250 - Latinas Rising Up in HR with Priscilla Guasso

Show Notes

Listeners, we're back this week with Priscilla Guasso.

Based in Miami and Chicago, Priscilla Guasso thrives in leading human resources teams focused on all areas of the employee life cycle: talent acquisition, mobility, talent development, succession planning, performance management, employee relations, global diversity, equity and inclusion, and overall company culture. Her sixteen years of global experience expands to HR in the US, Latin America, Caribbean, UK and Canada within the hospitality, healthcare and as a current leader of Talent Management in the technology industry.

She thoroughly enjoys coaching leaders to invest in themselves to effectively grow their leadership skills in corporate, startups, nonprofit and government. As a Amazon Best Selling Author and founder of Latinas Rising Up In HR™ she is laser focused on one purpose: creating a community of Latinas in HR (and allies) sharing their keys of knowledge and success to O-P-E-N doors of unlimited possibilities!

Priscilla holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing from University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign, Illinois. In 2021 she was a contributing author to volume 9 of Today’s Inspired Latina™, was a speaker for the 2021 LATINATalks Global Tour and serves as a proud board member of the Fig Factor Foundation. During the 2020 pandemic Negocios Now recognized her as one of Latinos 40 Under 40, she is an annual inspiration agent for Young Latina Day (April 11th) and proud member of: HRHotseat, Hispanic Star Miami, Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), The Latinista, Women Who Roar and previous board member of: National Hispanic Corporate Council (NHCC), Mujeres de HACE Chicago and Latino/Latina Alumni Association for University of Illinois. She enjoys traveling to new cities with her husband, Jorge, spending time with close family and soaking up the sun in warmer climates.

 

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Relevant Timestamps:

09:02 - Growing up in a predominantly white town

12:12 - Being raised by her mom

12:36 - Working in hospitality

17:53 - Going into HR

18:42 - Impostor syndrome

24:12 - Burned out

25:51 - Deciding to leave her job

30:28 - Miscarriage

32:08 - Taking care of herself

33:00 - Starting her business

 

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Creators & Guests

Host

Pam Covarrubias

Cafe con Pam Creator and Host

Producer

Nancy Jaimez

Producer Cafe con Pam

What is Cafe con Pam?

Cafe con Pam is the weekly podcast featuring fearless Latine/x and People of The Global Majority that break barriers, change lives and make the world a better place while living in the US. Cafe con Pam is the platform where Latine/x are able to share their stories and inspire one another through conversations about mindful productivity, business, and liberation. Of course, while enjoying a fabulous cup of coffee.

Hello everyone, this is Pam de Cafe con Pam, the bilingual podcast that features Latines, Latinos, Latinas, Latinxs, and people of the global majority who break barriers, change lives and make this world a better place. Welcome to episode 250 of Cafe con Pam. Today we have a conversation with Priscilla Guasso.

“Take chances, boldly invest in you, and give yourself permission to pause.” “Rejection is temporary, giving up makes it permanent.”~ Priscilla Guasso.

Based in Miami and Chicago, Priscilla Guasso thrives in leading human resources teams focused on all areas of the employee life cycle: talent acquisition, mobility, talent development, succession planning, performance management, employee relations, global diversity, equity and inclusion, and overall company culture. Her sixteen years of global experience expands to HR in the US, Latin America, Caribbean, UK and Canada within the hospitality, healthcare and as a current leader of Talent Management in the technology industry.

She thoroughly enjoys coaching leaders to invest in themselves to effectively grow their leadership skills in corporate, startups, nonprofit and government. As a Amazon Best Selling Author and founder of Latinas Rising Up In HR™
she is laser focused on one purpose: creating a community of Latinas in HR (and allies) sharing their keys of knowledge and success to O-P-E-N doors of unlimited possibilities!

Priscilla is super acomplished and she enjoys traveling to new cities with her husband, Jorge, spending time with close family and soaking up the sun in warmer climates.

Listeners, this conversation with Priscilla was so fun. We really enjoyed, I enjoyed my talk with her because-- one thing that I loved about her story, about Priscilla story is her determination and how-- I mean, you'll hear it in an interview, so I don't want to do spoilers. But really creating a vision, which is so powerful and then taking the steps to make it happen.

***

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***

I love hearing the stories of people like Priscilla who share how they made things happen before social media arrived, before LinkedIn was available and all of the, I guess, analog tasks that took place instead of digital tasks, so I'm calling them analog. It's amazing because ultimately her actions show us how it truly is about building connection and nurturing relationships and seeing the humanity of each other. Pero I'm not going to give any more spoilers. Cause I think I'm kind of like teasing too much. So I'll just let you listen to my interview with Priscilla.

***

Pam: Priscilla welcome to Cafe con Pam.

Priscilla: Thank you for having me!

Pam: Thank you for being here. So the question that we always ask, what is your heritage?

Priscilla: So I am, first-generation Mexican from my mom's side and second generation from my dad's side. Um, they're both from Mexico city. También hablo en español, so I'm very proudly living both worlds, I have been all my life.

Pam: I'm from Mexico city, how fun! Have you been?

Priscilla: Every time I get a chance, I try to go. I actually, I used to take a trip every summer when I was younger, and I would stay there for three months with my abuelita. And she actually happened to, it's funny how life turned. She was here with me for almost three months here in Miami. Now I'm in Miami.

Pam: In Miami. So, that's interesting. Traditionally, historically, Mexicans are more on the west coast, the majority, and then on the east coast in Miami, especially we have a lot of Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, a lot of Caribbean people. How did this Miami happen?

[laughs]

Priscilla: That's a story in itself, but I'm happy to share. So about eight years ago when I was working in hospitality, I was offered an opportunity to move to Miami, because I'm originally from Chicago.

Pam: Okay. That makes more sense.

Priscilla: Yeah. So I'm from Midwest. Yeah. And I didn't want to go. And I remember talking to a number of people in my family saying, you can't go, you never wanted to leave home. You're the, you're the glue. You keep us together. And I remember having one mentor who isn't Latino, actually. He reached out to me, he's like, can I give you some advice? And I'm always, I love feedback, advice, like, yeah, bring it on. And he was a good friend. And he goes, you know, I don't understand your Latino heritage and I love it, I can see you're very proud of it. And you're always talking about your family and your culture. But, he goes, [inaudible] about just like your career, what this means for your career. Cause I wasn't thinking of that. Right. I was just like, I can't leave my family. And he goes: you can always come back, right? You can always come back to Chicago if Miami doesn't work out. And so from there I said, okay, well, let's try it. I talked to my family, they-- halft were happy, half weren't so happy. And my husband and I moved to Miami, we stayed there for about four years. And then after that I realized I did not like Miami. I wouldn't say hate because I don't hate things, but I really disliked it to your question. How did I end up in Miami? And when I was there, I just, I felt like a fish out of water because I was used to the Midwest where there is more Mexicanos, right? And just, I felt home. And it was the Midwest, the friendly Midwest. And that's when I realized, no, I don't think Miami is for me. So we left, we went back to Chicago for two years and then my husband actually just got a job a year ago. And then we ended up back in Miami. [laughs]

Pam: Oh my God.

Priscilla: It takes a pandemic for me to come back to Miami. But I will say this next time around, the second time around that we've been in Miami, I have a whole different mindset and a whole different-- I've gone through a lot in these last three/four years. I think all of us have, I've been through a lot personally that I go, you know what? This is actually the perfect place for me to be in right now.
And I embrace it. So we are in Miami.

Pam: Is Miami one of those places that once you go, it's almost like you always kinda like keep going back to it?

Priscilla: I've actually heard that Miami is more of a place, like you love it or you don't. And so I laugh because I didn't, when I got here, I didn't like it at all. What I did-- the only thing I did love was the different foods and the cultures, right? Because there is a, a mix of everything but Mexican, depending on where you go. I learned, I learned there's packets. And so what I've realized though, is it takes time for Miami to warm up to you, right? And for you to warm up to it. And so now after, after a couple years now, I will say that I'm very proudly from Miami as well. [laughs] Full circle, right? Funny how that works.

Pam: Full circle. Yes. Miami's special. I have been to Miami and it's, I could see how it's one of those places where you either like fully sink in or fully not fit. So you mentioned hospitality. Is that where your career began?

Priscilla: It did. I went to school at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. Out in the cornfields down south, three hours south of Chicago. I wanted to get as far away as family and Chicago as possible, but not far enough [laughs] Just close enough, not that far. Enough to be able to drive back home if I needed to.

Pam: How far of a drive?

Priscilla: That was about three, three and a half hours, depending how fast you drive. Some days it would take two and a half hours. It was perfect for me. And, um, what I will say though, I didn't realize how big the school was. And I was in auditoriums of 2, 300 students, 600 students. Coming from my, my little suburb of Chicago I was like, ooh, this is not something I'm used to. But, uh, I did grow up in a predominantly white neighborhood. And so it wasn't new to be a fish out of water in those spaces. But I did realize that more and more as I was getting older that there's these, these differences. I felt that more in high school, to be honest with you, especially when I had, I had a counselor. And I can't even remember her name now, my dad, if he's like, had I known she said this to you, I would have been like, yeah, it's from the past now. But she said something along the lines of, why are you trying to apply to these colleges? You're not going to get in. They're not going to accept you. That's not a reflection of the other teachers there. It just was that one counselor, but it impacted me so much that I go, you know what? Success is the best form of revenge sometimes. [laughs] So I'm going to show you that I can do things and not because you said I couldn't, but I know I can, and I can do some more.
So that was the beginning of a spark, as well as, uh, I had a high school teacher that his name was Señor Correa and he proudly Puerto Rican, and shared, we should be proud of our heritage, even though you're part of a minority at this high school. So he brought us together to learn and be prideful of our Latinidad. And, uh, I remember at first it started off, it was just like gatherings and getting to know one another, and then later it was more leadership development. He took us to events, we went to the USHLI United States Hispanic Leadership Institute in Chicago, a big conference that they have there for high school students. And that's where my mind was blown. I'm like, oh my gosh, there's more of us. [laughs] We're all shades and colors and sizes and backgrounds and different places across the country. And I remember hearing a teacher, no, she wasn't a teacher. She was a business speaker actually, and very dressed well in a suit, a blue suit. And I just remember saying, wow, she looks like me. Right? But like years ahead of me, I keep saying this, I need to find out where she's from and who she is. Cause I know they have these stats and they hold on to history. But uh, that's where that's spark lit, I go, one day I would love to do something like this where you motivate others. Cause she motivated me to want to do something. I didn't know what it was at the time, but it was impactful. And she spoke about being part of two worlds. And she spoke about not letting your past dictate your future and how, um, I believe it was her parents that were divorced. My parents are divorced as well, very impactful, a lot of different, like different traumas that happened from that. But seeing her up there lit a spark in me, then I go, you're right. I could do something like this and help others, but I, I didn't know what I would talk about. I didn't want to just speak to speak. So I said, you know, maybe one day. And I just left that in the back of my head a long time ago. Again, this is high school, so we're talking about 20, you know, 15 years ago, 20 years ago. But, uh, all to say that, uh, that's really, you know, where a lot of it sparked from of just my path. But then from there I realized in college that I wanted to get into event planning. The movie The Wedding Planner with J-Lo was very big at the time. And I wanted to be one of those too. But I didn't have the experience, I didn't have the background. I didn't do internships. I didn't know. I just didn't. I was raised by my mom and my mom immigrated here from Mexico and she just said, mija, you got to work hard, work hard. And so I learned that from her inside and out of the heart. And as my relationship grew with my dad, he would say, you got also get out there and show your worth and show, you know, what you're doing.
And education's huge. So I got that from both sides. I'm very, very, very grateful and privileged to have that. And so from there I decided let's go into hospitality. And somebody told me if you want something, go for it. You just gotta go for it. Just do it. The worst that they can say is no, and then it doesn't happen. Right? So then I, uh, looked online. I Googled who are the executives at Hyatt? Their offices are in Chicago, saw a gentleman by the name of Salvador Mendoza who happened to be Latino as well and was all over the news for them, just talking about how great Hyatt was for all people. And I go, I need to talk to him. He needs to meet me. [laughs] So I put on a suit, ran downtown. Didn't have an appointment, ask to speak with him during one of my summers. And he actually met with me.

Pam: I see.

Priscilla: Yeah, that's how it started, that's-- and full circle. I invited him and he accepted to be the preface writer for Latinas Raising Up in HR, which is the book that we launched about a year and a half ago. It's so neat to see how, you know, when you start a relationship, you don't know where it's going to end and how one person can impact your life. Right? We all can do that. So that's, I started in hospitality, worked my way through many different departments I worked in--

Pam: Okay. So let's break it down. Cause I have a lot of questions. You go to the Hyatt office and you asked to speak with him. So at this point was LinkedIn a thing? How did you figure?

Priscilla: It was, but it wasn't, right? It wasn't like you use today. I kind of created my own in-person LinkedIn, where I go. I'm going to go see you, but yes, I just went. And again, the stars aligned because he travels a lot, that for him to have been there. He was an executive. He was a very, very high executive in diversity and inclusion. So again, it was just, it was meant to be.

Pam: So what did he say? Like, who are you now?

Priscilla: Now we laugh about it and he always will tell a story. I've gotten more comfortable telling it. He loves sharing it. I love hearing his point of view. And actually you can hear a little bit more about that in, in the book because he shares that in the preface. But he was curious, he goes, who is this Priscilla Alvarado? Because that was my maiden name at the time. He goes, why, you know, why not meet with her? So my version is I was sweating and didn't know what was going on when they invited me up. I didn't plan for that. I actually had planned for Priscilla was going to leave her resumé, right? And she's going to say, thank you, and then follow up with an email afterwards. Cause it was like Fort Knox in there. I mean, you couldn't get in. They had, um, I think it was like a big accounting firm there or something of that nature, that they had metal detectors and all of this security.

Pam: Oh, is one of those buildings that you have to go through, like multiple [inaudible]

Priscilla: Yeah, exactly. And so when they said you can go through I'm going, oh my gosh, I hope I have nothing on me. That's going to stop them. I'm sweating. I didn't prepare for this. I've dressed the part, but I didn't know what I was doing. And I go, you know what? I just, I'm just meeting someone. Right. I don't even know. I didn't know. And that's the other thing, I didn't know how high up he was in the organization. I just knew he worked there. Did my research that well. But when I met with him, we met in a cafeteria there for their employees. So it was very casual setting. I joked with him. I was like, you're trying to make sure I wasn't crazy, right? You're making sure there's exits, because you don't know who you're meeting with. We had a really great conversation of just what my aspirations were, of where I wanted to go in hospitality and be in event planning, not just wedding planning, all events, conferences, meetings. And that's when he goes, well, I'll make a connection with you and the Hyatt Regency Chicago, as well as the Hyatt Regency O'Hare and let you take it from there. And I was like, well, I want to go downtown. I want to be downtown. He was like, you should check out O'Hare too. So I was like, all right, why not? Let's try it out. So from there it just sparked so much to me because then I met with the HR department. And they said, you know, why don't you come in and shadow us for a little bit. And then they later on stayed in contact with me as I did with them. And I did with Sal. And from there they said, hey, we have an opportunity in catering and my little humble self was like, I've got my education, I've got my degree. Why am I going to be an administrative assistant at your company? Right?
But I didn't have the experience, I didn't have. And I go, well, you know what, Priscilla, no job's too good for you. You start where you have an opportunity and make it your own. And that's what I did. I started off as an administrative assistant and learned so much of creating contracts, how to work banquet orders, how the whole, just a whole hotel works. We had an economic downturn and they hit me in accounting for a little bit. So I would have a job still. That's when I also went to the front desk and I did some turns in housekeeping. I worked the floor in the restaurant and that's when I realized no, I like HR. That's, that's where I want to be. But I want to do events for employees. So that's how I got my foot in the door and I did a lot around employee engagement there.

Pam: How fun!

Priscilla: It was a lot of fun. Those were some of the best memories in my career of just, just being me, just, just having a blast and, and connecting with the employees, using my language, being able to speak in English and Spanish and help the housekeepers with their benefits questions. Cause they didn't know.

Pam: Claro!

Priscilla: So I'm like, no, es que quieren saber un poquito más de la cuenta, you know, what's happened and you know, when did you go? And no, no, no, no, no. It was wonderful. So being able to give back, I saw many of them, like my abuelita, right. Where they work so hard. And I just, if I could give them a little peace of mind, right. If it was for me a small bill, for them that wasn't small, right? And so I am very, very thankful to my mom and my dad that instilled that in me to, to hold on to the language and use it, right? To use it where I could. So that's how it started. That's how my career started. And then I decided HR was my space. They said, do you want to go into catering? Or do you want to go into HR? And I said, no, I want to go into HR. Worst case. I go back to catering and I never went back. I stayed in HR. 16 years later here I am.

Pam: Here you are. Did you ever do event planning, you planned events for employees, but did you ever do a wedding?

Priscilla: I was behind the scenes with weddings and conferences, yes. Actually my abuelita my dad's side, she's a wedding planner.
She did bautismos, she did quinceañeras here in Chicago, very well known. She would do her events. And so I was in the back always helping, you know, in the, with the water stations and setting up. But that's where that was started.

Pam: And then the movie no?

Priscilla: And then the movie. Yeah, it just kind of solidifying that was going to be my path. But no, I made a turn.

Pam: For sure. Did you ever feel inadequate or impostery, did you ever have imposter syndrome?

Priscilla: It hit more as I got into higher roles. When I started in hospitality, the hotels are very diverse, depending where you look, right? And so I was around my people. I didn't care what their position was. I still don't. Right. It's just, they're-- my people were there around me. Then I made a turn, which was exciting. Sal came back to me and he was like, hey, do you know someone that would be interested in a role in diversity and inclusion at the corporate office? Right past my head. It went right past me. And I go, oh yeah, I'll, I'll think about it and let you know who I know. He was like I'm talking about you. [laughs] I said, let me think about it. Because I didn't know what that meant. Diversity equity, inclusion, I was like, what, what do you do? Right? And then the corporate office. For a lot of employees as like the ivory tower. And it's like the Mecca of the headquarters of all a global company. And I go, why not? Right? Let's do it. Why not? Let's see. When I got there, I had amazing people support me, like great mentors, but I always felt like I don't see other people like me. I felt so at home when I was at the hotels. But I remember one of my friends, en paz descanse, she passed away about two years ago, she did tell me, and she worked in our shipping and receiving team. She was like, Priscilla, as you move up, don't ever forget what got you to where you're going. Right? Don't ever forget your past. Don't ever forget your culture. Hold on to that. And I've had a few people tell me that that is, I will say why I've, I've do what I do and what I work in. But when I got to the corporate office, I remember the pride I felt from people around me. The housekeepers were like, you know, has llegado, you know, like you've made it, and I'm going, I was so young and I'm like, I don't know what you mean. I still have so many years ahead of you. What do you mean I've made it? Well, imposter syndrome did kick in, it was more of the responsibility to show and represent in all these spaces that it wasn't me. It was my community I felt like I was representing. And so I guess there were times that I felt, I would say call them, like more, you know, we call them like those whispers or those giants that are just, I, it was myself. It was not people around me that made me feel that it was me, that later as I learned more of my craft, I got no. I'm going to listen to these whispers. I'm not going to listen to this. And that's actually what led me to leave my job a year and a half ago. Yeah. To answer your question. I think all of us experienced at some point, we just sometimes don't know what to label it or call it or know it, but in my, I can only speak for myself and yeah, I felt it here and there, especially as I moved up.

Pam: For sure. And I think, I mean, something that happened to me, for example, when I was in corporate, I sabotaged. Because of my imposter. I listened to, to the whispers more than my inner guide. And I mean, in my case, I procrastinated on work because what I believe is that when you get a promotion or when you get a role is because they see that you're capable of doing it, you know?
In my case, I would procrastinate on things and just like not submit by deadline. And I realized, I mean, now I know, knowing what I know, it was a form of self-sabotage, because I wasn't confident of what I was expected to deliver. Did you ever sabotage?

Priscilla: I would say, I mean, I, I, to be honest with you, yes, I'm sure I have. I've learned to let it go and just pushing it away right. In the, in a good, in a healthy way. Where it's like, okay, what am I going to do now to help and create positivity and change? And when I was younger, I didn't know what I didn't know as well. And so now where I'm at today, in this space of just creating change and positivity, I think because it's a lot of like who I've put around me, to be very honest with you. Growing up in the hospitality industry
and then I moved into healthcare with assisted living, right with our viejitos, right? The imposter syndrome kicked in when I was ready to leave Hyatt and I didn't have anything. I was like, I don't know what's going to happen, but I know that I can do more, but something's telling me also, no you can't. And what if. And so I was battling myself and I go, I have to take a chance on myself and see, and a month later I got this role at assisted living and that's where I've got to prove to myself, not anyone else, to myself. I knew my stuff in HR. Like I led nine different teams in nine different states. I was managing 50+ employee relations issues that were coming in in our hotline. I was doing investigations. It was amazing to see all the stuff I have learned and I got to put it into play and just also see my leadership come out. And then to know I was one level away from our CEO. I was like, oh my gosh. I thought I made it before, I made it again. But the theme where it was, I'm alone. Right? I don't see my community represented. So to answer your question, yes. I've felt it. Do I know specific moments in time? No. If you asked me more recently on what I'm feeling and I'll tell you as we keep going, oh, I'll tell you exactly where I'm at, because that comes in a lot now where I'm at today. But, uh, yeah, I was, uh, it was, it's been a great journey. I remember working in healthcare and it was beautiful to see how we can make a change, but more than anything that I, it was a moment for me to prove to myself that I knew, and not be behind a big brand name. It was Priscilla. And I had to show my work and show my, my intellect, right?

Pam: For sure. So you moved from the hospitality industry to healthcare with the viejitos and then what happened?

Priscilla: What happened? [laughs] Two and a half years there are wonderful, wonderful people there. And I decided, I burnt out, to be honest with you, cause I was working employee relations and it's all the issues that come up. Right? And you want to give attention to each one. Because all of them could be true and none of them could be true, or some of them could be true of what's happening. But it was wearing on me personally. I knew I had to do it at some point in my career. I just didn't realize I was going to do it for that long. I let that go for almost too long. I think personally, during that time personally, I went through two miscarriages, during that time. It was really tough and we don't talk about that enough in our community. I felt alone. I had a miscarriage and I talk about that in my story, during a leadership conference, my first week, starting at the company. And then I had another one on my travels. And it just, and when you're by yourself, my husband wasn't around. I was alone. I was like, this is not okay. But they were signs. And I know we spoke about earlier about whispers. And for me, I felt like they were positive whispers and saying, you've got to slow down.
You're going too fast. You're not taking care of your health. I gained a lot of weight during that time, and I decided I'm going to take some time off. And this was before the pandemic happened. [laughs] So I have to throw that out there. In January, February of 2020, I told my boss at the time and I said, I just, I have to take care of me. There's something not right. I don't feel good. And I need to go back to me. I went to on a missions trip in March of 2020. I went to El Salvador. And the many times we'll go on trips to give back and hoping, you know, I'm here for my people, but they changed my world. I tell us all the time they reminded me of my roots. I'm not from El Salvador, but there's that connection and, and the elderly that were there and the lives and how wise they are. They're like, you know, you just need your foundation, what's your foundation. Stick to that. What is that? What is that base? What holds you? What grounds you? And I had realized. I had to let too much time go by not taking care of me. And a lot of HR folks do that, actually. We are there to help everyone and support every, at least the good ones. And I failed to take care of myself and all of this. So I took the time off. I came back and I said, I think I'm ready to exit. And they asked me if I could stay another month because the pandemic had hit really hard in the healthcare space at that time. When I left, I left my six-figure job. It was hard. It was hard, but something in me told me it was time. And if I didn't do that then, I don't know where I may be right now. To be honest with you, I wouldn't be healthy. I'd be in a really bad path to be very honest with you, I would think. So I share that because it was a very rocky time. And a lot of folks were like, why are you leaving your job? You're doing so well, you're successful. You've made it. And I go, yeah, but you don't know what's happening behind the scenes. I had to take care of my marriage. I had to take care of me. And it was a dual thing. Right? It's not just me, my husband and I. So we, we went through some rocky moments. He lost his job as well, and thank goodness for, for savings. And that was something that's always been ingrained in me since little, where it's like save for a rainy day, you don't know what you're going to use it for. You don't know when. And so I had my little pockets of well save for this, and I'll save for that. And, uh, when I left my job, I was like, I think it's time to pull out that one savings for a rainy day for a project that I'm passionate about while I take care of myself. And that's where Latinas Rising Up in HR started.

Pam: Ooh, so many questions. Let's take a coffee break.

***

Pam: Priscilla. Do you drink coffee?

Priscilla: I drink café con leche.

Pam: Very Mexican.

Priscilla: Yes.

Pam: Do you have a particular coffee that you drink?

Priscilla: Here in Miami I've been drinking a lot of Bustelo. [laughs]

Pam: I was gonna say, Miami [inaudible] Bustelo.

Priscilla: Yeah, but I actually don't drink a lot of coffee. I drink a lot of water. [laughs] A lot of water.

Pam: Nice.

Priscilla: I love the smell of it. There's something like homey about it. So I do enjoy smelling when it gets brewed.

Pam: Yeah. It's great. Obviously. I think it's great. Do you have a specific, like a coffee shop or a local place that you visit in Miami?

Priscilla: Oh, I don't have a specific spot, but I do like going to Books & Books. It's beautiful there, here in Coral Gables, when you just see all the books around you, and just how they have the outdoor space. There's a tea spot that's next to it that-- I love tea as well. And so I love going there. But to be honest with you, I'm a hopper. I hop, I just jump around, as long as the ambience feels good and it's open and it's inviting, you'll find me there. But most of the time you'll find me on my balcony here in my home. It's, there's something about, I made it very homey and cozy, so I don't have to go too far.

Pam: For sure. I'm about the balcony coffee time or tea time. It's great. I think since the pandemic it's been, for me, at least, I've been enjoying it more and more, like just being home. On my end I'm drinking. I'm actually not drinking coffee today, but I-- listener's is 4:00 PM. So it's not a coffee time anymore. I'm curious, I'm eating the postre de Maria, el pie de limón, have you ever had that? If you're from Mexico city, maybe, you know, my mom makes it all the time. So it's galletas Marías con una salsa hecha a base de limón like literal lemon juice and then it's como, le llaman pie de limón, I don't think...

Priscilla: It's like a lasagna, right?

Pam: Si.

Priscilla: Pero con las galletas, yeah. Una amiga me lo hizo y me encantó. Está riquísimo, riquísimo.

Pam: Yeah.

Priscilla: But the problem is te lo sigues comiendo, right? [inaudible] a little slice. [laughs]

Pam: Si, no, es como Saboritas, no te puedes comer solo una, literally.

Priscilla: Yeah [laughs]

Pam: So that's what I'm having today. Instead of a coffee drink, I already had my Magic Mind, which is my productivity drink, my little productivity drink, which is matcha, honey, nootropics, a whole bunch of like stuff that helps with the brain. And that helps me stay focused. Y pues after, you know. It's like my little [inaudible] full of sugar, lots of sugars. That is not like an everyday thing, listeners, but it's, I'm glad you know what it is.

Priscilla: It's like a shot of sugar, but it's so good. [laughs]

Pam: Okay. Let's go back to the show.

***

Pam: So, Priscilla you mentioned the burnout time and how you went through your miscarriages, trigger warning, and how alone it is and how we don't talk about it enough. And as an HR professional, so two perspectives, right? Like one, the individual who actually went through this, during an event, like you've lived it. And then, on the other end, as an HR professional is like, what do you do? Does your team member call you and be like, hello HR, I'm going through this? Why do I do?

Priscilla: [laughs] Yeah. Where does HR go for HR? [laughs]

Pam: Yeah!

Priscilla: Yeah, no, it's, it's, that's a great question. And, uh, I held onto it a lot. I didn't know. I could have gone to my team at the time, but I didn't even realize I was going through what I was going through. So, I just went through it and I know it wasn't healthy at the time, I just boxed it up. I was like, okay. I put my little, my, whatever. I went through, put it in a little box and I'll put away and we move on. But that didn't for me solve all the, all the trauma that I went through for that. The second one is when it hit me. And that's when I did let my job now. And they were so supportive because I had to go through a surgery for that one, which has also led me to say, you know what? I have to take care of myself. And everyone was very understanding and supportive. So I went to my own HR, right? For HR. There's a couple of colleagues that were very loving, right? And just really work walking me through, do you need anything, whatever you need. But when I went through the second one, that's when I realized. I had to do something and they say, you know, there's so many reasons behind miscarriages and no reasons, right? So that's when I said, you know what? I, I see this as a warning for me and taking care of myself because I've neglected it for so long. I've always been the one that's there for everybody else. And I haven't been there for myself. Like they say the airplanes, right? You need to put oxygen on you first and then on the passengers next to you, your family. But I didn't know that, I just, that wasn't who I was. That's not how I grew up. But it was time to make a change and create boundaries. So that's what I did, and found a therapist. Amazing. She was wonderful. It helped me so much with my mental health and that's actually what led me to then decide I need to take care of me. And this is what it's going to look like, regardless of who supports it or not. They may think-- they meaning anybody right?, that heard my story. Why would you leave your job? It's so stable. You're doing so well.

Pam: Because it's salary.

Priscilla: Yeah. But like, I go back to the trip. It wasn't about what you have. It's about what are you doing. What are you creating. What are you, what legacy are you leaving behind. What are you teaching those around you. And I knew that growing up, but now, I was at a place of influence in my family, right. And I have younger sisters that I didn't want them to see Priscilla and identify her as the HR professional and that's all she is. And that's how I was being identified for awhile. So I had to take a step back and that was probably one of the hardest things, even from a pride standpoint, because I could do more. I was going to be the chief HR officer. I was going to be a VP. And this trip made me realize why and what for, and what are you doing it for? Right. What are the reasons behind it? Which is why I'm always curious why people do things the way they do, you know, why are you doing what you're doing? What's the purpose behind it? And I started questioning my own purpose. And that's when it was time to leave. And I wanted to go on a journey with other purpose driven Latinas in HR. Then I go, I can't be the only one. And how is it that nobody's been focusing on our community as Latinas in HR? Why is this, we've been around for years? And that mentor that I told you about, Sal, he was like, Priscilla, you've been toying around with this idea of making a community for five years. I think it's time. He goes, what's stopping you? And I go, well, before it was, I didn't have the time or I didn't have the money. And when I thought back I go, I have all of that now. I have time. I have the funds. I have the space. If I focus on this for a year, let's see what I can do in one year, you know. And that's when I did a call-out to see if there were any other fun, crazy, purpose-driven ladies like me. I reached out to many of my allies that are in my career, all together. We pulled together and I found some amazing women. And it led to 20, 20 Latinos and Latinas raising up in HR that we're all really close friends and sisters. I love it when they're like, oh my book sister, and I'm going to LA and I'm from Florida and I'm going to meet up with her and just seeing the camaraderie, the support, helping each other through salary negotiations. And we need that too amongst HR programs. And so to see that community build from one idea, I just get goosebumps all the time when I hear stories of how, what we've done has impacted others.

Pam: Hmm, I love this. So you quit your job before the pandemic or after?

Priscilla: Right before, it was March of 2020. Was when my last [inaudible]

Pam: Righ, because like, pandemic happened, we need you. And you were like, all right, I'll give you a month.

Priscilla: Yeah. I wasn't gonna make it more than that. I knew I wasn't gonna make it.

Pam: And so you, essentially, you have a pandemic business, like, you know, you started a business during the pandemic. Was there ever fear?

Priscilla: A hundred percent. So when you asked earlier about like imposter syndrome, girl, this is where it comes out. [laughs]

Pam: That's it, like, we've arrived?

Priscilla: We've arrived, yes, it was-- who's going to follow me. I'm just Priscilla. I'm not behind a brand anymore. Who knows me? who wants to even follow me? Like not even follow, but more, who's aligned with where I'm going. I don't even know where I'm going. So there were so many times that I would stop myself, I would question myself, I would cry. I would tear up. I would get angry. How do I not have these answers? I'm not adequate enough. So yes, I've had all of that hit me and it still does. I'm going to be very honest with you, even a year and a half later, as successful as everything we've done is. We did a mock interview event today with some community colleges. And we had 14 HR professionals and all virtually. And I'm still like, I've done this before for companies, but I'm doing it for us. Do I know what I'm doing? It just kicks in. So yes, I, and then even more so with the pandemic where I'm going, when is this going to end? How is this going to continue? And what does this even look like? I hesitated when you said it's a, a pandemic business. Cause yes, it is, that wasn't my intention when I first started. It has evolved. It has evolved and we have done so much and I don't even know where the future leads us, but I am leaning into the curiosities, to be honest with you. But yes, I had a lot of insecurity and it still kicks in. [laughs]

Pam: Yeah. I mean, I think as a business owner, there's often more questions than answers. And there are often more doubts than there are solutions. However, business owners are people who solve problems. And so we'll always find a solution, y si no la inventamos, you know.

Priscilla: Si no la inventamos e invitamos right, we invite others to join us. [laughs]

Pam: For sure. Tell me about the book. How did the book happen?

Priscilla: When the pandemic hit, I go, how am I going to find these ladies? I don't even know. So that's when I kicked into LinkedIn, I kicked in my skills from many years ago and I did it through LinkedIn. And I sent a note out to a lot of leaders that I found inspirational that I said, you know, if they're this inspiration, they've got to know others like them, or can nominate others like them. And it was really hard at first. Cause I had something like "Priscilla, I don't really know many Latinas in HR", or "I don't know who to recommend to you". And that's where I'm going "is this idea even going to take flight?" [laughs] But uh, over the course of four or five months, cause I started that in February is when I first kicked it off and then I've really drove into it in April when I left my job. April, May, June was a hunt. Where are we, where are we, and I didn't want just one function of HR, because HR is it's employee relations, it's benefits, compensation, diversity and inclusion, corporate social responsibility. I mean, there's so much to it, depending on the company. And I wanted that to be reflective. And then I wanted to layer in ethnicity. Right? I didn't want us all from one country. I wanted us from different spaces. Also, I don't want us all with one skin tone. I want us from different places. I didn't want us all with the same hair color or [inaudible]. So it just, there was so much intentionality behind it that it took time. And I also wanted to ensure that these were ladies ready to be open and vulnerable because I didn't want a book that talked about, look at how amazing I am. No one relates to that. Uh, I was at a conference this past week where they were sharing: lean into the failures that you had. And share that first, right? Because then people are like, oh, you're human. Right. I get it. And you learn from others. So that's what I did. And I was like, well, let's see, who's ready to speak about that. And that's where I found, I say the special 19 and 20 with me, because I didn't see this as just a book. I was like, I want it to be a mentor in your pocket for our community, where they could learn about HR. And if they aren't from HR, they can still get really great nuggets from us. And we have questions at the end of each chapter. Things like write down an affirmation that you need to think about this year for yourself. Like just different items that-- each chapter had a theme, and then the questions went along with it. So that way, if you're in places like one girl reached out, she was like, I'm an Idaho. We don't have Latinas in Idaho, I go "I'm sure they're somewhere, right?". [inaudible] And she goes, but I, your book has helped me feel like I have a community close to me and I'm not alone. And the questions and the stories. There's always one story someone resonates too. And that was my hope. They don't have to connect with my story. That's why we have so many in there because again, I also wanted to show that being Latina is not one-sided, there's so many elements to us and I still think we didn't hit the mark. To be honest with you, there's still so many more stories, which is actually why we're going to do a second volume and share more stories. I get excited, I'm like we are in the library of Congress forever, forever, forever, forever. And so our stories are there and we got to keep sharing them. But yeah, for those that are crazy enough to go on this journey with me, we've done a lot of really good work in our community in just a year. And I I'm inspired and excited to see what happens. Right.

Pam: For sure. I love this because oftentimes and you mentioned what they said at the conference of sharing your failures is important, because we often get bombarded with the Cinderella story, right? Like, ah, I was poor and then a prince swooped me up and now I'm a princess. That fails to share the hardships, fails to share the imposter, fails to share the in-between moments that I love asking about, and some people don't, they get uncomfortable. But I think it's important for all of us to hear those moments, because it is what truly shows the path of building something, whether it's a business or a community or whatever it is. It shows those intricacies are so important because often those build character.

Priscilla: And they also challenge you to see what you're capable of doing right. Where they, it does break down that imposter syndrome that we were talking about. And it's hard. It's hard to say I'm going to take a gamble and try something new that I've never done. I laugh because I am not a big reader. I'm not a big [inaudible]. Even when I launched the book, I was like, oh my gosh, I'm published. [laughs] It's real. And it's there and it's on Amazon and people can buy it in Target! It's just, it's weird. And I'm honest with people. Cause then I have someone who's like, oh my gosh, how did you do this, it's so amazing. I go, it wasn't that easy. And let me tell you, I was battling myself, because my sister actually is the writer in our family. And she, I thought would have a book before me any day. I mean, I bet money on it, but she has been, I will say my biggest supporter. She actually proof-read our book. And it was like a family event with how this all came together. Beautiful. Because again, they helped me where I was not, I didn't feel adequate. Right. So I was like my writing. I could put, I can put a memo together. I can put a policy together. I can put a handbook together. You want me to write a story?

Pam: Very different type of writing.

Priscilla: Yeah. Very different. Yes. The storytelling is very different, especially when it's your own, right? And being truthful, And then it's forever out there. But I will tell you my favorite part of all this was listening to my authors and helping them have these "aha" moments. It was coaching with friends and just hearing their stories and hearing about their breakthroughs and what they've experienced and how they've persevered through it. And, as painful, as many of their stories are that alone, I was like, this is, this is why we're sharing because you're not the only one that has gone through this. And we need to keep breaking these paradigms of like, oh, you know, like you said, "everything's so perfect and I've got it all handled". Yeah, you probably do, but behind scenes, you don't, we all don't have everything [inaudible] You're just showing it the front. It looks great. Like the front of a store looks great, but in the back, I've got like colchas everywhere. [laughs] Um, so, uh, that was a beautiful, and as HR professionals, we can be very, very close with our own staff. Because we're there for everyone else, but to have a space where we were starting to break through that and seeing how they've grown in their careers and just things that they're doing and podcasts that they're a part of, or leading or do it, just seeing the creativity of, and I don't attest it just to the book. I mean, they had to have a journey to get to where they are, but to be a part of that journey for them has been amazing. Then I go, wow, if only more in our community could experience something like this. Right. So. That's really been amazing.

Pam: So it's a big lesson that you got. Share a lesson learned.

Priscilla: I was my biggest detractor in a lot of the things that I wanted to do in life. And it got to a point where I had to, again, listen to the whispers that were positive that were going to just say, just try it. Why not? What's the worst that could happen? All within balance, right? I mean, there's some things I would say, no, don't do that. [laughs] But for me, I had to believe more in myself. Like others believed in me and that took time. And still, I still battle it today to be very honest with you, being in the spaces where the spotlight's now on me and I'm representing our community as the leader and the founder behind Latino's raising up in HR. That's tough. Cause I'm going, wow, that's me. Yeah, that's me.

Pam: A big responsibility.

Priscilla: It's a very big responsibility, but what keeps me grounded has been making time to speak to many HR professionals when they reach out and they say, you know, I was inspired. I go, great. Let's jump on a phone call. Why? You can make a phone call? Yeah. Let's jump on a phone call. Let's talk. What are you working through? What are you battling through? And that keeps me learning and keeping a pulse on how everyone's doing, right? What our community, especially Latinas in our space with HR, what they're working through and what they're battling, personally and professionally, 'cause we just, we don't talk about it. Now we will. Now we are, we're speaking a lot more about it.

Pam: Tell me where can we find you? Where can we find all the things? The places, the spaces, the sites, the buck, all the places, all the things.

Priscilla: Yes. Come find us! If you're in HR, please, please find us. And even if you're curious to know more about HR, you can find us @LatinasinHR, on all social platforms. And you can also find us online at www.latinasrisingupinhr.com.

Pam: And the book? Everywhere.

Priscilla: Yeah, it's everywhere, but you can primarily find it on, uh, on Amazon and the links you got, everywhere. It's on Target. Not in the store yet. It's online. Um, but it's on the line at their stores. So.

Pam: Right. Y está en español también.

Priscilla: También, yeah, lo lanzamos en español en octubre del año pasado. No, eso fue otra cosa, la verdad. Te digo, poder dar mi libro a mi abuelita.

Pam: Claro, que lo pueda leer.

Priscilla: She spent the last two and a half months with me here in Miami. And she spent that time reading our book and she was no, mija, es que estabas trabajando mucho! Y yo no sabía qué es lo que estabas haciendo. Y, no, felicidades, mija. Y ahora entiendo qué es lo que haces, recursos humanos. I'm going, oh my goodness. It's been 16 years. [laughs]
No, she was so sweet. She was like "y las mujeres en tu libro, fenomenal, son guerreras". And she she would go on and on and on. And I actually posted a video of her on my, on my personal Instagram. You can find me @priscillaguasso and she was sharing, I just had to record it because I'm going, I need to hold onto this moment. Cause she was just explaining like you started here and then you moved here and then the other lady started here and they just kept elevating, but then you got pushed down and then you moved back up. And I go "pero esto es, o sea, una reflexión de tí" So, this is you. And you, you built this, like you worked so hard for our family, as many of our families have done. So I don't take that lightly. And she started crying and I start crying, and I'll just say, it's been beautiful having it in Spanish and then my family in Mexico, they're like, I want a copy. I have a visit do to, to Mexico very soon.

Pam: A repartir libros.

Priscilla: Yeah, a repartir libros.

Pam: How fun! I love this! Priscilla, this has been awesome. I still have a lot of questions, but we'll bring you back or something. I always have more questions. Last two questions. Do you have a remedio that you want to share?

Priscilla: Un remedio. I would say more of a quote and I actually came from my abuelita but I know we've all heard it, but I say it was from my abuelita. [laughs] And she's always said "dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres" . And so that for me, I hold on to that, right? Tell me who you're around and I'll, I'll tell you more of who you are, right? I mean, you can translate in many different ways. It's all about the company that you keep. And so for me, I hold down to that very tightly. Like I shared, I lost myself a little bit in my middle of my career, and I'll own up to it. It happens. And now when I got to that point, I'm going, Nope. Thankfully I had, you know, some people call it the universe. Some people call it, you know, divine intervention, for me, it was God. And it was like "no, time to make a change" [laughs] And, uh, I hold on to that very tightly. Keep me going down the straight and narrow path.

Pam: I love that, I hear it from my mom all the time. Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres. And it's so true. And I often talk about having your squad that supports you. And I have like a framework of five different people that are part of your squad, the pillars, the walls, the wifi, the garden gnomes and the picture frames. Each person in your life, because one of those five roles, and it's important for us to take stock of who is the people in our life. Porque en inglés dicen "no, you're the, the average of the five people that you hang out with". Es lo mismo, dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres, because we do become that, which is around us. Entonces you kind of like you gave us like a quote and a remedio all-in-one. 2x1.

Priscilla: Yeah, no, it's it's Pam, honestly, it's, it's a tough world that we're in right now. Right. And it's been tough for many years. For some of us, it wasn't even just the pandemic it's been pre pandemic, right? I joke I'm like I was in my own pre pandemic before the pandemic, but I really think we just have to offer a lot more grace to each other, with everything that's going on. Um, really try to make better connections because we've been so virtual. Right. But remembering that it's every connection, you never know. It's a, it's a ripple effect. It's a domino effect. It's whatever you want to call it. Right. But, um, that's, that's really what I've seen in the last year and a half of what I've been doing.
And like you said, I'm very, very, very thankful to be here with you Pam because to see like, this is the circle, is getting bigger. Right. And the impact, is happening. You know, you even inviting me here to share my story and what we've been building. It's no longer about us, right? It's about how do we share our knowledge for others. So thank you for that because we need that in our community, especially with how we interview and how we brand ourselves. I would love to see more Latinos. Not just in HR, in all aspects of companies, which is why I'm in HR to be able to help influence that. So hopefully we can convince more Latinas and Latinos and Latinxx, or however you, you use the word, but to join us in HR. So then that way we can make a change. Because I think we can.

Pam: Yes, we can. Thank you Priscilla so much for being in Cafe con Pam, this was lovely.

Priscilla: Stay shining!

***

All right, everyone. What are your thoughts? I'm so curious and excited to hear what you think about it and what inspiration, motivation, and push this episode gives you, gave you, will give you. Let me now, I always love hearing your thoughts on the gram. If you want to tag me, screenshot and tag me, it's super fun to read you and to get your tags and also great for the guest actually, because I just realized there's actually that for the guests, we send the email, like, thank you so much. The episode went out to blah, blah, blah. But they really don't get to see the numbers, because I don't send them numbers and they really don't get to see the downloads, or what people are saying really, because it's one of those things as a guest. It's like, okay, it's out there. And I hope somebody hears it. So it does make a difference if you tag them. And many times I do, sometimes not everyone has Instagram, so that's also the caveat, but it does make a difference when you tag me and you tag the guest, because that also shows them that you're listening and that their story is powerful. And that their story is inspiring you. And so let me know, let me know. I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did. And if this is your first time at Cafe con Pam, welcome to Cafe con Pam World, I hope you feel at home. I hope you come back. The next step to do is to subscribe, rate and review. If you haven't subscribed, I invite you to do it. If you haven't left a rating. You know, hit the five-star button right there in your podcast player. We're getting more listeners listening on Spotify. And I don't think Spotify let's you rate yet. The majority of the ratings and reviews are in Apple podcasts. But if you listen to other players, there are so many, we do appreciate your ratings and your reviews because it makes a difference. It allows others to see your thoughts. And 87% of the population look at reviews before making a purchasing decision. And while you're not buying anything from you, you're just listening to the podcast, it is considered a buying decision, I guess. So some questions that I give you are: what do you love about the show?
Why were you expecting before you pushed play? And then what happened afterwards? And how would you describe the episode or the show to your best friend? Those are some prompts that can maybe support you and your review writing. Thank you so, so much for taking the time. I so appreciate every single one of your reviews that you leave me.
And it makes me so, so happy to read them, the new ones, the old ones. I go back and read them sometimes because it's amazing to read your thoughts and, and see that you took the time to leave me feedback. I so appreciate it.

I would love to stay connected because one way is for you to keep listening to me. And you know, it's kind of one-sided. I want to talk to you. I want to have a conversation with you. I want to hear from you. So please follow on the socials, social media @cafeconpampodcast on Instagram and Facebook. I hang out on Instagram more than I do on Facebook. The inbox for Facebook is kind of weird, for me at least. And so oftentimes I'm so delayed in responding on Facebook messages because I just never get to them. I never really hang out on Facebook that much. So Instagram, it's kind of like the place that I hang out the most. I have a couple of challenges that you can join if you want to stay connected. If you want to have a low dip into my work. The Cafe con Pam challenge is a five day challenge that helps you get more organized. And then I have the 5-day Tapping Challenge. And that is the challenge that supports your daily tapping practices. You know, or may not know I'm an EFT practitioner and I've been tapping for over a decade.
So I created the five day challenge to share my daily practice and people loved it. So, it's up. I might do another live one again, because it was super fun to hang out for five days and tap together. It's quick. It's 15 minutes. So your commitment is not a lot. It's 15 minutes a day at the most. So head over to cafeconpamchallenge.com and check out the challenges, you can find both of them in that place. You can also join our online community. I have a Discord server head over to stayshining.club. That is the invite link to join it. It's super fun. It's small. It's growing. I don't think a lot of people know what Discord is. It's an organized way to have conversations, kind of. It's kind of like an alternative to Slack, but Slack just became, I dunno, Slack feels messy to me for some reason. Discord is super fun. So stayshining.club. We have conversations about the podcast. We have conversations about life, mental health, all the things in there, and the more the merrier, let's make it a party. So join us.

And I do have a business outside of Cafe con Pam. I am a business coach and a certified life coach, and I have a couple of offers to support your path and you can check them out at spreadideasmovepeople.com or the easiest cafeconpam.com. Just find the Work With Me space. I am doing a workshop on April 16th if you're listening before that it's a complimentary workshop from me to you. It's a Client Love workshop where we're going to plan our quarter. So quarter two of 2022 is here and I realized that I've been doing quarterly planning for a while and to keep a very real, there's been some quarters that I'm like, oh shoot, it's the second month of the quarter. I haven't done my quarterly planning. Ouch. And that quarter doesn't go as well as when I do some planning. So what I've decided is that every quarter we're going to do some quarterly planning together. And this is my gift to you. Aside for my gifting you the podcast, a free podcast every week, I'm going to shop every quarter and share my process on planning your quarter.
We're going to tap. We're going to talk. We're going to plan. We're going to hang out for two hours on April 16th and I hope you join us. There is a link in my bio in the social media if you want to sign up. It's going to be fun. That's the point, planning doesn't have to be tedious and annoying. Planning could be fun, expansive and exciting. So I hope you join me if you're are listening to this before April 16th, head over to that link in my bio and sign up so you can join us. I will talk about my offers in there because I would be remiss as a business owner to show up and not talk about my business, because I need to drink my own medicine, right? I always tell my clients "always talk about what you do and how people can hire you". So during that workshop, you will hear a little bit more in depth about the different programs that I offer. So perhaps you can join me, but if not, it's totally fine. You will leave with your quarter planned out for you.
That's the point. That's the main deal. I hope you join us, April 16th.

It's been good on my end. You're probably seeing me travel a lot between Denver and San Diego. And I don't know if I've done an update about it, actually. I don't remember. Let me know if you want to know what's going on. Why are you in Denver and San Diego so much? [inaudible] share. So, if you're here, if you're still here, when you tag this episode and you told me that you loved it, maybe share a comment there, like, tell us what's going on in Denver. And then I will do an update on the next episode.

Pero bueno, I hope you have a fantastic rest of your day. Thank you so much for giving me this space in your life. Thank you for lending me your ears and listening to me and putting me in your life. It's such an honor to share space with you. I don't take it for granted. I so appreciate you. We are here together. Thank you so, so much and stay shining.