Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast
Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast: where culture, communication, and context meet at work. Discover what cultural influences have formed the careers of noteworthy leaders in a variety of professions, by exploring the groups that shaped who they are today. Learn about the collective context and experiences that affect their worldview, leadership style, workplace communication and behaviour.
Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast
Karla Briones – From Candy to Coaching
Bio for Karla Briones
Karla Briones is a Mexican-Canadian serial entrepreneur with a passion to helping others succeed in their business journey. She uses her 10-year business experience to mentor, coach and help new immigrants become successful entrepreneurs in their adopted country. She is part of the team of independent business advisors at Invest Ottawa, providing strategy services to local aspiring and current entrepreneurs.
Episode highlight
As a Mexican-Canadian, Karla Briones has the best of both worlds – a firecracker personality and the opportunities to share her successes. Tune into this podcast to learn how she imparts her entrepreneurial know-how to create a space for every individual to succeed.
Links
Email: karla@karlabriones.com
Website: www.KarlaBriones.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlabriones/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/immigrantbusinesscoach/
Instagram: KarlaBriones
Twitter: @holakarla
Quotes
“When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
“I do what feels good and I go all out.”
“I believe that vulnerability and business are very interconnected.”
Takeaways
Childhood incidents:
When Karla was 6 years old, her father introduced her to her first entrepreneurial experience when he encouraged her to resell candy to save for her desires.
Groups you were born into and belonged to:
Karla was born into an extremely goal-oriented environment where her mother worked, contributed equally to the family’s finances and always taught her to do anything she set her mind to.
She belongs to a yoga community and entrepreneurship organizations – EO and Tech Canada.
Temperament and personality influences
Karla says, “Everything I do, I do it with passion.” Over the years, she has learned to back up that passion with strategy to sustain it.
A time I became aware that my way of doing things was cultural and specific to my cultural experience
When people share their business ideas with her, Karla becomes so engaged that she may interrupt them mid-sentence. However, she has been working to rein her excitement in a little.
Advice to an employer to work with me
Karla believes in the power of vulnerability. She uses body language cues and explores themes which come up through those. She recommends anyone working with her to be open to this approach.
More great insights from our guest!
Karla summarizes her advice to all immigrant entrepreneurs as, “Never give up on your dream and always be very proud of where you’re coming from.” She encourages owning one’s heritage and experience from back home.
She is soon going to sell online courses for immigrant entrepreneurs. Check out her website to learn more: www.karlabriones.com.
