Sienna Brown shares her story of growing up in New York, starting to travel outside the US, falling in love with Spain, and her broader reflections on the process of self-discovery and re-discovery through travel. She describes what she loves about Spain in general and shares the work she has done since 2014 in building Las Morenas de Espana (LMDES)–-a community and online platform for women of color to redefine the narrative of what it means to be Black in Spain. Sienna shares specific tips for women of color on traveling the world or moving abroad, including the importance of transcending white male representations of the ‘digital nomad’ lifestyle, navigating safety and discrimination concerns, and building community in local areas where you travel. She also talks about her 8-week course “Master Your Move Abroad” which helps women of color get the confidence and clarity they need to score the remote work they want and identify the ideal lifestyle and location fit for themselves. She explains the importance of focusing on mindset, methodology, and motivation. She then breaks down her I.S.S.I. the methodology used in the course that helps her students create lives with freedom and flexibility that is also aligned with their personal and professional goals. Sienna also talks about “co-living” and her role as the Director of Marketing and Business Development at Sun & Co. in Javea, Spain. She talks about the most effective marketing tactics that are working right now, how she balances her work at Sun & Co. with building LMDES, and how she optimizes her personal productivity and mitigates stress. FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT www.TheMaverickShow.com
Episode #69: Empowering Women of Color to Live Anywhere, Rediscover Yourself Through Travel, and Master Your Move Abroad with Sienna Brown
Episode Summary
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About the Guest
Sienna Brown
Sienna Brown is the founder of Las Morenas De Espana (LMDES), a thriving community and online platform that teaches women of color how to move abroad and build a life they truly love. The main focus is to provide the resources, knowledge, and support that can empower women of color to comfortably take the leap and start a life in a new country. Originally from the US and now based in Spain, Sienna is also the director of marketing and business development at Sun & Co, one of the leading co-living spaces in Europe whose mission is to impact professionals through living spaces that foster remote work, bringing together a diverse group of like-minded people to connect and grow.
What You'll Learn
- How women of color can travel the world on their terms and create a life they love.
- How to build a meaningful side hustle while working a full-time job.
- The value of international co-living and re-discovering yourself through travel.
Links From the Episode
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#1 BOOK SIENNA RECOMMENDS
#1 PERSON WITH WHOM SIENNA WOULD MOST LIKE TO HAVE DINNER
PRODUCTIVITY TOOL SIENNA RECOMMENDS
PODCAST THAT SIENNA RECOMMENDS
OTHER MAVERICK SHOW INTERVIEW MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
PLACE WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
TOP 3 FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
TOP 3 FAVORITE BUCKET DESTINATIONS
OTHER PLACES MENTIONED
- Basque Country (Bilbao, San Sebastian)
- Catalonia, Barcelona
- Dominican Republic
- Spain (Javia, Madrid, Valencia, Granada)
CONTACT SIENNA
Time Stamped Show Notes
[2:50] How Sienna Developed Her Love for Travel
- Traveling to the Dominican Republic
- Learning about Spain in the School
- Studying Abroad in Spain
[4:49] Matt and Sienna Discuss What They Love About Spain
- The quality of life in Spain
- The siesta culture and the Spanish lifestyle
- Matt’s first experience in Spain
- Sienna’s favorite Spanish word
- Meals in Spain are an event
- Matt and Sienna’s appreciation for the autonomous communities in Spain
- The epic culinary scene in the Basque Country
- Matt’s tour of the Rioja wine region
[13:38] Sun & Co. Co-Living in Javea, Spain
- Explaining co-living in general
- Combining co-living and co-working under one roof at Sun & Co
- Connecting and building social relationships
- Sienna’s first impression of Javea
- Explaining the experience at Sun & Co
- Organizing professional and social events
- Creating an organic community and learning experiences
[20:20] Sun & Co’s Marketing Strategy
- Repeat Business
- 50% of business from Word of Mouth Referrals
- SEO and engaging content marketing
- Dovetailing of personal friendships and business customers
[23:07] Why and How Sienna Travels
- Meeting new people in an intentional way
- Discover or re-discover parts of herself
- Slow travel and returning to the same places
- Immersing herself in the local culture and meeting locals
- How Sienna designs her lifestyle and structures her travel cadence
- Sienna’s Transformative Trip to Reunion Island
- Getting back in touch with what’s really important in life
- Being present and making space for living
[31:38] Founding Las Morenas de Espana (LMDES)
- What inspired Sienna to start LMDES
- Connecting women of color in Spain and sharing stories
- Redefining the narrative of what it means to be Black in Spain
[38:10] Empowering Women of Color to Master Their Move Abroad
- Helping women get clarity on the ideal lifestyle and location fit for themselves
- Helping women get the clarity and confidence they need to score the remote work they want
- An overview of Sienna’s 8-week course “Master Your Move Abroad”
- Focusing on Mindset, Methodology, and Motivation
- Technical logistics for moving abroad and developing reasonable timelines
- Breaking down her I.S.S.I. methodology
- Creating lives with freedom and flexibility that also support their personal and professional goals
[41:45] Tips for Women of Color on Traveling the World or Moving Abroad
- Transcending white male representation of the ‘digital nomad’ lifestyle
- Navigating safety and discrimination concerns
- The importance of building community in the local area
- LMDES as an online place for women of color to share stories in a safe space
- The value of LMDES in-person retreats
[47:57] 5 Tips for Building a Side Hustle While Working at a Full-Time Job
- Tracking and mastering your time
- Taking care of your health and prevent burnout
- Allow the business to evolve organically with a focus on providing value
- Prioritize your first 90 minutes before work on your business
- Use your entrepreneurial spirit as an advantage in your job
[52:50] How Sienna Optimizes Her Time and Manages Stress
- Structuring time blocks and deep work sessions
- Planning weeks, and then outlining her upcoming day structure the night before
- How Sienna mitigates stress in her life
- The importance of “saying no”
- Going to therapy every two weeks and journaling every day
[59:27] The Lightning Round
- Sienna’s #1 book recommendation
- Sienna’s top productivity tool recommendation
- Sienna’s favorite podcast recommendation
- The person with whom Sienna would most like to have dinner
- The advice Sienna would give to her 18-year old self
- Sienna’s top 3 favorite travel destinations
- Sienna’s top 3 bucket list destinations
[1:04:56] Contact Sienna
- How to stay at Sun&Co.
- How to join the LMDES Community
- How to follow Sienna on social media
