When Humanity Looked Away (and What It Taught Me)
Have you ever had a moment that changed how you looked at people? I had mine back in college.
SAN DIEGO LATINA LEADERMUJERPRENEURLEADERSHIP
Marti Angel™
9/15/20252 min read
When Humanity Looked Away (and What It Taught Me)
Have you ever had a moment that changed how you looked at people? I had mine back in college.
I was walking down a hallway crowded with students, everyone laughing, gossiping, and rushing to their next class. I was the first in my family to go to a university, so I was already feeling like the outsider. Then suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit me so hard I could barely walk.
I leaned against the wall, trying to steady myself, but the room spun. I heard voices around me say things like, “She’s probably drunk… maybe she’s hungover… maybe she’s on drugs.” The words cut deep, not because they were true—they weren’t—but because no one stopped to help.
I managed to get to the bathroom, found an empty stall, and slid down the wall. Within seconds I passed out. When I woke up, I was drenched in sweat, my head pounding, my ears still ringing. Somehow, I got up and carried on with my day. But I’ll never forget that sting: being surrounded by people yet completely unseen.
That moment left a mark. It made me lose a little faith in humanity. But it also taught me a life-long lesson—compassion matters.
As MujerPreneurs, we juggle so much. Business plans, family responsibilities, our own doubts. And sometimes, just like me in that hallway, we stumble. What we need in those moments isn’t judgment. It’s someone to notice. To ask, “Are you okay?” To listen.
That’s why today I make compassion a pillar of my leadership. When you run a business with empathy, you don’t just grow sales—you build loyalty, trust, and community.
Click here to explore tools that will help you lead with heart.
The hallway memory still hurts sometimes. But it also reminds me that we, as leaders, get to choose differently.
We get to stop, to listen, to care. And that is how we change the world—one compassionate act at a time. Remember #Juntaspodemosmas