Sol Alsina is the CEO and creative director of Mundo Designs, a women’s LED branding and website design agency. She believes that pain is a universal experience and that following your pain can lead to your true callings. She believes that social media can be used to inspire you and that people should not compare themselves to others. Alsina believes that growing from pain can ultimately lead to the higher pursuit of happiness. She concludes the interview by telling all her fellow extraordinary Americans that there is an extraordinary in each and every one of us and our duty is to awaken and unleash it.

Sol Alsina

Welcome back to the show, my fellow extraordinary Americans. For today, we have a special guest from all the way from Argentina, and her name is Sol Alsina. Sol is the CEO and creative director of Mundo Designs, which is a women’s LED branding and website design agency. She’s also a personal and business coach, a Ted X speaker, and a social impact designer, she is passionate about crafting powerful digital media designs that spark social change for purpose-driven companies and professionals. She is known for her disruptive design methods that blend biomimicry and human-centered design. 

Sol is committed to helping impact makers shine with a digital presence that is eye-catching. She’s also created a conscious tech product to measure employee emotions and company culture in real-time. Choosing her company means people are reducing the gender gap in technology since Mundoh-designs actively train single mothers, refugee women, and young girls. I’m really excited to have her. On this show, and I’m really grateful. Sol, are you there?

Oh yes, I’m right here fully present with you.

I’m really excited to have you on this show, and it’s really an honor to have you and all of that. And so basically, what I wanted to do is, I know that you’re an entrepreneur, you’re the CEO of your company, and you’re into website design as well as personal development and business coaching. Can you tell me and the audience a little bit more about you, your background, and how you got started?

Yes, I think that’s a very good question already. You know, questions, really open doors. And I’m ready to open my mind to the people. So, let’s see. I started, you know, with my first interest, which was actually international relations. You know, that’s where I study. That’s my master. 

But one day after my dad died, I decided to follow my pain. And you know, I got a message that it was a beautiful message. I lost my dad, but I gained freedom. Right. And I was stuck in a job that I didn’t like, and it wasn’t aligned with my purpose. So that day I woke up, and it was the message of that pain that got me into art and design and followed my passion. That’s how I started, you know, personal development and coaching by following my pain. And then I started my own company with the designs. I wanted to create something that was not about me but about others. So, I followed my pain, and I found my passion. And here we are.

you lost your father and a lot of people and that would happen to them like they never really, truly. Recover from that. Like what made you push past that and then like, go, and then and then transform your pain into something that was productive and then helped a lot of people?

Let’s see, you know that on that day you know many people, I’m not sure, but we are told by other generations to avoid pain, kind of like silent pain. And for me that day, I faced pain. The only way to Push through the pain was by discovering the purpose of it. And I know a beautiful quote, I heard once say the purpose of your pain is to turn your mess into a message so that day, you know, have a twin brother. OK, so we are two. 

And that day that my dad died we decided together to embrace pain and we say, “Look, we look at each other and we say What is the message of all of this? What is the message of the lost? Are we missing something? What is it that we need to learn from losing Dad all of a sudden” Because my dad was not ill, right? Everything was OK. Hey, and that day we decided to sleep with my mom and my brother together in the same bed to hold hands and embrace pain together. Right. And to discover the message.

And you know what happened Cosmos the next morning when I woke up. I dream that You know, a Japanese plant was actually Floating from my stomach. So, I’m like Mom. Mom, what is this message? You know, I was all happy and feeling very empty at the same time because of the loss. But it was kind of. Like the light. What is this? I was running like a little king. And I was actually 30 years old. 

So I went that morning. Feeling like a goddess at the same time, feeling very empty. And I’m like, OK, I’m going to follow this message. I’m going to follow the pain. And I’m going to find out what it is about. 

And with my brother, I looked up the meaning of that plant. Right. It was a glycine plant. It was a Japanese Plant, and you know what it meant. It meant success in your project and holding Strong into life. And that’s what I did that day. I quit my job and I realized that I was kind of numb. You know, I was feeling that I was just following the tradition, the Italian tradition of just working hard, becoming a lawyer or a diplomat. Right. That’s why I study international relations. And that was just my interest. It was not my passion. So that day I followed my passion.

So, what was like that transition point? So, like when you decided to do that and like you had this interest, but then from there you went to Mundo Designs eventually? And then from this pain that you suffered as you went from there and like you ultimately did website designs, everything, what was that transition process that you could describe to me and the Audience a little bit?

Absolutely, you know. I think if you really make a list of your interests right first. But your interest is just the child, right? That’s what they say, then you follow your pain, you can discover the passion which is for you. Right. But I felt that something was missing in the passion because the passion is for you. For us, right? It’s not for others. And I’m like, what is missing? I was missing the North Star in the process, which is the purpose. 

The purpose is actually for others. It is what really makes us jump out of bed when life gets ruthless, and so does the transition… I got another painful moment in that painful moment; I discovered my purpose. I’m like something is missing here and I’m like what is it? It was my purpose for others, so after another painful moment in my life, I was building Mundo designs. I was building my consulting firm, also at the same time in, you know, in the business field, kind of like working in coaching and creating better places to work right, better environment. 

But I still was kind of pursuing two dreams at once. And I’m like this is for me. But what about if I use pain as a platform for greater impact? And I use another painful moment to discover the purpose of my company, which is today, and discover my purpose; the reason why I wake up every morning. Which are the others right? 

So, it was painful at the same time I turned into a pearl because I followed that pain. I didn’t avoid pain. Discover the discomfort of the seeds of growth and transformation.

So, talking to my friend the other day, he’s like a really successful businessman and he’s got, like a lot of businesses and he’s into the medical field. And he talked about how pain and pleasure they’re like, a duality, right? And so literally, sometimes life gives you these really painful moments, but it’s not for you to suffer, but It’s actually a means for growth. 

And it’s only through adversity that we can actually grow and become like whom we are meant to be, because if we didn’t have resistance and we didn’t have pain in our life like that… he basically told me that there is beauty in the pain, like not in the, like, a masochistic way, but like, in a way where we learn lessons. And that’s the time when we grow into what we are meant to be ultimately. We can either be destroyed by it, or we can come out on top, and we can and on the opposite side by doing the opposite and like to use that to create a better world. 

So, it’s really interesting that you mentioned this because it reminds me of that conversation I had with him about the law of duality. You know, like Yin and Yang. Wherever there’s pain without pain, you’re not going to have, like, the huge amounts of growth that you otherwise could, because if you never have resistance in your life, how are you going to become who you’re meant to be?

You should say it in a way that is very exquisite because you said. And you know, it resonates with me. You said a huge amount of growth and that’s what pain brings us. Even when we are entrepreneurs or when we are being, you know, CEOs already and established leaders, and we figure it out right the way we all go through pain. You did, I did, and the audience did. 

And yes, I’m from Argentina. Yes, we are all different, right? But there is one thing that brings us closer and makes us very equal today, which is pain. And I agree with your friends 100/200% because again we have been taught by other generations to avoid pain and to run away from pain. But see by doing that we are already missing great possibilities of self-awareness. If you know, getting new levels of understanding that’s exquisite in life, you know, in order to go to prosperity. If we follow the pain and the message. Is supposed to trigger some sort of action, some sort of transformation. If not, your pain might pay the audience’s pain, where is the justice to that? Let’s use pain as a catalyst for growth. So, I agree.

Part of that conversation involved him mentioning that self-realization comes from the toggling of opposite extremes. So, the During these painful experiences, you actually learn and feel compassion for others, and ultimately, that’s where the path and purpose come from, is during those moments. Health-like self-evaluation. 

So, the reason I like discussing this with you is because a lot of people, especially in our audience they’re more likely to avoid pain and suffering like they don’t want to go like they want. To have the good. But like what me and you are discussing; what I discussed with my friend. Another day is when you go through these really tough times. That’s what builds your character. Ultimately, in the long term it gives you the purpose that is necessary to like it’ll literally give you your calling. Like you build your character. Ultimately, what are your thoughts on that?

Well, first of all, I couldn’t agree more. I mean, I would second that because that’s what exactly happened to me and I have a global mindset, right? I am a global citizen, right? I go all over the place, and I have seen many different cultures. And I do believe that our culture is more the Occidental one, It’s used to avoid pain, right? 

But I agree because that’s how I found my passion, my purpose, prosperity, and an invitation to be kind to myself and to others. I believe it is the best room. Right. And the. Biggest room right on Earth. It’s not in. You know, I don’t know. In the House, it’s actually our self room for improvement. That’s the biggest room that we can actually have for self-improvement and pain brings the perspective that pleasure cannot to the table. So that’s very interesting.

It’s really one of the worst things that could ever happen to them at the moment, like in the ensuing weeks or months like you’re going to a lot of suffering and like you’re Like, why is this happening? But we can only figure that out in retrospect. Right, like after like a year or two We look back, that was necessary. For me and a lot of people, I don’t want to go through Those things, but ultimately it is a necessary thing, but ultimately, it’s a perspective. 

And the reason I bring it up Is because in There is a lot of pain and suffering like there are a lot of moments of self Doubt, but if? You can go through that. It ultimately builds your character to a new mindset.

And you said a key word to prosperity actually, when we are entrepreneurs to keep, you know, moving forward, quitting is forever, right? But pain is temporary. OK, so I do believe that in our, you know, journey to that prosperity that we all look for, right? I believe pain is there to trigger that action of self-awareness. 

Do you want To be comfortable, or do you want To grow because we can’t be both, right? So, this comfort is There for us To tell us that here is where some progress is. There is a beautiful quote by Ray Dalio that says here is the perspective part of the pain. Hey, if you add to the war pain during the entrepreneurial journey. Progress might or reflection is actually where progress starts, right? So, pain plus reflection equals progress. So perspective is very important when we feel pain Cosmos because it’s based upon how we feel. Right.

Grateful that you actually are talking about the subject of pain and the necessity for growth, because ultimately, that’s what differentiates most of the people that are not going to get to the next level versus the one percenter that can actually push through and like basically succeed in whatever they’re doing. If you look at Olympic athletes. And just people that are like the best of what they Do like they’re going through A lot of pain, like just through resistance in their body and mindset and growth and all of that, and it’s a necessary part.

It’s necessary and I believe perspective it’s a key part of how we look at Pain, right, that’s what you said about the athletes. Why do some people continue moving forward and some don’t? Well, one of the keys is Perspective because at the end of the day, you and me and the audience. We’re going to measure. Life and how the quality of the day is based On how we Feel and how we feel is based upon how we perceive things. 

So, if we want to change that painful movement, we can actually choose to see a painful movement as a bridge to grow, to learn new skills, to ask yourself, “Hey, Can I gain from this pain boom?” You change it already. Your perception of pain. So, do you feel different?

I couldn’t agree more. So, I wanted to ask you this, since you’re like a female entrepreneur in Argentina and you know, financial independence for women has been a thing in America since, like the 20th century, right? Like before that, there was not much about it. 

So, from Argentina, like from you as a woman. The entrepreneur in Argentina. What is it like to look forward to financial independence and helping other women become financially independent in the 21st century? Can you tell me a little bit more about that from your perspective?

OH, that’s actually just an amazing purpose that you mentioned that is aligned with what I’m actually looking for: financial freedom for all of us. 

First of all, because we still live in a machismo society in Argentina, you know it’s very Italian background as well, and at the same time. I mean in Latin America, You can imagine the blend of those two ingredients, right? What is it for us?

What is machismo if you can just tell the audience a little bit more about Argentinian culture so that they can get it?

Yeah, machismo means that it’s male-dominant in terms of decisions, OK, still, that means that we still have a gap between women and men in terms of how much you know men make and how much a woman makes and women should have actually stayed at home still. We still have that mentality. I would say pretty much 40%, 30/35% of our population thinks like that, right? That’s where the macho. It’s kind of like a male dominant or predominant thoughts and we are missing that feminine energy about the process. 

So that’s what machismo means. It means that you do what I said. So right, the guy said to the woman what she means to do so we don’t get the voice out there, but we are working on that and see we are building a movement here that also has you know we are kind of like having this feminization. Let’s put it that way. A new term for guys because they’re having a more feminine energy Out there in Argentina too, and that’s helping us become a little bit freer in terms of our opinions and raising our voices, and getting paid equally. So that’s a huge movement that is happening down here.

Yeah, in the Western world and in Europe, yeah, there have been great strides toward helping women attain financial independence and parity with men, but not a lot of people know much about South America and what is the culture there, especially not me. 

So, I’m really curious to know what Argentinian and Brazilian cultures are like then. What are the male-female dynamics in South America if you don’t mind sharing a little bit?

No, of course. I think it’s. It’s a very interesting topic because I don’t want to say. The fighting term, but we have been negotiating with men, OK? And actually, we have to prove to them more than we have to prove to them that we can do it. Right. And since we became stronger and stronger together, I mean the women, I think we are getting very close to equality here. 

But see, we have, I will say 80% European background, all right in Argentina which means mainly Italians and Spaniards. So, if you really think about Italy, in their culture, you can already tell that it is very. Catholic-oriented rights and many rules and many things that we need to follow, right? But especially women, you need to have children, right? You need to have to at a certain age, right? But that’s no longer happening. 

My generation is 40/30 years old. It’s actually breaking that and it’s different now. We are getting the best out of every culture. Argentina is very… it’s a global mindset and culture I would say. We’re getting closer to equality.

So, when you decided that you wanted to help, like, what is that? One of those was times or moments like where you knew your purpose was to help women become financially independent and help the single mothers and refugee women and young girls like, what was that moment of time where you’re, like, I’m going to do this? This is going to be My purpose in calling No matter what.

Well, that calling was also by following my pain. I always like to do things unconventionally and try to find prosperity. And I saw my mother, my mom. You know, she was also an immigrant, an Italian immigrant. And she came to this society where it was pretty much Very close in terms of women getting out there in power.

She actually was an entrepreneur as well, but he was very tough. I saw her bottles. I saw her tears cosmos every day. She used to be a mom with three kids fighting for her position and a very talented woman. 

When I saw her crying when I was 12. That day I found I found my interest always wanted to help women because I had a mother that wanted to be a CEO and she had her company after a couple of years when she was 40, actually, my age and I saw her building that step by step, tear by tear, and I didn’t want it any other woman to be that wounded, neglecting her own needs because of that male-dominant kind of mindset that we used to have as a society. It is not happening anymore. At least it’s less dominant, so that was the day because of my mom.

One of the questions I wanted to ask you is what is in doing this entire process where like you became an entrepreneur and all of that, what is the biggest lesson you learned other than the pain factor? Like what is the biggest lesson you learned in all of this?

Well, let’s respect the process of growing first. I believe we all want to rush, and I believe we all have our own clocks and times to grow, and things happen for a reason. And the biggest lesson is that if you don’t know if you want to do everything at once and many things you know. Sometimes, entrepreneurs, they want to do everything. Just do everything and stay on the doors that remain open because, yes, many doors will close, but you stay on the doors that remain Open.

But get out there and the biggest lesson is don’t compare yourself with others. Compare yourself with who you were before getting out there and getting the courage to be an entrepreneur. Compare yourself with who you were before, not with others. Criticism and comparison it’s something that if it turns you it’s going to turn you into dust. 

So, it’s better to be kind. The biggest lesson I learned is to be kind to myself during the process. Because it’s going to get ruthless, the entrepreneurial journey. Also, an adventure if you are there. Just make sure. That you learn to listen to your needs too.

A lot of times people compare themselves to other people, they never compare themselves to their previous. It itself, and I think that’s one of the root causes of, like misery and suffering in our society today is like we’re spending more time comparing ourselves to our neighbors, our friends, our family members, like to everything else. 

And One of the things that I noticed right now is since social media came into being, people are always comparing themselves to the best pictures that other people have on social media, not knowing that most of the time, it’s just a front. And it’s actually created more depression in society overall because people keep comparing us instead of like no, I’m not going to compare myself to others, I’m going to Focus on me and like will like to be the best version of myself and try to overcome like and be the better Than what I was before, but I don’t know. What do you think about social media and just people comparing themselves over there?

Well, you know, I have to agree that social media can also turn you into dust, or it can really inspire you. Now it’s about us really selecting Whom we Follow right. So that in that moment, you know, artificial intelligence, social media people you follow? 

Now, the audience starts following everybody that doesn’t inspire you. Everybody that doesn’t add value to your daily life because see the algorithm will start putting out there where you are actually Looking for. So, Take a moment. Press pause and analyze what social media is giving back to you.

So, if social media is giving back to you, I don’t know, post or things that don’t inspire you. It’s a mirror of what you’re looking for. Ask yourself, what do you want social media to do? Give you and Train the algorithm to inspire you and use it in your favor, on your Advantage and I have three things that I would like to say about that, and it’s going. To be maybe tough. Look, the cancer of the mind. There are two others who see criticism and compare themselves to others. Stop doing that. Just choose wisely. The people you follow. Make sure they inspire you, not drain your energy.

Those are definitely things that affect people a lot, but they don’t realize it, you know. So yeah, like so, I’ll continue with this. As a female entrepreneur in Argentina, I wanted to know if this is for women all over the world, but what is your greatest challenge as an entrepreneur? Like over there and like what are what is the process of you overcoming.

Well, I believe the first challenge was inflation, Cosmos, and of course, already being from a third-world country, right? Because Argentina is still considered a third-world country. So, building our authority and showing people our talent. And how competitive we are and how good we are to the world. It was tough, but I think we used inflation in our favor to become more competitive. 

But in the beginning, it was a huge challenge to show the world that we are talented and skilled. And my language barrier rights and cultural barriers; I do business in a different way than in North America or Europe. So, one of the challenges was to understand who was the other one, right, that it was doing business with.

What culture is like, do they like cold emails? Do they like me to be, you know, more Latin? I didn’t know, so it cost me a couple of clients. I would say because I was… No client in terms of losing clients, but in terms of losing money because I was too flexible. I was afraid of my self-worth being from Latin America, so the challenge was building my self-worth and my team’s self-work.

I lived in Kuwait for about 15 years, and was born in India; then, when I came to America, even after a long time after I became a citizen, I had self-worth issues about am I good enough like in whatever I do because it was just because I was born in a country that’s considered third world. 

So, I understand where you’re coming from there, I would like myself and anybody else in the audience to know that yourself for this independent or whatever nation that you’re in, because it’s based on something that is deeper within, right, and like people like cultures will have a superiority complex or inferiority complex. We should never be affected by that.

What was the beautiful message you were giving? It is like that. You asked me about the challenges. That’s the challenge I got, but you know, along the way, the response right is that you just said self-worth. It doesn’t have anything to do with nations. OK. And that’s very well said, I appreciate you saying that.

Visa identity is on where we were born and like who, which group we’re in or what gender we’re in, or what nationality we’re in, but ultimately it is independent of that cause. If you think about it, at some point, you’re going to die, and you’re not going to have that identity in that, or you will either go to the afterlife or be one with God. And if you believe in Incarnation, you’re going to reincarnate, but you’ll have a different identity.

So ultimately, your self-worth should be independent of this temporary identity. It should be from something more like yours, Sol and that is one with God. And God is the ultimate highest-values person. So that’s something that I want to tell my audience that I wanted to discuss with you as well.

I find that very, you know, it adds to it. It adds value to the audience and us that’s what I feel; it’s adding value to me like I’m the audience here by listening to all. I think this is a co-creation when we do a podcast, and it’s a beautiful outcome. To have as a result and reflection right pain plus reflection, equal progress and where is the. Progress well, self-worth self-awareness? 

Take those challenges right that I received or went through being an Argentinian entrepreneur and now being global. Take those challenges to become a better version of yourself. No, compared to others. Versions of yourself. And build self-worth. Yes, I agree.

So, you know, American identity is centered around pursuing happiness, right? So, from your perspective, how do you think growing from your pain can ultimately lead to the higher pursuit of happiness from your perspective?

 I believe you know pain is a universal experience. It’s part of our life. We need to understand that pain is not your enemy. I do invite people right to, you know, pursue happiness. But in an unconventional way. 

I will invite them to follow a non-traditional method. You can wish for happiness. I would say Serenity is better or prosperous by following your pain because by following your pain, you get your true callings there many times right, self-awareness, and self-growth. You have room to reach new levels of understanding and gain new insights from pain, it brings another perspective. Oh my God. I think pain is propelling you forward. It’s just a matter of changing perception about pain to gain that happiness because during.

Oh, my God, you can be A pearl and shine. You know how they are born. By that painful moment of A grain of sand. And then the pressure of the oyster turns that grain of sand into a Pearl. So, if you want a life without challenges, remember the oyster and the pearl.

But so can you. Tell me and the audience more about Mundoh Designs, exactly what it does, and all of that.

Yes, we are a female-led team, all women and all equal. I don’t have any employees. Yes, I’m the owner, and I’m the chief empathy officer, right? And the one who brings clients. But what we do is, you know, provide windows into the Souls of people in companies. Authors’ websites are designed, we create the brand strategy and marketing, and we also create apps for social good, right? I don’t consider a business a business without a social impact. 

So, we do designs for social good, the right brand strategy, and a visual tsunami. It is off a brand, and we take it to the next level. We make them join; we make them more human. In this AI-digital world, you need to become more human. That’s what we do, and we train refugee women, and single-mom women to reduce the gender gap. And we love guys. Don’t get me wrong, OK, they are helping us. They are getting more of the ink energy, right? And I’m so happy because of that. And that’s what we do; we are global. We work with many companies around there.

In terms of the design compared to other companies that, from your perspective, do design.

With the emotions of each of the panels, and the emotions of the video backgrounds, you can design a website, and if we don’t say a word, you can still understand because of the video background. I think that’s the difference. The emotion of our designs and the designs that we create are very human. We are not for everybody. I know that we are a little bit disruptive.

And it’s amazing, and I would recommend to anybody in my audience listening, if they’re into website design, to contact you for it because it’s pretty awesome.

Well, thank you very much. You know, I partner with women too, and we did that website with another partner, Iron Dog Media, and it was amazing, you know, the duet working for you. Thank you so much for making this podcast happen and for having me here to share my story with everybody. 

So, is there any project you’re working on that you’d want the audience to see to get a glimpse into

Yes, of course, we are working on several social enterprise projects, right? One is very interesting because it’s from the Netherlands, OK? And we are building an app for the first offenders that go to the police station. So, we can change their mindset before they go to the judge, right? 

So, they can choose, and they can reflect. So that’s one of the projects and then we are building many websites and brand strategies for our beautiful people that support us and make actually have a really bigger impact in the states. And I love that I have to really thank the community and the culture for propelling us forward. I believe every day they are becoming more aware of our existence.

And I always wish you the best. You know all of that, and how can our audience connect with you to get to know more about you? And the work that you’re doing.

Now you know. My name is Sol, which means sun in English, I’m always saying I’m a click away. They just need to press the yellow button, and then the sun will come out. They can contact me via LinkedIn (Sol Alsina, that’s the best way) or via WhatsApp. And I really like deep conversations and listening to people’s purposes and passions. 

So, LinkedIn WhatsApp, my website, or an email. So, I’m on social media. It’s Mundo OK, which means world in Spanish, with MUNDAOH at the end because it’s human, so it’s mundoh-designs.com that’s all.

I’m really grateful that you took the time to basically come and be a guest in this interview, and I and the audience have learned so much. And just on perspective, especially about the concept of pain, because I think a lot of people need to hear this as if you have the right perspective, you can change it. It basically revolutionizes the way we live, so I’m grateful that you took the time. I appreciate it. And I would like you to come back to the show at a later time.

It was an exquisite, you know, conversation. Thank you so much. And I really hope that we both add value to the audience and that I’m a click away from everybody who wants to talk.

So, I want to conclude this interview by telling all my fellow extraordinary Americans that, hey, look, there’s an extraordinary in each and every one of us. And it’s not just in America. It’s all over the world, and I’ll see you guys next. Our duty is to awaken and unleash it, of course. So, I’ll see you guys next time. Bye for now.