This is podcaster and cycle-breaker Paulette Erato’s story of claiming her speaker identity.

Through her podcast La Vida Más Chévere, Paulette Erato (she/her) inspires women, especially Latinas, to break free from toxic cultural conditioning and lead their best, most expansive livies—no permission slips needed.

She’s also the founder of Latinas In Podcasting (LIP)—a community breaking the cycle of gatekeeping and creating visibility opportunities for voices too often excluded from the (still very “male and pale”) podcasting industry. 

Now, she’s boldly stepping into her speaker era—bringing her purpose and fire to the stage.

Want bigger speaking opportunities but don’t know where to begin

“If I wanted to aim for those bigger speaking opportunities—where do I go? Who do I talk to? I didn’t even know where to begin looking…”

For three years now, Paulette’s podcast has been her love letter to joy and reclamation—each episode a celebration of her unapologetic point of view as a childfree Latina.

She was also speaking at networking events and luncheons, reminding people what it looks like to question cultural conditioning and choose a bigger life. 

Every time she took the mic, she was giving others permission to do the same.

And yet, public speaking didn’t feel like a career path she could claim.

“Growing up, you know, American television was a very white landscape—not having people on screen who looked like me outside of Sesame Street really led me to believe I wasn’t allowed in certain spaces.

That story stayed with me for a long time. Not anymore—but long enough.

I want to remove that idea from all the little girls consuming media, from all the grown women who still have that notion buried in their minds.”

Paulette had the message and the mission—but no roadmap. Yet.

Speaking wasn’t a barrier for Paulette—she knew how to keep her listeners engaged as a seasoned podcaster. How to strip the filler words from her talks to make her message land. 

The irony?

She’d been an event planner—the one on the other side of the table who knew exactly what it took to hire a speaker.

But when it came to packaging up her expertise and becoming the speaker who wanted to be hired?

That was the gap. 

Why the Latinx Pop-up Speaker Directory felt like a “hell yes!” 

Paulette was looking for strategic guidance on positioning herself as a speaker, access to a network of speaking opportunities, and most importantly, a community where she could see others like herself succeeding in the space.

“I was excited that someone was taking advantage of Hispanic Heritage Month as a launchpad for visibility—not for themselves, but for other people. 

And, Steph is very warm and inviting—she is one of those grounding individuals who reminds you there is still goodness and pleasant things to look forward to in this world.”

Mindset shifts at the Speaker Movement Live Event

Instead of traditional networking where everyone pitches themselves to compete for attention, participants were asked to introduce someone else to the group.

Passing the mic like that created ripple effects like:

• Developing key skills as a speaker. Introducing another speaker is its own form of public speaking: you’re holding space and practicing delivery in real time. 

• Modeling collaboration. Steph baked collaboration into the structure. The event wasn’t just about “me, my talk, my visibility.” It was about lifting each other up.

“What I admire about Steph is she is the living breathing embodiment of what she proposes to be.

She wants everyone to win and inspires me to be a bolder leader for my community.”

The realization: We all rise together

The subversive structure of the Speaker Movement Live Event showed Paulette what was possible when we design spaces around abundance rather than competition.

“To be in the same space with speakers I look up to—and realize we’re equals—that was huge.” 

After years of navigating white, male-dominated spaces where hierarchy keeps marginalized folks small and exhausted, this shift felt seismic for her.

That scarcity mindset—the one whispering that someone else’s win shrinks your chances—melted away.

“It didn’t feel like we were competing anymore—suddenly it felt like the field was wide open. Like it’s not a piece of the pie we’re all fighting for. It’s a limitless landscape.”

Paulette’s first aha moment

In the leadup to the event, Steph applied to speak at the first annual Latinas In Podcasting Virtual Summit.

It was mid-September 2024, as she was putting the summit content together. Paulette had the chance to preview Steph’s presentation before it went live—and one line lit her up:

“Your podcast can be your speaker reel.”

A light bulb went off. 

“I was able to stop looking at myself as just a podcaster. That one moment gave me the confidence to claim it.”

The Impact: Own your speaker identity and reposition your brand

After the event, Paulette realized she didn’t need anyone’s permission to call herself a speaker—she already had the skills, the experience, and the platform. 

“What I learned is that I need to be bold in saying I’m a speaker. No one’s gonna hand me those opportunities if I don’t go after them myself.”

This inspired her to gradually reposition her brand: Her social profiles now lead with Speaker and Founder before Podcaster.

“The weight of each of those words matters, you know? Your branding needs to reflect how you want to be perceived.”

Paulette has also started adding direct calls-to-actions in her podcast episodes to book her to speak.

“We need to use our voices to speak our reality into existence.”

Actively put yourself out there: Build a solid runway for your TED talk

Last year when a friend casually suggested, “Just do a TED Talk,” Paulette thought it wasn’t possible—the coveted red dot stage felt ten steps ahead of where she was.

But now, she’s stacking every win.

She’s treating every speaking opportunity (free or paid) like a pit stop, investing in programs to hone her skills, and building the speaker reel that will land her right there.

“Steph’s presentation at the 2024 virtual summit along with her Speaker Directory was a gateway to these opportunities. Now I feel empowered to chase after them in a way that I didn’t before.

This has also helped me show up as a more fearless, embodied leader for the women in my community.”

Building a visibility economy for Latinas

Some of the speakers Paulette first met at that Speaker Movement Live Event have since become trusted collaborators—and even members of her board of advisors.

They have poured their time, expertise, and connections into Latinas In Podcasting, transforming it into an ecosystem of visibility opportunities for Latinas.

With companies rolling back DEI initiatives in the US, Paulette’s platform is more than a community—it’s an act of resistance. 

“Latinx purchasing power in the U.S. is over $3 trillion. This is an opportunity for companies to show their support and get in at the ground floor.”

A full circle moment: From event attendee to sponsor

That first Speaker Movement Live Event planted a seed that has grown into a powerhouse partnership based on a shared mission. 

“Together we’re dismantling the hierarchical pyramids of white supremacy and patriarchy. 

Instead we’ve formed a matrilineal circle that you can enter at any point. There’s no “you must start here and work your way up” mentality. You bring your resources with you and they can be shared at any point across the circle. There’s no hierarchy. You come as you are to learn, to support, to collaborate, and to succeed together.”

Since the virtual summit, Paulette has invited Steph back to speak to the Latinas In Podcasting community in a monthly workshop, and together they’ve continued to create resources and opportunities for Latinx folks in media and entrepreneurship.

“Steph is the go-to person on anything speaking for me and my community. It’s really nice to talk these things through with a Latina.”

And now Paulette, as well as Latinas In Podcasting, is sponsoring the Speaker Movement Directory—pouring back into the community she’s grown with, and ensuring more Latinas and underrepresented folks get access to the rooms and resources that once felt out of reach for her.

“I recommend joining the directory because you don’t have to face things alone.

And you do not have to find speaking opportunities or connections on your own. Everybody brings those to the table.“

Connect With Paulette

Podcast | Community

The Speaker Movement

Become a member inside the Speaker Movement Directory—get your own speaker profile, searchable signature talk listings, and access the curriculum + live quarterly workshops designed to grow your public speaking career!

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