Welcome to Encuentras Your Voice: Celebrating Latina Stories

Hola, chicas. Welcome to Encuentras Your Voice podcast, where we hold the mic for Latinas to unfold their stories, vulnerably share pain points, and vibrantly celebrate joyful success of self discovery so that all of us can learn these valuable life lessons.

We are Latinas, defining the modern cultura. I'm so grateful to have you here on this Wednesday, coming to you from San Francisco, California, where we are sending out the love calls to our Latinas around the world, and welcoming you here today.

We are literally blossoming into spring, full blue skies and warm kisses from the sun. This is the time to come join us for some revelry and gathering in the joyous way that we're accustomed to. But even so, find ourselves sometimes alone in.

And that is why we are so grateful that you join in to feel like you're sitting next to the fabulous guests that are sharing their stories and really life lessons for all of us through their own journeys.

Spotlight on Miguel and Luis: Filmmakers with a Mission

Today is a Pod Club episode where we pull the gems from last week's full length episode to sit in the power of spoken words that apply to all of us.

Now, no worries, if you haven't caught up on your fun and missed last week's episode with director Miguel Angel Caballero and actor Luis Antonio Aldana, the dynamic duo filmmakers who co founded Cabaldana Alchemy Production Company, It's okay. This episode stands alone and will definitely guide you back to listen, or listen again, to the empowering journeys of Miguel and Luis.

even though their own journeys may be far away from what you experienced in your own lives, you will be so surprised. By the end of this shorter episode, how it speaks so personally to you.

The Power of Authenticity and Advocacy in Storytelling

One of the beauties of their stories, both independently and together, is the honor they give to their mothers, their mamas, for their resiliency and work ethic, but even more so, the life lessons they learn that frame their own values.

It's these values that guided them to define their authentic voice, and stand strong in the stories they wanted to share regardless, and even in spite of, what the industry is focusing on.

And beyond loving on their own mothers, both Miguel and Luis attribute their professional writing voice to their queens, their reinas. Women who are often left out of the conversation. And as I say often here, your self identity frames your values, which creates your motives and in their compassionate case, advocacy, advocacy for the comunidad, for our LGBTQ amig for elders, las mujeres, our agricultural workers.

In this society, often overlooked, underrepresented, yet cherished with pride within the comunidad when we lean in together.

In their most recent movie, The Ballad of Tita and the Machines, the main character, Tita, stands strong for her value against a patriarchal system that wants to replace her. , I know. I know. Did you all just sit straight up in your chair then? She's sassy and determined to remain authentic. A true model for each But strikes closer to home for Miguel, here sharing their inspiration for this resilient protagonist.

I came here at an early age, but I kept migrating back and forth because my parents were farm workers. So they would come here, work the season. And after the season, they'd migrate back to Mexico. what Luis and I wanted to do with Tita is really kind of shine a light on our,

blue collar, working class labor workers that often go unacknowledged in the U. S., but it's the people that are responsible to bringing food to our table that they just go unacknowledged and unappreciated, but they carry this country on their backs.

So that's the point that we wanted to make with the film, and it's a sci fi, but, like, with some humorous moments, and we decided to go a little, A little absurdist well. So like it's a, it's an entertaining ride.

And Luis continues to frame the  founding of their writer's voice together.

The Inspirational Backbone: Honoring Mothers and Matriarchal Strength

Miguel and I were, were raised in, in matriarchal families.

our mothers, were, you know, they were queen to us, to both our families, and I think that has a huge, huge, huge impact on the way that Miguel and I tell stories. You know what I mean? , that lived experience, , that reality for both of us, inevitably, and brilliantly and subconsciously really do affect the, way that we tell story, the type of stories We're going to tell and and I think specifically also the type of a female characters that Miguel and I write, I'm grateful for having had, a beautiful mother who, , who cleaned homes. In the west side of LA, that taught me grace that taught me hard work that taught me tenacity

It all comes back to their mamás and the lessons learned of how to persevere in a world that is more focused on outcome rather than mission. Money! rather than humanity and conformity  over authenticity. It's how they navigate the harsh filmmaker's industry where rejection rules but never stops creatives from writing the stories they need to tell.

As Miguel emphasizes,

Navigating Challenges with Unapologetic Authenticity

There's also another element in us having grown up, you know, queer and in a community. Mexican community where it was really hard to really accept ourselves for who we were.

So I think now that we're as adults, that we actually embrace our own sexuality, that we embrace who we are. We do really write non apologetic characters that are who they are. And I think, you know, just kind of thinking about it, that may have also a layer in terms of the protagonists that we write. That they're Very unapologetic and very strong characters

And as Luis  summarizes,

Writing from the Heart: The Essence of Authentic Storytelling

It's really important as artists also that you don't write.

To try and please an audience You don't write to try and, fill some void that you think intellectually needs to be there, you sort of write from here, you know,

from the heart from a place of authenticity and specificity. And I think in doing that, you really are inherently going to appeal to a wider audience because like you're saying, you know, the human condition is a human condition,

 

Reflecting on Life Lessons and Embracing Change

sitting in these words of Miguel and Luis really encourages all of us to reflect back on the lessons learned from our own mamás, from our childhood, that are often more profound as we become adults. It's these lessons that frame our values, our courage, pride, and determination to live out loud in our own authenticity.

Your authenticity is your superpower, and more so, it brings forward the voice. The story, the spotlight for others that may not have the same platforms to speak their truth.

Embracing Values and Agency for Change

And as Miguel and Luis so brilliantly declared,

  So we really took Agency and instead of really complaining about the lack of we wanted to be Change and create what was lacking and that was kind of the journey that propelled us

So for me, it was a very defined pivot

  it's really, really, really important to, anchor yourself and tether yourself to something that is so much bigger than yourself,

it's powerful in that it gives you that, sort of inexhaustible fuel to just keep going .

  tether yourself to something that is so much bigger than yourself. Such a beautiful and major life lessons to check in with yourself. Are you following your values? Are you framing your purpose around something bigger than you? Are you taking agency to be the change and create what is lacking?

Or are you waiting for someone else to do it? These men are the pillars that we want creating art that provokes questions, checks in on where we're at, asks us through their strong yet compassionate characters to see life through someone else's lens. Appreciate all they have to offer, and dig deep in ourselves to support and care for them.

Gems, truly gems, shared so lovingly through their authentic story, but speaks to all of us.

Preview of Next Week: Annette Chavez Macias' Inspiring Journey

Join us next week for our full length episode with our beautiful guest, Annette Chavez Macias, author of Big Chicas Don't Cry. The story so profound to her that even decades of writing and years of rejections would not deter her.

Learn her inspiration for the intimate story of four primas. Navigating love and loss and the power of la familia, especially their abuelas. If you're feeling left out of the conversation or alone in your own experiences, you will be absolutely shocked at how much you have in common with these primas.

And ultimately, Annette. Plus, learn her secret, not so secret, alter ego and pen name and the genre that will have you tingling for more. It's all here in today's cultura. 100 percent representation, all the time.    

Encouraging Authenticity and Community Engagement

We love that you have subscribed to this podcast and continue to champion women who understand the life of all things Latina.  Step into your truth, ladies. Ciao!   Be sure to follow and subscribe to the Encuentras Your Voice podcast so you don't miss a single episode.

They will automatically drop into your listening device each week, and we'd really, really appreciate If you take a moment to add to the reviews that we already have, tell us what you like, Tell us what you're hoping to hear, and we will get there.

  Share this with your friends and family to help Help us grow our comunidad and keep following us on our social media, Encuentras Your Voice we are so grateful to you for helping us grow this community and would love to learn of all the amazing Latinas who you know are creating the world we thrive in. So reach out to me on social media at Encuentras Your Voice, and let's keep leaning into our authenticity in pride. Help us make Encuentras Your Voice the place where you are 100 percent represented.