The First Gen Madrina is a podcast for social work students and professionals who are ready to build a career that doesn't cost them their peace. Hosted by Sara Diaz, LCSW, this show blends real talk with practical tools for anyone navigating this field. Each episode digs into the parts of social work that grad school never prepared you for: burnout that gets treated like a personal failing instead of a systemic issue, the guilt that comes with setting boundaries, advocating for fair pay in a field that expects you to sacrifice for it, and the quiet grief of being "the first" to do any of this. Sara brings her own story as a first-gen Latina and licensed clinical social worker into every conversation, along with guests who understand what it's like to hold space for everyone else while trying to figure out who's holding space for you. Whether you're still in your MSW program or years into practice, this is your reminder that rest isn't a reward you have to earn, ambition and burnout aren't the same thing, and you don't have to do this alone. Welcome to the familia.
Required Pod Score for this podcast. PitchCentric checks your profile against host openness, topical fit, and audience signals before you generate a pitch.
Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
43%
Guest openness
Selective
Sign up to generate a grounded pitch for The First Gen Madrina.
Signup to Generate a PitchThe First Gen Madrina is a podcast for social work students and professionals who are ready to build a career that doesn't cost them their peace. Hosted by Sara Diaz, LCSW, this show blends real talk with practical tools for anyone navigating this field.
Recent episodes include "E135 What Does Burnout Really Look Like?" (27 October 2026, 48 minutes), "E134 Are You Really Burned Out?" (13 October 2026, 13 minutes), and "E133 Why Are There Few Male Social Workers?" (29 September 2026, 30 minutes).
The First Gen Madrina publishes roughly every two weeks, with episodes averaging 27 minutes.
Booking probability for The First Gen Madrina is 43%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. The First Gen Madrina requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. The First Gen Madrina's contact route on record: verified email.
The strongest fits for The First Gen Madrina are Family & Social Services. The First Gen Madrina has a business audience.
The First Gen Madrina is a business podcast.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
Episode #135
In this episode, Sara sits down with Dr. Marisol Marroquin, a professor at Rutgers University's Department of Social Work for an honest conversation about burnout through the lens of first gen and Latine identity. From...
Episode #134
Every year, another cohort of social workers leaves the field, and every year, the field calls it burnout like it's a personal failing. In this season premiere of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, Sara asks a different...
Episode #133
In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, Sara sits down with Michael Avila, a first-gen Latino therapist and founder of BrightMinds Therapy, to talk about what it's really like being one of the only men in the...
Episode #132
In this episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, we're tackling a topic that doesn't get enough attention in social work and mental health: representation. We break down the lack of male representation in social work...
The First Gen Madrina
For the first time since launching The First Gen Madrina Podcast , I'm pulling back the curtain on a decision that's been months in the making. Growth doesn't always mean starting over. Sometimes it means getting...
Episode #131
What does success look like when the version you were taught no longer feels aligned? In this episode, Sara sits down with Melissa Gallardo, founder and CEO of Valorosa Candles, a culturally inspired home fragrance...
Episode #130
As first gens, many of us grew up with a very specific definition of success: get the stable job, make good money, buy the house, choose the career that others respect. But what happens when the life everyone imagined...
Episode #129
In this episode, we explore what it truly means to reclaim your story and how your lived experience can become one of your greatest leadership assets. Our guest, Chris Ward Jr., Strategic Advisor and Leadership...
Episode #128
Welcome back to a brand-new season of The First Gen Madrina Podcast, and this month, we’re diving deep into Reclaiming Your Story as a First Gen . In this powerful kickoff episode, we explore what it truly means to...
Episode #127
What if conflict isn’t the problem? It is just a skill that we were never taught, especially when it comes to money. In this powerful episode, we sit down with Dr. Jen Fry a conflict literacy expert, TEDx speaker, and...
Episode #126
Welcome to the first episode of a brand-new season where we’re diving deep into Conflict and Money. When we think about money, we usually focus on numbers: how much we make, spend, or owe. What often goes unspoken is...
Episode #125
What happens when being “good” social worker becomes your identity? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Stephanie Sorady, LCSW, a Latina trauma therapist, speaker, and founder of Luz Trauma Therapy. Together we...
Episode #124
What does it really mean to be a “good” social worker … and who decided that definition in the first place? In this episode, we’re unpacking the unspoken pressure many social workers carry like the expectation to always...
Episode #123
In this episode, Sara sits down with Carlos Martin to unpack money shame as a first-gen . Carlos shares his journey of immigrating to the U.S. at 11, navigating language barriers, scarcity, and the lack of financial...
Episode #122
In this deeply personal episode of The First Gen Madrina Podcast , Sara opens up about the complex emotions that come with out-earning your parents and building a life rooted in choice rather than survival. She explores...
Episode #121
In this episode, I interview Akary Busto, human design expert and emotional biohacker. We explore what it means to grow up first gen while living life “on the hyphen.” Through a powerful conversation on migration...
Episode #120
We’re kicking off a brand-new season of The First Gen Madrina Podcast with this month’s theme: Reclaiming Our Roots as First Gens . In this conversation, Sara shares her personal journey of identity, healing, and what...
Episode #119
In this episode, Sara is joined by bilingual and bicultural Licensed Psychologist, Dr. Janice Castro who is an expert in ADHD. Throughout our conversation, we unpack how anxiety, ADHD, and first-generation Latina...
Episode #118
In this episode, Sara shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with ADHD later in life and why she hadn’t spoken about it much until now. As a social worker and entrepreneur, she reflects on the signs she missed...
Episode #117
In this powerful episode, Sara sits down with money mindset and business coach Debbie O’Hara to explore how she transformed her money story after growing up in survival mode and surviving financial and intimate partner...
Recent guests on The First Gen Madrina. Study who booked and why before you pitch.
Sports Geographer, tech founder, speaker, conflict literacy expert, Delaware City Schools
licensed psychologist, JC Psychological Services
career strategist and host of The First Gen Coach Podcast, First Gen Coaching and Consulting
Wildly Creative Wellness
PitchCentric classifies The First Gen Madrina under these industries. Guests from them are the closest fit, and each links to the best podcasts in that industry.
Shows with the most semantically similar episode content. Pitch one, pitch all; producers cluster.
Is this podcast yours and you'd like to remove or correct details? Request removal or email privacy@pitchcentric.com.
Questions about the free trial? See the pricing FAQ
