Intentionally Vulnerable with Odalys Jasmine

We are highlighting a previous episode of the ¿Quién Tú Eres? podcast, where we explore the conflict we often face between "professionalism" & being our authentic selves.

Odalys Jasmine is a proud Hondureña/Catracha from Southeast San Diego and the PRSA People to Watch Under 30 award recipient who has led 50+ (and still counting) storytelling/personal branding workshops for Bay Area Universities. In her passion for creating spaces for her community to amplify their stories, she created Hella Latin@ Podcast, a space for Latinos to tell their first-gen/immigrant stories and unique experience navigating Latinidad in the United States.

And in this conversation, Odalys takes us on a journey through memories of her upbringing and pivotal moments that led her to where she is today.

These are some of the episode highlights:

“I would go into these spaces and I would fit the vibe. Whoever is the successful person… I would model after them.” -Odalys Jasmine

We often grow up confusing our identities with labels, titles, and accomplishments, but who are we without all of it? What happens when one day all of it is gone? These were one of the many questions Odalys began to ask herself after spending time modeling successful people and losing contact with her authenticity.

During this period, Odalys began to look inward, and with the help of meaningful and pivotal people in her life, she gained clarity and discovered who she truly was and her purpose in life.

“She said... Cover up! I could see all your curves. I'm like... This is what I was born with. What do you want me to do?” -Odalys Jasmine

Curvy women are bound to call attention. And this is something that women, unfortunately, have to navigate, especially in the workplace, to prevent their bodies from being a distraction from their intelligence and capabilities.

Odalys tells us about one of those experiences in which her boss told her to cover up and how she once dressed in a long blazer (something she would never normally wear) to cover her whole backside.

“Now that we're entering these spaces, it's an opportunity for us to redefine what professionalism means.” -Odalys Jasmine

Contemplating how professionalism has come to be for decades shows us how these spaces were not created for our communities, that the way the system was structured was so that we either stay in the same cycle or fail at trying to step any further.

But thanks to many trailblazers, we are seeing more people from our communities in positions never dreamed of before. And for Odalys, as a first-gen, it is important not only to bring light to the stories that tell us how to navigate Latinidad in these spaces but to remember to be our authentic selves to continue to redefine professionalism.

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Odalys inspires us to change the narrative by showing up as our authentic selves. Make sure to connect with Odalys on Instagram @ohjaaaasmine and @hellalatinopodcast.

Listen to this episode to learn more about her journey: Spotify & Apple Podcasts

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