Episode 340: Empowering the Latino Community & Redefining Global Leadership | Claudia Romo Edelman | Social Entrepreneur, Activist & Founder of We Are All Human
Claudia Romo Edelman is a trailblazing social entrepreneur, activist, and founder of We Are All Human, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the Latino community. A former United Nations official and UNICEF leader, Claudia has spent her career tackling global challenges while amplifying Hispanic voices worldwide. She’s the author of the Hispanic Star book series, co-host of the A La Latina podcast, and an expert in leveraging the power of the Latino community to drive brand and cultural transformation. In this episode, Kara and Claudia explore what it takes to turn vision into impact, the importance of representation and belonging, and how Latinos are shaping the future of business and culture. You’ll also hear about Claudia’s newest venture—a modern, ultra-premium Mexican luxury spirit called Sotol—that reflects her mission to elevate Latino excellence on the world stage. This conversation is a masterclass in leadership, action, and the art of building from purpose.
“It’s really hard to be Latino today. It’s also incredibly contradictory, because this gigantic community has never been so strong, so ready, so powerful, or contributed more to the growth of the U.S.”
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Claudia Romo Edelman
01:32 Claudia's Current Endeavors and Concerns
02:34 Challenges Facing the Latino Community
05:49 The Hispanic Sentiment Study
09:12 Claudia's Childhood and Activism
13:41 The Power of Yes and Entrepreneurship
14:07 Sotol: The Next Big Thing
20:22 Social Entrepreneurship and Activism
23:06 Challenging Stereotypes About Accents
23:59 The Power of Multilingualism
25:17 Reclaiming Latinidad
26:47 The Role of Language in Mental Health
27:42 Building Bridges of Tolerance
29:59 Mobilizing Communities for Change
34:29 Defining Powerful Ladies
35:44 Influences and Personal Journeys
41:06 Daily Routines and Staying Grounded
43:37 Supporting Latino Initiatives
45:01 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
340 - Claudia Romo Eldmen
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[00:00:00]
Speaker: Welcome to The Powerful Ladies Podcast. I'm Kara Duffy, and today's guest is an incredible, powerful badass, Claudia Romo Eldmen is an award-winning social entrepreneur. She's an activist, a speaker, the founder of We Are All Human, a non-profit, focusing on the advancement of the Latino community. She's a former United official.
Speaker: She has worked with UNICEF to solve major world problems. She's the author of the Hispanic Star series of books. She's the co-host of A La Latina podcast. She's a Mexican Swiss diplomat, speaks five or six languages, no big deal. She's an expert in the power of the Latino community for brand building and is now launching an ultra premium ultramodern Mexican luxury spirits Sotol, which has one third the calories of tequila and is truly better for you.
Speaker: I could spend an hour listing all of the incredible things [00:01:00] she's done. All that to say, hold onto your seats as she and I do dive into all the things. This woman knows how to create something from nothing. Speak up and take action to change the world. So let's listen and learn how.
Kara: Welcome to the Powerful Ladies Podcast.
Claudia: Well, thank you so much for having me.
Kara: Let's begin by telling everyone your name, where you are in the world, and as many of the things you're up to as you choose to share. 'cause I feel like you're doing so much.
Claudia: I am Claudia Romo Eldmen, I'm the founder and the CEO of a number of entities from charitable organizations like the We Are All Human Foundation and Hispanic Star and the Hispanic Star Initiative. I'm a podcaster and uh, I'm an entrepreneur. Uh, getting ready to launch my product in January.
Kara: It's all very exciting. I feel like our conversation is so needed right now. Uh, [00:02:00] I live in California and I, it breaks my heart what's happening to the Latino community in California today, and I know it's not only a California thing, but it is such a huge part of our community and it is just terrifying what's happening.
Kara: How are you holding space for all the exciting things, all the good news, the growth, the progress that's happening, and the state of our world today?
Claudia: Uh, just to start with a statement that you, um, that you made. It is really hard to be a Latino today.
Kara: Mm-hmm.
Claudia: Um, it is incredibly, uh, contradictory at the same time because Latinos, Hispanics, Latinx, whatever you wanna call this gigantic community, has never been so strong, has never been so ready, has never been so powerful, has never contributed more to the growth of the us.
Claudia: Latinos really are powering and propelling the prosperity, power, [00:03:00] and progress of the us but we've never feel so solitos, so alone, so beaten up, so frightened. So, um, like in a way, I, I think that in this tension about, um, not our identity about how we're not, um, you know, like recognized or valued and how this group that should be, you know, like seen as contributors to the country are somehow being stereotyped, biased and discriminated against as a whole.
Claudia: So I think that there's a, it's a, it's a very, uh, it's, it's a very hard time I think, uh, when you think of the two things pulling you apart.
Kara: Mm-hmm.
Claudia: And, um. Latinos are 200% of a person, 100% Latino, 100% America. And I think that the work that my foundation has done for the last seven years towards elevating Latinos, um, has got to double down.
Claudia: This is, this is the time to do it. And so how do [00:04:00] I find the time? Well, look, I, um, I think that I am, uh, I'm an author, I'm a marketer and I'm an entrepreneur. And I think that always thinking about how to do it in a way that is. You know, like being a win, win win for everybody. Yeah. Like being a a, an entrepreneur that has social first being an author and a thought leader that is able to inspire at the same time, you know, like bring optimism to the people that are reading it, like truly believe that.
Claudia: We need to have actually more hope right now. Mm-hmm. In the time where we are. I'm trying to do it in a way that is consistent with my values, which is like, I'm family oriented. I wanna be able to, um, to do it, but also be able to share it and spend time with the people that I love.
Kara: I, I think it's the, the women's plight right now of running full speed ahead with everything we had planned to do, plus more.
Kara: And at the [00:05:00] same time, like over, over here, dealing with the chaos that's happening. Yeah, it's um. I was reading in preparation for this, the report that I believe came outta con recently about the power of the Hispanic population and how much they are influencing the economy, how much power they have, and they're still being ignored.
Kara: As someone who is a pro DEI person, it's so frustrating to see how many brands are stepping back, even if they're not, um, removing their DEI policies and practices, getting quiet about it, kind of taking a pause. But I think that there's, we're missing the economic opportunity if nothing else, that by ignoring all the people who are hungry and ready to be participating.
Claudia: And you're referring to the Hispanic Sentiment Study 2025 that we, uh, launched at the Canne Advertisement Festival that literally shows something that we've [00:06:00] seen growing, which is there's a new Latino . The Latino community has been maturing in our understanding of our own power. It's almost like, all right, we were the thinking for the last couple of years.
Claudia: Like, are we worth it? Are we really something? And uh, now we know it. Um, from 2018 to 2025, the awareness of the Latino community of their own contributions to the country mm-hmm. Their own power has grown from 14% to 77%. Can you imagine that that is almost like, um, less than 20% of Latinos were even aware how many we are.
Claudia: How mm-hmm. How young we are. We were living in the darkness. We had a distorted mirror, um, you know, like a phenomena where we were looking at ourselves really tiny and uh, and now it's almost like the lights are on and we're looking at the mirror properly and we're like, oh wow. This is our true size.
Claudia: Mm-hmm. And so what happens when you start realizing that says the Hispanic sentiment [00:07:00] study is that you turn around, but you don't see yourself represented or valued in media in big corporations. Uh, so there's a disconnect between the true size and the, the value in which you're reflected. And that is causing something quite interesting, which is a tension.
Claudia: Like there's a disconnect between the size of the community and the understanding of the community of its own power with how we see ourselves represented by, by poli, uh, by people in power. Mm-hmm. In all instances. So we're at the risk of a recession, but not. An economic recession, uh, a recognition recession where Latinos probably are gonna start making choices.
Claudia: Mm-hmm. Latinos are gonna say like, wait a second, so. I'm gonna start making choices of where to work. Mm-hmm. Where to buy, who to vote for, and who is gonna be looking at us, um, as what we are, right. Mm-hmm. In the true size that we are. So that's, that was really interesting [00:08:00] to see the reaction of brands that, uh, overall have seen.
Claudia: Something like artificial intelligence that people were saying it's the future. It's the future. It's gonna generate, uh, generate growth. It's gonna generate growth. And they, and they didn't invest on it. And all of a sudden it's just like a moment in which you have to catch up and course correct a lot. So I used a lot that analogy of saying like, don't wait until the last minute because you'll have to probably do it. You will have to invest in this community because of the numbers.
Kara: Yeah.
Claudia: Uh, but it's just gonna come at a higher cost.
Kara: Well, and you know, I, we've been seeing the wave of change happening, especially over the past 20 years, where, to me it's.
Kara: I'm caught off guard as to like, wait, why is this not just happening? Like everything from when, um, they added in like the Latino Grammys, like there's so many things that have happened where it's like, of course this is a huge community. And then you have people like Bad Bunny saying, Nope, I'm not gonna tour in the US right now because you know, it's risky for [00:09:00] my fans.
Kara: And it's like, oh. It's like, it's heartbreaking to see so much progress. And then the split happening. Um, but like you, I know that so many people are just continuing to do the work. If we go back to 8-year-old, you would, she have imagined that this is the life that you are leading and this is, you know, what you've taken on in the world.
Claudia: Oh my God. Um, so eight years old, I remember actually that people mocked me because when I was seven they said, what do you want for a birthday present? And I said, world peace. Because I was always like, and everybody was like, ha ha ha. No, like, I mean it. Yeah. Um, I was always a little, uh, a little activist.
Claudia: I was always a little, uh, idealist. I believe that big ideas were possible to change and uh, luckily I've been able to participate and witness dramatic, ambitious crazy wild dreams, uh, of humanity change, right? Mm-hmm. Like I've been witnessing how [00:10:00] literally we, we were able to eliminate aids, uh, from the mother to child transmission.
Claudia: We've been able to help, uh, extreme poverty from the world. So I do think that that 8-year-old girl thought change was possible, and I've, I've been able to witness it. Whether I felt at that time that I was gonna be able to be so close to so many incredible global dreams, being able to be reality. I don't think so, but I'm super glad I am and I'm super glad that I am so close to, you know, like what I believe is going to be a historic change for my community, the Latino community, and.
Claudia: I never, ever, ever imagined is what I'm doing right now, entering the world as an entrepreneur, making change for Latinos, but from a different perspective, from a bottle, pretty much from a product.
Kara: Yeah, you know, how has your perspective on what humanity is capable of doing and what's possible for yourself by being so close and involved in these big [00:11:00] changes actually coming true.
Claudia: So you see Kara, what. If I may .
Kara: Yes, please.
Claudia: A personal story. My, um, my parents were both basketball players and, um, they had three kids and I was the middle one, and the older and the youngest, all of us, um, develop over fast. So the doctors were saying like, wow, this is so fast for them to start walking and then running and so on. So the three of us were way ahead. Um, but my siblings stopped at nine months and started going back. So from running to walking, walking, crawling, sitting down until they died when they were 18 months old. So I didn't. And so my entire childhood, I was under a microscope, and everybody was looking and observing when was I gonna turn, when was I going to, you know, like flip
Kara: mm-hmm.
Claudia: And uh, and go back. And I didn't. And so everybody was like, wow, [00:12:00] you're so strong. Uh, and I remember actually people saying like, wow, you're stronger than death. And, uh, and, and I grew up with a feeling that. Well, I can't do anything, right? Like everything is possible. Uh, for me, if I was able to do that, and then that combined with a, with a sense and e even a little bit of the guilt of everybody saying like, well, there must be a reason.
Claudia: You must have a mission, and all these kind of things. I think that put you in a framework where I really believe that everything was possible. Mm-hmm. Because I saw that. Story. And so naturally I was gravitating towards people that had the same ideals, that had the same sense of like, let's go for the big guns here.
Claudia: Mm-hmm.
Claudia: And, so I surrounded myself by dreamers and visionaries that didn't take no, and always went to the power of yes. And so I, I learned that that piece is not, not to be about [00:13:00] optimist. You don't, it's not about optimism. It's, it's the combination of optimism with perseverance, with greet, with, you know, like a plan that makes you a possibilist, I guess.
Claudia: And, uh, where you make things possible because you believe that it is possible. And I have a sense that once you are able to see life that way, a lot of the barriers that naturally, you confront are easier to. Debunk or to see differently or to try to be resourceful in, changing them.
Claudia: So I learned a tone from simply being attracted to people that maybe by training or by accident, like me, were, uh, were thinking on the power of yes,
Kara: what's a a yes that really left a mark on you? Was it something that you worked on? Was it another person? Like what are some of those pivotal. Milestone yeses that are like, oh, we're going to go from a one to a 10.
Claudia: I am a zero to one, not so much a [00:14:00] one to a 10 or a 10 to 100, maybe a zero to one, one to 10, but not, not the other one. Like, I'm a, I'm a path breaker. I like starting things. I love challenges when they are sort of like unknown, um, so tall. For example, the new thing that I'm doing is. People know tequila, people know mezcal, but they don't know Sotol and Sotol is the next big thing of Mexico that has been produced for over 800 years. It is by far more complex, sophisticated, and healthy than any of the other cactus based spirits that Mexico has, but no one knows it. So for me that's an attractive challenge because I'm like, okay, I, we have to make it now. We have to mainstream it. And have the time, uh, if it took tequila 30 years and mezcal 15 years to get to the world, let's make these five. Yeah. Uh, so that, you know, like, so how do you do it? And tho those are the kind of things that, that attract me. And, and so I think that this is one, like getting into the power of Yes.
Claudia: To get into an entrepreneur, being an entrepreneur. Where I've [00:15:00] never been an entrepreneur. Mm-hmm. I'm a woman in a very male dominated industry. I have absolutely no, background experience in alcohol. So all of them knows that you can see, and everybody that I talk to, uh, for the last three years say like, I have a family business.
Claudia: But we never really did anything with this. It's more like a hobby. Should I turn it into something big? No, that's crazy. No, that's great. Like the amount of time. So I said yes, and I'm launching in January and I partner with the third largest tequila company in the world in ultra premium that are respectful to Mexico and have the same values that I have.
Claudia: And they grow, but they grow with the, you know, like we grow with a soul. Yeah. And so I'm saying the power of Yes. To getting and being able to raise money for the first time in my life. And being able to do it in record time because I think that people see what I see that if, you know, like this is unknown and it's an uphill battle, but if we hit it right, we're gonna hit it big.
Claudia: And so that's the piece where I feel it's my last, uh, power of yes. Like [00:16:00] let's. Let's lean into it. And, um, and luckily I'm not doing it alone because all the investors that I have and the companies that are surrounding me to do this are, are as crazy possiblistic as, as I am.
Kara: I love this. You know, and welcome to the entrepreneur side.
Kara: It's the best side. Um, you know, I, I spend so much time coaching my clients about. Just believing that all of it is possible. All of it is. And you know, choosing to play the game of Yes. Versus the game of why it's gonna be hard, why it's gonna be difficult, why it won't work. And. Part of why I love interviewing incredible guests like yourself on this podcast is that there are so many examples of why we don't just believe in the possibility. We don't just say yes, and I can hear your enthusiasm and your enrollment of like, of course people said yes. And of course you've raised your money in record time, like that's how you operate, right? Like that's, [00:17:00] none of that surprises me coming from you. So. It's like, and you also said something so important, and I think this is where so many businesses are missing out on such an opportunity, is making sure the soul of the business and the company is the north star.
Kara: It stays there. It doesn't get overtaken by operations or sales or,, going for the quick win that isn't aligned with like why it was created. You know, how would you describe to other people what the soul of your company is?
Claudia: I mean, like, I've been a social entrepreneur my entire life, so I couldn't do it otherwise. I don't know how to do it otherwise. Yeah. But like, it doesn't, it, like I would have to learn how to, not to, but, um, but for example, by choosing this company to partner with, um. C, KBG, there's so many examples, uh, and lessons learned from the things you should not [00:18:00] do. Like companies that, uh, very famous companies that sold for a billion dollars and they're like the beast, but they came and destroyed my country. They came and , like agave takes seven years to grow and it's only natural to think that if you cut it all. The people that live in those areas are gonna have nothing to do like entire livelihoods. And communities were destroyed by the exploitation with no sustainability plans in mind. And kids had to drop from school and move into different villages because. They had nothing for seven years left, right? Mm-hmm. Like they had to like, wait until they came back. And then, you know, like for me, for example, by definition, by partnering with Tequila Comas, which is my joint ventures with them. These guys, with the fiber that is left of the agave, which they produce tequila, they build bricks and through bricks they build schools and they stay in the communities where they operate by ink enriching them. And I not only plant to. Take [00:19:00] on that practice of, like building in the communities and making sure that, you're responsible.
Claudia: But I plan to do it also with the people that serve it. Right? Like you said, so many of the Latino community in the US is at the front lines, whether we're in the hospital. Industries for like probably all the waiters that you find, all the bartenders and heads of, uh, heads of, uh, beverage and food in restaurants. And I'm gonna, I'm obviously going to be talking to them about this is a Latina led product. That is, you know, like using portion of that to give to the communities. Here where we operate so that we can actually shine and be better off. And obviously I'm counting on every time now, uh, that I go to a restaurant or, you know, like to a place, the people that recognize me because of the work that I've been doing as as activist, I already like, please thank you.
Claudia: Don't pay the bill. Like, we love going. So I'm counting on that support of my base. To make a choice for me and say like, if I have to [00:20:00] choose between one product or another, I'm obviously gonna serve the one of a Latina. Mm-hmm. And someone that has a heart and that is, you know, like that is giving back. So I think that it is ingrained in the business model already of what I think it is a total, not only an investment, but it's a total central part of, uh, of the story of the product and myself.
Kara: For somebody who is contemplating leaving corporate life to go all in on activism. What advice would you give them?
Claudia: Hmm. So like, leaving corporate life to going entrepreneur is the, the step that I know best because, uh, I have a podcast called A La Latina. Mm-hmm. The Playbook to Succeed being your authentic self and, uh, Kara, like you, being a podcaster gives you an opportunity to meet so many incredible people. It's been my MBA, it inspired me to actually jump into to the, into the entrepreneurship, world. But I heard a lot of people that were, and we only [00:21:00] interview, fortune 500 companies, C-suite Latinas. So it's very restricted to, to that successful group if you want. Mm-hmm. Talk about, um, how to make it and have the time and have the bruises. What's the playbook? , How do you build the networks that you need to operate and, and be there? And so I think that the jump between, um, corporate, first of all, you need to master. Being in a corporate environment. Mm-hmm. So that you can feel that you have control. I think that that's what I heard a lot. But I have to say, a lot of people, maybe not the people that I interviewed on the podcast, but a lot of people have considered, uh, more free freedom, more, uh, flex civility, more fulfillment of, uh, that something that you can control a bit more. Mm-hmm. And so going into an entrepreneurship, and if you're interested in activism and social entrepreneurship, it is harder than anything that you can imagine. Social change is harder than a business by, 100 x, right? Like you're talking about [00:22:00] behavior, you're talking about systemic barriers, things that are so entrenched, like poverty is not a product that you can sell through marketing and Right. Pricing. It is, it, it takes generations and, and years, so. Moving from corporate to social entrepreneurship it's a good decision that you have to consider. Now, moving to activism, I think it is easier because you just need your voice. Yeah. You can still be working in corporate America. You can still be an entrepreneur and, um, and activate your voice. As a fact, I call, I, I have a calling for Latinos saying like, you don't have to be an activist like me, but become a fact-tivist. Mm-hmm. Use the fact to elevate, um, the data so that we're not surrounded by stereotypes so that we can boast through stories, all those biases that people might have, unconscious biases that people form themselves. Uh, let's, let's actually be a activist so that, you know, um, a little more on how to address the fears of others. Right. Like, it's [00:23:00] like, like honestly, no one means to be mean. Yeah. But if you have a bias, unconscious bias about like. An accent, someone has an accent and you don't think about it too much, but in unconsciously you think, oh, that person is less intelligent, right? Like, because an accent is no neutral, accent is associated with intelligence. And so naturally you might think that having an accent is a lack of intelligence and you as a activist can just correct that stereotype. Like, no, it's actually a sign of. Two languages. Yeah. It's B, it's not intelligence, it's bilingualism. And that means many other things that I can talk to different groups, that if I am in a corporate environment, I can negotiate that probably I can be do good at international settings and that I have that and adaptability because I'm using both sides of my brain a lot. Mm-hmm. Be unshakeable. So it's, it's having that generosity of the knowledge and information that can help you become a better activist, one that is respectful as well of the feelings of the others.[00:24:00]
Kara: Speaking of languages, was I correct in my research that you speak like five or six?
Claudia: I speak six languages, yeah.
Kara: Yes. And what, what are the six?
Claudia: So it's a little, uh, it's a little on the easy side because I speak all the Latin , languages. So the ones I, I learned Latin and I think that through that Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French, and I speak more or less English and German.
Kara: Yeah. I think it's fascinating. Um, I am always in disbelief having lived abroad and traveled quite often that I'm so envious of, you know, the five-year-olds that's growing up with parents from two different countries. They're already a full, you know, trilingual person and they're five, and I'm like, that's such an advantage in our world today and. Even when we're translating stories and novels and concepts, it doesn't always get to the a hundred percent understanding of the [00:25:00] original context. And I, I wish more people in the US in particular were speaking more languages. 'cause it just, it gives you, uh, your community gets to, to double in size every time that you do what?
Claudia: Like the amount of, um, people that are learning espanol.
Kara: Yeah.
Claudia: Bilingual is like choo. Even Latinos. Our study shows how the intake of, uh, language has been increasing dramatically over the last, uh, eight years, for example. It's not only, it's not only Americans that are learning spanish is Latinos that were like over 45 to 50 that were taught by their parents to assimilate because it was easier for them to like pass along and, fly low and, and therefore be able to, uh, get promoted better. And those, those people are having a retro latinidad, they're reclaiming their latinidad and they're going back to the roots. Because they were like, wait, this is also part of me and mm-hmm. And there's a better chance in the country now to understand that having two languages is an [00:26:00] advantage. Yeah. And so I'd love to see that rise in the language intake , 55 million, um, Americans speak Spanish. 80% of the Latino population is bilingual. Uh, and it is, it is quite interesting. My husband, for example, started doing bilingual two months ago, and it is the cutest thing for me like, on day two that he started taking, um, duel lingual. Mm-hmm. He, he sat me down and he was like, okay, so now you have to talk to me more in Spanish so that I can learn more. And my first phrase that I said, it was like, I don't know why I said that phrase, but I said it is. Ada, which means I'm tired. Yeah. And I said, and he said like, salad. And I was like, no, no, no. Go back to bilingual.
Kara: Well, I'm so glad you brought up esto because I believe that the English language and the mental health crisis right now is limiting people's ability to separate [00:27:00] themselves from their feelings. And I wish that we had. The soy ESTO option in English language because it changes when something is temporary versus permanent in our identities, in how we judge ourselves. And so I'm rooting for ESTO to come into English in some capacity because it's, I think it's a missed opportunity in our language for us to mental health confidence, all of the things. It's one of my biggest arguments against.
Claudia: Uh, and honestly I think that is where language plays a role in, uh, just building breaches of tolerance and acceptance. So much needed in this country. Yes. And everywhere in the world. I created the World Human Foundation 10 years ago, having that worry, that concern in my head that we were forgetting that we belong to belong to the same human family. That we think that what happens to one group doesn't affect the other. As in if you cut your [00:28:00] hand, the likelihood is you're gonna have a headache. Everything is interconnected and we just have to constantly remind ourselves that despite so many things that we think are differences, we're more connected than not. We are a part of the same human family, and we need to exercise that muscle. Tolerance and acceptance. And I really wish that in a world with so much scientific and technological advances as man, we're able to do a little bit more than I tolerate, but tolerance would be already enough. I see all the, all the things that are happening, all the disgraces that we're going through, all the shootings that we're experiencing in the country, the fear that so many communities are. Facing. I don't want to go along in a podcast like yours with so many powerful ladies mm-hmm. Without reminding us that every one of us has agency to build a bridge. Mm-hmm. To get close to some, get across to someone and just like start, start getting closer on that very divided bridge in which we are right now. I [00:29:00] hope that, that, I hope that it doesn't get any wider,
Kara: Speaking to the women on the podcast who are guests and to our community is the brightest, shiniest light that I, I am privileged to get access to. 'cause there's no one in this community who, um, would disagree with your statement. Like everyone's trying in their, in their household, in their neighborhood, on their street, however big their scope goes to. Remind everyone that how similar we actually are. And it's so, it's frustrating and heartbreaking that that is the conversation when, you know how many bigger problems there are that we should be focusing on. Like, um, there's so many things that we could be fixing and working on that could dramatically improve so many lives. And the number of distractions we have right now that are. Created almost outta thin air is, is so frustrating. [00:30:00] One of the, uh, definitions that I was given about you is that you are a global mobilization expert. I mean this, I, I read that sentence and I was like, yes. So there are so many, people who feel like they don't know how to get their idea going. They don't know how to get, um, a community around a concept They believe in. What are some tips you would give people on mobilizing, whether it's at a community or a global level?
Claudia: I'm a marketer and so my background and my expertise into is into putting master plans, master plans that simplify, and are able to.
Claudia: If you want, synthesize the feeling of many people towards an action plan. So if we're all feeling very frustrated, what are we gonna do about it? We are all feeling sad and lonely. What are we gonna do about it? If we're all feeling that there's aids, you know, dispersing in the world, what, how are we gonna fix it? I was able to recognize [00:31:00] very early on my, um, my calling or my strength if you want. I was not able to recognize some others early on that I wish I did. But this one I knew. I knew that I had a voice and that every time I used it, people followed. So I've been able to craft and polish, uh, these by creating these frameworks, uh, campaigns if you want, that are able to attract people to follow so that we can mobilize the hearts and minds of others to follow so that we are able to be enough to generate change. And so I would say to be able to dream of something big that you have to try to do it with many trying, like individual efforts only get you so far. It is the power of the collective that really pushed the needle forward. Um, if I think of the latino community and the World Human Foundation with Hispanic Star. Um, doing it alone would have been [00:32:00] incredibly frustrating.
Claudia: So I tried to gather as many leaders as possible to believe that we could change the perception of Latinos if we put ourselves into sharing the same data, into sharing the same stories and to having a common narrative and to be very intentional about putting content out there and to reaching to other communities to demonstrate who we are. Um, and we are, we, you know, we have a, a community of more than 250,000 people that are using the same voice. We're able to bring more than. 350 companies along. And I think that's the power when you start mobilizing, which is, I, I have an expertise on that area. For many other people. They have different areas of expertise to tap into. I'm a marketer. I look at data, I look at stories, I look at content, and I look at community building and I move forward. That's what I've been. Trying to do with, uh, with the Latino community in the last eight years. I think that it is time for [00:33:00] Latinos to start now that we not only know the data, but absorb it, that we were able to internalize it. Kara, I think that now we have to mobilize towards non-Latinos. Latinos United should mobilize towards non-Latinos. It was a, the, the first. Seven years we're about Latinos now it's about non-Latinos. And I think that for, you know, people like you with your powerful ladies, they're powerful because they have agency. Mm-hmm. And, uh, and, and looking at every step counts towards moving, uh, your world, towards the place where you want it to be and following your dreams. Even they are like, as, as crazy as they sound. I mean, like when I started looking at Sotol, everybody was like, this is the craziest thing ever. No one knows Sotol. So no one knows. But they will.
Kara: They will.
Claudia: And they heard it at Kara.
Kara: I mean, nothing gets me more excited than when people start telling me my idea's crazy. 'Cause I'm like, okay, if it's crazy, that gives me more confidence. Let's [00:34:00] go. Um, there's something about if you are someone who is are comfortable going into a space that other people are nervous to go into. It's an automatic boost of power and access and being in that kind of first mover space. So it's, when people give me that feedback, I get more excited and more confident to go forward. You know, you mentioned, um, that powerful women have agency. How else would you define what a powerful lady is to you?
Claudia: So it's so interesting because I think that in my community, even though they are powerful, we have stigma towards power. Yeah. And so we don't take it as much as men. Um, men are less powerful, entitled, less powerful in money, less powerful in influence. And they take it and they're like. I'm powerful because I say so. I feel so, and I want to believe it on something. So I think that, um, [00:35:00] the level of, uh, the level of our own adoption to our own power is still something that I would encourage at least Latinas, to be able not to, to think that being powerful means, uh, being either evil or negative or lonely or that you're gonna need neglect your family or any of the other pieces. Just like that you have agency and control over your life and that you have some. Tools, uh, tips and tricks that you have been able to, you know, like to use it and that you're gonna find a tribe that will, you know, like elevate you and encourage you to keep moving in the same way. So I, I think that powerful ladies are everyone that you know, like a calling and that is ambitious and it's ready to grow.
Kara: When you look at your journey, who are some people who have been key influences in getting you to where you are today?
Claudia: So my mom was incredible for me because she was crazy. I mean, like, she was a, [00:36:00] she was born a basketball player, like I'm six foot tall. My mother was six foot tall like many years ago in Mexico when no one was that age. And so she was part of the national team. Uh, she played for the national team of Mexico when she had us. She went and , became an economist, uh, study economy. And then became an economist and what's quite successful about it and all of a sudden dropped it because she wanted to become an actress when she was 45.
Claudia: And everybody told her like, that's crazy. That is risky. That is irresponsible being a single mother with your daughter. And she did it anyways. I mean, and honestly it was really hard because sometimes some days we didn't have anything to eat. I mean, like some season she didn't have theater, she didn't have novella soap Opera. . And so it was quite hard and, and the actors and the dancers were feeding me on the theater. Um, but I saw my mom determined to take the decisions of her life. It's not that she was fearless, of course not. She was [00:37:00] panicking, but she was fear free. And I think that that's a lesson that I took from her that, you know, like at the end of the day, when you give up your power towards something like fear, then you're never gonna be in control. And that's, that's what I meant about power. My mom was powerful because she was in control of her own decisions, as frightening as, you know, as scary as they were, as wrong as they were sometimes. And so I think that she. And has been an incredible influence in my life. Someone that , I owe everything that I am.
Kara: I, I really like that distinction of, it's not about being fearless, it's about being fear free. It's, it gives such a nice distinction between the way that we go into the world or not, because there's no, I, I can't imagine not having the fear. It's like, what do you do with it anyway?
Claudia: Absolutely. And I look, I think that when we were talking about the powerful ladies, it's interesting how it's sometimes we [00:38:00] give so much power to external narratives, to the, to let us believe or not if we're powerful or not, right? Mm-hmm. Like on, on how much do we want it? And so my father was a civil engineer and he built highways in Mexico. And so he would, um. Take me with him to be his co-pilot because there was no navigation, uh, tool. So there were the maps and I was quite good at them, at the origami. And so I was like to the right to the left. I'm building it and so on. And so he was like, Micha, you're so good. I'll take you to my next trip. And always he told me I was a good co-pilot. And literally five years ago I looked at my resume. And I was like, oh my God, I've been a copilot the right hand of someone my entire life. Like my father without intention put on me. He gave me a role in life. You are good as a copilot and, yeah. Without even thinking about it, I absorbed it and took it as my reality. And when I wanted to create my [00:39:00] own foundation, I wanted to be the pilot of my own community. I didn't know how to, and I was petrified because that was not the role that I was told to be. And in a country and in a world where women are not supposed to be leaders and powerful, we have to be able to say like, wait a second. So I, I want to take the. Like, if I wanna be a pilot, I will be one. And it, it was really hard for me to jump from the United Nations to set up my own foundation and to, you know, like right now I'm doing another change with these entrepreneurship venture. Mm-hmm. But I think that that's, uh, that's something to think about, like how much the narratives, uh, that are external are driving you and how important it is to bring them to conscious so that you can take them. Heal them, give them back with love or whatever.
Kara: No, it's, it's so true. And we, we don't realize how many. Layers of stories we've kind of stepped into without ever choosing them for ourselves. Even even definitions of responsible or smart, [00:40:00] like we don't ever declare ourselves those things. Other people tell us that we are and we're like, oh, okay, I'll put that in my backpack. No problem. Um, it, it is, it's a radical act too. Get to redefine like what you are actually going to be to yourself and to the world versus what you've been told or feel like we've been given permission to do. It's um, I think, I think courageous is such a part of being a, in the powerful ladies space. Um, because every day sometimes we have to choose courageous acts, big and small, and I'm such a proponent of. Allowing people to be in their zone of genius and to be in their full light, because that's where we need as many people as possible to be in. And that's never a relaxed, easy space to, to hang out in. What are some rituals or habits [00:41:00] that you rely on to stay at your best so you can do all of these things that you're up to and keep creating more.
Claudia: I believe in routines and, I feel anchored for things that I know are gonna happen that give me certainty. Mm-hmm. Like I wake up and I exercise and I wake up at the same time every day. And then I, the first thing I do, and the second thing I do and the third thing I do, and then I have sort of like a. Uh, a routine or, or traditions or things that I can again anchor, be anchored in, and then I'm. Hyper organized. I, uh, try to live on the 80 20. Mm-hmm. So I overplan, um, and I sort of like plan 80% and then the 20% I live for free, I ate well, 80%, 20% free. Yeah. Like, I, I like that idea of being, being able to have, uh, a space of freedom that is controlled. And, sometimes feel that I'm doing part too much and then I, you know, like try to [00:42:00] backpack, it's always a juggle. There's no woman that I know that doesn't have, uh, you know, like a sense of like, okay, so. Today I am gonna be very good as a mother, and tomorrow I'm gonna be very good as an entrepreneur. And it doesn't have to be all at the same time. I'm not sure I'm gonna try to juggle it and do it the best I can, but I, um, but I do think that it is particularly coming to an age, it is important to try to put things into perspective as much as you can of remember that, you know, like it's, there's not only one single thing that should be fine, you, but the combination of things that make you who you are.
Kara: We ask everyone on the podcast where they put themselves on the Powerful Lady scale. If zero is an average everyday human and 10 is the most powerful lady you can imagine, where would you rank yourself today and on an average day?
Claudia: I would consider myself high up on the, on the power, um, on the intensity, on the energy, and on the determination and dedication I put [00:43:00] into things. Um, I think that it is a very different question if you ask me how much am I recognized as a powerful woman that I wouldn't want to put myself too high up there because there's a lot more that want to be recognized than before. But at least in the effort that I put myself into getting to the places I wanna be very close. To top.
Kara: Yeah. This is also a very connected, supportive community. What is something on your to-do list to manifest list wishlist? What can we help you either hold space for or make happen in the world?
Claudia: Thank you so much for that question. I love it so much. Okay, so look on the Latino front on the philanthropy piece that I have for the foundation. Please become an ally. Get into our space, learn some data about Latinos and, and use it to become a little bit of fact. Fact is try to correct someone that is saying things that sound like stereotypes and say like, wait, wait, wait. Did you see all Latinos are [00:44:00] undocumented? Let me tell you is, oh, you know, like this 90% or document, like become effective and an ally. And if you wanna support the work that we're doing, there's. Several ways to do it. We have a gala, we have, you know, like we have donations, so and so just like stand with us. This is a hard moment and I appreciate it dramatically from general know, from groups outside of ours. So. Thank you. We're human and Hispanic star. Uh, when it comes to my new venture, well, you know, like so is gonna come out at the beginning of the year. We're closing in the round that we, we, our investor round. Otherwise, I would have said it, our investor round is closed. But I'm super happy that it's 40% women.
Kara: Wow.
Claudia: It's 40% women. And so, because this drink has one third of the calories of tequila, and it is gonna be a, you know, like a woman led initiative, I hope that you can order it, drink it, promote it, do parties with me and whatever you want. When, so [00:45:00] Roma comes out to market.
Kara: I love that. Well, for everybody who wants to find you, follow you, support, you join in all the things you just mentioned, where should we send them?
Claudia: Cloud, Claudia, Romo, Eldmen, um, everywhere. Um, wherever you try to find me, that's my handle. So see you LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, whatever you.
Kara: Perfect. Well thank you so much for your time today. I am so impressed by what you're doing. Thank you for inspiring me today. It has been one of those weeks where it has been a lot and to get here today on a Friday and to get to have this conversation, I feel already to go and kick some butt the rest of the day.
Kara: So thank you so much for being a yes to me and to powerful ladies.
Claudia: Thank you so very much, Kara. It was a true pleasure, honestly. Amazing.
Kara: Thanks for listening to The Powerful Ladies Podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe. Leave us a review or share it with a friend. Head to the powerful ladies.com. [00:46:00] We can find all the links To connect with today's guest show notes, discover like episodes, enjoy bonus content and more.
Kara: We'll be back next week with a brand new episode and new amazing guest. Make sure you're following us on Instagram or Substack at Powerful ladies. To get the first preview of next week's episode, you can find me and all my socials @karaduffy.com. This is a Powerful Ladies production produced by Jordan Duffy and Amanda Kass.
Kara: Until then, I hope you're taking on being powerful in your life. Go be awesome and up to something you love.
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Instagram: claudiaromoedelman
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Email: claudia@weareallhuman.org
Created and hosted by Kara Duffy
Audio Engineering & Editing by Jordan Duffy
Production by Amanda Kass
Graphic design by Anna Olinova
Music by Joakim Karud
