Amiga, Handle Your Shit

Most businesses start with an idea. The resilient ones start with a pivot.Before Local Fixture became a creative landmark in Whittier, it was an e-commerce hustle when larger companies overtook the market. This episode is about what happens when entrepreneurs read the writing on the wall, trust their instincts, and build something rooted in community instead of algorithms.In today’s episode of Amiga Handle Your Shit, Jackie Tapia sits down with Erika and Jason Chung, founders of Local Fixture, to talk about their journey from ranking number one on Google for handbags in the early 2000s to creating one of Whittier’s most beloved local storefronts. What began as a search-engine-optimized online business eventually transformed into a physical space designed to foster connections and create a curated local experience.Jason shares how his early success in e-commerce forced him to pivot when corporate giants overtook the market, and how family investment and calculated risk made their first storefront possible. Erika reflects on the vision behind Local Fixture — inspired by Westside boutiques, fueled by the desire to bring something fresh to their hometown, and shaped by the needs of young families craving thoughtful, curated products.Together, they unpack what scaling really looks like: outgrowing a beloved space after 12 years, navigating leases, managing cash flow, and building a team that feels like family. They also dive into practical business lessons — from reading Profit First to prioritizing cash flow, to using organic social media and AI experimentation to stay relevant without massive marketing budgets.Tune in to episode 272 of Amiga Handle Your Shit for an honest conversation about pivoting, scaling, family-run business dynamics, and building something local that big corporations cannot replicate.Episode Takeaways:How ranking #1 on Google for handbags led to an unexpected pivot (04:00)Why competing with Amazon forced a strategic shift into brick-and-mortar (05:00)The role of family investment in launching their first storefront (08:00)How inspiration from Westside boutiques shaped the Local Fixture concept (09:30)What scaling actually looks like after 12 years in one location (10:20)The philosophy behind creating an in-store experience customers cannot get online (11:30)Navigating hiring, delegation, and working as a married couple (14:00)Why passion and realistic expectations matter more than hype (15:40)Why cash flow management is the backbone of any sustainable business (16:00)How organic social media — and even AI — plays a role in modern marketing (18:00)Resources:Local Fixture websiteInstagramTikTokConnect with Jason:Email: jason@localfixture.comLinkedInLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne's websiteBook: The AMIGA Way: Release Cultural Limiting Beliefs to Transform Your Life

To what extent have your cultural values shaped your professional career? Have you ever thought of turning the Latino values you grew up with into a catalyst for success in entrepreneurship?  In this episode, I'm joined by Ivonne Feizy, an HR Specialist who chose to handle her shit differently and took the leap of faith into entrepreneurship with remarkable success. Born and raised in Mexico City, Ivonne came to the States in 2012, where she developed her passion for HR, and started IP Living HR Business Solutions to connect companies with the best talent available and ensure talent a place in the best companies.Tune in to Episode 206 of Amiga, Handle Your Shit, and learn more about Ivonne's transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, her life-changing encounter with Grupo Bimbo's founder, and her unique talent to see opportunities where most of us see challenges. You'll also learn about the importance of self-belief and accepting things happen for a reason in life. Ivonne also shares her thoughts on the importance of networking, the best way to deal with life's challenges, and much more.In This Episode, You Will Learn:About Ivonne's early life and education (3:40)Ivonne's career journey and her trip to America (7:00)How hard it is to transition from corporate to entrepreneurship (19:10)About the best ways to navigate a hybrid work environment (24:50)Ivonne shares tips to navigate life and career challenges (28:50)How amigas can handle their shit, Ivonne's style (31:00)Connect with Ivonne Feizy:WebsiteLinkedInTwitterLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne website

There is a quiet kind of courage that comes with being the first. First to apply. First to navigate systems your parents never had access to. First to make decisions without a roadmap. This episode is about that courage, and the trust it takes to keep moving anyway.In today’s episode of Amiga Handle Your Shit, Jackie Tapia sits down with Valerie Carrillo, a first-generation Latina navigating the college application process largely on her own. With parents who did not attend college, Valerie shares what it has meant to figure things out in real time, ask for help when she needed it, and learn how to advocate for herself in rooms she was never taught how to enter.Valerie reflects on studying abroad at a young age, returning home with a broader sense of what is possible, and how that experience shaped her confidence and resilience. She opens up about the pressure many first-gen students carry, the fear of rejection, and the mindset shifts that helped her stay grounded while applying to competitive schools without guarantees.The conversation also touches on faith, timing, and learning to trust that not getting what you want right away does not mean you are failing. Valerie reminds us that outcomes do not define worth and that sometimes the long way around still gets you exactly where you are meant to be.Tune in to episode 270 of Amiga Handle Your Shit for a real and refreshing conversation on first-generation ambition, self-trust, and navigating the unknown without losing yourself.Episode Takeaways:What it’s like to be first-gen with no blueprint for college (04:40)How studying abroad early built confidence and independence (11:50)Why asking for help became a turning point in her application process (24:30)The emotional side of applying to competitive universities (26:40)How faith and perspective helped her release fear around outcomes (34:10)Why rejection does not mean you are off track (34:50)Connect with Valerie:InstagramLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne's websiteBook: The AMIGA Way: Release Cultural Limiting Beliefs to Transform Your Life

Have you ever felt like you were constantly trying to define yourself while moving between cultures, expectations, and identities?This episode explores what it means to reclaim your voice and sense of self when you’ve spent years navigating spaces that were not built with you in mind. It’s a powerful conversation about identity, belonging, resilience, and the courage it takes to show up fully as yourself.Urmi Hossain is a self-published author, speaker, blogger, and podcast host working in the financial services industry in Canada. She holds both the CFA and CAIA designations and is deeply passionate about empowering women through mentorship, education, and public speaking. Her book, Discovering Your Identity: A Rebirth from Inter-Racial Struggle, reflects her journey as a third culture kid and her path toward self-acceptance and authenticity.Tune in to Episode 269 of Amiga, Handle Your Shit, as Jackie sits down with Urmi Hossain for an honest and deeply reflective conversation about growing up as a third culture kid, navigating inter-racial identity, and building confidence in spaces where representation is limited. Together, they unpack the emotional weight of identity struggles, the importance of mentorship, and how self-awareness can become a catalyst for empowerment and purpose.Key Takeaways: ✨ Identity is shaped, not fixed ✨ Representation deeply impacts self-worth ✨ Mentorship creates pathways to belonging ✨ Confidence is built through self-awareness ✨ Cultural duality can become a strength ✨ Owning your story is empoweringConnect with Urmi Hossain:InstagramYouTubeLinkedInLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne websiteBuy The Amiga Way's Book

Healing does not always start in a textbook or a therapy room. Sometimes it begins in a family story, a breakup, a body that learned to survive too early, or a question we were never taught to ask ourselves. This episode is about what happens when a Latina decides to listen to those experiences instead of outrunning them.In today’s episode of Amiga Handle Your Shit, Jackie Tapia sits down with licensed clinical social worker, somatic therapist, and holistic healer Norma Garcia, a proud first-generation Mexicana born and raised in Los Angeles. Together, they explore how personal history, cultural identity, and lived experience can be resignified into powerful tools for healing, not just for ourselves, but for our communities.Norma reflects on growing up as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, carrying responsibility early and learning how to survive emotionally before she ever had language for it. She speaks to the invisible weight many first-generation Latinas carry, the pressure to succeed, to sacrifice, to keep going. That weight followed her into years of community mental health work, where burnout and broken systems forced her to ask a hard question: what does it cost to always be the strong one? Her shift into private practice was not about ambition, but about choosing care that felt honest, human, and whole.She also shares how a personal breakup cracked something open, exposing patterns of people-pleasing and self-abandonment rooted in culture and survival. That moment reshaped her work, leading her to support Latinas in understanding how they love, how they attach, and how safety actually feels in the body. Through somatic healing, Norma reminds us that healing is not just thinking differently; it is learning to feel safe again. She closes with a simple grounding practice, a quiet invitation to come back home to yourself.Tune in to episode 268 of Amiga Handle Your Shit for a deeply affirming conversation on Latinidad, self-trust, healing the body, and turning lived experience into a source of wisdom and service.Episode TakeawaysHow growing up first-gen shapes responsibility, identity, and emotional survival (04:00)Why mental health conversations often skip Latino households and how that impacts adulthood (06:40)What ten years in community mental health taught Norma about burnout and scarcity (14:30)Why entrepreneurship became an act of self-preservation, not ambition (16:00)How personal heartbreak revealed generational patterns around love and self-abandonment (20:00)What “love blueprints” are and how culture shapes how we attach and relate (21:30)Why healing requires addressing the nervous system, not just the mind (27:00)How somatic therapy reconnects the body, emotions, and sense of safety (28:30)A simple grounding practice to support yourself during emotional triggers (31:30)Why Latinas deserve healing that honors culture, body, and soul together (34:00)Connect with Norma Garcia:WebsiteLinkedInInstagramLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne's websiteBook: The AMIGA Way: Release Cultural Limiting Beliefs to Transform Your Life

Have you ever found yourself in a season where everything feels quiet, unclear, and a little uninspired?This episode is an honest reflection on the in-between moments of life. The seasons where you are still showing up, still carrying responsibility, but feel emotionally depleted and unsure of what’s next. It’s a reminder that not every chapter needs to be loud or polished to be meaningful.Tune in to this new episode of Amiga, Handle Your Shit, as Jackie provides a heartfelt reflection on honoring the in-between season. From caring for aging parents and managing family responsibilities, to navigating motherhood, personal milestones, and moments of uncertainty, this solo episode speaks to the invisible weight many women carry quietly. Jackie shares why it’s okay to pause, to feel uninspired, and to trust that even when clarity hasn’t arrived yet, the path is still unfolding exactly as it should.Key Takeaways: ✨ It’s okay to feel uninspired sometimes ✨ The in-between season still has purpose ✨ Rest is not failure ✨ Quiet progress still counts ✨ Leadership can feel lonely at times ✨ Trust builds even when clarity is missingLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne websiteBuy The Amiga Way's Book