Unarmored Talk

Doctor, are you SERIOUS? Leyna’s POWERFUL Story

• Leyna Marie Topete • Episode 109

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As we commemorate International Women's Day 2024, Leyna Marie Topete embodies the essence of faith, a positive mindset, and resilience.

Her journey is deeply rooted in her mother's courageous battle with breast cancer. Leyna's mother, a retired United States Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant, sadly passed away on September 11, 2019.

Leyna vividly illustrates her triumphs against all odds. She chose this podcast as the platform to publicly disclose her recent diagnosis of stage 1 breast cancer, discussing the emotional impact and how she is using it to uplift other women.

This dynamic conversation peels back the layers of womanhood, revealing the intricate balance of hard work, faith, and determination, transforming obstacles into stepping stones.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wvmy1Ou66dI

Guest Links:
IG - https://www.instagram.com/leynatopete/?hl=en
Impromptu - https://www.impromptu.life/
HERtoo - https://hertoobreastcancer.org/

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Mario P. Fields:

Welcome back to unarmor talk podcast. Thank you so much for listening and watching each episode and continue pleased to share with your friends and family members and colleagues, and don't forget to leave a rating or review if you feel this is a awesome show. And you can connect to all of my social media on the parade deck, just look in a show notes or you can put in the search engine Mario P Fields parade deck and get all access To my social media. Well, let's get ready to interview another guest who is willing to remove their armor to help other people? Everybody, welcome back to an armor talk podcast for this special episode on International Women's Day.

Mario P. Fields:

I mean, what an amazing time to do a special episode in honor of all of the women on earth who have contributed to some amazing achievements. We have one right in front of us in a virtual space. If you guys are on audio, you will hear her. Her name is Lana Marie Topete and I'll tell you that name. Let me do it right. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, there's a bunch of humans on earth, but there's only one women rock, one woman right now who is above the ionosphere.

Leyna Marie Topete:

Oh, my gosh, I love it. I love it. By the way, I actually do think I'm the only Lena Marie topete on planet. I do. I've actually googled that to see it. Like does anybody else have my name, my first name, my last name? I think there are a couple of Lena topetes, which I was surprised, but Lena Marie topete, no, I don't. I think I'm truly the only one.

Mario P. Fields:

I can confirm that because you are the only one that came up. We, you know you have, you have an entrepreneur spirit, your business owner. We'll get to that in a bit everyone. But we could take your initials LM, you know, t, and just brand that too and make that part of your impromptu. You know, we maybe build a product line or something, I don't know, but you're awesome and everybody, she is a business owner. She, you know she's an entrepreneur. You guys got to check out what she's doing. Her, her Company's called impromptu.

Mario P. Fields:

I'll put the links in the show notes. Give her a chance to talk about that little bit and then her nonprofit is her too. We'll talk about that before we jump in the topic, before I bring this amazing, amazing guest on the show. Thank you everybody. Thank you to all the women. I'm a mama's boy. My mom's in heaven right now smiling at her little son. But all the women Thank you. I don't have a special button. Y'all know that maybe by 2027 I'll raise enough money to buy one. Landon, can you do me a favor and bless our audience on this special episode and tell them a little bit about yourself?

Leyna Marie Topete:

Oh, thank you, Mario. Well, I am Latina, I am, how Puerto Rican have, mexican and I, as you've mentioned, I'm an entrepreneur and a philanthropist, a Singer, actress, which is a part of my life that a lot of people don't maybe necessarily know about, because I do have some background with that, but overall I would say that what really defines me, if I think about who I am within, I'm just really a person who is really positive. I believe everything and anything is possible with the hard work, with the dedication, with determination and I can't forget, of course with faith. I believe that is a very important component to being able to make things happen and I just see life as the gift that it really is.

Mario P. Fields:

Wow, and for all you Marines out there, she is a the assistant commandant, if you have her mom, our master gunnery sergeant. You know her first name is Lola, love it and Anyway, but she has that marine blood in her and and more and more. But she's doing amazing things around the world and if you could just talk a little bit about, you know, the main effort that you are doing and what you've done me. You've raised hundreds of thousands of dollars Probably have impacted more than hundreds of thousands of people, and then women, and then particularly, you know, latinos, blacks, and then the indigenous women when it comes to breast cancer. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Leyna Marie Topete:

Yeah, I started her to an honor of my mom, lola, who did pass away from breast cancer in 2019, september 11th of all these and she fought breast cancer for 12 years. But because she was in the Marine Corps, she didn't have a financial hardship. And I remember we were talking one day and I was telling her that you know, I'd like to start a nonprofit, but at that time I wanted to help fund or raise funds to further research for stage four and she said you know, that's great, but I would rather you raise money to help women with the cost of treatment. It's really expensive. We would talk about the fact that if not for the Marine Corps, she could not have fought her fight past the first year because of just how expensive it was.

Leyna Marie Topete:

And so I said you know what, then? That's what we'll do, That'll be the mission. And then 2020, I remember that day, it was the summer of 2020. And that's when I thought, okay, there's no time like the present, In the middle of the pandemic the world is in chaos of all times to really. But that's me, that's how I am, you know, that's just the way that I'm wired. And I remember saying, okay, I guess it's time to do this. And so I started raising money in 2021, got the 501 C3 and yeah, and now we're rolling forward with everything.

Mario P. Fields:

And that is not easy. First of all, being comfortable in crisis. I mean, that's one heck of a soft skill. You know, lane is like there's a crisis. I'm super comfortable.

Leyna Marie Topete:

Yeah, you know, you actually never thought about it like that. But yeah, you're right, it's. I feel that that's now a gift from the Marine Corps. Being raised in the Marine Corps it really has really taught me a lot and, especially being an entrepreneur, I'm biased, but I really do think the Marine Corps is the best. There's no other brains like it. I please forgive me for anybody who's hearing me, that is Army or any other branch, but I grew up in that and I grew up in that in a time where, for a single mother, you know, she joined in the 80s and she raised me through that, so she raised me like a little Marine.

Mario P. Fields:

Ha ha ha ha. You know, lane, I think I fit the little accurately. So we're little Mario P fields. Everybody. Y'all know me. But that is you know. And then the the started nonprofit from scratch is not easy. A lot of folks, you know they don't realize that. And then to get your 501C3 from the IRS, that determination letter, that is not easy at all. So thank you. But now let's jump into the topic. You have been caretaking. You know you are. You are thrust it right, thrown into the caregiver, caretaker world. For your hero, your mother, there's no training, there's no college, there's no online certification program. I don't care how much money anyone has on earth, that is a experience from hell. And for you you've been providing. You took care of your mom and got rest. You know your mother. So, if you will, you've been helping women in low income communities and you know I've been on your social media. You have been just helping people. You are a giver. But has anything happened in your life where now you need help?

Leyna Marie Topete:

Yeah, I mean I've definitely gone through a lot. I haven't spoken about this in a public platform, so this will be that opportunity. But last November of 23, two weeks after the gala, I found myself in that very position where I was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer and there are no words. There are no words because I never feared getting breast cancer. Some people might think that's crazy, but I really just strongly believed it was not in the cards for me, not because I'm so special, but because I've been through with my mom.

Leyna Marie Topete:

I'm now trying to get back to the community, the breast cancer community. I just felt that I would be exempt from that. But I found myself right in that and I think I'm still trying to understand it in a way, if that makes sense. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that. It's been now almost four months since that day of being told that I had it and since then I've had a lumpectomy, I've done radiation and I've been going to doctors' appointments and things like that. But yeah, in that moment I definitely felt like I need the support now around me and I've learned whether it's stage one, two, three, four, it doesn't matter when anybody who's ever been told they have something as serious as cancer of whatever type, of whatever stage. There's nothing to explain that there's nothing to explain that, so yeah.

Mario P. Fields:

And you know, lane, I was going to tell you to thank you because that's courageous, because I know you're still dealing with it and it's recent, and for you to come on the show and I'll give a congratulatory thank you to Sergeant Major Retire Cortez Brown for connecting us. But I am so honored for you to have the courage to even share this for the first time and you're still processing the emotions of you know you're doing all of this to help people survive it, prevent it, and then boom, it hits. You Was there any time. You know, after you received this diagnosis, you know that you went to prayer or whatever, and say God, why me? Why now, why me? Talk to me? Did that happen?

Leyna Marie Topete:

Instantly. Instantly, I mean instantly. So I had the appointment where they suspected and they really thought it'd be nothing. But I had that appointment. They did the biopsy, they did the mammogram. They flew to Puerto Rico four days later and just one day after getting there and with my family, I get the call that you know I'm so glad that we did this because it did turn out to be cancerous cells.

Leyna Marie Topete:

In that moment I remember being in my grandma's living room and in that moment, hanging up the phone and telling my grandma you know what? I've never said this before. It's just coming that way. I don't get it. I'm down in God, like I don't understand right now.

Leyna Marie Topete:

Haven't I been through enough? And I would never say why me? Because I don't believe in saying that, because I feel like why anybody? That nobody, anything that we go through, why anybody?

Leyna Marie Topete:

But it was just the thing of haven't I gone through enough? I've lost my mother. I don't even know if you know this, but in 2022 I was diagnosed with MS. That rocked my yeah, that rocks my world. And you know the business ups and downs and, like you said, having the organization and planning gallas at the Beverly Hills hotel and all the stress of that and so many factors and I just thought isn't it enough? I could cry almost thinking about it right now, because it just was like isn't it enough? When do I get my reprieve, when do I get this break? And now it is. So I had that moment for sure.

Leyna Marie Topete:

But my grandma instantly was her thing. You know, she tells me, or she told me, no, no, no, we can't question God. We don't know the reason why, but we have to know there is a reason and I want to pray right now. And so she prayed over me and it took me a couple of days to say, okay, you know what. I'm going to reframe my thinking and it's no longer what is this about in a negative way. Now it's like, okay, there is a purpose for this. What do I think that purpose is? And I feel like I now have understanding of that purpose.

Mario P. Fields:

Wow, you know, you just listening to you. And grandma, when you see your grandma tonight, give her. Well, you got to make your hands like this small to hug her, cause you know Nicole and I were small so but you got to give her a hug from the fields that way she knows.

Leyna Marie Topete:

Yeah, I do. As a matter of fact, before we before before, like just what, 10 minutes before we got up we got on here, I was, I was a. I gave her a hug, cause she's here with me in California right now and I was like, just give me a hug. I love hugging her and it's crouching down and just hugging her. Yeah, she's 4'11. She's 4'11.

Mario P. Fields:

We're good, you know so. So then the second thing is you're listening to you. It reminded me of of um. This kind of saying is that God doesn't qualify people and send them to do his work. He sends those who are qualified and they get qualified doing the work. So he doesn't send the qualify, he qualifies the chosen and is powerful for you to say that, because that's what I'm saying.

Mario P. Fields:

I mean, heck, lana, I went to, I was on my wife's case today, saying, you know, cause she was like I feel a little lump a couple of days ago, and I said, babe, make your appointment. You know, and it's because of you, you know, it's because of us meeting each other what three minutes ago? But it's because of us meeting each other. You don't know I'm joking, but it's been recent that now my babe, you know, don't like God, don't care, make your appointment, make your appointment. But let's say we didn't meet, let's say you weren't the chosen one to be qualified to not just inspire women.

Mario P. Fields:

I'm a man, you men don't really have to deal with this a lot by statistics, but that doesn't mean we still can't support our loved ones, our sisters, our mothers, our grandmothers, the women in our world, um in our lives. So you're, you're already, you're already doing it. You know I have a permanent tan, so you can't see me blushing. So I'm gonna blush with my eyes, I'm telling you. So how did you think? Cause I'm cause, you know I don't ever talk is about um, you know, again, we all have emotions, but to think is a choice. So, after you get this advice, this wisdom from grandma, you know you're going to deep prayer. How did you think through it? Where now you're starting to thrive.

Leyna Marie Topete:

I mean I had to pray a lot through that. I mean it's, you know, it's interesting tomorrow, because I was talking to a really good friend of mine and Romeo shout out to Romeo because I'm not sure he'll see this at some point but I remember telling him that I was doubting God and he actually had a different take on it. He goes I don't know that you were doubting God, because in that you kept praying, you never stopped praying and you never stopped seeking him in that time. So he goes. I think you were just afraid, it was fear, you were feeling the fear. So, to answer your question, I mean I started, I navigated that through prayer, constant prayer, and I just was, I just totally gave it to him as a woman of faith. That really is just all I knew that I could do is just give something of this magnitude to him, because I really felt that there is purpose. And I never I don't think that God gave it to me, because I know some people have a different view and I don't think God gave it to me but I do think he allowed it and he allowed it for a purpose and it was gonna be for me to figure out and find out that purpose, and I would say I was.

Leyna Marie Topete:

So I was still in Puerto Rico, I needed to navigate. That was probably one of the hardest things. For me was I'm on this island and it's not necessarily home base like LA, but I had to find an imaging center and continue to do more imaging. And I would say, about a week after getting that call, I started to feel this mental shift of okay, I'm excited. I'm not excited that I have this, certainly not but I'm excited because I know from this something good is going to come of it.

Leyna Marie Topete:

And I remember I wanna say it was a few days after I got my own diagnosis a supporter of her to reach out to me and she said, hey, when's the next her to event? Because my friend, her daughter, she's 27, she was just diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. She's Latina. And I thought, yeah, this is it, this is gonna be the reason why, because she didn't even know about my. My friend didn't even know that I was recently diagnosed.

Leyna Marie Topete:

So, but when I got that text, I said this is gonna be the reason why, because there are so many Latinas who are getting diagnosed younger and at later stages and I need to be a voice, one of many voices, but a voice of influence and a voice of inspiration that can remind ladies hey, we need to take it serious. We're living in a different time, we're living in a different world. Women are getting diagnosed younger and I wanna shed light on what I've learned in my journey and I don't want women to be afraid because my mom just passed from this four years ago and that didn't stop me from, if anything, it's in honor of her Like let it not be in vain that she passed from this. Let me take note and pay attention and take care of my health.

Mario P. Fields:

Wow, that is so powerful. You know, and I love how you said that I don't believe you know God gave it to me. I believe he allowed some things to happen. We're now to sympathize and empathize with folks you're taking care of. It's different, like you said, to give that wisdom to even folks like me on, you know what, if it happens to my own wife or you know, to be able to reach out to you and announce and say, mario, I know, like this is what I went through, not saying everyone else is going to experience the same, and that's powerful, and then to just keep going because that's a choice. I mean, you know, in your lifetime have you seen folks who you know have received this diagnosis and that was it. Shut them down? You know they were like I'm done. Have you ever seen that before?

Leyna Marie Topete:

Well, I mean, I definitely thought in my mind, I thought I mean it never occurred to me to do that, but I told myself I go, you know a lot of people in something like this. They would retreat within probably and just say you know what? I'm shutting this down, I gotta focus on me. They would probably crumble and no disrespect, you know it's heavy, it's really heavy and but es it was never an option for me.

Leyna Marie Topete:

I'm not a quitter, to know me a snow, I don't quit, I pivot and I keep moving forward. That's just just the way I'm built and I love that about myself, if I can say so, because I think it's it's necessary to have that. You know to, to be in business, start up, to do things that I've been, I've been doing it, you it's. I remember one of the Marketing companies that I worked with in the beginning when I first started impromptu. I will never forget when she said to me in a meeting she goes, you know, business is not for the faint of heart and I didn't. I didn't fully get that then, but I roll forward and everything I've been through and I was like shoes, shoes, right, like to to really survive this life and really make an impact.

Mario P. Fields:

You are going to go through stuff and and you're gonna find out you're made of so well, you're, you're, I believe this in in my little heart Landed that your mom is up there smiling. When you said the word pivot, that really probably got her jumping up, because that's, you know, some Marine Corps. I told you girl to pivot.

Leyna Marie Topete:

Yeah, put in and um. Pivot and leverage those are my, those are my favorite business. Learn how to pivot and leverage and you're good.

Mario P. Fields:

Well, you've done some amazing things. I mean I mean again for profit, company, nonprofit, pandemic external factor slams into all industries and look at you, you're thriving in prom to is doing Amazing. What has done well, what I mean by that is making an impact on people, and then your charity has just been doing some great Things. I am not going to hold you too much longer, like the other guests, because every single guest, I tell every single guest, including you I enjoy just having discussions without armor and I will have you guys on for so long that I'm preventing you from Continuing to make a positive impact on thousands of people. So, with that said, looking back, if there was any piece of advice that you can give the women in this world today, on International Women's Day, what would you give them?

Leyna Marie Topete:

That's really a good question. I would I two things come to my mind. I think one of my pieces of pieces of advice would be Be kind to yourself. And it's because it's something that I'm still learning how to do. I struggle with it, but and it seems to be something that's being said a lot, but I think there's a reason why it's being said a lot is because we're not doing it, we're not giving ourselves enough grace and just realizing that as women, we're very powerful, we're very capable to do so much in in this world and and it's okay to have setbacks and it's okay to have you know, just, things not go as planned and when that happens, just be kind to yourself. And I would also say but also truly be Mindful of how you are moving in this world and how you're being with other women.

Leyna Marie Topete:

That's another piece of advice that that I speak on because in my years in business, being fully transparent, one of the things that I've seen, there are so many women and I don't want to get flack for this, I don't want to get any negative, but I'm being sincere when I say this there are a lot of women who in public forum, they act like they're for women. They do they, they act like they're a woman for women and then behind closed doors. It's not ace and I don't like that and I and I'm, and I'm sure there are probably a lot of women who are hearing this and they're gonna say, oh, I can relate to that and and they get that. Um, it makes me sad, because there's enough space for everybody, I think.

Leyna Marie Topete:

I think once we really learn that there's enough room for everybody, we all bring something different to the table, and what my strengths are are not what your strengths are, and Really we could both be doing the same business, but we're not gonna speak to everybody of the same audience. So that's okay and that's okay. That's okay. So I would just say, be kind to yourself and please be kind to to other women too. So you.

Mario P. Fields:

You guys heard it, you all heard it again. She's already famous, but now she's gonna be running the galaxy. I believe that in my heart. But but you all heard it. You know self-care. Take care of yourself, ladies and everyone. Take care of yourself. Focus on you first. You know, and then be authentic. You know it's okay, be on armor, be you, be you. Be authentic if you say on on the TV, on the show or whatever you're doing, that your four women progress, or you know, progression of women and equality for women. Do that behind the scenes. And you guys are looking at one young man who was inspired and shaped it, formed in my personality and everything else by darling Annette fields. Got rest her soul, my mother. So thank you, laina, thank you to all the women on this earth, and I firmly believe that you guys have inspired the heck out of change and social and economic growth, and we have a lot more work to do. It's been a pleasure, laina. I hope you feel the same, oh.

Leyna Marie Topete:

Mario, it's been an absolute pleasure for me as well. I definitely just I'm honored that I got to be a guest on your podcast. Thank you for having me and thank you for allowing me to share about everything I have going on and supporting. I appreciate it.

Mario P. Fields:

No, I appreciate it. In one last thing how can people find you?

Leyna Marie Topete:

yes, so I can be found on my personal Instagram, laina topete and Impromptu. The website is WWE impromptulife, her to breast cancer org. And Also that the handle for her to is her to underscore nonprofit.

Mario P. Fields:

Nice. I'll make sure those are in the show notes and on the YouTube video banners and I will continue to keep you Aligning in my prayers for recovery and everything else that you continue to do. But everyone, you guys know the deal until the next episode. May God continue to bless you. May God continue to bless your family members and may God continue to bless your friends. Have a wonderful night, laina you too.

Leyna Marie Topete:

Thank you, mario.

Mario P. Fields:

Thank you for listening to this most recent episode and remember you can listen and Watch all of the previous episodes on my YouTube channel. The best way to connect to me and all of my social media Just follow me on the parade deck. That is wwwparadecom, or you can click on the link in the show notes. I'll see you guys soon.

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