Latina Entrepreneurship, Artisan Jewelry & Healing | My Silver Linings Boutique

In this episode of The Global Latin Factor Podcast, we speak with the founder of My Silver Linings Boutique, a women-owned artisan jewelry brand rooted in culture, resilience, and purpose. She shares her journey from growing up Mexican-American in Dallas and Garland to becoming a bilingual educator and professor and eventually launching a self-funded boutique during one of the hardest seasons of her life.

We discuss bilingual identity, entrepreneurship, divorce in the Latino community, supporting Latin American artisans, and building a business that gives back. This conversation is about healing, cultural pride, and creating something meaningful through struggle.

Transcript

[0:02] Welcome, welcome you and all to another episode of the Global Land Fact podcast where we talk about Latino everything. [0:09] I'm your host Christine Valentine. Thank you so much for being here. Make sure you subscribe to the channel right now. [0:14] Why you have nothing to lose and so much to gain like this amazing story by Bernardet. She's supporting women business, minority business, and [0:23] businesses from all over the place with the artisan work. And her story is magnificent. An educator. and educated [0:30] by heart. And now to her [0:51] Bernardet Hola gracias. Long time no see. I know. [0:56] It's not that long. It hasn't been that long since tamales. No, you're trying to. [1:01] Yeah, that's right. True. Thank you so much for being here and I appreciate you taking the time. I know that you have a busy schedule. You have a lot of markets [1:08] that you do and in addition to your daily. So, thank you so much. Appreciate it. [1:12] Before we get started though, we're going to go ahead and start with a segment that I like to call Alch. If you have not subscribed to the channel, I don't know what you're waiting for. [1:20] You're missing out on amazing stories, amazing conversations of amazing, [1:24] inspiring individuals. They are doing and pursuing and supporting the community. Subscribe. Are you ready? I'm ready. [1:32] Tacos or tortas? Tacos. Corn tortilla or flour tortillas? [1:37] Corn. Gordas oras gordas inab. Really? [1:46] In true that except for the coke. I don't know if you ever had that one. The box one. Don't try it. No. Okay. [1:54] I'm starting a petition today as far as like why does Harita have the cocoa? Mexican cocoa they call it. [2:00] I've never even heard of that one. I always stay with the traditional one. [2:03] It's like if you buy the box there's different flavors. One of them of it's a Coca-Cola too and nobody drinks it like my whole family like my family has a [2:11] collection of cuz it doesn't taste like like a Mexican coca you know what I mean I do and it's not that good so sorry Harito [2:19] we'll have petition for another amazing flavor has amazing fruits holl at him for some for some amazing fruit flavors [2:26] witha ham mica or tamarindo orchata orchata oh nice salsa verde or salsa roa which team are you [2:35] salsa Sasa verde. I like that. Or so poentina tabasco cholula or tapato hot sauce. [2:46] Chalula. Cholula. Churros or flan. Oh, that's a hard one. [2:54] Churros. [2:55] Nice. Uh, let's say you did amazing on the market. You sold out or near close to sell out. Some of you you told people [3:03] about amazing artisans that you have and you want to celebrate. When you want to celebrate, do you prefer dancing bachata, salsa, merren or even teano? [3:13] What is your go-to? Probably salsa. Sala. Wow, that's a hard one. [3:18] Yeah. I don't know. I'm making it up as I go, but I I would rather have a salsa or maybe teano. [3:23] Tehano. Nice. Awesome. When you hear the word Latino or Latina, what is the very first thing that comes to to mind for you? [3:32] Um, [3:35] Vadan, I I I I just hear that word in my head. I I I have all these pictures of my theas and my mom and my people who [3:44] have influenced me. Um, that's what I that's what I think of. [3:48] Variety. Yeah, different. Definitely. Do you consider yourself Latina? care to be awesome. Absolutely. [3:56] Okay, let's start a little bit of your story. Uh again, I met you at the Cabo Bar making cookies. We made cookies. [4:03] Freaking Christmas. She tried one of the cookies. Uh Bri, cuz after that we went to I went to Fort Worth and then [4:12] happened to be that she got to be the test. [4:14] Yeah, she got to try my my amazing decoration cookies. So, yeah. Yeah. And then after that, fast forward, we go to Tamalote Fest. And there you are, [4:23] Vendon. I see your whole display. It look lovely. I bought a ornament. Thank you. [4:28] And it's still it was part of the the my mom's Christmas tree. So, it has it there. That's going to always going to be there. So, it was lovely. So, thank you. [4:36] And then, you know, we talked for a little bit and I thought it was very interested as far as telling your story and then the things you were educating me about like as far as your [4:43] accessories, but we'll get to that here in a second. Um, I know I said that I was going to talk about the Bad Bunny concert or Super Bowl performance, but I [4:52] think it's kind of dying out, so I'm not going to ask it every single time. But I don't know if you're into football, [4:57] artist, artistry, his performance, if you catch it at the Super Bowl. What were your thoughts about it in general? [5:03] I loved it. Of course, my, you know, I'm um Mexican American, Mexicana, [5:07] Americana. My children are half um Mexican, Puerto Rican. Oh, and awesome. [5:12] So, for me, it was very beautiful. It was beautiful. Very lovely, man. [5:16] Emotional and all that. So, 4 billion views on YouTube and growing every day. So proud. Didn't expect nothing less. Yeah. [5:25] Uh it surpassed every other Super Bowl there is. [5:28] Even though there was a um other events going on at the time. Still numbers did amazing as far as and I just knew it too. [5:36] I knew we were going to break records. [5:37] Even for let's say the majority minority that we are, we still showed up. So that's awesome. Okay, let's get started. So, [5:45] you said Mexican-American, your roots, I know that you mentioned that your dad was heavy on education and your mom was more of like and and your theas and [5:53] everything was more into the service scene, but tell me about your upbringing. Were you born here in the Dallas area? [5:58] Yes, I was born in Dallas. Um I my parents are from El Paso, so my all of my extended family is from El Paso and [6:05] they came here um in Dallas not knowing anyone. Wow. Um, and we ended up in East Dallas. [6:13] Um, and at that time you didn't ha the apartments was in the 70s. So the apartments could choose to have uh adult [6:22] only, no children. And my mom was pregnant with me and they they kind of took pity on her and you know and and said, I mean, yeah, [6:31] come come live here. And I was born in, [6:34] you know, while they were at those apartments and I was the only child in the entire apartment complex. But it was a lovely environment because everybody [6:42] kind of protected me and embraced me. It wasn't in the best neighborhood in the world, [6:47] but I had a beautiful early experience there, you know, coming to Dallas. So in my very formative years, 0 to three, I teach, you know, uh, child development. [6:57] That's important years. That was uh, you know, a lovely time for me. So whenever you're growing up as so as far as do you [7:04] still remember as in the same apartment complex or did you eventually got to move differently and start like living life in Dallas? [7:12] We we grew up suburban because we they moved from Dallas to Garland. Garland. [7:17] So yeah, they wanted a house. They didn't want to live in an apartment and there was nothing in Garland at the time. [7:24] How is uh Garland going to school in Garland at that time? Are you do you realize that you're kind of Mexican and there's other Mexicos around There was no Mexico. There was I was It was crazy. [7:33] I was the only There was like a few. Um it was hard. I will be really honest with you. It was hard. Um I didn't see [7:41] anyone who really looked like me other than my sister. Wow. [7:45] So um I had to learn really early to live between two worlds. [7:50] My family, you know, of course speaking Spanish at home. My native language was English. My dad grew up in a time where he was persecuted for speaking Spanish. [7:59] So he made the decision to teach us English first. Um but you know I I [8:06] wasn't around anyone except for family um and a few friends of my family. [8:12] So I did not have a a community around me the way that you see Garland now. [8:18] It's very very different than what what I grew up with. Um but then I would always go to and my cousins and my family and my grandma. So yeah, [8:26] whenever you're talking about living in two worlds and because a lot of people people in general sometimes make fun of [8:33] the nosabo kids because they never learn. But just like you and other people uh and your father it's like it [8:41] was frowned upon and very negatively that you have to just speak English and that's it. And of course, you lose your [8:49] native your your roots, the language of your roots, all of a sudden that's all you know. You just know English. And even if you look like you know Spanish is just not the thing. Right. [8:59] Right. Right. [9:00] When was it that Spanish started getting introduced more? Is it when you went to El Paso that they kind of cuz you know I for me that's all I knew until I learned English. [9:08] Yeah. Well, you know, my parents spoke Spanish in the home. So, I understood Spanish and um I understood it, but I [9:16] just didn't respond and we weren't always responding back in Spanish. Who influenced me to speak Spanish was my grandmother. [9:22] Um both of my grandmothers because they couldn't speak English. So, when I went to El Paso, I had to speak Spanish with them. And I loved my grandmother so [9:30] much. My mom's mom would take me all over Chihuahua on the bus. She would take me to Mexico. We'd go to all these places. I wanted to be with her so much that she influenced me to learn Spanish. [9:42] So, she was my inspiration. [9:44] Whenever you're in the bus or cruising around Chihuahua with your grandma, what does that feel like to you? Is is it like It's not garden for sure. [9:53] It was a whole another world. Even my, [9:55] you know, even my aunts and uncles, we'd always go across the border. It was, it was no big deal back in those days. [10:00] Everybody would cross the border and come back and forth. Um, [10:04] it it feels like home. It felt like really really good memories to me. Um, and so again, there's that feeling of, [10:12] okay, this is home to me, but then I live in this world over here, and I I was always trying to blend those two worlds and make sense of that. But I knew that I loved being in Mexico. Um, [10:25] but I also felt like I didn't always fit there. My my Spanish wasn't native Spanish. I learned with my grandmother. [10:31] I went on to speak it in college, and I learned through study abroad, actually. and became a bilingual teacher. [10:37] How did you deal with the friction of knowing that uh kind of like you're not directly from over there, but over here is a little different than me sometimes. [10:46] So, how did you deal with that? How you maneuver through that as a kid? Cuz it seems like you remember that like your Spanish wasn't exactly like everybody else's Spanish, [10:56] right? Right. I knew I wasn't a native speaker. People knew I wasn't a native speaker. Um, but again, I still had such a love for my grandmother and my culture, [11:05] wanting to speak to my cousins in Mexico. [11:08] Um, I I think I just I mean, how did I navigate the friction? I think I just tried to be present wherever I was. So, [11:16] I was over there. I was doing what they were doing. I was learning. I was watching them. I was observing. I'm over here. I'm in a different environment. [11:22] I'm learning. I'm watching. I'm observing. And and that's why I say I feel like I'm truly bilingual, [11:27] bicultural because I do have those two cultures. I'm proud of those two cultures. [11:32] Um I never want to leave my Latino roots. That is something that is precious to me. I know there's a lot of people who don't know how to speak the [11:40] language. They don't know where they came from. They don't know their roots. [11:43] That would be for me that would be very detrimental. So I've always had that inside of me and I've tried to pass that on to my girls. [11:50] Yeah. As well. Do you remember the most vivid, most happiest memory in Mexico in Chihuahua at all? Do you remember something that happened, an event that [11:57] makes you kind of like smile or laugh or even a conversation that you happen to have and bring up all the time that happened? [12:04] I remember a lot of them. I remember going to my first wedding really in Mexico. It was like an Rancho, a big, you know, [12:13] and I was dressed, you know, my mom, my made sure we were dressed nicely and the whole thing. And I just had never seen [12:20] so many people in my life. Like it was like the whole town was there. It was [12:28] inside of a barn, you know, and it was but it was beautiful. I mean, I I think what I what impressed me about that is [12:36] how resourceful it was and how everyone had taken everything they had to make that wedding so beautiful. And we were there. It was you know how well you know I don't have to explain to you. [12:46] A wedding is a long time. It was a big party. I went all night and I think I was like I might have been between 16 and 18 years old. Wow. [12:54] Yeah. I was pretty young and but I thought it was just a beautiful experience, you know, the food, [13:00] everything. The day after we're over there with the family and it was lovely. [13:04] So the whole time all these years you were going up back and forth it was to Mexico, El Paso, Chihuahua. Chihuahua constantly. [13:12] Cool. Uh I know that you mentioned in an article that your dad was heavy on education or it was some um really [13:20] important to him. Was that reason why you trying to want to be an educator or is that who kind of ignited that or where did that comes from? Where did you [13:28] started kind of source seeing maybe I want to try education or maybe it's something that I might like to do. [13:34] I think it was my dad and my grandmother that it was a combination of those two. [13:39] My dad came into this country as an immigrant. He was born in Nakapulko. His um mother brought him here across the [13:46] border to Wadis and then eventually El Paso. Uh he ended up uh fighting in Vietnam. Wow. [13:54] And because he did that um he did it voluntarily as well and that's how he gained his citizenship. [14:01] Um that was and that was when my parents were getting married. So that was the first tour. Um it was before I was even [14:08] born. I would remember seeing my dad at night. The GI Bill allowed him to uh go to school [14:16] and so he got a uh degree in psychology but he never used it. [14:22] But I remember he went to UTD and I remember seeing him as a little girl sitting up at night studying and he was just, you know, there at the table [14:30] studying and studying and studying and and actually I was like, I don't know if I want to go to college. This looks stressful, you know. Um but I just [14:39] remember that influence of him and then he made me read to him all the time. He wanted me to be a good reader and we read every single night. Um and I I am a [14:49] good reader and I think a lot of that was my dad's influence. So that was probably the value for education. My dad [14:56] modeled that to me. He was showing that to me just by his through his struggle and seeing him study and go to school. [15:05] That's that's the value that I got. My grandmother was a teacher. So I think that's where I got some of the love and [15:12] the passion for education and young children and all of those things. [15:16] Was that the grandmother that took you to Chihuahua? [15:18] Yes, that's my grandmother used to take me to Chihuahua. She was a teacher. [15:21] So I know did you mention earlier certain years are super important when you're developing kids. So did you ever [15:29] see your grandma teaching at that time or not necessarily? [15:31] Oh no, that was way later. Yeah, cuz she was in Rancho. you know that teaching you know when she was young. Okay. She was young. That's awesome. [15:39] So as far as uh so is that kind of sort of like made you want to like okay I want to go to school. It's not scary. [15:46] It's not so much work. I can go to college and is education the field that you want to get into or is there anything else that you kind of sort of want to explore? [15:53] Um I actually didn't start wanting to be a teacher. I wanted to be a child childlife specialist, which is someone who would go into the hospitals and work [16:01] with children who were delayed because of their surgeries or whatever reason. [16:05] Um, and there was one event that happened. I had a friend who was a bilingual teacher at the time and I was in college and she [16:13] said, "Hey, could you come into my classroom and talk to the kids about?" [16:17] And I was like, "What? About what?" And she's I'm like, "Well, what am I going to talk to because they're 5-year-olds, [16:23] you know?" And she goes, "About going to college." And I'm like, "Okay." Cuz I was in college at the time. And um I think this was an old Girl Scout leader or someone like that. And um I said, [16:33] "Sure, okay. I'll go to your classroom." And I saw these little Latino children, [16:37] you know, these little bilingual Latino children. And I was like, "That's me." But I didn't even have that experience. They were native speakers, [16:46] but I was speaking to them and talking to them about going to school one day and college. They just won my heart. [16:53] They won my heart. And I said, "Those kids, that is what I want to do. I want to teach those." It wasn't just teaching, I was teaching that particular [17:00] group of kids. And I didn't have strong Spanish skills. Um, but I made the choice to be a bilingual teacher. [17:08] So, you immediately went and switched your degree. Switched my degree. [17:11] I switched your degree and it was teaching. [17:13] Was teaching but with an emphasis in Spanish bilingual? Yes. [17:16] Okay. So, how good is your Spanish when what year was it that did you pivot? Was it sophomore year, junior year? It was my sophomore year of college. So I went [17:25] to junior college. I went to community college and now I teach community college. And um so and then I went on to so I just switched my major when I was [17:34] at did not have a bilingual program. It didn't even exist. [17:39] So I had to get my bilingual pro my bilingual education from Texas Women's University. So, I had to get an [17:46] endorsement from them in order and the training from them in order to teach the bilingual um in order to take the bilingual exam to become a teacher. [17:55] Was it you just wanted to do it cuz you're a father or was it just something that you was there for you to do? [18:03] I want I think I wanted to get out of the house. [18:07] That's the honest truth. I mean, he said if you go to school and you live there, [18:12] I will pay for your your schooling. your father. [18:15] My father told me again valued education by the way. Uh thank you so much for his services uh being a veteran as well. I [18:22] mean sometimes I think that the veterans veterans are the ones that like Vietnam and all the other ones you know but we still go through our struggles but thank [18:29] you. I I thank him uh thank you that uh yeah definitely hard stuff. So he cut you a deal. I was like okay. [18:37] He cut me a deal and I took it. I was like heck yeah. Um, and so I had to live in the all girls dorm. I could not live [18:45] in any, you know, co-ed dorms. That that was part of the deal. And I did it. I did my junior year and my senior year. [18:52] And then I studied abroad. I went to Technolico de Montter. Oh, wow. [18:56] In Guavaka. That's where I learned my upper level Spanish. So I think I told you that I'm from Melos, [19:02] right? Which is beautiful. Beautiful. Fun fun fact. [19:09] Primavaka is also known as deata prim. Yes. Nuts. I didn't know that. Medin. [19:17] Yes. I didn't. They were calling. I'm like, "What do you mean? That's my hood. [19:21] That's my town. That's where I was raised." And I'm like, "Oh." Well, but they have very tropical weather. It's beautiful. Yes. I loved it. [19:29] For somebody is your first generation as far as going to school. Is your sister first and then you or my sister? Well, no. I'm the oldest. [19:35] You're the oldest. So, you went to school first? Yes. going to school first generation. [19:40] Uh well, not first generation because your dad did second generation, but as far as for you, how easy was it through maneuver through the process of going [19:47] into college, enrolling, and maybe seeking some financial aid? I know your dad was going to pay for it, but I don't know if there's other things that you maybe wanted to like maybe get some more help. [19:55] It was hard cuz I had to do it all by myself. Okay. [19:58] I he did, you know, he he said, "I'm not going to be involved. [20:02] You figure it out." And and and you know, to his credit, I understand why. [20:07] Um it is a difficult um system to navigate, right? [20:11] Um and I did do it by myself. I was motivated to do it by myself. My mom was always there supporting me. My mom is not college educated. She's an [20:19] incredibly resourceful person who worked her way up through companies. Um but she she was there supporting me emotionally. [20:27] My dad said, you know, go do what you need to do. So start reading, start researching, uh talk. I had counselors [20:35] at the community college who helped me transition. Um, but as far as was there any help? No. The type of help that we give to students today didn't exist at [20:43] that time or maybe it existed but maybe I was unaware of it. Mhm. So yeah. So you were able to figure it out. [20:50] Everything else are the forms that you need to fill out. [20:52] I did. I learned the hard way. They had phone registration. I would dial in phone registration. [20:59] Not at all. All these kids love to throw back phones these days. So, did you like school? Was it something that you enjoy? [21:06] I know that you were there was a moment that you saw an epiphany of teaching the kids. But one thing is like actually liking school and going through school. [21:14] So, you did like it. [21:15] I did. And again, I was there the only It was me and one other girl. Shout out Wani Baldespino. She was the other [21:23] Latina that was in education. There wasn't That's all I remember. The two of us in that field of study. [21:32] Yeah. I met other Latinas there that and that was a time that was great for me because I connected with other um [21:39] Latinas that were you know going through school. So that was my community and at um but they were all in business and [21:46] accounting and other fields and and I was the only one in education. So I really did love it. I was passionate about it. What was your degree in specifically? [21:55] Interdisciplinary studies. So I'm certified to teach preK through sixth grade. Okay. And then I went on and got a master's in development family studies [22:04] and that's what um my college teaching background. [22:08] Okay, let's go in steps. Usually community colleges you get to graduate before you get to move on to the next one. Did you have a graduation? I don't remember it. [22:16] You remember it? Okay, let's move forward to after you're about to graduate. What is the feeling behind that? I know you you put the effort. You found something you're passionate about. [22:24] You're going to do the teaching. Now you get to getting ready to you figure it all by yourself how to do it. Now you're getting ready to start prepping for getting your gown, getting everything. [22:33] How does that feel for you? Amazing. Yeah, [22:35] it was an amazing I I have a picture still and I I put it in the most recent article I did of me, my mom, and my grandmother. [22:43] Um, it was really beautiful. I I It was almost unbelievable to me. I don't know that I thought I would do that. I don't know that I thought that was in the cards for me. [22:51] What was the hesitation behind it? Why do you Why you think there was a hesitation that you could do it or not? [22:56] I think that my and this is a cultural thing too that we see often. I thought my path was you know get married and um [23:06] you know settle down and get married. I don't know why that was always kind of in the back of my head. I knew I wanted to go to school but I wasn't quite sure [23:14] what I wanted to go to school for. I wasn't and I did get married you know very young. I was married very young in [23:21] college um right out of college. And um but I I guess I never saw myself there. [23:27] And then when I got there and I started to really get into the teacher education program and learn about bilingual ed which these were the forerunners of [23:35] bilingual ed. These were people who uh write the textbooks who wrote the textbooks because there was nobody doing that at that time. [23:43] Wow. [23:44] um Alma Florada who is an author she came to our class and like read books and then uh Steven Crashation who is one of the theorists in uh bilingual ed he [23:53] came and talked to us and they were all the teachers friends you know they were just like hey my friend you know is going to come and then late years later [24:00] I realized these people like were the forerunners of bilingual education it was so the pioneering that that course it wasn't even a thing [24:08] you couldn't take it at I had to take it at TWW so I would go and and take my classes at TWWU. So, I've had that experience as well. [24:17] When you're there about to walk and they're about to call your name, how does it feel for you? [24:22] Ah, surreal. Surreal. Yeah. And at the mast's level, I remember that too. It was very surreal. [24:29] So, you go all the way to get your masters. That's the only way to get to be a college professor, right? Right. Right. So, so you do like schooling. [24:36] I do apparently. Did you go all the way to masters and and straight roll into forward or did you take a break and went to work? And I worked. [24:44] You worked. [24:45] I worked. I didn't have the money. I paid for my masters. So, I mean, my dad was like, "Yeah, I will help you." Which was the greatest gift he could have ever given me. Um, [24:54] but you know, obviously I was married and so I I worked and I was a bilingual teacher in farmer's branch for a number of years. And then I decided I would see [25:03] the families I was working with and I knew that the families needed support. [25:07] So I decided to go into development family studies. Um and that that led me down the path to my masters. [25:15] Okay. So which one came first? You got the job and then decided to do the do the masters or you were just planning to [25:22] do it at the same time because you were married. I don't know if you had kids at the time. I didn't have kids. [25:27] Okay. So which one came first? You wanted to just focus on schooling first and then you know what let me just go for my masters. [25:33] No, I was teaching. My teaching inspired the masters. What happened? What event? [25:38] I saw the families uh the Latino families I was working with and there was not a lot of parental involvement or [25:47] it the way that I needed to involve those families was different um because they were working all the time. So I would do things at night. I would try to [25:56] get them together with the commadre to come to the event or let's do this event in a different way because they had different needs and I saw that and I I said these families want to be involved. [26:06] The the way that they are doing it is doesn't look like the typical American family at that time and I knew I needed [26:14] to learn more about that and I wanted to know more about that and so that's why I chose development family studies. So, [26:20] you made your decision to go to your masters based on like you somewhat limited to what you could do with the families, but you saw the potential that you could do a lot more if you just went back to school. [26:30] Okay. Once you get to enroll in the masters, [26:32] you still the first one only one to try to figure it out. Is it a a little bit easier now? I figured it out a little faster. [26:40] I also went back to because it was comfortable for me. Of course, [26:43] a lot of people say don't do that. you know, when you're in college or in academia, you should have a diverse type of uh educational background. [26:51] Say that. What is the benefit behind it? [26:53] I don't know. They want you to have a diverse educational background when you're in academia. I didn't know I was going to end up as a college professor. [26:59] So, at that time, I was like, "Sure, I'm going to go back here. I these are the people I know. I'm comfortable here." It was a drive from where I lived. I could [27:06] get there at night. I had to go take all my classes at night. And there was no online classes. So I had to drive every Monday and Wednesday to the campus. [27:15] Yeah. [27:16] How long does it take you to complete it? Two years. Two years to the masters. [27:21] So after all the sacrifice driving at night time, now you're getting ready to graduate once again with the masters. [27:27] How does And then now you have your husband involved. How does that feel for you at this point? [27:30] Amazing. Again, I remember that picture with my dad, you know, and him being very proud of me. Are the are your mom [27:38] and your dad able to articulate the way that they feel? A lot of the times sometimes our parents don't know. [27:43] They'll have the wording, the emotion to be able to express those things. Were they able to say something to you? Definitely. Yeah. [27:50] Yeah. My dad's a man of few words. I mean, you know, he's a vet. He's he's, [27:54] you know, he's seen and been through a lot. Um, [27:57] but when he says something that's significant and so Yeah. And even today, [28:02] you know, my mom was like, "Oh, we want to we want the video of the book." You know, my mom, you know, a Mexican mom, you know, [28:08] my mom loves to take pictures and I'm all for it, too. [28:11] You know, they talk to my kids. They hate pictures. But, um, you know, my mom, of course, is so proud, you know. [28:17] So, um, yeah, I they have been able to express that, and I'm very thankful. [28:21] They've been married for 54 years yesterday. [28:24] Oh, wow. Um, and so that's an amazing model for me because they're really polar opposite personalities and for [28:31] them to have that commitment to each other and their family through all that we've been through. [28:36] Um, it just makes me want to make them proud even today. [28:40] Do you think the way that your mom is as far as servitude and things like that was part of the factor that contribute to you wanting to help those families? [28:49] Definitely. I mean, she modeled that, my grandmother modeled that, my mom modeled that. Um, they were always women of service. [28:57] You know, the kids would walk across the border in El Paso and stop at my grandma's house because they knew it was a safe place they could get food and a [29:05] bed for the night. And she would always have all kinds of people. We would go and we're like, "Grandma, who's that?" [29:10] You know, and it would be some person who needed help. [29:13] She slept on your couch. She's your cousin. Seriously, we were we would be like, [29:18] "Okay." But, you know, she was always safe. Yeah. [29:21] You know, it's crazy. And my mom, the same thing. She would find people who needed something. She she worked in a domestic violence shelter for a while. [29:28] She did a service there and that was my model. So, yeah, I think they were heavily influencing me in that area. So, [29:36] once you get your masters, uh, you know, [29:37] is is there other opportunities for because first of all, you started with B, uh, bilingual education, right? And then you went moved into special needs kids, correct? [29:46] A little bit more of that. Yeah. Because development family studies is kind of a very broad, you know, you can work with families, you can work with children with special needs. I just happen to go [29:55] the route of children with special needs. [29:56] Is that the right term or the right wording for it? I don't know if they change. [30:00] Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. Put the child first, right? It's a child who has a need that's outside of what's typical. [30:05] Is that um the Latino community, Mexican community, is there a lot of that need in that? 100%. Yes. [30:12] Yeah. 100%. [30:14] What is the most things that you see usually as far as kids? what kind of disability or what kind of struggle did they have more? [30:20] When I worked, I I worked in early childhood intervention when I got my masters. I left when I got pregnant with my first daughter and I took a huge pay [30:28] cut and went and worked for this organization where you would work with the child and you'd work with the family. [30:35] Um I feel like a lot of the families what they need was just support. [30:41] They would be like, "Hey, you know, can you help me find food stamps? Can you help me find an inhome nurse? I remember [30:48] one mom, she had a child who had um a digestive issue that the child was up every two hours and had to be fed every two hours. The mom was exhausted. The [30:56] high school um teenagers were taking shifts for the mom, but then they had to go to school and then the dad was working full-time. [31:05] So, the support that I saw those fam, [31:06] they had the same issues a lot of other families had in terms of they had a child with Down syndrome, they had a child with different disabilities, [31:13] right? But what was different about these families was that they didn't have the support that other or the resources that other families had. So I used my [31:22] bilingual skills, I used my Spanish speaking skills to coordinate services for those families. So not only did I provide services or get the PT or the OT [31:31] or whoever they needed, but then I would say, "Okay, what else do you need? You need food stamps." The mom who couldn't, [31:36] you know, had to feed the baby every two hours. Um I found a nurse uh uh to come and be overnight with her. I you know [31:45] through the agency I found a nurse so that she could rest you know. [31:48] So So you did you stop educating and work for that private company? [31:52] Completely I I went into um early childhood intervention. I was an intervention specialist. [31:57] When it comes to early child intervention, what it sounds I don't know what it it mean to me a million in one things. But as far as in your field, [32:06] what does that mean? Um, it's someone who goes into the home and it works it the child is identified with a need between the ages of zero and three. [32:14] That's the most critical developmental timeline. The state helps to pay for some of these funds. So, part of what I did was educate people and talk to [32:21] doctors and um teacher. Anyone can refer and um I would deliver services. I'd go into the home. I do an intake. I I would [32:29] say, "Okay, this child has a speech delay." I would do assessments on the child, decide what type of delay they might have and what type of services [32:36] they needed. They might need a PT, a speech therapist, whatever. I would coordinate those services, bring those service providers in. Sometimes I would [32:44] do some of the services and then I would also find out what the family needs are because that was the whole philosophy is, you know, you can't just help the [32:51] child, you have to help the entire family. But I was doing all of this in Spanish. Okay. And was a for a nonprofit for yeah, they run out of nonprofits [32:58] mostly, but the state some state funds very little now. You know how that's gone. It's like very little funding. [33:04] It's one of those things that's really gotten cut. [33:07] But at the time we had more state funding. Nice. [33:09] Um and so I could we could use the state funding, Medicaid, um CHIP, all of those different resources. And then we also had a nonprofit side. So we had those two. [33:19] Okay. What made you want to leave education? uh you were doing great work and to be able to do more work but in in [33:27] a different setting, a nonprofit and a more of an organization instead of like a school. [33:31] My daughters I I I wanted to be there for my daughters, you know, I had a working mom who I loved and I know that she sacrificed so much for me. [33:40] Um them both of my parents working is probably what allowed me to have the means to go to college. Um but I wanted [33:48] to be able to stay home a little bit with my daughter. I really did. So, I I didn't want to um teach full-time and this job was a part-time job. [33:57] So, it was a part-time job and it gives you the opportunity still to do the things that you were doing to help families out. How long did that last [34:05] before you move on into going back to teaching? [34:07] About two years I worked there. Um I was pregnant with Sophie. I remember that. [34:11] And then I um they the college called me and they said, "Oh, you have a master's degree in this field. do you want to come teach some part-time classes? And I was like, [34:21] sure. You know, and I just, you know, [34:23] thought, okay, great. Didn't ever think that was going to become a full-time job? And um yeah, that's how I started down that. [34:31] How did they find you? Just randomly said, [34:33] well, I had applied or right out of graduate school. I had applied. I thought, oh, okay, maybe I could do this college professor thing, you know. So, I guess it did enter my head at one time. [34:42] But that was two years later. [34:43] It was. But it was right after Yeah, it was right after I graduated. remember I was still teaching in the school. [34:49] You have to have a number of years of experience to be a a college professor. [34:53] They want the experience. Well, I didn't have enough experience. I have no college teaching experience whatsoever. [34:58] So, of course, my application was rejected. I thought, okay, maybe I won't do that. And just went this other route. [35:04] And then I they ended up calling me to do part-time work. And that part-time work led me to give you the experience that you needed. Yeah. [35:11] That's awesome. So, how how long after that happened they called you? [35:17] bad timing. I was like pregnant again. My daughters are 16 months apart. [35:22] The second one was a little surprise. Um so I didn't anticipate being pregnant that soon after I had had my first um daughter. [35:31] Um but I went ahead and did it anyways because we got quite honestly we needed the money and um I thought okay well I [35:38] can do this little part-time gig and and still be at home and still have time with my daughters. Yeah. So that's why I decided to do it. So moving forward, [35:47] business still not a thing. Uh is entrepreneur even uh a thing that you think about anytime soon? Not at all. Not even on my radar. [35:55] So uh particular event happened that kind of pushes you to be able to want to explore that. You talked about it on u [36:02] you know your the article that you talked about in different places. Tell me what exactly happened that made you wanted to explore entrepreneurship. [36:09] First of all, you were working at a warehouse packing things and that kind of sort of developed into maybe a possibility of a business. Yeah. So, between that and Okay. So, [36:18] between the teaching and the business was college professor. I became a full-time professor after adjuncting or [36:26] part-time for a number of years and then I just was a full-time. [36:29] How many years part-time? about two years of part-time work and then there was a program called the visions of [36:35] excellence and it was to attract um Latino minority [36:42] um professors to the field because what I noticed when I was in there that I looked more like the students than the other professors you [36:50] know again no well that and then I was also Latina and there was not the other professors were seasoned and they didn't look like me the Spanish teacher Right. Right. [37:01] So, um they wanted to attract um a a more a broader cross-section of professors that look like the community [37:09] we were teaching because community college is a very diverse setting even age- wise. And so, I was part of that program. They gave me two years [37:17] full-time uh credit to teach and I was the I was a two-year contract. I did that and then I [37:25] got a um opportunity to apply for a full-time position and I went and applied and got it. You got to the the position. [37:32] You're uh how does it feel to be a a professor full-time now? You've been doing it part time. 20 years. Yeah. 20 years. Wow. Yeah. [37:39] So, it's it's a different feeling for sure. [37:41] Yes. Never thought I would be there, but yes. So, fast forward to that and then I, you know, I was always married and I was teaching college and my, you know, [37:48] raising a family in, you know, the suburbs right over there. And um and then I I did not anticipate my [37:57] daughter's senior year um to be faced with divorce, but quite honestly, that's what happened. [38:02] And that um put me into a financial situation that I kind of didn't know what to do because I needed to keep my full-time job, but I needed to um have money for expenses that I didn't expect. [38:14] I had two girls going to school. I had a senior and then on her tail was, you know, her sister who was going to be going to school the very next year. And [38:21] so that's a lot of expenses. A lot of unexpected things happen. So u my daughter had a friend whose mom was from [38:29] Guerrero and had silver had a business from there. She was a wholesaler. So she said, "Well, she always needs help [38:37] packaging the silver. Why don't you help her?" And it was an easier job to take than going applying for another part-time job. So I I said, "Okay, I'll help her." And that was packaging these silver pieces and and just making like, [38:49] you know, $15 an hour and just trying to get enough money to like pay for gas to take my daughter to Oklahoma or her [38:57] whatever expenses, you know, I I had a bunch of expenses. So, yeah. [39:01] So, one thing is packaging the things to send to different places and another thing is like there could be something here. When does that come about? What do [39:10] you see that you could be like, you know what, maybe I can do this? [39:14] I got desperate. Like, I I got really desperate. I I was in a lot of financial overwhelm and I had a $10,000 water leak in our the front of our home. [39:25] Oh, wow. [39:26] Yeah. We we had had all this caution tape and all this stuff outside. Look like a crime scene out there. It was bad. My daughter's always called it the crime scene. The neighbors were like, [39:35] "What happened?" Um, and it was very expensive. And I found a friend whose husband was a plumber and willing to work with me. And I said, "Let me just [39:44] try to raise some money to get you payments." [39:48] And so I would work the silver packaging. But then she said, "Why don't you take it and sell it and then just like have your friends and, you know, [39:56] have a little party." And I said, "Because I cannot pay you for this." [39:59] Like I I'm thinking she wants me to pay for her investment while they're making $15 an hour, you know. And I said, "I can't pay you." And she she gave me the silver. She trusted me with the silver. [40:09] She, you know, took an inventory. Yeah. [40:11] She basically did that. And I put it together. I told my friend. I was very transparent about what I was doing. I'm like, I'm doing this to try to pay the [40:20] plumber, you know, and I would take that money and I would pay that service. And I did that a number of times to get [40:28] through the divorce. And when I finished, everyone's like, "Well, what about the silver?" And I was like, "Oh, [40:32] I was just trying to get through the divorce or whatever." And that's at that point it became, oh, this can be a business. This can be, you know, because [40:41] I wasn't making enough money to be on paper or on books or anything, but I thought maybe I can make this a business when people were asking me about it. [40:50] So smart that there's demand, there's a demand for it. There's a market for sure what you were doing. even though you [40:58] were doing out of necessity and all of a sudden now you decide to create your company or you kind of sort of just started thinking about maybe having a company. [41:07] I think thinking about it was was was a better word. I was like okay well what would I call it? And um it's silver so [41:16] and I did it for my girls and my girls are always my silver linings in life. I always say that they're the they're they're what got me through. They were [41:24] my motivation. So that's why I called it my silver lining. go a little deeper about your silver lining. Why that particular phrase? Why the particular [41:31] words when it comes to uh talking about your daughter's silver lining? [41:36] Because a silver lining in life is something that um you get from challenge and struggle. You know, it's that's what [41:45] a silver lining is. And so my daughters again were the motivation for me to keep going because it was a very difficult [41:54] time. And um so that was was part of the reason. And then and then the other thing the silver lining also is um [42:03] getting through that period. Um doing things I'd never done on my own, being financially stable [42:10] without a partner. That was a huge thing for me. Um knowing that I could do all of that by myself. Um of course my [42:17] family supported me, but you know, I I did all of that. So it was it was truly a silver lining in life. Um, yeah. Does that answer your question? [42:26] Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Now, [42:28] I know you mentioned that your parents just celebrated 55 years. 54 years. 54 years. [42:34] In our Latino community, divorce is such a very interesting thing depending on if you're too religious, not religious enough for either way, it's looked frowned upon, [42:43] right? [42:43] How does that go for you as far as dealing with that? cuz of course you're still thinking of the finances, but that conversation kind of sort of just lingers around or how does it go? [42:53] Yeah. Yeah. No, [42:54] how do you maneuver to get out of out of that? [42:57] No, I really appreciate you asking it because I don't think we talk about it enough, you know, in our community. Um it was very difficult because of those [43:05] cultural that cultural mindset that you have of like oh this is for life and we stay in it for life and well intended you know but it wasn't an option for me. [43:16] I would have not been a good model to my girls had I stayed in that situation. [43:22] Nothing against anyone. It just wasn't the right you know situation to stay in. [43:27] And because of what we hear in our culture, like you said, all of this baggage almost that we carry. [43:34] Um, you you have to shift your mind a whole lot to get out of that. And I'm thankful for my family because they were [43:40] very supportive of me. Um, but I I think it was a process and I think that the business was part of that process and it [43:48] was part of like you can build something on your own that is of value and you can help other women and that's why I [43:54] started to add um the business. I started to add um other people's uh [44:02] products that were womenowned businesses because many of them were doing the same thing. They were trying to be financially independent for one reason [44:10] or another. And so I was able to support them as well. [44:16] Now you have the actual name of the company first or did you start doing popups first and then the name later people start asking what's your company's name or which one was first? [44:26] Well, you know, I broke all the rules because I didn't know anything about business. So I would do these markets and then some they'd be like, "Well, [44:31] where's your whatever certificate?" I'm like, "What's that?" So don't talk. [44:38] What do you mean? you know, so I got the tax occup occupancy certificate. I, you know, I filed for a DBA. I did all the right steps. I kind of did them in the wrong order. [44:47] Okay. Gotcha. [44:47] You know, but it's okay. I mean, I look at like again another silver lining in life, you learned, right? And so I can tell people there's no right way to do [44:56] something. It's still a thriving business where I get to support other women. You know, I I feel like that was okay. [45:05] the I do a lot of things with the Hispanic Chamber for Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and uh I haven't done so much with One [45:13] Million Cups, but I'll be there soon as far as supporting entrepreneurs and uh Latinos speaking entrepreneurs. Uh I would love one of these days to want to [45:21] present there at 1 million cups uh in Espanol because we're started the very first chapter a community in uh 1 [45:30] million cups which is an organization that supports entrepreneurs. every Wednesday they meet up and we are the very officially the first one in for [45:38] that I was part of the to help launch it in for one of the things that I see is the [45:44] number one thing number one out of all the entrepreneurs every single one of them is like they just got started and [45:52] then they figured everything else you know whether this was the first and that was supposed to be the second it didn't matter they just went and figured [45:59] it out as they progress in the business 100% Yeah, that was my experience, too. So, do you remember your very first market? [46:06] How did you go about doing the very first market? I do. I had a friend who invited me, [46:11] shout out to uh Vector Brewing. They allowed me to come to their space and um we actually did it to raise money for my [46:19] friend's friend who uh had cancer and um so portion of the proceeds went to to her friend who had cancer. But I [46:28] she said, "Why don't you try it out here and do this?" and they gave us the space and yeah, I remember I had my friends come, you know, I told them and did the [46:36] whole little table thing and I still remember that's that that place is still close to my heart because they they supported a a small business. They still [46:44] do to this day and there's a lot of of people out there in the DFW area as you know that support um small businesses. [46:51] Yeah. So, did you have the name already officially or a couple of I did. I did because, you know, I I liked the my silver linings and then I [47:00] got the Kibri the u the logo came from my uh nephew and he's a graphic design major and he [47:08] created it. Um and the kibri represents my grandmother because my grandmother did pass. The one that I speak of here [47:16] often um my mom's mom. Yeah, she passed and during co and when she passed uh we were all in [47:24] different cities. My cousins live everywhere in Los Angeles and you know uh Louisiana and all these different places. [47:30] And so we we a number of us when we got together we found out that we had all seen Kolib that day that she passed. My mom saw [47:39] one, I saw one, my dad saw one, my cousin in LA saw one. And we didn't find that out till we're at the memorial and [47:47] we're all talking and then was like, you know what's so weird? The day that grandma passed, I saw a kibri and that's where that comes from. [47:55] So yeah, it's her spirit. Yeah, [47:57] that's so neat. I don't know why I got a little emotional about it. That's so freaking neat. [48:01] It still makes me emotional talking about it. [48:02] See that and and all of y'all saw the same thing and you incorporated into your logo. I did. [48:08] Awesome. Now, silver is the only thing that you're focusing on at that time, [48:12] but eventually you start pivoting, as you mentioned earlier, to start supporting other women and other women businesses, not only other women in other businesses, but internationally. [48:21] Yeah. You started looking into other places. [48:23] Where did that happen? Or why did you want to expand even further away into other countries? Cuz you carry different things. You can tell me a little bit [48:31] more. Expand on what what is it that you carry now? [48:33] Okay. So, I carry um silver, I carry plated gold, I I carry beaded products, um I carry handwoven, [48:42] um all of those different types of products. Um Mexico, made here, made in Guatemala, made in Venezuela, Peru, [48:51] nothing yet. Peru, um Venezuela, did I already say? Yes. So, all of those places right now, [49:00] that's where the markets are. And then in a lot of local, so it might be a Latina who is local. Uh Galaka is a good example. Her brand, met her at a market. [49:09] I said, "I really love your brand." Um she took the time to sit down with me and say, "This is how I do my business." She showed me, [49:17] right? [49:17] I was so grateful to her. This is how I keep my books. I didn't know any of that stuff. And um and then eventually I said, "Would you be open to wholesale? [49:25] Do you wholesale?" And and so I then I added her and that gives her exposure. I mean, most people know her brand, but it's something that I'm proud to carry [49:34] because it represents the values of of the boutique. [49:38] Where do you connect with people all over the place? Again, is it locally and then they bring the stuff over or did you go on Instagram and kind of connect [49:46] with somebody in another country and kind of start their line? [49:49] I don't think I ever like connected anybody like cold like that Instagram. [49:54] I don't think I I would be the person to do it, but no, I I didn't do that. [49:57] They're mostly market people and they're mostly people you meet. You start talking to them just like you and I started talking to each other. Hey, this is what I do. This is what you do. Um, [50:05] and you make a connection and then you know something about their brand or that or their products appeal to you and say, [50:15] I would like to bring this to a broader market. A lot of these women um, for example, Gabby who I was telling you about with the earrings, she doesn't [50:22] have money for advertising. She doesn't do advertising. She doesn't want to do social media. But I can put her products out and I can expose her to a broader market. [50:32] Uh you call your people that you connect with the ladies artists. Yeah. [50:36] Because a lot of them are artists and artists too as far as their products and the way they do stuff, right? Yes. Uh why specifically calling them that? [50:44] Cuz that's what they do at the end of the day. But other people might say just vendors or things like that. That's not who they are. In my heart, [50:50] they are the people who are making the product. You know, everyone would the number one question I get when they come up to the boutique table is like, "Do you make all these things?" I'm like, [50:58] "No, I would not have the time to make all these things." [51:00] But then you follow up by I always follow up with, "These are all women's own small businesses. They represent different artisans from different places." And I began to to [51:08] talk about the different artisans and um and their work. Um that's the whole point. And and actually their information is usually sitting out on [51:17] the table so that that person can buy directly from them. This is a broad market. There is not, in my mind, [51:23] competition. There's only collaboration. Um, especially in the Latino, you know, Latina market. And so, [51:32] that's just the way I do it. I mean, [51:34] other people might have a different idea of it or kind of like want to do it differently. To me, that's the only way it works for me for this business. So [51:42] you became somewhat of a found the actual wholesaler and just compile it into one one-stop shop that you can have [51:50] to display all these amazing people artists work and then of course you're encouraging them and you're empowered and supporting [51:58] their work that they're doing and having to display all over the place as well. Yeah. [52:02] Uh your website very neat. Uh did you get somebody to make it? Did you figure out yourself or how did that go? I am working with Hermosa Creations and she's [52:12] helping me with that and I uh had to get help. I It's taken a long time to build the funds to get help because I'm self-funded, but I I [52:21] need help. Yeah, she's helping me with that right now and I hope to continue to build that. There will always be new things on there. That's what I like [52:27] about a boutique is that the the products rotate. So, if you see something that you love, buy it because it might not be there tomorrow. It's handmade. It's, you know, [52:36] so they are one of a kind pieces of a lot of times they are. A lot of times they are. A lot of it is not mass-produced. Um it's small batch and [52:44] it's what that person has made and you so you're taking their time, their energy, their products. It's beautiful. [52:50] I can see that part uh at the display on the website at times. It's only five left because it is true because there's not going to be [52:57] very few. Venezuela for example, this a student gave me this necklace from Venezuela. did look at it when I was in a student, a college student of mine [53:06] gave this to me as a gift and I contacted um the vendor, the artisan and now I [53:13] have that in my head. The artist that was my father. [53:15] Yeah. Don't plant those words in my head. [53:17] It wasn't my So you you contacted directly the artist. [53:21] I did. I told her I thanked her for this piece. It was beautiful. Did she have other pieces? Did she wholesale? [53:26] And the beautiful thing about her, she wasn't in the United States and now she is. you know, because I made that connection. She was willing to do it. [53:34] We're willing to have this beautiful partnership. It's hard to get that stuff over here from Venezuela. I'm not going to lie. It's very difficult. Um, but [53:42] it's beautiful handmade pieces. If you see the stuff, the gold the goldplated stuff on the website. It's they're some of my favorites. [53:49] So, people can go online shopping and get the piece and get it shipped to them. [53:53] They can. They can. Um, and I have I try to um rotate the artisans. So I'll do a feature maybe every quarter of like a [54:00] featured artisan. So our featured artisan was Alejandra Parah. She was on the website for the Christmas time when you met me. That was her. She's still up there. [54:10] So there's a featured artisan drop down that you can click on and see who's featured. [54:14] Okay. So we're going to put the website in the description, but go check it out. [54:18] Is very lovely. I like that. Again, when you hover over the picture, it kind of does a little movement and it's kind of neat. Instead of stagnant, it just kind [54:25] of does a little something. So we're working on it. It's a work in progress. I I like the way it's doing because it's neat and again functional and you can click on it, see everything there is. [54:34] So, it's awesome. Uh self-funded. You mentioned that and also in previous things that you had mentioned other [54:42] articles, why selfunded is important for you to be able to do that? Why not go get a loan or even if anybody considers to even give you a loan as a small business doing what you're doing? [54:53] Um, [54:55] I don't know that I know the full answer to the loan thing. I think this it goes back to my roots of scarcity and just wanting to just be that [55:02] independent and my dad always teaching me, you know, you've got to be able to take care of yourself kind of thing and, [55:08] you know, that's obviously played out throughout my life. So, maybe that's part of it. I would say too that the reason I'm self-funded and I don't have [55:16] like sponsors per se is because I'm a very inclusive business and my values are inclusive and I want to remain that [55:22] way. So I will support the causes that I want to support and sometimes when you have somebody who is funding you [55:31] right you don't have that option and I have that option understood. So be being more independent to be able to make the decisions and the [55:39] people you want to have is more important than to have somebody else maybe influence that decision for you. Absolutely. [55:45] Awesome. So lovely everything that you're doing as far as like the idea of expanding and finding other Latinas and [55:53] have I got a piece from you as I mentioned earlier, a Christmas piece that I put on my Instagram and I have it in there. Very neat. Very neat. And then [56:01] again, I love that the fact that you kind of tell the story of the person, [56:05] who the artist is, maybe where they came from, their roots, and how did they do this and that, and it's pretty neat. [56:11] Uh that's part of the things that you you you emphasize whenever you're people are approaching your table, right? You want to be able to have them be known. [56:18] That's what we are focusing on and we're trying to make that better on the website. I can do it all day long when I talk to you. It's not hard, but I want [56:26] people to come to the website and understand what makes this different from some other boutique because there's lots of boutiques out there, right? But this boutique is again focused on [56:34] artisans variety. Um, it's inclusive. A part of the money goes back to the community. So, I'm able to donate some of the money to the community as well. [56:42] Okay. What is the if you don't mind me asking uh because sometimes I don't like to tell people what I'm doing whenever I'm helping because it's not their business. But [56:49] is there a particular uh foundation or or a particular organization that you like to support that other people should know about that they can support? [56:57] I'm going to tell you all of them because I absolutely Dallas for Change is one of our biggest um you know we give to them very often. They're doing a [57:04] lot of work in the community. I've met other as we've talked about other people throughout. Yes, we love we love you. [57:12] Um you know all these beautiful women in business that I've met through through this. So Dallas for Change uh Binos Unidos [57:21] is another organization that because of those markets at the Mal market I was able to make a donation to them. [57:26] So you know I've worked with them before. I've done markets or been approached about markets with them. Uh Fme which is a scholarship [57:36] fund for our um Latino students and um so there's there's just a gamut of organizations. Uh I did a Genesis women [57:44] shelter one time. I did an event that the part of the money went there. Um, [57:48] can they find this on your website as far as the people you I have not put that on there yet. So, I need to I need to work on that. Thank you. I need to put that as well. [57:56] If you can send them to me, even if they have a website or anything, like I can also put it in the I would love. Yes, these are all wonderful and I I will often say, hey, [58:03] if you bring a can, for example, I'm having an event, you know, bring a can for Dallas for Change, you'll get a discount. Um, I've put that out there as well. Yeah. So yeah. [58:13] Yeah. [58:13] I was thinking about because I remember the day I met you, you had a videographer. You was doing some videos or Yeah. [58:20] That was So in my mind, I'm like, if you want to tell their story about your vendors, that would be a neat story to have as you're displaying their work. [58:29] Just a small little video that you can put in your website. I love that. [58:32] That could be playing as the people are shopping. [58:35] What a great idea. Yes, absolutely. you and maybe here in the near future, but I think it pretty neat to if you really want to tell have them tell their story a little bit, you know, 30 seconds, a minute, not that long. [58:45] Kind of neat. Absolutely. [58:46] Okay. Now, as far as moving forward and other things that you want to do with uh my silver lining, what is it that you're trying to what is in your mind that [58:55] you're working? Of course, improving the website, of course, connecting with more, but what else do you want to shoot for? [59:03] Hm. Um, right now balance, you know, because I still teach full-time. So, [59:09] it's, you know, I'm I'm still serving my community college uh teaching community and trying to be engaged with them and then at the same time have the business. [59:19] So, I think it's a slow growth for me. [59:21] It's always been slow growth. I've not been able to um, you know, take off, you know, in any way like that. So, for me, [59:28] it's just adding those pieces that you said. Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we had this feature? Uh, wouldn't it be cool if we, you know, had maybe like a little [59:35] flyer up for so and so or whatever. I mean, it's just those little those little pieces of adding to a business. [59:42] Yeah. It's I don't have any like grand ideas or anything like that. I just want to grow it slowly and I want it to be intentional and I want the people who want to be part of it to be part of it. [59:52] Do you ever run into any of your students or even younger students that see you? [59:57] Yes. Yeah, they've come. Oh gosh, I feel old when I see the young I had a I had a student who was a kindergartener in my [1:00:04] kindergarten class come to my college class. Wow. Really? He recognized you? [1:00:09] Uh it was it was a girl and she recognized me and she's likeestra I was like oh now I feel old officially. [1:00:18] That was the day I officially turned old. That's But that's neat though to know that you you had her in kindergarten and all the way to college [1:00:26] now still be in her path. You ain't getting away, girl. I got you all the way through. All the way. [1:00:32] Um, it was a it was a beautiful experience, I will say. And yes, I've had students support me. You know, I do [1:00:40] teacher appreciation every year. That's a big big deal for me to give back to teachers because I am a teacher. So [1:00:47] yeah, I've I've seen them support me as well. Awesome. We're running short on time, [1:00:51] but thank you so much for for everything that we touched about. Uh is there um on your way over here? I know you were a little nervous. [1:00:58] I was waiting for the survey that I never sent to you, but when you're like, I mean, I wish you touch us up on this. [1:01:05] I wish he we talk about this. Is there anything in particular that you wanted to mention or talk about? No, I just [1:01:13] want to thank you for letting letting people tell their story, you know, [1:01:16] because when you ask about things in our culture like divorce and things like that, it's important for other people to hear your story, I think, because I [1:01:25] think that helps them to understand they're not alone in their experience. [1:01:29] Yeah. It's such a taboo taboo thing to talk about sometimes and other stuff that we don't talk about. Alcoholism, [1:01:37] uh, abuse, all kind of things. I mean, [1:01:39] we just seen the the Lotus Worth deal that came out. They just now years and years of it. Then I had a suspicion that homie was not It didn't It didn't uh surprise me, [1:01:50] which was the saddest part. That's the saddest part, too. [1:01:52] It didn't surprise me. But I'm so thankful and um encouraged cuz that's how you heal. That's that's that's the healing that can go. [1:02:01] You know, truth has no um time. Uh when it comes out, it comes out eventually. [1:02:06] That's right. just it could be years from years and years later. [1:02:10] That's right. So telling stories and really telling your your truth, getting that out there. I think that's part of it and what you're doing is letting [1:02:18] people do that. So thank you. I thank you for that. [1:02:20] Absolutely. Uh again is my when I went to Colombia, the area that I was at [1:02:30] and I love it. It's like with joy with uh happiness to for you to me to do this. So, so I adopted that word and I'm gonna say as much as I can. [1:02:41] Absolutely. Uh, what is all your social media? Where can people find you at? The website and all the social media. My silver linings biz. [1:02:50] Yeah, that's it atmysliningsbiz or myselinings.biz for the website. [1:02:55] And then again, nothing else that you wanted to touch up, talk about in events, any events you have? [1:03:01] Uh, we have an upcoming women's wellness event. It's up on the Instagram page right now. Um, a collaboration. Um, it is with um, Mommy Mindset is the handle. [1:03:12] Analise and a group of women again that I've been so privileged to come to know through this business. And there's been a lot of collaborations of that kind. [1:03:20] And what you will get to see is you'll get to see other professional Latina women and well, it's open to everyone. [1:03:26] It's not just Latino women, but you know that that's been the focus. You'll get to see them do Pilates, have a wellness uh chat, [1:03:34] and then meet with other entrepreneurs. [1:03:37] And I think that's the greatest benefit of something like that is you meet with other entrepreneurs and you get help for your businesses and connections and just really authentic connection. [1:03:46] I like that. Yeah. And uh yeah, I'm on into the wellness part. Yeah. Come out do Pilates with us. [1:03:52] I just barely begin to start like just just barely trying to out yoga. Okay. Man, it hurts. [1:04:00] It does. [1:04:00] Two days later, I'm still sore. But yeah, uh maybe. So again, I got a million one things going on sometimes, [1:04:05] but sometimes I just We put show up sometimes. We just put the events up every month. This is hard by the way. Yeah, it is. [1:04:11] It's going to be It's going to be beginners. Yeah. Still still difficult. Saludos. Any shout outs that you have to anybody? [1:04:18] I think I've already said to most of the people that, you know, have just been I just want to tell the people who have supported my business, thank you from [1:04:26] the bottom of my heart. Um, I've had so many women in this community embrace me and um, and men, I mean, just across the [1:04:35] board, just even your community when went out to Fort Worth. What amazing people from the chamber, [1:04:40] the chamber people were wonderful in Fort Worth. So, thank you to them. Thank you to everyone who supports small business. That's awesome. Love it. What is an important [1:04:49] lesson that you learned about your business that you would tell your younger self that will help somebody else out? What would that be? [1:04:58] Um, [1:05:00] do it no matter what. Yeah. It doesn't have to be perfect. Do it scared. Just do it. Just do it. Yeah. [1:05:08] So true, man. You just got to jump on and do it. [1:05:11] You got to do it after a while. You just got to get it out of your mind and just you just at least you'll know exactly if it worked or not. If whatever and [1:05:18] even if it didn't work out, what did you learn from it and then pivot to something else? It's all learning. All an experience. That's all it is. [1:05:26] During my day, throughout my day, or sometimes during my week months, I say something along the lines. I'm not immortal. I am mortal and I will die one day. Not to scare me or terrify me or [1:05:35] anything like that or bring some bad juju, but it's a reality in life, right? We're not here forever. [1:05:40] Uh, with that, I wish you a very long prosperous life. After everything's said and done, what do you want people to think and feel about your life? [1:05:48] Oh, wow. That's like a big question. I expect that question. um that I was of service to somebody. Yeah. That I was [1:05:57] able to make this world a little bit of a better place for my kids and for other people. [1:06:01] You think uh being an educator and of service is one of calls of of yours? For sure. Yeah. Yeah. [1:06:09] Love it. So Bernie again, we haven't uh we only met like two times and it was pretty neat uh to watch you you interact just being supportive with the Latinos. [1:06:18] We were just there being part of the event making cookies and then I don't remember what did you make that day cuz I made Christmas tree or something. Yeah. [1:06:26] I don't remember. I'm not much of a cook so I'm so thankful they were made pre-made. [1:06:30] They make pre-make. Oh, we did the decoration part. [1:06:33] That we don't have to cook anything, do we? [1:06:36] And then I I watched you at the uh Tamales and Lo Fest and you were just doing your thing and you know again I I saw the pieces. I got one of your pieces [1:06:45] and it's pretty neat to be able to watch you and uh hear you and uh there's a little there's passion behind of you [1:06:52] talking about all the other women and the artists that they're doing. It was awesome and and I liked it so much and I'm like one of these days and then [1:07:00] eventually I schedules conflicted but we made it happen. We did it. [1:07:04] Thank you so much for taking the time. I know you're you're you have your daughters here in spring break and of course you know their priority but thank you so much for taking the the little [1:07:12] window to be able to tell a little bit of your story and hope that people go find you because they definitely need to check you out whenever you are at vending or in the website you can shop [1:07:20] online. So and without a shadow of a doubt Bernardet you are a global Latin factor. Thank you for being here. Thank you. [1:07:26] This was another episode of the Global Latin Factor podcast. Remember to subscribe right now. you have this amazing stories that you can learn from [1:07:34] from Aulura real real stories that will touch up and if you are looking for somebody and thinking that you're alone you might not be if you listen to some [1:07:43] of the stories that we have on our channel so subscribe right now and remember we are just like you are people we are humans we are the spice and [1:07:51] flavor in this melting pot it is the world till next time .. this