Latest / Skin Anarchy / E.321: Clarifying The Meaning Of Self-Care W/Cynthia Ruiz, Best Selling Author, Professor and Expert

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E.321: Clarifying The Meaning Of Self-Care W/Cynthia Ruiz, Best Selling Author, Professor and Expert · Skin Anarchy

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yellow four has arrived.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: That's the forces of the hell gather.
• 0:05
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  SPEAKER_00: Diablo 4.
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  SPEAKER_00: Available now.
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  SPEAKER_00: Rated and premature.
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  SPEAKER_00: Tap the banner or visit this episode's page to learn more.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: Hi guys, welcome back to Skinter Anarchy.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_02: This is a very special episode for me because I'm actually surprised that our guest had the time to do this.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, without further ado, I want to introduce you guys to Cynthia Ruiz, who is a best-selling author.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: She's a multi-billion pension board president, leadership expert, personal development champion, award-winning professor.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_02: She is an ESG advocate for uh Latinas.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, I just I can't even tell you how accomplished she is.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_02: So welcome to the show, Cynthia.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much for the honor of coming on and giving us your time.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_02: And I can't wait to chat with you.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: And just thank you so much for everything you do and the opportunity to address your audience.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_02: Oh no, it's it's uh truly an honor to be able to speak to such experts um such as yourself because, you know, I really believe that if you want to learn, we gotta, we gotta go to the source, you know.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_02: And um, I'm really excited to chat with you about obviously your career, but more importantly, get your insights about a lot of the things that, you know, uh kind of sparked my interest.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_02: So um if you could start us off, I would love to learn about just your career journey and you know how everything started, you know, with the with the um the book and the and the you know the whole whole thing, if you can walk us down uh memory lane.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: So I like to say that my personal journey is an example how anything is possible.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: So I come from blended cultures.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Mexican on my father's side.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: I live in Los Angeles, and my grandparents came to Los Angeles from Mexico over a hundred years ago.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: So my father was born here in Los Angeles, and then my mother's side were Native American Cherokee.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: Cherokees are in Telequa, Oklahoma.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: I'm a registered member of my tribe.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, growing up, it wasn't always easy because I didn't really felt like I fit in.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_01: But now as an adult, I like to say I get my passion for life and I love for music and dance from my Latina side.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: And my Native American side brings the spirituality and love for Mother Earth.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: So at this point in my life, I feel like I have the best of both worlds.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: So growing up in Los Angeles wasn't easy.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I came from a divorced family and my mom really struggled.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, she woke up one day in her 30s and had four kids and never worked a day in her life.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: So I saw the struggles she went through were also growing up around a lot of adversity, gangs, and drugs.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_01: So I decided very early on my way out was education.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_01: So I was the first person in my family to go to college.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_01: Nobody could help me.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: I just had to figure it out myself.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm happy to say by the time I was 23, I had my master's degree.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_01: And so I got my master's degree in counseling, and that really just changed my entire life, not only for me, but now I have a son and he's grown, and he went to college as well.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_01: So I've been a trailblazer my entire life.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_01: And let me tell you, being a trailblazer isn't always easy.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's a difficult path, a difficult road.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: But now, you know, my journey has taken me many different places.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_01: I am an entrepreneur, have my own business for many years.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: And then about 19 years ago, I really got involved with city government and have had the ability to serve as president of public works, which is, you know, a very male-dominated industry.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_01: Public works is all the city infrastructure.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: I've worked at the Port of Los Angeles as an executive.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, for the last seven years, I have been president of the city's pension fund.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_01: I'm happy to say, under my leadership, we increased the fund by$5 billion.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_01: And then most recently, the mayor has appointed me to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Board, which is the largest municipal utility.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: And so I, you know, many of my roles, I've been the first, you know, Latina Native American.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: And I know, you know, let me talk about a woman for a minute.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_01: You know, a lot of times we're in your male-dominated industries, you have to work twice as hard.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: You have to really prove yourself because everybody is watching.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: So again, where I started, you know, I'm a living example that any anything is possible.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: If you believe it's possible, you do the work and never give up.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_02: I just I can't even begin to say, like, just not only impressed, but how inspired I am just hearing that.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_02: And I like everything you've said, like just hit home for me so hard because this is exactly I'm not even joking, like, this is exactly why I even started this journey of of creating any kind of a platform, because I realized that, you know, individuals like yourself, like we hear about you, but we never get to learn from you, especially as women, and especially as women of color.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I can't tell you how much like, you know, it it resonates with me when you say that it's twice as hard.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_02: You have to be, you know, a go-getter.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_02: And I I know that for me, you know, in medicine, I've definitely seen that not only with myself, my colleagues, you know, and the struggle of just proving yourself.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_02: So the fact that you've done so much and you're here, not only to show us that, you know, you can do it, but also to guide.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, that's huge, you know.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_02: So I just I just want to say thank you, first of all, like for everything you do and for huge congratulations to all of your accomplishments.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_02: That's amazing.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I every day I wake up because I am very spiritual, I have a spiritual practice.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_01: So I start my day with my gratitude list, and then throughout the day I pray and meditate.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: Now I'm not particularly attached to any organized religion, but I do have, and we all do have a direct connection.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_01: I use the term creator, I can say God, I can say universal consciousness.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: To me, it doesn't matter what term you use, but you know, on my Cherokee side, we're taught that anytime leaders make a decision, we remember seven generations in the past and consider seven generations in the future.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_01: So we have a very holistic view of the world, and we also have an understanding that we're connected to everything and everyone that's ever lived or ever will live.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: So when you really understand the connectedness, then to me that that's what drives my, you know, my thoughts about how can I make this world a better place?
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: So every day I wake up and say, creator, how can I be of service today?
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I never know how that's gonna show up.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, uh recently I actually spoke to a group of Girl Scouts.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: And they said, Can you come talk to the girls about, you know, democracy?
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, okay.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_01: Or I talk to, you know, different groups or individuals.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm happy to say that I'm very committed to investing in the future and mentoring, helping others.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: So last um week, I actually, the Los Angeles Business Journal awarded me the Mentor of the Year Award, which was a just, you know, I've received over 75 awards and accolades.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_01: And that's not why I do what I do.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_01: I do it because I want to make a positive difference and I love helping people.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: All the awards just happen to be icing on the cake.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_02: And I mean, um, first of all, congratulations and very well deserved.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, can we just say that first and foremost?
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, I I just for me, here's the thing like everything you just said is like I think you're one of two people in my life I've met that has actually been able to say the same thing that I've thought.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_02: And I really believe the same thing that you do.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_02: And I also use the word creator because um one of my, you know, for example, you know, we look at science, right, Cynthia, and we look at how um like people are always talking about, well, we're creating things, we're doing this, but I'm like, you know, science is an exploration, it's an observation, it's a way to discover what's already here and it's a humbling process, you know, and I feel like people who go through these trials and tribulations and these constant, you know, like, for example, like, you know, uh being uh rejected or being constantly, you know, kind of sidelined because of uh racial reasons or, you know, gender roles or whatever, we, you know, we have to realize those people are are usually more inclined to start understanding things on a deeper level.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_02: So my question to you really is for everyone listening, you know, and especially for the young women out there listening, where do we start with this idea of like, you know, um, I don't want to say confidence, but I want to say just being more grounded, you know, in our vision, in our purpose and just finding that, you know, day to day, time and time again, and and sticking to it.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_02: Like I would love for you to just kind of give us that advice because I think that is what's really missing right now, you know, especially for the new generations.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I think every, no, I don't think, I know everything starts with you as an individual.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: So it really starts with self-care.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_01: And that kind of sounds counterintuitive, but if you don't take care of yourself, then you're not gonna be any good to uh anybody else.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_01: I like to say that in life we're born pretty pure, like when you're a baby.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: If you need something, you cry.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_01: And so we're, you know, we're pretty pure as a child.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: But as we go through life, we have different experiences, some good, some bad.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_01: The good experiences create memories, and the bad experiences create emotional baggage.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really about looking in the mirror and releasing your emotional baggage.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_01: The emotional baggage shows up as anger, resentment, fear, insecurities, you know, not feeling worthy, all this stuff.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really about clearing your emotional baggage.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_01: And once you're happy and healthy, you're in a better position to help others.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: But again, where I started, you know, anything is possible, but but you got to do the work.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: Nobody is gonna come give you anything.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: You know, set your intentions, set your goals, and believe in yourself.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: Because in society, especially for women, it's so difficult because all we have to do is turn on the TV or look at any of the media and we start comparing ourselves to these beautiful models.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_01: Well, we know that these models don't look like that.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it takes a whole team.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: It, you know, it takes hair, makeup, you know, a wardrobe stylist, it takes uh, you know, then they Photoshop it.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: So nobody really looks at it like that in reality.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_01: So it's about loving yourself.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: We're each individuals and we're each perfectly imperfect, meaning that really coming to grips with yourself of who you are and accepting your body, accepting where you're at in life.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why I think the work that you do is so important because for me, part of what I've always done is really kind of try to take care of myself.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_01: Now I know that your viewers can't see me, but at this point in my life, I'm 66 years old.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_01: And so for me, you know, it's all I've always had a skincare routine.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: I've always tried to drink water, get sleep, and do everything I can to show up as the best person that I could be today for myself, beginning with me, and then I'm able to help others.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: And oh my gosh, like I feel like, you know, you you're literally hitting the nail on the head, Cynthia.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_02: Honestly, like this message that you're conveying right now, I wish like I could just, you know, obviously I'm taping this, but I wish I could put it on a megaphone and just play it over and over and over again at every, you know, uh college, every university, because honestly, this is what I think is so difficult for people in general, but especially women, because, you know, um, it's interesting how you said the aspect of like skincare and being, you know, tied to self-care, because I I've really been thinking about this topic, you know, and I've been thinking about how, you know, a lot of times because of marketing or whatever reasons, people, you know, kind of correlate the two together.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's a great thing.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_02: But also I think it's more important to realize that like, you know, something like a skincare routine, you know, it'll bring you present moment.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_02: And I think this idea of like becoming present, like as much as the hype has been, and you know, people have come out with this, like, it's become like a new age, you know what I mean?
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_02: Word, but it's truly like genuinely there.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, for me, skincare, I think something like that, it's a routine, it's something that you can stick to, it's something you can do, and that the self-care part comes in exactly what you said, which is, you know, you're you're doing something for yourself.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_02: You're doing something that's going to highlight you throughout the day.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't, I just don't know why more women don't, you know, really kind of think like this, or we're why we don't see it rather on social media or you know, more marketed, right?
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_02: To like consumers.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_02: Like I just don't understand that.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I would love to like actually like hear your viewpoint on that in terms of like uh, you know, advice for even companies and brands and and marketing teams about, you know, bringing this new, I guess, light or shining a new light on this idea of body positivity, self-positivity in this way.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_02: You know, how do you think we could really do that, you know, in terms of like from a mass level?
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I think part of the challenge is women, the good news about us is that we're compassionate, we're caregivers.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_01: However, if you don't take care of yourself, then you're not going to be good for anyone else.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: I like to use the analogy is when you're flying on a plane and they're doing the safety briefing, you know, they said, okay, if something happens and the oxygen mass comes down, put it on yourself first.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: Because we don't.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_01: What we do is we take care of everybody else around us, and then we're depleted.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_01: So we don't, we don't invest in ourselves.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_01: So I like what I do at night when I'm doing my skincare routine, I talk to myself in my head, not out loud, and say, you know what, you're worthy, you know, you're beautiful.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_01: And whatever age you are, it doesn't matter.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_01: Because to me, beauty starts from the inside.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: You know, a lot of people say, oh my God, you know, good, can't believe how old I am.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_01: And I said, Well, you know what?
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_01: My I love myself.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, thank God during the pandemic, which you know, we all are coming out of the pandemic, that was tough.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_01: But I live alone.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_01: And so 90% of the year 2020, I was by myself.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_01: And thank God I love myself and like myself because I didn't really have any problems.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_01: Now my life turned virtual, my work was virtual, but it's really about, you know, that self-care and self-love.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: If you have that, then you're gonna radiate beauty.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: You know, people because I believe we're all energy too, right?
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_01: And so you're coming, showing up with positive energy, people are gonna gravitate to you.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that the traditional way we look at beauty has to change, and it's starting to change.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think as society, we're realizing that beauty is not a one size fits all.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we don't have to have just one look of how what beauty looks like.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: We're all beautiful.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_01: Women are beautiful, but we have to believe it and not be brought down by society.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: So I like to recommend to people is use positive affirmations.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when you're doing your skincare routine or when you wake up in the morning, you know, do some positive affirmations.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_01: I'm beautiful, I'm worthy, you know, I'm gonna show up today in the best way possible.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_01: Because it's about being the best version of you that you could be, not trying to be somebody else.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, no, I gosh, yeah, a hundred percent.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, it's it's also this idea of figuring out who are you, you know.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's like like, I mean, correct me if I write if I'm wrong, but like for me, that's always been a struggle.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_02: Like this this idea of like, you know, sitting down and figuring out who am I?
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_02: And in when I say that, it's not just about like, you know, like personality, but just like you, like you said, we're it's this this idea of being energy, all matter, all existence is energy.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's a closed system, you know, and the creation of what we're living in is already like I I feel like I feel like there's so much, um, what I'm trying to say is like there's so much uh benefit and I guess uh uh hope that comes from realizing that whatever is happening, it's already been created and it's unfolding.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_02: And this idea of an uh ever expanding universe is not just words that people say or ideas that theoretical physicists come up with.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_02: This is reality, you know.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_02: And you Cynthia, like you will not believe like how you know how much you're speaking to me like on a level because I remember when I was in college, I kid you not, like I just discovered, you know, the idea of like like the law of attraction.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_02: I just you know kind of started like dabbling in this area of like spirituality that's more focused on self, right?
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_02: And looking inwards.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_02: And I started doing these like experiments where it was like, okay, I'm going to try to find that one parking spot I love.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_02: And I kid you not, the whole drive, I would just imagine that spot.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_02: And I did this being a scientist myself, like I was like, I'm gonna do it in a scientific way, and I and it literally works.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_02: Like every time you set an intention and you keep focusing on that intention and you keep visualizing it and keep visualizing it, you will see it become something.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't know why this is becoming such a hard thing for people to get on board with, you know what I mean?
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_02: Like it's it's so rare even now, like even with all the media and the all the books and the TED talks, people still can't get on this wavelength that you're speaking on, you know?
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_02: So it's crazy to me, right?
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_01: Because when you really think about it, like I said, I'm spiritual, not religious.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_01: There's basic spiritual laws that have been around since the beginning of time.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: And yes, the law of attraction is important, but if you don't couple the law of attraction with the law of divine action, it's not gonna work.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_01: You because people think, well, you can just sit there and everything comes to you.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you still have to take action.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_01: So, and then there's a the law of divine oneness, which I started with my Cherokee beliefs.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: It's we're all connected.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_01: And so once you start understanding some of these universal laws that are not uh tied to any particular religion, in my Latina community, um, a lot of people are Catholics.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm not saying anything bad about the Catholic Church, but a lot of them are filled with guilt, filled with insecurities, and and that's how they're programmed by religion.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_01: And again, you know, I believe that everybody has the right to believe what they want.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_01: You have to find what works for you, but you do have to have something in your life to have you have faith and believe.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, for me, uh, and I also want to say, especially for women, don't be so hard on yourself, ladies.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_01: We know we're our own worst enemy.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_01: Believe in yourself, you know, do be nice to yourself and uh and meet yourself wherever you are.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Like I say that I have a skin routine, which I do, but I'm not gonna lie, when I was younger, I was not good to myself.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_01: I live in Los Angeles, so I was at the beach all the time.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_01: And I, you know, instead of putting sunblock, we used to put, we wanted to get a tan.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you know, later in life now, I'm actually um suffering, not suffering, but I'm I'm um experience of consequences.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_01: So I have a dermatologist and they're like, stay out of the sun, protect your skin.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_01: And so, but I didn't learn that until later in life.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: So I had to say, instead of beat myself up for being at the beach all the time and getting a suntan, now I have to say, okay, I am where I am today.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: I did what the best I thought at the time, but part of my you know routine is protecting my skin and wearing skin block.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_01: And um you can see me, they can't, but I feel like I'm I look pretty good for my age.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_02: No, you look great for any age.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_02: Like I just I was like, I don't know why she because honestly, here's the thing like I really believe that when you are like what you're all everything that you're explaining to us here, it's this you're resonating this idea of self-love, right?
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_02: It's not just speaking about it, you're resonating it, and it's coming through.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_02: And that's why, like, I'm looking at her, everyone listening.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_02: I'm looking at her right now, and she's absolutely glowing.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you look, yeah, because you know, as a side note, like I genuinely, and I I feel like that is such a crucial thing that you've really mentioned here is this idea of like on ourselves, but at the same time, like you have to be more like solution oriented, right?
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I mean, is that would you agree with that?
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_02: Like being more solution mindset instead of like critique mindset or or you know, looking in the past, because I feel like that's also like an emerging concept these days, where it's like, you know, if if something goes wrong, what are you gonna sit around and think about it all day?
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_02: No, you have to move on, you have to look at the solution.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_02: And I feel like if you do that, you're constantly in this cycle of expanding as the universe is expanding, as as life is expanding and you're moving forward and you're finding solutions, and that brings joy into your world.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_02: So I would love for you to actually tell us about that aspect more because honestly, I'm not gonna lie to you.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_02: There's a lot of women that I know also in the Latin community, in the Asian community, um, in all I think, uh communities that are related to women of color, and we are the hardest on ourselves, like genuinely.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_02: And I think and it comes back to our moms sometimes.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not gonna lie, because my mom was very hard on me growing up.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_02: So I would love for you to speak on that in terms of like how to move forward when you're experiencing something that's like hard, you know what I mean, and how to keep moving forward and keep looking forward.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it's also making a conscious break from the past.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_01: Now, what do I mean by that is in in communities of color, we not only have challenges and experience it, some other communities don't.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_01: We have historical trauma.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_01: Like on my Native American side, people don't acknowledge it, but in the United States, Native Americans went through genocide.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, they don't teach it in the in the schools, they don't want to, nobody wants to acknowledge it or talk about it.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_01: So we have all this historical trauma in addition to the trauma that we experience.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_01: So for Native American women, uh, 50% of the Native American women will either be sexually or abused or physically abused.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_01: In the Latina community, we don't even have numbers, even though it happened, the sexual abuse happens all the time because nobody talks about it.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really kind of accepting yourself.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_01: I was uh sexually traumatized when I was a teenager.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_01: It was a horrible, horrific experience that I had to heal from.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_01: But interesting enough, my healing was not complete until I forgave myself.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_01: I forgave the perpetrator, but I didn't, I once I forgave myself, because as women, somehow we're we're taught that if something happens to you, if you're a victim, it's your fault.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_01: And so we can't look at things like that.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_01: So, as you mentioned, I've I've either authored or co-authored a total of eight books, and one of them was specifically on that.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's called Yotan Bien, meaning Me Too, Stories of Healing and Hope.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_01: And we got 10 authors together, one man in there, and we talked about how we healed, because healing is not a one size fits all, it's not linear, and it's really, you know, first of all, acknowledging what happened and then believing in yourself enough, moving out of that victim state and empowering yourself with that.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_01: And so I've had many, many traumas throughout my life, and I wouldn't change any of them because it made me the woman I am today.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_01: So life is about choices.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_01: Everything in life is about choices that we make.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're unhappy with your life, you're unhappy with your job, your relationship, whatever, make different choices because moving from that victim state to an empowered state is really to me key because we every day, you know, we live in a world of free will.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_01: So use your free will to make choices that benefit you.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_01: So healing is so important.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_01: And when you're healing and you're and it's a process, it's a journey, then you're gonna feel much better about yourself and you're gonna be happy, healthy, and complete.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_01: And when you're happy, healthy, and complete, you have better relationships with the people around you, you're more satisfied, and it and you have the ability to find that inner peace.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I really I love everything you just said because honestly, and I'm by the way, I am so sorry that you had to go through that.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_02: No one should ever in their life have to go through that kind of trauma.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_02: And the fact that you've come out of it in the way that you have, I mean it it's just I don't know.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_02: I I I can't find words to express how extraordinary that is in the sense of just strength, willpower, and just through like I I guess, like you said, trail blazer, I mean, to the max.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_02: Wow, you know, I just I I I really, you know, for me, I I think women, like you said, we get caught up, but it's like, you know, we see so much information out there from people who are like self-help gurus or you know, someone talking about being a man, right?
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_02: Talking about, hey, you know, you do be like this or think more happy thoughts.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_02: But it's like I think some of the most inspiration or the real like stuff that you can get that's gonna actually help you day to day is to like speak to individuals such as yourself or learn from people like you who've actually, you know, you've lived you've lived that trauma, you've lived that those life experiences, and you're speaking from a place of knowing versus just theory, you know, and that's something that I think I, you know, I it it's just extraordinary to me, like, you know, everything that you've you've said here.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_01: And it requires vulnerability.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_01: I remember the about maybe about eight years ago was the first time I publicly spoke about being violently raped.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_01: And it was to a crowd, it was at a woman's conference, and there was probably like 600 people in the crowd.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_01: And that was the first time I said it out loud to that many people.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_01: And it it was actually, I felt very free after I said it.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_01: And then after I had a line of women coming up to talk to me and crying and said, that happened to me too.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for being brave enough to share that.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_01: And so it required on my part vulnerability and being vulnerable is not easy, right?
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_01: When you put yourself out there.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_01: But since then, so many women have, you know, started their healing journey.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_01: And so for me, it was worth it because I am in so many um prestigious positions.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_01: People think, oh, she's you know, she has it all, she has it together.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_01: But what they don't see is all the struggles that that I have had to overcome.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, the forgiveness, forgiveness is a powerful tool, forgiving others, forgiving yourself.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_01: I my mom passed away last year and we had a tumultuous relationship.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_01: I had to forgive her, but forgiveness is such a powerful tool, but that also applies forgiving yourself, not being hard on yourself, and believing yourself.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_01: And for me, my spirituality, you know, connects me.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_01: So I always listen to my intuition, because if you listen to your intuition, you're never gonna be guided wrong.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_01: So we a lot of us, some people call it women's intuition, somebody calls, you know, somebody calls it something else, but we all have that inner voice.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_01: And if we listen to that inner voice, our lives will be so much easier.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, absolutely.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, it's like the I it's like the phrase, your gut never lies.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_02: I really, really believe that too.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_02: Your gut never lies.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_02: If you have a gut feeling about something, please go with it.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_02: You got that gut feeling for a reason.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_02: It came from somewhere, you know, and some vibrational frequency has now landed onto you and you've tuned into it, and there's a reason you're feeling that way.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_02: And I I 100% believe that as well.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_02: Like I'm right on the same page with you with that.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_02: I I think that, you know, what and you're right, you know, when we look at uh, you know, thought leaders such as yourself, you know, you yeah, you have all of these accolades and you have all of these awards and you're really up there.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I think one thing that I think a lot of people do that's wrong is is looking at that in that light of, well, they're not gonna understand what I'm going through, you know, and that's something that I think you uh what you said is is so is so real because women will take advice from other women who are still, which I think we're always on a journey, but at the end of the day, like they won't seek out that advice from like somebody they think who is like above them in some way.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_02: It's like we create our own uh prejudices, you know what I mean, in our own minds about who what someone's gonna be like, or like you know, what it's gonna be like talking to somebody who's at this stature in their life, you know what I mean?
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_02: So that's something that I I I really, really um I hope everyone listening, like you you really take advice from Cynthia on the idea that you know even no matter what, like wherever she's gotten, she's gotten because she's gone through, you know, fire and you know, all the tests of time and everything to get there.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_02: So that's like, you know, that's a huge, that's a huge uh statement about your personality.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_02: And that's really what I'm trying to say.
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just jumbling my words.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_02: I'm sorry.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_01: No, no, and so for me, it's about staying grateful.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like when people ask me on a daily basis, how are you doing today?
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_01: I always say, I'm blessed and I'm grateful.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_01: Because is the more I stay in that attitude of being blessed and grateful, the more blessings I receive.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_01: So for me, it's important to stay grounded.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_01: How do I stay grounded?
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I mentioned my spiritual practice, but also what grounds me is being out in mother nature.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_01: So whether it's going to the beach or hiking or going for a walk, just having that ability to, you know, connect with mother nature really grounds me.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_01: And I have to admit, at this point in my life, what is what has gotten me to where I am is my sisterhood.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_01: I find friends that are supportive, that are unconditionally loving.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_01: We have reciprocal relationships.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_01: And without my sisterhood, I would never have been able to accomplish what I have.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_01: As a matter of fact, three of my, and I don't, and I'm talking, I'm not talking about, you know, blood related, I'm talking about women in my life that have been mentors or or support friends.
• 34:35
  SPEAKER_01: And we just, three of us, four of us just went to New Mexico and we took a two-week class at the University of New Mexico on Indigenous healing.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_01: So learning from the elders, learning about healing holistically, and all that to me is having that support network of women uh is so important.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_01: I have a lot of male friends too, but you know, having that that compassionate support is so important.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_01: So find your sisterhood, whatever that looks like to you.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like I said, it doesn't even have to be family, it could be people in your life that you meet.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_01: And and I just want to give you a shout out for you know taking the time to reach out to me because a lot of people like, oh, I can't talk to her, she won't talk to me.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_01: You never know.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_01: Reach out to people if you want somebody to be your mentor, reach out to them.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you just never know.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_01: And if they if they brush you off, then they they weren't meant to be in your life.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, absolutely.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_02: Wow, yeah, 100%.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, I I think it's it's so interesting to me what you said about the sisterhood aspect because you know what's crazy is I was talking to, I believe um, she's also a good friend of yours, Rachel Brink.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_02: And um, we were speaking about venture capital funding for and and the rather the lack of it for uh Latin women, you know, out there.
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_02: And uh we were really she was really speaking about it, you know, from her technical standpoint and her expertise.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_02: And um I was, you know, I think I I brought this question up to her, and I and I would love to get your perspective on it from your angle.
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um that this idea of okay, we're waiting for someone else to come in and help us versus creating communities that are self-thriving and coexisting and helping each other.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_02: So what let me, you know, what I'm trying to say is like, for example, before I started skincare anarchy, I had this idea of, you know, people a lot of people criticize me.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_02: They were like, you're hosting brands that, you know, there's no science behind their products.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like, you don't know that because so-and-so made a brand and it works for them.
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_02: And you don't know if the science is there because we haven't had any papers published yet.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_02: So instead of criticizing them, why don't we put together our own little fund or like a little community that you know donates or whatever we can do, right?
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_02: To help these individuals, these visionaries go to that next step.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_02: And I would love to get your opinion on how can we form these communities, even if it's like on a small scale, whether it's a financial helping kind of way or a you know, a support group or a mentorship group, like what can we do as individuals to really create this kind of uh, I guess, microcosm that's not relying so much on this like, you know, idea of someone on this big, you know, like in a big place and a big venture capital fund is gonna come in and swoop me up and help me, you know, rather than thinking like that, we have to think more of like, you know, it takes a village.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_02: So where's my village?
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_02: And so I would love for you to like kind of comment on that.
• 37:45
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you're absolutely right.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_01: If you think that somebody is gonna come swoop in and save you, then you're in the victim state.
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_01: Now, for you, I really admire the work that you're doing because you're being a disruptor, disruptor in an industry that is a multi-billion dollar industry that it's driven by profits.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_01: And so what you're saying is maybe there's a different way to do this.
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_01: And I think you're doing exactly what you need to be doing, connecting to people, in particular women, you know, getting having a platform where we can have different ideas, and that's how I think it begins.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_01: And from there, you begin to develop your network.
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_01: Because I believe that, you know, having making money and being conscious and really caring about women, they're not all a mutually exclusive.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_01: So maybe these big beauty companies have all these tests, you know, done or studies done, but you know, that's paid for.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_01: When you're you're happy you're coming up organically and saying, no, there's a better way to do this, there's a different way to do this, and being a disruptor is never easy.
• 39:06
  SPEAKER_01: You're gonna have naysayers, you're gonna have haters, but where we talked about before, listen to your gut.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_01: And and I believe that like attracts attracts like, and so you get like-minded people, and you're gonna be able to grow your movement because I feel it.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_01: You you're looking to benefit women, and so as you do that, it it's gonna start growing, but of course, it's a lot of work, yeah.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_01: But don't give up because you're on the right path.
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_02: That means so much to me coming from you, genuinely.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I thank you.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I'm just like lit up right now.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_02: I just I really, you know, uh Cynthia, I I believe in everything that you've really taught us, you know, just in the short time we've been talking.
• 39:59
  SPEAKER_02: I believe in all of that, you know, like I really like I so I have you know, the white collar brown girl other podcasts for everyone listening, they know about it, but I don't think I mentioned it to you.
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_02: And uh one of the things I kind of like was writing up the other day, like, you know, I I grew up with this idea of like I came to America, I learned a new language, and then I started listening to like these amazing like rock bands and these poets and the these, you know, things like you know, we like you can do it and you can really make a change.
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_02: And there's a lot of intellectual depth here.
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_02: Like these things for me were never just words.
• 40:34
  SPEAKER_02: And I think like what I've noticed, especially in the beauty industry, is that people keep putting words in the mouths of especially women, and those words will then sit in their minds and they create chaos.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_02: And then that chaos, it feeds this multi-billion dollar industry, you know, and that's where I get so personally, I get so upset because I'm like, you know what?
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_02: If there's a woman out there who's trying to make it and she's got a skincare line or a beauty line or whatever it is that she's doing, you know, you need to like at least hear her.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_02: And I think this concept of like hearing someone and like genuinely actually listening, we've lost that for some reason, as as generations have come and gone, you know, and and I and I don't think enough women are doing that because I'm not gonna lie, I've never had a lot of girlfriends in my life.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_02: And you know why?
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_02: Because I was always that girl that was like listening, and everybody would tell me their problems, but then whenever I needed to speak, no one would listen to me.
• 41:37
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_02: So, like I like what you know, what is what is your like advice to women in terms of just being more supportive to one another and to really just, you know, just do what we can, you know, like any any words of wisdom about that topic.
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_01: Well, first of all, I like to start with why.
• 41:57
  SPEAKER_01: Why is women empowerment so important?
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it's really comes back to our basic, my basic Cherokee belief is that we believe that we should live in harmony and balance.
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_01: And for the last several hundred years, you know, men, we've been out of balance because the men have been in control.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_01: So I believe that by helping women and when women rise, you know, we'll get to the level where we're at balance with the men.
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_01: And I and explain to the men, just because I'm empowering women does not mean I'm disempowering you, because a lot of them get threatened.
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_01: It's about women rising to the point where we are at a balance.
• 42:41
  SPEAKER_01: So just in general in the world, it needs to be more balanced.
• 42:47
  SPEAKER_01: And we need to show up as women like you, women like myself.
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_01: We're not afraid to help other women because society has pitted us against each other where there's a lot of you know jealousy and pettiness and hate.
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_01: We got to leave all that behind us.
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_01: That does not serve us.
• 43:06
  SPEAKER_01: Let's help each other, let's help women.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_01: And when we rise, it's because it's helping the world in general restore that balance that is so needed at this point in society and point in our life.
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, a lot of the you know, misconceptions or the rules that we've had in the past, I mean, when you think about it, it wasn't that long ago where the women has got the right to vote.
• 43:35
  SPEAKER_01: And then now, recently, with this whole overturning Road, Roe versus Wade has really affected me because it shouldn't be a political discussion.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_01: It shouldn't be a religious discussion.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_01: This is a basic women's rights discussion.
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_01: And we as women need to come together and support each other and stand up for ourselves because we're We are equals.
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_01: We we have bring so much value to society that we do need to have uh equality and balance in the world.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, I can't even tell you how like I I'm not like when I heard about the Roe v.
• 44:19
  SPEAKER_02: Wade thing, Cynthia, the first thing that came to my mind was this is gonna have to be fixed.
• 44:25
  SPEAKER_02: This is gonna have to be fixed.
• 44:27
  SPEAKER_02: I I don't care who decided what, at the end of the day, as women, we're gonna fix this because guess what?
• 44:33
  SPEAKER_02: It's not up to anybody else.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_02: You're telling me, you're you know, and I even actually like from a medical standpoint, I was I was trying to post something and um explain to people, yeah, it's not about politics, like you said, it's not about religion.
• 44:46
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I I'll be honest with you, I've had two abortions in my life, not because um I was raped, not because of a devastating circumstance, uh, as people say is okay, you know, to get an abortion.
• 44:58
  SPEAKER_02: Those no, I did it willingly because I was in a position where the person I, you know, slept with left.
• 45:06
  SPEAKER_02: And I was 18 years old and I wanted to be a doctor and I wanted to be a surgeon, I wanted to create something in this world, and I didn't want to bring a child into a world where I couldn't give them education, I couldn't give them proper nutrition, love, support, balance.
• 45:20
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't want those were my personal choices.
• 45:23
  SPEAKER_02: And every day I have remembered those feelings, you know what I mean, of having those procedures.
• 45:29
  SPEAKER_02: So when people argue about this topic and when they talk about it being this like, you know, political thing or whatever, I want to tell them that do you know?
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_02: Have you gone into the communities of our of our uh, you know, like like, for example, women of color or women that are underrepresented?
• 45:45
  SPEAKER_02: Have you gone into those communities and seen how much work goes into them raising a child and how many resources they pour into that and how they have to work for jobs because something wasn't available to them at the right time that should be a medical right?
• 46:00
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, these are all points that I feel like no one wants to talk about.
• 46:04
  SPEAKER_02: And it's again, you know, this idea of stop being scared to speak up, to reach out, you know, what you were saying to us, like, which is don't be scared to reach out to people, you know, in general.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_02: Like just open your mouth, say something, you know.
• 46:21
  SPEAKER_01: Can you imagine if the government told men, oh, we're gonna limit you to only having two kids and then you have to have a vasectomy?
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_01: You we're gonna make you do that.
• 46:31
  SPEAKER_01: Can you imagine?
• 46:32
  SPEAKER_01: All the men would be in uproar and they would never allow that.
• 46:36
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, but they already got mad when we uh tried to propose birth control for men.
• 46:40
  SPEAKER_02: They already got mad.
• 46:41
  SPEAKER_02: They were like, No, we're never gonna do that.
• 46:43
  SPEAKER_02: I even had, you know, like I would talk to my male colleagues in medicine, and I would be like, So you would never even consider the idea of safe male birth control.
• 46:52
  SPEAKER_02: And they were like, Oh no, that's my manhood.
• 46:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and so again, it's it's these antiquated ideas, but you know, I do believe that we we as women should have basic rights that support our life choices.
• 47:09
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, it's it's just crazy to me.
• 47:12
  SPEAKER_01: But again, we all have to come together as women and support each other and support the men that support us because there are a lot of good guys out there that you know really support and empower us.
• 47:27
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really, you know, again, like attracts like.
• 47:30
  SPEAKER_01: We need to come together, uh, like-minded people.
• 47:34
  SPEAKER_01: Unfortunately, right now, the in the United States, we're we're so polarized, and people just want to be right.
• 47:42
  SPEAKER_01: Instead of saying, as a person living in the United States, let's find out where our commonality is, because we have you know much more in common than we do differently.
• 47:55
  SPEAKER_01: We all want to be happy, we all want to provide for our family, we all want to have good lives, and I'm very grateful to be in a country where you know I'm allowed to do that, but I also am very disheartened to see so much division where it shouldn't have to be.
• 48:13
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, exactly.
• 48:14
  SPEAKER_02: And also, may I say that the rights that we've been given were uh brought to us and were fought for for trailblazers and thought leaders like yourself.
• 48:26
  SPEAKER_02: You know, that's that's what really gets me.
• 48:28
  SPEAKER_02: And that's what I I don't know how we keep missing this, is like, you know, when you do these kind of things on a political level where you're overturning some really exceptional movements that have brought real change, you know what you're doing?
• 48:41
  SPEAKER_02: You're basically saying, you know, middle finger to all of those people that fought without thinking twice for your rights for like you said, for seven generations to come, they fought for that.
• 48:54
  SPEAKER_02: And you just went back and you just said, it doesn't matter what everything you just did, we don't care.
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_02: That it to me, that's so disgraceful.
• 49:01
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
• 49:02
  SPEAKER_02: Like I just I don't know.
• 49:03
  SPEAKER_02: I'm I'm I'm very proud of tell up, but um, I I really just you know, I I think you're amazing, Cynthia.
• 49:11
  SPEAKER_02: Like there are, you know, I can't even express to you how rare this is to meet someone like you and to have the immense honor and the opportunity to learn from you, talk to you, and just just everything.
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 49:27
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you know, the reality in the life is everything has a duality, everything has an opposite.
• 49:34
  SPEAKER_01: So the opposite of love is hate, the opposite of good is bad, the opposite of light is dark.
• 49:40
  SPEAKER_01: And so we have a responsibility to show up to combat all this craziness.
• 49:46
  SPEAKER_01: We need to show up as love, we need to show up as compassion, we need to show up in supporting each other, and that's how we overcome all this craziness.
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you.
• 49:59
  SPEAKER_02: Oh no, oh my gosh, please don't.
• 50:02
  SPEAKER_02: I I wanna I want to actually round out the episode, and it's a very light question, but I can't wait to hear your answers.
• 50:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um, what are some of your favorite uh beauty products or self-care products right now, if you don't mind sharing with us?
• 50:15
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't have one product that I love.
• 50:19
  SPEAKER_01: I usually I use um drunk elephant, their C um vitamin C serum.
• 50:25
  SPEAKER_01: I use that on the bottom.
• 50:26
  SPEAKER_01: And then I sometimes I'll use oil of Olay.
• 50:30
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't necessarily look at price, I look at what I feel works for my skin.
• 50:36
  SPEAKER_01: And if I'm gonna be out in the sun, I absolutely use sunscreen at the end of the night.
• 50:43
  SPEAKER_01: I'm a girly girl, so I like makeup, but at the end of the night, I make sure that I take off all my makeup, wash my face, you know, I have a cleansing routine.
• 50:52
  SPEAKER_01: And it's really again, just it's about self-care and really taking care of your skin.
• 50:58
  SPEAKER_01: And again, but it's not just skin, it's sleep, it's drinking water, it's eating healthy, it's getting exercise and relieving the stress, getting rid of stress.
• 51:07
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really, I look at uh at my life holistically.
• 51:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, wow, I love that.
• 51:14
  SPEAKER_02: I love that, I love everything, and I I definitely think that you know, we we all need to kind of take a page from your book, uh, you know, no pun intended, and really learn from that because you're absolutely right.
• 51:26
  SPEAKER_02: We gotta all really have this glow like more 360 approach to our self-care.
• 51:31
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, but you know, Cynthia, thank you.
• 51:34
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my God, thank you for coming onto the show.
• 51:37
  SPEAKER_02: You're you're like truly, you know, Trailblazer can't even sum up everything that uh, you know, I I know that you are.
• 51:45
  SPEAKER_02: And so I'm very grateful that um you're here and you're you're doing such amazing work, some you know, really like game-changing work.
• 51:53
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for everything you do and for everything, you know, that you're going to do in the future.
• 51:58
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I I just can't say enough good things.
• 52:01
  SPEAKER_01: So no, thank you for this opportunity and keep doing what you're doing because you're on the right path, girl.
• 52:08
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
• 52:12
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• 53:19
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