Two Introverts Discuss Public Speaking Con Cultura: A Conversation with Yvonne Armenta

Episode 55 • 25th November 2024 • Beabosscoaching • Beatriz Rivera

Beatriz: Hi, everybody, and welcome to another episode of the Be A Boss Coaching Podcast. My name is Beatriz. I'm an entrepreneur and business coach, founder of Be A Boss Coaching, a one on one coaching program for women of color, BIPOC, and queer entrepreneurs.

On today's episode, I have someone super special, and I can't wait for you to hear from her. Yvonne Armenta is a speaker, public speaking consultant, podcaster, and founder of Latina Presente. She's dedicated to creating spaces and products that guide introverts and Latinas in their public speaking practice through her monthly workshops, in person events, podcasts, chats with Yvonne, and her social media platforms.

Yvonne shares practical strategies for mastering public speaking con cultura. Her unique approach helps individuals embrace their lived experiences as the very thing that will make their speaking impactful and grow in their speaking skills, making her a sought after consultant and speaker for both corporate teams, nonprofits, and individuals.

I can't wait for you to hear more about Yvonne, her speaking tips, and how you can use public speaking in your entrepreneurship journey. Enjoy the show.

Beatriz: All right, everybody. I am so happy to be here today with an incredible person. I feel so privileged to have the honor of having your time. Because as a public speaker, I know you probably receive a lot of requests. And I, I, I'm just so honored that you decided to come on to the podcast and I'm looking forward to simply getting to know you as an amiga, as a Latina, as an introvert.

I'm a fellow introvert myself, so I am always really excited when I meet another fellow introvert who embraces that and, and talks about it with pride. So there's, there's a lot that I want to go into there as well, but I want to hand over the mic to you and you can start by saying your name and your business and we'll take it from there.

Yvonne: Yeah. First of all, thanks so much for having me. I am super excited to have the conversation. And I think it's such a, again, it's, it's one of those things where I'm happy that these conversations are recorded because I can't tell you how many times I, and part of the reason why I went into just, Documenting a bunch of things is because I always ask myself what did my mom's voice sound like when she was younger, when she was my age?

And so I appreciate these types of conversations because it's a way for just us and our voice to kind of live on beyond this, this moment. So I appreciate the space that you're creating for us to have this conversation. Um, I'm Yvonne Armenta. I'm the founder of Latina Presente, a space for introverts and Latinas to practice their public speaking.

I also have a consulting business, Chats with Yvonne, where I train, uh, across industries. So nonprofits, the academic sector, corporate. I train, people in their public speaking. I do one on ones. I host workshops and events for that. And I also came out with public speaking practice prompts that are immersed with our cultura in them.

Public speaking is a really important part of what I do. Obviously it's my entire, not only my entire career now, but even before it was my career and what I do full time, it was always the space where I could be. wholeheartedly just myself because everyone kind of just expected that, right? Um, so I've always said that one way or another, I've always found my way towards the stage and I am so lucky to be able to do this now as a, as a full time living.

Beatriz: Yeah. Thank you so much, Yvonne. Yeah. I, When I think about your journey, I feel like I know you already because I listened to a lot of, there's a great podcast episode by Adri, I just listened to the one with Adri Rodríguez on the Amigas Tías y Amigas podcast. And learned so much from you there, simply hearing your story and how you came into public speaking.

And something that resonated with me in that interview is how you came into public speaking and it, it just, it's something that as an introvert, most people don't expect you to be good at, right? And I think that, For me as an introvert in general, a lot of people expect you to be locked up in your room and being, you know, the type of worker or being a career where you don't interact with many people and that couldn't be farther from the truth.

And I'm so glad that. You are an example of what it looks like to embrace that identity as an introvert, but also be so good at a, a career like public speaking or a skill like public speaking. So, Thank you so much for, for sharing that and for introducing yourself.

Yvonne: Yeah. No, thank you. Oh

Beatriz: so, okay, I'm gonna, I feel like I'm gonna give myself a challenge today.

I'm gonna try not to use as many filler words.

Yvonne: gosh. Oh my god. Now, now that you mentioned it, I'm going to be counting my filler words.

Beatriz: I know, so whoever's listening, if you can count filler words, let us know at the end. Because, yeah, comment on how many filler words I used. I, I'm the, I've been trying so hard. And probably, this probably started. Maybe a two a year two years ago where because I started my business and because I started doing content.

I really Was starting to feel really conscious of the way that I I articulate myself and the way that I talk And I think it was around that same time that I also found you and your content And i've been Trying to be very conscious of my filler words. I love like, that is one of my favorite, right?

Yvonne: same. And right,

Beatriz: And right, right? So I'm gonna try to be very conscious to, to not use

Yvonne: And I'll, I'll interrupt you two there as filler words is a hot topic in public speaking, right? We're always trying to figure out how to get rid of them. And, uh, One of the things that I always say is your filler words, they're not good or bad. They're just, think about them on a spectrum of impactful or not, right?

How are they impacting the message? If they're super distracting, then maybe let's dissect them a little bit and say, Hey, how and why am I using them? One of the things that I've come to realize as an introvert in public speaking is that And, and just socially, by the time that we're done thinking through our thought and are ready to say something, the time has passed. And our filler words might come from us wanting to let and indicate to people that we're not done talking yet, that we still have more to say, but people are always insisting. such a rush to get through the conversation, or we feel like we need to be in a rush to raise our hand because otherwise we're not going to be heard in the room, then we're going to be told something about our leadership and how we're not a good team player if we don't say something and participate, or you lose points in class for not participating.

So. One aspect of filler words is often that we just want to let people know that we're not done talking and we just need a little bit more time. So, as introverts, I think it's, it's something that we are more conscious of, but it's a process of learning, unlearning, relearning, reflecting on it, and recognizing that, Yeah, to some capacity, we have control over it and it is us, but then it's also our external environment that creates.

The like, and the right, and the uhs, and the ums.

Beatriz: Yeah, for sure. Okay, so, you probably noticed how bright I got. And I'm next to this window where sometimes it's really annoying because the light comes in and out. And so I'm just going to maybe put down the, the shade real quick and let me, I'll be right back.

Yvonne: Yes, all good.

Beatriz: I have a window right here, and so I have to kind of even it out with having light on this side.

Yeah, yeah, I, I just figured out the camera. So now and next, next thing is lighting. Um, all right. Well, I'm so glad I see you are so good at just public speaking. I know you've been in this round for more than 10 years, I want to say right. But before I jump into that, because I think I really want to capture Yvonne.

We know that you're a public speaking consultant expert, but I want to capture Yvonne in like, who is Yvonne in, in her, like, not public speaking role? So, can you tell me something that you'd like for people to know that maybe you've never had the opportunity to share before? And if, if, of course, only if you want to.

Yvonne: Yeah, I mean, that's such a, I, I was thinking of you know, how to answer, how do I share this I'll tell you one thing about, I know we're keeping it not being a public speaker, but it's sort of immersed into everything that I do, right? As a storyteller, I oftentimes am so conscious of the things that I share because I realize that they're not just my own story, the stories of my mom and my sister and my brother and things that we all went through or to some capacity, anything that I lived through, I've always lived in community.

Right. I've, to some point I've always lived with it, with someone. And it's been a hard process still till this day to think about what short, what things do I want to share? What purpose? And what things are my own to share? Because I went through them and they are very much my story. So anyway, I'll preface it.

I'll press preface it with that on the more personal side. I, Maybe people might not agree with me and my friends might not agree with me, but I think I'm really funny. I, and I think it's, it's embedded into everything that I do. I cannot be surface level even in my interactions with my friends. We somehow always find a way to make them these deep conversations.

And I think it's, it's part of me loving people. Right. I, I'm an introvert, but I love people and I love hearing people's stories. And I think they're so powerful and one way or another, I always end up, it always ends up being like a journal session out loud with my friends. So I think what people may not necessarily see of me all the time, cause I get these comments like, gosh, I want to get my, I need to get my stuff together.

Like you are like, how do you do? So much in the, the reality is that I, I'm not like that in my personal life. Like I'm very, I'm very go with the flow. I'm not a huge planner. I am, but not really. Um, I grew up with a single mom. I think that's, that's always, I always share that because I think it has really impacted the way that I show up in every single sense of the word and who I am and how I show up on stage and who I admire and who I look up to.

I was raised by a single mom. Uh, I was, I'm the oldest sister. I think we all kind of have, you know, you, you, you know what that's like, if you know, you know, type of thing. Um, and my story is marked with a lot of, I think for a lot of people, right? Ups and downs. And again, I am so hesitant to share a lot of things often.

So, um, I think that one of the, one of the biggest things that I've had to learn to heal from is having an absent father. And I don't think I talk about that as much because again, I was raised by a single mom and I'm like, yeah, independent. We got this right. And I had to recognize that that didn't come from, oh, I'm super independent.

I, I mean I am right, but it didn't, it's not coming from a place of beauty. Right? There's, it's coming from a place of a little bit of darkness. And so something that I've had to, because it impacts everything, it impacts my business, it impacts my relationships, my friendships, all of it. And so this independence that I so much have always had on this altar, I'm starting to, in my adulthood, right?

Starting to kind of break that down and be like, yeah, the fact that my dad was not present in my life really impacted me. And it really Transformed the way that I move through the world and how I see people, uh, how I trust people, how I don't, how I want to be friends or want to have friends or how I don't.

And so, I'm not providing much detail here, obviously, because it's still a process that I'm kind of going through, but I think, and I always say this, but it's not, you know, having an absent father is not, My it's not unique, right? It's not this, you know And I recognize that by talking about it. We can all be all be like, oh my gosh me too or oh I've experienced this too, right?

but I I really do think that having an absent father is one of the things that i'm Still always healing from and it always manifests itself in My work environment and all of that. Um, but that being said I also do think that because of those things it's it You know you You kind of it's who I am at this point.

It's like well that kind of happened It's fine. And I think it's why I'm in a constant state of reflection. I'm in a constant state of Why am I acting like this? Why did this why did this hurt me? It's not even that big of a deal But why did this hurt me or? Why can't I get this one thing, right? You know You know, not to blame my, my father, not to blame everything on him, right?

But I do think that that has had a huge impact in how I navigate my life and my relationship to women. I

Beatriz: yeah,

Yvonne: women, I think, you know, just they're so powerful and I think it impacts why I do what I do, too. That was

Beatriz: yeah,

Yvonne: a long rant. Clearly, that was really uncomfortable for me. Ha

Beatriz: my gosh, well, I'm so sorry to like, you know,

Yvonne: no, no, no, no. It's a good thing.

I mean, these conversations are helpful, right? It's helpful to me, too, as a, as a storyteller. I think you, these are the kinds of stories that are harder to share. Right. And so they take more time to fully develop because you have to go back in time. You have to relive those things and bring people to the moment.

So,

Beatriz: yeah, I think that I'm the same way when you mentioned how when you talk with your https: otter. ai As if we're journaling, right? Because they become such deep conversations, and I think there's an added layer that where you're an introvert, right? I'm an introvert. And for me, I I often find that when I'm talking with other introverts, it, the conversation always just naturally goes into a deep type of, of conversation.

And I think it's because, like you said, we don't, surface level type of conversation. Well, it's something that we can do. I can have a surface level conversation, right? And. But for some reason, sometimes it, that's why it drains us. That's why it drains us to be in social situations because it requires that you Navigate the need for wanting to make relationships, but also navigate, it's, it feels like a constant balance of not being the one that's like, always asking the question where that that you're curious about, but also not being the weird one that like, did she really just ask that?

I don't know. But sometimes it's like a lot of navigating and balancing.

Yvonne: And it's part of the reason why I think people don't really understand introverts and that we can be really, you know, when we love something, we go all in and we do it well. And we are people, people, uh, and it's, and we love the deep conversations. And at the same time, those will drain us a little bit.

We have to go back and rest and all that. Right. But I, there's so much beauty in that. I think

Beatriz: Yeah, it it just sometimes I go to a social situation or like a party or event and you find someone and like I said, I feel like oh, I'm having a really good conversation. And then but the other side of me is like, am I being too much of an introvert right now? Are they do they want to leave this conversation?

You know, so it's a it's a lot of balancing. So but I appreciate it. You diving right in and answering that question. I did know that. in because you have talked about it in other situations and um, and so, but I appreciate you sharing that with me. I think in general, right, whatever our experiences are, however, they have unfolded for us, they will always impact us as people, right?

And like you said, this in this in the other podcast is as introverts were introspective, like that's what that means, right? It's to we look within

Yvonne: So imagine living in a constant state of just, I, I like something that you said recently was like, it's not overthinking. It's deep thinking. And I really appreciated that because I think that's, that's the, I think overthinking often leads to girl, just do it. Like, why are you overthinking it?

It's like, no, no, no. There's a difference between overthinking it, and from my perspective, and deep thinking. Right? And so when I, when I actually sit down and journal and think about things, I, I am in a constant state of deep thinking. Like,

Beatriz: Yeah.

Yvonne: if y'all can imagine how draining that can be, right. Not and, and because it's not only what I do for work, right?

I, it requires me to be a deep thinker and to think about how am I going to communicate a story in the speech, but how am I gonna help other people also communicate their own story, which oftentimes is very heavy, right? And so thinking about doing that is in my. you know, let's just call it my nine to five, right?

And then going home, which is just here where I am right now, but also deep thinking about all the other layers of who I am and my relationships and everything. It's being an introvert is beautiful and it's hard.

Beatriz: yes, beautiful and hard. And I think now when you're as you're talking, it brought me into knowing that because you are someone that has that ability naturally to deep think about your story, but also how to other people tell their stories. That in itself is part of public speaking, right? Like that's what makes it so beautiful.

Yeah, yeah. So there's so much we can unpack there for sure. I, I'd like to move into I guess the part of your life where you went to UC Berkeley, because I wanted to ask you, how does it feel to live my dream of being

Yvonne: my God. Shut up.

Beatriz: to UC Berkeley? I was rejected by them and I, I haven't like forgotten them about it, but, but how, how that experience Going if you can reflect back on, you know, your that was undergrad right when you went to UC Berkeley.

So, um, I guess if you can go back to that time and reflect on that, what was it like, or how did going to UC Berkeley. a institution like UC Berkeley influence or impact your public speaking career in general? Yeah. Yeah.

Yvonne: off with how I even got into Berkeley. I remember in my high school, by the time I was in high school, I had already been public speaking and I, uh, Again, this is an indicator of how hard it is for me sometimes to share, to share really personal stories, but, you know, we all have our personal statement and all this stuff, right?

I sent it to all the UCs that the application allowed. I think it was five or seven or something like that. Uh, I waited to the very last day to turn in my personal statement, my application. Our teachers had actually had a college workshop thing day where after hours during the on the day that the UC applications was due, we all just sat there at our computers and teachers would walk around checking people's, uh, head.

Personal statement before submitting it and I was one of the students. I was like, no, I'm just gonna submit it I don't need anybody reading this because even then I felt like why do I have to share this to get into a school type Of thing but anyway, so I did that I've always loved School, but, but not necessarily school, just education, right?

Because it was the one thing in my life that I could always control to some capacity. I couldn't control the things that were going on at home. I couldn't control that we were, you know, low income, that my mom had to work night shifts and morning shifts. And then I got my brother ready for school, right?

Like all these things, those were things that I couldn't control. But when I was in school, I always felt like I can actually be a kid here. Like I go to recess because I have to, right. I can play with my friends here. Uh, I have control over the outcome of the situation here, which is do work, get good grades.

And I took a liking and interest in my education because of that. And so anyway, I'm there. I submitted the application at the time. I didn't really even know about Berkeley. I didn't know that it was this crazy prestigious school. I didn't even know where it was. Right. I'm born and raised in San Francisco, California.

I didn't really get out much beyond that. Uh, and I remember asking, I was like, Hey, where's Berkeley? Like, where's, where's UC Berkeley at? And someone looked at me, I was like, um, Berkeley, California. I was like, Oh, Berkeley. Okay. I still didn't know where it was. Right. Uh, and I hadn't visited the school before applying, nothing like that.

So I submitted the application and then when stuff got back, I got in and I was actually considering not going to Berkeley because I didn't know. I didn't know that it was this really good school until other people started making a big deal about it. My teacher's like, Oh my God, Yvonne, that's amazing.

Congratulations. And so I was like, okay, awesome. So I ended up going to, to Berkeley and it sounds so like, Oh my God, you didn't know it was this school. school. Wow. And you happened to get in, but I genuinely, all I knew was the next step for me after, after high school is go to college. I didn't, I actually didn't even truly care about where I ended up.

I was just like, I need to just go to college. That's the marker of, of, of my next milestone and success in that next milestone. And when I got to Berkeley, I was really excited. because everybody else was excited about it. So I was like, there's no way I can't be excited about it. Um, my mom didn't know much about it, just the same as I didn't.

I accepted loans on accident because I didn't know what I was doing. I missed the deadline for housing because I didn't know what I was doing and ended up commuting back and forth my first year. And, um, it was tough, right? Because I had classes at like 8am and then some 7pm. But when I was in Berkeley, I realized that really, it's not that every, everybody there is incredibly smart, right?

To, you know, that definition may change. It's like everybody to me, right? And maybe I'm making a general statement, but everybody is incredibly passionate and that passion leads to them to curiosity and everybody is willing, so willing to explore this, those curiosities. And I think that's the, that's the, I think not nature, but that's the environment of Berkeley and it is really inspiring to me I loved my time there and I think that there were a lot of moments where I was like, I do not fit in here This is wild right?

But at the same time I was always so inspired by everybody being so deeply In love or deeply passionate about what they wanted to do, whether it was, I studied media studies and Native American studies and other people were business majors, econ majors, but they loved, they loved doing that for whatever, whatever purpose it was.

Right. And so I think that because I had already started my public speaking career when I was at, by the time I was in college, being in Berkeley kind of just amplified all that. I started to learn more things. I started to make these connections with people. And again, the deep thinker introvert in me was spiraling.

And like, my brain was kind of like, Oh my God, this and that. And we could talk about this and this storytelling. And I think it's why I went into media studies because just the communication aspect of it all in the storytelling and, um, and history, native, Native American, indigenous studies. And when I, when I started going to, to school.

At Berkeley, I remember thinking, okay, what's my career? Like, what am I going to do? I had been public speaking for a few years at this point, but that never felt like that was going to be my career. I didn't, I just kept turning away from it because. you're in school and you're like, okay, I have to go get like a nine to five type of thing, right?

And so I went into internal communications. I went into, uh, the tech space and at every single point in my career, my professional career, I public speaking showed up for me, whether it was, Hey Yvonne, you're really good at this. Do you want to do this? Like a little side project here? I'm like, Oh yeah, sure.

Uh, Hey Yvonne, would you like to train the teams to do this? Oh yeah, sure. I could do that. Right. And I never really recognized that it came from Me just leaning and really loving public speaking, but also being good at it. And I will say too, that for better or for worse, being a Berkeley grad always grants you opportunities, right?

Like people see that and, which is why sometimes I don't like leading with it. Cause I just, Even though my license plate says Berkeley alum, I'm like, sometimes, like, I hope people don't see that or something. Um, but it does change the way that people interact with you. And so there's times where I don't necessarily lead with it because it truly doesn't, doesn't truly mean anything.

I mean, it does, but it doesn't, you know? Um, I use it strategically. I'm like, oh, I always say this. I'm like, gosh, if I ever. I don't know. Sometimes I'm like, but I'm a, I'm a Cal grad. Everywhere you go, you'll see a, someone that's a Berkeley grad, right? I was running a marathon and I saw someone, and I was like by myself and I saw someone.

Anyway, I think that going to Berkeley is that, that it is a bubble, but it's a bubble of deep thinkers and critical thinkers. And so that's, that is really, that's what transformed my public speaking. It transformed my public speaking from Let me just get good at speaking and crafting a story to really let me immerse my own self and let me think about what's missing, right?

When I would go to the library, even to this day, there's books on Chicano psychology, there's books on, uh, Mexican history. And then there's how to be a great public speaker, uh, speaking for impact, those kinds of things. Right. But there's no one thing that has all of it in one. And so I started to see the differences in the literature that I was reading where I was like, Oh, this kind of connects this, this public speaking book is talking about this, but this connects to this part of my culture.

And so I think that Berkeley really. allowed me access to the books and the resources to actually dive into what was my passion, which is combining all of that and, and recognizing the connections between our cultura and public speaking. That was a really long answer.

Beatriz: No, I love it. I think it just brought me to the, this idea that when you're in school, right, you have access to it's like, you're basically paying for access is my, just the way that I've been thinking about higher education. And when you have access and the layer that with your own Journey where you're at at that point of discovering public speaking and thinking about what am I gonna do with my life?

Right, like all of that's coming together. I think it really in What's that what I'm looking for? Highlights the introverting you because you're connecting all these different dots As you are moving in your career, and I think that that is how you've come to this point now, right, like you all of these different parts of your life and where you are thinking about them, not not as separate parts of your life, but like bringing them all together to come to this point where now you've been doing this for a long time.

you know, a decade or more, right? And so I think that it really highlights the, the way in which we can connect dots so seamlessly a little bit.

Yvonne: Yeah, and I have always said this, everything is interconnected. I had this segment for a little bit where I was like, give me a word and I'm gonna, I'm gonna connect it back to public speaking because I truly can. Right. It's, it's. When we stop thinking about things as being siloed and I do this all the time, right?

I always felt like I had to separate my career with public speaking with all of this. And even my, who I showed up as in my tech job versus my public, the stage versus at home, but they really are interconnected. And I think, you know, this buzzword of authenticity, it really is. Tapping into all of those different parts whenever you feel like it.

And when you don't feel like it, not doing it. Right. And it's not the full expression of Yvonne as a sister, a daughter, a partner, a public speaker, a tech person, all of these things don't have to show up for it to be my most authentic self. It's to your point of. Me and I, I stand in my authenticity when I'm actually there sitting there just like connecting the dogs where no one can see them.

It's just me looking up at the air, making all of these connections. And I think that's, that's, you're right. I think that that has been, that's been one of the reasons why I, I think I'm so good at public speaking. Is because it's not just, I'm not just talking to talk. It's I've, I've sat with this information and I've sat with these things that I've been through and I've sat with your story, maybe looked at it over and over again.

And I wanted to learn more about that because that's going to be this connection here. And I have sat there, my preparation isn't so much so about What I'm going to say and how I'm going to say it. It's actually more about sitting there and making connections like that to me is my, that's my form of preparing for a speech is let me actually take time to make the connections because when I do that, everything will just roll off the tongue easily.

Beatriz: Yeah. Oh, that is so good. I think that that's there's a idea of what public speaking is right around. It's about being able to not say all the filler words to articulate yourself and move your body in a way that all encompasses it. Into speaking and making that impact, right? But it the work starts even before learning that where it's how do you connect all the dots of your story and bring it back and create that, like you said, impact.

So, uh, I really love that you said that because I think sometimes we get, we get in our heads like sometimes as business owners, like as a business owner myself, when we're creating content, for example, or when we're trying to put ourselves out there, the The initial point where we start is, what do I want to say?

And then how do I say it in a way where people are going to engage or pay attention enough, right? Where we don't go back and we're thinking about it in a deeper way. And it's like, well, how do I even connect to? What I want to say, right?

Yvonne: Yeah,

Beatriz: And I think sometimes as a, like for me as an introvert, like that was something that I was constantly struggling with when it came to marketing my business and putting myself out there, it was such a block because, They say, don't overthink it, just take action, take imperfect action.

And it's like, but I, but I want to think about this. Am I even connected to what I'm trying to say? Right.

Yvonne: like I can't do that. I cannot do that. I, I, um, recently someone was mentioning to me because I had said I hadn't posted on my podcast for a couple weeks. And it's not because I didn't have the ideas for the episodes, but it's because I hadn't had, I hadn't dedicated time to actually sit with what I was trying to say.

And, um, Again, make those connections, right? And, I think at this point, when you're, when you live and breathe public speaking, for example, I could talk about it for days, and I totally could get a mic and just start talking. But I always say to myself, I, I want people to listen to this and get some kind of value from it beyond, I want it to mean something.

I want what I say to actually mean something and not just take up space. If I'm going to take up space, I want it to be intentional. And I've, I've gotten the feedback, girl, just pick up the mic and start recording. And like, those end up being the best episodes. I'm like, yeah, but no, I can't. Like I, I actually can't.

And it's not for the purposes of being perfect. Right, because I show up imperfectly all the time. But I think it's this again, going back to my prep requires me to, to deep think. And if I, if I feel like I am not providing that my, my thoughts fully fleshed out in that way, it's not going to come off as genuinely me.

And if I'm talking about authenticity and I'm not being authentic to my own process, then that, that energy is just going to go out into the world. I, I actually, I used to have an affirmations podcast back in the day. It's still up there, but I don't, I haven't posted new episodes on it. I wanted to commit to weekly episodes.

And I remember there was. Like maybe like two weeks or something where or maybe one week where I forced myself to write an affirmations thing And then I recorded it. I was like, I can't put this out there because I'm not even feeling this right now I'm not feeling I am powerful right now How am I supposed to you know?

Say it out loud for other people that energy is going to be there and that's the kind of level of deep thinking that I Do it's like if I'm not feeling it and this isn't something that's truly sitting in my head With me, why would I, why would I put it out there? I'm just contributing to the industry of public speaking where people talk just to talk and they give you motivational spiels and you feel connected for like 0.

5 seconds, but it doesn't go beyond that. And so I want my work to go beyond those 0. 5 seconds of motivation at a conference. I want you to actually feel immersed in things. And so it's, it's why it takes so long to put things out there sometimes, but. And so there's a little bit of pressure to just always get it, get it out there.

Beatriz: Yeah.

Yvonne: But I deep think I, I, I, and so I am like, literally now I use that. When you said deep thing, I'm like, that's what I do every single day.

Beatriz: You know, it's so funny that you say that, but it's cause I feel like I got that from you. I don't know.

Yvonne: funny.

Beatriz: I know I didn't, I don't, I feel like I. I'm like, I think it was at the Latina presente that you had in Glendale. And I think you said that, and, but I don't know if it, because I resonated so much with it, I was like, Oh yeah, that's what we do

Yvonne: And you know, it's,

Beatriz: Right.

Yvonne: it's so, this is why I think it's so, cause sometimes you say something, right. And I, I needed to hear it from someone else too, as like, as much as I am, I want to. Express the full spectrum of what it's like to be an introvert and a public speaker. And I know, and I, and I talk from my experience and I talk from my expertise and what I know, it's so nice to hear it from someone else sometimes too.

You know, like, Oh yeah. Like I also want to be validated in my experience as an introvert.

Beatriz: Yeah.

Yvonne: So maybe hearing it from you in a different setting made it even more like, yes, that's what it is.

Beatriz: yeah, there was something like I. I feel like I heard that from you or or in it in either a podcast or I think it was a the the event that you had and um, and I just resonate with it so much and I think it's because of that the constant being in our heads but also balancing the the act of being in our heads but then living outside of our heads too and so that that for me has been a balance that I feel like I'm still figuring out and sometimes I feel like I get it sometimes.

I, you know,

Yvonne: weeks are better than others.

Beatriz: exactly. Yes, for sure. But, all right. Well, yeah, I, I want to go into you feel public speaking can impact someone that perhaps is wanting to start a business, right? And I'm wondering if you feel like you were always a natural public speaker, and do you feel like that skill in particular can be cultivated? Even like, even if maybe you don't Go into the public speaking route, but can use the skills of public speaking in your journey as, for example, an entrepreneur, right? Because I think in entrepreneurship, there's the idea of creating content and showing up on camera. And like you said, taking up some sort of space.

But how do we do that if we've never had a career? perhaps have thought about it in that way. So I guess it's a two pronged question where have you always felt like you have been naturally good at public speaking? And do you feel that it's a skill that we can cultivate, um, whether we decide to go in the public speaking route or not, but can use the, the skills in our, in our journey as, as business owners?

Yvonne: Yeah, I have two answers for that. On one end, because I am an introvert and it's who I've been my entire life, I have always sat there and observed. I would sit at the corner of the family parties and just watch. The way that I learned to dance was by watching people's feet and watching their expressions and how they moved.

And I was like, oh, this is what it feels like to be a great dancer. And then I loved music, so I would dance. Um, I've always just sat observing and that I think is such a huge part of public speaking because by the time that I say something out loud, it has already been flushed out. It isn't something that I'm just rambling on and on about may seem like it's more polished because of that. Right. It's not, I didn't sit there and practice for hours my delivery, but I did in my mind kind of thing. I've thought about it. Right. Right. So on one end there's that, but I don't think that. I, I don't believe that anybody is necessarily naturally gifted in it, I, as a matter of fact, part of the reason why I create spaces for people to practice is because I think that's what's, that is what sets us apart, and what's, that's, that's what sets us apart.

Might make us think that I was naturally always supposed to be on stage, right? Because when I think back on it, yeah, I was the MC at my, uh, in elementary school I was on stages and at home I was performing for my mom and I would perform in front of the mirror for myself, right? I would just like talk and sing and all these things.

And so one might think, yeah, that I was always naturally more inclined to doing that. And yeah, to some capacity sometimes I do think We are all called to the thing that we're supposed to be doing. We're all called to it. No matter what we're one way or the other. We're going to spend our life either, either not doing it, but the universe is going to be like, Hey, keep putting it in front of you.

Keep putting in front of you until you listen to it. Right? Or we're going to have known, Oh, I'm going to listen to it and I'm going to trust it. And I'm going to go with it. I did a little mixture of both, but I recently picked up outliers by Malcolm Gladwell again, it's And in the book they talk about how, you know, successful people and that those outliers that just seem to be incredibly good at what they do.

And the difference between those people and folks that quote on are like regular, just, you know, people and like the real successful people is that they had time and an opportunity and practice. And so I don't think that I was naturally born a great public speaker, but I do think that I was lucky enough to get an opportunity.

To go up on stage and from there time to develop my craft because I started really young and practice every single time that I had the opportunity to practice that made me better. And because I am where I am today. Folks may think, oh, yeah, it just naturally comes to you. Or because I was the emcee in elementary school, people might think, oh, yeah, it just naturally comes to you.

But it took someone giving me an opportunity, someone seeing something in me and asking me, and me being like, yeah, I guess. I really don't want to, but I'm going to say yes, I'm a people pleaser too. So getting up on stage and just doing it, right? Creating my own process without even knowing it and going up there and doing it and then having practice.

And so it's why now I, I really do sit on the idea that nothing else matters besides your practice. If you don't get comfortable with your practice and spend hours on your practice, you're never quite, you're never going to get, Completely comfortable with public speaking and public speaking is the one skill set that you can use anywhere If you it doesn't matter what industry you're in.

It doesn't matter if you're a business owner. It doesn't matter if you never want to go on a stage and speak to thousands of people that doesn't have to be your goal, but public speaking is Communication skills and we all need them no matter what what we do. And so Practice so no, I'm not I wasn't naturally gifted.

I just had more time to practice and Practice I do think that practice, it sounds so cheesy, but intentional practice, right? It has to be really unique to you. What works for me may not work for you type of thing. And, and, and that I think is the game changer there. We all tried to practice and say, how many filler words did I use today?

Let me not use them. What does that do? Like, what does that besides build awareness? What does that actually do to the practice of public speaking? It still makes you. It's an underlying fear still associated with it, or some kind of judgment for not Performing a certain way. And so if our practice is actually founded on the roots of who we are and the foundation of who we are as people, that's actually what's going to transform how we speak, make us more comfortable with it, and make us feel more confident and stable in our delivery of anything that we say. So I do believe that people can get really amazing at public speaking. Right now, wherever you are right now, you can get, you can be the most amazing public speaker.

Beatriz: I I'm here for it. I I think that can really go into the What you have going on around Latina Presente, which is where I would really love to, to guide this conversation, because I think that even if public speaking wasn't the route that you necessarily see yourself like being on a stage, when it comes to having dreams or aspirations, and sometimes there's no, Avoiding or getting around the fact that you have to maybe tell your story or like go in front of people or, or just learn how to market.

Like, how do you bring yourself to how to bring that courage out? And so I, I think that just before we go into Latina presente, I think I, okay. If you have any words of, of wisdom or encouragement to anybody who has those aspirations or who has that type of, of dream where they know they have something to say, but they just don't know how to get themselves in the spotlight.

What in the spotlight? What would you say to somebody who they're, that's like where they wanna go. They wanna, they have something to say, they have a story they wanna say, but they just don't know how to bring themselves to the limelight. What would you just say to someone?

Yvonne: Gosh, I know this is so cheesy, but when I was probably in high school, I watched Coach Carter and I know that the original quote is not from this, uh, but one of the, I always, I had this quote printed out in my planner for a really long time and it was, our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. What I would suggest to people is engage in that deep reflection and ask yourself, what are you actually afraid of? Are you really afraid of not being good? Or are you afraid of the reactions of other people? Or are you afraid of, I'm about to be so good that I'm going to get all of this energy, right? I think as an introvert, sometimes for me, it's, I'm going to be so good that I'm going to get all this energy back.

And I don't know if I'm going to be able to deal with it. Right. And so, Really engage in this deep reflection and ask yourself, is it really the skillset that you're lacking and think that, and using it as almost like an excuse to not, to not do it and not gauge, right? I need to get better at public speaking before I go out and tell my story and share and be in the spotlight.

I think that a second part to this is, especially as, as Latinas, I We shy sometimes, right? It's, it's, it's so we shy away from the limelight because we don't want all of the attention on ourselves necessarily for various reasons. But then we're also told you have to take up space and you have to be bold in your expression and you have to do this, right?

So when we can sit down and just think about what do I actually want? With my, what do I want to do with my life? And what would be the actual purpose? I always take it back to impact. If you, if the impact that you want to create in the world for yourself or for those around you and are at large, the community, the world is reliant on you.

Actually having to say something and take the spotlight, then that has to be the most powerful pull for you to go and do it right. And so when we can sit there and deeply reflect on this, right, this is my intro version. It's like deep think, right? Think about it, make those connections, focus more on. The impact.

It's so cheesy, right? It's so cheesy to think about focus on your impact, but it really is that and practice and know that it's not going to feel comfortable until you actually just, it might never feel comfortable to be honest, right? There's times where I, Tell my story and I'm still deeply, my body is still reacting to things.

My heart is still pounding, but what reassures me that this is what I'm supposed to be doing is that every single time I step off of the stage, I get another ounce of reassurance and affirmation that telling the story was impactful and it helped someone else. And even if, even if it didn't help someone else, it helped me in that moment and taking care of me in that moment is also a really great thing.

Great practice is also really impactful. So think about taking the spotlight is not about you at all. If that helps right when you're on stage, when you're on stage, literally, I'll tell you this, because even even as audience members. When you're on stage, even though it's you and you're the keynote speaker and it's all about your story, it, it's not even about you.

And the audience isn't actually, they're seeing you, but they're not there to judge you. They're not there. It's a really, think about when you have been an, an audience member, someone is speaking, you're not judging them. You're simply just listening. They're just another person, another human being sharing a story and listening.

And so. That, I think, has been game changer for me, is recognizing that, gosh, this thing is not even about me. I'm just a, I'm just kind of a stand in for a much larger thing that's happening here. And I, for some reason, one way or the other, get to be up on this stage. And that's helped me understand that public speaking isn't, is not ego driven.

It's not egocentric, which I have always been kind of afraid of, of being like, If I'm up here, am I making it all about myself? And if I make it all about myself, am I not in service of community? So really think about exactly why you fear public speaking besides the skill set of it. That's stuff that you can learn, right?

We do it over time, but engage in your actual fears with it and recognize that. You actually are so much more powerful than you think. And that might actually be the reason that you're scared to engage with public speaking. Cause you're like, ah, I'm about to, I'm about to make some big changes and that comes with a lot of pressure too.

Beatriz: yeah. Oh, I love that so much. I think that this is why, I mean, it's already, it's already really rare to see Latinas and someone who is an expert in public speaking be a Latina already, right? Because I think a lot of public speaking gurus or experts that we see are mostly white men and they're, they're, uh, Approach to public speaking is mostly around the skill set around the articulation of things and it's I love how your your connection to public speaking is very It's very intimate.

It's very personal and showing people that process to write and what that looks like for us as well. And and so I love that. I think when you're going on a new journey and you're having to step out of your comfort zone, and that is a moment of reflection. And I think that the public speaking has the Yeah.

That event just brings all of that together and to, for you to reflect, for you to share your story and to redefine, I think, what public speaking can look like, especially for Latinas as, and for women of color. Um, so I really, I love all of, all of that, all of what you said, Yvonne. So you mentioned, you, you said three things and you said, Time, opportunity and practice, right? And can you tell us about how we can, I guess, use those three elements in Latina Presente, for example, can you tell me about this new chapter of, your career and, and what that will help us in our journeys in entrepreneurship and just professional development?

Yvonne: Yeah, so I started Latina Presente, the public speaking immersive experience, right? They started as virtual workshops where I was like, I want people to just, it's just practice. We have to get together and practice. And I want you to feel comfortable in your practice and have fun with it. And yeah. Make it cute and just like dress up.

If you want to don't dress up, if you don't want to write, make it a space where you felt welcomed to practice public speaking at whatever, what, at whatever point in your journey you were. And the Latina present, the public speaking immersive experiences are a combination of workshops, resources for you to start your speaking career.

But. Most recently, I also started doing prepared speeches. So folks can come in and prepare a speech. I want people to actually get up and say something like say it out loud at the end. It could be as simple as you going up to the front of the room and telling me your name and your favorite color. But I want you to feel what it's like to actually be In front of people and saying something out loud, and that's the foundation of what Latina Presenta is, is it's actual practice and it's combined with my facilitation of I'm going to give you tools and I'm going to give you the resources and I'm going to give you the knowledge that we have that you could probably Google.

Right? And you could, we don't need more information. I don't need more information, you don't need more information. Because sometimes that information is what keeps us from acting. We're like, wait, I should know this. Wait, I need to learn more. So, really Latina Presente is about, I have the information, don't worry about it.

I got you if you do have a question on it and I'm going to mention it to the capacity that's relevant to what you're talking about right now. I want you to know I hold the information and you do too. You have this information too. Now let's actually facilitate a space where we can do something with it.

And that's what Latina Presente is all about is creating the space for people to be able to practice saying it out loud and give each other feedback, give and receive feedback because I, I, I was thinking for a while, this is something that I wanted to do for a really long time. And I was limited in my capacity to help people practice through our one on ones, right?

There's only so many people that I can work with at once. And We're Latinas. We do most of everything in community. We tend to be family oriented. And to me, I was like, what better way to practice and to kind of take the spotlight away from me for a little bit. Like I'm an intro, I'm still an introvert y'all.

Like I still, Kind of don't want to be on the spotlight sometimes. Um, how can I create the space for someone else to take the spotlight and feel what I, what I feel and what I know they will feel right after stepping off that stage or right after sharing their story or right after going up there and sharing their name and their favorite color.

Right? The feeling that you're going to get is okay. That wasn't as bad. It's like a roller coaster. If you're into roller coasters, you're like, shoot, why did I do this while you're there? And then afterwards, you're like, oh, that wasn't that bad. I kind of want to do it again so I can enjoy it one more time.

And it's a constant state of being in that space. So Latina present is a space for people to practice. And as an introvert, I, Okay. Always try to prepare with people with as much information as I can to say, Hey, this is what we're about to engage in, but not too much because I also want to replicate a little bit of what you're going to feel when you're actually on stage, which is this pressure to perform.

Right. And so if I give you all everything that you absolutely will need, there's not going to be a little element of surprise in there. Right. And we, and we all need that sometimes. So Latina Presente is really this, this space that I hold. Dearer to my heart because I, I hope that it continues to be the space where people feel good about public speaking and just like it and have fun with it and learn to reconnect with it because it's, it's embedded in our cultura, it's a part of who we are already.

We just need to see ourselves in, in this space, in this capacity to be able to continue in our public speaking.

Beatriz: Yeah. Oh, and I can attest to that because I have been to your Latina Presente workshop and in person and it was incredible. Honestly, after it was done, I was like, I'm going to be a public speaker. I

Yvonne: Yes.

Beatriz: what people will say,

Yvonne: Yes,

Beatriz: know? Um, but I think you, you practicing, you're providing that. Time the opportunity and the practice like what you like you said, and I love that you decided to to create the space and now and you also have a new product.

I know that you just launched your public speaking prompt. So can you say a little bit more about that as well?

Yvonne: Yeah. So that was a, thanks for, uh, see how bad I am at like promoting my own stuff. I, that was also a low, like we'd spent a year working on it and developing them. So I, their practice practice prompts. They're practice prompts. I, that's so funny. I actually have, um, public speaking practice prompts on the back of it.

And I, in parentheses in the packaging, if you have them, I say like, say that three times fast, uh, as a tongue twister, but they're public speaking practice prompts that I had been working on for a year. Like the designing of it, we went through many different phases. Girasol Design Studio. And I wrote every single one of those prompts thinking about.

What I consider to be the foundations of public speaking, right? Your non verbals, your, uh, voice inflection, storytelling, and affirmations mixed in with some reflection in there because, Like I always say, affirmations don't work if we don't, and part of doing the work is reflecting on them. And so when I started, when I created this product, it was, I want to, I want other introverts to also practice their public speaking, even when they're not ready to do it in front of me or one on one with me.

Or in front of a stage as an introvert. Sometimes we just need a little bit of exposure to something to feel just slightly more comfortable and then go on and do the thing. And if public speaking is something that you haven't, uh, just been comfortable with, or isn't your calling just yet. My hope is that with my cards, you can practice them literally wherever you are, from the comfort of your home, when you're on a hike, there's, there's the size of your phone, you can take them with you, get together with friends, practice them intimately with your amigas, and just get more comfortable with public speaking and start to recognize that you already, you already do a lot of these things.

You already sit there and talk about this, right? But the storytelling prompts guide you to tell me and reflect about a time in your life that, uh, that will bring out the types of stories that you maybe don't remember to bring to the speech when you're called upon to speak. Um, the non verbals are all around.

How are you moving, moving your body? What does it mean? Our voice inflection, right? Uh, when my mom used to say. Like, don't give me attitude, right? Like, por qué, no me lo digas así, you know, and I'm like, but I'm not giving you an attitude, even though you clearly were, right? Like, you didn't mean to say it like that, but it came out like that.

So every single one of the cards is infused with our cultura in there and just little moments of what I would think about my childhood. Because what I want us to really do is see those moments in our childhood and see those things that are parts of our cultura as the very things that make us incredible public speakers.

So I really love the cards. I have, I have a few that I'm like, I'm just going to keep these forever for me. Um, but yeah, thank you for, thank you for giving me space to share.

Beatriz: Yeah, no, I, I'm so excited for you to have come up with the public speaking prompts plus the Latina Presenta workshops and creating that space. I think all of it together just speaks to how passionate you are about public speaking. And it's not just public speaking, right? It's telling stories. It's, it's creating impact.

It's. impacting others in community, learning from each other, giving each other space. What does it look like to take up space intentionally? And so all of those, those values that, that you bring are infused into your work, into Latina Presente, into the cards and everything that you do. And I just want to say thank you for, for creating that and bringing that, um, and for taking the time to. Be here with me today to talk about public speaking and to give us the space with love to to do that,

Yvonne: No, thank you. I appreciate that.

Beatriz: yeah, it's it's such a wonderful way to think about, well, how do we How do we take up space gracefully, intentionally, and, um, especially for us introverts too. It's just, it's such a lovely, like, it's a fresh, a breath of fresh air, like they say, you know.

Yvonne: Yeah. Yeah. No, thank you. And I, you know, something that you just said is it's not just public speaking is all the other things that you listed. Right. And, and you know, this too, when we create content, right? It's such a public speaking is, is in my, in the work that I do public speaking is the buzzword. It's what will elicit it.

An emotion in you, a good or a bad one or a neutral, really what I, what we do then is actually dig deeper and realize public speaking is everything that you do. Like we talked to the beginning, I'm an introvert. I make these connections even when you think they're not there. Public speaking is quite literally everything.

Beatriz: Yeah, it really is.

Yvonne: public speaking is everything. That's all I, my job, that's all I got to say.

Beatriz: Yeah, that's all you gotta say. Well, thank you so much, Yvonne for this conversation. I wish we could have more time. Honestly, I wish we had like all the time in the world. I'm sure there's so much more that we could have dived into, particularly around, you know, the skills are, but I think you like you said, we have that information, right?

Like at our fingertips. Um, You have that information. I love what you said when you were talking about the Latina Presenta workshops is that the, the information is there. I have the information, you have the information, but let's come together, practice together, and take up that intentional space together.

And so I'm just really glad that, that you decided to create a space like this. I can't wait for The next time that you're here in L. A. I know you are in San Diego now. Um, so I'm happy. Whenever we can drive down, I'm happy to drive down.

Yvonne: Um, I mean, yes. Like the, do not tempt me with a good time. I, I realized that this is the spaces that we're able to co create is actually what drives our impact in public speaking. Uh, think about, I'll go back to the example of me being like, you said deep think and you're like, wait, but I, so I heard that from you. It's like, as, especially as first generation Latinas, we are so, we, we are so used to having to be the pillars of. Action, right? Like we have to take something and go and do it and. In thinking about supporting one another that is support right there too is I want to be able to also hear these stories and hear these perspectives and hear your life lessons Because they mean something to me too Like I want to be seen and heard and validated through your experiences and through the stories that you share.

So as much as I have Maybe Had more time to practice and more time to think about these things. I also need the, I also need someone out there that, that I can feel represented by, that I can feel seen by and heard by, listened to, right? So it's a constant state of, it's a cycle, right? I'm here for you.

You're here for me. I hear you. I see you. You're You hear me, you see me, and, and that's, that is the kind of space that I think, uh, the public speaking industry is lacking and is missing. And that's the missing piece for us to feel really comfortable and stable and confident in our, in our public speaking.

Beatriz: Thank you so much, Yvonne. That was beautiful. I feel honored. And you are officially an amiga of mine. I don't know. I don't care what you say. I,

Yvonne: Seriously, no, seriously, I always am like, deep think. Like ever since I saw that video, I keep thinking it's deep think. It's not overthink because I get in my head about it. So I deep think,

Beatriz: I'm in the same, I, I am in the same boat sometimes, but. Thank you so much for sharing. And I just want to say, I know that I'm sure you get a lot of requests. So I feel privileged and honored that you decided to say yes to the be a boss coaching podcast.

Yvonne: course, of course. Thank you for having me.

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