Cat Lantigua is a Brooklyn based Dominican-American facilitator and community architect dedicated to building spaces that foster soul-centred conversations and connections. She is the founder of Goddess Council and host of the Chats with Cat podcast.
Welcome Cat, can you introduce yourself to us?
My name is Cat Lantigua and I’m a Dominican-American community architect and facilitator! In 2018 I founded Goddess Council, an online and in-person social wellness community and sisterhood for women seeking connection, deep conversations, healing, and joy! I’m also the host and producer of the Chats with Cat podcast.
What is a typical day like for you currently?
Currently, I’m packing up my life to move from Brooklyn to Austin, so my days have been quite hectic! Typically, however, my days start off between 5:30-6 a.m and I dedicate most of my time running the back end operations over at Goddess Council, creatively collaborating with peers and friends digitally, reading, mothering my plants, and just trying my best to be a good human.
What have you discovered during the COVID-19 Lockdown, how are you finding the situation?
It’s been a really interesting time for me personally, for the reasons that are obvious but also for the inner revelations it’s inspired me to acknowledge. Post COVID-19 lockdown I realised it was time to quit my 9-5 job and commit to Goddess Council full-time. Not only did I reevaluate my professional life but I also had time to reconsider the things I deeply yearn to derive personal happiness from.
This has been a challenging and fragile time for me mentally, but I feel like there are many realisations that I’m having now that I otherwise may not have had the time to reflect on, which I am very grateful for.
Who is the most influential female entrepreneur that you admire and why? Currently, I’m inspired by the founder of We’re Not Really Strangers, Koreen. She’s made it a point to create a tool that our society needs to reconnect and made it accessible (and aesthetically beautiful!).
What is a solid tip that can help other young female entrepreneurs looking to build their own business?
In my opinion, patience is the most valuable skill in the world of entrepreneurship. Do your best to avoid comparing yourself to people and business competitors online. It’s distracting and not helpful! Instead, create an uplifting bubble around you that will inspire you to keep on building to bring to life your vision while remaining focused on the things that really matter.
What has been the most challenging yet rewarding barrier you faced and how did overcome it whilst building your career?
For a while, it was the fact that I was working a full-time job while building the Goddess Council. I was oftentimes so tired and unmotivated to work on my own dreams because I was busy building someone else’s all day. In retrospect though, that period served me really well because it helped me cultivate my time management skills and forced me to only prioritize the things that actually mattered since I didn’t have ‘extra’ time.
Can you tell us which 3 marketing tools are your most preferred and how they support your everyday business functionality?
Sure! First is Planoly. This service is an Instagram grid planner that helps me and Goddess Council’s creative director conceptualise and plan to share content. Next is Mailchimp. I use it to share emails and community with our subscribers. Lastly, is G-suite. I don’t know how I’d make it by without Google docs and my calendar!
What support networks do you personally love and can recommend to other aspiring entrepreneurs out there to become part of?
My support networks are mostly my closest friends, educational and inspiring podcasts, and books. The internet as a whole has made it easy to connect with stories and content from around the world that align with my interests so I do my best to find the good elements of connecting digitally and apply my learnings to my proverbial ‘toolkit’.
How are you working on your own personal development?
Weekly talk-therapy, journaling, reading, reducing superficial consumption, and re-connecting with the marvellous lessons that can only be taught by nature.
Any expansion plans for this year?
Throughout the rest of this year, I look forward to finding stillness in my days and connecting with the simpler elements of life. I will be leaving Brooklyn and heading to Austin for this reason. I crave the space, safety, and security to be more carefree and present so that it can nourish all of the most sacred parts of me.
Instagram: @cat.lantigua @goddess.council
Website: www.catlantigua.com www.goddess-council.com (website is currently under rebranding)
