“Every time I struggled, I found purpose” - Dani Cardenas on DACA, Venezuela & Finding Purpose

What does it mean to create legacy when the system tells you you don’t belong? In this powerful episode, Roxy and KJ sit down with Venezuelan-born creative and DACA recipient Dani Cardenas, founder of Tiny Stage Entertainment. Dani shares her family’s harrowing escape from political persecution in Venezuela, growing up undocumented in New York, and how she turned fear into fuel by building one of Miami’s most impactful creative platforms. From immigration, identity, and internet culture to purpose, privilege, and community — this is one of our most vulnerable and eye-opening conversations to date. 🎧 Tap in to learn how purpose, community, and compassion can change everything. Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro + Word of the Day: “Alcancé” 04:30 – Meet Dani Cardenas: Venezuelan roots & family history 07:20 – Fleeing Venezuela: Political persecution & survival 10:50 – Starting over in New York & moving to Miami 16:30 – Venezuela vs. U.S.: Propaganda, power & perspective 20:30 – The dangers of distraction & social media culture 26:45 – What is DACA? Dani’s story as a Dreamer 36:00 – Lobbying as an 8th grader + learning English in a year 40:00 – Being in legal limbo + what DACA really means 48:00 – Building Tiny Stage: From passion to community platform 54:00 – Miami’s creative scene then vs. now 1:00:00 – The loneliness epidemic & why real community matters 1:06:00 – What legacy looks like for Dreamers 1:10:00 – Purpose over popularity 1:13:00 – Final reflections + why compassion is key Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices