Latest / Daily Influence / 756. From Stay-at-Home Mom to Tequila CEO: Mara Smith on Reinvention, Leadership, and Building a Purpose-Driven Brand

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756. From Stay-at-Home Mom to Tequila CEO: Mara Smith on Reinvention, Leadership, and Building a Purpose-Driven Brand · Daily Influence

• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to Daily Influence, your daily dose of positive influence.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Brian Smith founder of IA Business Advisors and co-author of the Iain team series.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Each day we share stories and insights to help you find be and build your influence in a positive and responsible way.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm Greg Clino, partner at IA Business Advisors, and co-host of Daily Influence.
• 0:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Be sure to follow, subscribe, and share Daily Influence with someone who could use a little extra positivity today.
• 0:38
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• 0:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to Daily Influence, I'm Greg Collino.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Today, we're joined by Maris Smith, founder and CEO of Inspiro Tequila, a premium additive free tequila brand that has owned, led and inspired by women, and it is amazing.
• 1:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maris journey is anything but traditional.
• 1:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: from practicing law and working in corporate strategy to stepping away from her career to raise her family.
• 1:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: She eventually reimagined what was possible and built a brand that is challenging industry norms while creating opportunities for women.
• 1:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: What makes Mara's story so powerful is that she didn't simply create a product.
• 1:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: She built a mission-driven company rooted in intentional leadership, authenticity, and community.
• 1:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Today we'll explore how influence can be created through reinvention, how personal values can become business strategy, and what it takes to build something meaningful where there is no roadmap in front of you.
• 1:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mara, welcome to daily influence.
• 1:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so nice to be here, Greg.
• 1:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: And can we just leave it there because that was the best and try I've ever got?
• 1:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, drop the mic, we're done.
• 1:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, Mar, your path has included law, corporate strategy, motherhood, and now entrepreneurship.
• 2:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Looking back, what experiences are defining moments, most shaped the leader and founder you've become today?
• 2:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: I love the question because they like that you included being a mom and that.
• 2:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, right, I feel like I learned things and skills throughout my career and all of those, you know, different avenues.
• 2:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, in law, I feel like I really learned kind of the skill set of both,
• 2:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: looking at things at a high level strategic view point and also really meticulous like detail oriented, which I think it kind of requires both as a founders during your own company.
• 2:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: McDonald's working corporate strategy really opened my eyes to like consumer insights and being really customer centric Which is something that was a little bit different for me, especially because I felt like it brought some like marketing elements and that I did not have a background and I have an accounting and legal background so that's something kind of new.
• 3:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: So how do we focus really on the customer and their wants and needs and like how do we speak to them and speak to them and like really authentically.
• 3:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then there are a lot of skills I honed as a state of mind that I think are directly applicable and people often, I think, lost over those, um, one like things you really need, you know, efficiency if you're running a business like when you're managing three kids and all their schedules, you become really proficient at doing things efficiently, which I think is essential as well when you're a founder, um, I think also,
• 3:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: You know, maybe like navigating the unknowns and becoming a problem-solver before having children, I feel like I can kind of sell my schedule and exactly what I'm doing and everything go according to plan.
• 3:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then I kids in that, like, you know, a lot of the window, no day ever goes according to plan.
• 3:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: We just talked about that I have a graduation tonight and don't even know what my son is wearing to graduation yet.
• 4:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, every day is kind of like figuring out
• 4:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: You know how to solve the problem and that is very true as an entrepreneur and founding company that you have to like look at everything is like how I'm going to figure it out.
• 4:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think one of the really big things especially when it comes to leadership being a parent is that this level and the fee so I kind of look at everything is you don't know what is going on and anybody else's life and maybe because I, you know, I'm a more seasoned entrepreneur and know that I have.
• 4:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: I have good friends where I'm a sandwich generation, they're taking care of elderly parents, they're taking care of young kids still.
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I can appreciate that a lot of things come up all the time.
• 4:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: So you think instead of taking things personally, let's say someone didn't answer an email right away, or didn't respond, or right in like their tone, or something like,
• 4:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think I just have a different perspective of like I don't know what is going on right now in their life and they could also be having to fall apart right now in their house right.
• 5:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think that level of empathy and how you look at things is just a really different way to view things.
• 5:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think being a parent really kind of helped me do that.
• 5:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think it's an essential as a leader also to have a, you know, this like empathy level.
• 5:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, that is so true.
• 5:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: One of the themes we often explore on daily influence is how our greatest challenges often become the foundation of our greatest impact.
• 5:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you saw a gap in the market and realized that the tequila you wanted didn't exist.
• 5:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: So you decided to create it for yourself.
• 5:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: How did you move from identifying a problem to building a company around solving it and what can listeners learn about recognizing opportunities in their own industries?
• 6:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yes, and I think what it was was really being willing to do the hard work.
• 6:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: I honestly think there's no getting around that, right?
• 6:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: If you want to pivot in a career, you want to start in a new industry, I do have ended at a ton of due diligence.
• 6:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: I just started researching.
• 6:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think that's like one of my core competencies.
• 6:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: I like to research and just, it could be like, when I was a state of home, I'm like, I've been like, what the best foods for my children are, our newest cleaning products, and now it could be,
• 6:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: you know, the tequila industry.
• 6:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I wanted to understand as much as possible.
• 6:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: So understanding production history of tequila, how the regulatory system works in, you know, the alcohol world.
• 6:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: But there are a lot of complexities there.
• 6:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think that was the key is just becoming as informed as possible and doing as much as much research as possible.
• 6:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that is what I tell everybody
• 7:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: You have to, like, there's no easy button.
• 7:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: You have to learn as much as possible.
• 7:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: And especially when you're entering into a new industry, you know, I didn't think anyone was gonna take me seriously.
• 7:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: Here's this mom of three who's re-entering the workforce.
• 7:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like, what does she know about to kill us?
• 7:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I just thought I better prepared, I prepared to answer a lot of questions.
• 7:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think that was just my approach.
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think women also tend to probably,
• 7:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: Overprepared, we know that the statistics are that women before they, you know, ask for a promotion or raise their way over qualified versus their male counterparts.
• 7:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I think that's just something we tend to do, but that was how I approach as well.
• 7:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, starting something new is exciting, but building it into reality often requires overcoming uncertainty and doubt.
• 7:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: and after spending years focus on raising your family, you entered a highly competitive and traditionally male-dominated industry.
• 8:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: What mindset shifts help you overcome fear and posture syndrome or the feeling that you were starting over?
• 8:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: This is a really interesting question and one that I don't know that I've had the solution to or that I've overcome, I think it's something that I constantly grapple with and I want to see.
• 8:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think in pastor syndrome, unfortunately, doesn't really go away.
• 8:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: And.
• 8:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: Every time you're in a room, we were just in room together with incredible women and I was a speaker and even there I'm like, why do they have me speaking am I the right person?
• 8:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: So that is something that in my consent shift It takes a lot of tons of self-talk, but it's still there always in the back of my head in a lot of Steve I think the first big
• 8:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: mind such if that I do or calm is we talked about my career and what I did before starting.
• 8:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: I used to only share that I was a lawyer and then working corporate strategy and I
• 9:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: glossed over the fact that, for over 16 years, I was out of the traditional work force and at home.
• 9:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that is because I thought people would definitely not take me seriously, and not appreciate that I honed any skills or done anything.
• 9:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think I thought they would write off that entire time as having done nothing.
• 9:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: And which is not true.
• 9:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we all know that's not true.
• 9:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: But that is unfortunately still the perception.
• 9:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: It was my own mindset there as well.
• 9:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that was a big step to overcome, like actually identifying recognizing, I learned a lot, I did a lot, I managed a household, I was CEO of my home for many, many years.
• 9:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think did it adaptively, you know, and my kids are the result of that.
• 9:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, but that was a big mindset shift for me is that actually recognizing that
• 10:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: there were value placed on that time and that other people could possibly value that time too.
• 10:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: We're always going to people who maybe second gas and don't and I get question on that often when we go in or you know going to counts to sell and who's this you know stayed home mom like what does she know and um but that part of it
• 10:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: I at least have overcome and recognize like no, I'm just as qualified.
• 10:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: I didn't lose the skills that I had before and that's also I think sometimes the production I saw of all those skills that I had before and then I changed new skills so require new skills so I think that line to chip but the posture syndrome and and dealing with that all the time and you know I'm I'm very, very fortunate that I get invited to a lot of rooms and when I get a seat in that room or a table.
• 10:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: I am always honored and never take it for granted.
• 10:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like, and I don't think I ever will.
• 11:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's wonderful.
• 11:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you know, we're all influencing others unintentionally.
• 11:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: But the most powerful impact leaders tend to be very intentional about how they show up.
• 11:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Your company has placed women at this center of its mission from leadership and investors to production and brand messaging.
• 11:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: How do you intentionally use your platform and business to influence others in a positive way?
• 11:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks.
• 11:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I hope I am because that is like something very, very important to me.
• 11:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: One being a brand that is distilled owned and led by women, it was very intentional to do that.
• 11:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: Right.
• 11:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: I wanted
• 11:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: women to have representation in an industry where they're underrepresented.
• 11:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: I also feel strongly that we should be represented on the shelves.
• 11:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: So as a major consumer base, it makes most of the purchasing decisions.
• 11:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think that we should also be represented in leadership roles and in ownership roles.
• 11:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: up, you know, in the products we're purchasing.
• 12:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think my impact is in a few different ways, one being a certified B corp, so as a social impact company dedicated to also elevating other women in business, we put everything through that lens, who we're working with, what vendors, what suppliers, what events are we doing, like everything has to be aligned with that.
• 12:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: Which is helpful, because it kind of puts like these girls on, like what we do.
• 12:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: The other thing is sharing the story about me re entering the workforce.
• 12:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: I hope, you know, inspire some other women that it's not too late.
• 12:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think we often think like what am I going to do.
• 12:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: I've been asked for so long like exactly to reenter to pivot to do, you know, to follow some passion of theirs.
• 12:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think most importantly is I always look at all those little things we can do that are collectively impactful.
• 12:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I think sometimes we think it's basically grandiose gesture right like we've done small.
• 12:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: grants or things like that female founders were not a huge company.
• 12:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: People think they have to have like huge amounts of money and sponsor huge things.
• 13:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think it's for me it's answering the email.
• 13:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's making a referral.
• 13:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: I answer every single LinkedIn DM.
• 13:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's connecting to women that I think you know, I love being a connector that could like benefit from meeting each other.
• 13:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's buying women-owned.
• 13:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's gifting women-owned brands.
• 13:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's like all of these little things I think are collectively really impactful and, you know, there's the
• 13:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: When Chuck Bud investors, yes, I would love to have more women on the cap table.
• 13:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'd like to see more women in the position of making investment decisions.
• 13:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think that's the only way we are going to ever kind of start to equalize the access to capital.
• 13:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: People invest in people that they connect with and that resonate with them.
• 13:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so it's easiest if it is someone who you kind of understand.
• 13:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: But I also think
• 13:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: We can all look at it as like I think of everyone is an investor and consumer products right into sites where they're dollars go because we're all buying things all the time.
• 14:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: So even if you're not, you know, an investor who can making you do angel investing or be part of a, you know, LP for venture capital fund.
• 14:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: We all really can make a lot of decisions and direct where our dollars go I'm very intentional about the brand's I support.
• 14:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: Um, and I think if we did that a little more, we probably would also have, like, see that impact.
• 14:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that influence becomes even more powerful when it can be replicated and practiced by others and those are just easy ways that others can do that.
• 14:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: For listeners who have a dream or a business idea or a passion project they've been putting off, what framework or process would you recommend for turning an idea into action?
• 14:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: So as we talked about before, first I'd say researching everything about it.
• 14:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: Make sure something you actually wanted to, like maybe you always thought you wanted to be in the industry and then you're gonna do all this research and realize, oh, like, you know, you can be in my industry and realize, oh, that's gonna involve me standing.
• 15:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: Many, many grocery stores doing, you know, tasting, so that is not something I like to do, you know?
• 15:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: But I think doing all that research, right?
• 15:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: I, and everything is out there, which is why it's easy to kind of get access.
• 15:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: of all of this information, right?
• 15:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: I read books.
• 15:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: I listened to a zillion podcasts and like all different topic areas.
• 15:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: I subscribe to industry newsletters.
• 15:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: I joined industry groups and communities.
• 15:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: I joined female founder networks like where we can connect.
• 15:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: I literally took every introduction and followed up on every single introduction.
• 15:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: So
• 15:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: There's a wealth information out there that you can get started with.
• 15:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: But the second piece I would say is that the journey is really lonely and what I did find is it's essential to have a supportive community behind you.
• 15:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I was also very intentional recognizing that I had this like, you know, a great carpool network from my past and a great friend group, but I didn't have any business
• 16:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: Um, making those connections and finding people, um, you know, I love feedback guidance, everyone, everyone knows someone who's going to be a helpful introduction.
• 16:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: And, and I feel like I also have things that I can get back and make other interactions for people and and somehow get back on my way as well.
• 16:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: So.
• 16:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: That is the second piece of it.
• 16:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: I really think you need to find groups, networks, build a community that also can help you because I just think it's impossible to do it alone.
• 16:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: I would agree.
• 16:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: And as you've built in Spiro, you've also learned lessons that go far beyond to Kila and entrepreneurship.
• 16:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: What daily habits routines or disciplines have been most important and helping you stay focused, make decisions, and continue growing as a leader.
• 16:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: I, unfortunately, given that we talked about family and running a business, I'm going to admit that taking care of myself falls very low on the hierarchy there unfortunately, which I think many women face the same situation, but so there's little things I do.
• 17:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: that I think for me are helpful.
• 17:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: One, I've always, even when I was home, I always get up and work out for my entire family as a wake.
• 17:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: So even if it's 30 minutes, whatever it is in my house, I don't go anywhere, I don't leave at my repair.
• 17:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that's when I binge watch my Bravo TV, but that is like something that I think helps some my day.
• 17:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I feel like I rushed through many aspects of my day trying to get as much in during school hours as possible and then going back to it at night during, you know, asphalt practice or whatever.
• 17:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: But, um,
• 17:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: The thing I do take time to do is I make a matcha, like the traditional way of reasonable morning.
• 17:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I feel like I don't like missing that ritual at all.
• 17:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like I literally take ceremonial grade matcha.
• 17:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: I used to whisk the whole thing.
• 18:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: I make it as my drink every single morning.
• 18:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I feel like it just something that I take time to do.
• 18:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: Even if the rest of my meals could be bars and approaching bars in the car running round, like at least I do that one.
• 18:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: thing for me.
• 18:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: And there are a lot of other things I would like to implement.
• 18:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: I love to do better calendar blocking or things like that.
• 18:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: I try and attempt and I I notoriously fail with that.
• 18:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: Or I've been trying to do like meeting free Mondays right to like so that at my weekends aren't as
• 18:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: kind of, you know, filled with like the pressure to get everything done and caught up, because they have some time.
• 18:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I have like, that's something like a pair down on like the number of meetings.
• 18:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'll take a Monday to get myself some time to catch up on emails, things like that because of that, I find that most of my weekend has been doing that or very late in night, and I can finally get to it.
• 18:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: So there are things that I'm trying to put in place, but then the practical things are like those just those little things that I do, you know, if it's Every night is either I'm having a cup of tea or I'm having a tequila, one of the other.
• 19:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I have somebody or tea or tequila.
• 19:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's like even that little ritual.
• 19:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's great.
• 19:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: I love that.
• 19:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: When people look back on their careers and lives, they often realize the most meaningful lessons weren't about success.
• 19:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: They were about perspective.
• 19:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you could sit down with your younger self or speak directly to someone listening today who feels stuck on certain or afraid to take the next step, what would you tell them about creating a life and career that truly reflects who they are?
• 19:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's a great question and I think a lot of people say like, just go for a lot or do it.
• 19:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that's that usually that's that's not I think and maybe this because I've had more time before becoming a founder, right?
• 19:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: I didn't like start this in a dorm room.
• 20:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think and we talked about like that I purchased intentionally and do things like I think I'm the same way about this like things
• 20:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: How I run a business has to be totally aligned with my values and priorities.
• 20:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I is something I don't forget, right, my priorities, right, or I know where they what they are.
• 20:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I have to like try and make sure I'm when I feel the most unaligned is because I'm not living in accordance with my priorities.
• 20:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: Right, so like if my family's number one, my family is number one, and I have to, and even though some days work is going to be the priority for that day, but like that has to in general or in with my values, my, the business is directly aligned to how I value things so how we do things, I mean, I'm in an industry there are a lot of sheets of gray, but I am not.
• 21:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: live my life and what I care about everyone from who we work with like I will make sure that I will check every single like influencer before I send a product out to make sure like what are the stand for or what I do like it has to be aligned with how like with my values so and I'd be really clear with that with everybody I'm really clear we are super transparent I don't like saying anything
• 21:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: that it has a factual inaccuracy.
• 21:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that is my own.
• 21:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm sure that drives everyone crazy because like not that they're like, you know, saying anything on truthful, but like maybe they wrote something in the copy was like a little bit, you know, but I'm like, no, if that's not exactly accurate.
• 21:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: It doesn't go out.
• 21:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I feel like that is where I am like.
• 21:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: And because I feel like it is an extension of me and when we talk about like personal and professional life, those are very intertwined, I don't, I don't have like this distinct line between them.
• 22:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I have to like feel like everything is done like how I would want my legacy to be and how I live my life and so I think that's something that I would tell people because they think sometimes we get like pulled or.
• 22:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: feel like we have to do something because maybe it's going to be the better business idea, but like it doesn't feel like right or aligned.
• 22:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm not going to go that.
• 22:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is great advice.
• 22:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for sharing that.
• 22:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, Mar, I have one final question.
• 22:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: What's one intentional action you would challenge our listeners to take this week that could positively influence their own life or someone else's.
• 22:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: I, I really like that.
• 22:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm going to say, I love really practical tactile tips.
• 23:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: I feel like if you didn't meet 10 people that you really connect with this week, get get their information, connect with them, their LinkedIn, find people.
• 23:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think that's, you know,
• 23:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think that can help everyone like advance.
• 23:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: And because you never know where to lead you to, you may think it's not worth my life like I don't know.
• 23:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: I've done a tasting it, you know, like a boutique and found a woman who ended up being at my advisory board.
• 23:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like you just don't know who you're gonna meet.
• 23:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: So meeting people, like really putting yourself out there even though something it's hard to do and connecting with 10 people.
• 23:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think if you do make three introductions for someone else,
• 23:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: That you think is going to be helpful.
• 23:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: It always comes back.
• 23:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like I feel like you put that out there and something good always comes back from that.
• 23:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: So if you make three introductions to people that you think and could be a good or referral like refer someone's service business to another person, you know, like.
• 24:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think you're going to help someone else's.
• 24:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: Business move along, but I also think you're probably going to have some good come back for you also because they're going to you're going to be top of mind, like thank you for doing that and then you're going to be top mind.
• 24:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's great advice, Mara, thank you for sharing your stories and your insights your journey is a powerful reminder that influence doesn't always come from having the perfect plan it comes from having the courage to take action.
• 24:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: stay aligned with your values and create opportunities that benefit others along the way.
• 24:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: If our listeners want to get in touch with you or learn more about in Spiro Tequila, what would be the best way to do so?
• 24:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, well first, as we mentioned, I love LinkedIn.
• 24:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: So find me on LinkedIn, Mara Smith.
• 24:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then you can find in Spiro Tequila and www.inspirrotequila.com, I an SPIRO, follow us on social media, at in Spiro Tequila.
• 25:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: Reach out, let me know if you heard me on this podcast, because I'd love to connect.
• 25:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you, Mara.
• 25:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I highly recommend our audience to take a look at your website, because it is a really cool website.
• 25:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for joining us, Mara.
• 25:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're amazing.
• 25:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm so grateful for you.
• 25:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: I appreciate so much.
• 25:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: and to everyone listening, think about one area of your life where you've been waiting for permission, waiting for the perfect time, or waiting until you feel truly fully ready.
• 25:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: What would happen if you took one intentional step forward today?
• 25:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's what daily influence is all about, recognizing that our actions, decisions, and leadership create ripple effects far beyond what we could see.
• 25:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: If today's conversation brought you inside an inspiration, share it with someone who could use little positivity today.
• 25:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Remember small actions create big impact, keep showing up, leading, and growing one day to time.
• 25:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Until next time, stay inspired, and keep having a positive, responsible influence.
• 26:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bye-bye.