Unplugged With Pam

When You’re Building for Legacy, There Is No Competition | ft. Dr. Teresa Isabel

• Pam • Season 1 • Episode 14

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0:00 | 57:01

When you’re building for legacy… there is no competition.

In this episode of Unplugged with Pam, Pamela Pacheco sits down with Global Empowerment Coach & Entrepreneur Dr. Teresa Isabel for a powerful conversation on purpose, faith, and what it really takes to build something that outlives you.

From growing up in Belize learning self-sufficiency… to navigating corporate spaces where she was overlooked… to building a global movement empowering girls around the world, this episode is a masterclass in turning rejection into purpose.

This isn’t surface-level entrepreneurship. This is about stepping into your assignment.

Inside this episode:
 • Why legacy builders don’t compete
 • The power of self-sufficiency and “there’s always a way”
 • Knowing your worth and walking away from limitation
 • Faith, obedience, and trusting God’s plan
 • Mental health, leadership, and sustainability
 • Building global impact through community

If you’ve been feeling stuck, overlooked, or unsure of your next move… this episode is your confirmation.

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💬 Join the conversation:
What does legacy mean to you?

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SPEAKER_03

There's always a way to have. I always say that the best way for you to learn about entrepreneurship is by becoming. You know, I used to have to fight my way through to make it to the top.

SPEAKER_01

Because you were just doing your best for your voice to be heard. Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone. Yeah. And it's really not as easy as you know it seems to be. You have an abundant mindset. Follow your heart, you know, and to keep going for your goals and your dreams.

SPEAKER_03

And I think that that is very, very important. And not only for people that are in entrepreneurs, people that are in philanthropy, people that just have a dream of theirs.

SPEAKER_01

But you have to have faith, and when God puts something in you, you have to believe that he gave it to you for a reason.

SPEAKER_03

Welcome back to another episode of Unplugged with Pam, brought to you by Chosen Global, where we showcase powerful stories and amplify voices one story at a time. And today I'm greatly excited. I'm here with one of my great friends, Dr. Teresa Hernandez, who is a global empowerment coach, entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, powerhouse, amazing mom, and my great sister friend. Hey girl. Hey girl. So happy to have you join us. Thank you so much. It's such a blessing to be here. Oh man. I know this is going to be a great conversation because we have such great conversations each and every single time. So I have been blessed to know you for a very short period of time. However, in that short period of time, you've just been such a blessing to my life. You've been such a blessing to our events, to our community. And I always see you doing something, you know, as a global empowerment coach, you're always traveling. I know you're very, very big. You started a movement, you know, girls of color takeover. Yeah. And one of my favorite glasses as well. And uh recently launched a book. And we're gonna get into all of those things, but tell us a little bit about your journey, you know, your upbringing, and tell us how you got to this powerhouse that we see today.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, of course, absolutely. I love talking about my upbringing because it happened in the beautiful country of Belize, Central America, and um I'm actually the woman I am today because of my upbringing, right? And so I was brought up with some phenomenal women in my community, including my late mom. And um, just being able to see how hard-working they are, and just that entrepreneur spirit that they had, being the head of the household and the heart of the village, right? And growing up seeing that made me the woman I am today, you know. And my upbringing wasn't really like, you know, how they grew up here in the US. Like you get to, you know, hang out on the weekends with your friends and go play. Like we literally, my siblings and I, we had to go farming on the weekends. Right. Yeah, we had a big farm, and my dad would wake us up on the weekends on Saturdays, and it's like, okay, it's time to go. So we have on like our little boots, you know, our machete. And we're going to our farm, you know, getting like crops and fruits and vegetables and all the wonderful things that God gives us in abundance, right? And um, and so we would bring those back home and we would have so much of it and would be able to share with our neighbors, or you know, for me, I'm like always thinking of being a boss. So I would sell whatever extra we would have. I would be like, okay, I'm selling some fruits today, I'm selling some vegetables. Let's go. You know, um, because that's what I see in my village. Like I see a woman, you know, us baking bread, like selling bread, like, you know, pastries. Um, it was just like just a beautiful community of women selling and services and products and all types of stuff. And so, um, and my mom had a gift shop. So we would have some of the stuff in our gift shop as well, like at the front of our gift shop. And so people who would pass by if they wanted to purchase anything, you know, I'm like right there, okay. It's a dollar, it's two dollars, and I would make my first buck, right? And so I was like, okay, when I grow up, I definitely want to be a boss. I want to have my own business. And I was a little upset at times about us having to get up on Saturdays to go farming. Yeah. But then I realized like it was really a lesson. Absolutely. Like my dad was like, you know, you guys can complain all you want, yeah, but I'm pretty much, and he didn't say it, but now when you think back about it, it was really teaching us about self-sufficiency, how to be, how to always have and not to be without. Wow. You know, and um, and I learned that lesson growing up. It's like, wow, like there's always a way to have, yeah, you know, and to not feel like you don't have anything, whether it's food, whether it's like there's a way. And, you know, and we use that lesson, my siblings and I today, to be the powerhouses that we are, and you know, to now be able to teach those life skills and those lessons, like, you know, you can have what you need. Wow. Yeah, so it it was just a beautiful upbringing. And, you know, because of that, I always knew that I wanted to be in business. And so I, you know, moved to New York, yeah, um, the Bronx. And um, I, you know, continued my education and I went for business. I, you know, I wanted to know what it looks like to start a own, you start your own business, you know, what are the components of that, right? Um, so I can learn like the business acumen and and you know, marketing and all that fun stuff. So I did my two years of um college and business. So I got my associates in business, I went ahead and got my bachelor's in business, and I just continued with my master's. Everything was just business, got it. And um, and then I did some concentration and entrepreneurship too, because I was like, hey, I need to know how to become my own, you know, boss and create opportunities for myself when doors don't open. And I saw that growing up in Belize, how women would just create their own opportunities. And that was just my that was my journey. And now I'm teaching young girls how to create their opportunities when doors don't open for them. Wow, man, that is incredible. I can't forget for you that about you.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I knew that you were from Belize. I absolutely love Belize. I got to spend a birthday there with my one of my girls, a few of my girls a few years back, and I loved it there. And being from the Dominican Republic, I love anything by the water, and I love like just the island vibe, but I also love the diversity and the culture in Belize. And I think that that's something so beautiful because you see so many different languages being spoken, not just English, not just Spanish, but like they're native, right? Uh, which is really incredible. But I also love that your parents, shout out to your dad and your mom, right? Shout out to the it does truly take a village, and you're a great example of it because even from a young age, you know, those seeds of entrepreneurship, yes, was were planted, but also, like you said, the the seeds of self-sufficiency, you know, while everybody else is hanging out on the weekend or staying inside, watching cartoons, right, or playing in the yard, or jumping rope. Or jumping rope, right? You know, you're not like, nah, we're gonna go farm. Yeah. And wow, because not only did it teach you, like you said, self-sufficiency, but that also planted the seeds of entrepreneurship because that that also, like you said, like, well, whatever we're giving, because it also teaches taught you generosity, right? Because that's so important. But you're like, okay, when we're done giving the stuff to our neighbors, now I'm gonna sell some stuff. And mom having a gift shop at such a young age, like you saw the behind the scenes of entrepreneurship. And I always say that the best way for you to learn about entrepreneurship is by becoming an entrepreneur, being, you know, a business student as well, having MBA in international business and finance. Yes, you learn the book stuff, but I didn't really learn, learn about entrepreneurship until I really embarked upon the journey. And shout out to the Bronx, New York. Yes, that's my city. That's you know, buggy down. Uh, I love that. How was that for you transitioning from Belize to the big apple?

SPEAKER_01

I mean, it it was sort of shocking when I went to school because in Belize, like they're strict when it comes to like being respectful to your teachers, to your prof, you know, it was just like a different environment. So when I got to high school, I actually left right in time to like finish high school out there and then um and then right into college. But um, you know, I would see like the kids yelling and screaming and cursing the teachers. I'm like, wait a minute, this is not how it is in Belize. Like we, it was so strict. So that alone was like, oh my goodness, it was such a different culture. It was just a shock, right? Um, but no, I mean, it's it's something that you can adapt to easily, you know what I mean? And coming from a place of so many different cultures, and you know, I can wherever I go, I can I'm easily somebody that can adapt. Got it to, you know, lifestyle. It's important, yeah, yeah. So um, and I have family um that lived in New York, so I would always visit. So I kind of knew like what to expect. Got it, you know what I mean? But yeah, it was um, it was life changing.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I I bet, man. I tell people all the time, it's like, you know, and I spoke about this on uh earlier episode, as like no matter like I left New York City when I was seven years old, but I always am going to identify as a New Yorker, of course, because it just planted so many things in me, and I was exposed to so much in such a little time period. It was the first city that I visited from the Dominican Republic. I was born in the Dominican Republic and left there when I was two years old. Okay, yeah. So even just those five years and always going back through the summers and holidays, and you know, but just I saw so much in that time span of just like you said, the city life and just entrepreneurship. My mom hustling and bustling, like on top of her one job, two jobs, three jobs, and doing all that she could for us as well. And I love that you said something, you know, you got started entrepreneurship, but now it's kind of you're paying it forward because as this global empowerment coach, all of this, all of these, you know, accolades, but the beautiful thing about that is the service behind it, right? Right. Entrepreneurship, learning all these things, but now helping young women, like you said, do that. What was something that, you know, along your journey, would you say was a defining moment that like propelled you to want to be an entrepreneur or that just said, hey, you know, regardless of what, yes, I know you seeing it growing up, but you just being this powerhouse of a global empowerment coach and an entrepreneur, and you develop products and and you know wrote your book, but what was a defining moment for you that you that you said that it kind of either made you want to move to New York or just even start entrepreneurship in general?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so when I went to college and took business classes, I was like, okay, so I need to actually be in that environment. I need to be in a business environment where I can see it in action, right? How to how to see a business operate, the operation of a business if I want to own my own business one day. And so I spent about maybe 20, I would say 20 years in retail leadership. Wow. So managing huge companies, whether it's the beauty industry, um, you know, skincare, body care, makeup, I've done, I've done it all. Wow. And um, in that capacity as a leader, my role was to pretty much lead a team, you know, and drive the sales, make, you know, sure that everyone is doing what they needed to do to make us be successful in that business. And so while I was in those business, in those roles for these huge companies, you know, I used to have to fight my way through to make it to the top. Like I'm like, I'm so successful. I know that I'm delivering really great results. I have a proven track record, you know, I'm educated, I'm doing everything that I can. I get, you know, results of, hey, your store is the number one store this year, you guys made it, and yeah, you know, number one in customer service and all that fun stuff. I'm like, okay, so what's next for me? Right, right. You know, when am I gonna be moving up, right? Right. And so, you know, I would go to conferences where we would have like these huge conferences with so many women in these huge rooms, and there weren't that many people that looked like me, right? Or just it was just like, okay, we're here, this is a huge company, we're making so much money, and this is an industry where everyone should be able to have a say or just to be in this room. And so I realized, like, okay, there's not that many um women of color, yeah. And um at that level, right? And so I really thought about well, what's my why? And um, you know, my why really was the fact that I need to do something about the fact that there's not that many people in these spaces. And so I became an um advocate in this company. I took on a role of uh philanthropy, so um, and it was an ERG position, right? So it was more so of um employee relations, yeah. So to be able to ask those questions and to find out like what is happening behind the scenes, why there's not so many of us in these roles, and why is it so hard to get into these positions? And so I used to always um question my leader, the person, you know, above me, and um, you know, I'm ready for the next role. Yeah. What's happening and why is it that it's taken so long. Absolutely, absolutely. Especially when every moment I'm getting praise for the work that I'm doing. And so there was always an excuse. It's like, um, well, you know, there's nothing available right now. And I was like, well, tell me what I need to do for to help improve my performance, if there's any that I needed. And there was never really a solid response for that. And so then I started to question, well, okay, there's just no room for me, Teresa, to move up in these companies. And I questioned what was the reason, and could it just be because of who I am? Right? And so, and at that point I didn't really know my worth, and I'll be honest, I didn't know my worth. I was just so happy to be in a position where I can make a difference and in these companies, prove how amazing I am at selling, how amazing I am at leading. And so, you know, not really knowing my worth, I was like, okay, so if I don't really know my worth and I'm not getting promoted, and they keep giving me all this runaround, then I don't want the next generation behind me to have to go through what I'm dealing with, fighting for positions, fighting for raises, and fighting for like and still doing amazing, you know, and so um I decided that I'm going to have a program where I can now work with young girls to teach them how to not only um, you know, open doors when doors don't open for them, but the leadership skills, yeah, right? That's really important. Absolutely. So mentoring them on those things, those key important life skills, whether whatever career they want to go into, so that they don't feel stuck. And a lot of times in life you'll hear no. In retail, we've learned that after you hear no three times, just stop. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, you'll ask somebody something, if they say no, you can ask again one second time, and then the last no, just move on, right? Yeah. And so for me, hearing no so many times, I had to move on. And um, and you know, sometimes those no's is is just God saying, I have some a yes for you somewhere. Absolutely. You know, and that yes is that purpose that I'm gonna put in you, yes, and um to do something different and to use your skills and your experiences and your education to do greater work. And so because of that and that experience that I've had, and still not being able to move up, I had to take a leap of faith. And, you know, I started this organization where I said, I'm gonna now be that person that's gonna help girls that look like me. And when we talk about girls of color, we're talking about the entire spectrum, right? Of course. So, you know, like going back to that room, there was no one that pretty much looked, there wasn't that many people that looked like you. Yeah. There wasn't that many, you know what I mean? So when we talk about that spectrum, I'm now saying, okay, I have a purpose to fill now. I have to help these young girls all over the world from different cultures, different backgrounds, to know that there is a place for them on this earth. And um, and for them to know that they're just as strong, they're just as beautiful, they're just as educated, they're just as everything else, and that they can make things happen in their purpose and in their power. And so that's been my mission. And the mission really is to impact a hundred a million girls of color worldwide. I love it. I love it. Let's go. Listen. Um, yeah, so you know, it it stems from now knowing my worth. I love that.

SPEAKER_03

And I'm gonna unpack a few of the things that you talked about, right? So, one of them is absolutely, I love that you're so faithful because I am a strong believer and I've learned this. God always answers our prayers in three ways. Yes, not now, or I got something bigger for you or better for you in your case, like very similar to what you said. And also is, you know, I always say that you always have like the aha moment, right? Or because the defining moment sometimes a lot of people think it's you know it's negative, but no, I think that you it is what you make of it, right? Life is 10% of what happens to us, 90% of how we respond. And I love that you said, you know, the disparity that I was witnessing.

SPEAKER_00

Right.

SPEAKER_03

It didn't detain you, it didn't deter you. It said, no, I am going to shift this. I am going to use this for better. I'm going to use this to serve more people. I'm going to use this to create a space to, yes, and I would love big numbers like that. I love impacting, saying, hey, I'm going to grow this to impact a million. You know, the goal with uh the podcast where with Chosen Global is, you know, to grow it to a hundred million dollar company. And I believe that it's going to happen. I believe that if you have a goal that is big enough and a number that is big enough to include more people, that's that's what it's about, right? To be able to be a blessing to your team, be able to be a blessing to your family, to be able to be a blessing to your community. But I also love that even when you were facing this disparity, you still were doing your best to find your way and said, hey, you know, I'm gonna go from being the leading in retail for years to now saying I'm gonna go into the uh the space of phil philanthropy and whether it's raising money or just doing more things in the community, because you were just doing your best for your voice to be heard. Correct. You were also just doing your best to not only be seen because your numbers were speaking volumes, literally and figuratively, right? But you also said, hey, you know what? This is this is there's no more. And it's also taking the training that you got. You know, I've I've heard before not know means, you know, next one or next opportunity. And I love that. But little did they know that the training that they were giving you and all the things that you were learning, because you're like, okay, well, after three no's, I mean, I need to move on. And you said, well, y'all told me three no's already, right? And it's it's not enough opportunity for me, or there's not enough room for whatever the case may be. But you said, no, no, no, I'm gonna go ahead and create something else because I know my worth. And I love that you shared that. Thank you for being vulnerable because I think that we need more conversations of this. And I also faced that in corporate America, right? I was like the number one in my in my city, and I did all the things from taking leadership courses to furthering education and all types of certifications because you wanted to be seen, but we also wanted to be heard. Correct. And a lot of times, yes, your numbers will make you be seen, but that doesn't mean that you necessarily have your voice being heard in the corporate space, because even the disparity that we face as women of color, it's not fair, but that's just the way that it is. Correct. But I love that you said, you know what, I'm not gonna get bitter, I'm gonna get better, and I'm gonna show you guys why this matters. And I'm going to now pay it forward to help further the next generation, to whether you are facing that disparity, whether it be at work, whether it be in your community, wherever it is, don't let it deter you. Let it propel you, let it take you to the next level, let it let it forge something, because it forged something in you too, right? Right. It gave you like that chip on your shoulder. You was just like, listen, if y'all, if y'all gonna bet on anybody, I'm gonna bet y'all better bet on me. Correct. Because I'm now you found your worth. And I always tell people, like, once you find your worth and once you know your worth, go ahead and add some text to that. And you did just that. I love that. So talk to us about now this journey. How did you, you know, what what has been some of those moments, even transitioning right from the retail world into the entrepreneurship world? What have been some things that you had to unplug from or mindsets or things that you've had to unlearn on along the process? Of course. To be in this new space now.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, it all really pretty much just is having that strong faith. Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone. Yeah. And it's really not as easy as you know, it seems to be, but you have to have faith, and when God puts something in you, you have to believe that He gave it to you for a reason, right? And so, um, you know, it it could always be a scary moment when you're stepping into something new, but it's really a About having, you know, the people around you that supports what you're doing. It's really about, of course, number one, having that faith that, you know, God will, He's working behind the scenes for you. So whatever you're setting out to do, he'll make sure that he paved that path for you to do it smoothly. And so it's just really been a fate-driven purpose mission I've been on, and God is just leading the way.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. I love that.

SPEAKER_01

Congratulations for you. And um, you know, when I pray, it's very specific. It's like, you know, when you pray and you ask for something, sometimes we don't really see it right away, and we get so frustrated and we get so like, okay, when is it gonna happen, God? When are you gonna bless me with what I'm asking for? Because I know you said you'll give us the desires of our heart.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

But I've learned to be very specific in my prayers. And I'll give you an example, like to where I am now. And um, you know, one of my prayers was just, you know, Lord, everything I'm doing right now with the girls, you know, I want to be able to go global.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Like, and that's the word that I used in the prayer. I was so specific about it. And um, you know, I said, I want to be able to expand my sphere of influence, and I want it to be on a global scale.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

You know, and he literally put me on a global frequency right now. Like, I've been able to, you know, take my programs to Africa. Wow. You know, I have already mentored over 300 youths in Africa, in Ghana, as we speak. I just literally had a master class yesterday, but with six, I think 16 students. So this is something that I'm doing weekly. Um, sometimes it's in person. Sometimes, of course, if I had a private jet, I'd be there every day. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, but that's coming. Yes, I know that's right. Um, but um, you know, so the impact of that global prayer, I'm witnessing it, you know, and you know, to be able to connect and to do work also in Dubai, in um in North America, Central America, um, you know, West Africa, uh, Nigeria. It's it's just it's just a beautiful thing. And not only the work, but also the recognition. And it's not really about what the it's not really about, you know, being recognized. It's about the impact, right? So with the girls and the that I work with and the women that I work with around the world, you know, I really wouldn't care if they remembered my name. I would just want them to think back and say, you know what, there's a woman that came and poured into me, you know, every summer or every three months or whatever it is, whatever that looked like for them, um, you know, and really changed my life. I love that. Like, that's what's rewarding to me. Um, that legacy that I'm leaving behind, right? And the legacy is not really about the generation that I'm working with right now. Like, they still have their kids that are gonna be. That they'll be passing that lesson and that those skills and those learnings on to. So this is generations to come.

SPEAKER_00

Amen.

SPEAKER_01

And um, and that prayer I said, like, you know, it was about a global impact. And I'm just like walking in to those doors that he's opening. And sometimes, you know, we have to be really careful when we ask, when we walk into doors, you have to make sure that they're the ones that he opened. That's so important. You know, it goes back to that, you know, hearing that knowledge. How do you know the difference? Because it it also takes that spirit of discernment too. Yep, exactly what I was looking for, yes, ma'am. Um, and you you'll know. I mean, once you have that relationship with him, you'll know if that's the right door that he opened for you. Absolutely. Um, because there's so many doors that open and there were so many that close, and the ones that were closing, I wasn't really upset about it, you know, because I knew that my God is gonna open one that he wants me to walk through.

SPEAKER_03

Amen.

SPEAKER_01

I love that. And that's what I've been walking through, the ones that he's been opening. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So it was definitely a shift in your posture, right? But also a shift in your belief system, in your faith, because faith has to be the firm foundation. But would you also say that it was all it was also a shift in your mindset from the retail world to from the employee mindset to the CEO mindset? Because I believe that there's there's a huge difference between the two.

SPEAKER_01

Of course, yeah. So mindset, I mean, that's a huge thing right now. It also has to do with your growth. Yeah. Absolutely. Right. So you have to make sure that you're really committed to what you want to get into right now. So your mind your mindset is so important. Um, and I think I like I really pay attention to what I'm doing. I focus on where that shift, like what was the purpose of my shift. I that is number one. I know why I shifted and what has caused me to now do the stuff that I I do now. It's all God. But again, that mindset, it's so important for my growth. Because now I'm commit, I'm committed to what I'm doing now. Yeah. And I have to remind myself each time that it's it's a purpose. Yes. And it's a alignment from God that says, hey, like this is gonna be your kingdom assignment. Um, so you're gonna have to shift quickly. Yeah, yeah. And that, you know, and so it's it's just it's just been a beautiful journey.

SPEAKER_03

I love that for you. And I love that for the people that you're impacting because, like you said, it's not only about this generation, but generations to come are going to benefit from the not only the answered prayers, but the lessons that you're teaching, right? And the community that you're building. So I love that you talked about, you know, the mindset shift, because I always say when people ask us, like, what's the best thing about being an entrepreneur? You're your own boss. What's the worst thing about being an entrepreneur? You're your own boss. So that schedule that you have to commit to, that, like you said, being committed to your commitment, being a commitment, being also intentional with your time, making sure that you know that you're operating in his assignment for your life, because that is what's going to allow you, like you said, also the discernment to know which doors to walk through, which doors to let close, and just be okay with surrendering to that. Because it it takes a lot of faith and a lot of belief and the mindset shift, but it also takes a lot of surrender to be an entrepreneur. Because we want things to happen right away. And we we're we're like, you know, we we want things just go on our on our accord, but God's like, no, be patient, don't be anxious for anything. Right. Because I got it, I got it all figured out and sorted out for you. I want us to talk a little bit about your travels because I love traveling, as you know, and I'm a huge advocate as a travel and lifestyle community builder. But I love that you said just, you know, when you ask God for this specific prayer, he opened specifically a global spectrum for your influence and for you and being able to mentor in Ghana, in Nigeria, like wow, that's that's incredible. And of course, going back to you know, your home country of Belize and all over Central America, how has travel just impacted you, or more than anything, just impacted the movement and the purpose that you're doing that you're in?

SPEAKER_01

So, I mean, it's definitely has impacted the movement because remember, the mission is one million girls of color. And you, in order for you to be able to do that, you have to go global. Of course, right? You have to hit different countries, different continents, and um it's just been a phenomenal journey. I I mean, I just like I said, it happened so quickly, yeah, right? It it happened so quickly. But I want to just kind of go back to a mission trip that I went on, and um it was to the Philippines. Nice. And this mission trip really kind of changed everything for me, also globally, because I was able to spend a week in the Philippines and work with young girls and mentor them, and you know, coming back with that open heart to want to serve because they had goals and dreams of wanting to improve their family and improve their lifestyle and in their communities and you know, help build um the community around them. But they didn't have like, you know, based on the information that I got from some of them, like the resources, the funding, it was really hard. And so that just opened up my heart to want to serve more, and and I think that's that whole, that's when that whole philanthropy and all that stuff kicked in even more. And I said, okay, I have to, I have to definitely do something about this. You know, I definitely um need to continue these trips and go places where I can empower these girls. And when you get them at that early age, most people, most of them don't have a mentor. You mean of course they go to school and they get the academics, right? But which is great, but you also need somebody to empower you and to mentor you and to remind you that hey, it'll be things will be fine. Yeah, you know, I let me help you, you know, guide you on where you want to go. Let me mentor you and empower you, and most importantly, encourage you. Because when you're in these countries, some of them are still developed countries, they're developing countries. You know, sometimes you just feel like you have nowhere to go, you're stuck, there's no one there really to guide you and to mentor you. And so in the Philippines, you know, that that was like my whole, my heart just opened up and made me even want to do the work that I'm doing now even more on a global scale because I know there's girls around the world who, just like the ones in the Philippines, still want that person to push them and to remind them that there's purpose. I love that. I love that.

SPEAKER_03

So that mission trip was kind of like the first one. And what? First time that you were overseas?

SPEAKER_01

Well, it wasn't the first time I was overseas, but it was my first mission. It was my first mission trip where I really became more open to the global world. Yes.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah. That's amazing. I think sometimes it takes those experiences to not only open our minds to how big the world is, and but also just to keep us grounded and see how blessed we are living in the US. But I also love that it was what reassured you of the work that you're called to do. Correct. It's also what gave you more of that push to say, hey girl, if you didn't think there was a need for it, I'm just here to tell you that just like these girls are in the Philippines that need your mentorship and need your guidance and and need what you're doing and the lessons that you're bringing to them, so many more women around the world need the same exact thing. Correct. I love that. Yeah. What has been something that you feel like you've had to unlearn or unplug from along your journey?

SPEAKER_01

You know, I mean, there will be people for you, and there'll be people that aren't for you.

SPEAKER_02

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01

There'll be people that are really supportive of your mission, of your vision, of what you have planned to do in your life, how you want to impact others. There'll be people that are like, okay, wow, I'm supportive of that. And then you just have to realize that there are gonna be people that are just not for you at all.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And I had to really learn that that's okay. Absolutely, you know, because that vision was put inside me, not in others, right? And so, and even just with the name, you know, girls of color, take like that, you know, in this climate, like that's just like, you know, a name that it's like, what? Girls of color take over. What do you mean? Like, you know what I mean? Exactly what I'm saying. You know, and so it's like that's the name that God said, hey, we're going with this, you know, and that doesn't mean that you know you're taking away from anybody else, but it just means that now you're reminding girls and women of color from all over the world, like, hey, there's a place on this earth for you to do whatever you want to do, to take over any industry you desire. Because growing up, like I didn't really get to see people that look like me in all these different spaces that are now. I'm so proud of the women, you know, whether they're a celebrity or not, that are now in spaces of fragrance, they have their own fragrances, they have their own beauty um brands in these big stores. Like, I didn't see that when I grew up. Like, I was just like, is there any of us doing anything amazing? Like everyone else, like and to see that now, it's like I'm so proud of everyone, even if I don't know them or not, it's like it's a beautiful thing to see. Gives hope. That, yes, and so for the younger girls now, it's also reminding them too like you can be in any space that you desire to be in, just take over.

SPEAKER_03

I love that. So, speaking of girls of color takeover, one I lightly, you know, touched upon this earlier. One of my favorite beauty brands is your lip gloss, your lipstick, I would say. And talk to us about that, how that even came about. And we have it here.

SPEAKER_01

Of course, yeah. So, um, again, just being in the beauty industry for so many years, you know, that's my background. You know, when I talked to you earlier about being in retail, it was literally a lot in the beauty industry. So I got to see behind the scenes, like I, you know, like just women coming in looking for certain things that weren't available, like it was just a whole lot. But also just using my experiences and my knowledge of knowing that what women love and what's you know popular and what's can't be without. And even for me, like I have to have a lip gloss at all times, right? And so because I teach these girls about entrepreneurship, how to start your business from the ground up, I wanted them to also see that I'm also an entrepreneur. So it's kind of like walking the talk, right? Showing them that it's possible it could be done. You know, and I talked about this um when I did my book launch that, you know, there might be other lip gloss companies and people doing phenomenal with their lip gloss brands or their makeup brands or whatever, and that's amazing. But there's space, it goes back to me saying that there's space for all of us. That's right. You know, the only difference between them and myself is that they got there first. Absolutely. You know, but there's there's space for us to do incredible things. And what's beauty of the beautiful thing about it is that we all bring our own uniqueness to what we do. So even if there's 20 other lip gloss companies out there, that's fine. Yeah. That's okay. Yeah, I'm yeah, I bring my own uniqueness to what I do. And you know, and I want the girls to know that as well. Like they don't have to worry about um, you know, someone else is doing the same thing. There's this there's space on this earth for all of us to do incredible things. Absolutely. Whether 20 other people are doing it as well. Yeah, you know, so if God put it in you to do it, go ahead and do it. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03

I love that. And I love, by the way, the not only the sleek packaging of this, the graphics, like the the woman on the C for Girls of Color Takeover, the also woman on the T, like it is just beautiful. Even when you, you know, you're taking this out. I don't want to open this one, but you're taking it out and you see the actual lip gloss. Like it's just beautifully packaged. It is just absolutely gorgeous. So make sure you guys go and get the lip gloss as well. And talk to us a little bit about the book. You lightly touched upon it. Uh, what made you want to be an author?

SPEAKER_01

Well, I mean, why not, right? Another thing to show the girls that, hey, you could be an author. And then again, it's really about teaching them to be anything they want to be. Like, you don't have to just go into entrepreneurship if you want to be a doctor, if you want to be a nurse, whatever you want to be, like still go on that journey. But it's also still good to have something that's yours, right? Something that you own. Because no job is your job unless you have your own. That's right. And that's I always talk about that. But it was really about just pouring my experiences, my education, my learnings into this book on about entrepreneurship, unleashing your entrepreneurial success.

SPEAKER_03

I love it.

SPEAKER_01

Um, and so I wanted to have something that can be more of like a guide for someone who may want to start their entrepreneurship journey but don't know where to start. Got it. Or even if they have like a nine to five and they're like, hey, I want to do something on the side just to kind of supplement and to have something extra that's mine. Um, where do I go? And so this pretty much gives you step by step on how to, you know, start your business, how to market your products, how to customer acquisition, like just everything you need, networking, uh, investors, everything that you need is in the book. And um the book is being used in um Africa as we speak as a uh educating tool. Oh my gosh. Yeah, so um it's also featured at the um iconic Marcus Garvey uh guest center where like people who come to visit the center can actually open the book and and see the content and what's going on. And um, but yeah, it's being used there to educate the youths, and it's just been a phenomenal um piece of my heart. I love it. Poured into it. Yeah. I love it. Um, if you want, just hold it up and look into the camera. It's available on Amazon.com. So it's it's just a really amazing um journey. My journey. Tell them the title. Yeah, of course. So um yeah, Unleashing Entrepreneurial Success, a guide to understanding entrepreneurship and building a professional network. It's on Amazon, so you guys can grab a copy. And also, it really does um the proceeds help with the program. So I love it. Um, you know, most of these girls need like transportation or they need computers or they need, you know, so whatever proceeds I get from this, it goes, it pours back into the work that I'm doing with the girls. I love it. I love it.

SPEAKER_03

Thank you so much for sharing, and I'm excited to actually read this as well. And I know that just always talking to you, you always have so much value. And I I love that you even just put your experiences, you know, in a book for people to share. And it's gonna outlive you, also, right? So I love that it is a part of your legacy. And you said, you know, I wanted to show these girls, also just going back to kind of what caused you to launch your lip gloss. It's like I want to show them that I'm not just talking the talk, or as a coach, as a mentor, but I'm also walking the walk, which I think is very, very important and very admirable of you as well. And kudos to you because that's amazing. Thank you. And I love something else that you said in there. You know, no matter how many beauty brands exist, no matter how many lip glosses, lip stains, all of these things, you have an abundant mindset. And I think that that is very, very important in not only for people that are in entrepreneurs, people that are in philanthropy, people that just have a dream of theirs, because so many times you get caught up in this scarcity mindset, you know, and what the news is saying about what the economy is look like and all of these things. And it's not to say that there's not some truth in what's going on. However, I think that it's even more powerful to hold on to the truth or feed yourself the narrative that no, there is room for me, and I'm going to create the room because your gifts will make room for you, you know, and also saying that as my gifts make room, I'm also going to put my faith in action. Because faith without works is dead. So I love that you're walking the walk and talking the talk as well on that as well. So, yes, that's incredible. So you are a mom. Yeah. You're a mom. And the other day when you told me how old your kids were, I was like, girl, what? No way. So talk to us a little bit about your children. And I want to know about how do you manage it all? Because, girl, you are, you know, whether you're traveling, whether you're locally, I always see you out and about, whether you are on TV, whether you are at a community event, you always support art events as well. So talk to us a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean, motherhood is beautiful, and um, you know, I'm at this stage now with the kids where, well, they're young adults at this point. I have a 17-year-old daughter. She just started her first year of college. Wow, congratulations. So, yeah, so thank you. And um, she's going into nursing program. She wants to be a travel nurse.

SPEAKER_03

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

And I'm super excited about her. She has an amazing testimony. You know, when she was in the fifth grade, she had like a brain, she had brain surgery, was such a big scare. It made the news. Wow. And um, it was like one of the a mom's worst nightmare, you know, and um, you know, sometimes at school when you have your kids, there's oh mom, I have a headache, and you know, as a mom, you don't have a crystal ball to really see what's going on. It's like, okay, go to the nurse's office, you know, but it became to where she had like a sinus infection that spread to her brain, and you know, we were told so many times, like, oh, she's not gonna make it. And my fate really kicked in. And today, to just, you know, now to fast forward to say that she's from college, God is so amazing. I mean, he literally worked through the doctors, and she's just like my hero. I love everything about her. She's an entrepreneur herself, like she does, you know, um, she has her own hair business. She's just Doing phenomenal, and congrats, you know, from being told, oh, she's not gonna make it to seeing her now, it's just amazing. Wow, that's incredible.

SPEAKER_03

Congratulations and kudos to kudos to you.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you. Congratulations to her as well, because that's amazing. And I have a 19-year-old son. Yeah, her testimony, I mean, it's amazing, right? Or testimonies or um stories lead us to our glory, but um, and I have a 19-year-old son. Say that again, because I was thinking somebody caught that.

SPEAKER_03

He was looking down a little bit. Say that again.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, yeah, or story leads us to our glory. Yes, for sure. And um, so I have a 19-year-old son. He just completed his HVAC uh certification, so he's gonna be like a universal HVAC, he can do all this stuff, and you know, those trades are really needed now. Absolutely. Like make so much money. Highly needed, yes. Yeah, so um, but they have their mind, a mind of their own, they're doing phenomenal, great things. You know, after he graduated, he was like, okay, I need to do a couple things, get some trades under my belt, and you know, and so I support them, and you know, just being able for them to see the grind and all the stuff that I'm doing really inspires them as well, you know, just to hear them say, I love what you're doing, keep going. Like, you know, it's just kind of like showing them that, hey, you know, I'm just doing all of this for you guys, like to leave that legacy behind, and you know, and and so yeah, I'm super proud of them. And to your question, you know, now that they're at that age, I don't have to really worry about, oh, I can't drink you know, they they're very self-sufficient for me growing up in Belize and learning all the things at that early age, how to cook, like at eight, how to wash my own clothes, how to, you know, my grandparents, they weren't playing. They were like, okay, get in the kitchen, you're gonna learn this, you're gonna know how to wash your clothes. And, you know, it was beautiful because it was on the boards and you just hang about, you know, and so they got the same training at that age, you know, um, learning how to iron their own clothes for school, like at seven, how to wash their own clothes in the washing machine, how to cook rice and beans or whatever, you know. It's like, you know, that's how I learned back home um at an early age. So I kind of instilled that in them too. So they're super self-sufficient. I love it. Yeah. And so I will ask them, I'll say, what's the one word that, you know, I want to make sure that you guys remember to be all at all times? Self-sufficient. I'm like, good, because I gotta go away. I'm traveling next week.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, just making sure you guys remember the assignment.

SPEAKER_01

I'll be across the continent. Yeah, make sure you guys got this.

SPEAKER_03

I love it, ma'am. That's amazing. Congratulations and shout out to your kids. Thank you. And I love it because they're both entrepreneurs. Yes, they are. Even though your daughter is once will be a travel nurse, like she's still an entrepreneur. Your son getting his HTTP, like that's still entrepreneurship. Of course. Because they have they had and have had such a great example of you, and it just shows the power of just having such great parents, such supportive parents, but also parents that inspire you and you see them. A lot of parents, you know, sometimes you may not think that what you're doing, your kids are watching, yeah, but they're watching and it matters. And those little seeds that you're planting now will blossom into powerhouse children. So kudos to you and all of the amazing moms out there. We appreciate you guys because having a having an amazing mom is everything, and having great parents is that support you and not only empower you or tell you do as I say, but like do as I do too. So that's incredible.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and you want them to be amazing in the world, right? As the scripture talks about, you know, raise your child so that when they're out, you know, you you know that they're just doing wonderful things and and just, you know, seeking God, just make sure that whatever they're doing is, you know, what He wants them to do and that they're following the right footsteps, right? And so yeah, it's it's just been a remarkable journey. And I just, you know, continue to, you know, thank God for just giving me the strength to do what I'm doing and still to have that mom hat on. Yeah. Because we do wear so many different hats, right? It's it's yeah, it could sometimes be overwhelming, but it's really rewarding. Yes, I love that.

SPEAKER_03

Talk to us about what are some of the things that you plug into, whether it's for your routine, whether it's for mental health, whether it's to continuously strengthen your faith, continuously build yourself up. How do you fill your cup?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, of course. So um, I do have a system in place. Okay. You know, I wake up, I meditate, I pray, um, you know, I go for my walks, and um, you know, sometimes I don't really talk about all the things that I've done, I've I've gone through behind the scenes, right? People, you know, will see like the you know, motivational speaker, or she's out here, you know, giving us a motivational word. Behind the scenes, you'd still go through a lot. Yeah. And so I just make sure that my faith's always activated, that I pray and um, you know, just be around like my family my kids, my family. Like those are the things that really um help me. I make sure that I um, you know, I'm in tune with my spiritual, my physical health, my, you know, my mental health, like all those things. Without any of that, it's really hard to do the things that you do in life. Absolutely. You know, you have to make sure that those things are in place. Yes. Your spiritual health, um, number one. And um, and yeah, and so that's really how I, you know, make sure that I'm still I'm good. Like, you know, focusing on my mental health is always important, especially in in times like this. Yes. And then a lot of people don't realize, like, whatever, as a parent or as somebody that have, you know, whether you're a stepmom or a step or whatever, like you have to make sure that your mental health is intact because then it it affects the kids too. Absolutely. You know, and so um, as somebody who worked with kids and with the youths, I also wanted to make sure that I can also help if there were anyone experiencing any mental health um issues. Um, you know, so I, you know, got my certification and my um license in a first aid youth uh mental health first aider. Because yeah, if I'm around them all the time, you know, sometimes you can identify like if somebody's going through something. So I wanted to be able to have something extra that I can also help with to identify if, hey, this person might need some help. So, what would that look like for me? So I did my training on mental health uh first aider. So, you know, I can't tell them, okay, I have to I can give you this medicine, but I can point out those first signs of yeah, this person's going through something. I love it.

SPEAKER_03

And I think that's really important. And shout out to you, because I didn't even know that. Yes. I'm so happy that we're having this conversation. Because mental health, a lot of people think that everybody's gonna talk about it. And that is how we end the stigma as well, is preparing ourselves for to be able to identify the signs, even when people don't want to like mask it, or people don't necessarily feel comfortable showing or aren't vulnerable enough to share, or sometimes they just don't even know where to start. Right. Right. So being able to identify what it looks like, whether it's triggers or whether whether it's trauma or whether it's just them, you know, crying out for help or desperation in that space, I think it's powerful. And it's even contributing more to the tools and resources that you're able to give this young woman and just being able to help them around the world. Right. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_01

I think to have that also in my pocket also helps because you know it's you just never know what someone might be going through, and you have to be able to now have that skill to identify it and to help if it's if needed, you know. And plus I have children of my own too, right? And they're at that age now where, you know, everything is like, you know, not that they're at the peer pressure age, but they're older now, but still, like, you know, sometimes social media can influence things. Sometimes you just feel, you know, like, okay, I have to be this person or I have to do this, and it could mess with you, you know. It's just trying to keep up, or just trying to be in align with what everybody else is doing. So, you know, to now be able to identify different things in our youth, it's it's it's a really great thing.

SPEAKER_03

I love that. Congratulations, that's amazing. Thank you. That is so cool. Um, talk to us a little bit about what's next for you. Wow. What are you working on right now?

SPEAKER_01

Still like trying to still expand my territories and you know, that sphere of influence that we spoke about earlier, but you know, I have the global table talks, um, really just helping other women to see how important it is to take their business globally and to cross borders, to impact and empower beyond borders, right? What that looks like. I um, you know, in citizenship, I became a Guyanyan citizen. So I got my citizenship for Ghana and the work that I've been doing there for so many years now has been able to open that for me, right? So if I've been porn into a country, now they're like, hey, we're gonna give you something to, you know, show that you've been making an impact here. So I'm super excited to now have that citizenship there, um, to be able to now open up more stuff and to do things. And um, you know, I have a nonprofit that I started there. Um so I'm super excited. It's called Igniting Girls of Africa. And so it'll be the same type of work, you know, um that I'm doing here with the girls. I'll be doing that there more um with my nonprofit there. And so, yeah, thank you.

SPEAKER_03

You should be. That's such a huge deal. Yeah, thank you.

SPEAKER_01

So, yeah, so I have that going on, and then um in the next week or so, I'm doing a fall forward uh empowerment session here with the girls. So, from the summer program three months ago, I just want to bring them back for the fall um while they're on fall break to kind of like just revisit, keep the momentum going, kind of like keep that fire flaming, yeah, see how they're doing for the past three months. And um, and ultimately, you know, the goal really is to get some of the girls from different counties. Like, you know, there's been there's girls in St. Pete that has never crossed over to Tampa. Wow. They've never crossed the bridge and came to Tampa, and I think vice versa, like girls from here never been to St. Pete. So, you know, getting them out of their four walls and being able to, you know, I guess in in our local area, build correct, bridge the gap and make sure that they're connected and you know, and that's what it's really all about. I love it, I love it.

SPEAKER_03

So as we wrap up, uh if there's anything on your heart that you would like to say, whether you are talking to uh a woman that just got started in entrepreneurship, whether she is balancing, you know, motherhood, entrepreneurship, whether you're talking to someone that wants to transition out of the corporate world into entrepreneurship, or even if you just have a message for the young girls, right? What would that be?

SPEAKER_01

Of course. No, it would just be just to follow your heart, you know, and to keep going for your goals and your dreams, to remind everyone that we all have gifts and talents that God has put into us, and it's so important to tap into it and to just go for your goals and your dreams and you know, stay away from naysayers, don't let anyone hold you back. I know that's right. Yeah, the world's huge for you to do incredible things. And you know, the scriptures talk about, you know, 1 Corinthians 2 9, you know, where eyes have not seen, ears have not heard what God has in store for us. And so that means that if the things we're doing right now is what I mean, this is nothing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean imagine how much more things that He can give us like that we haven't even heard of or seen yet. Come on. When you think about that, it's just like phenomenal. Yeah, I love it.

SPEAKER_03

Wow. Amen, yes.

SPEAKER_01

So yeah, just know that you know, there's we all have a purpose and just tap into what that is. I love it, I love it.

SPEAKER_03

And where can people find you and where can they connect with you? Can they consider it?

SPEAKER_01

Oh, yeah, so um on Facebook, uh Dr. Teresa Isabel. I'm also on Instagram, um, I am Teresa Isabel. And then you can also find me on LinkedIn, Dr. Teresa Hernandez, and what else? And my website, uh teresaisabelle.com.

SPEAKER_03

Thank you so much for joining us. That is a wrap. And as always, make sure you guys like, subscribe to the channel, and comment. And till next time, peace and blessings. Let's get it.

SPEAKER_02

Thank you. Thank you.