Episode 1: Starting Over After the Storm

Meet Me. For Real.

The credentials are real. So is everything they don't tell you about them. This is the episode where I introduce myself the way I actually am - not the résumé version. The doctorate and the AuDHD. The three organizations and the zero morning routines. The big vision and the days when nothing is working. I built this show because I needed it to exist. And if you're a high-achieving woman who has built real things and still feels behind - so did you. Season 2. Episode 1. Meet me. For real. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: LQU8EHWN2VBUFFWK 🎙 Mas Que Chingona with Dr. Mariela Salas Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen.

Episode 2: Messy, Scared, and Still Showing Up

This week at CBC ALC, I listened to powerful panels and also met my successor — a bittersweet reminder that growth means moving on. I share what it feels like when passion becomes identity, why staying too comfortable can turn into a ceiling, and how I’m using my Great Lock-In plan to stay grounded through this transition. It’s not perfect. I’m messy, I’m scared — but I’m still showing up.

Episode 1: Starting Over After the Storm

Last week marked five years since my dad passed, and grief hit me hard. I almost skipped a work trip, but with a push from my partner (and some tears in a hotel bathroom), I showed up. What followed was connection, clarity, and a reminder of why community matters. In this episode, I share how I’m starting over, what the Ikigai framework is teaching me about alignment, and why being chingona isn’t about being perfect — it’s about showing up, messy and real. Link to Ikigai Test: https://ikigaitest.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20618016882&gbraid=0AAAAADykBwcveurNdHpSinVoLedQlU1HI&gclid=CjwKCAjw89jGBhB0EiwA2o1On5Co8kd6GhrXrA53LKDxobP8oX1EDRzjQBzJfALlXTZSHmipp4nbHhoCPYsQAvD_BwE [https://ikigaitest.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20618016882&gbraid=0AAAAADykBwcveurNdHpSinVoLedQlU1HI&gclid=CjwKCAjw89jGBhB0EiwA2o1On5Co8kd6GhrXrA53LKDxobP8oX1EDRzjQBzJfALlXTZSHmipp4nbHhoCPYsQAvD_BwE]

Flawed, Funny, and Figuring It Out

I’m Mariela. Latina, mom, partner, amiga, researcher, advisor… and someone who still wonders: Who am I becoming? This episode is my honest intro — no polish, no pretending. Just me, starting over, inviting you to join the journey of figuring it out together.