Skip to content Skip to footer
Close
Interviews

Priscilla Guasso, Founder HR Lader, Latinas in HR Author, Latinas Rising Up in HR

9 agosto, 2021 0Comments
“Prisci, you are such a beautiful writer!” That was my most recent comment to my dear friend and book sister, Priscilla Guasso. Just being around her makes me feel loved and supported. Imagine the blessing of being her friend. Eso no tiene precio.

Getting to Know
Priscilla Guasso
HR Leader
Founder, Latinas in HR
Author, Latinas Rising Up in HR & TILv9
CEO, Manifesting Leadership Group, LLC.

“Prisci, you are such a beautiful writer!” That was my most recent comment to my dear friend and book sister, Priscilla Guasso. Just being around her makes me feel loved and supported. Imagine the blessing of being her friend. Eso no tiene precio.
But do not get confused, as kind and empathetic as Priscilla is, she is also firm and determined to make her voice heard. I remember one occasion  in  the  beginning  of our

“sisterhood”, she sent me an email which took me a bit longer than it should have to respond. I remember her response was polite but still felt like a reprimand. Soft yet firm. I knew then that she was my type of hermana!

Priscilla a proud native from Chicago, but has adopted Miami as her new hometown. As she firmly works from both cities. She is an HR leader who enjoys coaching others to invest in their leadership skills. In 2020 she became an Amazon Best selling author for Latinas Rising Up in HR and is the Founder of Latinas In HR. I admire Priscilla’s empathetic spirit. She is fully present in every conversation, which as we know is truly hard to accomplish when you are surrounded by phones, emails, text messages and just life in general. She is an artist in that aspect. Because of her welcoming and warm personality, we are able to have those great conversations where we can peel off the layers of our human onion and be true to ourselves, to our actions and to our commitment to be and do better.

Priscilla and I recently had the opportunity to travel to Puerto Vallarta, MX for an authors retreat. See, we are not only friends, but also we are also contributing authors to a beautiful anthology called “Today’s Inspired Latina (TIL), Volume IX” and part of the TIL Sisterhood. While travelling to Mexico, I had the opportunity to once again have a one-on-one session with Prisci.

She shared with me how one of her deepest dreams in life was to be part of a group of women who would support and elevate each other. This is not uncommon for women. We are all constantly looking for other women to be part of our support system, to be part of our tribe. We know that by ourselves we are great, but together we are

we are unstoppable, a colorful force of nature. We need community to share our dreams and experiences. We learn from each other because we are able to see ourselves in others, we are able to see ourselves stronger and brighter than ever before.

Priscilla’s honesty and vulnerability are, in my eyes, her superpowers. It is this place of pure humanity that helps her make deep connections with those around her, and those of us who get to know her and spend time with her, have the blessing to share her light, love and wisdom and somehow we grow stronger together. I am honored to share a bit of her story with all of you.

Icebreaker Questions

What motivated you to write your book “Latinas Rising Up in HR”?
Rather than complain of how unrepresented we as Latinas are in HR, I wanted to create a solution. I honestly didn’t want to believe the stats and was eager to share the stories of amazing women in HR that are defying the odds.
Inspire a shift. All this culminated with my personal journey as I reflected on what legacy I wanted to leave behind and how I as one person could impact others.

My favorite quote to remind me of this comes from Walt Disney “All over dreams can come true is we have the courage to pursue them.”
The book has created a community of powerful HR leaders in the U.S. and a scholarship as of today. How far do you want to go with this newly created community and why is this important to you?
I love this question because I do not have a solid roadmap of where our end is. I have a wall of post its full of dreams and milestones, but keeping room for flexibility. As long as we continue making a positive impact on our community, I am shooting for the stars. I dream of us having an inperson conference where Latinas In HR can connect in person and create authentic relationships that will support their personal and professional growth.
Other than your own, what is your favorite book and why?
Disrupt-Her: A Manifesto for the Modern Woman, by Miki Agrawal This book was recommended to me by my friend Alicia Ponce (leader of Arquitines)and I love how Miki shares her experience as a leader and experience with how she built her business with Thinx and disrupting an industry that hasn’t been touched in decades (feminine products). She brought forward a refreshing way to lead, Challenge status quo and apply to our lives.
What advice would you give to your 13-year-old-self?
As a young girl I had this calling to do something big, but never knew what it was or how it would happen. I would tell Priscilla to never doubt herself when her heart, gut and mind align. Hold onto your faith always, god has a plan for you and you just need to continue following that inner curiosity – take boldsteps and leave the rest up to Him. It’s not worth the stress of “making it work.” He’s always got you, but you need do be intentional with who and where you spend your time.
What is/are the most difficult challenge (s) you have overcome in life and what did you learn from it/these?
One of the most difficult challenges I had was leaving my career in 2020 (yes, be for the pandomic) for a year to take care of my health. I had hit what felt like success, but it was at the cost of many things. While it required me to do a personal reboot, I wouldn’t change a thing because I learned so much from my year off. I wouldn’t have built this amazing platform and met the most amazing women who are now forever friends, mentors and leader. You can read more about my story in Latinas Rising Up In HR.
What are the three most important qualities of anyone interested in pursuing a career in HR?

Resilience – you don´t give up easily

Grit – how much perseverance or passion you have

Emotional Inteligence – our work is with people… EI is highly needed for any leader

0Likes

Leave a comment

You May Also Like

Interviews
Rosario B. Casas Co-Founder & CEO, XR Americas
Interviews
Kevin Wirges, Chief Financial Officer at IMC Health