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I'M DR. EDDIE TAYLOR, PRESIDENT OF DALLAS COLLEGE EASTFIELD CAMPUS.[Dallas College Walking in Her Shoes: Embracing Equity]
I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO TODAY'S EVENT.IT IS A GREAT EVENT AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREAT CONVERSATION THIS MORNING.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE EVERYONE HERE.
THIS YEAR'S THEME IS EMBRACING EQUITY.
WE ARE SO APPRECIATIVE TO HAVE EVERYONE HERE, WHETHER YOU'RE HERE IN PERSON OR ATTENDING VIRTUALLY.
NOW, IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO INTRODUCE OUR DALLAS COLLEGE CHANCELLOR, DR.
I APPRECIATE THAT AND APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE AND BEING WITH US ONLINE.
WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION TODAY.
YOU KNOW, ABOUT 60% OF DALLAS COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE WOMEN AND 56% OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE WOMEN.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE STOCK AND REFLECT TODAY AND SHARE A LITTLE BIT AS YOU'LL HEAR FROM THIS AMAZING GROUP, THESE PANELISTS, THEIR THEIR JOURNEYS.
AND WE'RE ALSO REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE LEADERSHIP THAT WE HAVE ON OUR BOARD.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR BOARD IS FEMALE AND OUR BOARD CHAIR, MONICA LIRA BRAVO, WHO IS HOSTING US TODAY AND PUT THIS TOGETHER AND IS HELPING LEAD THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEEN ON OUR BOARD FOR FOR SEVEN YEARS AND HAS SERVED AS AND CONTINUES TO SERVE AS OUR BOARD CHAIR. SHE'S INCREDIBLY ACCOMPLISHED.
AND SHE'S AN ACCOMPLISHED ATTORNEY AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNER THAT GIVES OF HER TIME AND IS A REAL COMMUNITY SERVANT AND CARES DEEPLY ABOUT OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR JOURNEY.
SO WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER HERE TO LEAD THIS CONVERSATION.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR CHAIR.
THEN AND IF YOU'RE IN YOUR OFFICE OR AT HOME STREAMING, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING TODAY.
WE HOPE THAT YOU ARE INSPIRED BY THE THE WORDS OF THESE WONDERFUL WOMEN NEXT TO ME.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE A FEW TIDBITS ABOUT WHAT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2022 AND SOME STATISTICS FOR WOMEN. SO AS OF 2022, MORE THAN ONE THIRD OF THE ACTIVE PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE IN THE UNITED STATES WAS FEMALE.
DINA BALUARTE BECAME PERU'S FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT IN DECEMBER 2022.
JACKSON WAS CONFIRMED AS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO SERVE ON THE US SUPREME COURT.
BUT EVEN AS GREAT AS THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE, THERE IS STILL SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE.
AS WE SPEND TODAY EMBRACING EQUITY, I ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO PONDER THESE FACTS.
TO 10% OF WOMEN OR 10% OF GIRLS AGED 15 TO 24 ARE ILLITERATE.
FEMALE STEM GRADUATES MAKE UP JUST SLIGHTLY OVER 35% OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF GRADUATES.
AND IN 2020, ONLY 18% OF BUSINESSES SURVEYED HAD A FEMALE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.
SO PONDER THOSE IN RECONCILIATE.
DOES THIS SOUND RIGHT TO YOU? THIS IS SOMETHING WE'LL EXPLORE TODAY ON THE PANEL.
I AM A NATIVE OF DALLAS, BUT I AM THE DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS FROM MEXICO.
TEXAS TECH FOR LAW SCHOOL, HAVE BEEN PRACTICING IMMIGRATION LAW FOR 15 YEARS.
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12 YEARS.WE ARE AT EASTFIELD COLLEGE BECAUSE EASTVALE JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE IN MY DISTRICT.
THERE ARE SEVEN TRUSTEES ON OUR BOARD, FOUR WHO ARE WOMEN OUT OF SEVEN, SO YAY US.
BUT I JUST HAVE TO SAY, IF YOU JUST IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, IF YOU LIVE IN MY DISTRICT, MY DISTRICT GOES ALL THE WAY FROM EAST DALLAS, MOCKINGBIRD ABRAMS AREA, ALL THE WAY SOUTH DOWN TO SEAGOVILLE.
IF YOU LIVE IN PLEASANT GROVE, MESQUITE, BALCH SPRINGS, SEAGOVILLE, YOU'RE IN MY DISTRICT.
BUT AS BOARD CHAIR, I REPRESENT ALL OF DALLAS COUNTY.
SHE WAS ELECTED TO THE FIFTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS IN NOVEMBER 2020.
AND I DO BELIEVE SHE WAS THE FIRST LATINA ELECTED IN DALLAS COUNTY AS A JUDGE.
IS THAT RIGHT? AS DISTRICT? YES. YES.
SHE HAS A LONG HISTORY OF CONTRIBUTING TO LEGAL EDUCATION.
OVER THE YEARS, SHE HAS WRITTEN AND TAUGHT ON TOPICS SUCH AS FAMILY LAW, CHILD WELFARE, LEGAL ETHICS, LITIGATION, STRATEGY, DISCOVERY, EVIDENCE, JUDGMENTS, MENTAL HEALTH AND THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND DOCKET MANAGEMENT.
SHE IS ALSO CURRENTLY RUNNING TO BE THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR DALLAS.
AND SO LOOK FOR HER ON THE BALLOT IN 2024.
PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME JUSTICE GARCIA.
OKAY. AND THEN TO HER LEFT, WE HAVE CHERYL RICHARDS, WHO SERVES AS THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OFFICER AT VISIT DALLAS. IN THIS POSITION, SHE HER DUTIES INCLUDE CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING.
MS.. RICHARDS, WHO HAS BEEN WITH VISIT DALLAS FOR 30 YEARS, SERVED AS VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC ALLIANCES AND WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ESTABLISHING THE MEMBERSHIP, SALES AND SERVICE STANDARD FOR VISIT DALLAS, OVERSEEING CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS, MEMBER BASED PUBLICATIONS AND DAILY OPERATIONS OF THE MEMBERS SALES AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT.
SHE HAS ALSO RECEIVED MANY AWARDS, INCLUDING THE 2017 DALLAS BUSINESS JOURNAL MINORITY BUSINESS LEADER AWARD, THE BLACK MEETING AND TOURISM APEX AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE, THE FRAZIER NET CORPORATE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD AND THE HIGH TEA WITH HIGH HEELS CRYSTAL STILETTO AWARD FROM THE ATLANTA BASED TRUMPET AWARDS FOUNDATION, WHICH SPOTLIGHTS WOMEN WHO HAVE MADE A MARK AND BREAK BARRIERS AS A WAY OF LIFE.
MS.. RICHARDS IS A GRADUATE OF UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS, WHERE SHE EARNED A BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE IN JOURNALISM, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND A MINOR IN BUSINESS MARKETING. PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME SHERYL RICHARDS.
VERONIQUE TRAN, WHICH MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW BECAUSE SHE DOES SERVE AS THE FOUNDING VICE PROVOST FOR DALLAS COLLEGE'S SCHOOL OF MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY, OR WHAT WE LIKE TO CALL MIT AS A SERVANT LEADER.
SHE SEEKS TO HELP OTHERS THROUGH OPENING DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY TO ALL WHO COME SEEKING LIFE CHANGING CAREERS BY DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE TRAINING PROGRAMS IN AREAS SUCH AS AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY, CONSTRUCTION SCIENCES, APPLIED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCES AND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING.
SHE HAS MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP, RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING.
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DR. TRAN EARNED HER BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND HER PHD IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING FROM UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER AT DALLAS AND UTA.DR. TRAN IS A VIETNAMESE AMERICAN IMMIGRANT, CHILD, REFUGEE, BILINGUAL FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE GRADUATE WIFE TO HER HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART, MOTHER OF TWO ADULT SON AND A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THEIR BIOS, WE HAVE SOME PRETTY AMAZING WOMEN JOINING US HERE TODAY.
AND WE TRY TO BE VERY CAREFUL IN SELECTING PANELISTS WITH DIFFERENT SKILL SETS, DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS, SO THAT HOPEFULLY ONE OF THEIR STORIES WILL RESONATE WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL.
OKAY. SO WE WILL START WITH A VERY EASY QUESTION, HOPEFULLY FOR EACH OF YOU.
IF YOU COULD EACH START START TALKING ABOUT WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE THE CAREER THAT YOU HAVE AND WHAT MAKES YOU THE MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR WORK.
AND WE'LL START WITH JUSTICE GARCIA.
INSPIRATION. INSPIRATION COMES FROM A NUMBER OF PLACES, RIGHT? AND YOU'LL HEAR ME. YEAH, I'LL TRY THIS.
INSPIRATION COMES FROM A NUMBER OF PLACES.
I THINK THE FIRST TIME I DECIDED THAT MAYBE I MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN AN AREA IN THE LAW.
AND SO I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FIGURED OUT MOST PEOPLE WHO BECAME PRESIDENT WERE LAWYERS FIRST.
AND AT THAT POINT, I JUST KIND OF SEEMED LIKE A FARAWAY DREAM.
MY MOM SAID, YOU ARGUE A LOT, YOU OUGHT TO BE A LAWYER.
AND MY EVERYBODY LAUGHED BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, A RIDICULOUS THING.
RIGHT. THIS WAS A HILARIOUS, RIDICULOUS THING TO SAY.
DON'T LAUGH AT THE LAWYER WHO'S A LAWYER.
AND SO THE ALL THE ALL OF THOSE LITTLE THINGS STARTED FORMING IN MY HEAD ABOUT WHY I COULD DO THIS THING, INCLUDING WATCHING MY AUNT GO THROUGH SOME LITIGATION AND UNDERSTAND THAT SHE HAD A LAWYER WHO WASN'T HELPING HER.
AND I THOUGHT, THAT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT.
SHE PAID ALL THE MONEY SHE HAD AND SHE DIDN'T GET ANY HELP FROM HER LAWYER.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO STEP IN AND FIX THAT AND DO DO A BETTER JOB.
AND THEN APPARENTLY I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BEING A JUDGE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
PEOPLE FROM COLLEGE WERE SAYING, WELL, YOU'RE FOLLOWING YOUR DREAM.
YOU SAID IN COLLEGE YOU WANTED TO BE A JUDGE.
THE THING THAT I'M MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT, I THINK, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WAS UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS A GAP, A GAP IN SERVICES IN THE LEGAL COMMUNITY FROM PEOPLE WHO NEED LEGAL SERVICES AND CAN'T AFFORD THEM AND THE PLACES WHERE THEY CAN GET HELP TO SOLVE THEIR LEGAL PROBLEMS. AND THAT GAP SEEMING TO BE VERY, VERY WIDE.
AND I, I REMEMBER SITTING IN COURT ONE DAY WAITING TO GET SOME ORDERS SIGNED AND WATCH A JUDGE.
YOU KNOW, HELPING PEOPLE PROCESS THEIR DIVORCES AND PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE LAWYERS.
SHE HAD A DOCKET CALLED THE PRO SE DOCKET SELF-REPRESENTED LITIGANTS DOCKET.
AND SHE LOOKED AT HIM AND SAID, SHE'S A VERY NICE LADY.
SHE WASN'T SHE WASN'T A PARTICULARLY MEAN LADY.
BUT SHE SAID, WHY DON'T YOU JUST GET A LAWYER? AND I COULD SEE THE LOOK IN HIS FACE OF KIND OF LIKE, YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM.
I MEAN, YOU DON'T YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT DIFFICULTY I HAD GETTING HERE.
AND I REMEMBER THINKING, THAT'S JUST SUCH A SHAME.
SOMEBODY SHOULD BRIDGE THAT GAP.
AND THEN A LIGHT BULB WENT OFF AND I WAS LIKE, I COULD BRIDGE THAT GAP.
I COULD BRIDGE THAT GAP BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN I WENT IN AS A JUDGE THE FIRST TIME, I REMEMBER THINKING, I WANT TO TREAT LITIGANTS WHO COME IN FRONT OF ME THE WAY THAT I WOULD EXPECT MY MOTHER TO BE TREATED IN COURT.
AND THAT WOULD NOT INVOLVE THE QUESTION WHY DON'T YOU JUST GET A LAWYER KNOWING HOW DIFFICULT THAT THAT WOULD BE FOR HER AND KNOWING THAT WHAT SHE WANTS IS A DIGNIFIED WAY TO GET THE THING DONE THAT SHE WANTS TO GET DONE.
AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WOMEN IN THE ROOM.
YOU SHOULD CELEBRATE YOURSELVES DURING THAT NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S MONTH.
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YOU KNOW, INSPIRATION COMES FROM, LIKE YOU SAID, SO MANY, SO MANY, SO MANY AREAS.AND I THINK MINE STARTED AS AS AS WELL AS A AS A CHILD.
AND YOU CAN TELL BY MY BIO THAT I'VE HAD SEVERAL ROLES AT AT AT VISIT DALLAS AND STARTED OUT IN JUST VERY AS A LITTLE GIRL BEING VERY CURIOUS.
I WAS THE KID THAT WAS THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH DOG.
IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON IN THE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I WAS RIGHT THERE TO SEE IT.
IF AN AMBULANCE WOULD COME DOWN THE STREET, I WAS RIGHT THERE.
I WAS RIGHT OUT FRONT. AND SO I WAS ALWAYS THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH DOG.
AND SO SO THE CURIOSITY WAS IN ME TO TO TO BEGIN WITH.
AND SO AS I DECIDED TO GO INTO AS I AS I GREW UP AND GOT INTO JUNIOR HIGH IN HIGH SCHOOL, I IMMEDIATELY DECIDED TO GO INTO JOURNALISM.
AND SO THAT'S HOW I GOT MY CAREER STARTED OUT IN IN THE FIELD OF JOURNALISM.
AND I WORKED ON THE SCHOOL NEWSPAPER.
I WORKED ON THE SCHOOL YEARBOOK AND WAS ONE OF THE BEAT REPORTERS IN MY IN MY SCHOOL.
AND I GREW UP IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, BY THE BY THE WAY, SO GREW UP HERE IN TEXAS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW I GOT MY PASSION FOR FOR FOR FOR JOURNALISM.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY THEY WENT INTO PUBLIC RELATIONS.
WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR WAS A WAS A WAS A WAS A JOB IN JOURNALISM AND IN PR AND THEN ONCE I GOT INTO THIS AREA, MY PASSION GREW BECAUSE I WAS SO CURIOUS ABOUT THE DESTINATION AND WHAT DALLAS HAD TO OFFER AS A AS A DESTINATION AND THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP OUR DESTINATION AND HOW WE PROMOTE IT AS A AS A AS AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION OR A GLOBAL DESTINATION.
AND SO I STARTED GETTING VERY CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO BRING DALLAS? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE DALLAS THE SUCCESSFUL DESTINATION THAT IT IS? WE STARTED GOING TO OTHER DESTINATIONS AROUND AROUND THE COUNTRY AND SEEING WHAT THEY HAD OFFERED, AND THEN I BECAME A SALESPERSON, ALSO A SALESPERSON FOR FOR OUR FOR OUR ORGANIZATION, WHICH REALLY I KNEW I ALWAYS HAD THE SALES EXPERIENCE TO, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT SO SO I WAS OUT THERE SELLING THE DESTINATION.
AND SO WHILE I WAS WORKING WITH TRAVEL WRITERS AND AND, AND INFLUENCERS AND AROUND THE COUNTRY, I WAS ALSO SELLING OUR DESTINATION. AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I STARTED GETTING MY PASSION FROM IN IN THE FIELD OF JOURNALISM AND MOVING FROM AND MOVING FROM MOVING FROM THERE.
SO AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER HATS.
BUT I GOT MY I ALSO GOT MY PASSION FROM MY STARTED WITH MY GRANDMOTHER, MY GRANDMOTHER.
AND SO I GOT MY RESILIENCE AND MY WORK ETHICS FROM MY GRANDMOTHER.
I WATCHED MY GRANDMOTHER GROWING UP ON A DAILY BASIS WORKING HARD.
SHE WAS A SHE WAS A HOUSEKEEPER.
AND AND I WATCHED HER GET UP AT 5 A.M.
SO I REALLY GOT MY MY WORK ETHICS FROM MY FROM MY GRANDMOTHER.
YOU KNOW. SO MINE IS A LONG AND WINDING JOURNEY, BUT I'LL SHORTEN IT.
I THINK FOR ME, GROWING UP AS A KID, I ALWAYS WANTED TO.
MY DREAM WAS TO BE A PEDIATRICIAN.
I WHAT DROVE ME WAS WANTING TO HELP PEOPLE.
IT WAS CRAZY. I HAD TO GET PERMISSION FROM THE DEAN EACH SEMESTER TO TAKE LIKE, YOU KNOW, 1921 CREDITS IN ORDER TO GET IT ALL DONE, BECAUSE I WAS DOING ALL THE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND PRE-MED. AND WHEN I GRADUATED, I HAD JOB OFFERS FROM THE OIL COMPANIES BECAUSE I HAD INTERNED FOR FOR EXXON, YOU KNOW, AND THEN I ALSO HAD MY ACCEPTANCE LETTER TO MEDICAL SCHOOL.
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KNOW, AND PURSUING THAT.IF I GOT IN ONCE, I CAN GET IN AGAIN.
SO I KEPT THAT LETTER PROBABLY FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS IN A DRAWER.
SO I WENT TO WORK FOR SHELL AS AN ENGINEER AND TALKING ABOUT THE STEM FIELDS.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW 28% OF STEM WORKFORCE ARE WOMEN.
AND I FELT THAT IT WAS LESS THEN.
THIS IS BACK IN 91 BEING LIKE THE FIRST WOMEN ENGINEER THEY'VE EVER SEEN OUT IN THE FIELD, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, ARE YOU, ARE YOU, YOU KNOW, SECRETARY? I'M LIKE, NO, I'M YOUR ENGINEER.
AND THEY'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, SHOCKED.
AND, AND BUT ANYWAY, SO I REALLY ENJOYED THAT BECAUSE WE WERE APPLYING WHAT WE LEARNED IN COLLEGE AND I WAS SOLVING PROBLEMS AND HELPING, YOU KNOW, THEIR MAIN GOALS WERE INCREASE REVENUE, REDUCE EXPENSES, RIGHT? I WAS LIKE, WE CAN DO THAT. SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, COLLABORATING, DOING ALL THAT WORK.
AND AND I THINK SOMETIMES AS AS WELL, OFTENTIMES WHEN WE'RE GOING THROUGH LIFE, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT HAPPEN THAT CAUSE YOU TO PAUSE AND REFLECT. AND SO THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
LIKE AT THIS FIVE YEAR MARK FOR ME AFTER WORKING FOR SHELL WAS THAT MY UNCLE PASSED AWAY WITH AFTER BEING GOING THROUGH EMERGENCY HEART BYPASS SURGERY. AND I WAS A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE FAMILY TRANSLATING FOR EVERYONE AND SO FORTH.
AND THAT WAS LIKE AN AHA MOMENT FOR ME.
I WAS LIKE, OH, I CAN BE AN ENGINEER IN MEDICINE.
SO, SO THEN BY THAT TIME I HAD INVESTED IN ENGINEERING, SO I APPLIED AND GOT INTO THE THIS IS MY SECOND STINT IN DALLAS BECAUSE I WAS HERE IN THE MID 90 SECONDS TO EARLY 2000 AT THE UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER.
THEY HAVE A JOINT PROGRAM WITH UT ARLINGTON AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING DID RESEARCH IN BIOARTIFICIAL PANCREAS FOR DIABETES TREATMENT AND WAS THEN FROM THERE AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS LATER WAS PRIVILEGED TO TO DO A POSTDOC AND THEN BECAME A FACULTY MEMBER AND RESEARCHER BECAUSE THAT'S HOW I WAS TRAINED TO DO, RIGHT? SO I WAS ABLE TO GO BACK TO MY ALMA MATER AT UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND HELP BUILD THAT PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED THAT THAT IT WASN'T MY OWN RESEARCH PROGRAM THAT WAS FULFILLING.
AND THAT WAS THEN MY TRANSITION TO HIGHER ED ADMINISTRATION.
SO FROM THERE IT JUST KIND OF BUILT.
BUT I SEE MY ROLE NOW IN HIGHER ED POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THOSE EARLIER EXPERIENCES AS AN ENGINEER, AS A RESEARCHER, BECAUSE I AM HELPING STUDENTS EVERY DAY, BUT I'M ALSO I ALSO HAVE THE PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS THAT THAT I LEARNED THROUGH THOSE EARLY INDUSTRY YEARS.
SO I FEEL VERY BLESSED TO BE IN HIGHER ED.
TRAN. I MEAN, I THINK IT'S SUCH AN INSPIRATION.
AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR STUDENTS WATCHING WILL WILL SEE YOU AND MAYBE REACH OUT TO YOU IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE EITHER ONE OF THOSE AMAZING FIELDS THAT I COULD NEVER DO IT.
PROBABLY NOT GET INTO ENGINEERING OR MEDICAL SCHOOL.
BUT LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT QUESTION AND WE'LL MOVE WE'LL START WITH MISS RICHARDS ON THIS ONE.
AND LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INEQUITIES THAT WE AS WOMEN SOMETIMES HAVE HAVE HAD TO FACE OR ARE MAYBE CURRENTLY STILL FACING. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT AN EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU HAVE HAD TO HAD TO FACE INEQUITY? CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT CHALLENGE AND HOW YOU OVERCAME IT? YEAH. THANK YOU.
SO, YES, AND WE ARE STILL FACING INEQUITIES.
AND SO THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S GREAT.
BUT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
BUT HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE CEOS OF ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS AND HOTELIERS? AND SO THERE'S STILL THERE'S STILL THERE'S STILL A CHALLENGE AND THERE'S STILL WORK TO WORK TO DO.
AND WHAT I ALWAYS SAY IS WE HAVE TO KEEP KEEP OUR SKILL SET, ALWAYS POLISHED, KEEP, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEP, KEEP LEARNING, KEEP, KEEP, YOU KNOW, KEEP KNOWLEDGE AND KEEP THE KNOWLEDGE OF OF OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN YOUR IN YOUR PARTICULAR AREAS.
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WHAT'S GOING TO INSPIRE US AND GET US TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE.SO IT IS A SO YOU REALLY DO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE RIGHT THERE, MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE HAVING THESE THESE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS WITH WITH YOUR WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL OF YOUR EXECUTIVES WITH YOUR BUT YOU AND AND HERE'S THE THING AND I ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THAT I PRIDE MYSELF ON IS THAT I, I LISTEN AND AND I LISTEN.
I LISTEN. AND BECAUSE BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO LISTEN SO THAT I CAN LEARN AND SO THAT I CAN GAIN THE KNOWLEDGE FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN FRONT OF ME SO THAT I CAN ALSO HELP PROMOTE THOSE PEOPLE IN AND PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY WOMEN, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE STILL HAVE SOME CHALLENGES TO GO.
WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE WHERE THE MALES IN THE ROOM PROBABLY MAKE MAYBE IN THE SAME, YOU KNOW, SAME LEVEL POSITION LEVEL BUT MAYBE MAKING MORE THAN THAN THAN THAN YOU. AND I'VE BEEN AND I'VE BEEN THERE AND SO AND THAT'S WHY I KEEP PUSHING.
I KEEP PUSHING. I KEEP LEARNING MORE AND AND MAKING SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, MY SKILL SET AND WHAT EMPOWERS ME TO DO MY JOB BETTER SO THAT I CAN BE SO THAT I CAN BE IN THE ROOM WHEN THESE HARD DISCUSSIONS ARE HAPPENING.
CHEN, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THIS FROM THE JUST THE PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW OF AS A WOMAN LEADER THAT I THINK OFTENTIMES WHEN WE THINK OF EQUITY, WE THINK OF LIKE THE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SOCIETY, EVERYTHING THAT'S EXTERNAL TO US.
BUT I THINK ONE THING FOR ME THAT THAT I LEARNED FROM A MENTOR THAT WAS VERY POWERFUL, I STILL CARRY WITH ME AND IT'S THE POSTDOC JOURNEY THAT I WAS REFERRED TO EARLIER IS THAT WHEN I WAS FINISHING UP MY PHD, IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO APPLY FOR MY POSTDOC RESEARCH.
THAT'S WHAT YOU DO, RIGHT? SO I WAS LIKE, OH GREAT, I'LL APPLY FOR RICE BECAUSE THAT'S BACK HOME ON MY FAMILY'S IN HOUSTON.
I WENT, I WAS SO EXCITED TO SHARE THIS WITH MY PROFESSOR, MY MENTOR, MY GRADUATE ADVISOR, AND HE'S LIKE, WHY ARE YOU LIMITING YOURSELF? AND I'M LIKE, I'M LIMITING MYSELF, BUT IT'S RICE AND IT'S HOUSTON, YOU KNOW? AND HE SAID, WELL, WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DO? WELL, I WANT TO DO DRUG DELIVERY AND TISSUE ENGINEERING RESEARCH.
WELL, WHO ARE THE TOP RESEARCHERS? AND SO HE SENT ME ON A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT TO FIND THE TOP RESEARCHERS.
I EMAILED EACH OF THEM COLD, EMAILED AND SAID, I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH.
YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING FOR A POSTDOC OPPORTUNITY THEY INVITED ME TO INTERVIEW.
SO I WAS ON THIS MARATHON THROUGH RUTGERS, CORNELL, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, YALE, AND THEN ME, YOU KNOW, BORN IN VIETNAM, CHILD REFUGEE WAS OFFERED THIS POSTDOC FELLOWSHIP AT YALE UNIVERSITY, YOU KNOW, AND AND THAT TO ME, IT SPEAKS TO THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME, TOO, BECAUSE HE WAS SAYING, WHY ARE YOU LIMITING YOURSELF? AND I ALWAYS SAY THAT TO MYSELF, RIGHT? IT'S LIKE, WHY AM I LIMITING MYSELF? DON'T BLAME ALL THE I MEAN, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE OUT THERE, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATISTIC IS, BUT SOMEBODY SHARED WITH ME IS THAT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, FOR A PARTICULAR JOB, YOU WILL SEE MALES APPLY FOR IT, EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T HAVE ALL THE QUALIFICATIONS WHERE FEMALES WILL WILL HOLD THEMSELVES BACK BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, OH, I DON'T I DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
WHY ARE YOU LIMITING YOURSELF? RIGHT. AND I THINK IF YOU COULD JUST REMEMBER THAT BECAUSE WE ARE OUR WORST ENEMIES WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT EQUITY BECAUSE YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
YEAH. THAT THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER.
NOT NOT JUST THINKING ABOUT THE WAYS IN WHICH THERE ARE INEQUITABLE SITUATIONS OUT IN THE WORLD, BUT THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU CREATE INEQUITABLE SOLUTIONS FOR YOURSELF.
AND SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN YOU FIND A WAY TO OVERCOME THAT AND YOU THINK, I'M GOING TO GO DO THIS THING, YOU STILL GET PEOPLE WHO ARE SAYING, OH, THAT'S NOT FOR PEOPLE LIKE US, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, I REMEMBER GETTING THAT KIND OF THAT KIND OF RESPONSE IN TERMS OF BEING FACED WITH INEQUITY.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THE STANDARD SITTING IN THE ROOM AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PERSON WHO'S ACROSS FROM YOU HAS LESS EXPERIENCE AND WORKS FEWER HOURS THAN YOU GETS PAID MORE THAN YOU, AND THEN BEING TOLD, WELL, HE'S GOT A FAMILY.
YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I HEARD THAT IT WAS LIKE A SLAP IN THE FACE.
IT WAS MY FIRST JOB AS A LAWYER, AND THEN IT THINKING THAT SOMEDAY IT'LL GO AWAY, RIGHT? IT'LL GO AWAY BECAUSE NOW I'M A JUDGE AND I WEAR A ROBE.
AND. AND THE THING THAT'S BEEN MOST INTERESTING TO ME IS TO UNDERSTAND THE TREATMENT THAT I GET FROM PEOPLE IN THE COURTROOM WHO UNDERSTAND THAT I'M THE JUDGE AND AND ACT A CERTAIN WAY.
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THAT DIFFERENCE AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, JUDGES DON'T GET TREATED LIKE JUDGES EVERYWHERE.BUT THE STEPS AWAY FROM IT ARE ARE ARE MORE VAST.
AND AN EXAMPLE HAPPENED JUST THIS WEEKEND WHERE I WAS AT MY AT OUR LAKE HOUSE AND THE GATE BROKE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS PUSHING MY CARD AND FOR NO LESS THAN FOUR PEOPLE CAME UP TO ME AND WERE SAYING, WELL, YOU CAN'T GET IN THERE WITHOUT A CARD. DO YOU LIVE HERE? DO YOU OWN PROPERTY? I'VE LIVED HERE 27 YEARS.
I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU AND WE'VE HAD IT FOR 26 YEARS.
AND SO IT WAS KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, FEELING THIS DEFENSIVENESS ALL OF A SUDDEN WHERE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT HOME AND PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMING UP AND SAYING IT'S THE GATE ACTING UP AGAIN BECAUSE IT ACTS UP AND THEN GOING TO A CONFERENCE WHERE, YOU KNOW, FOR SECURITY REASONS, THEY DIDN'T PUT ANY TITLES ON THE NAME TAGS AND GETTING APPROACHED AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND THEN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THESE MISCONCEPTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE.
THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, HOW DO YOU DO THAT THING? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LOT.
AND I'M LIKE, WELL, I HAVE HELP FROM MY LAWYERS AND THEY'RE LIKE, LAWYERS, DO YOU SUPERVISE LAWYERS FOR A JUSTICE? AND I'M LIKE, I'M THE JUSTICE.
AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, MY GOSH.
AND THEN REALLY PROFUSELY APOLOGETIC.
YOU WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THAT I WAS A JUSTICE.
AND IT TOOK MULTIPLE STEPS AND IGNORING CLUES BEFORE THEY GOT TO THE REALIZATION AND THE WAYS TO OVERCOME IT ARE, FIRST, YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
YOU KNOW YOU BELONG. AND PEOPLE DON'T EXPECT THAT YOU BELONG.
AND THAT CAN BE DAMAGING TO YOUR SOUL IF YOU TAKE THEM PERSONALLY.
AND TOGETHER WE CAN ALL KIND OF CHANGE, YOU KNOW, THE LANDSCAPE AND, YOU KNOW, LITTLE CIRCLES.
BUT THEN WE CAN ALSO SURVIVE IT, HOPEFULLY IN A HEALTHY WAY.
WOW. JUSTICE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT'S STILL HAPPENING TO YOU AT YOUR LAKE HOUSE.
BUT IT'S ALSO A, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL FOR ME IS THAT I'VE GOT MY OWN BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT AND I CALL THEM MY PERSONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THEY'RE THERE TO ASSIST ME WITH THERAPY.
THEY'RE THERE TO ASSIST ME WITH, YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND I LEARNED THAT EARLY ON AND I STARTED.
AND SO I HAVE BUILT TWO, TWO ACTUALLY TWO DIVISIONS FOR TWO DEPARTMENTS FOR FOR MY COMPANY SIMPLY BECAUSE AND I DIDN'T HAVE I DIDN'T I DID NOT KNOW WHEN I CAME INTO THE DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION SPACE, I HAD ONE OF MY BOARD, MY ONE OF MY MENTORS AND ONE OF MY SPONSORS SAY, I WILL HELP YOU WITH THE TACTICS BEHIND TAKE THIS JOB.
I'LL HELP YOU WITH THE TACTICS BEHIND AND THE BEST PRACTICES BEHIND DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION.
I'LL HELP YOU BECOME A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP PROFESSIONAL.
AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE YOUR HAVE HAVE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S THERE TO SUPPORT YOU.
GREAT. I LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ON THIS QUESTION.
SO I WAS LICENSED AS AN ATTORNEY WHEN I WAS ABOUT 25 YEARS OLD.
AND AND I'VE BEEN PRACTICING, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OVER 15 YEARS SO YOU CAN FIGURE OUT MY AGE.
BUT I WAS I'VE ALWAYS LOOKED YOUNG.
SO IMAGINE IF I'M YOUR ATTORNEY, LIKE YOU'RE LIKE, WHO'S THIS LITTLE GIRL REPRESENTING ME? SO I HAVE HAD TO MY ISSUE HAS BEEN, I'M YOUNG, I'M LATINA.
AND SO THERE'S AND THERE'S ALL THESE UP.
AND WHO DO THEY THINK I AM? YOU KNOW, LIKE, ARE YOU THE ASSISTANT? ARE YOU THE CLIENT? LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE YOU? SO FOR ME, THANKFULLY, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY CONFIDENT.
AND BUT I BUT I AND I WAS ALSO A VERY YOUNG BUSINESS OWNER.
I WAS 29 WHEN I OPENED MY LAW FIRM.
AND SO THEN I DEALT WITH THE MY CLIENTS.
[00:35:02]
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF MY CLIENTS ARE MALE, THEY'RE OLDER.UM, AND I REMEMBER DOING ONE CONSULTATION PROBABLY MORE, BUT I REMEMBER ONE SPECIFICALLY WHERE THE CLIENT ASKED ME, OH, IS THIS YOUR FATHER'S LAW FIRM? I WAS LIKE, NO, THIS IS NOT MY FATHER'S LAW FIRM.
IS THIS YOUR HUSBAND'S LAW FIRM? NO, THIS IS NOT MY HUSBAND'S LAW FIRM.
AND HAVING TO DEAL WITH HISPANIC MEN WHO WON'T EVEN MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH ME.
AND BASICALLY YOU CAN CALL YOURSELF AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD, JUST AS GARCIA, I BELIEVE, IS BOARD CERTIFIED IN TWO DIFFERENT AREAS, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE EVEN LIKE IN A SMALLER PERCENTAGE.
I'M BOARD CERTIFIED IN IMMIGRATION LAW.
I COULD SAY THAT WHEN I WAS ABOUT I THINK YOU CAN FIRST SIT FOR IT AFTER FIVE YEARS OF PRACTICE.
AND SO I'M EVEN IN A SMALLER HANDFUL OF OF PEOPLE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? MOST OF MY CLIENTS DON'T CARE.
LIKE THEY HAVE. NO, THEY THEY DO NOT CARE IF I'M BOARD CERTIFIED OR NOT, BUT I CARE.
RIGHT. AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SAY I TRULY AM AN EXPERT.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS AND BEING THERE FOR ME.
OKAY. SO LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT QUESTION, AND WE WILL START WITH DR.
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION TO SUCCEED AND HOW DO YOU DEFINE RESILIENCE AS A LEADER? SO FOR THE INSPIRATION TO SUCCEED, IT WOULD BE MY PARENTS, YOU KNOW? LIKE A LOT OF IMMIGRANT PARENTS, THEY SACRIFICE A LOT FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
RIGHT? AND ONE THING WITH MY PARENTS IS THEY'RE BOTH THE OLDEST SIBLING OF THEIR FAMILY.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE KIDS WENT TO SCHOOL AND BUT DESPITE THAT, THEY INSTILLED IN MY SISTER AND I THE VALUE OF EDUCATION, YOU KNOW. THE THEY SACRIFICED SO THAT MY SISTER AND I COULD HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED THAT WE WERE FARMERS IN VIETNAM.
AND SO THE VALUE OF EDUCATION AND THEY INSTILLED IN US EDUCATION WILL OPEN DOORS FOR YOU.
YOU KNOW, AND TO THIS DAY, THAT IS MY DAILY MANTRA.
THE THE MY MOTIVATION IS THAT I'M HERE TO OPEN DOORS FOR STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE DOORS WERE OPEN FOR FOR ME THROUGH EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, AND ONE REALLY, YOU KNOW, THOSE MOMENTS OF REFLECTION THAT HAPPEN RIGHT HERE I AM DRIVING TO MY FIRST DAY AS DEAN OF MATH AND SCIENCE AT LONE STAR AND WHICH IS IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF HOUSTON.
I GET I'M STOPPING AT A STOPLIGHT AND I LOOK TO MY LEFT AND IT'S HEARTS CRISPY CHICKEN.
AND THAT'S WHEN I REALLY FELT THE THE POWER AND THE VALUE OF EDUCATION THAT NOW I'M GOING TO BE MY FIRST DAY AS DEAN, YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS JOKE THAT I HAD DINNER AND DESSERT SO YOU KNOW BUT ANYWAY, SO SO SO MY PARENTS ARE MY INSPIRATION REGARDING RESILIENCE.
I THINK THERE'S. MY BREAST CANCER JOURNEY WAS ONE THAT LIKE WAS OUT OF THE BLUE AND UNEXPECTED.
AND AND I MEAN, I WAS GOING 150 MILES AN HOUR.
I WAS LIKE, OKAY, LET'S DO THIS, THIS, THIS.
[00:40:05]
SO I ENCOURAGE MAMMOGRAMS AND EARLY DETECTION, ESPECIALLY THE THREE D MAMMOGRAM, I FEEL IS WHAT CAUGHT, YOU KNOW, THE TUMOR.BUT BECAUSE OF TESTING AND SO FORTH, I ELECTED TO DO, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE FULL TREATMENT OF DOUBLE MASTECTOMY, TOTAL HYSTERECTOMY, THEN CHEMO AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND IT WAS JUST THIS LIKE RELENTLESS, YOU KNOW, LIKE JUST GET IT OUT, YOU KNOW? AND FOR ME, WHAT WAS THE DRIVING FORCE IS THAT I JUST.
AND, YOU KNOW, I SEE MY WORK AS REALLY A HIGHER CALLING.
AND SO I DON'T SEE MY WORK AS WORK.
AND I'M SURE WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER AND HOW THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR ME FOR WORK LIFE BALANCE, YOU KNOW, SO BUT BUT THAT, THAT AND OF COURSE MY MY FAMILY BECAUSE I WANT TO BE THERE FOR THEM.
RIGHT. I WANTED TO WATCH THE BOYS GROW UP.
AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TWO BOYS THAT I HAD IN GRADUATE SCHOOL.
BUT ANYWAYS, THAT RESILIENCE PIECE, I THINK BEING BEING A CANCER SURVIVOR PUTS YOU THROUGH THIS, THIS FIGHT AND THIS JOURNEY.
AND THIS WILL TO PERSIST THAT THAT LIKE NO OTHER RIGHT.
SO I'M SO HAPPY TO TELL YOU TODAY THAT I'M FIVE YEARS IN REMISSION NOW.
AND I REALLY DO LIVE EACH DAY AS IF IT'S THE LAST, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW, RIGHT? BECAUSE, LIKE I SAID, EVERYTHING WAS LIKE GOING ON ALL CLICKS AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WAS ALL WORKING GREAT AND EVERYTHING.
AND THEN. AND THEN IT'S LIKE, STOP.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE, BUT I'M DOING YOUR WORK, YOU KNOW, GOD, WHAT IS THIS? YOU KNOW? BUT BUT I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THAT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO.
THE WHY, RIGHT? WE TALK ABOUT, LIKE, EACH OF US, LIKE WHY? WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO? AND FOR ME, JUST THAT, THAT THAT LONG AND WINDING ROAD WAS TRYING TO GET TO MY WHY FOR THE MATCH, YOU KNOW.
SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SHARE NOW.
THANK YOU. DR. TRAN I'M NOT SURE IF THIS MIC WORKS, BUT THANK YOU, DR.
TRAN, FOR FOR SHARING SUCH A PERSONAL STORY.
I THINK MANY OF US IN THIS ROOM EITHER WE HAVE EXPERIENCED HEALTH PROBLEMS OR HAVE CLOSE LOVED ONE AND KNOW THE OBSTACLES, THE DIFFICULTY OF THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT WITH US.
JUSTICE GARCIA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? UM. SO.
UM, I'M NOT. YOU DON'T HEAR ME? OKAY. OKAY.
INSPIRATION TO SUCCEED COMES FROM AGAIN, INSPIRATION COMES FROM A NUMBER OF PLACES.
AND FOR ME, IT'S GENERATIONAL.
AND THAT COMBINATION IS AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION IN MY MIND.
SHE'S GETTING HER MASTER'S IN COUNSELING AT UNT.
AND TO LISTEN TO HER TALK NOW AND SAY THINGS, MY HUSBAND AND I JUST LOOK AT HER AND WE'RE LIKE, DO YOU HAVE A DICTIONARY? YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK THAT WORD UP BECAUSE SHE'S LIKE REALLY SMART.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND COLLEAGUES LIKE MONICA HERE, I MEAN, I REMEMBER YOU STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND I WAS STILL PROBABLY AN ASSOCIATE AT A LAW FIRM WHERE MONICA WAS OUT THERE FORGING, FORGING NEW FRONTIERS BY BEING SO CONFIDENT AND PUTTING TOGETHER HER BUSINESS. AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ASKING ME, DO YOU KNOW ANYBODY IN IMMIGRATION LAW? AND THE NAME WOULD COME UP MONICA.
AND I'D BE LIKE, GO TALK TO MONICA.
[00:45:02]
SHE KNOWS. SO AND INSPIRED BY YOU ALL, INSPIRED BY LOOKING OUT INTO A ROOM, REMEMBERING GOING TO COLLEGE AND BEING THE ONLY PERSON OF COLOR IN THE ROOM AND NOW LOOKING OUT WHENEVER I GO TO COLLEGES ALL OVER THE PLACE AND IT'S EVERYBODY.THERE IS A DIVERSITY IN CROWDS IN COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS THAT I DIDN'T SEE BEFORE.
AND THAT TO ME, THAT THAT GIVES ME INSPIRATION.
I NEED TO KEEP GOING WHEN I GET TIRED.
UM, RESILIENCE, I THINK, IS A COMBINATION OF, OF THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT IT IT'S NOT EASY.
IT'S NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS.
YEAH, MY STORY IS, IS OBVIOUSLY VERY, VERY, VERY SIMILAR TO TO DENISE.
BUT IT'S, IT'S A I THINK I GOT MY INSPIRATION TO TO SUCCEED AND I TOLD YOU EARLIER FROM MY GRANDMOTHER GOT MY PERSISTENCE FROM MY FROM MY FATHER.
MY FATHER WAS JUST A JUST JUST A JUST A GENTLEMAN BUT WAS ALWAYS ON THE LINE WHEN THERE WAS AN ISSUE THAT INVOLVED RACISM AND JUST MAKING SURE.
I MEAN, HE WAS ONE OF THOSE THAT THAT GOT PUT OFF HIS COLLEGE CAMPUS FOR BOYCOTTING AND BECAUSE HE KNEW WHAT WAS RIGHT AND HE WAS ALWAYS ON THE LINE TO PROTECT, TO PROTECT WHAT WAS WHAT WAS WHAT WAS RIGHT.
AND SO I THINK I REALLY GOT MY PERSISTENCE FROM FROM FROM, FROM FROM HIM.
AND RESILIENCE COMES FROM JUST WATCHING, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WATCHING MY FATHER AND WATCHING MY GRANDMOTHER IN IN IN THEIR IN THEIR STRUGGLES.
AND I SEE JUST JUST WOMEN AND AND PEOPLE OF COLOR IN GENERAL.
EVERYBODY IS LOOKING FOR EQUALITY.
AND AND WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT THIS TO TO TO THE END.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET OUT AND AND VOTE.
BECAUSE AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'VE GOT WE'VE GOT WE'VE GOT WORK DONE.
BUT WE CAN'T WE CAN'T STOP NOW BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH WORK LEFT TO BE BE DONE.
I LOOK AT THAT AND I'M JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE.
GREAT. AND I'LL JUST ADD THAT MY INSPIRATION NOW, IT'S I THINK IT'S CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.
RIGHT? AT FIRST IT WAS ABOUT MAKING MY PARENTS PROUD, MAKING MY COMMUNITY PROUD.
NOW IT'S ABOUT MAKING MY THREE DAUGHTERS PROUD.
SO ONE THING I HAVEN'T MENTIONED, I THINK EVERYBODY ELSE MENTIONED THEIR KIDS, SO I'LL MENTION MINE.
AND RIGHT NOW THEY STILL BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, NOBODY HAS TOLD THEM THEY CAN'T.
BUT I KNOW THAT ONE DAY SOMEBODY WILL.
AND SO IT'S MY JOB TO CONTINUE MOTIVATING THEM.
AND I THINK AND THAT MEANS LIKE WHEN I APPLIED TO LAW SCHOOL AND I DIDN'T GET IN, I DIDN'T GIVE UP.
I GOT A JOB AT A LAW FIRM FULL TIME DOING FILING.
I WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE A GAP YEAR.
[00:50:04]
AND THEN WE GET TO THAT POINT.MAYBE THAT MEANT THAT IT WASN'T YOUR PATH, BUT MAYBE THAT JUST MEANT THAT YOU NEEDED TO TAKE A BREAK, RECOLLECT YOURSELF, STUDY SOME MORE, MAYBE GET SOME TUTORING AND TRY AGAIN.
BUT HEY, GUESS WHAT? THERE'S AN APPELLATE COURT I CAN APPEAL.
RIGHT. SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BE RESILIENT AND NOT TAKE NO AS AN ANSWER BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S NOT REALLY A NO. IT'S A NOT YET.
SO I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SEE FAILURE AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
I THINK I THINK I WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT BECAUSE REDEFINING WHAT IT MEANS TO SUCCEED AND REDEFINING WHAT A WIN IS THAT WHATEVER STEP YOU TAKE, IT MAY FEEL LIKE IT'S TWO STEPS BACK, BUT IT'S ALL PART OF THE JOURNEY.
I HAD A BOSS THAT I WORKED FOR AND WE WOULD GO TO COURT AND IT WOULD FEEL LIKE WE'D LOSE A HEARING AND HE WOULD WALK OUT INTO THE HALLWAY AND HE WOULD SAY, YES, WE'VE GOT HIM RIGHT WHERE WE WANT HIM.
AND I'D BE LIKE, WHOA, WHOA, WAIT.
AND THAT THAT MINDSET OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO ME I'M GOING TO TAKE AS A WIN AND I'M GOING TO BUILD ON IT, THAT THAT'S, I THINK, PART OF WHAT RESILIENCE IS, TOO.
OKAY. AND I DON'T KNOW WHO WANTS TO JUMP ON THIS QUESTION FIRST.
IT'S KIND OF A HEAVIER TOPIC, BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT WHERE DO YOU SEE THE MOST INEQUITY IN TODAY'S SOCIETY AND WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE A SOLUTION TO POSSIBLY FIXING THAT? ANYBODY WANT TO JUMP ON? I'LL I'LL JUMP ON THAT.
WE TALK ABOUT GENDER AND AND AND YOU KNOW WE'VE WE'VE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT. BUT BUT BUT, YOU KNOW, AS I AS I LOOK AND OBVIOUSLY I READ A LOT AND AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT AT THINGS FROM FROM VARIOUS LENS. AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SEE IS JUST THE LOST DECADE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS.
I WAS READING FROM THE PEW CENTER OUT OF DC, ONE OF THEIR ONE OF THEIR REPORTS.
AND SO I LOOK AT THE FACT THAT THERE'S THERE'S INEQUITIES THAT I'M SEEING IN HOUSING SHELTER.
I MEAN, LET'S JUST LET'S JUST BE LET'S JUST BE REAL WITH IT.
FOOD. I MEAN, THINK ABOUT THE LONG LINES.
WE'VE HAD ALL OF THESE, PARTICULARLY DURING COVID.
WE HAD ALL OF THESE FOOD DRIVES WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE COMING UP FOR FOOD SALARIES.
TEACHERS NEED TO BE PAID MORE.
THERE'S SO THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT INEQUITIES OUT THERE THAT WE NEED TO THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
SO IT IS AGAIN, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT TO BE WE'VE GOT TO BE ON THE FRONT LINE.
AND ONE OF THOSE IS VOTING, VOTING LAWS INTO INTO INTO, INTO INTO EXISTENCE.
BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO IT, WHO'S GOING TO DO IT? AND SO THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I IT KIND OF KEEPS ME UP OVERNIGHT AT NIGHT BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY AND THAT'S WHY I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO LEND A HAND.
RIGHT. WE STILL HAVE SO MANY THAT HAVE NOT.
AND THE MAJORITY, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ARE MINORITIES.
AND IT'S GENERATIONAL POVERTY.
RIGHT. AND THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT ENTITIES, ORGANIZATIONS, GROUPS, GOVERNMENTS, INDIVIDUALS, NONPROFITS, ALL TRYING TO WORK ON THAT. AND I THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE VALUE IN EVERYBODY COMING TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN MAKE A BROADER IMPACT AND REALLY APPROACH IT FROM A DATA
[00:55:03]
PERSPECTIVE OF LIKE, WHERE ARE THE INEQUITIES, YOU KNOW, TRY TO IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSES AND THEN WORK COLLECTIVELY TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITIES.BUT I FEEL LIKE DALLAS COLLEGE AND I CAN GIVE THIS SPECIFIC EXAMPLE FOR THE SCHOOL OF MIT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE THE MAP OF DALLAS COUNTY AND SAW THAT THE MAJORITY, LIKE IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, YOU HAVE BROWN AND BLACK POPULATION.
RIGHT. AND THAT THE JOBS, THOUGH WERE ALL UP IN THE NORTH.
RIGHT. AND IF WE IF WE CONTINUE WITH OUR STRATEGY OR IF WE CONTINUE WITH THE MENTALITY THAT OR THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE SHOULD BUILD PROGRAMS WHERE THE JOBS ARE.
THEN BY THAT PRACTICE, YOU'RE EXCLUDING THE PEOPLE THAT NEED IT, RIGHT? AND SO WE'VE STRATEGICALLY EXPANDED PROGRAMS IN THE SOUTHERN DALLAS COUNTY AREA SO THAT TO TO ADDRESS THAT ACCESS PROBLEM, RIGHT.
THAT NOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN GO TO OUR LANCASTER WORKFORCE CENTER THAT'S ACROSS FROM THE VA AND GET FAST TRACK TRAINING IN THESE HIGH DEMAND TECHNICAL SKILLS AND BE EMPLOYABLE AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND SO WE'RE BEING INTENTIONAL IN THAT.
AND SO THAT'S PROBABLY SOME OF MY ENGINEERING COMING OUT, WHICH WHICH IS ONE THING LIKE SOME PEOPLE SAY, DO YOU MISS BEING AN ENGINEER? BUT I'M LIKE, I'M AN ENGINEER EVERY DAY BECAUSE I'M USING ALL THOSE SKILLS, YOU KNOW? SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING IS THAT IF YOU DO HAVE A LONG AND WINDING ROAD CAREER, EACH OF YOUR EXPERIENCES ARE WHAT EMPOWER YOU WITH THE TOOLS TO BE IN THE POSITION THAT YOU SHOULD BE.
I THINK THE ECONOMIC PIECE OF IT IS PROBABLY THE PLACE THAT I COMPLETELY AGREE.
IT'S ECONOMIC FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE.
IT'S HARDER TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR COLLEGE, HOW YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR HOUSING.
THOSE THOSE STEPS ARE A LOT BIGGER THAN THEY USED TO BE.
THE OTHER THING IS TO UNDERSTAND ON A SOCIETAL LEVEL WHAT'S HAPPENING AND HOW WE GOT HERE.
I THINK IN ORDER TO ADDRESS IT, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT HERE.
AND TWO BOOKS THAT HAVE HELPED ME KIND OF UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS, BUT THEY HELP GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHT ABOUT.
POLICIES THAT EXIST, SUCH AS REDLINING, THAT THAT PUTS YOU PUT OUR SOCIETY WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW.
UM, SEGREGATION, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST HISTORY IN GENERAL.
SO THE TWO BOOKS, THE ACCOMMODATION AND WHITE METROPOLIS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE SYSTEM.
IT'S NOT REALLY IT'S NOT A MERITOCRACY.
AND THEN ONCE YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE THOSE CAUSES THAT HISTORY, EDUCATE YOURSELF AS TO WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT AND TRY TO DO THESE AT THE SAME TIME IF YOU CAN.
OUR LEGISLATURE IS IN SESSION RIGHT NOW AND THEY ARE CONSIDERING BILLS EVERY DAY, EVERY HOUR THAT AFFECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES AND THE SOCIETY YOU LIVE IN, IN TERMS OF ECONOMICS, IN TERMS OF POWER.
IT WOULD BE. AND IT'S A BIG TASK.
I KNOW IF YOU JUST GO AND TAKE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE HAVING HEARINGS ON TODAY, YOU COULD GO AND LIVE STREAM SOME OF THE HEARINGS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU.
YOU'LL HEAR PEOPLE TESTIFYING ON THINGS.
AND THEN ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, THINK ABOUT WHERE YOUR PLACE IS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT GET ADDRESSED AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL, SO MANY THINGS THAT GET ADDRESSED AT THE JUDICIAL LEVEL, THAT IF YOU FIND YOUR SPACE, THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN MAKE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE.
YOU KNOW, APPLYING YOUR YOUR TALENTS WITH THE WORLD HAS NEEDS.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.
AND THEY'RE NOT. NO, IT'S PEOPLE IT'S PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO SEE A NEED FOR CHANGE, WHO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHY DON'T WE CHANGE, YOU KNOW, THE THE VOTING AGE OR THE REQUIREMENTS FOR IN-STATE TUITION AT AT COLLEGES.
[01:00:08]
BUT THEY DON'T COME UP WITH THESE THINGS ON THEIR OWN.IT COMES FROM FROM THE COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT NONPROFITS AND POLICY GROUPS IN THE AREA.
IF YOU SEE A PROBLEM, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE IT.
I KNOW. AND GOOD, GOOD LEGISLATORS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR GREAT IDEAS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEN THEY CAN SAY, HEY, I'M THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THIS LAW.
BUT MOST OF THE TIME THEY'RE GETTING THEIR IDEAS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
RIGHT. I THINK I'VE, YOU KNOW, ASKED LIKE I THINK ON EVERY FEMALE PANEL.
AND I THINK IT'S HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, DOES IT EVEN EXIST? RIGHT. BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW EACH OF YOU HAS BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE BEING SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR CHOSEN FIELD AND AT THE SAME TIME BALANCE BEING A MOTHER AND AND OR A WIFE.
I REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST GOT MARRIED, I GUESS MY HUSBAND'S MOM WAS A STAY AT HOME MOM.
EVERYBODY WHO COULD DO SOMETHING WOULD DO IT.
AND IF YOU HAD TIME, YOU WOULD.
SO I WOULD SAY, I'M GOING TO GO MOW THE YARD.
HE'D BE LIKE, NO, WHY? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? RIGHT? HE'D BE THAT MADE HIM UNCOMFORTABLE.
BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, HE WOULD EXPECT THE LAUNDRY WOULDN'T GET DONE UNLESS I DID IT AND I'D DO IT.
AND THEN MY WAY OF DOING IT WAS JUST GET IT DONE.
AND HIS WAS LIKE, WELL, ARE YOU GOING TO IRON THEM? AND I'M LIKE, ARE YOU KIDDING? SO, SO WE EDUCATED EACH OTHER ABOUT EXPECTATIONS AND NEEDS AND WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT? IF IT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU TO IRON, HAVE IRON CLOTHES, THEN YOU SHOULD IRON THEM BECAUSE I WILL NOT BE IRONING THEM.
I HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT WE ALL WEAR CLEAN CLOTHES.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO.
AND YOU KNOW, SO IT'S JUST I GUESS IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF TRIAGING.
YOU FIGURE OUT THE THING THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IN THE MOMENT AND THAT MAY NOT BE VERY HEALTHY WAY TO DO IT, BUT FOR FOR ME, IT'S THE EMERGENCY, RIGHT? WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW? AND WE'LL TAKE WE'LL COVER IT, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME NOW AND COVER IT.
BUT THAT REQUIRES YOU TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING IN YOURSELF ABOUT WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO ME, WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO THE PEOPLE AROUND ME, AND HOW CAN I MAKE SURE I GET DONE WHAT I NEED AND ACCOMMODATE THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE WHO I LOVE ALSO THINK IS IMPORTANT.
TO SAY THAT CORRECTLY. I WAS TRYING TO MAKE SURE MY VERB NOUN, VERB.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S HOW WE DO IT AT OUR HOUSE.
DR.. WELL, AS I ALLUDED TO, THIS IS MY PROBLEM, RIGHT? BECAUSE I, I BECAUSE I SEE MY WORK AS MY VOCATION.
LIKE THE WAY I THINK THROUGH IT IN MY MIND IS I'M DOING GOD'S WORK.
SO IT'S OKAY. I'M DOING GOD'S WORK ALL THE TIME.
IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, 7 TO 7, WHATEVER.
BUT THEN WHAT I REALIZED IS THAT THE PEOPLE I LOVE SUFFER, RIGHT? AND SO AND OF COURSE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I DON'T WANT TO HAPPEN.
AND THE THING AS THE BOYS ARE GROWING UP, THEY'RE ACTUALLY HIP IS GOING TO TURN 24 TOMORROW.
AND MY YOUNGER ONE, LIAM, IS 22, SO THEY'RE OLD NOW OR OLDER ADULT.
AND INTERESTINGLY, AS YOU GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT PHASES, THEY NEED YOU IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT THEY STILL NEED YOU, YOU KNOW? AND AS THEY WERE GROWING UP, I MADE IT A POINT OF JUST BEING THERE, YOU KNOW, THE BASKETBALL GAMES, THE AWARD CEREMONIES, THINGS LIKE THAT, LIKE DON'T MISS THOSE BECAUSE THEY'RE BECAUSE THEY'LL REMEMBER THEM, YOU KNOW, AS THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE FOR ME.
AND WE'RE LIKE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I WAS LIKE, WELL, YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR THEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, WELL, BUT I'M YOUR MOM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THING.
BUT IF YOU IF YOU IF YOU DON'T THINK OF THAT INTENTIONALLY, IT'S VERY EASY TO HAVE WORK.
[01:05:02]
ENCROACH AND SPREAD AND SO FORTH.SO IT'S NOT SO MUCH FOR ME LIKE A HARD STOP.
OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON AND SO FORTH.
AND THEN I THINK ONE THING FOR ME, TOO, IS IT'S REALLY HARD WITH ADULT KIDS.
THE TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR MIND.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH MENTAL HEALTH.
THESE DAYS AND WHAT EVERYBODY'S GONE THROUGH WITH COVID, JUST I'VE HAD TO BE MORE CONSCIOUSLY AWARE AND ASK MORE QUESTIONS THAT I NORMALLY WOULD NOT, YOU KNOW. SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, TOO, BECAUSE THAT SHOWS THAT, OH, YOU'RE NOT JUST LIKE BECAUSE ONE THING FOR ME IS THEY ALL KNOW THAT MY PASSION IS TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE AND HOW MUCH MY WORK MEANS TO ME BECAUSE IT'S GOD'S WORK.
WHAT I DON'T WANT THEM TO FEEL THAT IT'S AT THE COST OF FAMILY OF THEM, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY'RE THE FIRST THAT I WANT TO HELP AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE OKAY, YOU KNOW? AND AND I THINK THAT THIS QUESTION YOU HAD MENTIONED FOR BEING A WIFE AND A MOTHER, BUT ALSO IT'S THE THE WORK LIFE BALANCE OF BEING TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF. RIGHT.
AND PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE TO CONSTANTLY REMIND ME OF THAT.
BUT IT'S LIKE I CAN'T HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS I WANT TO IF I'M NOT HEALTHY.
RIGHT? SO SO THE SELF CARE PART IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT AND THAT'S THE HARDEST FOR ME, YOU KNOW.
BUT, BUT, BUT I THINK IF EACH OF US TAKE TIME TO REFLECT AND CARVE OUT THAT TIME, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BUILD ENERGY AND RESILIENCE AND JUST MOTIVATION AND RECHARGE.
LIKE WE JUST COME BACK FROM SPRING BREAK, RIGHT? LIKE BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT WEEK AND RECHARGE BROUGHT US BACK MORE ENERGIZED, YOU KNOW? SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, TOO, TO INTENTIONALLY HAVE THOSE MOMENTS.
SO I'M THE LAST ONE TO ASK TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
I HAVE A YOU KNOW, I TRY TO BE STRATEGIC IN EVERYTHING THAT I DO.
AND SO I'VE GOT A I'VE GOT AN AT HOME STRATEGIC PLAN, JUST LIKE I DO AT AT AT AT AT AT AT WORK.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU ALL SOMETHING.
I LOVE HIM TO DEATH. WE'VE WE'VE BEEN.
WE'VE BEEN. WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN MARRIED OVER 20 OVER OVER 20 YEARS NOW.
AND BUT THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS YOU YOU HAVE TO YOU HAVE TO THINK LIKE A MAN.
AND THAT'S PART OF MY STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND SO AND SO I AND THAT KEEPS ME CALM.
KEEPS ME. AND YOU DO WHAT? YOU DO IT ONCE OR TWICE AND THEN.
KIND OF LIKE WHAT YOU SAID. THEY, THEY CATCH ON AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE PUTTING YOUR SHOES, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU COME IN, YOU TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF AND YOU PUT YOUR, YOU TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR.
AND I'M A I'M JUST A I'M OCD WHEN IT COMES TO STUFF.
I MEAN, IT'S I'M ONE OF THESE PEOPLE THAT HAVE IN MY PANTRY.
I HAVE ALL THE CAMPBELL'S CAMPBELL SOUP CANS LINED UP.
SO THEY'RE ALL FACING THE SAME THE SAME WAY.
AND SO WHEN YOUR SHOES ARE IN THE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE KITCHEN, IT IT DRIVES ME IT DRIVES ME CRAZY.
AND SO SO IF YOU PUT THE SHOES AS YOU GO OUT OF THE BEDROOM TO THE I MEAN, AS YOU GO OUT OF THE BEDROOM AND TO THE RESTROOM, TO THE BATHROOM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, PUT THEM RIGHT THERE IN THAT RIGHT THERE.
AS YOU AS YOU AS YOU AS YOU GO INTO THE INTO THE INTO THE BATHROOM.
TURN THE LIGHT. THE LIGHTS ARE OUT.
IT'S DARK. IT WORKS BECAUSE YOU TRIP OVER YOUR OWN SHOES.
AND SO SO I'M CONSTANTLY TALKING ABOUT TRAINING.
YES. SO I'M VERY NICE DIPLOMATIC WAY TO SAY TRAIN CONSTANTLY.
RIGHT. SO I'M CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT THINGS, THINGS LIKE THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO MEDITATION AND, YOU KNOW, BEING PART OF SPIRITUAL GROUPS MAKES ME BALANCES ME.
AND SO THAT I'M SO THAT I'M AWARE AND SO AND SO LIKE I SAID, I'VE GOT A STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO I'M ONE OF THESE PEOPLE. I HAVE A SCHEDULE FOR EVERYTHING.
[01:10:03]
I HAVE A SCHEDULE FOR EVERYTHING I'M STILL WALKING AROUND WITH, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE IT IN MY PHONE.I STILL HAVE A FRANKLIN DAY TIMER THAT THAT KEEPS ME.
THAT KEEPS ME BALANCED. IS IS IS AS WELL.
SO IT'S IT'S A NOW IT COULD BE TOO MUCH FOR SOME PEOPLE, BUT IT HELPS ME TO STAY, TO TO STAY, TO STAY, TO STAY FOCUSED BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU DO GET YOU DO GET YOU DO GET BOMBARDED WITH A LOT OF STUFF COMING YOUR COMING YOUR WAY.
AND I TAKE THINGS I TEND TO LISTEN AND AND AND THEN SO SILENCE BEING SILENT TO ME IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I TEND TO I TEND TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S PRIORITY AND PUT IT IN AND PUT IT IN A AND PUT IT IN A SPACE WHERE IT MAKES SENSE FOR ALL OF US. SO THAT BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE I HAVE A I HAVE I TOLD MY TEAM I'VE GOT A HOT, WARM, COLD SYSTEM WHERE IF IT'S PEOPLE THAT I NEED TO MEET AND I NEED TO MEET THEM RIGHT AWAY, I PUT THEM IN MY HOT.
IF IT'S SOMEBODY THAT I DON'T NEED TO MEET UNTIL A YEAR LATER, I PUT THEM IN MY COLD.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S WHEN IT'S TIME FOR LIFE AND FUN I HAVE I GO ALL IN WITH THE FUN.
I GO ALL I SERIOUSLY I GO ALL IN WITH THE FUN, THE VACATIONS.
I LEAVE MY PHONE IN THE LOCKER IN THE IN THE SAFE IN THE ROOM.
YOU JUST CAN'T. AND SO I MY FRIENDS TELL ME ALL THE TIME, YOU NEVER HAVE YOUR PHONE WITH YOU.
AND SO BUT I KNOW THAT AND I KNOW HOW I WORK.
AND SO I HAVE TO FIND THOSE THINGS THROUGH MINE.
SO I HAVE TO WRITE OUT EVERYTHING THAT IS THAT'S HAPPENING AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO PRIORITIZE IT.
THOSE WERE LIKE PHENOMENAL ANSWERS THAT I'M WRITING THEM DOWN.
VERY IMPORTANT. IDENTIFY WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT.
BUT AT HOME, I THINK THAT'S GENIUS.
SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE ANSWER.
AND ALL IN ALL, EVERYTHING YOU CONTRIBUTED TODAY, I MEAN, EACH ONE OF YOU ALL INSPIRES ME.
AND I'M SURE YOU INSPIRED MANY OF OF OUR VIEWERS HERE IN PERSON AND ONLINE.
WE'RE GOING TO END A COUPLE OF MINUTES EARLY.
BUT THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR JOINING US TODAY.
AS YOU ALL CAN SEE, THERE IS STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.
BUT TOGETHER WE ARE CHANGING THE WORLD AND AND HOPE YOU ENJOY THE REST OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL VERY, VERY SOON.
THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.