Luisa Diaz visited “Jake’s Take” to talk about her debut book. (Photo courtesy of EMPKT PR)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
It is a pleasure to welcome Luisa Diaz to Jake’s Take.
Luisa is a remarkable woman with an impeccable career. The former Ms. Venezuela International was featured in several Oscar-winning movies such including The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook. She also hosted and produced the first and longest running Spanish language TV program produced by a major network. Throughout the three years that Luisa su voz Latina (Luisa your Latin voice in English), Luisa had the opportunity to interview several superstars including Oprah Winfrey, Jorge Ramos, and Cristina Saralegui.
Recently, Luisa released her first book, Sexy is Timeless: Ten Timeless Sexy Assets That Lie Within You. In this book, Luisa covers a plethora of topics that range from pursuing your purpose to standing up for yourself. She will be celebrating the launch of her book in New York City on May 22 at Serafina Tribecca.
In this edition of “A Conversation,” Luisa opened up about her time as Ms. Venezuela International and how she overcame obstacles during the Sexy Is Timeless writing process.
Jacob Elyachar: When did you get interested in beauty? How did it evolve into the desire of working in the fashion industry?
Luisa Diaz: I was introduced to beauty pageants when I was just a little girl. In Venezuelan schools, we have a lot of different events where teachers hand-pick one girl to compete in various pageants. I was picked to compete in my first pageant when I was eight years, and I won. After that, I competed in and won more beauty pageants throughout my life. My desire for fashion grew from being in the pageant industry because I had the opportunity to wear so many different beautiful gowns. Whenever I see a gorgeous designer gown, I always have fond memories of the beautiful dresses that my grandmother lovingly made for my first pageants.
JE: You also pursued a television career and hosted the longest running Spanish-language television program on a significant English-speaking network station, “Luisa Su Voz Latina.” Could you describe the show to my readers? How did that show’s success help your career grow?
LD: My TV show was made up of half-hour long episodes, in which I interviewed doctors, lawyers, politicians, teachers, etc. We would talk about different issues concerning the Latin community, along with entertainment. I also gave talented local Latin musicians an opportunity to showcase their talent during my show. Pure passion drove my “Luisa Su Voz Latina” show. It was born from my desire to help by providing the Latin community with information. I wanted to motivate them and inspire them to understand American culture better so they could be more involved in American society. Through my show, I really became the voice of the Latin community in North Carolina, as I answered their many questions about critical socio-political issues that they were involved in. The success of my first show gave me the confidence to go and explore more with different larger projects in Hollywood.
JE: You are also a former Ms. Venezuela International. Some of my readers are unfamiliar with the organization, could you please explain it to my readers? How did that success help you grow as a person?
LD: Being a beauty queen helped me with my self-esteem. It’s astounding to me how young women in our society have such low self-esteem even though they are truly beautiful. I wonder where that comes from… perhaps from the unrealistic expectations that are projected by social media. Or maybe they feel pressured to compare themselves to celebrities and follow different trends in our society, such getting a big booty, big breasts, big lips, et cetera. It could also be that it all stems from the lack of a strong foundation in the household. Are we, as a society, pointing fingers at the media because we are failing as parents to give our children a healthy foundation? Maybe we don’t even know what a strong foundation looks like for ourselves, so we allow the media to raise our children and then complain about it? I do not know the answers to all these questions, but I think about them. I grew up with my grandmother, and even though I came from humble beginnings, I chose at an early age to take charge if I wanted to do something with my life. I read every book out there about self-discovery, goals, psychology, metaphysics, and such. I knew that if I want to accomplish something, I must do it on my own. I did it, but not necessarily all on my own. I always met amazing people along my journey, and Jesus has always been with me.
(Book cover property of Luisa Diaz)
JE: Recently, you released your first book, Sexy Is Timeless: Ten Timeless Sexy Assets That Lie within You. What were some of the challenges that you faced creating the book? How did you overcome them?
LD: This is my first book, and I actually did it as a birthday gift to myself. On my birthday, I usually like to give myself an exciting experience, or something I’ve never done but have always wanted to do. My birthday before writing my book, I jumped from an airplane to go skydiving. Last year, I was inspired to give myself my own book as a birthday present, and I finished writing and self-publishing it in just three short months. However, I did face a lot of challenges along the way, especially since English is my second language. Even though I didn’t know how to start, I just did it and learned in the process. I did a lot of research, but through it all, I kept the vision of the book that I wanted in my mind. When it came to writing the Afterward, I was not sure about what to write. At that time, I went to a charity event and happened to meet a lady with whom I had an inspiring conversation. While I was talking to her, she told me that she was single and has had no luck with men in relationships. When I asked her what she was looking for in a man, she told me that she wanted someone who was tall, good-looking, and could rock her world. As I listened to what she was talking about, I understood that she actually didn’t really know what she wanted. She lacked strong standards, so she wasn’t able to put up her boundaries. That was hindering her from meeting the right person. This realization inspired me to write the Afterword for my book. If you read my book and learn about the ten timeless, sexy assets that lie within you, you will realize that they that have nothing to do with physicality. It all comes down to having strong standards and boundaries in your life. I overcame the challenges that I went through while writing this book because I invested my time in preparation, researching, and interviewing. One of my most important values is loyalty, along with perseverance, and I have never abandoned a project in the middle of it. I must finish whatever I started, even if I don’t want to continue anymore. Leaving a project in the middle because it becomes too hard is never an excuse for me. I dislike any excuses–even the excuses I give to myself.
JE: What are some of the tips that you hope that readers take away from Sexy is Timeless?
LD: I really want my readers to take away the fact that having standards and boundaries is sexy, and that investing time in really getting to know who you are and what you want in life is truly worthwhile. It helps you grow as an individual and become more confident overall. Once you find and strengthen your self-worth, everything else will fall into place.
JE: If you had the chance to meet with aspiring entrepreneurs who want to work in the beauty and fashion industry, what advice would you share with them?
LD: My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs in any field is that they should be ready and willing to do the work. That includes preparing, researching, investing time, networking, not being afraid just to figure things out that you might not initially know, and not taking rejection personally. When you step out as an entrepreneur, you are going to hear “no” left, right, and center. Don’t allow naysayers to cripple your self-esteem. Just thank them, and knock on the next door. Believe in yourself because if you don’t, nobody will. Don’t make any excuses, and just do it, darling!
Luisa has two special free events coming up to commemorate the release of her debut book!
For more information on Luisa Diaz and these upcoming events, visit her website.
You can also connect with Luisa on social media. Visit her Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube channels.
