How to be a Powerful Woman with Carmina Becerra (PS: You Already Are One)
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Usually I record podcasts remotely. But this episode, I got to sit on Carmina Philipe's couch with green smoothies in hand to talk about life, love, and everything that goes along with it. Carmina is a powerful woman. She is the co-founder of Camera Ready, a media training company. Prior to this, she worked as a TV host on networks like Telemundo and Univision. She has interviewed people like David Beckham, Chris Martin, and Sophia Vergara, y'all! More recently, she has become a wife. Now, let's dive into her journey there.
Rediscovering Herself
Recently, she has gone on a journey of rediscovering loving her body today, not some future or past version of it. And man it has been a journey.
She talks about shifting from knowing to believing that she is a powerful woman. It was easy to say that, but fear kept her from really owning it. After a lot of self-work she can now say about embracing herself as a powerful woman, "Now, I'm courageous enough to feel it."
"What's important for me is how I feel and not how it looks on the outside."
"There's freedom in structure, and there's freedom in integrity. I have never felt more free."
Freedom Begins with Structure
As Carmina said, for the sake of taking a stand for her freedom she used to let her "freak flag fly". But now she is finding the beauty and freedom within structure.
We talk about the safety and comfort of structure. The canvas for the painter is a boundary, a structure. But it's that boundary that creates the space to create freely. We need,structure to live.
This relates to her former belief, out of fear, that monogamy was not for her. It felt less risky to just not want marriage, because if it didn't happen it was because she didn't choose it. It protected her from rejection--from the fear of not being chosen. But now she not only believes in the beauty and intimacy within the marriage relationship. She herself is living that freedom in the structure of marriage with the man she loves.
Past Insecurities
When she was little, she asked a boy to see a movie with her and he promptly told her she looked like a dog becsuse her skin was brown. She decided to believe from that moment that she wasn't good enough.
Over the years she found herself in relationships where she was cheated. Looking back on her past she asked herself "how did I create that?", and realized, "We are treated (by others), the way we treat ourselves".
She kept her relationships surface level, having sex with men but pretending to be perfect. "I wouldn't let them see my vulnerability or my insecurities or my fears."
Her mother always taught her that strength was found in hiding your sadness, fear, and insecurities.
"I was so fearful of that type of love, the love that I have now."
"He gets to see parts of me that I so dislike and he loves them."
Shifting the Narrative
When she was in high school, she had such feelings of unworthiness that she decided to attempt suicide.
Her mother found her in time, and she was able to come back from that experience.
"God wanted me to be here, so what is that purpose then?"
She dove into self-discovery books, found a great mentor in a nun and got into music and sports.
From there, she decided to live and work in the service of others. She tries to always remain a student and learn something new.
Every day, she is choosing integrity and grace.
If you find yourself giving into fears and insecurities, “Interrupt it. Choose something else.”
“I matter. I matter because I have something to give.”
I am so excited I got to share Carmina with y'all. Here is where you can keep up with her. She is on Instagram and Facebook. Camera Ready is taking on new clients so if you'd like to get in touch with her, email her at coachcarminabecerra@gmail.com.
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