Thriving in Chaos: Heidy De La Cruz is Sharing Stories the World Needs to Hear
I can’t believe this is the tenth part of the Thriving in Chaos series! I’ve talked to some pretty incredible women and feel so inspired by all that they have achieved so far.
As we approach the end of our list of featured entrepreneurs, I am thrilled to end the year with Heidy De La Cruz, Content Creator, Podcast Coach, and Host of the award-winning podcast The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants.
I don’t know how I stumbled upon Heidy De La Cruz, but we’ve been following each other on Instagram for some time now. I love her content, her outlook on life, and her mission to share other people’s stories.
Are you ready to meet Heidy?
Heidy De La Cruz, Host of The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast
Realizing Her Podcasting Dreams
A former psychology major in college, Heidy has always loved listening to other people’s stories. She loved to dive into people’s backstories and learn how they became the person they are today. This cultivated a love of listening to interview-based podcasts.
After years of listening to other people host these podcasts, she fell the call to start her own. She knew she wanted to celebrate the joy in our everyday lives, but she wasn’t sure exactly how to format it. Besides, as a working mom who was also working toward her Master of Science, her time to develop her podcast idea was limited.
It wasn’t until after she graduated with her Master’s in 2020 and was on maternity leave with her son that she decided it was time to really dive into the life of a podcaster.
The Article that Started it All
As she researched how to start her own podcast, she came across an article on Medium. Written by an American immigrant from Kenya, the article detailed the writer's culture shock and struggles after moving to a new country.
This struck a nerve with Heidy, the daughter of first-generation immigrants. She saw her parents in the writer’s stories about how people wouldn’t try to understand their accents and how they always needed a translator to get things done.
She also discussed this article with her husband, who is a first-generation immigrant. Exploring all of the little details of his story of moving from the Dominican Republic to New York inspired her to host a podcast about immigration.
She wanted to give people the opportunity to tell the stories of how they felt as little kids moving into fast American cities or how they struggled with day-to-day activities as they learned to speak the language. Heidy knew she didn’t want to focus on the political aspect of immigration but rather the human element. Immigration has long been a hot-button topic in the American ecosystem, but it’s always spoken of as some large-scale ideology. With Heidy’s podcast, she was going to humanize the process.
Launching the Podcast
Heidy interviews a guest on her podcast
Now that she knew exactly what she wanted the podcast to be about, she had to figure out how to get it up and running. That’s where the second arm of De La Cruz Media came in.
Launching a podcast may seem simple, but there’s actually a ton of work that goes into it behind the scenes. As a Podcast Coach, Heidy teaches other host hopefuls how to develop their podcast ideas into a launchable show. Through either a one-on-one coaching package or a self-guided pre-recorded course, Heidy has helped many podcast creators get their start.
Giving Powerful Stories a Platform
Whether through her own show or the many she’s helped develop, Heidy uses her passion for words to inspire people across the globe.
What is so special about her work is that no two episodes are ever the same. One week, you’ll hear how a Cuban doctor moved from Cuba to Russia and then to the United States. Another week, you’ll hear about how one woman moved to the United States from Pakistan at five years old.
With over 70 published episodes, she has told the stories of people like Kathy, a Chinese refugee from Vietnam who now lives in California, and Kelly, an injury and immigration attorney in New Jersey who was born in Mexico and separated from her family at the border at a young age.
Although so very different, each story has one overarching tone: the beauty in the struggle of starting over.
A Q&A with Heidy De La Cruz
Q: What is your favorite part about owning a small business?
Just hearing these stories. Man, I am learning so much. I’m learning history. I’m learning more about the immigration process. That’s the best part of this whole thing: just connecting with people and learning about what they’ve been through.
It’s the same thing with podcast coaching. I love diving deep into why each client wants to host a podcast and how their story led them here to this place in life.
Heidy De La Cruz records her podcast
Q: How did you know it was time to make this happen?
With the podcast, it was on my heart for a few years. It just kept nudging at me. Finally, I was like “okay. It’s still there. The feeling is still there. It’s not going away. I just need to make it happen.”
As for the coaching, my heart for helping people is really what drove me to do it. I saw all of these posts of people asking questions and struggling and I was like … man I’ve been there. I can help you. It wasn’t born from the need to grow my business but rather, just the desire to help people get their stories out there.
Q: If another woman came to you about starting a business in your industry, what would you tell them?
I always say to reach out to someone who’s doing what you want to do. Ask them questions, get a mentorship, or sign up for coaching if they offer it. You’ll probably be really surprised at how many people are actually willing to help.
And second, don’t overthink it. Just start with what you have. When I started my podcast, I didn’t have a set or fancy equipment. I had my work headphones and my phone.
Q: If you could go back in time to 2004, what would you tell yourself about your life now?
I think I was ten years old hahaha. What would I tell my ten-year-old self? I think I would tell her that you’re going to figure it out. For many, many years, I was lost at what I wanted to do in life. So, I would just tell her that you’ll figure it out. You’ll go through some hardships but it will make you who you are when you’re 31. Just hang in there and love yourself.
Q: Why did you want to be featured on this blog?
I love what you’re doing. And I feel that it’s important to highlight women entrepreneurs and the great things that they’re doing. I feel that by sharing our story or our journey, it can inspire other people who may be thinking of starting a business or even a side business, and letting them know that it’s a struggle in the beginning, and sometimes you’ll feel like you’re throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what will stick, but just plant that seed to launch your dream.
My Take on Heidy’s Story
It’s no secret that I love hearing other people’s stories. In fact, it’s basically what I’ve built my business around! And maybe that’s why I felt so drawn to Heidy and her work.
I love the way she approaches everything with a heart for helping. She truly wants to share these stories with the world! Whether listening to her podcast or following along with her business journey, I’ve learned so much from Heidy.
If you’re looking for a great podcast, I highly recommend The American Dream Through the Eyes of Immigrants. Seeing what other people experience right here in our communities is so eye-opening. Heidy is also a gifted interviewer, and her episodes feel like listening to two old friends chatting. It’s clear to see why it won the 2024 Women in Podcasting Award for Best Society & Culture Podcast.
You can find the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and YouTube. You can also learn more about Heidy and her incredible projects on her website, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Threads.
