From Single Mom to CEO: Jessie Mendoza’s Journey of Purpose and Power

On the latest episode of the Stories to Create Podcast, Cornell Bunting sits down with Jessie Mendoza, Founder and CEO of DASH Lifestyle, a company dedicated to designing experiences, amplifying brands, and creating high-impact social and marketing events, including grand openings, anniversaries, and networking experiences.

Jessie is also the force behind homes.by.jessie, a real estate brand, and plays a key role in Real Estate Title & Development at Unik Title LLC—an award-winning company recognized as Orlando’s Best Title Company of 2025, providing full-service escrow, title, and settlement solutions.

In this episode, Jessie opens up beyond business and success, taking us back to her roots. Raised in Miami with strong Guatemalan cultural influences from her parents, she shares her journey of getting married at a young age, stepping into ministry alongside her husband, and becoming a mother of three.

After navigating the challenges of divorce and rebuilding her life as a single mother, Jessie found herself searching for clarity and direction. In 2020, she discovered her true calling—and since then, she has been walking boldly in her purpose, building businesses and creating impact.

She also speaks deeply about her love for her mother, her faith, and the experiences that shaped her into the woman she is today.

This is more than a conversation—it’s a story of resilience, reinvention, and purpose.

Listen as her journey unfolds.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Yes, yes, welcome to another episode of Stories to Create Podcast right here at ES Club. I'm your host, Cornell Bunting. So excited today. We finally have one of Southwest Florida's most busiest women, entrepreneur doing all these different amazing things here with her Spanish self. It's amazing. But I'm not gonna spoil a whole lot for it for you guys. I'm gonna let her tell you guys a little bit about what that looks like as we unfold it. So without further ado, help me welcome Miss Jessica Mendoza.

SPEAKER_02 0:41

Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I'm I'm truly honored. Yes. And just knowing about everything that you do. Oh my god. I'm honored to be here. Thank you so much. I'm surprised. I thought you only wrote books. That's all I like.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

There's a whole lot. And for you guys, because this this is the first one we're doing, like, so we're live streaming on YouTube as well. So if you guys follow me on YouTube, you could go uh check out the live stream on there as well. But yeah, we're gonna we're gonna dive into some stuff because we've we've wanted to talk to you from a good little bit now, but you've been so busy. Yeah. And then managing life as the mom that you are and all that stuff. So what we wanna do, we want to take our listeners back to the early years. Where was Jessica born?

SPEAKER_02 1:33

So I was born and raised in Miami, and my city is Guatemala.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

Ooh, this is good. So you you so okay, let me actually like because I know that culture was like very mixed, yeah? Yeah, like you have a lot of people from like Cuba, Puerto Rico.

SPEAKER_02 1:51

Yeah, Miami, it's it's a mix of everybody.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Mix everybody, because Jamaicans are there, too.

SPEAKER_02 1:55

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and that's you know, that's how we get like the Miami accent, is like they never catch on because you get used to like if you're with Cubans, you know, it comes out a little bit. If you're with Puerto Ricans, it comes out. So depending on the circle you're in, your your accent like goes along with that.

SPEAKER_00 2:14

Wow. Now, as far as siblings go, how many siblings?

SPEAKER_02 2:17

I have three brothers.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:19

No sisters. So you're the only girl. Only girl and the baby of the house. Come on.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

Not the baby anymore, but so you were spoiled. They they had they spoiled you.

SPEAKER_02 2:29

Yeah, I mean, as far as what my parents could, my parents immigrated, you know, from Guatemala. So both both of my parents, they both had two jobs. Yeah. And uh just like our our countries, you know, the older brother is the one that takes care of the little the little kids at home, and and that was our role. So they got to spoil me as much as they could, basically.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

Now I know a lot of a family, like when they they move here, the the parents never necessarily learn the English and stuff. Did your parents learn the English?

SPEAKER_02 3:01

No, my parents understood it.

SPEAKER_00 3:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 3:04

So they understood it. And one mistake that my parents did, I don't know if if a lot of uh other parents, foreign, you know, parents that immigrate do that. But my parents never obligated us to speak Spanish.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 3:17

Because they understood English, so they would allow us to speak to them in English and they would respond in Spanish. Oh, so we understood it, but never got the practice to learn them.

SPEAKER_00 3:28

To learn it. Wow, that is wild. I've never I never thought of that. Like you say in one language and you get the space.

SPEAKER_02 3:36

Yeah, and my parents thought it was something good that we were learning English. So they never like pressured us or you know, put it as a priority that we knew that we learned Spanish. You know, we learned Spanish as we got older.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Yeah, yeah. Wow. So now in school, what kind of girl was you? Was you into the sports or never?

SPEAKER_02 3:54

No, never. You know, my parents were too busy, you know, trying to make it, you know, in a new country for them. We were we were always home. My my brother, my oldest brother, he did play sports. I never did. Oh, I never did.

SPEAKER_00 4:08

So you did school straight home after school.

SPEAKER_02 4:10

Yeah, yeah. Well, that is it. Home and and church. That was that was my life. That was my life.

SPEAKER_00 4:16

Was you going to church a lot too?

SPEAKER_02 4:17

Yeah, I I grew I was born and raised into church. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_00 4:21

How many days did you had to do for the week in church? For church? Yeah, I don't remember.

SPEAKER_02 4:25

It was a for us, it was a lifestyle. It was so normal. Yeah, it was a lifestyle.

SPEAKER_00 4:30

Oh my that's like the Caribbean, too, because you know, you go to church Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. Too much.

SPEAKER_02 4:37

Yeah, too much. It was every day, and then the brothers and sisters at the house, and that was our life. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:42

Wow. Now, when did you like, you know, out of school, like you you finished school, when did you decide, like, the path that you wanted to go into as far as work go, when did you decide you what you wanted to do?

SPEAKER_02 4:56

I didn't.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

No? I didn't. It just falls in your lap.

SPEAKER_02 5:00

It fell it fell so it fell in my lap because I was married for a long time. Okay. So from from my house, you know, from mom and dad, I got married in in church, and I was married, and I was married for many years. My three kids were born into that marriage, and you know, once you know things fell apart, then I saw myself like, oh my god, what am I gonna do?

SPEAKER_00 5:24

So you weren't working for like when you got out of school, you was more like a housewife.

SPEAKER_02 5:28

I I was a housewife, always supporting my husband. We were always entrepreneurs, always in ministry as well. Okay. Um, so as many of us that grew in a church, Pentecostal church, is more of you know the support that we give our husbands. Okay. Um, and that's the role that I took on, you know, for many years. I enjoyed it. Yes, I enjoyed it very much. I enjoyed that stage, I loved it, but you know, life changes. Yeah. Um, so about eight years ago, my kids were still little when you know my husband took another another path. My ex-husband, he took another path, and that's when I when I started my entrepreneur lifestyle eight years ago.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

Okay. Wow. So you're like, you know, you you were trying to figure out what do I want to do?

SPEAKER_02 6:13

Yeah, yeah. It it was shocking um at the moment at first, because for being from, you know, a housewife and supporting my husband back then, and then seeing myself alone with three kids, right? Right, it's like, what am I gonna do? Right. I never got prepared, never went to school, never like, you know, never actually did have the need.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:35

So, you know, I started slowly, you know, like trying to figure out, okay, what is it that I'm gonna do?

SPEAKER_00 6:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:41

In marriage, you know, I did have like I did have all the gifts that I have today, but I was relying on somebody and pushing somebody and that person being the face of the businesses. So I didn't have the need. Right. I was on the back end. So it it's been a process. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

You know, as you're saying that, because I think that could kind of answer a little bit. So I had some people that send me a post. I won't even say the name of the celebrity and all that stuff. But they they were been married for 29 years, they went through a whole thing, and the wife now decided she wants a half of you know what he's made over the years. So something around a hundred million or whatever she wanted. But then they find out she couldn't get that because he only had 10 grand in his account and he put everything else in his parents' name. And they were like, you need to speak on it. And I'm like, I didn't want to speak on it because one, I didn't know if it's even factual. Yeah. But then two, I was like, make it make sense. How you with someone for 29 years, and that person is making so much money, you never want to say, Hey, let me have my own business, or put her on. I don't think it's fair.

SPEAKER_02 7:56

Like, what's not, yeah, it's not, and and unfortunately, I had to go through it, you know, where I supported my ex-husband, you know, uh a few businesses, and you know, at the moment where he just decided to take another path. He even changed, you know, back then businesses towards his current wife's name, name just for him, one page child support and all that. I mean, that's a different stage. Yeah, yeah. It was eight years ago, you know. Now, you know, things are different. Thankfully, I could say, you know, God had give gave me, you know, the wisdom to actually, you know, figure out things and and to be where I'm at today. Yeah. So I don't have that need, you know, I don't complain about it. It's just a process that we go through. But, you know, it's hard as women, you know, especially when the kids are little, you know. So I went through that. You know, my kids, thankfully, they're grown already. You know, I still have a 12-year-old, but they're grown where I'm not like I'm not, you know, I'm not struggling as I was a few years ago.

SPEAKER_00 8:54

Right. So now you tap into marketing and and kind of exploded a little bit after that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:01

You had a lot of places wanted you to be a part of what you're doing.

SPEAKER_02 9:04

Yeah. So so what happened when when I had my divorce, that I started, you know, this new lifestyle of trying to figure out what I was gonna do, I started saying yes to any opportunity that came to my table. Any opportunity, job opportunity that came to to me, I would say yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Right. And I became this person where I could like literally like I figured out I could handle and do a lot of things at the same time. Right. So, you know, when people tell me, Oh, I I you know, I admire you because you could do or how do you do it? I'm like, I don't know. I just did it because of the need. I had three kids to feed back then and I figured it out, you know. So that's how I got into it. You know, I started into like networking a lot, you know, and just focusing on on meeting people, you know, and and God gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of amazing people in Southwest Florida that, you know, throughout that stage, a lot of friends that throughout that stage they gave me, you know, that, you know, that that need that I had that I needed away from home, away from the kids, away that from that, you know, stressful lifestyle. Yeah. And they gave me that helping hand of believing in me and looking at something else and something that I probably didn't see at the moment. You just say yes without knowing, but you know, this other person is saying, you know, giving me an opportunity because they're seeing something else, which probably at the moment I didn't see. Yeah. So that's how I got into, you know, like the networking and and meeting a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

I love that. I love that. Now, having that Guatemala culture, have you gone back to embrace that culture?

SPEAKER_02 10:44

I I do, I do. I take I try to take my kids. Well, my son, uh, for the first time I took him about last October, yeah, and he fell in love. I'm like, you you gotta go, you gotta, you know, know your culture, know your food, know the people, and it's just so different, you know, because then we realize, you know, oh, why are we certain ways? It's because of our culture. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

So wow, that is awesome. And I know you guys have a lot of similar food to like what Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans does.

SPEAKER_02 11:14

Fries, beans.

SPEAKER_00 11:16

So you're a big, you're a big chef. You're good in the kitchen.

SPEAKER_02 11:20

I'm not. I'm not. I think, well, let me clarify that. I think that if I would have a time as I used to, I would, I would. I would be. I I like cooking, but when not often.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

Not often. I don't have the time. Yeah, you you are so busy. You are really busy. It's crazy. Yeah. And now I know a lot of people have been always asking, like, you know, we come to South Florida, but we don't necessarily know what to do, where to go, or what circle to try to find. And some people say it's hard for them to find a circle that they can fit in. What would you say on that?

SPEAKER_02 11:57

I don't know. I I I I'm I'm a people person. I'm a people person, you know, and and you know, you know how it is. Oh, definitely. You know, uh, we have our bumps uh there, here and there, but yeah, at the end, you know, when you do things genuinely and you just love people, yeah, you know, you you fit in somehow. And and I think it's a gift, you know, that many of us have that we just you know embrace that with other people.

SPEAKER_00 12:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:24

So I don't know. I don't know that.

SPEAKER_00 12:27

Well, well, you you answer the question because you you know, when you can be awesome, when you can be authentic and be yourself, people will accept you into whatever that circle of.

SPEAKER_02 12:37

Yeah, things flow naturally. Yeah, right, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:40

And I and I would say, and I'm sure you'd agree, between Fort Myers, Naples, there's a lot, there's quite a bit of events that is unfolding every weekend.

SPEAKER_02 12:51

Yeah, yeah, a lot of events. Yeah, ever I mean network events, parties, anything you want. There's every weekend there's something.

SPEAKER_00 12:59

Now, I know you've done like some restaurant stuff where you've helped some of the the restaurants to get people.

SPEAKER_02 13:05

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 13:07

What makes you wanted to get into like a world like that to just so Casablanca is where I started.

SPEAKER_02 13:16

Casablanca, it's a Mexican restaurant in Fort Myers. Yeah, the owner and his wife, they're amazing. And for some reason, I guess, you know, he saw something in me that he thought I could do this, right? And he gave me the opportunity. He's like, Jesse, why don't we do a brunch?

SPEAKER_01 13:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:35

Right. And we did a brunch, and to my surprise, a lot of people showed up.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

So we did the anniversary, and well, we did the grand opening. I'm sorry. We did the grand opening invite only, and I was like, well, you know, we're gonna invite these people. Everybody showed up. So once I saw, you know, the outcome, you know, two or three times that I did it at Casablanca, yeah, I was like, this is something, you know, that I enjoyed. Yeah, you know, so I started doing it for fun. I didn't start doing it for the money, I started doing it for fun and to help business owners. Right. And that's how Dash lifestyle was born. Yeah, you know, I was born with the idea, and that is my idea. Right. You know, to always help local business owners, give them a boost through events. Yeah. So me coming in and and actually sitting down with a business owner and elaborating with them, what is your idea?

SPEAKER_01 14:28

Right.

SPEAKER_02 14:28

And what is it that you need? What type of clients is it that you need, what day you're lacking. And just, you know, brainstorming with that owner, what is it that they're need. Right. And that is my job to come in, you know, and actually help them and bring in those people.

SPEAKER_00 14:44

I love that. And you, you know, with you being engaging like that, would lead to this next question that a lot of people have been a little confused on because they're saying that the newer generation now don't even know how to ask someone out. Let me ask you.

SPEAKER_02 15:00

We're gonna get into that. Wait. I wasn't expecting those dating questions now.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

Let me have someone ever like, because I know the newer generation, they're awkward to that with the social engagement and stuff like that, because everyone's on the phone.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:19

But let me ask you, how you feel about like you feel there's still guys that are bold enough to come up and say, Hey, can I go on a date with you?

SPEAKER_02 15:30

I'm I'm not the right person to ask those questions. Because for some reason, I'm not gonna say I don't have good luck. I mean, I've I've had amazing people, you know, always around me. I'm not gonna, you know, but I don't know, it's not easy. And uh I blame it probably on my different stages, you know. I come for I was married forever. Yeah, you know, I was I was married for almost 20 years of my life. So coming into that and then coming into a dating stage already older, you know. Um and like I say it, you know, I was from mom and dad, right, you know, home to a marriage. So I was never like alone in my life. Never out never alone until you know I got divorced and I was like, oh, yeah, this is the world, you know, this is the nightclub, this is the drinking, this is, you know, I never knew. So to my surprise, I was like, okay, now I gotta go back into the dating, and I'll it's I still don't know. I still don't know how it works. I'm not I can't give a dating advice.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

Some people say the dating the dating pool is terrible, right?

SPEAKER_02 16:42

Yeah, they say as the the older we get, the worse. Ah yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

Well, you know, I mean the the older generation still kind of stick to some of their old school ways.

SPEAKER_02 16:52

Yeah, I'm very old school, and I think that uh that scares some men home. It does, uh I think it scares them because I genuinely do it, I'm used to it, and then not because I'm trying to act like a wife, I'm just it's just normal. Yeah, yeah. Hey, good morning, how are you? Uh did you take your medical pills? That's normal, you know.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

So they see it weird. It's like what are we talking about out here? What are we doing? Man, that is wild. And I know right now, like, you know, with even with marketing stuff that you're doing, there's a lot of people that's trying to get into that world as well, but they they're finding challenges because there's so much now, plus with AI and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02 17:35

Yeah, yeah. I, you know, I would say that that they need to find their passion. You know, and and and for me, that's what gives me the adrenaline to do anything that I do.

SPEAKER_01 17:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:49

You know, and once I find that passion, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it soul focused, as if that business is mine. That's how I take it.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Right.

SPEAKER_02 17:57

You know, that's literally how I take it. Oh my God, they're giving me the opportunity. Yeah, and and I'm gonna take it like if it's mine. You know, I feel that responsibility. So I think, you know, there's a lot of people trying to do it, yeah, but not with that passion or not with that care. Right. You know, and and for me, I think that that's what's made the difference. Yeah, I try to connect a lot with the business owners, you know, because at the end, it's their vision, it's their investment, it's their life, yeah. You know, around these businesses, you know, and and sometimes they need the someone genuine to come and give them that helping hand that take take that, you know, as that vision as if it's their own. Right. So for me, it's it's more that, you know, when I see a lot of people doing marketing or doing events or just doing it for doing it, yeah, to just to do it or just to fill in a gap, I don't see that there's a purpose behind it, a true purpose.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

You know, so yeah, big gems, people. Yeah, there's two shows happening. You can only go to one of the shows. You got JLo over here, you got Shakira over here. Who are you going with?

SPEAKER_02 19:03

Uh me?

SPEAKER_00 19:04

J Lo. J Lo You know, I should have I should have probably expected you were gonna say. Yeah, why? Because you know, J Lo got that thing to her that people are like, is she really the age that she is?

SPEAKER_02 19:19

Yeah, the age and the beauty, you know, the way she dresses, and then she's classy but sexy. Yeah, everything about her. It's beautiful, everything about her.

SPEAKER_00 19:27

It's beautiful. And I know people be now they're hearing like you got three kids, they're like, oh, so maybe she's a little older than I thought she is. Because you do look, you don't look your age. Yeah. If you was to tell it. Don't ask me my age. No.

SPEAKER_02 19:41

I didn't have a problem a few years ago. I was I was proud, like, yeah, I'm I'm this age. Now it's like, don't ask me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:50

But well, I mean, you still look pretty young, so this is good. And you're you maintain what that look like. I gotta say though, the the sp the Spanish commit community is really embraces everyone. So, like, because last year, one of the com community they they embrace and acknowledge some of your work, and they gave you like uh Oh yeah, yeah, they gave me a Latin Award, right?

SPEAKER_02 20:15

Through Maryland, yeah. Santiago, yeah. And yeah, it was it was something really nice. That's beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 20:21

Yeah, and I know a lot of people saw that and would be like, yo, this is beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 20:24

Yeah, that's right. You you you were there. You were there, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Yeah, yeah. Came and and and saw what that looked like. Yeah, that was really cool. You know, and the way you guys party is a whole nother party? Yeah, like the just the Spanish in general, they just party hard and just we do.

SPEAKER_02 20:43

We find we find the fun, right? I mean you you guys do too.

SPEAKER_00 20:47

You know, we we do, we try. Not not a whole lot. You guys have the fashion down too. I like that. Yeah, you think so? I think so. You don't think you guys do a good job with the fashion? We do. I mean, not everybody, but just like look at you.

SPEAKER_02 21:03

Look at you, sir. Who's talking about fashion? Like, look, I wish you guys could see his shoes.

SPEAKER_00 21:13

Every now and then I pull I pull a few things out.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:17

But I knew I was gonna have you on the show today, so I was like, how am I showing up? Because I did go through a few outfits.

SPEAKER_02 21:24

Yeah, that's good. We're kind of like matching, so it's good.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

Yeah, we did we did that today. So some of the stuff now, like that you're doing, and then like you get into different networking different what does that look like if someone wanted to go into a space and say, Oh, I get to run into Jessica.

SPEAKER_02 21:44

What's the question? Like which which of those spaces you go into now, so um so right now we so I do a couple of different things, like you know, and I got into real estate a couple of years ago.

SPEAKER_01 21:58

Right.

SPEAKER_02 21:59

Six years ago. I have my license and I had the opportunity two years ago to get a business proposal from Unique Title. Right. And Unique Title, we are headquarters is Orlando. And this amazing owner, she came down to a network event in Southwest Florida and she saw the opportunity. But then she was looking around, like who would be the right person? And she met me and and you know, I never had the experience doing business development directly for a company. And she gave me the opportunity and I said yes. I said, yeah, I'll do it. I don't know anything about that, but I'll do it. And amazing opportunity. I I could say that as time goes, I enjoy it more. Where I can't, I only could speak of what of what I do, you know, as far as uh the title company or my experience with with unique title. Because I don't know how everybody else does it, but as far as us, and and it goes very well with my character and my vision of helping people. We come in as a title company and we offer brokers and their agents workshops.

SPEAKER_01 23:14

Nice.

SPEAKER_02 23:14

And we add that value, you know, and and without asking for the business. Wow, we add that value to them and we tell them we're gonna help them, give them a helping hand. Of course, with the idea that, you know, it in return we get that business. Right. But we at least me, I make sure, you know, to on my end to be adding that value. And we add that value through our workshops.

SPEAKER_00 23:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 23:41

So with Unique Tito, I do monthly workshops, okay, different workshops, as far as teaching the agents about marketing, teaching the agents time management. I did a very good workshop that I created about time management, and we do farming. So we do a lot, you know, to come in and give them that tool, give them the tools and and tell them, hey, you're not here alone as a real estate agent. You know, you don't have to do this alone. Right. I could help you with marketing, yeah, you know. So it's helped, and I enjoy it. I've enjoyed it. I've enjoyed it when an agent tells me, Oh my god, Jesse, you did amazing. Thank you so much for helping me. And I'm like, oh, thank you. I I feel happy. I feel happy, you know, to help people. Yeah, I like that. So I I've I've enjoyed that ride with unique title. So with them, I do workshops, I do network events, everything in the real estate industry.

SPEAKER_01 24:33

Right.

SPEAKER_02 24:33

Okay, so anything, anything that's out of real estate industry, then I do with dash lifestyle. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:40

Now comes to the next question. Between the the real estate stuff, dash lifestyle, mom. How challenging is that?

SPEAKER_02 24:50

Very hard. Very hard. Um, very hard. I try to keep a balance. Okay. Um, I try my best, you know, to to keep a balance, you know, if I feel a couple of days that I'm working too much or going to too much events and I haven't had dinner at home or or I haven't, you know, been enough time with my daughter, the little one. All right. The the older ones are older already, but the little one that's my main focus right now, then I I take the time to pause. You know, and and even if I have events or birthdays or whatever it is, I have to say no. You know, my kids are my priority within anything that I do. Yeah. Anything, even that dating life, anything that I do, yeah. My kids, my mom, yeah, she lives with me, thankfully.

SPEAKER_00 25:37

Oh no.

SPEAKER_02 25:37

I I I took my mom's responsibility when my dad passed away during COVID. And she's been the greatest blessing. That she's my backbone. She is my backbone for everything that I do. Yeah, we support each other. She needs me. I pause. Same thing. You know, my kids and my family, they know that the priority in our household is grandma.

SPEAKER_00 26:01

Right.

SPEAKER_02 26:02

It's grandma, it's not even the kids. So it changes a little bit. When you say mom, you know, daughter, yeah. No, my mom is my our priority. So, same thing, you know, we pause automatically. Everybody pauses. If grandma gets sick, if grandma had a surgery, if grandma needs anything, we pause. We shut everything. We shut that's why. Yeah. So you told me I'm always on the go. That is one of the reasons why I'm on the goal.

SPEAKER_00 26:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:30

I am on the go, and that is my my biggest why.

SPEAKER_00 26:34

I love that.

SPEAKER_02 26:34

And it brings tears, happy tears, good tears, mixed emotions.

SPEAKER_00 26:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

I don't know where I would be without my parents, you know, and and my dad, you know, when he passed away, I know that leaving my mom behind, you know, it was something worrying, you know, to him going through that stage. So for me, every day that I get up, I don't see it as, oh my God, I gotta get up. No, I get up because I know that one day I'm gonna have to pause and take care of my mom.

SPEAKER_00 27:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

And that is my biggest why. Wow, wow.

SPEAKER_00 27:04

That is amazing right there. And it's that is so beautiful, you know, when you got your parents, because you don't never know when they'll leave us.

SPEAKER_02 27:12

So I don't know Jamaican culture, but you know, Latin culture, we don't put our parents in a home. No, no, no. We don't, we take care of them. We take care of them. One of the child uh takes care of them, you know.

SPEAKER_00 27:26

That's how our culture is.

SPEAKER_02 27:27

Yeah, and and I took the responsibility, you know, I I I just let my brothers know. And I always tell them, don't worry about it, mom's okay. I took her to the doctor, I did this. But I take the responsibility with so much love.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 27:42

And for me, so much of a blessing. Yeah. You know, I I remember when before my dad passed away, and we had to go into that stage where we had to take care of him. And he would cry because he was embarrassed. He was old already, and he's like, No, my daughter, she can't do take care of me or shower me. And I would look into my dad's eyes and I'm like, hey, I'm your daughter. It's okay. This is a blessing to me. And he would just cry, and I'm like, no, this is a this is the biggest blessing to me.

SPEAKER_00 28:12

So you got me crying, right?

SPEAKER_02 28:13

Yeah, so besides my kids, yes, my kids are my greatest blessing, but right now our stage is, you know, grandma. Yeah, grandma and her last years, you know, that she has here.

SPEAKER_00 28:25

So that's beautiful. Now, because of how functioning you are, you know, and energetic with a lot of what you do, some people say, you know, to get their morning started, they got the right music going or they do devotion. What do you do to get your morning started?

SPEAKER_02 28:41

I do prayer and devotion.

SPEAKER_00 28:43

Beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 28:44

And I try to keep away from my phone. Okay. Right? If I know that, if I know that, for example, I'm coming here, I try not to talk to nobody before because I want and the same thing with an event, you know, I try my mind to and my energy to be with what I'm doing. Yeah. You know, for I could give, you know, even today, right? That I got pulled over. I was like, oh, this is fine. I got pulled over today because I was like a bit, and I was, and I was with the the police comes and he's like, you know, your speed. I'm like, it's okay. Here you go. Oh, yeah. You were like, you know, you want to have a conversation. This is not messing up my day, you know.

SPEAKER_00 29:20

So I love that. I love that. Because you know, some some woman be like, Well, I'm beautiful, so I'm just gonna use this beauty right now. I'm gonna charm this officer, and then he's just gonna give me a warning.

SPEAKER_02 29:30

No, it is. I tried that once in my life and it didn't work. And I was like, I'm never doing this again. That's my license. Give me the ticket.

SPEAKER_00 29:38

Yeah, you know, I that's how I am now. Like when I was bringing my son back to college the other day, and the cop pulled me up, which didn't even make sense because we're in bushes. Literally, it's all trees. Yeah, and literally I got pulled over, and I'm I'm like, what, dude, there's not even no speeding sign or whatever, but I'm not saying nothing to him. As soon as he got to me, gave my license registration insurance. Just give me the tickets, man. Yeah, just give me the ticket.

SPEAKER_02 30:06

I'm on the go. Yeah, that's why I was rushing because I was on the go.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

We moving right now with what's you know going on, with how diverse it is, even in in Southwest Florida. You feel a lot of these events that is happening, like the network events is results coming from those where people are definitely connecting and and business or supporting other business?

SPEAKER_02 30:31

I yeah, I believe so. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And uh I've I've learned to be a little bit more straightforward. Okay. Because before it was a lot of help, help, help without asking right for that business.

SPEAKER_01 30:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:44

So I've been a little bit more direct when it comes to business, like, hey, I'm here to help you, but yeah, you know, it it has to go hand in hand. Yes, yes, you know, and and before I didn't say it. I was like, oh, they'll give me the business whenever. No, I was like, oh, why are they who why? And and then, you know, I started learning with certain certain people that I do work with closely because they're friends, right? So it's like, why are you not using me? Yeah, why are you not referring work to me? And then, you know, I started like polishing it, it's been a long process to get to where I'm at. It's been polished up because nobody tells you, right?

SPEAKER_00 31:22

Right, that is true. That is true, right?

SPEAKER_02 31:24

It's like everybody tells you, oh my god, you're amazing at what you do, right? When you're there, right, right. But that process, nobody tells you. Nobody tells you how to pull on a vet, nobody's gonna give you that their ideas, right? You know, nobody's gonna tell you how to negotiate. So for me, it was a learning experience. Eight years of me, like, you know, and now I could say, you know, uh when it comes to business, I'm more direct. Yeah, strictly more direct, you know. I at at since the beginning, you know, since the first, you know, coffee or whatever it is, the first meeting is like, okay, what are we doing? What are we doing? Direct to business. Direct to business.

SPEAKER_00 32:01

Let's get this done.

SPEAKER_02 32:02

Yeah, let's get this done. You want you want money? I want money, we're all here for money. All right, let's go.

SPEAKER_00 32:07

Now, with the culture that you have, what is your favorite food?

SPEAKER_02 32:12

So it's called churrasco, but the churrasco for for Guatemalans is different to other countries. Churrasco for other countries is just it's steak.

SPEAKER_00 32:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 32:23

Skirt skirt steak. Oh. Right? Okay. But churrasco for Guatemalans, they put it in a tortilla, in a flour tortilla that looks like kind of like a pizza. Oh, okay. And it's kind of like a like a round pizza, flour tortilla. They put like a it's a cream, like kind of like sour cream, but not sour cream. I don't know how to explain it. Okay. But they put that, they put the meat, they put beans, they put lettuce, and that's a churrasco for guatemalins. Wow. And then you eat the whole tortilla, like if it was, let me see what other I don't know what other country does that, but yeah, it's like a big taco.

SPEAKER_00 33:01

Okay, okay, but the soft shell.

SPEAKER_02 33:04

Yeah, soft.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

Oh, wow. Okay, okay. Maybe I gotta try it.

SPEAKER_02 33:08

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's pretty good. And then beans, we we be we eat beans every day. Black beans, yeah. We eat beans every day in our home. Our home always has beans. Black beans out, yeah, and they do it in so many different ways. Yeah, you know what's funny about my country? If you ever go or if you ever visit, yeah, McDonald's has our breakfast, our our Guatemalan breakfast. I don't know if any other country has it, but Guatemalan breakfast is beans, yeah, black beans, yeah, fried platins, eggs, right? Over easy eggs, and bread. Oh, and and and crema, like cream. Wow. That is Guatemalan, like a Guatemalan typical breakfast.

SPEAKER_00 33:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:54

And you go to McDonald's and they have it.

SPEAKER_00 33:57

That is dope. That is pretty cool.

SPEAKER_02 33:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:00

They might not have that at the McDonald's here, but in Guatemala, Guatemala, they have it.

SPEAKER_02 34:04

They have Guatemalan breakfast.

SPEAKER_00 34:06

Wow. Yeah. That is pretty cool.

SPEAKER_02 34:07

Which I thought it was cool. And I went, I was like, wow, this is this is cool. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:12

Now, when last have you got to just hang out with all your siblings and just kind of have fun a little bit?

SPEAKER_02 34:19

So the United States is different, right? Yes, yes. We're always busy, always on the go. Everybody focuses on their family. So for us, we don't get to see each other often. Probably I would say my mom's birthday, a day after Christmas.

SPEAKER_00 34:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 34:36

Right? And maybe for Thanksgiving. Yeah. So I would say probably three times a year that we get to see each other and actually be out together.

SPEAKER_00 34:45

Yeah. That is pretty cool right there. I like that. Now the party scene here is pretty wild. And you have a lot of people when they come into town, they're like, Where can we go? If you was to recommend any area, where would you tell them, like, you know, if they wanted to go to the house, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:04

To party? I mean, there's nothing else but downtown Fort Myers. Like just jump around, do bar hopping. Is it have you done bar hopping in in downtown Fort Myers? It's so fun.

SPEAKER_00 35:17

You know, I have not I have not done I've done some hopping. I don't know if I've ever really done it in Fort Myers, the way like you know where I did it before which was really cool. I did it on the strip when I lived in Fort Lauderdale.

SPEAKER_02 35:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 35:33

I did it on the strip on Las Olas.

SPEAKER_02 35:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:36

Because if the whole strip is bars. Yeah. And and all that stuff. Which I mean, Fort Myers is getting to that place where you can.

SPEAKER_02 35:43

I mean, downtown Fort Myers, they have and and what I like about downtown Fort Myers is that or you could dress really nice.

SPEAKER_01 35:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 35:50

Or you could, you know, probably go out in pajamas. Nobody cares. Nobody cares. Is it could be very lay back, or you know, you could dress nice if you're going out, you know, yeah, to an event or whatever. So I think bar hopping would be, you know, what I would say. Yeah. Go have dinner and then go bar hopping. What am I gonna say?

SPEAKER_00 36:10

Just jump around a little bit. I gotta say though, just the way things have changed. I never thought I would start seeing people out in PJs.

SPEAKER_02 36:18

Yeah, yeah. There's a few places. I mean, like pajamas, like you know, like the Christmas pajamas and all that. There's a few places, yeah. It's fun. I mean, I personally has never done it. I've seen people and I'm like, oh, that looks like fun, you know. But I haven't done it.

SPEAKER_00 36:34

But now with the kids, when when last have you got to take them up to like Disney, Legoland?

SPEAKER_02 36:41

Oh my god. It's the little one, it's probably been a while. Yeah. Let me see. The little one, she's been asking for Disney. She has a lot of fun. She has. Yeah, but she's been she's been asking on a on a solo trip with me, like alone. She doesn't want no one else to go. No, nobody else. Nobody else. And before, you know, it was always me and the three kids. So now she's like, no, I want to go alone because I want to do whatever I want. You know, she's a little bit grown already. So um, but I think it probably last year try to take them at least once a year. Nice. But I took her to where was I? I took her to the fair, Me County fair, and that was pretty fun.

SPEAKER_00 37:18

That is beautiful. Now, for people that would love to get your service, you know, love to do business with you, how can they find you? What does that look like?

SPEAKER_02 37:27

Social media? Yeah, Jesse Mendoza. Okay. Jesse.doza.

SPEAKER_00 37:33

So jesse.doza, that is on Instagram.

SPEAKER_02 37:36

Instagram and Facebook Jesse Mendoza.

SPEAKER_00 37:39

Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 37:40

But that's that's basically the platforms that I use. I use more Instagram for some reason. That's you know, that's what I use. You know, and and it's worked for me. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:50

I know, that's beautiful. Hey guys, I'm sorry. I know you guys wanted me to ask her that question. I don't know if she's gonna answer you guys or give you guys the answer that you want to hear. Because you know you got a few guys that are like, yo, bruv, could you find out from her if she's single?

SPEAKER_02 38:05

Oh my god. Are you serious? I was not expecting that question. And I don't know. I don't know who's interested.

SPEAKER_00 38:13

I don't right, right, right. So you guys want me to ask the question? Are you gonna give them an answer?

SPEAKER_02 38:21

I mean, uh I'm in a dating season. You know what that means at our age? What does that mean at our age?

SPEAKER_00 38:28

In our age, that just means right now there's a few individuals, there's a few options.

SPEAKER_02 38:33

We're interviewing. Yes, right? Interview, interview, interviewing.

SPEAKER_00 38:37

With with take and takers.

SPEAKER_02 38:39

Yeah, however you're and and you know, I never, I never imagine my life like this. Never. You never plan for this, right? But you know, it's it's kind of nice. It's it's nice, you know, uh after after a couple, after you heal, right? Because I'm not gonna say at the beginning it's easy, but now for me, you know, that I found peace, that I found how to figure out, you know, how to work, how to, and everything's so calm at home that I could say, okay, I enjoy, you know, having a nice dinner, you know, with somebody that I'm getting to know, and just talking like grown adults, you know, not BS, not drama. And that's one of the things, you know, that I I don't deal with. I don't like it. I'm not the type of person that I like arguing. I'm very community, and that's it. You know, if they think I'm too much, then all right, leave me alone. Get out, get out.

SPEAKER_00 39:29

I I like that. I like that. And you know, it's if I don't know, it's always where you never get a couple that they're both like messed like that. It's one is calm and then the next one wants to get away.

SPEAKER_02 39:43

I I still don't know about that. Like, I don't know. Me and me and my ex-husband almost 20 years never argued. That's beautiful, never argued a lot of teamwork. So we were that power couple. Yeah, I don't I don't need a I don't need that anymore. You know, at my age, what we need is just support, you know, just to be able to, you know, like, and and I'm pretty sure you've heard it in social media when when a woman is, you know, an entrepreneur and doing so much, she doesn't want to be that at home. You know, she wants an actual, you know, somebody that's a leader, that's catering, that's someone that's just there emotionally and mentally to bring in that same piece that she has already. Right, right, right. And that because she could handle everything else, but that doesn't mean that you know she's not willing to. So for me, you know, it's it's it I don't like the toxin. No, I I can't deal with that.

SPEAKER_00 40:35

So you you guys hearing it, you hearing it. So listen, that is beautiful right there. I love that. And you guys, I hope you take a note. It's a beautiful thing. This was so dope, man, just to have you on the shoulder then. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 40:48

I wasn't expecting all the questions around. Yeah, I got to know everything about Jesse. You know, you know what I say uh when people when people have known me through social media for a long time, but not in person, right? And then they know me in person and they're like, oh, I thought you were different. And I'm like, Well, welcome to Jesse's world. This is real Jesse's world.

SPEAKER_00 41:10

I like that. I like that. And it, you know, sometimes it's it's not easy to just put your business out there for people to just come in and violate whatever that look like.

SPEAKER_02 41:20

You know, at our age, we don't care. Like, nah, nah, we're we're over and done. It's like, it is what it is. You like me, you like me. You don't, you don't.

SPEAKER_00 41:28

It's like we are fully grown out here. This is grown up.

SPEAKER_02 41:32

We're focused, we have our plans, you know, our visions, yes, yes, um, our goals, you know, and and I think more than anything, you know, even when it comes to like I don't know, I don't want it to sound bad, but we don't put you know that that energy or adrenaline into somebody. We put it into our vision, into what we want in life.

SPEAKER_01 41:52

Right.

SPEAKER_02 41:53

And I think as we get older, yeah, you know, and that we see that the importance that life is, family, friends, you know, that we take more, you know, of our dreams more with responsibility. I don't know, at least for me, it's like that. No, I love that.

SPEAKER_00 42:09

Yeah, so this is beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 42:10

Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_00 42:12

Yeah, listen, guys, you guys are welcome. There you guys have it. Thank you for coming on the show. Thank you. Oh my goodness. Listen, guys, until our next episode where we have another decorative guest right here at Eas Club. I'll see you guys next time. That was beautiful. Oh my