From Policy to Real Estate: The Inspiring Journey of Serial Entrepreneur Lola Sophia Bovell

This episode features the illustrious Lola Sophia Bovell, a real estate investor, attorney, serial entrepreneur, and host of The Latina Advocate Podcast. Join us as Lola shares her inspiring journey, including the moment she finally had the courage to ask herself if she was truly happy and the pivotal moments that led her to pivot from policy and politics to real estate and entrepreneurship.

Lola's passion for helping marginalized communities develop diverse income streams as a route to freedom will leave you feeling inspired and motivated. In this episode, Lola also shares her various streams of revenue and her secrets to balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship. 

In addition, she opens up about how she fell into creating The Latina Advocate Podcast. Find out all about her upcoming special Summer In Puerto Rico podcast segment. You won't want to miss it! Tune in to The Talk Freelance To Me Podcast to hear Lola's amazing story and learn from her invaluable insights. Remember, success is possible when you follow your passion and take action.

Lola on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thelatinaadvocatepodcast/

Link to Lola’s podcast, The Latina Advocate Podcast

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lola-bovell

Link to Lola’s Summer in Puerto Rico Segment

https://lola-bovell.mykajabi.com/

Chapters 

00:02:54 Lola’s journey toward entrepreneurship

00:07:10 The courage to ask yourself if you’re truly happy

00:10:56 Pivoting from policy and politics to real estate and entrepreneurship

00:14:11 A passion for helping marginalized communities develop diverse income streams as a route to freedom

00:17:52 Remembering where we came from and lifting up others as we climb

00:19:52 Lola’s various streams of revenue

00:24:46 How Lola balances motherhood and Entrepreneurship

00:28:04 Resisting busyness and taking massive action toward your big goals

00:30:18 How Lola fell into creating The Latina Advocate Podcast

00:33:23 All about Lola’s “Summer in Puerto Rico” special podcast segment in Summer 2023

Transcript

Ashley Mejia: 0:08

Hello and welcome everybody to another episode of The Talk Freelance To Me Podcast. I am so excited to welcome a beautiful beautiful soul, a very inspirational person to me the wonderful Lola Sophia Bovell!

Lola Sophia Bovell: 0:23

Hi there. I'm so happy to be here. I love you so much like my heart just it's like just exploding right now. I'm just so excited to chat it up and support all your amazing work because you are a gem. Ladies and gentlemen, if you're listening to this, you probably know that she's a gem. But keep an eye on Ashley because she's gonna be just making waves in the world as we continue these next few years.

Ashley Mejia: 0:44

You are so sweet. My goodness freelance fam, I

Lola Sophia Bovell: 0:44

I'm excited to be here. Let's dive in girl. want to read to you a little bit from Lola's bio. Lola has done so much. We're going to explore more of that in the conversation. But I want to read just a snippet to you so you can kind of understand what Lola is going to be talking about sharing with us today. So Lola Sophia Bovell is host of The Let's do it. Let's do it's gonna be juicy. Latina Advocate Podcast, where she focuses on creating joy, sharing awareness on the relevant issues of the day and building generational wealth. Lola is an attorney by trade and is passionate about empowering others to build their best lives for themselves and their families. With experience in the corporate world from entry level positions all the way to the C suite. She understands the realities of the workforce and the importance of advocating for oneself at work. She now focuses her time on the podcast, coaching others with their public speaking, building a portfolio via real estate investing and helping others do the same. Lola thank you for carving out a part of your day for us. I'm so excited to have you on the show.,

Ashley Mejia: 1:54

Awesome. So I want to share, you've done a million things. That bio is beautiful, and I think really gives a great introduction to your current project. But you guys need to understand Lola has always been advocate. So I've known Lola for I keep saying almost 20 years, I guess that's just because I recently turned 40. So like everything is I've done this for 20 years, I've known this person for like 20 years. But we've known each other a long time. And from the moment we met in college, Lola has always been standing up for other people, specifically, women, when I tell you a girl's girl, a girl who cheers on other women who stands up for other women, she's always been that way. She is a really respected and decorated attorney, she did a lot of work with the immigration refugee community. And Arizona, she's had a super high level position at a national reproductive rights nonprofit. And so you've done a 50 million things. Can you share with us a little bit about how you became an entrepreneur?

Lola Sophia Bovell: 2:54

You know, I feel like it was always there. I mean, I'm very social, don't get me wrong. But I've always been a little bit of a lone wolf in terms of how I pursue things. And you know, even as a little girl, I remember being okay, and being comfortable, maybe uncomfortable, but still comfortable in a way, just doing my own thing. And if the group was doing something that I didn't really like or didn't approve of, then I would just go in my own direction. So if I wanted to play with this ball, and everyone else wanted to play with that ball, I would go ahead and play with this ball. So I just feel like that entrepreneurial kind of that courage to go out on your own has always been kind of centered in my personality. So I think I just didn't really know what being an entrepreneur meant, I think early on, but I think the seed was always there. Regardless, though, I mean, I, since the young girl, I've really always been someone that advocates for the underdog. You know, when I really care about equity, I care about making sure that everyone has their voice heard and has an ability to succeed in life. And so yeah, I mean, I think in college, you know, it started there in terms of like really showing itself. So I was involved in all the Latino organizations, Hispanic organizations, I joined it became a sister of Lambda Theta Alpha, Chi Chapter. And, you know, I was very involved in student governments. And I think, you know, the lessons in life even despite being somewhat independent, I always still gravitated towards wanting to be a part of these social organizations, etc. But I think as I've gotten older, I've realized that more and more, I guess it just the lesson keeps repeating itself that my worth really comes from me. It's not from anybody else. I don't need the validation of other people. And so having literally gone from, as you mentioned, in the bio, like entry level positions to high level executive director positions as well, for a national reproductive rights organization. I mean, I've had my heart broken multiple times along the way. And I realized, again, I guess I don't really need other people in terms of, you know, validating my worth and when I really own my worth, and I really honor myself and give myself love. I am just that much better of an advocate for other people. And then that's also when I'm attracting the people as well that are around me that have matching vibrational energy, and then were able to do so much together. So it's just interesting because I feel like I used to look out a lot more. And really, as I've gotten older, I look in, and it's really it's that inner work. And that's when, again, you're attracting your tribe, you've got the right tribe around you, and then you're really doing no work. So I don't know if that really answers your question. But I feel like that's been the journey of the seed was always there. But it's this been this like, constant steady, go, go go where it's really been, like me growing and growing and blossoming and blossoming. And now it's just like, I'm just this energy out there doing it like everybody else, and still advocating as well, right. But doing it from a place of a lot more inner peace.

Ashley Mejia: 5:42

I love that you said so many incredible gems. And I think, to me, the first one is just that ability to just have full assurance and your self worth from yourself, and not from these external validations and degrees and titles and positions. That's profound. It's almost resistant. It's almost like a sense of rebellion against the system, especially and I know, we've talked before about our generation, maybe the last generation that bought in to this idea that you go to college, and you check off the boxes, and you study hard, and you're gonna get a good job, and you're gonna be successful, and have happily ever after type of life and this entrepreneurship thing and diversifying into these different income streams. Wow, talk about a couple of pivot changes and, you know, different detours. So the fact that you have stepped away have had the courage to step away. And to say, "No, I'm good all by myself. And I kind of always have been," -- that is powerful, because a lot of times, you know, talking to people that are maybe doing side hustles, and maybe they're trying to gather that courage to take the next step. And to go deep into freelance full time or entrepreneurship, is we put so much value into our job. That's the first thing people ask, say, Hey, my name is Ashley, you know, "what do you do? "What do you do? It's to be able to say,"No, I'm valuable, just by being." That's beautiful, Lola.

Lola Sophia Bovell: 7:10

Oh, thank you, you know, it's been a journey, and it continues to be a journey, I think, really what it comes down to is, we put, like you said, so much pressure on these societal roles, right? And the reality is, like, really having the courage to like, look within and to say, like, am I truly happy? When I wake up in the morning, am I happy when I was on the verge of leaving my last position, I remember sitting in my car and being like, wow, I really don't want to do this today. And mind you, this was a dream job. It was a dream job. It was a job that I really thought I always wanted. But that's the thing about life, sometimes you'll get what you ultimately always wanted. And then you'll realize, first of all, this isn't what I thought it was gonna be. But second of all, it doesn't actually fulfill me, there's a lot more here and my interest actually go elsewhere. So I think we really especially like, think about college, you know, it's like, what major you're going to take, and it's like, what do you want to be when you grew up? And we're being asked this question to remember 567 years old. And so we get on these tracks, right. And so we create these limiting beliefs that are then affirmed by society. And this is the track that we need to go on. And the reality is, there's no such thing. And so I think the biggest thing that I would want to impart on any listeners that are open and receptive to this conversation is really just have the courage to ask those questions, and really follow your happiness and follow that curiosity. Because I know someone who is following your passion can feel heavy, because it's like, I don't really know what my passion is, or I'm multi passionate. So it's like, I don't know what direction to go in. But just follow that curiosity and be happy, and the universe will always provide. And so I think, again, we get scared, but the reality is, again, there's just so much for us be open to all the opportunities out there, because there's just so much you don't have to be a lawyer. If you went to law school and you practice law, you know, you don't have to be a doctor. If you went to medical school, you did your residency and attending and then all of a sudden, you're like, you know, what is medical industrial complex is for the birds Believe in yourself enough to know that like, whatever student loans that you took out whatever debt that you have, when you're doing something that truly makes you happy, all that stuff is gonna wash away, but you have to believe in yourself. It was gonna get me on my soapbox and

Ashley Mejia: 9:20

Take us to church, take us to church, we need it! We need it. I love love, love that, because that is taking this everything that we were taught everything that was put into us. It's taking all of it, and it's just flipping it flipping the table. And literally, we're moving away. We're getting up from that table. So I absolutely and you think about that, and it's like to just to be happy. I mean, isn't that what success is? I mean, isn't that where we really made just to come in this planet and pay bills and be productive and you know, what we made for more Isn't life about more than just making it Come because we have to pay bills, so much more than that. I think so. And I think that that courage that you spoke about, especially for you, because you are someone who invested a lot, you have a master's degree, you have your law degree. I mean, you did these high profile roles. And to me, I think that's harder. That's a harder transition to go from things that are very, very respected in our society to say, No, thank you, I'm not going to do that anymore. I'm going to choose this entrepreneurship. For me, I just recorded an episode about how I got into independent work. And it was really the economy threw me into it, you know, so I had to sink or swim. But you you had the courage to choose either one. And so that I think is even more admirable, more brave. Tell me about this Airbnb stuff. Tell me about this generational wealth journey that you're on? Why it's so important to you, and how does it go back to who you've always been, which is about women empowerment.

Lola Sophia Bovell: 10:57

So I'm not gonna go into it too much. But in my last major role, like I was saying, Before, I was realizing that I was not happy. That was really heartbreaking for me, because, again, I spent my life like my career really kind of working towards being in policy, being in politics, and then realizing there's just a lot of gaslighting, a lot of just false narratives, just a lot of dishonesty. And I think, when that really kind of came to terms, I was like, Wait, what am I doing this for? Why am I putting all my eggs in this basket? When the reality is there's lots of other baskets out here, and this organization, or this group that I've been told to maybe hate or to not like? Or etc, because maybe they're on a different spectrum? Politically, there's truth there, too. And again, it's that wisdom, it's that we get older, we mature, right? And so, you know, I think really what it came down to was Airbnbs. And real estate gave me the ability to walk away, just like full stop. Because when I bought my house, and so the seats have been there in terms of getting into real estate as well. And don't get me wrong. I'm not like, real estate, like, I want to be an agent out here. And I love like, No, I am curious about it. I'm interested in it. And what I love about real estate is what it gives, right, what it provides. So I had heard about House hacking, you know, with Airbnb, and house hacking basically is where you either have like a duplex or a triplex or four Plex, or like in my case, I have my main house, and then I have a guest house in the back. And so my guest house, I decided I want to Airbnb, and this was while I was still working full time and all of that. And, you know, for me, it was just extra money on the side, you know, it was like Nbd, you know, it was already making six figures plus good. And yeah, when ultimately when I decided to leave, it was just this freedom, because I knew that outside of any emergency funds that I had, essentially my mortgage and some was paid for just by this Airbnb and my guest house, right. So while I know just kind of want to like say this too, as a disclaimer for all the things that I'm talking about I was talking about before where it's like, yeah, you can just get up and leave your W two and just like quit and go, we got responsibilities, we have kids, we have partners, you may not have any of that. But you may just have like a certain amount of money you want to be making. And I get that I totally respect that. And so that's why I think it's important to have something to give you a foundation so that you have the flexibility to move around. That's the key. So one of the things that I would definitely not recommend to someone is getting just to pull out mortgage and just depending on like one job to pay that mortgage that's asking for trouble. So anyways, you want to give yourself the foundation, that financial foundation is going to give you the flexibility to be able to do the things you want. So that's really how it started. And then I just grew from there. So I started just getting more and more involved in the real estate community. I have another property now here in Tucson, the current location, my principal main house, right now, I plan on renting this out soon. And then hopefully, we're going to be moving to Florida. So and I hope to build a portfolio there and you continue growing, etc. But it's fun, it's enjoyable to be able to provide housing to people, you know, to be able to make it really cute, and to be able to find little notes and get in touch with people and contact people. But it's something that's fun when I say it's like oh my gosh, my passion No, but my passion is helping people helping women helping marginalized communities have these diverse sources of income so they can have the freedom to live the lives that they want. So that's really why becomes such a source of passion for me. And at this point, a big part of my work moving forward is going to be helping spread this message of building generational wealth and having a financial foundation because honestly, so many of us, especially Latinos, we don't have, you know, trust funds that we can depend on, right. And so a lot of these other communities where maybe they have some of those things in place, those kids have the flexibility to make mistakes and to figure it out and to figure out something else and be curious about this and to move around. Where's our communities this is where when I was talking about before in terms of being with those blinders on right where it's like, you know, I did this I invested this much money I have these two In loans, now I have to stay on this track, I have to stay on this track, you know, and it doesn't have to be that way. But we have to break the cycle. So we have to make the decision and say, Okay, I am going to have multiple income streams, I am going to actually look inward and say what is making me happy. And this thing that I'm doing right now is not making me happy than saying, I'm gonna have the courage to leave it. But I'm also not leaving my family, a really ugly situation. And also on the generational wealth tip, the way we build generational wealth, and we're not living paycheck to paycheck is to have diverse sources of income. So you know, when I'm passed away, inevitably, I want my kids to be trust fund babies to a certain extent. So the trust fund is going to have certain criteria in there where it's saying, you're not getting anything until this or you have to have this. So this or I may require a prenup, if you're going to get married, things like that we'll talk about you know, we can talk about those things. But yeah, I really feel like real estate is a beautiful and empowering and tangible way that you can see your wealth building. And it also really kind of helps build that confidence because it is something tangible, it's not like just kind of this liquid thing, which is another reason why I love it stock market. And I'm not about fear these days at all, but stock markets, bank accounts that money can just go it is like kind of almost like this, like electronic energetic thing, the house isn't going anywhere your house is gonna be there, as long as you are paying into it, it's gonna be there. So I just feel like for a lot of even psychological reasons, it's a wonderful way to build wealth. So that's really how the passion started. But actually, the way I'm living my life these days is very much if something makes me happy, if I'm curious about it, if I'm passionate about it, too, because I still have my passion projects will do it. But it's just really about following that source, that universal source and going with the flow.

Ashley Mejia: 16:40

I love that that change in mindset for communities like ours, that are kind of just gaining access to this information and learning about just that idea of money as a tool, the idea of having your money work for you, instead of us just always slaving away and working for money and living hand to mouth that shift in just awareness about oh, you can use money as a tool, that it's not just trade hours for money, trading hours for money, and just that transactional way of viewing money. That's profound. And interesting, because I feel like you know, it's kind of sad to say, but even me on our communities, we're just now in 2023 Getting information. It's becoming more accessible, which is exciting. But it's also sad when you think about it. And so how lucky are kids going to be that we had the opportunity to figure some of that out and set them up for some other options?

Lola Sophia Bovell: 17:39

Absolutely, yeah. So important, you know, and that's what I hope to have me and my kids really have a good, strong solid foundation as they're growing up. But then I have to also work on my own subconscious beliefs, right, you know, money, there's a lot attached to it. So absolutely, I'm so excited that our girls, our boys, our families are gonna be able to really continue being empowered. But we also have to remember because I think it's really easy for folks once they start getting well to start forgetting about their roots and where they came from. And so it's important to as you are elevating to continue to lift up people as well that are around you, because we all have different sets of privileges. And as we acquire different privileges, it's important that we're bringing people along with us, because otherwise, what's the point?

Ashley Mejia: 18:21

Exactly, and that privilege? I mean, that's real. That's real uneven. I have to remember that, you know, I had a conversation with Rob, my husband's aunt, our aunt, and I was just talking to her one day, and I was like, Yeah, you know, what was your dream? What did you always want to be? And she kind of laughed at me. Like, almost like, Oh, little girl, how cute, are you?

Lola Sophia Bovell: 18:44

Oh, my goodness.

Ashley Mejia: 18:45

She kind of laughed and was like, I didn't get to dream. I didn't get to dream it was here, we have to make money. So these are the options that were available to us so that we could eat and you know, survive. And so just dreaming, just saying what is my passion? Or here are the things that I do for income and then I have a hobby, like having a hobby is a luxury for some people. I mean, so even me just exploring this new space, to your point, remembering that it wasn't that long ago, and even folks that are living right now who they're just getting opportunities to have choice to have choices like you were saying that money provides choices. It's not so much that we're like you said we're in love with real estate, but the options that it makes possible So absolutely, yeah, that's fantastic. Very cool. So you have the Airbnb, so you've got two you're gonna get more tell me about you also do Turo, so you also rent out your Jeep. Can you tell me more about all your other streams of revenue that you have?

Lola Sophia Bovell: 19:52

Girl? Yeah, I'm doing it all. I'll honestly say like tomorrow it's good. I don't know that. I will keep doing it right now. I still have my jeep. I haven't seen it. in over a month because someone's got it right now it's actually a judge from New York that happens to be in Arizona with her family. I love those kinds of bookings where it's like, buy and they've got the car for like, ever. But yeah, I mean, I feel like it's a little bit different than real estate because a car is a depreciating asset, whereas houses, homes properties are appreciating assets. So that is inherently different. So you may be getting cash flow for the vehicle, but it is depreciating over time that's getting older, right? It's getting more mileage, etc. But one of the things that I think is really interesting, and I'm just starting to learn about this, to me, it's like, I just see all these opportunities. And I'm like, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Within the actual like doing of them, and the burning of them, and like the feeding of them is a whole different thing, you know, but one of the things that I'm learning about right now is with the midterm rental space. So midterm rentals basically are essentially like short term rentals, like Airbnb ease, but they are for like travel nurses or people that are displaced. And because of an emergency, like the kitchen flooding, I don't know.

Ashley Mejia: 20:58

You know, nothing about that.

Lola Sophia Bovell: 20:59

So yeah, so kitchen floods, etc. But you know, a hurricane, you know, fires, think of those things. So displaced housing as well. There's corporate housing, there's gonna be insurance as well, essentially, the displaced housing, but there's lots of different people living as like digital nomads, now as well. And they're just kind of living everywhere. So people that essentially need a place to stay, it needs to be furnished, but it would be like two months day or three months day, as opposed to just a weekend. So that's kind of that mid term rental space. And that's the space that I really see myself digging more and more into, because it's a lot less lower maintenance than the short term rentals because you constantly have these turnovers and that just someone that there for the weekend, they're ready for their getaway, they want their Jacuzzi they want their you know, and it's different when you're dealing with a travel nurse that's looking for just a place to like put their hair down after work. So anyways, part of the mentioned rental space is as it's developing now as like another niche market within the kind of like renting properties is really helping that tribal nurse helping that person in that display situation, helping that digital nomad have all the things that they need. So one of the things that they're probably going to need at a new location is a car. So one of the things that's happening with the Metro rental market is this kind of going in the direction of providing not just the housing, but also like a package deal, you know, you get a discount on the rental car, and then maybe even like getting your groceries so your groceries are there. So all these different things that are happening right now. And it's like my mind is just exploding. I gotta keep it together over here. But one of the things is using those rental cars, because you know, at the end of the day, if you're someone looking for a place to live, you're going through Airbnb, and you're saying, Okay, I need a two month stay. And these two places are about the same amount of money. But this one's going to give you a rental car at a lower rate, you're probably going to pick that one with the rental car at the lower rate. So just different ways that you can kind of maximize your business opportunity. So I think there is opportunity in Turo, I definitely would not like whereas with houses property, I would be willing to rent out and I do through like direct bookings, and not having to go through Airbnb or VRBO, or one of these companies, you can kind of manage that a little bit better. But with cars, I would not go outside of like the Turo platform because someone could take off with your vehicle, the fortune just things happens, it could be an accident, and you want to make sure you have like that really solid insurance base. So you're not in like a really, really big hole. But anyways, I think there's opportunity there a few even like you have your personal vehicle and you're looking for a little bit of cash, you don't drive around a lot, that can be a really great way to make some extra money, just know that people are not going to be as careful with your vehicle as you will be. So you may find some things, things, you know, here and there. But like, that's great. So it works for some folks. For me, I don't know if I'm going to continue in this direction. But again, I may just keep this Jeep that I have around for the midterm rentals I have here in Tucson, because it could be a way of just making sure that I stay on top of my game in terms of not having too many vacancies.

Ashley Mejia: 23:46

I love that and kudos to you for trying these new opportunities that present themselves and not allowing fear to stand in your way. You're not feeling like oh, you know, I've never heard about this or you know, I've never done this before. You hear that a lot from folks that are considering working for themselves in some way. Sometimes we feel like oh, well, I don't know about that. But I always like to say nobody does, right? We're all kind of like just winging it, figuring things out every day. When we're born into this world. We don't know anything. We learn everything that we know right now we've learned and so I love that you're pursuing different things and being open to different things. That's awesome. So how do you divide your time you do a lot. So what is a normal like today? What is a normal weekday and Lola's life? How do you organize your day and your time?

Lola Sophia Bovell: 24:34

Oh, girl, you know, we talked about this once. And you were like, What did you call it? You said my mind is mashed potatoes. Yes, Mommy.

Ashley Mejia: 24:44

So all the time.

Lola Sophia Bovell: 24:46

Yeah. So I feel like for me, it's not in the calendar doesn't exist. So my Google calendar keeps me together. So there's that but I think the biggest thing is I've been really trying to start my day and it's hard with two little ones, you know, because I got my time there. Are you know, I'm still breastfeeding? She just turned one. So she wants that milk, you know, in the morning?

Ashley Mejia: 25:04

Yeah, give me that good stuff, you know. And then

Lola Sophia Bovell: 25:07

I've got my almost five year old that's like

ready to go at like 6: 25:09

30 in the morning. So it's hard. But I really do enjoy. I think it's important to have some kind of meditation practice or some kind of mindfulness practice. That's really what I'm trying to do right now. Actually, this morning, I woke up. Gabby Bernstein has this deck of cards online. I don't think I'm gonna purchase it. But it's like an app. And basically, you open it. And it's like a car that has something positive was mine. today. I'm going to read mine today. It was just so empowering. So what she talks about in her book, super attractor, by the way, it's a great book. And again, if we're all really trying to shift our mindsets again and go inward work like hers is really, really great. Let's see if I can find it. I'm pulling it up. It's called Spirit junkie. You've heard of it? Oh, yes.

Ashley Mejia: 25:53

I think I've heard Doesn't she have a podcast as well? Yes. Maybe I'm making up I've definitely heard of her books, though. Yes. That's so cool.

Unknown: 26:00

I mean, she speaks a lot. I don't know, she has a podcast. My mindset is morning was I am ready to go big rise up and step into my power. Heck, yeah, yeah. So I like that, you know, if you first get your phone and you're looking at Instagram, or Facebook, you can get flooded with the news. And that's the energy, that kind of frenetic energies which are starting the day with, whereas if you start with something like that, just pulling a positive affirmation looking at it. And then after that, I really just meditated for like two minutes that my one year old would let me meditate for two minutes. So I, I did that for two minutes. And then I handled that. And then when I was brushing my teeth, I was reading some other positive affirmations. And it's after I've done all that kind of that, you know, centering energy, and then I'm taking care of my kids. Once I dropped off my five year old school, that's what I'm really kind of ironing out what are my goals for the day. And oftentimes, whether it's Sunday evening or Monday morning, one of those time periods, I'll be looking at what are my goals for the week, and I'll be kind of breaking those down, and then trying to make sure that I'm taking care of those. There's different things throughout the week, I also give myself work blocks, my personality, the way I work is I get distracted kind of easily. So I really make an effort to create environments where I'm truly not going to be distracted or disturbed by anyone. And that's when I really am able to get into my flow and really get into doing some of the kind of more bigger work. So I would say that's really how I'm working on all the various projects. Right now I have a big load because I am doing the Puerto Rico segment for my podcast, which is really exciting and really vulnerable and beautiful work for me. scary as hell actually scary as hell. And so there's that piece, and then there's the movie my family to Florida. And then there's making sure that this house is going to be rentable. By the time we leave. Also, where are we going to be moving to because I am really not trying to rent for a long time, or maybe rent for a month or two. But I would really like to just buy the next house. So it's all these things that I have going on. So it's just like, how can I make sure that I'm i feel like i tentacles everywhere? So it's just like, how can I make sure that I'm really in keeping going and keeping the needle moving? One thing that I've learned recently to this might be helpful as well, for folks that are listening is do at least one thing a day that is considered massive action, because a lot of times and I am so guilty of this, we subconsciously procrastinate on the big things. And then we do so many like the little things, you know, and we're taking things off the to do list. So we're feeling good. We're like, Yeah, to get things done. But then that big project, aka my taxes last

Ashley Mejia: 28:27

week. Oh, fun. Good times.

Lola Sophia Bovell: 28:30

Yeah, no, like taxes as an entrepreneur, that's probably one thing. That's not fun. But going back and literally listing out all the expenses and putting them in categories, you know, all these things I had, because I'm saying like, I got to do it. But all these other tickets, I'm putting other things ahead of it had I really put some time blocks, as I'm saying this right? For my taxes couple of weeks ago, started really I wouldn't have been rushing last week. So I mean, that's a little bit about what my weeks looks like. But I think the biggest thing for me is that like trying to just make sure what is the one massive action I'm going to take today. So you know that you're pushing the needle, you're moving things along on your bigger projects, that's a little bit of my life. It's kind of like, again, tentacles everywhere, but really just staying aware and make sure we're putting structure in place to help us move forward.

Ashley Mejia: 29:15

I think that's a gem, I hope audience that you guys are keeping track of these gems, you've probably got armful of gems that are shared with us. That is big. And I see that a lot with even just people will say I got to you know zero Inbox Zero. I have no emails, and that's like, yeah, we've gotten no emails. But has that helped us get any farther and our big hairy goals? No, it usually has it doesn't mean that at all. It's usually okay. Well, I guess we can pat ourselves for doing things for other people essentially answering requests that other people have us but guess what, that's a game we'll never win. So I love the advice that you're sharing about leaning into the work leaning into that one big thing that's going to move us closer to our goals. Because that's really what matters. The other stuff, it doesn't have as much impact. So you mentioned your Puerto Rico segment, let's talk about the podcasts. How did you get involved in podcasting? What made you start The Latina Advocate Podcast, and continue to share more about this special summer segment? You have in Puerto Rico?

Lola Sophia Bovell: 30:18

Yes, yes. Yes. I'm so excited about it. So podcasting, I kind of just fell into it. And it's funny, because, you know, actually, we were talking about this the other day, I think it was actually when you were a guest on my podcast, and you were saying, like, there's certain things that we have as children, and then we go back to them when we're adults. Right. And I've heard you were mentioning your friend that is now an influencer? Marielou.

Unknown: 30:40

Yes. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

Lola Sophia Bovell: 30:43

And so I one thing I've always been really good at is public speaking, which is one of the things that I do. But another thing that I didn't even read, you mentioned it. I didn't say anything when you were mentioning Marielou. But I was on the morning announcements, like no joke,

Ashley Mejia: 30:56

telling you. Yeah, I'd tell you. That's like the Star Search. That's the training ground. Right.

Lola Sophia Bovell: 31:02

It's so funny. So cool, right. And I remember, you know, my partner, Daniel, he was like, started podcasts. And this was like, over a year ago, you just start a podcast? No, say no. I have things to say. But about like, lots of different things. I don't know, you know, and so I literally like poo pooed it computed. And it wasn't until like I was in this course about abundance, where it was mentioned that one of the business ventures that someone can do, is podcasting. Yeah, I was like, Huh. And so kind of in the vein of this person, it's Cathy Heller, she is someone that is really kind of moving the needle in terms of spiritual work. And going back in terms of being human centered, and really acknowledging that we're really just energy kind of taking things really back to basics. But it was in that course, we're podcasting was an option. And I was like, Sure. And then she has these gifts that she does as a part of her course. And it's like you submit whatever the homework is for that week. And then I was chosen for the podcasting week. And I won this lovely blue Yeti mic,

Ashley Mejia: 32:01

how nice you're official.

Lola Sophia Bovell: 32:05

Yeah, and I was like, half like it felt like a sign. And so I just kind of went for it. And it's this thing that's growing and evolving. It's just beautiful. And I'm so so grateful for the experience. The one thing about podcasting, though, I will say, I love it, I really am excited to get a producer, I'm excited to have a supporting tribe in the podcasting, because right now, I'm just doing everything myself. But I have to say, it's been the gift that keeps on giving, I get to have amazing conversations with people, I get to share those conversations with the community at large. And I really, it kind of goes back to the heart centered work we were talking about earlier about empowering others, empowering women, empowering Latinas. And so it's really kind of taking that generational wealth topic. And that's really been kind of the heart of it. But I'm giving myself the permission and the space to explore as much as I want. So one of the things too, that I care a lot about is breastfeeding, because I feel like so many of us are, there's so many subconscious ways and so many kind of subversive ways that moms are basically kind of not told not to, but they're these messages that we're getting. And it makes it harder and harder and harder. And I really feel like breastfeeding is a beautiful thing. So I've had a couple episodes on breastfeeding. So I'm giving myself permission to kind of figure it out and learn as I go. But it's been successful. It's been wonderful. And to kind of segue to the Puerto Rico segment. So that was also something that was kind of birthed by accident a little bit. So I knew I wanted to go to Puerto Rico this summer, I was gonna go with my family. And it's something that I really care about. And I've always been especially like, so proud of my Puerto Rican heritage, right, but I'm gonna be honest, how knowledgeable Am I about things that are going on in the island right now? Right? And so it became this, like, Ha, I know, I'm not the only one. And it's something that's hard. And this is a nuanced tense area, where I think a lot of Latinos generally in the United States is the second third generation, you start to feel that distance between where you're from you still claim it some people like stop claiming it, but there are so many people that love their heritage, regardless of whether they even speak Spanish, right? And but then there's just so much shame to associated with like, not knowing the language or not knowing what's going on in the country of origin. And then there becomes these different, we're so complex as Latinos, but then becomes these different tracks, especially for Mexicans is huge, you know, you'll have people that have been in the United States, Mexicans for five, six generations, and they consider themselves to be a whole different class, right, than like those people that are literally coming across right now. Can we cross the border. And so the same thing with Puerto Rico. And so we have this additional nuance where we're a part of the United States, and that's also extremely complicated, and there's a lot of tension and weirdness there. So I guess another thing to mention here is one of the reasons why I was thinking maybe I won't do a Puerto Rico segment. I'm gonna go to Puerto Rico, but I'll just go for vacation I won't do a segment is I was like, so people can just look up Puerto Rico, if they want to learn about Puerto Rico, like they can just google Puerto Rico and Google things, and they can visit Puerto Rico themselves and learn, right. But I think one of the most empowering things that I heard, actually, from Cathy Heller's course was sure the knowledge is everywhere, but it won't be you. And people fall in love with people, and it's your voice. So it was like, Hi. And that's what really kind of got me moving in terms of like, I know, this is a huge kind of sore sensitive spot for so many Puerto Ricans, Latinos in general, in terms of learning the heritage, willing to dive into the issues, right, and have these tough conversations, but have beautiful conversations, but highlight the work and bridge some of those gaps. And so I was like, You know what, I'm gonna go for it. And I'm scared because I'm scared, I'm gonna mess it up. I'm probably gonna offend somebody in the process, something's not gonna go right. Because there's so many opinions out there. It's really sensitive. You know, we're talking about independence, Puerto Ricans that have been for independence. I mean, women were literally sterilized in the 1970s, Puerto Rican women were used as guinea pigs for birth control. So there's just so much pain there, too, in terms of you know, how Puerto Rico has been used, essentially, by the United States, right? Puerto Ricans have certain privileges, but it's been very unequal. And it's been a lot of challenges there. But then they're also folks that are very pro citizenship, which I also can understand as well, right, in terms of people are born citizens, but they don't have an elected representative, they can't vote for their president. And so there's just a lot of issues there. Anyways, so really trying to give voice to these issues, and do so fairly, right and do them justice is a big weight, but then I'm like, I'm gonna remove that weight, because it's my voice. And it's just like, I know, a lot of people want to come along. And there are a lot of people that maybe won't want to come along. And that's okay. But working to bridge the gap. And to help these energies flow between the mainland and the island is so beautiful, and so rich. And so if I can have one tiny piece of that, then that's something that I'm going to do. And it's what I feel called to do. So again, it's just kind of, again, going with the flow with the universe and embracing the opportunities and just going with it. So I'm really excited. I'm scared, I'm terrified. But I know it's going to be amazing. And I feel like it's going to be the start of something much bigger. And I have no idea what yet. So that's that.

Ashley Mejia: 37:19

Yeah, I am so excited for you. And I feel that too. I definitely feel that energy. I feel that something is about to be burst. Something's coming. We don't know what it is yet. It's kind of like driving at night with your headlights. Your headlights only go so far. You can kind of see what's ahead, but not everything. And so I mean, kudos to you. Congratulations for having the vision and then having the courage to execute on it to see it through. I can't wait. I can't wait to hear the segment and hear all the stories.

Lola Sophia Bovell: 37:52

You're supporting it actually one of the supporters. Yeah,

Ashley Mejia: 37:56

you're absolutely yes, I am so excited. That is going to be a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful creation coming from you. So for folks who are just in love with you from this conversation, and they want to connect with you online. Where can people find you? How can people sign up to support the segment and gain access to the content?

Lola Sophia Bovell: 38:17

Yes. So I'm on Instagram at Te Latina Advocate Podcast literally as it spelled so there's two A's between Latina and advocate because I literally had Latina spelled out and advocate spelled out didn't want any confusion there. So that's their Instagram same on Tik Tok. And you can find me on Facebook probably need to adjust the privacy settings on there because I had it on Super private for a while now. But my name is Lola Sophia Bovell so you can find me on Facebook. So it's lol a so pH i a b2b e LL, you can also email me at LolaSophiaBovell@gmail.com. And Ashley was one of these amazing folks that came out and supported the Puerto Rico podcast segment as an early bird. But if you want to still get involved, you can and get VIP exclusive access. So just to be clear, the Puerto Rico segment is going to be public, certain interviews are going to be public. But if you want some of the juicy reflections behind the scenes work, this is where you really need to sign up. So you can still access that as a VIP, you just go on my Instagram on the link tree you'll see support the Puerto Rico segment and it's right there. But Ashley, thank you so much for having me. I'm so so grateful to be here and again, just share space with you and I'm just excited to see where talk freelance to me goes and just all the incredible empowering work you're going to be doing as well for so many out there because this is what it's all about. It's that happiness. It's allowing that creativity to flow.

Ashley Mejia: 39:48

I love it. Thank you so much, Lola thank you for all this wisdom, all the gems all the light all the encouragement and kindness and just living living your Passion, living your truth because that requires bravery. And by you stepping into that you're freeing everybody else. It's like you're turning around and you're unlocking all of our cages and we are all flying with you. So thank you so much for everything that you do. Thank you for being here. And I can't wait to to hear more about your stories that are going to come out of this special segment.

Lola Sophia Bovell: 40:22

Thank you, Ashley. Love you, girl.

Unknown: 40:24

Thank you love you.

Ashley Mejia: 40:27

And with that, we've come to the end of another episode. Please make sure you hit subscribe if you haven't already done so. And give me a five star review on Apple. This will help out a lot and getting the word out about this brand new podcast. I invite you to check out the show notes and also grab my free niches get riches, freelance writing worksheet to brainstorm the best niches for your writing business. If you're not a writer, you can still use it to get business ideas. And until next time, this is actually a talk freelance to me. Don't forget, we all get this one precious life. Don't constrain yourself to a box that you were never meant to fit in. It is your right to profit from your own creative gifts. This podcast was created by Ashley Cisneros makiya our music was composed by Don Rafael of world instrumentals talk freelance to me is a product of Phoenix creative studio