Don’t Confuse Proximity With Protection

Don’t Give Up Before the Door Opens

In this episode of Latina Mic Drop, Miriam Simon talks directly to the people who are tired, overwhelmed, and still trying to figure out what’s next. This is for the ones who grew up with little, had to survive young, learned to put everyone else first, and are now asking: When do I get to choose me? Miriam shares a personal story about giving up her votes and stepping away from a leadership seat for what she believed was the greater good. Years later, she reflects on what that decision taught her about sacrifice, visibility, power, and why Latinas are often conditioned to give themselves away for the community, the family, the team, or the room. This episode is a reminder that perseverance is not always pretty. Sometimes it looks like crying on the train, taking a break, closing out the noise, pivoting, asking for help, paying for access, finding a mentor, joining community, or simply getting up one more day. For the urban community, this conversation hits on survival, resilience, leadership, sacrifice, and the pressure to keep going when life has not been easy. Miriam speaks to first-gen professionals, Latinas, cycle breakers, community leaders, parents, and anyone who has had to build from the bottom while carrying everyone else. IN THIS EPISODE, MIRIAM TALKS ABOUT: Perseverance when life keeps throwing obstacles Growing up with limited resources and still dreaming bigger Why sometimes we are in the wrong rooms or chasing the wrong thing The emotional weight of always putting others first Latina sacrifice, servant leadership, and community responsibility Giving up visibility for the “greater good” The power of opening your mouth when you are in the room Finding your next step after disappointment Access, mentorship, coaching, community, and proximity to power Why you should not minimize what you have already survived Follow Latina Mic Drop Podcast Instagram: @LatinaMicDropPodcast [https://www.instagram.com/latinamicdroppodcast?igsh=OHlreHZxajB1amRm&utm_source=qr] Follow Miriam Simon: Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon [https://www.instagram.com/iammiriamsimon?igsh=MTJldmNrZDJ1cHJjaw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr] Website: www.MiriamSimon.online [https://www.miriamsimon.online/] Disclaimer [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GY9aWI8iFHnF0lzBJjzuhcKBGo0JTnCPXr446yOCwFs/edit?usp=sharing] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Story You’re Scared to Tell Might Be the One That Sets Her Free

The Story You’re Scared to Tell Might Be the One That Sets Her Free In this episode of Latina Mic Drop, Miriam Simon talks about why so many first-gen Latinas, LGBTQ women, high achievers, and cycle breakers hide the stories that shaped them. From fear of judgment and el qué dirán to family silence, workplace fear, grief, leadership, and healing, Miriam shares how telling one story can become someone else’s survival guide. Why do we hide the stories that made us who we are? In this episode, Miriam gets real about the fear of sharing personal stories, especially when those stories involve family, trauma, identity, career, grief, or moments we were taught to keep quiet. She opens up about writing her story for Latinas 100, the fear of being judged at work, and the deeper stories she later shared in Tattoos & Pearls, including the painful “casket story” that helped her understand how she had been carrying other people’s emotional weight for decades. This episode is for the woman who has been rewarded for being strong but never given space to be honest. It is for the first-gen Latina, the LGBTQ woman, the high achiever, the daughter, the leader, and the cycle breaker who has been carrying stories in her body and wondering whether they matter. Miriam reminds us that the power is not only in what happened to us. The power is in the wisdom we pulled from it. KEY THEMES * Why women hide their stories * Fear of judgment, shame, and el qué dirán * First-gen Latina silence and survival * The difference between oversharing and purposeful sharing * How personal stories become leadership lessons * Why strong women still need space to grieve * Turning pain into wisdom * The Chingona Playbook as a place for one story, one truth, one lesson Latina podcast, first-generation Latina, Chingona Playbook, Latina storytelling, women sharing their stories, healing through storytelling, Latina leadership, LGBTQ Latina, cycle breaker, personal story podcast, women authors, anthology for women, Latina Mic Drop, Miriam Simon, Tattoos and Pearls, Casa de Chingonas “The power isn’t in the wound. The power is in the wisdom you gained from it.” READY TO SHARE YOUR STORY? A lot of women think they need to write a whole book. You don’t. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is tell one story, one lesson, one truth. That’s why we’re creating the Chingona Playbook: Secrets to Dance to Your Own Beat through Casa de Chingonas. Some stories deserve to live outside of us. Learn more here: https://forms.gle/2paDd4yi2WMJmb5A8 Follow Latina Mic Drop Podcast Instagram: @LatinaMicDropPodcast [https://www.instagram.com/latinamicdroppodcast?igsh=OHlreHZxajB1amRm&utm_source=qr] Follow Miriam Simon: Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon [https://www.instagram.com/iammiriamsimon?igsh=MTJldmNrZDJ1cHJjaw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr] Website: www.MiriamSimon.online [https://www.miriamsimon.online/] Disclaimer [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GY9aWI8iFHnF0lzBJjzuhcKBGo0JTnCPXr446yOCwFs/edit?usp=sharing] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

What My Father’s Mistress Taught Me About Corporate Power Struggles

In this powerful episode of Latina Mic Drop Miriam Simon shares the unexpected childhood lesson that later helped her survive workplace politics, insecure leadership, and corporate power struggles. Growing up, Miriam didn’t spend weekends going to the zoo. She spent them visiting her father in jail. And one of the people who unknowingly shaped her leadership style was her father’s mistress, who lived down the hall from her grandparents in Apartment 15 while Miriam lived in Apartment 17. When the mistress tried to push her out as a child, Miriam stood her ground. Years later, she realized that same moment mirrored what happened when new leadership entered her workplace and attempted to diminish her influence, visibility, and impact. This episode dives into: * workplace politics and corporate power struggles * insecure leadership * survival mode and executive presence * hypervigilance as a leadership skill * emotional intelligence developed through trauma * class mobility and survivor’s guilt * fear of outshining others * success guilt in first-generation and Latino families * visibility, confidence, and standing your ground at work * loving family members who do not fully accept you Miriam also opens up about a recent meditation that revealed a deeper subconscious fear: succeeding beyond the people she loves and feeling guilty for thriving while family members continue to struggle. If you’ve ever: * felt targeted at work for being effective * struggled with confidence despite your accomplishments * downplayed your success to make others comfortable * carried survival mode into leadership * or felt guilty for becoming “the one who made it”… …this episode will hit deeply. Takeaway “Sometimes workplace politics are really unresolved power struggles wearing business clothes.” In This Episode You’ll Learn: * How childhood survival patterns show up in leadership * Why high-performing women often intimidate insecure leadership * How to stand your ground without abandoning yourself * Why visibility is not betrayal * How survival skills can become leadership strengths Listen now and share this episode with someone learning how to thrive without shrinking themselves to keep others comfortable. Roselyn Perez Casiano: TEDx Is Your Nervous System Leading You? https://youtu.be/cOjQKp5MTMY?si=8aLnFZlDUdIt_UEN Casa de Chingonas; Join here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/AovH6gGBRxGH1684g66RCg Follow Latina Mic Drop Podcast Instagram: @LatinaMicDropPodcast [https://www.instagram.com/latinamicdroppodcast?igsh=OHlreHZxajB1amRm&utm_source=qr] Follow Miriam Simon: Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon [https://www.instagram.com/iammiriamsimon?igsh=MTJldmNrZDJ1cHJjaw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr] Website: www.MiriamSimon.online [https://www.miriamsimon.online/] Disclaimer [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GY9aWI8iFHnF0lzBJjzuhcKBGo0JTnCPXr446yOCwFs/edit?usp=sharing] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

20 Years of LGBTQ Love: Lessons on Marriage, Identity, and Choosing Yourself

In this Latina Mic Drop episode, Miriam Simon shares the love story behind her 20-year relationship with her wife, the cultural judgment she faced, and the lessons that helped their marriage last. From choosing love without a blueprint to healing abandonment wounds, building peace, raising children, and creating their own lane, this episode is about identity, partnership, and the courage to be fully yourself. Follow Latina Mic Drop Podcast Instagram: @LatinaMicDropPodcast [https://www.instagram.com/latinamicdroppodcast?igsh=OHlreHZxajB1amRm&utm_source=qr] Follow Miriam Simon: Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon [https://www.instagram.com/iammiriamsimon?igsh=MTJldmNrZDJ1cHJjaw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr] Website: www.MiriamSimon.online [https://www.miriamsimon.online/] Disclaimer [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GY9aWI8iFHnF0lzBJjzuhcKBGo0JTnCPXr446yOCwFs/edit?usp=sharing] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

From the Bitchass Coworker to the Burnout Queen and Everything in Between

In this episode of Latina Mic Drop, Miriam Simon brings her signature mix of street wisdom and corporate strategy to break down the coworkers who quietly create toxic workplace culture. From the coworker who avoids direct conversations, to the one who lies, throws people under the bus, lets everyone step on them, or takes on all the work until burnout hits, this episode calls out the behaviors that damage trust, respect, accountability, and team connection. This is not about blame or shame. It is about workplace awareness, leadership growth, and learning how to work with people in real life, not in corporate Candyland. Miriam talks about why hard conversations matter, why triangulation destroys trust, why accountability is a leadership skill, and why being “nice” without boundaries can cost you your power. If you have ever worked with toxic coworkers, struggled with workplace conflict, felt taken advantage of, or watched team trust fall apart because nobody wanted to tell the truth, this episode is for you. Tune in for a bold, honest, Mexican Latina perspective on toxic coworkers, workplace culture, leadership accountability, assertiveness at work, people pleasing, burnout, workplace trust, team communication, professional boundaries, corporate survival, Latina leadership, first-gen leadership, BIPOC leadership, and how to stop letting toxic workplace behavior run the room. Applications open for the Chingona Playbook: Secrets to Dance to Your Own Beat anthology. https://www.MiriamSimon.online Follow Latina Mic Drop Podcast Instagram: @LatinaMicDropPodcast [https://www.instagram.com/latinamicdroppodcast?igsh=OHlreHZxajB1amRm&utm_source=qr] Follow Miriam Simon: Instagram: @iamMiriamSimon [https://www.instagram.com/iammiriamsimon?igsh=MTJldmNrZDJ1cHJjaw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr] Website: www.MiriamSimon.online [https://www.miriamsimon.online/] Disclaimer [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GY9aWI8iFHnF0lzBJjzuhcKBGo0JTnCPXr446yOCwFs/edit?usp=sharing] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.