From Undocumented Immigrant to Entrepreneur: Graciela Franco's American Dream - Ep. 170

Welcome to episode 170 of The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Graciela Franco is a Latina immigrant, entrepreneur, mom, and founder of GFM Brands Agency. Born in Durango, Mexico, Graciela came to the United States with her family when she was four years old and grew up in Colorado. After spending much of her life undocumented and later becoming a DACA recipient, she built her career from the ground up and eventually discovered her passion for branding, marketing, and entrepreneurship. In this episode, Graciela reflects on growing up undocumented in the United States and how her immigration status affected experiences many of her peers could take for granted. She opens up about watching friends get their driver's licenses and discuss college plans while knowing those opportunities weren't as easily accessible to her. Graciela also shares what it was like keeping her immigration status private, hearing classmates debate immigration without knowing she was undocumented, and growing up understanding that she had to be extremely careful because even one mistake could have serious consequences. With Love, Heidy Connect with Graciela: Instagram Sign up now and join our exclusive community on Substack!!! 💛 Check out the full list of different ways you can support the podcast. *This podcast is sponsored by Far From Home Podcast Barbara Perez Law 360 Immigration Law SoVerve Marketing Group Stephanie Rubio is the Owner-Founder of SoVerve Marketing Group, a boutique email marketing agency serving small businesses since 2016. With 25+ years of experience, she builds bilingual email and SMS campaigns that earn attention and deliver results. A proud Latina entrepreneur, she helps women of color grow through email marketing. Contact Stephanie at https://soverve.com/heidy. For sponsorship opportunities, send an email to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] Make a one-time donation here: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=2C3JDALUGTS6E Ready to start a podcast similar to this one? I created the framework - The V.O.I.C.E. Method to help you become a podcaster in 6 weeks or less! This framework is straightforward, no guessing what comes next, and no overwhelm! This course covers everything from podcast hosting sites and editing software to podcast SEO, equipment, and more! Buy the course for only $197 here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.