Podcast Summary: The Leadership Dance – Ep. 32: “Delivering Impact with Affirming Care,” with Liana Guzmán

Main Theme / Purpose of the Episode This episode features Liana Guzmán, CEO of Folks Health, in conversation with host Alissa Hsu Lynch. Together, they delve into Liana’s personal and professional journey, the challenges and rewards of building affirming healthcare for the LGBTQIA community, and actionable leadership lessons for driving equity and inclusion—especially in challenging times. Liana shares candid stories about her upbringing, her nonlinear career path, and the mission-driven work of Folks Health, all while offering practical insights to leaders navigating today’s complex socio-political landscape.

1. Liana’s Background & Upbringing (02:02–06:42)

• Bicultural Roots: Liana grew up both in Puerto Rico and Connecticut, deeply shaped by her parents’ backgrounds and the cultural blend they created.

  • Quote (Puerto Rico influence):
    “Growing up on that island is sort of at the core of who I am. I think there is a joy in Puerto Rico… an environment built around the idea of family and connection and joy.”
    (04:03, Liana Guzmán)

• Switching Contexts: Moving between cultures and classes after her parents’ divorce taught her to “read a room,” adapt to diverse settings, and nurture self-confidence.

• Identity Reflections: Liana identifies fundamentally as Puerto Rican, while also acknowledging the duality of Puerto Rican and American identity.

  • “To be Puerto Rican is to be American, but I feel innately more Puerto Rican than American.”
    (06:33, Liana Guzmán)

2. Career Path & Connecting the Dots (06:42–09:16)

• Nonlinear Path: Liana has never held the same title or worked in the same industry twice. The unifying thread: a deep connection to mission-driven, disruptive companies in tightly regulated sectors.

  • “I really love the challenge of taking a space like finance or education or healthcare…that is deeply bureaucratic, deeply entrenched, very difficult to modernize.”
    (07:48, Liana Guzmán)

• She began as a paralegal wanting to practice law but discovered a passion for marketing—seeing it as a way to build from first principles and put the end user first.

3. First-Principles Leadership at Folks Health (09:07–11:10)

• First Principles Approach: Hired as CEO without prior healthcare experience, Liana’s role was to question every “why,” challenging what is truly necessary in healthcare versus what is simply habitual.

  • “If you were building this all over again from a new place, what would that look like? How would you do it?”
    (10:21, Liana Guzmán)

• The tension and synergy of this approach with experienced healthcare teammates has been instrumental for organizational transformation.

4. Folks Health: Mission, Model, and Impact (11:10–13:15)

• Mission Statement: Folks Health strives to be the future of healthcare—full person (mind & body), patient-centric, and community-driven. Their focus: LGBTQIA individuals, historically marginalized and under-served by traditional healthcare.

  • Quote:
    “We think the magic happens when a clinician brings their clinical expertise but they put that on the same plane as the expertise of a patient in being in their body.”
    (11:58, Liana Guzmán)

• The Need: Stats reveal massive gaps in LGBTQIA-affirming care—only around 66 out of 3,500+ providers near San Francisco are even “supportive,” much less expert.

5. Leading Through Challenges (13:15–16:22)

• Scaling and Accessibility: Moving from cash-pay only to accepting insurance—key to access, but fraught with difficulty due to entrenched industry skepticism.

• Team Dynamics: The Folks Health staff is largely queer, which brings heightened vulnerability amid the current political climate. Liana has had to foster resilience while balancing productivity and emotional well-being.

• Memorable Moment:

  • “It is really hard to sit across the desk from someone who is saying, we don’t need you. We’re doing great without you.”
    (13:59, Liana Guzmán)

6. Member Impact Stories (16:39–18:53)

• Deep Relationships: Members view their providers as trusted partners—a rarity for digital health.

  • Example: A transitioning member paid out of pocket just to share a milestone with their Folks provider.

• Lifesaving Support: Helping parents navigate complex medical questions for trans kids, and seasoned healthcare workers discovering what affirming care feels like.

  • “Healthcare could be like this…Not just safe, but seen.”
    (17:58, Liana Guzmán recalling a member’s letter)

7. Rapid Fire: Personal Insights (18:53–21:43)

• Favorite Vacation: The Caribbean.

• Role Model: Her father, especially in his battle with pancreatic cancer.

  • “I just so admire the strength and grace with which he has approached it…”
    (19:09, Liana Guzmán)

• Family Ritual: “Best, Worst, Appreciation” at every dinner—a practice to build presence and gratitude.

• One Word Friends Would Use: “Loud, fun, and deeply there.”

• Favorite Music: Eclectic—Broadway, Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, ACDC (thanks to her kids), etc.

8. Leadership Insights: Empathy, Performance, & Equity (21:55–25:40)

• Empathy + Accountability:

  • “If we fail as a business, 25,000 people lose access to the care that they’ve become dependent on. We have to show up for them.”
    (22:08, Liana Guzmán)
  • Liana stresses that empathy is not “easy”—it’s about transparency, discipline, and daily actions.

• Advice for Leaders on DEI (“Change the Words, Not the Work”):

  • Double down on internal equity, even if public language must shift.
  • “Make sure you’re rewarding people internally for behaviors that support equity and inclusion, even if you’re not calling them that.”
    (00:00 & 24:42, Liana Guzmán)

9. Staying Grounded, Parenting, and Perspective (25:40–27:41)

• North Star: Her two children. All career decisions are weighed against her role as a mother and the type of world she wants to build for them.

  • “When I take my final breaths, there are two things I will care more about than anything else…Did I raise good people and do I have a good relationship with them?”
    (25:52, Liana Guzmán)

• Learning from Kids: Values learning and evolving through her children's unique interests—even if they differ from her own.

10. Advice to Her Younger Self (27:54–28:52)

• Trust the Process: Stop worrying about the “right” career moves or societal expectations—trust your gut, value each nonlinear step.
  • “Some of my decisions…people said, are you crazy? … And I think trusting that gut led me to be where I needed to be. I wish I had felt more comfortable in that path earlier.”
    (28:28, Liana Guzmán)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “To be Puerto Rican is to be American, but I feel innately more Puerto Rican than American.” (06:33)
• “I really love the challenge of taking a space…that is deeply bureaucratic, deeply entrenched, very difficult to modernize.” (07:48)
• “The magic happens when a clinician brings their clinical expertise but they put that on the same plane as the expertise of a patient in being in their body.” (11:58)
• “Empathy is a practice, not a box to check.” (22:41)
• “Make sure you truly are just changing the words and not the work. In fact, double down on the work.” (23:38)

Key Takeaways

• Culture shapes leadership: Liana’s bicultural upbringing fostered deep empathy and adaptability.
• Mission-driven disruption: Her work illustrates how challenging status quo structures can lead to meaningful, systemic change—especially for marginalized communities.
• Leadership in action: Empathy, transparency, and discipline are daily practices, not slogans.
• Equity requires action—public or private: Even when the climate is tough, real leaders “double down on the work” to support DEI.
• Being present is powerful: Whether at work or home, building strong relationships and community is a throughline to sustained impact.

For more, visit Folks Health at folkshealth.com or connect with Liana Guzmán via her LinkedIn and Substack. Listen to the full episode of The Leadership Dance for more stories and practical leadership wisdom.