Meet Yvonne Armenta

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yvonne Armenta and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yvonne, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
This is not the full quote, but the part of it that I resonate with is this: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be?”

It’s a reminder to me that playing small does no one any good. That it’s actually through owning who we are and not shying away from the spotlight, that we create the type of world that we all want to live in. As an introverted speaker, it’s been a lesson I’ve had to learn (& often still learning), so that I can continue to shine my light. We can all write a book about our life’s story. We all have something inspirational to share on a stage. We simply need to let our fear of being seen, be quiet just enough to make room for us to realize it.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I grew up in San Francisco, CA, as the oldest of 3, raised by a single mom. Since I was young, school was always my favorite place to be because it felt like it was the one place I had some control in. If I did the work, I got good grades. Easy enough. So, my education became incredibly important to me because I understood it to be the vehicle for my success as a first generation, low income student, with no connections in the corporate world.

I would walk the streets of downtown SF thinking to myself “One day I’m going to work in those tall buildings”. I didn’t know what type of work happened there, but I knew it had to be important and I wanted access. Flash forward to graduation day, I had my start date at Uber in that tall building where important work happened. That was the beginning of my 8 year long career in tech across roles like Learning & Development, Internal Communications, Social Impact, & Community Management.

At the same time, I was booking speaking engagements as keynote speaker for education-based conferences to share my story. And at the same time, I was also working as an event coordinator when I had time. I have always been someone that explores her interests and is a bit of a “serial side hustler”.

In 2020 I decided to start sharing my journey as an introverted public speaker via Chats with Yvonne when my love for the art of public speaking was reignited by an opportunity I had to host a virtual talk show and interview well established artists, celebrities, and professionals. I wanted to share my experience as an Introverted First Gen Latina speaker & Latina in tech to give tips, con cultura. When I started my public speaking journey, 11 years ago, I often felt lost and like everyone I was learning from didn’t look, sound, or come from where I come from (or was at the very least, culturally competent).

My journey has been marked by many firsts, often learning how to do something by first saying yes & then learning how to do it.
​As I developed the knowledge, skills, & tools for communicating through the spoken word, I perfected my public speaking style & gained confidence in the art by tapping into what has prepared me to be a great public speaker my entire life, my cultura.

¡Latina, Presente! is a community for Latinas, Introverts, & anyone who seeks a brave space to practice their public speaking, con cultura. Through virtual and in-person immersive experiences, our public speaking practice cards, and public speaking club, we’re on a mission to celebrate, guide, elevate our communities in their public speaking journey and provide them the space to practice their craft.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
San Diego has so many amazing local coffee shops, so we’d have to check a few out throughout the week! Some of my favorites are Por Vida, Garden Coffee, Cafeina, & Dia de Cafe. Then take our cafecito on a walk at Lake Murray or any of San Diego’s beautiful beaches! I personally love Coronado.

We could hike to Cowles Mountain & have a nice brunch at any of the local restaurants. Really, I would recommend low-key days where we can walk around the city and be immersed in it’s beautiful culture, fly kites at Belmont park, have a picnic at Balboa Park, & maybe a bonfire at the beach.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It will always be the women storytellers I grew up with: My mom, Luz Adriana & my grandmother, Mama Esther.

They’re the pillars of my success and the reason I chose to be a public speaker. Without knowing it, their unique expressions, movements, and voices as they told stories & passed down knowledge throughout my life, shape how I show up on stage. Every time Yvonne takes the stage, there’s a mix of Luz Adriana & Mama Esther in there. I am so proud of that.

Website: https://www.chatswithyvonne.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chatswithyvonne_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonne-armenta/

Other: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chatswithyvonne

Image Credits
Kita Zuleta (@kitazuletaphoto) Yesenia (@seniaslens)