In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the “Voices of Latina Leadership” series highlights Latina founders on the personal and cultural roots of their leadership styles. The first installment uncovers the theme of perseverance, and over the coming weeks, I’ll focus on the concepts of community and how embracing identity and heritage can be a source of strength.
In honor of National Hispanic American Heritage Month, I’ve spoken to many Latina women business leaders about the experiences that have shaped them.
One theme that’s emerged again and again is perseverance. The entrepreneurial journey, especially for a population that faces challenges like discrimination and access to capital, isn’t without obstacles and struggles. But these founders have not only come out the other side stronger, they see their ability to do so as a key ingredient in their success.
As a therapist and executive coach, I’ve spent years helping people create lives that align with their strengths and values. From this work, I know that perseverance is one of the greatest qualities we can cultivate—and today, I’m honored to share insights from leaders who embody it fully.
Read on to learn how these women faced personal and professional challenges head-on and how perseverance has fueled their journeys.
‘I Put Myself Up For Leadership Opportunities’
Nicte Cuevas, founder of brand strategy firm Nicte Creative Design, noticed early in her career how rare it was to see Latinas leading in her industry—and she made it her mission to change that.
Cuevas courageously prioritized putting herself up for leadership opportunities, making room for fear and doing the scary thing anyway. “Sharing value-driven strategies beyond ‘pretty design thinking,’ and fully embracing my approach to color and culture, led to working with clients like LinkedIn and Adobe,” she shares.
The spirit of perseverance extends into her personal life as well. After her son was born three months early, Cuevas learned to balance the demands of her business with navigating early childhood therapies. “It taught me so much about what I can do while dealing with adversity,” she adds.
Cuevas’s story reminds us that perseverance isn’t just about professional persistence—it’s about finding the strength to carry forward in every aspect of life.
‘I Turned Struggles Into Strengths—And Stories’
A lightbulb moment for Monica M. Rivera, founder of personal branding and communications consultancy YOU WANNA DO WHAT?!, was that her story, with all its trials and traumas, was actually her greatest asset. “I once viewed my experiences as weaknesses, as baggage holding me back. But I’ve come to understand that our stories are our strengths,” Rivera shares.
Revealing our imperfections humanizes us and allows a window into intimacy. Rivera now uses her experiences to connect deeply with others. She also inspires clients to leverage their own stories as sources of power, an innovative approach that has been the cornerstone of her business model.
‘I Don’t Let Tough Conversations Get Me Down’
Rosalie Ennes, who leads risk advisory firm Portecua Consulting, knows that not every interaction with a potential client or partner will result in success. But instead of being discouraged by tough conversations, she reframes them as learning experiences. “I reflect on it, grab any nuggets I can get from the conversation, and move forward to focus on finding my people,” she says.
Her perspective aligns beautifully with a growth-mindset, in which our “failures” are learning opportunities and proof we’ve stepped outside of our comfort zone. Ennes’s perseverance lies in her ability to keep pushing forward, learning from setbacks without letting them derail her path.
‘I Fail Fast, Regularly’
Catalina Parker, co-founder of Relatable Nonprofit, which empowers individuals to transition from nonprofit careers to consulting businesses, has learned that perseverance isn’t just about persistence, it’s also about learning quickly from mistakes. Her mantra is “fail fast”—an approach she says promotes relentless innovation and the willingness to experiment.
“Each failure is merely a step towards success,” she says. “Adopting this mindset has directly impacted my ability to improve and adapt continuously.”
‘I Embrace A Beginner’s Mindset’
Lindsay Ruiz, founder of human as usual, which helps hypergrowth companies scale while maintaining human dignity and operational health, believes that perseverance often means returning to a beginner’s mindset. “Every time we set ourselves for a higher road [requires] unlearning what no longer serves us and becoming a student again,” she explains. This “Beginner’s Mind(set)” prevents the judgment and criticism that often evokes shame—which can lead to paralyzation or defeat.
To Ruiz, perseverance also means embracing your humanness, rather than your title or past accomplishments. “What you might believe are broken pieces are likely your greatest gifts and where your light shines through,” she says. “Embrace that and show up for yourself every day.”
‘I See Slow Progress As Progress’
As co-founder of Freya Movement Studio, which provides fitness classes tailored to prenatal and postpartum women, Jenny Hoofnagle has learned that perseverance—like fitness—isn’t always about fast growth. “Just because you’re moving slowly doesn’t mean you’re not moving at all,” she says. I see this often in my work as a therapist and coach: clients tend to focus on the gap between where they are and where they (believe they need to) be—rather than taking moments to acknowledge how far they’ve come.
It’s this spirit of perseverance that has kept Hoofnagle going, despite the challenges she has faced as a Latina entrepreneur. “You can look around and feel like everyone who is doing it doesn’t look like you . . . but this is all the more reason to keep showing up, learning, and chipping away at your dream,” she emphasizes. “We are the ones who can honor our ancestors with our work and change the cycle for the next generation of Hispanic business owners.”