Q.  When did you realize your passion?

A.  When I looked into the eyes of the women who earned their first income - their very first paycheck!  This was the moment of realization, hope, and being worthy.  I live and work for this!!!  Some people have already done this for me!!  I know what it feels like to give someone a hand when they feel that there is no hope.

Q.  When you were young, what did you think you wanted to be when you grew up?

A.  A housewife.  They were the role models I grew up with!!!  Except every time I tried living by these expectations, things got really bored!  I love coming to my home now, to my husband and my children, but after a day, where I have also had the chance to work on my passion!!

Q.  Did you encounter any stereotypes about Latin women which have been difficult to overcome in your career?...

6:00 a.m.  I hear my two daughters (Stefani, 17 and Anita, 16) get up for school, and think it is time to wake up.  Sometimes, I get up just in time to kiss them good bye.

7:00 a.m.  I get up to see my son Nico (13) leave for school.  He prepares breakfast on his own, and afterwards, he asks me to hug him.  When we see his friend walk by the window, Nico walks out, and turns around, so that Camilo (the dog) and I can wave good bye to him from the window.

Then I start one of the only routines I have.  I say good morning to my husband, and prepare my cup of coffee.  I am literally one of those people whose life does not really start until the FIRST CUP OF COFFE is in.  I have tried to stop drinking coffee, but I come from a coffee producing country, where the presence of Starbucks and other companies has really made a difference to communities and the ecosystem.  So I say, OK, just one cup . . .  and then, I feel ALIVE!!!!!!

Then comes my favorite part of the day:  DESIGNING MY LIFE, MY DAY, AND THE WORLD I WANT TO LIVE IN (or learning how to do this, anyway)....

HeelsConnect, Inc. (that’s us!) served as an Executive Sponsor for a team of students competing in the 2009 Gender in the Workplace Research Competition, sponsored by the Georgetown University Women's Leadership Initiative (GUWLI) and the McDonough School of Business.

I decided at the last minute to make a trip to DC to support the team I sponsored.   And thank goodness I did, because I met an AMAZING person, and I’m so anxious to introduce her to you.

At the end of the competition, Dr. Cathy Tinsley, the Executive Director of GUWLI, introduced Maria Pacheco, who supplied the products in the sponsors’ gift bags.  There were 4 different products to choose from, but by the time I went to grab the scarf bag, they were all gone.  Maria saw the disappointment on my face, and literally took off the scarf she was wearing, and put it on me.  I was so touched by this gesture; there began my friendship with Maria.

Maria is very unassuming - such a great quality that makes her so likable.  When you meet Maria, you would not think that she owns 2 companies, is a consultant for United Nations Foundation, and is a Fulbright Scholar with a master’s degree in agriculture from Cornell University.  And if these aren’t enough,...

The Jenn Hyman Feature Week is sadly coming to an end.  Initially, I had planned on devoting 2 blogs about Jenn, but because Jenn attracted so many readers, it turned into a whole week!

As the first HeelsConnect Student, Jenn set the bar extremely high for other students who will be introduced to the HeelsConnect community.   It was so much fun working with Jenn throughout this process, and I look forward to featuring her as a workingwoman, when she officially transforms into a full-time professional. 

If you have not read the last 3 blogs about Jenn, please do so before reading this.  After contemplating the content of the last blog, I decided to contact a few people who know Jenn very well - personally and/or professionally – and asked them to describe her.  Here’s what they (and I) had to say.

"After almost 30 years in the business world, I have never seen anyone work a room like Jenn does.  There are successful political candidates that could learn from her.  She walks into any setting, glances around, and says to herself, ‘That person looks interesting; I'll go introduce myself!’  ‘That person’ could be male or female, young or old, standing with a welcoming expression or huddled alone in the corner of the room.  It simply doesn't matter.   She approaches people with the attitude that she can learn something from everyone.  And she does.  She listens intently, asks insightful questions, and befriends everyone she encounters.  It is a gift.  It is a skill.  It is, quite simply, Jenn!"

- Randy Farber, Chair, UCLA Scholarship Steering Committee

"Jenn Hyman is the reason I work with students...