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Latinas: Don’t Wait for Permission to Be a Badass … Just Go For It!

Journalist Naibe Reynoso talks about Latinas in the media and why we need to own our power in Hollywood and beyond

Naibe Reynoso

What happens when you get three Latinas together to talk about the state of brown women in media? You get plenty of passionate and insightful discourse along with a lot of laughs … including chisme about backstage antics between Naibe Reynoso and none other than Barbara Walters. You’ll have to watch the video below, but let’s just say ‘doggy style’ was part of it!

Naibe Reynoso is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and co-host of The Trend Talk Show, an English language TV show that she also executive produces with media veteran Bel Hernandez. The show highlights trends and Latinos in TV and film, as well as those in business, fashion, education and local communities.

The Power of Latinas

With 57 million Hispanics in the United States alone, Latinos now represent almost 18% of the country’s population and significant spending power. In fact, according to a recent Nielsen report, Hispanic buying power reached $1.4 trillion in 2016 — and it’s expected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2021.

This enormous consumer power, coupled with the fact that Latinos are still largely invisible when it comes to positions of influence in media and beyond, was the impetus for Naibe and Bel to launch LATINAFest: Mind, Body and Soul in Los Angeles.

A free celebration held on August 25 where all are welcome (yes, non-Latinos, too!), LATINAFest brings together more than 70 Latina-owned brands and services spanning education, politics, health and wellness, yoga, beauty, food, music and more.

As Naibe says, “We as a community feel like we need to ask for permission to bloom or walk into our power. And I want to tear that away. I want us to know and feel how kick-ass we are, how badass we are, how smart we are and how we have the right as much as any other community to be powerful women.”

For those who don’t know, tell us what The Trend Talk Show is all about.

The Trend Talk Show is a platform that shines a spotlight on the Latina community, but at the same time, is inclusive. I’ve been working in media for over 20 years, and there is still a lack of coverage for Latino entrepreneurs, celebrities and causes.

The Trend Talk is a platform that we try to make as accessible as possible for those Latinos that are making waves in our community, but don’t get the media coverage in other mainstream outlets. The Trend Talk Show is a passion project that gives a voice to a community that matters and is largely ignored in television.

How do you define a trend in terms of show content? 

Trends can be anything from the newest fashion trends to crazy diet trends to different trends in film. We live in a society that has a short attention span, so something can be trendy one day and old school the next, but we like to point out trends in the context of what is popular in the zeitgeist.

What’s the backstory of how and Bel joined forces? Had you both known you’d end up in entertainment, much less as hosts for a show by and for Latinas?

I’ve been a journalist, reporter and host for 20 years and Bel Hernandez is the CEO and publisher for Latin Heat, an online magazine that covers Latino Hollywood. We both understand the importance of giving a voice and platform to our community. Bel had been doing an internet show called “Let’s Talk,” and she asked me to join as one of the co-hosts. That was like eight years ago! That show evolved into “The Trend Talk.”

What are some little-known fun facts about the show? About each other? 

I was a co-host candidate for “The View” in 2003 when they were looking for a replacement for Lisa Ling. I co-hosted the show for two days with the ladies and met my idol, Barbara Walters — we both were born on September 25th! Bel Hernandez is married to actor Enrique Castillo, you might remember his as “Montana” from the movie Blood In Blood Out.

Tell us about the inaugural Latina Fest in Los Angeles.

Latina Fest is the ‘daughter’ of The Trend Talk. In other words, the idea of Latina Fest was literally conceived during a meeting about The Trend Talk.

Watch the full Homegirl Talk interview for all the details on LATINAFest, The Trend Talk Show and Naibe’s hilarious behind-the-scenes encounter with Barbara Walters.

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Written by Mar Yvette

Mar Yvette is an on-air host, lifestyle expert, writer and editor with 10+ years of experience working with some of the world’s most recognized media companies.