Meet Carla Colin Ricárdez | Program Manager of the Latino Chamber (an identity chamber) Entrepreneur and Founder and Curator of Mi Casa Azul LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carla Colin Ricárdez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carla, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
It’s easy to lose work-life balance when you’re a person with multiple responsibilities, especially if apart from being an entrepreneur you also have a full-time job and a family. And although I did not realize this at first, I had to learn to say no to other commitments, to put my priorities on a list and most important of all to practice selfcare, I understood that if I am well I can give a better result in all those things in which I am committing myself. I don’t like not being able to give my best in any project because it makes me feel bad about myself, so I prefer to say no instead of delivering a mediocre result.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Definitely as a woman, as a Latina of color, with English as a second language and as an immigrant, things have not been easy, I have had obstacles along my way that have made me learn many things the hard way but still I got up and moved on. It has helped me a lot to focus more on solutions than on problems, it is a lesson that you learn over time and that takes practice until you make it a habit. One of my priorities has been education, taking courses and classes that are related to what I want to do or what I am already doing has helped me see things from perspectives that I would not have imagined before educating myself, the study of any topic should be constant until you become an expert.
Learning from my own experiences and from other people has also been essential in my professional career and in entrepreneurship.
Part of this learning is also about being clear about how you do not want to be, what kind of person does not fit with your values ​​and your mission to stay away from those kinds of people and not be that way that will not lead you to the goals that you have proposed, when you love what you do and want to improve yourself, the least you need in your network are toxic people who damage your energy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is very interesting because I enjoy so many different places in Colorado.

I would start with a hike in nature, the mountains, and maybe go camping. Visit different breweries, one of my favorites is Cerveceria Colorado, a margarita at El Rio Grande.
For food I love local places so we would probably visit Teocalli cuisine in Lafayette, Dark Horse in Boulder and some Food Trucks that I’m a fan of.
For entertainment we would visit the Museum of the Americas, the History Colorado Center, the Molly Brown House Museum, a tour of the Hammond’s Candy Factory, another tour of the Coors Factory, walks down Pearl Street in Boulder and a walk through downtown. of Fort Collins and its breweries.
Definitely catch a baseball game at Coors Field, walk downtown, and visit Union Station.

This probably more than enough for a week.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout goes out to all the professionals, entrepreneurs and businesswomen in my life, they are my inspiration and I see them as a role model. Seeing the effort they make to stand out in what they do encourages me to support and build each other so that no one is left behind.

Website: https://micasaazulco.com/en https://www.latinochamberco.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mi_casaazul/ https://www.instagram.com/latinochamber/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-colin-a1261118b/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mexicancraftsboutique https://www.facebook.com/LatinoChamberCo

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgeHbLrMKivFkUpVJyVVmlA

Image Credits
LCC Pictures by Jonathan Galindo LCC Logo by FRCC Students