From Guanajuato to the South Side of San Antonio, former Mrs. San Antonio Emilce Goreti Ferreira has been writing her own story since she was a kid — even before she knew she was a storyteller.

She grew up where you smell BBQ in the air and hear music on every block. A young mother who pushed through judgmental pageant rooms, she eventually became Mrs. San Antonio, then stepped into print work, music videos, films, and even a national Pepsi commercial — competing against thousands of women who looked just like her.

But her real voice emerged when she returned to the page. A lifelong reader and writer, she began crafting stories for the little Mexican girl she once was — stories that didn’t force her to choose between being Mexican or American.

We talk creative writing, character creation, assimilation, legacy, and the moment she realized she belonged in the literary world. Emilce is building something for her family, her culture, and every young girl who needs to see herself on the page.

This one is full of corazón.

When Henry Gomez was ten years old, he joined his cousin, his brother, and a friend to form The Starlights — his first band. But the real story? He learned guitar by spying on his brother’s lessons from behind a bush, then sneaking in to practice when nobody was looking.

That’s the kind of origin story you can’t make up.

In today’s episode, we go from those early days all the way to Selena, Chris Pérez, mariachi marathons, picky cooking habits, and the strange joy of “poor‑people food” becoming gourmet.

This one feels like sitting on a porch with an old friend.

Born in Scotland and raised in Darby, filmmaker Mollie Leivars grew up in a working‑class family with deep roots — she still has all her grandparents and great‑grandparents in her life. School was never easy; anxiety pushed her out of the classroom and into homeschooling long before it was common. But at home, something else took shape. Her mother introduced her to film, and Mollie began putting on shows for her family before she could even name what storytelling was.

By fifteen, she moved behind the camera and created her first short film. Her work has always leaned into the real issues facing young people — bullying, drugs, crime — and her first film on knife crime was so powerful it brought her local police into her creative orbit. They partnered with her on her next three projects.

In 2022, she stepped onto the film festival circuit, chasing longevity, purpose, and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.

This conversation is honest, grounded, and full of heart. Mollie is a bright star with a filmmaker’s eye and an old soul’s wisdom. Her journey is just beginning, and you can feel the weight of what she’s building.