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You're going to want to catch this episode! Her story is truly one of trials to triumph. Madrina Ciano shares her heart for community and giving back.
Business owners, leaders, and entrepeneurs, turning trials into triumphs, seeking and embracing success. Balancing business, family, faith, health/fitness, and, aligning with values, purpose, and vision. To promote healthy leaders leading healthy organizations.
Todd Halls 0:00
Hello, welcome to Why not me? In life we faced many trials and obstacles, many challenges in the thick of it, we can be tempted to think, Why me, but every obstacle presents an opportunity and every trial can bring trial. So I want to encourage you to adapt a mindset of why not me? When we're in the middle of it when things are tough look around and think, why not me? It's it's happening for a purpose. And then when success is at your doorstep, and all you have to do is open it. You may find yourself hesitating questioning, is this for me? Do I deserve this? And I want to encourage you to adopt a mindset of why not me? Throw the door open wide shout to the world. Why not me? Embrace your success. I'm your coach Todd halls. I'm grateful to have you on this journey. Welcome to why not Hello, Hello, and welcome to Why not meet turning trials into triumphs seeking and embracing success. I'm your host coach Todd Hall. Super excited to be here and excited to have you with us today. Thank you for tuning in. And man I am just overjoyed to have our guest on today. Medina is going to share some things with with all of us, and just to impart some wisdom and caring. And so looking forward to sharing that with you. My guest today is Medina siano, and she is a wife, a mom, a grandma, a dog mom, an entrepreneur, a community leader, and a woman of strong faith. And there is so much more to that than what I just shared. So with that madrina if you would give our listeners a little bit of background tell us who you are.
Madrina Ciano 1:47
Well, Aloha Akaka he aka to you Todd Hall and Saul's and to all of your viewers. I'm excited to be here today, I love the opportunity to share my testimony or impart any of my experiences that could be interpreted as wisdom to other people. I'm here because triumphs into triumph of sorta generalizes my life. I'm originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, but I've been now in Gulf Breeze Florida for some 20 years. I'm fortunate enough to be a community full time community volunteer, where nonprofits can call on me to help plan events and fundraise and otherwise add value to their organization. Through donating my time and my talent. The weekly hosts are rolling with madrina on Blab TV, that is a show that focuses on nonprofits and the initiatives that they're doing. Together with my husband, Mark siana. We have two grown daughters who give us four beautiful grandchildren that keep me busy when I'm not serving my community. And I love to participate in anything that's uplifting to my fellow humankind. It is the Aloha way and living aloha is a thing.
Todd Halls 3:14
Fantastic. Thank you. So you mentioned that trials into triumphs is it kind of generally embodies your story? Could you just just share a little bit about your story and your background?
Madrina Ciano 3:28
Yeah, you know, I've given a TEDx talk and some local speeches here in the community. And what they always call me to the table for is to discuss how I have been a cycle breaker, how I have been able to turn my triumphs into triumph simply through sheer desire of overcoming. I come from a family where mental illness it runs rampant and my mother experiences bipolar. And severe mood swings growing up. I'm the baby of six children. I'm sad to report that three of my siblings out of us six children are now deceased. I think it's tragic when you have three children that pass before their parents. And that's due to drug addiction, self medicating, trying to seek an escape and then turns into odd situation. So we have three siblings in my family that are dead. My mother has a fourth grade education. I dropped out of high school when I'm 16. I had a little run in with the law of running from the law. I've dealt it smoked it snorted it, you name it. I've been there. I had a little stint into detention center. three siblings in one family weren't served time in the Honolulu youth detention center. It could just go on and on. There's just a lot of relief. dysfunction that runs through my family, like I said, from drug addiction, child abuse, to molestation just on and on. And I've been very fortunate to get help through counseling and also to lean heavy on my faith to help break those cycles and to be a contributing citizen to my society as opposed to a taking citizen.
Todd Halls 5:28
Yeah, yeah. Awesome. Congratulations on the cycle breaking. Was there? Was there a moment when when was just like, that's enough? Or was it a more gradual? Like, when did when did you have the mindset shift and decide to step out?
Madrina Ciano 5:48
Well, I think it was a gradual work in progress. And if I really wanted to mention it in a faith perspective, I just really always say that I'm blessed, and highly favored. I just feel like God had his hand on me. And that great things were always in store for me, when it's one thing to have that gut instinct, but it's another thing to listen to those whispers, and actually act upon them. And so I think several things contributed to my success or my flourishing in life in comparison to my five siblings, I think, being the baby of six children who incurred or did not incur the physical child abuse that my five siblings did, I think my mother had turned to God. Around the time I was in the third or fourth grade, that was a saving grace for my family, but also felt like there just was a greater calling for me, I didn't know what it was, I mean, even when I dropped out of high school, and I did go back over a year later, and, and graduate from high school, I always felt like, You're better than this madrina it, you know, you're not supposed to be a dropout. And I took that time anyway, out of school. And then I went back and I was ready. And I graduated, I always felt like even though I was partaking in drug use, and sometimes I would be surrounded by drug dealers, and guns and, and unusual environments, let's just say that, I always felt like this is not where I belonged, you know. And so I just think over time, with maturity, with leaning on my face with learning to trust God and actually see things unfold in my life, it taught me that you can come you can rise above that mountain in front of you can be moved, any struggle you have experienced doesn't have to define you today, there are so many ways that you can improve and change the trajectory of your life. And I'm not saying that it was easy. I mean, I was full of anger, I was paranoid, I was quick to judgment. I was defensive, I was a lot of things. A lot of that comes down as you age, and you learn to sort of just take it easy and take it one day at a time. So I would say just knowing and feeling that something great was in store for me, but then obeying that that sort of gut instinct.
Todd Halls 8:27
Yeah, and so I'm hearing you talk about that. So it wasn't like you just woke up one day and everything changed. It was a it was a journey, and more of a process. And it just brings to mind how how all of us are, on some level are on on that journey, that journey of the strengthening of the faith and learning and learning to be obedient to those to those nudges. And it is a process and I just bring that up, because I think I know there's people out there struggling like oh, it should just be it should just be different tomorrow. And sometimes that happens. But I think more often most of the time, it's it may be a little bit better. And sometimes not even I didn't really noticeably better over the course of a day or two days or a week. But when you look back over the course of months or years, the changes are there.
Madrina Ciano 9:15
Absolutely. And you use the word journey. Todd and that is act. Absolutely right. And, and it's still a journey that I'm on. I mean, each day, something will come an opportunity will present itself and let's just say it's a struggle. And before oh my god, how am I going to figure this out? I need to have a decision. I needed to know it now. I needed to figure it out. It needed to be black and white, and I and what happens when you have that aches, you block your blessings. And as I've matured in also through many experiences of God showing his power to me. I've learned it just sort of lift it up and say oh, Lord, and you know I'm a little different As I refer to myself as drained from the block, I come from some street experience and all of those things that shaped me. But you know, I tend to talk to Jesus to God, like, he's my homie, or he's my friend, you know, and I don't, I don't try to make it formal, or I have to have a special time of prayer, I have to be, you know, in the dark on my knees, I just talked to him like, he's my greatest friend in life. It could be in the shower, it could be driving down the road, it could be having my cup of coffee and overlooking the water and just saying, Thank you, God, for blessing me. And then you know, I have this situation, God, and I really don't know what to do about it. And, but I'm going to just trust you, I'm going to trust that you're going to work this out. And I'm going to be amazed, and time and time again. And he doesn't say, Hey, I got this, you watch me. But if you're smart, and you're paying attention, you'll say, Wow, that's that thing I prayed to you about. And you removed me from that situation. Thank you, God. And the more I trust him, the more he does that. Matter of fact, a very close friend of the both of us Todd Kevin hammer can tell you he witnessed it firsthand. We were putting together our very first ever golf tournament, a charity golf tournament, never done a golf tournament before. But I know I've done parties. So we planned a party with the side of golf as well as the end, and God worked it out. It's all I could tell you. And as the days approached, it was like 70 or 80% thunderstorms with lightning, and 30 mile an hour gusts when, and I've got the question as an event planner, that I'll always hate hearing. What's the backup plan? Well, now people have come to know that my backup plan is Jesus. I said, Guys, I'm not the comptroller of the weather. And I am not God, all I can do is lean on my faith and give it up. He sees our heart. He sees what we're trying to do for this charity. He sees all of our heart efforts, it will be what God will want it to be. And I gave it up. And we were we had to work a little bit on our setup on some of the hardware because of the wind and the projected rain and TV screens and projectors and technology, we couldn't have the risk of rain. So we planned a little bit differently. But the moral of the story is is that day, it was so hot, so sunny, there wasn't a drop of rain in the sky. We ended up with suntans. That's how that day worked out. So God can take 70 or 80% chance of thunderstorms with thunder on your first ever golf tournament. And he will say if you lean on me, I'll show you my power. And boy, did he show it. So now it's gotten to be where people have events, they'll call me and say, Medina, can you pray for our event? And I'll say, My God is your God. And he can hear your voice and your prayers to if you will speak it to him. And you will believe it. He will see you through it. And that's really just the power of let's come to be on how I've learned to lean on him.
Todd Halls 13:21
That is awesome. And what what his encouragement, thank you for sharing that. And thank you for just sharing the message that he's he hears all of our voices, we just need to speak up and say, God, here I am. I'm talking,
Madrina Ciano 13:36
as my mother used to say, believe it and receive it. It's one thing to put the prayer up and say, Oh, God, I hope you kind of like it. Don't Rain too heavy. A cannon. Maybe you'll stop it. But I say God, I'm expecting you to stop this rain. Now. If that is your will. I expect that to come through. And I'm going wait on that Jesus. So I'll let him know I'm dependent on him. And he delivers.
Todd Halls 14:06
Oh, that is awesome. You so you've mentioned a little bit ago that you have a TV show. How did you how did you end up in in I'm kidding me.
Madrina Ciano 14:17
Just another way I'm blessed and highly favored just like I am here with you today. I have made it my life's work to serve my community in any way that I can be affiliated with any nonprofit from feeding hungry families to putting diapers on babies to help him with sex trafficking victims. I have a hard time saying no. And so God has opened these doors and I've been able to bring like I said, my time and my talent and my village of people who want to give that to uplift these organizations and I've done it for a decade or more in my community. And the local TV studio reached out and said you know, I'm a trainer. We'd like to do a television show about community engagement and all of the great work that nonprofits are doing. And you're the queen of charity and fundraisers and we would like for you to host a television show. So God just opened up that door in our local blab television in Pensacola, Florida. And I have a weekly show that features the work and the initiatives of nonprofits in our area. And I'm so blessed to do that.
Todd Halls 15:24
Super cool. What? So when you think of that show, like what's the what's been your favorite episode so far? Or what do you feel has been the most impactful?
Madrina Ciano 15:35
Well, it's been going on over two years now and obviously isn't impactful in the community because the show was called Rolling with madrina. And so as I travel around the community, Now, oftentimes, people will shout out, rolling with madrina down the sidewalk. So that's always a lot of fun. And also, the nonprofits are seeing value because you're asking to come back. And now I've got a waiting list and people who are desiring to be on the show, and this gives them a free platform, a free for mercial, if you set so to speak and a link to their show descend to their donors, and their supporters and to promote their upcoming event. So to put my finger on one episode would be hard. But of course, anything that involves the Blue Angels Foundation, and the work that they do in our community, was so honored to be picked as a key influencer by the Blue Angels Foundation. And I'm honored to say that I'm part of that less than 1% of people in the world who flew with the Blue Angels jet. So as a key influencer a one that opportunity to hit 60 G's along with four barf bags, and an opportunity I will never forget. So I love to feature anything the Blue Angels Foundation, or the Blue Angels are doing.
Todd Halls 16:57
Very cool. So you've got a heart for this community service for Pensacola. What are some of the what are some of the challenges that you see? Well, for you personally, or even for the for the greater community, as you look to just create a community a space that aligns with your vision.
Madrina Ciano 17:20
I would love to see children never abused. I would love to never see here that there's 14 year old girls that are being groomed and abducted and used as sex slaves. I would love to see homeless people off the street and have warm shelter, and an income to support themselves. I would love for all the hurting pets who have no way out to help themselves when they're with an abuser. I would love to see an end to all of the personal pain because that's just what drives me. And that's what people say, Adrian, are you spread thin? Adrian, are you doing too much? madrina? Do you need to learn to say no? Well, probably yes, yes. And yes. But people are hurting. People are hungry. You know, there's just so much pain that goes on in the world. And with my upbringing, it makes me empathetic to all of that. You know, I think of the children that are hurting. From abuse. I think a children that go home, and don't have a meal at night or over the weekends. And the only time they eat is while they're at school. So all those things drive me not to sleep, to say yes, to give where I can to connect people. And sometimes it's just a matter. I'm so blessed that now over a decade or more of doing what I do in my community. I know people and I have resources and I have connections. So later here in this month are going to have a retreat on Pensacola Beach for young girls who are survivors of human sex trafficking. And they reached out to me to come do a motivational speech. But I've also been able to get them you know yoga in a sound bath and lunch and dinner and glam and all these great things to make women feel good during this retreat. So you know, what would I like to see changes for all the pain to in an imperfect world. Secondly, if you're able to give, to help to volunteer or donate to an organization in your town that uplifts others do that. I'd love to see people galvanized into community action. My Mardi Gras crew, the crew SWAT where we were supposed to just parade five times a year. Now we're given over six figures of community impact away to different organizations because we believe in the power of collective giving and collective action. So in the perfect world, all the pain to end and to everyone be galvanized to giving back. What a great place it would be
Todd Halls 20:01
Indeed, it breaks on I just was talking about this with somebody last week, how were placed where, where we are for reason. And it's kind of funny, because then pastor Nathan up room mentioned that same thing on Sunday, but we're here, right, and we don't have to go across the world around, you know, to go on mission, although that's, that's wonderful too and they support that. But there's so many mission opportunities, right where we're at, right where we're planted, we can be on mission 24/7. And so my hardest is for businesses and business owners and, and marketplace ministry. And but there's a there's a definite tie into what you do with the community. And if it if we mobilize and get enough business owners thinking about marketplace ministry, I think it just strengthens the fabric of the community, and probably brings more resources into play with what you or with what you're up to.
Madrina Ciano 21:00
Absolutely. I talk about all of these charity events, you know, you would create a party, we invite guests, and then we have a surplus of money that helps to uplift these charities. This the sponsors are the bit local business owners, you know, they are, and I've learned that more and more that you would be surprised how many corporate organizations or even small local grassroots Mom and Pop organizations are donating in the charity world to in sometimes a lot of times fill the gap of where our government isn't, and I don't I don't even want to get into politics and why they're not they're unaware, or their money is being misused somewhere else or, or what have you. But the charities make a lot happen in our society. And it is the small businesses and local business owners that are supporting those events and those charities.
Todd Halls 22:02
So as So, for business owners that are listening, or anybody that's listening, like if like if they feel like well, I don't even know where to start with this. What do I do? What would you what guidance would you give them
Madrina Ciano 22:16
you know, and that's one thing I'm so proud of with my crew was SWAT my civic organization. And just with my village of friends, people really don't know how to begin they have a heart to give back. They know to go help with Thanksgiving it you know, waterfront rescue mission, but they don't really know what to do year around. And they're not privy to some of the organizations that I might be from all these years. One great organization that may I name, by game that are is a great way. There's one organization that I'm so proud to be a part of. I spent four years on the board, there's the membership chair, it's called Impact 100 Pensacola Bay Area. It's an all women's philanthropic organization. And we happen to have the largest chapter in the world right here in our community. And what they do is they pulled together all of your $1,000 of membership donation, they take 100% of it, and they disperse it in the community to 15 different nonprofits and each of those nonprofits will receive over $100,000 A piece in their grant. So one thing is you can take your $1,000 that year and know that it is going to be multiplied through all of its members to over a million dollars and every penny will be dispersed into the community. So that's one place to begin. There's also United Way they help facilitate many charitable organizations. They are a resource for local charities they will help them form their organization but they also will have a way of dispersing monies and resources to a lot of organization you can feel free to reach out to me Audrina siano, you'll find me on Facebook, rolling with Medina on Facebook, or even my crew of SWAT that's KR e w e and I can put you in touch if you say, hey, I want to help children with cancer. I want to help those sex crime victims you spoke about I would love to donate and do a day down at Manna I would love nothing more to show my fellow friends how they can be engaged in their community.
Todd Halls 24:40
Perfect, thank you. You mentioned a little bit ago so my next question is directed more towards you like what challenges what obstacles are you as you look ahead of the year coming up? Like what obstacles or challenges do you see? For you
Madrina Ciano 25:01
Probably I would love to have one more clone of Medina so that I could serve my community double time. So it's not having enough time to do all that I want to do, but I know that God will put me where I'm supposed to be when I'm supposed to be there, so that so I'm gonna just give that up to him. Secondly would be in a perfect world if everyone who has money to donate would call me. I have charities to give those to. So sometimes it's not having enough money to bring the things to fruition that I want. But as I'm speaking that Todd, God has never failed, just this morning before I got on this call, I got a call to receive $3,500 from step one automotive in our area, very charitable automobile dealership and just had a brainchild of wanting to feed some hungry families at Thanksgiving with my crew was Swat. I didn't want it to be a free for all I wanted to be more direct. And I didn't know quite what to do. But I said I have a I have an idea. So I got a couple of people together. The hammers are one set of the couple soo strong our local news broadcaster who is the Head Mistress of Ceremonies here. She's joined the team as well as a classic city, Katerina, a great dog caterer in the area, Emerald Coast custom cakes, the pastry chef in the area, we've all come forward and now we've decided we want to feed grandparents, raising grandchildren. We all know that with the drug epidemic and opioids and fentanyl and so many different things, just stress. We have a lot more grandparents that are raising their grandchildren now and they're an unsung underseen underserved demographic. And so we have paired we taken Council on Aging's demographic list distribution list, and we're going to pinpoint 300 families. And that could be a family of two or a family of six. And we're going to deliver a fully cooked Thanksgiving meal with all of the fixings for several days to eat on this Thanksgiving meal so that these grandparents will have a release on how are we going to afford this? How are we going to prepare this? How are we going to do this, I've been involved in Turkey giveaways, and deliveries, and you wouldn't be surprised when you pull up to the houses. They don't have stoves. They don't have enough money to run the gas to cook the turkey. They may not even have the competence on how to prepare the turkey. So our planning group and through the guidance of Su Straughn. She said, Listen, we need to send him a prepared meal. So anyway, we've been praying about this, we have an idea. And that's all we have. Next thing you know, we've got some donated fruit and donated potatoes and donated bread. Next thing you know, we've got all these heavy duty boxes being delivered, but we still needed money. And I was thinking, well, that times coming near we need to order that food. How are we gonna make that happen? You know how we're gonna make it happen. We're gonna lean on God. And he's going to see it through because we're leading with love. And when you lead with love, and you have pure intentions, God will honor that. So just this morning, I had a little instinct, this what I call those whispers Todd, I had an instinct to follow up with that one. That's step one automotive. They said, Yeah, madrina we want to be involved count on us for a donation. Okay, well, now's the time for the donations to come in the mail. So I'll go knocking on that door again. Good morning, step one automotive. Thank you for your interest. Oh, yes, Marina, we want to be involved. Count us in for $3,500 almost half what we were hoping for. So they came $3,500 from step one automotive and they said we want to be involved in your convoy when you deliver meals. So I didn't have to worry about it. I just gave it up to God. But that doesn't mean you don't have to knock on that door twice. But the second time I'm not. God gave me a big delivery. And so I submitted that to our committee. I said, Guys, guess what, God is good all the time. Look what we got today. $3,500. So now we're feeling good about our mission. The point being is lean on God. Trust that faith. The more you trust Him, the more he will amaze you. I just stay in a thankful spirit. Todd. You know when I got that phone call, I must have told God thank you 10 times. Thank you Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Thank You, Lord, for blessing our idea. Thank you, Lord for taking that mustard seed of faith.
We didn't know how we feed the families. But we knew that they were hurting. When you think about a grandmother, who's 70 or 80 years old, and she's on a fixed income, trying our best to fill that gap in her family and a step by step in and take the grandchildren so that they're not in the system or on the street, that will drive you to knock on that door the second time. And then you let your faith make it happen. And he did. So I'm just so thankful that God teaches me to lean on him time and time again. And he's yet to fail me.
Todd Halls 30:49
How madrina? What a wonderful example. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Is you look forward to the again, just looking ahead, what are you most? What are you most excited about? As we as we close out 21 and move into 22? What are you most excited about in the coming six months to a year?
Madrina Ciano 31:14
I'm most excited about, you know, a little bit of a paradigm shift. I think that the pandemic's given a lot of us, I know myself, I think it puts a lot of less emphasis on the material items at so much show, you know, with social media, you know, we have to have this latest and greatest and you need to come over here and take a picture, you know, everyone's experiencing FOMO fear of missing out and you know, all of these things, I think it's just so wonderful that with the pandemic, at least I speak for myself, it gave me a paradigm shift. And so it puts things into better perspective for you. And it makes you realize what's important, and it really prioritizes. So I'm excited about having that shift, excited about continuing quality relationships with people who support me and I can support them, I look forward to knowing what the value is in life, being in my family, and knowing that I'm happy, I'm healthy, and that I'm blessed. So I'm looking forward and just relishing in everything that God reminds me that I'm so blessed about. And then to take that mindset and that attitude of gratitude. And to give back in my community, I just look forward to more ways on how God will use me. That's what I'm excited about to see the new doors that will open the new opportunities that will present themselves in the new ways that God will use me. That's what I'm excited about. Todd, fantastic.
Todd Halls 32:44
Fantastic. I love that. So as we as we come close to wrapping this up, what a couple things first. If you were to offer just some, I don't know if you wanna call it advice, but offer something to the listeners as something they can do. Or if you prefer, what's one question that we should all be asking ourselves.
Madrina Ciano 33:09
Ask yourself what it is that you're doing to uplift others. No act is too small, you'll find that the more you uplift others, the more positive your life will be. I would ask that you reflect on all that you have, and not what you don't have. When you focus on what you don't have, you'll never have enough. Appreciate what you have. Because I can assure you, someone would love to trade places with you. They would love the ability to sit in the comfort of their home and listen to a great podcast like this. And believe it or not, there are people who don't have that ability. I just ask that you would open your heart and say, what is it that I can do to be of service to others? And then finally, I would ask that you listen, listen for those whispers feel those nudges in your spirit. That gut instinct. Some people call it a gut instinct. Some people call it a nudge. My mother would say God spoke to me and said, No, I've never heard his voice. I asked him all the time. I'd like to hear your voice God. That's not his plan for me. But instead he gives me a heavy burning in my gut, that tells me that this is what I need to do. So I would ask that you listen for those whispers that you would obey. And that you would step outside of yourself to do what is asked of you.
Todd Halls 34:44
Perfect. Perfect for the folks that want to get in touch with you. I know you shared it earlier, but one more time. Where can where can we get more madrina
Madrina Ciano 34:54
All right. Madrenas siano on Facebook, email, Madrid. siano at Gmail, or find my local television show on Blab TV on rolling with madrina. Also on Facebook madrina is spelled M Adri in a last name siano si ay ay in. Oh, some people call me la marina, the godmother of charity.
Todd Halls 35:26
Cool, thanks so much for dreena Thank you i Your your, your time is such a gift and I cherish that gift. So thank you so much for being with us today and showing that to all our listeners, man. I just I just hope that you let Medina's message just land. take it to heart, everybody. Hey, don't forget whatever whatever you are, Jamie, whatever great vision God has placed on your heart. Remember? You can until next time, everybody, peace to you. Well, thank you so much for listening. For even more on turning trials into triumphs and seeking and embracing success. Go to Todd halls dot life. That's Todd halls, dot life. And I look forward to serving you. Until next time, be strong, be bold, be humble. Stay healthy, stay hopeful. Peace to you.