When two generations unite in a mission to break generational curses and uplift Latina women, the result is an enriching conversation full of life lessons, humility, and dreams. We're delighted to have Jorge Gonzalez, a first-generation American, real estate agent, author and inventor, and his daughter, Crystal Gonzalez, a passionate advocate for breaking generational curses, on the show. Their story takes us on an inspiring journey of struggles, resilience, and triumphs, shining a light on topics like generational curses, generational wealth, and the importance of rising above cultural standards.
The relationship between Jorge and Crystal offers valuable insights into parenting and the importance of raising independent children. Their shared stories reveal how a strong sense of identity is key to navigating life's challenges and how this sense of self was forged in the fires of their unique experiences. From Jorge's emotional book "The Answer: Life Lessons from Family Origins Through Invention and Struggle," to Crystal's journey of self-love and empowerment, their narrative is a testament to the power of perseverance and ambition.
As our conversation winds down, we delve into the vital role open dialogue and listening play in understanding and learning from each other's perspectives. Jorge and Crystal's relationship is a shining example, as they share how their ability to empathize and learn from each other has shaped their lives. Wrapping up with the overarching theme of dreaming big, following passions, and letting go of control, this episode encourages us all to embrace life's journey with an open mind and an open heart. Tune in and join us on this captivating journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and generational wisdom.
More on Jorge and Crystal Gonzalez:
https://linktr.ee/__crystal12__
https://linktr.ee/jorgevgonzalez
MAMI on a Mission:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamionamission/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holamamionamission/
https://mamionamission.com
When two generations unite in a mission to break generational curses and uplift Latina women, the result is an enriching conversation full of life lessons, humility, and dreams. We're delighted to have Jorge Gonzalez, a first-generation American, real estate agent, author and inventor, and his daughter, Crystal Gonzalez, a passionate advocate for breaking generational curses, on the show. Their story takes us on an inspiring journey of struggles, resilience, and triumphs, shining a light on topics like generational curses, generational wealth, and the importance of rising above cultural standards.
The relationship between Jorge and Crystal offers valuable insights into parenting and the importance of raising independent children. Their shared stories reveal how a strong sense of identity is key to navigating life's challenges and how this sense of self was forged in the fires of their unique experiences. From Jorge's emotional book "The Answer: Life Lessons from Family Origins Through Invention and Struggle," to Crystal's journey of self-love and empowerment, their narrative is a testament to the power of perseverance and ambition.
As our conversation winds down, we delve into the vital role open dialogue and listening play in understanding and learning from each other's perspectives. Jorge and Crystal's relationship is a shining example, as they share how their ability to empathize and learn from each other has shaped their lives. Wrapping up with the overarching theme of dreaming big, following passions, and letting go of control, this episode encourages us all to embrace life's journey with an open mind and an open heart. Tune in and join us on this captivating journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and generational wisdom.
More on Jorge and Crystal Gonzalez:
https://linktr.ee/__crystal12__
https://linktr.ee/jorgevgonzalez
MAMI on a Mission:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamionamission/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holamamionamission/
https://mamionamission.com
Hello, hello and welcome to the Mommy on a Mission podcast, where empowerment meets inspiration. I'm your host, mariana, a life coach and author, on a mission to help Latina women, and all women, to reach their impossible goals, one dream at a time. Join me on this incredible adventure as we dive into compelling subjects that will uplift, motivate and ignite your passion. Get ready to be inspired, empowered and never give up on your dreams. This is the podcast where we turn dreams into unstoppable missions. Are you ready? Let's go.
Speaker 1:Hello everyone, this is Mariana, again from Mommy on a Mission podcast, and I am so glad that you all are with me today. And, as you know, mommy on a Mission podcast is about empowering women to reach their impossible goals, one dream at a time. And today I'm very excited because I have two guests on the podcast and for the first time in podcasts my podcast history we have a male on the show today. And I'm so excited because we know that primarily, the audience that comes on this podcast are Latina women. But it's always good to have a different perspective on certain things, and so today with me I have Jorge Gonzalez, or Vy Gonzalez.
Speaker 1:He is a first generation American. He spent two decades in the warehouse, distribution and logistics before becoming disabled. He then reinvented himself and transitioned into the real estate industry, where he is now an award-winning agent helping families build generational wealth. He is also the creator of the batting pro, a batting machine for baseball and softball players, and the author of the best selling book. The answer, the call life lessons from family, origins through invention and struggle. I read your book, by the way, and I really enjoyed reading your book. And along with Jorge, we have his beautiful daughter, cristal Gonzalez, who is a second generation American with Mexican roots from Sacatecas and Michoacán. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration, with an emphasis in marketing, from California state and Long Beach, and Cristal is passionate about breaking generational curses, building generational wealth as well and inspiring Latina women to rise above cultural standards. Thank you so much for being here with me this evening, this beautiful Wednesday. It's been very beautiful here in Texas, so I hope it's been that way for you all in California. But how are you guys today?
Speaker 2:I am doing amazing and I have just I feel humbled and blessed to have my daughter with us today. It's amazing. So, cristal, this is your first time being on a podcast.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, it's my first time, so I'm really excited.
Speaker 3:I'm a little nervous, that I mean I listen to a lot of podcasts from various different topics, so I'm excited to be on one for the first time, and it is a little cloudy today, but I feel really good today, so let's see how this goes. Well, don't be nervous.
Speaker 1:Don't be nervous because and you know, thank you for allowing me to be the first person to interview you officially and to be on the podcast. You know, because it's about the very thing that you are doing, and so I'm very excited to be interviewing both of you because it's in the Hispanic culture. We already know that. You know, daddy's girls exist right Like dads are our parents. They're all about their daughters.
Speaker 1:My husband is no exception to the role and as I was reading Hothay at your book, chapter three, where you're talking about your daughter's success, I was reading it and I was laughing at some of the things that you were saying in there, because I remember when my daughter was born, when our daughter was born, and I remember when we found out that she was going to be a girl and you know, this whole time when I was pregnant, my husband thought, oh, my God, he was. Yeah, we're going to have a boy. You know it's going to be a boy, and you know he was very pumped and very excited about it being a boy. And then when the doctor came with the sonogram and said, oh, it's going to be a girl and he just kind of went, uh, okay, so does that mean I got to get my shotgun ready or what, and and and he, his mentality was a lot like yours for Hothay.
Speaker 1:So you know, I did read through that chapter and, like I said, um, I was. I really liked the way how you broke it down. You know, you, you broke it down in three lessons and we're going to talk about those three lessons that you discussed in your book. But can you tell us a little bit more about your background and how you came to learn the lessons of that that inspired you to write the book that you wrote?
Speaker 2:Well, the one of the most emotional and painful lessons, and what actually planted the seed to write my book, was when I actually took my father to USC University and I took him to a liver specialist and the doctor told me I need you to tell your dad that he has six months to live, and having to be able to tell him that as such early years of my life, I mean I wasn't prepared to do that. And when I told my father that, he looked at me like with this confused stare and he just he didn't say anything. He just got up and walked out of the room and started walking out. So I walked behind him and my younger sister was with me. It was so traumatizing that I had forgotten that my sister was with me, and then she reminded me at a later date not too, not too long ago now. And then, as we're walking to the car, I'm like this story has to be told. The story about substance abuse and the effects of it and the consequences has to be told, and also that my family is about to go through a type of pain that we've never experienced before.
Speaker 2:That story also has to be told too, but I didn't know how to tell it. I brought the brochure that the doctor gave me. I'm like what do I do with this? Who do I tell? How do I, how can I get in front of people? And nothing really happened for 25 years. It wasn't until 2021 that I had the opportunity, which I was called, to write the book that. I knew that that story had to be one of the stories that was going to be on that book, and so it took me 25 years to actually have the opportunity to write the book. But that was when the sea was actually planted. I knew I was going to. I just didn't know how far I was going to have to wait.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I can resonate with that feeling because I too have written my first book and it was launched out this year, and I remember when my book first came out, folks were like wow, you wrote a book, man, that was fast, you did it really quick. And I was like and I chuckled right, because truly, it's not that it was written very quickly. In fact, it was my life that had already been written out. It was just now time to apply it on paper and then getting it out, but that story was already written out. And so I imagine that perhaps even for you too, when you wrote your book and it was out, it was like man, you did that very quickly, you didn't even tell anybody.
Speaker 2:Well, that's exactly how it seemed, because it only took me three to six months from when I initially contacted my publishing company to where I was like okay, george, we're done. It was like we're done with what, we're done with the book. It's like what do you mean? We're done? Yeah, we've already sent the entire transcript. Everything's been corrected. You just finalized the cover of it. So, basically, in the next couple of weeks, it will be loaded into the platforms on Amazon and we're done.
Speaker 2:And it was almost like it was a dream because, like, really, I mean little Omi writing a book, getting a published and it's going to go on Amazon really the biggest platform of books in the world. And when they told me it was ready and I went into a login and I actually clicked the buy button and I bought my first paperback copy because I wanted to make sure that I was the first one. And even when I received my copy, I'm like I was emotional. I'm like I really did do this. We really did do this, and I say we because my daughter had a lot to do with it, because she was with me 25 years in that journey. She was with me. So a lot of the things that I put on that book. She also lived through them and I talk about them in a certain way. But if she tells that same story, it'll be different from her eyes and her perspective. It's like two different people talking about the same story.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and I get that. I get that so much because, like you, with your daughter, I mean that was how it was with my book and my three older children, because they were with me throughout that journey of the lessons that I learned. And so it's humbling to see us, now that we're the parents we're writing these books, but how our children were part of that history, because that's exactly what it is, it's our family history. And one of the things in my thought process when I was writing the book and I'll share this little piece of story is that two years it's going to be two years in December.
Speaker 1:I remember I was driving home from work, I was about to go to the gym with a cousin and all of a sudden I had this really bad, excruciating headache that brought me to tears and by the grace of God, I was able to drive to the hospital. That was on the way to my house and I went to the emergency room. They were like ma'am, do you need help? And I said yes, and I was about to pass out what turns out that I had suffered an ischemic aneurysm and so initially a stroke, you know, and it was in the break and stuff and. But, by God's grace and mercy, here I am today. Obviously, he still has me wanting to do things here on earth right, and that is where I decided at that point that I wanted to do something. I wanted to do something to share a legacy with my family, and what was I going to do? I still didn't know what that was going to look like until six months later. And then, lo and behold, I get all these connections and here I am. I wrote this book and I wanted to do it because I wanted to leave our history, our story, behind, so that the next generation could learn about who we are and what we are and what we've been right, and so I love that.
Speaker 1:You included your daughter in your book. So again, it's called Daughter's Success in Chapter Three of your book, and I like how you you talked about when Crystal was first born and how excited you were and how you didn't want to be how can I put it? I guess a typical dad where you're just dad and you're just there. No, you mentioned in your book that you wanted to be heavily involved and you wanted her to have pretty much her own identity. You wanted her to be whatever it is that she wanted to be and so going to that, the first lesson was never depend on anyone. So talk to me a little bit about never depend on anyone.
Speaker 2:Well, the reason that I didn't want her to depend on anyone is because, I mean, with my father being sick and him giving six months to live at 45, I mean I didn't know how long I was going to be here. So I had to make sure that, because she's the only child, I wanted to make sure that she didn't have to depend on anybody. If daddy was out of the picture, who was she going to depend on? Now, if Crystal tells you where she's at right now and what her journey was, she'll tell you that the reason her life is easier is because I raised her that way. Had I not done that, it would have been really difficult for her.
Speaker 3:Am I right, crystal? No, definitely. And to kind of just add on that, like not to depend on anyone as an only child, like, I've noticed that with my friends, like they have their older sibling, like maybe they might have an older brother and it's always been for them oh, you can go, unless your brother goes, like, suddenly they don't have their sorts of identity or they don't have their own independence. And for me it's like, well, which is me? So if my parents can't go with me somewhere, well, I can't go by myself. And that's just kind of where I'm at now, like even like, for example, I like going to concerts by myself, I like going to restaurants.
Speaker 3:I've gone to the bookstore before the grocery store and it's never really affected me in a sense like, oh, I feel alone, it's just something I'm just used to and I think that that's something that I adapted to, since he's been raising me that way and I think I didn't really notice a difference until I got to college and I kind of I had a different relationships with different people and I got to meet them in personal levels and then their life stories and I was like, wait a minute, not everybody's like that, not everyone's raised like that and even like with my cousins, like they all have like three to four siblings, and again like they go together to the movies. They go this place with the movies or together. So I've always realized the difference, but it didn't really set out to me until I moved away. I just thought it was like a local thing like or a family thing, but it didn't really struck me until I was in college.
Speaker 1:And I'm glad you touched on that subject of you know, being able to go to concerts by yourself or going and doing things by yourself, because I think a lot of times most women feel like they can't do those things by themselves right, like they're tied to a certain identity of having to do something in a group setting or what have you and I also, when I coach my clients, I talk about that, you know, about dating yourself. I call it dating yourself right, because when you're you've been in a relationship or when you're always surrounded by a group of people or family or, if you like myself, I come from a big family, so I have other siblings on one of the oldest and stuff, and so, like what you said, I couldn't go anywhere unless I had a sibling with me to Chaperone. I don't know what they were going to do with. Their purpose was because I was the oldest, right, but I had to take a sibling with me and it was hard for me, when I became a single mother, to do those things and I remember that I had to learn that as an adult. I had to learn that as a single mom, that I needed to date myself. I needed to learn myself and then to be able. So I remember the first time that I went and sat at a restaurant and ate by myself. It was weird and it was awkward for me at that time, but when people would see me do that, their first assumption was oh man, that must be very lonely. You know, I'm like no, there we learn there's a difference between loneliness and being alone. Right when we're alone, we choose to do things alone, like we don't have to depend on somebody in order for us to do anything. Yet loneliness is a feeling, is a feeling that we have like we're missing something or somebody or what have you. So they're two different things and it's crazy how people will try to use those two words and combine them together, as if being alone or being by yourself relates to loneliness. And that's not true. And so, again, you know that's where that that point. You know we don't have to depend on everybody or anybody in order for us to do that. So I really appreciate both of y'all's perspective on that, because it's true that we want our children to be independent, to be. And it's so funny because, like I said, I was reading that portion and I was looking at my daughter who is.
Speaker 1:So I've got two daughters. My oldest daughter is 23 and then my youngest daughter is 14. And she's the one that gets so scared to order anything Like. She's like no, you go ask them. You know, you go do that. And her dad, whenever her dad, no, no, no, you can do it, you can do it, you could go. And so I saw where Horde had mentioned she would even get mad at me if it was wrong. Like if the order was wrong, she'd get mad at me because I didn't help her. You know and I just thought that was. I could relate on so many levels to that because I see it with my own daughter like, see, if you would have just ordered it, it would have been, it would have been right. You know who's know. But this is how you learn, because then you'll learn how to communicate better, right Is that?
Speaker 3:was that the idea? I love that story that you just mentioned about the ordering the food, because that's actually how I started to kind of be more outgoing and kind of speak more, because I was super shy, I mean, I was tiny. I think I was like nine or eight years old.
Speaker 3:I was super, super tiny, and so I mean, obviously, latinas are typically short and so remember we went to a subway one time and I always just tell my dad like, oh, dad, like I want to have a cheese, and I would just kind of hide a little bit and then he would order for me. And this one time I hadn't mentioned to him I want to play softball. And after I mentioned it this one time went to subway and I told him oh, can you order me this sandwich? And my dad's like he looks at me, he's like you order it. And I looked at him and I was like what? He's like yeah, I need you to order it. And I was like I can't do that. He's like how do you want to play sports where you can order your own food? And I was like okay. And so that's the first time I ordered my food. I think it was like eight or nine years old, and then from there it was kind of just escalated.
Speaker 2:No no no, like I said go ahead. That was a huge milestone for her because, like I said, that changed her mentality and really made her like that didn't hurt, that's it. So that really made her a go getter and that made her go after the things that she wanted. Softball was one of them. Being part of the ASB, when they told her that it was already full was another of them, you know, and selling chips and doing his other stuff. That was other. I mean there's there's things that she did like she's doing what.
Speaker 1:You know which, which brings me now to the second lesson. Right, because you said the teacher is learning now from the student. You said, and I quote you says I did not want to raise a weak minded child, I did not want her to depend on me so much to the point that she became vulnerable to her surroundings, and that you spoke to her openly and honestly. And then you go on to say you know that one of the cool things about when my daughter was in school was that I was enrolled in business school and at the time she was in school and y'all were doing homework together. And I also, like, when you were talking about how you know what y'all were doing schoolwork you bought her a binder and in there she was putting her certificates, her awards and all of her accomplishments and you went off to say that that was her resume. I love that.
Speaker 1:I love that, especially for me, because I've been an employment coach for so long and workforce development and if we think about it, when I've worked with my clients, you know one of the hardest things that they have trouble with is creating a resume for themselves, because they don't see their achievements.
Speaker 1:You know, like all those certifications, all the things that they've been able to accomplish, they don't put emphasis or importance to it, and so they're afraid to talk about themselves, right, and they already have started that.
Speaker 1:And again, I don't know if it's just a lot they know thing or what, but I think we are, as parents, we're so proud of our kids like we'll put drawings and don't give me, and these drawings don't even have to be the best piece of art, right, but in our eyes they are, and I too have a binder with my children's accomplishments and certificates so that if they ever want to go back and look at it, they have that there.
Speaker 1:And so then you go off to say that you would put her in real life situations right, because you wanted her again, you wanted her to be someone that was involved in stuff and that you wanted her to be able to be able to pursue her goals. And so you touched on that a little bit, because you mentioned how the ASB and you talked to me a little bit about that crystal last week when we had our conversation, that you were very persistent, like you are not gonna take no for an answer. So talk to me a little bit about that, because these are lessons that, of course, your dad put into. You would talk to me of what that was like to just keep going until they finally said you know what? This girl's not going anywhere we're just gonna stop for it.
Speaker 3:Well, I think it actually just came from the softball situation. I mean, initially I wasn't picked to be on a softball team and my dad did something similar. He's like, well, she's gonna play regardless, so what do I have to do to get her to play and these other girls to play? That didn't get picked? So I think that kind of just stuck to me a little bit and I was like well, I mean, there's a big room that probably fits 50 people. They only allowed 20 kids. There's room inside of the room for me to be in there. There's just not necessarily capacity in the organization itself. And so for me, I think it was me and another friend who weren't allowed to be in the club, and our other two friends were, and so we were like, well, let's just go. I mean you guys are gonna be there. I mean we're just here. I'm sure if we keep going like they're gonna allow us eventually or someone's gonna drop or it's just that one chance.
Speaker 3:And I think that kind of just stuck to me because of the softball thing that it initially made me wanna do that when I got to the ASB level, and then same thing even now, at these times when I've had the jobs now and maybe I might not get it or I might not get the second run of interview, but I still follow up.
Speaker 3:I'm like, oh, thank you so much for the opportunity. Or I follow up a couple weeks later just saying, oh, is there anything else available? And I think that just shows how dedicated you are to something and I think it's just a life lesson that just stuck to me and I think I'm gonna continue to keep doing and I think it's important for people to know, especially as Latinos, you know, and I think that's already in our culture, but I think it's just really good to kind of reiterate it and kind of remember that. And so when you continue on your life path, whether it be through your family or through businesses or through schooling, like to kind of keep that within you, to keep going regardless of a setback. Or they say no because, just because it might be no, it might just be a no for right now, like they just simply can't, because there's always gonna be a job opportunity. It's just at the moment they don't, but they will be in the future, so I kinda just stick with it.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely, and I have to agree with you there, you know, about learning how to overcome those obstacles, and so, again, you also talked about never getting in the way of your child's dreams, and another point that I like too. So I told you I read your book right, and so one of the things that I saw that I really loved because I started laughing when I read this part too is like, chris, you had come to your dad and you had said that you wanted to get a job, and then he says, no, you don't. And you're like wait, what, what do you mean? No, I don't. He goes. No, because if you wanted to get a job, you would have already got. And I was like dang dad just said that, yeah, he really did.
Speaker 2:But there's a reason why I said that because she actually told me that I think two or three times, and on the last time, the second or the third time, I said baby, no, you don't. She's like why? He's like if you would've really wanted a job, you would've had one already. So it's almost like you want me to stop you from getting a job. And then two weeks later she calls me. She's driving back with her mom. She said dad, I got it. You got what, dad? I got the job? Like what job. She already got hired.
Speaker 1:Arnaud, because you even said that she didn't even tell you about the interview. Like you didn't even know she had gone on an interview, I did. I did.
Speaker 3:Oh, I did. Yeah. I didn't tell him at the time. We weren't living together already, so I had to tell him. I'm like Mom, can you take me? They're gonna tell your dad. I'm like, nah, I'm just surprised when I get it. Sure enough, I got it.
Speaker 1:Man. That's amazing. No, and you know what I love all of this? I love hearing about how you've instilled in her, because here's the thing, most of the time not all of the time, but most of the time it's to this very day because I'm on the opposite side of what you two have.
Speaker 1:I had a father that, yes, he wanted me to learn all these lessons, but the way that they were taught to me were not in the direction that you did, jorge right, because my dad was an alcoholic and my dad was physically and verbally abusive as well.
Speaker 1:And so a lot of those hard lessons I learned, I learned, you know, not the best way, right, and I know that he had dreams and I know that he had aspirations for myself and my siblings, but the way that it went about it, so for me, I had to relearn myself and all of these lessons that, crystal, that you have been able to learn with a parent that has really fully invested themselves in you is incredible.
Speaker 1:And the crazy thing is that a lot of Latinas don't have that. Unfortunately, Most of us don't, and one of the things that I see, or one of the biggest qualities that I see, in your character, is that you're very humble. You're a very humble young lady and when we see women, latina women, really go for it, not letting any obstacles get in their way, really pushing through those hurdles and stuff can kind of get that sense of cockiness in a way right. Or we look at others and don't have empathy for another woman, and what I see here from you is, when I speak to you, you don't sound like that, like you really do want to apply the things that you've learned and reinvested in other people, and I can truly see that, because it says right here that you want to inspire Latina women to rise above cultural standards. Can you hear me? What am I?
Speaker 2:Yes, I think it's in our needs both. We lost it in the last few things oh okay, no, and so what I was?
Speaker 1:can you still hear me?
Speaker 2:Yeah, we can hear you.
Speaker 1:Okay, great, but no, like, what I was saying is that you know you really want them to rise above cultural standards and stuff. I see that. So how do you? What were one of the lessons that you because these are lessons that your dad has learned that he poured back into you. But tell me, about what lessons did you learn, Like, what's kept you to be humble?
Speaker 3:I definitely one thing is understanding, like my family's sacrifices they've made for me. At a very young age my dad told me like how my great-grandfather got here and my mom's side and my dad's side both my great-grandfathers got here the same way. They came through the Procedural Program and I grew up with my my parents are always working. Obviously they were providing, but I did also grow up with one of my theas and she worked. She was a field worker and also her husband was as well. And just seeing them tired and how much they have to sacrifice of their day, having to work in the fields, come home clean, cook, and they didn't have the same opportunities that I currently have, and I think having to humble myself and knowing that is what keeps me going. I think about it now, like at my age. I have some theas and my grandmothers. They already had ex-amanda kids. They couldn't go to school, they couldn't move to a different city by themselves and I think because of that it reminds me to kind of live in the moment and be thankful for where I am and, I think, my parents all the time. I thank them for the sacrifices that they've also made. You know, working, going to school, going back to school, I should say, and obviously just teaching me the lessons that I've had are the key factors of what keep me going as well.
Speaker 3:And I think, again, to keep me humble, I like to pivot forward to my friends as well. Like my friends, I have a couple of my friends who are struggling getting like to back to school. Or they want to go back and there's something else, or they want to get a career, or they just need that little lift. And I feel like I have a couple of friends that came to me and they're like Crystal, you should be a motivational speaker, like you have what your dad has. You have a good way of talking to people and I think it just really comes from relating to people and I think that's how my dad and my mom their lessons took to me, because they were relatable and they made everything life situation.
Speaker 3:It wasn't like oh, it's this way because I said so and that's it. It was more like you have to do this or it has to be like this because of this, and it just made it understanding. So I think it's just kind of how I was. I've been able to kind of pivot through life and through obstacles and now my focus now is to kind of help other people, help Latinas and it is difficult Latina and women in business and LA by yourself it is difficult. But I think being able to pivot through and just know that you're not the only one there's also other women, not only in LA but in different states all over the world, that are in the same situation is what keeps me going.
Speaker 1:And what would you say has? Because I'm pretty sure, like you mentioned, you know you have come across others that are in different situations, you know, like they have siblings or they have their own struggles and they have their own stories right, because we all have our own stories and stuff. And has it ever been a struggle for you to talk to other Latina women that are probably trying to pursue their dreams, pursue their goals, and then they're like you know, you wouldn't understand. You don't understand what I'm going through, you don't understand the hurdles that I've had to go through, like I'm pretty sure you've heard that before. And what would you? Well, not, what would you do? What have you done in order to say, look, I understand, I get it. So how do you bridge that gap whenever you come across something like that?
Speaker 3:I think definitely for me. I've realized that there's a difference between understanding and hearing them out and seeing their perspective, and I've noticed that it's more effective of me trying to help somebody when I let them know that like oh.
Speaker 2:I get it.
Speaker 3:I might not fully understand what you're going through or your circumstances, but I'm hearing what you're saying and I can see your perspective of what you're going through and through.
Speaker 3:That is how I understand and I think that's what really helps. I'm like, okay, well, you know, what would you do? And I always tell my friends all the time because I have friends who have kids and siblings or their parents are a little bit older and like, look, I'm not in your situation, but I would hope that if I was in the situation, I would handle it like this. And I'm not telling you what to do, I'm just telling you that's my perspective and then usually, like I'll give my reasonings why you know, and I and I think when you tell people your opinion or your, your judgment, I think when you give them reasonings why, it's a lot easier to hear and I feel like, as Latinos, a lot of like or like my ideas and my field are very like I said. So that's why that's the rule and I think that will shut people down. But when you allow people to explain themselves and you give them your judgment with the reasonings, that's what kind of helps people open up and kind of understand a little bit more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, validating their feelings, validating and acknowledging their, their feelings and stuff. So, yeah, I get that so much. And so, jorge, from all of this that you've been, you know, witnessing, because you have now, like you said, you're, you're now pretty much learning from, you, know, the teachers now learning from the student, you know what, what was the most surprising thing you learned through your daughter's success, whether it be about her or just in general.
Speaker 2:You know I've everything Crystal just said. I felt like I was speaking. You know, she said everything that I, that she said is what I say, you know, and she says it in such a smooth, flowing way, you know, because obviously she says more nurturing, right, but that's that's who she's always been, that individual and but yeah, so for me it's, it's been somewhat. You know, it's all been an adventure. You know it's been a venture, it's been a journey, the lessons and everything in between. You know, life is just life, you know, and the moment we understand that we have more control than we think we have, you know, and just because someone doesn't believe in us and don't have the same points of view as us doesn't make anybody wrong.
Speaker 2:You know, and I think a lot of people need to understand that. You know because Crystal's Crystal's made some great points. She asked she doesn't give anybody somebody her opinion unless they ask for their opinion. Sometimes it's more about listening, and I learned this from her because I noticed a lot of times when she came to me with something, she didn't want me to fix it. She just wanted me to hear her.
Speaker 2:Right, and that was difficult for me because I wanted to fix everything, but that's not what she wanted. So hearing her say that is exactly why I did what I did, not realizing that that's exactly how she felt, see. So it's funny how that, like you said that, how the teacher became a student because I learned from her and I I just wanted, because I used to help her do her homework, and it was to a point where I couldn't help her anymore. She was smarter than I was, and when she started doing essays and she said, daddy, look what I did and like what I did wrong, I'm like. I'm like, wow, okay, and like I wouldn't have come up with that, like her creativity and her mental advancement was way beyond mine, and so every time I would read something from her, I would learn something from what she wrote, and that's when I wrote that in the book. That's what I meant that as I'm seeing her do things, I'm like, wow, I'm learning from her now, yeah, and that's crazy, that's wild.
Speaker 2:But that's okay, because I want my child to be better than me, more knowledgeable than me, smarter and wiser than me, because I had certain opportunities that opened for me. So I had to kick some doors down For her. I exposed her to what I was exposed to and then I wanted to make sure that she was able to open bigger doors, more meaningful doors, and I think she has been able to do that just with the foundation that I gave her, because I only take credit for the foundation. Everything else she built on her own. I can't take credit for that, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely no, and I get that so much, and I think you mentioned this too and well you did. You mentioned this in the book too how, when she started going to school, you held her back, like they wanted to advance her to the next grade. And then first grade comes and they wanted to do it again and you were like, no, I don't want to do that, I want to hold her, I want her to have social interaction, I want her to learn those social skills right, and so I get what you're saying and I think that was huge. I think that was one of the biggest parts of why Crystal is the way that she is, that she's able to interact with other people.
Speaker 2:The reason that I held those social skills is because I knew how important they were for me and how I struggled with my social skills because my communication wasn't there. So, yes, she was in curriculum, yes, but as far as social skills, I didn't want her to lose that. And then, like you said, she was shy. So imagine if she wouldn't win a couple of grades higher. That would have really affected her in a way that there was no way that I would be able to help her going forward at that point. So I wanted her to be around her peers, people her own age, where they can grow together. And she was still in the GATE program and the GIFT program. She was still in there. So I didn't hold her back, I just made sure that she was around her own peers where she's able to grow at the same time within that aspect of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so shifting gears just a little bit because, pristar, you mentioned that you were playing softball. So talk to me about the invention of the batting pro, because you actually invented the batting pro, right? And was that because of Crystal, or how did that come about?
Speaker 2:So my daughter, like you said earlier, when she went to tryouts, she was one of the tiniest little girls there.
Speaker 2:So her and nine other little girls her and nine other little girls didn't get picked. And I told one of the parents like look, I understand you've coached before and I will commit myself, if you're the coach, I'll be your assistant's coach, because clearly your daughter's not going to play either. And I can see my daughter's eyes and from what I can see in her eyes, not playing is not an option for her Now. And a reason it wasn't an option for me either is because I didn't want for history to repeat itself, because when I went to try to play a neighborhood ball, I didn't get picked either, and that's why I was roaming around the neighborhood or my bike went out, while my brother and his best friend were playing baseball. So I wanted to make sure that my daughter was not in that same scenario. So the other dad said yes.
Speaker 2:So I was the assistant coach and out of frustration I went to sleep one day and I woke up at 3 o'clock in the morning. I had this image in my mind and I sketched it out, went back to sleep, I woke up in the morning and the sketch is right there. I took Crystal to school, I came back and then Crystal says daddy, what are you doing? What are you working on? I was like baby. I came up with this idea for this machine and then she said, daddy, well, shouldn't I do this? How come it doesn't have that and shouldn't I have this? So I rescheduled it a little bit and that's how she became the co-inventor of it.
Speaker 2:So, out of that need and frustration, I became an inventor and my daughter became a co-inventor of it, and then I created some prototypes and she started using the prototypes in my living room and all of a sudden she became this amazing, confident player with this beautiful level of swing that I guess I was so in love with that swing, this beautiful swing, Even though when she was warming up it was still level, and that was a part of the things that some people didn't understand, that why is she so level swing? That's because of the prototypes that I created for her. And it was beautiful because it was about a contact sport, Not hitting home runs. It was a contact sport.
Speaker 1:Right, wow, wow. So now we've got father, daughter Because of daughter struggle. There was an obstacle in the way Dad said, no, no, we need something to give. And then daughter sees it and it's like OK, but we still need this and this. I love that Because that just goes to show that there is creativity and you can create anything. Anything can be created. When there's a problem, you have to just create that solution and you have to find a way to do it, and so I love that. So here's the thing my husband played baseball in high school. Well, little league. He played high school through baseball and then he played baseball through college as well. So he's been a baseball player, right. And now he's currently coaching my son's team, our youngest son, his team, and he just comes in. He's just like, oh my god. And I just said, I'm just mom, I just sit and I just watch and I cheer. Whether they're doing it right or wrong, I'm still cheering because that's what I do.
Speaker 2:Ask Krista what I did to her the first time I took her out to practice.
Speaker 3:So the first time it was like a week before tryouts. I have never had a glove in my hand. I have never hit the ball, other than when my cousin's like this is a serious business. And so he was hitting me grounders and I was thinking I'm pretty good, pretty well. And he just he was like OK, now watch this. And I was like OK, and he hits the ball super hard and it just nails me straight in the shin and I just knocked down the floor, I started crying, I started yelling. I'm like why would you do that? That hurts. And he was like that's the worst it's going to get. And I was like that was horrible. And I remember I was so mad at him. I went home. My mom, I think she was in the kitchen and she saw me crying and I was rubbing my shin and she's like what's wrong? And my dad hit me in the shin and she's like why would you do that? And he's like that's the worst it's going to get for her. And then I remember my mom brought me an ice pack.
Speaker 3:I was laying in my bed and then at that point I had to really calm down and collected myself. And then he came again. He's like are you OK? And I was like, yeah, are you going to live? And I was like, yeah, that's the worst it's going to get, so you don't have to be scared of the ball. And even though I was still mad a little bit, I was like he's not wrong. I mean I survived. And I think after that I was going to kind of build my confidence a little bit Because I already know what to expect. I don't have to worry about it.
Speaker 2:From all the little girls that played the infield, crystal was the only one that was fearless in that infield.
Speaker 3:It didn't hurt, though I remember it nailed me pretty hard.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but see, but I was a grown man here Now the other girls weren't going to hit as hard until she was growing in age and the girls got bigger and stronger, but by then she was already more alert in her skills. So, but that's what really allowed her to have that confidence. Yeah, and every time she got into bad was the same thing. So she was a fast runner.
Speaker 2:I used to tell her just get on base, just get on base, just hit and run as fast as you can. And she would get on base, get on base, get on base. And then it became a single, single single, then doubles and then triples and then inside the parkour, runs is because we were practicing on just making a hit and running as fast as we could. So that's the strategy that I used on her. And I mean, we all know what kind of child we have, right, and we have to listen and pay attention to how to not convince them or trick them, but how to shift them and maneuver them in a way that's safe, where we know what they're capable of doing and achieving, and that's what I've always been able to do, and then take a step back and then let her, you know, fulfill that you know right.
Speaker 3:And it's funny he mentioned that because even in, I think, like my last year, when I played slow pitch, I got nailed in the throat super hard that I couldn't even breathe for like five seconds and everyone's like are you okay, are you okay? I'm like, yeah, I'm fine. They're like what the heck? And then again in high school, when I was transitioning from slow pitch to fast pitch, I was at tryouts and the sun was in the way and I got nailed in the head doing the star method catch. But I was fine, I was like I'm fine. And then the coach is like are you okay? Like yeah, it's fine. And they were like what? And then I remember they said the reason why you stood out was because you took the hit to the head and you didn't let it stop you. And from there I was like, oh, I guess my dad's lesson kind of kind of paid off eventually.
Speaker 1:And that funny how that happens, right Like. But I like that. I like what you said because it's true Life is hard, life is hard, and if you can learn those lessons by way of a sport or by being put in situations like ordering your own food and or getting hit in the head, whatever that just is, that just proves to us that life is going to be hard. We're going to get hit. You know, we got. We've got to realize are we still breathing? Are we still alive? Are we still moving along? If the answer is yes, then guess what? You're learning a lesson. You've learned a lesson and you can keep going forward and you learn what not to do and what to do next right, and so everything about what I've heard today and what we've been talking about today is is exactly true, and I'm so glad because you know you're one of the youngest ones. Well, no, you're not.
Speaker 1:There's another young lady that has been on my podcast that she also Latina. Both her parents came from Mexico and she is one of the youngest executive directors that I've ever met. She she became an executive director straight out of high school Y'all to remind me so much of each other because she, too, has a passion to pursue things and she does not let obstacles get in the way and she pushes forward. And I think that that is a testament to the parenting when we provide the lessons or we allow for our children to learn the lessons that they need to learn and not coddle the children and say, hey, you know, I can't afford to do that, because if I do that I'm only going to be hurting you, I'm not going to be helping you in that situation. You know, and if you learn those lessons now, then when you get older you're going to understand that.
Speaker 1:All right, you know it's tough, but I got to keep going. You know I've got to move forward, I've got to maneuver through all of these things and just push forward with it and stuff. And so, like I said, I'm just so glad to have met both of you and you know your book. I loved it. It was a great read and you know, it's certainly something that I would pass along in stuff. And I even told my husband hey, you need to read this book. Man, you and this guy sound so much like this he too, he's Mr Fix it.
Speaker 1:That's what we call my husband. He's Mr Fix it. When something's broken, who do we go to? We go to dad, dad, we need. And so sometimes he says no, no, I think it's something she needs to fix, or he needs to fix. And he even tells me no, I think that's something you need to fix. I'm like, well, what a fix it. And he wanted me to do it.
Speaker 1:But it all goes to show that you know that we have the right intentions as parents, you know, and this is exactly what we want to be able to see. So it's also even humbling for me because, like you, jorge, now you get to see Crystal and all of the things that she's starting to do, and it's like all those headaches and all those things that we had to endure being parents growing up. This is why, you know, we get to see the fruits of our own labor and we get to see our children as they're planning their roots and growing them out. So what's next for you and Crystal? So, crystal, what's next for you, jorge? What's next for you? What can we expect from you in the future?
Speaker 3:Well, I mean for myself. I just recently graduated from Cal State, long Beach, and with my degree in marketing, so I'm still trying to figure it out. You know adult teams kind of hitting for real. Now, obviously, when you're in college you're still balancing both, but now it's like it's over. So like now what? So I'm still transitioning, trying to change my part time jobs into one full time job. I'm interested in, like entertainment or sports, but one thing for sure that I'm going to work for the Dodgers one day and I'm manifesting that now because I'm a huge Dodgers fan.
Speaker 3:But you know, just still navigating through life and just taking the lessons that, like my dad taught me and kind of just help inspire my friends, their friends, other people, I love the idea of being on a podcast. I think this is great. I actually listened to a couple of your episodes. So it's nice to kind of be on the other side for once. Yeah, I enjoy it and I think being able to just be my family along with me while I'm trying to figure it out is a lot of fun.
Speaker 3:But one thing's for sure I've learned in the past year and a half or like about two years now, of living alone is to not feel like you have to be in control of everything. I feel like a lot of things kind of fell apart when I was trying to take too much control and I guess I can kind of go with parenting as well. I think when you try to, like you said, call to your kids to kind of backfire sometime. So I'm trying to kind of just let things go with the flow. Everything will work out and hopefully I get to where I want to be.
Speaker 1:So I made a face that don't get it, because you know I'm an Astros fan.
Speaker 3:Okay, we won't talk about that, this podcast.
Speaker 1:That's a whole different subject. We'll have to debate that. Yeah, and what about you? What's next for you?
Speaker 2:Well, for me, I mean, I want to be an example. You know, not only to Crystal but my lineage, that we have the ability to think and dream big, you know, and really go after our really what we truly, truly are passion or hearts. For me, I mean, I have this aggressive goal to reach over 100 million people with the message of answer the call, and this is why I'm aggressively getting on podcasts, getting on stages. You know, just recently I went to the Chicano Hollywood event where I met a lot of amazing and beautiful actors, actresses, producers, directors, writers, and it opened up a world of possibilities as far as where I can put the stories in, whether it be a mini series or a movie for feature film.
Speaker 2:You know, just to reach the people that are that I am meant to reach and I am assigned to reach because I do believe that we all have a group of people that were assigned to reach and I want to make sure that I reach everyone that I'm assigned to and motivate and inspire them so they can do the same as well. Because, you know, just like I might reach somebody, those individuals may reach somebody in my lineage down the road that might be a little lost going through some struggles and whatnot, and it'll be like this revolving circle Today you give and tomorrow you're going to receive, whether yourself or your lineage, and I think that's important. So that's my goal is to really share the message as fast as possible and as big as possible, you know, and reach as many people as possible as we can.
Speaker 1:Wow, absolutely, and I'm right there with you, you know, because, like I said, I launched my first book and I too, you know, I'm just trying to get out there and get the message out. You know, especially, like I said, this is October, so you know it's it's domestic violence awareness month and stuff, and so just really getting that story out. You know my story and the lessons that I've learned, so I get it. I get it and I'm just, like I said, I'm so glad that you both decided to be on the podcast with me today, and if somebody wanted to reach out to either one of you, so if there is a young lady that says you know what I really like, what this girl was talking about, how could they reach you crystal?
Speaker 3:Definitely. For me it's Instagram, very Gen Z of me. So it'd be under my Instagram, which is two underscores crystal, c R, y, s, c, a, l, 12, and then two underscores, and then on there I have my email, my link tree, everything's attached to whichever way they want to reach me after that, but I'm definitely on there a lot, so that'd be the best way.
Speaker 1:All right, and what about you? What if somebody wants to reach out and read your book? How can they get in touch with you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm mostly more, most active as well on Instagram. You can find me there at George underscore V underscore Gonzalez, and if you go to my bio, you can actually download a free copy of my book on Kindle, unlimited. There's three versions when you, when you click on that link, and I've always like to reward and really promote the free version, because it's not about making money, it's about more, about showing that message, and it's not my message. By the way, that message was whispered to me from above, so it's not my message. I don't take credit for it. Answer the calls about finding your gifts or talents and pursuing your life's purpose, and we're all being called to follow our gifts or talents and pursue our life's purpose.
Speaker 1:Awesome, and I will have the links in the show notes, so if anyone wants to get it now. You call yourself George. I've been calling you for this whole time and you never once corrected me. So do you go by Jorge or George?
Speaker 2:I tell people that my dad called me George, but he could only spell hold it because he speaks English.
Speaker 1:All right, George. So now I know, but thank you, Anyways, we'll listen everyone. I'm so glad that you all tuned in to listen to this episode today and, as you heard today, this is a wonderful story of you know just motivation and encouragement. And if you know of anyone that could benefit from what you've heard today, please share this podcast, subscribe to it we're on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast and join us next Wednesday.
Speaker 1:Mommy on a mission podcast. If you are hearing this message, you've listened to the entire episode and for that I want to say me gracias from the bottom of my heart. If you would like to dive deeper into today's message and would like to connect with me, send the DM on Instagram at all our mommy on a mission or Facebook at mommy on a mission. You can also find me at mommy on a mission dot com. I hope you've enjoyed this new episode and, if you did, it would mean the world to me If you would subscribe, share this podcast and leave me a review on Spotify and Apple podcast or wherever you listen to your podcast. Tune in next week for some more words of motivation, inspiration and encouragement on mommy on a mission.