Have you ever felt like your job is consuming your soul, but you’re afraid to let go of the paycheck for sure? What’s with that feeling! Well in the most recent episode of Mujeres Create, hosted by the experienced Yesenia Bello, we discover that sometimes life has to give us a very strong jolt to finally dare to fly. HERE you can listen to the podcast.
Yesenia, who has dedicated her career to elevating multicultural voices at the highest levels of media corporations, brought two legends to the table: Maria Teresa Hernandez and Lisa Torres. Both spent decades at the biggest agencies in the U.S., but today they are the minds behind Yellow House Collective, a company that is redefining how brands connect with real culture.
Click on the photo to listen to the podcast
What makes this story so profound is that both guests are cancer survivors, and that battle was their real turning point.
Maria Teresa: Diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 27, she decided life was too short to stay in her comfort zone in Chicago and moved to New York to live life to the fullest.
Lisa Torres: After surviving stage two cancer, she questioned what legacy she wanted to leave. Her purpose became clear: to change what people see on screen to be truly inclusive.
The “Chanel Suit Game” and authenticity
Lisa Torres is famous for her “brutal honesty”.
In the podcast, she recounted how she initially tried to fit into the mold of corporate elites, but soon realized she couldn’t win a game that wasn’t designed for her.
“I decided to start my own club,” he confessed.
His success did not come from imitating others, but from his “street smarts” and living the cultures he represents from his Lower East Side roots.
The leap of faith: From employee to owner
But not everything was rosy.
Maria Teresa described the transition as a “parachute jump”.
Despite making a lot of money in the corporate world, he suffered panic attacks due to burnout and lack of appreciation.
“The first month as an entrepreneur is an identity crisis,” Maria explained, having to disassociate her personal value from a title or a check.
For her part, Lisa gave a golden tip: your most valuable asset is your list of connections. Cultivate it before you leave.
Yellow House Collective: The Avengers of Culture
The name of her company is a tribute to Maria Teresa’s grandmother’s yellow house in Chicago, a haven of love and security.
Today, they define themselves as the “Avengers” of cultural media, bringing together niche experts to solve market fragmentation.
Lisa was blunt about demographics in the US: growth is cultural.
Today, in any group under the age of 50, the population is split 50/50.
Brands no longer have to be “brave” to invest in multicultural marketing; they have to be precise if they want to survive.
The episode is now available on all audio platforms, such as Apple Podcast and Spotify, where you can also listen to other titles promoted by QuéOnnda and Nueva Network, such as Renacer en el Duelo.
Are you ready to “do it with fear” as Lisa Torres says, or would you rather keep building someone else’s dream?
Filed under: Yellow House Collective
