We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nachi De Los Santos a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nachi, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

I was blessed with wonderful parents. My parents emigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic in search of better opportunities. They instilled in my sister, Damaris and me the importance of self-confidence and the belief that we can achieve anything. Despite growing up in poverty, my father, who was orphaned at the age of 5, refused to let his circumstances define him. He pursued education in Germany and later became an engineer in the United States. My mother came from a large, close-knit family that always supported each other. With their help, she attended vocational school and became a bookkeeper. They both emphasized the value of life experiences over material possessions when raising my sister and me. I fondly remember my father taking us out for lunch at the Waldorf Astoria because he thought having lunch with “fancy” people would be fun. I smile about it every time I think of that day. He believed in living life to the fullest. Despite working two jobs, he always made time for our family, whether it was going on trips or simply reading the Sunday newspaper comics together. My mother was more reserved but ensured we were always prepared for life. My sister and I were fortunate to have parents who brought a balance of their uniqueness, providing us with a well-rounded childhood. What they both valued the most, along with family, was giving back to their community. My parents worked with organizations in New York to send needed essentials to their hometown, Boca Chica, from an ambulance to organizing an event every Christmas for the children in the town. My parents were not wealthy, but they were rich with love for their family and community and were fearless in pursuing their goals. They always inspired me to embrace new experiences and opportunities. As I navigated various roles and career paths, it was no surprise that I eagerly jumped in when my sister approached me about starting a podcast. I get to do something so dynamic with my best friend, and we get to share our experiences as first-generation Dominican-Americans navigating life’s challenges and balancing two cultures. We see it as our chance to give back to a community of like-minded individuals looking to elevate and thrive, not just survive.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a Dominican American, a New Yawka for life, now living in the South. I consider myself pretty ambitious, but I don’t take life too seriously, and I don’t let adversity hold me back. I’ve always been a creative person interested in self-development. You might find me in a yoga or new age class or reading a book on living a better life and overcoming self-limiting beliefs. Like many people, I’ve had life-changing experiences that could have stopped me in my tracks, but I’ve always kept going. I believe there’s always a solution to every problem.

I think back when my daughter was a toddler and she had severe eczema, and even the most sensitive products on the market didn’t help her. I started researching how to make soothing and healing products for her. While experimenting with different formulas, I discovered my love for creating these products. I made more than my family could use, so I started sharing them with friends, family, and coworkers. Eventually, I began selling them at events and farmers’ markets, and people loved them. Unfortunately, I had to put this on hold because of personal challenges, including my father’s stroke and going through a divorce. At this pivotal time, I spent juggling responsibilities and rediscovering myself trying to manage my new reality.

In 2020, my father passed away, and then the pandemic hit. On top of that, my mother was diagnosed with dementia. It was a lot to handle, and my grief was overwhelming. I had to rely on my self-development tools and learn new techniques to overcome this tough time while cherishing moments with my family. Everything changed, and new beginnings emerged. In 2022, my sister proposed starting a podcast, and I immediately agreed. We had so much to share from our experiences, including lessons from our parents and our journey to authenticity. Our goal is to help our community thrive and achieve self-empowerment.

In each episode, we explore various topics that have impacted us, from grief, dementia, spirituality, to discussions about how the pharmaceutical and food industries impact our lives. Sometimes, we invite friends and family to share their expertise. We provide tips and resources to help our community overcome challenges and navigate life at a higher frequency. I’m proud of the community we’re building and the positive feedback we’ve received. Damaris and I have faced challenges that many others can relate to, and we love connecting with people at different life stages, offering them resources and support. As first-generation Dominican Americans, we understand the unique experiences that come with it and aim to support others in similar situations. We’re all here for each other, and that’s what truly matters.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

We aim to uplift our community by educating individuals, especially those of Caribbean descent and first-generation Americans, about the possibilities beyond the constraints of our culture and society. We hope that our journey to self-actualization resonates with others, and if we can impact at least one person, we will consider it a step in the right direction and continue creating content.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the habit of always having control and start asking for help when I need it. Contrary to what I once believed, success doesn’t come solely from individual efforts. Having support is crucial, whether it means partnering with someone, getting a coach, or seeking help from family and friends. When I had my soap and body business, I made the mistake of not reaching out for help. I thought I could handle everything on my own, as I talked about in our episode, Embracing an Entrepreneurial Mindset. I juggled all the responsibilities while working full-time as a single mother of two young children. It became overwhelming, and I eventually had to close the business because I couldn’t handle it all. It wasn’t until I read the book “Who Not How” by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy that I realized I should have focused more on finding the right people to help. This would have reduced the stress and given me more time to focus on what I truly enjoyed: creating. In fact, this was the approach Damaris, and I took when we decided we wanted to accelerate our progress with the podcast so that we can have more time to create content. We had to identify the people who could take some tasks off our plates so that we could concentrate on content creation and building our community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imnotyelling.co/
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