We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rita Bautista a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Rita thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Grit, learn the word and make it part of your vocabulary. You will learn more by not giving up on your idea and seeing it through. Pivot fast and without taking anything personal. Be open to change and figure out how your company fits in the changing markets.

The biggest lesson I have learned is not to take anything personal, even though every now and then, there is one thing that hits close to home. If you work on not taking anything personal, then this will be much easier.

Also, make sure to prioritize me time. You give so much of yourself as a startup founder, but you also exist outside of the company as well. Figure out what your “self” care routine is and practice it religiously so that you can be the best version of yourself when working in the company.

Rita, 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?

I started my own podcast back in 2019 and I quickly noticed that there was a massive lack of representation of Latinas in this space.

I formed Latina Podcasters to create representation and amplify the stories of the authentic voices of US-based Latinas, Latinos, and the Latine through podcasts. As a traditionally underpaid and unrepresented community, we ensure our podcasters get paid market rate or above by curating premium host-read ads for the brands and agencies we work with to connect authentically to the US Hispanic market.

I am passionate about elevating cultura and inspiring others. I’m a first-generation American, born to Honduran parents, that worked extensively for more than a decade, representing the Latinx culture in education, government, business, and sports.

My journey began after graduating from the University of New Orleans and receiving a fellowship from the Institute of Politics at Loyola University of New Orleans. It continued as I served on countless civic and non-profit boards, expanding my reach and experience.

Determined to develop a way for big brands to reach first-generation US Hispanics and the Latinx community through the authentic voices of podcasters, in 2019 I founded Latina Podcasters, a podcast network group that includes the Latina Podcasters Network (LPN) and Latino Pods.

LP started with 30 podcasts in its network and was in its infancy when I lost my day job during the pandemic. Realizing that had to be the catalyst for my success, I used what could have been a big stumbling block to fuel me, and within two years have 50 podcasts in my network and annual revenue of over $1 million.
LP has generated ad buys from Blue-Chip companies including McDonald’s, Infinity, Cox, Ulta Beauty, and Procter & Gamble. My work has also been featured on Business Insider, The Luz Collectiva, Bold Latina, SounderHer by Sounder.fm, on more than 30 diverse podcasts, and Telemundo.

I live in Houston, Texas, with my dog, Louis. I enjoy being outdoors and sharing in community when I am teaching classes as a certified yoga instructor.

Any advice for managing a team?

As a leader, I have a few core values that I bring to my team and think all teams should incorporate. These values include building trust, encouraging feedback, recognizing achievements, and encouraging collaboration.

You really need to first build the foundation of trust amongst your team members before any real collaboration and feedback can be shared. We do this by celebrating our ‘Good News’ both professional and personal each week in our meetings. Each team member gets the floor to share what they are most proud of in their lives that week and what they have been working on to grow personally and professionally. Sometimes, if a team member feels stuck on what to share, myself or another member will jump in and share a positive that the team member has accomplished that week. It’s a really great way to remember that we are all human and keep the positivity going. Members see that everyone is celebrated and not judged.

This all leads to opening that channel of communication by establishing a sense of honesty and transparency. I let my team members know that communication is key in driving us forward. I want my team members to reach out to each other or me if needed when they are struggling or need help. No one is a one-person show. If a member struggles alone, it only creates a feeling of helplessness. We all lift each other up and help when needed.
Beyond helping each other, it is also important for my team to notice the little things that I may not be able to see myself. I encourage my team members to see the bumps in the road and provide feedback on how we can improve during weekly team meetings. They are the ones operating in different parts of the business where they experience these issues. If they cannot see a solution, it is a great opportunity for the rest of the team to help brainstorm a solution to keep the ship sailing. I also make it a point to listen carefully and provide guidance only as needed. We recognize what is working and celebrate those wins as well. My team thrives together because we communicate.

If you want a successful team that keeps the business going, focus on trust and communication.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients has been through visibility. I have also activated my network with the US Hispanic and media spaces. I reach out to my connections and ask for help reaching the media buyers within. I also built relationships with agencies that focus on multicultural marketing and media to serve as a source for their Latina, Latino, Latine and Latinx podcast needs.

Contact Info:

• Website: Latinapodcasters.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latinapodcasters/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritabautista/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/latinopods/ https://www.instagram.com/yosoyritabautista/