According to a 2016 study by the Center for Talent Innovation, most Latinxs employees in the U.S. do not feel that they can bring their authentic selves to the office. It was also revealed that 76% of Latinx professionals repress parts of their identity at work by adjusting their appearance, body language, and communication style to adhere to traditionally white, male standards in the work place in order to fit in and advance in their careers. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Alley brought 5 dynamic Latinx leaders together for a candid conversation about their experiences expressing authenticity throughout their careers and the lessons they've learned along the way.

"I 100% have felt that I couldn't bring my authentic self, especially early on in my career. I like bold patterns and colors and flash and big jewelry and it took a while for me to really even embrace my natural look, natural abilities in a lot of ways." - Kristina Rodriguez

One common theme among all the professionals featured is that they flipped their self perceived weaknesses into strength in their respected fields.

"I think the biggest thing that I could ever learn is I am the asset that I am to myself before I am to anyone else." - Aimara Rodriguez

‍

Check out the Alley video above featuring: Vice President Of Brand Strategy at Alley, Aimara Rodriguez, Founder of The Latinista, Yai Vargas, CEO at BRAVA Investments and Author of LEAPFROG: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs, Nathalie Molina Niño, Co-Founder of Techqueria, David Silva, and Sales Executive at Techstars and Global Startup Week, Kristina Rodriguez