La Vida Más Chévere: Through the Childfree Lens

Ever fantasize about moving abroad, and what that could look like in your life? Childfree couple Paulette and Ryan did just that, trading their Los Angeles-based routine for a new adventure in Puerto Rico. But moving to a tropical paradise wasn't all sausages and rainbows.

The couple gets real about the unexpected challenges they faced—from dreamy island life to the not-so-glamorous realities. This candid conversation gives a behind-the-scenes look into their experience. Paulette and Ryan dish on the importance of rolling with the punches, embracing the unknown, and maybe even having a Plan B (or C, or LMNOP) in your back pocket just in case.

It's an honest story about learning from stumbles, finding strength in the face of change, and knowing when to say, "enough is enough." Whether you're dreaming of a big move or navigating your own unexpected twists, this episode will leave you with a fresh perspective and a deeper appreciation for life's wild ride. Tune in for Paulette and Ryan's honest and relatable account – it's sure to inspire you to find your own adventure!

Key takeaways: 

1. Life decisions are rarely permanent, and it's okay to change your mind, even when facing challenges and setbacks.
2. Exploring one's cultural roots and living in a new place can be a valuable and enriching experience, even if plans don't work out as expected.
3. Embracing mistakes/failures as learning experiences and using them to grow and move forward is essential in this lifetime.

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com/shownotes. This is episode 58.

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

What does media bias have to do with how marginalized groups are perceived? EVERYTHING. Media bias—the way we see certain groups on TV and in movies—has a massive impact on how we view people in real life. And whether or not we see them as real human beings, or merely caricatures we don't have to care about. If people in the margins don't comport ourselves in a very specific way, then we aren't deemed worth giving a damn about.

In her book, Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion, Professor Evelyn Alsultany painstakingly tracks the "logics that legitimize excluding people, that legitimize inequality" and rejects the need for anyone to act like a "good" <insert marginalized person here> to be accepted. 

Aside from being an expert on Arab and Muslim representation, Evelyn is also a childfree Latina. As a Cuban-Iraqi American, her work exposing why we view Arabs and Muslims through a narrow, Hollywood-perpetuated lens can helps us understand why we might make unfair assumptions about people based on their choices, skin color, accent, religion, and so on. It's obnoxious, it's outrageous, and we shouldn't accept it! Professor Alsultany is pushing back, and she's inviting us to do it, too.

This episode contains mentions of terrorism, rape, school shootings, and genocide.

Evelyn's bio:
Evelyn Alsultany is a professor in the Department of American Studies and Ethnicity at USC’s Dornsife College and a leading expert on the history of representations of Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. media and on forms of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism.

Alsultany is the author of Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion (2022) which was listed as one of the 10 best scholarly books of 2022 by The Chronicle of Higher Education; was a finalist for the Association of American Publishers’ Prose Award; and received Honorable Mention for the Arab American National Museum book award. She is also the author of Arabs and Muslims in the Media: Race and Representation after 9/11 (2012).

Alsultany has served as an educator and consultant for Hollywood studios (Netflix, Amazon, NBC Universal) and co-authored criteria, the Obeidi-Alsultany Test, to help Hollywood improve representations of Muslims. She has published op-eds in The Hollywood Reporter, Time, and Newsweek.  

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com/shownotes. This is episode 57.

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

This special Valentine's week episode is dedicated to smashing The Patriarchy by tapping deep into the well of your self-love. Because if you want to live your vida mas chévere, if you want to design your best childfree Latina life, you need to have a healthy relationship with yourself.

How do you get that? Listen in for practical tips on how to prioritize self-care rituals, savor moments of joy, and release negativity so you can reach the point where you are actively, intentionally, and fiercely in love with yourself.

Because if there's one thing The Patriarchy hates, it's when women love themselves fully. Especially if those women are childfree Latinas.

3 takeaways from this episode are: 

1. Self-love is crucial for designing your best life and living la vida más chévere.
2. Neglecting self-love has detrimental effects on your self-esteem, relationships, and personal development.
3. Actively pushing past the discomfort of learning to love yourself combats social conditioning, and can start with bite size moments.

Bonus takeaway: being in love with yourself means you're never alone on Valentine's Day!

Join us as we navigate the journey to self-love, celebrate our unique Latine identities, and embrace the power of self-empowerment through self-care. This episode is a loving reminder to all childfree Latinas that self-love is not only essential, but a radical act of revolution.

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com/shownotes. This is episode 56.

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

Following up from the last episode about how Monica Rivera became her own best friend, this time Monica tells us how her inner critic inspired her to start her own business coaching enterprise for women of color aptly named YOU WANNA DO WHAT?!

There's also the question many childfree Latinas grapple with—thanks to the toxic cultural habit that allows too many people to feel comfortably asking: what's your legacy if you aren't having children? First of all, that's a bingo AND a really narrow view of what legacy means. 

Because of her early life experiences, Monica knows she'll never have children. But she will still leave a legacy that's equally as important to her, her chosen family, and her clients.

If you're interested in business coaching with Monica, she invites you to book a free 45-minute clarity call to see if coaching is a fit at https://calendly.com/youwannadowhat/consult

About Monica:
Monica Rivera (she/her) is a speaker, a reformed self-doubter, and a business coach with a passion for building empowering communities. With over two decades worth of marketing experience, Monica has climbed the corporate ladder working in various Fortune 500 companies.

Drawing on her own challenging experiences, Monica founded YOU WANNA DO WHAT?!, a coaching practice dedicated to helping women of color build personal brands and businesses around their passions. Monica is a TEDx speaker and has been featured in Business Insider, O Magazine, NPR, Ladies Get Paid, The Huffington Post, and more.

• Website: https://youwannadowhat.com 
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@youwannadowhat
• TEDx Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/monica_rivera_the_flipside_of_loneliness_jan_2019 

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com/shownotes. This is episode 55.

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

Monica Rivera had to learn to become her own best friend. But how do you do that when you’ve lost everyone you’ve ever loved?

In this two-part episode, business coach and TEDx speaker Monica shares how losing her entire biological family in a short period of time afflicted her not only with a deep grief, but also a unique kind of loneliness. And how she finally learned to cope—by discovering herself through curiosity and exploration.

Curiosity + Exploration = Becoming your own BFF

Hear Monica speak on how she designed a thriving life in spite of her grief, the impact of origin stories, and having the audacity to chase your dreams even when the deck feels stacked against you.

"Live before you die."

About Monica:
Monica Rivera (she/her) is a speaker, a reformed self-doubter, and a business coach with a passion for building empowering communities.
With over two decades worth of marketing experience, Monica has climbed the corporate ladder working in various Fortune 500 companies.

Drawing on her own challenging experiences, Monica founded YOU WANNA DO WHAT?!, a coaching practice dedicated to helping women of color build personal brands and businesses around their passions. Monica is a TEDx speaker and has been featured in Business Insider, O Magazine, NPR, Ladies Get Paid, The Huffington Post, and more.

If her words or story resonate with you, Monica invites you to book a free 45-minute clarity call to see if coaching is a fit at https://calendly.com/youwannadowhat/consult

• Website: https://youwannadowhat.com 
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@youwannadowhat
• TEDx Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/monica_rivera_the_flipside_of_loneliness_jan_2019 

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com/shownotes. This is episode 54.

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

If you hate new year's resolutions, or the idea of "new year, new me" then you might like a Word of the Year better.

This episode guides you through setting an intention for your year ahead (as opposed to concrete SMART goals) via a seven-step method for finding the perfect word. It's a unique approach that includes reflecting on the previous year, visualizing your aspirations for the year ahead, brainstorming words that resonate with you, and much more.

There's no such thing as a wrong word, so you can't fail at this like you might a resolution. Embrace your chosen word, as an intention, theme, guidepost, or mantra for the year. Discover how to pick a word that will set the tone for your best year yet.

If you want a copy of the workbook mentioned (including nearly 400 example words),  don't forget to join the Substack community at this post: https://pauletteerato.substack.com/p/dive-into-2024-with-a-word-of-the-year

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com/shownotes. This is episode 53.

Word nerd websites:

• WordHippo.com
• Thesaurus.com
• Wordle

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

Want more confidence? Hack your brain!

While brain hacking sounds mysterious (if not illegal—and painful!), it's simply the latest way to describe an effective neuroscientific method that rewards you with a “hit” of the happiness (or pleasure) hormone, dopamine. You can harness this to increase your motivation, which then fuels your confidence and can positively impact your creativity, and even productivity. 

How do you access it? By recognizing your own progress, or what I call “celebrating your wins.” 

Is it really that simple? Yes! But how? Because when you recognize and celebrate your progress, your brain releases dopamine, aka the pleasure hormone. It works for babies, but we’ve forgotten this “one simple trick” as adults.

This re-released episode was originally titled 3 Epic Reasons to Celebrate Your Wins. Voted on by Substack subscribers as the last episode of the year because they wanted to finish 2023 strong! You can too by listening to this episode for the 3 key takeaways:

1.  what's happening in your brain when you celebrate
2.  how depriving yourself of these celebrations hurts you
3.  why doing this regularly keeps you motivated and excited to get what you want

Don't forget to join the Substack community to make your voice heard on future episodes and content too: https://pauletteerato.substack.com/

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com/shownotes. This is episode 52.

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

Storyteller Talia Molé, an activist, anthropologist, and artist, shares her journey confronting societal pressures, the impact of language on reproductive rights, and her mission to redefine motherhood. From fighting for a hysterectomy to battling for debt forgiveness, Talia is a powerhouse.

In this re-released episode, we dive deep into the significance of storytelling, dismantling patriarchal narratives, and celebrating various forms of motherhood and family. While emphasizing the need for storytelling as a vehicle for healing and social change, Talia also touches upon how society's narrow definition of motherhood undermines the varied forms of support and love that individuals can offer to their communities. As the conversation unfolds, Paulette and Talia emphasize the importance of giving voices to different forms of motherhood beyond traditional perceptions, fostering solidarity and acceptance within their communities.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Embracing the concept of "child-free" over "childless" empowers individuals to recognize their freedom and choice, instead of framing their lives as lacking something.
• Challenging the dominant narrative of motherhood involves elevating diverse forms of motherhood, resisting societal restrictions, and sustaining life through creative practices.
• Through storytelling and artistic expression, individuals can advocate for bodily autonomy and work towards social change, offering healing and support to their communities.

More about Talia:

Talia Molé believes in the artist as a rebellious and revolutionary teacher whose purpose is to disrupt the status quo inspiring conversations that lead to greater questioning and awakening within a communal body. As an artist, she has dedicated her time to understanding social change through different social spaces and disciplines within academia and beyond. She molded and polished her role as an activist/scholar with the help of a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance, an M.S. in Counseling, and a PhD in Anthropology and Social Change. Her field of research and exploration revolves around lived expressions of mother/motherhood/mothering, within marginalized populations, that serve as a radical remembrance of matriarchal ancestry, lineage and community.

Talia is the founder of "We are Phoenixing" a creative consultation business dedicated to mentoring creative practitioners.

For more about Talia, check out the extended show notes and transcript at PauletteErato.com/shownotes. This is episode 51.

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

It's celebration time! Having achieved 50 episodes, it's a great time to use this milestone moment to look back on where we've been, how we got here, and where we're going to continue this journey of living our best lives—la vida más chévere!

With that are 6 recurrent themes that guide the essence of host Paulette Erato's life work, which is to help us all dismantle and rebel against the toxic cultural norms we all grew up with so that we can all live our best lives.

What does living your best life mean? Former guests give their interpretations, including everything from moving to your parent's homeland to rebelling against society's "shoulds," and even falling in love.

If you're wondering how you can design your best life, here are some real-life examples from people doing the damn thing!

Don't forget to pre-order Rena's book The Sex You Want: A Shameless Journey to Deep Intimacy, Honest Pleasure, and a Life You Love
(aff link): https://amzn.to/3uA4Uf6


To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com/shownotes. This is episode 50.

Thanks to guests, mentors, and fans: Talia Molé, Rena Martine, Dra. Mildred Ortiz, Jamie Feinberg, and Fede Vargas all for contributing to this episode; Michelle Jackson and Ami Thakker Raval for their sage advice; and a special shout out to podcast fans Rosalba, Ryan, Deanna, Tori, and Jen! 

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

Another childfree wedding success story —this time, it's a childfree destination wedding! 

Bride Andrea Watt shares her experience in throwing the childfree wedding she always wanted: at sunset on the beach with only a small group of adults as guests. It doesn't sound very demanding for a bride.

But of course, wedding planning is never without drama. With a huge family (45 cousins on her mom's side alone!) in 2 different states, and people without passports, how did Andrea and her husband pull off a childfree destination wedding in Cozumel?

Listen in to find out how this childfree destination wedding came together, the compromises that led to it being celebrated in 3 separate settings, what really caused the drama, and the fun tidbit about Andrea's wedding dress arriving in Mexico days AFTER she did.

For additional fun, check out the YouTube video for a glimpse of Andrea's gorgeous and unconventional wedding dress.

Your takeaway from this episode: a childfree wedding is absolutely worth it.

***Want to send in your childfree wedding story? Submit your story at pauletteerato.com/childfreewedding ***

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

Today's toxicity ripe for dismantling: the stigma around therapy. Brown people prefer not to air their dirty laundry with strangers, but bury their mental and emotional distress for fear of being labeled weak or crazy. All that does is create a cycle of pain that becomes harder and harder to break with, and is passed on to future generations.

Enough! You owe it to yourself to take advantage of therapy if it's available to you, or use free community resources—even if you think there's nothing wrong with you, there's plenty wrong with the society you live in and are shaped by. 

This week's guest Dra. Mildred Ortiz is the child of immigrants, and has dedicated her career to providing clinical support to individuals from diverse backgrounds, including monolingual Spanish speakers, in Los Angeles, CA. 

In this episode, she'll explain:

1. how to shop for a therapist
2. how to vet a therapist: questions to ask at the beginning of therapy
3. how to end therapy successfully

About Dra. Mildred Ortiz:
Dra. Mildred Ortiz is a Clinical Psychologist (PSY28287), licensed in the state of California. Dra. Ortiz is native to Los Angeles and a child of Immigrant parents. She has worked in the mental health field for nearly 20 years and has  grown in her professional experiences serving diverse communities nationally, working with adults, couples, children and families. Dra. Ortiz has provided clinical support and guidance to patients of different walks of life, experiences, cultures and traditions, including monolingual Spanish speakers. As a psychotherapist, Dra. Ortiz has helped people faced with overwhelming life stressors, trauma, anxiety, and depression. She has provided therapeutic support to individuals feeling troubled by recent life transitions, grief and loss, and relationship issues involving intimacy and communication. In the years serving as a clinical psychologist, Dra Ortiz have come to appreciate and value the human desire and need to relate to others in healthy ways, while maintaining a sense of autonomy. She strives to help clients create healthy boundaries for themselves, while taking great care in exploring, identifying and preserving cultural and traditional value systems within their relationships. Dra. Ortiz is Founder and CEO of Buena Vibra Psychological Services, Inc., a psychotherapy group private practice located in Cerritos, CA. She is also host of her own Podcast, Buena Vibra with Dra. Ortiz.

Find her online at:

• Website https://buenavibrapsych.org
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Buenavibrapsych
• Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @buenavibrapsych

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com/shownotes

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

As you heard last week, we're moving to Puerto Rico! So while that's happening, *new* episodes will be on pause. Because as I always tell you: rest is required! So I'm taking a break from producing new content.   Don't worry, you can still get your regular dose of La Vida Más Chévere over on Substack. In fact, if you can help me get to 100 readers on Substack, imagine all of the cultural bullshit we could overcome together!

Please subscribe now at pauletteerato.com/blog, then share the link for the LVMC Substack with all your friends, coworkers, the dog walker, the dentist. No lie, my dental hygienist told me she listens to this show, maybe yours wants to, too!

Why Substack? Well that's what this episode is about: deeper dives, building a community, behind the scenes shenanigans, etc. Oh also, a certain man-child/owner of a social platform hates it! So really, it's a win-win!

*You* are the link between this show, the Substack, and the rest of the world. So as a thank you for subscribing (and sharing), I've got a small gift for you. You'll get it in your inbox once you subscribe.

Thanks for your help and I'll see you Substack, where we're working on a group name. Come join us!

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

Have you ever been to Puerto Rico? Did you know it's part of the United States? If you didn't, you're not the only one!

That's just one of the seven surprising facts packed into this week's episode, which you can consider your crash course on la isla del encanto (translation: island of enchantment). Come along on a journey that goes beyond the stereotypes and highlights the lesser-known aspects of Puerto Rico.

Revealing some surprising facts from the mundane and awkward (like converting to the metric system) to deeper socio-political issues percolating on the island (like corruption and capricious electricity), you might just learn something new about the vibrant culture of Puerto Rico, and whether or not this is a place for other childfree Latinas.

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com/shownotes.

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

Serial entrepreneur and childfree Latino Luis Octavio has something to tell you about taking risks. He gives us the play-by-play of what it took to go from being a closeted experiential marketer to launching multiple companies and brands while fully embracing who he is as DI Güey. 

Take a tiny risk and attend DI Güey University with us in this episode as Luis throws out numerous pearls of wisdom like:

• letting go of the need to be "perfect"
• waiting for a "special occasion"
• finding joy in a 9-5 life
• how not having kids is not the end of your life
• taking tiny risks now is an antidote to regret later

Which leads to our Question of the Week: what risk will you take after listening to this episode?

Let me know your answer by emailing me or dropping a comment on YouTube, Spotify, or Substack. Links below.

About Luis:
Luis Octavio is a serial entrepreneur always creating where no one is for the Latino community.  Find him online at:

• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_diguey
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_diguey
• Online store: https://diguey.bigcartel.com/

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com/shownotes

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

It's wedding season! So let's dive into the world of weddings, particularly childfree weddings, and the significance of setting boundaries during this emotionally charged event. 

Weddings  should be about the happy couple but can also lead to truly toxic drama that rips families apart. Everyone has an opinion, and they all think theirs is the most correct. They're also steeped in tradition, that T-word that too often is a crutch for unhealthy behavior and expectations. So how did Jamie, a childfree coach, deal with the challenges she faced during wedding planning while also firmly holding to her boundaries—and do so with limited drama? 

Key takeaways from this episode include:

1. That setting boundaries during wedding planning can be challenging, but effectively allows couples to avoid unnecessary drama and focus on having an intimate and supportive gathering of loved ones.
2. How boundary setting spills into all areas of life—not just for wedding planning! Being clear about your desires (like not wanting children), asserting yourself, and letting go of others' expectations is key to living a happier and more fulfilling life overall.
3. Jamie's example of how her boundaries allowed her to enjoy the vision for her wedding AND allowed for compromise with those problematic family members.

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com/shownotes

About Jamie:
Jamie Feinberg is a coach, artist, writer and speaker helping childfree women to figure out what they truly want—whether that’s time to pursue an old dream, a new career or hobby, or to travel—and then make it a reality. 

Her blog offers advice for childfree women, inspiration, and stories of traveling across the US in a 25' Winnebago: RossAndJamieAdventure.com

Grab your copy of the Four Steps To Your Dream Life Blueprint: https://bit.ly/dreamlifehere

Be notified when her book, Crafting Your Life Adventure, is released: https://bit.ly/life-adventure-book

***
Want to send in your childfree wedding story? Submit your story at pauletteerato.com/childfreewedding 

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

Have you ever wondered what life can look like after you've successfully dismantled the patriarchal bullshit our society throws at you? Fede Vargas is the living embodiment of how we can all do that.

After 15+ years in the rat race and his own 18-month career break, Fede  now hosts the podcast My Most Authentic Life, exploring this very topic with each of his guests. Fede connects with people that are choosing to live boldly and bravely, inspiring and empowering us all to create the life that we truly want—not the prescribed life script we've been made to believe is the one true path to happiness.

And the cherry on top is that he's a childfree Latine, too. Join us as we explore self-compassion, self-care, and Fede's 3 Rs.

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com

Find Fede online:
Website: https://linktr.ee/fedevargas
Instagram: @mymostauthenticlife

**Audio Engineered by Robert Lopez // www.cratesaudio.com**

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

We've been socialized to believe that the traditional "life script" is the ultimate path to happiness. And anyone who doesn't follow it is doomed. Which puts childfree people, especially childfree Latinas y Latinas, at total odds with societal norms. 

But who made up those rules? What is behind these supposed ideals? The patriarchy! It dictates our sometimes ridiculous and suffocating social and cultural norms, such as:

1. Centering and prioritizing only nuclear families with 2 parents and children
2. The dreaded R-word: REGRET, and if parents express any then they're automatically labeled "bad parents"
3. The way the media portrays childfree people

How do we fight back? The first step is recognizing we're all on the same team. Childfree people AND parents are all subjects of the patriarchy.  Let's stop dividing ourselves into us-vs-them factions, and fight the actual enemy—not each other. 

Check out a bonus episode on this same topic on YouTube.

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com

Audio Engineered by Robert Lopez // www.cratesaudio.com

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

Just because the stereotype that childfree people have more disposable income exists, doesn't make it true. And even if it is, childfree Latinas y Latines might have the added burden of a scarcity mindset instilled upon us by our culture. Instead of generational wealth, we inherit generational trauma.

Did you know that less than 0.5% of Latines in the US have money in the stock market? That's not even a full percentage point, it's half of one. And that's by design.

Financial educator, Linda Garcia is on a mission to change that. She's convinced we can all be well on our way to becoming millionaires in the next 10 years if we start now. So what's her secret?

In her book Wealth Warrior: Eight Steps for Communities of Color to Conquer the Stock Market, Linda breaks down the barriers communities of colors routinely face  and provides readers with the tools to get to the root of our money wounds so that brown people can bridge the wealth gap.

The book is a must-read if you've ever felt intimidated in white spaces. While yes, you will learn about buying stocks and how to build a portfolio, what's really at the heart of it is dismantling the idea that being rich, having money, and living without financial stress is not something you're allowed to have. Let's unlearn that toxic BS, mi gente!

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Learn what money wounds might be keeping you from seeing yourself as an investor
• What you need, in addition to financial literacy, in order to become wealthy
• Why YOU have a responsibility to acquire and grow wealth

Let's all become millionaires!

***Support the show for as little as $3/month at https://pauletteerato.com/support

Find Linda on Instagram as @Luz Warrior, and her community @InLuzWeTrust

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com

Audio Engineered by Robert Lopez // www.cratesaudio.com

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

Shame: everyone knows what it is because shame is a universal emotion. So how do you become shame-free?

Although not Latina herself, guest Rena Martine shares her expertise in addressing shame, which is deeply rooted in Latine culture. Rena is a former DA who now works as an evidence-based intimacy coach, helping women love their bodies, experience deep intimacy, and have great sex, shame-free.

Rena also emphasizes the importance of understanding our family's input based on what we know now, without resorting to blaming or hating our parents because of the difference in our cultural lenses. Because shame is instilled from an early age, not just from the messages perpetuated within family, but also through religion, personal experiences, and all the media we consume.

*TRIGGER WARNING*
The interview delves into sensitive topics such as PCOS, pregnancy termination, and our individual sterilization choices. We talked candidly about these topics, and encourage you to approach this with an open mind.

***Support the show for as little as $3/month***

We'll also discuss Rena's upcoming book The Sex You Want: A Shameless Journey to Deep Intimacy, Honest Pleasure, and a Life You Love  slated for delivery to a bookshop near you in 2024.

Key takeaways for this episode include:

• why shame exists and how it might show up in your relationships
• the vocabulary around shame, such as "shoulds"
• what becoming "shame-free" can mean for you specifically
• why rest is an important aspect of all of this

Find Rena online at:

• Website
• Instagram

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com.

Audio Engineered by Robert Lopez // www.cratesaudio.com
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Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new

In this re-released episode, guest Rosalba Fontanez is challenging parents to love their children without expectation of grandchildren. As the mother of a childfree person herself (the host of this program!), she knows a little bit about the pressure to have kids and the toxicity of the mindset that grandparents are entitled to grandchildren.

Rosalba offers sage advice and alternative options to parents who hassle their own kids for grandkids. Her overarching theme is that everyone has their own purpose and mission, and not everyone is meant to be a parent. But once people recognize that their own children's purpose and mission can include many other fulfilling possibilities, and isn't only limited to bearing more children, they then allow space for so much more.

Rosalba reflects on her own experience as a grandmother to her stepson's kids, emphasizing that it is not necessary to have biological grandchildren to experience the joy of grandparenting. She encourages parents feeling victimized by their children not giving them grandchildren to focus on themselves, serve their communities, and be a grandparent figure to those who need it—including less-fortunate children and house pets.

***Support the show for as little as $3/month***

After listening to this episode, you'll have a better understanding of:
- why the toxic mindset of entitlement to grandchildren needs to be abolished
- how it's not necessary to have grandchildren to feel fulfilled or have unconditional love in your life, and instead consider volunteering or spending time with other children
- that people who choose not to have children shouldn't feel pressured or victimized by others' expectations

If you've ever been bingoed by your own parents (or grandparents) , you might want to share this episode with them. Because maybe hearing it from one of their own peers might help them understand why being childfree is so important to you.

More about Rosalba:

As a hypnotherapist and shamanic healer for over 20 years, Rosalba helps people heal their own trauma (both new and generational) to lead healthier lives.

Find her online at:

• Instagram | Facebook
• Healing with Andean Medicine website
• Book a session and more services

To get the full show notes, and an episode transcript, go to PauletteErato.com.

Like what you hear? Reach out to send your thoughts, and don't forget to grab a limited edition LVMC baseball t-shirt. Check it out at pauletteerato.com/shop.

How to reach me:

• Email me at hola @ pauletteerato dot com
• DM me on Instagram @pauletteerato
• Join the LVMC Substack at https://pauletteerato.substack.com/
• Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@lavidamaschevere
• Support the show at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948831/supporters/new