Mandy Tang in a white shirt and black blazer

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For over 15 years, Mandy Tang gathered accolades. She worked in publishing, earned a master’s degree in business administration and dove into corporate America at American Express. She developed her professional skills at high-growth startups and even had a successful side gig as a career coach. Through it all, her career's trajectory was predicated on achievement.



Her career was her identity—but, secretly, she was emotionally fatigued and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/9-things-to-do-when-youre-feeling-burned-out/">burnt out</a>.&nbsp;



In 2021, Tang quit her corporate job, trading a steady nine-to-five for full-time career coaching. Now, she's helping her more than 66,000 TikTok followers figure out if they should quit their own jobs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-should-i-quit-journal-a-record-of-truth">The “Should I Quit” journal: A record of truth</h2>



Tang—who goes by <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@careercoachmandy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Career Coach Mandy" on TikTok</a>—launched the <a href="https://mandytang.co/products/should-i-quit-journal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">“Should I Quit?” journal</a> in May 2024. It’s a 28-page self-discovery workbook that confronts the emotional and logical tug-of-war that comes with prospective career shifts through 21 unique exercises.



“So many times, what happens is that [there is a] cycle [of] ‘It's good,’ then ‘It's bad.’ It's a terrible day, then it's an okay day…. It’s a ‘I need to get out of here,’ and then it’s a paralyzing fear,” Tang says. “And so what I was trying to have the journal do was to be an authentic record of your truth…. You can't escape it…. You wrote this.” 



The career coach launched her Tiktok in 2021. She leaned on her own experiences working in the corporate world and <a href="https://coaching.success.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">career coaching</a>, as well as a three-year program in shamanic healing, to provide TikTokers with support and insight on how to navigate their careers. After two and a half years, Tang realized that those in a career crisis needed more.



“Work could destroy your life,” she says. “I don't mean to be dramatic, but... people would come to me… [and] if they had drama at work, it… would drain the life out of them…. This was traumatizing people.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-knowing-when-to-quit-your-job">Knowing when to quit your job</h3>



A <a href="https://news.microsoft.com/2024/05/08/microsoft-and-linkedin-release-the-2024-work-trend-index-on-the-state-of-ai-at-work/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2024 study</a> by LinkedIn and Microsoft found that 46% of people are considering quitting their jobs.



Janet Lyle (name changed for privacy) was one of these people. For more than a decade, she had loyally worked for the same company. Praise fueled her to repeatedly take on roles she was good at but didn’t necessarily love.



She stumbled upon Tang’s TikTok when compounding work responsibilities began to take a toll on her <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/the-quality-of-your-life-is-determined-by-the-quality-of-your-questions/">quality of life</a>. “[Tang] was talking about the journal being more of a self-help kind of personal reflection as opposed to just [a] job search, [and] it drew me in,” Lyle says. “She has a very personal approach that is engaging. I wasn't necessarily ready to quit…. I definitely have been thinking about this for a while.”



On TikTok, Tang is the cheerleader in your corner, holding you accountable when you sell yourself short. The journal builds upon this approach by focusing on the person, not the job. It’s an excavation of the true self, which is essential to building a fulfilling career, according to Tang.



“In order to figure out where you want to go,” she says, “you have to know who you are.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evaluate-your-career-history-and-future-in-three-steps">Evaluate your career history and future in three steps</h2>



The “Should I Quit?” journal offers three distinct sections, which Tang modeled after her coaching sessions.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-the-assessment">1. “The Assessment”</h3>



In this six-exercise section, journalers begin to name, understand and accept where they are. They then work through a career wheel and write down their career origin story, current job, job patterns and favorite job.



For Lyle, the “My Job Patterns” worksheet was very telling. “That probably is the one page that… really started my momentum because it just made me look really starkly [at my job history],” she says.&nbsp;



This exercise helps journalers release self-blame by outlining both what has happened and what is currently happening. Lyle noticed a pattern of conditioning that had been the catalyst for prior decision-making.



“I was conditioned to be good at things… and be helpful, [to] do the things I don't really want to do—but I do them well,” she says.



The section ends with a 12-question true or false questionnaire. Based on tally points, it tells users if their job situation is okay or if they should get out as fast as they can. The results can be jolting. Nine or more “true” answers mean that an employee's mental health is at stake.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-your-power">2. “Your Power”</h3>



The second section is an emotional exploration that connects journalers with their creativity, intuition and heart. It seeks to bypass the logical mind and instead tap into creativity through vision boarding and drawing. These emotional exercises empower journalers in the process.



The “Your Vision Board” exercise asks journalers to envision their most intimate visions, while “Your Power Animal” visualizes a spiritual guide that can prompt action.



“It's also just to give people some comfort,” Tang says. “Sometimes when you don't know where to look, it's just nice to be like… ‘I'm seeing an eagle, and it's inspiring me to fly and soar and be free.’ It can also be… a subconscious way to connect with your true desires.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-the-exit-plan">3. “The Exit Plan”</h3>



“The Assessment” and “Your Power” look inward, but this more rational third section turns thoughts into actions. It consists of 10 worksheets, which include “Timing,” “My Financial Snapshot” and “Money Scenarios.”



“You should be informed,” Tang says. “You should know, ‘How much money do I have in the bank?’ ‘How much money do I burn every month?’ ‘What are my bills?’ and ‘What's my situation?’ That can actually be a source of empowerment.”



She emphasizes a healthy career breakup in this section. “Timing,” for example, strategically maps out details that help employees-in-crisis create clean endings and beginnings. The goal is to leave no loose strings when the door closes.



Lyle quit her job in October 2024. The “Job Search Funnel” worksheet in her journal remains blank.



“I'm newly free from the job, and I am just now realizing [that] my energy is finite,” she says. “I needed to get away from it so I can figure this stuff out.”



A week after resigning, Lyle has found her new freedom energizing. “Look what it can do when somebody gives you a little boost and says, ‘You can do this,’” she says. “It's amazingly powerful.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-career-wounds-healing-emotional-trauma-in-the-workplace">Career Wounds: Healing emotional trauma in the workplace</h2>



Tang’s debut book, Career Wounds, will be released in 2025. It’s a companion to the journal that focuses on healing emotional trauma from the workplace.



“My goal is just to get people to remember who they are, to be more creative, to take a chance on themselves,” she says. “I don't think you have to be special or amazing to recognize that maybe you've outgrown something and that it's time to change…. This is for anyone.”



Photo by Kyle Fitts

Quitting your job can be a difficult decision to make. Career coach Mandy's “Should I Quit” journal provides insights to help you decide.

Quitting your job can be a difficult decision to make. Career coach Mandy's “Should I Quit” journal provides insights to help you decide. | SUCCESS

Should I Quit: A Journal to Help You Leave Your Toxic Job

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Quit Your Job With Career Coach Mandy’s Journal | SUCCESS

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Gutierrez is a freelance writer based in Dallas. By day, she glitters in diamonds and gold in the precious metals industry. At night, she lives out her passion of storytelling.

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Desiree Gutierrez

headshot of Joy Kolin, executive director of Giving Joy

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French social change-maker Charlotte Cotton celebrated International Women’s Day 2023 at the Alliance Française de Pondichéry in India. Her social organization Propolis’s “No More Taboo” program worked with 143 youth on using storytelling to empower themselves to respectfully discuss taboo topics such as gender equality, reproductive rights and violence against women. It was just one stop on the 70-day, 12-city tour.&nbsp;



Propolis, which was founded in October 2022, traveled throughout India for three months training 1,000 social workers, teachers, health and corporate professionals and youth on emotional processing and communication skills to combat stigmas around other taboo topics like sexuality, incest, illness, mental health and death.&nbsp;



The tour was made possible by individual donors and an empowering $500 USD grant by Massachushetts-based nonprofit <a href="https://givingjoygrants.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Giving Joy.</a>&nbsp;



“One of the biggest challenges for any kind of social organization, when you start and when you’re really small, is <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-start-a-nonprofit-organization/">where do I even start?</a> If I’m not registered, if I don’t have a name, if I didn’t pilot or test my own organization, who is going to give me money?” Cotton says.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giving-joy-is-making-macro-impacts-through-micro-grants">Giving Joy is making macro impacts through micro grants</h2>



Giving Joy is an international micro grant and mentorship initiative funding women-led businesses and organizations making a social impact. It is founded by international development manager <a href="https://givingjoygrants.org/who-we-are" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joy Kolin</a>. Through micro grants, Giving Joy is making macro impacts.&nbsp;



“You don’t have to be Melinda Gates to do good and impact people; with a little money, you can do quite a lot,” Kolin says.



Through her work, Kolin has worked on multimillion-dollar funded projects in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. She knew she was doing good, yet she didn’t feel the impact.&nbsp;



“I wanted to do something that was really on a one-to-one level so that I would be able to feel the impact that I’m doing,” she recalls.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-empowering-women-to-bring-their-ideas-to-life">Empowering women to bring their ideas to life </h2>



Kolin founded Giving Joy with money from her own pocket in 2018. She uncovered a need for capital through conversations with women from around the world and wanted to empower them with a financial stepping stone to bring their ideas to life.&nbsp;



“The money really helped to put things into action,” Cotton says. “When you’re an entrepreneur, you can have millions of ideas, but if you don’t have any funds, then nothing is really going to happen.”



Over the last five years, Giving Joy has awarded 73 one-time micro grants ranging from $250 to $500 to women in 21 countries. The investment has provoked change in communities across the globe. 



In Pakistan, Giving Joy funded Food Security and Agriculture Center of Excellence trainer Ummara Tariq’s three-week training on value-add dairy products. The training taught women how to turn raw milk into butter, yogurt and cheese to sell at the market, raising their estimated monthly income from $15 to $54.&nbsp;



“A little does go a long way, if you know where to direct it,” Kolin says.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-apply-to-a-giving-joy-micro-grant">How to apply to a Giving Joy micro grant</h2>



Giving Joy’s grant application is straightforward. The board wants to know who you are, what you do and the impact your business or organization aspires to accomplish.&nbsp;



“The most important factor is really the impact that the grant will have,” Kolin says. “How much impact can we get for each dollar?”



Giving Joy shortlists applications that exhibit a “multiplier effect,” where dollars go beyond the grant recipient and have a positive effect on women and the community. In 2023, Giving Joy received 4,119 applications from 70 countries. The nonprofit awarded 13 grants that impacted an estimated 380 direct beneficiaries and 60,000 indirect beneficiaries.&nbsp;



Call for applications for the current grant cycle is open until April 30, 2024. If you would like to be considered for a Giving Joy grant this year, <a href="https://givingjoygrants.org/grant-application" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">click here to apply</a>.&nbsp;



Photo by Rob Colameta.

Giving Joy is an international micro grant and mentorship initiative funding women-led businesses and organizations. Learn how to apply.

Giving Joy is an international micro grant and mentorship initiative funding women-led businesses and organizations. Learn how to apply. | SUCCESS

Giving Joy’s Micro Grants for Female Founders Are Making Macro Impacts

Giving Joy’s Micro Grants Are Making Macro Impacts

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Socorro Tequila owner surrounded by school children from Jalisco, Mexico after donating cases of water

Pablo Antinori felt his first high in the fall of 2020.&nbsp;



Antinori and his Socorro Tequila co-founder, Josh Irving, were outside of a convent in Jalisco, Mexico. They had just spent hours inside: Antinori had shared snacks with the orphaned children who lived there, and Irving roller-skated with them. They spent hours showering kids with attention and love. Many of these kids had not felt love before. It was heartwarming and soul-cleansing for everyone involved.



The business partners didn't want to leave. The nuns had to practically push them out.&nbsp;



As they walked out the convent, Antinori turned to Irving with tears in his eyes and said, “Papa, I've never done any drugs, but there is no way that anything in the world could make you feel better than what we just did.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-socorro-tequila-owners-are-dedicated-to-giving-back">The Socorro tequila owners are dedicated to giving back</h2>



Irving and Antinori founded Texas-based Socorro Tequila earlier that year, in April 2020. Through its Case for a Case program, <a href="https://socorrotequila.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the premium tequila brand</a> donates a case of water to orphanages, nursing homes and the community in Jalisco, Mexico—the location of the brand's distillery—for every case of Socorro sold.&nbsp;



“We don't scream it from the mountains,” Irving says. “It's organic. We went from non-philanthropic people who probably have never done any philanthropy in our lives to honestly, selfishly being addicted. It is our favorite thing to do.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-selling-other-people-s-tequila">Selling other people’s tequila</h2>



Socorro’s inception was quite simple. Irving and Antinori know tequila. The agave spirit connoisseurs have consumed plenty of it.&nbsp;



They’ve had it neat. They’ve had it in cocktails. They’ve had a lot of really good tequila and they've had a lot of not so good tequila.&nbsp;



Tequila is the only world they’ve known. Irving has sold tequila through distribution since he was 22. Antinori, who has an intimate relationship with Dallas dining and has sold plenty of spirits in the restaurant industry, jokingly says he’s been drinking it just as long.&nbsp;



“Papa, let's quit selling other people’s tequila and let's go make our own,” Antinori said to Irving one boozy night in 2018.



The <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/going-into-business-with-friends/">friends knew each other and trusted each other</a>. Their drive and competitive nature wouldn’t fail them.&nbsp;



“We knew one thing when we started this company, and it's that we can sell tequila,” Antinori says. “That's the only thing we could do. Everything else we had to learn.”



<figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large"><img src="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Socorro-Tequila-bottle-staged-next-to-a-shot-glass-and-a-lime-wedge-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-72515"/></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-mission-before-the-juice">The mission before the juice</h2>



By 2019, Irving and Antinori were getting well-acquainted with the ins and outs of the tequila industry. Jalisco, Mexico, was their goldmine. They searched the highlands and lowlands to find the perfect distillery but stumbled across what would be the heartbeat of their brand.&nbsp;



After visiting their fifth distillery, the two aspiring entrepreneurs and their Mexican business associates stopped by <a href="https://www.carnitasjaimes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Carnitas Jaime’s</a> in Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico. The men enjoyed chunks of shredded pork that had simmered in large copper pots in the traditional eatery when a grade-school-aged girl and her younger brother approached them. They were selling candies.&nbsp;



“I ended up buying everything she had,” Antinori says. “Me, as naive as I was about the situation, I asked this little girl, ‘What are you doing with the money?’”



The answer was eye-opening: The girl planned to buy food and water.&nbsp;



“That completely broke our heart,” Antinori says.&nbsp;



The business partners would soon discover that Mexico’s water scarcity issues are heart-wrenching.&nbsp;



“It’s different when the curtains are pulled back,” Irving says.&nbsp;



According to a <a href="http://www.agua.unam.mx/assets/pdfs/Perspectivas_AguaenMexico2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2022 report</a> by the National Autonomous University of Mexico, 42% of the country’s population does not have access to daily water. Approximately 6 million people lack access to drinking water and 60% of the present water bodies are contaminated. <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/more-mexican-states-could-face-water-stress-by-2050" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Research</a> by S&amp;P Global Ratings predicts the number of Mexican states highly exposed to water stress will almost double by 2050. Jalisco is one of them.&nbsp;



Irving and Antinori didn’t have a distillery. They didn’t have a name, but <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/5-tips-for-building-and-growing-a-purpose-driven-business/">they did have a mission</a>. No matter what they did, they’d provide water to the community that would soon become a second home.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-socorro-is-more-than-a-name">‘Socorro’ is more than a name</h2>



“Socorro” is a popular feminine name in Hispanic cultures. It means to help, to assist. Irving and Antinori set out to make tequila but found another <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/defining-your-purpose-living-with-intention/">purpose</a>: They would help the community. It was only fitting to name their namesake brand after their experiences.&nbsp;



The founders’ time in Jalisco had quickly become intimate. The two entered the rural community not knowing what to expect. Each experience was a kaleidoscopic image on the beauty of humanity and Mexican culture.&nbsp;



“Throughout this whole journey, you're running into heartbreaking situations of poverty,” Irving says. “What kind of person are you if you don't do something to help those people that are hurting, but also inspired you?”



Mexico embraced Irving and Antinori. The two had gone to Mexico not knowing what to expect. Irving was a North Texas native. Antinori split the first 18 years of his life between Argentina and Bolivia, where his father and mother are respectively from. He spent his adult life in the United States.&nbsp;



They knew the hustle and bustle of U.S. living. In the U.S., you have to prove yourself before they let you in a group, Antinori says. Mexico is the complete opposite



“They live in the present, which I love about that culture,” Irving says. “They are just there to have a good time. That inspires me. I'm huge on embracing anything that inspires me.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jalisco-welcomed-socorro-with-open-arms">Jalisco welcomed Socorro with open arms</h2>



The community of Jalisco supported Antinori and Irving from the start. Acquaintances who became friends opened their homes to the two, gave them beds to sleep on, cooked for them, cleaned for them and let them borrow their cars. Irving was baffled.&nbsp;



“This is their real life,” Irving says. “This is not anything we know. This is the way that they live. They bring people to their family.”



Socorro had to be a success. Antinori and Irving were inspired to return the love.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-liquid-to-lips-socorro-tequila-was-born">Liquid to lips: Socorro tequila was born</h2>



The first bottle of Socorro tequila was born in April 2020, a month after COVID-19 lockdowns shut down much of the world, including the restaurant industry. A pandemic couldn’t stop the inevitable success of a brand that was founded on goodwill and tradition.&nbsp;



“We respect tequila as a tradition,” Antinori says. “We don't take any shortcuts when it comes to making our product.”&nbsp;



Socorro is a premium tequila, meaning it is 100% blue weber agave. There are no additives. It is not produced in a mass production distillery. It is one of five brands produced in a family distillery located in Jalisco, and the only brand not owned by the family. For Antinori and Irving, this is an honor they do not take lightly.&nbsp;



Socorro is made the “old-school way.” The agave piñas are cooked in a traditional brick oven for 24 hours. After 24 hours, the ovens are shut off to allow the piñas to steam cook. Then the agave juice and well water are placed in tanks with proprietary yeast for at least 96 hours.&nbsp;



During the double distillation process, the magic happens. The distillation process is split into three parts: heads, heart and tails. The most harmful alcohols are cut during the heads and tails portions of distillation, leaving the “heart” of the tequila, the alcohols that will be transformed into the spirit.&nbsp;



“We lose about 30 to 32% of our production on cutting heads and tails; that really makes our tequila quite premium,” Antinori says.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-socorro-tequila-is-growing-rapido">Socorro tequila is growing rápido</h2>



Socorro tequila has grown nearly 50% since 2022, and is one of the top 10 tequila suppliers within Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits.



“We let our juice, or tequila, speak for itself,” Antinori says. “We sell our tequila on the tequila merits. We price our tequila very well to make sure that our tequila is the best that you can get for a price that is cocktail friendly, as well.”



Socorro, which runs in the $30 price range, is available at more than 900 restaurants and 800 retailers. Texas is the brand's largest market. You can find the tequila on menus at Texas dining staples like Meso Maya, Gloria’s, Mi Cocina and José.



“That [success] doesn’t come from sitting at home behind the computer,” Antinori says. “You gotta put liquid to lips every time.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-case-for-a-case">Case for a Case</h2>



To date, <a href="https://socorrotequila.com/case-for-a-case" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Socorro has donated more than 36,000 cases of potable water</a> to the Jalisco community. Antinori and Irving return to Jalisco every quarter to do the drop-off themselves and reunite with their Jalisco family.&nbsp;



“We actually know who the kids are, what they do, and that’s a special thing for us,” Irving says. “It's the coolest thing that we personally get to do.”



Over the last three years, Irving and Antinori have witnessed infants become toddlers. They’ve seen a six-month-old grow into a sprouting preschooler. They’ve watched in amazement as another young girl taught herself English by reading a book.



“It's not about the money; it's about the time,” Antinori says. “Water is a lifeline, or this excuse we use to get to go to this orphanage. The best part is giving these kiddos time and attention.”&nbsp;



Photos courtesy of Socorro Tequila.

Socorro Tequila’s owners set foot in Jalisco, Mexico, aiming to make great tequila. What they found became the heartbeat of their company.

Socorro Tequila’s owners set foot in Jalisco, Mexico, aiming to make great tequila. What they found became the heartbeat of their company. | SUCCESS

In the Spirit of Giving Back: Socorro Tequila’s Philanthropic Efforts in Jalisco

How Socorro Tequila Waters Its Mexican Roots | SUCCESS

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Michelle Sorro Fire and Soul podcast host in front of orange flowers

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Michelle Sorro’s hands shook uncontrollably. Beads of sweat dripped down her back. Terror ran through her veins. Pain had consumed the entrepreneur, podcast host and transformation guide, an aid in the journey to higher consciousness. She was at a crossroad.



It had been seven weeks since the last episode of her podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fire-and-soul/id1397044270" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fire and Soul</a>, aired. But now, in September 2021, Sorro was returning to the mic—as her truest self. It was her only option.



“I was terrified to be that honest, but there was no other option,” she says. “I am not going to operate out of that fear. It comes out to get you. It’s a disease in the body.”



It’s hard to imagine Sorro as anything but a beam of light. She’s charismatic and a quintessential Californian. But in those weeks that her podcast had gone dark, Sorro spent days balled up, crying in the darkness. Her bright, pearly smile was gone. Her nights were spent under the glow of the moon staring at the eucalyptus trees in her mother’s backyard. She surrendered herself and looked inward for guidance.



“I just kept hearing this whisper, this knowing, of when you’re doing this work that is of the divine—in other words, it’s of integrity, the highest integrity—you will always be OK; you never have to worry about anything,” she recalls.



After a personal awakening, Fire and Soul podcast host <a href="https://www.michelle-sorro.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michelle Sorro</a> returned to the mic to encourage listeners in their spiritual journeys and guide them toward conscious leadership.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-michelle-sorro-s-personal-awakening">Michelle Sorro’s personal awakening</h2>



In the 18 months prior to her September 2021 podcast return, Sorro had undergone a personal awakening. She had been part of a competitive mastermind of 18 high-achieving individuals. The other individuals were awakened—and she was the last to go through the process. The awakening process was something akin to The Matrix, she says, referencing the popular 1999 film where Keanu Reeves’ character is exposed to another type of world. A world where people were not in control of their own lives.



From that point forward, she was a changed person.



For Sorro, many of her views escalated due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and the messages being put out to the public. Her opinions about what was going on during the lockdown fueled her from the inside. As a result, she became more vocal in her beliefs—and not everyone agreed. She discussed how to navigate relationships with those who disagreed with her, and her response to this propelled the next phase of her podcast.



Some in Sorro’s circle at the time advised against publicizing her newfound perspective. The lack of support from her peers silenced her for those seven dark weeks. However, she wanted to step into her sovereignty and share what she believes, despite the risk that she might be susceptible to cancel culture or censorship.



“Many just don’t know how to speak up because they’re so afraid to ruffle feathers,” Sorro explains. “They’re so afraid to be canceled; they’re so afraid to be censored.”



Ultimately, her <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-personal-development-saved-my-life/">personal transformation</a> was a turning point for her podcast and business.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-fire-and-soul-podcast-a-powerful-platform">The Fire and Soul podcast: A powerful platform</h2>



Today, Fire and Soul is a space where individuals can specialize in holistic spirituality, embodied self-awareness and conscious leadership.



“When we have the spiritual awakening and we remember who we really are—our sovereign blueprint—then it allows us to face what we had not wanted to look at most of our lives,” Sorro says.



For decades, Sorro had worked up to 100 hours a week. She had given up weekends and had moved across the country. Her relationship-building and sales skills were magnificent, despite her never having taken a sales class. She had thrived in every setting she was immersed in.



Those days were filled with performing, proving and lusting after approval. She stayed in overdrive, aiming for business, money and success. In those days, Sorro’s smile was plastered on her face, her eyes distant and her nervous system ransacked.



“I never even knew <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/are-you-suffering-from-best-self-fatigue/">how exhausted and anxious</a> I was,” she says.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-michelle-sorro-s-transformation-to-success">Michelle Sorro’s transformation to success</h2>



Now, Sorro is not the woman she once was. To step into her highest self, she shed the distractions: TV, mainstream media and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/business-benefits-of-quitting-drinking/">alcohol</a>. She also followed her intuition, taking time to rest and giving herself grace. The light returned to her eyes. She glowed from within. She documented this transition unapologetically on her podcast. Fears that she would alienate herself or sound “woo-woo” were dissolved by success. Her podcast grew and collaboration requests began to come in.



“Once you actually start to build on that atrophied muscle of courage and truth and bravery, you begin to see how other ideas of creativity and brilliance come through you,” Sorro says.



She has interviewed more than 100 personal development visionaries such as Jack Canfield and Paul Selig to help show her audience how to embark on their own journey of knowing.



“I invite my audience to learn to listen to that internal guidance that is always awaiting us,” says Sorro, who has been surrounded by the world of personal development her entire life. Growing up, she was surrounded by a library of personal development cassette tapes, bonding with her mother over the teachings of the Indian Hindu monk and yogi Paramahansa Yogananda. In her adulthood, Sorro has invested more than $150,000 in her own journey, including Tony Robbins’ immersive <a href="https://tr.tonyrobbins.com/virtual-dwd">Date With Destiny experience</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-personal-development-entrepreneur">A personal development entrepreneur</h2>



The personal development industry was valued at $41.8 billion in 2021, and the self-awareness segment is expected to grow at the highest compound annual growth rate of 6.9% from 2022 to 2030, according to business consulting firm Grand View Research.



Sorro’s inner voice has helped her tap into this market’s expansive growth. She has developed courses to help others accelerate their own entrepreneurial dreams. Her signature digital course, <a href="https://www.michelle-sorro.com/lvm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Live Video Mastery</a>, teaches students how to equip live video into their business arsenal.



Sorro’s longtime friend Andrea Groussman has participated in the course and praises Sorro’s teachings and passion: “She cares, and we need people in our world, and in our inner circles, that care.”



Sorro also launched <a href="https://www.michelle-sorro.com/podcastaccelerator" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Podcast Accelerator</a>, an eight-week podcast development course, with Ginni Saraswati.



“I discovered the access point to my soul’s purpose through my podcast,” Sorro has said on her social media platforms. “My entire coaching business—in-person retreats, aligned business collaborations and life-changing friendships—all these incredible blessings came into my life because of the Fire and Soul podcast.”



The podcast has transformed her life, Sorro says. Through The Podcast Accelerator, which has helped launch over 128 podcasts since 2020, she is helping others do the same.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sharing-her-transformational-success-with-in-person-retreats">Sharing her transformational success with in-person retreats</h2>



In 2022, Sorro launched <a href="https://www.michelle-sorro.com/soulcircle" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Soul Circle</a>, a 12-week mastermind centered on guiding and supporting women in the journey of embodiment.



“Every woman I know is longing—on the deepest, deepest level—for a connection to herself,” Sorro says.



Corporate executive Chinwe Esimai turned to Soul Circle for clarity. She wanted to look beyond tangible goals. She wanted to journey inward to discover how she wanted to show up in this world.



“I’ve never felt with Michelle that I needed to abandon or change my spirituality,” Esimai says. Instead, she felt empowered to be real, cherishing one lesson from Sorro in particular: “No one is looking for perfect; everyone is looking for real.”



Sorro’s titles include podcast host and entrepreneur, but her most cherished one is transformation guide—and by October 2022, she had expanded her business and began hosting biannual in-person retreats.



Cheri Plett, a banking organizational development director, participated in Sorro’s <a href="https://www.michelle-sorro.com/rosewomenretreat" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sacred Feminine Immersion</a> (formerly known as the Rose Women retreat) in Ojai, California. The retreat began with setting an intention. Throughout the immersive experience, participants joined in activities such as “inner compass activation” and “powerful collective clearing.”



For Plett, all of that terminology can be simplified: Rituals and habits become synonymous with habits and routines. Communing with nature is just spending time outdoors. She takes these learnings and applies them to corporate life, where <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/personal-and-professional-development-influencers-to-follow/">personal development and leadership skills</a> are highly emphasized.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-michelle-sorro-is-a-conscious-leader">Michelle Sorro is a conscious leader</h2>



At the end of the day, Sorro integrates her spirituality into <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/18-leadership-traits-that-should-define-your-legacy/">leadership</a> by teaching conscious leadership. “The old paradigm of leadership—which is like, do this and then do that and then do this—that is the dying system that we are watching crumble before our eyes,” Sorro says.



The journey to the highest self starts with listening, Sorro says. To do so, she advises a reclamation practice she learned from a Fire and Soul guest. She invites individuals to close their eyes and take two luxurious, deep-cleansing breaths. This allows for the nervous system to calm down. The final exhale should be slow. Then silently state the following: “I love you. I am listening.”



“There’s no formula; there’s no proven process. There’s no do this and then do that, and then, for sure, you’ll manifest the life of your dreams,” Sorro says. “It has to come from your inner knowing.”&nbsp;



This article originally appeared in the <a href="https://store.success.com/by-media/success-magazine-nov-dec-2023-tamron-hall.html">November/December 2023 issue</a> of SUCCESS magazine. Photography by Milla Kuhto/Courtesy of Michelle Sorro.

Michelle Sorro, host of the "Fire and Soul" podcast, tells her story of transformation and how it led her to become a conscious leader.

Michelle Sorro, host of the "Fire and Soul" podcast, tells her story of transformation and how it led her to become a conscious leader. | SUCCESS

"Fire and Soul" Podcast Host Michelle Sorro Awakens to Her True Calling

&#8220;Fire and Soul&#8221; Podcast Host Michelle Sorro Awakens to Her True Calling

Fire and Soul Podcast Host Michelle Sorro’s Personal Awakening | SUCCESS

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A responsible digital nomad holding a cup of coffee in front of a colorful village

The bustling streets of Mexico City are rife with exquisite architecture, lush greenery, world-renowned culinary offerings and rich history—and, recently, a new <a href="https://nomadlist.com/fastest-growing-remote-work-hubs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">influx of digital nomads</a>.



In addition to locals and ever-present tourists, remote workers have descended upon the city, taking advantage of Mexico’s relaxed immigration requirements and a location-agnostic employment landscape that was redefined by the COVID-19 pandemic. And it’s not just Mexico City.



Since the pandemic, the digital nomad movement has exploded. Forced remote work allowed individuals to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/a-veteran-of-the-digital-nomad-community-offers-her-best-tips-for-the-location-independent-lifestyle/">adopt location-independent work</a> indefinitely. Many have transitioned that adaptation into a lifestyle in places like Portugal and Costa Rica.



“I always believed that nomadism was going to become mainstream one day,” says Mita Carriman, a six-year digital nomad and founder and CEO of digital nomad travel club Adventurely. “I just didn’t expect it was going to happen in the way that it unfolded.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-digital-nomad-boom">The digital nomad boom</h2>



Since 2019, the number of Americans who consider themselves digital nomads has more than doubled, according to MBO Partners’ 2022 <a href="https://www.mbopartners.com/state-of-independence/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">State of Independence in America</a> study. Last year, 16.9 million Americans were living a nomadic lifestyle, compared to 7.3 million in 2019. They are taking residence for weeks, even months, at a time across the globe.



The impacts to the workplace have been much discussed, but <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/digital-nomad-what-you-need-to-know/">becoming a digital nomad</a> doesn’t just affect you and your employer. The rapid rise in digital nomadism <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22999722/mexico-city-pandemic-remote-work-gentrification" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has elicited calls</a> for responsibility and sensitivity, acknowledging the impact visitors can have on a place and the people who live there.



“Responsible nomadism comes from responsible travel, and the idea of responsible travel has been around for a number of years,” Carriman says. “Responsible travel ultimately comes down to being socially, economically and environmentally aware when you travel.”



But how does that look? Here are six steps nomads can take to cultivate a responsible nomadic footprint.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-be-a-responsible-digital-nomad">How to be a responsible digital nomad</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-educate-yourself">1. Educate yourself.</h3>



Tarek Kholoussy’s nomadic journey has taken him out of the finance sector on Wall Street and into global philanthropy. The 10-year digital nomad based in Bali is the founder of Nomads Giving Back, an impact-driven volunteer-matching program, and Nomads Skillshare, a platform that helps nomads obtain the skills needed to launch the life they want.



Kholoussy says information gathering allows nomads to become aware of the social and economic landscape, an important step to assimilating to the local culture.



“The first step is to be informed on what the local social challenges are, what the local traditions and culture and values are, and then to know why we should care,” Kholoussy says. “When someone welcomes you into their home, you respect their home, and you appreciate their home, and it doesn’t mean you have to agree or believe in everything—we’re all different. But that’s what makes humanity beautiful: Despite our differences, there’s this commonality of humanity that exists among all of us.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. Spend conscientiously.</h3>



Rocío Vazquez Landeta is owner of the Mexico City food tour Eat Like a Local, author of <a href="https://amzn.to/3qXJsic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cómo Viajar Sin Ser Un C*lero</a> (or How to Travel Without Being an A**hole, which yields 25 tips on becoming a better tourist) and a Mexico City native. She preaches responsible tourism, a concept that promotes local economic growth by guiding tourist dollars to local businesses. This becomes increasingly important as the cost of living spikes for locals living in travel hot spots.



Nomadism has created competitive housing in Mexico City, Landeta says. In the past 13 years, rent in her neighborhood has tripled.



“As a regular Mexican, we cannot just leave if this [living in Mexico] becomes unsustainable for us,” she says. “If this becomes too expensive, if it becomes too unsafe, we cannot just fly away and go to another place. You can as a digital nomad, so you have to think about the privilege you have.”



The fault doesn’t fall solely on digital nomads, but there are ways that nomads can help stall the inflation, Landeta says. She advises nomads to be aware of the housing market. Outbidding locals for an apartment contract can create an unsustainable housing market. Carriman also advises nomads who sublease to do so with the local market pricing in mind.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">3. Make friends with other responsible digital nomads and locals.</h3>



Cassandra Carter, a social strategist and digital nomad, embraces integration with locals to gain the full cultural experience. In the span of a year, Carter has journeyed to London, Greece and Mexico, where she spent a majority of time in La Peñita de Jaltemba in Nayarit.



Carter uses Bumble BFF and Facebook groups to meet nomads and expats in the communities she visits. She visits exhibits and arts-and-culture-centered events to meet like-minded individuals and locals. Her involvement in the La Peñita community has led to flourishing friendships.



In February, Carter celebrated the marriage of a local couple who have been together 27 years and have three kids and two grandchildren. As an ongoing joke, the now-husband proposed to his now-bride weekly. To his surprise, she finally said yes. Carter witnessed the family’s monumental celebration.



“Being invited to that kind of stuff is a true testament to getting to know some of the locals or the other expats that have really invested their time [in the community],” Carter says.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">4. Participate in local customs.</h3>



For Carriman, integrating with local customs and traditions fostered bonds she’ll cherish forever. During her stay in Playa del Carmen, she’d visit a family-owned market, where she’d talk about life with the owner, his wife and their son.



“It’s in these very simple moments that I just felt deeply connected to the community,” Carriman says. “It was also an opportunity for me to learn directly from a local what their experience is like on a day-to-day [basis].”



Ultimately, showing up and being a part of the local scene will help both enrich your experience and ensure that you leave as positive an impact on a place as it will leave on you.



“It’s important that the locals be seen and recognized and not feel that they are second-class citizens in their own home,” Carriman says.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">5. Learn the language.</h3>



To properly assimilate, our digital nomads agree: Making an effort to learn the local language can go a long way.



Landeta says English is overpowering Spanish in Mexico City. On a recent trip to a dog park, all the pet parents there spoke English. Since she knew English, she fared well.



“For me, it’s good, because I speak English,” Landeta says. “I don’t mind; but what if you’re Mexican and you don’t speak English?”



Carter used Duolingo to learn Spanish. Greek has been tougher to learn, but she continues to make the effort. Knowing how to greet and thank people, ask for basic directions and order food is important, and locals are appreciative, she says.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">6. Try new things.</h3>



Carriman encourages nomads to get out of their comfort zone, engage with their eyes, smile, talk and build friendships with locals.



“It takes some intentional effort to be mindful of where we’re spending our time, and where we’re spending our money, and to create these opportunities to seek them out to meet more locals,” Kholoussy adds.



After all, the allure of digital nomadism is the experience, right? Otherwise, you may as well go back to the office.



This article originally appeared in the July/August 2023 <a href="https://store.success.com/by-media/success-magazine-july-august-2023-chance-the-rapper.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">issue of SUCCESS magazine</a>. Photo by Anton_Ivanov; Butabanatravel/Shutterstock.com.

Here are six steps digital nomads can take to cultivate a responsible nomadic footprint during their travels abroad.

Here are six steps digital nomads can take to cultivate a responsible nomadic footprint during their travels abroad. | SUCCESS

6 Tips for Being a Responsible Digital Nomad

How to be a Responsible Digital Nomad: 6 Travel Tips | SUCCESS

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Friends celebrating Jenny.Community's business shower

On June 26, 2021, Jenny Weigle and several of her closest friends gathered at The Penthouse at Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica, California. Her friend Caroline Ma had organized a shower in Weigle’s honor. The women enjoyed a three-course meal overlooking a gorgeous view of the Santa Monica oceanfront. There was a registry, gifts and even favors.



It was a “magical and special gathering,” Weigle will never forget.



But Weigle didn’t receive a toaster, china or even diapers that day. The women weren’t gathered to celebrate a wedding. They weren’t there to celebrate a baby. They were there for a business shower.



<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/19/business/smallbusiness/business-showers-startups.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Business showers have reimagined</a> a longstanding tradition. They take the shape of a baby or bridal shower, but steer away from the domestic and into the professional. They are a celebration to honor an entrepreneur and their business venture.&nbsp;



“A business shower is a way for someone to invite their friends, family and supporters to come out for an event where they can share more about what it is that they're working on and what they're building and create space to celebrate and support that work,” Emily Wazlak, CEO and founder of <a href="https://www.shineregistry.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shine Registry</a>, a business shower registry website, says.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-using-a-business-shower-to-focus-on-connection">Using a business shower to focus on connection</h2>



Weigle launched her strategic consulting business, Jenny.Community, five days before her business shower. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/jairek-robbins-on-the-importance-of-building-a-community/">She yearned for support</a>.



“To be able to sit down with these women with the explicit purpose of helping me kick off my business, I needed that,” Weigle says. “What I needed from them was that hype, that cheerleader mentality, because I was scared.”



With insight from Priya Parker’s book, <a href="https://amzn.to/45q0l4V" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Art of Gathering</a>, Weigle opted to center her shower on connection. She created <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/at-a-loss-for-words-10-ways-to-master-the-art-of-small-talk/">conversation prompts</a> that would create bonds and be fruitful in encouragement. That conversation gave her words that she leans on to continuously uplift her business.&nbsp;



“When I am finding myself in challenging times, I think back to the level of support I had from those women, the messages of encouragement, the fact that they were all willing to come together and for this different reason, this unique reason, for me,” she says. “They believe in me and I try to remember that.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A registry for business showers</h2>



To normalize the concept of a business shower, Weigle leaned on Shine Registry. She shared her registry with her shower attendees, friends and family.&nbsp;



Wazlak envisioned Shine Registry as a vessel to create support for business owners in the ways they need it most.&nbsp;



“You very rarely get things that you don't ask for,” Wazlak says. “Creating a space for people to ask for those things felt like something that I could do that could really have an impact.”



Shine Registry users can ask for “Small Asks, Little Things and Big Stuff.” Weigle’s registry was simple. She asked for social media follows, LinkedIn recommendations, potential client introductions and contributions to technology, administrative, coffee or happy-hour funds.&nbsp;



“I'm consistently surprised and delighted by the unexpected things that people are asking for,” she says.



Web-hosting costs and caffeine are popular registry requests, Wazlak says. More than 500 registries have been created on her platform. Some users have registered mentorship, a network of angel investors, airline miles and event sponsors. Several have registered for pep talks as a “Small Ask.”&nbsp;



Showers can be done in person, like Weigle’s. Shine Registry <a href="https://blog.shineregistry.com/businessshowerguide/p/business-shower-guide" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">offers a shower planning guide</a> that aids in the planning process. For remote work spaces, virtual showers are an option.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Showing support for new businesses</h2>



For many entrepreneurs, the concept of a shower is still very new.&nbsp;



Dallas photographer Cinthia Jaimes wasn’t familiar with the practice in January when she unknowingly organized a business shower for the launch of her friends’ spa. She relied on her talents to garner a support system for her friends.&nbsp;



“My goal was to be able to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-use-your-influence-to-help-others/">use any influence I had</a> on my audience and direct that towards her, whether it was just social media reach or introducing her to my audience,” Jaimes says.&nbsp;



A photography session with Jaimes costs about $4,000. It is an entire day’s affair that includes creative consulting, hair, makeup and outfit changes. Her pricing makes her inaccessible to some. To support her friends, she created a public business shower where she offered pay-what-you-can headshots to attendees. She raised $1,000 that went directly to the spa.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Creating a sense of community</h3>



“<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/10-obstacles-every-startup-must-overcome-to-be-successful/">Opening up a business</a> is incredibly challenging for so many reasons—emotionally, physically, financially,” Jaimes says. “There is a lot of glamorization of entrepreneurship online. Everyone wants to be their own boss.”



Business showers dismantle the facade that business owners have it all together or that they don’t need help. They applaud courage and meet entrepreneurs where they need it the most.&nbsp;



For Cindy Pedraza Puente and her husband Armando Puente Jr., that need was a $3,600 freezer. The Puentes opened Olmo Market, a Dallas-based neighborhood market stocked with local goods, in February. The couple conceptualized a hub of economic and community stimulus. They had a vision and mission, and had onboarded a vegan chef to help them nourish the community, but they still needed backing. So, Jaimes threw them a business shower.&nbsp;



“I literally cried,” Cindy says. “As a business owner, and especially someone who is driven, that has been doing this on their own for such a long time and doing for others… It’s really hard to accept that somebody wants to do something for you, that somebody wants to actually spoil you or help you, but it's a really nice feeling. It’s nice to feel that you are supported by your community, and people do see you and see what you're trying to do.”



Olmo Market isn’t Cindy’s first business. She co-founded CocoAndré Chocolatier with her mother. Throughout the business’ 14-year run, they have become a vessel for Hispanic visibility and advocacy. The journey to their success was isolating.&nbsp;



“It felt very lonely, we weren't in the food world and there wasn't this community that is here now,” the chocolatier says. “To have all these things happen and a celebration of this new business, it is very different from the way CocoAndré started.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Celebrating a successful opening</h2>



On April 23, Jaimes once again leaned on her talents and aimed to foster communal support. She hosted a business shower for Olmo Market. She offered pay-what-you-can portraits. Glam Haus Collective provided complimentary hair and makeup touch-ups. Four other locally-owned businesses set up at the grocer as vendors.&nbsp;



All six businesses pulled from their followings and social media reach to rally attendance and support for Olmo Market. They invited locals to get acquainted with the grocer, buy local goods and get their portraits done.



“I felt uplifted by the community,” Cindy says. “I felt not alone in this and I saw people taking pride in what we're doing. They're proud of the business that we have built.”



The portrait portion of the shower raised $800 for the freezer fund. For those who couldn’t attend, the grocer’s website includes a donation option. As their business matures, the Puentes hope to purchase the freezer and additional equipment and expand their shared space with a patio.&nbsp;



As business showers popularize on social media, Jaimes and Weigle hope to see just as many business showers as they see baby and wedding showers.&nbsp;



“How is this not a bigger deal?” Weigle says. “It's so evident we should be celebrating this.”



Photo courtesy of Jenny.Community

Business showers take the shape of a baby or bridal shower—with registries and celebrations—but focus on the professional, not the domestic.

Business showers take the shape of a baby or bridal shower, but steer away from the domestic and into the professional. | SUCCESS

Business Showers: An Entrepreneurial Spin on a Time-Honored Tradition

Business Shower: A Way to Celebrate Entrepreneurs | SUCCESS

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College of Adaptive Arts, a post-secondary program for students with autism

Personal Development

Personal Development Archives

Personal Development | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

When Gary Moore’s son, Andrew, turned 11 in 2007, Moore worried about his future. Moore’s concerns weren’t typical. While many parents were thinking about grades, extracurricular activities and adolescence, Moore was concerned about what would happen once his son transitioned to adulthood. His friend Dan Selec understood these woes.



Moore and Selec were fathers to young boys diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a developmental disability that affects people in varying degrees. At the time, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">one in 110 children were diagnosed with autism</a>. Those children are now adults.



Under the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/treatment.html#:~:text=Early%20intervention%20services%20can%20help,a%20CP%20diagnosis%20is%20made." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Individuals with Disabilities Education Act</a>, children with disabilities under 3 may receive early intervention services. Infants and toddlers with differing abilities work with a team of therapists and instructors on their individualized needs. Their schedules overflow with appointments. Their days are filled with occupational and physical therapies and speech and language instruction.



From ages 3 to 21, children can receive special education services through their local public schools. An Individualized Education Program is crafted for qualifying individuals to help them receive an education, despite their abilities. Outside of school, children continue to receive therapies including vocational therapies, depending on their resources.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Post-secondary programs for students with autism</h2>



But once they reach the age of 21, they “fall off the services cliff,” a term used to describe the transition to adulthood that includes aging out of special education programs.



That new reality can be isolating. There are no longer any classes to go to. There is no longer a team of teachers, therapists and professionals helping them navigate their disability. They are on their own.



Moore and Selec’s sons would soon face this reality.



The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 5,437,988 adults <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/features/adults-living-with-autism-spectrum-disorder.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">are living with autism</a> in the U.S as of 2017.



Each year, an estimated 70,700 to 111,600 teens will enter adulthood, <a href="https://drexel.edu/autismoutcomes/blog/overview/2019/June/Growing-numbers-of-young-adults-on-the-autism-spectrum/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to Drexel University</a> Life Course Outcomes Research Program. Once they hit 21, they will continue the trek into adulthood with limited services. Moore and Selec couldn’t fathom this.



“We wanted to try to create a future for our sons because we didn’t want them to feel like they didn’t have a future and that they were just going to be relegated to spending the rest of their lives in their bedroom,” Moore says.



So, the duo founded nonPareil Institute, a post-secondary training institute, in 2008. They are one of a number of nonprofits working to empower individuals with autism to thrive.



Here’s a look at how three post-secondary programs for students and adults with autism are making a difference.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-nonpareil-institute">1. <a href="https://npusa.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nonPareil Institute</a></h3>



For two hours a night, five nights a week, Selec taught digital technology, video game and app design to nine autistic adults under the glow of his kitchen lights. The instruction time was intimate. He taught one to two adults a night, but they weren’t students. Selec and Moore considered them crew members. They were all a team working together to create a pathway to employment for autistic adults in their community.



While Selec taught, Moore established nonPareil’s nonprofit status, sought donations and searched for a building to house the concept.



By the end of the first year, they knew their post-secondary program for students and adults with autism would be revolutionary. The initial nine students, or crew members, had prospered. It was the proof of concept that would set the foundation for a program.



“Knowing that demand was out there—and that there was very little out there for adults on the spectrum, just almost nothing—we felt this is something that the students gravitated to,” Moore says. “They loved this technology, and they were excited. We saw <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/youve-been-conditioned-into-low-self-esteem-heres-how-to-get-it-back/">their self-esteem</a> and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/8-daily-tips-for-building-self-confidence/">self-confidence go up</a> in that short amount of time.”



Since then, the program has served over 850 crew members with three locations in Texas and one in Florida. These students can choose between courses that teach both core soft skills, such as “<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/rohn-8-ways-to-master-the-art-of-communication/">communications</a>” or “community and culture,” and hard technical skills. Crew members follow their choice of tracks including “digital technology training,” “work-readiness training,” “community/social engagement” and “IT support.”



Crew members have gone on to publish books (one, Tanner Hall, wrote and illustrated two graphic novels, <a href="https://amzn.to/3FKISJj" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Experiment: Volume 1</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/3yYehnL" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Experiment: Volume 2</a>), create applications available in Apple’s App Store and achieve many more accomplishments.



“In early years, when students would finish nonPareil, they were still having difficulty finding a job…. Many times, companies just really don’t know how to onboard and manage an adult on the spectrum,” Moore says.



Despite their expertise in technology, employment options were limited. Many crew members found work at grocery stores and restaurants. They yearned for more and they knew they had the skill set to accomplish more.



nonPareil Institute responded by establishing <a href="https://powersourcing.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PowerSourcing</a>, tech outsourcing “Powered by Autism™.” Through PowerSourcing, businesses are able to outsource their application development, 2D and 3D graphics, help desk staffing and more. Crew members fulfill these needs from nonPareil Institute’s accommodating environment while gaining job and project management skills, working with others, meeting deadlines, earning a check and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-upskill-yourself-to-earn-more-money/">strengthening their resume and portfolio</a>.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. <a href="https://www.elsforautism.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Els for Autism</a></h3>



Like nonPareil Institute, the Els for Autism Foundation was a labor of love that stemmed from a familial relationship. In 2008, World Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els and his wife Liezl Els <a href="https://people.com/parents/ernie-els-revea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">went public with</a> their son Ben’s autism diagnosis. They formed the foundation the following year and opened the Els Center of Excellence in 2015 in Jupiter, Florida. Els for Autism <a href="https://www.elsforautism.org/els-for-autism-in-canada-the-united-kingdom-south-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">is now global</a> with entities in Canada, South Africa and the U.K.



Through evidence-based practices, Els for Autism aims to “transform the lives of people with autism and those who care for them through lifetime services and collaborative partnerships,” according to their website. The organization <a href="https://www.elsforautism.org/importance-of-autism-spectrum-disorder-asd-research/#:~:text=Els%20for%20Autism%20Foundation%20has,Recreation%2C%20Therapy%20Services%20and%20Research." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has six focus areas</a>: “adult services, education, global outreach, recreation, therapy services and research.”



Els for Autism program director Erin Brooker Lozott, Ed.D., BCBA-D, CCC-SLP, says the path to inclusivity begins with understanding.



“People with autism are the smartest people I’ve ever met,” Brooker Lozott says. “It’s hard to see something you don’t understand. When you can learn about autism and understand the value of a person who has autism, and learn how to maximize their strengths and support their areas of weakness, your company is unstoppable.”



The foundation’s adult services use research-based methodologies that provide an individual with the tools to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/start-with-the-foundation-the-7-building-blocks-of-a-fulfilling-life/">create a fulfilling life</a>.



Adults who have graduated high school can explore pathways to paid employment “in the local municipality, healthcare or hospitality industries” through a 10-week Els for Autism <a href="https://www.elsforautism.org/programs-services/adult-service/employment-programs/">Work Experience Program</a>, a post-secondary program for students and adults with autism that provides four cohorts a year with hands-on work experience.



Under the adult services umbrella, the foundation programming includes Els for Autism <a href="https://www.elsforautism.org/programs-services/adult-service/independent-living/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Adult Day Training Program</a>, <a href="https://www.elsforautism.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Spoken-Wheel-Society-2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Spoken Wheel Society</a> social group, online <a href="https://www.elsforautism.org/programs-services/recreation-services/social-and-communication-programs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A</a><a href="https://www.elsforautism.org/programs-services/adult-services/social-and-recreation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dults Connections Club</a>, a mental health support group and recreation programs in “golf, tennis, yoga, theater, music, chorus and art.” Autistic adults are able to strengthen their skills and explore their individuality through these programs.



“If you met one individual with autism, you met just that one individual with autism,” says Kerry Magro, a national speaker and bestselling author of four autism-centered books. He speaks from experience.



Magro was diagnosed with a form of autism—Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified—at 4 years old. His achievements include earning his doctorate in educational technology leadership in 2019, being a two-time TEDx Talks speaker, being the CEO and founder of nonprofit KFM Making a Difference and publishing four books, including his 2022 release <a href="https://amzn.to/3JBO979" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Autistics on Autism: Stories You Need to Hear About What Helped Them While Growing Up and Pursuing Their Dreams</a>.



Magro is one of two Els for Autism <a href="https://www.elsforautism.org/autism-spectrum-award/#:~:text=The%202022%20Autism%20Spectrum%20Award,%2C%20from%20Hoboken%2C%20New%20Jersey." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2022 Autism Spectrum Award</a> winners. The organization recognized him for his advocacy and the work he does through his own nonprofit, KFM Making a Difference.



Through KFM, Magro has created pathways to higher education for autistic adults through scholarships. KFM Making a Difference has <a href="https://kfmmakingadifference.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">awarded 130 college scholarships</a> to adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder across the nation since 2012.



Magro serves on the Els for Autism advisory board. The board is composed of autistic adults who ensure the foundation has input and direction from the community they serve.



“Your perception is your reality,” Brooker Lozott says. “If we don’t have both sides of this story, then how I perceive something and how a person with autism perceives something may be completely different. I always, always ask a person with autism how they perceive it before I would just consider it correct.”



Els for Autism and Magro has also offered resources to employers who aim to tap into an underutilized talent pool. In 2021, Els for Autism hosted the Autism Innovations &amp; Global Impact Conference: “<a href="https://www.elsforautism.org/els-for-autisms-building-a-neurodiverse-workforce-virtual-conference-to-be-held-in-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Building a Neurodiverse Workforce</a>.”



“By thinking of people with autism through a strengths-based lens, and breaking down the barriers and giving opportunities to work, that is the essence of success,” Brooker Lozott says. “That’s where we know that we have created a world that supports inclusivity of all people.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">3. <a href="https://www.collegeofadaptivearts.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">College of Adaptive Arts</a></h3>



In Saratoga, California, College of Adaptive Arts (CAA) “provides an equitable collegiate experience to adults with special needs who historically have not had access to college education,” according to their website. The college was founded by Pamela Lindsay, Ed.D., and DeAnna Pursai, and is housed at Swenson Flagship Campus at West Valley College.



“The way that our students learn doesn’t really fit the dot edu system,” says Lindsay, who has a doctorate in educational leadership/curriculum and instruction. “There are programs on college campuses, but they’re finite; they have age limits and year limits of when people can participate.”



CAA, which began as a musical theatre class in 2009, offers one-hour classes in 10 schools of study: “visual arts,” “business,” “communications,” “dance,” “digital media studies,” “health and wellness,” “library arts,” “music,” “science and technology” and “theatre.” The expansion has flourished through the requests and desires of their students.



Students have the autonomy to choose from 75 courses with a defined curriculum. The post-secondary program for students and adults with autism is not an adult day home. Students are there to learn but are not subjected to a rigid testing environment. They have the ability to explore the arts discipline and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/3-ways-to-discover-your-true-passion/">find where their passions lie</a>. The opportunity to do so is transformational.



CAA integrates their students into the community through performances. Often, the community recognizes CAA students by their confidence and assurance. The feedback is heartwarming.



“It’s amazing and transformative to see how what we’re doing is really starting to spread out,” Pursai says. “One of the best comments I heard from an observer, when we were performing in the community, she came up to me and said, ‘I feel more alive when I watch your students perform.’”



Since the pandemic, CAA has integrated a virtual learning option. This has opened the doors for expansion across the nation.



“Colleges that are providing services to adults in their community and aren’t serving the adults that we serve or don’t see a way to do that, we can come right onto their campus next week, and we can start teaching classes or we can provide online classes for students that they have to turn away,” Lindsay says.



CAA, too, was a response to personal experiences. Pursai’s sister Angel <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/28/us/california-college-special-needs-adults-cnnheroes/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">was diagnosed with Down syndrome</a> at birth. Lindsay’s daughter Valerie is autistic. CAA knows that with safe and engaging environments, adults with differing abilities can capitalize on their talents and community contributions. They’ve witnessed it time and time again.



“Be open and willing to learn about people on the spectrum and accept them and know that they can be a benefit,” Moore says. “They’re here for a reason, my son was put on earth for a reason, and I just hope more and more people will be open and willing to open their arms with opportunities for employment and support for these young men and women because they’ve got so much to offer.”



This article originally appeared in the March/April 2023 <a href="https://store.success.com/by-media/success-magazine-mar-apr-2023-lewis-howes.html">issue of SUCCESS magazine</a>. Photo courtesy of College of Adaptive Arts.

A look at how three post-secondary programs for students and adults with autism are setting individuals on the spectrum on a path to success.

A look at how three post-secondary programs for students and adults with autism are setting individuals on the spectrum on a path to success. | SUCCESS

How Three Post-Secondary Programs Are Setting Autistic Individuals on a Path to Success

3 Post-Secondary Programs for Students with Autism | SUCCESS

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Gen Zers Are Embracing Boutique Shopping—Here's Why

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Future of Work | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

Generation Z only knows a digitized world. Those born between 1997 and 2012 were raised with connectivity at their fingertips. Now, as they enter the workforce, they have become a consumer powerhouse. Their shopping habits aren't strictly confined to online—they are intentional and omnichannelled.&nbsp;



Unlike millennials, Gen Zers are vying for a shopping experience, but they aren’t opting for big-box stores. Those have their time and place. The younger generation is taking their <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-research-gen-zs-disposable-income-reaches-360-billion-301424571.html">$360 billion</a> of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/a-millennials-guide-to-finances-5-things-to-start-before-you-turn-30/">disposable income</a> to intimate and curated shopping spaces that fit their aesthetic and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/do-your-actions-match-your-values/">align with their values</a>.&nbsp;



“The age of waiting in lines at the mall or scrolling through pages of product on a website seem to be behind us,” MARKET Chief Creative Officer Keenan Walker says in an email to SUCCESS.



<a href="https://www.shopmarkethighlandpark.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MARKET</a>, a boutique in Dallas’ Highland Park Village, prides itself as a luxury and contemporary experiential shopping destination featuring a variety of brands including Christopher Esber, A.L.C, Proenza Schouler LLC and AGOLDE.



The boutique’s clientele shops with meaning.&nbsp;



“There are so many big-box retailers or online shopping platforms out there; however our customers look to MARKET for a <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/what-makes-good-customer-service/">personalized experience</a> and a highly curated selection that directly translates to their daily lives,” Walker says.&nbsp;



For younger generations, social commerce reels them in. Instagram posts catch their eye and they visit MARKET for specific items. Once there, shoppers work one-on-one with associates to style a full look or pack their suitcase with a week’s worth of outfits.&nbsp;



Walker is well-acquainted with her clients. She listens to their commentary, takes note of the events they attend and reviews their social interactions. This personalized attention to detail translates to conversions. It also helps her vet what brands to partner with for MARKET’s pop-up spaces.&nbsp;



“Gen Zers will often browse online, but go to the physical store to purchase the products as they want to enjoy the in-person customer experience too,” according to <a href="https://influencermarketinghub.com/gen-z-spending-habits-stats/">Influencer Marketing Hub</a>. Their multiple shopping formats include Instagram, department stores, pop-up shops, convenience stores chains and speciality stores.&nbsp;



MARKET leases two rotating pop-up spaces bi-annually to emerging brands that speak to its sleek and contemporary appeal. Although, a thrust against fashion boundaries does hurt.&nbsp;



“I am passionate about the newcomers in the industry and feel it's my responsibility to not only offer our clients the familiar, but introduce them to what’s next,” Walker says.&nbsp;



***



Like the brand, the story behind it is equally as important to young shoppers.&nbsp;



“People are buying the story, the connection, the relationship—that's what it is,” <a href="https://luckylolaboutique.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lucky + lola boutique</a> owner Nichole Fiorentino says.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Why-Gen-Zers-are-Embracing-Boutique-Shopping-4-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-67812"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo by Jon King</figcaption></figure>



<a href="https://www.instagram.com/lucky_lola_lh/">lucky + lola is homegrown</a>, housed in a suite at Ascension Salon in Dallas’ Lake Highlands neighborhood. It is the neighborhood where Fiorentino and her family have lived for over 20 years, and the one that rallied behind the Fiorentino family when Nichole was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer 13 years ago.&nbsp;



The community nurtured the family of seven by providing meals, visiting and checking on the kids throughout Fiorentino’s treatment. lucky + lola is Fiorentino’s contribution to the kinship of the community.&nbsp;



There is no online store, but for Gen Zers, that’s no issue. A 2020 <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/the-young-and-the-restless-generation-z-in-america">study</a> by McKinsey and Company found that unlike millennials, Gen Z is much more likely to shop at a brick-and-mortar. Often, they’re seeking unique pieces that help them stand out.&nbsp;



“It's a creative outlet to curate and create these spaces with the opportunities for people to access clothes that are not one of 100 that they go pick out at Macy's,” Fiorentino says.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Why-Gen-Zers-are-Embracing-Boutique-Shopping-1024x682.jpg" alt="Gen Zers Are Embracing Boutique Shopping—Here's Why" class="wp-image-67813"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo by Jon King</figcaption></figure>



Fiorentino’s shoppers range from young girls to “cool grandmas.” Exclusivity keeps shoppers coming back weekly.&nbsp;



“I don't really want to see people wearing the same thing that I'm wearing,” Fiorentino says. “I want to give that same opportunity to other people.”



Each item at lucky + lola is a limited run. The boutique orders two of each size for each garment. Once they are gone, they’re gone.



This draws the customers, but what generates their loyalty is old-fashioned interaction.



“If you just open your mouth and talk to people, you find out the most amazing things, and you will wind up talking to the most amazing people,” Fiorentino says. “I make a point of doing that with everybody that walks in.”



The seller-buyer interaction is a gateway into relationship development. It’s this interaction that has garnered both MARKET and lucky + lola client loyalty.&nbsp;



***



Taylor Johnson, founder of online boutique <a href="https://www.hazelandolive.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hazel &amp; Olive</a>, knows the power of understanding your clients firsthand. The online boutique is geared towards college women and women fresh out of college. It is for women with things to do and places to go.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Why-Gen-Zers-are-Embracing-Boutique-Shopping-2-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-67810"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Courtesy of Hazel &amp; Olive</figcaption></figure>



“The younger generation, they go out a lot more than I did back in the day,” Johnson says. “They're always at events and have so much stuff going on that they get dressed up for. I love it. It’s so fun!”&nbsp;



Hazel &amp; Olive found its roots in Johnson’s apartment in 2012. Johnson adopted a comment-to-shop model of selling using the boutique’s VIP Facebook group. She knew her shoppers—they were family, friends, and friends of friends. This intimacy allowed Hazel &amp; Olive to outgrow the apartment and into a warehouse, where they offer appointment-only shopping. Client loyalty garnered the boutique $1 million in sales within the first six months of launching online.&nbsp;



Despite the company’s expansive growth, Johnson still handles <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hazelandolive_/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hazel &amp; Olive’s social media accounts</a>. The company is highly active on social media, with its 276,000 Instagram followers keeping products from flying off the shelves.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Why-Gen-Zers-are-Embracing-Boutique-Shopping-1-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-67809"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Courtesy of Hazel &amp; Olive</figcaption></figure>



According to McKinsey &amp; Company, social media tends to be the main driver of purchasing decisions for <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/the-young-and-the-restless-generation-z-in-america">40% of adult Gen Zers</a>, who seek to stand out. Instead of placing emphasis on brands, they prioritize uniqueness.&nbsp;



To ensure her online boutique delivers on its selection of one-of-a-kind products, Johnson herself is the shop’s sole product buyer.&nbsp;



“My plan is just to find really unique stuff,” Johnson says.&nbsp;



Her keen eye has paid off. Hazel &amp; Olive’s direct messages have been flooded with people praising their trendy selections, Johnson says.&nbsp;



There is no shortage of tulle, fringe, sequins or ruffles at Hazel &amp; Olive, which is exactly what its clientele desires.



“That's the most important thing for us: listening to our clients and giving them more of what they want,” Walker says.&nbsp;



Featured image by Destynie Paige Photography

Generation Z isn’t sticking strictly to digitized shopping. Instead, the digital natives are embracing intimate, personalized multiformat shopping that speaks to their individuality.

Generation Z isn’t sticking strictly to digitized shopping. Instead, the digital natives are embracing intimate, personalized multiformat shopping that speaks to their individuality. | SUCCESS

Amid Convenience Culture, Gen Zers Embrace Boutique Shopping—Here's Why

Amid Convenience Culture, Gen Zers Embrace Boutique Shopping—Here&#8217;s Why

Gen Zers Boutique Craze: Embracing Authentic Shopping

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For Mi Golondrina, Hispanic Heritage Is More Than a Month

Nestled in southwestern Mexico along the Pacific Ocean coastline lies Oaxaca, a Mexican state known for its rich Indigenous culture. It’s in Oaxaca where Zapotec, Mixtec, Mazatec and 13 other formally registered Indigenous communities <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/100-years-of-santa-fe-indian-market/">preserve the arts and cultures</a> that thrived before the onset of 1519’s Spanish invasion. Folk artists like Faustina Sumano García reflect their pride through their crafts.



García’s intricately detailed floral hand embroidery caught the eye of Dallas-based Mexican-American fashion curator Cristina Lynch, who has taken Mexican folk art and heritage worldwide through her fashion label <a href="https://migolondrina.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mi Golondrina</a>.



“She has little details in each flower, and it just really stood out to me,” Lynch says. “She really is one of those people who’s known, and she’s a skilled artist. People like her are so important in Mexico because they carry that pride for their art, and that really influences the community in a very strong way.”&nbsp;



Lynch’s designs are hand-embroidered by 600-plus Mexican artisans using traditional techniques, in patterns almost 200 years old. In Oaxaca’s San Antonino Castillo Velasco, artisans’ signature tight-knit flowers with vines weaving through them are crafted onto Lynch’s dresses, skirts and shirts. In Chiapas, Oaxaca’s eastern neighbor, artisans commissioned by Mi Golondrina needle larger, set-apart flowers.&nbsp;



San Vicente Coatlán, Chenalhó, San Juan de Chamula, Hidalgo Yalalag, Santa María Tlahuitoltepec and&nbsp; San Juan Colorado communities all have a hand in Mi Golondrina’s footprint. Each community’s technique is a flag they wave with honor. Mexico’s heritage is woven into each piece with meticulous artistry that resonates out of time.&nbsp;



“Heritage is the heart of what Mi Golondrina is,” Lynch says. “Embracing heritage is what this company is.”&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Mi-Golondrina_Cristina-Lynch-Florencio-Lopez-and-Bertin-Padilla_Nick-Glover-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-66769"/></figure>



***



Lynch’s love story with her Mexican roots started as a child. Her family would frequent her grandfather’s cattle ranch “La Guitarilla” where the golondrinas, or songbirds, would perch. The ranch, which is two hours outside of Lynch’s mother’s hometown of Torreón, Mexico, holds cherished memories for the CEO. It is where her company’s namesake took form.&nbsp;



Her childhood home in Dallas was lavishly decorated with her mother’s Mexican art collection, a collection she had been growing since the age of 18.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Lynch’s father instilled a love of travel with road trips to national parks and trips to different countries. Lynch, her parents and three brothers would connect with local people, indulge in authentic foods, learn histories and experience the cultures. These differing perspectives would create a yearning for connection and understanding that has fueled Mi Golondrina’s ethos.&nbsp;



As an international and accessories sales assistant for Oscar de la Renta in New York, Lynch aspired to take the handcrafted art she had grown up with global. Mi Golondrina began to take shape in 2012 on a trip Lynch took to Oaxaca, where she met artist Roberta Ángeles Ojeda. Lynch began working with Ojeda, her mother, Cira, and their family to cultivate the fashion label. Mi Golondrina launched the following year with a party at Peacock Alley design studio. Today, Ojeda leads and facilitates communication with Mexican artisans.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Mi-Golondrina_-Lucia-Santiago-and-Cristina-Lynch-2_Nick-Glover-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-66767"/></figure>



***



Lynch visits Oaxaca quarterly. She meets artisans in their homes. There are no factories; artisans <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-working-from-home-can-make-you-more-productive/">work from home</a>, where they can tend to their families while making a living. Artisans are paid fair, livable wages that economically empower them to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/3-ways-to-start-living-your-dreams-today/">make their dreams a reality</a>. For some, that means sending their children to school.&nbsp;



The Mi Golondrina team comes together for meals when Lynch is in Mexico. They break bread, catch up, connect and refine their visions. Lynch works closely with artists, adjusting, reworking and creating wearable art crafted with pride.



Each piece crosses three Mexican communities and two countries before it becomes available for purchase. Pieces are hand-embroidered before being passed on to be crocheted. After, they undergo the hazme si puedes hand-pleating technique. Quality control in Dallas is blown away once pieces arrive, Lynch says, as each thread is perfectly cut.&nbsp;



“That’s something that I really explain to the artisans we work with; [I tell them,] ‘Your piece is always treated like a piece of art,’” Lynch says.&nbsp;



Mi Golondrina’s Dallas storefront uplifts tradition by pressing and ironing the garments exactly the way they’re traditionally done before they’re housed in-store or shipped out.&nbsp;



“That is paying our respects to where it comes from,” Lynch says.&nbsp;



And much like the artisans are the spirit of Mi Golondrina in Mexico, Luz “Quina” Samano is the spirit of the company in the U.S. As Mi Golondrina’s in-house seamstress, Samano adds the final touch of familial warmth to fashions by labeling each garment.&nbsp;



But Samano is much more than just a seamstress—she’s family. Samano, who worked as a seamstress for a clothing business owned by Lynch’s mother and aunt, has known Lynch since birth. Now, her work has enamored Dallas, where shoppers shower Samano with adoration.



Flowy long dresses, gingham short dresses and ruffle-sleeved dresses carry tradition and heritage to far-flung locations—like Paris, and even <a href="https://mujeres.migolondrina.com/mindy-kaling-actress" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mindy Kaling’s closet</a>—bringing the joy, love and legacy of curation and the warmth of connection.&nbsp;



“When you put a blouse on, I’ve had people say you can feel it, like you can feel that somebody did this with pride,” Lynch says. “That is the essence of what we’re doing.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Mi-Golondrina_Cristina-Lynch-and-Roberta-Ángeles-Ojeda-and-Cira-Tomasa-Ojeda-Fernández-and-Cristina-Lynch_Nick-Glover-1024x684.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-66768"/></figure>



***



Lynch’s heritage continues to be her crowning jewel. It touches every aspect of her life. Her 2019 wedding was rich with culture. Oaxacan candles adorned candelabras designed by her aunt, <a href="https://janbarboglio.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jan Barboglio</a>. After walking down the aisle in her mother’s Oscar de la Renta gown, Lynch dazzled in a custom mariachi suit.&nbsp;



She shares Ponche Navideño, tamales, mole and cuatro leches cake with friends annually during the holidays on a tablescape adorned with embroidered placemats. Her Christmas tree is rich with Mexican art.



Day to day, Lynch enjoys mornings with the sounds of Pepe Aguilar.&nbsp; Like her mother, she collects Mexican art. Both speak Spanish to Lynch’s two toddlers, who frequent Oaxaca with the duo. Her daily uniform consists of the garments crafted by the artisans of Mi Golondrina.&nbsp;



Her culture is her badge of honor.&nbsp;



“What’s so beautiful is when people connect with our culture, and I have never been more proud to be Mexican and be connected to that culture, and [I] plan on continuing to do so,” Lynch says.



All&nbsp;photos&nbsp;are by Nick Glover and taken in Oaxaca.

“Heritage is the heart of what Mi Golondrina is,” Lynch says. “Embracing heritage is what this company is.” 

“Heritage is the heart of what Mi Golondrina is,” Lynch says. “Embracing heritage is what this company is.”  | SUCCESS

For Mi Golondrina, Hispanic Heritage Is More Than a Month | SUCCESS

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