Amiga, Handle Your Shit

Have you ever looked at the life you’ve built and realized that the version of you who created it isn’t the same woman you are today?As we move through different seasons of life, our bodies, families, careers, and priorities change with us. What once felt manageable can suddenly feel overwhelming, and responsibilities we’ve carried for years may no longer belong on our plate. Giving yourself permission to evolve doesn’t erase everything you’ve accomplished. Sometimes, it simply means recognizing that it’s time to make room for what comes next.Tune in to this new episode of Amiga, Handle Your Shit, as Jackie and Marisela have an honest conversation about navigating midlife, changing identities, and the responsibilities women carry through different seasons of life. They explore what it means to parent children who are becoming adults while preparing to care for aging parents, the importance of planning for the future, and the cultural expectations that can make asking for help or putting down responsibilities feel like weakness. Jackie and Marisela also reflect on listening to your body, recognizing when something in your life needs to change, leaning on the people around you, and allowing yourself to pursue a new chapter without viewing the one before it as a failure.Key Takeaways:✨ You are allowed to outgrow old versions of yourself✨ Not every responsibility is yours to carry✨ Listen when your body tells you something needs changing✨ Prepare intentionally for aging parents and your future✨ A new chapter doesn’t erase your past success✨ Choose quality relationships that support your growthConnect with Marisela Arechiga:InstagramNew Generation Home Improvements WebsiteNew Generation Home Improvements InstagramLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne websiteBuy The Amiga Way's Book

Those survival roles don't just fade away when we grow up; they follow us into our marriages, our careers, and the way we treat ourselves. Veronica Ramos Clark has spent over 30 years helping people unlearn them.In this episode of Amiga Handle Your Shit, Jackie Tapia sits down with Veronica Ramos Clark, a licensed addictions counselor specializing in alcohol and drug abuse counseling. One of eleven children, she knows a thing or two about feeling invisible. She carried that role, which she calls “the lost child,” into adulthood, and it inspired her soon-to-be-released book, A Fresh Start: Breaking the Cycle.Their chat begins with a deep dive into Veronica’s childhood as she shares how growing up in an alcoholic home influenced her decision to become a counselor. She’s spent decades studying behavior tendencies and now offers counseling and holistic retreats through her company, A Fresh Start. Their organic conversation leads them into serious topics like the anger many women feel forced to suppress or people-pleasing. Both are common for women without boundaries, and that’s where Veronica says real change should happen. She opens up about the unexpected derecho, a rare hurricane-force windstorm, that brought angry emotions as she grew her business. That natural disaster mirrorerd for the same resilience she teaches, and it led her to a clear understanding of what it takes to survive: you pivot, you adapt, and you find a way to keep showing up for the people who need you.Tune in to episode 296 of Amiga Handle Your Shit for a powerful conversation on healing, honoring your anger, and setting boundaries. You’ll leave with several mindful tips, the most important being Veronica's G.R.O.W.T.H. framework for taking your life back.Episode Takeaways:The origin story of her book A Fresh Start: Breaking the Cycle and the conversation with Jack Canfield that pushed her to finally write it (3:50)How COVID derailed her original writing timeline and what brought her back (5:19)Veronica explains the family roles children adopt in dysfunctional homes — the high Why these childhood roles resurface in adult relationships, and how they show up as codependency and people-pleasing (12:15)How most of her clients arrive at Fresh Start counseling — not by choice, but by court order, ultimatum, or crisis (13:55)Why women are taught to suppress anger, and how learning to feel it is part of healing (18:56)Veronica describes surviving the derecho that hit northwest Indiana and how she kept her business running through two weeks without power (24:29)Veronica breaks down her G.R.O.W.T.H. framework — Grounding, Release, Own your story, Watch your words, Taking time for compassion, and Honoring your boundaries (31:07)Resources:Connect with Veronica Ramos ClarkWebsiteLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne websiteBook: The AMIGA Way: Release Cultural Limiting Beliefs to Transform Your Life

What does it mean to celebrate your heritage while also challenging your community to keep growing?Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to honor the traditions, values, sacrifices, and accomplishments that have shaped generations of Latinos. But celebrating how far we've come can also mean looking honestly at where there's still room to grow. From family and cultural pride to entrepreneurship, innovation, opportunity, and finding the courage to think differently, this conversation is about embracing everything that makes the Latino community powerful while imagining what comes next.Tune in to this new episode of Amiga, Handle Your Shit, as Jackie and Marissa celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with an honest conversation about Latino culture, success, and the future of the community. They reflect on the traditions and values they are proud to carry forward, the growth of Latino entrepreneurship, and the challenges entrepreneurs still face when it comes to funding, resources, and creating scalable businesses. They also explore the importance of encouraging the next generation to think bigger, bringing more Latino voices into mainstream spaces, moving beyond narratives centered only on struggle, and creating room for different perspectives within the community. It's a conversation about honoring where we come from while continuing to build, innovate, speak up, and redefine what's possible.Key Takeaways:✨ Celebrate the richness and diversity of Hispanic heritage✨ Latino entrepreneurship is growing and creating lasting impact✨ Access to capital remains a major challenge✨ The next generation needs space to innovate✨ Our stories can acknowledge struggle without staying there✨ Diversity of thought makes our community strongerConnect with Marisela Arechiga:InstagramNew Generation Home Improvements WebsiteNew Generation Home Improvements InstagramLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne websiteBuy The Amiga Way's Book

Money, moolah, dinero, or whatever you call it, is essential to our livelihoods. It enables success, gives advantages, and creates growth opportunities. But none of that happens without financial literacy, which many communities lack access to. Yanely Espinal is on a powerful mission to change that. In this episode of Amiga Handle Your Shit, Jackie Tapia sits down with Yanely Espinal, financial educator, author, and speaker, for a dynamic conversation about money management and the importance of honing financial literacy at an early age. Yanely explains how growing up with almost no knowledge about money led to $20,000 of credit card debt and a career in financial education. Today she’s not just the author of the money-wise book, Mind Your Money; she’s also advocating for systemic change for students through her work with NextGen Personal Finance.As a Dominicana raised in a predominantly Black and Latino neighborhood, she grew up with a cash-only mindset. Those early ideas about handling, not managing, money that are common with many immigrant and immigrant-adjacent communities filter into adulthood. Throughout the conversation, Yanely explains how enforcing financial education at an early age sets young adults up for success. She doubles down on the benefits it brings to minority communities whose understanding of money and the financial systems in our country is already behind. The most powerful moments are when Yanely talks about NextGen Personal Finance. She shares the work the organization has done with lawmakers to advocate for semester-long financial education courses and proudly highlights that 30 states now require them for graduation. Her efforts remind us of what happens when communities stand up for change and create new narratives for success. Tune in to episode 294 of Amiga Handle Your Shit for a lively discussion about money management, financial literacy in underpoverished communities, and tips on how to organize your life for greater wealth.Episode Takeaways:How Yanely’s life as a Domincana born and raised in Brooklyn shaped her initial ideas about money (2:32)Why financial education became a gap in Yanely’s Ivy League education and how it led to massive credit card debt (10:15)The side hustle that got Yanely out of debt and why she doesn’t recommend that route to everyone struggling with debt (16:14)The advice she highly recommends for anyone struggling with money management (17:43)Yanely’s path to becoming a financial educator and working with NextGen Personal Finance (21:57)The advancements the organization has made with teachers and lawmakers (22:55)Yanely explains how real change is made at the state level and talks about the work she and NextGen Personal Finance are doing behind the scenes (25:28)Why Yanely calls financial education “the great equalizer,” not the magic wand that solves income inequality (28:56)Her favorite tip for understanding money and how it ties into your self-worth (32:52)Resources:Mind Your Money BookNext Gen Personal FinanceConnect with Yanely EspinalInstagramWebsiteLinkedIn Let’s Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne websiteBook: The AMIGA Way: Release Cultural Limiting Beliefs to Transform Your Life

Technology moves fast, and in the blink of an eye you can get left behind. One minute you're on top of the knowledge heap, running your business like a pro. Then in an instant, everything changes, and you're playing catch-up just to stay afloat. That’s the exact scenario Jackie Tapia wants to help the Latin community avoid. In this episode of Amiga Handle Your Shit, Jackie continues the conversation about AI and how proper use of programs like Claude can be a strong asset for your company. She shares her experiences, including how she uses the program for daily planning, podcasting, and managing her employees. She even breaks down the money, sharing the benefits of the different plans.  The takeaway? “Don’t be a late adopter.” Business as we know it is changing, and Jackie isn’t gatekeeping the secrets to her success. Even better? She explains that every amiga, whether you’re a podcaster, realtor, or small business owner, can benefit from it. Tune in to episode 292 of Amiga Handle Your Shit for a witty and candid conversation about evolving with Claude and staying ahead of the curve.Episode Takeaways:Why AI has been a game-changer for Jackie and the nitty-gritty details that kept her learning more. (01:36)The simple prompts she used to boost her business brain and productivity. (4:24)The major lessons she didn’t expect to learn, but was grateful for when diving deeper into the programs. (6:28)How to determine which AI plan best fits your personal and company needs. (9:58)Jackie’s official pitch, explaining why every amiga can benefit from AI and how to equip yourself with the tools. (16:50)Let’s Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne websiteBook: The AMIGA Way: Release Cultural Limiting Beliefs to Transform Your LifeSign Up For The Course: Automate to Accelerate Fall 2026 

Picture this: you're standing in Monaco in 90-degree heat, sweat dripping, suitcase in hand, and the taxis your AI-built itinerary promised would be waiting simply aren't there. That's the moment Jackie Tapia realized even the smartest tools can plan a trip, but they can't read a room, feel the heat, or know how many humans are actually around to help you.In this episode of Amiga Handle Your Shit, Jackie takes us into her France trip recap, this time from the south: Monaco, Cannes, and Saint-Tropez, where the joy and the chaos both showed up in equal measure. She gets real about using Claude to build her itinerary and everything it got right, alongside the very human gaps it couldn't fill: no taxis waiting, no sunbed reservations, no one to walk her tired kid to the right platform.This one is for every amiga building a business, a brand, or a life with AI in her toolkit. Jackie's lesson is simple but important: let technology organize, draft, and structure, but never hand it the parts of life that only a human being can hold.Tune in to episode 291 of Amiga Handle Your Shit for a candid, funny, and honest reminder that when in doubt, humans come first, and technology comes second.Episode Takeaways:Why Jackie's AI-built itinerary promised taxis in Monaco that never actually showed up, and the sweaty, frustrating lesson that came with it (01:13)The real difference between what AI can plan versus what only a human being can execute in the moment (03:00)Why sun bed reservations in Saint-Tropez were impossible to lock down through AI, and what Jackie did instead (06:30)How having an actual human handle reservations in Cannes made that leg of the trip the smoothest of them all (11:00)Jackie's grounding reminder for every amiga leaning on AI in her business: humans first, technology second (13:00)Let’s Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne websiteBook: The AMIGA Way: Release Cultural Limiting Beliefs to Transform Your Life

Have you ever returned to a place years later only to realize that the biggest transformation wasn't the destination, it was you?Travel has a way of revealing more than beautiful landscapes and unforgettable moments. Sometimes it holds up a mirror, reminding us of how much we've grown, the choices that shaped us, and the unexpected ways God weaves every season of our lives together. In this heartfelt episode, Jackie reflects on a trip to Paris that became much more than a vacation. It became a lesson in perspective, purpose, and trusting the divine unfolding of life's journey.Tune in to this new episode of Amiga, Handle Your Shit, as Jackie shares the personal and spiritual lessons she brought home from her recent trip to Paris and the South of France. Looking back on her first visit as a backpacking law student over two decades ago, she reflects on how both she and the city have changed over time. From observing cultural shifts and embracing new perspectives to experiencing a powerful moment of synchronicity through a language she chose to study years ago, Jackie explores how seemingly small decisions can shape our future in ways we never expect. This episode is a reminder to trust God's timing, embrace change with an open heart, and believe that the seeds you plant today may bloom years from now.Key Takeaways:✨ Growth changes how you experience familiar places✨ Small decisions can shape your future✨ Trust the divine unfolding of your journey✨ Stay open to unexpected lessons✨ Every season prepares you for the next✨ The seeds you plant today will bloom in timeLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne websiteBuy The Amiga Way's Book

Some stories rarely get told, not because they aren't important, but because nobody believes there's an audience. C. Fitz was told exactly that. No grants, no studio interest, just a two-to-three-minute tribute video that spiraled into something bigger. Six years and a ten-and-a-half-hour rough cut later, the world finally met Jewel Thais-Williams.In this episode of Amiga Handle Your Shit, Jackie Tapia sits down with C. Fitz, director and producer behind the award-winning documentary Jewel's Catch One, now re-released on Apple TV, Amazon, and Google Play. C. Fitz shares how she carved out a career as a female director in an industry that rarely encouraged one, moving from production assistant to commercials to unscripted television, including helping develop the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, before a volunteer project turned into the calling that would define her career. Her story matters because it's proof that the projects worth doing are rarely the easy ones, and that persistence, not permission, is often what preserves a legacy.The conversation traces how C. Fitz met Jewel Thais-Williams, the trailblazing founder of one of the first Black-owned discos in the country and a sanctuary for the LGBTQ+ and Black queer community through decades of racism, homophobia, police raids, and the AIDS crisis. They talk about the impossible task of condensing one woman's decades of impact into 85 minutes, the devastating history of the fire that burned Catch One to the ground, and why C. Fitz kept pitching a project nobody wanted to fund because she knew it was too important to let go.The most powerful moment comes when C. Fitz describes sitting beside Jewel in the theater as she watched her own story on screen, crying during the AIDS crisis chapter of the film. After years of being overlooked by the very industry that should have celebrated her, Jewel finally received a standing ovation, not once, but across film festivals from Los Angeles to London. It's a reminder of what it means to finally be seen after a lifetime of quietly showing up for everyone else.Tune in to episode 289 of Amiga Handle Your Shit for a moving conversation about persistence, representation, and what it takes to ensure the people who quietly change our communities are never forgotten.Episode TakeawaysHow C. Fitz carved out her own path as a female director, working up from production assistant to commercials to helping develop the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (04:24)The volunteer tribute video that turned into a calling: how one gala clip led to the realization that Jewel's life demanded a full documentary (09:47)Why C. Fitz kept pitching for years with no grants and no studio support, and what finally got the project made (11:45)The heartbreak of cutting a ten-and-a-half-hour rough cut down to 85 minutes (13:51)The harrowing story of the fire that burned Catch One down, and Jewel's defiant response to the city (15:34)What C. Fitz wants viewers to feel, while watching the film, like they've stepped onto that dance floor themselves (17:05)The emotional moment Jewel watched her own story on screen, and the standing ovations that followed from LA to London (19:56)C. Fitz's advice for handling your shit: breathe, take a beat, and get grounded before you react (21:53)Resources:Jewel’s Catch OneConnect with C. Fitz:InstagramIMDbLinkedInLet’s Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne websiteBook: The AMIGA Way: Release Cultural Limiting Beliefs to Transform Your Life