Ana Flores | Author, Cultural Strategist & Entrepreneur
A conversation with author and cultural strategist Ana Flores on reclaiming intuitive leadership, dismantling hustle culture, and honoring ancestral wisdom as a pathway to equity and wellbeing.
How has your lived experience shaped the way you move through spaces not built with you in mind?
Born in Texas and raised in El Salvador during a civil war, my bicultural identity shaped my understanding of power in profound ways. I witnessed power wielded through violence and force, which created a deep-seated resistance to traditional masculine expressions of authority in leadership. When I entered entrepreneurial spaces, I found myself constantly negotiating between the expectations of a male-dominated business world and the collaborative, heart-centered values I carried from my culture. My bilingual brain often asked "¿Quién te crees?"—"Who do you think you are?"—especially when stepping into rooms where I was the only Latina voice.
The strength my background brought was an understanding that true power flows through relationship and community rather than dominance. "When one grows, we all grow" became the foundation of #WeAllGrow and taught me that business could be built on collaboration rather than competition. While male-centered norms often demanded I prove my worth through endless productivity, my cultural and female wisdom reminded me that sustainable success comes from nurturing the collective and honoring natural rhythms of creation and rest.
The unique challenge was learning to value my feminine approach to leadership in spaces that only recognized masculine markers of success. I had to unlearn the belief that my intuitive decision-making, emphasis on relationships, and commitment to community care were somehow less valid than data-driven, hierarchical approaches. The strength emerged when I realized these weren't weaknesses to overcome but superpowers to embrace and model for others who had been told their way of being wasn't "professional" enough.
Can you recall a time when self-doubt tried to quiet your truth, and how you found your way back to alignment?
When I was invited to speak at the Obama White House about breaking down gender stereotypes in children's media, I should have felt powerful and validated. Instead, I found myself paralyzed by imposter syndrome, questioning whether I belonged in that room with decision-makers from Disney, Mattel, and other major companies. Despite years of building #WeAllGrow and advocating for Latina voices, I felt like a fraud who would be exposed the moment I opened my mouth. The invitation had arrived because I stayed in my lane and did aligned work, yet when the spotlight turned to me, fear took over.
The mental health impact was profound and fragmented. I experienced what I now recognize as the cost of misalignment between my internal truth and external performance. The energy required to question my worthiness while trying to project confidence left me exhausted and split. I caught myself crafting emails to back out of the event, convincing myself that someone more "qualified" should take my place. This pattern of self-doubt had been running beneath the surface for years, but this high-stakes moment brought it into sharp focus. I was living disconnected from my own power, constantly performing strength while feeling inadequate inside.
What helped me find my voice again was remembering that I wasn't in that room to impress anyone but to represent and speak from lived experience. My team and closest supporters held up a mirror, reminding me of a truth I had shared with so many others: if the opportunity shows up, you're ready for it. I had to confront the misalignment between how others perceived me and how I allowed myself to show up. The healing came through recognizing that my voice carried ancestral wisdom and that my perspective as a bicultural Latina entrepreneur was exactly what the conversation needed. I stopped trying to prove I belonged and started trusting that I was chosen to be there for a reason.
Who in the past has held space for your voice when you were still learning to trust it?
I am grateful that I truly have an incredible support system of mentors and allies. Jess Weiner became one of the most incredible allies in my journey, and honestly, it started with just casual conversations at blogger conferences. She was quietly watching my work and when the White House opportunity came up, she thought of me. What meant everything was how she consistently championed my vision in rooms where I wasn't present, opening doors I never would have found on my own. She showed me that real allyship happens behind the scenes, where someone is advocating for you in conversations you'll never even know about.
The #WeAllGrow community became this beautiful space of mutual mentorship where we all lifted each other up naturally. Instead of that traditional mentor-mentee dynamic, we created these amazing horizontal support systems where maybe someone killing it on social media would help another woman grow her platform, while that person shared what she knew about business development. The invitation to join the initial cohort of Gloria Feldt's 50 Women Can Change the World leadership program gave me the frameworks to understand that my struggles with authority weren't personal failures but totally normal responses to being excluded from systems not built for me. These spaces welcomed our vulnerability and treated our diverse experiences as wisdom rather than baggage to overcome.
What I really wish more women had is patient, genuine support that honors where they are in their journey without pressure to perform or implement advice immediately. Too often mentorship becomes another productivity demand where women feel guilty if they don't act on every suggestion right away. We need spaces where you can explore your authentic voice without judgment, work through imposter syndrome without having it dismissed, and where your intuitive way of leading gets celebrated instead of corrected. Most of all, I want women to experience sisterhood that truly believes "your success doesn't take away from mine" and communities that understand we're stronger when we rise together.
In what ways are you continuing your legacy of helping women rewrite the narrative around worth, wellness, and leadership?
My work now centers around dismantling the toxic hustle culture that has been systematically burning women out, especially women of color who face additional pressures to prove their worth through endless productivity. Through my book "Done With the Hustle" (HarperOne 2026), Substack publication and speaking engagements, I create permission for women to prioritize their wellbeing without guilt or shame.
I teach that rest isn't a luxury but a radical act of resistance against systems designed to keep us depleted. When women understand that their worth doesn't come from their output, they can begin to advocate for themselves and create boundaries that protect their mental health.
What I'm most passionate about is helping women understand that their feelings are valuable data in business and life decisions. When we teach women to honor their emotional intelligence and create from alignment rather than force, we're building workplaces where intuitive leadership is valued alongside analytical thinking. I encourage women to question any environment that demands they disconnect from their authentic selves to succeed, because true transformation happens when we bring our whole selves to our work.
My goal is to normalize conversations about mental health, sustainable work practices, and the courage it takes to choose a different path than what's expected of us.
How do you see yourself reflected in SeekHer’s mission, and what message feels most urgent to share with other women?
SeekHer's mission totally speaks to my heart because connecting gender equity and mental wellbeing is deeply personal to me. Both are things I’ve had to navigate firsthand, and I believe they are at the core of women’s empowerment and healing.
The message I want to send is that your voice carries ancestral wisdom and has the power to transform not just your own life, but the lives of women who come after you. Every time you speak your truth, you're breaking generational patterns of silence and giving other women permission to do the same. We've been told that staying quiet keeps us safe, but honestly, silence ends up costing us our power and those authentic connections we crave. When we share our real experiences, including the messy and uncomfortable parts, we remind each other that we're not alone in this and that there's definitely another way forward.
To the woman who's still afraid to speak up, I want you to know that your fear makes complete sense. You've probably learned, like I did, that your voice could be risky or unwelcome in certain spaces. Maybe you grew up hearing "calladita te ves más bonita" or other messages that taught you to put everyone else's comfort before your own truth. The truth is that the thing you're afraid to say might be exactly what someone else desperately needs to hear. Your story, perspective and wisdom matter so much more than you realize.
“ The strength emerged when I realized these weren’t weaknesses to overcome but superpowers to embrace and model for others who had been told their way of being wasn’t ‘professional’ enough.”
About Ana
Ana Flores is a trailblazing Latina entrepreneur, author, and award-winning cultural strategist in a new season of guiding women-led businesses as a strategic advisor. She is the founder and former CEO of #WeAllGrow Latina, a pioneering 100% Latina-owned community and media platform she led for over a decade, culminating in its acquisition by new Latina ownership in 2025.
Born in Texas and raised in El Salvador, Ana’s bicultural roots shaped her vision for building businesses grounded in collaboration over competition. Her forthcoming book, Done With the Hustle (HarperOne, 2026), challenges toxic productivity culture and offers a path to success rooted in connection, well-being, and ease.
Through her advising, writing, and speaking, Ana helps women entrepreneurs grow thriving, values-driven businesses while honoring rest, intuition, and authentic leadership.
Connect Further
Website: anaflores.com | IG: @anaflores_me | LinkedIn: Ana Flores