First Gen Edition: Find the Story That Gets You Hired
Your career is yours to direct — and you're writing a chapter your family hasn't had the chance to live yet. Whether you're planning your next move or navigating a layoff, the hardest part is rarely the résumé. It's the story. For first-generation professionals, it carries even more weight: the investment your family made to get you here, the doors you're opening for everyone who comes next, and the particular kind of courage it takes to navigate a system your parents didn't come up in. I'm first-gen too — the first in my family to go to school in the US. My dad is a French academic who studied in France, so when I started building my career here, there was no family playbook to borrow from. I know what it means to be the only one at the table without a family template for the next move. That isn't a gap. It's your edge. Hiring managers and recruiters meet thousands of candidates who grew up expecting to be there — yours carries something they rarely see. I've been through a lot of transitions and been the odd one out — an immigrant most of my life. Being at the intersection of cultures means you never quite fit, but it also affords super powers that are very useful if you know how to tap into them. I was born in Paris, moved to the US, lived in the South of France for part of high school, came back to the US for my senior year, then went to Brandeis University, graduated, and moved to Brazil. All of it motivates me to help people like you navigate new systems and get your foot in the door. I remember telling my family I wanted to work in Tech and also with creativity, and it was so distant from their reality, they looked at me like I was nuts. I use the same techniques that got me through high-stakes interviews and deals as a leader at Google and Instagram, and the same techniques I now teach Fortune 500 leaders across industries. What we do together: Before we start, you receive a Treasure Hunting pre-work packet — a set of questions designed to surface the moments, turning points, and family stories that shape your career story. (First-gen professionals often carry the richest material here — multi-generational journeys, first-of-their-kind moments, quiet courage that never got named.) You arrive to Session 1 already inspired and mid-discovery. Session 1 — Treasure Hunt. We go through your treasures together and kick off the story makeover. Treasure Hunting is my proprietary method for finding the story only you can tell. For first-gen professionals, we pay special attention to the family story — the one your parents and grandparents lived, and the one you're writing next. Session 2 — Your Narrative, Inside and Out. We shape two versions of your story: the internal one (how you understand your own arc) and the external one (how you pitch it to recruiters, hiring managers, and your network). Session 3 — Interview Training I. We rehearse for your first interviews — warming up, building confidence, stress-testing your answers. Session 4 — Interview Training II. Higher-stakes rehearsal. We drill the rooms that matter most — final rounds, executive panels, the offers on the line.
What's included
I'm French-Brazilian-American, raised in the US — and without a family playbook, I still managed to build a career at some of the world's most admired companies. I worked at Google Brazil in the early days, was the first hire for Instagram LatAm when the app was still scrappy, and went on to sit behind the Instagram founders at MPK HQ. None of it was inherited. All of it was figured out. That's why I coach the way I do. I know what it feels like to walk into rooms without a script and learn the rules while you're being tested on them. I know what it means to carry your family's investment into systems they didn't come up in. And I know how to turn that experience — the one that made you feel like an outsider — into the edge that makes you distinctive. I've also been knocked down. I was impacted by a company-wide layoff at Instagram, which means when we work on your comeback, your pivot, or your next big leap, I'm coaching from experience — not theory. I know the weight of starting over when your family doesn't quite understand what you're starting over from. I'm also the founder of Speak Dreams, the storytelling company behind the Speak Dreams Mentorship Program. During the pandemic, I read 627 life stories, interviewed 77 finalists, and matched 84 young people across countries — including many first-generation talent navigating their way into universities, scholarships, and first jobs without a family playbook. That experience taught me what first-generation talent really needs from coaching: someone who sees the full weight of what you're carrying, helps you name it clearly, and turns it into the story that opens doors.
- Clarity and confidence in your edge as a First Gen Talent
- Interview training and techniques to get hired
- A reframed story you can pitch to any audience — recruiters, hiring managers, your network
- Confidence in your worth, your trajectory, and the unique value you bring
- Clarity on how your story connects to your next chapter
- A strong sense of your internal and external narrative for this chapter
- Stronger public speaking and executive presence
Meet your expert
Inès S.
Career Pivots & Inflection Points | Storytelling Coach | Google, X, Meta
Instagram’s first hire in Latin America and ex-Google, I help students and professionals land top roles by turning their story into their greatest competitive advantage. I was the first in my family to navigate the American college system — from Colorado Springs to top Silicon Valley companies — and I never stopped betting on what's possible. It's what pushed me from Bank of New York to Google Brazil in the early days, then to Instagram as their first hire in Latin America, where I helped scale @instagrambrasil to 16M+ followers. I learned that your story is your greatest competitive advantage — and that most people undersell theirs. In 2020, I founded Speak Dreams and launched a mentorship program that received 627 applications. I read every single one. I interviewed 77 finalists and matched 84 women with mentors across cultures and countries — all in 47 days. It was rated 9.9 out of 10 for positive life impact. Now I coach top leaders from Google, Meta, Waze, Cargill, and Brazil's Paralympic Committee on how to access and articulate the stories only they can tell — for interviews, leadership moments, and career pivots. I'm also a pop artist (yes, really) and the creator of Chloé & Valentina, an audio fiction series featuring a Grammy-winning producer, Oscar-nominated sound designer, Emmy-winning writer, and acclaimed lead actress. It landed an Apple Podcasts Editorial Spotlight and coverage in Harper's Bazaar Brasil, Vogue, and Glamour. I bring that same creative rigor to our sessions: your story deserves more than a template. If you're ready to stop underselling yourself, let's talk.
