Catch Her Spark

About Catch Her Spark

Tune into Catch Her Spark, the podcast for high-achieving women who build wealth on their own terms. Hosted by Jen Maldonado, this show is crafted specifically for busy female professionals—doctors, attorneys, engineers, and investors—who want to leverage real estate to grow their capital without the day-to-day hustle. If you're a woman in your 30s to 50s looking to invest with clarity and confidence, your journey starts here. Subscribe and catch the spark.

Publisher

Jen Maldonado

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Jan 2026

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

44 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Oct 2026

   Her Mother Was a Tailor. One Sentence Changed Their Future.

   What if the place you start in life does not have to decide where you finish? In this episode of The Catch her Spark Podcast with Jen Maldonado, Jen sits down with Geeta Priya Vattam to talk about a journey built on education, hard work, family, and the courage to keep going. Geeta grew up in a low-income family in India. Her mother worked as a tailor, her father repaired televisions, and money was often tight. But her mother gave her something that would shape the rest of her life: the belief that education was one thing no one could ever take away from her. Geeta held on to that lesson. She worked hard, pursued scholarships and opportunities, built a career in technology, and became the first person in her family to achieve financial stability. Her success also allowed her to help support her siblings' education as they built careers of their own. But Geeta's journey did not stop there. After moving to the United States, she had to build a new life far away from the friends, relatives, and community she knew in India. She shares openly about feeling alone, adjusting to a different culture, and realizing that if she wanted community, she would have to take the first step and create it. Jen and Geeta also talk about motherhood, building a career as an immigrant woman, staying connected to your roots, and learning to make yourself a priority. Today, Geeta is a mother of two, a technology professional, and a content creator who shares her life, family, fitness journey, relationships, and values through social media. Her message to other women is simple: trust yourself, trust your path, keep going when things are hard, and do not underestimate your strength. This conversation is a reminder that limited resources do not have to mean limited dreams—and sometimes one lesson passed from a mother to her daughter can help change the future of an entire family. Be a Guest Are you a successful business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at https://catchherspark.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you...

2. 

   2 Oct 2026

   Understanding the Capital Stack and Finding Opportunity in a Changing Market with Jen Maldonado

   Real estate deals can look very different depending on where you sit in the capital stack. In this episode, Jen Maldonado breaks down what the capital stack means, who gets paid first, and how risk changes at each level. She uses a simple $10 million example to explain senior debt, second liens, preferred equity, and common equity. Jen also shares what she is seeing in Austin, Phoenix, and California as she reviews the market heading into the last quarter of 2026. In Austin, she is watching single family homes, condos, and smaller apartment properties while working on development projects close to the University of Texas and the Allendale area. The conversation also goes inside one of Jen’s current Austin projects. Her team took down a property with a single family home and developed three condo units. The project is almost complete, with each unit expected to be listed between $850,000 and $900,000. Jen explains how the project was financed, why she prefers to keep the capital stack simple on smaller developments, and why she always underwrites a backup plan. If selling does not make sense, she wants to know whether rents can cover the mortgage and whether a mix of long term and short term rentals can keep the property moving. In this episode, you’ll hear about: What Jen is seeing in Austin, Phoenix, and California Why she is selling the last hotel in her Phoenix portfolio How the capital stack works in a real estate deal The difference between senior debt, second liens, preferred equity, and common equity How Jen financed a roughly $1.7 million Austin development project Why she considers multiple exit plans before starting a deal How property taxes and interest rates affect her underwriting in Texas What a lazy river taught Jen about market currents

3. 

   1 Oct 2026

   How to Get Into Bigger Rooms Before You’re Ready

   What if the room you feel least ready to enter is exactly the room you need to be in? In this episode of the Catch her Spark Podcast with Jen Maldonado, Jen sits down with first-generation attorney Sherelle Sanders to talk about what it takes to step into bigger rooms, take on bigger opportunities, and build a career when no one in your family has gone before you. Sherelle shares how a high school teacher first saw something in her and encouraged her to consider becoming a lawyer. That encouragement helped start a journey that would eventually lead Sherelle from humble beginnings to a legal career spanning more than 25 years, representing major corporations and handling complex, high-stakes cases. But Sherelle’s message is not simply about confidence. It is about what you do with it. She shares why she believes you should “aim a little higher than your pay grade” and intentionally put yourself in rooms where you are not the most experienced person. Those rooms may feel uncomfortable, but they are often where the greatest learning and growth happen. Sherelle also opens up about being a first-generation professional and the lessons she wishes she had understood sooner. Her advice is practical: network, find mentors, and show up. She explains why your mentors do not need to look like you or share your background—and how some of the people who helped open important doors in her career came from very different backgrounds than her own. Jen and Sherelle also talk about the importance of knowing your craft. Getting into the room is only part of the journey. You also have to prepare, learn, take responsibility, and be ready when an opportunity comes. The conversation goes beyond career success as Sherelle shares what success and legacy mean to her today. She talks about raising children who understand that being blessed also creates an opportunity to bless others, including her daughter’s work helping children in foster care and her son’s commitment to giving back through his business. This conversation is for the woman who knows she wants more but wonders if she is experienced enough, connected enough, or ready enough to take the next step. You may not feel ready when the bigger room opens. Walk in anyway. About Sherelle Sanders Sherelle Sanders is a first-generation attorney with nearly 26 years of experience practicing law. Throughout her career, she has handled complex cases, advised major corporations, and built a reputation around preparation, strategy, and knowing her craft. She is also passionate about mentorship, service, family, and helping the next generation recognize opportunities that may once have seemed out of reach. Be a Guest Are you a successful business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at https://catchherspark.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you...

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.