The First Gen Madrina
The First Gen Madrina is a podcast for social work students and professionals who are ready to build a career that doesn't cost them their peace. Hosted by Sara Diaz, LCSW, this show blends real talk with practical tools for anyone navigating this field.
Each episode digs into the parts of social work that grad school never prepared you for: burnout that gets treated like a personal failing instead of a systemic issue, the guilt that comes with setting boundaries, advocating for fair pay in a field that expects you to sacrifice for it, and the quiet grief of being "the first" to do any of this. Sara brings her own story as a first-gen Latina and licensed clinical social worker into every conversation, along with guests who understand what it's like to hold space for everyone else while trying to figure out who's holding space for you.
Whether you're still in your MSW program or years into practice, this is your reminder that rest isn't a reward you have to earn, ambition and burnout aren't the same thing, and you don't have to do this alone. Welcome to the familia.
The First Gen Madrina
E130 How to Redefine Success with Sara
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
As first gens, many of us grew up with a very specific definition of success: get the stable job, make good money, buy the house, choose the career that others respect. But what happens when the life everyone imagined for you doesn’t align with the life you actually want?
In this episode, Sara shares her personal journey of redefining success from choosing social work despite criticism and concerns about money, to later taking the leap into entrepreneurship and creating The First Gen Madrina.
This conversation explores the pressure many first-generation professionals carry, the tension between financial security and fulfillment, and the belief that we have to sacrifice purpose in order to be financially stable.
If you’ve ever questioned your career path, felt guilty for wanting something different, or wondered whether you can build a life that includes both purpose and financial success.... this episode is for you.
In this episode, we talk about:
• First-generation expectations around career and success
• Choosing a path others may not understand
• Redefining success beyond status and income
• The relationship between money, survival mode, and fulfillment
• Entrepreneurship and building a values-aligned life
• Why time and flexibility became part of Sara’s definition of success
Because success doesn’t have to look the way you were taught. It gets to look like you.