S2E08 - Pozole at Christmas

On this episode, we talk to Ana Vazquez. She's a former teacher turned real estate agent in Northwest Arkansas. We discuss overcoming setbacks, learning to delegate, and the joys of pozole at Christmas.

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Coming up on points of failure.

SPEAKER_01 0:02

I started a a clothing boutique back uh when I was teaching in Utah. I wanted something more, but I didn't want to quit my teaching job until I found something that would replace it. And I failed at it, but that didn't keep me from trying something else. I was like, okay, I didn't do well in the in it's not that I didn't do well, and I can see myself starting that again.

unknown 0:29

You know my father, you know my father, you know my father, you know my father.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

We are here with Anabasquez. So I'm gonna just let you introduce yourself, give us your background, and uh take us from there.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

Absolutely. My name is Anna Vasquez. I was I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but raised here in Arkansas. I was raised by a single mother, you know, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We had this beautiful, perfect family, and then alcohol was involved, addiction, drugs, and abuse, and so my parents got separated, and that's whenever we moved out here when I was about five years old. Um, we kept moving back and forth, but essentially ended up here in Arkansas. Moved away for about 10 years, went to college out in Utah, and I decided to stay there afterwards, got into teaching. Um, but the main thing that really changed my life was whenever I uh came back to Arkansas and I had quit my teaching job in Utah. I came out here, I was engaged and engaged to be married, moved out here to plan for the wedding, and we broke it off, right? And so I didn't have, I had to quit my teaching job. I lived with my mom for a little bit just because I was planning to plan the wedding, and then he had moved to Dallas, and so um when we broke off the engagement, it was kind of like a huge aha moment for me. I'm like, I need to be more independent, like I didn't have, you know, it's like what am I gonna do now? And so, real quick, I needed a backup plan. So I was used to teaching, so I started applying for teaching jobs, and I still didn't have my teaching license here in the state of Arkansas, and uh I still said, you know what, it's my knowledge, it's my experience. And I started applying, I got a teaching job in uh in Fayetteville and uh picked up, but even then I was just not happy where I was in life. I'm like, there's something more, and I be while I was teaching, even in Utah, I've been trying to think of ideas. I've always had this like ambition in me. I'm like, there's more, there's more. I need to stop living paycheck to paycheck. And uh finally, um, when I was teaching, I saw how Arkansas was growing, and that's when I decided to get into real estate. But that was like my major thing when I pretty much left everything. I didn't lose it, but I I paused my life to get married, but then when that fell through, I'm like, I I have to do more for myself. And um, so while I was teaching, I got into I started taking my real estate uh classes and didn't pass the first time. It took me about three or four tries, but I still I'm like, you know what? This doesn't determine whether I'm gonna become a good realtor or not. And um passed the test, got into real estate, and I got in real estate right uh in 2019, at the beginning of no end of 2019, but in 2020, that was my first full year. So 2020, and uh that's whenever I finished the year and I was doing real estate, and then COVID hit.

SPEAKER_00 3:40

Yeah, you know, and I'm like real estate.

SPEAKER_01 3:43

Well, you would think, right? You would think, and so I did get a little nervous, right? I'm like, but then I took that opportunity to take it to another level because I'm like, okay, so COVID hit, teachers were working from home. I mean, it was a little challenging because we had to do more work, yeah, but then I'm like, you know what? Real estate is going to be my ex my my thing, it's gonna be who I am, and so I started focusing on that, and uh it's funny because it didn't hurt a lot of realtors. Like I did talk to a couple and some of them decided to leave the industry, but my business was the opposite, it took off. I mean, 2020 was an amazing year for me as a first year in real estate. Um, however, I went into real estate not knowing what the average and the expectation was. You know, I was my own competition. And um, after my first year, people were asking me how many units I closed, and I used to me it's not a lot. It's it was not a lot, but two experienced agents are like, wow, that's amazing. So I closed approximately six million in volume my first year. Wow, but I had no, you know, and I was teaching half the time, and so to me that it was good, but not as good as I wanted it to be. So once I started realizing where I was, I'm like, that's actually really good. I should be proud of where I'm at and where it has taken me. But uh the point is, like, I it, you know, I started realizing okay, I can do better at this, and so then I quit teaching, but I was so comfortable where I was at, you know what I mean? It it was so hard for me to quit teaching, and I'm like, why am I having a hard time quitting? And I just thought, I'm like, we so many of us get stuck because it's we find that comfort. Even I was doing a lot better in real estate, and I was still afraid. I was debating whether to quit the following year, and and I sat down and thought, I'm like, I'm just comfortable, I'm afraid of change. And so I'm like, you know what? I'm just gonna do it. I I remember I got an email from the principal and my boss for the school, and they were changing up my schedule last minute. And I'm like, okay, if they're willing to change my schedule without notice, I think it was two days before school started. I'm like, I I should be okay, even though it's super close to the school starting, to quit and try this other journey in my life in real estate. And so I did, and I was super nervous, but let me tell you, it it took off. I mean, my second year in 2021, it was a very good year. I mean, life-changing in my opinion, compared to where I was the year before and the year before that.

SPEAKER_00 6:32

Break out of that comfort zone, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

It just I think from there, it's like wow, we are in this journey where we have to get out of our comfort zone to be able to achieve our highest potential. And it takes a lot though to be able to go that to be able to break that comfort. And really, it's um, and I'm still working on it. Like I'm still even right now, no matter how good, like to me, I did great last year. I'm still working on things emotionally, spiritually, and especially most importantly, my mindset to be able to get to that next level, which is this year, the rest of this year. I mean, we just started 2022, so that's the goal. I mean, you just keep you keep breaking that and go to the next level, and then you hit this wall again, and you gotta break that and knock it down and get out of your comfort zone and then go to the next level.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

So, outside of the comfort level, do you did was it the teaching? Like, did you just love the teaching, or what do you think held you back just besides? I mean, obviously, there's that that comfort of knowing you had a paycheck, but what else do you think held you back from just jumping out of that?

SPEAKER_01 7:40

Outside of the comfort level, I mean, it was just what I was used to. I mean, really, I I went to school for it, and in my head, um, and and I've had conversations with other people, so I'm like, I'm not the only one that feels this way. It's it's I committed to it, I invested so much time into it, so much money. I went to school for it. So this is what I'm supposed to do in your head. It's our own limitations in our brain. It's like, this is what I'm supposed to do. I loved it, it was a very rewarding. I mean, making a difference in these children's lives is also what kept me going. I wasn't, I mean, it came to a point where I'm like, I'm I feel rewarded by seeing these children grow and being able to teach them, but most importantly, it's like what's fulfilling for me? And finding that courage, it's like you do get comfortable. I mean, yes, having that paycheck, even though I was living paycheck to paycheck, it was a security, sure, but just not enough.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

Still had to check. So it's a little sunk cost for you there.

SPEAKER_01 8:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:43

Yeah. Okay. So now you're doing the real estate um and you're doing very well. What uh what sort of challenges do you feel like you faced just you know in your current real estate?

SPEAKER_01 8:53

Um, I'm gonna say my own mindset, like my own limitations. I think that's the biggest challenges um that I've gone through. And so when you get to a certain point, I uh I started real estate and I was kind of more of a a speed boat versus a sailboat. Like I literally was speeding through it all and just going, going, going, going, going, going, and I had no breaks and no nothing. And so, as I'm I'm glad you asked that because towards the end of last year, the biggest challenge was whoa, I literally ran out of gas. And I'm like, I was very happy where I was at financially, but then I started thinking, I'm like, I'm worn out, like, what is going on? You know what I mean? And like that was probably one of the biggest challenges. It's like learn to pause, celebrate, and go on little vacations so that you won't run out of gas, and then boom, then what? You know what I mean? But I did take that as an opportunity when I got to that point. It was like in October, November of last year. I got to the point where I felt I was just so exhausted, my body had given up. Um, and I'm like, okay, then this is the opportunity for me to maintain momentum because I had already trained my brain to keep doing all these little habits, so it didn't affect my job because I would still go to the gym, I would still get up, keep my routine, even though I didn't, I wasn't as excited as I was at the beginning of last year to keep going. But um, what what was the most important is that I realized I'm like, okay, well, now I need to work on my emotional state and my spiritual state so that I can continue on this journey of serving my community. And so one thing led to another, different opportunities, and I attracted people to help me in that.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

So balance, I guess, is what it sounds like. You just didn't have the the that balance you just pushed and pushed and pushed.

SPEAKER_01 10:47

Yeah, I mean, I don't really um I don't like the word balance because true. I mean, you can I for me, balance is is um more like I was obsessed with my job, which is amazing, right? That's what gave me my drive, but also not necessarily give time, but um yeah, block time out for me to grow my spiritual level, my emotional state, but also continue doing what I was doing, just become more mindfulness versus yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:20

Staying connected to yourself.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 11:22

So, what sort of challenges do you think real estate in general, just like as a a field, I guess, or industry, whatever the word is there, um, what do you think challenges what challenges are there just existing real estate as a as a whole?

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Right now, as a whole, man, that's a good question. I it the main thing when you're when you're in real estate, like I I get asked that by so I I have a team and I have some of my agents that I mentor, they do ask me, it's like, what are some of the challenges of getting into real estate? And I really tell them it's your mentality because you're gonna get notes, you're gonna get people that aren't gonna want to sell their home, you're gonna get like right now, it it depends on the what's going on with the world, it changes. I had to relearn the real estate industry when COVID hit because when I had first started, it was so smooth, and now it's wait, COVID hit, we're low on inventory when we would be fine. We had homes that were on the market for a hundred days, 40 days, that's normal, versus three days and there's 20 offers. You know what I mean? So it's uh it changes. I mean, the challenge right now is we're very low on inventory, and we have a lot of clients that we can find homes for, and it's just preparing them, but it just changes. So at the end of the day, it's what it comes down to is your mentality, your state of mind, and getting up there and going and fighting it and just make it through and trying to be the best you can for for your clients and for what's out there.

SPEAKER_00 12:50

Okay, so it's kind of like um getting the nose that you know you you mentioned that that uh that mentality of if I get told no too many times, I get depressed or I get, you know, oh this isn't working, and I start looking for that part-time job instead of staying focused.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

I yes, absolutely. You have to have you have to be focused, you have to have your vision, and you have to be very um understand that I I I got this one from one of my mentors. He says a no is a maybe and a maybe is a yes. And so just keep going and don't give up on that no. See no's as an opportunity, like uh, you know what I mean? There there will be problems, but those are just opportunities to learn. But yes, a lot of people do get a no and they get discouraged. A lot of people do are not going under contract because of 20 offers and they get discouraged and then they go and find another part-time job. But you have to see that as an opportunity, find the solution, and then boom, keep going.

SPEAKER_00 13:49

Where do you feel like you have failed um in real estate? We'll start there.

SPEAKER_01 13:55

Um, you know, I'll I'll I'll take it as like more of a my main weakness in in my business was leveraging, you know what I mean? And and um one of the things that I've gotten better is being able to trust other people to help with it. And that's what's helping me also giving me more time to give to my spiritual and emotional state. That would probably be where I think I struggled the most at the beginning. People, you know, people would ask me how many deals are you closing? And they're like, oh, you're supposed to close after you close two or three a month, you're supposed to get a transaction coordinator and stuff. And I and my goal was like, wait, no, I was teaching, I was handling 130 students, grading all these all this paper. I was pretty much a slave to that. So I think I can handle two or three, you know, sure closings a month and clients, but that's where I failed. I failed to take care of me, my spiritual, emotional, to where I wasn't even allowing myself to grow. I mean, it got to a point where I'm like, I feel stuck, you know? And so it was really neat because once I um I decided I ran out of gas 100%. I said, I need to do something about this. I need to trust somebody else to help me with my business and leverage things that I do not need a license for and they can help me with and bring in more business. So yeah, I struggled a little bit, but finally broke that and it's helping so much.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

Do you feel like you're a control freak?

SPEAKER_01 15:31

Oh um, not I I not a control freak, but I kind of feel like if I don't do it, it's not gonna be done right. You know what I mean? If that's that's what you want to call it, hopefully not. But um, it was it was it's been really nice trusting other people to do their job and take care of it, and it has allowed me a lot more time for me and for my to bring more business, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

So do you think that it's um an issue of ownership that that's why you failed in those areas with not leveraging getting the help is that you you needed to own it and you didn't want to let go of that, or do you think it's something else?

SPEAKER_01 16:06

Oh well, I mean, it it was for a couple of reasons. I mean, I didn't want to hire somebody, I wanted to make sure there was a type of consistency in my business before I hired somebody and then have to let them go or not giving them enough jobs. So that was one. I wanted to see that consistency, and after the second year, going into my third year, I felt like okay, this I'm seeing this consistency, we're ready to do this. Um, the second thing was um not I'm not a perfectionist, but I do like things to be done in a way where in a specific way, and maybe that's where the control comes from. And so I'm like, if I don't do it, then they're not gonna serve them right, or I'm gonna lose these clients, or you know, all these things came to my mind. Um, but once I started seeing that consistency and just trusting in someone and and creating a system, I think that was the main thing at the beginning. I'm like, how am I gonna train someone to do something I'm doing when I'm all over the place and I haven't created this system? So I started writing things down, how I was doing the things I didn't want to do. I was literally typing every day I was doing a transaction. I'm like, I was check mark, do this this way, this, this, this. And I'm like, okay, once I create that system and I was able to provide it to somebody else, it felt so nice. So I'm like, let me train you, I'll teach you how to do it and tweak it how it works for you. And I felt so much better about myself and about my business. I'm like, I was able to provide that to my assistant, and she's tweaked it, which has she's improved it 10 times, and I'm so proud of her. But I think that was the main thing.

SPEAKER_00 17:42

A little structure.

SPEAKER_01 17:43

Some structure.

SPEAKER_00 17:45

Um, what do you think your what's your biggest success? But a little cheerleader action here. What's uh what really just like makes you feel super proud about what you've done so far with real estate?

SPEAKER_01 17:54

Oh man. Um honestly, like what I feel that my biggest suc what my biggest success is, is I created this foundation in my life to open up other opportunities and other doors that I never thought. I mean, I've been able to help for the most importantly, I've been able to help the community, I've been able to help families. But from there, I just started this little foundation, this network, where now it's like I'm learning how to invest in properties for myself, how to I've I've partnered up with some investors where we flip homes, and now I've been able to, you know, I look back and I'm like, wow, I have I have four units total now within one year that I bought that I'm getting passive income from. And I I struggle though, that it's I'm glad you asked that because I actually struggled stopping and pausing and going back and reflecting and being proud of how far I've come with such a short amount of time. I'm nowhere where I want to be, not even close, but I am proud of how much I grew last year. Not only in in real estate, I guess I should say, but um just in general, you know what I mean? It's it's been beautiful because now I have my real estate business, but I have my rental passive income. I've been able to invest in other things, and because now I'm leveraging, I have more time, my brain's turn, you know, I'm trying to think of other ideas to use that time for other businesses because I just real estate is amazing. I don't see that as my main focus in the future. I see it as my foundation and as a business in my life that I'm gonna keep running forever, but it's gonna expand to other things. It's the route to all these other doors that are opening up in my life.

SPEAKER_00 19:50

Well, yeah, you I think that's um I think that's something that Roman, I mean, I know I struggle with is just really looking at things and saying, hey, you know what, I should be proud of that because that's I mean, it may be small to someone else, but it's a big deal to me, so I'm gonna go ahead and take some credit there. And I think that's a a major failure for everybody.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

A huge failure. And and you know, it's it's interesting because we our brain is trained to not, you know, it depends on where you come from. And I mean, I've been learning a lot about generational trauma and generational, you know, and childhood trauma and stuff like that, and and subconsciously, you're like, no, that's not don't be proud of yourself, that's not where you should keep going, you know, or or you feel stuck, and so then that's where you stay stuck. You yeah, we are we are our own limitation. So, and we create those failures in ourselves, but you have to recognize it. Pause, be proud of the little steps you're taking, even if you fail. I mean, you asked me where I failed. I I started a a clothing boutique back uh when I was teaching in Utah. I wanted something more, but I didn't want to quit my teaching job until I found something that would replace it, and I failed at it, but that didn't keep me from trying something else. I was like, okay, I didn't do well in the in it's not that I didn't do well, and I can see myself starting that again with a different goal, different, but I was just not pre, you know, I I didn't do it right and I failed, and I could have quit and I could have said teaching is my calling, it's my journey. No, get back up, see that as a learning opportunity, and just keep going. Try something else until you figure it out.

SPEAKER_00 21:31

Yeah, timing is everything, you know. Sometimes it's just not the right time to go at something. So um you said that real estate is not the the primary. And so what uh what kind of thing do you have out there? Anything you gotta keep secret or you can that you can put out there?

SPEAKER_01 21:46

No, no, no. Um uh I've been as I've been working on myself, you know, and and I I feel like one of my callings is to make a difference, not only by helping families. Fine homes, but I come from I was raised in a single family home. We were poor, we were homeless at one point. I mean, my first language was Spanish, and I want to allow people to know that it doesn't matter your background, where you came from, none of that. You can break that and become someone better. And so my goal is to keep continuing to create my story and become a better person, a better, a better version of myself, and then share that journey and my story with other people because I've been inspired by other people that share their story. And it's a little different than mine. So I'm sure other people went through what I went through and I want to share that. So potentially, I really don't know yet, you know. And so I would like to somehow be able to change lives and help them become the better version of themselves.

SPEAKER_00 23:01

I agree with you. I think the um putting your story out there sometimes is it's a little challenging, uh, especially like you know, I think about my own story and the things that I've I didn't really have a terribly rough childhood, but you know, I've been through things of my own, and and and uh some of those things it's hard to share. Some of them is kind of like, mm, that's kind of embarrassing. I'll give that to myself, you know. So I journal a lot, write that down, share it with a book, and not necessarily everybody else, but some parts of the story I, you know, it's good to share. It's kind of why I got the podcast going, was to be able to share mine and then you know share with other people's stories as well. So I think that's I think that's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_01 23:36

Yes, and journaling, that's uh that's interesting. Yeah, so I started journaling the beginning of this year, and I've been able to become more vulnerable. I've been able to discover more things about myself, and I think that's so important, that's great because the more you become vulnerable, the more lives you may change, the more, the better you become within yourself, and and you can get to your your best off. So that's awesome that you're doing that.

SPEAKER_00 24:00

Yeah, I I agree. It's it's been uh it's it's nice because you know, being ADD, my brain sometimes is just just on and it doesn't stop. And so sometimes I need to get those thoughts out of my head and put them on paper so that I can think about something else. I think it's really cool too that you want to take your your experiences and use them to help other people. Um, a lot of people, you know, they grow out of their experiences, but they don't always take that as an opportunity to really invest in someone else. And so I think that's really cool that you're wanting to focus in that in that area um and really help other people. I think that's really neat. More coming up after the break. Hey there, podcast listener. Have you always wanted to start your own podcast? Have you been listening to this one and thinking to yourself, man, if he can do it, I can do it. Well, you're not wrong. And thanks to Anchor, you too can have your own podcast. It's super easy to do. So easy, in fact, I've been doing it, but I probably couldn't do it without Anchor. All you have to do is record your episodes, upload them to Anchor's website, and they'll do all the heavy lifting for you, including distribution, really fast as if you're awesome or if you find it. And even finding sponsorship like this one, I'm doing it. So if it's your lifelong goal to have your own podcast or even just the useful type of anger, anchor can help you with that. Just go to www.anchor.fm to get started. That's www.anchhor.fm. All your podcasting needs in one place. Well, I will uh I'm gonna throw some things at you here real quick and just see uh see how this goes.

SPEAKER_01 25:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 25:30

Uh okay, so what what was your first job?

SPEAKER_01 25:32

Oh, I love that. So my first job, I was working for the Matthias. Um, the James Matthias and Rebecca, I actually met James Matthias but worked for his sister, Rebecca. I was 13. I still couldn't officially work, but um I wanted to help. I wanted to help my mom with the bills and everything. So they put me out in the back and I was kind of filing. And then when I was able to actually officially work, from there I worked my way up. So from filing to being a receptionist to um, you know, property manager and then um assistant property manager, and but that was my very first job in properties.

SPEAKER_00 26:14

Oh, look at that.

SPEAKER_01 26:16

I know you're full circle.

SPEAKER_00 26:18

Okay, what is uh what's something that people seem to misunderstand about you?

SPEAKER_01 26:26

That is that is a great question. So I went through an experience not long ago, and I mean, I don't know if this is something that a lot of people misunderstand about me, but I did keep a lot to myself growing up. Like I did not share what I went through with uh as a child, you know, like the whole um the traumatizing of the divorce, separating my family was separate, I was separated from my sister, I was going through a lot, but throughout school, college, nobody really got to know me, like deep me. And that's something that I'm so proud of of opening up and being more vulnerable. Um, and so even moving back to Arkansas, we were sitting at a table and they were talking about childhood, and I didn't know her very well, but she did look at me and say, tell me your story. She was like, I'm sure you were an entitled teenager.

SPEAKER_00 27:24

Nice.

SPEAKER_01 27:25

And I'm like, entitled. It's just kind of like wow, how people really just they see you, you know, and they just judge you by your looks, and it's like, well, I wish, you know, like actually, as a matter of fact, you know, I was working, I was doing this, I didn't really have time to do things for myself. I did do dance, which was beautiful. That was like my it was my distraction for the from the world. Um, I didn't grow up drinking, I just I was against it because I saw how my dad was an alcoholic, you know, for a while and I saw how it ruined a family, how he was great to addiction, ruin a family. And I'm like, I do not even want to get into that. But um that that would be that would be it. It's it's like, no, don't judge a book by its cover. I mean, get to know the person deeply and everything they went through, and that is who I am now. It's made me who I am.

SPEAKER_00 28:22

I agree. That's uh I don't like the um the superficial assessments, you know. It's uh it's very frustrating because I uh even people that I know, other friends, I I hear people say things and I'm like, you don't know that person as well as you think you do. So um what is the most important thing you've learned in the last five years and how do you think you've changed some prior to learning that?

SPEAKER_01 28:45

Oh man, in the last five years, okay. So I I actually have a sc uh a picture on my phone that says, in the if the version of you from five years ago could see you right now, they'd be so proud. Keep going. I added that about a year ago on my screensaver because oh my goodness, I've learned so much. I am a different person. And I have experience where I go out with somebody and I just uh with a friend from from high school, we went out and um he made a comment. Like, I I I may have put up with certain disrespects or certain things, and I just because I've changed as a person 100%, I don't put up with certain things, I don't put up with disrespect, I don't put up with things that I used to. And they did make a comment. They were like, Wow, you've changed. Yes, I have changed, and I'm okay with that. I've learned oh so much. I've learned more the more I get to know myself, the more, the less I tolerate in in people, and and the better I become in my business, the better I become as a person in general. So, I mean, I was a teacher five years ago living paycheck to paycheck to right now thinking of other businesses to invest in and helping my family, my mom, I'm able to help my dad, I'm able to help my mom. And man, so much.

SPEAKER_00 30:13

That's awesome.

unknown 30:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:15

I I like that. Um I I'm not sure. I've seen it before and it's going around again. I think it's an old kind of a variation of an old Buddhist saying that you know it says do no harm but take no shit. And I think that that's kind of where I've gotten to at my age. Just now I I was thinking about a few things the other day that people have said, and I I thought, you know what? I'm not about that anymore. I'm I'm I'm not gonna deal with any more bullshit, and I'm certainly not gonna tolerate disrespect. I'm just I'm at that point. Like, I don't have to be a jerk, but I'm not gonna let you disrespect me. So I like that.

SPEAKER_01 30:45

Exactly. And I was so proud when this person specifically said, Wow, you changed. I'm like, yes, I have. And you either change with me or you stay behind, and I'm okay with that. And not that you're in not that you see yourself better than them. It's just simply I have changed and respect that, and this is where I'm at. This is my life right now, and it it's for me for the better, for myself. And you have to be a little, you know, sometimes you kind of feel guilty because you are you do become a little more selfish, but it's okay because you're thinking of you, of your health and where you want to go in life.

SPEAKER_00 31:20

So I think uh Mark Manson says um, if you raise yourself or set a higher standard for yourself, then the people around you will either rise up to meet that standard or they'll fall away and cease to be the people around you.

SPEAKER_01 31:34

Beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 31:35

Fair enough.

SPEAKER_01 31:35

Love it.

SPEAKER_00 31:36

True statement.

SPEAKER_01 31:37

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 31:37

If you could pick any skill that you could know instantly, what would it be?

SPEAKER_01 31:41

Wow, you're asking me some hard questions. Any skill that I can know instantly. Oh, that's that's a tough one because um I don't know, I just believe uh any skill that you want to learn, I feel like you appreciate it if you learn it from the bottom, you know what I mean? And it just comes. But um, hey, I'm gonna throw this one back at you. You know what? If I don't know the skill, I've been comfortable enough to be like, you know what, I don't know that I'm gonna hire somebody to do it for me and leverage it, right? Um, but that yeah, that's that's a good question.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

Nice. I like that little soft skill action there. Myself, I would like to just be able to go sit at a piano and just start hammering out some of my favorites because I I taught myself guitar, but like you said, that was a lot of work. It's over the years, and even now I I wish I could be better than I am.

SPEAKER_01 32:29

So nice, yes.

SPEAKER_00 32:31

What is the strangest thing that you used to believe?

SPEAKER_01 32:35

The strangest thing that I used to believe, oof, I mean, that can that can go different directions, but um, I'm going to say with I mean, I don't want to talk about religion too much, but I'm going, yeah, it was um one of the things that was set in my brain growing up was in order to become a better version of yourself, you have to have like a partner or you have to, you know what I mean? And I it I think it's super important, but it it's it shouldn't be, you know, you can become the best version of yourself. It would be it's going to be a beautiful thing to find your partner, right? And um another speaking of partnership was that there's only one person out there for you, your soulmate, and stuff like that. But it's like, no, you will find the right person at the right time, and you will become your bet the best version of yourself while you're until you get there, you know what I mean? And yeah, so I mean, I feel like a lot of my strangest beliefs came from from the religion that I grew up in, and letting that go and understanding that I am the energy, I am part of the universe, and I can create what I want without feeling guilty of specific limitations by being in a religion, that has allowed me to open up my perspective so much more.

SPEAKER_00 34:11

So I would agree with you there. I I share that feeling, having grown up in a religion myself and no longer being part of that. Um, to your points though, I I I agree with you. One, I think that actually we find the best version of ourselves when we're on our own. Um I think that you can flourish with somebody else, but it's so easy when you get into a relationship to disconnect from yourself. And if you don't have those foundations in place, because we're all gonna connect and disconnect back and forth, whatever. Um, but if you don't have the foundations, it's real easy to slip away into some old patterns and you know just become a not so great version of yourself. So I I think that it's I think the time alone's important. That's kind of what I'm doing right now, spending some time on my own trying to sort that out and and uh find this guy. Um I also think that uh I agree with you. I don't think there's any one person, I don't really buy the soulmate thing. Um I think that there are a lot of different people that can can meet you at different levels in your life. Um and something that I uh a Buddhist principle that I really like is that something a thing is not beautiful because it lasts. And most things don't last for I mean, nothing lasts forever. Everything ends at some point for some reason, right? So I I think that that's uh I like that.

SPEAKER_01 35:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:32

Um if you could spend an hour with any famous person dead or life, who would you choose?

SPEAKER_01 35:37

Who would I choose?

SPEAKER_00 35:39

Or maybe I should say important person. Doesn't have to be famous necessarily.

SPEAKER_01 35:43

Um, I would probably be so I never met him in person, and then now we're going back to religion because I actually did look up to him so much. Um it's uh Gordon B. Hinckley. He was the uh prophet of the religion that I was in. He was at a higher butt, but he was just at I I I remember I was in college when he passed away, and I'm like, man, I wish I had the opportunity to meet him because he was a great leader, and I saw him as a father figure. He would advise, he was so he he was such a wise man, and it would have just been perfect to have met him because I feel like I would have learned in and so much from him. Um, but yeah, according B. Hinckley, he was one that I wish I would have met and I didn't.

SPEAKER_00 36:36

Um if you could be known for only one thing that you've accomplished, what would it be?

SPEAKER_01 36:44

Does changing lives count?

SPEAKER_00 36:46

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 36:46

Absolutely. I would love to be known as not make not take full credit of it, but maybe a guidance to helping people um realize their potential.

SPEAKER_00 36:58

Okay. If you could be at your funeral and you could listen to what people were saying, what would you want them to say?

SPEAKER_01 37:03

Wow, that's you're making me think of super deep questions. I actually haven't even thought of that. Um I'll I'll tell you one thing. One of my biggest fears, right, was death, which is crazy, right? It's part of life. You have to recognize it. But after my grandma passed away, I'm like, it's part of life. I have to learn. That was another huge, huge life-changing moment for me because that's when I realized, wow, I have to act now. Life is short. I have to figure out what my calling is and build a legacy for my grandma that brought us here to she brought my mom here, and because of her, I'm here in in the US, able to live the dream, right? But I don't like thinking too much about my death, and I should. But if that's the case, I mean I would love people to um get up there and talk about how I impacted their lives in a positive way. Um, I kind of get, you know, I kind of got a little emotional because that makes me, as I'm sitting here, it makes me ponder like I really need to make some changes in my life and act quick because I really want people to stand up there and and just say how I want them to talk about themselves and how better people they've become because I was a part of their lives. Not really focused on me, but focus on them and how I impacted their lives. And so better act on that now.

SPEAKER_00 38:41

Well, I think that's a pretty good answer. I like that.

unknown 38:43

I like that.

SPEAKER_00 38:44

What do you think your most defining failure has been?

SPEAKER_01 38:47

My most defining failure. That's a tough one. I'm trying to figure it out because I mean I feel like I have a ton, but I don't know which one to focus on. Um, because I because is it a failure? I mean, um, I okay, so one of my most defining failures, I feel like it would be being in the wrong relationship for an extremely for a long time. It was a failure, but also an amazing opportunity because I learned so much about myself, about setting boundaries, and but man, I I I feel like I wasted so much time in a relationship that I knew way before that it wasn't the right person. And once again, you get into that comfortable level, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 39:35

Absolutely, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:36

But I'm grateful for it because if not, I would not have moved back to Arkansas and I wouldn't be where I'm at now, as far as honestly, everything in general. Like it helped me realize where I wanted to be in my life as far as my career, as far as relationships. It just took me to another level in life, but that would probably be the one of them that I can think of right now. I'm sure there's plenty more.

SPEAKER_00 40:01

Alright, what is your uh what's your favorite family tradition?

SPEAKER_01 40:04

So when my grandma was alive, we would always get together for Christmas when we were younger, and we would just cook together. But right now, I've kind of put that into so cooking. But Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's oh my gosh, I absolutely love it. You have to it's it's the food and it's just relaxing and it's all everybody's together cooking. But yes, it's one of my favorite dishes actually. The whole thing, the turkey, but that's one of my favorite family traditions. Um, to just be together, everybody in the kitchen, everybody's talking. There's no stress about needing to get anywhere because you have that weekend off. Um, just being together in the family, like with the entire family in the kitchen. And it's funny because I don't cook as much, but because of that, I feel like I appreciate it so much more.

SPEAKER_00 40:55

So is that is that the uh when you guys have the pozole every year?

SPEAKER_01 40:59

Oh no, we have pozole during Christmas time. Yes, so my my family they cook pozole once a year and tamales and munuelos, and just like you go full on out. Um, I love it, don't get me wrong. It's it's Thanksgiving is my favorite, and that's my tradition, like the favorite tradition. But for for Christmas, when my grandma was alive, we would always cook put tamales, and she's the one that taught me how to do it. I don't know if I know how anymore, but she, you know, she taught me the whole, she was always teaching everybody how to bake, how to cook, and her recipes were so funny because she would say, just grab a pinch of this and put it in here, grab a bit, you know, a little pinch of salt, a little pinch of sh this and that, and but um it's just the being together with the family in one room and cooking brings a warmth to my heart, and I'm like, that's just such a beautiful tradition. Because I mean, when you're so caught up in this world, which is crazy to think about, you really are not together as a family as a whole um often, and so just appreciating that moment is one of my favorite traditions.

SPEAKER_00 42:05

I might have to crash for Christmas party this year.

SPEAKER_01 42:09

Go for it.

SPEAKER_00 42:11

Uh what's your what's your go-to karaoke song?

SPEAKER_01 42:14

I don't sing. I don't, so I don't have a go-to karaoke song. I sing in the shower, I sing in my car, but I don't ever get on that mic of the karaoke. However, I will be the dancer. I will support, and I feel like that just the same, you know what I mean? Like, oh, it brings out it. I think it's so important though to to do stuff, to sing, to dance, to do all of that because you need that energy, you need that, you need to be kind of like a child once in a while to appreciate life. So I'd be the dancer, but not the karaoke singer.

SPEAKER_00 42:48

Alright, so so what song is the one that I mean I'm sure with uh all kinds of songs you can dance to, but what do you hear that just makes you have to get up and and dance, whatever dance?

SPEAKER_01 42:56

So I don't know what it is that the like the type of music, the style, type of music?

SPEAKER_00 43:01

What if there's any kind of song or style? I mean, because I know you do a lot of you do the pachata and all that kind of stuff, but I mean, what what do you hear? Is there a song that just like you hear it and you just gotta get up and and move to it?

SPEAKER_01 43:11

You know, you're gonna think I'm very unique, and maybe somebody else might be able to answer that, but I don't. For me, it's more of the rhythm. I never pay attention to words, but it's it's just a specific rhythm, and most of the time it's pachata that I hear it, I just hear the beat, and I'm like, uh oh, my feet. Have you seen the movie Happy Feet? Yes, that's how my feet are whenever I hear bachata. It's like I need to get up and dance.

SPEAKER_00 43:36

So nice. I'm still working on learning that it's uh it's sort of a tragedy to watch betray that. But uh okay, and so who who is somebody that you really admire?

SPEAKER_01 43:46

Oh, my mother. Yes, I admire my mom so very much. She has done so much for us, and I just see how far she's come along. I mean, I hear her story, how I all the time, you know, whenever we're sitting. Now and talking how she didn't know English, and then from being in a marriage for so many years, having four children, not knowing the language, she moved to Arkansas, got a job, and then from there took off. I mean, she provided a home for us. Um, she's done so many accomplishments. She's gone to beauty school, she's gotten her cosmetology license, education. She actually ended working for the the University of Arkansas. That was her dream to be in a part, you know, like in the education department. And now she's just trying to start her business. I mean, it is just everything she accomplished. I admire her so very much. And how she um not only did she sacrifice so much for us, but every day she supported us. I mean, every time we go through something or we had an idea, she would be like, You got this. I mean, you can do it. And if it weren't for her and her little voice in the back on the side of my ear, I wouldn't be where I'm at because she just always gave me that confidence. Like, if I had an idea and it was, she she would ask, I mean, you you want to do it? Yes, then do it. You know, man, she's just such a powerful woman that I hope to be like her whenever I grow up. As I keep growing up, you know, it's just it's just yeah, she's just beautiful inside and out.

SPEAKER_00 45:26

That's pretty impressive to especially not speaking the language to to even get your even to get your momentum, you know. She did it. Most of it, I speak, I'm I feel like I speak English pretty fluently, and I don't get my momentum half the time. All right, well, any uh any closing thoughts? Anything you want to add?

SPEAKER_01 45:43

Oh man, um get out of your own way. Like it doesn't matter where you're from, your ethnicity, your background, your environment. If you feel stuck, find someone to help you. There's something in your subconscious mind that's keeping you from going to the next level and just seek, put your ego aside and and get out there. And we are here for a reason. We each have a purpose. Figure out your calling and go fulfill your calling and enjoy the journey while at it.

SPEAKER_00 46:18

Do you want to plug anything, your business, or anything you want to throw out there for the two or three listeners I have?

SPEAKER_01 46:24

No.

SPEAKER_00 46:25

I'll put it in the show notes as well. But if you you got a website or anything like that for your real estate business or any of your business, any other businesses you want to plug.

SPEAKER_01 46:32

Yeah, absolutely. Um, if anybody ever needs a real estate agent, um you can follow me. I and you can follow me at Empower Home Team. I am on Instagram, Facebook. Um, I do have my website. It's empowerhome team.exp royalty.com. And we have a team that we can absolutely help you list your home with the purchase of your home. So absolutely, it'd be an honor to help anybody that's currently looking to buy or sell. We're very proud of our service and how our strategies to be able to help our clients either sell their home at the best highest value or our buyers right now. It's a very hard time for buyers, and a lot of them are giving up. But we have um we partner up with different top agents in the nation that help us strategize to help buyers win their home that if they love it, and we prepare them to be able to win the home no matter what the competition is. So absolutely reach out. Empower Home Team is my real estate team, so it'd be an honor.

SPEAKER_00 47:40

Awesome. Thank you, Ana, for being here. Be on the show.

SPEAKER_01 47:43

Thank you. Appreciate it. It was an honor.

SPEAKER_00 47:50

I hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, I'd love for you to share it with anyone you think might also enjoy it. And if you like the show, please consider supporting it. It's the support of listeners like you that keeps us going. If you'd like to help, there's a link in the show notes. I'd like to thank all of our guests who've taken time out to have these conversations and share their insights on failures both personal and professional. If you want to follow the show, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram at failurepoints blog, and on Twitter at failurepoints. Please like and share, and remember to rate and review the show on whichever podcast platform you use. Again, thank you for listening, and we'll see you next time on Points of Failure.