Hey Trailblazers. We are back with a fresh episode of Women in Tech Trailblazers and this one is all about loyalty, leadership, and what it really means to show up as yourself. Tiffany Benitez sits down with Yasmin Marinaro, a senior marketing leader who has spent her career building growth by focusing on people first. From startups to global brands, Yasmin has seen it all and she brings the real talk.

Yasmin opens up about authenticity and why it is not about fitting a mold. She shares how early in her career she felt pressure to sound and lead like everyone else in the room and how that slowly changed. “What makes you unique becomes your superpower,” she says, and that mindset shift shaped the kind of leader she became.

The conversation also digs into her career journey and how curiosity led her into digital, innovation, and ultimately loyalty and retention. Yasmin explains why retention is not just a metric but a relationship. Behind every screen is a human being and technology should make that experience more meaningful, not more distant.

Of course, they do not skip the hard stuff. Yasmin talks honestly about being the only woman in the room, subtle bias, and how it can show up in ways that are easy to miss. Her advice is grounded and practical. Focus on outcomes. Build allies. And remember that “data and impact speak louder than anything else.”

Here are the key takeaways:

(3:31) What authenticity really means in leadership

(6:46) Not having it figured out and why that is okay

(8:22) A nonlinear career shaped by curiosity and tech

(12:24) Experiencing gender bias and learning to navigate it

(17:24) Why assuming positive intent changes the room

(20:04) Time and attention as the real currency

(27:14) Redefining success on your own terms

This episode is for anyone who cares about building teams and products people actually want to stay with. It will leave you thinking differently about leadership, loyalty, and your own path forward. Tune in, listen closely, and ask yourself what kind of experience you are creating for the people around you.

About Yasmin Marinaro

Yasmin Marinaro is Vice President of Marketing at Besitos and KashKick. She leads loyalty, engagement, and retention programs for digital consumer platforms. Her career includes roles across startups and established companies in fintech, media, and travel. She has supported product launches, market expansion, and organizational growth at multiple stages. Yasmin also serves on nonprofit boards focused on community initiatives.

Connect with Yasmin:

LinkedIn

About Tiffany Benitez

Tiffany Benitez leads Data Governance at Compass Group USA, ensuring data quality, integrity, and compliance across all business units. She is passionate about driving data excellence and advancing women in tech and STEM.

Connect with Host:

Tiffany’s LinkedIn

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only. The content should be taken as something other than professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with professionals regarding specific situations or concerns.

Hey Trailblazers. Welcome back to another episode of Women in Tech Trailblazers with Tiffany Benitez. Today’s conversation is one of those that quietly stays with you long after it ends. Tiffany sits down with communication coach and facilitator Sami Kinnison to unpack something we all think about but rarely slow down to examine. The power of your voice.

Sami opens up about what authenticity really means in real life. Not the polished version. Not the always-on version. But the honest one. Some days that means energy and confidence. Other days, it means admitting you are not okay and still showing up with intention. As Sami puts it, “Authenticity means showing up how I am in that present moment.”

The conversation moves into career decisions and the risks we avoid because fear feels louder than logic. Sami breaks down how naming risk changes everything. What feels overwhelming in your head often looks very different on paper. “Sometimes we are avoiding something because we haven’t actually named what the risk is.” That shift alone can open doors you thought were closed.

One of the most powerful moments comes when Sami shares how early communication choices shape how people see us. Every email. Every meeting. Every question. They all add weight to your voice. And when women hesitate to speak up, it is often not a lack of skill but a lack of trust in their own perspective.

Here are the key takeaways:

(2:28) What authenticity looks like day to day

(4:19) Having a bad day without damaging relationships

(6:50) Doubting yourself even when the skill is there

(10:20) Risk tolerance in careers and life

(15:09) How small communication choices change perception

(19:25) Speaking with intention when you are the only woman

(21:23) Asking questions instead of staying silent

(23:33) Paying attention to how you talk to yourself

(25:19) Confidence is built not performed

(28:27) Using your voice for the people after you

This episode is not about being louder. It is about being clearer. About asking better questions. About learning how to talk to yourself before you try to change how the world hears you. Tune in and listen closely. You might hear your own voice differently by the end.

About Sami Kinnison

Sami Kinnison is a communication coach, speaker, and facilitator at The Belford Group. She works with professionals and leaders to improve communication, emotional awareness, and resilience at work. Her work focuses on helping teams navigate change, pressure, and everyday challenges with clarity. Sami’s approach centers on practical communication and intentional leadership in real workplace settings.

Connect with Sami:

LinkedIn

About Tiffany Benitez

Tiffany Benitez leads Data Governance at Compass Group USA, ensuring data quality, integrity, and compliance across all business units. She is passionate about driving data excellence and advancing women in tech and STEM.

Connect with Host:

Tiffany’s LinkedIn

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only. The content should be taken as something other than professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with professionals regarding specific situations or concerns.

Trailblazers, buckle up because this episode is about to call you out in the gentlest, most necessary way. Tiffany sits down with Aria Kagan, and from the first minute, you can tell she understands the weight women carry when we are trying to be everything for everyone. If you have been smiling through exhaustion, pretending you are fine, or running on autopilot, this one is your wake-up moment.

Aria opens up about the life she was living before she ever stepped into coaching. A successful culinary career, private chef work, nonstop days and nights, and one moment in the car with a bag of drive-through food that made her realize she was losing herself. She says something that stops you right in your tracks. “Burnout does not fix itself with more sleep.” And she is right. The way she explains what burnout really is will surprise you.

The conversation moves into the deeper layers we rarely admit. The comparison that creeps in. The constant feeling of not being enough. The voice that whispers everything will be better when we get there. Aria breaks down how these thoughts shape our lives without us even noticing. It is the kind of insight that makes you pause and check in with your own mind.

We also talk about that moment in adulthood when you suddenly realize the goals you created at twenty may not belong to the person you are now. Aria shares how she had to reintroduce herself to herself, and that honesty feels like something every woman needs to hear. And then she drops a line you will want to screenshot. “You are born one hundred percent worthy, and you stay that way.”

Here are the key takeaways:

(2:01) Defining authenticity without comparison

(3:48) The burnout wake-up moment

(6:33) Boundaries before burnout hits

(8:30) The three roots of burnout

(12:05) Using competition and fear the right way

(15:48) The freedom in changing your mind

(17:13) The origin of Aligned Ambition

(18:27) Community as the foundation for growth

(21:31) Worthiness without conditions

(22:26) Surrounding yourself with the right people

If you are tired of carrying the weight of expectations or feeling like you are one step away from burning out, you are going to want to press play on this one. It is real, refreshing, and exactly the conversation we do not have often enough.

About Aria Kagan

Aria Kagan is the founder of Life Unlimited, where she supports women who want to move out of burnout and back into direction and clarity. After spending more than two decades in the culinary world, she shifted her focus to helping high achievers understand their patterns, reset their mindset, and reconnect with what matters to them. Through her in person program, Aligned Ambition, she brings women together to explore their next chapter with intention. Her work centers on helping women choose a path that feels real, sustainable, and true to who they are.

Connect with Aria:

LinkedIn

About Tiffany Benitez

Tiffany Benitez leads Data Governance at Compass Group USA, ensuring data quality, integrity, and compliance across all business units. She is passionate about driving data excellence and advancing women in tech and STEM.

Connect with Host:

Tiffany’s LinkedIn

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only. The content should be taken as something other than professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with professionals regarding specific situations or concerns.