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.

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

How do you define success?  My definition of success changes all the time. At first it was to graduate from college, and I did it. Then it was to work in my career and I am doing it. Now my definition of success is to be able to enjoy what I do, and contribute to my community in any way I can. Success to me, is about my family, having a stable relationship and good friends. Having a full life, to me means success is not only about work.

What are some career challenges you have overcome? The biggest career challenge is moving around so much, looking for bigger opportunities. When I was single it was easy but now, I've had to pass on several opportunities because at the moment, the opportunities that my husband had at work were better. So to be able to combine both of our careers is a challenge.

How do you keep a healthy work/life balance? My husband works from 9-6 and I work from 1:30 to 10:30 pm, so for us the only time of the day to see each other is during dinner and on the weekends. At first it was hard, but now we see it as very healthy, that way both of us have our own time. I have mornings to work out or do what I want and he has evenings, and we spend weekends together, so it has worked out really well. We make time for responsibilities, for ourselves and for each other individually, so that is a great way to balance.

What advice would you give a Latina wanting to enter the field of television?  The advice I will give is not to look for a job on TV just because you want to be on TV. It's not as glamorous as it sounds, especially in Spanish TV where we have smaller crews and there is a lot of work, you just don't sit and read and everybody does the work for you, not at all. You have to like to tell stories, and be willing to move a lot, and be willing to work weekends and holidays when everybody else is taking the day off. It's worth it, but it's really hard work.

What do you see in the future for US Latinas?  I see a bright future for US Latinas. I firmly believe that we can excel in every field that we decide to. We are motivated, we are eager to work and are hungry for better opportunities than what our mothers or grandmothers had. We are ready to take on the world!

Brenda Carmona also serves on the March of Dimes planning committe: Mujer Latina Un Dia Para Ti which this year takes place on November 22nd in Chicago.

Determined to put herself and other women with alopecia in the "drivers seat" Thea founded Bald Girls Do Lunch a non-profit organization that brings together women with alopecia through lunch events held across the country. Her mission is that “no woman should feel alone with this condition”.

Today, Thea is a busy woman, delivering lectures in the US, Canada and Spain; breaking stereotypes that make it okay for men to be bald but not so for women; and bringing together women in an environment that is social and fun. Thea spoke with Mujeres camino al exito about her amazing journey and the crusade she’s launched.

Paula: Tell us a little bit about alopecia.

Thea: There is a lifetime chance of alopecia, the condition strikes1 in 50 and not just women. Oftentimes the condition will manifest itself but then will disappear and may or may not come back.  In some cases it can be very aggressive taking as little as three weeks for all the hair to fall off. On the other hand, I know women whose hair has fallen out and it all has come back but very case is different.

Paula: What is a good day like and what is a bad day like?

Thea: Everyday is a good day. The key is that women who don’t talk about alopecia and want to keep it a secret loose their options. If you don’t let people know and don’t explain that you have this condition you face a situation like having to wear a wig on a hot day or while on a boat. If you choose to make this a big secret you are limiting your options. When you are open about it you have more choices that let you be physically comfortable like wearing a scarf or a hat. You should truly believe that you deserve to be comfortable.

Paula: Tell us about Bald Girls Do Lunch.

Thea: It actually began in New York some years ago. I wanted to start a support group but found it hard to get people together when I called it a “support group”. Then, I asked a group of ladies if they’d be up for doing “lunch” and go bald. The idea was to create a context where we were not isolating ourselves but rather out there as we where. This approach worked better and women got very excited at the idea of having lunch with women that where going through the same thing they where going through.

The site came later, I launched it 18 months ago with the goal of helping women understand that talking about alopecia is a far better option to keeping it a secret. I have discovered an underlying theme among women with alopecia and that has to do with not knowing how to talk bout this, not knowing how to bring it up. There are different levels of coping and adjusting, and as I was launching this effort and talked to more and more women I found that they all have the same concerns.

Paula: Do you feel like you’ve succeeded in promoting awareness for alopecia?

Thea: We have made a tremendous impact on the life of many women. Women didn’t have an organization or a voice and now women phone me, email me and say “I’m so happy you're doing this, I felt so alone and now I don’t feel alone”. This relieves the burden. Right now we have the meetings in different cities. It’s positive but at the same time we are recognizing that we grieve, because there is a loss that takes place. We come together and help each other as equals.

Paula: What is a major challege you face?

Thea: At this stage it’s securing funding to help us grow and have greater reach. I’m hoping to attract a major sponsor like a cosmetics company that will recognize that what we are doing is so valuable because we need to switch up the topic of what it means to be bald. People often think that women with alopecia are cancer survivors. On the other hand, women with cancer feel awful because when they assume a woman with alopecia has cancer she is told “I don’t have cancer I’m just loosing my hair”. We need to be more open about being bald.

Paula: How long before mainstream media gets it about true beauty?

Thea: It’s a matter of time, I’m creating the tipping point, Bald Girls will continue to build until it gets to that point. We’ll continue to promote our organization in various ways. Maybe someday there’ll be a character on a TV show that will be bald. It’s a matter of women getting out and the public getting used to it. The more women want to keep it a secret the harder it will be to break down barriers. It’s not only okay but it’s imperative to shrug your shoulders and say I’ve got alopecia and be as nonchalant as bald men.

Paula: What are your future plans?

Thea: I want to do a book called Stories From Lunch. It’s going to allow any woman that picks it up, flips through and finds a story to say “I get it”.

Network with Thea Chassin, President and Founder of Bald Girls do Lunch or contact her to schedule a lunch in English/Spanish in your city. Email: thea@baldgirlsdolunch.org or visit her website: www.baldgirlsdolunch.com.

Paula: What is the role of beauty pageants today when the role of women has shifted and women are leading from business to politics?

Dayana: All of this is proof that women can make their dreams come true. The beauty of a pageant is that it brings people from all over together in a Universal festivity where we can forget about our political and personal diferences. People and countries come together.

Paula: What example do you hope to set for other latinas?

Dayana: I would say that respecting yourself and making other people respect you. Also, have faith in your own abilities and where they can get you. Look for ways where you can improve becasue we are all human there is always room to improve ourselves.

Paula: You’ve chosen as you mission to educate about AIDS/HIV. What compelled you to choose this?

Dayana: I’m putting my grain of sand on this very critical issue and being Miss Universe gives me the platform to do it. In the Latina culture many times these kind of topics are tabu so people are afraid to discuss them but prevention is so important it is here that education becomes the key.

Paula: Who is your greatest source of inspiration?

Dayana: My family

Paula: What is the mark you wish to leave as Miss Universe 2008?

Dayana: I’d like to make this world a little bit better.

The t-shirts are quickly becoming a hot item among fashionistas and celebrities alike but Molly is always looking to the horizon to grow her company even further. She talks about her journey forward.

Paula: How are Palomita and Chucho doing since their launch in ’07 and ’08 respectively?

Molly: It’s going well; we launched Palomita initially as a test with JC Penney and had moderate success. We now have expanded and placed product through Kmart and Mervyns also as a test. Then, based on how it goes the stores will reorder.

Paula: What is your favorite character?

Molly: Topo Gigio, it took me such a long time to get the rights.

Paula: Celebs are wearing your t-shirts, that’s a great plug right?

Molly: Yes, Selma Hayek is the most recent this week and all blogs and gossip mention she’s wearing Palomita. I always wanted Selma to wear one of our shirts; she’s all about promoting Latinas who are entrepreneurial. Dollar- wise I don’t know how it will impact us but personally the fact that she wore means a lot.

Paula: Where do you want to take the Palomita and Chucho brands?

Molly: I would love to stand for a genuine Latino brand. Something that when you wear a Palomita or Chucho garment you know it’s coming from one of us in the Latino community. One thing I’ve struggled with is many people try to target Hispanics by getting involvement from a Thalia or Daisy Fuentes to design the clothes. In reality, those clothes are not created by anyone Latino, celebs are busy and aren’t a big part of the design process. I hope to establish our heritage and make it about us, the Hispanic community.

Paula: Where can we find the t-shirts?

Molly: Palomita is at Mervyns, Sears, JC Penney and Kmart. We’re looking to expand into specialty stores. I would love to expand internationally, back to Latin America but people didn’t see it as fashionable they thought it was a promo. That was the challenge. We may have to modify how we market them to avoid that perception.

Paula: Did you always want to venture into the garment industry?

Molly: No, not at all! My education background is law but because I started my career working in the law dept. at Levi Strauss I got a taste for this industry.

Paula: Tell us a bit about the Palomita Educational Fund and the Pink Carpet Fund raiser event.

Molly: Education is important to us and the Latino community, Palomita and Chucho provided the perfect opportunity to offer something tangible through the event. It was a fun way of getting people together, have an auction of t-shirts with a design created by celebrities. We raised 25K in our first event!

Paula: Being so busy how do you find the work/life balance?

Molly: My husband is involved in the business as CFO also my 17 year-old son is interested in what we are doing. So, a family that works together stays together!

Paula: What is a recent book or other media you’ve seen that you’d recommend to our readers?

Molly: A site called "Hispanic Tips" covers international and national highlights. I also read Latina Style, Latina Magazine and Siempre Mujer.

Paula: What advice would you give to women wanting to get into the garment industry?

Molly: Be very thorough about your research, don’t jump into it. Find out all about your competition, look at the resources available to you: Chamber of Commerce, Internet, Small Business Administration. If you’re not prepared to do that you are not prepared to launch your business.

Paula: What’s the best piece of advice you ever got?

Molly: My mentor at Levi's always taught me to follow through. Whether it’s good or bad even to say “I won’t be able to send out the order today”. I now follow through with everything and I mean from returning people’s calls to due diligence on research.

Website: www.palomitaclothing.com

In 1994, Art-Craft Paint sales net were $250,000 and by 2008 sales are expected at the $2 million level. Teresa was able to expand her business based on training she received at TUCK School at Dartmouth University seminars, through two sponsorships from MBDA, in 2007 and 2008. Teresa has worked with MBDA since 1998, became a Gold Key member, and recently traveled to Toluca and Mexico City , to win a contract to paint the Lear Jet of the President of Mexico. Art Craft was rated 3^rd in the top 5 aircraft paint facilities in the USA in 2006, by the Aviation Consumer Report.

To speak to Teresa Arredondo you’d think the joy she radiates has never dimmed and imagine that her rise as entrepreneur, community leader and role model was smooth and fated. But twenty five years ago Teresa Arredondo was not heading up a multimillion dollar business, or her own foundation, or being invited to a dinner event with the president of the United States . Back then Teresa was one of thousands of immigrants that labored in the fields, farming fruits and vegetables season after season. She was following in the footsteps of her mother who had struggled for ten years to save enough money to obtain visas for Teresa and her ten brothers to join her in California .

But even then, Teresa's entrepreneurial instincts flourished when at 19 she rented an acre of land and became a farmer planting strawberries. The work was harsh and “back breaking” as Teresa puts it. She didn’t want a lifetime of that, she wanted something better, she wanted another life and it was then and there that one journey ended and another one began. Teresa Arredondo shares her story:

Every journey begins with a first step

I signed up at a vocational center and took an electronic assembly course. The training took six months but I was so desperate to advance that I finished it in four months, by then I also learned to speak English moderately well. I also began taking night classes at the community college to accelerate my learning and four months later I began working for an electronics company but by then I had three children and had difficulty making ends meet with the minimum wage I was earning.

My best investment totaled .25 cents

I took another local job in Santa Maria but still was not making ends meet. One day I bought a paper for .25 cents and saw in the calssifieds a listing for a furniture upholsterer. I went and filled out an application but they were looking for a man not a woman. So I asked my husband to fill out an application. He did and they gave him the job he then got me a job at the same company. I knew how to upholster because we did upholstery in our home and I had also taken a sewing class in Sta. Maria. The thing was that I did more than was expected; I did whatever was needed from answering phones to assisting around the office. I made sure I was valuable to the company to the point of being indispensable.

Going from employee to owner

One year later the owner offered to sell me the interior upholstery portion of the business. He could see how dedicated my husband and I were and knew we’d make it thrive so I bought it from him for $700. A year later he was having financial hardships so he offered me the paint portion of the business as well for $150,000. At first we were partners but then he got a divorce and I bought the remaining part of the business from his wife. After some financial challenges I started Art Craft Inc. in January of ‘94.

My greatest weakness in business had been that I never went to college to study business; I learned lessons from life and my day to day experiences. I listen to my subconscious and my gut instincts to guide me.

Finding inner strength in the face of tragedy

After 17 years of being in an abusive relationship I left my husband and the business to take a year to find myself and recover physically and mentally. When I returned the company was thousands of dollars in debt and it was then that I decided to take control of my life. No one was going to walk all over me again. I bought my husband out of the business and took charge knowing I had to go on living and supporting my three children. I knew if my mother could do it with a 3rd grade education I could too. I only have a 8th grade education but I didn’t give up. I continued working to grow the company. I got my children to graduate from high school and it was such a proud moment. I was able to send my daughter to Paris to study international relations and my son to México.

Giving back to those in need

I’ve made it a personal mission to support all the organizations that helped us when we were hungry and needy. I organize fundraisers and donate money and time.

I also began working to develop a non-profit organization Adelante Mujer Hispana which has a mission of promoting leadership and help women lead a better life. We have an annual conference and invite women like Rosario Marin, former treasurer of the United States as speakers. The event includes a fashion show where dressing, runway walking and posture lessons are given to women laborers who want to improve their personal development. To be a model in the show the shape and color of your body don't matter, all women are beautiful.

Along my life I have learned that nobody can take away your freedom. I want to help other women reach their full potential.