"Before this program, I never imagined that a 10-minute presentation could shift a company culture"

Before this program, I never imagined that a 10-minute presentation could shift a company culture. I deeply care about DIB work, but struggled to make it feel relevant in a business environment where it was often deprioritized. Through Speaking & Influencing Mastery, I learned how to craft a story that not only moved people emotionally, but also reshaped leadership’s perception of what DIB programming could mean for our organization.

Using what I learned, I led a Día de los Muertos presentation that connected legacy, healing, and remembrance to business outcomes (a connection I would have never made before this program). The response stunned me. Our CEO sent me a personal note calling the presentation “perfect.” Employees reached out to share how the story impacted them, offering their own stories, experiences, and actions they were going to take. One even said it was “the best company call” they had ever attended.

And then the founder of Mi Altar, whose platform I used to create a company altar, reached out asking to feature my story on her blog. What began as a 10-minute talk became a cultural spark; proof that influence isn’t about having the loudest voice, but the most intentional one.

It may not be a grand or flashy story, but it is a story where speaking and influencing brought people closer together and brought DIB programming back to life. And that, to me, is true mastery.