← Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff
Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff
From Losing a Dream Job to Building a Dream Life | Lilliana Vazquez
00:39:49
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- [00:00]
Rebecca Minkoff
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- [01:23]
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- [01:49]
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- [02:18]
Liliana Vasquez
I had been told my entire career that, like, this is it and if you were to leave one of these big networks, it's over. The value is in the brand. The value is not in you. So when that went away, I thought,
- [02:29]
Podcast Host
hey everyone, welcome back to Superwomen. Today's guest is someone I have known for a very Long time, but have recently reconnected with. Liliana Vasquez is the most amazing founder. She has built a huge business connecting with her community. Making me shop when I shouldn't be all the time. But we talk about what it's like
- [02:47]
Rebecca Minkoff
to let go of your ego, how
- [02:49]
Podcast Host
to pivot and move forward and recover from something that seems unimaginable. Take a listen.
- [02:53]
Liliana Vasquez
Followers are such a vanity metric.
- [02:54]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
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Liliana Vasquez
The number one thing that I look at is conversion, and that is what anybody cares about. Brands, like, they get it now.
- [03:03]
Podcast Host
Did you have an understanding of the strategy and the business that you have now and how did you get there? Because I think it can be intimidating.
- [03:09]
Liliana Vasquez
I went from making $0 on LTK to. To making about half a million dollars in less than 18 months. I now hunt and gather for myself. I love the strategy. So when you are searching for that external validation from somebody, they hold the keys to your success. Do you want to give away those keys? The control? And just being able to have that and know that I get to decide that is pretty amazing. It's scary, but it's pretty empowering.
- [03:47]
Rebecca Minkoff
I'm Rebecca Minkoff and this is Superwomen.
- [03:49]
Podcast Host
Each week, inspiring women are interviewed to uncover the unexpected journeys, the challenges, and the unwavering spirit that makes them powerful.
- [03:58]
Rebecca Minkoff
Get ready to be motivated by stories of resilience and discover the keys to unlocking your own potential foreign.
- [04:08]
Podcast Host
I'm so excited you're here.
- [04:09]
Liliana Vasquez
Thank you for having me.
- [04:11]
Podcast Host
Oh, my God. When I saw the inbound, I was like, hell, yes. And my assistant was like, you have no more space in your life. And I was like, we're making space for this woman that I love.
- [04:19]
Liliana Vasquez
Oh, I'm so happy to be here. I feel like I have followed your career and your journey from the very beginning.
- [04:25]
Podcast Host
So let's talk about your career post
- [04:28]
Liliana Vasquez
E. Let's do it. Let's do it.
- [04:31]
Podcast Host
You're ani. It ends. And what was through your head at the moment? And did you know that immediately? Like, okay, now I know what I wanna do. Talk me through that period of time.
- [04:43]
Liliana Vasquez
I was a disaster. I think I had one of those breakdowns of when you're just like, I don't know how I'm going to recover from this. Because you have to understand, I'm of a certain age. So I'm 45. So the way I grew up, it was like, you know, you really get that one dream job. There's not multiple dream jobs. There's not multiple dreams. You have one. It is singular. And I Didn't have the most straight road there, so I was already, like, barely getting my way in. And so I finally got the dream job. Like, I would watch Juliana in college and be like, this is the best thing that could ever happen to me if I ever had a job like this. Like, I could just die happy. And so then I get that job, and then the pandemic happens, and we went on the air, you know, like, the first week of January after the Golden Globes, and we were off the air March 13th of 2020. And so I got to do my dream job for less than three months. And, you know, I didn't know what happened when we went off the air, but the writing was on the wall that it was gonna end, and so it was taken away from me. And I think when you don't get to write the ending, it hurts really bad. And I'm also of a certain age where it doesn't feel like there's a lot left for you once you've done that. Right? It's like, well, you've already had the dream job. Like, where do you go from here? And so I never thought about, what am I going to do after E. Because I was like, I'm going to be here forever.
- [06:07]
Podcast Host
You thought, okay, I'm going to be here for 10 years. I'm going to be here for 20 years.
- [06:10]
Liliana Vasquez
I'll die here. I will literally die on E. News. And I had never thought past that because my aperture wasn't big enough to think past that. And I'm also first generation, and I think that's part of that too. It's like, my mom was like, do this one thing, do it well, and you are set for your life. And so when it was done and over, I didn't have a plan. The only plan I had was that I knew I wanted to be really, really present as a mom. And I am so grateful that I found motherhood when I did, because in my 30s, I would be a different person. I had my son in July of 2021, and I left e November of 2021, after coming back from maternity leave. And. And if I didn't have him, I don't know what I would have done, because it allowed me to kind of, like, refocus and recenter and understand that the journey was him.
- [07:01]
Rebecca Minkoff
Right?
- [07:02]
Liliana Vasquez
Like, the IVF journey got me to him. And now, like, losing this huge job, I was like, what do I do now? I'm like, him. I do him. And what that did is it allowed me space to focus and it gave me clarity that I didn't have. But when it ended, I was, like, devastated, because what else was I going to do? I had been told my entire career that, like, this is it. And if you were to leave one of these big networks, whether it was NBC or ABC or CBS or E. Or Bravo, it's over. Because the value is in the network. The value is in the brand. The value is not in you. That's what talent executives are trained to do, to talent, Right? They program you to think that you are not the asset. The asset is the company that you work for. And that's all I had seen my entire life. And so when that went away, I thought, well, I'm not worth anything. I'm not worth anything unless I'm attached. Like, unless I'm attached to a brand. And I remember I had a conversation with somebody who I respect very much, who had been in the business for about 20 years, and I said to her, I don't know what I'm going to do. How am I going to find another job? Like, what other show can I go to? And she was in probably her, like, late 50s, early 60s at the time. And she said to me, why are you chasing a job that isn't going to matter and that doesn't exist anymore? And I said, well, what are you talking about? Look at these people. They have this job, they have that. She goes, that is not where the industry is going. You're chasing a dying job. Like, you're young, you have energy, you're so smart, you're curious, you can write, you can edit. Why are you chasing that job? And she goes, you need to understand, like, what it is that you're chasing. And she said, I don't think you should do this job. I think what you should do is go out on your own and do something that feels authentic to you, that represents all of the multifaceted parts of you. And I wasn't really ready to hear her advice. I just wanted to go chase the next anchor job. I wanted the next hosting job. And then finally, two years later, I sat with her advice. I had a friend give me just, like, a swift kick in the ass that said to me, I want people to meet the Liliana that sits with me in a makeup room. I don't want people to meet the Liliana that's on the Today show or that host City News. I want them to meet this person. So just make the video. And I said, but I can't. I don't have makeup. We're in A makeup room. Like, I haven't. Like, I'm not glammed. And he's like, who cares? I'm like, the lighting is bad. He's like, you're making excuses. And I was. I was just making excuses for not doing it. And so I made a video, and it, like, popped off. It had, like, you know, millions of views, and it was so me, and it was so unfiltered, and it was so random. And I was like, I really enjoyed that. I haven't enjoyed my time on camera in a really long time. And that was the beginning of my career as an influencer, as a creator. I don't even know what to call it anymore because I do feel that, like, influencer is such a small part of what I do.
- [09:39]
Podcast Host
I think people should be allowed to say now that you're an entrepreneur, you're a founder, because you are running a legitimate business. It's not like you're just, you know, posing for a picture and posting it for likes. Do you know what I mean? I think anyone that's monetized the platform that's figured it out, like, that's a business.
- [09:55]
Liliana Vasquez
And, you know, I have to say that I did not give influencers or the creator economy the respect that it deserved. Until I was in it. I always looked at it as, like, that's not a real job. Like, that's just, like, pretty pictures. Now that I'm in it, it is a beast, and it is a machine. It's its own economy. I mean, you're. It's insane. The numbers that some of these women put up on a monthly basis, on a yearly basis, they are, like, retiring their husbands. Right. To come work for them. And I didn't give it the respect that it deserves because I just didn't know it. And so now when people see me doing it that are close to me, they're like, oh, my God, this girl down the street from me was an influencer. And I see you doing it. Like, I didn't know it was all of this. Like, I know what background you come from. And I'm like, wait, so you're only legitimizing it because I come from NBC. Like, you should have legitimized this 10 years ago when they first told you how much work it was. But I think we don't, because it's different. It's new. That's not something that we're used to seeing.
- [10:50]
Podcast Host
Yeah. And I think that anything that, like, appears easier, even modeling. Right. When you see a model, how hard they work it's like they're just not sitting there. They're working really hard, really hard. Often under, you know, outside you're shooting spring and it's 2 degrees. Everyone, sorry for the quick pause. I want to share something really exciting.
- [11:07]
Rebecca Minkoff
Superwoman has a brand new YouTube channel. It's still under construction, but big things are coming in 2026.
- [11:14]
Podcast Host
You'll find past episodes, new episodes, and
- [11:17]
Rebecca Minkoff
some bonus content I cannot wait for you to see. Just search SuperWoman Media on YouTube and
- [11:23]
Podcast Host
hit subscribe so you don't miss a thing. Okay, back to the pod. I would love to talk touch on, like in that moment.
- [11:30]
Rebecca Minkoff
Did you have any idea that then
- [11:32]
Podcast Host
you would now have more attention eyeballs than a network on a daily basis?
- [11:38]
Liliana Vasquez
No, I had no idea. I completely undervalued this industry. I really did. And it's not because I didn't have the evidence or the data. It's because I come from legacy media. And that is the only world that I knew. And at the time, that's the only world that I wanted to play in. I didn't understand the power of social media. I almost like, think, like, how dumb was I to not understand that this is what is happening next and what an honor and privilege it would be to be a part of that. No, I completely undervalued it. I remember I would spend 40 to 50 hours a week on one segment for the Today show that millions of people would watch. And by the way, those segments were unpaid. Let's be very clear, people don't understand the what. Oh, yeah. Most of my career at the Today show was unpaid. Because when you go on as a guest, the payment is in the promotion. The payment is in you're on the Today Show. Not until you become a contributor or a correspondent are you actually getting paid by them.
- [12:38]
Podcast Host
Wow.
- [12:38]
Liliana Vasquez
So all of these fashion experts or beauty experts or fitness experts that you see going on the Today show, they're putting in 30, 40, 50 hours to prepare a three minute segment for air. They don't make any money from that. That's just like sweat equity that they're putting into their appearance, hoping that that segment then converts into sales. Right? Well, the difference between doing that and doing what I do now is that I would do those segments and see not a penny. And the Today show, in all fairness, like, didn't start monetizing those segments until later, but I can now do a segment on my social media and turn it into tens of thousands of dollars for myself. And it's my editorial lens, it's my pov. And it's going to my community, who I call them. I always say they're ready to shop. So it's just a completely different world. So, no, I had no idea. I mean, thank God I took the blinders off and, like, let go of the ego, because that's what it was really about. There's so much ego wrapped up in the decisions that you make. Especially when I was in my 30s, I wouldn't make those decisions now, but that's what I valued back then. Done a lot of unlearning.
- [13:38]
Podcast Host
Well, it's a constant unlearning. Because when you talk about ego.
- [13:41]
Rebecca Minkoff
Right.
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Podcast Host
Growing up, I'm 45, too. It's like, the only way to do this is you have to be part of the most aspirational stores, and you can never go lower. And I'm like, you know where the money is. Okay, let's talk about where the money is. It's in T.J. maxx. You know what I mean? Like, it's. You want to have a big company, you also sell there too.
- [13:58]
Liliana Vasquez
Yeah.
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Podcast Host
And I think it's letting go of that. Like, oh, God. Well, am I still legitimate?
- [14:02]
Rebecca Minkoff
Yes.
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Liliana Vasquez
And again, like, who decides that? You get to decide that because you have to move in the direction that feels authentic to who you are. And I've always been the cheap chica from the get go. That was my first blog, was the Cheap Chica's Guide to Style. There is still so much about that girl in me, but I was 27 when I started that blog. I'm 45 now. So do I make more money and do I spend more money a thousand percent? Yes. But will I wear Amazon with Saint Laurent? A hundred percent? Today I picked, like, a cheap pu coat that looks amazing, by the way, over a Saint Laurent coat. Because I'm not driven by a label. I'm not driven by a price. I am driven by what looks good and makes me feel my best. And that is the attitude. And that is what I present on my socials, if you follow me. You know that, like, I am. There's no shame in my game. Like, I see so many people, like, sit up on some pedestal preaching, like, oh, I don't wear H and M. I don't even go in an H and M. I would never touch Amazon. I would never do this. Because clearly they need to heal something in them, right? Because what do you. If you look good in something, what do you care what the tag says? I can make forever. I always used to say, I can make forever. 21 look designer. Because it's about how I wear it. And you have a POV 100%, and you can't buy style.
- [15:16]
Podcast Host
Right. It's true. I was complaining to a friend. I was like, if I see another wealthy person unbox their Chanel bag, I'm going to blow my brain out. Like, the amount of people unboxing their Hermes or Chanel, I'm like, cool, we get it. You're so rich, and now you're showing it all over.
- [15:29]
Liliana Vasquez
Like, can we talk?
- [15:30]
Podcast Host
That doesn't make you stylish or cool.
- [15:32]
Liliana Vasquez
What happens when they unbox it and it's hideous? Then you actually. You're like, I now feel bad for you. Before, I was like, well, you might just maybe, like, you've never not had money. But, like, now I actually feel bad that you just burned cash. Like, you should just burn money, because that is the ugliest Chanel jacket I have ever seen. And then I'm like, they literally have no taste because some of the stuff is legit ugly. Like, it doesn't matter how much it costs. Like, you could go vintage shopping at a thrift store and find the most amazing jacket for, like, 799 on a red sticker Tuesday. That looks infinitely cooler than a designer piece that you're buying just because it's designer. Now, I love designer. There's a million things that I own that are designer, but that's not what's driving my decision.
- [16:13]
Rebecca Minkoff
Correct.
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Liliana Vasquez
And that is very different. And I think that's also how modern women shop. That's how we behave. That's how we dress. So to me, there's just something so much cooler about that than just being like, I can only shop.
- [16:25]
Rebecca Minkoff
It's lazy.
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Podcast Host
Yeah, I know.
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Liliana Vasquez
I know.
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Podcast Host
It's just like, I have the money, and I'm. This is my lens, and it's just fancy.
- [16:31]
Liliana Vasquez
I always wanted to do, like, a styling challenge with these, like, really big celebrity stylists where we each get a hundred dollars.
- [16:36]
Podcast Host
That'd be a great show.
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Liliana Vasquez
We get to go into Rainbow. I don't know if everybody. Do you know what Rainbow is?
- [16:41]
Podcast Host
I have no idea what Rainbow is.
- [16:42]
Liliana Vasquez
Oh, my gosh. Okay. So I moved to New York in 2002, and there used to be these stores called Rainbow Shops. They're kind of like. How would I describe them? It's like, it's cheaper than Forever 21, and it has the most random stuff. And I always said, like, I needed to make the most of what I had when I moved to New York at 22 with working at W for 27, 000 a year. And I want to take these very high end stylists, give them a hundred dollars, and like, let's go shop at rainbow. Because if you can pull from every Runway. Well, great. You're not going to miss, right? You could, like, literally, like, shoot blind and you'd, like, hit the target. How are you gonna do with the rainbow?
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Podcast Host
Right.
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Liliana Vasquez
Do you actually have taste or do you actually have access? Because access and taste are two very different things.
- [17:24]
Podcast Host
Very different things. That's a really good point. And someone needs to listen to this and make a new competitive show, a competitive reality series.
- [17:31]
Liliana Vasquez
100. And there's so many.
- [17:32]
Podcast Host
And you're gonna be the judge.
- [17:33]
Liliana Vasquez
Yes. And you know who the best stylists are? People that are scrappy.
- [17:36]
Podcast Host
Totally.
- [17:36]
Liliana Vasquez
People that don't have access. People that don't have money, that can literally go thrift shopping and. And make a look that feels unique and one of a kind that makes you stop dead in your tracks. Those are the best stylists to work with.
- [17:47]
Podcast Host
A hundred percent. I was a stylist, and so I was styling Heidi Klum for the first season of Project Runway. No one would give us clothing. Like every major designer label. Yes. Was like, nope, nope. Reality tv.
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Rebecca Minkoff
Gross.
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Podcast Host
Dirty.
- [18:00]
Liliana Vasquez
Reality TV was gross. Like, no one wanted to be on it.
- [18:02]
Podcast Host
And thank God I was crappy. And I was like, well, I'm going to make her some shit tonight and sew it up and. And she'll wear it, so take that.
- [18:09]
Liliana Vasquez
And she looked amazing.
- [18:09]
Podcast Host
She looked great.
- [18:10]
Liliana Vasquez
And who doesn't want to dress Heidi?
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Podcast Host
I mean, idiots. Total idiots.
- [18:13]
Liliana Vasquez
Idiots.
- [18:23]
Podcast Host
So when you launched, did you have an understanding of the strategy and the business that you have now and. And how did you get there? Because I think it can be intimidating. Like, they see you, you now clearly know what you're doing. Even if I was like, I want to do that too, I'd be like, but there. I know there's a lot of analytics and a lot of behind what you do.
- [18:41]
Rebecca Minkoff
So how did you learn that?
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Podcast Host
Was it trial by fire or error?
- [18:44]
Liliana Vasquez
It was a lot. I think I have always been somebody who's really, really curious. I'm not embarrassed of asking a bad question because there are no bad questions. And I'm also a forever student. I always want to learn, and I am not afraid to fuck up. Really. Like, I'm not. So who cares? And so when I went into this, I was really just going on gut. I was creating content for. It's funny. It takes Me back to my beginning blogging days when I started blogging on the Cheap Chica's Guide to Style. The reason I did it is because I have, like 30 girl cousins, and before weddings or events, I'd be like, should I wear this? We would email links, and then I would post a blog of the outfit that they should wear to their thing. So it was really just for my family. And so I went back to that moment and I said, what do they want? And I'm like, they want this. They want that personal touch. They want my opinion, my pov, like, unfiltered. And so that's what really drove my content. And then one of the things that I took with me that I think is really valuable is, you know, when I was on the Today show, I had three minutes of their attention, which if you're thinking about long form, that's hardly anything. Well, online you have less than three seconds to hook them. And so my training as a short form creator on the Today show really gave me a competitive advantage because I'm like, okay, I used to have three minutes, which is an eternity. Now I have three seconds to hook them. So it really helped me zone in on what the hook was. So we didn't call it hooks when I first started like that. It's like a newer thing, but it was like, how are you gonna trap them? How are you gonna get their attention? And so I really took all of those skills, which was don't bury the lead. That is what a hook is.
- [20:16]
Rebecca Minkoff
Okay.
- [20:17]
Liliana Vasquez
It's like Gen Z's version of Don't Bury the lead is a hook. And so that was the one thing that helped me a lot, was I was writing for air and I knew how to produce a segment, and I knew how to basically educate people in a way that didn't feel like I was talking down to you, but that I was talking with you. So I'm like. I'm like your stylish bestie. I'm not an editor at Vogue. I'm not like some fancy schmancy stylist. I'm literally like your best girlfriend that you're like, I really like what you wear. Dress me. And that was what I took with me. And I thought about them in every decision that I made for the content. I then realized, okay, now we got to talk about content pillars and frequency and retention rate and drop off. And then I started to get into that and I, like, followed.
- [20:56]
Podcast Host
It's painful.
- [20:57]
Liliana Vasquez
It's a lot. It's. You have to get an MBA in This stuff. Yeah. You know, you really have to figure out, and I watch a thousand YouTube videos, what camera angles to use, like, you know, like the little mini mic. I remember when I first got the mini mic, and it was like a game changer because clear audio holds people's attention versus, like, bad audio. So I didn't know what I was doing, but I was always willing to learn and I was always willing to make mistakes. And I also treated my audience like I wasn't speaking to half a million people. I was speaking to one person. And if you kind of focus on speaking to one person, your content will resonate because what they're looking for is connect. That's communication is just connection. That's all it is. Communication's like, blah, blah, blah, blah. It's just connection. Can you create connection? And if you can create connection, then you can communicate. And if you can communicate, you can build community. And at the end of the day, that is all that you are.
- [21:47]
Podcast Host
I think you need to have a masterclass in this because you just put it so clear. Now I'm like, that's why talking to camera always converts so much better than, like, not. And that when I want to cringe when I'm watching someone on their stories doing their makeup and talking to you, I'm like, well, that. That works.
- [22:01]
Liliana Vasquez
Yes, because you feel like they have let you into a very intimate moment where it's just one on one. And yeah, your analytics on your straight to camera are going to perform way better, I mean, at least for me, than like a get ready with me.
- [22:15]
Podcast Host
Right.
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Liliana Vasquez
People like it and it's important to have it. But the stuff that works is when I am looking at you and being like, stop wearing these three things. You look cheap.
- [22:24]
Podcast Host
Right?
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Liliana Vasquez
And sometimes you do have to give them a little bit of hard advice. But I think because I do it as your friend and not someone who's judging you, I also have made the exact mistakes that I'm telling you to not make. So I definitely come at it from that. Because, by the way, I've worn every bad trend.
- [22:39]
Rebecca Minkoff
Okay?
- [22:40]
Liliana Vasquez
I've had every terrible, I've had every bad hairstyle, every horrific makeup trend. And so, yeah, it just goes back to, like, people want connection and intimacy. And if you can do that, you're going to find your people. It might not happen overnight. And that's the other thing I want to say too is you have to remember I started a blog in 2007. It is 2025. When I started this journey of a creator. I had A hundred thousand followers. I went from a hundred thousand to half a million in about a year and a half.
- [23:10]
Podcast Host
What? Holy shit.
- [23:14]
Rebecca Minkoff
That's wild.
- [23:15]
Liliana Vasquez
I went from making $0 on LTK to making about half a million dollars on LTK in less than 18 months. So you can start and have this in 18 months. Now, I worked my ass off. Let me be very clear. I have never worked harder in my life than I have in the last two years. But the difference is I set the schedule, I set the goals, and I set the benchmarks. No one else is doing that for me. And so when you get to control that, that's the trade off. And obviously at this point, I have a team, but most of that success happened when I was doing this by myself.
- [23:51]
Podcast Host
Yeah. And oftentimes I think that is the best thing because it's easy. Once you figure it out, then you can delegate the things that are holding you back. But if you're just hiring experts or team, when you're all still trying to figure it out, you're all going to be like, we don't know what we're doing. You're spending extra money.
- [24:06]
Rebecca Minkoff
And it's like, okay, good.
- [24:07]
Podcast Host
This is the formula. Here you go.
- [24:09]
Rebecca Minkoff
We just keep going.
- [24:10]
Liliana Vasquez
I love that you said that. Because I've had so many people reach out to me via DM or email or referred to from a friend to be like, okay, I. Who do I hire to shoot my content? Who do I hire to do my affiliates? And I'm like, okay, show me your numbers. And I'm like, you're not ready for this. Because you have to deeply, deeply understand your audience. You have to feel it. You have to put it out there and then read all of the DMs, read the comments, go deep into the analytics. I am talking like colonoscopy deep. Okay.
- [24:43]
Podcast Host
Like, I don't even know what to look for. And I've been on social forever. I'm like, drop off.
- [24:49]
Liliana Vasquez
Yes. Okay. All of it. Because to your point, you cannot delegate that in the beginning and it sucks. And it's the advice, by the way. Nobody wants to hear this. Yeah.
- [24:58]
Podcast Host
Because they don't. If I make a pretty video, it'll. It's going to be great.
- [25:01]
Liliana Vasquez
Thousand percent. No one wants to hear this. But that, to me, that was my path to the success.
- [25:06]
Rebecca Minkoff
Yeah.
- [25:07]
Liliana Vasquez
Is really understanding on a very deeply personal level what worked not just for my honest, but what worked for me that. Because you will burn out at the rate that you have to make videos. If you are making videos that you don't enjoy making. You're not gonna find success because you're gonna sit there and make videos for and promote videos and clip videos and post them to different platforms. And you hate the video. It's not sustainable. You really have to love the content that you're creating, regardless of your expertise. Yeah.
- [25:33]
Podcast Host
And I think that translates to you've never worked harder, but you're not necessarily
- [25:37]
Rebecca Minkoff
because you love what you do.
- [25:38]
Podcast Host
I'm gonna venture to say you're not as tired as you were and burnt out, which I equate to you just
- [25:44]
Rebecca Minkoff
don't love what you do or you're
- [25:45]
Podcast Host
working with terrible people. It's not how hard you're working.
- [25:48]
Liliana Vasquez
Exactly. And I think for me there was such a deep yearning for external validation from producers, from being hired onto another job. I now hunt and gather for myself. And I have that entrepreneurial spirit. Right. I'm first generation. Like, my parents, like, are the definition of like self made entrepreneurs. It's in me. And so to be able to do that for myself now, I love it. Like, I love the strategy. I love thinking out, like goals, like three years, five years, what's the ten year plan? I couldn't do that when I worked in legacy media because my future was being controlled by somebody else. Someone saying, oh, we're like, her Q score is good enough. Or she might like be too old for this in three years. So when you are searching for that external validation from somebody, they hold the keys to your success. Do you want to give away those keys? Do you? I mean, and by the way, not in my 40s and certainly not when I have a young child. I don't want someone to dictate that for me. So the control and I think for me, just being able to have that and know that I get to decide that is pretty amazing. It's scary, but it's pretty empowering.
- [26:58]
Podcast Host
I mean, you own your destiny.
- [26:59]
Liliana Vasquez
Yeah.
- [27:00]
Podcast Host
No one else.
- [27:00]
Liliana Vasquez
Yeah.
- [27:01]
Podcast Host
No legacy old ass Mandez.
- [27:04]
Liliana Vasquez
No old white man is telling me that I am too old to be on this show.
- [27:08]
Podcast Host
And I was like, oh, yeah, it's okay.
- [27:09]
Liliana Vasquez
I'll say it.
- [27:10]
Podcast Host
Okay. Speaking of old ass white men and E News closing, talk to me about what you said when it cl. Like, first of all, I loved E News. I obviously grew up on Juliana Rancic, Cat Sadler Zanna, Alicia Quarles. Like, I was like, this is my, like, E style was like, I would watch it every Saturday or whatever, all the award shows. So when it closed, I was like, they didn't turn that into what it could have been, which I still think it could have been something. So what did you say and what happened?
- [27:43]
Liliana Vasquez
So obviously I have been through many show cancellations. Anyone that has worked in television as long as I have, which is almost 15 years, most shows get canceled. That is just a part of working in television. It doesn't mean anything. There's a million factors that go into the cancellation of a show. When I saw that it ended. So I got a ton of DMs and questions and emails and calls being like, oh my God, are you surprised? Oh my God, I can't believe this happened. And I said, y', all, the writing was on the wall. People no longer turn their TV sets on at 7 o' clock or 7:30, whatever time it used to be on to catch up on what is happening in entertainment news. We don't do it for the regular news, so why would you do it for entertainment news? These types of entertainment magazine news shows are a dying breed and we all subconsciously knew that. I knew it when I took the E job. I'm like, this is my dream job. But like, how long can I make it last?
- [28:37]
Rebecca Minkoff
Right?
- [28:37]
Liliana Vasquez
And the reason for that is that social media innovates and moves at such a faster rate than what I can do in a studio. For me to get a show on air at E, it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. It required 10 to 20 people right on set, plus everyone researching, pulling graphics, publicist. I mean, it's a beast. It doesn't make financial sense. Not only does it not make financial sense, brands are no longer spending their money on linear television. And all of my friends that worked in Beauty, in fashion that are responsible for those deals, I was talking to them and they're like, we're not spending a quarter of a million dollars on a magazine news show that gets a quarter of the viewership than this influencer. I'm going to spend my dollars with her. So if you're having conversations with the right people, this was going away. So I said, this isn't surprising. The world has moved on. We have moved on. Is it sad because hundreds of people are going to lose their job? Yes. But those people have all worked in news and television for a very long time. We know what it's like to get canceled. And all of those people are at the top of the game. I'm talking like the best of the best. The best sound engineers, the best camera people, the best writers, the best producers. I got to work with them. And my statement really pissed people off that's so weird. And the reason it pissed people off is because they weren't ready to hear it, because they weren't prepared for what is next.
- [29:57]
Rebecca Minkoff
Right?
- [29:57]
Liliana Vasquez
And the reason I know that is because that's exactly how I felt when it happened to me. And I remember I got a DM from somebody who was just like scathing. And I remember there was something in the DM that said we can't all just like hawk things on Amazon. And as to basically say, like, I am here because I am this person and you are here because you're a creator influencer and you're hawking things on the Internet. I was like, okay. Meanwhile, as that DM came in, I got an email from my agent basically being like, hey, are you available to travel to Paris Fashion Week for this brand? Here's the six figure deal behind it.
- [30:41]
Podcast Host
Oh, my gosh.
- [30:42]
Liliana Vasquez
Having that DM come in while I was negotiating this offer was like, you can call it what you want, you can say what you want, but like, this is actually what it is.
- [30:52]
Podcast Host
I think it's like, first let go of the ego and then two, you have to innovate, even if it's uncomfortable. And you, it's like, and you. And it's not a one time. I let go of the ego once. You're fucking letting go of this ego again and again and again.
- [31:06]
Liliana Vasquez
That's absolutely right. And like, you have to also do like, I will say, like, I give a lot of credit to my therapist because so much of what I did from the time I got the advice, which was stop chasing a job that doesn't exist to the time where I actually started doing this, like, I had to deprogram so much. I had to unlearn so many of the behaviors that I thought were serving me. They were sabotaging me. And when you realize nobody gives a fuck, okay, no one cares what you did three years ago. No one cares what's on your resume. What are you doing now that's of value and of service. Right? And I am worth, like, a lot. But it's my community that is really priceless. And if you know how to community build, like, you're going to have a career forever. You're going to find success.
- [31:47]
Podcast Host
You're dropping so many good pearls. We're going to see the rise of like 100 million new influencers, by the way, founders, because of you.
- [31:54]
Liliana Vasquez
And I also think to me, like, watching what is happening right now and seeing all of these women being able to find financial independence.
- [32:02]
Rebecca Minkoff
Yes.
- [32:03]
Liliana Vasquez
Via social media, via Affiliate linking. We are living in like the greatest moment to be a creator and to be a female creator.
- [32:11]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [32:12]
Liliana Vasquez
Because the more of us that there are and the more of us that we can support, like the better this world is. Like watching women find financial freedom in their 20s because that's what I'm seeing now is to me like, it makes me want to cry because I didn't have that. Like, and being able to see this generation do it, I'm like, you go, like go like go get it. It's really incredible because it takes away all of the old archaic like misogynistic structure to success and you get to write it, you get to build it. And if that had existed when you and I were, I mean, oh, different world, I would have made every different decision 100% this. To me it's like no barriers to entry. Like you get to be yourself and it's like the world is literally your oyster. Like watching these young women just crush it in this space. And like I, I just, I mean it's like the best thing in the world. So I like go, go do it. Like go do it. Even if it's like you're nine to five or you're doing it a few hours here and there, like go do it. And I see so many women be like, oh, but like I'm embarrassed. What if my mother in law sees me like trying to be. I'm like, what if somebody sees you trying to pursue your passion? What? Where is the shame in that?
- [33:22]
Podcast Host
Yeah, there's none.
- [33:23]
Liliana Vasquez
There's none.
- [33:24]
Rebecca Minkoff
No.
- [33:24]
Podcast Host
But it's also interesting to think with raising kids because I know that that's probably a path and I'm like, colleges are relevant. Like, sorry, everybody who's spending, like unless you're going into like I'm a doctor, a lawyer, like you know, if you're going to be a self made person, I'm sorry, they're not teaching you that at those schools.
- [33:41]
Liliana Vasquez
And if they're not teaching it, like someone please teach this but also make sure that you have like the right people in there to talk to these students.
- [33:46]
Podcast Host
Yeah. Because you as no professor can teach it. No, you're, you're teaching it to sign you up for a job.
- [33:52]
Liliana Vasquez
But I think it's so true. I mean you have to learn from somebody that's actually done it. And by the way, I am learning from 20 year old influencers because I also think like for me like when I was growing up, you always had to like go older to have a mentor.
- [34:05]
Podcast Host
Right.
- [34:05]
Liliana Vasquez
It was like, go to somebody that's been doing that longer than you. I actually think that's a really archaic way of thinking. I think that you should have mentors or, like, it's funny, my men. My biggest mentor calls herself a rabbi. She's like, I think that you should have rabbis that are ahead of you in your care, that are parallel to you in your career and that are behind you. Because then you're gaining 360 perspective versus just reaching up. That's limiting. Right. You really have to surround yourself with people that are coming up behind you that are right there with you, that have already done what you've done. Because I think that gives you a really rich experience and it allows you to, like, have your head literally on a swivel.
- [34:41]
Podcast Host
Yep. And they are. Those younger people have certain things so dialed in that you and I, at our ripe old age of 45, might never even consider doing or thinking about.
- [34:50]
Liliana Vasquez
Most of the best suggestions to me, like, in the last year have been made by people that are under the age of 25. And it's not financial advice.
- [34:58]
Podcast Host
Right.
- [34:58]
Liliana Vasquez
You have to pick and choose who you go to. But in terms of community building and how I present and the things that I talk about, they're just really dialed in in a way that you and I were never taught. And so, like, listen to the kids. Like, the kids are. Right. Like, not all the time. Again, I'm not going them for tax advice. Okay. Like, I'm not going them for, like, well, brain. Yes. But when it comes to some of the things that, like, are really core to what I do.
- [35:22]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [35:22]
Liliana Vasquez
They're really fucking smart.
- [35:24]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [35:24]
Liliana Vasquez
And they're. And they are entrepreneurs, all of them.
- [35:27]
Rebecca Minkoff
They are.
- [35:27]
Podcast Host
They're not influencers. They're entrepreneurs.
- [35:29]
Liliana Vasquez
Entrepreneurs. I love it. You know, there is one thing I want to talk about, and I think it's come up a lot right now. I think it's, you know, this idea that once you are a creator and you have your platform or you have your niche, you get really fearful to do something else.
- [35:42]
Rebecca Minkoff
Right.
- [35:42]
Liliana Vasquez
And what you have to remember is that people want you.
- [35:46]
Rebecca Minkoff
Right.
- [35:46]
Liliana Vasquez
People want your opinions, they want your take. And I'll use, like, a lot of, like, the recent political events that have happened recently. So, you know, I am fiercely proud of being first generation. I'm half Mexican, half Puerto Rican. And so I've been speaking out about what I'm seeing happening, literally, like, to my friends that live in Minneapolis, what's happening to my neighbors that live in Los Angeles. And I've had so many creators reach out to me and be like, I want to say something, but I'm so scared. And I get it. Right? Because you're scared you're going to lose brand deals. You're scared that you're going to alienate your audience. What I say is double down on who you are and you will double your audience. It might not happen right away and there's going to be a shed. Like, I think I've lost, I don't know, 5,000 followers in the last month. And it always happens like it happened
- [36:28]
Podcast Host
in the summer, but I'm always like, good riddance. Like, when I stood up for, you know, on October 7th for Israel, I lost 8,000 followers. And I was like, bye, Felicia, it's okay.
- [36:37]
Liliana Vasquez
And that's what I'm saying. Like, when you double down on who you are, you will double either their commitment to you or you will double on the amount of people that will eventually find you. And it's not a short term plan. Right. This is long term. But the opportunities that come from existing authentically as yourself in a space that is full of inauthentic people is like, it's literally, you're mining gold. You're mining gold. And so when things like this happen and you want to speak about it and it doesn't even have to be a big political event, it could be something really personal that happened to you. Talk to your people, like, let them in. Because that again, goes back to what I said. That's connection. Yeah. Right.
- [37:18]
Podcast Host
But it has to be. I do want to temper it and I'm sure you agree it has to be true to you. Like, don't get on.
- [37:24]
Liliana Vasquez
Do not jump on a bandwagon.
- [37:25]
Podcast Host
Right? Like, no, no. Like, oh, they're doing that. Let me do that too.
- [37:30]
Liliana Vasquez
Don't. Virtue signal.
- [37:31]
Podcast Host
Thank you. That was the word that I was.
- [37:32]
Liliana Vasquez
Do not virtue signal. Things that mean something to you, but if it deeply resonates with you, then talk about it. And also if it doesn't and you have questions about it, say that because you're reflecting back what a lot of people are thinking. Like, I don't feel this way, but why don't I feel this way? Like, it's curiosity, right. Instead of just like shutting it down. And so that's the one thing that I've learned is like, you really have to exist as yourself. Because what do they say? Everyone else has already taken.
- [38:04]
Podcast Host
Yeah, we're all our own unique fingerprint, so we might as well just stay in that lane.
- [38:09]
Liliana Vasquez
Yeah. So do not be afraid of the follower loss. Like, and by the way, followers are such a vanity metric.
- [38:13]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [38:14]
Liliana Vasquez
The number one thing that I look at is conversion and that is what anybody cares about. What is your conversion? You could have a thousand followers and if out of those 1,000 followers you have a 50% conversion rate, I'm spending my money with you a hundred percent. Like, I am not going to like the 2 million follower that has a sub 2% conversion rate. Brands are like, they get it now. They used to not get it. There was a time when like the vanity metric of followers was like, that's it. They didn't care. They wouldn't even talk to you if you had sub whatever. Now they're like, what's her conversion? That's what they really care about. Because at the end of the day, this is sales, right?
- [38:49]
Podcast Host
You're spending money for a reason to get some sales back.
- [38:51]
Liliana Vasquez
We want to make money. They're selling, they're selling something, right? It can be mascara, it could be a fitness program, it could be a shoe. Everyone is selling something. So can you sell? And if you can sell and connect, like, forget it.
- [39:02]
Podcast Host
I love it.
- [39:03]
Liliana Vasquez
You're gonna have them on your podcast next.
- [39:04]
Podcast Host
I want you to just come on every day with me and I'm too.
- [39:07]
Liliana Vasquez
I would love to.
- [39:08]
Podcast Host
Thank you so much. So where can everyone find you? Shop from you. All the links, all of the links
- [39:14]
Liliana Vasquez
are on my Instagram. I'm at Liliana Vasquez on Instagram.
- [39:17]
Podcast Host
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you so much for watching today's episode. Before you head out, I wanted to invite you to our brand new YouTube channel for all things Superwoman. It's a fresh space we're building out for 2026, packed with past episodes, future episodes and some special new content we're cooking up. Just search SuperWoman Media on YouTube and subscribe. So you're there for everything coming next.
- [39:40]
Rebecca Minkoff
I will see you over there. Thanks for listening to today's episode.
- [39:45]
Podcast Host
If you've enjoyed it, take a second
- [39:46]
Rebecca Minkoff
to rate and review the show.
- [39:47]
Podcast Host
Wherever you're tuning in, it really helps. Other find the podcast. You can follow me on Instagram, Rebecca Minkoff and at rmsuperwoman or for a slice into my personal life at Becky Minkoff. And don't forget to check out my
- [39:59]
Rebecca Minkoff
book, Fearless the New Rules for Unlocking
- [40:02]
Podcast Host
Creativity, Courage and Success. See you next week.
- [40:08]
Liliana Vasquez
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Liliana Vasquez
What do I do? My refund, though.
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Rebecca Minkoff
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Liliana Vasquez
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Liliana Vasquez
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