Today we’d like to introduce you to Ana Larrea-Albert.
Ana, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, I moved to Boca Raton, FL, 20 years ago to complete my university studies. I graduated from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) with a BS in Marketing in 2000 and started my professional journey exploring different fields. I began in finance, then moved to operations at a French importer/exporter where I put my French to work, finally landing in sales and marketing and currently working as Vice President of Marketing and Customer Experience.
In 2010, I returned to Florida Atlantic University to pursue my Executive MBA. During the program, I presented my research on the state of women in the maritime industry and on international business at national and international universities, becoming a published author of award-winning research. I am a regular contributor at the school, speaking and leading workshops, as well as being a member of the Board of FAU’s Alumni Association and of FAU’s Marketing Executive Advisory Board.
Earlier in my career I was faced with a shocking reality: I had been hired to manage a younger male employee who happened to be earning a 35% higher salary than I was. Instead of taking a victim role, I chose then – as I choose now – to do something about it. The first step was to understand that I had a role to play in the situation because I could have done more research and negotiated better. Lesson learned and it will never happen again. Nevertheless, I realized more clearly than ever that there was something wrong with the perceptions and opportunities for Latina professionals.
I started NENANI as a Latina leadership platform with the main objective of changing the Latina professional narrative to show how educated, professional, capable, ambitious and driven we are. I have been interviewing and featuring amazing Latinas from all walks of life on www.nenani.com, making sure to include Latinas from every discipline, industry, age group, success level, and political persuasion, because this is a movement for all of us.
During my MBA program at FAU, I received executive coaching and I saw first hand the results when I was hired as a Vice President at a multinational company at 35 years old, sooner than what I had planned for. If my mission was to move the Latina representation needle at the higher echelons of corporate America and government, I realized that through coaching and mentoring I could start affecting young professionals and students, equipping them with the necessary skills to step into their leadership. I decided to certify myself as an executive coach and I now use my skills with every amazing professional I mentor or coach.
I felt a sense of urgency to give back to my community and to my school, so I partnered with FAU and created the Future Latina Leaders mentorship program alongside the university’s The Mentoring Project where Latina students, many of whom are first generation, learned about leadership, personal branding, and strategic networking.
As I was working towards helping professionals and students, I realized I needed to reach our youngest girls, our Latinitas, and decided to write a bilingual children’s book that would encourage them to dream big. The “ZeeZee Can | ZeeZee Puede” series was born and the first book came out this past January 2018: “ZeeZee Can Save the Planet | ZeeZee Puede Salvar el Planeta” at www.zeezeeworld.com or on Amazon.com. The book is about young ZeeZee who wants to do something big (save the planet) and meets an amazing Latina who has done great things in that space. Yolanda Kakabadse, a former minister of environment for Ecuador and immediate past president of the International World Wildlife Fund (www.wwf.org), helps ZeeZee learn about her storyand gives her actionable steps to create impact in her own little world. As a proponent of women empowerment, I made sure all trades in this book were held by women/Latinas: owner of the publishing house, designer, editor, illustrator and featured expert in the book.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a wife and mother of a teenage boy and fur baby, my biggest challenge has been to spend enough time with my family while juggling a travel-heavy full time executive role, being a social entrepreneur with work I do with NENANI, and working on my bilingual children’s books (book #2 is in the works). However, I try as much as possible to do things together with my family including taking classes, going to the movies, and having my family join me on trips and at events. For instance, this past Earth Day we spent a Saturday at an event where we had a booth and the three of us shared ZeeZee’s book with the children, helped them with the activities and with writing their promise to the planet.
I’m always thinking of ways to bring all aspects of my life together. When my son Louie was younger and I had to travel, he would send me off with his favorite toys (stuffed animals or action figures) and I would take pictures with the toys wherever I was. Then, I would send them to his teacher (this is when he didn’t have a phone) so she could show the photos to him in the morning before class began and he could start off his day knowing that his mama was thinking about him. This helped us stay in touch and he knew he was always on my mind. I also want to dedicate time to be with my husband and together as a family so we go on both short staycations and on longer trips.
Finally, a key way to avoid feeling overwhelmed is having the right mentality: I feel privileged and grateful that I “get to” (not “have to”) work on my interviews with incredible women, I “get to” connect and guide students and professionals on their leadership journeys, or I “get to” spend time with children in disadvantaged schools reading my ZeeZee book to them. By showing this attitude, I also lead by example at home, showing my son the kind of commitment one must have to serve others to make a difference in the world.
NENANI – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
NENANI is on a mission to transform the future workplace and move the Latina representation needle by equipping and empowering professionals to step into their true leadership. Through executive coaching, mentoring and workshops, NENANI empowers future leaders to live up to their highest potential. What sets me apart from others is my clear mission to empower myself by empowering others. I have conditioned my own success on making others successful; therefore, my focus at all times ison lifting others and supporting their growth.
Do you feel like our city is a good place for businesses like yours? If someone was just starting out, would you recommend them starting out here? If not, what can our city do to improve?
South Florida is culturally diverse and full of potential. The tech scene is booming and there’s a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit intertwined with powerful established companies that make this market very attractive for both startups and professionals. As any major market, transportation is an issue so the more the region focuses on helping people get places faster, the more productive its citizens will be.
Pricing:
- ZeeZee Can Save the Planet | ZeeZee Puede Salvar el Planeta – $19.99 @ www.zeezeeworld.com and at www.amazon.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nenani.com
- Phone: 561.702.1798
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @nenani_leadership + @zeezee_boston_terrier + @ananenani
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ana.larreaalbert
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ananenani
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
