Unidos Pro

09/11/2026

This week, we're pausing the usual Spotlight to ask for yours.

One story. One mentor. One conversation. Sometimes that's all it takes to change the direction of a career.

We want to hear from the mentors and leaders in our community. Who shaped your path? What did they say or do that stayed with you?

Share your story with us. We'll be featuring these in upcoming Spotlights, because the people who open doors for others deserve to be recognized too.

Este espacio solo funciona si lo construimos juntos. Y si no tenemos la historia correcta esta semana, está bien. Preferimos esperar una semana más que apresurarlo.

Who is the mentor whose one conversation changed your course?

09/08/2026

Networking isn't asking for something the moment you meet someone.

It's showing up consistently. Offering value first. Building a relationship long before you need anything from it.

The strongest networks are built the same way trust is: slowly, through small moments, not a single ask.

Talking with Justin Reyes for last Friday's Spotlight drove that home. One conversation, and I walked away with more than I expected. That's not where it ends, we're already planning to keep it going.

Antes de buscar algo de alguien, pregúntate primero qué puedes ofrecer tú.

If you want a clear picture of where your networking and visibility stand today, the Visibility Assessment is a good place to start.

09/04/2026

It started with a schedule change. It didn't stop there.

This week's Spotlight is Justin Reyes, Regional Director at ProVisors Charlotte and VP of Membership and Data for ALPFA Charlotte.

It started in a woodshop class in Cotulla, Texas. A sudden vision issue moved him next door into Agricultural Science, and that one classroom change led to an FFA Creed Speaking win, a first-generation journey to Texas A&M, and a Capitol Hill internship that gave him both a career and his wife, Courtney. From teaching Agricultural Science in Forney, to national roles with the National Association of Home Builders and Associated Builders and Contractors, to three years advancing Latino executives toward corporate boards at LCDA, Justin's path has taken many forms. But the throughline was never the title. It was the volunteering.

One of the impacts he's most proud of: growing the Young Latino Professionals of Greater Kansas City from 19 paid members to 110 during his two years as President. That's 91 people who now have a professional community they didn't have before.

His advice for anyone starting out is simple to say, harder to live: be a connector before you need anything. Show up where decisions are made, even when it's unglamorous work. And stay in the room, even when you're the only one who looks like you. Your presence is part of the point.

His guiding words: "Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'Til your good is better and your better is best."

Justin credits too many mentors to name here, and that's the honest answer he gave us. A reminder that none of us move forward alone.

Gracias, Justin, por sostener tantas puertas abiertas para nosotros.

Who is a professor, mentor, or leader who held a door open for you? Tag them below. Every tag helps us find next week's spotlight.

➕ Follow Unidos Pro so you don't miss what's next.

09/01/2026

Most early-career professionals spend hours on LinkedIn and still feel stuck.

Here is how we would spend 20 focused minutes a day instead.

5 minutes on visibility
↳ Comment on 3-5 posts from people in your field. Skip the generic "Great post!" Say something real.

5 minutes on outreach
↳ Send 2-3 short messages. No pitch, just a real reason to connect. Reconnect with someone you have not talked to in a while first.

5 minutes on your profile
↳ Update one thing this week: your headline, your photo, or your featured section. Ask one person for a recommendation.

5 minutes on showing up
↳ Share one lesson, one win, or one question from your week. Consistency beats a polished profile that never posts.

Twenty minutes. Poco a poco.

No perfect profile required. No overnight following. Just showing up.

What is the one visibility habit you keep putting off? Tell us below, this community grows one comment at a time.

This is the DIY version. If you would rather skip the noise, our LinkedIn Visibility Assessment is $50 this month (usually $100), a tailored 1-on-1 profile audit. Link in our Unidos Pro banner above.

08/31/2026

Some weekends are for rest. This one was for training.

Saturday I laced up for a run through the botanical garden here in Springfield. Half marathon miles on the legs, and a stubborn voice reminding me why I started.

Then I found this: a butterfly named Windrider II, wings taller than me, built square by square out of crochet from dozens of hands. I stopped my watch mid-run just to take it in.

Poco a poco. That is how the butterfly got built. That is how the miles get run. That is how a version of myself I could not have imagined a decade ago became possible.

Tenacity is not always about pushing through. Sometimes it is about knowing when to pause.

What is one habit you are building this week?

Follow Unidos Pro, this community grows one comment at a time.

08/28/2026

UNIDOS PRO Friday Spotlight: Dr. Judith Martínez

𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁.

We are honored to open our Friday Spotlight series with a local changemaker, Dr. Judith Martínez. A professor, business owner, and community leader whose impact reaches far beyond the classroom.

For me, this one is personal. Judith is mi hermana y mi role model. She is one of the reasons this series exists.

For 30 years, Dr. Martínez has built a career in academia while creating programs from the ground up for our community and lifting up junior and new faculty along the way. Her leadership opens doors, builds systems of support, and makes room for others to grow.

One of the impacts she is most proud of: helping first-generation Latino students access opportunities and see a bigger future for themselves.

Her advice for anyone starting a career or growing into leadership is simple yet challenging: "Be excellent."

Dr. Martínez also credits her own mentors, including Dr. Robert Lee Norton. A reminder that none of us move forward alone.

Gracias, Dr. Martínez, por tus décadas de servicio y por abrir camino para tantos de nosotros.

We're starting this series close to home, but it won't stay there. Every week, we'll spotlight Latino mentors and leaders, local, national, and international, who are making our community better.

Who is a professor, mentor, or leader who helped you see a bigger future for yourself? Tag them below. Every tag helps us find next week's spotlight.

Follow Unidos Pro so you don't miss what's next.

08/26/2026

A veces solo se necesita una persona que crea en ti antes de que tú creas en ti mismo.

Un mentor. Una conexión. Una oportunidad, así es como cambian las carreras y las vidas.

¿Quién abrió una puerta para ti? Cuéntanos en los comentarios y etiqueta a esa persona si puedes.

Un perfil. Una conexión. Una carrera a la vez.

EdCafe Hispanic Networking Group in The Ozarks

💙❤️ UNIDOS PRO

08/25/2026

Amazing people, strong community! Stop by and visit the Hispanic Networking Group in The Ozarks

Our members are everything!

This organization is nothing without you guys and your support! We are always welcoming visitors to our monthly meetings every first Wednesday of the month!

If you're curious about what we do and would like any information, reach out anytime!