“I learned at a very young age…that if I didn’t use my voice, if I didn’t raise my hand, if I didn’t speak out for me, I was never going to get anywhere. So I dared to risk.”
This week, Sally Hubbard interviews one of one of Latin America’s most prominent businesswomen and committed philanthropist, Angelica Fuentes.
Angelica has had a fascinating career, starting out as a young girl working at a gas station to becoming the CEO of a Mexican energy company at age 29 and serving on Secretary Clinton’s International Council on Women’s Business Leadership.
“We have to understand that we have to work really hard, definitely have to have a plan, we have to dare to risk and this is something that women are not taught and therefore we usually do not take that. I think this is…something that most women or a lot of women are afraid of. Failure. And that’s why maybe they don’t risk. You know, we’ve been socialized to believe that failure is just something that’s unacceptable so let’s stay in the safe zone. I never have and I think that’s helped me a lot.”
Today, she is the Founder and CEO of skincare company A Complete, co-chair of Mexico’s Gender Parity Task Force, member of the Private Sector Leadership Advisory Council of UN Women, creator of the Equal Invest gender equity investment fund, and a goal advocate for the UN foundation program Girl Up.
“The truth is I’ve enjoyed every single part of my journey. Every moment that has gone by in my life has made me who I am today.”
Angelica realized her mission when she experienced gender discrimination in her first job. Since then, throughout her entire career, she has worked tirelessly to give women a voice and help them wake up to the incredible power they have.
“Our mistakes do not define us. But our attitude towards life does.”
In this episode, she shares how she increased productivity and profitability at the energy company she led by hiring more women, creating a breastfeeding infrastructure, implementing maternity and paternity leave, and creating flex work.
“Nothing is impossible, if one can imagine it.”
Listen to this episode to get Angelica’s advice for creating massive change for women in the world. She shares the importance of diversity for business results and how she got to be so comfortable in her own shoes.
“I believe that the only thing we’re going to be questioned at the end of our lifetime will be did you have the courage to be happy? I definitely will say yes.”