Amiga, Handle Your Shit

Some conversations ask more of us than others. This is one of them.In this episode of Amiga Handle Your Shit, Jackie Tapia and co-host Marisela Arechiga sit down with Angela, a Valley girl, a proud Latina of Cuban and Colombian roots, and a woman who has carried a story for decades that most women carry in silence. This is Part One of a two-part conversation, and it is entirely about choice; not the political version, not the cultural performance of it, but the real, lived, human weight of the choices women make when they feel they have no other options. What Angela shares is raw, personal, and deeply necessary.What makes this conversation so important is not just what Angela chose; it is what no one ever told her the choosing would cost. That it would settle into her body and stay there. That it would quietly reshape the way she experienced love, motherhood, and her own femininity. She had no guidance, no counseling, and almost no one to turn to. And yet life kept moving, and she kept showing up for it.Marisela, who has known Angela for years, brings a rare depth to this conversation; not as an interviewer, but as a witness. She names the shame that fills the rooms where these decisions are made. She names the cultural pressure that tells women there is only one acceptable way to feel about any of this. And she challenges the idea that silence equals healing.Tune in to episode 276 of Amiga Handle Your Shit for a conversation about womanhood, survival, and the stories we carry when no one gives us permission to put them down.Episode Takeaways:What it means to grow up parentified as the oldest Latina daughter — and how that shapes your understanding of family (07:00)Why the "birds and bees" talk many Latina girls receive sets them up for silence instead of safety (08:31)How Angela chose to keep her first baby at 16 — against both parents — because she already knew she wanted to be a mother (09:05)What happens when a relationship built on cheating leaves a young woman pregnant, alone, and looking for the fastest way out (11:33)How abortion became, over time, a pattern of problem-solving rooted in survival rather than choice (16:34)What the inside of an abortion clinic actually looks, sounds, and feels like — and the emotional silence no one prepares you for (21:09)Why the pill option felt even harder than the procedure — and what Angela calls "ingesting death" (26:38)How unresolved grief from reproductive loss quietly rewires a woman's relationship to pregnancy, joy, and motherhood (29:10)Why Angela became an overprotective mom — and the fear that her living children would somehow pay for her choices (29:41)What Angela wishes every woman in that waiting room had been told before she ever got there (31:18)The one thing Angela did not know going in that she now says never goes away (32:33)Connect with Marisela Arechiga:InstagramNew Generation Home Improvements WebsiteNew Generation Home Improvements InstagramConnect with Angela Joseph:Ajoseph@shepherdchurch.comThrone of GraceLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne's websiteBook: The AMIGA Way: Release Cultural Limiting Beliefs to Transform Your Life

Have you ever felt like your life path chose you before you even understood it yourself?This episode is a powerful conversation about resilience, grief, migration, and the courage it takes to keep following your calling even when life feels uncertain. It’s a reminder that sometimes the path is not linear, but the passion in your heart can still guide you exactly where you are meant to be.Tune in to this new episode of Amiga, Handle Your Shit, as Jackie sits down with award-winning actress Marilyn Sanabria to talk about her journey from Puerto Rico to the Bronx and eventually to Hollywood. Marilyn shares how losing her immediate family at a young age shaped her perspective on life, gratitude, and resilience, and how the arts became both her refuge and her purpose. She talks about taking risks, moving to Los Angeles to pursue film, and how persistence, faith, and staying aligned with her purpose eventually led her to land a role in the psychological thriller Film Monster. This episode is a beautiful reminder that success is not linear, and sometimes the biggest opportunities come right when you are about to give up.About Marilyn SanabriaMarilyn Sanabria is an award-winning Puerto Rican actress whose journey began in Puerto Rico and continued in the Bronx, New York, before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television. With a background in theater and voice work, Marilyn has dedicated her life to the craft of acting, driven by a deep passion for storytelling, expression, and human connection. She is currently part of the cast of the psychological thriller Film Monster, a socially impactful film that explores fear and the human experience.Key Takeaways:✨ Resilience is built through life’s hardest moments✨ Success is rarely a linear path✨ Taking risks is part of growth✨ Alignment requires daily inner work✨ Your calling will keep finding you✨ Don’t give up right before the breakthroughConnect with Marilyn Sanabria:InstagramIMDbLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne websiteBuy The Amiga Way's Book

Money is one of the most powerful tools we have, yet for many Latino families, it’s also one of the least talked about. Fear, silence, and misinformation around money have kept generations from accessing opportunities that could change their lives.This episode is about breaking that silence.In this live episode of Amiga, Handle Your Shit, Jackie Tapia sits down with financial educator and nonprofit founder Erika Toriz, CEO of Haven Services. With over 15 years of experience helping underserved communities navigate credit, homeownership, taxes, and financial literacy, Erika has dedicated her life to helping families build stability and generational wealth.Erika shares how her journey began working at a nonprofit housing counseling agency before moving into banking, where she helped structure loans and guide families toward homeownership. But when the foreclosure crisis hit and she witnessed firsthand how vulnerable many families were to predatory lending and financial misinformation, she realized something deeper was missing.Throughout the conversation, Erika speaks openly about the cultural barriers many Latinos face when it comes to money. From the fear of asking questions to the belief that credit is dangerous or that financial tools are only for wealthy people, these silent barriers can keep families stuck in cycles of financial stress.She also shares the emotional side of her work: helping families who have been victims of scams, watching hardworking immigrants lose their savings, and witnessing the transformative power of financial education.Tune in to episode 274 of Amiga, Handle Your Shit for a powerful conversation about financial literacy, cultural money beliefs, and the work it takes to build real generational wealth.Episode Takeaways:How Erika’s career in banking led her to discover the financial education gap in Latino communities (07:40)Why many immigrant families avoid talking about credit, debt, and money (13:00)How Haven Services was founded to help families navigate housing, credit, and financial systems (10:00)The role financial education plays in preventing scams and predatory lending (15:00)How a nationwide cryptocurrency scam affected hundreds of working families (15:30)Why financial literacy is one of the most powerful tools for breaking generational cycles (23:30)How Haven Services has helped thousands of families recover tax refunds and improve credit (17:30)Why social media and lifestyle comparison can lead people into unnecessary debt (26:50)The importance of teaching children budgeting and money habits early (29:30)Why Erika believes money should serve the community, not define success (25:20)Connect with Erika Toriz:LinkedInHaven Services websiteLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne's websiteBook: The AMIGA Way: Release Cultural Limiting Beliefs to Transform Your Life

Have you ever felt like mental health struggles were something you had to keep quiet about?For many Latino families, conversations about mental health are still surrounded by stigma, silence, and misunderstanding. This episode opens an honest and heartfelt dialogue about what happens when we choose to speak up, seek support, and create community around challenges that many families experience but rarely discuss.Tune in to this new episode of Amiga, Handle Your Shit, as Jackie hosts a powerful live conversation about mental health in the Latino community with Maria Luisa, founder of Compassion, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing mental health awareness and culturally responsive support for families. Maria Luisa shares her deeply personal journey after her mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia, the challenges her family faced navigating stigma and lack of resources, and how those experiences inspired her to build a community-focused organization helping others find education, support, and hope. Together, they discuss the importance of breaking cultural silence, finding community, and recognizing that healing becomes possible when families no longer face these struggles alone.About Maria Luisa CaseMaria Luisa is the CEO and founder of KOMPASHION, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing mental health awareness and providing culturally responsive support for youth and families. Her work focuses on breaking stigma, strengthening families, and creating accessible mental health conversations within underserved communities.Key Takeaways:✨ Mental health stigma still affects many Latino families✨ Education helps break cycles of silence✨ Community support can transform healing journeys✨ Cultural sensitivity matters in mental health care✨ Compassion creates pathways to understanding✨ Speaking up helps others feel less aloneConnect with Maria Luisa Case:KOMPASHION IstagramKOMPASHION WebsiteLet's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne websiteBuy The Amiga Way's Book

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