How Poverty Was the Stepping Stone to Success & Service - Gabriel Sanchez

Embark on an inspiring journey with Gabriel Sanchez, who transformed adversity into purpose. From poverty to success, his story resonates with personal growth and giving back. Discover his path from street vendor to president of a mental wellness company. Learn how he overcame obstacles to make a difference, particularly in underprivileged areas of Chiapas, Mexico. Tune in to explore how challenges can lead to a life of service and meaning.

IN TODAY’S EPISODE, I DISCUSS: 

•  Gabriel's transformative choice to leave a prosperous legal career for a purpose-driven life.
• -Real-life stories of overcoming barriers and the significant impact of educational support programs.

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• The 25 Top Money Books I've Read (What I Learned)
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• Build Wealth & Live a Rich Life at Any Age (My so n's journey) 

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• Build Wealth & Live a Rich Life at Any Age (My son's journey): https://youtu.be/5p7OVp2pAbM 

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Transcript

2:08

That's awesome. Yeah. I was in Vegas last weekend and learned that there is a project, I think it's called Brightline, that will go Las Vegas to Los Angeles, I'm assuming. Yeah, yeah. They're trying to get as many people to go to Vegas as quickly as possible, leave their money there, and come home. And clearly, even without the train that's happening. So can you imagine now with that. Oh, my God. Making it easier and the depressed people coming back when they say they realize how much they lost and everything and they got this long ride, whatever, you know. So how you been? You been busy? Yeah, just, you know, working on the, you know, side or working on life, really. Yeah. And then my full time job as well. Combining the two is always a challenge. Right. Is how can I have the two be top priorities? Yeah. Yeah, that, that. How do you harmonize them and balance them? So. So it works. So it is. It is hard. I don't think no one has ever figured it out. People talk about perfect balance, but there isn't. There isn't one. No. No, there isn't. And so you sit back and say, am I being intentional? Am I doing the right thing that I need to be doing? Am I serving the things that are at the top of the priority list, or am I being driven by something else? Yeah, I agree. Thank you for the invitation. It's an honor. You know, I just. I would love to just get your. Your message out, your story out. I just found it fascinating and motivating and inspiring to sit back and see, you know, one, where you came from and, you know, the idea of, um, one chance and, uh, and all that, and then. And then how much you've, you know, the. The ups and downs, but also the. The desire to make a difference, the desire to give back, the desire to sit back and say, I want to make sure that I pay it forward. And what's motivating that? What's driving that? Um, the audience, most of the audience, they're. They're entrepreneurs. Want to be entrepreneurs. Um, and I try to bring in the money side of things and entrepreneurship. My books coming out in June, and we finally got the COVID and we should be going into preorders in the next week or so, but we don't do it without the. I don't ever have the conversation without having the conversation around life. I did the keynote there, and I think that you kind of emulate some of that. I mean, you've had your, whatever, ups and downs. We can talk about it and everything financially, but all of. It's geared towards improving the human condition and making a difference for people. And that's. That's the thing that I like bringing those stories out, because sometimes entrepreneurs get a bum rap. They're just capitalists. They just want the money. Oh, man. What's driving us is something different. Maybe at the beginning because we were at the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. We needed the money because we needed e. But at some point, we transcend that. You impacted me in hearing the story and having a chance to connect with you as a human. I said, I'd love to get you on. Yeah, you're so. I'm honored and excited to learn more about what you're doing on your projects and also sharing and doing or giving. Back or adding my two cent to it, for sure. Awesome. So, well, the way I try to do these conversationally, I'll do an introduction afterwards. Then once it's edited and everything, we'll post out to YouTube, YouTube, Instagram, on my podcast. They'll create some social reels and stuff, and I'll make sure you have those available to you. If you have a preference of a headshot or anything like that you want us to use, pop it over to me and I'll make sure the team has it. All right, cool. I'm gonna. My blinds are. Or the shutters are a little too bright. I'm just gonna move that. All good? That may be a little better. We'll see. Cool. Alrighty. And you prefer to go by Gabby. Mm hmm. Gabby is the name that my parents. Used growing up and kind of stuck with me. Good, good. Yeah. Cool. Anything in particular you want to make sure that I lead them to. Lead you to or bring. Bring up. I guess what connected us was powerful is just getting to know each other in a setting that was conducive to just having a good chat. And then after that, I guess my story. And it's what you've captured already, so. And if there's links or anything that you want us to pop into the descriptions and all that stuff, so they can connect with you, follow you and all that stuff, just make sure that we have them, and I'll make sure, and I'll ask at the end if where people can go to find out about more what you're doing, how you're doing things. It's. I want as much, as much of a win for you as having someone good on the show and everything. So. I know. Thank you. Thank you. I'll send you. I'm not sure if I send you, I believe I did send you my instagram, but if not, I'll make sure that I send it to you. Cool. Beautiful. All right, then we'll. I'll go silent for a second. We'll. We'll get recording and we'll go from there. Do you have a hard stop at any point? Um, probably about an hour from now. We won't. We won't go that long, so we'll go. So it depends how we go, but Max will be 45. Oh, good. Yeah, my team. My team goes the hour and a half interviews. You're killing us. I said. But they're good. Yeah, I'll short. I'll shorten them down. Absolutely. Absolutely. There's good content. Then hopefully we'll have a good chat. All right, man. Cool. Here we go. Hey there, Gabby. So good to have you on the show, man. You know, just to get a chance to have a conversation one on one with you again. Yeah, I told. I told them in the intro how we met, but it's so cool to have you here. Thank you, Mel. It's an honor to be here. Super excited about our conversation. It's been a pleasure getting to know you in the last, what, few weeks, I think. Yeah, I mean, it hasn't been that long since we were together in Nashville and everything, but we'll talk about your story and everything because I think that's the thing that really hit me. I have the blessing to work with entrepreneurs over the years, help them build their businesses, build their lives, build their. Wealth, and. You'Ve got this unique journey. And I want to dig into it. I want to dig into what you were thinking, the challenges, how you navigated them, because I think that. There'S a. Lot of promise in your journey. There's a lot of potential in your journey. You're extremely successful, but it didn't start that way. So let's just kind of go back and say, you know, where did Gabby Sanchez come from? Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Mel. I was born and raised in southern Mexico. Chiapas is the name of the state that I was born in and is the southern mexican border. The border that no one talks about. Everyone talks about the northern border because, of course, it's connected to the US, but the southern bordering is very particular in many different, for many different reasons. One of them is extreme poverty. Chiapas is the poorest state in Mexico. And that is definitely saying a lot. About opportunities and what the vision and the understanding of life is very different when you are in an environment like that. So born there to a beautiful set of parents, my dad dedicated all of his life to education. So he was English as a second. Language teacher, but he loved knowledge, he. Loved learning, he loved teaching, and that's all he did. And my mother was a homestay mother, and the two of them just did the best they could to raise us. Six children, all boys. Six boys. Oh, my gosh. That was not a quiet house. No, no. There was always something going on. Never a dull moment there. And, of course, all of us in different phases of life, and I am the second youngest, so I was exposed to a lot of my older siblings likes, interests, understanding of life. I think I, you know, we talk about parents, but I think that all their siblings also have some role in that formation time in your life. Yeah. Now, was it your parents that instilled, instilled the idea of entrepreneurship? Or. I mean, out of six siblings, I mean, six. Six boys, not all of you followed the same path. So there was something that was the catalyst for you to decide, hey, I'm going to go this path, and we can talk a little bit about what that path looks like. But where do you think. Where does that come from? Good question, Mel. I can say that my dad was not a risk taker. He always said, I'm going to give you education. Education is what it is. You'll decide what to do after that. But his life example was, go and work at the same place, get the paycheck. Different generation, right? Yeah. And. Don'T gamble too much in life. Just make the decisions that are gonna help you just get what you need. It never sat well with me. I remember being eight years old, and, of course, a home of eight, and my dad. With a school teacher salary, there's not much to have. And we had all we needed to cover our basic needs, no more than that. And I was hungry for being self sufficient and making my own money. So I remember once coming up to my mom and said, what can I do to make money? And we talked for, I think, you know, a few days. And then she said, I have an idea. What if I take you to the supermarket and I buy boxes of cookies, bulk, and then we'll come back home, and then I'll get you some glass containers. You put them there, and you sit on the street, and you sell them. And that was my first exposure to taking a little bit of risk with the money that my mom. I had to pay back the money that my mom used to buy the cookies. And then my desire and hunger to do something for me. And I sat there. I remember clearly, vividly, the tablecloth that I put on top, the glass containers, the kind of cookies that are still there, that you can get them at the market in Mexico. But it was so vivid to me and so impactful in my head and. In my life, to be able to. Sell something, the concept of selling and giving something in return was fascinating to me. So I broke the mold and didn't do what my dad said, even though I made some decisions that we'll talk about, I'm sure, on this interview about schooling and education and getting prepared for life. But that was the first moment that I was like, it feels good to sell. That was a pivotal moment at eight years old. Because it's interesting, because there's a whole lot of people we talk to. If we talk to them and say, hey, I want you to go sell something, they freak, just go, no, I can't sell anything. To me, it was fascinating, and I. Think it was more about the people. It was talking to people. I'm one of those guys, I travel for work now a lot, and at airports or restaurants or whatnot, I sit there and if I see somebody who is intriguing to me, I cannot wait another minute to go talk to that person. Just by nature, that's what I do. And that was part of the experience. It was talking to people, it was sharing something with them. In this case, it was cookies. Right. But it was that. And then also the gratification of getting something in return. Yeah. And I can still see that alive in you today. I mean, you know, we, we. Hit it off, we ran into each other in the lobby, in the elevator. And then we just kept chatting, you know. That's right. We had breakfast. Short one, but good one. And then went to our event. Yeah, yeah. I love it. And to me, stories are so powerful. I'm addicted to sports, not because I know the statistics behind the sports or. I am in any way involved in. The actual plane of the sport is the stories behind it that are fascinating to me. And I can tell you a dozen of stories of, you know, athletes, that they may not be the best athletes, but their stories are powerful and that. So fulfilling. Wow. So, so eight years old was. So you beat me. Because my first entrepreneurial endeavor was eleven, so. Oh, good. Yeah, I just was. And I'll tell you, I don't know how much you want to dive into it, but I wanted, and I was obsessed with owning a foosball table. Oh, yeah. And I wanted money for that. My parents couldn't have. Couldn't give it to me. They couldn't buy it for me. So then I said, how can I. Get money to buy the foosball table? And that was the job that I started doing to towards that. Did you get the foosball table? Funny story. I never did. I own one now. I bought one. It's a basement I own. I bought it at age 47. There you go. It's sitting in the basement today. It's actually a connection to that moment because I was never able to save. All I needed it was 5000 pesos back then, the value of that foosball table. And I just couldn't. I couldn't. I mean, it gathered all. So, yeah, I had to wait 39 years. Wow. I just. Because. And now your brothers didn't come along with you. They just kind of. They watched you and just kind of allowed you to do it. Yeah. So my, so six of us, one of them passed away, the six who are still living. Two of them are still in Chiapas. Same town where we grew up. And three of us migrated to the US. One of them lives here in Utah. I'm in Salt Lake City area. He lives in the area. And then my youngest brother, he lives in Indiana, Indianapolis. Wow. Wow. The three of us, I've got an. Identical twin, and we've gone similar directions because we're both cpas, but he's doing something very different. He's in a company and everything versus me deciding the reason I'm self employed is because I'm completely unemployable. Hey, well, if that serves the purpose of encouragement, why not, right? Yeah. Yeah. But they learned that about you. I was like, what, Mel, CPA, it doesn't go well because, of course, we'll. Create this idea of what cpas are. Like when in reality is not a rule, but you break the mold for sure. Well, I appreciate, I appreciate that. I, I try to, I want to give, give us a good rap. Between me and the movie the accountant, we might have a chance, you know, so, so you, you start so at eight years old, but then did you go to university? Let's just talk about how that, how you ended up here doing some of the things you're doing. Kind of the, maybe the mistakes you made in some of the things, the challenges that you faced. And, you know, your, your dad had kind of a policy to say, here's what I'm going to give you, and it's up to you to do with it. Do with it what you will. Yeah, no, I on the life story and mistakes, I have plenty to share. Right. And so my dad, when he graduated from college to become an English as a second language teacher, the university that he went to had an agreement with University of San Francisco to send his graduates for about six to eight weeks to San Francisco to the campus there and spend a few weeks there to really understand what it's like to be in America. So my dad graduated and was part of that program. And in those six to eight weeks, his life changed. His understanding of what life is about changed. And you know how when you're in, when you grow up in an environment that is very specific to what you know, and there's nothing more than that. And again, southern Mexico, very limited opportunities. And he was born there as well. And he comes to America, to one of the wealthiest states in the US, California, and sees what he saw and experiences what he experienced. It's life changing. So he goes back home and says, I cannot keep this to myself. I am going to do anything within my power to have my children going and have the same experience. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I'm going to find a way. So he came back, and again, school teacher salary, we all know that if us teachers complain about it, can you imagine in Mexico? Even less. But he was disciplined, he was determined, and he was consistent in putting money aside. And I don't know exactly. He's been, even to this day, very. Secret on his finance. We don't know how much money he's worth. Not much, but, but he's got, he's been very smart with his money. And he kept put, you know, every paycheck, he would put a percentage of it aside. And when each one of us, his children, the five living, turned either 15 or 18, based on circumstances, money in the bank and what he could do, he would come to us and say, are you ready? Are you ready to go to the US and be there for a school year? I have the money to help you go and experience life in the US so that you can have the same experience that I had and so that you can have the same understanding of what life is about in the vision. Right? So he was vision casting, but then he wanted us to really go have the experience. So he came to me at 15 and exactly he did that. He said, are you ready? And of course I was ready. Two of my older brothers had already been there. I was not the next one in line, but the brother who was ready or had the age to go had some issues with school. So he bypassed him and came to me and said, are you ready? And I said, I'm ready. I want to go. And to make a long story short, a day or two before I was shipping off to go to Iowa, out of all places, oh, my God. He came to me and called me into his room and said, I want to give you money, money that I have saved for you, and you are going to match money. This is a 15 year old. And he gave me$1,000. This is 1980,$1,000. Okay? So a age 15. And he said, son, you can spend. It all in one day, or you. Could manage your money to make it last. So I had heard stories from my older siblings who had done it. I had seen the change of my siblings, older siblings coming back after a school year transformed. They were not the same. They had a different even cadence, a different way of standing up, a different way of walking into rooms, a different way of understanding life and feeling very comfortable with themselves at such an early age. So I wanted that. I wasn't that yet. I wanted. So I was shipped off to the US. And of course, you come to learn the language, but it's a package deal. You learn finances, you learn how to make mistakes in life. You learn what it means to be alone. You understand what it means to the potential of giving up or the potential of keeping your head down and working. Hard to get something done. So at age 15, I came, and this is Mel, you flying to Mexico City, going to a high school tomorrow, and being dropped off at the entrance of the school and wishing you well. And you're on your own. Oh, my God. That reversed to me. I didn't speak any English. No English whatsoever. And I literally flew on a Sunday night. Night, Mexico City to Chicago, O'Hara airport, and then got on a greyhound bus. My dad made carts. What do you call those? Flashcards? Yeah, yeah. And he had the English on one side, Spanish on the other side. So I knew which card I would use, and I would show it to people. And the carts had something like, where can I find the bathroom? How can I get to a taxi? How can I get a taxicab? How can I get to the greyhound station? Where can I buy food? Things that my dad just kind of thought through that would be carts that I would need to show people and get around. And this is travel, right? Once I got to where I worked. To where I was going, then I lived with a family. But anyway, so I did that, and it was hard. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I can't imagine. I mean, first you go, you're getting dropped in Chicago. You could have taken a wrong turn in Chicago easily. Yeah. Yeah. I had a. I had a suit back then, and still fascinating to me, that luggage didn't have any wheels, so I had to carry one. One suitcase on one hand, another one on another hand, and then my mom had an additional extra bag. He did a cord, a very, very, you know, simple cord around my neck to hold a. I was, you know, 15 years old, sweaty, and walking the airport, trying to find my way around. I'll never forget that. But it was. It was part of that story of sacrifice and working hard to do something. But anyway, it was. It was really hard. Christmas time came back then. There's no text, there's no cell phones. It was all letters. And my dad basically told me when I shipped off, he said, we're gonna talk twice this year, one on Christmas day and the other one mother's day. That's the two times we're gonna talk on the phone. The other times we'll send you letters. And that's what it was. And my family didn't have a telephone at home. That's why. That's why. And it was long distance, was super expensive, so they had to go to somebody else's home and make those calls. And those were the two calls that. That I had for a school year the whole time I was in the US. So you stayed here for a year? I stayed here for a year in Iowa. Bettendorf, Iowa, a little town. And I stayed. And through the first five, six months of it, I hated it. Every moment of it. I didn't have any friends. I was trying to figure myself out. At 15. I was confused. Tough age. At 15, you'd still. Yeah. And I was, you know, frustrated with the language. I didn't understand anything, but I had to go to school and I had to take classes. And the ultimate goal was to finish the year and pass, right? So it was hard. And I remember clearly that I knew that there was going to be a telephone call on December 25 with my parents. So I was ready to quit. And I created in my head an argument. This was prepping me to become a lawyer that I later became, but I had an argument in my mind to tell my dad and my mom and convince them that it wasn't the right thing for me and that I had to go back home. So my dad and mom called, and I did not waste a second to start explaining how hard everything was. I didn't have any friends. I didn't understand anything. I was forgetting Spanish. All these different reasons why. And my mom cried on the phone with me and said, let me hand the phone over to your dad. And then my dad got the phone, and he listened to me again. I had rehearsed with my mother, and. I did it again with my dad. And he said, are you done? And I said, yeah, I'm done. He said, is there anything else you want to say? No, that's it. And he said, well, remember when we talked and I gave you that money? I told you that I was going. To send you off for a school year. Not for two months, not for six months, not for ten months. It's a whole school year. So you're staying. And that was it. There was no discussion. There was no more. No more chatter after that. And, of course, then you don't. Then you start planning for, okay, I'm gonna stay. What is that going to look like? And you get through it. And by month number seven, eight, things started turning, and I started learning English. I was listening more, understanding more, I was speaking more, and I started making friends. You know, I was interesting just how this plays out, because things will happen in life, and we resist it. We live in denial, you know, whether it's my cancer or something else that happens. And then there comes a point. It's that point of acceptance that when we get to that point of acceptance and you go, okay, this is the game I'm in. How do I want to play it? And it seems like that's what ended up happening. Yeah, that's what happened in my new. I had forgotten, Mel, that he had sent off two others children. You know, I didn't know any of that. I wasn't exposed to it. I just knew that. But my dad knew exactly what kind of call he was gonna have with me. He was ready, so he knew I. Was gonna, you know, cry and scream about and kick and do everything I could to quit. And he knew that I didn't know that. He knew that, so he managed it well. So I went back to the grind, and. And again, things started looking up, and things got better. And that was the time when the US had been awarded the World cup in 94. So that was years before that. So soccer, the sport of soccer, was the thing to play and to learn. And I, of course, the coach at school, knowing that I was a Latino, the only one there was one more colombian. And I, the two of us, no other latino anything. Again, this is 1989. And he came quickly and said, we'd love to have you on the team. And we said, yeah, of course we'll play. And then all the football players had finished their season and we're ready to start playing spring ball or soccer. And they came to practice and I started becoming friends with football players. And that was the best thing that could have happened to me. And then I started making lots of friends. And then the end of the school year happened. And guess what was in my mind? You didn't want to go back. Go back. So I, you know, it's May. My mom is ready to jump on a call with me because it's mother's Day and I have this list of arguments or this argument list of reasons why I should stay. And you know how that went. Yeah. I got on the phone with my. Dad and he, I told him why I should stay. He said, are you done? And I said, yeah, I'm done. He said, well, remember when we met in my bedroom and I gave you the money? I didn't say for more than a year. I said a school year. So you're coming back. So I had to go. So what brought you back here? Because ultimately, like you just mentioned, you, you got fully educated. You got. And you became an attorney. Yeah. So law school brought me back. I wanted to come back since I left. You know, I went back at age 16 and all these years I'm just, I need to do something to get myself back to the US. And this is you figured you lost those first two arguments, you didn't need a find a way to win the next ones. I'll do it on my own. Right. I'm going to go and sell cookies. I'm going to go sell cookies and get money to get myself back to the US. And I applied to go to law school here in Utah and I applied for a master's in international law and. I got in and I had worked. For the last five years making mexican pesos to pay us tuition. Wow. As an international student, you have it really hard because you have to show that you have the financial stability to come and finish the program. So I applied, got in and came back to Utah in 2000 or came. Back to the US, came to Utah. For law school and same process. Right. Mel? After my first year, I wanted to quit. It was too hard for me. Even though I spoke better English then. It wasn't like going to law school, right? Yeah. Yeah. I wanted to quit. And I'll never forget the connection that I made with when I was 15. Wanting to quit. It'S such an important thing. This is why I, you know, I like it when kids will get into athletics, competitive athletics, not for the winning, but for those moments where you feel like you got nothing left. The moments when you're on the cusp of giving up and you sit back and somehow you find more, and you just say, wait a second. And it's not. It's like once you just punch through, all of a sudden you go, okay, now I'm free again. But it's that moment. And if you have never done it, you question and you doubt yourself. Right? But if you've done it once, you build confidence. And the second time and the third, I'm on my, I don't know, hundredth time now of wanting to quit right in life. And then you go back to those moments when you didn't for different reasons, and then you keep going, and then you say, I know that if I keep going, I can see the light on the other side, so I need to keep going. And it's a reassurance of what you. Have been able to accomplish and then keep going. And by all, I mean, when we. Look at it, I mean, you're extremely successful. You're doing well, I mean, financially successful. But also. And more importantly, I think that you're doing. You're living a life that you have chosen, that you're crafting, that you are creating, and you're finding a way to live into what you were called to do, because you're not. You're. You're not doing law now anymore. No. I practiced for 14 years. Those were fun years. Yeah. Sorry, I'm too much. You good? You're good. Those were. Those were fun years, but I was never fully satisfied or fulfilled. And it took me 14 years to figure it out. But I basically just. I liked law and I enjoyed it, but I wasn't passionate about it. I felt like I needed to do more, and I decided to reinvent myself professionally, in fact, life, because that's when I made a lot of changes in my life, personal life, professional life, religious life. You know, people talk about midlife crisis. I think we all go through different crisis throughout our lives. It's not just one, but that was one of. And I changed a lot of things, including what I did for a living. And I transitioned into what I do now, which is business management with a focus on building communities. And that's what really got me passionate about my new opportunity to earn a living by doing something that I liked. And that I loved that. I'm passionate about. So it's interesting, because our paths. I mean, certainly not. I didn't come from a small town and everything. I mean, small town, but. In this. Professional regard, because there was a moment. Because being an accountant, being a CPA and all that, there was a moment in my career where I sat back, this isn't. Yes, my education says I'm supposed to be here, but there was something inside of me that says there was something more. And I didn't. I didn't know what it was. I just knew it was there. And I, you know, I did an extreme thing. I literally just quit my job and moved to Japan and started training in martial arts. I cashed out my 401K, which I would never recommend anyone do. Completely violates what I teach nowadays. But. But for a young 20 something year old kid, it seemed like a thing to do. But there's this tugging that comes at your passion cords to say, hey, you're meant for more. But there's also the other side of the tugging of. I invested all this money. I invested all this time. I've built a career. The expectations of society, the expectations of parents, the expectations of partners and colleagues and all that stuff, because this is the path you're on. On, you know, Gabby, you gotta go be partner. You're gonna do this for the rest of your life. You're gonna. You know, Mel, you're gonna go to be partner. And it's. And that was the expectation, and. And I know how hard it was. You know, it sounds like your parents. Somewhat like my parents. Very old fashioned for my. You know, when I. When I came home and said, guess what? I quit my job today, they were not happy. So would you turn around and saying, hey, I'm going to completely change careers. Making that decision, you knew that there was going to be disappointments or there was going to be people that said, hey, what are you doing? How did you navigate that? What kind of gave you the ability? Because I'm asking this because I think there's probably a lot of people sitting in a position right now that they know that they want to do more, but that more is on a different path than what they've got. Educated in, certified, in expectation, in all that stuff, but they live in this reduced capacity because they're not sure how to navigate that transition. But you did. I did. But you did. And I'd love to hear that process because. Because I think that it's helpful to people to know that this goes on. Yeah. So in great part I attribute this to, you know, how we all have these books that have changed our lives. There's one book that I read at that moment when I was very unsure of staying practicing law. I actually, you know, had all those goals, right? Coming or graduating from law school, going to the big law firm. I was in the largest law firm in Utah. I was a lawyer, the only Latino. I've always been an outcast. I miss it. And I'll tell you more about it. At the end because that to me is very defining in my life. Still is today. But I was in that moment of not really feeling comfortable, but very uncomfortable to the idea of shifting. And I got my hands around this book called the Second Mountain by David Brooks. And that book changed my life and it got me to understand the true meaning of what I was doing. And the book is an analogy of climbing a mountain, your first mountain, and doing that in your life. And David talks about, we have this idea, right, of success. What does success look like for me? And you then focus so heavily. If you're dedicated and disciplined, you focus in every decision you make, you make it about that goal, ultimate goal. And for me was my dream or my definition of success in my industry was to become an in house counsel lawyer for an international company. That was my dream. And when I thought about it, I would just smile big and feel like when I do that, that's it, that's all I need, I'll be happy. So every decision I made for several years was around that. How is this decision that I'm making today or this month or this year going to impact my ability to become an in house counsel? In house counsel for a multi or international company? And those were decisions about me. And me. And me. Very selfish. Yeah. And I guess what, after twelve years, no, after eleven years, I arrived after ten years. After ten years, I basically became the in house lawyer for the largest gold. Mining company in the world. Wow. So I had a job that many applied for that wanted, that I had. Yeah. A canadian company. And I got to the top. I got to what I believe was the definition of success. To learn that I was so unhappy and miserable and empty. Yeah, and the book talks about exactly that. When I was reading the book, I was like, this guy knows me, this guy for all this time and writing about my life, it was so impactful to me. But then the book talks about getting to the top, being so unfulfilled. And then a dramatic life experience pushes you to the cliff and you fall to what he describes as the valley of transformation, a time where you're going. To ask the hard questions and have. A very, very honest conversation with yourself. And self assess and really be. Be raw in where you are and why. And that's exactly what happened. I divorced. That was my dramatic experience. I single dad today, and I divorced. And it changed the way I view life. It changed the way I understood life. And it was really hard for me. And that was what pushed me over the cliff. And I stumbled down to the value of transformation. And I questioned everything from what I was doing professionally to my principles as an individual human being, my values, my religious values, my relationship with others, everything. And it was one of the hardest things I've ever done, is question myself. And after that, the book talks about climbing your second mountain and doing it differently, and doing it differently because it's not going to be about you and about your ego and about your definition of success, but it's going to be about serving others and putting others needs first before yours and climbing that second mountain with purpose and passion. That's what changed. That's what gave me the courage to make the hard decision to step away from law, get into an industry that I had never been part of. That I had to literally learn from scratch, from zero, and then learn in baby steps and dedicate time and effort to understand what I now considered to be something I'm good at. And that was the industry that I'm part of. So I love the story. I had no idea about. I've never heard of the book. I got to get it and read it really good. You said you made a statement, and I think it's a telltale statement when we hear ourselves saying that when I get to here, I'll be happy. And so often we find ourselves here and unhappy, and we go, but I thought I would be happy. And it was the same thing with me when I left my firm. And happiness isn't going to be coming from the exterior. It just really isn't. And so often, Bronnie Ware, she wrote the book seven regrets of dying. And one of the biggest regrets is someone that, she says, a lot of people realize that those last days in their life, that they live someone else's life. And it takes courage to sit back and say, I'm going to go this different direction. I'm going to rip everything apart at the seams, question everything, redefine everything, and now live and be driven by purpose first and service and everything. For me. It'S why I do what I do post cancer and everything. The speaking and the book and all the different things I do, I feel that this chapter of my life, this season of my life, this next decade and plus has got to be dedicated to service. Life's been good to me with all the problems, all the pitfalls, and I wouldn't change it for the world. But the rest of this journey has to be serviced. Shine in the light. Absolutely. And it changes everything you do. It really allows you to experience what true happiness is. It's still in the process right now. We never get it 100% right. So many things I need to change. There are so many mountains I need to climb differently than the first mountain. But is that consistent progress or seeing where you were yourself, not comparing yourself to others, but where you are today and where you were five years ago or ten years ago, and seeing that evolution of your own character, your own principles, your own thinking, your own life. But, yeah, that to me, was one of the big contributors to really changing. The way I was. Do you, do you have practices that you do regularly to check in with yourself to make sure that you're still on purpose, that you're still on task or you have mentors or folks that, like, I've got some folks around me that lovingly kick me in the rear end and say, is this really you? You know, I'm stepping into an interesting part of my life now at almost 50. I'll be 50 in two months and almost 50 years old, where I am realizing that my blind spots are bigger than what I thought. My blind spots are blind universes. It's been a humbling experience. I never thought that at 50 I would say, wow, I never saw that about me. And going back to your question, I don't want to distract from it, but I'm redoing and redefining my morning routines. I had one that is now different. I'm changing it to include things that I didn't include before. I am rethinking the way I have evolved. My priorities are being reset. I think it's an ongoing thing for everyone, by the way. I think it's just you set your priorities once and then you move forward, if not every day, every week. I'm resetting priorities in my life because it's an ongoing situation. Life changes right around you and you need to then change with it to be successful. But I'm starting this, actually, I used it this morning, but I have my blue book, my personal notes that I started now. Just really documenting a little more of the things that I need to change, the things that I'm learning about me. Isn't that so humbling to know that. At 50 you're learning things about you that you didn't know? I'll be 63. I'm still learning. Yeah. And I'm doing that now with a. More defined purpose of learning more and changing more. You know, how you're definition of who you are in your head is different than what people think you are outside and not. You need to change for them. But it's, there is a level of sincerity and honesty and how objective people outside your head can be. And of course, people you trust. You need to go to your trusted individuals and ask the right questions and have the open discussions about what do I need to do differently and why. And those are brutal. Those are emotionally draining. Those are very hard to hear. But in the end, you're like, okay, I get it. I need to take that feedback very seriously and change. I have a friend who said this once, and he said it was so cool the way he said it. He says, I had to heal. I had to do some things, and I had to learn about me. So I went to some friends and some of the people that knew me and said, hey, I'm going to ask you to do something, and I'm going to give you permission to do something. And I'm going to give you the. Space to do something. And that is this. Is there something that you've always wanted to tell me but never did because you thought it would hurt me? You thought it would, but you knew. You saw something, either in me or something I was doing that I could better myself. And he said, and he said, here's the rules. I can say nothing. I cannot respond. You will give it. You give it to me fully, openly, honestly, authentically, and I'll walk away for two days, and I'll come back to you two days later, and then we have a conversation. So whatever defensive emotions that might come up or anything, there's no justifying, there's no arguing, there's no trying to rationalize it. I need to just take it in, soak it in, digest it, process it, and then allow it to become something. That I grow from. It was just an interesting, wonderful way that he gave a safe space for people that knew him to bring things up and then for him to sit back, go, you know what? After a while, you strip away that first initial defensiveness, and you're in your own space and you're alone and you're reflecting, and all of a sudden it goes back to acceptance again. Yeah, yeah. And you said it right. I've experienced recently, as recent as, you know, yesterday, opportunities to take something and react in a defensive way or in a humble way, to listen and then really understand that the feedback is not to make you feel uncomfortable, is to help you. It's so hard, but it's worth it. Yeah. You know, and we take the truths away and do that. Now I want to try and start. Bringing some of this full circle because one of the things that you're doing. So you had the successful career as an attorney. Let's just say from an attorney's career, it was successful financially, it was successful, but it wasn't fulfilling. You moved into a new direction, and you were driven by purpose, you were driven by passion, you were driven by service, you were driven. And that level of fulfillment, the level of personal growth, all of that, just. It flourished for you. Yeah, absolutely. And now you're doing something that I had a chance to be part of in a very small way, not to be part of, to witness. I'm going to say you're going and you're giving back. And I want to have a conversation because too often I think when we talk about the show's name is the affluent entrepreneur, and a lot of people think that, oh, affluency thinks that it's opulence. No, no, it actually. Opulence is stuff. It's stuff on shelves and houses or whatever. There's no happiness in that. So affluence is so much more. So much more. And when I heard this story and watched you present and heard about this kid Juan and all that, I said, that's affluence. That's the pure richness of life. Let's go. Because this brings everything. Because some people might be listening. Where's this going? This is where it's going. Because if we're truly going to live a rich life, this is what it's about. And it's not about the commons in the bank. And that's a statistic. Yes. We need it there. So we have the opportunity to do the things that Gabby, you're doing right now. Thank you, Mel. I'm now the president of sales at Amari Global. It's a mental wellness company in the network marketing space. And we are a company that focuses on love and improving your lifestyle. Feeling optimal, not feeling good or feeling great, feeling optimal. And that is a very high goal to achieve. But it's our goal to live optimal lives and then also give back. As part of that lifestyle, we have a foundation called American Hands. And we have projects around the world to help people. And in a very interesting way, life takes you to different places. And when I decided to transition from my prior employer to the current employer, Amare, one of the first things I learned was that the foundation was focused on the same exact place that I'm from, my home state, Chiapas. And it was such an incredible experience to know that this is my time to give back and have been positioned in a way that this is an opportunity to literally give back to my people. So I did the first trip for the foundation last year, last summer, and learn of the incredible work that has been going on for years under the foundation. And I was asked to do some of the work around the foundation and help and lead in the way I can, even though I have my full time job, this is additional to it and just be involved in supporting the foundation. And again, it's about the people and the stories. And these are not only Chiapas is the poorest state in Mexico, but the indigenous communities in that state live in extreme poverty. And we have gone to communities where no local is willing to go and have established two important programs focusing on education. Again, full circle with my dad. My dad taught us, right, give you. Money, but I want to give you education, and then it's on you what you can do. So now I'm in a position to really go and meet the people, my people and people that were born in the same environment that I was born at or in, and with the same challenges. And that was part of what you heard me talk, is say, I am here standing before you today because someone gave me a shot. Someone believed in me, in my ability to do something more than just what I knew, what I had seen in my exposure, within my initial, you know, my initial years of life. And someone believed in me and saw something in me. And here I am telling you that there are so many talented individuals in Chiapas who are waiting for that opportunity. They have prepared all of their lives and they've done all that is within their power to wait for that opportunity. And when they are given that opportunity, they're ready to take in. So these are individuals and communities. Juan. The story of Juan is incredible because he comes from a family of 14. So eleven siblings, mom and dad, and himself. The average income of his family, not just in the community, but the average income, monthly income is $80 a month for a family of 14. If you do the math, it's give. And take, about$3. A day, right? $80 a month. Is what they have access to and is rough. It's hard. And he has been working all his life, since early age ten. So he dropped out of school and then he's been able to get back to school and be able to finish. And he finished high school. And then we took him on a scholarship. And the scholarship allowed him to graduate from college. And he graduated from college just recently, this last summer. And with that graduating degree, which is focused on business, he is now able to start his own little business. When our team was there with them, during the interview of his story, they asked the family, including Juan, what is your favorite food? If you had the money? Because, you know, what do you eat? Beans and tortillas every day in coffee. That's all you can afford. And when they were asked what would be your ideal meal, to be able to enjoy it, and they said it would be chicken. Chicken. We don't eat chicken. It would be great to eat chicken. Oh, how often do you eat chicken? Twice a year, three times a year. When they have chicken. Now he's going to be able, with this, you know, this degree, to start his own chicken farm and be able to not only give back to his family and probably eat chicken once a month, once a week, but also make a living out of that chicken farm. And because of the education that he received through the program. So it's life changing. And I am witnessing, in a way. Being instrumental in this process, which fills my heart, because that's giving back, that's climbing your second mountain, thinking of others, that's serving, that's being passionate about helping others and then filling your heart and being happy. So good. God, this is so good. I hope that everyone that's listening and watching, you're starting to get one. A flavor of who Gabby is and how he shows up, how he's navigated from a small town of poverty and broken through barriers. And I think that. I believe that what you were put through, everything from your dad repeatedly saying, no, this is it. And all the choices and everything was preparing you to shift and change this town, to be that catalyst, to be that bright, shining light. And we get an opportunity to live successfully financially, and that's fine. But the true, the true affluence is when you take that success and you use it to shine a light on others and you use it to know that it wasn't just your success, but it was a shared success. And you're doing that, my friend. I mean, it just, it was such for me to hear that story, to see the images and everything. It still gives me chills when you talked about it again today. No, you're kind. In reality, Mel, is all about change. Is all about what? Sometimes we put so much emphasis in positions like mine of how much change or how much you're giving, it's what you're receiving. For me to be able to see and understand what challenges they faced that I once faced is such a humble reminder of how much anyone can accomplish. So the love that they show to you, the gratitude that they show to you is out of this world. So it's how much work. Actually, I feel like we're getting more from it than they are themselves. Yeah. All the goodness and the commitment they have to take that one shot and make it count. So good. So good. Listen, I could talk to you for hours just because of the nature of who you are, who you become and what you represent in the form of a couple things. Possibility, potential, dealing with adversity coming from. I mean, all of this, that whatever the struggle is that people are going through, either because they were born that way or some circumstances put that way, and you're just a living example of being able to move through it. When you decide, when you make a decision and when you commit to it, you say, hey, I'm aware, I'm accepting. And now I'll just navigate with what was dealt to me. And I just, I feel blessed to call you friend. It's so cool to have you and have you on here. I'd love people to know a little more about if they want to follow you, if they want to connect with you, to support your causes, anything. So what's the best way for people to get to know a little more about Gabby? Sanjay yeah, I guess the way we do it now with social media is Instagram. I'm very active on Instagram. Gabby Sanchez Insta but I'll send you the link so people can find me. And then that connects to what we're doing with Amari carrying hands, the foundation. That we have, and I'll make sure. That people who are listening have the ability to know more about the foundation and what we're doing and donate and be part of it if they want to. We do have plans for this year and then the next year is mental wellness. What we're trying to focus on in helping people in those communities, we all need mental wellness. And besides a full belly with food, which is what we're doing, is mental wellness. And that's what we're focusing on. But I appreciate the platform, Mel. I appreciate that you calling me friend? I call you. I consider you my friend as well. We connected since day one. It was very warm and kind, the way we met and the way we kept in touch. So I hope we have much more to share and to learn from each other. So very excited about that. I'm looking forward to it. And we'll make sure that we hook up all the links and everything in the notes so they can do that. And for those of you that are listening, check. Check out Gabby, check out the causes, check out the mission. As you're starting to explore your journey in life and finance and success and wealth, don't forget the richness side of it. And as I always say on the show, as we start to go away, is that to always, always strive to live a life that outlives you and Gabby, you're doing that. No, thank you. Thank you. I would like to just say two things quickly. The reason why I've been blessed with the opportunities I've been blessed is because of mentors. So I cannot say enough about people in everyone's lives who will show up at the right time to help us when we need it the most, when we need to believe in ourselves. There are mentors around. I can tell you at least a dozen of specific names and people and how they have impacted my life and have allowed me to be where I am. And now that's grown in my heart to be an obligation almost to be one of those mentors to people in my life so that they can. I can give back again. So mentorship, I cannot talk enough about it. From leaving Mexico, to coming to the US, to going through law school, going to the law firm, getting into business, there's always, always someone, some angels, I. Call them, that have shown up at. The right time to help me and give me that little push. So don't. Don't you think you're doing this alone? I hate the expression self made millionaire. There's nothing like that. I think that no one does anything like that on their own. There's always somebody, somebody helping you. I'm so glad you said that because I say that all the time. I go, first off, there is no. Way that you're self made. If you're selling anything, don't insult your customers to believe that you're self made. Yeah, we never do it in isolation. You might be first generation, but you're not self made. There's something bigger at work. And do not insult that. I'm with you 100%. Ain't no such thing. I am a product of a lot of things. Yep. And I do not believe that I have done this all on my own. I am blessed. I have been gifted. I've had my challenges along the way, but they were necessary. And I still have people in my life that allow me to flourish. Well said. Thank you, my friend. Thanks for being here, man. And. And I can't wait to chat again. Thank you, Mel Sim here. Take care. Talk soon. Bye bye. Boom. We're out. Awesome. Thank you. How was it? That was good. That was good. I need you to. You know how I talked about in my life? You're. You're. You're brought in to be accountable for the things you. You're doing and how you need to. Learn at age 50, all the things you need to improve on. She is part of that. Say hi, Stacey. Hello. How are you? Hi. Brennan speakers. Very nice to meet you. So good to meet you. He's a good man. He is a great man. We just did a. How would you call that? Not a podcast? It's a podcast, but it's YouTube also. It's a. It's an interview that we're gonna. We're gonna air on YouTube, on my YouTube show channel, and podcast and then socials. Nice. That's amazing. What's the topic? I guess my life stories. Yeah. The theme of the show is affluence, living an affluent life, which is not about stuff. It's about meaning. It's about impact. It's about. The money side is I do a lot of talking and speaking on money. My book that's coming out is called building your money machine. But it is also about creating a legacy. Life, not what you leave behind for people, but what you leave in people when you interact. And when I heard his. I was the keynote speaker at the recent Amari conference, and I heard his story, and I said, oh, we got to get this out there. People need to hear it and see it and understand, because there are so many people. They say they're struggling and they can't. They can't do things. And I've got bills. I got this. And Gabby came from such. It could have been easy for him to shrink down and say, this is just my lot in life. And he didn't. I think that people need to hear these stories so they don't shrink down. And I think we're allowing people to shrink down and not live fully. And I think it's a sad statement. I had to bring him on. I had to get the story out. You're so kind and Mel has such a big heart in what he's doing is really impacting people through his platform, so. Well, I can't wait to listen to it. Yeah, I'll make sure, you know, when it. When it's ready to release and all that stuff. And if you need anything from me. Gabby, you hit me up. If Amari needs anything, hit me up. I'll do that, Mel, thank you so much. All right, man. You be well. Take care. Take care. Thanks. You, too. Good weekend, buddy. Bye.