Today we’d like to introduce you to Pam Covarrubias
Hi Pam, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story is one of continuous unlearning, reclaiming, and stepping into my full power as I navigate spaces where my voice is often better unheard or ignored. As an immigrant to the U.S., I’ve learned to move through the complexities of being a first-generation Latina. As an eldest daughter, I carried the weight of expectations, the unspoken responsibility to put others first.
It all started when I was following the traditional path: climbing the corporate ladder. But I craved freedom, space for creativity, and the ability to do work that truly made an impact. In 2014, I felt the nudge to ask bigger questions, to uncover the stories of those who walked the path before me. It took me two years to stop waiting for someone else to create it for me, in 2016 I bought a microphone from a retired rapper, and with no budget or media knowledge, I started Café con Pam. My ultimate driver was (and still is) my curiosity.
Café con Pam began as a personal project, a way to fill the empty space I had for role models. I made a wish list of 20 people I found inspiring, and now, over 400 stories later, we are still here. Café con Pam has become the podcast for us. A space to feel seen and supported.
Over time, my work evolved as I deepened my understanding of Calladita Culture®: The unspoken expectation for Latinas to stay quiet, small, and compliant. I saw how it was keeping us overworked, overlooked, and overwhelmed. After coaching hundreds of people and studying this for over a decade, I developed The Five Wounds of Calladita Culture®, a framework that helps people identify and heal the patterns keeping them stuck, underpaid, and frustrated.
Now, my work consists of interviewing incredible guests who are building impactful ecosystems, coaching clients, teaching, speaking on stages, and showing up while embracing my weird. All while continuing to create tools that support first-gen women in navigating self-worth, confidence, and nervous system regulation.
Ultimately, my vision is simple yet ambitious: To support first-generation women and femmes in creating safety within, so they can take up space, own their stories, and build a life that honors their lineage while making room for their own dreams and desires.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, the road has been anything but smooth. As a Latina entrepreneur, I’ve often been overlooked by banks, brands, and institutions when it comes to funding. However, I don’t dwell on that, I focus on what I can create despite the barriers.
The biggest twists and turns have been the lessons I’ve had to learn along the way. Navigating the business world as an ADHD founder, especially one who started with no capital, has come with challenges. But I refuse to let them define me. Instead, I’ve leaned into my resilience and resourcefulness, finding creative ways to make my business work for me.
I’ve learned that traditional business practices don’t always align with how I operate. Instead of forcing myself into a mold that wasn’t built for me, I’ve embraced my own inner seasons and created my own way of being a founder, one that honors my energy, creativity, and the people I serve.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am the founder of Café con Pam, a platform dedicated to supporting first-generation Latinas and femmes in breaking free from Calladita Culture®, the unspoken expectation to stay quiet, small, and compliant. Through my work, I help people reclaim their voice, power, and worth, creating safety within so they can take up space, own their stories, and build lives that honor their lineage while making room for their own dreams.
At the heart of what I do is Café con Pam, one of the longest-running podcast for Latinas, where I’ve interviewed over 400 incredible guests, sharing stories that uplift and empower our community. I also lead Gather Circle, a program where first-gen women learn to navigate self-worth, confidence, and nervous system regulation in a supportive and culturally rooted space.
What sets me apart is my holistic approach, I don’t just focus on mindset, I integrate somatic tools, cycle syncing, and ancestral wisdom to help my clients and community move through the deep-rooted patterns keeping them stuck. My work is grounded in The Five Wounds of Calladita Culture®, a framework I developed after coaching hundreds of people over the past decade.
I am most proud of building a sustainable, impactful business on my own terms, without outside funding, and staying true to my vision. Café con Pam is more than a podcast, it’s a movement. My goal is to continue expanding its reach, growing a gathering space that feels safe, seen, and supported.
For readers who resonate with this, there are several ways to engage:
✨ Listen to the podcast (Café con Pam) to hear inspiring first-gen stories.
✨ Take the Calladita Culture quiz and uncover the wound holding you back
✨ Hire me to speak at your event or organization.
✨ Work with me through coaching, workshops, and private offerings.
Ultimately, my brand is about liberation, self-trust, and stepping fully into your power. Whether through the podcast, my coaching, or my gathering space, my vision is to create spaces where first-gens, Latinas, and femmes feel seen, safe, and supported as they rewrite the narratives that have kept them small for too long.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Consistency over consumption.
It’s easy to get caught up in consuming, watching what others are doing, analyzing trends, or waiting until you feel “ready.” But the real magic happens when you take consistent action, even when it’s imperfect.
I wish I had known earlier that success isn’t about knowing everything before you start. It’s about showing up, refining as you go, and building momentum. The more you create and share, the more clarity and confidence you’ll gain.
Also, done is better than perfect.
I think we’ve been socialized to show up polished and complete, when in reality we’re all a work in progress and it’s okay to give ourselves permission to change our mind.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cafeconpam.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafeconpampodcast/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cafeconpampodcast/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cafeconpam
- Other: https://spreadideasmovepeople.com/
Image Credits
Studio Luniste
Carina Fleckner Photography
