- Raúl Vallejo, 29, is the head of data for a Mexican fintech called Bankaya.
- He manages a team of 14 engineers, scientists, and analysts.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Raúl Vallejo. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
For the last year I've been working as the head of data for the Mexican fintech Bankaya. Our three-year-old startup is made up of around 200 people. I'm currently managing a group of 14 engineers, scientists, and analysts, and I'm in charge of setting its data strategy.
It's a stressful job with lots to juggle. We're considering hiring a manager because I'm stretched too thin. The company is in the middle of exciting times, so everything is a priority, and the stakes are high.
Over the past six years I've discovered various habits that help me manage stress. I exercise, read, or write each morning before I start my work. I've also attended four psilocybin ceremonies and one ayahuasca ceremony here in Mexico.
I've been experimenting with psychedelics
My journey with experimentation started when I was 23. I wanted to try MDMA but in a mature way.
My best friends and I decided we wouldn't drink, smoke, or use anything else when I tried it for the first time. It was euphoric and beautiful. Since we didn't mix with any other substances, I could identify how MDMA was making me feel. It felt nothing like the intoxicating effect of alcohol.
A little over a year later, with the same group of friends, I tried one square dose of LSD. It wasn't a party scene at all but very contained. It was a beautiful experience, but it took all my brainpower, and I was exhausted the next day.
In 2019, I went to an ayahuasca ceremony with six friends of mine and two shamans. The entire night they were singing tribal chants. I had a very intense experience. I was crying out as I processed pain. My other friends didn't experience this intensity — perhaps I'm just sensitive to substances.
Though it was overwhelming, the ceremony changed my life. I went to therapy for three months afterward to process everything it brought up.
Psychedelics help me with my job
I went on to attend four psilocybin mushroom ceremonies, both alone and with friends.
Each of these ceremonies has helped me take control of my life and changed how I think about my decisions at work. The first ceremony woke me up, and each subsequent one gave importance to what I experienced that first time.
Processing and integrating what you've discovered and experienced during ceremonies is so important. Some people just wrap the experience up and put it away. I've found seeing a therapist or writing after the ceremonies vital.
As I've consistently attended ceremonies, I've stopped using recreational psychedelics at parties and social gatherings.
One of the greatest benefits of the ceremonies has been a feeling of gratefulness. I'm more grateful for the people who surround me, including my team, and the opportunities I have at work. From that gratefulness has stemmed a desire to ensure I properly support my team. I want them to know that we're in this together and that I feel empathetic about what they're going through.
The ceremonies also helped me be more vulnerable. Instead of being hard on myself, I've learned to humbly ask for feedback from others. It's OK when I make mistakes because I'm still learning. During the ceremonies, I've felt a physical sense of growing and learned to accept how uncomfortable it is. The same is true in work. I'm always growing and learning, but that growth often feels very uncomfortable.
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