SELF MADE Stories

Tell Carla Harris she can’t do something, and that’s exactly what she’ll do. Over the course of Carla’s life, she was often underestimated and told “she can’t.” Yet this only motivated her more to succeed and prove people wrong. When her guidance counselor said it was too hard to get into an Ivy League School, she applied to several and ...

For women, our relationship with money can often be complicated. Making, saving and spending money can be filled with emotional complexity, and the world of finances can be intimidating, overwhelming or stressful. Jean Chatzky has dedicated her career to helping women solve these challenges with money. She is the financial editor of NBC’s Today Show and Founder and CEO of ...

Sandra Cisneros is an internationally renowned Latina novelist, poet and activist, most famously known for authoring The House on Mango Street. Among many honors, she is a MacArthur Genius Fellow and earned the National Medal of the Arts Awardee from President Barack Obama. As Sandra celebrates her 64th birthday, Nely Galán sits down with her for an intimate conversation about ...

Cristina Jiménez transformed her pain into power when she founded United We Dream, a nationwide movement that unites young undocumented immigrants in a quest to impact national and local policy. United We Dream was born out of Cristina’s own story as an undocumented immigrant. It was as an answer to the pain she experienced growing up living in fear of ...

The life Diana Nyad leads is nothing short of epic. Through eternal optimism, sheer grit and a refusal to accept defeat, she has overcome many odds to accomplish extraordinary feats. A world champion swimmer, Diana is known for her record-setting ocean swims, undeniable tenacity and enduring spirit.  Despite hardships she endured as a child, she hasn’t let anything stop her ...