What if one day we women woke up in a place where we could be authentic, vulnerable, and completely open? Reality (not fiction) has done us justice, and in a nation—or rather, in a project supported by the Inter-American Development Bank called Mujeres Sin Filtro—we women can speak out, share our stories, and give in to the temptation to reveal our darkest secrets: our failures.

Karla Huerta, Liza Durón, and Verónica Del Castillo were a delight on stage at the Kick Off event, which kicks off a series of events and a digital community. Successful, versatile, and with a large following, one might think their entrepreneurial journey has been paved with success. The reality is quite different. Their setbacks have transformed and shaped them.

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Karla Huerta

Businesswoman, entrepreneur, and first Director of Young Women Entrepreneurs at AMMJE

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A high-performance athlete with great charisma, Karla faced rejection from her family at a very young age, as well as sexism and abuse, but that didn't stop her from pursuing her dream.

“Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur.”

Unable to pursue her education and professional training, and heartbroken by the lack of understanding from those closest to her—who demanded that she conform to gender stereotypes—Karla had to deceive her mother into allowing her to study a field the family would accept.

“After a few years, my mother realized that I had been lying to her and that I was actually pursuing a degree. One day I came home to find my belongings outside and learned that I had already been kicked out.”

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With her self-confidence shattered and in need of a role model, she turned to a cousin who had broken away from the family mold—she was financially independent and, moreover, a businesswoman.

Karla teamed up with her cousin to run the jacket brand she had founded. They soon landed a contract with American Express: 50 jackets that, to their surprise, would be given as gifts to the most prominent influencers of the moment. “It’s everything a brand dreams of achieving,” Karla emphasized.

“Just imagine 50 influential people talking about our brand! My cousin went crazy because all the media were reporting that I was the owner of the brand(…) Suddenly, my face was everywhere.”

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But all that fame and fortune quickly vanished. Despite all her hard work and dedication, Karla was no longer part of the company. Her cousin’s jealousy, the lack of sisterhood, and the position Karla held caused her own family to turn their backs on her once again, leaving her without an income.

Karla now admits that she never had those difficult conversations with her cousin; there was no partnership agreement, let alone an exit agreement.

“We’re used to talking about the nice things—‘What if we become millionaires? What would we do? How would we divide it up?’—but no one talks about ‘If we have a fight, who will help us mediate the conflict? Who will advise us?’”

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Liza Durón

Founder of Srita Confeti

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"The biggest 'badass'—a winner, defiant yet insecure"—that’s how Liza Durón, founder of Srita. Confeti, described herself as she kicked off her remarks at the launch of Mujeres Sin Filtro.

A contented office worker, Liza began to toy with the idea of starting her own business because she felt a longing for that lifestyle, but she didn’t want to do it alone. A friend from that time and her then-partner seemed like the perfect partners for the entrepreneurial adventure; Liza was ready to give it a try.

Her business was taking off. Through all the ups and downs, Liza began to really shine within the company and started to think she was better than everyone else and that she was“saving the world.”

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“In a shady deal, I went to a conference abroad, and when I came back, the company no longer belonged to me. I trusted them. I gave them my ID, signed some blank papers, and suddenly I had nothing left.”

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The betrayal had been not only professional but also personal. With no money and no home, Liza had to start from scratch. It pained her to think that the venture had left her with nothing but a deep fear of failure and ridicule.

The lessons were hard, and she had to face a great test of humility as she started over from the bottom. It was a time when Liza was able to find herself and rebuild her life.

“I sought out opportunities that I had previously turned down out of pride, arrogance, and envy. I had to ask for favors from people I never would have imagined. They reached out to me, and that was a second lesson in humility.”

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Liza returned to the Godín world with a new mindset, connecting with more and new people who helped her regain their trust. She was ready to start a new venture: Srita. Confeti was her next project, aimed at continuing to empower women.

“I’ve learned that starting a business with friends is complicated. First, you have to know people well, set very clear boundaries, and—especially if you’re afraid of being controlled by money or working under someone else’s direction—make sure you generate enough income to avoid dependence, even if it takes longer to get started.”

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Verónica Del Castillo

Journalist, lecturer, and writer

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Verónica is an accomplished journalist from a highly prominent family in México Latin America. Back then, as her story of failure was unfolding, she was one of Telemundo’s star anchors. She covered major events from the network’s Miami headquarters; red carpets, travel, and celebrity were part of her daily routine.

Verónica identifies as a healer, so, coming from a family background marked by codependency and the loss of loved ones, she decided to help others using one of her most powerful talents: communication.

With the support of her father and a team, she launched her show *Los Huevos No son Al gusto: Despierta Sin Censura*, where she interviewed prominent figures from the entertainment industry to discuss mental health and addiction prevention. Verónica thought that, as a public figure and being on the air, her project would have an open door.

“I knocked on the doors of various companies and sponsors, hoping for their support. But they turned their backs on me because they didn’t want to be associated with such heavy and dark issues. No brand wants to be linked to depression, alcoholism, and suicide.”

Verónica had encountered a massive taboo surrounding mental health, even among companies that claimed to be socially responsible. She felt she had let her team down—and herself. Despite her creativity, great guests, connections, and two years of investing over 100,000 pesos, Verónica realized she didn’t know how to manage the business or market it.

To top it all off, just at that moment, her sister had met with the world's most wanted drug trafficker.

“One sister is launching her own podcast on crime prevention and addiction, while the other is interviewing El Chapo to make a movie about his life.”

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Verónica even received offers from politicians to influence her show in exchange for money, but she didn't give in to that temptation.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he learned one of the most important lessons in the world of entrepreneurship.

“Talent, followers, and connections aren’t enough. It’s important to have a business plan, calculate your break-even point, and consult with experts in business development and marketing.”

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The Mujeres Sin Filtro Project Mujeres Sin Filtro an innovative, healing, and bold initiative designed to empower women across Latin America and around the world with tools for resilience, storytelling, and community-building in the face of failure.

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Here you can check out our upcoming event, or if you’d like, you can bring the Mujeres sin Filtro program Mujeres sin Filtro your city or your company— contact us here.

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Edited by Ricardo Guerrero