Preparing Girls for Business and Women for the Boardroom

WEBVTT

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There are some people that make their
work just another thing they have to do,

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and there are those that make their
work something that they want to do.

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Welcome to Working on Purpose with your
host Elise Cortez. In our program,

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we provide guidance and inspiration from those
people who have found deeper meaning and

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personal connection to their work life.
It's beyond nine to five. It's working

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on Purpose. Now Here is your
host, Elise Cortez. Welcome back to

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the Working on Purpose. Sofasy tuning
in again this week. I'm your host,

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Elise Cortez. Join you live from
Dallas, which is home base for

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me. If you've been tuning in
for a while, you know this program

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is all about helping people create more
meaningful and purposeful lives and equipping leaders inside

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organizations to cultivate meaning and purpose that
elicits passion inspired contribution, innovation, and

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persevering performance. I talk with my
guest to draw on their expertise and share

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my own experience consulting speaking in developing
workforces across the globe. Before we get

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into the program, let me give
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Buy. Thank you much for your
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hope you walk away with something you
can immediately use in your life and work.

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And if I can do anything to
help you along your journey, go

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to my website at a least cortez
dot com and use the contact me feature

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to message me and let's open a
conversation about what you're exploring and see how

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might be able to help. Whether
you want to learn more about how to

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develop purpose inspired leadership and meaning infuse
culture in your organization, you want to

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see about joining a catch fire online
inspiration, accountability or mastermind community to nurture

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your own passion and purpose, or
you'd like me to speak for your company

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or conference at any rate. I'm
glad we're connected, and thanks for listening.

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Now onto this week's program with us
Today. Selena santibanis of GPS Consulting,

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a boutique consulting firm dedicated to helping
small construction business owners with the success

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and transition of their largest asset,
which is their business. She's also the

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founder and CEO of The Boardroom Project, a nonprofit dedicated to educating and exposing

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young girls to the business sector at
a much younger age, while also providing

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professional women with the support system they
need to climb the corporate ladder through various

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sport positions on corporate and nonprofit boards
across the country. We'll be talking today

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about that Boardbrood project that she created
and the work and her team are doing

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there. She joins today from San
Antonio, Texas. Selena, Welcome to

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Working on Purpose. Thank you for
having me. It is so great to

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have you on the air and share
with you. And let's just give a

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shout out to how it is that
we connected, and that is through right

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through the Leadership Women program. And
both of us are big fans and are

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involved with our great work. So
I want to say thank you to them

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for bringing us together. First,
Yes, yes, Leadership Texas, Leadership

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Women. Yes, I've met some
amazing people over that time. So as

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we get into this I've just it
was a leadership program, and there's a

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couple of things about your particular background
that I want to talk about before we

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get into what you've done at the
Boorgram Project, because I think it's really

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important to highlight the journey that you've
been on to get to where you are.

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So if we can, Selena,
let's start this conversation by understanding your

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early career in the financial sector,
and I do want to understand how you

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think that skill set helps you become
the person you are today. Of course,

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at least well, you know,
it really started from a very young

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age and as a product of the
East Side of San Antonio. If it

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wasn't for city programs like the Youth
Opportunity Program or via volunteer income tax assistance

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programs that actually taught me how to
prepare taxes. And then later I was

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able to get a part time job
at a bank as a vault teller,

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and from vault telling, I became
a telephone customer service specialists at Frost Bank.

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And you know that fundamentally allowed me
to not only grow through my customer

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service skills, because there's nothing like
having to de escalate a phone call and

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to really get them understanding and appreciating
their their time and their service. So

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from the customer service position, you
know, that fundamentally allowed me to be

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able to pick up the phone and
speak to anybody across the country. So

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from that I became a telephone banker. I then went into loan products and

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business products as well. But it
wasn't until I decided to pick up and

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move away, and you know,
I wanted a change of scenery and that's

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exactly what I got in Portland,
organ And so when I lived in Organ,

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I worked for a couple of succession
firms. They were it was a

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very NIAT business. But ideally what
I did in that realm, if you

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will, is buy and sell financial
firms across the country. So for any

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independent financial and advisors that own their
own book of business, we were able

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to put a value to that book
and then through a multiple we were able

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to buy and sell those firms.
So as someone that is from San Antonio

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and then being exposed to that world, it was very eye opening. But

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of course it allowed me to be
in spaces that I may otherwise not have

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access. Tom, I didn't realize
you had done Ustan through Portland, Oregon.

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I spent many, many years in
Portland, Selena. I'm from eastern

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Oregon originally, so you and I
have some shared background there. I don't

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know if we were there in the
same years, but it's a great place.

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I love Portland. I do too. So another thing about your background,

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that's that's already an interesting and of
itself. That you got the opportunity

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earlier in life to have such a
purview into business and buying and selling businesses.

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That's amazing. And then I know
too, you were have been an

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active community service leader in San Antonio, and I know you served in the

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bar or to the South Alamo Regional
Alliance for the Homeless and also run for

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city council district. I mean,
it's just amazing. This is great leadership.

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So I'd like to understand how those
experiences have been important to you and

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maybe how they've formed into making you
who you are. Of course, so

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you know, just personally once again
being a product of this community that is

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very marginalized. Still to this date, we have such high poverty rates and

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certain zip codes and for those that
may not know, San Antonio is still

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one of the greatest segregated cities in
all of the country actually second behind Miami.

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Interestingly enough so because of the way
San Antonio is segregated and just how

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the populations are kind of in the
education, once again, I go back

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to those programs that I benefited and
was exposed to that allowed me to acquire

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the education and access. But it
wasn't until I moved back from Portland,

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Oregon in twenty fifteen that back into
my very very same neighborhood that I recognized

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not much had changed after twenty years. And I will say that after all

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the years of my professional experience,
whether it was in the banking industry or

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a succession firm, or you know, just working in various organizations and companies,

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I recognized that I had such I
had so much information and access that

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how could I come back and share
that information and access to young girls so

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that they wouldn't have to struggle or
you know, go through the same hardships

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as I did to get to the
same place I am in my life.

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And so, you know, it
became very natural for me to be a

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leader of my own community one in
San Antonio, because I've always been one

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to speak up for those that are
voiceless or maybe just haven't found their voice

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quite as yet. And then of
course me serving on the Sarah Board San

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Antonio Regional Line for the Homeless is
really close to home for me. I

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grew up homeless. I grew up
nomadic as a child, living in eleven

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different states before I was eleven.
So that meant that I have an understanding

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and a clear idea of what it
meant and what it means to be homeless

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as as a child while the way
into my teen years. And then of

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course, you know, as a
woman leader, a female leader I recognized

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in our community district too, to
be exact, that we've had six council

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persons in the past six years,
so we really haven't had any consistent leadership,

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and really leadership that comes from the
heart, meaning that someone that wants

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to serve the public, be a
true public servant and represent that community.

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And so that's really why, as
natural as it became or unfolded, I

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decided to put myself out there for
city council. And it was as hard

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as it was, it was the
best experience I had. Oh my gosh,

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Selena, there's so much to you. I'm so glad to have you

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on air and cherry with our listeners
really quick I the experience of being homeless

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and being in eleven different states by
the time you're eleven years old, just

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quickly if you can. What did
that experience teach you? Well? How

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much time do we have? Yeah, we don't have that. That's the

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only bad thing is I'd love to
hear more about that. Of course.

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You know, at the end of
the day, what I've recognized about myself,

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whether a woman or a man or
just someone as an individual, I'm

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extremely resilient, I'm extremely resourceful,
I'm extremely gregarious. So maybe I am

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I'm an extrovert naturally, but I
have to say that those experiences growing up

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in the streets, growing up having
to talk my way out of things,

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having to speak to whom ever,
it really allowed me the confidence to really

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just be able to have a conversation
with whomever, regardless of their status or

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race or language, and really has
made me who I am today. That

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you know, I see people for
who they are, and ultimately it's that

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level of resilience and humility that continues
to just push me forward and the way

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I treat and interact with other people. Okay, that's beautiful, son,

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and quickly. So this is such
a great teaching moment for our listeners who

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know that I also am I'm a
logotherapist, which is really Victor Frankel's school

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of existential psychology that really is all
about how we discover and create meaning for

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ourselves. And one of the ways
that we can do that is the attitudinal

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stands that we take to the events
that occur occur to us in life and

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our response to them. So instead
of sounding like, you know, you're

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a victim and oh my gosh,
and these these horrible things happen to you,

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you've taken that just say this is
I folded this into myself and this

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is what's helped me become who I
am today. And that is a stunning

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example of the magnificence of a human
spirit and just what we can actually do.

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And I just so applaud that.
Thank you. And then on top

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of all that, of course,
here you are an entrepreneur and you're you're

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a business owner. So I want
to talk of just a little bit about

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this boutique consulting services business that you
run serving construction businesses. I mean,

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you are clearly a businesswoman and a
leader. So I'm curious, you know,

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are you just at your core an
entrepreneur? Did this happen to you?

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It happened to me at least,
I don't you know? My parents

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weren't an entrepreneurial. I mean my
father and my father's blue collar worker,

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and my mom, you know,
is a juvenile probation officer. So I

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didn't really see anything entrepreneurial growing up
per se or the decisions I made.

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Rather, it was me working for
so many very as bosses and companies and

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individuals and recognizing that for the same
money I was making them, I could

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be making for myself and even a
beyond that, I'm a bit of a

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role breaker, So when you've never
had roles growing up, it's kind of

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hard to follow them. So as
I got older and just through my professional

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experiences, you know, I just
naturally knew that I would be better suited

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my productivity everything that I produced and
the service I do have a self background,

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so I know that people don't buy
products and services, they buy the

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individuals. And that's ultimately why,
you know, everything we do is cut

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a relationship based and so all of
this works to to my favor and really

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it's just at the end of the
day, me wanting to work for myself

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because I knew that the product and
service that I was going to deliver was

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something that I would be happy with. That is brilliant, and I can

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really appreciate that, and I can
certainly relate to that in many ways,

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and of course in my particular case
that the work that I'm doing is around

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meaning, purpose, passion, inspiration, and purpose is in service of my

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purpose, and so it's it's really
profoundly important for me that I do that

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in a way that is uniquely pertinent
to me and the way that I want

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to express that. So I really
appreciate and connect with what you're saying,

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of course. All right, So
before we get into the boardroom project,

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which is what we're going to talk
about after we take this first break,

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I just want to if we can, if you can say just a couple

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of things about what are some of
the more salient or more important aspects of

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your life and career to date that
you are most proud of and why you

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know, I have to go back
to at twenty five, I knew that

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I wanted a change of scenery.
I had been fortunate enough to travel,

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maybe not under this best of circumstances, but I would have to say it

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was when I packed up my car. I was working for the Salvation Army

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as a disaster case manager, so
Katrina had just happened, and I knew

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I wanted a change of scenery,
and so I just literally selected Portland.

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I did not have a job when
I moved out there, but I have

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to say, at least, like
had I not taken that risk, And

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I know so many of us just
talk about it and mention it, but

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it is literally me packing up everything
I own and just moving out to a

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foreign land. That was probably the
best thing I could have done for myself

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professionally as well as personally. The
second thing was, of course running for

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city council. I mean, it's
one thing to be vocal, it's one

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thing to be engaging. You know. I've done a lot of things locally

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in my community that I feel have
made an impact today as well as it

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will tomorrow. But ideally, the
fact that I put myself out there as

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a a woman that comes from this
community and I did not have any political

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backing or any any desire to really
be in the political world, but that

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I ran a clean race, and
that you know, I made new friends,

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new neighbors, and that ideally I
created a movement, if you will,

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and bringing more more people to the
table collectively and just bringing more structure

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so that as a whole, our
community has heard. Oh, Selena,

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you are such an oppressive human being. I'm so glad to know you.

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And with that, yeah, you're
welcome. It's amazing. I'm so inspired.

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Actually, so thank you for that. I appreciate that gift. It's

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time for our first break. I'm
your host, Alice Cortez. Women on

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the Year with Selena Santibanez, the
founder and CEO of GPS Consulting and also

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The Boardroom Project, which is a
nonprofit dedicated to educating and exposing young girls

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to the business sector at a much
younger age, while also providing special women

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with the support system they will need
to climb the corporate ladder through various board

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positions on corporate and nonprofit boards across
the country. We've been talking about her

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earlier expenses experiences of what formed her
into the person leader she is today.

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After the break, we're going to
get into the Boardroom Project. Stay with

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us. We'll be right back.
Alis Cortez is a speaker and engagement and

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development catalyst. She designs and delivers
professional development, leadership and engagement workshops and

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can bring her expertise to your organization. She will help ignite meaningful development within

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your workforce that will increase employee engagement, performance and retention. To learn more

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or to invite a last to speak
to your organization, please visit her at

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www dot Elise Cortez dot com.
She would welcome the opportunity to help get

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your employees working on purpose. This
is working on Purpose with Elise Cortez.

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To reach our program today, send
an email to Elise ali Se at Elise

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Cortez dot com. Now back to
working on Purpose. Thanks for staying with

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us and welcome back to working on
Purpose. If you're just joining us.

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My guest is Selena Santa Baniez,
the founder and CEO of GPS Consulting and

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also The Boardroom Project. I'm your
host, Elise Cortez, So Selena for

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this next piece here, I do
want to get into what you've been doing

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at the Boardroom Project and why,
and before we do that, the first

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thing I want to call out,
which is smack on the I think the

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homepage of your website, you cite
that women are fifty one percent of the

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population and almost half the nation's workforce, yet we are still significantly underrepresented in

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boardroom across the country, and the
Government Accountability Office estimates it can take more

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than four decades of women's representation on
boards in order to approach parity with their

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male counterparts. So I want you
to address that if you will. But

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first, why do you believe women
in leadership is so important? At the

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end of the day, it's all
about representation. You know. I can

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dive a little bit more into that, but you know, we look at

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parity, we look at population.
Also, by you know, IRS standards,

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twenty fifty one, women will be
the head of household, meaning that

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they will be the main bread winners. And for many families across the country,

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it already is like that many women, you know, raise their families

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on just a one paycheck. But
you know, by twenty fifty one,

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we will not only be half more
than half the population the main breadwinners yet

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and I know we're definitely you know, the main consumers for our families and

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ourselves as women, yet we won't
be the ones actually making the decisions at

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the table that will impact our lives
on a daily basis. Oh my gosh,

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that was so crisp and so compelling, And I know for me,

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what I wanted to chime in with. Why I think that women and leadership

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is important is because we bring such
a different perspective to that business, and

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it's often cited as more inclusive,
and we're able to see people for their

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skills and their abilities and include them
and engage them and embrace them in a

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way that is personally meaningful to people. So there's there's a lot to be

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said about the way women approach things, and of course they tend to de

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escalate conflict a little bit better,
it seems, and so I too,

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of course support women leadership. So
I love what you're up to. It's

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so important. Thank you. You're
welcome. Now. Speaking of that,

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one of the other things that you
talked about, I think it's on your

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website and it's also something you and
I talked about when we first met.

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But you distinguish in your early career
as having worked in the mid male dominated

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financial sector. I too worked in
male dominated areas. How did that experience

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contribute to your decision to found the
Boardroom Project. It was the main decision.

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It was the main after me working
for a couple of succession firms across

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the country, me often being the
only female in the room negotiating deals.

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You know, I have some really
specific examples where you know, here I

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am at the Woodlands in Texas and
we're at the golf course and all of

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us are meeting, and it's across
the room that I see another group of

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women look at me and they're smiling, and I'm not understanding why until I

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realized as I'm walking out, I'm
in a meeting of nine men and it's

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only me, and I could tell
that these women were just elated to see

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me in this space. And so
it's it's experiences like that and all this

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statistics that we now know and the
factual information that you know, that we

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still are not represented in spaces where
if other women are sitting around and they

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recognize that you know what you're doing, that it ultimately just becomes it ultimately

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becomes a place in which we have
to replicate those situations. But that it

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that there's more of us, and
that that that women aren't just looking at

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at at individuals and saying, Matt, only her, you know that should

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that should be the norm where there's
at least two to three women in every

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meeting. M agreed completely. I've
worked in some male donated industries, like

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for example, and when I when
I was in Seattle, i worked in

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the in the food industry, and
in particular the baking baking flower industry for

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a while. But the good thing
about that was it was really easy to

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get an appointment, right, that's
the good thing about it. And it

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was fun. I enjoyed myself.
That's when I learned to golf, so

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and I learned. Of course I
sucked at that, but that's okay.

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The men put up with it and
as well, and at least from your

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experience, you know that the golf
course is where all the men have their

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meetings. That's exactly right. That's
where things get done and decided and handshakes

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take place and deals get done.
Absolutely, so we just need to recreate,

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we need to create our own space
as women, and because ultimately it's

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all about networking and social capital.
I agree. Well, So the Boardroom

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project is now a year old,
which is fantastic. Congratulations, Selena,

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that is amazing. We're going to
talk a bit about some of the programs

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that you're that you're there, that
you're up to there and you provide,

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but in terms of you know,
you've got people that are on the board

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helping you, and so I'm just
more curious about more of the why behind

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the organization. And it takes a
lot. I have a non privoritization too.

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It takes a lot to run an
organization like this. So what else

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is behind your desire to get this
thing up and running and serving women and

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girls? Of course, well,
you know, it fundamentally goes to our

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theme this year of twenty nineteen,
which is being bold, being resilient,

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and being passionate. And so when
you're passionate about something, it's not really

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work. When you're bold, you
don't need to ask for permission or wait

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your turn. Rather, you just
know that you're fulfilling something that needs to

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be done for the greater good.
And resilient. I mean that I've been

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resilient all of my life, and
I know that the one thing that young

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girls and young women are exactly that
resilient. And so you know, I've

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done the work for the past two
to three years. Actually, even though

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we're turning one. I've done the
work on my own diamond time because I

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really felt strategically and being a businesswoman
and my approach is different to the nonprofit

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compared to most nonprofits, So I
knew that I wanted to have the data,

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I wanted to have the curriculum.
I want everything already established, the

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relationships, partnerships, and so when
this year when I actually formed the board,

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yes, of course, and it's
a huge relief so that it's a

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team of ten amazing women of me
making an eleven, but at least that

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I would fundamentally have everything already sound
and prepared, so as everybody's looking from

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the outside in, they see all
this work and all this you know,

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tangible end goals. And we'll actually
start our scholar program this Thursday. That

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it really just becomes having those partnerships
and having to figure out how we can

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work together. And so half of
that was all of the battle, and

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right now we're just moving forward.
I'll also tell you a lease that before

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we get into the programs, we'll
actually open up our Dallas chapter and Oak

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Cliff at the end of the month
and the twenty six and twenty seventh,

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so Not only do we have the
San Antonio market, we'll have the Dallas

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market, with the hopes of having
the Austin market by the end of the

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year. Oh my gosh, fantastic. Talk about impact making a difference in

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the world. You know, I
often open my conversations when I'm out speaking

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to audiences with you know, what
will you do with your one precious life?

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Well, you are certainly doing something
with your one precious life, Selena,

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Kudos to you. And along those
lines, one of the one of

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the things that I thought was really
interesting is that you don't just serve women

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professional women. You're actually working with
young girls. So I think that is

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a great idea and stellar because you've
got to get them when they're younger,

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before they really settle into their mindsets
and how they're convicted about what they can

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and can't do in the world.
So exactly right. So say a little

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bit more about you know, why
you decided to work with young women or

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young girls, and what ages are
we talking about here? Of course,

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so it's middle school, high school, but you know, some of the

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girls that come to us, we
even have sixth grade and elementary and so

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I think that of course, this
is all personal experience me growing up in

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this streets. What were all the
things I wish I would have known at

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my age? When you have to
be resourceful, when you have when you're

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forced to learn things on your own
and you don't have parents to guide you,

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you know, you tend to figure
things out the hard way, but

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you still figure them out. And
so in this community, in these marginalized

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communities that I choose to serve understanding
all of that, and so by providing

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these young girls of middle school and
high school, providing them with the tools

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and the resources, which includes an
asset map, identifying social capital, identifying

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what within your own community can support
you to get to whatever goals you may

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have. And so also understanding that
our minority communities do have a lot of

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entrepreneurial small businesses that they start up
within their own families, even of course

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the immigrant population that maintain the small
businesses and hire most people within our communities.

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So by teaching these girls of middle
school and high school age like you,

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like you mentioned, at least not
only getting to them before they're set

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in their ways, but also letting
exposing them to professions, to businesses,

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to individuals, they will help support
them in their process, and so even

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if it's five to ten years that
they come back, they will still fundamentally

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understand and remember what it means to
have the support system and these goals.

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I think that's phenomenal and fantastic.
And again I wish I would have been

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plugged into something like that when I
was that age. Who knows what could

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have happened to me. I did
have the experience of working for my parents

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in the restaurant business in my high
school years, and that was profoundly important

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and transformative for me. But for
what you're doing for young girls is terrific.

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And then for women, what I
think is interesting that you're specifically giving

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them access to and support in boardrooms, I think is really quite a niche.

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Why did you choose boardrooms specifically?
Get the whole boardroom project was exactly

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through my experience of being in boardrooms
without having that freemale presence. And so,

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you know, the same things that
we're teaching our scholars are fundamentally the

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same things we're teaching our professional women
of twenty to forty years of age.

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So in our scholar program, you
know, we talk about how to access

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you know, the entrepreneur or how
to access capital, how to you know,

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leadership development one O one, board
one oh one. But with our

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pros, you know, we may
assume that they have a basis of understanding,

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but a lot of these young professional
young women have not been exposed to

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the idea of what it means to
serve on the board, but the benefits

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of serving on a board, not
only personally and professionally, but the impact

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it will have in your local community, with the end goal of being in

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a position that we can then get
you structured and set up or corporate board

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positions. So ideally, it's just
looking at the young professional women that say,

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you know, you just don't know
what you don't know. Let us

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provide you wage negotiation, Let's provide
you with Robert Rules of Order training,

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Let's provide you with public speaking,
Let's provide you with financial reporting training.

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Because you know, regardless of what
they become in life or what they do,

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if they just have those basis of
understanding, that business basis, and

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like you mentioned, at least your
parents were entrepreneurs, you got exposure to

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that in that element that they too
will take all this information that we're providing

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them at no cost if you will
to our scholars that they will then go

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back and teach their own parents what
they're learning here. And the difference between

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the Boardroom Project and most nonprofit organizations
is that it's actually each board member that

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facilitates a class. So we have
a twelve week curriculum and based off of

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their area of expertise, they actually
will teach that module that will connect them

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for the whole twelve week curriculum.
So I you know, once again,

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this is from all of my personal
experience growing up, taking the good,

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the bad, and the ugly and
figuring out what really does work for young

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girls and just positioning them them in
a better situation as they move forward in

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life. Brilliant, just brilliant.
Okay. So then having said that,

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I'm really interested to hear what is
your vision for the Boardroom Projected? So

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in other words, you know,
when it executes to its mission and vision,

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what does the world look like?
Of course, so I mentioned already

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us really expanding in Texas if you
will, from you know, some of

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the largest markets of Dallas and Austin
and Houston, El Paso and Laredo.

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I really do have that in a
two to five year goal setting. Now,

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however, maybe some of my board
members aren't as like excited as how

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quickly I am going, But you
know, it's just because and they really

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do help me reel me back into
what's reality and what can be done.

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But at the end of the day, it's there's so many communities that can

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benefit from this information. And so
you know, as we're working through all

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of these markets and we're looking and
we're working with young girls and women,

409
00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:29.960
that means that that forty four decade
paroity that you reference at the beginning won't

410
00:31:30.039 --> 00:31:33.960
take four decades. It'll it'll hopefully
only take two decades. And so meaning

411
00:31:34.039 --> 00:31:41.440
that even if we're minimizing that span
of time and providing our next generation of

412
00:31:41.480 --> 00:31:47.000
young girls to make more than seventy
five, seventy five cents per dollar for

413
00:31:47.039 --> 00:31:51.599
their male counterpart, making that ninety
or making women who are bi lingual,

414
00:31:52.319 --> 00:31:56.519
making making them you know, paying
them for that and the and how marketable

415
00:31:56.559 --> 00:32:00.440
they are. You know. So
it's not only here in Exus, but

416
00:32:00.480 --> 00:32:02.880
I do plan on expanding in other
parts. Hopefully one will be an organ

417
00:32:05.640 --> 00:32:09.720
and another part will be me going
international and working in Monterey in Mexico,

418
00:32:09.839 --> 00:32:15.200
city and and really letting women know, as you know Elis as a business

419
00:32:15.240 --> 00:32:21.799
owner, that we should not be
limited geographically, but rather business and personal

420
00:32:21.799 --> 00:32:25.599
and professional experiences are global. Now. I love it, Selena, and

421
00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:30.359
I'm just sure that we've got listeners
that are just chomping at the bit leaning

422
00:32:30.359 --> 00:32:35.640
into this going count me and pick
me. Let's take our last break.

423
00:32:35.720 --> 00:32:37.400
I'm Elise Cortez, your host.
We were on the air with Selena Santa

424
00:32:37.440 --> 00:32:42.640
Baniez, the founder and CEO of
GPS Consulting and also the Boardroom Project.

425
00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:45.720
Do you joined today from San Antonio, Texas? Stay with us, We'll

426
00:32:45.759 --> 00:33:09.359
be right back. Elise Cortez is
a speaker and engagement and development catalyst.

427
00:33:09.559 --> 00:33:15.000
She designs and delivers professional development,
leadership and engagement workshops and can bring her

428
00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:21.160
expertise to your organization. She will
help ignite meaningful development within your workforce that

429
00:33:21.200 --> 00:33:25.160
will increase employee engagement, performance and
retention. To learn more or to invite

430
00:33:25.160 --> 00:33:30.480
Elise to speak to your organization,
please visit her at www dot Elise Cortez

431
00:33:30.599 --> 00:33:36.359
dot com. She would welcome the
opportunity to help get your employees working on

432
00:33:36.440 --> 00:33:47.079
purpose. This is working on purpose
with Elise Cortez to reach our program today,

433
00:33:47.319 --> 00:33:53.359
send an email to Elise ali se
at Elise Cortez dot com. Now

434
00:33:53.839 --> 00:33:59.319
back to working on Purpose. Thanks
for seeing well this and welcome back to

435
00:33:59.359 --> 00:34:01.160
working on her Because if you're just
tuning in, I guess is sending the

436
00:34:01.240 --> 00:34:06.880
Santibanez the founder and CEO of GPS
Consulting and also the Boardroom Project, which

437
00:34:06.920 --> 00:34:10.199
is a nonprofit dedicated educating and exposing
young girls to the business sector at a

438
00:34:10.280 --> 00:34:15.199
much younger age, while also providing
professional women with the support system they will

439
00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:19.320
need to climb the corporate letter through
various board positions on corporate and nonprofit boards

440
00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:22.639
across the country. I'm your host, Alice Cortez, so Selena for this

441
00:34:22.760 --> 00:34:29.199
last segment, I really wanted to
talk more about your partners and programs specifically,

442
00:34:29.239 --> 00:34:31.000
so I know it's sort of somewhat
it's got to take a village,

443
00:34:31.159 --> 00:34:36.400
if you will, to make this
all work. So I'm really interested to

444
00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:42.320
understand how it is that you decided
to bring your partners together, and so

445
00:34:42.360 --> 00:34:44.800
if you could talk about maybe how
it was, maybe what what was your

446
00:34:44.840 --> 00:34:47.239
strategy to bring them together, and
how it is that they do work to

447
00:34:47.239 --> 00:34:52.599
go to support you. Of course. So what I've seen, and of

448
00:34:52.639 --> 00:34:58.519
course this applies to this community,
is that there's there's a lot of a

449
00:34:58.559 --> 00:35:04.679
lot of the same ol same and
so whether it's services or it's individuals that

450
00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:09.880
serve those populations, there's not very
much collabor not not true collaboration. And

451
00:35:09.960 --> 00:35:15.920
so you know, part of BRP
is BRP leak and I'll get into that,

452
00:35:15.719 --> 00:35:21.719
but really it's I'm a product of
this community, and so working whether

453
00:35:21.960 --> 00:35:25.079
it's with Bigelow Tech, which is
the largest digital library in the county,

454
00:35:25.800 --> 00:35:31.760
or working with child, say for
the Spurs and Sports organization, they see

455
00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:37.400
and know that I live in the
community, that I impact the community,

456
00:35:37.679 --> 00:35:44.159
and that my true intention is to
you know, really provide that foundation for

457
00:35:44.199 --> 00:35:49.719
all individuals to have an opportunity at
life and success. So my my strategy

458
00:35:49.800 --> 00:35:52.840
to that is just very simple.
It's collaborations at its core. It's it's

459
00:35:52.880 --> 00:35:57.079
not about what you can do for
me or what I can do for you,

460
00:35:57.199 --> 00:36:01.039
but it's how can we do it
together? And in all opinion,

461
00:36:01.079 --> 00:36:07.239
in all honesty, it's I'm of
the opinion that even if five different organizations

462
00:36:07.239 --> 00:36:10.679
serve one individual, serve one young
girl, that is five times likely that

463
00:36:10.679 --> 00:36:15.639
that one young girl will succeed in
life, because we can't do it all,

464
00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:20.679
and nor should we be trying to
reinvent the will. Rather and really

465
00:36:20.719 --> 00:36:24.199
from the business stand of it is
just being more efficient and proficient, if

466
00:36:24.239 --> 00:36:30.239
you will, and the way we
serve individuals and the responsibility of the dollars

467
00:36:30.280 --> 00:36:34.360
that are given to us. So
at the end of the day, I

468
00:36:34.440 --> 00:36:37.199
think collaboration is key. Any grant
writer will tell you that, but it's

469
00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:42.599
more important than just putting it down
on paper. It's actually saying. For

470
00:36:42.760 --> 00:36:45.599
instance, for the board Room project, we have very low overhead because we

471
00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:52.519
actually partner with Bibelo Tech East where
we hold our classes at our monthly board

472
00:36:52.519 --> 00:36:58.920
meetings are held at various companies and
organizations that support and believe in diversity themselves.

473
00:36:59.440 --> 00:37:04.079
So when you're looking at really strategizing, don't waste your time on companies

474
00:37:04.159 --> 00:37:09.599
or organizations that do not not only
believe in your mission, but not understanding

475
00:37:09.639 --> 00:37:14.400
the end goal. And so when
we work with companies or our approach a

476
00:37:14.440 --> 00:37:19.280
company or a small business or even
a large organization, it is very much

477
00:37:19.360 --> 00:37:22.280
I'm not here to step on your
toes, but I'm really here to enhance

478
00:37:22.800 --> 00:37:28.119
whatever product and service you're providing by
me being able to educate the young girls

479
00:37:28.159 --> 00:37:34.719
and your workforce to get more of
a diverse pipeline for your company. So

480
00:37:35.239 --> 00:37:38.320
I'm what I want to really echo
and celebrate here, Selena, is this

481
00:37:38.360 --> 00:37:44.880
idea of collaboration. I think it's
such a forward thinking concept. I had

482
00:37:44.639 --> 00:37:49.480
my show a few weeks ago Paul
Skinner or the author of Collaborative Advantage,

483
00:37:49.480 --> 00:37:52.559
and he really talks about how there
are so many people we can partner with,

484
00:37:52.639 --> 00:37:58.079
including the unlikely suspects like our clients
and even competitors, to be able

485
00:37:58.119 --> 00:38:01.400
to serve our populations. And so
I really applaud that you're embracing that concept

486
00:38:01.440 --> 00:38:07.400
as you are. It's fantastic,
of course. So the next thing I

487
00:38:07.400 --> 00:38:10.039
want to understand is, you know
you serve both women and girls, and

488
00:38:10.239 --> 00:38:14.599
I'm curious to know, one,
how do you find these people, how

489
00:38:14.599 --> 00:38:15.920
do they show up in your world
to be able to serve them, and

490
00:38:16.039 --> 00:38:20.280
if you can say if you've got
like a typical kind of client that you

491
00:38:20.320 --> 00:38:24.760
serve. Of course, So as
mentioned, world Starter Scholar program this Thursday

492
00:38:24.840 --> 00:38:30.639
at BiblioTech, everything is paperless.
So once again we're trying to teach these

493
00:38:30.679 --> 00:38:35.880
young girls the day and age of
technology and the digital divide is still so

494
00:38:36.000 --> 00:38:40.039
great in our community. Even though
we do have one digital library. You

495
00:38:40.079 --> 00:38:45.119
know, these young girls in these
communities do not have consistent internet access or

496
00:38:45.679 --> 00:38:50.800
you know, you try doing an
application or a resume or uploading something on

497
00:38:50.840 --> 00:38:53.159
your cell phone and tell me how
that goes, So, you know,

498
00:38:53.480 --> 00:38:59.280
very limited in what they're being exposed
to. So actually, these young ladies

499
00:38:59.360 --> 00:39:05.320
come to us side we do.
We do community outreach and I go to

500
00:39:05.400 --> 00:39:07.800
them right So, whether it's the
y MCA, whether it's the library,

501
00:39:08.199 --> 00:39:14.760
whether it's the laundry mat, whether
it's the parks, I have a very

502
00:39:15.519 --> 00:39:20.000
connected community. So they let me
know and invite us. This Saturday will

503
00:39:20.039 --> 00:39:27.079
be at Klarn community event. So
we're really out in the community first hand

504
00:39:27.159 --> 00:39:31.280
and connecting with community members and families. But really, because I've been doing

505
00:39:31.280 --> 00:39:34.679
this work for the past two to
three years, they already know me.

506
00:39:34.760 --> 00:39:38.000
They see me in the neighborhood.
We shop at the same HGB, we

507
00:39:38.039 --> 00:39:42.440
go to the same library. I
walk my dogs in the neighborhood. So

508
00:39:42.840 --> 00:39:45.239
the mothers trust me and they know
me and they know I'm a product of

509
00:39:45.320 --> 00:39:50.679
the community. So it's a very
it's a very different dynamic than you say,

510
00:39:50.840 --> 00:39:53.880
than you will if someone else from
the outside came in. But ideally,

511
00:39:53.920 --> 00:39:59.920
these girls come to us and they
know it's interesting. And these young

512
00:40:00.079 --> 00:40:02.239
girls then talk to other young girls
and they say, no, we go

513
00:40:02.400 --> 00:40:07.639
places, we do things, we're
learning things, and they're so excited to

514
00:40:07.719 --> 00:40:13.239
be able to get out of their
norm or even just what they're geographically just

515
00:40:13.360 --> 00:40:17.159
forced into. So I think it's
the exposure and the education that really gets

516
00:40:17.199 --> 00:40:22.840
girls at our to our door.
So I would describe that as a kind

517
00:40:22.840 --> 00:40:27.920
of an organic approach and where you're
just you're there and people have known new

518
00:40:27.920 --> 00:40:30.719
word of word of mouth, and
they're connected to you, they feel connected

519
00:40:30.719 --> 00:40:32.360
to you, they know of you
at three degrees or whatever, six degree

520
00:40:32.480 --> 00:40:38.400
of separation. I think that is
a very refreshing approach, Selena. And

521
00:40:38.480 --> 00:40:42.880
granted it will be a little different
from our other cities or other markets,

522
00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:45.840
right because I am I am a
product of the community. So we you

523
00:40:45.840 --> 00:40:49.840
know, when we look at Dallas, when we look at Austin, we'll

524
00:40:49.880 --> 00:40:53.320
have to establish but those relationships and
connections. But like you mentioned, at

525
00:40:53.400 --> 00:40:58.079
least at the end of the day
is the collaboration. If we already go

526
00:40:58.119 --> 00:41:01.480
into cities knowing that you know this, this isn't necessarily my space, but

527
00:41:01.679 --> 00:41:07.440
our space, and where can we
work together, it will just allow these

528
00:41:07.480 --> 00:41:10.880
young girls to come to come into
the program at a much faster rate.

529
00:41:12.039 --> 00:41:15.119
And of course, we tailor our
program, so for instance, we'll be

530
00:41:15.159 --> 00:41:20.360
at an elementary school, we'll do
we'll provide a speaking series. We actually

531
00:41:20.440 --> 00:41:23.920
go into a high school and in
elementary school, so it's a very tailored

532
00:41:23.960 --> 00:41:30.440
program in addition to our twelve week
curriculum that we provide. Well, that's

533
00:41:30.679 --> 00:41:34.440
that. I definitely want to talk
more about that, because I'm really impressed

534
00:41:34.480 --> 00:41:37.639
that you've got these three solid programs, at least three that I can tell

535
00:41:37.679 --> 00:41:39.599
from your website. And I know
how much it takes to create a full

536
00:41:39.639 --> 00:41:43.800
on program because I've done that myself, and hats off for doing three of

537
00:41:43.800 --> 00:41:46.840
them. You've already said something about
the scholar program that's for the girls right

538
00:41:46.840 --> 00:41:51.480
in the middle school and the high
school girls. Is that right? Okay?

539
00:41:51.719 --> 00:41:53.239
Is there more about that program that
you'd like us, like us to

540
00:41:53.280 --> 00:41:57.840
know than we've already said? Of
course, And I think the one thing

541
00:41:57.880 --> 00:42:02.679
will our end goal for this program, the scholar program is not only the

542
00:42:02.719 --> 00:42:07.880
exposure of what we're teaching them,
but when they get to the age or

543
00:42:07.960 --> 00:42:10.400
you know, the grade of eleventh
and twelve, our young girls are,

544
00:42:10.519 --> 00:42:15.880
we're having to compete with them going
to go to a fast food And there's

545
00:42:15.960 --> 00:42:20.079
nothing wrong with that job, because
these young ladies have to bring money food

546
00:42:20.079 --> 00:42:23.519
to the table themselves and their families
most of them. But if we can

547
00:42:23.639 --> 00:42:30.800
expose them through actually matching, connecting
them for not just an internship, but

548
00:42:30.880 --> 00:42:35.199
a paid internship, so we don't
raise money for scholarships, We actually raise

549
00:42:35.239 --> 00:42:38.880
money to pay these young ladies to
match a company or to even pay them

550
00:42:38.880 --> 00:42:45.159
fully ourselves, so that we change
their trajectory and exposure into various professions.

551
00:42:45.400 --> 00:42:51.559
And that's ultimately how we're going to
get more women into the workforce and prepare

552
00:42:51.639 --> 00:42:55.360
them so that we have more diversity
at the table as well. So smart,

553
00:42:55.719 --> 00:43:00.400
it's just so smart. Now,
what about the pro program? What

554
00:43:00.519 --> 00:43:02.920
is who's that for and what do
you do there? Of course, so

555
00:43:04.280 --> 00:43:08.079
it would be ideally it would be
for a twenty to forty year old individual

556
00:43:08.119 --> 00:43:13.880
woman. That is that whether they're
working through college or just interested in boards

557
00:43:13.880 --> 00:43:17.639
as they start to learn about the
concept. Or you have a female professional

558
00:43:17.800 --> 00:43:22.800
that you know is really eager to
get that promotion, but you know they've

559
00:43:22.800 --> 00:43:28.440
been out of school. There's various
programs, but this is very hands on

560
00:43:28.679 --> 00:43:32.679
intent. So we're very intentional about
what we're teaching. And it's because we

561
00:43:32.800 --> 00:43:36.880
know what it takes. And so
I go back to the Robert rules of

562
00:43:36.960 --> 00:43:40.800
order, knowing how to structure meeting, knowing that the importance of what's on

563
00:43:40.800 --> 00:43:45.800
the agenda, Knowing not only how
to negotiate your wages, but you know,

564
00:43:45.920 --> 00:43:50.480
really enhance your public speaking. And
of course, at the end of

565
00:43:50.480 --> 00:43:54.159
the day, if you cannot read
financial reports and you just glaze over,

566
00:43:54.559 --> 00:43:59.119
you know it during that time of
the meeting, you're really not going to

567
00:43:59.159 --> 00:44:04.800
be as engaged, aged or fruitful
to the board or the organization if you

568
00:44:04.960 --> 00:44:09.679
don't if you're not continuously offering that
learning for yourself. So that's really what

569
00:44:09.719 --> 00:44:15.320
we do. But I will say
more specifically that any of our BRP pro

570
00:44:15.480 --> 00:44:20.760
will come to us, they'll get
interviewed, we will build out a board

571
00:44:20.840 --> 00:44:25.039
profile for them, and so we
are also able to match them with organizations

572
00:44:25.119 --> 00:44:30.559
or companies based off of their passion
and say, look, I have an

573
00:44:30.559 --> 00:44:36.559
individual who is prepared and has gone
through BRP training and they're ready to now

574
00:44:36.599 --> 00:44:39.760
serve on a board. And so
we really, we really are matchmakers in

575
00:44:39.800 --> 00:44:44.119
that sense. But it's very hands
on. It's not like, hey,

576
00:44:44.199 --> 00:44:46.039
let's throw someone in your way.
You know, I don't want to waste

577
00:44:46.079 --> 00:44:51.320
that young person's time, and I
certainly don't want to waste that the company

578
00:44:51.360 --> 00:44:55.639
or organization's time of having to have
consistent board members. Of course, not

579
00:44:55.800 --> 00:45:00.880
totally, it would dilute your whole
cause I got that. And then finally

580
00:45:00.920 --> 00:45:02.679
you have a link program, who's
that for? And what do you do?

581
00:45:04.400 --> 00:45:07.920
Of course? So our Beer Pink
Link is truly, truly at the

582
00:45:07.960 --> 00:45:14.639
core is the collaboration. And so
whether we're linking organizations, whether we're linking

583
00:45:14.719 --> 00:45:21.119
individuals or linking opportunities, you know, it's it's what we know is that

584
00:45:21.199 --> 00:45:24.800
we have to continue to add to
our social network, We have to continue

585
00:45:24.840 --> 00:45:30.960
to add to our social capital,
and the only way we're going to do

586
00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:35.599
that is by connecting with one another. So whatever that person or individual or

587
00:45:35.639 --> 00:45:40.440
even organizations needs, maybe how can
we link them with other people that can

588
00:45:40.480 --> 00:45:45.199
serve, if not fulfill that need
of the company, and so a fundamentally

589
00:45:45.280 --> 00:45:52.559
link is synonymous with collaboration. I
do something like that in my Purpose on

590
00:45:52.639 --> 00:45:57.599
Fire nonprofit that I run as well, So I certainly recognize that. Now,

591
00:45:57.679 --> 00:46:00.880
as I mentioned earlier, I can
fully imagine that there were people listening

592
00:46:00.920 --> 00:46:02.440
to this that are leaning in going
oh my gosh, pick me. I

593
00:46:02.480 --> 00:46:06.679
really need to be involved. I
want to help. What is the best

594
00:46:06.679 --> 00:46:09.920
way for them to contact you and
get into communication? Of course, so

595
00:46:09.960 --> 00:46:16.079
you can reach me via email Selena
Sa. Just remember San Antonio Sa l

596
00:46:16.199 --> 00:46:22.719
e NA at Boardroom Project dot org
is my direct email. You of course

597
00:46:22.760 --> 00:46:27.880
can find us on social media,
whether it's Twitter, linked In, Instagram,

598
00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:34.239
or Facebook, and all of it
is at Boardroom Project wonderful. So

599
00:46:34.480 --> 00:46:38.000
finally, this show Selena is listened
to across the globe. It's syndicated on

600
00:46:38.079 --> 00:46:43.239
about twenty eight different platforms, and
it's really designed to help listeners across the

601
00:46:43.280 --> 00:46:46.719
globe to meaningfully and productively connect with
their work. What would you like to

602
00:46:46.760 --> 00:46:51.440
leave our listeners with? Given that, so, at the end of the

603
00:46:51.559 --> 00:46:59.519
day, regardless of the impact that
we may have or the people or communities

604
00:46:59.519 --> 00:47:02.599
that we are serving, we have
to take care of ourselves. And you

605
00:47:02.639 --> 00:47:06.480
know, I come from a lot
of trauma, a lot of family and

606
00:47:06.519 --> 00:47:12.159
community trauma, but I recognize that
the one person I need to take care

607
00:47:12.199 --> 00:47:15.679
of the most is myself, not
only as a wife and a business owner

608
00:47:15.719 --> 00:47:21.400
and a community leader, but I
really do no one any good unless I

609
00:47:21.480 --> 00:47:24.039
take care of myself. So you
know, that self awareness, that self

610
00:47:24.119 --> 00:47:30.119
care. It is only because I
make that a priority that I'm able to

611
00:47:30.159 --> 00:47:35.480
do all of this. So,
you know, multiple chapters and a nonprofit

612
00:47:35.559 --> 00:47:39.199
of business. We also have a
drywall business, so you know, really

613
00:47:39.239 --> 00:47:45.440
making sure that you have a balance
in life and really just taking care of

614
00:47:45.480 --> 00:47:51.760
yourself. So I just want to
highly emphasize that to any professional that's out

615
00:47:51.760 --> 00:47:53.719
there in the world, that you
have to take care of yourself first.

616
00:47:54.840 --> 00:47:58.119
Selena, that is a beautiful way
to finish. And if I can't just

617
00:47:58.199 --> 00:48:00.599
one quick follow on question to that, We've got just maybe maybe thirty seconds

618
00:48:00.639 --> 00:48:04.760
if you can answer this. So
many people when I'm out speaking say all

619
00:48:04.840 --> 00:48:07.199
these you know, this whole passion
purpose thing sounds really good, but I

620
00:48:07.239 --> 00:48:09.280
don't have time at the end of
the day. I'm just there's no time.

621
00:48:09.800 --> 00:48:13.159
How would you address that? Given
all the things that you're doing,

622
00:48:14.800 --> 00:48:19.760
so you know, all of our
responsibilities vary from household to household, individual

623
00:48:19.800 --> 00:48:22.480
to individual. At the end of
the time, at the end of the

624
00:48:22.559 --> 00:48:25.760
day, if you're passionate, if
you know that, that's what's going to

625
00:48:25.800 --> 00:48:30.000
make the world a better place.
It's not about time, it's about it's

626
00:48:30.000 --> 00:48:37.079
a matter of you know how much
energy and fight you're going to be you're

627
00:48:37.119 --> 00:48:40.440
going to put forward. So really
coming back to BRP being bold, being

628
00:48:40.480 --> 00:48:45.440
resilient, and being passionate, I
think time is something that we really live

629
00:48:45.559 --> 00:48:50.239
by and at the end of the
day, the impact that we'll have on

630
00:48:50.280 --> 00:48:54.000
our family and our communities and our
world, it won't be it won't be

631
00:48:54.119 --> 00:48:59.480
looked or seeing through the hour glass, but it will be seeing through the

632
00:48:59.519 --> 00:49:04.079
results that we put forth. Wow, beautiful way to finish and great answer.

633
00:49:04.119 --> 00:49:06.320
Selena. Thank you very much and
thank you for being on the show

634
00:49:06.320 --> 00:49:08.599
with us, taking the time from
your busy schedule to come and share your

635
00:49:08.599 --> 00:49:13.400
heart and soul with us. It's
been a beautiful contribution. Thank you at

636
00:49:13.440 --> 00:49:16.039
least for having me. You're welcome
listeners. You want to learn more about

637
00:49:16.039 --> 00:49:19.519
Selena and the work she and the
team are doing. There at the Boardroom

638
00:49:19.519 --> 00:49:22.039
Project. Go to their website.
As she said before, it's Boardroom Project

639
00:49:22.199 --> 00:49:25.280
dot org. Last week, if
you missed the show live, you can

640
00:49:25.280 --> 00:49:29.159
always catch it if your recorded podcast. We were on the air with Justin

641
00:49:29.239 --> 00:49:32.440
Barnes talking about Ika Guy, the
Japanese concept that is about finding a reason

642
00:49:32.480 --> 00:49:37.000
for being and living your best life. Next week, we'll be on the

643
00:49:37.039 --> 00:49:40.159
air of Susan Sokol Blosser. She's
an Oregon wine pioneering leader and an author

644
00:49:40.159 --> 00:49:44.519
of various books, and we'll be
talking about her experience and perspective on living

645
00:49:44.519 --> 00:49:47.159
a large and full life well past
retirement. See you there. Remember that

646
00:49:47.199 --> 00:49:51.000
works at least a third of our
life, So let's work on Purpose.

647
00:49:55.519 --> 00:50:00.599
We hope you've enjoyed this week's program. Be sure to tune in to Working

648
00:50:00.639 --> 00:50:05.840
on Purpose, featuring your host Alice
Cortez, each week on the Voice America

649
00:50:05.880 --> 00:50:09.559
Empowerment Channel. This week, find
your life's purpose at work.