Sophia Felix, an award-winning business strategist, talent manager, and mental health advocate, is making headlines again. As the founder and CEO of HBM Talent & Management and co-founder of the International Cannabis Consulting Business Women\u2019s Association (ICBWA), Felix is launching groundbreaking initiatives to elevate women in entertainment, business, and wellness spaces\u2014proving once again that leadership is a blend of purpose, perseverance, and power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sophia\u2019s journey is anything but typical. From managing actors, models, and entrepreneurs to winning three Telly Awards for excellence in media, she\u2019s built an empire rooted in integrity and impact. With over a decade of experience in branding, consulting, and talent development, she leads with authenticity and a fierce commitment to creating opportunities for others\u2014especially women and underrepresented communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her nonprofit, ICBWA, focuses on education, mentorship, and advocacy in the cannabis industry, offering a vital platform for women to connect, grow, and thrive in a space historically dominated by men. \u201cWe\u2019re not just breaking stigma\u2014we\u2019re building legacy,\u201d says Felix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the core of her success is a drive to fix what she saw broken. \u201cWomen across industries were getting taken advantage of, underpaid, and underrepresented,\u201d she recalls. After receiving countless calls for help early in her career, she decided to create a solution\u2014launching her own consulting company to serve, protect, and uplift women in business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her bold move came with challenges: limited funding, no legal counsel, and navigating the unknown. But Sophia is no stranger to adversity. \u201cI pitched my company at competitions, joined accelerator programs, and learned how to raise capital,\u201d she explains. \u201cWhen your vision is clear and your voice is confident, people show up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That grit traces back to her roots. Inspired by her grandfather, Augie\u2014a musician and positive force in her life\u2014and her grandmother Jenny, who took in foster children, Felix developed a deep sense of empathy, resilience, and leadership. \u201cThey shaped my soul,\u201d she shares. \u201cI carry their values into every room I walk into.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her leadership is also personal. As a mental health advocate, she regularly speaks about PTSD, anxiety, and holistic healing. \u201cTherapy, emotional intelligence, and nervous system regulation are tools every entrepreneur should learn,\u201d she says. \u201cMindset is everything in business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Felix believes in keeping it real with aspiring entrepreneurs. \u201cLead with purpose. Protect your brand. Have a budget. Learn to pivot. And always get a business attorney,\u201d she says with clarity. Her top advice? \u201cNever let anyone take advantage of your knowledge or resources. Make people earn your trust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a Latina woman in business, she\u2019s faced obstacles ranging from gender-based pay gaps to not being taken seriously. \u201cI was underestimated early on\u2014because I\u2019m Latina and because I\u2019m attractive,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I\u2019ve turned those perceptions into fuel. I don\u2019t let bias define me\u2014I break the mold.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What sets Sophia apart is her rare mix of street smarts, business acumen, and elite experience. Before entering entertainment, she worked in the shipbuilding industry\u2014managing multimillion-dollar contracts for the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense starting at just 20 years old. \u201cThat foundation made me fearless in boardrooms,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Felix is celebrating a new milestone: winning her third Telly Award for a commercial featuring her clients and services at HBM Talent & Management. She\u2019s also organizing a major event for ICBWA\u2014the Medicinal Cannabis Experts & Wellness Conference<\/em>\u2014which will bring together doctors, CA assembly members, and wellness leaders to educate and advocate for safe cannabis use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor us, this isn\u2019t just an event\u2014it\u2019s a movement,\u201d says Felix. \u201cGiving doctors a safe platform to speak openly is vital to shifting public perception.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To Sophia, success is measured not by money, but by alignment. \u201cIt\u2019s peace, purpose, and the ability to elevate others,\u201d she says. And while financial freedom matters\u2014it gives her the ability to focus on family, live comfortably, and choose her projects wisely\u2014she sees wealth as a tool, not the goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So what\u2019s next for Sophia Felix? More impact, more influence, and more innovation. \u201cI\u2019m just getting started,\u201d she says. \u201cEvery room I walk into, I bring light, leadership, and legacy with me.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sophia Felix, an award-winning business strategist, talent manager, and mental health advocate, is making headlines again. As the founder and CEO of HBM Talent & Management and co-founder of the International Cannabis Consulting Business Women\u2019s Association (ICBWA), Felix is launching groundbreaking initiatives to elevate women in entertainment, business, and wellness spaces\u2014proving once again that leadership […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8894,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[222],"tags":[776,3837,2803,3230,3838,3839],"class_list":["post-8893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-cannabis","tag-era","tag-industry","tag-sophia-felix","tag-talent-management","tag-womens-empowerment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/miaminewsnetwork.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/miaminewsnetwork.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/miaminewsnetwork.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miaminewsnetwork.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miaminewsnetwork.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8893"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/miaminewsnetwork.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8893\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8895,"href":"https:\/\/miaminewsnetwork.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8893\/revisions\/8895"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miaminewsnetwork.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/miaminewsnetwork.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miaminewsnetwork.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miaminewsnetwork.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}