Season 1, Episode 7 | How My Words Became Reality: The 60K Story, Traveling & Rewriting My Self-Talk

In this episode of Cultura Convos, we explore something deeply personal and universal: the power of our words including the ones we say without thinking about them too seriously.

I share moments where things I said casually ended up becoming my reality, what I learned from those experiences, and how my self-talk shifted as I learned to speak with more love, compassion, and awareness.

As first- and second-generation folks, so much of our language comes directly from our cultura, our childhood, and the beliefs we inherited. But part of rewriting our narrative is choosing words that support who we are becoming, not who we were taught to be.

In this episode, we dive into:
✨ Words we say without realizing their impact
✨ How culture shapes the way we speak (and think)
✨ The importance of shifting into loving, intentional self-talk

If you're a person who loves conversations about identidad y cultura, a lifelong learner, curious about what writing and rewriting your story can look like, and you're on a journey of self-growth, healing, or redefining your identity, this episode is for you.

🎙️ Listen now and let’s keep rewriting our stories with intention and love.
✨ Connect with me on IG, Linkedin, or Tik Tok @Itsedithsuarez

📚 My bilingual children’s book → Two Homes, Dos Casas & Dos Casas available at edithsuarez.com
💌 Join the newsletter for stories and reflections of identidad y cultura at edithsuarez.com

Season 1, Episode 6: Catracha Fitness, Cultura, and Courage with Joanna Banegas

In 2023, Joanna founded Catracha Fitness, inspired by her deep-rooted love for movement, community, and underground Latin electronic music. Growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, as the daughter of Honduran immigrant parents, she spent her days exploring the outdoors, jogging through the neighborhood, and playing with her siblings and cousins. Those early experiences built her foundation, a genuine love for nature, movement, and connection.

In this Cultura Convo, Joanna and I dive into:
✨ Her story behind Catracha Fitness
🌿 Her love for the outdoors and how it shaped her identity
🎧 Embracing her cultural roots
💬 Letting go of shame

In this episode, Joanna also feels moved to share more about the journey she is currently in trying to conceive. She is deciding to let go of shame and continue owning her story.

It’s always a joy talking with Joanna, and I’m so grateful to bring you into this heartfelt and empowering conversation.

💌 Let’s keep the convo going!
If this episode resonated with you, let me know what part spoke to your heart. We’re in the early stages of Cultura Convos and i’d love to hear from you. Don’t be a “ghost follower” (I just learned that from my teen cousin lol). Your feedback will help us and continue creating the best of Cultura Convos together.

Born in Mexico and raised in the immigrant embrace of California’s San Gabriel Valley, Diana was nurtured by my mother’s resilience and the rhythms of Spanish-speaking Latino churches. As a first-generation, low-income, and formerly undocumented student, she carried her community’s stories into her studies of History and Latina/o Studies at Pomona College and later into my M.Div. at Harvard Divinity School, where she was introduced to faith-rooted activism and liberation theology. Since then, her work in higher education has centered on cultivating spaces of inclusive learning and collective empowerment. More personally, she is on a long journey of healing her family’s lineage, (and what we focus of this episode) one joyful moment at a time. Driven by her hope to break intergenerational cycles, she hopes to gift her daughter a legacy of courageous compassion for humanity and a more expansive connection to Spirit rooted in ancestral wisdom.

Hola, hola. In this episode of Cultura Convos, I share the origins of my debut bilingual children’s book Two Homes, Dos Casas, from the spark of an idea to the decision to self-publish to raising nearly $10K to bring it to life. Along the way, I reflect on creativity and the importance of recognizing that even when we don’t see ourselves as “creatives,” we truly are. This episode is an invitation to embrace your own creative voice and reflect on the ideas knocking at your door, waiting to be realized.

In today's episode, I share part of my journey of how I started reconnecting with my roots. I'll share more about how it hasn't always been easy, but ultimately how this journey has helped me create a sense of pride in my culture, really understanding more of my story, my parents' story, and my great grandparents' story.

In today's episode, I'm sharing a reflection on my decision to become a mother.T his episode is so important because, whether it's motherhood or something else, we need to pause and go after what we want. There are so many things that we can be like one day, one day and if we are not intentional that one day may not happen.

Welcome to Season 1 of Cultura Convos.

In this episode, I dive into my why for Cultura Convos and why now? Through personal reflections, stories, and conversations with other guests, this community is forming so we can become the best version of ourselves by writing and rewriting our stories from a place of strength instead of embarrassment, fear, or shame. Our goal is to begin or continue your journey of embracing and celebrating our cultural identity, while also remembering that no one identity defines us. Not me, Not you.