Will you tell us a little about your organization Latinas Who Dare and your business Apapacho Cacao?
Latinas Who Dare is an organization I launched in the middle of the pandemic to dare Latinas to close their own wage gap by starting a business that can either supplement or replace their income. We all know about the wage gap plaguing women. Of all the racial groups, Latinas are burdened with the biggest wage gap. Latinas on average earn just 55 cents to every dollar earned by a white male. And if that Latina is a mom, that gap is even worse. Over the course of a 40-year career, a Latina stands to lose over 1 million dollars in earned income just because of the wage gap. This is unacceptable and deplorable to me. Over the course of one year, I've hosted four events where Colorado-based Latina business owners have had the opportunity to present their businesses, market their products or services, network with one another, and make sales on-site. I want to do everything I can to help close that wage gap for Latinas because nothing should prevent us from creating the wealth we deserve to have.

Apapacho Cacao is my cacao company that I also launched during Covid. In 2019 I tried a cacao shot in the jungles of Costa Rica and it changed my life. For two years, I drank cacao at home and enjoyed all of its amazing health benefits. At the end of 2020 I finally felt it was time for me to share cacao's powerful health benefits with the world. Cacao (chocolate in its raw form) is a superfood, a powerful antioxidant, a mood-booster, a creativity-enhancer, and powerful heart-medicine that heals emotional ailments associated with the heart-center. So many of us are familiar with cacao as candy, but I want to introduce the concept of consuming cacao as a superfood and as a tool for healing that can benefit and enhance so many areas of your life. My husband and I developed three proprietary blends that we love and are very proud of. One of our blends has cinnamon and cayenne, another has rose petals and vanilla, and the last blend has turmeric and ginger. We believe that when you live your life with a full and open heart you're able to share the magic that lives within you! Cacao is simply a tool that can help you release all that magic.

What's your superpower?
Being bilingual and bicultural is hands-down the best superpower I have. I have double the ways to communicate with people and inform them about my products, services, and mission. Every single day I leverage the language from both of my cultures in order to reach two entirely different audiences. This gives me the ability to double my profits and double my impact. Being bilingual is the most valuable inheritance I ever received from my parents and I am actively passing on this gift of bilingualism to my son.

In the past, what have been your biggest obstacles in business? What helped you overcome those obstacles?
By far the biggest obstacle I faced in business was my lack of belief in myself. It's incredible how we can either be our own worst enemy or our biggest cheerleader. As soon as I began practicing self-love and self-acceptance my business blew up. Believing in yourself is absolutely non-negotiable if you want to build a successful business that withstands the test of time. You are 100X more badass and capable than you probably give yourself credit for so dare to bet on yourself because odds are, you're going to succeed. You'll be shocked at what you're capable of accomplishing when you love and believe in yourself unconditionally.

Are there any myths you'd like to bust about your profession?
Latinas are typically not synonymous with entrepreneurship or business and I want to change that. Some of the most hard-working, loyal, talented, creative, and intelligent business women I know are Latinas. As a proud first-generation Mexican woman I've seen and heard all the stereotypes about my race and I'm committed to showing the world that Latina women are more than just fiery salsa dancers who know how to clean really well. Latinas are phenomenal at business because we truly and genuinely care about people and that's what sets us apart in the business world. People over profit is an innate part of our warm and welcoming culture and this approach alone is what makes us wildly successful in the business world.

What lessons did you learn from the challenges created from the pandemic?
The pandemic was actually the catalyst that finally sparked my entrepreneurial fire that had been wanting to fully set ablaze for years. For months, people I knew and loved were dying all around me. One of my sisters actually died from Covid...There was something about the energy of constantly being reminded about my own mortality that made me finally wake up and take action. When you are given daily reminders that you may or may not be here tomorrow you become very intentional about what you spend your time doing and who you spend your time with. The pandemic really highlighted the fact that the one invaluable resource none of us will ever get back is time. So during the summer of 2020 I decided that, moving forward, I would only invest my time doing work that was meaningful for me and I would only spend my time with people I truly loved and cared about. I survived getting Covid twice and I sure as hell didn't survive just to live an unfulfilling and mediocre life. I'm here to create an extraordinary life that creates an extraordinary impact that will outlive me for generations to come.

Do you have a favorite quote?
"Atrévete a extender tus alas y volar" "Dare yourself to unfold your wings and fly." --Xóchitl Sánchez Alatorre

Victoria Garcia is the founder of Latinas Who Dare, an organization that helps elevate Latinas by daring them to step into their personal power. She's also the owner of Apapacho Cacao, a manufacturer of ceremonial cacao that feels like a hug in a mug.