Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Judith Martinez has built her life around a single question: what would you do if you were one percent more courageous? It sounds simple. But for the young women of color she has spent her career serving, that one percent is the difference between staying small and stepping fully into who they were always meant to be. This week, Judith joins us on Behind The Work.
Judith is the Founder and CEO of InHerShoes — the modern woman's community for courage — a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit committed to catalyzing courage for young women of color around the world. She is a first-generation Filipina-American, an LA native, a Forbes 30 Under 30 nominee, a Vital Voices and TRESemmé Global Leadership Fellow, a United State of Women Ambassador for California, and a 2021 awardee hand-selected by Serena Williams and Stuart Weitzman for her work in cross-generational equity. She has spoken at the United Nations Youth Assembly, worked alongside Echoing Green fellows, and most recently served as Director of Social Impact and Inclusion at Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez — where her work helped earn the brand a 2023 Fast Company Brands That Matter recognition.
In this conversation, we get into where InHerShoes came from — what Judith saw in young women of color that made her say courage is the thing we have to activate. We talk about what it felt like to speak at the UN Youth Assembly in the early years, what traditional institutions are still getting wrong about developing leaders, and what she learned co-authoring the first book written by students, for students, on leadership in higher education. We also get into the corporate world — what drew her to Rare Beauty, what social impact looks like from inside a brand versus inside a nonprofit, and how she navigates the line between performative and authentic impact when the pressure to perform is real. We talk about what the 2020 national awakening taught her about the relationship between individual courage and systemic change. And we talk about the hardest moment in her journey — and what it revealed about what she is actually made of.
This episode is for you if:
- You have an idea, a vision, or a calling you've been too afraid to begin — and you need someone to remind you that one percent is enough to start.
- You're a first-generation woman navigating systems that weren't built for you and trying to build something that will outlast you.
- You work in social impact — inside a nonprofit, a brand, or a corporation — and you're thinking hard about how to protect the integrity of the mission.
- You're a young leader trying to figure out how to build power without losing yourself in the process.
- You've been waiting for permission to step into the room — and you need someone to tell you the permission was always yours.
- You want to understand what it really looks like to build a movement from the ground up — the parts that worked, the parts that didn't, and the moments that changed everything
Connect with Jessica:- Subscribe to the Behind The Work newsletter: https://jessworldwide.substack.com/
- Follow Jessica on Instagram: http://instagram.com/@jessicasantana
- Follow Behind The Work on Instagram: http://instagram.com/@behindtheworkshow
- Follow Jessica on TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@jessworldwide
- Follow Behind The Work on TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@behindthework
About Behind The Work: Behind The Work is the show for the ambitious person looking to level up their lives, their career, and their businesses. Hosted by Jessica Santana, Behind The Work goes deep with the executives, founders, and leaders who are building from a place of power. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the real work — the strategy, the setbacks, the pivots, and the purpose — behind the people, companies, and organizations shaping what's next.
Jessica Santana is a business and leadership coach for entrepreneurs and executives. She specializes in teaching founders, entrepreneurs and executives how to build strong businesses, careers and lives they love.
Behind The Work is the podcast show for ambitious executives and entrepreneurs looking to build businesses that scale and careers that leave an impact. Hosted by Jessica Santana, each episode features in-depth conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and executives who are building companies from the ground up and are succeeding in their career fields. Discover the real successes, honest failures, pivots, and the vision behind the most successful people reshaping industries.
Some episodes, we’ll sit down with some dope guests and hear about their journeys. Other times, it’ll just be us—breaking down the lessons, strategies, and real talk that I have learned as an entrepreneur and executive – It will be everything you need to keep pushing forward and you’ll always walk away with something tangible and practical.
This show will provide answers to questions like:
- What does the real journey from zero to success actually look like—beyond the highlight reel?
- How do I turn my business idea into a profitable, scalable company?
- How do successful founders navigate failure, pivots, and setbacks without giving up?
- What's the difference between entrepreneurs who scale to millions and those who stall?
- How do you secure funding, and what should you know before approaching investors?
- What does it actually take to build product-market fit?
- How do you build a high-performing team and company culture from the ground up?
- What blind spots do first-time entrepreneurs have, and how do you avoid them?
- How do you balance growth with profitability and sustainability?
- What's the real behind-the-scenes strategy that successful founders use?
- How do you stay motivated and resilient through the tough seasons of building?
- What's the path to building a company that can scale beyond you?
- How do you know when to double down on your vision versus pivot?
- What does leadership actually look like when you're building something from scratch?
- How do the most successful entrepreneurs think differently about risk, money, and opportunity?
Hi, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Behind the Work, the show for the very ambitious person looking to level up their lives, their careers, and their businesses. I'm your host, Jessica Santana. And if this is your first time tuning in, I wanna say welcome to this show. So today, we have the amazing privilege to be sitting down with Judith Martinez, who is the founder of In Her Shoes Movement.
Jessica Santana:So Judith, welcome to this show.
Judith Martinez:Thank you for having me.
Jessica Santana:Of course. And so for those who are getting familiar with your movement, tell them a little bit about you and what In Her Shoes movement actually is.
Judith Martinez:Yes. So In Her Shoes is a five zero one c three nonprofit and it's based in Los Angeles, California. And really, just have one mission, is to catalyze courage for young girls and women to live the life that they love, one act of courage at a time. And so, it's really about capacity building for courage and what does it look like to live a courageous life and instilling that in women, young women of color, and really exploring how can your passion intersect with what the world needs. We've been in existence for over ten years now and it's been a journey that I think has helped formulate me as a person, but also as a social impact leader that wants to make a difference in the world.
Jessica Santana:Yeah, absolutely. Know, thinking about the longevity of what it looks like to actually build a nonprofit over a period of time. And being in social impact, I believe that there were really important things that happened for me as a child that leads me to the work that I'm doing today outside of the podcast where I'm leading an organization called American Tech. And so I'm curious if you can share a little bit about what your childhood was like that informed you of what your role is now and why you're doing the work you're doing for young girls.
Judith Martinez:Yeah. So I'm a proud daughter of immigrants, first generation college student, and I think if there's anyone who maybe hears themself in that title, you know, growing up was hard. I think there's a lot of things where my family, we lost our home growing up. There was a portion of our life where we never knew if we were gonna be able to eat a meal, to be honest. And so I think the immigrant child experience, but also having the experience of watching the people that care for you the most, like your parents struggle, I think it really has instilled in me a sense of a deep level of responsibility of wanting to pay forward to other people so that, one, you hope no one ever has to experience what you experienced, but I think also, two, of demystifying what does it mean to live the American dream.
Judith Martinez:I think the American dream is dead. I think that everyone is living in a world right now where the idea or the notion of success or accomplishment or fulfillment are kind of being turned on its head, and people are kind of questioning a lot of things. And so I say all of that because I think my humble roots and beginnings as just an immigrant daughter has been trying to answer those questions for myself. And I think the hardships of growing up, experiencing different levels of prejudice or not fully being seen, I think, in a lot of ways too, but also grappling with a level of privilege, being an Asian minority. There's also, like, the the model minority myth, I think, too.
Judith Martinez:So I think there's a lot of complex layers of growing up that I think has become a melting pot to shape who I am today and why I think social impact and social justice is really important. And I also think it looks different today than it did, you know, a year ago, five years ago, ten years ago.
Jessica Santana:Yeah. For sure. And so you've been doing In Her Shoes movement for over ten years now. And when you think about the founding of the organization, what do you think was the problem that you were trying to solve then? Is it still the problem now?
Jessica Santana:And if it's not, how has it evolved?
Judith Martinez:I'd say yes and no. I think the quote unquote problem that we were trying to solve then was really giving young women of color a voice at the table. And it was interesting because a year after we had launched, the Me Too movement also started. So I think it was already in a time and an era where more and more voices from women, but also I think there was a shift in culture of really centralizing more of the women experience across different sectors, whether it was women's rights, whether it was body autonomy, whether it was period poverty, whether it was, I think, women who have overcome a lot of misogyny during the time as well. And I think if you fast forward to now, it's been over a decade.
Judith Martinez:Unfortunately, I do think it's still a bit of a fight that we are fighting. I also think though it's just far more layered and nuanced. I think there's so much more intersectionality that's involved today. I think if we're also looking at just the global context too, I think there's a lot of need for women to be able to be central again. I think there's more conversations that I think have gotten lost over the years too.
Judith Martinez:And so as much as I think the fight is the same, I also think it's different, because in a way I think that some of the rights for women, some of the rights for mothers, some of the rights who identify as non binary women even, I think I think we really need to step up in bigger ways than we have before.
Jessica Santana:Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna ask you about that a little bit later on on stepping up in bigger ways. And so one of the things that I really loved about you when I was reading your story and doing research was that, you know, you see in her shoes as a movement towards making young women 1% more courageous. And I think about my own philosophies as an entrepreneur and just as a person in general, I'm like, if I can get 1% better every day, that for me is a win.
Jessica Santana:Tell me a little bit about your philosophy on why getting 1% more courageous every day is important for young women in the world.
Judith Martinez:I think that's a great question, and I think that's a great philosophy that you have. I think it's important because sometimes we think that change needs to be this big splashy moment, and I genuinely believe that change starts small. I think there's a reason why we have books like Atomic Habits, for example, or there's a reason why when we think about going to the gym, it's a practice over the course of time. So I think the philosophy of focusing on the 1% is there's power in consistency. There's power in showing up daily, and there's power in showing up one act at a time, and it's the compound effect of the one percent.
Judith Martinez:And also too, I'll be completely honest. I think for me, well, what if I can't give a 100%? What I what if today, 1% is the best that I can do? Getting up is the miracle. Like, showing up is already more than half the job.
Judith Martinez:So I think there's My hope is that the 1% grants people the permission that doing the best that you can, and even if it's not, just showing up is already a win, and that big change starts small, and that just being willing to make a difference is already a lot to And begin so 1% actually means something. It's the beginning of 100%.
Jessica Santana:Absolutely. Yeah. For sure. And so then when you think about courage and why it currently is a challenge for young women to channel that, Can you talk to the audience a little bit about what you're seeing in the young women that you're working with that makes this a real barrier for them to actually channel? And when I think about courage, everyone makes it seem like courage is something that you can easily access.
Jessica Santana:But in a world that is fear is based on fear mongering and creating, you know, unnecessary structures that stand in our way, courage actually feels like a really big lift. So I'm curious as to why you are focusing on courage and what you're seeing is the actual issue that stops people from being courageous.
Judith Martinez:Yeah. I think on one hand, there's a reason why we don't define what that 1% of courage looks like for each person because it's different. Right? 1% courage for me today could look just as much as sitting down and listening as maybe five years ago being courageous means standing up and speaking out. It could look like asking for a raise at your job, or it could look like raising your hand in class for the first time, right?
Judith Martinez:It can look like a hard conversation, it could also look like admitting you're wrong. So I think the emphasis on courage is I think you're a liar if you say that you're not afraid of anything, and I blatantly wanna say that because I think you gotta be willing to be courageous enough to engage your fears in order to make a difference. I think when you want to create an impact and if you wanna engage in meaningful conversation, that is a scary thing. And maybe, you know, it's different for everyone. I know it's scary for me.
Judith Martinez:I think for me, I've always kind of grown up as a people pleaser, someone who didn't want to rock the boat. I want to make sure that everyone likes me and that I have permission to raise my voice. But I think the other side of that is also breaking through expectations and using your voice and using your voice to advocate for other people who don't have one. And so I genuinely believe that courage is an entryway to making a difference, and it's important to focus on because it's something that's slept on. We don't think enough about, wow.
Judith Martinez:What would I do if I was courageous in this moment, and how could that act of courage actually benefit someone else? Mhmm.
Jessica Santana:Yeah. For sure. And so in your work with In Her Shoes, you've worked with the UN Youth Assembly. You've also worked with global leaders. You know, in the last decade of doing this work, what have you learned about what works, what doesn't work, and what needs to change for something to work?
Judith Martinez:Gosh, how long is this episode? I think there's a lot that you can go into with that. The first thing that comes to mind is, I think the thing that's always top of mind for me is it's really hard to make a difference when you're coming from a place of ego.
Jessica Santana:I
Judith Martinez:think real change and social change doesn't belong to one individual. There's a reason why we need movements. We build teams because one person can't make a difference, it's a collective. And so I think what I've seen not work is when change is on the shoulders of an individual and not on the collective. I think that's also where systems change is needed, because yes, we can have systems of oppression or we can have systems in general, but people make up systems.
Judith Martinez:And I think when we become ego based, it's less around collectivism. And I think a lot of that perspective for me also comes, again, just drawing from my childhood. I have had the privilege of growing up in a multigenerational home, where I was always around elders and I was always around those younger than me, and it was a very much like a village mindset. And so I think no matter what country, what language, or what position of power you're in when you're making decisions from the level of ego, I think I think that's usually an indicator that we're we've lost sight of, I think, the bigger picture.
Jessica Santana:Mhmm. Absolutely. I think about my own work in education, and I think a lot about some of the worst moments I've had when trying to shift the paradigm for someone to think about our communities differently, and it's always been about them wanting to stand in their convictions about being right rather than being effective. So this actually really resonates with me a lot. And so you obviously have a history of, like, you know, wanting to make a change and really making sure that you are standing in your values, and that has also allowed you to start and co author Students Lead Now.
Jessica Santana:I'd be curious if you can share a little bit about that and then a little bit about why that project was necessary and what you were hoping to accomplish with it.
Judith Martinez:Yeah. So Students Lead Now was a book that I had coauthored with a few student advocates alongside myself, student leaders across various Cal State campuses in California. This was a few years ago now, but it really came to life after being in years of higher educational service that focused on student advocacy, and we all came together and essentially formulated a coalition around what would it really look like to create a bit of a playbook or a manual or a guide that encourages and empowers young people to be advocates and really begin the concept of civic engagement on campuses sooner than later. I never in a million years ever thought that I would be involved in something like that. I think also I never saw myself as someone who would be the type of person to want to encourage students like myself to get involved civically in that way, but it was something that I felt was so important because I felt like I grew up a lot hearing you're the voice to really make a difference, your generation is here to be the change, but no one ever tells you how.
Judith Martinez:Like, that sounds great. I love to make a difference, and how do you do that? So it was really, I think, like an attempt of my friends and I, during our days, working in student advocacy to try to support bringing that to reality and having that hopefully be a ripple effect into further public service as they grew older.
Jessica Santana:Yeah. For sure. And I think that one of the things that you're hinting at is there is a desire for change to happen and a lot of times people don't know the process by which it could happen. Yeah. And I always think a lot about change management practices, always think about like narrative change, you know, and how that also intersects with I think the I personally think narrative change is at the top of a lot of change and then everything else falls under it.
Jessica Santana:But I'm curious to know, like, with that work, what were some of the things that you took away that can help maybe make people feel like they can take their next big steps? Because I know that you talked about, you know, change needing to be small at first, and then you start, you know, getting bigger and bigger. But I'm curious, like, if there's one step that that project taught you about change for those who are listening, what can they be doing?
Judith Martinez:Gosh, I would say I think the biggest thing would be look up and around, and what I mean by that is I think sometimes when we think about change or advocacy, we can be so focused on the problem or on the thing that's in front of us that we just really want to address, but there's an importance of looking up. I even think about, look up from your cell phone. Like, look around you. What are you engaging in life? And so I more so say that of look up and look around of who are the allies, who are the peers, who are the comrades next to you that can help you approach and tackle this problem that you are looking to solve, or creating this shift in a system that you're looking to tackle from a school system or even larger, I think.
Judith Martinez:And why I choose that over all the other lessons would be change takes time and it takes work and it's not easy. And as cliche as it sounds, you can't pour from an empty cup. So the world needs more healed leaders, and I think the world needs more people that are willing to lean from a collective perspective. And I think if you're trying to solve a problem alone, in my opinion, you're already doing it wrong. I think you gotta look up and around and take ideas and learn and set your ego aside and be willing to consider that maybe there's another way to look at the problem or approach it.
Judith Martinez:I think that would be the biggest thing, is look up.
Jessica Santana:Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. I'm thinking, again, about my own work as well, and I think one of the things I always tell people is, like, if you wanna bring make change, you gotta bring the community along. And I really, really think that the ways in which we design processes is the ways in which we'll either further inequity or we'll actually address it.
Jessica Santana:You know, the idea of liberatory design, removing power from you and giving it back to the hands of the constituents that actually are affected by the issue to be able to solve, you know, the problems that are unique to them in their communities. And I think one of the things that I, again, really loved about reading from your story was that in 2020, you know, it was seemed like a moment of inflection where you were named The US Women Ambassador for California. What does that mean? Right? Like, to be the ambassador for all women in California?
Jessica Santana:Also during a time where our world was hurting and in pain and we were experiencing a tremendous amount of racial reckoning, Tell me, like, what that role was and what were you tasked to do, and also how did you take care of yourself during that time among taking this big responsibility?
Judith Martinez:Yeah. It was Honestly, it was a wild time. I think 2020 feels like a blur for a lot of us. It's wild to think like we all lived through a pandemic that took over the whole world. But yeah, so I was a United State of Women global ambassador and I represented the state of California through Civic Nation and an organization called the United State of Women, which was born out of the White House through the incredible Mrs.
Judith Martinez:Michelle Obama, former first lady. And a lot of that work really just stemmed in, again, the commitment and rooting in how can we further women across the board, across sectors, women's leadership, and also to be civically engaged. I think when you invest in women, invest in all, in my opinion, and so I was really tasked with, one, getting to know myself as a leader from the lens of being a nonprofit leader and whether that looked like power mapping, what are the communities that are within my own vicinity and how can Inner Shoes be a catalyst for other civic organizations to also get involved, but it also included working on different projects that empowered other women's groups to run for office, for example, or to be curious around the elections that were coming up and ways that we can place more women in seats so that they can make more decisions. So it was really, I think, an exciting time during a really strange time where the world was changing, but it really, I think, was a pivotal inflection point for me that got me to recognize that no matter where I go or where my journey takes me, I am 100% committed to really seeing women thrive and succeed in the lanes that they choose throughout life.
Judith Martinez:And I think United State of Women was a really cool way for me to get to know incredible women across the nation who are just working on, honestly, in my opinion, life changing initiatives. So it was a really humbling experience.
Jessica Santana:Yeah. For sure. And you were selected hand selected by a really amazing woman, Serena Williams and Stuart Weitzman for an award in 2021. I'd love to have you share with the audience what that meant for you and why did you even get the award and what do you feel like the award taught you? You know, being selected by someone like Serena Williams who's like a well renowned baddie is not a Yeah.
Judith Martinez:She's kind of a big deal. Yeah. You know, it was I think it was this combination of, you know, one, it was through Inner Shoes' work with an incredible global partners of ours, Vital Voices, as well as Stuart Weitzman, who's been an incredible corporate champion of Inner Shoes since, gosh, years ago now. And a lot of it came from this campaign that Serena really, drove that focused on this notion of legacy, and so it was around footsteps to follow, and it was in tandem with what Inner Shoes stands for, so it was focused on Serena Williams and her daughter. They were part of this larger campaign and the whole message was around what's the legacy that we're leaving and what are the footsteps that we are following, but also the trails that we're leaving behind for the women behind us to actually be able to elevate themselves.
Judith Martinez:And so I remember when I got the award and when I found out the news, was just in total shock. I'm pretty sure I blacked out and I myself was not sure what just happened, but I was really humbled and moved that the organization in her shoes, the entire team, it wasn't my award, it was our award. It was the work that we had done and the years of our community having come together, and it was all around celebrating the shoulders of the giants that we stand on and acknowledging the torch that we now can take up and create as trailblazers moving forward. And so having gotten the award, getting the grant with that award was really exciting for us because it allowed us to continue our programming, which at that point, we completely pivoted online because of the pandemic. And so whether it was our summits or working with local women and chapters that we had at that time across The US, it was really special to remind people of their power during a time that people could feel powerless.
Jessica Santana:Mhmm. For sure. Yeah. And I think one thing that I really love is that you've obviously have had the nonprofit experience and growing an organization from scratch, but at some point, you were also like, let me see what it looks like to make change within corporate environments, right, which I imagine is really different. So you became the director of social impact at Rare Beauty.
Jessica Santana:Shout out to Rare Beauty. I use their products. I'm curious to know what it was like for you to go into a corporate brand and start thinking about community change within such a for profit structure versus a nonprofit structure, what it's taught you about change in general.
Judith Martinez:Yeah. So much. So much. I think even the decision to pivot, I was already feeling as the founder that of inner shoes that it was time for me to set my ego aside, to step away, to pivot in my capacity and be on the board rather than always leading at the helm, because again, I think it's important to recognize that we build movements and it shouldn't belong to a particular person, But it was that frame of mind and that framework that really excited me to think about, okay, what's the next adventure? Where can I continue to seek out innovation?
Judith Martinez:And also, honestly, I wanted to challenge myself to see, okay, we know that we can create things and we can push for social change and we can be entrepreneurial, but what does it look like to be intrapreneurial? How do you bring an entrepreneurial lens within a system? And so, admittedly, I loved that challenge and I was thinking, you know, I'm the last, I always say I'm the last person you should talk to about beauty, I don't belong in the beauty space, like I'm not, I'm a big non profit nerd, I don't, I'm not the girl that you go to for shade matching or blush. And so for me, it was really exciting to think about taking a lot of my experiences at Inner Shoes and even outside of building Inner Shoes within a brand, but also within a brand that was founded by a celebrity that is deeply connected to the mission, and also what does it look like to actually be on the other side of the table where we could actually be a grant maker and allocate funding and democratize wealth in a way to shift the philanthropic space. Having been on the other side of the table as a nonprofit, I know what it's like to try to sustain and scale over the course of time, and how frustrating it can be to try to change a system that wasn't meant for you.
Judith Martinez:So it was a lot. There was a lot of moments where I was like, what am I doing? Was this a mistake? Am I doing this right? But I think the north star for me throughout all of that was really honing in on nothing for the community without the community.
Judith Martinez:And I think it's a lot of what you speak to as well, of the importance of bringing community along with you. And so I think just drawing on my own experiences, my own mental health journey even, and just thinking about the mission of Rare Beauty is really, yes, it's makeup made to feel good in, and it's shifting the conversation of beauty, but it's also never just about a product, because 1% of every product sold goes to support youth mental health, which is the foundation that is tied to Rare Beauty called the Rare Impact Fund. And so it was truly such a huge shift, and I think one of my biggest takeaways lessons to your question is I think in order for you to create meaningful change within a system from the beginning, a framework and an ethos of social impact must be present from the start and not an afterthought. I think inclusion lives in decisions, and it's not in marketing campaigns. And I also think that social impact is a framework and a strategy and not a caption.
Judith Martinez:Caption. So I think that's been one of the biggest things is when you are working with brands or corporations, it makes such a difference when just beginning from the ground floor, there is already a clear intention and a framework to make a social impact. And, yeah, it's been really humbling to be a part of that.
Jessica Santana:Yeah. And I think that one of the things that I always tell people is that change doesn't always have to live within a nonprofit structure, And a lot of my friends that are super radical, like me in many ways, they'll say, Jessica, it's still capitalism. So how can it how can it actually be changed? And I think I've gotten to a point where it's a yes and. Right?
Jessica Santana:And I don't think there is a one size fits all strategy. I no longer believe that there's only one way to make change. And so I'm curious, working for a beauty brand, a for profit beauty brand. Right? How are you balancing your authenticity and your ways of thinking, especially coming from the nonprofit sector to now go into an industry where, a lot of people will still see this as maybe performative or inauthentic?
Judith Martinez:Yeah. I think, honestly, and I answer this truly from my own human perspective. By no means am I saying I'm an expert or that even we've nailed it down as a brand. I think how I've navigated that as an individual is one, really being rigorous and honest with myself about what my values are, just like as Judith, as a person, outside of inner shoes, outside of any brand, outside of my family, outside of society, what do I believe in and what is true for me? And then I think also too, there's this sense of, I think, checks and balances where it's really hard to enter a system when you're not clear what you stand for as a person because that's when it becomes this easily blurred line for a lot of things.
Judith Martinez:And so with all of that, what's really, again, to use the phrase, like a north star for me, is is this something that I would be proud to stand by even from the lens of just Judith? Can I attach my integrity to this? Is this something that I can stand for? And I think when that becomes part of the lens that I look at, that's usually been a form of a compass for me. And again, I'll be the first to admit, it's really hard.
Judith Martinez:It's really hard. And I think that's also why it's important to surround yourself with teams, to build teams that can help support you and bolster that belief around equity and that belief around, okay, so there's a product. Okay, so there's capitalism. Where can we actually take this conversation so it does drive the needle forward? And to date, we've been able to fundraise over $30,000,000 for youth mental health because of product, that we've been able to help galvanize but also actively fundraise.
Judith Martinez:And I think that for me has also helped me navigate the tough times and decisions of being really clear of what the impact actually is and being really rigorous around the community that we're out to really make a difference for.
Jessica Santana:Mhmm. Mhmm. You know, I think as you talk, one thing I'm realizing is that you are seemingly very rooted in your values, and you have the ability to see duality, right, where it's like, sure. It's a product, but also we've been able to generate $30,000,000 for youth mental health. And I believe that in the beginning of this conversation, we talked a lot about courage, and I believe this is an example of courage.
Jessica Santana:Right? Because you are very much balancing. Right? People's opinions might be about, like, with also the fact that you've been able to generate such amazing results. $30,000,000 to democratize access to youth mental health is not a small feat.
Jessica Santana:You know? And I believe that a lot of times, I think that, you know, courage is talked about as, like, absence of fear, you know, that it's just this easy thing to do and, you know, this easy this thing that is very easy to channel. And so in the moments where you are maybe having to have these conversations about that duality where it's like, yes, it is a for profit, but this is all we've been this it's also what we've been able to accomplish. What is the one thing you want folks that are engaging in that conversation and to leave with so that they might be able to see their courage differently and be able to see it as not black and white, but maybe gray?
Judith Martinez:Yeah. Gosh, I would say first off, be really gracious with yourself. I think it's taken years of practice, and again, I'm not coming on here saying, I'm this expert and you should follow my blueprint, trust me, I'm just as lost and confused as everyone else, and I say that with a deep humility of I never consider myself an expert, I consider myself a practitioner, because I believe it's important to be in practice constantly. So I would say that it's give yourself the permission to be a beginner. I think we live in a society that praises experts, that praises the hot take, that praises needing to have the perfect answer all the time, so I'd want to normalize for whoever might be listening that is beginning to engage in hard conversations, it's okay to fumble.
Judith Martinez:It's okay to come authentic and also come unsure. That is the definition of courage. It's sometimes doing it and being afraid at the same time. It means the fear doesn't go away, but you're still showing up, and that's the point. So yeah, be gracious with yourself, be willing to make mistakes, be willing to be wrong, be willing to learn, because that's how you build up that muscle.
Judith Martinez:Like, think if we look at courage like a muscle Mhmm. And you can only build muscle through friction and tension. Mhmm. And so you gotta be willing to meet the moment and be willing to just take it one conversation at a time Mhmm. I would say.
Jessica Santana:For sure. And I definitely just based on what I've been learning about you, you are someone that's been meeting the moment for a really long time. You know? When I think about ten years in building a nonprofit, then now, you know, going into corporate spaces and being able to be an advocate there, I'm curious to know what is next for you. Like, how are you seeing the next level of impact for you?
Jessica Santana:And what would you leave the audience with today that's listening, that's trying to figure out what their legacies and what their impact could be about how they might be able to do the same thing?
Judith Martinez:You know, I'm laughing because my answer to this is I have no idea. Yeah. Jessica, I think
Jessica Santana:That's a good that's good.
Judith Martinez:Yeah. I
Jessica Santana:appreciate you saying that because a lot of people will sit here and fuck like, they'll literally, like, fake it. Like, this is step number one and two and No.
Judith Martinez:No. I I it's really hard for me to fake things. I've learned that the hard way. But, yeah, you know, even coming onto the show today, like, I had a really rough week. I had a rough week.
Judith Martinez:I had a rough day. And I think I I say that openly and candidly because life is hard, especially now. If you're paying attention, life is wild right now. The world is wild right now. And I say that because for me, as Judith, unattached from any title or any accomplishment or accolade, I'm currently in the middle of what I call the goo, and I say that because I created a personal passion project of mine last year, which was a podcast.
Judith Martinez:It's more of like an audio diary series, but it's called Imaginal Goo, and it's inspired by the natural scientific phenomenon of when a caterpillar goes into a cocoon before it becomes a butterfly. Mhmm. And when a caterpillar is in the cocoon, it disintegrates in this gooey, mushy, gross substance. Mhmm. And it's literally thinking, that's it.
Judith Martinez:I'm done. It's over. And little does it know right when they think it's the end, it's actually the beginning, and they're about to metamorphosize and become a butterfly. Mhmm. And so I say all of that on top of just the world is wild because I feel like I'm that goo right now.
Judith Martinez:Mhmm. I think as a social impact leader and as a person, I'm questioning, wow, where can I use my passions and talents to help the world in the best way that I possibly can? So I don't know what's next, but I know it will definitely be supporting women. I know it will definitely be around social impact, and I know it will definitely be needing courage to do that. So that would be me, and if I have any advice from anyone, again, like I've said before, I would really hope that any listener takes time to get to know themselves during this season in their life, wherever they are.
Judith Martinez:One resource I really love to just plug, and I'm not getting paid to say any of this, but I'm a nerd when it comes to quizzes or assessments or just resources or tools to help you learn about yourself, because I think when you know more about yourself and you're grounded, you make better decisions. And so there's a resource called the Values Bridge, and I highly recommend for folks to tap into that resource because it actually has you do an audit of what you actually value. And it's something that I've really been contemplating on myself, but I know that I'm using that to help map out what's next for me. Mhmm. And also to help me acknowledge how far I've come.
Jessica Santana:Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know what? Thanks for being here today despite the crazy You really are the definition of showing up in a world that sometimes is not standing up to things. And so for those who wanna keep in touch, how might they be able to do that?
Judith Martinez:Yes. So if anyone wants to keep in touch, they can find me online at Judith Martinez, on my website, judithpmartinez.com, and I'm always happy to connect with like minded people.
Jessica Santana:Alright. Alright, everyone. Well, thanks so much for tuning in to this week's episode of Behind the Work. If you like this week's episode, make sure to give it a thumbs up. Make sure you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, on YouTube, and on social media, and I look forward to seeing you next week.