Ismael Cala: from journalist to positive thinking coach

Ismael Cala is, without a doubt, one of the most important journalists in the Spanish-speaking world in the U.S. Born in Cuba, he achieved success in the United States and with his program Cala CNN marked a milestone in the history of interviews on that network.

She left journalism a few years ago to dedicate herself to mindfulness and coaching . She travels the world helping people live better lives and pursue their dreams as part of The Mentors, a personal and business development event that brings together leaders and influential figures from different sectors.

What were the most uncomfortable or painful moments that made you wake up?

To talk about this, I'd have to go back to my childhood and adolescence. I was a child without many smiles, with many questions I didn't know who to ask. I come from a Latino family where painful experiences are silenced. The famous "you don't talk about that." My grandfather hanged himself, my aunt committed suicide, my father lost an arm at eight, and I was never allowed to ask him how that accident happened. All of this, coupled with issues of identity, led me to a crisis at 15. After an episode of bullying , I told my mother that if she didn't take me out of boarding school, I would throw myself off the fifth floor. She took me to a psychiatrist, and I began taking medication. That's when my awakening began. I was a teenager who felt like I didn't fit in anywhere. I didn't know how to speak, how to express what was happening inside me. I felt different, misunderstood, sometimes invisible, and that made me physically ill. Today I know that every physical symptom is an emotional voice asking to be heard.

Today he talks about communication, but as a teenager he struggled to express himself...

Exactly. I used to suffer from sore throat. My grandmother treated me with baking soda, honey, and lemon. Today I understand it was my body reacting to everything I didn't express. What you don't release subjugates you. And what you express liberates you. That's why I dedicate myself to communication: because I know what it's like to have no voice and to live trapped inside. For years, my throat was physically affected, as if my body was screaming what I couldn't put into words.

Today I speak, inspire, share, but I never forget that I was that boy who kept quiet. That's why my work is so connected to the soul: because it's not theory, it's testimony.

What you don't release subjugates you. And what you express liberates you. That's why I dedicate myself to communication: because I know what it's like to have no voice and to live trapped inside.

Was there a definitive breaking point?

Yes. At 15, watching my father fresh from an electroshock session, unable to speak, but with tears in his eyes. It was a kensho moment, as the Japanese say: a moment that disrupts everything. I didn't know what I wanted to be or what I wanted to do, but I knew what I didn't want: to end up like him. In that instant, I promised myself I would find a different path. That, if I didn't know how yet, at least I knew where I didn't want to continue walking from.

That was my first conversation with God. I didn't ask for answers, I asked for guidance. And in that silence, something inside me awakened. It wasn't immediate, but it was profound.

What was your path after that moment?

Healing the inner dialogue. Because one can pretend on the outside, but on the inside, there's no one to fool. Today, I help others heal that inner voice so they can speak to the world with authenticity. Today, I can be a mentor because I was once my own apprentice. That process involved therapy, books, travel, spirituality, and, above all, a lot of self-compassion. I went from being a journalist searching for news to a human being searching for meaning. And that transition was difficult. I had to leave my comfort zone, leave traditional journalism, face the fear of not being accepted, and reinvent myself with authenticity.

I went from being a journalist searching for news to a human being searching for meaning. And that transition was difficult. I had to leave my comfort zone, abandon traditional journalism, confront the fear of not being accepted, and reinvent myself with authenticity.

Is it difficult to preach emotional balance based on the fact that one is still human, like everyone else?

I don't seek a balanced life. Balanced lives are average. I'm neurodivergent, obsessive. I used to collect coins; then, pens; today, plants. Grand visions become obsessions. As long as my vision benefits others, it's welcome. I believe in intensity, in fire, in that energy that doesn't seek perfect balance but rather total dedication to purpose. The important thing is not to obsess over control, but rather over coherence. I obsess over growth, over service, over transformation. And in that obsession, there is beauty, if it's at the service of good.

He just said something strong: that balanced lives are average... that is, humanity prefers mediocre people.

And I stand by it. Because it's easier to manipulate those who don't question. Education is designed to conform us, to uniform us not only in clothing, but in thought. We're told that curiosity killed the cat, but I learned that intuition and spirituality are the true guides. There's a crime called the educational system: it tries to mold diverse geniuses into a single mold. We live anesthetized, and when someone decides to wake up, it makes us uncomfortable. That's why my trips to India, my studies in spirituality, my training as a coach and guide are also a form of rebellion. A way of saying: there's another way to live, to feel, to learn.

What part of your ego is still healing?

That of the child who didn't feel enough. Who had only one pair of shoes with holes in them. That memory sometimes returns. And sometimes imposter syndrome speaks to me. But today I tell that ego: 'You are not going to instill inferiority in my mind.' I've worked to turn envy into admiration. Where I once felt resentment, today I study the success of others to learn from it. Because admiration heals, while envy poisons. And I'm not saying this from a pedestal, I'm saying it from daily practice. The ego never completely goes away. It learns to disguise itself. That's why we must be vigilant.

The ego never goes away completely. It learns to disguise itself. That's why we must be vigilant.

How do you see today's world, so polarized?

It's an abundant but complex world. Due to technology and the excess of information, it's harder to find silence and focus. But we also have tools we didn't have before. The key is not to be parasites of artificial intelligence, but rather conscious co-creators with it. Never before have we had so much power in the palm of our hands, but that also demands emotional and ethical responsibility and mindfulness. Today we have access to more knowledge than ever, but also more anxiety and more disconnection. That's why, more than ever, we need to return to the essentials: to silence, to the body, to the earth, to breathing.

You, who have experienced various situations as a political subject, what do you think about governments and extremes?

No government can guarantee anyone's fulfillment. What transforms societies is citizen action, individual leadership, private initiatives, and foundations. Socialism nullifies ambition, and that is anti-evolutionary. Capitalism has flaws, yes, but it allows for dreams and construction. I myself am a product of that. I triumphed in Canada. Then, in the United States. And it all began with a television pulled from the trash. When you want to transform your life, you can. But there are no shortcuts: there are paths. I don't speak from ideology; I speak from experience. I know what it's like to have nothing. And I know what it's like to grow when you're given an opportunity. And that's what I seek today: to create opportunities for others.

Is there anything you regret?

Yes. At 24, I became a stepfather to a little girl. I didn't know how to do it. I forbade her from calling me 'Dad.' Today, it pains me to remember that, because of my traumas, I didn't know how to love better. I've apologized. The Ismael of today embraces the Ismael of then, but he also demands more from him. One can justify what one did out of pain, but love demands that we go further.

She was innocent, and I was a young man with open wounds. Today I would do everything differently. But I also know that guilt immobilizes, and forgiveness liberates.

The best advice you've ever received?

Saying "no" to good opportunities so I can say "yes" to the best ones. The good is the enemy of the best. And that advice changed my life. I learned to reserve my energy, to protect my space, and to choose clearly. Before, I said yes to everything, and that kept me from what truly mattered. Today, I say yes from the soul, not from the fear of disappointment. I learned to set boundaries. To honor my time. To know that silence is also a response.

Oprah Winfrey. I met her on a trash can television in Toronto. She helped me learn English, and then I discovered her story. Today I dream of an in-depth interview with her. I feel our stories are connected by purpose. She's a woman who turned her voice into a tool for global transformation. And that's what I also want to continue doing. I've already come close. I briefly greeted her at an event. But I feel like that deep conversation between the two of us is still pending.

How do you explain spirituality to someone who's surviving? Sometimes it feels a bit unconventional to ask someone who doesn't know if they'll be able to feed their children about spirituality...

With action and consistency. That's why the Ismael Cala Foundation exists. We bring mindfulness and leadership to children in vulnerable situations. Because poverty isn't just material: it's mental. And it can be transformed with vision and education. I experienced poverty and I honor it, but my commitment is to eradicate it in others. And that begins by showing them that it is possible to rewrite their story. Poverty is no excuse not to wake up. But it requires support, role models, inspiration. That's what I try to be for others: a beacon that doesn't tell them what to do, but shows them that it can be done.

A phrase that defines it?

Those who don't question their foundations don't deserve growth. And those who don't transform themselves repeat themselves.

Those who do not question their foundations do not deserve growth. And those who do not transform themselves repeat themselves.

Today I can say I'm a mentor to many, but first I had to heal the child I once was. Everyone sees my voice, but the important thing is that I'm no longer trapped in my silence. Being a leader isn't about knowing more: it's about daring to transform yourself first. And then serving from there.

My story isn't just mine. It's everyone's who once thought they couldn't do it and are now ready to try.