Filipina entrepreneur Kristelle Siarza joins Nicole to talk about building what doesn't exist yet—first with Siarza, a full-service marketing/PR/video agency, and then with the Asian Business Collaborative (ABC), a nonprofit offering, education, language access, and advocacy for Asian-owned businesses.

They dig into:

• Outcomes > outputs: moving beyond vanity metrics to community trust and lasting impact

• Culture as strategy: letting family, fun, and belonging guide clients, campaigns, and team norms

• Support systems: why nobody truly does it alone (and how to build your circle)

• Permission to be multifaceted: owner, mom, advocate…and hot-air-balloon student pilot
  
  

You'll learn: how to choose values-aligned work, design case studies that show change (not just numbers), and use "aliveness" as a decision filter.

If this episode helped you rethink metrics or leadership, share it with a friend—and join Nicole's list for more culturally-informed tools for first & second gen leaders.

Links:
Siarza — https://www.siarza.com/
Asian Business Collaborative — https://asianpibc.org/
Connect with Kristelle — https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristellesiarza/
Connect with Nicole — https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolecruzmba/

In this heartfelt episode, Nicole Cruz shares her personal journey of pregnancy, including the challenges and emotions she faced after experiencing a pregnancy loss. She discusses the importance of support, the decision to become a mother, and how she is navigating the changes in her life and career as she prepares for motherhood. She reflects on what it means to say a full "yes" to motherhood—not just to the joy, but also to the loss of freedom, the identity shift, and the unknowns ahead.

You'll also hear:

• How a kind ultrasound tech changed her mindset with one powerful sentence

• The emotional toll of navigating pregnancy after loss

• The decision to move back to the Bay Area to be near family

• How this new season is reshaping her business and creative work
  
  

Nicole also shares a sneak peek: she'll be making previously client-only workshops and resources available to the public before going on maternity leave.

If you're navigating your own conception or identity journey, Nicole wants to connect with you! DM her on IG @nicolecruzcoaching or via email at nicole@nicolecruzcoaching.com.

What happens when you slide into someone's DMs—and it changes your life?

In this episode of First to Thrive, Nicole reconnects with former coaching client and now celebrated storyteller Olyvia Chac-Nguyen, co-writer of the powerful short film Yellow Balloon. What began as a copywriting opportunity turned into a deeply personal screenwriting project that explores intergenerational trauma, cultural identity, and what it means to be seen—without translation.

Together, they unpack:

• The unexpected journey from brand copywriter to Cannes-recognized screenwriter

• How Yellow Balloon centers Vietnamese language, community, and nuance

• The weight and risk of visibility for immigrant communities

• Why Southeast Asian stories deserve more space—and how Olyvia's team made it happen

• Her "Jordan Peele era" and using storytelling as a form of healing and resistance
  
  

This conversation is a powerful reminder that our stories matter—even if we've never seen them told before.

🔗 Follow Yellow Balloon and Olyvia:
IG: @yellowballoonfilm

Interested in a private screening or supporting the film? Reach out through Instagram or check the show notes for details.