information on my website where people can contact directly some of the places I went. Unfortunately most of these places don't have websites.

Bonnie Garcia's motto is "Be Fearless" and that she is. After a high powered career in corporate America  Bonnie founded her own company with "Three Latinas and a phone". Today, Market Vision, a Hispanic marketing firm, is a multimillion dollar company with an impressive client roster.

Bonnie talks to MCAE about the journey that began when she left home for college. Along her path Bonnie had a stint as a DJ on a Texas radio station then put her career smarts to work for Stroh’s Brewery and Coca-Cola Co. before founding her own company with zero clients and a list of old contacts. This Mujer then rolled up her sleeves and got to work making cold call after cold call until she landed her first client. The rest, is a success story about why fear should never be a factor. Listen to Bonnie on this episode of Mujeres Chat.

The search for love has been big business for some time with dating sites for every imaginable niche. For what happens after we find who we think we want, Sheila Brown, an entrepreneur in Chicago developed a board game. Much like the getting-to-know-you stages of a relationship, Authenticity helps a couple talk about the things that matter long term: Do you want children? Do you want to get married someday? Sheila developed the game from her own experience when, as a single woman, she spent too much time with the wrong person because some things where just too awkward to talk about. “The purpose of the game is to provide a forum that is fun and laid back where couples can open up about themselves and in that way get to know each other” says Sheila.

Teaming up with a creative team, Sheila implemented the vision of her creation with questions and scenarios that couples dwell on. The result is a colorful board game that consist of 1 die, 2 game pieces, 40 life cards, 40 finance cards, 40 family cards, 40 situation cards, 40 actions cards, 40 sex and romance cards, 40 religion cards.

MCAE had a Q&A with Sheila about being an entrepreneur in the early stages of her launch and like the board game she created, where she sees her business relationship going.

As an entrepreneur who is just starting out what have been your biggest challenges?
Having a stronger business plan and a more focused direction on where I want to take the game. Many people give me their opinion, tell me what I should do and how. For me it’s important to stay focused on the business plan and the marketing plan. I have not gone to the MBDA or SCORE and should probably look into them because they are great entities for people starting out.

On the production end, I had some challenges with finding a good manufacturer and a good graphic designer.

What are some future plans for your endeavor?
My goal is to sell 2000 games by March of next year; I’ve already sold 200 so far. After meeting my goal of selling 2000 I will look to place them with major retailers. I want to create more buzz about the game before it goes into stores. I’d like to see it at Borders, Barnes & Noble, Target and some specialty stores like Lover's Lane and Victoria ’s Secret, and even Anthropology which I love.

A reader shared her current situation with us. How could she use the game so solve her dilemma: I’ve been dating my boyfriend for five years, he has one daughter from a previous marriage. He is very happy with our relationship as it is and doesn’t think we need to change anything. I just turned 33 and am thinking about marriage and children. I’m having a hard time getting it through to him that I want more out of this.

Where the game can help her is that men sometimes get intimidated when you ask too many questions, they don’t open up. The game can allow him to open up and have a dialog. This way she can find out if he does not want to get married or have children. That is something that she needs to have a deep, open, honest dialog and this way the pressure is off. A category in the game is family, here, she can get her boyfriend’s thoughts on children and on marriage and get the answer she needs and deserves.

Where is the board game available?

It's available on the Authenticity website and 4 locations in the Chicago area: Red Bliss, Divine Shoe Salon, Freedom Salon, Alabasta. The cost is $29.95

Visit: www.playauthenticity.com