Today we’d like to introduce you to Soledad Bautista.
Hi Soledad, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story begins in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México — a place that shaped me with its storytellers, vibrant art, unforgettable food, constant laughter, and, above all, a deep love for people. I grew up surrounded by community, color, generosity, and a sense that life is richer when it is shared. Those early years taught me resilience, joy, and the beauty of holding many truths at once.
My connection to the natural world comes from spending time with Indigenous communities whose wisdom shaped the way I see belonging, reciprocity, and the responsibility we have to one another. From them, I learned that diversity isn’t a concept — it’s a lifeline, a way of being that keeps communities alive.
I later earned my degree in Psychology from ITESO, a Jesuit university in Guadalajara, and my journey eventually brought me to the United States. As a Mexican immigrant, I arrived with curiosity and determination, taking classes at Loyola University Chicago to strengthen my English and widen my understanding of the world. What I didn’t know at the time was that this path would lead me into 12 years of teaching in Texas — years that profoundly shaped me. Being an educator taught me not only about others, but about myself, my capacity to connect, and the power of showing up fully for young people.
Most recently, I served as the Director of Professional Development and Outreach at Creative Waco. For three years, I poured my heart into creating spaces for growth, creativity, and community, allowing my lived experiences to guide everything I touched.
I believe deeply in the transformative power of a growth mindset, in the courage of curiosity, and in the idea that each of us carries a story capable of expanding the world.
Today, I see myself as a global citizen — a bridge between cultures, communities, and possibilities. My life is a fusion of identities, languages, and perspectives, and I move through the world knowing that resilience, creativity, and love are forces that ripple outward.
This is my story: a journey shaped by heritage, migration, learning, and a profound commitment to helping people connect more deeply to themselves and to each other.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road—and, in many ways, the challenges have been the most defining part of my journey. I’ve had to build pathways that didn’t exist yet, often while carrying the weight of being the “first” or the “only” in the room.
Early on, one of my greatest struggles was learning to navigate environments where resources, visibility, and cultural understanding were limited. As I worked in the arts and community development space, I witnessed how Latino, immigrant, and Spanish-speaking creatives often had to piece together opportunities—rehearsing in borrowed living rooms, translating materials themselves, or relying on informal networks because the systems meant to support them simply weren’t built with them in mind. Stepping into those gaps as an advocate required diplomacy, courage, and an unwavering commitment to making sure our communities were not just invited, but truly included.
Another challenge was profoundly personal: choosing to walk away from predictable career paths to build something of my own. It meant trusting that my combination of psychology, design thinking, neuroscience, creativity, and storytelling could become a meaningful body of work. There were moments where the future felt uncertain — moments when I questioned myself, or when others couldn’t fully see my vision. I had to learn to move forward with conviction rather than permission, and to believe that my lived experience had value in rooms that weren’t designed for someone like me.
I’ve also faced the emotional weight that comes with immigration, reinvention, and beginning again in new cities, new systems, and new professional landscapes. Each move required me to rebuild my community, re-earn my credibility, and re-imagine who I was becoming. These transitions were painful at times, but they taught me adaptability and the art of turning uncertainty into possibility.
What I’ve learned is that obstacles often reveal where the greatest opportunities for impact live. Every struggle pushed me to bridge worlds that rarely meet — arts and business, healing and leadership, psychology and creativity, community work and strategic design. And each challenge expanded my capacity to guide others through their own chapters of change, reinvention, and becoming.
So no, my path hasn’t been smooth. But it has been meaningful. And I wouldn’t trade the hardships, because they have given me the resilience, empathy, and vision that shape the work I do today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sol Bautista ?
My business sits at the intersection of healing, creativity, and leadership. I help individuals, teams, and organizations reconnect with their purpose, strengthen their emotional resilience, and transform the way they lead—through a blend of psychology, EMDR-informed practices, design thinking, storytelling, and cultural insight.
What I’m most known for is my ability to translate complex emotional, cultural, and psychological concepts into experiences that feel human, accessible, and deeply grounding. Whether I’m facilitating a retreat, leading a workshop, speaking at a conference, or working one-on-one with a client, my work is always guided by the belief that healing and leadership are inseparable—and that creativity is one of the most powerful tools we have for transformation.
What sets me apart
I bring together perspectives that don’t usually coexist in one person:
My roots as a Mexican immigrant and bilingual storyteller,
Twelve years as an educator,
My background in psychology and neuroscience-informed approaches,
My experience as a filmmaker and arts leader,
And my ability to build bridges between cultures, disciplines, and communities.
This allows me to design experiences that feel intellectually rich, emotionally safe, culturally aware, and creatively energizing. People often tell me that I help them “see themselves more clearly,” and that is the heart of my work.
What I offer
My services center around Meaning, Purpose & Healed Leadership, and include:
Keynote talks that integrate storytelling, psychology, and culture
Leadership development programs that bring somatic, creative, and neuroscience-based tools into business environments
Corporate and nonprofit retreats focused on clarity, strategy, and emotional well-being
EMDR-informed integration sessions for individuals navigating transition, identity, grief, or reinvention
Workshops and community programs that uplift voices—especially immigrant, Latino/Hispanic, bilingual, and creative communities
Everything I create is designed to help people reconnect with themselves, their story, and their capacity to lead from a place of wholeness.
What I’m most proud of
Brand-wise, I’m proud that my work is soulful and strategic at the same time. My brand speaks to both the heart and the mind. It invites people into depth, reflection, and emotional honesty—while also offering clear, actionable frameworks for change.
I’m proud that clients describe my spaces as calming, wise, culturally grounded, and transformative. I’ve built a brand that honors my heritage, my academic background, my lived experience, and my creative vision—without diluting any part of who I am.
What I want readers to know
My work is not about quick fixes. It’s about integration—integrating identity, experience, culture, trauma, and possibility so that people can live and lead with authenticity.
If you are navigating change, building something new, healing old patterns, or wanting to connect more deeply with yourself or your community, there is a place for you in my work.
I help people remember who they are, expand who they can become, and step into leadership that is rooted, courageous, and profoundly human.
What makes you happy?
So many things!
What makes me happy is witnessing people come back home to themselves—the moment when someone remembers their worth, reconnects with their story, or sees a possibility they had forgotten to believe in. That spark of clarity, that shift in their eyes or posture, fills me with a deep sense of purpose. I think it’s because I know what it means to rebuild yourself, to start over, to grow from both joy and pain. Supporting others through that process brings me genuine happiness.
I’m also happiest when I am creating—whether it’s designing a retreat, producing a film, writing, facilitating a session, or weaving together ideas from psychology, culture, nature, and storytelling. Creativity is where I feel most alive. It’s where everything I’ve lived, learned, and healed becomes something that can serve others.
Nature brings me happiness too. Walking in silence, hearing water, feeling the sun on my face, or being surrounded by trees grounds me in a way that nothing else does. It reminds me of my childhood, of the teachings of Indigenous communities I’ve learned from, and of the simple truth that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.
Connection is another source of joy for me—authentic, intentional connection. Moments with family, friends, community, or strangers who share a piece of their story with me remind me why I do what I do. Laughter, good food, bilingual conversations, shared vulnerability—all of that fills my heart.
And finally, I’m happy when I see impact—not in a grand, performative way, but in small, human ways: a student who feels seen, an artist who gets an opportunity they deserved, a team that communicates better, a client who breathes easier, or a community that feels more empowered. Those moments remind me that my path, with all its twists and challenges, is meaningful.
In short, what makes me happy is creation, connection, nature, purpose, and witnessing transformation—because each of those things reflects who I am and what I believe life is truly about.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.solbautista.com
- Instagram: solbautista.mgw
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soledad.bautista.562
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/solbautista
Image Credits
Holger Nitschke
Lamec Rosas
Skylar Evans Photography
