Ina Coveney Hello, everybody. Today I have the absolute pleasure of talking to Erika Cruz. Welcome to the Global Phenomenon. How are you today?

Erika Cruz I am fantastic. How are you?

Ina Coveney I am great. Thank you so much. A little backstory—we were supposed to do this last week, but I got COVID. I really wanted to get on the phone with you, but I was like, "Maybe I can still do it." Then I realized, "Okay, I can't breathe," and I feel like you deserve so much energy because of the energy that you bring out in all of us. So thank you so much for helping me reschedule this. I can't wait to introduce you to everybody. Why don’t we start there? Can you tell everybody what you do right now and who you help?

Erika Cruz Yeah, and you know, things happen, and our health is the number one priority. I’m glad we were able to reschedule. I feel the same way about you and the energy you bring, so I’m so excited for this conversation. What I do right now is—people laugh when I tell them this—but I’m a content creator. I know that sounds really simple, but at the core of what I do, I create content. Through that content, I land clients, enroll people in my group program, attract brands for sponsored content, and secure speaking engagements. So, creating really good content that resonates with people is at the heart of what I do.

Ina Coveney Amazing! And you have a podcast called Chingona Revolution, where you tell your full story and help people with this courage thing. You describe your journey as not being an overnight success but years in the making. I resonate with that because none of us start from scratch. But your growth on TikTok has been astronomical, and we’ll get into that. First, how many followers do you have on TikTok right now, and what’s your impression of your growth there?

Erika Cruz My current following on TikTok is almost 200,000. I’m about 1,000 away, but it’s a bit of a back-and-forth. I gain some followers, lose some, and then gain more—that’s just how TikTok works. But you know, I’m still human. People think hitting a follower milestone changes everything, but it doesn’t. I still have the same fears and mindset struggles. I always tell people, "Don’t think that reaching 10,000, 50,000, or even 200,000 followers will make everything easier."

Ina Coveney You’re so right. And I’ve noticed you’ve mentioned Instagram as well. You said most of your clients actually come from there. Can you expand on that?

Erika Cruz Absolutely! My Instagram has significantly fewer followers—around 20,000—but that’s where most of my clients come from. Maybe one out of every 20 clients comes from TikTok, while the rest come from Instagram. So yes, TikTok has been amazing for growth, but Instagram is where I see actual conversions.

Ina Coveney That’s fascinating. Let’s get into TikTok for just a moment because you’ve been creating content there for years. How has the platform changed, and what do you think works now versus what worked when you started?

Erika Cruz TikTok has evolved so much. Early on, it was about being on the platform before everyone else, so there wasn’t as much competition. Now, more people are creating content, so you really have to capture attention in the first two seconds. You can’t treat TikTok like Instagram Stories, where you can casually talk into the camera. TikTok demands a “grab-your-attention” hook, like, "Three ways to grow your audience." It has to be snappy and clickbaity, but you still need to deliver value.

Ina Coveney So true. Let’s go back to the beginning. Where did you grow up, and what was your family dynamic like?

Erika Cruz I grew up as the daughter of two Mexican immigrants in California. My dad’s from Mexico City, and my mom is from Jalisco. They started off with very little. My mom grew up on a farm without running water or electricity, and my dad was the eldest of nine kids. By the time I was born, they had worked their way up and were doing okay financially, but I always felt this pressure to live up to my older brother, who excelled academically. I didn’t realize my people skills and creativity were strengths until much later in life.

Ina Coveney Wow, that’s such a powerful story. You also mentioned you spent eight years in the tech industry before becoming a coach. How did that shape you?

Erika Cruz The tech industry taught me so much. Early on, I tried to suppress what made me different, like my curly hair and loud personality, thinking I needed to fit a mold. But eventually, I leaned into what set me apart—being bilingual and creative—and it opened doors for me. I started a video podcast for my company, represented them internationally, and even became their yoga instructor. Those experiences helped me realize I could bring my unique skills to any space.

Ina Coveney That’s incredible. Fast-forward to the pandemic—how did you go from working in tech to launching your coaching program, Courage Driven Latina?

Erika Cruz It started with my cousin, Vanessa, who kept telling me, "You should be a life coach." I didn’t even know what a life coach was! During the pandemic, I began creating mindfulness and self-development content, which really resonated with people. I also joined a group program to help Latinas launch their own projects. It was a $5,500 investment, and I was terrified, but I knew I needed to take it seriously. That’s where I created my program, Purpose Driven Latina, now called Courage Driven Latina.

Ina Coveney Amazing! Tell us about your first launch. What was that like?

Erika Cruz My first launch was chaotic. I didn’t share the price upfront, so I spent hours on calls with people who thought it was free. I had no systems in place and burned myself out. But because my TikTok was growing, I received 200 applications and ended up with a great group of women. It wasn’t perfect, but I learned so much.

Ina Coveney And now you’ve scaled to multiple six figures! What’s the key to turning a coaching business into a multiple six-figure one?

Erika Cruz Do more of what works and less of what doesn’t. Stick to one business model and refine it instead of constantly reinventing the wheel. Focus on giving your clients an amazing experience because word-of-mouth referrals are invaluable. It’s not about how many people are in your program; it’s about the impact you have on the ones who are.

Ina Coveney That’s so good. Lastly, if everyone listening had to do one thing in the next 24 hours, what would it be?

Erika Cruz Journaling. Write down your fears and doubts, then challenge them. Ask yourself, "Is this true?" It’s rarely true, and you can find evidence to prove otherwise. Journaling builds self-awareness and confidence, helping you move forward despite fear.

Ina Coveney I love that! Thank you so much, Erika. Where can people find you?

Erika Cruz You can find me on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn at @TheErikaCruz—that’s Erika with a K. You can also visit my website, TheErikaCruz.com, to join the waitlist for Courage Driven Latina.

Ina Coveney Perfect. Erika, this has been such a pleasure. Thank you for being here.

Erika Cruz Thank you so much for having me!