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The Path To Leadership
We podcast about strong leaders, loyal employees, avoiding burnout, and raising profits building strong cultures. Everyone is a leader, but the path isn't always easy. Developing critical skills to build stronger, more successful and profitable organizations.
The Path To Leadership
From Family Roots to Leadership Heights: Monique Garcia's Inspirational Journey
Monique Garcia's journey from her family's iconic Connie's Mexico Cafe to founding Garcia Group LLC is nothing short of inspiring. As Monique shares her transformation, listeners will gain insights into her diverse experiences across public service, the private sector, and academia, all of which have equipped her with a robust set of skills. From grant writing to marketing, Monique's narrative is a powerful reminder of how family roots and entrepreneurial spirit can shape a successful career path. Discover how her participation in Leadership Kansas has played a pivotal role in overcoming imposter syndrome and making meaningful contributions to her community.
The episode also delves into the importance of building strong communities through leadership and collaboration. Monique reflects on her personal journey from a family-owned restaurant to significant roles in Washington, D.C., emphasizing the power of mentorship and the responsibility to nurture future leaders. Through her experiences, we discuss the impact of community involvement and the lasting effects it has on individuals and society at large. Monique's story is a testament to the strength found in collaboration and the importance of creating inclusive environments where everyone feels they belong.
In the final part of our conversation, we shine a spotlight on Storytime Village, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering early childhood literacy and addressing environmental justice in underserved communities. The mission is clear: zip codes should not dictate a child's future. Through collaborative efforts with local, state, and federal partners, including a VISTA from the Lakota tribe, Storytime Village is making strides in ensuring clean air and water for all. The episode celebrates diversity within Kansas communities, highlighting how embracing different traditions and languages enriches the community fabric. Join us as we applaud these initiatives and explore how inclusivity and diversity can drive progress and make a lasting impact.
Follow Catalyst Development on LinkedIn @catalystdevelopment, @drkatieervin, @jennascott
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Hi everyone, Welcome back to the Path to Leadership. I am so excited, as I shared with you all, this season I am going to be having some of my different classmates from Leadership Kansas and it's hard to say that I have a favorite, because when I'm with everybody they're all my favorite. But I'm excited to introduce you to someone who I have deeply connected with and we've had some really cool conversations. So, hey, Monique, how are you? I'm good. Katie, how are you? I am doing well, doing well, and I'm so excited to have you on here to share about the amazing work you're doing. But before we jump into that, can you tell me who you are, what you do? All of that good stuff jump into that.
Monique Garcia:Can you tell me who you are, what you do, all of that good stuff, you bet? Thank you so much, katie. This is really a pleasure and privilege to be asked to share, as you had mentioned me too Engage, just Leadership Kansas has been such a rich and fulfilling experience so far and it's hard to believe that it's going to be done in a couple. But, yes, just really grateful for the opportunity and there's a call coming in. I'm sorry, katie. No, you're right, you're right, I'm just going to. Can you hear that? Okay, sorry about that.
Monique Garcia:So, yes, so my name is Monique Garcia. I'm with Garcia Group LLC here in Wichita and you know just really grateful to have this opportunity to navigate my own business. It's I know we talked about it before, katie, you and I during our Leadership Kansas sessions that it's. It's scary, it's daunting, but it's also very fulfilling. It's the hardest work I've ever enjoyed, and one of your recent LinkedIn posts really resonated with me because you went on to explain you know just how busy you are and engaging with partners, supporting, you know, the community in various meaningful ways, and then going back to work.
Monique Garcia:I mean, you know it's a continuous grind, but it's also very fulfilling, and so I feel grateful that, after a culmination of working in public service private sector foundation academia, private sector foundation academia I'm very grateful to be on my own and do contract work in the form of grant writing, marketing, communications, advocacy and policy research. So very grateful to be able to utilize the different journeys along my career to be able to help others. Basically that's why I try and tell people trying to help others along our journey.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Yeah, I love that. I love that in it. Yeah, I say something similar Like I've never slept better in my life and I've never had more pressure in my life. But it's my pressure, it's my. It's my crazy that I get to I'm so fortunate to do every day. It's my crazy that I get to I'm so fortunate to do every day, Absolutely.
Monique Garcia:Yes, so go ahead. No, no, it's a great, like you said, it's a great opportunity. We lean in and we learn that you know, collaboration is key and cultivating those relationships is so important and it's a continuous process.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Yeah, yeah, it totally is, and so you kind of mentioned some of the industries that you've been through. But can you tell us a little bit about your career journey, like what led you to being like all right, here we go, I'm going to open my own firm, so tell us a little bit about your journey.
Monique Garcia:Yes, no, thank you very much. I always like to share, katie, that my journey really began working in my family's Mexican restaurant. I'm really proud to say that my grandma, connie Connie Lopez, started Connie's Mexico Cafe in 1963 in Wichita, and we are not only Wichita's oldest family-owned Mexican restaurant, but we are very grateful to be Kansas, Kansas' oldest family-owned Mexican restaurant, but we are very grateful to be Kansas, kansas' oldest family-owned Mexican restaurant. I believe there was a Mexican restaurant in Topeka that started before our family restaurant in 1963, but sadly I believe they closed around 2007 or 2008. So, as you know, restaurant work is a grind. It's extremely hard, but I will always be very grateful for those you know learning experiences early on as a kid I mean, I'm the oldest of five daughters and so I remember, you know, we were nine or ten years old and handing out menus to customers that came to the restaurant. Or you know chips and salsa.
Monique Garcia:And you know my grandpa, ralph. He served in World War II in the Army and he was from South Texas and of course his family, you know, came to the States from Mexico. But when he was in the Army he had an Army buddy from Wichita, and so after World War II, the Army buddy said why don't you? You know, you and your family come to Wichita. And so that's how my grandma and grandpa, and then my mom, you know, made it to Wichita from McAllen Texas, from South Texas, and so you know, it's that the grit to. You know, be an entrepreneur and you know, for my grandma and grandpa they didn't go past sixth grade for their education. So you know, for my grandma and grandpa they didn't go past sixth grade for their education. So you know, my grandpa learned the value of hard work. He served our country, you know, very honorably, and my grandma, connie, loved to make Mexican food. So my grandpa had his barbershop and my grandma had her Mexican restaurant and they started it when my mom was about a junior in high school.
Monique Garcia:So you know being being, you know, growing up in a family owned restaurant. Katie, we learned my sisters and I learned that we had to do everything. So if the dishwasher show up, then my grandparents and parents would say, okay, get in the kitchen and, you know, just dive in. And so I have a lot of. I'm very grateful because those early experiences in my life really shaped me and how, you know, my professional life unfolded and you know, going into positions where things had to get done, especially working in a nonprofit or even working in the highest levels of government, you know, on the ground floor of the White House. I mean, you just learn to just dive in and you don't say, well, that's not in my job description.
Monique Garcia:One real quick memory I would love to share, if there's time, is that my grandpa Ralph maybe when I was 10 or 11, we were at the restaurant and he pointed at the front door of the restaurant. He said every person that comes into that through that front door, just remember that they're our bread and butter. They choose to come to eat at our restaurant and we don't know what kind of day they've had. They could have had lost a loved one, they could have lost their job. But when they come through that door, greet them, provide them with the best service, because they could be going to other restaurants in town. And so you know, provide that service, provide that smile, greet people, make them feel welcome, and that was such the best advice to get as a kid and that has stayed with me throughout my life. So I'm very grateful.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Yeah, oh, that gives me chills and it's so funny. I just I don't talk about my grandpa very often, but I just the other day was talking to my husband about the impact my grandpa had on me and you know the level of kindness and the level of selflessness and the level of just how can I make people's lives better?
Monique Garcia:I mean, it was just such a breath of fresh air that you know would be would be so beneficial if we could all live it today and it makes me think too.
Dr. Katie Ervin:So I'm going to have Heath on in a future session. He's one of our leadership Kansas friends and he is so positive and so happy like 24 seven. I've never seen him and I asked him one time. I said you know, I just love your mindset, how you're always so positive and friendly and upbeat, and I mean it feels like you never have a bad day. And he's like well, what's the alternative? Like why would you choose to have a bad day? Like that is so cool, it is so true.
Monique Garcia:And we've heard the old saying you know, when life throws you lemons, well, make lemonade. You know that's a short ride, we got to make the best of it. You know, go back ugly neutral.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Right, right, yeah, that's absolutely true. Well, and you know, talking about leadership Kansas, I know you know it is crazy how fast a year goes and and I I have shared with the class a couple of times like I wasn't familiar with leadership Kansas until a friend of mine went through it and I'm like that's cool, I want to do that, I want to be a part of that. So can you just talk a little bit about, kind of what the program's meant to you, what you've gotten out of it, those kinds of things?
Monique Garcia:Yes, no, thank you so much. I could not agree more how, what an exceptional program Leadership Kansas is and I've always admired it from a distance. I've always kind of stood on the sidelines. I've known, like you, I've had friends and colleagues that have gone through the program and you know they've. Over the years they said, you know you should participate and you'd be a great candidate, and I was very grateful to share that.
Monique Garcia:I have been nominated for the past several years to submit, you know, my application for Leadership Kansas and the first year it was just, you know what, the timing was off. And then the second year I decided, ok, I'm going to give it a shot. And I you know, katie, I believe I had a bit of imposter syndrome, thinking, well, I don't know like. Well, my application, I know it's a highly competitive program and you know, if I don't get in then I'll apply the following year. And then I thought, you know what, I'm just going to make the plan.
Monique Garcia:And you know I have this program that we truly, you know, meet the best of what our public service folks in Kansas have to offer. You know, business community, you know just. And then our fellow Leadership Kansas members who really embrace Kansas and how can we make impact? How can we be epic? How can we be the catalyst? And how can we make impact? How can we be epic? How can we be the catalyst? So I'm really grateful for the opportunity and try and soak up each session and take notes and interact with the panelists, and there's just so much that we are exposed to and how do we pay that forward and support other folks who want to, who are interested in applying for the program? You know my goal will be to nominate others who I believe will be able to benefit, as I did.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Yeah, yeah. Well, and it's funny too, because I always come home and I'm exhausted. My husband's like you love that, like you're an extrovert, you love this is what you do, and it's like I know. But I am trying to process all of the things that we've learned and seen and all the conversations we've had, and it's sometimes I just need to download for a day or two just to process everything that we've done.
Monique Garcia:You know. You know when I went. You know the Leadership Kansas website. You know what I think is so important and I know, you and me as communicators semantics matter. So when you go on the Leadership Kansas website, it talks about how Leadership Kansas is designed to enhance and motivate future leaders from various Kansas communities, and so I really love the action-centered words. You know, enhance and motivate. And so I really love the action-centered words. You know, enhance and motivate. And really it is on us to okay how do we continue to make that path available for our future Kansas leaders? And, you know, continue to make impactful changes. You know that's our focus, so I love that.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Yeah, yeah, I do too. And, and what I love is it exposes us to the communities and and I have said this ever since I've met all of you from Wichita. I I've always loved Wichita, um. I have great memories from college. One of my best friends and favorite people in the whole wide world lives in Wichita. Her husband is actually the alumni of the program Um, but I always say, you know, every time I see you guys, I'm like I am in love with Wichita. I cannot move there, but I will always, always love and lift up the community and the work that you are doing in Wichita, but really across the state and across the country, is so much about building communities and the work you do. So can you talk a little bit about how you're building strong communities and why that's so important to you?
Monique Garcia:Yes. Well, first of all, I would love to say that Wichita loves you back, katie. So I'm already thinking of you, know, to your book, and even the reflections that you have for each chapter have been so insightful. So, yes, wichita loves you back, and look forward to seeing what potential opportunities there might be to bring you here. But yes, back to your question about service. So I'm very fortunate.
Monique Garcia:You know, like I mentioned, growing up in a family owned Mexican restaurant, learning, you know that all staff are important to be empathetic, you know, to be authentic, because it takes everybody to get a job done, whether it's the cook, the dishwasher. Even to this day, you know my two youngest sisters, I always tell people they're the rock stars that run the show, they're the rock stars that create jobs, they're the rock stars that serve our customers. And I'll go there in the evening sometimes to help bus tables. Like I said, if the dishwasher has to leave early, I'll go in and it keeps it real, katie, I bring out plates of food to serve people. Um, you know it's very humbling and I feel like, um, you have to. You know it. That keeps things centered and if it means that I'm go go there to sweep the floors or, you know, bus tables, whatever it takes, because it takes all of us. And um, when we collaborate, we know this by virtue of our life experiences that collaboration makes things strong, to have a strong culture, even at a restaurant. We have a strong culture there where we celebrate the employees especially, a lot of the staff are young or in high school or college, and so we know that they have to. You know the homework comes first school or college and so we know that they have to. You know the homework comes first.
Monique Garcia:And so I've been very fortunate to use those principles in my professional career and so very fortunate to have moved out to Washington DC early on in my career and work on Capitol Hill for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for about four years and then the next four years, you know, very grateful to work in the White House and it's all just due to excuse me, building those relationships working hard. It was a fellow KU alumni, janet Murgia, who put me under her wing when I moved to Washington DC and she ended up being my sponsor to serve in the White House for two different presidents, which is very unique, as you know, katie, because political appointees come and go with each new administration. But since my role was a bit apolitical, I was able to stay on for the Bush White House. So I was very fortunate to work for President Clinton and then for President Bush, and so you know that's the highest privilege to work at the White House. So you know that's the highest privilege to work at the White House and you know, have to go through six, seven months of getting the security clearance, to get the background check.
Monique Garcia:And I always tell people, my younger self, if I had to do it all over again I would not have let my KU parking tickets go to the collection agency. Because that really you know I was, you know, 22, 23. I didn't have a care in the world and I was leaving for Washington DC. So you know the irresponsible Monique in my early 20s thought, oh, these parking tickets are well. They ended up haunting me because when I had to get the security background check it showed that several of the tickets had gone to collection. So I was told pretty firmly to get those paid.
Monique Garcia:So I mean, you know we learn you know, life is all about teachable moments, and so you know what, katie, some of my best leadership moments and learning from others was in Washington DC. General Barry McCaffrey and I know you, retired Army general, and I learned some of my the best leadership lessons from him. And you know me being a civilian, of course I just those experiences have come with me through the rest of my career up until today, and so you know it's also it's also about um, embracing great leadership traits and then also recognizing oh, not so great leadership traits. And um, as you had mentioned in the book that you, you know, so clearly conveyed that a lot of times.
Monique Garcia:People, you know people, don't get set out to be bad leaders, they just don't know what they don't know. People don't get set out to be bad leaders, they just don't know what they don't know. So but yeah, very grateful, like I have a ton of gratitude for my experiences and that's why I feel like I'm so intentional to serve others and serve the community and try and make change. And so that is through my contract work, and you know we can talk more about the EPA working with environmental efforts and how we're trying to make change here in Kansas on that.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Yeah, yeah, I love all that and you know it's funny, I tell people like for me and there's no research base behind this, but I think 97% of people really want to be great people, great leaders have great impact. I think there's only 3 really want to be great people. Great leaders have great impact. I think there's only 3% that are like I'm a jerk, I don't care, but I think it's important to learn the good and the bad from people, absolutely, absolutely. So you mentioned the EPA work and it is fascinating. So can you talk a little bit about that and why it's important to you and what you're doing?
Monique Garcia:Yes, thank you so much. So I do some part-time contracting work for Storytime Village, which is a nonprofit here in Wichita. It's an early childhood literacy nonprofit that serves underserved children ages zero to eight, and so understandably, as we know, literacy is such a huge social determinant of health which people ask. Well, what does that mean? Basically, you know, depending on the zip code that you're born into. We always say should not lay out the trajectory of a child's life be such where they're not able to read at a reading grade level or graduate from high school or go to college or get a technical tech education certificate.
Monique Garcia:And so there has been a tremendous amount of federal ARPA dollars and through the infrastructure legislation for communities, distressed communities across the united states that have been have had environmental justice impacts, meaning that the lower income communities are more susceptible to exposure to environmental hazards. And because they don't have the they, they lack the, the communities themselves lack the infrastructure and and you know wealth to be able to say well, you know, there's a tailpipe exhaust or groundwater contamination in the low-income neighborhoods for, for instance, in northwest, northeast wichita, which unfortunately and sadly, have produced elevated liver cancer rates in some of these folks. And so there is this important focus of identifying yes, this is an environmental justice issue and how do we impact that? And so, fortunately, you know I had recommended that we we Storytime Village in Wichita, working with you know, other partners, city of Wichita and other community partners to pursue a grant for the EPA Green VISTA, which VISTA stands for Volunteers in Service to the Community across the country, and so it's a federal program. So fortunately, we were able to get a VISTA.
Monique Garcia:That person started in August of this year, so she will be working closely with the Latino and African-American communities here in Wichita to identify, you know, the environmental justice challenges that we will turn into opportunities in terms of working collaboratively with local, city, state and federal partners to be able to identify what impact can be made with, you know, groundwater contamination and getting folks more aware of, yes, the State Department, kansas Department of Region 7 that is doing this work, that Iowa and then nine tribal nations, and we're really excited that our VISTA is a Native American person that is from the Lakota tribe and she has deep experience in environmental justice and indigenous studies, and so this is a really exciting opportunity and we're grateful that we're able to collaborate with many partners to make impact. Oh, it's so amazing.
Dr. Katie Ervin:I'm just sitting here just head spinning from the impact that this will have and the importance I just I keep thinking about. You know, growing up and I'm very open I'm 48 years old, got a lot of life to live, but lived a lot of life. And you know my husband and I always just you know shaking our head when it's, you know, not in my backyard, I don't want it in my backyard, but why is it okay to put it in someone else's backyard? And you know we need to all step up as humans whether we're low socioeconomic or high socioeconomic, privileged or not, whatever that means to you to protect everybody and allow everyone to have a chance to be successful but also be healthy. I mean, just the basis of being able to be healthy is, you know, we will donate money to have healthy drinking water in another country, but we don't even realize that we don't always have healthy water and environments out of sight, out of mind, exactly.
Monique Garcia:And you hit that right on the nail, katie. It's a fundamental right. It's a fundamental right that we should have clean air, safe drinking water. And actually just what? Four days ago, the EPA Region 7 staff from Kansas City came to Wichita because there was a health fair at Missionary Baptist Church in the northeast part of Wichita, predominantly African-American community, and really excited to say that we spent the afternoon with the EPA staff and then also staff from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, you know, to just make the community aware and keep them informed on, you know, what air quality testing is available and groundwater testing as well, and so it's just getting that awareness out there and being able to share it in a way that it's not technical language, where it's the information is, you know, not clearly understood, and so we've been able to partner, you know, really excited to have, you know, state and federal partners that are really in the trenches with us on this, so very grateful.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Yeah, that is great work. And you mentioned in their Storytime Village, so can you explain what Storytime Village is? I know you've sent it to me in an email, but I think it's really cool, so I would love for you to share it.
Monique Garcia:Absolutely so, yes, so Storytime Village is a nonprofit that was started in 2009 here in Wichita by Dr Prisca Barnes and I'm really proud to share that.
Monique Garcia:Dr Barnes and I met back in 2010 when she and I were part of Leadership Wichita.
Monique Garcia:So I think that's again very grateful, that the folks that we meet in our career journeys and through Leadership Wichita and now Leadership Kansas, that they will be meaningful relationships that will go and unfold as time unfolds, and so, yeah, so Dr Barnes had asked me about a year ago if I'd be interested in doing some grant writing and some marketing communication services for her, and I said absolutely.
Monique Garcia:I believe in the mission, because the mission of Storytime Village is to inspire a lifelong love of reading amongst underserved Kansas, wichita, kansas, children ages zero to eight. So it's really Katie getting those kids you know at birth, as we know, because so much of their brain functioning and cognitive of color face with book deserts, so a lack of public libraries or access, you know, transportation, access to the libraries or to to the bookstores. And so the beauty of Storytime Village is they work so collaboratively with other partners that last year they were able to bring Shaq, the basketball star, to promote books and literacy, and so when you are able to bring you know high profile people that promote literacy, I mean it just gets the whole community inspired. And so I'm really grateful to help do some part-time contract work to live out the mission of Storytime and support the mission and the staff.
Dr. Katie Ervin:That is so cool. Well, and I, about 17 years ago, when I was doing HR for a school district, I went to an event at Kauffman Foundation here in Kansas City and they were talking about the importance of that literacy and reading, and I don't think they said the age zero through eight, but they were talking about, you know, reading to your babies and reading to your toddlers, and they were showing the disparity from kids who you know in their disparity in their vocabulary and their reading abilities, from kids of, maybe, parents who had time to read and spend time with them, compared to those that were low socioeconomic, that were cared and loved deeply for their children but were so trying to just keep a roof over their head and trying to pay their bills and trying to do those kind of things. And without Head Start programs or without story time programs, things like that, these children are not exposed to that until school and then they're already way behind their peers because they just don't have the exposure.
Monique Garcia:Absolutely, and that's such a detriment, and that's what it makes me so jazzed to talk about storytime and the mission, because, for instance, storytime provides free books for these children to build their own libraries at home, and so that's a beauty, that's a beautiful thing and, yes, you hit it right on the nail.
Monique Garcia:There is anecdotal evidence, as we know, as well as data that show children that are not exposed to reading and literacy at an early age they struggle, and then, of course, as we know, the pandemic had an impact on that. So, yeah, just really excited. And to be able to combine literacy with environmental justice opportunities, I don't say challenges, I say let's make this an opportunity. How can we make this impactful where you know we can remove those barriers, whether, whether it be environmental hazards, transportation, um, and and just, you know, to read as uh reading tutors, which I do, and it's, it's great to see the light bulb go on when you have a child, you know, being able to pronounce the words, and then, even with uh english language learners, where students learn, english is not their first language. So all exciting work and very grateful to be a part of it.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Yeah, oh, that is so. It's so fantastic and I think about you know the work that you're doing and the rich traditions that you have in Wichita and your family and everything else you have in Wichita and your family and and everything else and and you kind of talked about your um Hispanic, um community and and the work you've been doing there. Uh, and I think it's. I am always like I want to sit, I want to be in the room and, like experience the traditions and experience the cultures that aren't like mine, that aren't how I was raised. So can you talk a little bit about why that's so important for us all to understand the traditions and the history and all of our differences that make us so special?
Monique Garcia:Oh, yes, thank you so much, katie, excuse me, and you know it's really embracing all of our cultures and all of our. You know the language and culture and those and recognize them as strengths. And you know, when we were in Kansas City for the Leadership Kansas session a couple weeks ago, we were, if you'll recall, we were in the Kansas City Kansas area where there's a large Latino presence there, presence there. But then one of our classmates, tony also, you know, asked during the panel discussion about remind me, was it Croatian? Yes, and so that's what makes our community so rich and diverse is when you have, you know, many cultures that you know come together and collaborate. And you know, I've, I I've learned there's a a significant Vietnamese population here in Wichita. I go to a Catholic parish that is predominantly Vietnamese and the priest is Vietnamese, and so, um, you know, it's just wrecking. It's that recognition of. You know. How do we, you know, um, celebrate the differences and because there's so many commonalities that make us the same rather than different. I'm, recently, I'm a mentor to two sisters who are refugees from Somalia and they're here in Wichita, and so I am learning their language, I'm learning more about their culture and I feel like that makes us all stronger and we're very grateful that you know my family, our Mexican restaurant has been an anchor institution in Wichita and we've even had people like Harrison Ford come to eat there and you know that was pretty cool, that you know he came and he's my mom's favorite actor.
Monique Garcia:So of course we had to go and talk to him once he got done eating. And we asked you know, how did you know to come here? Cause Connie's is in the North end of Wichita predominantly Latino neighborhood near the railroad tracks. And we asked him well, how did you know how to come here? And he said well, he was staying at the Hyatt in downtown, which went to the bar and asked the bartenders hey, I'm, I'm hungry for some really good Mexican food. Do you have any recommendations?
Monique Garcia:So, thankfully, we were really grateful that the bartenders recommended to come to Connie's my grandma, my mom's Mexican restaurant, and and so we were, you know, really grateful. And Harrison Ford said this is great food, great ambiance. He liked the fact that it was a family-owned restaurant. You know what, katie? We have been so grateful to be in business for over 61 years that we give back to the community. So if it's a local high school that they're needing a fundraiser event they need support for we will lean in and even during the lean years we do it anyway, because we know it's important to support the community, because the community has supported us over the years.
Dr. Katie Ervin:So, yeah, well, and I think it's so important, I love all of that. Yeah, Well, and I think it's so important. I love all of that, and I think it is the differences that make us uncomfortable. Are the times that we should lean in and learn more. And why does it make us uncomfortable? And how can we embrace the, like you said, the differences so we can understand our similarities? And there's just such great power in that.
Monique Garcia:There is, and you know, like I mentioned, I've leafed through your book. I have dog-eared because there's so many things that resonated with me. So here you go on page 77. I love what you have here. It says creating an environment of acceptance is also vital Understanding our unconscious biases, building trust and psychological safety, raising awareness, being diversity brave, as well as creating a culture of inclusion. We want people to feel like they belong and not that they just have to fit in. Those words just jumped out at me and I really appreciate you know, appreciate you naming that in the book and thank you because I feel like we're stronger together I know it sounds cliche, but it's true Just recognizing the differences and also the commonalities that bring us together as humans.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Absolutely, I appreciate that it makes me numb when someone like reads out of my book. It just I take such great pride in in in that book and so I am so thankful that people love it as much as I do and that, um, yeah, that the words resonated especially. It's funny because when, when, as a a wildly privileged opportunity has been abound for me as a white woman who, you know, raised in a middle-class family my dad was military Um, when I start talking about, um, inclusivity and acceptance and belonging, sometimes I'm like am I the person to carry this flag? Should I be waving it? It's like, absolutely. I know I have conscious and unconscious bias. I know that it's there and I have to fight against it and push through it. But we should all be waving the flag of inclusivity and and being brave about it.
Monique Garcia:Absolutely and and I, I too, I'm, I'm a, I have, we all have unconscious bias. That's how our brains are wired. I mean, there's actual research that proves that, that we, that's, that's how our brains are wired. But you know, like you mentioned, it's the acknowledgement that, okay, yes, that's the elephant in the room, okay, how can we address it? Let's have a honest, authentic, meaningful dialogue and, um, you know, that's that wins the day.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Yeah, yeah and to not. It's so funny. I met earlier today with this, um, very amazing man and we were talking about a group he runs and I said you know, I'm just trying to understand the dynamic of the group. Like, is the group all white men and nothing against white men? Like I love white men, I'm married to one, my son is one, a lot of my good friends are white men. Like there's nothing against that, but I don't want to be the token woman in the group that it's like oh okay, tap on the head. You know, if I'm going to be a part of the group, I want to feel like I belong and that my voice matters.
Dr. Katie Ervin:And he started to. I could feel him tense up and I said again, it is, there's nothing wrong with being a white man. That is not what I'm saying, what I'm saying. And he said well, I've never, I've never walked in a group where I haven't felt like you know, my voice is heard and blah, blah, blah. And he, he starts defending it. And I said and that is so fantastic for you and I wish I had that privilege, but unfortunately that has not been my experience of every group that I have joined. And he was like you're right, you're right, I now hear you. But it took him like getting all seized up and tensed up Like I was attacking him and I'm like no, I'm just coming from my experience and my experience hasn't always been that, and you know.
Monique Garcia:Thank you for leaning in and being authentic. That's sometimes there are hard conversations, but again it's just recognizing that we all have our gifts and our talents and expertise that we bring. No-transcript Period the end.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Yeah, yep, I love it, I love it. So the final question that I ask everyone on every show um is to the level you're comfortable sharing, what is the biggest leadership or career misstep that you've taken?
Monique Garcia:You know, I thought about that and I'm I have no shame in my game, so I am. I will admit that I have a leadership pitfall that I fell into is that I have had a tendency to take on unnecessary work, meaning that, you know, I think as leaders were provided with opportunities in leadership roles because we know that the task needs to get done and how to do it. And so I feel like growing up in the restaurant, you know again, if the dishwasher or cook didn't show up, my parents were like, ok, get in the kitchen and you would just do it. You don't even do it. And so I feel like I took that along with me in my career, my professional career, thinking, well, you know what, if I'm going to get something done right, I might as well do it.
Monique Garcia:But that's the pitfall, because then I would get sidelined on getting into the weeds and finishing it because I thought, well, I want to get this right, so I'll do it. Meanwhile, that took me away from my other responsibilities and my other leadership that I was neglecting because I was getting all Well, I got to make sure it's done right. So I and I tended not to delegate. Because, again, I feel like you know, I know what, and a leader in this space, that it hinders our colleagues and team from doing the task at hand and to be mission focused, and so that also leads to disengagement. So it's really a disservice that I have done in terms of taking on that unnecessary work and me being much more cognizant and aware of. No, don't do that, monique, you know. Sit back and lift up others so that they can take this and have ownership and pride in getting this to the finish line.
Dr. Katie Ervin:So, oh, that is a big one. Thank you for sharing. I think you know, especially earlier in our career, where, like I've got to say yes to everything, I've got to say yes, I've got it, you know. And then it creates these habits that now you're like, oh, how do I, how do I get out of it? So what a good lesson.
Monique Garcia:I feel like, okay, so I'm going to name it, I'm 50. I just turned 53. And I feel like, okay, so I'm going to name it. I'm 50. I just turned 53. And I feel like I don't know. I feel there's an urgency now that I'm on like you know, yes my career. I've been very grateful to have some excellent career experiences, but now I feel like an urgency, like, okay, what can I do to make impact? How can I really help others, like I've done it all along, but like there's an urgency now, katie, where, okay, how can I do this right? How can I, you know, help, help, support and lift up the others that are just now starting their career? I think that's why I get so into mentoring and and and trying to pay it forward, because others helped me in my career, and so it's just that I love that pay it forward mentality. That's how we can be, you know, strong leaders. Yeah.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Yeah, oh, I love it. What a perfect way to end. Thank you so much for sharing today and being so open. I can't wait for people to hear you, hear your story and to um learn a little bit, and everyone out there. If you're anywhere near Wichita, what I'd say within three to five hours you should be like planning your dinner to go to Connie's. We had it when we were in Wichita. We had a. It was brought to the hotel to us, so we had um had it in. Oh, the guacamole. I could have just eaten it with a spoon.
Monique Garcia:We have a patio was open. It's nice weather. So, yes, always welcome customers. Um, we're grateful for every customer that walks through that door. Like my grandpa said, everybody that comes to that door, we welcome them and uh, appreciate um, everybody that comes to that door, we welcome them and appreciate all of their support. So, and thank you, Katie, I love your book. I actually have the reflections for each chapter that I have been filling out. So very insightful.
Dr. Katie Ervin:Oh, I love it. I think we're going to have to do a Leadership Kansas book study next year, just to keep us all connected. Awesome, well, thank you so much, and thank you everyone for joining us on the Path to Leadership. Awesome, well, thank you so much, and thank you, everyone for joining us on the Path to Leadership. I'll talk to you next time. Bye.
