FLY BROTHER Radio #012: Sienna Brown of Las Morenas de España
"I try my hardest to always be the best version of myself that I can be because if I’m not being true to myself, then how can I be true to anyone else who knows me?” —Sienna Brown
On this episode of the Fly Brother Radio Show, Ernest speaks with Sienna Brown— expat, entrepreneur, speaker, and optimist. As the founder of the international lifestyle portal Las Morenas de España (LMDES) (now known as Master Your Move Abroad), Sienna is redefining the conversation about what it means to be living and thriving abroad as a person of color. In her TEDx talk and Now This News, she conveys the themes of shared stories and implements the resources of her mission to help people create the lives that they truly love. Throughout the episode, Ernest and Sienna talk about travel, Spain, everyday life abroad, surrendering to your purpose, and a whole lot more—starting with what sparked Sienna’s interest in living abroad.
Sienna takes Ernest through her journey of studying abroad in Madrid, graduating from university, and getting a job right away in her beloved New York City, only to realize that she wasn’t really living but just staying busy in the hustle that is life in NYC. That’s when she decided to move to Spain to teach English. Although the idea for LMDES came to her before her big move to Spain, it was while living there that Sienna truly built up this platform as a resource for women who wanted to move to Spain or simply create a life abroad in any country.
Sienna discusses her inspiration for the website-turned-in-person community and how she wanted to change the negative narratives she often saw online when people discussed being Black in Spain. Sienna and Ernest also trade stories about the difficulties of living abroad and how they’re often similar to the struggles of adult life anywhere. The pair also touch on maintaining the delicate balance between work, self-care, travel, and more.