Beyond the Title: 12 Questions with Araceli Esparza

Araceli Esparza

Executive Director, Author & Embodiment Excellence Coach, Midwest Mujeres

Araceli Esparza is an award-winning author, poet, transformational coach, and founder and Executive Director of Midwest Mujeres. A first-generation Chicana, she has built her leadership practice at the intersections of culture, storytelling, economic mobility, and community care. Her work centers Latina and Black women navigating workplaces, entrepreneurship, leadership, and systems that have not always been designed with them in mind. Drawing from lived experience and more than a decade of community-based leadership, Araceli explores what it means to lead without abandoning culture, identity, or voice. She is also the author of Healing from Racial Discrimination: ¿Ahora Qué? Now, What?

01Built to Last starts with a strong foundation. What is the foundation your leadership is built on, and how do you return to it when things get shaky?

The foundation of my leadership is the legacy that my grandmother started in the 1920s when she first came to the United States at the tender age of eight months. She taught me that without her fingerprints, we would never have had those opportunities. She taught me that even without papers, you weren't less of a person. It just meant that you had an obligation to help those who didn't have documentation like us. It meant sharing our knowledge so others could succeed. When things get shaky, I remember that it's the relationships I rely on to keep me going. I remember to keep my dignity and not let my reactions rule me. I surround myself with people who will gently challenge me but also encourage me.

02Where do you come from, and how do your roots keep you steady when leadership gets hard?

I come from a time when we had to learn to hold a cactus in our throats when our elders were looked down on; we had to make phone calls to save ourselves and our familias. I come from thinking about ICE raids and safety plans. I come from a mixed-status family, not all of us were born here, nor are we afraid.

My roots run down the Mississippi, across el Rio Bravo past the desert in the hilly belly of Mexico. Leadership as a Latina is undervalued, dismissed, and looked over; our cultura is what keeps us cerca, close to the corazón. Speaking Spanish (mocho, un poco, y así así), listening to una balada reminds me of the legacy de mi gente.

03What's a piece of advice that has stood the test of time for you, the kind you still come back to years later?

Boundaries are beautiful.

Ask yourself why?

Ask why boundaries are useful for you and what you are building.

And: not all money is good money. Meaning not all contracts are good ones.

04What's a book, quote, lyric, or scripture that has stayed with you and shaped how you lead or live?

“When I was a boy, and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” — Fred Rogers

05What's something you've had to rebuild after it broke or fell apart, and what did that teach you about building things that last?

I was part of a collective, and it didn't work out; I had to rebuild my artist life solo. Around the same time, I was creating a movement that would impact women in ways that go way beyond anything else I've ever done in my life. The “breakup” taught me that my art is my refuge and it's personal. My teacher Maya Gonzalez passed away recently. She is a pioneer in picture illustration and LGBTQI+ art-focused curriculum; her work taught me that art is a language accessible to all. When it leaves you, it's no longer yours. It's for the community.

06What's one question every leader should ask if they want to build something that outlasts them, and why?

Are you ready for your life not to be yours?

As a leader, your life reflects the people you serve. Your personal issues are truly personal. That's the distinction people don't know or aren't trained to manage: boundaries and politics.

07Who are you actively preparing to carry this work forward, and what are you doing to set them up to succeed without you?

I am preparing Joanna Roldan (our Community Coordinator) to be the best leader who can lead across sectors and know that her vision of new possibilities are valid and insightful. I'm preparing my daughter to set strong boundaries and name what she wants. I'm preparing the participants of Midwest Mujeres not to shrink their light or story when surrounded by other bright lights. I'm prepping myself to have a life after I hand off Midwest Mujeres, a life grounded in story and coaching.

08When leadership feels heavy, what do you turn to (music, travel, culture, faith) that restores you and keeps you feeling like yourself?

You named them all! Music yes; travel is absolutely necessary, and traveling to see other regional leaders is very important. Culture is my north star. I love diving into my culture when I feel lost. Faith I carry with me, and it carries me. But writing will always be my sword, where I can type away the pain.

09When you think about the legacy you want to leave, what do you hope still stands long after you've moved on?

She created a movement, and it kept moving and evolving until it flew. I hope that intentional space created by Latinas/Chicanas and first-generation folks continues to flourish in Wisconsin. I hope that they see Midwest Mujeres and say that they can do it better, and they will.

10What's a small daily habit or discipline that has compounded into something meaningful over time?

My daily habit is working out, which has helped relieve stress.

11What's a moment in your life where the music playing in the background ended up meaning more than you expected, a song that showed up right when you needed it, or made an ordinary moment stick with you?

At a coffee shop, writing, thinking what if… What if I created an organization for what I know and love? Storytelling…

12What's a tradition in your life or family that you hope lasts for generations?

Fridays at my mom's house. I remember how we would all pile in her tiny house with our kids and cook out and just hang out and remember... those who are not with us.