We were lucky to catch up with Kateryn Ferreira recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kateryn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

My legacy will be bringing people together to add value and impact. I am passionate about creating communities and atmospheres of support, love, and communication. I grew up as a loner, very independent, and usually only around adults. This experience has fueled my desire to bring people together to heal and support each other. This is why I help ambitious first-generation women of color transform their life through healing and self-development. We have the power within us. When I am gone, I want the world to remember me as a hard-working, passionate soul, who loved and served her community with healing, self-development, and faith.

Kateryn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Kateryn Ferreira is the CEO of Geminme, She offers services as a transformation life coach and creates communities to empower first-generation women of color to become the best version of themselves. She also serves as a director of an international youth group called Jovenes Empower, which focuses on helping young people grow and take control of their futures. As a First-Generation Dominican American born and raised in Washington Heights, Kateryn has always carried a spirit of perseverance within her. She has reached her goals and accomplished several incredible challenges at a young age. In her professional career, she acquired nine years of experience working in healthcare. She had the privilege of working on the front lines of covid 19 for NYC as a Community Engagement Supervisor. Kateryn worked tirelessly studying and working full time, which she acknowledges was sometimes difficult and stressful. However, this did not prevent her from graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Health Service Administration from Lehman College, CUNY. She then pursued and earned a Master in Public Health from CUNY School of Public Health and Health Policy. After finishing her studies, she created her own brand and podcast, Geminme The Podcast, to promote mental health awareness, self-development, and generational trauma healing. Lastly, she is co-author of Today’s Inspire Young Latina Vol. 2 and Hispanic Star Rising: The New Face of Power Vol 1.

Geminme is a Latina-owned coaching company that provides a range of services aimed at empowering first-generation women of color to live their best lives. Kateryn is an international speaker, life coach, co-author, podcast producer, CEO, and philanthropist. Some of the services offered by Geminme include one-on-one coaching, group coaching, workshops, courses, and speaking engagements. Geminme also produces a podcast that provides tips and inspiration for personal growth and development. As a philanthropist, Kateryn is committed to giving back to her community and mentoring young people in Latin countries by promoting mental wellness and self-development. Overall, Geminme provides a comprehensive approach to personal development, drawing on Kateryn’s extensive experience and expertise to help clients achieve their goals and live fulfilling lives. Remember you have the power within you to achieve all you want to achieve, you just need a coach who holds you accountable and is by your side through all the transformation.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Change is not easy but is necessary! I am so proud and happy now to be in this space where I see why things have gone the way they have. I am a resilient, very hard-working person who has persevered and achieved many milestones at a young age. It was through my hard work and dedication that I got all I acquired, Many of these accomplishments became part of my identity. Let me explain. I learned at a very young age education was very important, for me, it became by air, my food, what kept me going. I lived and enjoyed the ability to excel in my education. The structure, the success, and the harvest of learning. This led me to pursue my Bachelor of Science right after high school. During this time, I was living the life. I was working full-time at Montefiore Medical Center and attending Lehman College, CUNY, going to happy hour every other day. On paper, I was living the life, I had everything that others would desire, right? Looking back I am probably producing at my peaking or the most “productive” I have been ever. Right after completing my Bachelors, I wanted moreeeee. More education, so I enrolled in grad school. During this time, I was still working at Montefiore. However, I have been moving up the corporate ladder. 2020 came by….. We all know what happened. The pandemic hit us all. I was working in the hospital at the time. It was a heavy and devastating experience walking into this job every day. Death and sorrow were in the air, everyone was exhausted, scared, shocked, and slowly losing their essence. I actually finished my Master in 2020. Yay for the degree, however, I didn’t get to walk and celebrate as I should. That degree squeezed every bit of energy I had to pursue anything else. It was a sacrifice. During this time, I knew I needed a job change. I was fortunate enough to be part of the Test and Trace Initiative for NYC Health and Hospitals. It was definitely challenging but I learned so much of myself and others during those two years there. 2022 came, and we were let go from this full-time opportunity.. the pandemic is now over. As I write this it has been a year since we were laid off. I must tell you, it has been one of the hardest years in my life because I had to reinvent myself and find who I really was. I have applied to thousands of jobs with no success. Shortly after months of applying, I realized that I was not meant to be in a 9 to 5. I am meant to make more impact and offer more value to the world. So I decided to finally launch my coaching business and podcast. This was a very difficult realization. You know, I was proud and I identified myself as a student, which I am no longer. I identified as a healthcare employee, which I am no longer. Now that I present myself to others. I get to tell them who I truly am. I am a life coach, a podcaster, a mental health advocate, and a self-development fanatic, among others of course. But I realized that I had an identity that was co-created for me. I had to reframe my mind and heart to learn what I want to be known for. What I really want others to know about me. In addition, to be being vulnerable is a whole other story. This last year has been my chance to focus on myself, to love myself, to be present, to heal, and really focus on the things that matter. I feel so fortunate and blessed now that I have gone through this process of reinvention. Trust me when I say I work on this every day because I know this is just the beginning of the rest of my life. This is why I am so passionate about helping others walk into their power because I feel we limit ourselves so much on the different labels and expectations that society and our families put on us that we forget about what we want and who we want to be.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I continue to learn and want to share with you is, circumstances don’t change if you don’t change. I feel like we are taught from a very young age that we have to go with the flow and accept everything that is thrown at us, sure you have to embrace and learn to ride the waves of life. However, we have the power to really change our minds, our circumstances, our behaviors, our habits, and all those things that form our world and life. I keep reminding myself every day, that if I want to change my current situation and circumstances I have to change something within me to change the outcome. I don’t know why, as humans, we assume things will just change. I will take this loan out because I will hopefully be making more money in the future. What steps and actions are you taking? What changes are you implementing in your life that would guarantee income growth? This is why Self-development for me is the key to happiness and life. If you continue to elevate your self and your mind, we will continue to prosper and be an asset to the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://geminmeempowers.podia.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geminme_lifecoach/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katerynferreira/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJrrlE0ipMOn5eedwE0R7RQ

Image Credits
@truthandlovephotography @lesleyluxephotography