Jefa + Co.

When I first started this blog a couple of months ago, I didn’t really know what direction to take with it.

I just knew I wanted Latinas to feel empoderadas + inspiradas. I wanted to create a space where local women could go to share their dreams, goals and aspirations with other women.

I wanted to create connections and new friendships.

I wanted to break the cycle that, as Latina women, we have created.

A cycle of selfishness, envy and hate towards each other.

I felt the need to bring something like this to our local community but didn’t think very far beyond that.

Then, one night, like many other nights (because that’s when most of my ideas take place), I thought about creating this blog.

I knew I wanted to feature local Latinas.

I knew I wanted to inspire these women to come out of their shell and use my platform to help them reach a bigger milestone in their businesses.

After all, that’s what the page was supposed to be about. Support.

What I didn’t know is all the wonderful things that were to come with this page.

In just a few short months I have gained so many friendships and have had the doors to uncharted territory open wide for me.

I’ve learned that networking is a very important tool and that I must not be afraid of everything being thrown at me.

I’ve learned to be humbly appreciative of every single person that allows me to be a part of their story.

It’s crazy how much this small idea has grown and keeps expanding.

Towards the end of the year I decided that I didn’t want to keep that for myself.

I wanted other women that were driven and hungry for encouragement from other locals to have an opportunity to engage with each other in person.

Thus, the idea for a workshop was born.

I immediately reached out to my hairdresser, Lillie for an appointment to tell her all about it. (Don’t worry, she’s a hairdresser, she’s used to crazy talk in her chair). She also was my very first feature on the blog, so she has definitely been a big supporter on this crazy ride.

When I told her about it, she had some of the best words of wisdom and when I left my appointment I felt fearless.

I began planning my workshop.

With the help of other entrepreneur Jefas, my vision slowly started becoming a reality.

I asked for the space…boom…I was given the space.

I asked for a speaker…boom…she gladly accepted the challenge.

I asked, and every time I did, I received.

It’s funny how that works, but it does.

Once you lose your fears and worries, amazing things can happen

Ponte Las Pilas Workshop was a total success and I am very pleased with the turnout. I can’t stop thanking everyone who was a part of it.

Such an amazing experience with other like minded jefas.

Credits:

The Ox Dance Bar: venue provided by Jessica Gomez

Popsi: balloon stylists

It’s Party Customs: fruit/mimosa set up

Fancy Fiesta: bar tending service

Grace Alvar Decor: table linens

Motivational Speaker: Lillie Peña with Enlightened

Photography: Pilar Chapa

Videography: Morales Media

Hola Jefas!

I want to address the madness that we are having to endure during these times of uncertainty, doubt, anxiety and fear.

I hope to spread some positivity and encourage you to be strong and brave for your familias and your loved ones.

To do that, we must stay informed, be patient and more than anything have faith in God’s greater plan.

I hope that with this post I can be a small window of hope in the midst of all the madness.

A friend texted me the other day and she wanted to know my thoughts on COVID-19.

I told her I wasn’t (and still am not) worried.

Why?

Porque tengo fe en Dios.

Don’t get me wrong, my family and I are taking extra precautions, as everyone should but I’m not worried about the future.

I have not set foot in a supermarket since last Friday and that was only to grab ONE package of toilet paper because we were running out.

The last time I shopped for groceries was about 10 days ago. Although we are beginning to run low, I am not concerned because I know He will provide.

The only shortage going on right now is the shortage we are creating by hoarding supplies and taking more than we need.

Imagine if we all took it one day at a time and only took what we needed? A grocery store run would not feel like The Hunger Games.

Yes, wash your hands often.

Yes, stay home if you are ill.

Yes, stay hydrated.

This shouldn’t be new and you should have already been implementing it into your daily lives. But if you have not been doing so, I guess now’s the time to step it up.

Those of you who are out of work at the moment, please take this as a blessing and enjoy your families, paint, draw, bake a cake together, pray, solve a puzzle, spring clean your closets and drawers, watch your favorite movie and for the love of God, please stop taking all of the toilet paper.

Xoxo,

Claudia

I got to thinking the other night that I don’t think I’ve formally introduced myself here on the blog.

I’ve shared some personal stories, but have never really talked about who I am.

Below are some random facts about me.

I am the oldest of three siblings and the only girl. Born to Mexican parents, my brothers and I were raised with very traditional customs.

I was born and raised right here in Midland, Texas. “Graduation class of 2008—don’t hate!“ was our slogan. Go Rebels!

I’m a lefty. I’ve heard left handed people are multitalented, artistic and creative. I’m living proof. 😉

I’m also a Sagittarius. I only believe in horoscopes when it’s convenient for me.

I love to sing. Put any Jenni Rivera karaoke y me las se todas!

I would like to consider myself as social and outgoing, but I do love my space. I’m that girl that agrees to go out, but then later regrets it and wishes she was in bed watching Forensic Files.

I work full time for a sand hauling trucking company. I take care of their invoices. The biggest perk is being able to work from the comfort of my own home, because [read above paragraph].

I’m currently plus size. Yes, currently, because one day I’ll get the motivation to be a size 6 again. In the mean time, tacos and tortas are life.

My cousin and I invented Hot Cheetos con limón. Someone just beat us to the punch.

My biggest insecurity are my extraterrestrial toes. They really are out of this world.

My husband is the complete opposite of me. I’m outgoing, loud and love attention. He’s quiet, shy and hates the spotlight. Whoever said ‘opposites attract’ really knew what they were talking about.

Hard liquor over beer or wine coolers any day.

My Starbucks go to: grande white chocolate mocha [nonfat milk and no whip] cause health. 🤣

For the past few months I’ve gotten really into Rae Dunn dishes. Going to Home Goods to hunt for goodies is one of my favorite pastimes. That Señora Life is coming in strong!

I like reading. I especially enjoy self-help and motivation books.

That about sums me up…currently.

Kids with guns at school.

Nothing new.

Teachers spending more time teaching safety lockdowns than arithmetics.

Like another mandatory elective such as economics and politics.

Parents scared to drop their babies off.

Don’t you think we’ve had enough?

Every day waking up to a new threat,

We live in fear and are in a constant fret.

What happened to the good ol’ days,

When fear at school wasn’t something we had to face?

We say a prayer in the drop off line in the mornings,

Hoping we get through another day without threats and warnings.

Why has this become the new normal?

Take me back to the days that weren’t so formal.

When our biggest fear at school was getting a bad grade,

Not that a kid threatened to bomb the school with a grenade.

Being a mother this day and age is hard,

I pray we get through this chaos together and that school violence ends once and for all.

This month’s feature is G O A L S!

Her office space for ONE of her businesses is 10 stories high in a downtown building overlooking one of the city’s busiest streets.

Sitting there in her office made me think that maybe one day I could have an office space like that for Jefa Latina headquarters.

Soñar no cuesta nada, cierto?

Judy Tena owns West Couture and helps her husband run Spur Vacuum Trucks, and she looks damn good doing it!

As soon as she walked through the door to her office, Judy’s presence screamed Jefa Vibes all the way!

I thoroughly enjoyed our time together as she talked about the family business, her store, kids, fashion, upcoming and ongoing projects, etc.

This month’s feature is coming in H O T !

Click below to listen to the interview:

You need a break.

Hell, you need a drink.

You’re exhausted and it’s only midweek, 11am.

The laundry is piled up.

The dishes are calling your name.

Your toddler is throwing a fit because you act like can’t find her favorite program on the DVR, when in reality you deleted it a few days ago to record a special episode of The Ellen Show that you may or may not ever get to watch.

Later, she’ll throw another tantrum because you refuse to feed her Cheetos and GoGurts for lunch.

Later, later you will run a quick errand before you have to go pick up the others from school.

After that, you may have to carpool to baseball games or gymnastics.

Quite possibly, you may end your evening stuffing your face with Chick-Fil-A in the car while you’re headed home in the evening traffic jam.

Before you know it, the kids are doing their homeworks and the little one squeezes in another tantrum, because, why not?

You wrangle everyone in the shower/bath and before you know it, the husband is home. He may as well be another child in the household because he demands attention and wants to rant about his day at work.

After everyone is tended to, you finally have some time to yourself.

Pero estás tan exhausta que prefieres irte a dormir temprano.

This cycle repeats itself day in and day out.

Before you know it, your life hits the fast forward button and you’re 5 – 10 years deep doing the same routine.

All your hopes and dreams of ever doing something for yourself are tucked away neatly into your pillow.

Don’t let this be you!

Find time to be yourself.

Find time to work on something for yourself.

Find time to work towards the dreams you’ve always wanted to do.

I promise you, house chores will be there now and they will be there later.

Maximize your time and set aside at least ONE hour of the day, heck one hour of the WEEK even, for yourself.

Mama, you matter.

Your dreams matter.

Your goals matter.

You can’t pour from an empty cup.

Momma needs to be alright so the entire house can be alright.

Don’t ever feel guilty for taking care of yourself.

Mind, body and soul.

Madre Latina, tu eres importante.

Ámate como amas a tus hijos.

No one talks about how hard it is to grow up in the United States as a first generation American.

Growing up in a strict, traditional Mexican home, I was deprived of many things.

Extracurricular activities and sports were not an option, as they were an inconvenience to my mother and her tenacious schedule of house chores. Not to mention, the economy wasn’t doing so good at the time and my oil field roustabout father couldn’t keep up with uniform and joining fees.

I was in choir my seventh grade year, but had to drop out the following year due to lack of resources mentioned above.

A social life was also pretty much non-existent for me. My parents had a firm grip on curfews and they were firm believers of “si ya saliste el viernes, no puedes salir el sábado o domingo.”- meaning I had to really do my research on upcoming events and technically break a sweat choosing what day of the weekend I wanted to go out. Even then, 11pm was the latest I could be out, ever.

My parents were also very picky with who my friends were because “dime con quien te juntas y te diré quien eres.” Thats why.

Naturally, I was hungry for freedom, so when I met my now husband of twelve years, I basically tricked him into asking me to marry him.

He was my only hope and I actually believed that getting married was the only way out of a strict home.

Naturally, when he went to ask for my hand in marriage, my parents agreed.

Why wouldn’t they? I was ‘of age’ , we were going to have a traditional wedding, and I wasn’t knocked up.

They were thrilled.

So the entire summer before we got hitched (which was also the summer before my senior year), we planned a wedding, looked at apartment complexes, and dreamed about finally being together, alone.

By the time school started, I spent my days daydreaming and writing Mrs. Mota and doodling hearts in my notebooks.

October rolled around and we finally made it official.

I remember moving all my things out of my bedroom and really having no hard time at all coping with the fact that my life as a kid was over.

Just like that.

Not only did I grow up from one day to the next, in the most literal terms, but my academic education came to a stop.

I did continue going to school for the short months that remained in the school year and got my high school diploma, but I never once thought about college again.

That would come later.

You see, since my parents never instilled it upon me, college didn’t seem necessary.

Now in day, I see this problem everywhere. And it is especially true for first generation Americans.

Traditional Hispanic parents are not encouraging their daughters to further their education.

Call it machismo, call it being naive, call it what you want, but young Latinas are being deprived of their education due to lack of support from their parents at home.

These parents actually think that the only major accomplishment in life is for their daughters to get married and have kids.

They are not supporting or entertaining the idea of college.

Most of these parents think college is for the rich. Although this is technically true, if you really have the ganas to succeed in life, I can assure you the resources are there for you to get through college with little to no money.

Scholarships, grants, etc. it is all readily available. With technology being at the top of our fingers, it has never been easier to apply for monies, send in applications, and write up required reports.

There is no excuse for Latinas to miss out on a world of opportunities.

I repeat, the resources are there!

The help is there! Talk to a guidance counselor, talk to a teacher.

Don’t let yourself become another statistic.

Another Latina that was good for nothing more than getting knocked up.

As Latinas, we owe it to our culture and most of all we owe it to ourselves.

We must prove that we can be more than what our parents and relatives think of us.

Recuerda, tu eres la jefa de tu propio destino. Elije el camino correcto.

I am my mother’s daughter. We are the women this administration doesn’t want. Women with roots in another country, with tongues that shape foreign words. Yet I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and, later, a Master’s. My education and accomplishments are tributes to my mother’s determination, signals to my family that we can make a positive impact and pursue our dreams in this country—even when we feel unwelcome in it.

Eva Recinos

Están listas para algo no antes visto en el Permian Basin?!

Prepare yourself for the ultimate Sunday Funday/ Girl’s Day Out/ Brunch Event/ Empowerment Event in the area!

I will be hosting my very first workshop in March and if you’re not already sick of me and my excitement, please read on.

This workshop will be geared toward women lacking the motivation or the support to become more successful wether it be in their personal life or their professional life.

It’s a chance for women to meet likeminded individuals, discuss goals and ideas, DIY your very own vision boards, and hear encouraging words from a motivational speaker.

My propósito with this workshop is for everyone to leave with a clearer vision of their life goals and a positive mindset to help them reach those goals.

I also hope everyone builds new friendships and learns the value of mujeres coming together for one another.

Huge shoutout to my dream team helping me carry out my vision.

I really hope that you grab a friend and come out to the event. I promise it will be worth every penny, and you will gain so much more inspiration when the event is over and done with.

I will post the link below for direct access to the tickets.

Ponte Las Pilas Workshop

The first five ladies to use code ELQUEMADRUGA at checkout get $5 off their admission. Hurry, there’s only a couple coupon codes available now! And seating is limited so if you’re thinking about it, you’re already overthinking it!

Come be a part of history in the Latina community in the Permian Basin!

Juntas lo podemos todo!

Since starting my blog, I’ve learned that not everything will go exactly the way you planned.

Every time I’ve met up with someone, nothing ever plays out the way I imagine it in my head.

It turns out BETTER!

As you all know, throughout the month I sprinkle some ‘self love’ posts here, ‘women empowerment’ posts there, ‘reaching your greatest potential’ posts here and there…

But nothing beats my once a month opportunity to actually sit down with local Jefas to showcase their businesses and talents.

I truly believe we can all take something from each other because we all have our unique Jefa stories to attest to.

This month’s feature rocked me to my core and challenged me to up my game on this here little ol’ blog.

Keep reading to find out why.

Meet Coral Maldonado.

Coral runs and owns Lucky Images. Es una fotógrafa profesional súper talentosa y chingona.

I have to admit I’ve followed her work for years and can easily tell you a number of people who have had their shoots done by her, but I had not had the pleasure myself to know her in person until our meeting.

I know this sounds cheesy, but I almost felt like I was meeting a celebrity for the first time.

As soon as we started getting ready for what I thought was going to be an interview about her, she quickly let me know she was not interested in talking about herself.

She briefed me a little on her background. She shared that she had worked for CPS for some time and that she also had a Masters degree in teaching and that she felt she had a bigger, more serious feature to discuss.

At this point I was all ears and optimistic as I quietly pushed my legal pad that had all my interview questions ready to go, to the side.

I listened attentively to her concerns about bringing awareness to a few sensitive subjects that need to be addressed in our community.

One of those subjects being domestic violence and abuse.

Before we knew it we were lost in conversation on how we could collaborate and use my platform to raise awareness to the issue.

That escalated quickly, huh?

You can thank Coral.

We all have a prima or a tia, a mama or a sister, or someone we know that has dealt with or is currently dealing with domestic violence. There is various types of domestic violence such as mental abuse, physical abuse and emotional abuse.

Between 960,000 and 3,000,000 incidents of domestic violence are reported each year, while many other incidents go unreported. It is estimated that more than ten million people experience domestic violence in the U.S. each year! That’s a massive number!

Coral and I will be working together to gather more detailed information and resources pertaining to the women in our area and we will raise awareness and become a glimmer of hope for battered women who may feel like they are alone in this type of situation.

We will also work together to create a campaign for these women. We want to be the voice for them. We want them to know there is help.

We will provide the resources to the best of our knowledge.

We want any woman out there who thinks there’s no way out to know that it’s okay to walk away.

I know this post is a little different than my others, but this was a challenge I could not say no to.

If our local women can come together to support success, we can all come together to raise awareness to these matters and be the change.

Stay tuned to the blog for special testimonies and projects we will be working on.

Keep in mind that we will need the support of the community and if anyone knows someone who has been through a domestic violence situation and has been able to get out of it and wouldn’t mind sharing their story, please reach out to either of us. Identities may remain anonymous if the individual desires. It is not our intent to expose anyone’s personal life, but rather to bring attention to the topic.

That being said, Coral is still considered my February Feature regardless of the turn of events that took place because she is doing God’s work just by advocating for these issues. And that, is a Jefa Latina in my book.

Also, can I just brag and boast that Coral complimented me on my photography skills?! Big stuff y’all!

If you’re local and have not had the pleasure of visiting this amazing bar with tasty drinks and eclectic atmosphere, let me tell you, you’re missing out!

I was honored to be invited to the soft opening a couple of weeks ago by the beautiful manager and promoter Jessica Gomez.

The ambiance is like nothing you’ve ever experience before in the area, complete with VIP booths and bottle service to complement your visit.

The wait staff is very friendly and accommodating. Our drinks were kept topped off the entire night. Their customer service is top notch!

There were many local faces at the event, including mayor Jerry Morales!

I had the pleasure of sitting with the beautiful Oyuki La Artista and we had fun catching up and talking about her upcoming trip to New York fashion week.

The night ended perfectly with some dancing on the ample dance floor. They even brought out balloons to add to the ambiance.

Overall, I highly recommend a visit to The Ox Dance Bar. You will not regret it!