Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to salute.

I'm your host Jenna Saucedo.

And I'm excited to introduce you to three stellar San Antonio leaders.

Over the next 30 minutes.

They're all extremely talented and they represent very diverse industries from athletics to education to healthcare.

Let's go learn more about how they're leading It can be said that all business women pack a good punch, but our next guest really packs a good punch.

In fact, she has to it's her business.

She's the CEO of mission pro wrestling, and she's an internationally recognized female wrestler.

The one, the only thunder Rosa, welcome Speaker 2: To the show.

Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1: So how did you turn your love of the sport?

Something that you were so good at wrestling into a business.

Speaker 2: Interesting.

And while we were doing, especially having strong matches, um, my husband and I, we decided that, uh, we should have great something.

And then on top of that, I felt like I wasn't getting the opportunities that I felt I, I deserve.

So I feel like I could help some of my friends, some of the people that I know that they had a lot of talent and help them not only to be seen, but also to make money and make money for, for our organization.

So that's how we created our first, um, promotion.

And then our second promotion, what became a mission pro wrestling.

And that has been very thankfully very lucrative because of what we're doing because we're promoting women's wrestling.

Speaker 1: So what does a day in the life of thunder Russell look like?

I know you travel, you've got a market, you've got a team.

Speaker 2: What does that look like for you?

It all depends on what I'm doing.

If I'm home, I usually get home from traveling.

I don't know.

I went in the morning, wake up at seven or eight, walk, the dog, feed the dog, feed my husband, go to the gym after the dog, after the dog, I'll make sure I spend some time with my son comes from home, spend time with him for a one or two hours.

And, um, if there's any business that I have to do after that, I have to pack.

Cause the next day is usually travel day.

Then from there, there's like always something that I have to do in terms of like with the promote, uh, with a promotion and I'm working now a w so I am busy or Speaker 1: So I understand that you did some work out in the bay area and you were actually in social work.

Yes.

And you transitioned to wrestling and then now to managing your brand and your business.

So what, what actually fueled that transition for you?

Speaker 2: For me, wrestling wrestling found me, uh, I wasn't a point in my career and where I was very depressed.

Like the job that I had was very, very tough.

Being a social worker.

A lot of people don't understand where underpay and we overworked all the time and, um, wrestling was my, my out.

And then when I noticed that I could start making money, I was like, oh, maybe he's just going to dive in.

And when we realize the possibilities of what I could become in the professional wrestling business and my husband and I, this is, we made the decision together.

We're going to dive in full force.

I quit my job.

He work so I could have insurance.

And I started traveling all over the country, slipping on floors.

And then when I start seeing that people started liking what I was doing.

And then, um, and then I start seeing that there was a market for having women's professional wrestling shows.

I was like, oh, maybe I can invest some of this money that I'm making to make opportunities for other girls.

So that's how we started growing our brand with like having shows in different states, uh, or in different cities.

I'd never run a show where I live.

And, um, and we treated everybody with respect.

I decided that if I was going to do something and if I was going to sacrifice time, money, and everything else, I was going to do it the right way.

And that was what was about building other women and other men pub in a positive way, if that was by mentoring them, by helping them with their merchandise, by helping them with opportunities and other places that was it.

And I think that's how we slowly, but surely we'll be building thunder, Rosa in now, mission pro wrestling all over the country, which we are a definitely a very different brown than any other women, women promotions that are out there every time before the show.

And after the show, I do like a motivational speaker, right?

It was beach.

And some people get it, some people don't, but again, it's like I said, it's not about me at the end of the day.

It's about them and where they can go.

And thanks to that, like, doors have been opened for many promotions for some, some of the girls that have come and work for us.

So I know that what we're doing, it's, it's, it means a lot because again, they just, somebody, they just need somebody that says you can do this.

Uh, it's going to be okay and you have talents just don't give up.

It was, believe me when I first got into, into TV, the first thing that I heard is like, you're stupid.

What are you doing here?

You have no, you have no business being here.

You don't, you don't, you can't wrestle.

I heard it over and over and over and over again that that scars you for life.

So that's what I said.

If I work with a young woman and she's nervous and she's won her first match on TV, I'm going to make sure that she has the best experience in her life, because I don't want her to go through what I went through.

So this is, Speaker 1: Um, just so much more than wrestling for you.

It's a business, you're managing budgets, you're marketing, you're selling, you're managing people.

You're inspiring people.

I mean, this is the definition of leadership.

Speaker 2: Absolutely.

And you know, and that's what I want for my legacy to be, was like, she was able to build a community of very strong women that were ready to take on the professional wrestling business in a different way.

What drives, Speaker 1: What is your, what is your motivation every day?

You're firing the belly that keeps, Speaker 2: I want to be one of the most, uh, influential and successful Mexican born wrestlers.

I mean, I've traveled the world and I never seen a woman that was born in Mexico that came to the United States and strain in the United States and being like super successful.

He's always the man, right?

Eddie Guerrero.

You said you have a Raymond stereo, but I never really seen a woman like that.

You know, like being the example for the Latinas.

And, and that's what drives me when a woman of any color, I have had so many different people from 70 different backgrounds that written letters, and they had just come to me in a meet and greets.

And they say, because of you, I changed the way that I live my life because of you.

I am, um, you know, motivated to, to reach my dreams.

And the ones that get me the most is like all my Latina sisters, I come and they're like, you know what, sister, it was about time that somebody that looks like you, that is driven in that is like so passionate about what you do.

It's on TV.

And this is not the typical Mexican chola, or it's not the typical stereotypical person that comes on TV is, is you it's it's that, that woman is not somebody that they created it.

I think that's one of the things that motivated my most.

Speaker 1: Yeah.

And it's, it's authentic.

So did you have anybody that you looked up after, or that you were inspired by when you were just starting out in wrestling?

Speaker 2: I'm not in wrestling.

I, before wrestling, I used to do a lot of, um, organizing for students.

Uh, I work as a social worker for a long time in the bay area.

And a lot of the people that were my bosses or mentors were women.

Uh, one of them, what we'll say her name is.

She was my, uh, my mentor in college.

And she's one of the strongest women.

I know she was very driven.

She had a very strong team, so I observed what she did.

And whenever I had an issue, like she definitely, um, helped me a lot.

And then in high school, like the teachers that pushed me the most was when I was like at my lowest, cause I couldn't go to college at that time.

It was my English teacher and my history teacher and both of them were females.

Like they offered to give him money for me to go to college.

Things, took me to college to take the test.

Like they went out of their way to help somebody that, you know, she had had a dream and a drive is definitely number one.

Um, she had a lot of kids and she was one of the main organizers for the farm workers movement.

And she never really got the accolades that she deserved.

Like she was the backbone of that movement.

But when I met her and I got to talk to her, I was like, yeah, I want to be, I want to be like her, if it's, if it's in the community, helping the students that I was helping.

And now with professionals wrestling is helping other women that are not represented in the business.

So I think that's, those are the women that they gave him.

How many obstacles to do what they believe it was.

Right.

And I think now myself, I feel like I don't have any obstacles to continue to do what I think is right, because you've Speaker 1: Through so many obstacles and challenges giving me one or two, what was the biggest challenge that you've had to overcome in your career?

Speaker 2: Not getting opportunities and be nor seen, like always saying like, you're good, but you're not good enough.

Um, you know, we don't, we don't like your, what you have on, let me put your mask on.

So always like putting me back on the goal of selling, you know, stereotypical, why do you have to put me on a mask?

Why?

Because I'm Mexican because of where I grew up.

You don't believe in what I have.

You don't believe in this.

All right.

So I make sure that I show everybody every time I was in the ring that I needed, I didn't need to have a mask.

That thunder also was going to come out one day and I just need a one person to believe in me, like one and to give me a chance to really, so I could really show who I really was.

And I was thankful that somebody did that for me.

Speaker 1: Wow.

So if you had one piece of advice to give other Latinas that are looking to follow in your footsteps, both on the, the business track, wrestling, track, you name it, you've been successful in so many different rights.

What would that advice be?

Speaker 2: You can not give up when somebody tells you, you know, what three people tell, you know, when 10 people tell, you know, when things are really bad and you're just getting, you're not tossed around and nobody cares for you.

And you just feel like you're like going to give the current.

You can not give up.

That's when you're getting the closest to your role.

Like I, for me, I remember I was talking to my husband.

I'm like, and I remember telling him in 2019, I'm ready to hang the boots.

And then things started happen for me.

And some of them, we have to make that happen.

Sometimes you just have to force people to see what you're capable often.

That's what we did preservation.

Speaker 1: Yeah.

On pushing through.

It also sounds like you've got a great support system and your team and your family supporting you along the way Speaker 2: As you, and you have to be, you know, aware that it takes a village.

You know, sometimes you need to help yourself to get where you need to get.

Like, you can just like, you know, be trade people and do everything that you want to do just to get where you want to get.

I mean, you can't do that.

That'd be some people do that.

But for me is that that's not they'll sound on my ethics.

My ethics were always be respectful and don't take advantage of people.

Right.

And, um, and I now, where I am, I tried to like surround myself with those type of people that have the same type of mentality that they're driven and the want to do something for little license, Speaker 1: Push through, give back to others and surround yourself with quality.

People.

Love it.

So before we wrap, how was I really supposed to introduce them to, Speaker 2: From the graveyards off Tijuana, Mexico, Speaker 1: Dahlia, and many Latinas are proud of our first, what were you first out in your family First to make vegan enchiladas?

My grandmother would roll over in her grave, but on a serious note, first to graduate high school, first to go to college, receive a master's first woman business owner in my core family.

Uh, first be Theo Speaker 2: Uh, love for education and a passion for authentic community engagement.

Those two things.

Describe our next guest Dalia Florida's extremely well.

Her career has taken her from the classroom to the boardroom.

She's been a teacher, a principal, a superintendent.

And today she's the CEO of Citi education partners.

Dalia.

Welcome to the show.

Speaker 1: I'm ask you if it's good to be here.

So education, Speaker 2: Why did you pursue education as a career?

Speaker 1: I grew up in the west side of San Antonio.

My parents and grandparents came from.

They were entrepreneurs, small business owners in the west side.

Um, but we also had a lot of challenges growing up in poverty.

Um, you know, made it very difficult by the time I graduated high school, that was my 19th move.

Um, and so when I went into high school, I was reading at a third grade reading level.

I had never passed a formal standardized test.

Um, I was angry and I had really amazing teachers.

Um, but the two teachers, three teachers that I really look back and attribute my success to, they showed me love and they were like a really good realtor.

If you've ever had a good realtor, you know, you'll tell them everything you want.

They take you to your first house.

And you're like, what is this?

I wanted an open floor plan.

I wanted, you know, wood floors and there's carpet.

And they'll say, no, you can knock down walls and you can lay down floor.

They see things for possibilities, not for the current situation.

And that's what these teachers did.

They saw me for my potential and they treated me that way every day until I believed it for myself, whether I deserved it or not.

And that type of love is what was transformational for me.

I wanted to do that for other students.

And so teaching was the way to go.

It was a way to connect and give back.

And I felt like, you know, if you can understand your students, if you can relate to them, if they can see themselves in you a lot can happen.

So Speaker 2: What drove the transition from the classroom to the boardroom to city education partners Speaker 1: We're at today?

So when I was a classroom teacher, I'd have my, you know, principal evaluation and someone would come into my classroom once a year and give me feedback.

And we would receive all of these directives from somewhere up above.

And there was always a curiosity, well, like who's making this decision and where is this coming from?

And so I always wanted to grow up and up and up, right?

So I went to the school principal and it was like, okay, is a school principal.

I can make an impact across classrooms.

And then things would come from central office that didn't really make sense and felt very disconnected from the work.

And so I said, well, what's happening at central office.

Let's go there.

Um, and so it's always been this like desire to understand the system and how the large is connected to the whole and, you know, broader pieces connected to what's happening on the ground.

And that's kind of led me to city education partners as well.

City education partners seeks to make an impact across San Antonio.

And, you know, the things that we do are going to impact the classroom.

And so I feel like it's really important to have that continuity, that connection, that pulse, and make sure that we are actually helping and not hurting, not further creating more challenges and barriers for teachers and leaders.

Speaker 2: It sounds like you were trying to find your means of influencing for the greater good in all of these different capacities and Citi education partners really has that kind of broad, broader scope to influence more or at scale.

Yes, I would say so beyond city education partners.

So you're also an entrepreneur.

I understand you make earrings and do some other things.

Tell me about these other Speaker 1: Indoors.

I do.

I do.

I think about my NCI, right?

My ancestors are antepasados and you know, they taught me that our hands are tools, right?

My grandmother owned a Molino.

My grandfather repaired Ford pickup trucks.

They always did things with their hands, whether it was creating beautiful things, making food, creating music, uh, and so that passion for creation that creativity, that ingenuity has always been a part of the fiber of our Familia.

So I own a business, a clay earring business called Jingo, not clay S a and I make polymeric clay earrings like this clay earring here and have sold earrings across Japan, Mexico, China, Canada, and with many Chingona gonads across San Antonio in Texas.

Um, so that's one really fun place where, you know, we're bringing our and our identity to our culture and our pride in our culture, you know, talking about what it looks like, what does a Latina CEO look like?

Sound like, feel like, you know, she's got colorful, um, clothing, she's got red lipstick and she has big earrings, you know, and that's professional and that's acceptable.

Um, and so we're trying to challenge, you know, old concepts of professionalism, bring the old of wheel and pride to our culture, um, and just help feel celebrated for the hard work that they're doing and what they're doing in their communities.

Speaker 2: Did you have any examples or mentors that you look to emulate along the, Speaker 1: Oh my goodness.

Absolutely.

I remember Ms. Wanda pagodas.

I hope she sees this.

She was my science teacher.

Um, you know, when I first went into physics, I got a D maybe even an F my first semester.

And I was like sciences for not for me.

I, I don't understand it.

And she just, her persistence with me until it just like a light bulb turned on and she never gave up.

Mr. Sherdon was a teacher that did that to Ms. McGuire.

Um, she taught me to be a debater and a national public speaker.

Um, those, those teachers were, um, incredibly empowering because they helped me see what was inside and they helped me persist through failure.

Right.

And really shift my relationship with failure.

Those coaches, mentors, even in the field, I have found, um, women of color.

I've had some phenomenal women of color coaches and mentors in Chicago when I lived there.

And in Tulsa, that really helped me figure out Dahlia, you're a gatekeeper, you're in a system and institution and you hold power.

You're at the table.

What does it mean for you to be at the table?

And how are you changing things so that you're leaving it better than you found it, so that other Latinas behind you and other women behind you and other leaders behind you don't have to deal with the challenges and barriers that you dealt with.

And so they really pushed me not to just settle for being good at the jobs, but for changing the conditions to create equity in, Speaker 2: What are some of the biggest challenges that you've had to deal with in your career or that you're dealing with now that you're working through and how are you doing?

Speaker 1: Ooh, I would say the imposter syndrome.

It was I'm doubting myself second guessing myself, not thinking that I was worthy or smart enough or experienced enough for spaces.

Um, I feel like that, you know, it was like chains on me.

It put a lid on me and it didn't allow me to challenge myself challenged systems and create beautiful things.

Um, I would say also fear of failure, right?

Because as women and women of color in the field, we have to work 10 times harder, harder.

We have to be perfect.

We can't make mistakes.

You know, we don't have the safety networks or, um, you know, systems to, to make a mistake and pick up from it quickly.

Right.

The grace isn't always there.

Um, and so that's been an incredibly big challenge.

And then also, you know, the, the, um, the weight on our shoulders, I was told by a mentor, if you're not at the table, you're on the menu.

And so it creates the need for us to be in different seats, right.

That seat, that board seat opens up that committee commissioner seat opens up, that CEO seat opens up.

You've got to put yourself there, which means a lot of pressure, you know, work-life balance really, isn't a thing I always say, it's not work-life balance.

It's, work-life violet, right?

It's like a reasonable, how do you get into the rhythm of making all things work?

Um, and then sometimes just saying, you know what, I know I have a slew of meetings today.

I'm canceling them.

I need a mental health day.

I'm going to watch, um, you know, meaningless television or I'm going to go shopping, or I'm going to go sit in a chair outside and read a book and that's okay.

Right.

So creating the spaces for us to take care of ourselves while we're in the movement and taking those seats so that we can make change in our company.

I think that's the only way you can actually drive that level of positive influence.

If you're taking care of yourself, you can take care of others.

Yes.

Thank you so much for your feedback and for being with us on the show.

Thank you For having me Would you consider work-life balance a challenge?

You know, being a mother of two young boys, I think that oftentimes you think that you have to be the best at everything and not drop any plates at any time, but you're going to have to, at some time, do you know, just kind of give, obviously for me, one of my priorities is my family and my kids.

So if other things have to be put on the back burner, that's okay.

Because I have to give myself that Liberty to focus on what's the most important to me.

I think that's a perfectionist in all of us, but I've been told the mom guilt will always be there.

So understand that and be okay with that.

Absolutely.

Uh, drive to not only heal, but also to serve our local community that describes our next guest.

Dr. Erica Gonzalez extremely well.

She is the CEO of stamp allergy.

She's a veteran, she's a mother, she's a doctor and a CEO, but wait, there's more, she's also extremely involved with central Catholic high school and she serves on the mayor's commission for the status of women.

Erica, welcome to the show.

Thank you so much for having me.

So tell us about stamp allergy.

What, what does this organization do At Stanford?

Allergy is a specialty clinic and we specialize in treating patients with different types of allergies, asthma, and immunology.

And so a big focus of ours is preventative medicine.

So the past couple of years, I'm assuming have been extremely hard for you as they've been for the rest of the medical industry and medical fields.

Um, how's it worked out.

I know it's really something like we've never seen before.

Um, and we are seeing a lot of patients with very, very different problems.

Um, a lot of them related to COVID.

So I think there's just a lot that we're seeing that we weren't expecting or that's new to us.

And that we're still learning a lot about As a CEO and doctor.

How much time do you spend handling the administration here in your office versus doctor?

So, you know, that's an interesting question.

Cause pre pandemic, I probably was doing more doctoring.

Uh, now I'm having to spend a lot more time on the administrative side, making sure things are still running the way that they should be.

So I've had to bring in people to help me do some of the doctoring.

I like how you went with that.

Made-up word doctoring.

Um, this verb, no me what inspired you to become a doctor?

Yeah, but that brings a real thing.

Right.

And that's the way people kind of, you know, relate to it.

But I think I knew at a very young age, I wanted to do something to help others.

And my family, I come from a family of a lot of different healthcare professionals.

My mom was a doctor of dental surgery.

My dad was a physician assistant.

And so that's what was familiar to me.

I felt comfortable with that.

I knew what it was.

I think that naturally kind of gravitated me towards a career in the medical field.

So you were also in the air force for, I think 10 years.

That's correct.

Did that help shape your leadership or were there mentors or maybe books that informed your leadership style and capacity?

Well, the air force definitely did.

Um, I think that they kind of, uh, help you be a leader sometimes just by throwing you into a situation, telling you, figure it out.

Um, and you have no other choice, but to figure it out because at the end of the day, they're going to come back to you and make sure like, Hey, if it didn't work, why didn't it work?

So that definitely was something that helped shape my leadership skills.

Uh, but mentors have played a very important role all along the way.

Um, and I've always said that if it wasn't for my mentors, I wouldn't be where I am today.

So Throughout the course of, um, becoming educated and then now in your medical profession, what have been some of the biggest challenges that you've had to deal with and overcome?

Um, so I think one of the hardest things for me was, you know, you work your way up and you'd get a seat at the table and you're all excited.

And then you go to the table and you realize there's no one else that looks like you sounds like you.

Um, and so oftentimes it's very hard to be taken seriously, um, to have your voice heard sometimes because people think you look too young or, you know, they dismiss you for whatever reason, whatever biases they have.

And so learning to navigate in that environment was probably one of the biggest challenges for me With saying that what would be the advice you would give a young woman that's looking to follow in your career?

So the best advice was the advice that was given to me because that was really difficult for me sometimes to, to kind of know exactly what to do.

And then oftentimes thinking, I'm just checking off the box, they've got the female, they've got the Latina, um, and kind of, that's why I'm there.

And I got told, who cares, why you have a seat at the table?

You have it now, show them what you can do.

And so basically just focusing on the opportunity versus, you know, maybe all the things that are working against you, uh, is probably been the best thing.

Cause you just focus on being you doing what you normally do.

And at the end it's going to show.

So That's a great advice I'm going to, I'm going to think through that as well.

So what's the best advice that you've been given, but you never took, Um, probably learning how to sing no more.

And I'm starting to take that advice a little bit more, but in the beginning it just, wasn't something that came naturally to me, especially being in a field where, you know, you're there to take care of others.

So you're like, yes, yes, yes.

And so pulling, you know, you find yourself in a situation where you don't know how to say no.

And so sometimes your place just too full to actually be productive.

Um, and so that was probably something I wish I would have learned and taken to heart a little bit earlier in my career.

Excellent Advice for all of us.

Thank you so much for being On the show.

Yes, absolutely.

Was great to be here.

That's a wrap.

Thank you so much for joining us on Salude celebrating San Antonio's Latino leaders today.

We had a chance to hear from thunder Rosa about passion and perseverance.

We heard from Dahlia Florida's Contrarez about authenticity and from Dr. Erica Gonzalez about balance and perspective.

Thank you so much for joining us.

We'll see you.

Next time.

Salute is presented by Texas mutual insurance company, WorkSafe, Texas.