Carol Sanchez, a married mother of three, has built an outstanding professional reputation. She’s held high-level positions at corporations like Staples, served on former Governor Mitt Romney’s Council on Diversity, and won numerous awards along the way, such as the YWCA of Boston’s Academy of Women Achievers Award in 2011. One of her most important career moves, however, came in 2004 when Carol co-founded Sanchez & Santiago LLC, a thriving CPA firm located in Boston and Marlborough, Mass. Among her many tasks? Helping other Latinas grow their businesses. Here, she shares three habits that lead to prosperity.

The daily planner: “I always have a working plan in my professional and personal life,” says Sanchez. Without a map to guide you toward your goals, you’ll wander about aimlessly. But that doesn’t mean the lines on your map can’t change: “In college, I was an international business major but switched to accounting because I got 4.0’s in the courses. I knew I’d have plenty of job options.”

Interview your boss: “If he or she doesn’t inspire you, then you could waste years not progressing and spending time finding another job,” says Sanchez. “It’s critical that you like your boss, and they’ve got to like you. Employers that really want you are going to help you because they’re committed to your success.”

The social networker: “I go to events, meet people and stay in touch. If someone that I met at an event calls me, I take the time to call back. Our business was up and running very quickly because of our expansive network.”

To prep like an expert for your next webcam appearance, Cynde Watson, a celebrity makeup artist and co-host of “BeautyShopTV,” which launches this fall, says to stay away from anything that distracts viewers from your message. Here’s how:

Clothing: Keep it simple with vibrant colors, but avoid neon. “Magenta, banana-yellow and pumpkin always look good,” says Watson. “No stark white, black or prints, including checkers and stripes.” Wear clothing that fits and tastefully displays your neck and décolleté.

Hair: Think smooth and classic. Wearing it up or down doesn’t matter as long as it’s not distracting your viewer. Tame big hair with a stylish band. Don’t go drastic, like dying or perming, before your appearance. Take your signature style and groom it to where your face is the focal point.

Makeup: Cameras magnify everything, from freckles to dark circles under the eyes. Look smooth and shine-free by evening out your skin -- neck and décolleté included -- with a foundation that matches your shade. Been in the sun? Use warmer tones. For lipstick, go up one or down two shades from your natural color. No-no’s include glitter, frost and false lashes on ojos, or gloss on labios.

Lighting: Emmy award–winning producer Crystal Whaley says natural sunlight is best. Sit at angles to either side of a window. “Sitting directly in front of the window will create darkness around you,” she says.

Background: “It shouldn’t be busy,” says Watson. “Coordinate your backdrop to compliment the colors you’re wearing.” Sit in your home office, living room or near a bookshelf for business calls.

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/claudiobaba

Look inside many Latina entrepreneurs’ contact lists and you’re likely to discover the name of their best-kept secret to success: Nancy Marmolejo. As the founder of Viva Visibility and author of 21 Online Visibility Tips Every Entrepreneur Must Know, Nancy helps business owners across the country raise their online (and offline) visibility level. Then they can market themselves as recognized, credible experts in their fields.

With an online business, there’s a level of freedom that traditional employment doesn’t offer. “You can work from home, set your own schedule, be there for your kids,” she says, and “eliminate the stress of everything a job and a commute bring into the picture.” There’s an added benefit for Latinas: the ability to reach prospective customers all over the globe. Here’s how:

1. Integrated marketing is key. Online marketing must be backed up by offline methods. That might mean picking up the phone, going to live events or using traditional print marketing. “I’m also very excited about mobile marketing, which is a hot emerging area,” says Marmolejo.

2. State your services clearly. “Craft your website so it answers questions and gives people information, and doesn’t just stand there like a brochure,” says Marmolejo. You’ll develop a loyal following if you’re a source of solutions.

3. Build your database. “Many opportunities are lost when businesses don’t capture email addresses on their websites,” says Marmolejo. “Offer your Web visitors free tips or a special downloadable gift in exchange for their email. Then you can follow up and build strong, lasting relationships with your clients.”

At a towering 6 feet, Olympic swimmer Dara Torres is a breathtaking composition of muscle, proportion and beauty. Yet, she’s no newbie.

Torres became the oldest medalist in swimming history at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. She was 41 and beat all of her youthful records. This summer, she’ll break age barriers again when she dives into the London Olympics at the jaw-dropping age of 45.

But the 12-time medalist’s impressive talents aren’t just confined to the pool. She’s also the best-selling author of two books, Age Is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life and Gold Medal Fitness: A Revolutionary 5-Week Program, and was the first female athlete featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Most importantly, she’s the mother of 6-year-old Tessa.

Here, three ageless reminders to turn your vision into a reality.

1. Draw inspiration from challenges. Do like Torres and let the hurdles and skeptics motivate your success. “When there’s an obstacle put in my path, I become motivated to get through it and defy the odds,” says Torres.

2. Find a cause that is greater than you. “After the 2008 Olympics, so many women told me I was an inspiration,” says Torres. “I think that’s what keeps me in the pool: continuing to remind people that age really is just a number.”

3. Believe in yourself. What does Torres hope her daughter and fans learn from her staggering success? That age brings experience and confidence. As the champ says: “Age works to my advantage, not my disadvantage.”

Photo: Getty Images

Although Christina Cruz, 29, only started boxing eight years ago, she’s already a five-time Golden Gloves boxing champion and a London 2012 Olympic Games Team Trials participant.

Tall, slim and bred in New York City, this flyweight uses her fancy footwork and speed to strike fear in her opponents -- a strategy she achieved through endless hours of drills inside and outside the ring. Here, Cruz shares her fitness strategy that we can all knock ourselves out to.

Build Strength
“Having solid arms and abs is important because they’re places where you get punched,” says Cruz. She runs 3 miles in the morning. Afternoon workouts vary between strength training (light weights on arms, calisthenics, and plyometrics) or boxing training (jump rope to warm up, punching bag combinations, and sparring).

Iron Legs
Cruz’s strict routine of squats and lunges means no fat on her so-called “chicken legs.” “Having strong legs is very important when you’re fighting,” she says. “It’s your base. But as you grow tired, standing on them can feel like the longest minutes of your life in the ring.”

Don’t Overdo It
“I do about 200 situps a day toward the end of the workout. I work out five days a week and take the weekends off to rest my body, which is important.”

Boxers struggle to put on or take off pounds to fit competition weight guidelines. “You don’t have to only eat lettuce,” insists Cruz. “I eat three meals a day and have a small snack every two hours. Only when I’m not training will I touch junk food.” Her favorite? New York City pizza, of course.

Photo: Getty Images