Hola everybody!
I'm Yvonne, Founder of ¡Latina, Presente!, an Introverted First Gen Latina & Public Speaker of 11 years, Consultant, & Podcast Host. It's my life's mission to create spaces where you can practice the art of public speaking, a tu manera, centering your unique lived experiences.
The art of public speaking can feel like it asks you to be someone you're not to do it "right", but when we engage in the art centering our cultura, we'll realize that it's leading with our uniqueness that makes us most impactful. Like I always say, I truly learned to be a public speaker from my abuelita & the incredible women in my life who time and time again shared the lessons through stories that shaped my essence.
¡Latina, Presente! is the space for you to practice you public speaking, con cultura and "say it out loud".
Here's everything that went down at our latest event in Glendale, CA.
As our speakers walked into the venue they received a tote bag custom designed and made by my brother, Danny Armenta, Founder of ARME DENIM. We filled it with goodies from our sponsors, Passion Planner, BizMode, & Dos Girasoles that were all intentionally chosen to support attendees in their public speaking journey.
Additionally, we provided speakers with resources to establish themselves as speakers, get paid, & be legally protected. Here's a look at what was included:
A Speaker Portfolio Checklist that I created to guide speakers in how to prepare speaker assets to marker themselves as speakers.
A guide provided by Riqueza that gave attendees a step-by-step guide for how to determine their speaker rate.
A guide for understanding why you need a speaker contract in place and exactly where you can find a template, provided by Legalmiga.
And, so much more! Think being at a candy store, but instead of candy, it was public speaking resources, just for our attendees.
Curated Stations to practice your public speaking
My framework for mastering the art of public speaking & finding your essence within the art is Reflect, Connect, Share. (Learn more about that here).
So, of course I was going to sprinkle in some of that throughout the event. I'm also an Introvert & if I'm going to "networking events" I need something to do so I don't feel awkward.
Speakers were prompted to reflect about the ways that public speaking showed up for them in their childhood, read affirmations designed specifically for them, and engage in other public speaking practices using my Public Speaking con Cultura Practice deck.
Storytelling Workshop
We got a little silly, a little sentimental, and a lot of tapping into our senses to tell powerful stories. After learning about storytelling techniques that help us tap into our essence as speakers, attendees got into groups to come up with a story of their own.
Then, every single person took the stage to "say it out loud". Groups took turns sharing their collective story (made-up or real). But first, some laughter to let the nerves out...
And, I present to you, some incredibly brave public speakers & storytellers who embrace their essence and leverage their unique lived experiences to connect with their audience in powerful ways.
Prepared Speeches
A new component that was added to our event was prepared speeches where attendees had the opportunity to share their speech and receive live feedback from the audience. Meet our speakers!
Dr. Janice (ja-niece) Elena Castro is a bilingual, bicultural Licensed Psychologist, speaker, and consultant, as well as the founder of J.C. Psychological Services.
Connect with her:
Beatriz Rivera is an entrepreneur and business coach and founder of BeaBossCoaching, a one-on-one program for women of color, BIPOC, and queer entrepreneurs who want to start their businesses.
Connect:
Alma Sanchez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services & is pursuing a Master of Social Work with an emphasis on Adulthood and Aging. Her background is in the nonprofit sector, helping adults with developmental disabilities by providing job placement in the community.
Connect: Instagram
Dr. Lisette Sanchez is a bilingual and bicultural psychologist, insightful writer, and dynamic speaker. She earned her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Oregon, with prior studies at Columbia University and UC San Diego. She is the proud eldest daughter of hard-working immigrants from Mexico and El Salvador.
Connect: Instagram
Daisy De Anda, a first generation, Mexican-American legal professional and speaker from Southern California who is the founder of Dayz & Co. She promotes diversity by coaching WOC and BIPOC leaders, empowering working professionals and uplifting the next generation of first-gen college students.
She empowers her clients through career advancement strategies, resume writing, interview preparation, LinkedIn optimization group coaching.
Connect: Instagram
At the ¡Latina, Presente! Public Speaking Immersive Experiences, everyone takes the mic!
Picture or It Didn't Happen
Kita captures your brand’s essence through her creative lens & we experienced her magic first hand!
She documented the event and helped us capture the magic of our time together.
She also elevated your typical headshot experience & captured a photo that attendees can use in their speaker portfolio to tell the world they're a public speaker & ready to be booked!
Book Kita: https://www.instagram.com/kitazuletaphoto/
Leti, originally from Guanajuato, raised in Dallas, and now based in LA, is a makeup artist and content creator known for her natural, glowing looks. She provided all of our attendees touch-ups for their closeups!
Beyond beauty, she’s passionate about making an impact by working with organizations and foundations that create positive change. Whether she’s working with celebs or everyday women, Leti’s all about helping people feel confident and beautiful.
Connect with Leti: https://www.instagram.com/letimeyers/
Thank you to everyone that came through and made this experience so magical. Follow @latinapresente_ & @chatswithyvonne_ to stay updated on upcoming events!
📸 All photo credits to the incredible, Kita Zuleta!
HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!!
