Educating the community is a laudable mission. However, there are many obstacles to overcome in order to have tools and solutions to share. And Victoria Jenn Rodriguez knows that firsthand.

At her core, Rodriguez is heart-centered. The serial entrepreneur considers herself “a big-time daddy’s girl and lover of positive energy.”

After spending 15 years in corporate, Rodriguez decided to bet on herself seven years ago and hasn’t looked back since. This powerhouse has created three companies and now teaches women to do exactly what she did — get unstuck and leave her 9-to-5 behind.

For Victoria Jenn Rodriguez, learning how to create and expand a business without losing financial security is critical. Moreover, it is crucial for her to learn how to overcome imposter syndrome.

Rodriguez recognizes that, when it comes to making a decision, questions are key

After leading many conferences and empowering women to “own their badassery,” Victoria Jenn Rodriguez found her calling. Her signature keynotes generally consist of “dope ass energy, positive vibrancy, tangible strategies, and lots of spice,” she told FIERCE.

Her strategy is undoubtedly to play up “all the parts of my Latina flavor.”

But now, Rodriguez has decided to embark on a new project, her “latest baby,” as she calls it, and one that is making a difference in the community.

After turning 40 and asking herself the questions that come with every chronological milestone in a woman’s life, Rodriguez knew she needed answers.

“What do you really want?” “What do you find yourself quieting so the world is not offended?” “What kind of impact do you want to have?” “What is your truth?” Those were the questions Rodriguez knew she needed to solve.

“I got a sign from God that I needed to double down on my community and provide them with the tools and resources they needed to break generational curses and build generational wealth,” she remembered.

Thus, Banking on Cultura was born

Victoria Jenn Rodriguez’s latest project is an audiovisual podcast and video proposal that focuses “on the vibrancy and complexity of Latino culture, entrepreneurship, and all the bochinche in between.”

“My goal is to be the source to mobilize Latinos to embrace their Latinidad as a competitive advantage,” Rodriguez explained, emphasizing the importance of showcasing “our endless value in the marketplace, business, and Corporate America.”

But it wasn’t all plain sailing. When the entrepreneur decided to launch her podcast, she says she had “no idea” what she was doing.

“When I decided to launch my podcast 12 months ago, I had no idea what I was doing. This was a completely new world for me,” Rodriguez explained. “All I knew was that I wanted to educate my community, make them laugh, and give them real strategies.”

Learning to navigate imposter syndrome and a ‘steep’ learning curve

When it comes to sharing her journey, Victoria Jenn Rodriguez is candid and vulnerable. In fact, she claims to have been “a victim of not knowing what I didn’t know.” However, she is grateful for the support of people she knew in the industry who she relied on to help her figure it out.

So, after countless conversations and market research, Rodriguez got down to work.

“I found a studio, booked my guests, shopped my podcast to sponsors, and just went all in,” she remembers. “I cannot tell you how many times I questioned if this project was worth my time, energy, and money.”

And that imposter syndrome we Latinas know so well was her companion for many moments.

“[It] was all up in my space,” Rodriguez explains. “Some days, it felt overwhelmingly unfamiliar and uncomfortable.”

But for the entrepreneur, her mission was clear. In fact, she says what kept her going was God.

“After all, the reason for starting this podcast was because he gave me a sign and told me this was my calling — my community needed me, and I was the woman to get the job done.”

For Victoria Jenn Rodriguez, asking for help is an ‘intentional’ matter

This is perhaps one of the most important learnings of this Latina’s career. For Victoria Jenn Rodriguez, “doing it alone is working harder instead of smarter.” She says she relies on experts, mentors, advisors, friends, and family, and the all-hands-on-deck approach has worked well for her.

“In our community, we’re taught that asking for help makes you weak and you shouldn’t share your problems,” Rodriguez explains. “I believe if we don’t ask for help, we set ourselves up for failure and become frustrated with the process until we ultimately give up.”

But first and foremost, the important thing is to get started. For Rodriguez, movement allows clarity and the ability to identify what works and what doesn’t.

“Take one of the ideas in your head and just execute,” she recommends. “Don’t be afraid of failure. There are important lessons in the mistakes.”

“The truth is most people have no clue what they’re doing,” she concludes. “They’re learning as they go and figuring it out on the fly. If you allow ambiguity to hold you back, you’ll stay stuck on the ‘hows’ and ‘what ifs.'”

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