About Desktime Stories | Work, growth, and how people move forward.
Desktime Stories is a podcast about work, growth, and how people move forward. Real stories, decisions, and career lessons that shape where we go next.
Each episode explores the experiences, people, and moments that shape our careers, through conversations and reflections grounded in real life. From defining stories to broader journeys, the focus is on what people learned, how they grew, and what we can take from it.
Ep. 19 Master your Mind at Work with Robina Courtin
What if one of the most important career skills isn’t technical at all, but learning how to work with your own mind?
Venerable Robina Courtin joins Desktime Stories for a practical conversation about criticism, anger, difficult people, attachment to approval, resilience, money, focus, and how to stay steady when work or life gets hard. Drawing from decades of experience as a Buddhist nun, editor, publisher, nonprofit leader, fundraiser, and teacher, Robina brings a refreshingly direct perspective to the challenges we all face at work.
Her message is simple: our minds are not set in stone. We can train them, change them, and become more skillful in how we respond.
Follow Venerable Robina Courtin:
Website: robinacourtin.comInstagram: @robinacourtinYouTube: @RobinaCourtinYouTubePodcast: The Workshop Is in the Mind
#RobinaCourtin #TrainYourMind #CareerGrowth #WorkplaceWisdom #Leadership #Resilience #Mindfulness #ProfessionalDevelopment #DesktimeStories
13 Sept 2026
Ep 18. Cowboys, Checo y otros grandes. Las lecciones de Tapa Nava.
Carlos “Tapa” Nava ha pasado décadas cerca de algunos de los nombres y equipos más grandes del deporte. En esta conversación con Desktime Stories, el periodista de ESPN comparte las historias y lecciones que ha recogido en una carrera que lo ha llevado desde sus primeros pasos en el periodismo hasta cubrir a los Dallas Cowboys, Super Bowls, Copas del Mundo y algunos de los eventos deportivos más importantes.
Tapa también nos cuenta lo que ha aprendido de figuras como Checo Pérez, Adrián Fernández, Fernando Valenzuela y Julio César Chávez, y habla de sacrificio, disciplina, adaptación, credibilidad y de cómo aprovechar las oportunidades cuando aparecen.
Además, revela la fascinante historia de por qué los Dallas Cowboys tienen una conexión tan fuerte con México y cómo esa afición se ha transmitido de generación en generación.
Encuentra a Carlos “Tapa” Nava:Instagram: @tapanavaespnX (Twitter): @TapaNavaFacebook: Carlos Tapa Nava
21 Aug 2026
Ep. 17 Brake the Shame Loop with Kate Adametz
What happens after you make a mistake and your inner critic takes over?
Professional coach and Dare to Lead facilitator Kate Adametz-Jenkins shares practical ways to break the shame loop, manage overwhelming emotions, recover from setbacks, and replace perfectionism with progress. Learn how emotional intelligence and self-compassion can strengthen your confidence, leadership, and career.
#BreakTheShameLoop #EmotionalIntelligence #CareerGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #DesktimeStories
16 Aug 2026
Ep. 16 Heriberto Murrieta: La Mentalidad Que lo Llevó al Éxito
Más de 40 años de carrera no llegan por casualidad. En este episodio de Desktime Stories platicamos con Heriberto Murrieta sobre la mentalidad detrás de su éxito. - Habla de tener una vocación clara desde joven, y de no dejar pasar la oportunidad cuando aparece. - Explica por qué la preparación siempre pesó más que el talento. Su fluidez de hoy la construyó poco a poco, con años de práctica constante. - También aborda algo con lo que muchos batallamos: cómo recibir críticas sin que te derrumben. Distingue entre las que suman y las que solo buscan lastimar. - Habla de defender tus ideas sin convertir cada desacuerdo en una pelea, y de la constancia como motor principal: no detenerse hasta concretar una idea, sin obsesionarse con calcular el éxito de antemano. - Cierra con algo que atraviesa toda la conversación: la humildad no como debilidad, sino como base que sostiene todo lo demás. - Esta es una conversación para cualquier persona construyendo su propio camino. - Desktime Stories: historias que despiertan tu potencial de liderazgo y crecimiento. Escúchanos en Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube y donde sea que escuches tus podcasts. Encuentra a Heriberto Murrieta en Instagram en @heriberto.murrieta. #DesktimeStories #HeribertoMurrieta #Mentalidad #Disciplina #CrecimientoPersonal
00:00 Heriberto Murrieta: La Mentalidad Que lo Llevó al Éxito
00:02 La voz de Murrieta
01:36 El primer gran paso
03:41 Vocación desde niño
05:22 Nervios en 24 Horas
06:51 Entrevistar a leyendas
09:57 Críticas sin tomarlas personal
11:43 Debatir sin gritar
15:01 Proyectos y disciplina
17:37 Creérsela y personalidad
24:58 Humildad y pies en la tierra
27:38 Proyectos actuales
31:27 Mensaje final
6 Aug 2026
Ep. 15 Stop Feeling Behind with Mirtle Peña-Calderón
Feeling behind, burned out, or unsure if you’re doing enough? In this episode of Desktime Stories, Mirtle Peña-Calderón shares an honest conversation about creativity, identity, boundaries, grief, food, and learning to trust your own voice. She talks about the pressure many women feel to do everything, the importance of knowing when to pause, and why keeping track of small wins can help us remember that we are still moving forward.
From The Book of Awesome Latinas to The Bocadito and Confessions of a Tired Latina, Mirtle reminds us that we do not have to have it all figured out to keep growing — and that we are enough simply for existing.
You can connect with Mirtle on LinkedIn under Mirtle Peña-Calderón, follow her on Instagram at @myrtlepcalderon, and read her Substacks: Confessions of a Tired Latina, The Bocadito, and Awesome Latinas.
You can also support The Book of Awesome Latinas through Bookshop.org, local bookstores, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.
00:00 Storytelling Matters
00:10 Meet Myrtle Pena Calderon
02:06 Origins of a Chismosa
05:56 Pain Grief and Poetry
09:17 Boundaries Hedge vs Wall
13:41 Confessions of a Tired Latina
14:50 Making Awesome Latinas
20:09 Lessons from 500 Years
22:03 The Bocadito Food Stories
26:14 Burnout Wins and Bandwidth
31:23 Where to Follow and Support
33:21 You Are Enough
34:06 Final Pep Talk and Goodbye
27 Jul 2026
Ep. 14 Nobody Taught us About Money with Olga Camargo, AIF
At 14, Olga Camargo was asked to translate a financial pitch to her own mother — words she didn't have in Spanish, from a man who stopped looking her mother in the eye. That moment sent her into a 25-year career in financial services. Now CEO of Prosperity Rise Mindset and the first Latina board chair of the Northeastern Illinois University Foundation, Olga breaks down what the industry still gets wrong about Latino families, why Latinas make roughly 70% of family financial decisions, the retirement mistake almost everyone makes at 18, and the advice from her father that pushed her to take the biggest risk of her career.
Books (Amazon — beginner guides to 401(k) and 403(b) retirement accounts):
Rise: Embrace the Future That You Can Build (English)
Sube: Abraza el futuro que puedes construir (Spanish)
Website:
prosperityrisemindset.com — free download, Building Wealth and Financial Resilience / Cómo crear la riqueza y tener resiliencia (English & Spanish), plus webinar sign-up form
Webinar:
Retiro Listo Now — webinar series with Negocios Now (publisher Clemente Nicado), launching ~September
21 Jun 2026
Ep. 13 From Layoff to AI Founder: Sandra Sertel’s Latina Leadership Story
A powerful conversation about career pivots, confidence, AI governance, leadership, and believing you are more than enough.
15 Jun 2026
Ep. 12 The Magic of Networking with Rebecca de la Piedra
This episode is in Spanish, for subtitles in English, visit the Desktime Stories YouTube channel here.
Networking is not about using people. It is about building real trust before you ever need help. In this episode of Desktime Stories, Rebeca de la Piedra shares how genuine relationships can open doors, support us during hard seasons, and make our professional lives more human. We talk about referrals, empathy, follow-up, humility, boundaries, common networking mistakes, and why the smallest gesture can change someone’s career. A warm and practical conversation for anyone who wants to connect better without feeling fake, awkward, or transactional.
#Networking #CareerGrowth #DesktimeStories #Leadership #ProfessionalGrowth #Mentorship #WorkplaceRelationships
00:00 Networking Isn’t Asking for Favors — It’s Building Trust with Rebeca de la Piedra
00:06 Welcome to the Show
01:24 What Networking Is
02:53 Recommendations and Shortcuts
04:59 Listening and Following Up
08:50 Empathy During the Pandemic
10:35 Fake Networking and Boundaries
11:21 A Referral Story
14:43 A Support Network During Crisis
17:44 Humility and Forgiveness 19:06 A Lesson from September 11
22:24 Ethical Inside Information
24:55 Serving with Love
25:31 Everyday Connections
27:53 Practicing Awareness
28:40 Networking for Introverts
29:35 Humility in Business
32:47 Mistakes That Break Trust
35:23 Boundaries and Saying No
37:48 Doors That Change Lives
40:31 Keeping Relationships Alive
41:36 The Power of a Gesture 43:41 Stay Humble, Stay Hungry
45:11 Closing and Contact
En Español
00:06 Bienvenida al show
01:24 Qué es networking
02:53 Recomendaciones y atajos
04:59 Escuchar y dar seguimiento 08:50 Empatía en pandemia
10:35 Networking falso y límites
11:21 Historia de recomendación
14:43 Red de apoyo en crisis
17:44 Humildad y perdón
19:06 Lección del 11 de septiembre
22:24 Información privilegiada ética
24:55 Servir con amor
25:31 Conexiones cotidianas
27:53 Practicar la conciencia
28:40 Networking para introvertidos
29:35 Humildad en negocios
32:47 Errores que rompen confianza
35:23 Límites y decir no
37:48 Puertas que cambian vidas
40:31 Mantener relaciones vivas
41:36 El poder de un gesto
43:41 Stay humble stay hungry
45:11 Despedida y contacto
6 Jun 2026
Ep. 11 She Got a Director Role at 27 — Here’s How She Prepared
Lily Lopez, Director of External Affairs & Sustainability at Walnut Valley Water District and founder of Latinas in Water, shares how she broke into the water industry, prepared for a leadership role at 27, handled rejection, built mentorship relationships, and learned that true leadership is not about ego — it is about listening, building trust, and opening bigger doors for others.
In this episode of Desktime Stories, we talk about career growth, leadership, mentorship, emotional intelligence, Latinas in leadership, public sector careers, and how to become the kind of leader people actually trust
31 May 2026
Ep. 10 Work Life Flow with Natalie Mendez
In Work Life Flow with Natalie Mendez, Natalie returns to Desktime Stories to talk about ambition, boundaries, motherhood, leadership, and learning how to enjoy the life you worked so hard to build. From career growth to protecting your peace, this conversation explores how success can flow with family, health, joy, and authenticity.
22 May 2026
Ep. 9 Becoming the Coach He Needed with Carlos Martin
Carlos Martín, executive coach and CEO of Continuum Leaders, shares how becoming the coach he needed as a young Mexican American shaped his approach to leadership, growth, emotional intelligence, and helping others feel seen.
In this episode of Desktime Stories, Carlos talks about finding your why, getting comfortable with the unknown, asking for help, and why great leaders treat people like people.
#DesktimeStories #CarlosMartin #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #EmotionalIntelligence #CareerGrowth #PersonalGrowth #SelfAwareness #LatinoLeadership #GrowthMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #Coaching #Purpose #Mentorship #WorkplaceCulture
22 May 2026
Ep. 8 Work Happiness Hack
One email, one comment, or one frustrating moment can ruin your workday if you react too fast. In this Short, Luisa from Desktime Stories shares the P-A-C Method: Pause, Anchor, and Celebrate, a simple work happiness hack to help you feel calmer, reconnect with your impact, and move through the day with more personal power.
#Shorts #CareerTips #WorkHappiness #WorkplaceWellness #DesktimeStories
13 May 2026
Ep. 7 Do This to Get Promoted Faster
Want to get noticed and promoted faster? In this Desktime Stories episode, Luisa shares three career skills every professional should practice: communicate your value, ask for feedback, and follow through. These simple habits can help you build trust, grow faster, and become someone leaders see as ready for more.
Subscribe to @DesktimeStories for more career tips, leadership lessons, and real stories about work, growth, and success.
#viralvideos #CareerAdvice #WorkplaceTips #GetPromoted #SuccessTips #LeadershipTips
4 May 2026
Ep. 6 Unlikely Leader with Diana Maldonado
Diana Maldonado, Latina leader, former Texas State Representative, author of The Unlikely Candidate, and founder of Candidate School, shares powerful lessons on confidence, career growth, public service, perfectionism, money, and what it really takes to become an unlikely leader.
Watch this conversation for real advice for young Latinos, first-generation professionals, future leaders, and anyone ready to grow, lead, and create change.
Follow Desktime Stories for more real stories about work, growth, leadership, and moving forward.
#LatinaLeadership #CareerGrowth #PublicService #YoungLatinos #LeadershipAdvice
27 Apr 2026
Ep. 5 There is No Elevator to Success with Rebeca de la Piedra
What if a receptionist job in Paris changed your life?
That’s exactly what happened to Rebeca de la Piedra — a Mexican fragrance expert with 30+ years across France, the U.S., and Mexico. From newlywed in Paris to training under master perfumers, she built a global career in fragrance and spent 22 years with a top company.
Now, she’s turning her passion into immersive workshops that blend art, history, and scent.
If you’re curious about a hidden industry or chasing a passion-driven career, this episode is for you.
🎙️ Follow Rebeca on Instagram: @rebedelapiedra 📩 Share your story: Desktimestories.com 🎧 Find us on YouTube @desktimestoriespodcast and wherever you get your podcasts
#DeskTimeStories #Fragrance #CareerJourney #Podcast #WomenInBusiness #Perfume #Inspiration
00:00 Introduction02:10 Rebeca's Journey to Paris & Fragrance05:23 Training the Nose08:39 Career in Mexico & Sales16:51 Moving to Los Angeles20:49 22 Years at One Company25:52 What Rebeca Is Doing Now31:04 The Art Behind Scents Project35:23 Reflections & Closing
15 Apr 2026
Ep. 4 The Grass is Green Wherever I go with Natalie Mendez.
From sleeping in her car to becoming a Director of Consumer Lending — Natalie Mendez's story is one of grit, advocacy, and self-belief. In this episode of Desktime Stories, Natalie shares how she taught herself Spanish at 14, rebuilt her life after family hardship, climbed from bank teller to director in 20 years, and learned that the grass is green wherever you go.
Whether you're navigating a career change, setting boundaries, or finding the courage to bet on yourself — this one's for you.
10 Apr 2026
Ep. 3 I was scared. I asked for the Promotion Anyway.
Have you ever felt capable of more, but scared to ask for it? This story is about fear, growth, and one moment that changed the way I saw myself forever.
#DesktimeStories #CareerGrowth #Leadership #Motivation #PersonalGrowth #Confidence #WorkStories #Podcast #Inspiration #Mindset
3 Apr 2026
Ep. 2 Toxic Bosses Burnout and the Red Flags I Ignored Why Desktime Stories Exist
What are the red flags you would never ignore in an interview?
27 Mar 2026
Ep. 1 How to Deal with a Micromanaging Boss with David Dirks
A real workplace story about micromanagement, leadership red flags, and the career decision that changed everything.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Contact Desktime Stories | Work, growth, and how people move forward.
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Desktime Stories | Work, growth, and how people move forward.?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
