Why Having No One True Calling Is a Superpower: A Conversation with Leo from Corazón a Corazón

Leo Rodríguez was born in Dalton, Georgia and raised his first eight years in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. In this episode, he talks about how that upbringing shapes how he shows up in the world, why he describes himself as a multipotentialite instead of searching for one calling, and how that shows up in his work as a creative strategist, DJ, and the founder of Corazón a Corazón, a poetry night and open mic built on community and intention. 

We talk about his mom's role in shaping how he sees his roots as a strength, what it really takes to build a space people want to come back to, and why he's chosen to keep Corazón a Corazón small and meaningful instead of scaling it into a business.

In this episode, Leo shares that: 

You don't need only one "true calling." Leo reframes being a multipotentialite as a strength, not a lack of focus, drawing on diverse interests (writing, DJing, strategy) that all inform each other. 

Roots can be reframed as a superpower. Leo's early years in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, followed by a culture shock to Dalton, Georgia, shaped how he shows up in the world, how he solves problems and even his empathy for other cultures. 

You don't have to monetize everything you love. Leo intentionally keeps some creative outlets, like Corazón a Corazón, free from the pressure to scale or generate income, preserving them as a space for authentic expression instead. 

Follow Leo:
📲 Instagram: @leorodriguezz
🎶 Corazón a Corazón: @_corazon.a.corazon_

Stay Connected with Cultura Convos:

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 📖 Get my children's book, Two Homes, Dos Casas, in English/Spanish or Spanish-only editions:  edithsuarez.com/books
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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Hola and welcome to Kultura Handball A space for stories and reflections of identidad and cultura. So when I talk about a space, I fall about a space that we can share stories, have reflections and conversations with guests that will allow us to continue writing and rewriting our stories from a place of strength, a place where we can embrace our cultura, our heritage, our stories, and then also remember that we are more than one thing, that there are multiple parts of our identity that we need to embrace, right? My name is Eddie. You can call me Edith or these both are fine. And right now I am your host, I'm also a mother, I am a daughter, I am a sister, the author of my daily children's book called Two Homes Dos Catasas, Dos Catas, which is all about celebrating cultura and the places we call home. So I'm excited for today. I have an amazing guest named Leo Rodriguez. And Leo was born in Dalton, Georgia. Yeah, he was raised in Mexico during his first eight years. You'll hear more about Corazón a corazón, which he describes more as not just a poetry night, not just a open eye, really a realm of expression. And he's absolutely right. I love just hearing how he's been intentional in his next steps and not really falling into the pressures that sometimes we feel like we have to be doing something because our algorithm says it or because people keep asking about that thing. So I was very inspired. I love your conversation, and it's definitely one of those conversations that I will definitely listen to more than once. So let's get into it. Hola Leo, welcome to Cultura Combos.

SPEAKER_07 1:49

Cool. Hello, hello. Happy to be here. I'm excited for having to have this conversation.

SPEAKER_03 1:54

Yeah, I'm excited to have you. I did want to first say a little bit about why I wanted to have you in Cultura Combos. And there's multiple reasons. The first one is I so you host Corazona Corazón, which is a poetry night, and we'll get into that in this conversation. And I'm really big on vibe. So I feel like there is people that you meet that you're like, ah, I don't really know this person yet, but like something about their vibe, you know, very down to earth.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:24

Um you're you smile a lot. So I think because you're charismatic, that helps. And then that's good, that's good. Yeah. And then the as I I joined one of your Corazona Corazones poetry nights, um, the first one that I did, I think it was Vela Vuela, that was the theme. And I remember, yeah, I just loved the night. I love your vibe. I loved what you're creating, how intentional you are. So that's one thing that I want to get into. And just I know there's more about your story that I'm gonna be inspired by. So I want to get it.

SPEAKER_07 2:58

Yeah, well, first of all, thanks for participating, you know, that night. I think it was a wonderful night that we held that. And I'm excited to dive more deeper into it later on. But you know, it's great to be one of the people that could create a space like that for people to have that reception that you felt. So thank you again for participating and you know, for having me on. I'm excited to dive into what Corazon Corazon is. We keep teasing what corazon corazon is. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:23

It's a fortune, it's open mic, it's music, it's community. So if you have been to open mic, that's what it is. It's just that obviously your approach is your approach. So what you're curating. Right. Um, you know, every open mic is different because the host brings a lot, and you're the host and the curator. So that's like two different things, you know. I'm gonna read more about you and give um everyone a little bit of background. So Leo Rodriguez is a multi-potentialite from his day job as a creative strategist to hosting poetry readings to spinning his favorite tracks as DJ Sócalo. He explores his creative process, seeks to share his form of self-expression, and connects with people on a personal level along the way. I love that. And I can relate a lot to it. I have never like described myself as a multi-potentialite. I heard like multi-passionate, right? You hear like stereo entrepreneur. So that word really caught my attention, and I was like, ooh, let me dig into this, but I want you to like share more about what that means to you.

SPEAKER_07 4:30

Definitely, yeah, yeah. Similar to you, I've heard a lot of different expressions of it. Some people call it generalist, right? You're generalist, multi-hyphenated. But something that I thought was interesting when I heard this word was that it said it was something along the lines of defining it as an individual who has diverse interests and specifically creative pursuits, but it but they lack a one definitive true calling. And I thought that was so powerful, right? Like this definitive true calling, almost that as humans sometimes we seek. Like, what is my calling? What am I what is my thing that I'm the best at, or what is something that you know is super tied to me. So that's why a lot of these other descriptors like multi-hyphenated, you know, that means that you can do a lot of different things. A generalist means that you you're not a specialist, right? So, but to me, this one spoke to me because that's how I feel. Like, I don't think I have a true calling per se, or haven't found it yet. And at this moment, that's why this multi-potential like really expresses who I am and the creative process and how I continue building on those aspects that you described in the introduction. And I keep it not as a form of like, dang, I don't have a true calling, like dang, you know, I must not have something so great to share, right? I see it the opposite way. I have multiple interests, and creatively I get to express themselves through different outlets. And I think maybe that's the part of the true calling, right? That I'm trying to figure out.

SPEAKER_03 6:05

I love that. And yeah, I did actually see the true calling part when I looked it up. So it it resonated in the sense that I mean, I remember even going to school. Like I remember when I was in school, I had a lot of teachers. This was like college, right? A lot of teachers that would bring people to talk about their career, right? And I remember always sitting down and and feeling like I don't really care what I major in, which maybe that's not the approach to take, but that's kind of how I thought about it. Like, um I was doing like behavioral science and like you know, um things that I enjoyed, like subjects I enjoyed, like psychology, sociology, anthropology. But I'm sure there's other things I would have enjoyed. I just I was the first one to like complete college, so I didn't know a lot of things. I didn't know I was just going with the flow. Okay. But anyway, I remember seeing- I feel you. Yeah, I remember seeing a lot of people come to class and when they would say what they do versus what they graduated in, I just remember always noticing that a lot of times there wasn't like a direct connection, you know, and that that always like stuck to me. And then one time I listened to a TED talk about how, yeah, like we we go, sometimes we feel like we have to find the one thing, the one thing, the one thing. And I feel like now you do have more people that are like, you know, like you're saying, um, or people that are doing multiple things. It's just that, and maybe it was true before, but I think when you're in college, because you're you're they're telling you to choose one degree and maybe a minor and choose, you know, it's to you kind of feel like, dang, I don't know, it's a lot of pressure. So, but I love what you said about the true calling because sometimes we overthink what our purpose is. And I've heard before, and this resonates too, where our our purpose can be in the daily things, it's also not always this one big ol thing, like even this conversation, you know, you doing corazona, corazon, it's like it it shows up in different ways.

SPEAKER_07 8:08

Yeah, or also I think about the purpose, really reflecting on that influence you may have on others or the way you helped or affected them in some positive manner, right? I think that translates to maybe a type of calling that we're not aware of, right? Or we're just not like a definitive like this is my one whole thing, right? Or I'm not the the high you know figures that m create so much m momentous change. I think to your point, I think when even when I was in college too, I had a similar perspective that I was like I have to define like what I'm gonna be, right? And in this career and this and then go through up the career ladder. But then I read something that I thought was interesting that the career ladder is no longer a thing as it was in the past, that it's more like a career jungle gym. And I thought that was fun.

unknown 9:00

Right?

SPEAKER_07 9:00

Like this jungle gym that you get to explore this area, then you get to explore that area, then some interests here, some skills are transferable, and then you're like, hey, ultimately, um all these parts are me, right?

SPEAKER_03 9:15

Yeah, for sure. I like that, and and I'm um I'm realizing more and more that I'm really big on process. So, like, um, and I heard this recently in the it was like a Mel Robbins episode, and it was this like lady that talks about life design, and she's like, you know, sometimes you hear too, especially in like the business world, it's like choose one thing, be a niche, become an expert in that thing. And to your point about generalists, what she was saying is like you can do that and you can choose to do that. And then you can also be the person that's like, okay, maybe this is gonna take me a little bit longer time, but I'm enjoying this process more where I'm doing more things, and then I'm still gonna be become really good at whatever you discover you really like and want to lean into. But but your process would just more align to what you want and enjoy, you know? And I feel like for me that resonated because I don't know, like when I think of a lot of things that I like, sometimes there is a similar kind of umbrella, but I liked which she it resonated that, yeah, that's true. Maybe it takes me a little longer, but if I'm enjoying it and I'm still doing parts that I like and I'm in my own journey, then why does it matter, you know?

SPEAKER_07 10:37

Yeah, so I totally agree. Yeah, I think to me, even you know, the interest that you shared in the beginning about my bio, from music to writing to the my day job strategies, they all kind of intermingle, you know. Like to your point about that whole point, it maybe taking a little longer to master whatever that you did, maybe a career or maybe whatever you chose to move and pursue. I do think that I find myself finding inspiration in off facets that then you know transferred to something else. And then I'm like, oh, I never thought about it like this. Or I I think of a problem in a different way because I'm solving it like a DJ, not like a strategist, you know? Or I'm solving my poetry like as a strategist, not as a poet, right? Like there's something interesting there that the skill set and to your point, the mastery of it helps you think about a different way than like a specialist would, right?

SPEAKER_03 11:31

Yeah, yeah. I like how you're putting it. Okay, so um this is gonna pivot a little bit from what I wanted uh the first questions, but I want to ask, like, how do you think of a strategist? Like, what does the strategist do? Like, what is the strategist and what do they do?

SPEAKER_07 11:47

Right. I think I it's one of those funny questions, right? Because sometimes I'm like, what do strategists do?

SPEAKER_00 11:54

Right?

SPEAKER_07 11:56

It's always that in between, you know, a lot of people say we're magicians, right? Because you like make things happen, but then in reality, I always think that as strategists, we intake a lot of information from you know, guest insights to like consumer trends to things that you know might be happening on this side of the world and then influence on this side of the world. So we consume a lot of information to distill it. So then the people who are actually creating whatever X thing for my job, you know, marketing and advertisement or campaign, we distill it enough that they're able to understand and get inspired by it to then make the actual thing. So then that's the way I like to explain it because I there's a form of bit being able to do a lot of research, understand it, and then see what what is the most important thing, and then being able to translate it, right? And say, hey, this is what's gonna be the most effective for whatever it is. Is it a business need, is it like, you know, create growing something, is it reaching somebody? I think that's the best way to like explain it as a like a general strategist role, you know, that that is not just specific to like marketing or you know, some other facets of the enterprise, but that's why I like to say that we tend to do right. It comes kind of like with this funnel down, and then here's the information, let's go that way, right?

SPEAKER_03 13:20

Yeah, I like that. There's a lot of words like that, I think, in general, that people are will define different or think of it as like, yeah, what is a strategy? I like the way you explained it. Um, because I mean I've called myself a strategist and sometimes, but I that's not my well, my role was director of strategic partnerships. So there you go.

SPEAKER_06 13:41

So it was you had three strategists.

SPEAKER_03 13:43

I love how you were explaining the like multiple lenses you bring into your role. I I I love it, and I that was actually a very clear visual of how you were explaining what it is, like taking everything to then funneling into how do we like the action we're gonna take, you know, in the next moment in order to meet our needs.

SPEAKER_07 14:03

Um direction, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:05

Yeah, I like that. So, okay, Lil. So let's talk a little bit more about you as as it relates to your upbringing. So where were you born and raised, and what are the memories that from your upbringing that you would say were really impactful in how you show up in the world today?

SPEAKER_07 14:29

Yeah, so I was born in Dalton, Georgia, which is the carpet capital of the world. I would say that as a fun fact because they make like two-thirds of the world's carpet, and it's like impressive to see, you know, that's cow come from like a small town. And but I also say that because a lot of that work needs to be done by somebody, right? And the community that tends to do a lot of that work is the Latino community. So I was born there because my dad and my and his brothers, you know, found jobs there, not necessarily in the in that type of industry, but in like the restaurant industry. And when I was born, my mom was here and with my dad, and but then she decided to go back to help, you know, be get her parents to help me being raised and stuff. So I I actually grew up in San Luis, Potosi, Mexico. So then I grew up there for about eight years because when my sister was born a couple of years after me, she was born in San Luis, and you know, the visa process and the whole like getting papers to come over here and then be a full-time resident took some time. So my dad was a resident, my mom was in the process of becoming a resident, and so was my sister. So that's why we spend most of our you know, that eight years of that my childhood in San Luis. So that's to me foundational of who I think I am and how proud I am to be from Mexico and from San Luis specifically, right? Because I think that heritage and being able to go back every summer really played a role into my roots and then who I am, my you know, my love for s the for for the language in that we have ab access to like Spanish and being able to express ourselves in that. So to me, I think that was very instrumental. I think the other part that was very instrumental is that you know the culture and the community aspect is very different in Mexico than it is here in the States. So when we ultimately moved back in when I was around eight, it was a culture shock. And to me, I was used to being surrounded, you know, by family and then going to seeing your abuelitos and abuelita and you know, abuelitas and your thoas, your tíos every weekend or down the road, they're just like a couple blocks away. I mean like an actual community aspect in that in that way was so strong that and fundamental, I think, to the way that I also approach friendships, I would say, and then I love bringing bringing people together because that was always the case, right? We were always surrounded by people, so it wasn't like a solitary thing. I know as a kid, but even still, right? But then that also opened up the importance that I think my grandparents played, and then everybody around them, right? My my cousins, my my aunts and uncles, I think they all helped raise me and my sister and some of the other, you know, sobrinos and sobrinas that they had, because it wasn't just like your parents raising you at that time. It felt like it was more than you know, like everybody that that whole message of like the village, right? Really it takes some a village to raise, raise somebody. I really felt it and lived it because you know my aunt taught me how to do this. Mi abuelita taught me how to do that, you know, me other abuelita taught me how to ride a bike without her knowing how to ride a bike. You know, like it's so important things that really stuck to me, where everybody had like a role in shaping who I am from that childhood moment to then when we were able to go back every year up until you know high school in the summer, they had a crucial role of the values they instilled in us, the aspects that they were seeing, of you know, was this immigration um or was it worth it leaving San Luis? They were able to see that growth within us, right? Year over year. So then when I immigrated when we well when we came back right to the States and my family immigrated and we were or we reunited with my dad in in Dalton, that culture shock was real because then now we were in a apartment, right, that was like somewhat secluded away from the town, so it's not in the city limits, and then it's kind of hard to get everywhere, you couldn't walk anywhere, you had to drive everywhere, there's not public transportation, it was a small town, right? The I think the language barrier, I think that was another thing that happened, right? We didn't have a lot of family that we were super close with that we would see more as often as I would say in San Luis we were, right? And then so it was really tough, I would say. Like it was just that really was tough. But I think what that also did was build the resiliency that was needed to continue to proceed, you know, and I think you s you hear that a lot in immigrant stories because you need that resiliency to be able to continue, especially when you're all by yourself, right? So over here my dad has some family, but my mom didn't have anybody, so she had a huge sacrifice, right, to make moving here. But I remember one time I was cleaning out my parents' like house, and you know, well everybody has one of those rooms that you like, yo, everything goes in there, right? So I was cleaning that and I found a letter that she wrote him actually in like the 90s, early 2000s, that she was like, La familia tiene que estar junta, he simple tiene que estar junta. You know, she was basically telling me that like when are we gonna be a full family together? And it took about those seven years to be able to do that. So then when I read that, you know, when I was like what twenty something, it all clicked in my head that the level of sacrifice and the level of conversations they must have had was very um difficult, right? To leave something behind that you were so close to for the future and the betterment of your your children, right? So to me I always kept that top of mind and I always knew that was the case, so the decisions I've made from going to college and the choosing the job I have and day-to-day decisions, I always keep that in mind, right? Like I don't see it as a you know, a lot of people might feel the pressure that you don't want to fail your parents or felt their immigrant, you know, struggle that they had. I never felt like a as a pressure, I always felt that's a motivator. And I thought that was the thing that kept me going, you know, those late nights in college when you had to study so late to then keep going, working a couple of jobs to making sure that you can pay for college, you know. So to me I think that really helped shape my foundation of why I do the things I do and I also treat other individuals, right? I know everybody's going through something, and to me it's important to think about those roots and help them be a superpower, not not necessarily a detriment. Because I think that's how a lot of people saw it. And I think tying it to the specialist and generalist things, right? I always thought that my view of the world and my experience from being coming into this duality helped me see and solve problems in a different way. So when I would tackle situations, you know, in school, at work, I think it always helped me think back of those roots and be like, what would I do, you know? Like this is another way to do it. Like, you know, there's a Mexicanada somewhere that can make make happen, you know. So or the level of struggle is not as like intense, you know, because I'm just in marketing, you know, I'm not like saving people. So things like that can help you put in perspective knowing where I came from and then where we Where we are now, right?

SPEAKER_03 22:03

And do you feel like that kind of like shifting that to like realizing like this is a strength that I like I literally can see things from multiple lenses because I mean the first eight years like there's a lot happening developmentally. Like even now that I have um Amina she's two now, like we're just so smart human since the moment we're born. And I mean, you talk to an eight-year-old, I mean, you're talking to an adult. You know what I mean? So those were very transformative years. Yeah, like you were already a very smart person, brilliant person. So that but that shift to like see it as a strength. When did you when do you feel like that shift happened? Was it when you read that letter or early on or when for you?

SPEAKER_07 22:51

I think it's always been really early on because I think my mom did a great job of instilling that mindset to us. She uh when we moved, she was like, You're not forgetting how to speak Spanish, right? Like you're gonna continue reading Spanish, talk to your abuelitos and tías and everything in Spanish, but you're also gonna learn English, right? So there was like this push to be able to see both sides of the spectrum in a lot of ways. So I think my mom did a great job of motivating us to in that way. And then, you know, when we faced some type of discrimination or some you know, backhanded comments in some way, my mom would always remind us that like that wasn't that was just maybe ignorance, or it wasn't you know how people should treat each other, and I think that opened up also my perspective on how to treat somebody else that I might not agree with or share a common you know, ancestry or heritage or culture, because I think she did a great job of making us think that a lot everything that you see differently or you experience differently is your own strength, it's just the way that you apply it. So I think she she was the one that instilled it from us from the beginning, you know. That's it. Yeah, I think in different ways, right? Yeah, in different ways. Because I think about a lot of lessons that she shared, right? And she would always tell us like if somebody's bullying you, you know, the best way to deal with a bully is to not give them what they want. So don't make don't react. And I was like, huh. And I would do that, you know, when people would like bully or try to bully me, and then they would stop, you know. So it was like that exchange of energy. Like, if you're not giving them anything, they kind of stopped, right?

SPEAKER_03 24:27

They're like, This is not a fun person to bully, like they're not getting the yeah. So what what so when you move to Dalton though, like kind of as you're talking about that like moments where you were discriminator, kids were trying to bullying, like what is the demographics there? Was it yes, yeah?

SPEAKER_07 24:46

Yeah, so I think in Dalton, primarily there's a lot of Latinos that live there. Okay, I would say primarily Mexicans, because there is also I think a good economy that they've built there with like businesses and small owned shops and things like that, right? But they're also of course is very white, and I would say that the the majority of the half, and then some other races and ethnicities there. But when we, you know, in what was it like early 2000s, that's when it was like I think the majority was becoming Latino. So I think now you see a a lot of folks there. So to me, I always felt like I was like in San Luis, you know, or Mexico, because we would go to a store and then that you they were preaching Spanish, yeah. You know, we would go to other things and things where we would get our groceries. Of course, that didn't happen at Walmart, but you know, at the Mexican stores or things like that, it would happen. So it was also I think instrumental to of course being close to the roots, to my roots, right? Because you had to also practice them. The thing I would also say is that the makeup of my group friend of group friend group that we were there all tended to be very similar in in the demographic sense, right? We were, you know, a all Mexican, my primarily from different parts, you know, Chihuahua, Durango, like everywhere, Michoacan, whatever. And then everybody had siblings, everybody was Catholic, right? Everybody spoke English and Spanish, so it was very easy to like not forget your roots, I would say, because you had a lot of those cultural nuances that you understood, even though day-to-day in school you might interact with folks that might be the you know polar opposite.

SPEAKER_03 26:31

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I have um I have a like a similar experience where even though I was in certain ports, parts of my upbringing for schooling, I was in predominantly white spaces or career. Like my circle was always like, yeah, a lot of people. I feel like over time I've been more intentional too, of like not even just intentional, but also life takes you into different spaces, so your group begins to diversify in like different ways, not just like racially, but like age, profession, all that. But like you do have to you do have to almost go out of your way to create that too. Otherwise, it could be really easy to stay in your bubble, you know?

SPEAKER_07 27:16

Right, I totally agree because I didn't realize that until I went to Jerry State first for college, right? Like because Dalton, like I mentioned, right, it's almost that split of demographics. And so the people that didn't track that, you know, were Asian or black or from other ethnicities or from other walks of life too, was minimal, right? And then when I went to Jerry State, it's just like a melting pot, right? Yeah. So then everybody's there in downtown Atlanta and just trying to make it to through school, and you just hear different perspectives and connect with people that you thought you would never connect, just based on like what you maybe perceived, right? And then that world kind of opens up. But to me, that's what I was so grateful to go to that school because it really helped me understand more of like that international also aspect of how you know Dalton was just smart, small part of his big world. So or it's not it's not just Dalton and San Luis, you know.

SPEAKER_03 28:12

Yeah, no, for sure, for sure. I like I totally get it. I you know, as you were talking, um, without diving too deep into that, because it would be like a whole different episode, um, is part two. Yeah, as you were talking about the the home, your mom's letter, and like finding, you know, like her kind of really being intentional to try to create that. And I feel like even now when I think of like now that I have a daughter, it's like I'm I'm kind of putting myself in that lens of like I want to make sure that that I don't just go with the flow in the sense of like some intention so that it will be quote unquote worth it, you know, because even when you're talking about like like even like two things. One when you were saying about how you know you were in college and you were like thinking of that as a motivation, like, you know, when it was like doing homework late night, all that. Um I've thought about that too. And one thing that I've thought about recently is because I'm also thinking of my daughter, like what do I want to raise her away from her family? And obviously she has both sides of a family, but like um, do like what where do I want to raise her in this season? Like all these questions, right? And I was thinking to myself, like, you know, when I look back and reflect on, like I've made sacrifices before, right? If I look back and reflect on the things in my life and the choices I've made, even the hardest moments, I wouldn't tell you the hard moments. Not because they didn't happen, just they were not the highlight. The highlight were the good moments and the people I met, you know, and the and the like so I was thinking to myself, you know, when I look back, even though quote unquote this could be hard, I know that even right now choosing to stay primarily with Amina, even though it's it's hard sometimes, I feel like if somebody were to ask me, oh, what do you remember about those two years before you went back to work or whatever? Like in my specific situation, it's gonna be the highlights, the good ones. There was a lot of hard ones, but that's not what's gonna surface. And I feel like my dad had a similar thing where he said, you know, un momento, and means like and means lowest moment. Um, you know, cuatro hijos, you know, my mom's first daughter passed away, but like cuatro hijos grandes, que se quieren, que tienen estos, you know, trabajos buenos, que están saludables. Like I would have been like, it's worth it. Like I was going, like it's gonna be worth it with faith. But like if somebody would have told me that in my lowest moment, I would have been, and then he got to live it, right? Then he's like, that would have been enough, you know. But um, but yeah, so that's really powerful and like beautiful that you were that your mom was like so intentional with like planting all those seeds that you were able to like see that early on, you know.

SPEAKER_07 31:28

Yeah, and you said, you know, when you're that young, you are aware, it's so together, you know.

SPEAKER_03 31:33

Dude, tell me about it. I stopped saying shit because Amina was 11 months saying shit around the house. Like it took me a while to be like, oh my gosh, you're saying shit and she's using it right.

SPEAKER_06 31:47

Right?

SPEAKER_03 31:47

So like now I'm like, ah man, hold up. Yeah, they say they're a mirror and it's so true. Okay. So thank you for sharing that. That was amazing. And I'm yeah, shout out to your mom and just like you for like being intentional too with like how you're moving through life and stuff. So okay, so now let's talk about corazón a corazon. Like, what is corazón a corazón and how did it come to be?

SPEAKER_07 32:15

Yeah, so I would say I always I always define Corazón Corazón as an expressive realm because I don't like to say that it's just a poetry reading, because sometimes that's not what I end up doing or hosting, right? And I say an expressive realm, mainly for writers, artists, and musicians, because we try to host events that lean into that aspect, right? So then the main foundation of it is the poetry readings and the open mic night. And the way that came about was in college actually, I inherited an event similar to like, you know, an open mic that was called Lengua Materna. And I was the president of the the you know the Latino group there, and then when I inherited this event, they did a yearly, I was like, I don't even know what's gonna happen, right? So I was like, I don't know what it is. They kind of gave me a structure to like do it, and I was like, sure. So then we I did it, and I remember during that time I was like going through some things that really drew again that writing aspect that I used to like doing. So I I wrote a lot of pieces during this time. So I thought, hey, it'd be cool if you know I share it, but I shared I I forced or I challenged myself to do it in Spanish, right? Because the theme of lengua materna was that whole like native tongue aspect. So the first language you learn should be the one that you perform in, you know, and I thought that or you should write and share with. So I thought that was like a cool part that I inherited, and I was like, oh, this is a cool event to host, so let's do it, right? So the first year we held it, it was similar to like that a lot of Latinos, you know, sharing in Spanish. The second year I thought about it, let's change some things up, let's make it more inclusive to other folks that also might feel you know away from their homeland or and they want to share the space. So we had a lot of international students at Georgia State, so that's kind of what I was trying to open the event for. So we had a lot of people also from the international community that were there, you know, all those students that came from other places come and share their poetry or were singing in their native tongues. So we s I remember there's a great performer that sang in in Korean, and he just like you know blew everybody out of the park. And it was cool to me that you didn't need to understand the language to feel, you know, the emotion and what they were talking about and what they were expressing. And to me, that's that stuck to me for years, right? So fast forward a couple years, I graduated, went to start working, and when I was working, of course, I was just trying to grind to make sure I was like good and I I was doing something in my career, right? So I didn't have enough, I think, expression outlets, you know. So then I it was the pandemic, and then I moved back to I I left Atlanta, I moved back. And when I moved back, I was talking to some folks here in the art scene in Atlanta that you know about this idea that I had, right? So one of them, Pati, she is a great artist, and she believed in my idea. She was like, hey, I'm having a residency at this studio, do you want to like collaborate? And I was like, dude, let's do it, right? So then I was I put it on my my Instagram, right? And I was like, hey, everybody, if I hosted like a poetry reading and open mic, would y'all wanna come? And then you know had a poll, people said yes, so I just screenshot it, and then it took a couple months, and then I hit up everybody individually, and I was like, hey yo, I'm hosting this event, like come through, come through, come through, right? And then Patti was really great at like providing the space and then helping, just giving me the full reign of like here, you can do whatever you want with it, right? I can be involved, but I don't I'm not gonna dictate what you can and can't do. So she was really great for doing that and believing in me in my idea. I also had experienced a couple things that I wanted to invoke in this space, right? So to me, I I believe that inspiration comes from different facets. So Pati, I being an artist, like a visual artist, right? I wanted to make sure that that part of her was also being incorporated in this collaboration for this moment, this open mic. So she had a gallery exhibit that day. The other component that I liked is that I loved going to markets, whether it was a farmer market or vendor market, because to me, people's crabs and things that they sell, right? It's so cool, and I get so inspired by it, right? Like, I'm like, cool, like this is this is awesome. So in some of my events, I've incorporated vendors. So the first one had that. And then ultimately, the way I landed on the name Corazon and Corazon is because I was doing some research about you know event planning and like open mics and things like that. And then I came across an article that they talked about poetry being the shortcut to the from heart to heart. And I thought, you know, they said every other day today's sentence is just like a long-winded way of expressing emotions where poetry just does it from you know from the shortcut.

SPEAKER_04 37:37

Yeah, the question is.

SPEAKER_07 37:38

So then I thought that was cool. Like, you know, bringing it back to the lengua materna aspect that I shared earlier, I think to me, corazón corazón, it will it had to be in Spanish, right? It had to be in Spanish to signal to people that langu other languages in this open mic setting would are welcome. And even though it might be Spanish, you know, title, I think moving that direction helped me also invite other people that came later on in my events that spoke in other languages and shared it with people, right? That wasn't not necessarily in Spanish or English, which I thought that was really powerful. So come to be right, had the idea, had the had the space, had somebody that believed in me, had people that were willing to, you know, buy a ticket so then I can get some decorations and some light equipment, right? Like maybe a little speaker and like a mic and make it work. And then ultimately I wanted a space where I felt comfortable sharing my pieces. So I wanted to also make sure that people felt that way, right? So I wanted to make sure that that's that that was fundamental to the events that I curated. So I thought maybe I can do so if I'm the host, right? If I make people feel comfortable, like being up on stage, people checking people in, talking to folks around, and then encourage them to maybe participate or you know, stay longer than maybe they would have, but also to the multiple facets of like having art gallery or vendors, it's not just about the performances themselves, but it is about the whole space that I'm trying to create so somebody can have an experience and be grateful for that. The other thing that I really wanted Corazon Corazon to be was a space where people, if they showed up, they were able to meet a friend, and that's why they're intentionally small. So because you have to also intentionally small in like capacity, but intentionally small in space because you have to talk to the person next to you and be like, hey, somebody's sitting there, or like, hey, we're doing an activity, can you pass me that? Or hey, you know, bump into somebody when when they're looking at the vendors, so you kind of spark your conversation. So I've intentionally designed it in that way, so then people have some type of conversation that could, in my mind, hopefully grow into connection that then you create a friendship out of, right? And I personally benefited from that meeting a lot of friends there. I've seen people and creatives collaborate from you know, meet there and then collaborate from there. So it's really cool to see that that comes to life and that actually continues. And I, you know, I got inspired by multiple different things that made that happen. And what's funny enough, I also wanted to start um with a with a theme, right? I wanted people to gravitate towards a theme and then come and be like, here's what we all kind of collectively agree that we're gonna be experiencing, right? So the first the first theme that I created for the first night at Patti Studio was Love and Heartbreak. I was like, let's just rip the band-aid off right now, you know. I was like, this is something general enough, everybody can relate to, everybody has an experience, right? Whether it's romantic, you know, platonic, whether whatever it is, people can relate to it. So created the vendors around that. You know, Patti did a good job of also creating her pieces around that, and then we started, right? I had a lot of pieces at the time to talk about that, so both aspects, and then people really like liked it, right? So I understood that these theme-based open mic poetry readings help create like a unifier and a shared like mythology almost, so like you know, with everybody that's attending, or if you saw something, you know, that resonated with you, then you would have wanted to attend. So that was great. And then I was like, you know what, Patty, let's keep doing this. And she said, Yeah, let's do it. It was an awesome night, let's keep doing it again. So we did it again, and then the next time we had other performers that wasn't just myself, right? So we reached out to people, and people were like, Yeah, I want to share. And then the I did the same thing where like I made an event bride page, but this time I forgot to put it private, so then random people that I didn't know showed up, and then I was like, Hey, you know, how how'd you find out about it? And they're like, Oh, I found it on Eventbrite, and I was like, Oh, cool, you know, and I was like, Yeah, we'll just see how this goes, right? And then everybody got in in there, and then and then so when that happened by accident and it was still like a sold-out thing, right? Like 30 people came. I was like, Hey, this is really cool, let me just keep doing this, right? So then Pati had that residency for a couple months, so we kept doing her space. Then after that, we had to find a new space, so it was difficult to then be like, where is this space that also believes in the idea, doesn't have to have too much control on it. And to me, I was like, well, the best way to do so is maybe to partner with individuals that also have a small business or artists that have a small space or a gallery to that also believe in the mission and really have a collaboration moment. So have you seen everywhere we've been, it's always been a true collaboration where both sides offer something, and specifically in the art space, right? Like there's something about their craft, or there's something about what they create or they sell that really inspires me to then also bring this as a space and then you know take it over for a night. So then I think that's how Corazon Corazon has developed and is. And then right now I'm just kind of taking a little pause and thinking about what is the future of it, you know, because I think we've done writing workshops, open mic nights, hiking events, you know, reflective hiking events, things like that. We've done also camping events, and I'm just trying to really assess and redefine like where we want to go and where we want to be, because I think this expressive realm has continued to grow and has to take a life of its own. But I want to continue thinking about what re-energizes me and then the and have that translated back to the people that attend.

SPEAKER_03 43:44

Yeah. No, that's awesome. I thank you for sharing that like journey because it's like it kind of goes back to what we were talking about before I hit record, and I was like, dang, I should have hit record of like start it. Like, you just you you don't have to have like the clear, perfect. Vision yet. Like some people might have it, some people might not, but they know something is gravitating or they enjoy something. And it's like you start it and then you see where it grows. And then if you want it to grow, if you don't want it to grow, like so it's I like how again, just it just shows how everything was aligning for you as you were like moving forward, you know. And it is, I will say, that is definitely I felt that in the sense of like I I've gone to um like you're saying, this is an expression realm, and I and I it makes sense because it's not it's not just a poetry night. Even other poetry nights that I've gone to, it always feels more than just a poetry night. But what I mean is like in your case, like because I pay attention to detail, I'm I'm like, oh, this is like there is a lot of attention to like this setup and you know, like the the vibe and and like the flow, you know? So it's like it's definitely like felt for sure. Like I know I felt it.

SPEAKER_07 45:05

And I'm glad that that's that's coming across because I I do put a lot of thought into what people could experience, right? But also about the flowing mechanic of things, right? So I think that's one of the things that when I go to events, I like to experience, right? Like an easy flow, like an access space, and then interact with it in a easy way, that is not super created, but there's some structure, you know. There's like some things that that there's opportunities to do this, but not opportunities to do that. And I think to me, that's when I find it more fulfilling, and you know, leave in a space that I'm like, oh hey, I really like that. I want to go again, right?

SPEAKER_03 45:48

Yeah, and then also like um, yeah, like I feel like in that process, you that's where you were saying earlier, like you're bringing parts of you that that's how Leo approaches things, you know, like that's what Leo enjoys. That's the creative part of Leo showing up, you know, and like and and being intentional. So so I'm excited. I'm excited for your pause. I'm excited for you to yeah, just go through that and then see what you decide. I know I was thinking at some point when I moved here, like, oh, maybe I'll do events. But to your point, it's a lot of I know that it sounds nice and I would enjoy it because I've created events before, but it's a lot of work. And it's like, do I have that capacity? At that time, I realized I did not. Um, so it's like, yeah, that'll have to wait.

SPEAKER_07 46:40

Um it is time consuming because I think what tends to take up a lot of time is the pre-work, right? Not necessarily the day itself. I I that's why I always think about the amount of you know, organizing and figuring out the space and time and then the ticket setups, and then figuring out, you know, making it affordable for folks, but also wanting to make sure that you are, you know, if you're renting equipment, you're making, you know, you're not you're breaking even at least, right? Things like that. At least also like people might not show up who are who said, Yeah, I'm gonna perform, so having a backup plan, or maybe more people end up showing up, right, in in this space. So there's a this there's a lot of intricacies that takes into like event planning. So I agree with you.

SPEAKER_03 47:25

Yeah, no, for sure. All right, so let's pause for a moment. So I want to tell you about two homes, dos casas, and dos casas. Two homes, dos casas, and los casas is my debut children's book that I wrote. And I wrote it as a bilingual manuscript, and then it's also in fully Spanish. So if you go to edithswed.com slash books, you can find your hard copies, and I'm excited to announce that we also have it as an e-book. So you can download that in my website at edithsweight.com slash books. And that's that is that a little girl who visits her parents first home for the first time. It's in a different country, so when she arrives there, she's not feeling it, it's nothing like the imagination. And not so fun things are happening to her, but over the course of the week that begins to change. However, soon it will be time to go back home. So get your copy for your students, for your nieces, for your neighbors, and let's start shifting these narratives and celebrating our stories and our food off. So let's get back to this episode. I'm glad you stepped into that because I wanted to ask you about that. Like, if you can take us more like behind the scenes of like what does that process look like for you from like you touched a little bit already on the like the intention, the creative part, but like um, yeah, like that part of logistically, like what are parts of the process that you've really enjoy versus the ones that you're like, this is hard. Um especially because you also have a full-time role. So, like, what has that been like?

SPEAKER_07 49:08

Yeah, I think to me the the balance is is is what I think I learned to manage the best, right? Of like what do we need to do, how how often do we need to do it. I do when I guess my strategic side is where it comes out, right? It's like I need to do all these type of things. There's a framework to things that I do, so that's what have has made it manageable, right? With the day-to-day or role and everything else that you have outside of it, right? Because I mean life doesn't stop with yeah, outside of your day job, right? So then to me, I the way I've always approached it is that typically I have a I have a ongoing list of themes, right? There's so many themes that I want to do and so many topics I want to discuss with folks, and sometimes they don't come to life yet because I'm waiting for the right partner to collaborate in or the right space to be in, right? Or just the right inspiration of meeting folks that that you know might be great performers for that theme. So to me, I think I always starts with the theme, as when I think when I'm thinking about here's the open mic night or here's the poetry reading night, right? So that's tends to work be one of the one piece of the puzzle. The other piece is managing your relationships with folks in the city and in in the scene that are could be great collaborators, right? So I think to me, going to events and supporting other people is part of it. It's great to also enjoy them, right? But I think most of it is also a way to just show them that I believed in your craft, right? And I believe that your idea is also great, or I want to be able to show um support you in any way I can. To me, that's part of it because you you're not building it so then you can collaborate, or you're not building it so then they can help you out in the future, but you're building it because you believe in them, right? And then in the future, that relationship that you may have might come into an event or something, right? So that has happened with a lot of folks that we partner with. Also making those relationships and then kind of pitching your idea to folks is like another part of it. So I I know when I'm you know, when I've hosted events at like a small gallery or at a coffee shop or anything like that in the past, we I've had to kind of meet the owners and be like, hey, here's my idea, and I've heard that you're great at doing these events, and this is what you what I see your space can do, and this is how we can maybe come in and do this, right? So it's a lot of like pitching and then and then building the relationship and then building the confidence of like hey, I can I try, can we, you know, have a common ground, and then you know, after we do one event, they typically like working with us, so then they're like, Yeah, let's do it again. So after you build that foundation, it's easier to come back, right? Well, it's easier to call a friend and be like, hey, let's do something like together again, because they like working together. So I think that's the other part. Then finding the performers, it's always word of mouth. It's always one of those things we post something, then people reference somebody else. And I think that's how you also actually came to the space, right? Carla referenced you, and then she was hey, you might be interested in this. Or then I do the initial conversations with folks of like, hey, this is kind of like the expectations that we have for people that want to perform with us, want to give you a space for this, and you know, we're not asking too much, 15 minutes at most, right? Where you can share any pieces that you like, but we would like to see if you resonate with this theme, right? And if people resonate with that theme, they're usually like, Yeah, I want to do it, or maybe consider me for the next one. So then building that relationship also with the performers is key, I think. And that takes a lot of time, right? It's a lot of talking, ideating, things like that. Sometimes I've worked with folks who, you know, they they're like, Hey, I want to share my piece. Can you review it? Or can you give me some pointers? So it's actually actually kind of fun too at times to then be like, Hey, yeah, let's talk. Yeah, I'm like, let's talk about this literary device that you're doing, right? Or like this thing that you're doing. And then uh, or with musicians, they're like, Oh, I love this challenge because you know, I may, I'm, I might I usually perform with a band and now I have to do an acoustic set, right? So then it's cool, like figuring that out as well with folks. So I like that part, but especially with performers. Then the logistical part of like, you know, setting up the events, doing the financial, doing like the like here's your half, here's my half, right? Selling the tickets, like promoting the tickets, doing the creative, like design and then advertising and all that stuff. That's where it gets a little bit more tricky, and I wish I had more time to do it, do better job at it, you know, but then everything tends to be more word of mouth. So that always helps us too, because then that then translates to who shows up to the event and how they show up in the space, you know? So then I get great, you know, great feedback on like who's the one that comes again or how they found out about the event and things like that. And then lastly, the day of the event, right? I think to me the day of the event, we are there super early, like three hours before, setting up all the speakers, the mics, and all those different things, and then you know, staying late afterwards to clean everything up. So then that's I think over the process, and I tend I tend to like to do it, for example, we hosting an event X date. I like to backtrack it to like a month and a half before, right? So if you see an event that's you know, whatever in a month, I have probably started working on it like a month and a half before, right? So we can like so I can have enough time and little snippets, so I will I so I don't drop the bar or anything. So that's the other hard part. There was a time where I was thinking of creating like and having a team besides me and my partner Ale, right? But I realized that people might also want to be more in the weeds about like these conversations or you know, these logistics, and it'd be harder for me to then translate and organize a team than if I just you know did it myself in a in a way, yeah, because then I became a lot of that that face and partnership with those folks that especially with the businesses that we worked with, right? So I think to me it was hard, and then also I didn't want to leave. I really enjoyed the creative process, so then sharing that you know selfishly, I don't because of all the work you put in, you know?

SPEAKER_04 55:49

Yeah, well I think it's like um yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 55:52

That that's I have I think it depends like on yeah, it's going back to the things you enjoy, and then ultimately, because right now it sounds like is it uh you have them like um um is it a specific cadence or is it just like quarterly?

SPEAKER_07 56:12

So when we started when we started, I we try to do one every um two weeks, and I was like, Well, that's a lot, right? Then the year went on, I did it every month, and I did that for like two years, and then now I I've I've been doing them every time I get a theme that I really want to showcase in a space that I really want to showcase. So now we don't have a cadence, so then I was thinking then maybe this year we would do our staple ones because we always do one for the de muertos, we always do one for like Latino Heritage Month, so we won't for sure, and then our anniversary one, right, that it always celebrates the Corazón Corazon, so that's three for sure, but it's not necessarily a cadence that I wanted to build because I was getting burnt out, honestly. Like I was getting a lot burned out, and then I even saw it myself. I was like, I'm not putting this much energy as I was in the other ones, even though people were still enjoying the event, I wasn't enjoying it myself because I was too like frazzled of like here's all the to-dos that I need to do, instead of like, hey, let me actually take the time to connect with somebody and talk to them, right? And like see see things like that.

SPEAKER_03 57:16

So for you, what does that burnout look like? Like, do you feel like you've reached like that level that it's like because I feel like that's kind of people can use that word, but it looks differently and it shows up differently for people. So for you, like when do you know, like, I'm burnt out, or like, okay, I'm getting burnt out, so let me pause.

SPEAKER_07 57:35

Yeah. I think I realize when there's um so much people expecting the next thing, you know. So when they're like, oh, when is the next one? When are you doing it? Why haven't you done it? You know, when they when I get that, that I'm that I'm like, oh yeah, what's your cadence for your cadence? That's when I'm when I that's when I realized I was like, hey, you know, they they're they're seeing this almost like a machine or like a business, right? Instead of like an expressive realm, right? That happens when you're willing to express, which I think there's like both components of both. So when I realized that I'm leaning too much to like a business framework, then I'm like, yo, I'm getting burnt out because I'm just you know cranking it out instead of actually enjoying like the process. You know, something that I think about is like they said that you know artists have a hard time now being from society to put out things all the time. And then back in the day, you know, Leonardo da Vinci was like, I'll have this done in in four months or four years, right? And nobody nobody told them nothing, right? And I thought that was such a key thing because I was like, Yeah, if you're not doing it often enough, then you're not relevant enough anymore. And I don't think that's true if you're doing it as a expressive part of it. I think that's true if you're you know trying to stay up to trends or you're trying to make a business out of it, or you're trying to sell something. But if you're trying to just create a space where you experience that moment and that day, then I don't think it should be defined by like these timelines, right? That that society might put on you of like, oh, if you're not doing enough, or you're not putting out content or you're not posting enough, then you're not really having a business or you're not really doing anything for the community or anything like that. So that's to me when I realize that I'm being burned out when I'm leaning too much to this, like you know, turning things around or or having things to just play, right? When I don't have enough time to process what we just experienced or to write the next thing fully and think it out, you know?

SPEAKER_03 59:39

Mm-hmm. No, I can't that that resonates a lot with me too, and I I can relate. Like, I think there's this thing where I'm realizing this for myself too. It's like, where do I want to put my energy and what are the things that I want to like build or create or focus on that I want it to be like this is how I'm making money? Because obviously I have to live too. So, like, what are the ways that I'm like, okay, I love doing this, and I also want to make this a way to make revenue versus like, you know what, I love building this. Let's say corazona, corazón, and I need to break even because I'm also not gonna be funding self-funding in every event, right? Or maybe I want to make a bit of profit to just kind of build the funds, but like it's not a full-on business and I'm okay with that. Versus sometimes, so I think for me, I'm kind of also in that space of like, okay, what are the things that I want to actually create revenue, or or if I want to build a business, what would that look like? Versus I enjoy this, but I'm not sure that I want to make it quote unquote a business because that's another level of like work intention output that maybe it's gonna take me away. But at the end of the day, like you could find the thing that it's like you love it so much though. So you're gonna do the business part too. And I think like sometimes when it comes to a form of creative expression that you have, maybe that's all it is. So you choose how little or how big or how often you want. Because I'm not gonna lie, when I went, I was wondering, oh, when's the next one?

SPEAKER_06 1:01:22

Yeah, you're not when it's next one, right? The first time.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:27

So it there is like, but that's just because it just shows you that there's a need. But maybe to your point, it's like that's why we say, like, even with the podcast, right? Like a lot of people come from the come from the mindset of man, everybody has a podcast now. But when you actually look at the realm of like storytelling as a whole, narratives that dominate as a whole, you're like, we actually need way more of us more than this stuff. So the same way with with Corazón and Corazon, that just lets you know we do need more of those spaces. And honestly, I've been thinking about this even more with AI. I feel like the need for human connection in spaces like what you've created and then spaces for conversations like this, it's like we're gonna it's gonna be even more and more important and we're gonna want it more. You're gonna desire more because yeah, because it's it's important to the human connection. So but yeah, thank you for sharing that.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:26

No, yeah, I totally I totally agree. I think the the thing I've always believed is that you know, when I was studying marketing and I was also taking, you know, some art classes and then some sociology classes, there was an interesting component that I learned that really shifted my mindset of how I then perceived what I like my artistry, right? So to me, I think you know, artists do it for self-expression, and designers do it to fill a need, right? Or to at the end of the day, fulfill something, right? So to me, and then that's just from the art perspective, right? From like graphic design, necessarily.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:06

Okay, so the artists wait, so the in the graphic design, the artists do it as a self-expression.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:13

Yeah, so artists do so basically in the art world, and if you're talking about like from this business marketing perspective, artists do are all about self-expression. Okay, not necessarily the in the output to fit a need, right? And designers do a do create an output to fill a need, and they make it look very stylish and pretty, and they do such a way way of the way they they make visually look, right? But to me, I took that as to me as an artist, I don't shoot I shouldn't feel the pressure to fill a box or a a bucket because it is just me trying to express myself. Where if I was like, you know, really trying to make it again to your point for as a business or as a format, then I would scale it as such, right? I'm pretty in the need. So to your point, there is a need for these spaces, but I don't think I could monetize it enough to be able to then sustain it. So therefore, I also don't want to be tied to a business model that is not sustainable, but also a business model that is tampering with my artistry, you know? So then that's where it becomes managed. So for an example, like when I DJ, right, I like taking gigs that I know I'm gonna have fun in because DJing is a form of self-expression, right? So when people ask me to do weddings, I'm like, I'm good, you know, because and not because you know it's gonna be bad or whatever, but weddings tend to have like a set way, right? Usually the if you think about it, if you break it down, it's their you know, day that they've dreamed of. So if something goes wrong and the DJs doing something wrong, yeah, more, right? Yeah, so you can't express yourself, you're doing it for work. But when you take other gigs, like you know, I as an art m artist market or like a theme knife or like cumbia's or whatever the case, you're expressing yourself and nobody's over your shoulder being like, What are you gonna play next? You know, or what are you or that transition wasn't good. So then like that's why I say no to weddings, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:05:14

Yeah, because you want your free your free form of no, it's so funny though, because um I I remember so growing up, my my mom was pretty, my parents were pretty strict. So like all of my memories of like parties all the way till college, before college, was my mom taking me to the quinteneras and the weddings and the and the party that people invited her to. Like, and I feel like when I did start like going to parties, I don't know if it was my senior year of high school or my first year of college, I don't know. But the point is that I think because I was so used to just like the quinteneras and stuff like that, and you know, you would go to the DJ and be like, oh, bon en la vaca, you know, like you would kind of go request. I remember going to a party like with my friends, and there was a DJ, and I went to request a song. And the DJ was like, I don't take requests. And I was like, I was so confused. And then over time, I was like, oh, like, yeah, there is this kind of like, trust the artist, like, trust the DJ. Like they're watching, they have their own flow. Like, but I I do remember I was like, yeah, I didn't know. I didn't know that. So um, so that's that's funny.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:28

Um but you're so true about that. I think that's that's what tends to happen, right? Like that's I remember one time I was DJing at this event, and you know, I DJ'd. It was like a it was like an hour and a half that you had to DJ, right? So I had a set, and then in that set, I was like, okay, this is the songs I can wanna kinda play because I know the transitions, blah blah, right. And then it was that that year that you know the spouse de la playa came out, so that album was like pop and error, right? So you knew you had to play Bad Bunny, yeah. So yeah, I I knew I was gonna play him sometime. So then I played, and then later in my hour and a half set, somebody came up and asked, Can you play this song from the Spozzela Playa? And I was like, Nah, I already played it, right? And then she's like, But I wasn't here, and I'm like, I'm sorry, but I already played it.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:16

I'm not gonna play it again just because you weren't here, right?

SPEAKER_04 1:07:19

Dang, the level of entitlement in that one is like wild. That's it.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:24

But it's also funny because to your point, if I you know, if you're in a wedding or you're doing like a paid gig for somebody private or whatever, then yeah, you gotta take those requests and then you gotta figure out to do it again. And I mean it's not a big deal, but it might, you know, just mess with your flow, right? That you may have. So that's that's again where I'm talking about the pressure and commitment that you may need to have to fulfill a business need is very different than your artistry.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:50

Yeah, and I I feel like there's two things I'm thinking of that. One is like this idea, and I recently heard this of like the artist, usually let's say uh uh like a yeah, like the a singer, I don't know. He doesn't become an artist for the business of it, but when he's in it, he realizes he does need to learn the business of artists, being an artist. Because you know, you hear this a lot in the music industry, right? Like how much people didn't have ownership before, versus like people becoming more educated, athletes, all that. So I feel like with that's kind of too like even me, the more I am engaged into like I didn't write a book to for the business of books, but then when I was gonna write the book, I'm like, oh, this is a significant amount to produce a book. So then I used my community because somebody gave me that idea, and then I was like, oh, like we fundraise for a lot of stuff in the Latino community, so I know that like I can make something happen and um let me try it, you know. So I think to your point, what I love about what you're saying is that it sounds like you're being very intentional and like clear about where you're trying to go and trying to be purposeful. So you're like setting boundaries to what you want, versus like sometimes we feel like we need to be doing, oh, you see somebody doing that, you're like, oh, I feel like I need to do that, or somebody's telling you, like, oh my gosh, Leo, when's the next one? You're like, oh, I gotta do another one because people want it. But you're kind of being like, I really don't not that you don't care if people want it, but it's like I understand you want it, but like I'm trying to start with what what is important to me first, yeah, which I think is inspiring.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:34

I also think it's like I I wanna be able to give the best version of that, whatever it is, right? So then I want to make sure that I'm not rushing it or just scrambling to do it or not be prepared because then you know ultimately people sometimes either pay, you know, to enter a space like Corazon Corazon, or you know, they're paying me to do a DJ gig. So then to me, I want to make sure that like there's intentionality and I took my time to create and curate a something that's worthwhile, right? So then to me, I think that's the other part. So if I keep getting pressured and pressured, I I'm not no, it's not gonna happen, right? The thing that I also think about is that sometimes inspiration comes from the other side of things and you never expected it. Like for example, vuela vuela, right? That theme that you you were able to perform in. I actually was gonna do another theme around that time when I found that.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:26

Oh, I did the amor. Is the one that um that I did.

SPEAKER_07 1:10:34

You also performed, didn't you, at Vuela? But you were not a performer, you were just an upper mic. Yeah, that's what it was.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:42

That's the one that um Carla and Adiel both sent me, and I said, Okay, they both sent it to me, and they didn't know they did, like this is uh I gotta go.

SPEAKER_07 1:10:50

Yeah, yeah. So so that one, right, I had like another theme that I was gonna do. And I had um, you know, the person I was collaborating with at her art gallery that she created, I had pitched the original theme. And then I went to Chicago and I was walking in Chicago. We went into a bookstore, and in that bookstore, right when I got in, I like looked to my left and there was this book on the shelf that just like drew my attention. And it was like that book that I shared that day, right, by Jose Olivares. And then I saw it and I was like, man, this is this seems just like a cool cover, you know. I'm totally judging judging book by children. It's a good cover though. It's a good cover, yeah. It's a cool cover. And then I picked it up. I read the first poem, and I didn't know it was a poetry book, and I was like, wow, like this guy is so good, and I was so inspired, right? I was like, I need to buy this book. So I bought the book, and it's cool because half of it, you know, is it's split in half. It's written in English, and the other half is translated in Spanish. They were so intentional of the way that he also worked with this um translator to be not just translated but transcreated into something that would be also receptive in Spanish. And you know, knowing both languages, I was reading, I read the English, then read in Spanish. All of their his poems, and I was just so inspired by what he wrote that I was like, hey, script, you know, script scrapped all the other like themes I told you about, we're gonna do this one, right? And then literally, you know, pitched that idea also to that partner that was collecting with. She's like, Yes, let's do it. So you see, sometimes you can't rush that, or you can't like make that process. And that happened in in like a couple months that then helped build this theme. And I'm glad that we did that specific theme because that day I think was one of my favorites, you know, and that's when I felt very fulfilled. I didn't feel tired or burned out after because I felt really um it felt like it was so well created, I it was so thoughtful the way we did it. This space was great. So to me, I think that's again why you can't rush the artistry, right? Of it. Also, the other thing I was gonna tell you is that I read something that was like, you know, in in I don't most recently people have wanted to monetize their hobbies, and it's for a couple of reasons, right? One, you sometimes you need to additional income to make mead send, right? So that's that's one thing. The other one is that they want to monetize because they want to be famous or they want to make that or do that full time, right? And then that's also another good you know, reason of it. But then also the other thing that we keep talking about is the these external pressures that you see somebody online DJing, and then they keep you know, your feed is just DJs, DJs, DJs, and doing these cool sets like boiler room, or like doing all these like cool things like DJing at the FIFA World Cup, right? Right now, or doing it. You're like, if only I had pursued my DJing Yeah, and then you're like, dang, that could have been me, or I or I didn't get the chance, or I didn't get the gig or nobody called me up. But but then you're like, but you know, all the times that you've actually done those performances, that's what you take, right? Is that I knew I was not gonna monetize it. That's why I was not DJing nightclubs when I got the chance, right? Because that's the way that you kind of get in the scene. Same thing with you make this a regular thing, then you could get an income, right? But then when would I run out of themes that just feel too forced, right? Or things like that. So then that's when I took back a step, and luckily my day job helps, you know, create the foundation for me to pursue these outlets and not having the pressure to monetize them.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:33

Mm-hmm. No, yeah, that's so true. I all I often think of like, even right now in the space that I'm in, like, okay, even let's take this podcast or something else that I'm doing, even like the book. Okay, do I did I enjoy love like reading the children's writing the children's book? Yes, I love the creative process. I often try to think like, okay, what parts do I enjoy? And then also like, what would this look like if it became the main source? Right. Like I also had my full-time role, and then that was I was working on I everything I've been working on is like after that, right? But it's kind of like, yeah, what is the thing that I want to take most of my time? Because there has to be like there's gonna be it could be multiple things, but it's like again, the more you do it, the bigger it goes. It's a different process, and it's like, do I want to engage in that process? You know?

SPEAKER_01 1:15:27

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:30

So okay, so let's pivot to um, well, before I before I pivot to the final closing, I do want to ask you one thing. So when did you start calling and or yourself an artist? Like, did you have that has that been a big part of your identity like throughout your life, or when did that become part of your life?

SPEAKER_05 1:15:57

Yeah, I was like, when when when was it when we created it, when Instagram was founded?

SPEAKER_07 1:16:02

Sorry, when Instagram like came up, right? And then uh the profile settings, it was like choose where you are, right? And I put artists. Oh that's it. I've never saw it, but now I'm just joking. There I think the the I I can't remember a specific time because I've always I've always been surrounded. My you know, growing up in San Luis with my family, I feel like we were always surrounded by people that I think had such a craft that they never called themselves artists, but they were, you know, like Miyabolito, he was a contract painter all his life. But he took so much pride in his in the work ethic that he had and the way he painted. And every time you would go and see the houses he painted, you would just be like, Whoa, like this is impressive, right? Like every little line, and he only used brochas, right? No roller paints. Pura brocha, toda la casa. And that's insane, right? But that level of craftsmanship is the level of artistry that I thought was like equivalent, you know, to to each other. So then to me, I was surrounded by that. Also, me m my aunt, mi madrina, she influenced a lot, she was a teacher, right? So she influenced a lot on us, like books and cosas para ser con las manos, right, las manualidades and all those different things. So we did a lot of arts and crafts, I was I feel like because of her, and then you know, and a lot of the things that we consumed felt like that, right? Like you were always creating something with your hands or you were doing something with your hands growing up. So I've always felt felt like that was the case. I've always had multiple interests, so I never felt like I I was defined by one thing. You know, I learned how to play guitar and then I was like, oh, this is cool, okay, let me go do something else, right? So it was like all these different interests. But I think when I started actually calling my myself an artist, it was when I started actually having the outlets to be able to express them fully. You know, when I was actually being more consistent about my writing and you know, sharing my writing and having like people, you know, experience it and give me their opinions on it. I thought that was a cool expression of like, hey, I connected with what you wrote when I started DJing, right? And people were dancing and singing and just kind of surprised by by the way that you kind of moved the crowd to me. That's when I was thinking, I was like, damn, that this is a type of artistry that I've never been able to experience because before you know in college I did a lot of event planning, and then even like when I started first started in my day job, I did a lot of event planning in in the office. So to me I never felt like that was fully an artistry because I wasn't expressing myself the way I wanted to, right? So when I actually had a creative output in like here's what I'm great making, or here's something that I myself did it just for expression, not for like an outcome, right? That's when I started thinking, man, like you know, I think I am an artist, like I think that's what I show. And then, you know, people might think about it very singular, or if you don't share it or you don't showcase it to anybody, then they're like, Oh, you're not really an artist, right? Or something like that. So I would also throughout college uh had access to more art galleries, and then so I would go to a lot of these shows and I would just talk to people and go to museums, right? And talk to people, and that's when I they would always ask me, like, hey, you're an artist here, or you have a show, something showing, and I would always be like, No, I'm not, right? But then I'm like, but wait, I'm not this type of artist, but I'm this other type of artist, right? So then kind of talked about the conversation, and most of the time it's funny too, when I meet people in the community, they never know about my day job, and that's because I never really talk about it, right? I always talk about like the things that I'm um doing outside of the day job, because those are the things that I think define me as an artist, and then they find out that you know in my day job I'm a strategist, right? So I think there's something there that I always pursue. One of the things that I think really helped is that I've always liked drawing and you know, doodling and doing things like that. So in high school, of course, I took some of those classes, but I knew that that wasn't the medium for me. Even though I liked doing it, it wasn't the medium that I wanted to express myself in. Even though in fourth grade I remember winning like the award for drawing the best polar express, you know. Oh wow! Which is like so funny, right? But it was like one of those things that it was it wasn't my medium, like that I really enjoyed. So in and when I started pursuing writing more poetry, that's when I really realized that I was like, man, you know, I think there's something here that really speaks to my soul, and I think this is the craft I don't really like. And then when I really love music, so when I started, you know, by chance exploring DJing, I was like, this is really cool. I've never I wasn't good at playing the guitar, but I was like, I can do mixing, you know.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:20:58

So those so I think to me, exploring that medium helps you also think about defining your artistry.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:06

I love that, and I yeah, I I'd like to ask that question because I think to your point, we I feel like I feel very different now. So sometimes it is hard to go back to when I didn't believe this, but I feel like we we are all artists in different ways. So it's like, what does that form look like for you? And sometimes, you know, when I took the children's book writing workshop, the author that leads it was like, how many of you consider yourselves an artist? And like most people like we didn't raise our hands, and then it was like, um, how many people like how many of you took math in school? And then how many of you took English in school? Like, how many of you like knew how to do it before you learned? And it was like his whole point was you a lot of times we think of artists as people who draw. But the reality is, even if you did take drawing classes, as long as you took English and math classes, you would know how to draw. Like now, the form of like there is this level of expression and talent and uniqueness that all of you would bring, but you really could learn how to draw. And I think what what I'm learning too is like it's immersing myself in different types of art forms, it's allowing me to learn which ones I like and which ones I want to craft. So, like, this is one of them where it's like, okay, you know what? Even though I like talking to people, uh talking to people like this and and interviewing and asking questions, it's a different skill. And like, um, but I'm excited to continue getting better at it. Like it's fun for me. Like, I'm going to get better at it. So um, same thing with you, how you're saying, like, with your writing and the music and all that. So thank you for sharing that. Um, because I think like sometimes we yeah, we we we don't we feel like we have to be a specific type of artist to even say I am an artist. But you're an artist. Um, like to your point of your abuelito. Um, because yeah, I feel like that too with a lot of just our family. Like I always think how it wasn't until I was like in college that I then moved away from family after, and then tube quiet, um the person that cuts your dress to like makes it better. Yeah, and just pretty bad, dude. So like you know, and like when I'm just yeah, yeah, like for my quotient dress, she's the one that swagged it up. Like, I got a simple one, and then she added like rhinestones and all this stuff. And then when I went to just cut a dress, I'm like 5'4, so I'm you know, all the dresses always take a bit too long, and they cut it. It was $70 for the cutting the dress and then the halter top, which now again at this stage in my life, I'm like, they have a whole business, it's a whole brick and mortar, like of course, they have people they're paying. Like, I get it. I just remembered all my stuff I got from my TS and my Theos, you know, like all the jobs. Yeah, yeah. So, um, all right, so let's start wrapping up. Who has had the biggest influence in your love for music?

SPEAKER_07 1:24:13

My love for music, I think it's my mom. She was always, you know, playing music growing up. She in the in in the household, she I think always leaned to like rock and español y cumbias and then pop, right? So I think that was the mix there. So even when I DJ it, a lot of my music and style, I like to be nostalgic with it. So then play some of those old things that you wouldn't expect in because the newest song just got released, right? So then kind of mixed with that. That's I think I would say my influence. So every time I play, you know, something in rock and espanol, I'm thinking of my mom or or pop, right? Or those combias. I'm like, yeah, definitely she's the one that she knows like every song, even though she always sends me songs and she's like, Hey, have you listened to this? And I was like, I don't even know who these people are.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:03

Yeah, I'm like, that's cool. Yeah, dude, like when you start, um like sometimes I'll be starting, like I'll listen to a song that my dad my dad used to play a lot of like Tigres del Norte, Tucanes, and like really older, older, like I don't even remember the names, but older people. And sometimes I'll find myself like if I hear it somewhere and I'm like singing to it, and I'm like, how do I know this song? Like, how is it in the world? It's all the quiz you were in it. You went to it's like amazing, the brain just um okay. Um, I definitely have to go to one of your DJ events now to experience they're fun, especially when it's like cumb.

SPEAKER_07 1:25:40

Yeah, because I like to play a little bit of everything. I feel like if you just stick to one genre come okay, it's kind of boring sometimes. I love for me, yeah. Yeah, I love when you go to cumbias, then cumbia ton, then like you know, merengue, and then you throw in some salsa, and then you come back to like some bragueton, and it's like what then you go old school, then you go like new school, and like it's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:00

Yeah, um no, I like I like that. That's I mean, that's kind of how yeah, that's that's my vibe. All right. Um, okay, so I'm gonna ask you these final like closing questions. Okay. So what is one of your go-to Mexican home cooked meals?

SPEAKER_07 1:26:21

Mole, arroz y pollo. That's it.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:24

Wait, get people de mole though.

SPEAKER_07 1:26:26

Uh I like the mole poblano, the one that's like a little, you know, sweet too. Ah, yeah. That that's the one, that's my my side, my like preference. Mole, um, the one that's too spicy, something I'm not a big fan. I like it to be a little bit more sweet. I want to taste the chocolate, you know?

SPEAKER_03 1:26:44

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, yeah, my mom grew up doing the mole like spicy, but oh, it was never really spicy. She actually was never like a person that cooked too spicy. Because I like spicy, but not to the point that you can't taste the food.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:57

Can't you taste it? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:59

Yeah, like with certain things, like it has to just yeah. So but anyway, I didn't try the sweet one until later, and I love the sweet one.

SPEAKER_07 1:27:09

Yeah, the molecule is is um, especially with a Mexican Coke when medio litro. Just kidding.

SPEAKER_03 1:27:18

Oh, that's hilarious. Um, what is one thing that is bringing you joy in this season?

SPEAKER_07 1:27:26

Hmm, one thing that's bringing me joy the season, the thing that's uh getting me excited the season and bring me a lot of joy is developing certain things that I like and really working on that craft. So right now I'm really focusing on like making a really good latte and making syrups, you know, so when I can make like coffees, they taste like better than your regular syrup or you really just like you know, throw in. So trying to make sure that I'm utilizing the expresso machine the best way I can. The other thing too is that um also like collecting you of course Pokemon cards because I did a wa I did that as a form to connect with my friends that I feel like I don't talk to as often and it's something that I shared in common right but then I realized that this is surplus of things that you might I might I don't physically use so I'm thinking about how to utilize them to make something else. So I've been making like little jewelry necklaces and like earrings and things like that. So it's been so that's I think the other thing that brings me a little joy that exploring this other different crafts to just you know develop another part I guess of my artistry right yeah I like that like the because you're it sounds like you're very detail oriented in every part of what you do not just like your events. Uh-huh that's what like too when we think about there was one time you know we hosted a coffee with friends and it was all based on Charleno Sanchez um Nieves de Inviennote that's my dad's my mom's favorite artist yeah and then that album you know Neves in in Vietnam right or Neves in Neves de Nero Nieves de Nero yeah yeah but yeah that one Neves Nieves de Nero Nieves de Nero y las flores de Mayo yeah so neves yeah that one so we did a whole like three drinks based on different songs for the album and it was like you know super curated like different drinks like everything was like all expressive of the of three songs that we picked you that one huh um so you said it was curated from the three different songs that you picked?

SPEAKER_03 1:29:31

Yes it was curated from different songs in that album yeah my mom loves Chalino like I if I listen to I think that's the thing that um at some point we'll have to talk about like your upbringing in Mexico but I feel like that's the thing that when I go back to visit my family like I realize I miss because there's so many Mexicans in Southern California that you there's just like your community is just everywhere you go. Whereas like here I have to be more intentional to go to it instead of it just being around me because it's around me. You know and I feel like you know someone bumping Talino Sanchez it's like oh like it makes me think of my mom or someone but that sounds dope. I'm I'm a big I love coffee I love learning about coffee I like the process of making coffee um I love coffee shops so okay and the last question is what is a book that you've read more than once because it's that good book that I read more than once I feel I I'm trying to remember is there a book that you go back to or you're like I'm I'm gonna read this book more than once because it's really really good so I wouldn't say I've read a book more than once start to finish but I've referenced them.

SPEAKER_07 1:30:49

Because so I'm a big note taker. Okay, okay yeah yeah so I'm a I'm a big note taker so when I read a book I at the end of each chapter I kinda like take notes or I annotate. I like love writing my books. So I do that very frequently when I do read books right so then to me the one that I think top of mind is the Mastery of Love by um I haven't read it. I feel like I've yeah don Don Miguel Ruiz so he talks about it from an aspect of like the Toltec and like the aspect of like you know mastery of love. And I really like the examples he gives in in that in that book and I think he really helped me figure out how I wanted to interact interact with in other individuals romantically specifically but also with my family and with friends and how I expressed that type of love. Right but to me that Master of Love was a really great book to that changed my perspective on how I wanted to become as a man right so I think to me that's one that I've referenced multiple times when I've like oh hey I'm dealing with something let me go back and see how in this book they kinda talked about it right they he also does a great job of like bringing God into it without picking a religion you know so I think he that's also relatable I would say in a lot of different ways for people that are exploring spirituality in that way too but he talks about you know a grandiose being but I think that's interesting too that it's it's not just like a you know a Bible type of reference book for help right or in this aspect for the mastery of love. So I think it's like cool he also you know since he referenced a lot to about the Tol texts that's cool to hear about the heritage and component aspect and how that also translates to the day to day now right so I think he does a lot of great things to make you think. So that's one of them right that I always reference and then from an anthropology perspective I love a brief history of humankind by that book is so good from an anthropology perspective.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:59

Yeah it's called one of my friends have has told me about that one like it's on my list.

SPEAKER_07 1:33:04

Yeah it's called Sapiens a brief history of human time yeah and that one that one is it gets you thinking so much about just you know human history and humans as a species right so that's why I reference those two a lot I feel like you know you got the spiritual side and then like the anthropology side I'm gonna have to get it because you're the second person that told me I think you're gonna like that book. That one's really good it's very dense though so you know take your time with it.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:31

I have so many books that I buy and then haven't read. So I've also told myself I'll have a list and then once I actually am going to make the time but maybe like audios that's what I've been right now with Amina I'm like you know what maybe I don't have as much time to sit so um so thank you so much Leo I'm going to pause there and I'm really happy with the conversation we have I'm really excited um to yeah to just have others be able to join our conversation so how are you feeling? Yeah yeah I appreciate you you know I think it was a great conversation I appreciate all the questions like I mentioned it was a great moment of reflection I think just to see where I've been where I'm at and then it gets me excited about what's next right yeah thank you thank you thank you um I appreciate you and if you're listening to me right now it's because you were able to listen to the conversation I assume you enjoyed it whether you were playing it in the background in the car while you do something in the house while you go on a walk regardless thank you for joining I appreciate you and if you love this episode let us know let us know what you thought whether you DM us on Instagram comment on YouTube if you're listening on YouTube leave us a rating wherever you're listening to that is always going to help and just you know help attract more people that might love conversations like these so thank you thank you so much I love y'all and have a wonderful wonderful week see you next time