We were lucky to catch up with Jessica Cuevas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

My journey to “Viva la Mami” intertwines my cultural roots and life transitions. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, I’ve always found inspiration in Frida Kahlo’s work – particularly her final painting “Viva la Vida” (Long Live Life). This powerful phrase stayed with me through various chapters of my life.

Initially, I planned a lifestyle YouTube channel before the pandemic, but then I redirected my focus to my corporate career. After welcoming my baby in 2021, my creative aspirations became solidified, but now with motherhood at the center. I wanted to honor my original inspiration of “Viva la Vida” while avoiding trademark conflicts (a crucial lesson for entrepreneurs!).

The naming process forced me to answer essential questions about my audience and brand identity. I knew with absolute certainty that I wanted to create a space specifically for Latina mothers – a community where we could celebrate our unique experiences at the intersection of culture and motherhood.

Rather than celebrating life like Frida’s last painting, I wanted to celebrate motherhood through a Latina lens. So “Viva la Mami” – Long Live Mommy – perfectly captured this mission! It honors my cultural roots while speaking directly to my audience.

What began as a blog has flourished into a podcast and vibrant community, both online and in-person! We create space for Latina moms navigating multifaceted identities – bicultural, bilingual, first-generation, professional women, stay-at-home mom life, the sandwich generation – throughout every season of motherhood. This duality of being a Latina and “mami” can feel isolating without community, which is precisely why Viva la Mami exists and continues to evolve.

Jessica, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For those who haven’t read about me before, my name is Jessica Cuevas – a podcaster, coach, speaker, and community builder passionate about reshaping the narrative around Latina motherhood.

My journey into this space began quite personally. After becoming a mom in 2021, I quickly noticed something troubling: a significant lack of representation for Latina moms in the motherhood space, coupled with persistent negative stereotypes across online platforms and social media. As someone with a background in education, I recognized this not just as a gap, but as an opportunity to create meaningful change.

I founded Viva la Mami, LLC in 2022, launching both a podcast and community with a clear mission: to create a platform where modern Latina moms could reclaim their culture while navigating the complexities of contemporary motherhood. What began as a response to a personal need has evolved into a movement dedicated to redefining “madrehood” through culturally relevant education and authentic storytelling.

What truly sets Viva la Mami apart is our approach to empowerment. We don’t just acknowledge the unique challenges Latina mothers face – we actively challenge and change the prevailing perceptions through positive representation. Our community provides a space where women can embrace their cultural heritage while adapting to the demands of modern parenting without compromise.

Our services extend beyond the podcast to include coaching, speaking engagements, and community-building initiatives. Each element of Viva la Mami is designed to solve a specific problem: combating isolation, providing culturally relevant resources, and creating representation where it’s been historically lacking.

I’m particularly proud of how our work has been recognized by major media outlets. Being featured in the New York Times, Bold Journey, and ABC7 has allowed our message to reach even more Latina mothers who needed to hear it. These opportunities, along with numerous podcast appearances focusing on Latino culture, motherhood, and personal wellness, have helped amplify our mission in ways I could only have dreamed of when starting this journey.

What I want potential followers, clients, and community members to know about Viva la Mami is that we’re more than just content – we’re creating a legacy of empowerment. When Latina mothers have the space, resources, and community to forge their own unique paths in motherhood, they don’t just transform their own lives – they change the narrative for generations to come.

Our community continues to grow because we address a fundamental truth: Latina mothers deserve to see themselves represented positively, to have access to culturally relevant guidance, and to feel supported in blending their rich heritage with modern parenting approaches. This is the heart of Viva la Mami, and it’s the mission that drives everything we do.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My approach to building an audience on social media has been deeply rooted in authenticity and cultural connection. From the beginning, I recognized that my bilingualism wasn’t just a skill, it was a powerful tool for creating genuine connections with my audience of Latina moms.

When I launched Viva la Mami, I made a conscious decision to embrace code-switching between English and Spanish across all my platforms. This wasn’t just a marketing strategy – it was a reflection of how many of us naturally communicate in our daily lives as bicultural women. By allowing my content to flow between languages, I created a space where Latina moms could feel seen in their fullness, rather than having to compartmentalize parts of their identity.

I’ve found that bilingual content performs exceptionally well because it acknowledges the beautiful complexity of our community. Sometimes I’ll create captions that begin in English and seamlessly transition to Spanish, or I’ll share stories that incorporate phrases that simply don’t translate but perfectly capture specific cultural experiences. My audience responds most enthusiastically to these authentic expressions because they mirror their own reality.

For those just starting to build a social media presence, I’d offer this advice: identify what makes your voice and perspective unique, and lean into it unapologetically. For me, that was embracing bilingualism and bicultural motherhood, but your differentiator might be something entirely different!

Don’t feel pressured to be everywhere at once. I focused initially on platforms where Latina moms were already gathering and having conversations. By meeting my community where they were, I could build deeper connections before expanding to new platforms.

Finally, remember that building a community takes time. There were months where growth seemed slow, but I remained committed to creating value for the audience I had rather than fixating on numbers. This patient approach allowed me to foster genuine connections and build a community of engaged followers who truly resonate with the Viva la Mami mission.

The most rewarding part has been watching how this bilingual approach has created a truly inclusive space where Latina moms can embrace all aspects of their identity – linguistic, cultural, and maternal – without compromise.

Have you ever had to pivot?

My biggest pivot happened when baby #2 came along. Up until then, I was doing the whole 9-5 grind while building Viva la Mami on the side. I loved growing this community for Latina moms, but honestly? Time was something I never had enough of, especially in anticipation of having two under two years old.

When my second little one arrived, everything just clicked into focus. I was constantly torn between growing my community and being there for those precious early years with my kids. The corporate schedule was seriously clashing with what my heart wanted, and something had to give.

My husband and I made this decision that probably sounds crazy to some people, but we decided to downsize our home! It wasn’t about having less; it was about creating more of what actually mattered.

That financial breathing room was exactly what I needed to finally kiss my 9-5 goodbye and go all-in on Viva la Mami while being the present mami I wanted to be. Our cozier home literally became the foundation for a bigger, more authentic life where I didn’t have to constantly choose between my kids and my dreams.

Was it all smooth sailing? Definitely not! There are times when we have those “what have we done?!” moments as we adjusted to less space and as I built my business without that reliable paycheck security blanket. But having the freedom to be there for school pickups and sick days while still pursuing my passion has been absolutely priceless.

What I’ve learned is sometimes you have to let go of stuff to make room for the good stuff. By cutting back on our material things, we opened up so many more possibilities. Now when I’m coaching other Latina moms, I’m always asking them what they might need to release to make space for what really lights them up.

This wasn’t just about changing careers, it was about rethinking our whole family setup to honor both my role as a mom and my mission with Viva la Mami. Who knew that downsizing would be the very thing that helped everything else grow?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vivalamami.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivalamami/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vivalamami
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaavilacuevas/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vivalamami