We’re looking forward to introducing you to María Gabriela Hoch. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning María, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day are sacred. I wake up earlier than my family to create a quiet space for myself—this is when I journal, meditate, move my body consciously, read something spiritual, or study something that inspires me. I make the most of this time because I believe that if I don’t connect with what nourishes me—my purpose, my joy, my inner wisdom—then everything else in my day feels off balance. These first 90 minutes are my foundation for showing up as the conscious and compassionate leader I write about in Leaders of Today. This practice has become a pillar in both my personal life and in the teachings I share through the WE Evolution School®.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m María Gabriela Hoch—many know me as Tissy—a Sacred Activist, author, and founder of WE Evolution, a movement and school dedicated to awakening conscious, compassionate leadership. With over 30 years of experience in communications and women’s empowerment, my journey has been one of deep transformation—from burnout to healing, from outer achievement to inner alignment.
My latest book, Leaders of Today: Human, Compassionate and Conscious, reflects this evolution and invites others to lead from a place of emotional intelligence, authenticity, and purpose. Through WE Evolution School®, I now guide leaders, changemakers, and organizations through holistic programs that integrate emotional wellbeing, spiritual intelligence, and conscious action.
What makes our work unique is the deep integration of personal healing with leadership development. We don’t just teach—we hold space for people to remember who they truly are, so they can lead in ways that are sustainable, embodied, and inclusive.
Right now, I’m especially excited about expanding our offerings—like our Sacred Leadership Master-Heart® program and upcoming retreats—designed to nurture wellbeing, connection, and community. Because I truly believe the (R)evolution of leadership begins within.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
One of the most defining moments that shaped how I see the world happened on December 21, 2012—the day I moved from Argentina to the United States with my family. It wasn’t just a geographical shift; it was a deep spiritual and emotional transition. That moment symbolized a rebirth, a shedding of old identities and the beginning of a journey inward.
I had built a successful career and was deeply engaged in women’s empowerment in Latin America, but I realized that external success wasn’t enough. I was exhausted. I needed to understand what true leadership meant—one rooted in wholeness, presence, and compassion.
This turning point led me to study energy healing, body psychotherapy, and ancient wisdom traditions. It inspired me to write Leaders of Today and create WE Evolution, as a response to a world in need of leaders who lead not just with their minds, but with their hearts and souls. That moment taught me that personal healing is a revolutionary act—and that it’s the foundation for the change we want to create in the world. I truly believe that the world doesn’t need more perfect leaders—it needs more whole, awakened, and human ones.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Some of the most defining wounds in my life have been the belief that I wasn’t valuable unless I was perfect, the need to constantly please others, and the fear of not knowing enough. These patterns shaped how I showed up in the world—I was always doing, proving, and overachieving to feel worthy.
But over time, I committed to a deep healing journey. I learned to recognize the masks I wore, the defenses I used, and the limiting beliefs that silently governed my life. Through self-awareness, energy healing, and the emotional work I now teach, I was able to reconnect with my essence and begin leading from a place of truth and purpose.
In Leaders of Today, I share this path and invite others to explore it too. Because I truly believe that we don’t need more wounded leaders unconsciously perpetuating pain—we need more whole, healing leaders. Leaders who transform their own wounds into wisdom, and who become a positive force in their communities and organizations.
On a more personal note, my nickname is Tissy, which comes from the word “treasure.” For years, I couldn’t feel that inner treasure—I was too busy trying to be everything for everyone. Finding that treasure within has been the most powerful revelation of my life. Now, I dedicate my work to helping others find theirs. Because when we lead from that place, we don’t just lead—we heal, uplift, and evolve together.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
One important truth I’ve come to believe—through both personal experience and years of working with leaders—is that healing is not separate from leadership. In fact, I believe healing is leadership.
This isn’t a popular view in many high-performance or corporate environments, where success is often measured by output, image, or control. But I’ve seen how unresolved wounds, unacknowledged emotions, and the constant drive to “do more” silently shape how people lead—and how much harm that can cause to themselves and others.
At WE Evolution, we challenge the idea that leadership is about having all the answers or being perfect. Instead, we believe that true influence comes from presence, compassion, and authenticity. When a leader is able to sit with their own discomfort, to integrate their story, and to lead from a place of wholeness—they become a healing presence in their teams, communities, and beyond.
I know this may sound radical, but I truly believe the next evolution of leadership will be driven not by performance, but by consciousness. The world doesn’t need more high-achieving, burnt-out leaders. It needs whole human beings who are willing to do the inner work and become agents of transformation.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people will say I lived with purpose and presence — that I dared to walk the path of the heart in a world that often forgets how to feel. That I stood for a more conscious, compassionate, and human way of leading.
That I chose to heal, to awaken, and to guide others in remembering their true essence. That I held space for women and changemakers to rise, to lead from within, and to create meaningful impact — not through power over others, but through connection, truth, and love.
I hope the story they tell is not about what I built, but about how I made them feel: seen, held, and inspired to become who they were always meant to be.
Because in the end, my legacy is not mine. It is the ripple I leave in those who carry the light forward.
That’s why I created WE Evolution School® — to pass on not just knowledge, but consciousness. To train and empower more conscious leaders who can guide others in turn, creating a living chain of healing, presence, and possibility.
It’s not about me. It’s about the legacy we leave behind.
It’s about leaving the world better than we found it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://we-evolution.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mgabrielahoch/
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/mariagabrielahoch
- Twitter: @mgabrielahoch
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mariagabrielahoch
- Other: https://mariagabrielahoch.com/
Image Credits
Eva Hart-Grullon
Alejandra Escalante
