unExpectedly Successful
The to-go podcast for aspiring women entrepreneurs. Join us to hear the raw and genuine stories of women business founders who, despite it all, have created their own pathways to purpose and possibilities—the journeys of women like you and me in their most authentic moments.
You will hear inspiration and know-how, find role models, and, most importantly, discover the next step you need to take. This is an invitation to use their experience, knowledge, and personal story to help you craft your own journey to be unexpectedly successful.
unExpectedly Successful
Harnessing Her Latina Power to Overcome, Empower, and Succeed
Do you ever feel like your heritage has held you back? Meet Cynthia Trejo, a Latina business owner who's turning her experiences into empowerment. From heart-wrenching decisions to poetic inspirations, this episode is a trove of strategies for self-worth, negotiation, and empowerment. Join us for a story of tenacity and transformation that will inspire you to turn challenges into opportunities. Cynthia’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance, ambition, and a strong Latina heritage. Join us to hear the full story.
🔗 Connect with Cynthia:
👑 Website: www.crowning-point.com
🌱 Foundation: www.inherelementfoundation.org
📸 Instagram: crowningpoint_
👤 Facebook: CrowningPointLLC
🎥 YouTube: @crowning-point
📚 RECOMMENDED readings and programs:
Research on average salaries: salary.com 💵 and Glassdoor.com 🚪
🧠 On Mindset - Soundtracks: the surprising solution to overthinking, https://www.amazon.com/dp/1540900800/ref=nosim?tag=unexpectedl0e-20
💬 On Communication - The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication: Apply Them and Make the Most of Your Message, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZBD1HZ4/ref=nosim?tag=unexpectedl0e-20
📈 On Scaling Your Business through Synergies - Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork, https://www.amazon.com/dp/1401962327/ref=nosim?tag=unexpectedl0e-20
🎧 Listen to the show:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/66x3kimKtCA4dSHE51IOEj?si=486ebbd41f284f3d
🍏 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/un-expectedly-successful-the-podcast/id1691434992
💌 GET IN TOUCH WITH ME
🌍 My websites - herpathtopurposeandprofit.com and ascendostrategies.com
📧 Partner With Me - griselda@ascendostrategies.com
1️⃣ Her Path to Purpose and Profit:
Join a community of like-minded women. Business coaching for aspiring women entrepreneurs and launch their venture.
Website: https://herpathtopurposeandprofit.com/
Who I AM:
I am Dr. Griselda Martinez, your transformational business coach, podcaster, public speaker, and author, passionate about fulfilling my purpose and helping aspiring women entrepreneurs find theirs.
Before being here, "I had made it" in my career. Yet, I remembered that the corner office or the big salary was not the end goal.
Instead, I knew I could have a much bigger impact by working with other women like me to find their purpose and use their businesses as a mechanism for its deployment. As a result, businesses are founded and rooted in purpose and passion that contribute to their community.
Subscribe now and join the un-Expectedly Successful tribe!
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Confidence. One of the things that we teach is a choice. It's a decision. When we are able to identify what it is that's making us feel unconfident, then we're able to overcome it ["The Stories of Women", just like you and I, telling their journey as business owners.
Speaker 2:And today I'm super excited to bring this powerhouse woman who I have the honor of sharing our border plex area, our Latina heritage, and she is Cynthia Trejo, ceo and founder of Crowning Point, which is a training and consulting company for women leadership and a foundation which is called her Element Foundation, and it is a community to empower women of color, and she's most proud about the impact she has in women, including over the thousand women that she's already trained. And these women, each one of them, has a success story, including negotiating salaries, asking for raises, applying for positions, for their investments. So I don't know about you, but I am excited to have Cynthia with us today. Welcome to our show, cynthia. How are you today?
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm doing great. Thank you so much for that awesome introduction Grisita you're making. You're pumping me up. I'm getting all excited here.
Speaker 2:Let's do it All right. Okay, Cynthia, I'm excited to have you with us, and the first question is can you please tell me who Cynthia is for you?
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness, that's a really awesome question. Tell us about it. Who Cynthia is for me, you know, I think, from a very, very young age. You know who you are as from a young age, and knowing who I was was always my motivator, my guide, my help, and so who Cynthia is is a. I'm a strong Latina. I'm a strong, caring person who seeks justice, who goes for the underdog. That's who Cynthia is. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:This is just the beginning, ladies. Okay, so get ready for the rest. So you talked about. You are a strong Latina who fights for justice and seeks justice and seeks. What do you say? Goes for the underdog? You said Goes for the underdog. Yes, that is so beautiful. Okay, so tell us a little bit about your, your heritage as a strong Latina, Cynthia. Tell us a little bit about who, where you're coming from.
Speaker 1:I was. I was born in California. In the work that I do, I recently came to find out that I was born in the in the time when Dolores Huerta was advocating for the farm workers in Bakersfield, california, and so that is the when I was born. I was born in Bakersfield, california, during the time that Dolores was advocating for the farm workers, and my mom was a farm worker.
Speaker 2:She was. Your mother was a farm worker in that moment during this movement.
Speaker 1:Yes yes, and so you know. It's interesting to find out that Dolores was advocating for my mom, my mom and my dad. I was born in Bakersfield. We moved to El Paso. My mom is originally from El Paso. My dad passed away in an auto accident and so my mom came back and so I was raised here in El Paso, but I never knew. I never knew that my mom was one of the farm workers that Dolores was was advocating for. It's not until I started doing the work that I'm doing today that I come to find that out, which is, you know, talk about full circle.
Speaker 2:Wow, wow. So tell us of what your experience being born in that environment with your parents background. Tell us how that has impacted your life, leading to you becoming a business owner.
Speaker 1:My parents were very hardworking individuals. My mom worked multiple jobs and they did what I took. They did whatever it took to make sure that we never lacked and we never did, but we were. We had very humble beginnings and you know, I went to school and I remember being in elementary school and my mom was the was the custodian there at the school that I was going to, and so I would get out of school and then I'd hang out with my mom after school while she was cleaning the classrooms. So that you know that's my upbringing and and and. In in living in that I, I saw how many times my parents were mistreated, and so that's why I'm very passionate about the things that I do.
Speaker 2:So walk us, walk us through you. Being a, an elementary student, what hanging out with your mother working at the school, then moving into being a professional and then becoming a business owner. Can you walk us through that sequence of events? Tell us about you, cynthia?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So again, you know, going back to this humble upbringing, we didn't really I didn't have any ambitions. I didn't realize that I could be something. I didn't know what I wanted to be. There was never a thought of going to college or anything, you know. It was about, you know, turning of age and working and helping the family, but at a very, again, at a very young age and I talk about how, at a young age, we know who we are, we know what we want, we know our potential. And at the age of 16, I realized that I wanted that, in order for me to help my family, that I needed to get an education. And so at that age, I had dropped out of school, but I re-enrolled in school and went back and completed my education. So there was that desire to do more, to want more, and I didn't know what that was. I just knew that I had the potential to do more and be more.
Speaker 2:Do you remember what happened at age of 16, that change, that perspective that gave you? I mean like being out of school and then all of a sudden, having this epiphany that education was going to bring you places? Do you remember what happened then?
Speaker 1:I do so. You know, in our family the thing would be is that you turn the age of 16 and then you drop out of school and help the family get a job. And so you know my older brother he turned 16, he dropped out. My younger sister, my older sister she at the age of 16, she got married. And then I turned 16 and I dropped out of school. I started looking for work and no one would hire me, which is a good thing, because I was wondering what's going on.
Speaker 1:I remember that day when I made that decision, because I was sitting at the kitchen table, sitting there just contemplating what am I going to do, and I realized that I wanted more, that I remember thinking this isn't the life that I want and if I'm going to help my parents, I need to go back to school. And so I told my mom and I spoke with her and I told her I need to go back to school.
Speaker 2:What was her reaction then, cynthia, if it was not a family tradition, she?
Speaker 1:was taken back by it. She didn't really know what to do. She said you know, if that's what you want to do, then you're going to have to re-enroll yourself in school, because I can't help you. And so I did. I remember walking back to school that day and re-enrolling in school. I couldn't go back at that time because it was already mid-year, and so I had to go back the following year and I ended up graduating a year later, a year late from my original class.
Speaker 2:So this is you in high school. And then what happened after that, cynthia?
Speaker 1:I started going to college. I went to a business school and then I started going to college and I fell in love and they got married.
Speaker 1:During college and I left school and started a family, and college was something that I was going back and forth, going back and forth. I was in the long what do you call it? The 10-year plan. Actually, it took me longer because I eventually didn't. You know, I ended up having my children, but I remember one day, you know, with me going back to school, it really encouraged my siblings to go back to school and so they completed, they got their GED. My older sister ended up going back, going to college and she would tell me come with me, you know, come, finish, come with me. And I was like, no, I can't, I can't. And so finally she convinced me. You know, what she said is she goes you want to be 40 with a degree or without a degree, because either way you're going to be 40. How are you going to? How is that going to look like for you?
Speaker 2:This was a question from your older sister, who you had influence to go back to school, and now she's challenging you, right? And what did you answer to that question? You want to be 40 with or without.
Speaker 1:With a degree, definitely, and so I enrolled in school and we both went to school together. We graduated together.
Speaker 2:Wow, wow. What did your parents say when you both were graduating from college? I mean your mother that it was something was not familiar for her.
Speaker 1:It was not familiar for anyone, right For anyone. Because my, like I said, my sister I was, you know, going here and there part-time basis my sister decided to go full force. She didn't, she didn't, and you know, I got my bachelor's. She went, kept, kept going and she got her master's. Like I said, my other siblings went, went back to school. So that's not an issue, that's not part of our. You know you call it a generational curse. That's not in our family anymore.
Speaker 2:We don't have those issues.
Speaker 1:You broke it.
Speaker 2:We opened up possibilities Wow. And then what happened after college? You were married, you had children. Now you're before 40 with a degree. What happened after that?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I've had several jobs. I've always had the entrepreneurial spirit. I've had other companies and with this most recent company, I remember telling my husband I'm going to start another business. I have no idea what it is, but I'm going to start another business. So he knows my entrepreneurial spirit With the company that I have currently. It started when I was doing financial services. So I was doing financial services. I did that for about 10 years.
Speaker 1:I was meeting with women and asking them about their ambitions, their goals, what they want for retirement, what does their future look like, asking all those very important questions. And what I noticed is that the ladies that I was meeting with, they had these challenges in life. A lot of it had to do with confidence, insecurity, things like that. They were opening up and it seemed like they felt that they were going through this alone. What they didn't realize is that a lot of women are going through this. I saw that. I saw the pattern. I saw in our conversations that, the pattern of the experiences that the women were feeling and going through.
Speaker 1:And I thought to myself if they only knew they're not alone. We need to talk to each other, we need to know these are the things that we're going through, and so I started to think about how I could help. How can I help, how can I help women realize that they're not going through these things alone? And so I started putting workshops. That was finding ways to share this information, to share about confidence, about speaking up, that their voice mattered, and that was back in like 2017. Workshops here and there, still doing financial services. In 2019, I started actually putting a series of women's leadership workshops in El Paso and it was going really, really good. I decided to start the business and I was going to have my ribbon cutting in March of 2020.
Speaker 2:And then what happened?
Speaker 1:There's a lot of stuff that happened, so obviously I didn't have my ribbon cutting. We went on lockdown with the pandemic and I thought this is not a good time to try to open a business. Businesses were closing down, they were struggling and I felt it's not the right time and so I took a step back. Of course, we went on lockdown workshops. Doing these in-person seminars and workshops was not an option.
Speaker 1:I stepped away and the pandemic for me was really, really difficult, because I'm a very people person. I love to be around people, I'm people-oriented, I love to be out there, and it was very trying. It was very difficult. I just had a really difficult time with it not being able to be around people, and so I went online. I started to attend virtual events. I started meeting people virtually. I started doing lives. I got very uncomfortable doing a lot of things that I wasn't used to doing, and I'm not the only one, obviously we all did. We all had to go virtual and we all had to that word pivot, and so I went virtual. I started meeting people and I met people outside of El Paso. I started meeting people in Puerto Rico, in New York, in Portugal, all over the place, and there were Latinas as well, and I was like what?
Speaker 2:I was like this is awesome.
Speaker 1:It was pretty awesome to see. It doesn't matter where we live in the world. There's that similarity of knowing your sister and I was like who's that Latina? And it was just a really, really neat experience. So I started having virtual events. I thought I'll have some virtual events and the women again having these conversations we were having.
Speaker 1:I have a show that was called Real Talk, and so we were having real conversations with women about what's happening during the pandemic and stuff. And that's when I noticed that women were really, really struggling during this pandemic time. We were having conversations virtually, where the women were breaking down and crying and stuff, and I thought, oh my gosh, I need to do something, I need to move forward. And so I started the business during the pandemic. I started the crowning point during the pandemic, which at that point it was called Her Element Network, and so I started having the virtual workshops. I started creating courses.
Speaker 1:As I mentioned, I met with other women outside of El Paso. I was able to create partnerships with some awesome, amazing women who are subject matter experts in their field, women who are experts in confidence in women's leadership, in negotiations, from all over, from Harvard, from New York, from all over the place and so I was able to create partnerships with these ladies to put together our workshops and our trainings and our courses. And so, in crowning point, our women's leadership training program is in partnership with women who are experts in that subject matter, and that's what came from that, from the pandemic.
Speaker 2:But, cynthia, you were already doing it. You just paused and then got a little hesitant and then this reconnection to the need ignited you once again, because you were already doing it right. I mean, my feeling is based on what you said from early childhood you've been doing this through your different roles all your life. It was just the moment to bring it as a full force business. Is that accurate? Yes, yes, you hit it right in the nail. So now tell us, like, where are you as a business owner now with Crowning Point? I mean now in that moment where you said, okay, I'm going to move forward full force, and then you created the foundation and then, like, tell us, like what's happened in like those connections, partnerships, you having success stories with the work that you do? Tell us, tell us all the excitement.
Speaker 1:Well, a lot has developed. You know, during the pandemic I worked a lot. I worked a lot just to keep my sanity and so I worked long hours. I was working a lot, that's all I did. We created courses. I was able to now have this women's leadership training program. It's a six and a half month program. It's a partnership with Pepperdine University and so the ladies go through this program. They receive a certificate of completion, they can receive continued education credits and it's the graduate school of education and psychology and education in Pepperdine. That's awesome. That came from the pandemic. You know, I was able to meet somebody in Pepperdine, right Somebody.
Speaker 1:I thought I would have met. It's pretty amazing.
Speaker 2:What else has happened, cynthia? I mean, it sounds like you have layers of cool things happening, so tell us more. Tell us more. What else has happened in these two, three years of work?
Speaker 1:You know, in creating her element network, which is now crowning point, the foundation came to be and the the in her element foundation was was created because, you know, we had this awesome program that I wanted to provide to women to give them encouragement and support and knowledge and skills and abilities to to to reach their goals and their ambitions. Right, but what I felt is that the ones that the ladies that I really wanted to help, they couldn't, they wouldn't be able to to pay for these courses, and so that's where the foundation came in. If I'm able to create a nonprofit and receive grants and funding, then through there they're, they're able to receive the training they can, they can get the funding to attend courses, not just mine, just in general, right, yeah, and so that's where the foundation came from. The it's in her element foundation, it's a. Again, this is all with other women. Everything that I do is in in collaboration and partnership with other women and women who are awesome. They're.
Speaker 1:I look for women who are helpers, who desire to give back right and who who know, who know their stuff right. The ladies that are part of the foundation, the mentors in our program. They're women who are in C-suite positions for large companies, they're business owners, they're directors, they're executive officers, they're I mean, they're they're awesome women. And then the women who are coming through our program, the.
Speaker 1:I work with other nonprofits or other organizations to find the individuals that that need the mentoring or want the mentoring. So our first cohort this is a year long program on the foundation site, right, we have a mentoring program. It's a one year program. Our first year we worked with the Eastlata Adult Learning Center and we had 12 ladies who were going to school for English as a second language. Those were the ladies that were coming through our program. The second cohort that is going on right now these are high school students, that that, senior high school students that just graduated in June. We have nine ladies going through the program and those come. These ladies are were were recommended from communities and schools, and communities and schools is a nonprofit organization that works with high-risk students.
Speaker 1:And so these, these ladies are going through our program currently. It's been amazing to see the growth and the beauty of of change taking place within these ladies.
Speaker 2:Wow, Wow, Cynthia, you know, when you were talking about, when you thought about the creation of the foundation, you said but the ladies that I really wanted to help couldn't pay. So can can you dig deeper into the really part?
Speaker 1:You know, going back to you know, we talked about the, my upbringing right, the. The ladies that I wanted to help were ladies like my mom.
Speaker 2:Tell us more about that.
Speaker 1:I recently did an interview and this is. This is emotional for me, Sorry.
Speaker 2:This is where the raw and genuine stories are told, so we welcome that you're genuine.
Speaker 1:I was saying what I was, what I had shared in another interview, is that that the desire to do more in your life shouldn't lack because of the lack of resources that you have, meaning economic, economic status. That desire that you have to do more shouldn't be based on your economic status. And so that's where that comes from. Wow, we, we have a. You know the dreams. I mentioned that when I was growing up, I didn't, I didn't have ambitions. I didn't even know that I could go to college. I didn't know that that was an option, but when I found out, I went for it, and so it's important that we let these young women know and, like I said, you know, in our, in our program, we have young women, we have older women, we have women that are close to 60 years old. If there's a desire, if there's something, if there's a passion, if there's something that they want to do with their lives, we can. We're here to help with that. It's not based on what what their economic, social, economic status is that dreams?
Speaker 2:should be there. So you're giving access to women to things that they couldn't afford, to things that they did not see as possible, to opportunities that were not in their projected trajectory. So what is your why, Cynthia? I mean, we've talked about it in a way, but what is your why?
Speaker 1:You know, as women number one and then as Latinas number two. There's so many challenges out there.
Speaker 2:There's so many challenges. Tell us about that.
Speaker 1:The fact that, you know, some of us have an accent. Right, when we speak with an accent, we might be seen as being unintelligent. When that's not the case, we speak two languages. That makes us very intelligent. Right, we're using two parts of our brain. When we speak two languages, we're using more of our brain.
Speaker 2:And research shows that Alzheimer's is a decrease for people who are bilingual.
Speaker 1:Very good, yes, and so you know, the fact that we may have an accent, the fact that we may be humble again, that's part of our upbringing doesn't make us, doesn't mean that we're not intellectual, and so that's one of my driving forces, right? You know, I shared with you earlier where I had a situation with a gentleman who, with an individual, who was?
Speaker 2:That's right. That was the agreement and the audience is going to find out why he was an individual and not a gentleman just in a moment.
Speaker 1:I had a situation last year with an individual who was very demeaning, was trying to, you know, intimidate me and spoke down to me. I don't know if it's because I'm a female or if it's because I'm Hispanic, or it's both, but I feel like it's something that, as Latinas, we come across a lot, and so in this particular situation it was, you know, I felt like I handled myself really good.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's not that.
Speaker 1:I feel like I know that I handled myself well. I kept my cool, I stood my ground and I handled it to the best of my ability, which was good. But after we ended the meeting, I was left with a lot of negative energy. I was upset. I was upset and I didn't know what to do with it. You were mad, I was angry, you were pissed off. I was like how, how dare he talk down to me? What gives them a right to speak that way to another person? Why, you know? And so I'm walking around pacing the house and I'm telling my husband I don't know what to do with this, I don't know what to do with the house, I'm upset. And so I finally sat down and I started to write. I just started to write my feelings. I started to write what I was experiencing and what I was thinking and trying to put everything together, you know, trying to really make sense of what was going on. And I wrote a poem and wow, Would you like the poem to us?
Speaker 1:Yes, so I have it right here.
Speaker 2:And for my audience, this is a very special moment because Cynthia, in any other situation, would not have shared this poem. So I am very honored and privileged to have this poem read in this space. So, cynthia, the floor is yours. Thank you.
Speaker 1:I, you know, I put my thoughts into words and these words became a poem. I shared it last year on social media because I was asked to right.
Speaker 1:I shared it with family members and friends and they were like you got to share this and so I hesitantly did it because you know I'm a private person, but I did it and it got a really good response and so I'm sharing it. It's from the heart, people, and I hope I don't get emotional and if you get emotional, let it out, Hi. So I'll go ahead and read it and it's called I am a strong Latina standing on the shoulders of Giants. I am a strong Latina standing on the shoulders of Giants, a woman who knows what she wants. Raised in a culture that honors our elders, vicinos, theos and theas, I learned at a young age the importance of hard work, dedication and the significance of being a graded seed for all the blessings we have. I am a strong Latina standing on the shoulders of Giants. My parents worked endlessly for love of family. They did site hustles, farm work, hard labor to give us a better life and opportunities to excel and succeed. I am a strong Latina standing on the shoulders of Giants. I understand the importance of a good work, ethic, honesty and integrity. These cultural values, beliefs and morals are the roots of my raza, but don't be mistaken by my brown color, accent or humildad and respecto. I know my worth and I know who I am.
Speaker 1:I am a strong Latina standing on the shoulders of Giants. They gave all they had to provide a better vida, sueños and ambitions. But don't underestimate my fresa. I'm not easily intimidated by callousness or presumido attacks. I am a strong Latina standing on the shoulders of Giants. I was raised by proud Latinos and I'm not easily defeated. Those that came before me overcame tremendous adversidades. I inherited their resiliency, poder. I know who I am. I am a strong Latina standing on the shoulders of Giants Adapting, adopting, inspired and bold. I am a strong Latina. I stand tall, have a voice orgullosa and optimistic. I am empowered and thriving standing on the shoulders of Giants. I will not let them down, nor will I be silenced, Wow.
Speaker 2:Wow, how does that make you feel just reading this and hearing this and knowing where you come from and where you're going?
Speaker 1:You know we have a. I have. I think it's important that I shared with others before that when I was growing up I was embarrassed of the things that we went through. But as I go into the work that I do and learn more about what my parents went through, there's pride in that. There's pride in knowing that I am where I am because of what they did, because they didn't give up, because they were resilient, because they had hope, and I carry that hope.
Speaker 2:Wow, wow, that is so beautiful. And, cynthia, I just want to acknowledge that you are a strong Latina and you are impacting Latinas to be even stronger, to be more resilient, to be more, to be bolder, to conquer the things that they didn't see as possible, and that is amazing. I mean, that is just the legacy of Cynthia Trejo for the future to come. It's just amazing and for the audience.
Speaker 2:I was in a conference that Cynthia put together and there was this lady, I don't know, mid-20s, and she had gone through one of Cynthia's programs and she was sharing her own story because through this program, she was able to connect to a number of opportunities and one primary result of this program was the level of confidence and possibility she saw for herself led to now her working at that White House.
Speaker 2:And she was in El Paso as a young Latina woman sharing her story, and the best part about it it was that a bunch of high school students were listening and the ripple effect continues. And that is so powerful because if we all do our own share of good and give back this, this virtual cycle will never end. And so I want to thank you for starting those cycles of giving back, cynthia, and I'm gonna shift gears here for a moment. For the ladies out there not sure about what to do about their confidence. Not to do about, like, do I negotiate salary? How do I stand my grounds? What would be tough? Three strategies that you would share with them, cynthia.
Speaker 1:What.
Speaker 1:I you know it all boils down to confidence. So I'm a firm believer that if we're able to manage ourselves, our responses and who we are you know I share this experience with this individual right I was able to maintain my confidence, my demeanor, my stand, my ground right, and it comes from confidence. So confidence, one of the things that we teach, is a choice, it's a decision. When we are able to identify what it is that's making us feel unconfident, then we're able to to overcome it. So that would be the first thing, right. What, when a person is, is unconfident? What's happening is that you're a make that like you're, you're, you're, you're working out of an emotion.
Speaker 1:You bring it to the frontal cortex, you rationalize, you understand what is actually taking place here and what's making me feel unconfident when you identify it, then you're able to overcome it, so that the next time something like that happens you know exactly how to how to deal with it, how to work through that.
Speaker 2:So that's one of the things that we teach Turning an emotion into a rational thought that then you can control. I love it. Okay, number two.
Speaker 1:Number two. What was it? So what's in the top?
Speaker 2:three top three strategies for ladies who are struggling with just being bolder, being more outspoken, being just considering possibilities, not like you. Gave us confidence in how to hack that number two.
Speaker 1:Learn to be an advocate for yourself Right. One of the one of the one of the workshops that we have is amplify your confidence, amplify your accomplishments. As women in general, we don't like to talk about our accomplishments, and so don't downplay. Don't downplay your accomplishments. That's number one. Don't, if you've done something and someone's you know congratulating on, congratulating you for what you've done, don't downplay it by saying, oh, it's nothing, because it is something it is something.
Speaker 1:And so the how you can respond to that is thank you. When somebody's telling you that you're doing something awesome, that you're doing great, you respond with thank you.
Speaker 2:And I am Thank you.
Speaker 1:I am, if you're, if you feel comfortable going with the idea but I would just say you know, say to start saying start with thank you.
Speaker 1:And the third one is ladies. It's so important that we negotiate for our salaries, negotiate in general, but when it comes to salaries, and it comes to Latinas, especially for Latinas, why? Because Latinas are the are making 54 cents for every dollar that a white man earns. We're the lowest paid gender. I mean, it's the race when it comes to our salaries. And so what I want you to all to remember is that negotiation, negotiating for your salary, that's the part, that's all part of the interview. If you're negotiating for your salary, you're leaving out a very important part of the interview. They're expecting you to interview to negotiate.
Speaker 2:So, cynthia, let's say that I am interviewing for a job and it gets to the, to the moment of somebody bringing the the number conversation. So can you walk us through that moment and how usually happens for women and what should be or could be the alternative?
Speaker 1:Well, it's important to be prepared when you're, when you're applying for the position. You need to research. We need to research the position, the role, the pay. What's the pay within our, for example, here, within El Paso? What's the pay outside of El Paso, if it's remote? Do your homework. So, when it comes down to when the, when the offer is made, you know whether or not it's a good offer because you've done your homework.
Speaker 1:Number two like I said, there's, there's always wiggle room. I shouldn't use the word always, but there should. There's. For the most part, there'll be some wiggle room there and so you want to be able to negotiate based off of your experience right, your experience in that particular field, your education, your knowledge. Come prepared and know where you, where you, where you want to be within that range. Like I said, it's part of the, it's part of the interview. So there needs to be that.
Speaker 1:Ask about the pay, yes, it all depends on what they're. It all depends on what they're offering, because each situation is different. But, based on, based on the fact that you've already done the research, you should know where you, where you stand. You shouldn't know where you should be in that pay, in that pay range and if it's not where it needs to be, you can ask is there some wiggle room there? Right, is there some wiggle wiggle room there is I, I, I let's say there, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Give me a, give me a number. That's a 50,000, right, yes, 50,000. And so they're offering 50,000 for for the. They give you an offer for 50,000. Based on your knowledge and experience, you know you should be closer to 60, right, you come back and you answer that way, right, based on my experience, based on my research, based on you know the, the position it should be closer to, blah, blah, blah. Whatever that amount is, let's say it's 60,000. Yes, but you don't want to be at a point where you're going to come back down. You, I mean where you're going to. You want to go a little bit higher. So, if there's still some room to negotiate, if you have to come down a little bit, so there's a lot of there's a lot to it.
Speaker 1:Right, there's a lot to it. I'm just trying to give some some, some, some small, some small things here. But you know, do some, do your research. I just just come back to do your research, find out where you should be at. There's a lot of companies out there that can do the research for you. I shouldn't say a lot of companies, but there's, there's organizations out there that can do the research.
Speaker 1:You can go through the, through the, for example with the here, not pass it with the workforce solutions. They can give you what those salaries should be.
Speaker 2:So for anyone outside El Paso, the workforce solutions is the workforce. What is the agency? So this is the state agency that is in charge of training and placing employees into jobs. So any for other states. If you look for the entity that helps statewide employee employees find a job, that is the entity that Cynthia is referring to. That I did not know that. That's really cool.
Speaker 1:They can offer that you can also go to salarycom and so you can research. You can research there based on the position, the job title, your years of experience. What's the starting salary, what's the medium salary, what's you know what's regular pay? You can go to glassdoorcom and they'll show you salaries for that company and the different roles and, where they're, what the average salary is for that organization. So that's part of the research right.
Speaker 2:Yes. So, Cynthia, let's say that it's a they, this example of $50,000, and then the the research shows that it was closer to 60. And this, this, this woman goes and negotiates and gets a pushback. What would you offer at that point as as the next strategy? To stay, to stay firm in their grounds, you know don't be afraid to say no, don't be it's it's.
Speaker 1:I know it's tough sometimes, but don't be afraid to say no. You know, we have stories in other conferences and and women sharing their stories, and there's one in particular that stands out where one of the ladies came back and said she needed to be at a higher salary and they told her they couldn't. In fact, there's actually two that run out, may not have thinking about it and she said I'm sorry, I can't take the. I can't take the position. Well, they came back and they created a position Wow and paid her what she wanted. There's another individual that I was guiding through the process to negotiate her salary and it went back and forth a few times. They told her they couldn't. She turned it down. They came back and they offered her the salary.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:Don't you know? Don't be afraid to say no. I know sometimes it's hard because of our situation. You may need the job and things like that, but you know that's part of being able to to know where your value is right. I love it.
Speaker 2:I love it, I love it and you know, um yeah, and even if you had to take that salary, you can still keep. Keep that door open, right for negotiation as as you continue to evolve in that position, right because negotiation, so it doesn't only pertain to salary.
Speaker 1:we're talking about salary right now, but there's other things you can negotiate. Right, you can negotiate time off, you can, you know, look at, you know the compensation for for other things, you know, maybe your health care, things like that. There's other negotiables. There's a lady that just recently shared on on her negotiation with her employer just recently it was yesterday, where you know she was trying to. She was already working there and she had her evaluation and she was asking for more and they said, well, at this time we really can't. And so she thought, what else can I negotiate? So there was an office that she had her eye on and the office has a had a window, and she wanted an office with a window, and so she asked for that and they gave it to her. So it doesn't Awesome, it doesn't always pertain to money. Right now we're talking, you know, salary. Yes, that's important, right? Yes, but if that's not an option, then consider other things.
Speaker 2:Become creative, because because it's it's a fun exercise is scary, but it's fun as well. So, speaking of scary Cynthia, what has been one of the scariest moments in your walk as a business owner? It can be in this business or in the previous businesses that you owned before.
Speaker 1:Gosh, you know I've learned a lot. So I mean I mentioned I've had other businesses in my. My very first business I was in advertising because I have a background in in marketing and advertising and I started a business in advertising. We often hear many times when women say or business owners say, this is my baby, right.
Speaker 1:Your business is your baby, and so I got to the point where I had to make a decision as to whether or not I was going to get a business loan. I was also in the process of buying a home, and so I had to make a decision to want to buy a home. Wow.
Speaker 1:Get a loan from my business. What do I do? Well, I wanted a home, and so I I went to to, you know, towards the option of getting a home, and at that point, you know, I had to decide what I want to do with the business. So I was seeking counseling. I've always had someone that I've been, you know, been mentored. I'm an advocate for mentoring, so if you have an opportunity to be mentored, be mentored.
Speaker 2:Yes so.
Speaker 1:I was. I was being mentored at the time, and that they, you know the options that they told me is, you know, sell the business or get a partner, or let let it go. And so for me it was no, this is my baby.
Speaker 1:But, I don't want anybody to to have my baby Right To mess up the name of the company, to mess up the company or change the name, or it's my baby, and so I closed the business down. Wow. And so that was a huge learning lesson because you know, we we're. There's a saying from one of my mentors that that he said everything that has a has a beginning, has an end, and so when you build your business, build it with knowing that there's an end. It's either going to be through succession planning Right, you're going to sell it, you're going to have somebody come in and take over. You have to consider what is the end for you, for your business. Maybe you're building a business to sell it or to grow it or to give it to a family member, but what is?
Speaker 1:your succession planning for that. I didn't have a success, a succession plan. My mind was this is my baby and no one's going to take it and I'm just going to close it. And that was not a good decision.
Speaker 2:That is so insightful because, yeah, I mean, as business owners, as CEOs, right, that that's, that's the the mentality of a CEO how am I going to grow my business to then pass it on to the next person and continue legacy, and and that that's a very insightful. Thank you for sharing that, cynthia. Okay, so in one word, how can you summarize your business ownership journey?
Speaker 1:Ah, one word, wow word that's a tough one. It's been a joy.
Speaker 2:I love it. It's been a joy. All right, and then the next question is where you expected to be successful.
Speaker 1:Was I expected to be successful? Yes, as a business owner or just a business owner?
Speaker 2:Did I?
Speaker 1:expect it.
Speaker 2:Whoever you, you ever. Whoever.
Speaker 1:I mean, you know, the way I'm, the way I'm wired is, I do things to succeed. So I that was not a thought Whether or not I was going to succeed.
Speaker 2:Awesome, awesome, I love it. I love it. And why the hesitation? You like? From who?
Speaker 1:I didn't. I didn't understand the question. Was I expected to succeed? I mean, if for myself, that in myself, I guess that expectation was I would succeed, Others I don't know. I you know.
Speaker 2:But you know, cynthia, what others think about me is not my business.
Speaker 1:I don't. I, like I mentioned, I do have mentors, but that's not. That's not part of the conversation whether or not you know I can be successful. It's how can I be successful?
Speaker 2:I love it. I love it. How will you be successful and find the way I love it? Okay, well, cynthia, this is been an amazing conversation. I totally learn really amazing things about you and your journey and why you do the things you do, and I love that. Now you are a poet.
Speaker 1:Unexpectedly right as part of your podcast.
Speaker 2:And I will recommend you adding it to your LinkedIn a poet. That's funny. That's funny. Anyway, cynthia, I want to thank you for being here with us, for sharing those moments of vulnerability, for sharing your inspiration and all the things that come with, cynthia, when you come into a room, when you work with your clients, when you, when you walk this, this walk of entrepreneurship and this joyful walk of entrepreneurship for my audience, how can they get in touch with you?
Speaker 1:So my we have two businesses. Right, I have two businesses. Crowning point is crowning dash pointcom. That's our website. The foundation is in her element, foundationorg, and the phone number is 915-304-4003. I'm on social media right myself. The businesses are and the organization is on social media, so you can find us on LinkedIn, on Instagram, on Facebook and then we have our.
Speaker 1:C-SIP way, the conference coming up on October the 6. So for those of you that are in El Paso, I really would love to have you join us, because we have Richard Montañez, who is the individual that helped create Cheetos.
Speaker 2:He's got a tremendous story, awesome, beautiful, amazing story that he's going to share, so we'd love to have people come and join us for that awesome for the people around El Paso Texas conference is it with, with, for you to meet amazing, incredible women and for you to connect to networks, to mentors, to partners, to others who are in the same walk as you are. Until next time. Thank you, audience, for joining this conversation. More to come.
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