Creator & Mental Health Activist

Estefany Herrera

Womxn are complex and dynamic. While each womxn's story is different, they all deserve and call for a platform from which to share and inspire others. With Trust Your Vision, Estefany Herrera, provides just that through a digital platform that shares the motivational journeys of diverse womxn overcoming adversity. Whether these stories relate to mental illness, identity, or gender, Trust Your Vision understands the power that comes from sharing experiences as well as listening to those other womxn. With personal and inspiring videos, Herrera and Trust Your Vision invite us to listen, share, and learn.

Tell us about yourself. What Propelled you to create Trust Your Vision?

My name is Estefany Herrera and I am the CEO and founder of Trust Your Vision. I am very passionate about personal development and womxn empowerment. Mental illness struck my family last year and it created a drastic change in our family dynamic. At 43 years old, my father was diagnosed with bipolar and I became the parent of my household. It was an extremely challenging time for me, but I learned to transform that pain into power. I began to indulge in teachings of personal development and got a deeper understanding of the 'self.'

After countless hours spent on research, I realized there was a lack of inspirational stories shared through the eyes of womxn. Majority of the motivational content I consumed came from actors or clips from movies. Other than Oprah, Iyanla, and Alexi Panos, there are no other womxn talking about personal development.

In that period of my life, I created a platform that allows people to be the voice of their own stories. The experiences they shared shaped their lives and through their teachings, I hope to inspire others. Allow yourself to step into vulnerability. Create a ripple effect and give others permission to do the same.

What are your goals for Trust Your Vision? What would you like people to learn and know?

My goals for Trust Your Vision is to help people embrace their struggle. As Preston Smiles says, "bless the mess." I believe if we look closer and more carefully into our own experiences, we can find the blessings and lessons in life. Trust Your Vision embraces womxn of all walks of life to continue to persevere through trials and tribulations. The information we share helps people self-reflect.

My goal is to "make wisdom go viral" as Jay Shetty says. Trust Your Vision was created because I believe that now more than ever, people feel divided. There is a disconnect with people's ability to feel a part of a community. They are often misguided and confused by misinformation and tend to forget the human in humanity. I want to humanize the experiences we have. As a story-teller, I want to capture the true essence of a person's soul and give others someone they can relate to. I want to highlight stories and encourage people to talk about these topics.

Another takeaway I want people to leave with is the ability to empower other womxn. These are ordinary womxn who exist in your life, everyone is a leader that can help those around them live a better life. In today's media, we are given a limited amount of roles, we don't see enough womxn empowering other womxn. I wanted to create a platform and a new narrative for womxn to embrace one another.

What is one thing you would like to share about your culture? What are you most proud of?

I am proud to see the amount of womxn participating in this journey. Womxn with unique experiences are coming together for one cause. Empowering one another is the most beautiful thing we can accomplish together. We are all just adding cracks to the glass ceiling to be heard and to be seen differently. Trust Your Vision is a movement where we treat everyone like family.

How does your identity translate through the way you dress?

I have always curated my fashion sense based on my mood. As a child, fashion was an extension of my personality. I live in New Jersey, but New York is where I go to get inspired. My surroundings have inspired me to incorporate different cultures to the way I dress. I minored in Cultural Anthropology in undergrad because I was fascinated by the diversity of tradition and customs. I believe our culture and story can be translated in the pieces of items that we wear. Over the years, I have adopted a clean, sleek look with a splash of color. I wear a mal de ojo bracelet that reminds me of my childhood and it is a small reminder of where I am from.

In addition to your passion for advancing womxn empowerment and personal development, what are some of your other passions? What gets you excited?

Social justice and human rights are also huge passions of mine. I am a graduate student at New York University. I am studying Global Affairs because I believe in bettering humanity. I have marched the streets of New York protesting the Arizona Immigration Law. I have held hands chanting with womxn who were in wheelchairs and in their nineties at the Women's March as we marched towards the Trump Towers. At the Women's March, we rallied together in solidarity. I believe Logic said it perfectly in his speech at the VMAs. He said,

"I just want to take a moment right now and thank you for giving me a platform to talk about something that mainstream media doesn't want to talk about: mental health, anxiety, suicide, depression, and so much more that I talk about on this album. From racism, discrimination, sexism, domestic violence, sexual assault, and so much more; I don't give a damn if you are Black, white, or any color in between. I don't care if you're Christian, you're Muslim, you're gay, you're straight, I am here to fight for your equality. Because I believe that we are all born equal, but we are not treated equally and that is why we must fight. We must fight for the equality of every man, womxn, and child regardless of race, religion, color, creed, and sexual orientation."

His message of peace, love, positivity, and equality for all is something I strongly believe in. Each and every one of us is laying the foundation for a better tomorrow. Bringing awareness to mental health and showing other people that they are not alone is why I created Trust Your Vision. Being comfortable in talking about mental illness is what allows us to create a stigma-free environment.

What has the response been like from your community with the creation of Trust Your Vision?

I am fortunate to receive a positive response from my community. People are opening up about their personal experiences with mental illness. The gratification of being a part of their journey has brought me joy. Many have begun to talk about overcoming issues of identity, gender, and personal growth. That alone, is why Trust Your Vision was created to help people come to terms with their truth. I believe we can improve our mental health through dialogue. I encourage you to talk to your friends and family. Your mind matters, all you have to do is start talking.

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