I sat in my Puerto Vallarta living room, opening the perfect Japanese journal I’d bought earlier that year—an accordion-style vessel almost five feet long, ideal for planning my 2025 tour. With my .388mm colored Japanese pens, I marked every stop, assigning intention, a color, and a roster of incredible people for each. The process took all afternoon, but it was worth it. As my high school German teacher used to say, I had “extended my soul” through this planning. When I finished, I saw I had filled most of one side of the accordion. The intensity of the tour was clear, and planning each detail took hours—execution would take ten times more.
I was prepared, energized, and ready to conquer it all. My mission became to stay healthy and aligned with my mission in every single interaction, but how was I going to do this for thirty thousand miles and different time zones in such a short amount of time?
Great question!
The answer lies in the intention and the renewed energy infused in every stop, but here are the seven ingredients that I would like to share that made this my most successful tour yet!
Intention
Much like when you give something a name, giving something an intention makes it ten times more powerful. I assigned an intention to every city, with emotion and heart, expecting to give the best and get the best experience and connection.
Vision
My overall vision was one of success. I did not conceive anything else. I saw myself getting to the finish line successfully and having achieved all my goals, and that is exactly what happened.
Planning
Brian Tracy once said, “You save ten minutes for every one minute you plan,” and he is right. Every minute that I planned early on created exponential outcomes, new connections, and opportunities that otherwise would simply pass me by. Take, for example, the fact that I added a dinner series to fifteen of the stops called “ELEVATE,” where I sponsored thought-provoking and deep conversations during a delicious meal.
Strat
I recently heard this term “strat” for strategy during a TV series, and I loved it. I strategized every location for my dinners, every color I wore predominantly for each city, every gift I purchased, and every thank-you card I handwrote. It takes time to think about the feelings you want to evoke and to execute with gusto!
Investment
When I get an idea with an amazing feeling, I call it a “divine download,” and usually, when I get one, I put my money with my heart. When the idea of hosting the “ELEVATE” dinner series came to my heart, I knew that I would have to host my guests and not charge a penny. It was important to me not to cause any financial burden on them and open up my wallet to give back to leaders who have believed in me for years. Even for the new people I met, it was important for me to show value and prove that I wanted to invest in getting to know them. It was an amazing initiative that many have now emulated. A great honor to know this has created so much inspiration around the world.
Connection
There is something magical that happens when you have a space to connect with people on common ground. I had so much to share during my tour. From the one-word intention, to my colorful outfits to the amazing conversations held during the dinners, I left each city with newfound connections, opportunities, and pure magix, as I call magic x 10.
Gratitude
How can I not be filled with absolute gratitude in my heart? How can I not carry the most amazing memories from this intense tour that expanded my horizons like never before? How can I use the lessons I learned in future tours, but most importantly, how can I share them with others? The best way I know how is passing forward by documenting the lessons and sharing with as many people as will read these lines.
My hope is that you become intentional, visionary, strategic, and grateful for every move you make as a planner, investor, and connector in 2026 and beyond. May my experiences enrich yours and inspire a bigger impact in the world.
#pilotina
Revealing the top 11 macromoments of my 2025 tour!
- Keynote presentation at Pfizer’s new office in NY for International Women’s Day with my memoir
- Official book launch of Latinas in Venture Capital by Laura Moreno Lucas and photo shoot at Nasdaq NYC
- Speaking at the US Capitol in Washington DC as a member of the Congressional Award board to over 1500 incredible youth and their families
- Receiving the prestigious “Madame Chair Award” by Prospanica National and chair Dr. Beth Marranzini with my kids as witnesses
- Presentation in Puerto Rico at the Inter American School of Aeronautics and finding 4 of the 5 Latinas in Aviation books and my Pilotina teddy bears there
- “Elevate Series” brunch at Nobu Chicago – one of the best restaurants in the world
- 5th Annual Latinas in Aviation Global Festival at College Park Aviation Museum and Latinas in Aviation Volume 5 official book launch
- Dedication of second permanent exhibit of Latinas in Aviation at Kansas Aviation Museum by the mayor Lily Wu, the first Asian American woman to hold this position in Wichita, Kansas
- Special UNGA reception at diplomat’s home Claudia Romo Edelman in Manhattan
- Presentation at Vestidito Rosa event by Latina Pro in Miami, FL
- Hosting the World Leaders Forum special 15th anniversary dinner with astronaut Charlie Duke