Patricia ❤️ Cracks (Con Oso Trava)

In this episode of Pod, Actually,  Catherine speaks with Patricia—a Mexico City–based nonprofit consultant and founder of Secret Cool Mexico—about her favorite podcast: Cracks, hosted by Mexican entrepreneur Oso Trava.

What starts as a conversation about a business podcast becomes something deeper: a window into power, culture, and the minds shaping modern Mexico.

🎙 Patricia’s Top 6 Podcasts:

1. Cracks (con Oso Trava)

2. The Telepathy Tapes

3. Sorry, Partner

⁠⁠4. Psicóloga Pau

5. ⁠⁠La Burra Arisca

6. Es Lo Que Hay

🔗 Links

• Learn more about Patricia's travel business, Secret Cool Mexico: www.secretcoolmexico.com
• Learn more about Patricia's non-profit: www.pontis.mx
• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support Pod, Actually on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: podactuallypodcast@gmail.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Hello, I'm Catherine and welcome to Pod Actually, a podcast about people's favorite podcasts. On today's program, I'm speaking with Patricia Herrera. Patricia lives in Mexico City where she is a nonprofit consultant and also runs Secret Cool Mexico, a travel company designing itineraries for people who want to see a funkier side of Mexico. Let's jump in. Patricia, what is your favorite podcast? Hi, Gathering.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

It's called Cracks by Oso Trava.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

And can you please explain the meaning of cracks? Because it's a Spanish language podcast.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

It is, but I think it is using the word from the English language, which now it's I think an accepted word in Spanish, meaning crack somebody that is super successful, that made it, that just cracked it.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

So it's a podcast about super successful people.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

You know what? It doesn't advertise like that, but I think it is what it is about. You know, like super what it is considered, I I must say, super successful in Mexico.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

And can you also explain who the host is? Because I think that's important to know with this podcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

It is super important. Oso Trava. His name is not Oso. Oso is a nickname which means bear, but his name is Osvaldo Trava. And it's a Mexican entrepreneur that it's also an industrial engineer. And I say also because I'm an industrial engineer. And um he has opened and developed, you know, a few companies, but more than anything, he started this podcast maybe six, seven years ago. It was like a year before the pandemic, I think. And he started interviewing like Mexican um that Mexican successful people.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

And why are you interested in this podcast? What draws you to this podcast?

SPEAKER_01 1:58

Thank you for asking that. It's a very good question because it's not, I don't think I'm attracted because of what would be considered the traditional reasons, but I'm very intrigued on a day-to-day basis on what's going on in Mexico to understand my country and my environment better. Just because I love my country very much. It certainly needs some help, although it's like a fantastic place, by the way, with a bad rep, but a fantastic place. And I think also because of my jobs, you know, because of what I do, understanding Mexico helps me um to do better what I do. And just getting to know the mind, sort of like driving the wheel, you know, it's uh gives me a very good um, I'm hoping, a 360-degree view of Mexico.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

Can you connect the dots a little bit for me, please, between what you do and how this podcast illuminates your worldview and connects with your work?

SPEAKER_01 2:52

Sure. I do two things that are basically, well, they look very different. I mean, I think they're also very the same. But on one hand, I own and run a nonprofit consulting firm. So I do consulting for social projects all over the country, all over in Mexico, sometimes outside of Mexico, but let's say most of my work is here in my own country. And on the other hand, I found that a small, small company called Secret Cold Mexico, and more than a company, it's something that I do because I love and for fun, where I help people to have a fantastic time in Mexico City, meaning I design specialized itineraries for people that want to go beyond, you know, a Google search and discover um literally all the wonders and coolness and secrets of the third largest city in the world, which is the city that I was born and raised in and that I still live in, Mexico City.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

And how has this podcast informed your work in the nonprofit space and also your work in the travel space?

SPEAKER_01 3:49

The nonprofit sector, which by the way, it's going, I don't want to call it a crisis, and some some of my colleagues call it a crisis because of everything that is going on. And I will put an example, you know, we're not drinking with a straw to save the world, but then the half of the world is being bombed, you know what I mean? So there's sort of like an identity crisis saying, does this work, the nonprofit work is it relevant? Does it function? Is it making people's lives better? And it does, you know. I think we have a visibility issue. And that needs to be fixed, by the way. And I wonder sometimes, and I think I have the answer, who can fix that? Both from a visibility perspective and who can help with the funding perspective. And it is the decision makers, right? And for one reason or the other, the businessmen and the entrepreneurs, meaning the money, are the basically the decision makers. So I thought if I can understand what's behind their minds, I can understand the motives to build a better society, right? How they do it, why they would do it, do they do it or not? Why they do it and why they don't. What would make them? What's their impression, right? So I don't see them like, by the way, it's not that I see them as donors, so I'm trying to crack the code for a donor. That would be too simple because that's not what I do. I don't get funding. I basically strengthen the sector and the organizations. So I I wanted to get into their minds. And also, Mexico is a funky place in many, many respects. This is a the city and the country are put through, you know, are true melting pots. We still have 62 indigenous active languages because we had way much more, you know, indigenous cultures in the country. Like I said, still we have. Then we were conquered and we mixed, right? So we're we're like the product of that mixture of literally worlds, of continents, right? And still up in 2026, it shows up on every single day. And how the people think, I mean, and again, the decision makers also shape the experiences people would have in the city and in the country. By the way, Sugico, Mexico, 90% of my job is in Mexico City, but of course it splashes all over the country, right? My clients sometimes ask me, help me create something in another city. So, you know, I think eventually it will turn into a whole country kind of thing, but I don't want to lose that one-on-one service, you know, like boutique service, so to speak.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

So, do you remember how you discovered cracks, the podcast?

SPEAKER_01 6:11

You know what? I don't. I truly don't. The name Oso Trava, it's a funny name, right? Because his name, like, also is Bear, and Trava, although it's his last name, it it can mean also like a roadlock. And so it has a funky name, like bear roadlock, right? Do you mean bear the animal? Yeah, also means bear. Because his name is Osvaldo, like nothing to do with the animal, right? And then Trava, the last name is just the last name, but also it means this. So the name is sort of like weird, funky, you know. And I think it caught my attention. And eventually through social media, I started listening to a clip and this and that, and then I read something about it, and you know, that just turned into me list constantly listening to his interviews. Something that I like about him is that he's not rushing. In the era of let's do 25 minutes, everything at the most, right? He takes one hour, he takes two, he takes four if he needs to. You know, he doesn't rush. He develops like a rapport with it, with you know, with his guest. And yeah, so I think he literally cracks into their minds. I mean, I don't I don't know that these people, you know what I mean, but it looks like they discuss everything. And do you listen to the show as soon as it drops? No, I I don't. My days actually are very different, you know. Like I don't, although I do have a routine and I work, I mean, I'm my own boss, but I still work nine to five and all of that. But still, you know, I do other things that sometimes take my way, my time. I travel, blah, blah, blah. So I use the opportunities. I use the weekends, I use my travel time. Mexico City, by the way, it's the best city in the world, don't get me wrong, but it has a little bit of traffic, you know, just to say the least. So that it's very easy to listen to a podcast while trapped in traffic. I don't listen to them because I'm trapped in traffic, but I use the time.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

Yeah, yeah. But will you listen to each episode in the same week that it drops? Like do they tend to build up, or will you, you know, like it drops on Tuesday and next time in your car, you'll listen, or or will you let a few of them bank up and then listen to the three in a row?

SPEAKER_01 8:17

That kind of a little bit. If I'm in the city, I will listen to them, I think, the same week, or at least the week after, you know. But if I'm traveling, then I don't. Then they might pile up a little bit, but then that's easy also to catch up, you know, in a week.

SPEAKER_00 8:31

Do you ever listen to the episode at a faster speed? A little bit, yes.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

Everything. The voice notes, the everything. 1.5. 1.5?

SPEAKER_00 8:41

You're a 1.5 girl.

SPEAKER_01 8:44

Only, yes.

SPEAKER_00 8:45

All podcasts that you listen to, or just this one? No.

SPEAKER_01 8:48

No. This one, I have to say something that I like a lot about this one is his voice. Some podcasts, I love the topics and I love everything, but I can't listen to them. I really can't. It's like I'm hypersensitive to certain noises. I don't know what it is. I really don't have a name for that. But some I just can't.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

But this one you listen to regularly and you listen at 1.5 speed.

SPEAKER_01 9:10

Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 9:11

Other podcasts you also listen to at 1.5 speed? Like I said, no, it depends on the voice. I see. What I what I'm not understanding is if the voice bothers you, do you listen to it even faster or do you listen to it at regular speed?

SPEAKER_01 9:27

No, I don't listen to the Macon at all. At all. I can't. This one, I love the voice, so I can listen even if it's fast, because fast makes it a little bit worse. Although if I listen to a podcast in English, it's very rare that I would, you know, not listen at a regular speed. Although my English, I know that it's, you know, quite decent, but it's not good enough to listen to something at 1.5.

SPEAKER_00 9:52

What about other Spanish-speaking podcasts? Do you listen to them at 1.5?

SPEAKER_01 9:58

Most of them, except one that are three girls. That is too much. Three girls talking at the same time at 1.5, I can't. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:09

So generally you listen at 1.5 unless it's not your first language or there's a lot of voices and you just need to be able to make sense of who's saying what. Yes, exactly. Is this podcast audio only or is it video as well?

SPEAKER_01 10:25

I think it has a video component. I listen to it, but I think it I think it is on YouTube. Oh my god. It has to be. But you don't watch it? No, I don't watch it. I only watch the Instagram clips. Sometimes because I run into it, you know? But I don't even pay too much attention to those because I really rather do the whole episode.

SPEAKER_00 10:44

Did you start following it on Instagram before you started listening to it?

SPEAKER_01 10:48

No. The podcast came first.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

Is it a podcast that you talk about with other people?

SPEAKER_01 10:55

Sometimes. It's not so much that I talk about the podcast, I talk about certain interviews or certain people. I just heard an interview, blah, blah, blah, that kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 11:04

Are these people that are your friends or are they more professional colleagues?

SPEAKER_01 11:09

A little bit of everything. Like I said, I think I reference a lot in my work. It's not the reason I started listening to it, but I do. You know, sometimes people ask me, what are the motivations behind big donors? How do you think we can reach this person? I'm not saying that necessarily from a nonprofit perspective. I always recommend that, you know. I do feel that we're like knocking the same doors, everybody. So like, but if they the c my client insists, I'm like, well, maybe you should listen to this. In here, he talks or she talks about this motivation to do this and that, and blah, blah, blah. So I do use it as a reference for work. But sometimes also like in social gatherings, you know, something comes up. You know, Mexico is a big country, but at the same time, it's it's a small town, right? For example, it's not that I talk about the stock system or anything, but we only have like 35 companies listed, right? For such a big country. So if something happened in those 35 countries, those are the news. We talk about it, people talk about it. So it's, I don't know, it comes up and I say something like, I I heard, you know, he said this and this and that at this podcast. By the way, the way that he conducts the interview, I really love. He doesn't create any debate, he listens, and that's a very good thing. Sometimes I wish he would debate with his guests, but I appreciate the fact that he lets them talk. You know what I mean? Like it has the pros and cons. So I like hearing an honest opinion or somebody feeling comfortable talking for two hours about something. To some other extent, I wish it was a little bit more, you know, there was some questioning. I do not necessarily agree. I feel that his guests are the new gods, if that makes any sense. What do you mean? Like people worship now businessmen and entrepreneurs, right? I feel that we were a politics, you know, society before America was discovered, right? The son of God, the son of rain, that all of this and that is that is fascinating, by the way. Then they turn us into Catholicism and we worship all these saints. I feel that the new saints and what we're worshiping now are businessmen and entrepreneurs. And I really question that if that should be the basis of our society, to think that businessmen are here to save us at the same time. Having all this businessmen has really put Mexico in a position where we are being able to eradicate poverty. So I don't, I'm not, you know. So I I have a deeply respect for jobs being created and the economy being pushed. At the same time, I wonder if we should only worship the job creators, if that makes any sense.

SPEAKER_00 13:41

So would you like him to push them a little bit at times or to help to deconstruct some of their positions more than he does?

SPEAKER_01 13:51

I would love for that to happen.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:54

I would love for that to happen, but then I wonder if these people will feel comfortable being his guests. Right. Also, maybe part of the success is not questioning them. Huh. That's interesting. Also, in Mexico, we're very I don't I don't want to put the whole Latin culture into this, but yeah, we're very Latin in that respect. And you know, the form, it's it's super important, right? And the form means you don't make people feel uncomfortable.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

Okay, so that you think there's a little bit of a cultural style about the way that he he's doing, he's conducting this interview.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

Yes. And also I just feel like in the world in general, people don't question enough the decision makers. But also culturally, I can see how in here that that is even stronger. You're never like you will never feel make feel, you know, make somebody feel better and comfortable just because you're interviewing them or they're your guests, you know? That doesn't happen. The most that it happens is with politicians, and that was more in the past than you know nowadays. But it's not it's not something you're like, you're sort of thankful they came to your show or to your house or to your party.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

Does he have politicians on the program as well?

SPEAKER_01 15:03

I don't think so. Or at least not while in service. Maybe maybe he interviews somebody. You know how some we call them grasshoppers in Mexico, some people jump, right? So unless somebody yeah, but maybe well, at least when he interviews them, they're not politicians.

SPEAKER_00 15:20

If someone had never listened to a podcast before, would you recommend this podcast?

SPEAKER_01 15:26

Yes, I think it is very easy to listen to. And it, you know, to to some extent, let I don't know how to put this, but it's almost like the same, right? Because the people are sort of like the same. Within that sameness, there's a lot of variety. So I think that is a good thing. I wish he interviewed more artists than scientists and philosophers, because he has some, but it might be in 10 to 20% compared to the 80% entrepreneurs and businessmen. Also, sportsmen, right? Athletes, like Checo Perez, of course, our god, because you know, I love him too. Or Formula One driver, the Mexican Formula One driver. But I wish he he he would do more of those, but it's a way entry to the podcast world, right? Because you're you're it's a good voice, the sound is very reasonable, the interviews are varied within that sameness, like I said, you know, yeah, you can find different perspectives. I think it is without being a comedy, of course, or anything like that. I think it is fun and entertaining and easy to listen to.

SPEAKER_00 16:28

If you found out that he was not a nice person in real life, would that affect your opinion of the podcast?

SPEAKER_01 16:36

Not at all, because I mean I don't know. I'm assuming he's a good person because why wouldn't I? But like I said, I don't even think I could host that that that podcast. I don't agree with like turning those people into gods, right? And I feel he's doing a little bit of that. And he's also starstruck by the whole idea of interviewing the big shots, right? And while that has a a lot of value, but I'm not a big fan of his. It's not that I'm not. I mean, I'm a big fan of his podcast and interviews, but I'm not necessarily a big fan of the host. And that is okay. I don't I mean, I like him, but I don't need to.

SPEAKER_00 17:13

So your primary interest is the guests that he has on the program and hearing what they have to say.

SPEAKER_01 17:18

Yes, like I said, I feel that it gives me a 360 view of what's going on in Mexico at a decision level, you know, decision-making level. It's a very good way, it's like a window, right? Into looking into all these minds and looking, okay, this is what Mexico worship represents, doesn't question, admits this is the status quo. This is the system, this is how the system works. I believe in change and revolution, so to speak, but within the system, I think they're more effective. So I think it is a great window to see how the system works.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Final question.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 17:56

Do you think liking this podcast says something about you? And if so, what is that?

SPEAKER_01 18:03

I think it will misguide some people if they hear this is my favorite podcast, you know. And I I don't think people that know me would never expect for me to to name it. But like I said, I what I don't like is the view, right? I like the view, not necessarily the window. And um at the same time, people that know me, that don't know me may know that I'm a very curious person. I like to know everything. I mean, everything, meaning I will never be able to even know 1%, but you know what I mean. I try. So in that sense, it says something about it. If something mistakenly thinks then that then I worship the same gods, you know, that's that's up for debate, I guess. But looks matter, you know what I mean? Saying that this is your favorite podcast may have some people thinking that yeah, that those are my gods. But they're not. No, I mean, it's not that they're you you know what I mean. At the end of the day, they're only human, and I may agree with some of what they say and I may not, but it's not uh all in or out kind of thing, which which is what I feel what people do with everything businessman, celebrities, right? You love or hate, like it's nothing in the middle. No, we're all human. We think alike in some issues and we don't in some other issues, and that is okay.

SPEAKER_00 19:11

Patricia, thank you so much for talking with me today.

SPEAKER_01 19:14

No, thank you so much, Catherine. This is so much fun. Congrats on your on your project and your podcast.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

And that's the show. Podactually is produced and hosted by me, Katherine Harris. If you like the program, please tell a friend. And you can also support us over at Patreon at Pod Actually or on Substack. Thanks for listening. See you soon.