She never left, familia. We just refilled the cafecito.

Michele Garcia stayed with me for part two of our Corporate Cafecito conversation, and I’m so grateful she did.

What started as a conversation about her career in law enforcement became something much deeper. We talked about what it means to serve for more than 25 years, to carry the weight of difficult work, to be a Latina in spaces where women were not always expected to lead, and to still find your way with strength, humor, and corazón.

Michele opened up about the personal side of the job too. The impact it can have on your health, your family, your sleep, your peace, and the way you start asking yourself what life should look like after giving so much of yourself to your career.

One part that really stayed with me was how she talked about mentorship.

She saw another young Latina coming up in the department, recognized her potential, and made room for her. Not because she had to, but because she understood what it feels like to be overlooked and what it means when someone finally sees you.

That is what lift as you climb really looks like.

It is honest. It is powerful. And it is a reminder that our stories matter, especially when they help someone else believe that they belong too.

Don't forget to check out her book Model Detective. It’s out now, and she shares her story and what it was really like working those cases. If you want to learn more about her journey, you can visit her website at https://modeldetectivebook.com/.

Watch the episode here now: www.corpcafecito.com

So, what’s in your cafecito today?

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email admin@corpcafecito.com.

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email Nallely@elevardevelopment.com today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email carlos@avizoconsulting.com.

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact.

Hola Familia!

Grab your cafecito ☕ this is one of those conversations you don’t rush through.

Today’s episode of Corporate Cafecito is live 🎙️ and I had the chance to sit down with Michele Garcia. I went into this thinking we were going to talk about her career, 25 years in law enforcement, homicide, sex crimes and we did, but it became something more.

We talked about what comes with that kind of work. What you carry. What stays with you. The moments that don’t just go away when the day is over. There was a part of the conversation where she shared how one decision can change everything, and it really made me pause.

It made me think about how many of us are showing up every day holding more than people realize, and still finding a way to keep going.

Check out her book Model Detective 📚 it’s out now and she shares her story and what it was really like working those cases. If you want to learn more about her journey, you can visit her website, I’ll share it in the comments.

Watch the episode here: www.corpcafecito.com

Let me know what stayed with you in the comments.

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email admin@corpcafecito.com.

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email Nallely@elevardevelopment.com today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email carlos@avizoconsulting.com.

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact.

After my first conversation with Michelle Martinez, I knew I wanted her back on the podcast.

There was something about the way she talks about connection that stayed with me.

So I invited her back, and this time the conversation went even deeper.

What I appreciate about Michelle is that she doesn’t talk about connection in a surface way. She talks about it in a way that makes you pause and really think about how you move through life and the people around you.

At some point, we found ourselves talking about something I know so many of us are feeling right now, even if we’re not always saying it out loud.

The need for real comunidad.

Not networking. Not transactional conversations. Just real connection. The kind where you feel seen, understood, and like you don’t have to perform.

Michelle said something that really stayed with me. Sometimes just witnessing someone else live their life is enough to remind you what’s possible for your own.

That stayed with me, because so much of what we’re building, in life and in our careers, comes down to the people we surround ourselves with and the spaces we choose to create.

This conversation felt honest, grounding, and needed.

Gracias Michelle for coming back and sharing your heart.

If you’ve been craving something more real lately, I think this episode will speak to you.

Episode is live now! Check it out on our website, www.corpcafecito.com now!

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email admin@corpcafecito.com.

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email Nallely@elevardevelopment.com today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email carlos@avizoconsulting.com.

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact.

Alex Miranda came to Chicago planning to stay for six months.

Fourteen years later, he’s still here.

We had him on Corporate Cafecito this week, and I went into the conversation thinking we were going to talk about marketing. We did, but it ended up being more about people than anything else.
One thing he said really stuck with me. We spend so much time thinking about logos, colors, websites…all the visible parts of a brand. But that’s not what people remember.

They remember how you made them feel.

And I started thinking about how often we’re building something a business, a career, a personal brand without ever really stopping to define that part. We assume people “get it,” but sometimes they don’t. And when they don’t, that’s where the disconnect happens.

We also talked about how marketing is shifting. It’s less about labeling people and more about understanding shared experiences. That part hit home, especially for the work we do and the community we care about.

And yes, we touched on AI too. It’s helpful, no doubt. But it still can’t replace real human creativity or the way people connect with something that feels genuine.

I don’t know… this one made me pause a bit.

If someone had to describe your brand today, would it sound the way you think it does? 🧠

#CorporateCafecito #BrandStrategy #Leadership #LatineProfessionals #Entrepreneurship #CareerGrowth

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email admin@corpcafecito.com.

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email Nallely@elevardevelopment.com today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email carlos@avizoconsulting.com.

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact.

Some conversations stay with you. This was one of them.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Michelle Martinez, and what I thought would be a light conversation turned into something much deeper.

We talked about work, not the kind we put on our resumes, but the kind we feel every day, and if we’re being honest, work feels heavy right now.

Not because we don’t care and not because we’re not capable, but because somewhere along the way, work stopped making sense.

In this episode, we talk about why so many of us feel overwhelmed even when we’re doing everything right, what “collaboration fatigue” really is and why it’s draining us, why communication isn’t just a skill but the foundation of everything, and how we start creating space to just be human again at work.

There was one moment that really stayed with me. Michelle shared how she paused everything with her team and said, “let’s just complain,” no fixing it, no judgment, just listening, and in that space, people felt seen and things actually started to shift.

Y eso me hizo pensar…how often do we give ourselves permission to pause, to reflect, to say this isn’t working?

Familia, you are not alone in this. You’re not behind and you’re not doing it wrong. Maybe the system just needs to change.

💬 What’s something at work that hasn’t been sitting right with you lately?

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email admin@corpcafecito.com.

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email Nallely@elevardevelopment.com today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email carlos@avizoconsulting.com.

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact.

Let’s talk about something that’s been sitting heavy for so many people lately…

This season right now… it’s heavy.
The job search feels longer. The silence feels louder.
And the rejection? It hits deeper than we like to admit.

In this week’s episode, we sat down and talked about what so many of us are going through but not always saying out loud…
✨ the emotional toll
✨ the identity shift
✨ the frustration of applying and hearing nothing back

Because this isn’t just about finding a job…
it’s about your livelihood, your familia, your purpose.

And if you’re in this season right now, I want you to hear me clearly…
tu valor no ha cambiado. Your worth is still there. You are still capable, talented, and needed.

We also talk about how to navigate this moment with intention…
how to protect your energía, lean into comunidad, and treat your job search with both strategy and corazón.

You are not alone in this.
Estamos contigo. Siempre. 💛

If you’re in this season right now… what’s been the hardest part for you?

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email admin@corpcafecito.com.

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email Nallely@elevardevelopment.com today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email carlos@avizoconsulting.com.

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact.

Familia… can I be honest with you for a moment? 💛

There have been times in my life where I felt like I had to choose between my career… and my family.

This week’s cafecito wasn’t just another conversation.
It was one of those moments where I found myself reflecting on my own journey… as a woman, as a Latina, as a professional… and as someone who has had to make hard choices along the way.

When I think about Women’s History Month, yes… I think about celebration.
But I also think about everything we carry.

The expectations to be everything for everyone.
The pressure to keep pushing forward.
The sacrifices that don’t always get seen.

I’ve lived that.

In this episode, Carlos and I talked about:
✨ The wage gap that still impacts our community
✨ What it really means to be a primary breadwinner
✨ The reality of stepping away from work to care for the people we love
✨ And why so many of us are choosing to build something of our own

But this part… this part stayed with me:

👉 Be the woman you want the next generation to experience

That hit me deeply.

Because when I think about my mom… my family… everything they sacrificed…
I know that everything I do today is connected to them.

And if you’re reading this and you’re in a season where you feel stretched, overwhelmed, or like you’re carrying too much…

I see you. De corazón.
You are not alone in this.

We’re figuring it out… together. Siempre. 🤎

If this resonated with you, share it with a mujer in your life, follow along, and help us continue building this comunidad… con amor, apoyo, y propósito.

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email admin@corpcafecito.com.

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email Nallely@elevardevelopment.com today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email carlos@avizoconsulting.com.

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact.

This week on Corporate Cafecito, I had the opportunity to sit down with Chicago native, leadership coach, and author Isaias Mercado to talk about his new book releasing today, March 10th: 📚 The 10 F Words of Feedback

During our conversation, he said something that really stayed with me:

“Feedback should be a roadmap, not a verdict.”

Think about that for a moment.

So many of us experience feedback as criticism or judgment. Something that makes us feel like we’re being evaluated as a person rather than supported in our growth.

But what if feedback was actually meant to guide us forward?

In this episode, we talk about why feedback is one of the most important leadership skills we can develop, and why learning how to both give and receive feedback well can completely transform our workplaces and our careers.

Isaias shared another insight that really resonated with me:

“Feedback doesn’t define us. It refines us.”

When feedback is given with trust, belief, and clarity, it doesn’t tear people down. It helps people grow into their potential.

We also talked about something that matters deeply to both of us. Highlighting the voices in our comunidad who are sharing knowledge, writing books, and helping others rise.

Because when one of us grows, crecemos todos juntos.

To learn more about the book and connect with Isaias on LinkedIn and social media, visit: https://www.envisionleader.com/fwords/#form

☕ Where to Find the Corporate Cafecito Podcast

🌐 Website: https://www.corporatecafecito.com

Support the show

If you’d like to join Nallely y Carlos for a conversation, collaborate, or suggest a topic that matters to our community, we would love to hear from you. This podcast centers real conversations that move culture and careers forward. Visit www.corpcafecito.com/contact-us or email admin@corpcafecito.com.

Elevar Development, founded by Nallely Suárez Gass, helps professionals and organizations grow with clarity and purpose. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nallely is known for helping people lead authentically, uncover strengths, and make confident, aligned decisions. Through personalized coaching and impactful workshops, Elevar creates practical, lasting change. Visit www.elevardevelopment.com or email Nallely@elevardevelopment.com today.

Every business decision carries social, political, and economic considerations. Avizo Consulting helps organizations navigate complexity with intention, cultural awareness, and strategic insight. Carlos Butler Vale partners with leaders who want their values and actions aligned. Learn more at www.avizoconsulting.com or email carlos@avizoconsulting.com.

Two leaders. One shared commitment to growth, cultura, and impact.