We had the good fortune of connecting with Nancy Rivera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Like many women, my life has not been easy. Since I was little, I saw very closely what violence was and how it affected the family. It is a chain, that only if you are present, understand the process, and learn to let go, that is when you can really break the pattern.

It wasn’t until I got pregnant (already knowing that I would be a single mother), that I took the time to reflect on what I was doing with my life. The direction I was taking was not the life I wanted to give my daughter, I needed to work on myself to give her a better life.

I started studying (to be a teacher’s assistant) while pregnant and got a job 3 weeks after giving birth, as teacher’s assistant. About two months later, without having the necessary studies, they placed me in a classroom to be a second-grade teacher. That year I decided that I really wanted to be a teacher and I did for 11 years. In that period of time, I worked with various things at that school, which helped me grow professionally.

I started doing other things and started a non-profit, helping the community, got certified as a coach, started a radio program, and published my first book, everything changed. Went through ups and downs, and I became a victim of domestic violence. For a while, I thought that it was a deception for people, because how could it be possible that I was going through this when it was one of the things in which I helped other people?

But, I was able to focus again and understand that I was a woman like any other. But above all, I understood all the negative experiences that I had lived since I was a child, until that moment, I had to live them because it was the one that was going to help me to be able to fulfill my mission of helping people. It is not the same to give advice and become sensitive to someone without having experienced what you are saying, as actually living it to understand, agree and empower that person.

So, you wonder why I tell you all this? Because knowing a bit about where I come from will help you understand why I have the mission that I have.

My mission is to empower, inspire & transform lives. Seeing the transformation in a person or community is something that fills me up. Because of the result and because I understand that if I went through abuse, scarcity, lack of love, abandonment, and many other things, then they were not in vain, but were part of the skills that I have been able to develop to impact the lives of other people.

Besides our private services in coaching and intensive programs, this are some of our most impacting projects:

We started Family Secret Helpers, Inc in 2012, we are an innovative nonprofit corporation dedicated to working on social problems that affect the family and society. Our goal is to help people and communities by giving them the tools they need to overcome whatever they are going through and to make professional advice accessible and convenient, so that anyone struggling with life’s challenges can get help, anytime, anywhere. We have several projects that impact communities and families, aimed at disaster relief, and supplying food to those in need. In the same way, we have other projects that fight against gender violence, empower women, help families who are going thru the process of grieving, and empower veterans.

In 2016, we added a project called BEmpower Women, which empowers and inspires women around the world. Helping women to understand that loving and taking care of themselves is not a selfish act, but an act of self-love. We motivate women, mothers, wives, and professionals. We are focused on helping and motivating women who are or have been victims. We fight for women’s rights. We make it our priority to empower women around the world, having allies in different countries (we speak English and Spanish). We inspire women to turn their ideas and passion into a reality, establishing successful businesses. And, we help women who are entrepreneurs who need to balance their lives. The ones who need to achieve a goal or need a new strategy for their business. We help them avoid burnout so that they do not get lost in the process. This project has a podcast and a digital magazine.

Empútate is a project similar to the previous one but for Latina women and it is focused on empowerment, self-love, and relationships. This project has a podcast, a digital magazine, and books.

Ropana Yoga & Ayurveda is not only practiced in the positions that we usually see in yoga, but through it, we will help to carry out a healing process. Ropana in Sanskrit means healing, which is why I chose this name. Combining this with coaching will be the key to making this something innovative.

We belong to committees that work to develop more projects in favor of women, we use our platforms such as podcasts, magazines, and social networks to spread educational messages and share tools that can transform people’s lives.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Puerto Rico is small in size but big in beauty, places, food, and people. Our island has mysterious caves, where you have the opportunity to go on excursions and learn about the local culture. You will also be fascinated to visit rainy parks full of nature to rest like “El Yunque”. The Atlantic Ocean to the north of us and the Caribbean Sea to the south, allow us to enjoy beautiful beaches. Without forgetting how historic our San Juan is. Despite being officially a Commonwealth of the United States, and the majority of our inhabitants speak English, the truth is that Spanish is still the official language of the island.

My recommendations:

1. Beaches:

Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean, therefore we have magnificent beaches with transparent waters, white sands, and coconut palms that provide shade on the beaches. It is very difficult to say all of them since you can make an extensive list of its beaches, but I can highlight some such as Flamenco Beach in Culebra, La Monserrate in Luquillo, Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla

2. Gastronomy:

Puerto Rican gastronomy is characterized by its wide variety of ingredients and native products that are used. Our food has a combination of Spanish, African, and Taino cuisine. Some of the traditional dishes are mofongo, alcapurria and tostones, and mamposteao rice. You can visit: the Fernández Bakery in Carolina to eat Quesito and bread, Naguabo for Chillo with Tostones, Guavate with its rice and beans, tostones, sweet plantains, mofongo, and rice and pigeon peas, yuca al mojo, and Piñones for fresh oysters, crabmeat, alcapurrias, bacalaítos, and pinchos.

3. Nature

Its nature is one of the tourist attractions that Puerto Rico has with its three bioluminescent bays and its 14 state forests that have a tropical splendor which makes for wonderful landscapes. One of the most outstanding places is El Yunque, also the Maricao State Forest where the frequent plants and birds of the island abound, or the Guánica Dry Forest.

4. Bioluminescent Bays

There are six bioluminescent bays in the world and three are located on the island of Puerto Rico and they are La Parguera, Fajardo, and Vieques. They are places full of natural magic as they shine at night thanks to the microorganisms that give off light when they are shaken by the waves.

5. San Juan

The city of San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico and is one of the oldest and best-preserved old towns in all of the Americas. That is why visiting San Juan is a good reason to go to Puerto Rico, the old town offers many attractions such as its raised Forts, its cathedral, its walls, and that nightlife that fills the squares with Puerto Ricans dancing their salsa rhythm.

6. El Yunque

El Yinque is a state forest is an authentic natural treasure in its purest form because it has diverse ecosystems and hundreds of unique species of plants and animals such as the coquí frog. It has places as beautiful as natural pools, the Coca waterfall, or the Yokatú Tower.

7. Activities in General

In Puerto Rico, you will be able to surf since it is said to be the surfing capital of the Caribbean so much so that there is a daily surf report to see the conditions at your favorite surfing beaches. Some of the best sites are Crash Boat, Sandy Beach, Little Malibu, and Tres Palmas. Another well-known activity in this place is diving that you can enjoy near the coast on the protected island of Desecheo which offers snorkeling as well as diving. Some say that this site is the best for snorkeling and diving in all of Puerto Rico.

Sure, there are plenty of other places to visit, but, you cannot leave Puerto Rico without trying rum, a Piña Colada, a good Coco,nut or a good cup of coffee.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family! Without them, it would not be possible to be at this moment in my life. They support each one of my occurrences, but the most important thing is that if they see that I am about to fall or give up, they are by my side supporting me and reminding me why all this started.

Website: www.familysecrethelpers.com * www.bempowerwomen.com * www.emputate.com * www.ropanayogaayurveda.com * www.nancy-rivera.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/familysecrethelpers * www.instagram.com/bempower_women * www.instagram.com/emputate_nancyrivera * www.instagram.com/ropanayogaayurveda * www.instagram.com/coachnancyrivera

Facebook: www.facebook.com/FamilySecretHelpers * www.facebook.com/BEmpowerWomen * www.facebook.com/EmputateconNancyRivera * www.facebookcom/RopanaYogaAyurveda * www.facebook.com/CoachNancyRivera

Other: Podcasts: English Speakers: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bempowerwomenthetalkshow Spanish Speakers: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/emputateconnancyrivera Magazines: English: https://issuu.com/bempowerwomen Spanish: https://issuu.com/emputate Books & Journals: https://www.amazon.com/author/nancyrivera

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.