Color Me Brave: Leandra Cartagena #servantleader #stjudes #womenpower

Color Me Brave is a blog series that celebrates amazing women that are both successful in their careers and supportive towards other women trying to make it. This series was created especially for millennial women of color because I want them to see other women of color that have been in their place, walked in their shoes and persevered. Color Me Brave is full of fabulous women leaders with dynamic stories. Enjoy and join me in applauding these industry leaders. To contact our Color Me Brave leaders, please email hello@thecolormeb.com.

Leandra Cartagena

Color Me Brave: Where did you attend college? 

Leandra Cartagena: University of San Francisco. Graduated in 2010 with a degree in International Business and Finance.

Color Me Brave: What do you do for a living? Where do you work? 

Lea: I work for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® as a Bilingual Regional Development Representative II- That means I do events that fundraise money for the lifesaving mission of St. Jude.

I have been in my job for 2 years and I love it. I see myself growing within the company and staying here forever.

I get to do what I love. I plan amazing events that bring joy to the attendees and lots of money to find a cure for pediatric cancer. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. I work hard to make sure that no family ever has to worry about medical bills while being treated at St. Jude. All a family should worry about is helping their child live.

Color Me Brave: Why did you decide to take on this position? Is it part of a larger plan for you? 

Lea: It was a great opportunity for me to utilize my planning skills and support an organization I blindly believe in.

Color Me Brave: Are you a member of any professional organizations? If so which ones? 

Lea: I am a sister of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc.  My job requires a lot of travelling and that limits my involvement.

Color Me Brave: What are the biggest challenges you face in your job? In your industry?

Lea: In the nonprofit industry, the biggest struggle is that there are too many nonprofits. Millennials are obsess with starting their own nonprofit instead of supporting a well-established one.

One thing I have learned in my job is that you can’t control everything. No matter how well you planned there are certain factors that you can’t control. It is okay to accept that uncertainty is going to happen.

Color Me Brave: How do you overcome obstacles in the workplace?

Lea: Being organized and research are two key factors. If you do these two things, it is much easier to work through the obstacles and find solutions that emerge out of the problem.

Color Me Brave: What’s something you wish you could tell your college freshman self? 

Lea: Listen to Dad’s advice about life and money. Save half of your financial aid refund and enjoy college to the fullest since it will be some of your best years.

He has always been right.

Color Me Brave: How can women show their support for other women in the workplace?

Lea: As women, we need to learn to up lift each other instead of seeing each other as competition. Understand that we need each other to grow. It is important for us to find a woman mentor someone who understands us and is able to push us to greatness.

Color Me Brave: What do you do to relax with your girlfriends?

Lea: My girlfriends and I love and cherish our dinner/wine dates. Dates where we vent and support each other. Where we laugh or cry depending on the mood.

We also enjoy going Latin Dancing. Dancing is the cure to any heartbreak or any problem. Gotta dance it out.  

Color Me Brave: Anything else you want our millennial hustlapreneurs to know about you?

Lea: I’m 29 years old with a long life ahead of me. The things I have learned so far is that you need to make time for the people you love. It does not matter how busy you think you are. Make time for those who matter. Relationships are a two way street and they take work.

For more information Color Me Brave and other CMB services, check out our website www.thecolormeb.com ! Click here to join our mailing list!

Thank you for reading the first edition of Color Me Brave blog series! Learn more about our services and #SheLeads: Leadership + Empowerment Conference on our website!

A couple of our CMBrave honorees shared their wisdom and experiences during the #SheLeads2016 virtual conference. Our facilitators shared tips on networking, taking on leadership roles at work, self-care and more! Sign-up here and get access to interactive + fantastic workshops!