Everyone has a story — and I want to listen.
I’m Kiki, a storyteller, journalist, and proud Latina from Chicago. This podcast is a space to share authentic conversations with everyday people who shape our communities — from creatives and professionals to parents, organizers, and dreamers.
Rooted in my experience as a first-generation Mexican and Indigenous woman, I explore stories of resilience, identity, and belonging through the lens of our lived experiences. These are the untold stories — of those who may not be famous but are the heartbeat of our neighborhoods.
Join me as we reflect on what it means to live, grow, and thrive in today’s world — with honesty, humor, and a whole lot of corazón.
This is ... What It's Like To Be Here.
In this episode, I sit down with Daisy Navar, a Chicago native, government affairs professional, and proud tía, for a conversation about growing up on the city’s North Side, finding her way into politics, and learning to appreciate life at a different pace.
Daisy takes me back to her childhood near Racine and Belmont, sharing memories of walking to school, riding bikes around the neighborhood, and hearing the sounds of Wrigley Field from home. We talk about how her upbringing and college experience opened her eyes to social inequities and eventually led her into civic engagement.
But this conversation isn't just about politics. At 42, Daisy is thinking differently about success, slowing down, and making room to enjoy the simple things, like a good cup of coffee.
It's a conversation about Chicago, service, ambition, and what it means to find your own pace.
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/whatitsliketobeherepod/
And on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhatItsLikeToBeHere
Don’t forget to subscribe, comment and like the podcast! Find it wherever you get your podcasts!
Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-its-like-to-be-here/id1848903390
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4pVo7MzDRo2hzoYJX8Hnjx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CliqueCommunications/podcasts
Podcast Page: https://whatitsliketobehere.podbean.com/
5 Oct 2026
Sn 2, Ep 1: Finding Community Through Art | Ricardo “Naco” Gonzalez
In this episode of What It’s Like To Be Here, I sit down with artist Ricardo “Naco” Gonzalez for a conversation about art, identity, culture, and community.
Ricardo shares how his love for drawing started as a kid while watching cartoons and how that early curiosity eventually grew into a life as a muralist, wheat-paste artist, and comic book artist. We talk about his connection to his Mexican roots and Michoacán, and how learning about Mexican art in high school helped him begin to better understand his own identity.
Ricardo also reflects on the artists and cultural workers who influenced him, including Héctor Duarte and Pablo Serrano, and the importance of finding community through art. We talk about his recent mural in Blue Island, Illinois, which tells the story of the Pullman Strike, and what it means to use public art to preserve history and create space for people to see themselves reflected.
This is a conversation about finding where you come from, figuring out where you belong, and using art to build connections along the way.More about Naco:
https://www.instagram.com/nacoart
Article discussed: https://cliquecommunications.wordpress.com/2013/06/04/chicago-artists-the-educator-naco/ Roho's video: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSV3bQwCaO2/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/whatitsliketobeherepod/
And on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhatItsLikeToBeHere
Don’t forget to subscribe, comment and like the podcast! Find it wherever you get your podcasts!
Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-its-like-to-be-here/id1848903390
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4pVo7MzDRo2hzoYJX8Hnjx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CliqueCommunications/podcasts
Podcast Page: https://whatitsliketobehere.podbean.com/
28 Jul 2026
Bonus Episode: The Communities That Shape Us | Pablo Serrano
In this bonus episode, Pablo Serrano reflects on his time at the University of Illinois, the ways history continues to echo through our communities, and what it means to stand in conviction.
It's a conversation about culture, belonging, courage, and the people who remind us what showing up looks like.
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/whatitsliketobeherepod/
And on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhatItsLikeToBeHere
Don’t forget to subscribe, comment and like the podcast! Find it wherever you get your podcasts!
Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-its-like-to-be-here/id1848903390
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4pVo7MzDRo2hzoYJX8Hnjx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CliqueCommunications/podcasts
Podcast Page: https://whatitsliketobehere.podbean.com/
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