If you've ever stayed calladita when you should've spoken up, this episode is your permission slip to stop. This week Jannese sits down with Hady Mendez — bestselling author of Calladita No More, speaker, and leadership coach — to talk about what happens when you finally decide to use your voice. They get into Hady's corporate STEM career, the promotion that got away, the negotiation that made her a director overnight, and the real, unfiltered story of betting on herself by moving to Madrid in her 40s. This one's for every mujer who's tired of playing small.
WE GET INTO:
1:06 – Welcome & living in the \"f*ck it 40s\"
1:50 – Hady's origin story: wanting to be a writer
3:03 – Growing up in a traditional Puerto Rican household
4:15 – From social worker dreams to computer science and Accenture
4:55 – Advice for parents raising kids with \"unstable\" dreams
9:39 – Unpacking the \"calladita\" messaging from her mom
12:17 – The moment staying quiet started costing her
13:31 – The \"Chad\" story: watching someone else get promoted
18:20 – What self-advocacy actually looks like
19:57 – The negotiation that made her a director overnight
23:57 – The \"brag sheet\": self-promotion without bragging
26:45 – Navigating the \"difficult Latina\" stereotype
32:36 – Leaving corporate: the layoff that led to entrepreneurship
35:07 – One year of Calladita No More: reader reactions
37:19 – The decision to move to Madrid
43:32 – Microaggressions and advocating for herself abroad
50:16 – Rapid fire questions + where to find Hady
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
→ Staying \"calladita\" has a cost — missed promotions and raises add up over time
→ The first offer is never the final offer, in salary negotiations or in life
→ Self-promotion isn't bragging — if people don't know what you've done, they can't trust you with more
→ The \"difficult Latina\" stereotype is real, but it's not a reason to stop speaking up
→ Career paths don't have to be linear to be successful
→ Community — not just individual grit — is what reminds you who you are
CONNECT WITH HADY:
🌐 Website: https://www.boldlyspeakingllc.com
🤝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calladitanomorebook
📚 Subscribe to Hady’s Substack: https://hadyunfiltered.substack.com/subscribe
TAKE THE NEXT STEP WITH YO QUIERO DINERO:
📕 Get the book, Financially Lit!: https://financiallylitbook.com
💸 Download the FREE Dinero Guide: https://courses.yoquierodineropodcast.com/
💬 Book a free Money Call: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com/links/
FOLLOW YO QUIERO DINERO:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoquierodineropodcast
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