The Grad School Femtoring Podcast

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The Grad School Femtoring Podcast

Learn all things grad school, sustainable productivity, & personal development for first-gen BIPOCs.

26/11/2024

I want to share a story that highlights the power of coaching in helping nontraditional, first-gen, Latina grad students succeed.

One of my long-term coaching clients—who worked with me for two years—graduated this year with her PhD!

Her journey wasn’t easy. She was juggling motherhood, multiple part-time jobs, and a difficult advisor but with structured support, accountability, and a plan that fit her specific challenges as a Latina mama and first-gen scholar, she reached the finish line with a postdoc lined up after graduation.

Here’s where it gets even better: she referred her close friend, who was facing a daunting challenge—finishing her dissertation in just two months while juggling not one, but three part-time jobs. With tailored coaching and a clear roadmap, this client is in the middle of finishing up revisions and filing her dissertation as we speak! 🎓

But it doesn’t end there. Seeing the value of coaching firsthand, this new client has now referred two of her writing group colleagues, who’ve both connected with me to explore coaching for their own grad school journeys.

I’m proud to share that more than half of my clients come from referrals. It speaks volumes about the need for coaching among folks who are first-gen, nontraditional, BIPOC, parenting students, neurodivergent, disabled, and others navigating academia with full lives and systemic challenges.

I know from experience how so many of us need support beyond what academia alone can offer. Coaching can provide the structure, encouragement, and personalized strategies we all need to thrive in grad programs and beyond.

If you’re someone who feels overwhelmed or know someone who’s struggling to finish their dissertation or thesis, I’d love to connect. Together, we can create a sustainable plan to help you cross the finish line with confidence and without burning out.

25/11/2024

A grad student recently sent me this exciting photo from an anthropology conference—look what she spotted! My co-authored book, Is Grad School For Me? Demystifying the Application Process for First-Gen BIPOC Students, proudly displayed at the University of California Press booth! 📖✨

This moment is extra special because this year, I learned that our book is now being taught in graduate prep curriculums at UC Davis and Cal State LA, among others. If you’ve spotted our book being taught in a classroom, please let us know as we’re keeping track of the book’s impact that way.

Seeing how it’s reaching classrooms, conferences, and the hands of students who need it most is a dream come true and would make the former first-gen Chicanita undergrad in me so proud!

For first-gen, low-income, and nontraditional students of color, the path to grad school often feels overwhelming and isolating. That’s why we wrote this book—to provide guidance, reassurance, and actionable strategies to help you thrive in your higher ed journey.

If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Or if you’ve seen it in the wild (like at this conference), tag me or send me a photo—it makes our day!

27/09/2024

Just a gentle reminder about this upcoming workshop.

I had intended to promote it more this week but there’s has been a lot going on and I haven’t had the spoons to share more about it. Yesterday too I received devastating news about the loss of someone important in my life.

In any case, if you want to learn more, check out the details in the link I share within the comments.

29/08/2024

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve earned the Embrace Change Coaching Certification, specializing in coaching People of Color!! 🎉

Through this program I fulfilled a long-standing goal I’ve had to enhance my coaching skills.

I also that the privilege to join a program designed for and by BIPOC professionals.

And in addition to gaining valuable skills, I also gained a hugely supportive community of incredible women of color leaders.

To be frank, I’ve wanted to pursue a coaching certification since 2021 but found most programs lacking in diversity or beyond my budget. Discovering ’s brand new BIPOC-focused program was a game-changer for me.

Building on this achievement, I plan to pursue my ICF coaching certification to expand my opportunities for coaching with different types of organizations who ask for this credential.

I’m excited to already be applying these skills with a full roster of BIPOC grad student clients who I recently onboarded into my 1:1 coaching program.

19/08/2024

This is your last reminder to join us for a hands-on personal storytelling and systems workshop for first-gen, BIPOC creatives and professionals seeking to confidently take action towards their desires!

Deadline to sign up is today, April 19 at 4pm PST. Workshop is tomorrow April 20 at 4pm PST.

Through our (Dra. Yvette & Camila) combined experience of hundreds of coaching sessions, we have distilled confidence building down to two central pillars: storytelling and systems.

Once you are CLEAR about what your unique story is and can distinctly identify your personal work-style systems, you can make moves easily towards your vision.

Your story is where you learn, feel, and embody your inherent worthiness and your work systems are your tools for sustainably following-through on your goals!

When you know who you are and know how to execute on your needs and goals, confidence is inevitable.

Join us for a 90 minute group experience where you will learn how to identify and harness these pillars of confidence for yourself!

No more holding back, no more second guessing, no more waiting for permission to create what you want.

Agenda:

-Welcome and Grounding Exercise

-Speaker Backstories

-Introduction to Bottom-up and Top-down Processing

-Approach 1: Storytelling and Clarity

→Reflection exercises

→Developing your personal narrative

-Approach 2: Systems and Advocacy

→Identifying work strengths and preferences

→Advocacy strategies and boundary setting

-Q&A and Closing

Sign up at the 🔗 or DM us to learn more.

[ID in comments]

13/08/2024

What if confidence was less about your belief in your ability to accomplish something in a particular way and more about believing that you’ll be okay even if things don’t work out like you expected?

What if you gave yourself permission to fail? What if the worst case scenario happened and you realized the outcome wasn’t as scary as you imagined?

What if you remembered all the past moments that you were scared to do something and then it worked out differently but better than you imagined?

This is what I tell myself all the time when I find myself not wanting to do something due to my own negativity biases and fear of failure.

This is how I feel sometimes when promoting my services, even this workshop that I’m hosting next week.

Even though we will pour our hearts out into the workshop, I think to myself, “What if no one signs up?”

Well, then at least we tried.

And thankfully, we’ve already had a few sign ups because of our efforts.

If you want to learn more about confidence building in grounded way that honors who you are and how you do things, join us next week.

Workshop will be held on April 20 at 4pm PST. Deadline to sign up is April 19 at 4pm PST.

[ID: Five images. The first four have a white and off-white floral background with teal and indigo text shared above. The last image has a flier that is part white and part lilac with headshots of olive-skinned Chicana coaches. On the left is Camila with long straight dark brown hair, hoop earrings, and a floral top. On the right is Dra. Yvette with mid-length wavy dark brown hair, glasses, beaded earrings, and a hot pink top.

The text reads, “Aug. 20, 4pm PST, Virtual Event / Your Confidence is Inevitable / Cultivating Your Story and Systems / Camila Lacques-Zapien / Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu / A hands-on personal storytelling and systems workshop for first-gen, BIPOC creatives and professionals seeking to confidently take action towards their desires!”]

08/08/2024

I’m a recovering perfectionist.

My earliest memory tied to this was when I was in elementary school and would dread using an eraser. I would crumple up multiple sheets of paper for a making a mistake when writing my name. This was before even starting my homework.

My dad reinforced my perfectionism. He expected straight As, there was no other option. I wasn’t allowed to do B-level work, let alone ever fail. I didn’t want to know what would happen to me if I failed. I was terrified.

When I got to college, my fear of failing compounded when I took my first neuroscience class. Not only did I struggle but it led to me earning my first C and my body reacted as if the world had ended. I went into fight or flight. I was so ashamed. There went my hopes for majoring in neuroscience.

In grad school, perfectionism followed me. I obsessed over citations, grammar, and formatting because that’s what I had control over. In actuality I needed substantial support with developing my ideas but I was afraid to ask for help and be discovered like the fraud I thought I was. As a result, it took me longer than I hoped to finish and it was a painful process.

If I could go back in time, I wish someone had told me as a child that you can make mistakes, you’re allowed to fail, you have permission to do B-level work, you can aim for progress not perfection, and that it’s better to do something imperfectly than nothing at all.

Perfectionism made my life harder.
Perfectionism limited my growth.
Perfectionism also hurt my confidence.

Battling perfectionism has been one way I’ve managed to reach my goals and improve my confidence. When you give yourself permission to make mistakes and not strive for perfection, you then open yourself up to trying new things, taking calculated risks, and reaching new goals. You also start accepting yourself and the way you do things, however imperfect they are.

If you want to learn other strategies and systems for improving your confidence, check out my upcoming workshop. Details in next slide.

[ID in comments]

06/08/2024

In grad school, writing a dissertation felt so hard and it nearly broke me and my confidence.In grad school, writing a dissertation felt so hard and it nearly broke me and my confidence.

I didn’t trust myself or my writing skills and instead, was ashamed of how I wrote because my writing was simple rather than full of jargon.

I often contemplated leaving my program because I kept pushing back writing deadlines and that made me feel worse about myself.

Slowly but surely, I started implementing systems to help me get to the finish line.

This looked like showing up to writing groups on campus, coworking with buddies at coffee shops, scheduling regular meetings with my advisor, and consistently using pomodoro timers while listening to the same music album on repeat.

With a lot of trial and error, I figured out what worked and after I finished my PhD, I continued using that same curiosity to discover more systems that worked for me and my brain, which fueled my confidence.

The more I prove to myself that I can do hard things, with the proper systems and support, the more I believe in my ability to do it.

This belief has led to me pivoting careers, moving abroad, and even co-authoring a book, which, get this, we wrote the full manuscript in six months. And it felt easy too!

This is also my hope for the people I work with and anyone else who resonates with my story.

I want you to lean into curiosity, listen to the messages your body, mind, and spirit are telling you about what works for you, and use that knowledge to develop systems to help you reach your goals.

If you want to learn more, check out my upcoming workshop. Details in next slide.

[ID in comments]

01/08/2024

The topic of confidence building comes up a lot in my 1:1 coaching and consulting sessions with grad students and professionals.

Many of the people I work with are first-gen BIPOCs seeking to improve their self-confidence and a common question they ask is, how did you gain enough confidence to start showing up authentically and taking action on your biggest dreams?

If I could pin it down to two things, they would be storytelling and systems.

Now, I’m not saying that both of these things are the only way to improve your self-confidence, but they can certainly help and they’ve made a huge difference for me.

How? Well, I started showing up in new spaces, however uncomfortable that was, where I was forced to introduce myself and share more about who I am, what I do, and why I do what I do. I also...
.. got serious about self-reflection and started noticing patterns in the way I was doing my work and living life. What felt good? What felt uncomfortable or even painful?

And slowly but surely I began identifying trends in my story, or my formative lived experiences, and my systems,or the way I could do things that instead of hurting me, could nourish me.

And that’s brought to where I am today.

I’m a coach and consultant

I’m a published author

I’m a network-backed podcaster

I’m a speaker who has given workshops and keynotes at top-ranked universities

And I’m also a homeschooling mom of two

In a 17 year relationship with my life partner

I started college at age 17 and finished my PhD at 27

I’ve pivoted careers twice

I bought a home, sold it, moved abroad, and moved back

I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety for longer than I can remember

I have substantial difficulties with executive skills and yet was labeled “gifted” in K-12

I am still dealing with the grief of managing my chronic illnesses, including a new one that came up last year as a result of getting covid

And even with all of this, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more confident. Because I have a clear sense of who I am and who I’m becoming.

*Rest of text in comments

30/07/2024

Join us for a hands-on personal storytelling and systems workshop for first-gen, BIPOC creatives and professionals seeking to confidently take action towards their desires!

Through our (Dra. Yvette & Camila) combined experience of hundreds of coaching sessions, we have distilled confidence building down to two central pillars: storytelling and systems.

Once you are CLEAR about what your unique story is and can distinctly identify your personal work-style systems, you can make moves easily towards your vision.

Your story is where you learn, feel, and embody your inherent worthiness and your work systems are your tools for sustainably following-through on your goals!

When you know who you are and know how to execute on your needs and goals, confidence is inevitable.

Join us for a 90 minute group experience where you will learn how to identify and harness these pillars of confidence for yourself!

No more holding back, no more second guessing, no more waiting for permission to create what you want.

Sign up at the 🔗 or DM us to learn more.

[ID: A flier that is part white and part lilac with headshots of olive-skinned Chicana coaches. On the left is Camila with long straight dark brown hair, hoop earrings, and a floral top. On the right is Dra. Yvette with mid-length wavy dark brown hair, glasses, beaded earrings, and a hot pink top.

The text reads, “Aug. 20, 4pm PST, Virtual Event / Your Confidence is Inevitable / Cultivating Your Story and Systems / Camila Lacques-Zapien / Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu / A hands-on personal storytelling and systems workshop for first-gen, BIPOC creatives and professionals seeking to confidently take action towards their desires!”]

18/07/2024

“Unfortunately, you are not going to be able to complete your prospectus this quarter. I realize that you were involved in several other kinds of projects, but they have, finally, preceded and displaced your progress on your prospectus. … So please continue in Winter with X as the Chair of your committee.”

In grad school, I constantly felt as if I was messing up and one area where I struggled substantially was with communication.

No matter how hard I tried, I kept messing up. I would over communicate. I would under communicate. I was doing too much of some things (e.g. my mentoring “projects”) and not enough of others (my prospectus).

So much so that my first advisor passed me on to another person.

That day was really hard.

With time (it’s been over a decade now), I’ve realized that part of my struggles had to do with my neurodivergence.

I was constantly afraid of opening my mouth because I knew that sometimes my straightforwardness came off as disrespectful and my numerous questions came off as incompetence and/or questioning authority.

I also needed more time. More time to read and process information. More time to write. More support in general.

But I didn’t know about my access needs and while I did have physical health challenges, I struggled with internalized ableism and tried to “push through” rather than requesting accommodations.

That’s why now that I work as a coach and consultant for grad students and professionals, one of the areas that I support them in is with communication and self-advocacy.

Because I don’t want them to struggle like I did.

Instead, I want them to empower themselves to get the support they need to finish their programs and move on to the next chapter of their lives.

________________

👋🏽 Hola! I’m Dra. Yvette, a grad school and productivity coach, consultant, podcaster, author, and speaker.

🔔 Follow for all things grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal growth. And DM me if you’d like to hire me as your next speaker and/or coach.

[ID: Screenshot of LinkedIn post with text shared above.]

11/07/2024

Before I started my graduate program, I had so much confidence! Now, my confidence level is down to the floor.

This is a message that regularly echoes in my mind after hearing a different variation of it from several q***r, first-gen, neurodivergent, women and nonbinary people of color who reach out and book consultation meetings with me.

This was also me in grad school. I not only lost my confidence, but my creativity too and it took me years to regain it. In some ways, I’m still working on it.

It’s a familiar story, isn’t it?

But here’s something to remember: grad school, no matter how long it may take, is just a chapter—maybe even a single page—in your book. And it doesn’t define you or your worth. We are much more than our degrees.

Also, remember why you started this journey. That passion, that drive, that vision, and yes that confidence too—it’s still there, albeit, buried and needing some tending to.

This is where coaching can come in to offer support. I’ve seen how powerful it can be to ask open-ended questions to help you get back to what matters most to you.

Even if you’re unable to work with a coach or if this is just not the right time, consider answering the following questions for yourself:

- What inspired you to pursue grad school in the first place?
- What does it mean for someone like you to complete this program? Why does it matter?
- What part of you isn’t being seen, heard, or acknowledged in your program? And who can you reach out to to receive that much-needed affirmation?
- Lastly, aside from your academics and career, who are you? What do you stand for? What impact do you want to make?

I hope that through some deep reflection, you can slowly but surely start regaining that self-confidence. Because the world needs you confidently doing what you do best!

[ID: 2 screenshots of a LinkedIn post with message typed above.]

——

👋🏽 Hola! I’m Dra. Yvette, a grad school and productivity coach, consultant, podcaster, author, and speaker.

🔔 Follow for all things grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal growth. And DM me if you’d like to learn more about my 1:1 and group coaching programs!

01/07/2024

I’m excited to announce that my co-author, Dr. Miroslava Chavez-Garcia, and I will be giving a hybrid book talk at the UCLA National McNair Conference later this month.

As first-gen Chicanas, we understand the particular and often compounded challenges that first-gen BIPOC students navigate when considering whether or not to attend graduate school. That’s why we wrote our book, Is Grad School For Me?: Demystifying the Application Process for First-Gen BIPOC Students.

Our talk will highlight our stories, as well as the stories of those featured in the book, share some insights, and offer encouragement to those that are on their path to higher ed.

If you’re a program director or work with low-income, first-gen, and/or nontraditional students, please reach out. We’d love to see how we might be able to support your programming through our book and book talks. I also offer separate workshop and keynotes related to grad admissions, productivity, and personal growth.

[ID: Blue, white and yellow flier with a bruin bear on the bottom left and with the text, “UCLA McNair Conference / Register Today! / July 24 - July 26, 2024 / Keynote Speakers - Local Campus Visits / Oral And Poster Presentations / Grad School Fair -Workshops - Cultural Activity - Networking / And So Much More! / www.aap.ucla.edu/mcnair/ Questions? / Contact: [email protected]”]

26/06/2024

Let me tell you a quick story about how my son has taught me a valuable lesson about not giving up and doing things at the right time for you, even if you’re a late-bloomer.

When my son was four, a year after he was diagnosed on the autism spectrum, we signed him up for swim lessons. Unfortunately, for many reasons, it didn’t go well and this led to him failing more than one swim class.

This year, at age ten, he asked us to sign him up for swim lessons— his choice, his terms. Since February, he’s been taking weekly group lessons (with a short break in between) and now he’s not just swimming - he can actually float longer than I can! 😱

He’s reminded me that timing matters as much as effort does. Some things take time and it’s okay to give yourself permission to fail and try again.

For me it means that although I haven’t reached some of the personal and professional goals that I see my peers reaching at my age, that’s okay because eventually, if I keep at it, I’ll get there.

[ID in comments]

———

👋🏽 Hola! I’m Dra. Yvette, a grad school and productivity coach, consultant, podcaster, author, and speaker.

🔔 Follow for all things grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal growth. And DM me if you’d like to hire me as your next speaker and/or coach.

25/06/2024

“I don’t want to be icky in my marketing” is what I told my peer coach just a week or two ago when telling her about how uncomfortable I get with promoting my services on my platforms.

I’ve been a full-time entrepreneur for just under three years now and this continues to be a major obstacle in me scaling my business to a point where I don’t have to worry if I’ll be able to pay my bills the next month.

My coach then helped me remind myself that every person on my social media, podcast, and newsletter has opted to follow me, they’ve consented to seeing/listening to my content, and if they don’t like it, they can unfollow.

That’s so true! And guess what?

After that convo I sent one email out about how I have a few slots open for 1:1 coaching an 50% off to help me finish my coaching certification hours and that email led to 1 person signing up and 2 others who have consultations booked on my calendar.

I technically still have 5 more spots available for now and would ideally love to get more first-gen BIPOC grad student clients. Reach out if you’d like to learn more.

[ID: Image one is close up of Dra. Yvette who has olive-skin, glasses, gold beaded earrings, pink lips, and floral shirt with a purple throw blanket in the background. Image two and three is a screenshot of LinkedIn post with text shared above.]

24/06/2024

Today I want to shout out the Embrace Change Coaching Certification Program.

Thanks to joining this program, I’ve had a chance to connect with and build genuine relationships with some incredible coaches and leaders in their respective fields.

We recently had our last instructional session and it’s bittersweet that our time in this program is coming to an end.

For the next few months, all of us will be completing our required coaching hours and if you’ve ever been curious about coaching, I highly recommend you work with any of us.

Check out our Instagram and LinkedIn pages and follow us to learn more!

[ID: Zoom screenshot of the following POC coaches from left to right: Heather MacDonald, Vince Zabala (ACC, M. Ed), Payal Shah, Certified Professional Coach, PCC, ELI-MP, Naseem Kapdi, Lili Montero, Mari Eva Mendes, Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu, Myra Liwanag, Dana J., and Kaity Tang, MBA.]

19/06/2024

Yesterday, I had the privilege of leading a workshop on navigating the “hidden curriculum of grad admissions” for an incredible group of from across the country who are completing a summer program.

As a former Mellon Mays Fellow myself, it was deeply rewarding to share insights with the next generation of scholars from across the country.

Despite running the gamut of energy levels (from 5.5 to 10 out of ten), this cohort truly impressed me with their enthusiasm and thoughtful engagement.

However, one insight particularly struck me - the overwhelming majority of them expressed plans to take a gap year or more before applying to graduate programs.

This is a stark contrast from my own MMUF undergrad days when gap years were rarely encouraged or even presented as an option.

Times are changing and for the better! It is gratifying to see more students feeling empowered to more thoughtfully and intentionally map their own journeys rather than rushing straight through to another degree.

My biggest takeaway? We need to share the realities - good, bad, and ugly - about pursuing academia. No more sugar-coating.

And when we equip students with the full picture, they can make truly informed decisions aligning with their values and aspirations.

I’m honored to play a small part in supporting and femtoring these amazing students.

[ID in comments]

———

👋🏽 Hola! I’m Dra. Yvette, a grad school and productivity coach, consultant, podcaster, author, and speaker.

🔔 Follow for all things grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal growth. And DM me if you’d like to hire me as your next speaker and/or coach.

18/06/2024

I had such a wonderful time filming my first course with on the topic of productivity and wellbeing. Looking forward to sharing the finished product soon!

In the meantime, check out these awesome behind the scene photos from my recording date. Can you tell that I had a blast?!

I want a give a special shoutout to Hayley Doyle and Maxine Murray for making this process so seamless and supportive and to Sanford Jackson for cracking me up one too many times and making me feel very comfortable in front of the camera.

Make sure to follow me so you’re the first to find out when my course is out. And while you’re at it, follow too as they’re constantly producing great courses!

[ID in comments]

________________

-Hola! I’m Dra. Yvette, a grad school and productivity coach, consultant, podcaster, author, and speaker. 👋🏽

-Follow for all things grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal growth. And DM me if you’d like to hire me as your next speaker and/or coach. 🔔

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Videos

Unboxing my Signal Award! 🏆

Here to share a touching moment that showcases exactly why we wrote Is Grad School for Me?: Demystifying the Application Process for First-Gen BIPOC Students. My co-author and I received an uplifting email from a director of a McNair Scholars Program, expressing how our book has resonated with their first-gen, low-income, and BIPOC students. Hearing that students see themselves in the stories we shared, feel represented, and are finding our guidance useful is incredibly meaningful. It’s being adopted into curriculums, including the Mellon Mays program on their campus, and impacting many lives. This shows the power of incorporating storytelling, representation, research, and accessibility in your writing! I hope it also reminds you to never give up on your dreams to write that book that you know the world needs. Thank you to everyone who has supported us on this book publishing journey—your support and readership means more than you could imagine. #HigherEducation #FirstGen #BIPOCStudents #GradSchool

The only reason I can do any of this is thanks to the support of my community who has my back. This year I became a published author, a certified coach, an award-winning podcaster, a LinkedIn Learning instructor. I also joined a speaker’s bureau and a podcasting network. None of this would be possible on my own. I still have many days out of the week where I struggle. I still experience pain daily. I still get easily overwhelmed. But I show up whenever I can because I know I’m not doing any of this alone. I do my best to make things easier on myself. I do my best to do good-enough work. I do my best to ask for help. “How do you do it all?,” they ask. I don’t. Instead, I focus on tasks that move the needle forward. I aim for progress, not perfection. And of course, I ask for help. Who is part of your support system? And how are you ensuring that you can keep reaching your goals sustainably? [ID: Video of Dra. Yvette sitting down and wearing a black and white button down top, black headband, and small silver hoop earrings.]

Last week I was honored to be invited to speak as part of Cal Poly Pomona’s First-Gen Week. My co-author and I were invited to give a talk on our book, Is Grad School For Me?: Demystifying the Application Process for First-Gen BIPOC Students. We received feedback from several students in the audience. Most of the participants found our session valuable and want to hear us speak again. Here are some noteworthy comments they shared: “Very empowering presentation and makes me feel motivated to apply for grad school. In addition to feeling more prepared as to what is to come for the future. Instead of feeling lost about the grad school process.” “This event was moving, inspiring, and reaffirming that students of color have a community to support them with their higher education endeavors.” “Very informative and the perfect amount of information without dragging on.” “It was really engaging!” Shout out to Dr. Brianne Dávila, the CPP College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, and all of the co-sponsors who helped make this happen! Thank you for helping to make this event a possibility! We look forward to future collaborations. [ID: Video of Dra. Yvette, an olive skinned Chicana with dark brown hair in a ponytail, wearing yellow beaded flower earrings and a grey CPP “I am first” shirt.]

Hang on to the people that matter. Show your appreciation. Shout out to my femtee, Jeanette, for her generosity and support. We need community now more than ever. 🫶🏽 [Video of Dra. Yvette, an olive skinned Chinana wearing a red USC Rossier School of Education shirt with a yellow headband and sunflower wooden earrings.]

Despite my current state of anxiety and dread, I’m reminding myself of the things that bring me joy. Today the thing that’s making me excited is launching my brand new FEMTOR merch! I’ve been debating doing this for months now. Some of my femtees might recall me mentioning it at the beginning of this year and then I let fear and overwhelm get in my way. That is until the @wocpodcasters community hosted a merch workshop and it reminded me that I don’t have to overcomplicate things to be able to offer something that can bring a smile to someone’s face. My merch collection features fun items like a holographic sticker, an unscented candle, and even a premium organic hoodie (not pictured in the video). Check out the items by going to [gradschoolfemtoring.com/shop](http://gradschoolfemtoring.com/shop)! Thanks for your support! [ID: Video of Dra. Yvette wearing a red shirt, black cardigan, tan headband, and black beaded earrings. In the video she shares merch items including two stickers and a candle.] #GradSchoolFemtoring #FemtorStickers #FemtorMerch

In episode 292 of the Grad School Femtoring Podcast, I share exciting news about winning a Signal Award and reflect on the power of visibility, community, and consistency. I discuss my podcasting journey and the encouragement and support I’ve received that led to the award. I also talk about the significance of representation in media and awards and the lessons that I’ve gained in setting intentions and embracing opportunities even while experiencing moments of doubt. 🎧 → gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast [Video with a close up shot of Dra. Yvette, an olive-skinned Chicana wearing Dodger blue and white colors, dark brown mid length hair, tan over ear headphones, and glasses while sitting on a chair with a purple throw blanket over it. She discusses how you need to do more than hard work to achieve success, you also need visibility and community.]

In episode 291 of the Grad School Femtoring Podcast, I welcome my guest @practicedana, a feedback and visibility coach, who addresses the importance of psychological safety and effective feedback in professional and non-profit spaces. Dana shares her journey from singing and performance to the non-profit sector, emphasizing the significance of feedback loops in fostering trust and improving engagement. Our conversation also touches on topics of cultural literacy, overcoming workplace trauma, and the need for reciprocal and constructive feedback at all organizational levels. Listen to learn strategies for handling negative feedback, embracing discomfort, and finding supportive environments. 🎧 → gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast [Video with Dana, a brown-skinned bi-racial Black woman with long wavy dark brown hair wears a patterned top with earphones and a vivid navy blue background.]

Behind the scenes info on why I’m choosing to moderate my last public workshop of the year on the topic of mental health. Check it out and join us this Thursday!

In episode 289 of the Grad School Femtoring Podcast, I share my personal journey with mental health challenges and navigating grief starting as early as middle school and going on through college, grad school, and my professional career. I also share the grief I’m currently experiencing after experiencing a recent loss. Listen to learn more about the importance of mental health advocacy, therapy, and the care strategies I implement to help me manage my mental health. 🎧 → gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast [Video that a close up shot of a light-olive skinned Chicana with straight mid-length dark brown hair, grey headband, beaded earrings, white t-shirt, and over ear headphones talking about how she’s no longer remaining quiet when it comes to her mental health.] #GradSchoolFemtoringPodcast #MentalHealth #ManagingGrief

Please don’t underestimate the power of dreaming during uncertain, and even devastating times. Now more than ever, we need your gifts out in the world. I hope that, if your circumstances allow, that you take a few minutes today to reflect on your dreams and the things that motivate you to keep going. For me, it’s this work that I do now tied to supporting and uplifting first-gen BIPOC folks within and beyond their higher education journey. It’s helping people to fully tap into their strengths, values, dreams and provide them with the tools to start executing on them. What about you? What inspires you to keep going? [ID: Video of Dra. Yvette, an olive-skinned femme wearing a striped black and white dress, with matching beaded earrings, clear glasses, and hair up in a bun, sitting on a purple chair and sharing insights related to the caption shared above.] #GradSchoolFemtoring #PersonalDevelopment #SustainableProductivity #FirstGenBIPOCWorkshop

Here’s a quick networking tip: connect with people based on shared values rather than limiting yourself to only connecting with people who have shared identities. When you build relationships based on a foundation of shared values, you’ll not only find it easier to connect, but you’ll also open yourself up to a world of new possibilities beyond your current environment.

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