Hello friends,

It is easy to feel powerless with everything going on in the world, to feel like nothing matters, and that we are just expected to show up, send our little emails, and keep it moving, and after a while that starts to feel a bit hollow.

My personal ethos is that everything is interwoven, and yes, to survive in this system we work to sustain ourselves, but what do we do to be part of this collective here on earth, to add meaning when there is so much pain happening, especially when those of us that LOOK like us are being devalued, when people in our communities are being destroyed.

And if you are reading this post, you are likely someone with a lot of privilege.

I write this as I am overlooking the Hudson River in New York, comfortable, as a US citizen, away from the headlines, even though probably not too far from here there is someone living in fear that their entire life could shatter, and people who look like me, with the same skin tone, unable to exist freely.

AND, the only thing we can do is focus on our next step, and often that is unclear, what can we even do, or we take on the pressure of an entire people who never asked that of us, so how do we start to move forward?

I believe it starts small, it starts with shifting our inner landscape, finding peace within our internal wars so that peace can radiate outward, so we have more energy and capacity to impact the people right around us, and externally it starts with one small step. So that brings me to my small steps to share….

The pause I need

Personally, I am taking some time to hold space for myself, to replenish, to find stillness, to find my footing and pause, and in that pause I realize I can gently show up, I can share my story, I can create, and I can be present in ways that feel nourishing for me first.

And for me this is the most powerful thing I can do right now, because in the past I have continued to go and go, to figure it out as the chaos was all around me, to try harder, to distract myself from holding space for myself by helping others, by chasing the next adventure, throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what would stick, and yet that pause let me see more clearly where I was expending my energy, what the next small step that would have the biggest impact actually was, to be more strategic, and to be most aligned.

And it was sitting in that stillness that brought me back to something I had almost forgotten, the power of community, of being truly witnessed, of what happens when we stop performing okay and just let ourselves be held.

Which reminds me of my time at the monastery…

On sangha and being witnessed

During my time at a Buddhist monastery I was introduced to the concept of a sangha- which literally means community- and a couple of times we would meet with our sangha in a circle led by a monk to share what we were learning, what was on our minds, to just be witnessed, to share without asking for advice, just to be heard, to release it off our chest, to hold space for that part of us.

I was uncomfortable at first to be honest, I was part of the BIPOC circle in France, learning of others’ experiences being “different” in even more homogenous communities than I had been, and yet it was freeing being with strangers who despite being from literally different countries, ethnicities, and backgrounds had lived through remarkably similar experiences, we were moving through similar states, and it reminded me this is part of the human experience, that there are others in the world who feel deeply, care deeply, love deeply, that identity was key but also heartbreak, also pain, also belonging, also wanting to make an impact and feeling powerless.

So in that pause I am only moving forward when the opportunity and experience feels aligned and at peace with who I am becoming, what feels right, what feels like a step forward, and when this opportunity showed up it felt like the universe handing me exactly what I had just been sitting with, a reminder that the antidote to feeling powerless is almost always finding your people and showing up together.

Come step forward with me

So when my friend and breathwork coach asked me if I wanted to be part of her panel it felt right, and given that it was called Step Forward Now, it felt even more right.

Free virtual event April 23rd

RSVP Here

Step Forward Now

Register at stepforwardnow.org

Until next time

And as always, this is what Build With Joy has always been about at its core, not the hustle, not the highlight reel, but the real and messy and beautiful work of building a life that actually feels like yours, one small aligned step at a time, together.

Con amor, Joy Valerie Carrera 🌿

Hi Friends,

What do you do when you feel stuck and overwhelmed?

I have learned to breathe, to pause, to surrender and slow down before my next move…

If you’re anything like me, and I’m assuming you get me if you’re still here, it’s easy to look at the world right now and feel defeated.

To feel like... wtf is even the point.

You probably feel things so deeply.You want justice.Your soul hurts at what people are capable of doing to each other.

I’ve been sitting with that too.

TLDR

Mercury is in reggaeton and my tech glitched, so I’m hosting another workshop to help you pause and decide your next steps.

To walk away with a system for yourself to incorporate more JOY as you build in the chaos of it all.

Reserve your Spot Free

Now back to the story...

JOY IS STILL THE KEY.

Not as a distraction.Not to ignore the pain.

But as fuel.Fuel for the resistance.

Fuel for this rebellion against the status quo.

Because we cannot continue as is.

There is a shift happening in the world.

We can’t control what happens out there.

We can only decide how we navigate it.

Not perfectly. But with intention.

I learned this in a real way standing in the Roman ruins of Cordoba, Spain the morning after the 2024 election results came in.

Hours before anyone I knew was awake, it set in.

I wandered and contemplated.

I turned through the old Jewish quarter.

Visited the Mezquita.

Crossed the Roman bridge.

This city had been a hub where Sephardic Jews, Arabs, and Christians had coexisted and built something extraordinary together - flourishing of arts, science, and knowledge.

And then came the rise of extremism, wrapping itself in the language of faith, turning neighbors into enemies to be erased.

As someone who grew up Christian, I see it happening again in the USA, the country I was born in.

And I know on a spiritual level: this is not it.

Fascism wearing a mask of faith is not any faith at all.

No true divinity calls us to turn against one another.

The sun was setting as I crossed that Roman bridge.

A bridge that has held for centuries and what came to me was this…

Life continues.

People are resilient.

And all we can do is come back to here, come back to now,

and decide what we do next. Together.

That’s what I want to give you this week.

In the uncertainty.In the chaos. In the unknown.

We take a moment for ourselves, gather some tools,

and decide how we want to move forward.

I’m hosting a free workshop and it’s hands on.

You’ll leave with actual tools, not just inspiration.

And I promise you’ll feel lighter walking out than you did walking in.

I offer this with so much love, because I know you have extraordinary things you want to build.

For yourself.For your family.For your community.

And I hope this moment creates a ripple effect.

Come as you are.

Bring the overwhelm.

We’ll work through it together.

Reserve your Spot Free

with so much love,

Joy Valerie Carrera

Hello Friend

I’m going to be honest with you, my whole brand is built on JOY, and it would feel disingenuous, frankly toxic, to tell you to “stay positive” right now.

The world is chaotic. There’s no denying that.

And if you’re feeling deep pain and sorrow, I want you to hear this: that’s not weakness. That’s empathy. That’s a vast, beautiful capacity to feel what others brush past.

You feel the injustice because you know it’s wrong.

AND you know a better, more just world is possible.

And yet we’re expected to keep going. Keep working.

Keep performing normalcy while being inundated with despair.

Here’s what I want to challenge you on:

**You get to decide how you move through this moment.**

That anger? That grief? That frustration? It doesn’t have to swallow you. It can become fuel.

Joy isn’t the absence of pain, it’s the decision to build something meaningful *in spite of it.* It’s resistance. It’s how you generate the energy to keep showing up for what actually matters to you.

Designing a life that’s full, aligned, and intentional isn’t selfish. It’s how you redistribute your time, energy, and impact toward the causes and people you care about.

So I’m inviting you, come build with me.

Take a moment with me to pause in this free workshop.

✨ BUILD WITH JOY: Joy in the Chaos

Creating Momentum Without Burning Out in Uncertain Times

A free, live 1-hour workshop for high-capacity folks who want clarity, structure, and support without pushing into exhaustion.

This isn’t a vision board party or a surface-level pep talk. It’s a trauma-informed, neurodivergent-friendly, science-backed, soul-led experience rooted in mindfulness and coaching psychology.

We’ll explore:

Why burnout is not a discipline problem

✨ How to create real momentum without overwhelming yourself

✨ A simple framework for clarity and follow-through

✨ Honest conversation about moving forward in uncertain times

✨ Gentle structure that actually works in real life

This is for you if:

You feel stuck or disconnected from your why. You’ve been in survival mode and want to come back to yourself. You’re successful on paper but scattered internally. You’re carrying a lot — and you want structure without pressure.

You’ll walk away with a clear focus for your next season, grounded direction, and renewed momentum that doesn’t require self-abandonment.

Come as you are. Come tired, if you need to. Just come.

👉 Save your seat, it’s free

RSVP for March 3rd

RSVP for March 10th

With so much love,

Joy Valerie Carrera ✨

Hello friends,

I’m doing a content challenge to build up Build with Joy this year and get more comfortable creating and sharing consistently.

Today’s challenge was to curate news that pertains to our “niche.”
Well… my niche is JOY and coaching, and I like a lot of things in between that too. Neuroscience. Immigration. Climate change.

So I realized my “theme” would be news that brings us joy, because the reality is…

We know there is horrible sht that happens in the world.
AND as someone who has traveled the world and met so many amazing people, I know for a FACT there are wonderful humans doing really cool sht.

At the end of the day, we are people.

And as a neuroscience nerd and enthusiast, I know our brains need evidence.
Our brains are wired to filter and scan for danger. So if we keep telling our brains, “the world sucks, people are bad, everything is sh*t,” it will look for evidence to confirm that.

I choose to say: Yes, that is true at times AND…
There are people who care when they are informed.
People who decide to activate.

A tiny personal example of turning an IDEA into ACTION

Personal news:

• We had 409K views on our Defund ICE post, thanks to Evie who designed the logo.

• We had 30 amazing mujeres join our live calls, which meant over 60 calls completed in less than 30-minute sessions.

• We had over 1023 reshares.

This all started because I committed to this content challenge and was angry about the news I was seeing and hate towards immigrants. So after a DM with an idea I had to organize some Zoom calls, because I knew I needed that extra human push. I sent the idea to a few friends with large audiences.

One hour of planning with Evie. One hour of mobilizing. One hour of Zoom hosting.

This is just a drop in the bucket of what people did to mobilize, and the work is not over. Keep calling. Keep voting.

Yes, I coach people to improve their lives and build businesses and products that are values-aligned.
AND this is important, because without that inner and external support, we cannot build.

So as you read through these headlines, know this:

It took a seed of an idea, shared with someone, that turned into action.
That seed was nourished. Others came together.
It grew, blossomed, and created impact.

I hope this inspires you to take that idea you’ve been sitting with and start nourishing it. You never know how it could impact your community.

So let’s dive into some news articles that brought me joy as I searched for content for this challenge.

Neuroscience

“Scientists released the first detailed map of the developing brain, helping us better understand how mental disorders arise and opening doors to new interventions. This deep insight into brain cells could spark future treatments for neurodevelopmental conditions.” Source

Climate Change

“Multiple U.S. states like New York, Nevada, Maine, Nebraska, and Illinois passed laws boosting clean energy, modernizing grids, cutting pollution, and making energy more affordable for everyday families.” Source

Immigration (in the U.S. and abroad)

There were over 1,000 planned peaceful events nationwide as part of the ICE Out For Good Weekend of Action, honoring victims of enforcement abuses and pushing for humane alternatives and accountability. This kind of nationwide civic energy really shows people-powered organizing across cities and states. Source

Spain announced a major new policy that will allow over 500,000 undocumented residents who have lived there for at least five months to apply for legal residency and work permits starting this spring. This policy gives hope and dignity to families contributing to Spanish society. Source

A recent Pew Research Center survey showed around 8 in 10 U.S. adults now say immigration is something good for the country, with strong backing for creating pathways to citizenship for longstanding undocumented residents. Source

Here is the thing…

As someone who worked in advertising tech, I can tell you the data: scandal and outrage sell.

As a neuroscience and chemistry nerd, I can tell you it rattles your nervous system and spikes your hormones to get you to react from fear.

As a certified coach, I can tell you that YOU have the power to rewire your brain from this societal conditioning of despair & hopelessness to decide to make a shift.

That exhaustion is the point.
That is what the orange one and his little buddies want. To exhaust you into apathy and thinking there is nothing you can do.

Yet, all of these changes are nothing without people.
Everyday people like you.
People who mobilize.
People who envision a better future and take the first step.

To believe a better world is possible and take a tiny step toward it.

To Build with Joy 😉

PS: I have some exciting workshops and programs building behind the scenes, so stay tuned. If you’re not already, follow along as I build in public on Instagram at @buildwithjoy.co

Let me know if this made you smile and if you’d like more of this - I’ll be experimenting with content this month so with that sending you so much love and so much joy,

Joy Valerie Carrera

Hello friend ,

If you are subscribed here - I’m going to assume we want the same things. A better future where we are all safe to exist. You may be an immigrant, a child an immigrants, or someone who cares about an immigrant. Or like many of us besides the indigenous people of the US… you are a descendant of immigrants .

And we live in a nation who sold us the American “dream”, yet we are seeing that currently unfold into a nightmare.

TLDR: You have the power to literally call your senators before the next house vote to literally call to DEFUND ICE - what does that mean, literally our representatives vote to give money to these orgs to keep them operating. Urge them NOT TO!

Use 5 Calls here is the link https://5calls.org/issue/dhs-budget-ice-defund/

Scared to make a call? Join our zoom call tonight at 5 PM PST / 8PM PST and tomorrow morning 7AM PST / 10AM EST to be in community and get it done before the vote !

I promise it’s less scary that it seems! I was terrified tbh But we got you! Join us!

Zoom Cafecito Sin Ice Call : https://bit.ly/cafecitosinICE

Need instructions or want to share the to your digital community here is the canva link thanks to Evie of @lamalamujerblog or share the post on your stories + DMs

Canva Graphic to Share

Long version:

A nightmare that unfortunately has been a living reality for indegenous people, black people, and now latinos. The reality is we are seeing a system show how dysfunctional it truly is. It is being exposed.

And sadly many lives have been lost because of this - and many shyed away because it didn’t impact them. until it does.

That is what history has shown us over and over again - when the most marginalized in our society are at risk - we are all at risk. When a nation’s dreams are dependant on the harm and exploitation of those with less privilleged it is not sustainable.

And now - ICE has unalived white people and shaken americans to their core. They were everyday white people who were being good neighters. They served their community. They were the all American ideal examples. And now - there is no hiding of what this administration this organization is capable of.

BUT WE ARE NOT HELPLESS! And a big way to impact using your voice as a concerned constitutent and have these policy makers WORK FOR YOU, actually represent you now that they still can.

AND your tax dollars are funding this. YOUR representatives are voting on your behalf and YOU CAN CALL them and let them know how you feel!

Each call gets counted as a TALLY of how the constituents feel and brought to your senators attention!!! AND you can call once a day!!! (once you start it gets easier! )

It takes 5 minutes I promise! I did it myself and being on the zoom with folks felt invigorating. We anchored in and did a little grounding meditation to remind us

We are not alone.

We literally have resilience in our DNA. We are the decendants of people with big dreams who wanted a better future.

And if you are latino like me - you carry dreams in your bones, you carry resistance, your ancestors have been traveling throughout the world from Africa, Europe, Arab, Jewish, and Indigenous - who are now here in this Nation .

Our history is complex and nuanced but right now its asking you to stand up to release the oppression of and from our lineage to choose justice not just for ourselves, our futures, but for all.

so with that yes - this is personal ASF .

JOY is our birthright, for all.

So make the call. and after that, you keep speaking up. You keep moving forward, one tiny sep at at a time for a better future for all.

with mucho love and joy,

Joy Valerie Carrera

And if this post somehow offended you - i urge you to question why? What part of you feels okay to justify what is happening now. Sit with it . Question it. Why does your freedom and happiness mean the oppression of someone else… genuinely ask yourself why do i believe that needs to be true?