Navigating Difficult Clients and Dating in Business with Sovereign Bee
From event planning bonchinche to life lessons, Sovereign Bee and Victoria Jenn went deep on business, confidence, and staying true to yourself—plus a few spicy stories along the way.
Here are the top 3 takeaways from their conversation:
Protect Your Business Early: Belinda shared the real importance of getting an accountant who understands your industry and securing legal advice from day one. Contracts and smart financial strategies are a must, especially when unexpected client drama pops up (million-dollar wedding layoffs, anyone?).
Self-confidence is Non-Negotiable: Whether it came from her dad’s positive reinforcement or just her own bold spirit, Belinda exemplifies what it means to know your worth. Don’t dim your light for anyone—focus on your strengths, speak up, and own your story.
Community Over Competition: The event world (and life) is big enough for everyone. Belinda reminded us not to obsess over what others are getting; instead, set your own goals, give back, and take care of your people along the way.
WARNING EXPLICIT LANGUAGE IN THIS EPISODE: Clutch your pearls, pin up your curls, lay your edges tight, and put the kids to bed, this episode is for grown folks.
Welcome back to another episode of Banking on Cultura aka our funniest conversation of the year. In this juicy episode, Victoria Jenn sits down with powerhouse event producer Belinda Aquine, founder of Sovereign Bee. From curating experiences for A-list celebrities like Marc Anthony, Romeo Santos, and your favorite influencers, to producing unforgettable weddings and events, Belinda shares her journey of breaking into the industry, building her confidence, and standing her ground as a Latina entrepreneur.
Nothing is off limits! They discuss everything from handling difficult clients (and even crazier wedding stories) to balancing intense work with self-care, and navigating the wild world of dating as a boss.
What you'll learn in this episode:
How Belinda went from radio to producing major events
The importance of confidence and authenticity in business
Real talk on work/life balance and maintaining friendships
Why contracts and accountants are critical for new entrepreneurs
Hilarious and unfiltered stories from the event industry—and life!
In this episode:
10:32 - Challenges With Demanding Clients
24:21 - Dating, Personal Life, And Vulnerability
46:53 - Origins Of Self-Confidence
55:07 - Keys To Starting And Growing A Business Grab your cafecito and get into this dynamic, empowering, and laugh-out-loud chat.
If you love stories of culture, grit, and bold Latinidad, you won’t want to miss this!
Full Transcript:
What's up everybody? Welcome back to Banking on Cultura. I am your host Victoria Jenn Rodriguez and I hope that you are fabulous. I hope that you are well. I hope that you are thriving and surviving in this shenanigan of a world that we are in right now. But just know that there's light, okay? There is light still happening. There is light still projecting. There is light still within you. I would say the last two and a half weeks or so have been an emotional roller coaster. And I'm pretty sure I'm not alone on that. But what I have found, what has helped me kind of like get on the other side of things is just like finding my joy again and like doing things that I know make me feel good, right? So that's probably like not having wings stop at night anymore, which I've stopped for the last two nights. Thank you. you should be proud of me. But that's a huge thing. I I know that about myself. I know that my diet is a huge contributor. So if you see me gaining weight, you know your girl's going through some [ __ ] cuz I'm an emotional eater. That's just what it is. But I also know that I feel good when I eat correctly. So that's what we're on now. So we're in the light. We're in the light zone. So you're going to see me thin down very quickly cuz my body just responds like that. But anyh who, maybe TMI, but I'm sharing this with you to let you know that you're not alone, okay? You're not alone. If you're going through some [ __ ] and it's never too late for you to just find yourself on the other side of things, okay? So, whatever is going to help you get to that other side, just tap in. Even when you don't feel like it, because then your body, your mind is going to respond back to you in a positive way, and you're going to start just feeling a little lighter. Okay. And if all else fails, just get laid. That helps. Just say that one again. I'm on that. I'm on that wave. Bless. Listen. Okay. If you need it, go get it. Okay. If you need it, go get it. Miha, I had a conversation with some women ra recently and they telling me they've been celibate for years and I'm just like I I I can't relate. I can't relate. But everybody's on their own journey. No judgment. We listen and we don't judge. But it helps is all that I'm saying. So if you need to release yourself, go release yourself. Do what you need to do. I feel very comfortable in sharing that with you today because my guest today is is is a real one and I knew that she would appreciate that commentary. That's why you heard her laughing in the background. Uh but without further ado, so B, welcome to Banking on Cultura. Hola. How are you? I am fabulous, darling. How are you? How do I follow that? I'm like, wait a minute. I'm like, where do I go with that? I'm like thinking in my head. I'm like, I'm prepping up for whatever's coming next because I know something's going to do with sex, food. I'm like, so I'm ready. I'm ready. How are you? Thank you for having me. Congratulations on your show. Thank you so much. I love the studio. Thank you. Look, I commented off camera, right? Thank you. I'm moving on up because none of the studios look like this. Any podcast I've done, the studio does not look the same. No shade. No shade. No, no, I'm being honest. It's just, hey, it is what it is. That's why I like you, cuz you throw shade and you're like, it's shade. It It's sh No, it's not shade. It's honesty. Like people like, "Oh, you funny." I'm like, "I'm really not funny. I just say what I say." I'm like, "But it's not, you know, you might take it funny, but it's not." No, you are funny. The reason why it's so funny is because you say what people are thinking. Yes. And you deliver it in a way where it's like it's palatable but also shocking at the same time, which I respect and I love cuz I can totally relate to that. So really excited to have you here. And by the way, when I was reading through your bio, girl, you're not giving yourself enough justice, honey. Cuz I'm like, yo, you're like super duper badass. I know. But honey, we got to make sure we let people know when Sovereign Bee steps in the building, R SBCT, okay? Because you've earned that. Like for real. Said I work with a lot of celebrities and then a lot of them are with the NDA and don't speak and don't record and I just sometimes I'm like I don't even need to say they're going to hire me again. Why do I need to tell people? Like there's people that live off of that, right? They're like, "Oh, I was in the bathroom stall next to Jay Balvin." And you know, we did a party. You didn't do a party with Jay Balvin. Like, like, stop. Okay. He was in the bathroom when you ran into him. You took a picture, right? Maybe in the stall next to him. And you might have done the menu. Like, everybody relax. Like, chill. Like, take it take it a couple of levels down. Right. So, I don't need that. I don't need that. Right. I I'm secure with who I am, what I do, and you know, I'm good. Well, I'm cool with like not putting it on the internet, but like when you're pitching, nah. Like mofos need to know. You know what I mean? Oh, when I pitch, when I have to pitch, I throw it in there. No, no, no, no. Yeah, I'm silent with Delhi. Okay. Yes. Yes. That's what I like about you. Yes. I mean, not so much silent because it depends what day it is. I'm kind of to be honest, I'm really quiet. So, it's funny, right? I am. I would have never got like I can sit with my friends for hours and I'm I say like about four words and they're like, "Nobody knows you. Nobody knows who you are. Whatever. And I'm like, I know because I feel like I'm always on. So, in my true persona, I'm not always on. And why did my phone go off when I told you I put it on silent? Like, who the hell? Follow the rules. Oh my goodness. That was so bad. I just left it on for my son. So, um, so yeah, I'm I'm like the other day I went to u my friend's birthday party and we had a paint and sip, right? We were painting, sipping. There was it's only like six six of us and everybody was just chatting and chatting and they're like, "Loon, you're not going to talk." I go, I'm concentrated. I'm painting right now. So people are like, "Oh, you don't talk much." And I go, "No, I don't." I go, you know, if there's a topic, right, that I need to jump in and intersect, whatever, and talk about, I'm fine with that. I'll interject. I mean, I'm fine. I go in and speak, right? But if not, I'm just like I'm just chill. I just like observe it, just watch everything. Yeah. So you said Belinda. So I called you Sovereign Bee, but your government name is Belinda. Your company name is Sovereign Bee LLC. That's it. It has no It has no events after it. It's just Sovereign Bee, right? But people think that's my name. So, a lot of times I go to events and they're like, "Hey, sovereign." And I'm like, "It's Belinda, but okay, I'll take Sovereign." So, it's actually Belinda. So, that's I usually say that that's my name. Okay. And then people just say Belinda after I say, "Sorry, I Americanize you." No, no, but it's fine. But I but I usually know because I'm already used to it. So, sometimes I say Belinda, but most of the times when they say, "Oh, what's your name?" I'm like, "Belinda." And then I go, "Oh, Belinda." I'm like, "That's not what I said." No, I'll take it. I get it. You got to correct people sometimes. Let's see. Your name is your testimony. If it's important to you, yes. If it's not important to you, then no. But okay, you're probably like, "Call me what you want. Just write me the [ __ ] just pay me my money." Shoot, don't be messing. Just pay me my money. All right. So, introduce yourself to the people. Okay. So, my name is Beninda. My company is called Sovereign Bee. I am an event producer. I also do weddings. So, sometimes people get confused because I do a little bit of everything. Anything that has to do with a party, an event, like a feel-good time, I'm there. It could be a conference, it could be just a red carpet, a movie premiere, an award show, you name it, I do it. Yes. That's I guess that's the best way. But I started in radio, so I kind of like this little being on the mic. I just don't like the camera aspect, but I love the radio. Really? You started in radio doing what? started out working on de laana. Are you old enough for that show? Well, yes. You were like, "Oh, wait. Maybe the reason I mean I was young, but yes." Yes. So, I started working on a New York radio Latin show. We were like number one back in the day and it was called Elvis. Pero. You were on the mic or you were No, I was on the mic. So, I was a fill in for Karolina for the traffic for the weather when she wasn't there, which she was always there. But the few times that she got sick. God damn. Girl, you don't get sick. You get sick. You don't got sick. you have BTO like go home for this. Damn. So I was a producer on that show. I I worked as a producer on that show and that is to do traffic and Wow. Okay. Okay. Cool. That's where I started. And then when I got laid off then that's when I started venturing into events. Okay. Oh, okay. Interesting. So you've always been production. I've always been in like the media like in television, radio, you know. Oh, interesting. By the way y'all, uh if you're not watching this video, this is a good episode for you to tune into and watch video cuz Belinda is looking fabulous, darling. She's looking absolutely gorgeous. I'm like, oh, she she got the assignment. And she was very adamant asking me like, "Well, what do I wear? What do I wear?" And I'm like, "Girl, where were you feel comfortable? But we going to be on video, honey, and we going to know. I didn't know the angle and stuff." And I I was just like, you know, I kind of I always ask that when I go somewhere, right? smart ass. Not to not to some people like like, "Oh, you're overdressed." And it's not, you know, I just dress how I feel, but sometimes people have a certain theme, right? Whatever. Like, oh, you know, don't wear black or don't wear this. So, that's kind of why I asked, too, you know, just to make sure I'm on the same wavelength. But, you know, I do mean tell me you're not in event management without telling me. Without planning everything, right? Exactly. Every freaking thing I do. I love it. I love it. So, you've had a very dope career. So, you started in radio. Now you've transitioned over to more of this like event management piece, but you're working on some pretty like dope experiences that you're curating. Like I just seen um everything that you created for like the New York Latino Film Festival and you creating like they're like mini exhibits. That's what it looks like. Like a whole new world basically. But you've worked on the charity with Mark Anthony. You've worked with tons of celebrities. You do corporate events etc. What don't you like about the work that you do? Sometimes a difficult client. Okay. I guess. Right. Um I think sometimes like like you said, I'm really in your face, right? And I feel that my social media personifies who I am. Like if you go on my social media, you know who I am, right? Like you know how I am as a cl as a as a professional. Mhm. So, and I think when you come to me at that point, you already know what I can give you and what I've done and what I've produced. So, when you start like controlling me, too much of a control and not letting me be creative and stuff like that, it gets hard. Like, I had a really difficult client this summer. It was hard. Like, it was the like I just didn't even want to show up to the event. You know, I can't mention the name cuz they're big, but you can do the math. I'm like social. Anyway, they were really difficult and it was like, you know, I remember being on the call with with their um what was it? Was she brand brand activation? I don't know what her title was, but she was she literally took two pictures like screenshot them, put them on a piece of paper, and she's like, you know, like this. I said, excuse me, I don't know what this is. This is two screenshots of two completely opposite um um themes. She was like, "You know, well, you know, well, that's what she said." And I'm like, "I can't." And I wanted to walk out, but I couldn't. I just I just couldn't cuz I had a contract. I was not going to protect my butt if I walked out. So, it is what it is. But that's that's, you know, it's people that have unrealistic views to what I do. Mhm. You know, what are some of those unrealistic views? That I'm available 24/7 for you. That's that's one, right? Like, um, and it stays in my contract. Like, I will respond to you in about 48 hours. If I don't, something has to be happening, right? But that doesn't mean I'm going to have an answer, right, in 48 hours, right? Because if you ask me to do a task and I'm working on the task, I'll be like, "Yeah, got it. Noted." Right? And then they're like, "Oh, but your contract says you're gonna get back to me." I go, "Well, I did. I said, "Okay, that's that's that's me connecting with you. That's getting back to you." So, I feel those things when when people think that my company has 100 people answering the phone calls. We don't, right? Um, I have an online portal. I have a very good system. You know, how big is your team? Because you put on these massive productions. Well, because I have I have partners, right? So my team in itself, we're like 10 of us, right? Um so if I had to pull all my resources and go to an event, 10 of us come, but then I have an extension, right? So I have fabricators. So those are the people that build stuff, then there's 20 of them, right? Then there's people that do vinyl, then there's those people, then the floor is so they they all have their individual companies, but we do come together when we have a big event. Okay. Something happens, right? Okay. Got it. Yeah. So that's So it makes my team bigger. Yeah. Yeah. One of the things that I really uh admire about you is your ability to like manage the scope of these large massive like projects. Where does that come from? Like did you get training cuz that [ __ ] what don't come to your apartment that [ __ ] look like everything's you go to an event and everything's like in line boxes here that there this there go to my apartment. Everything's all over the place. So don't go there. But I think it comes from We interrupt our program to bring you this important message. Ooh, this is really good. You should know about this. So, I don't know about you, but I've been known to procrastinate, especially when things scare the hell out of me. The fear alone would have me stuck, overwhelmed, confused, and all types of self-doubt. And don't even get me started on the imposter syndrome. Okay. Okay. After getting laid off, not once, but three times, honey. I realized that the security blanket that I made up in my head was just an excuse because I didn't really want to bet on myself. The corporate benefits that had me in that headlock girl, they went out the window once my job decided that they no longer needed me. It turns out that I'll save a whole nickel if I cut your salary completely. The truth is the only security blanket guarantee is the one that you create for yourself. In other words, until you start a business, you will always be at the mercy of a company's headcount, and you will never have complete control over your time, which means you'll be renting out your thought leadership and helping build someone else's dream instead of your own. If you've been waiting for a sign, this is it. Don't you think it's time you stop playing small and tap all the way into your powers? Click on the link above or below this video to learn my three-step process, the exact three steps that I took to make the transition from corporate to entrepreneurship. And this is helpful even if you don't know what type of business to start and have only one source of income. And this is absolutely free. It is my gift to you. I want you to win. It's winning season. In fact, what's that? It smells like winning season. Okay. So, tap in and I'll see you inside the training. Let's go. Ballet school. What? I swear. Ballet school. Ballet school. No. The fact that you were in ballet school is just interesting to me. When were you in ballet school? Piano. Really, I think a lot of my upbringing has to do with me being an event. It all makes sense now. To me, I'm like, "Oh, this all makes sense." Like, now I understand why my dad put me in all these. Like, I don't think he thought I was going to be an event planner, right? But to me, it makes sense. Like, God has a plan for everyone, right? So, I think that that whatever I learned when I was a kid made me a better event planner. So, I was in ballet. Ballet taught me discipline, right? Um, it taught me to get along with a team, right? To be with a team all the time, right? If she messes up, you're messing up. Make sure she looks good so I can look good and so forth, right? And I had a very strict teacher. She was very strict. And she showed me also the art of networking because through ballet, I've landed, I would say, 50% of my gigs from all that all those girls that I met throughout my life. So, I feel that I my network is because of my ballet school. Like I I always I always say that I always tell her I'm like all my my best friend's from ballet school like another good friend of mine. She's a makeup artist. Like so so a lot came from my early childhood, right? Um my dad was a single dad. Raised my sister and I and I know you have a very good relationship with your dad. So that's why I feel like I connect with you. And um he would to keep us off the streets. He was like, "You're going to ballet school. You're going to painting school. You're going to ice skating." You mean off the pole? No, no, no. I didn't off the pole. I dance. Oh, no. Po. You say ballet. That mean you No, no, no, no, no pole. No pole dancing over here. My father would have killed me. My didn't want me to be a cheerleader. He was a champion cheerleader. Twirl a baton. Cheerleaders are hoes. I'm like, Dad, what the [ __ ] Matt, cheerleaders are hoes. Yes, he said cheerleaders are ho. I can never be a cheerleader. I was only a baton twirler. We were just as much of hoes as they were, but whatever. He he reasoned in his head that I was safer being like color guard. So I was Yeah, I was there. So Okay. Okay. So I think that then I think with piano that's music, right? So I'm very good at music. I'm very good on cues. When things happen, I'm like, "Oh, no, no, we need to have music for that. We need to do this because music moves the soul, right?" Like I feel like music moves me. It could either depress me real quick or make me really happy, right? So I feel that music is a big part of events, especially when you have big events, right? Um, the other day I did the Ola Awards with a Hispanic organization of Latino actors and I only do the red carpet from them, but this year they hired um, a stage director. Um, and he had music cues for everything and I was like, "Oh, the show is great this year." It's like on point because the music, every time I heard the music, I'm like, "Oh, somebody's coming on stage. Oh, there comes Lee Mon." Like everything was like all it was like a real award show. And I think it wasn't like the same song all the time. It was very spicy like so that and then painting you know color color patterns table linens how to set a table the flowers oh you know contrast and so I think everything Yeah. My dad set me up for this without knowing. Interesting. And he never saw me he never saw me in my field. No. Yeah. He passed away before Yeah. before him been planted. He only saw me on radio. Okay. Okay. Shout out to daddy looking over us. Shout out to daddy. I love that. I mean, I feel like you've given us some bonjin, but some more. Give us some more. Give us give us some more. So, that was So, she prepped me a little and she told me that there was a bon question. I'm like, girl, it was in my template that I sent you. And I know, I know, but then I was like, what bona am I going to talk about? I'm like, who am I going to talk about? What celebrity? Like, I can't talk about like, so I'm thinking of all the crazy stories that that have happened to me, right? I'm like, hm, what can I say without getting in trouble? And I'm like, you know what? I got boniche in my personal life that that's this is probably best, right? Yes. And you kind of said it in the beginning, so I'm gonna I'm gonna spin off that. So, there's certain things that take a backseat in my life, right? One being the gym girl. I'm like, "Oh my god, I feel her." I'm like, "Yes, I'm an emotional eater, too." Right. I eat when I'm happy and I eat when I'm sad. I eat all day. And some people don't eat when they're That's when you're an emotional eater. No, but there's people that are emotional eaters. No, I do eat more when I'm sad. I'm not going to lie. I do. I do eat more when I'm eat more when I'm happy because I'm like, "Yo." And I'm the apple. The tech just hit the cow. Let's go. We going to eat tonight. Like, you know. So, so I'm all kind of emotional. So, that takes a backseat. And dating takes a backseat in my life. Right. Um, everybody's like, "Do you want to be alone for the rest of your life?" And I'm like, "Do you know how much ass I've gotten in my life?" I'm like, "I'm pretty good, guys. I'm like 50 years old." I'm like, "I'm good. I've lived a full life. Like I don't need to put you putting my business out there, but I've lived a whole life, right? So I wasn't a cheerleader, but I was close enough. Okay. So I met somebody at an award show. Oo. In Los Angeles. Okay. And I met this guy, totally my type, 6'4, but I was just recovering from my miniscus surgery. It was literally my first event after miniscus surgery. And I was with one of my friends. She's a publicist and an artist. And she was in She was like, "Put the sun on." I go, "What is that?" And she's like, "It's firmmones." And I'm like, "What is that going to do?" A what? Firermones. What's that? It's like that that that that men get attracted to fermones. I don't know how it works. What the hell is a fermone? Just Google it. You have a computer there. A fermon. P H E R M O N. Anyway, there's a perfume that's made out made for firmmones. Ferm Why is Hermes coming up? Wait, it's P. Uh-huh. E R M O N S. Firmmon. Oh, firmmones. Okay, thank you. Fermones are chemical signals secreted by an organisms that trigger a social response in other individuals of the same species with functions including attracting mates, warning of danger or marking territories. Oh, so she gave me this. I don't have it on. Wait, so it's like a it's like a oil or something? Oh, it's like a So she said, "Put this on." And I'm like, "Okay." So I put it on, right? And I'm like whatever. I'm like this is you know. So at the end of the night she's like did you pick up anybody? And I'm like I actually did some guy gave me his number. But he gave me his number and I thought it was like a business related cuz he was like hey here's my card. You know I did security. I go I don't live in LA. I'm from New York but I'll take your card cuz sometimes I'm in LA and I need something. He's like yeah sure whatever. So I proceed cuz I always lose cards. So, I put them in my phone right away and I give him a tag like tall security guard from LA, right? The London Hotel. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's where I met him. London hotel whatever. Put him on my phone and I text him and I'm like, "Hi, this is Belinda. I just wanted you to have my number." Um, if I'm ever in LA, I'm like, "How big is your security team?" Blah, blah, blah. Whatever. He goes, "You luscious." He started going in. I was like, I'm like, "What? What the I'm like, did I say something wrong? He starts, he goes, I never thought you were going to call me and I or text me and I was like, what? I'm like, but I but I told you I was I told you that you know I'm going to send you my information. So he's like he starts talking to me and I go, "Well, if I would have known this, maybe we could have we could have gone to the bar last night." He's like, "I know, but I just want to be professional and you were working and you look like such a boss [ __ ] I I was scared to say anything to you." So I was like, "I'm just going to get in my card and see how that goes." Right? So I'm like, "Oh my" I called my friend. I'm like, "Oh my god, what? This works." The fermon the furmones worked. So I was like freaking I was like, "Oh my." So then I'm like, "All right." So I get home, travel, we we start, you know, we start texting back and forth, blah blah. And my son was going to LA the next week for for like his program, finishing college, whatever. And I was like, "Oh, maybe I could jump on that and go and go visit surprise my son. Pretend I'm surprising my son." Yeah. Yeah. So I said, "You know what? My friends called me and I was like, I'm going to go out." I went out with my friend and her husband. I said, "I'm going to try this thing again." You put the firm on everywhere. I put it everywhere. So I go out and as I'm going to greet them, her husband and her go, "You smell amazing." Like, "What do you have on?" And I'm like, "What?" I'm like, "Huh?" She's like, "Whatever you have on is amazing." It's this little freaking bottle of oil cost 40 bucks. like I don't know. So then I proceed to tell him the story that I met this guy blah blah way I go to LA we see each other again blah blah blah we talk we go out to dinner whatever on the pretext of my you know I'm going to see my son right okay I didn't see my son I saw and also you're like not in a wheelchair but what is it no I'm like I'm in a scooter you're in a scooter so you bagged No was there I was with crutches and living so you crunches girl okay so you bagged homie when you was like handy He can't basically. So then um so then I went to another gig and I was like, "Hey, why don't we meet here?" Cuz it was like halfway, you know, halfway meeting point between LA and here, whatever. I meet him, whatever. We go out to dinner again. We had a great time. He went to my event. Did you wear the furmones again? No, I didn't. I didn't. Okay. This time he didn't. He was like, "It worked already. I'm good. I'm good. I'm good." No, but I saved it cuz it's like a little I Yeah, you got to keep it. It's like a potion. I'm going to need that. I'm going to need that. So I I I keep it, whatever. And um and then we go to dinner and I'm like, "Yo, this guy is not like like he likes me. He's peeing for dinner. Like he's giving me kisses. He's holding my hand." But I'm like So I'm like me being the Cuban, you know, the the baton twirler, non-hoish, not cheerleader girl that I am. I was like, "Did you get condoms?" Yo, that guy almost spit out his food. He was like, "Excuse me?" He's like, "What' you say?" I was like, "Did you buy condoms today?" Did I have to? And I'm like, "Okay, what's going on here?" I'm like, "What is going on? You giving me mixed signals." I'm like, "What?" I'm like, "No problems." I'm like, "You don't like condoms?" I'm like, "What is it?" Right. He's like, "No, no, no." He's like, "I just I didn't want to come on to you like that. Like, that's not my goal." He's like, "I like you, but I just, you know, I don't want to scare you away." And I'm like, "Oh, okay. All right. Fast forward. Fast forward. Now we in Miami. This is like the fourth trip." Okay. Wait, so that he didn't go get some? No, nothing happened. He went to his room and I went to my room. Like, nothing happened. Wow. Nothing happened. Right. Okay. Now we in Miami. Now we in the same room. Oh. Okay. Now we in the same room. Um, and this is actually when I tore my other meniscus. Then I tore my other then I messed up my other leg. So now I'm already walking like a little bit with the scooter still, but walking. And then I tore my other one. And we're finally Wait, you know why you didn't get no buns that night? cuz you didn't wear the fur bones, [ __ ] Oh, man. Nice. Thank you. [ __ ] Okay. Okay. So, yeah. So, then so then now we're in like bed and we're like kissing and we're hiding in my head or whatever. Okay. Okay. And then he sits on top of me and I swear I felt like the roles were reversed. I felt for a minute I was a man and he was the woman, right? and and he's on top of me and he just like you know when like when you're like you just roll over and like you stay on the bed and you're like should I be doing this like I don't want to go too far like you know how we think women right like we rush like why am I having sex with him right now like all that stuff right right and he just stopped and he did that rollover thing and he just laid next to me and I'm like what what's going on I go you still didn't get the condoms I'm like I'm not understanding he goes I'm celibate no He did not. No. What? He was celebrating. No, I respect that. I respect people who are like you said. I mean, you got to give them respect. You don't judge. I like girl in the bedroom though. I kind of judge like Yeah. Like that was like key information to share. Like at that dinner, he should have shared that. Yes. The first time I said that, he wasn't transparent. And um yeah, that's where it ended. And that was shortly lived. Basically, it was done after that. I got on the flight the next day. I was like, "Peace out." Like, "Peace, deuces." I'm like, "I've been like a year being celibate because of this leg." I'm like, "I'm not trying to you better stop. I need to release somehow." Booty booties in heat. Yo, what? I I I would be appalled. Oh my god. Yeah, he was saying and I know he was religious that I know. So I know cuz I know cuz when we spoke on the phone he was like, "Well, I have Bible study today and you know I'm volunteering today." And I usually tend to go out with guys that are very spiritual. It's it's weird. And it's not that I'm not I am spiritual but I don't go to church, right? Like I am spiritual within myself. I was born a Catholic. Then I became a Jehovah Witness. Then I was Christian. So I've been around the moon and back, right? So I just pray, okay, on my own. Okay. Right. So, but I respect everybody. So, my sister's very religious. My older sister, she's very religious. And um so, so it is what it is. So, wait, how old is he? He's my age. 50. Well, I'm 50. He was like 52, 53. He probably can't get it up. Maybe that's he was celebrated for 10 years. He's been celebrating. What? Yeah. We had a whole conversation. We had a whole after we had a conver like I left the next day, but I wanted to know. I'm like, "So, how long you've been celibate?" Whatever. Did you tell him like going forward he should like to the Lord? Oh my god. Did you tell him like going forward that he needs to like reveal that information? I'm sorry I didn't. He's like, "I just didn't know how you would react." I'm like the same way I'm reacting now, leaving on a plane the minute you tell me. Like, hello. I mean, even worse, cuz you allowed it to go as far as it did. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, I told you my feelings about you. Wow. That's some I think that might be the best mine I've ever gotten. This is good. Yeah, this is good. This is This is This is spicy. This is um It was not spicy at all. There was no spicy. No spice. Well, talking back into business. Have you been able to to solve this problem afterwards with someone else? Yeah. Okay, good. Okay, good. Cuz I was about to start. They don't have anybody to call. They don't have anybody there. I'm like, come on. I'm like, don't tell me you don't have anybody in your phone. Of course, you can call. Like, stop. Stop. Unless you've been cate the nonsense. Stop the Oh my god. So, that means he became celibate in his 40s. Yeah. Wow. There's no words. That's very Wow. That That's too See, people are deep on different levels. That's too deep for me. Like, I don't know if I could ever I don't even think I have that message. If I would read one of the message, you were like, "Nah, he's not so like it wasn't even cuz I always say some people are delusional, right? They make their own little fantasy in their head like, "Oh, he likes me." That's why I was like, "Do we do do you not like me? Is that why like do you not use condoms?" Like that's why I asked the questions because sometimes you might think that I'm coming on to you and I'm not. Right? Like some like oyster flirt. I'm like, "I'm not really flirting. I'm just being polite." Right? So, I I I think sometimes we do like play this little like like dream like fantasy in our head that doesn't exist, but I'm like that wasn't a fantasy. That was He played me. Yeah, I got played. Damn, girl. That's okay. But that's like that'll happen to like there's I'm sure that was the last thing you were thinking of that homeboy was celibate. Like that's crazy. However, I was I was thinking he was see this is when they be like, "Pay attention to this sign." When you brought up the condom and he did not go out and buy some, right? But he said but but you know what? Hey, I'm I'm okay for guys that are like, "Hey, let's this is this is like the fourth date. Like maybe it's not time. I didn't want to." Right? Cuz that in that time it was the second date. Okay. So that was the second date. Okay. Okay. Or third date. Third date. Third date. So, you know, they say like, you know, after the third date, you know, so I was like, okay. I was like, he's trying to be respectful. If you would have said that to me on the 10th date, then I would have thought it was wrong. But on the third date, it's still it was still very new, you know. So, I was like, you know, nope. That was that was one of the red flags. That was this is not the D. See, this is why I love asking about Bon, by the way, cuz you just never know where it's going to go. But um happened to the best of us, girl. I love how you was like whatever. Oh yeah, story time. That's good for the story time, you know. Yeah, that's hilarious. Oh, girl, I feel you on that. Okay, so we are here. What are we here for? I can't even focus. I can't even focus after that conversation. Like what? I can't even focus. I can't even focus. Okay. So, but dating is hard for you in this space. Dating is very hard. Is that because you're prioritizing your business? No, I just don't I just don't meet guys that like are my caliber that I like. It's It's hard. Yeah. Yeah. I It's It's a thing. I feel like there's I don't know. Yo, it's like this like I'm really nervous about it cuz I feel like we are all becoming way too comfortable being alone. Like men and women. Like we're just getting way too comfortable and I'm like yo we're about to go and with the robots. Not with the robots. Yeah. Like it's crazy. Yo for real got to talk back. Yo Chachi BT they just said that they are going to introduce erotica into it now. No. Yes girl. So now talking to me you can have sex with your chat GPT like like sex text sex text I guess. Yeah that's the thing now. They just approved it. Yes, girl. It's about to be crazy out here. People are going to be sexing their chat GPT. Isn't that weird? But, you know, it has like the voice option in chat GBT. So, like that is going to be like I I might just do I want to see what it does. Like I'm Yes. Like I'm just going to be like I'm just going to be curious like what like what is this going to sound like? Like what I don't even I can't I don't even want to think about it. Maybe like you know how people used to call into hotlines. Maybe it'll be like that. Sex lines. The sex lines. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Maybe it'll be like that. You were too young for that too. But that was crazy. I mean I saw it in the movies. Oh okay. Yeah. But that's crazy that Chachi PT is. But I feel like that also is going to force people to not co-mingle cuz they're like, "Why do I need to go outside when my boo's at home? My boo is waiting for me. You talking to me?" They were like, "Oh yeah, we text all the time." I'm like, "That is not your boyfriend. That is a text friend." I'm like, "What do you pen pal?" Yeah. I'm like, "All I know a ton of women." Like, "Oh yeah, my boyfriend." I'm like, "What? What are you talking about? I don't have no damn boyfriend. Stop playing me right now." And I know you be telling them the truth just like that. Don't tell them, "Oh, don't come to me for relationship advice cuz I will tell you." And I'm not and I'm not ashamed to tell myself. I'm like, "It happens." Like you can get you can get tricked, right? Like it could happen to anybody, but sometimes there's signs there that I'm like, "Nah, nah." Yeah. Yeah. I'm still in shock about that. I'm still in shock. Like they played you. Like I'm still in shock. No, I'm in shock that like homeboy really dragged it out. Like we should be able to sue for [ __ ] like that. Like for real. It's like I had an engagement. It's like it's like if you had an STD, you let people know that [ __ ] up you know. I agree before it gets hot and heavy with my besties. I I spoke to them and I'm like he should have told me something and they were like well you're a lot. Maybe he was scared. I go scared of what? What are you? He's already done a couple dates with me. What is He's scared. What am I gonna do? 64, dude. What do I do? Like 6'4, 250 solid. I'm like, what are you gonna do? What am I going to do to him? Maybe he was trying to like get you to like him and and what? And say I was never c in a nonsexual relationship. No, thank you. Or maybe he'll be like, "Look, I'm celibate, but like chat GPT hold you down." Next thing you know, I was going to be a nun. Nah. I did eight years of kataku and that was eight and basta. Oh my god. Okay, so let's talk about go on a talk about anything else. Listen. Oh my god. I don't know if my audience is ready for this, but I love it. I love it so much. Which was one of the things I wanted to talk about was your like beautiful personality. Like I love your personality. Um because I see so much of myself in you because not everybody loves my personality either. But what I love about it is like you're a go-getter. You say it like it is. And there's not enough of us out there like that. You know, usually many of us, especially, you know, Latinas, we're like trained to like be cute. Yeah. To be submissive, right? and to be cute and to not be like, you know, aggressive and to just accept whatever like comes our way. Don't you think that has to do with our fathers being so like like cuz we're daddies, girls and like my father I don't know how much your father raised you but my father raised me like yeah he raised me too. Okay. So do you think that it has something to do with it? Because I think it has a lot to do with it. I think it does as well but to be honest with you my mom was about that life too. Like my mom was like a sweetheart, but she she whipped her ass. She was like about that life. Like she was she had like an aggressive side to her. My dad, you know, is not really aggressive, but he's still a man. So, I definitely like, you know, like picked up on that. Yeah, I have a lot. Yeah, for sure. For sure. I know when I we went to a a conference once, right? and and you were there and a lot of people were there didn't know a lot about my backstory. And when I said that I was raised with a man by by a father by by a man, they were like, "Oh, it makes sense why you so tough." And I'm like, "But I can't fight. That's what they That's what they teach me. Word up. Security. Where's security at? Where's security? Cuz I don't play those games." Yeah. I don't play those games. Where security at? Where security at? But that's but that's what I think like the misconception is when people see like strong women is they think they're like these warriors and it's like yeah we could be but we're like really teddy bears. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We're like soft. Yeah. I can be mushy. Yeah. I don't cry a lot but I can be mushy. Yeah. You know I mean like I like to cuddle. Yeah. I like to cuddle. Like run your fingers through my hair. Even though I don't have hair anymore, but yeah. Like run your fingers through my hair. So, what do you think about these women who are dimming their light? They're like dimming their light to like make other people comfortable. I don't know why they're dimming their light. I feel a lot of people have trauma that has put them maybe in that position like why they don't speak up, you know, maybe something happened to them and stuff like that. You know, I know why I speak up and I speak up because I used to stutter and I still do. Um, but I was a stutterer when I was little and I could basic I could barely take out there. That was stuttering for me, right? So, I just known how how to work with it, right? So, I can barely say my name. It was like, what's your name? I'm like, and I used to have a friend that used to freaking smack me. She'd be like, I'd be like, spit it out. I used to like come out, right? Um, so I, so I for so long wouldn't speak up because I was like, oh man, I can't even talk. I'm like, it's so hard to get out. I'm just going to be quiet. But then sixth grade came and I was like, I don't care if I stutter. I'm going to talk. So I would talk and I would get in trouble all the time. They were like, she don't shut up. And I Yeah, cuz I spent like the last five years reading the last five grades not talking, right? Like barely talking. And then after that I was just like people would say something to me and I would just be like I didn't like how that sounded and I would just go and I would be like and I say very few words right I try not to curse but I I'll tell you what it is like one time I remember I was working I was working with um a lot of Caribbean men right it was Caribbean on sound lights loading I think there was like three women in that place right and the guy comes and he's telling the guy I hired he's talking to him and I'm much. I said, "Sir, excuse me." And he's not talking to him. And I say, I'm going to say in Spanish, I talk to him. He go, "Oh, period." So, you're going to have to talk to me. So, you should you could stop talking to him cuz I can send him home right now. So, I'm like, "You need to address yourself to me cuz I'm the one that's running the show." Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Yo, that guy was pissed because I said it in front of all those men. I was like, "Don't play me." I was like, I'm trying to tell you excuse me to to to get your attention and you keep on insisting and keep on talking to him and not looking at me and I'm looking at you in your face like don't do that to me. Don't disrespect me. So I told him off he loves me now. He called me the other day. He was like oh I'm going to send a client to you. I'm like okay cuz they respect [ __ ] like that. You got to put on please. Mhm. I remember once I worked for somebody and um this guy was just attacking me all the time and he was this was when I was like 9 to5 and he would attack me. me. I'm like, he gets one more email, one more before I go off. And my boss is like, "No, don't do it." You know, you get fire. I don't care if I get fired. I don't care. I don't care. I'm like, "I will go do whatever work I need to do to not be on the street. So, I don't care if I get fired. You can't threaten me with getting fired. Like, that's not going to work for me, right?" And I told him off with all due respect. I was like, "You can't speak to me like that." I'm like, "This is how it's going to be." I'm like, "If you don't like it, I'm sorry." I'm like, "Just write to me an email. don't direct yourself to me if that's the problem that you can't like really speak to me in a nice way like you have to always speak down to me then then just don't speak to me just write an email I can understand email I'll write back I'll respond and I'll do my job right so I I think I don't I I don't sit down sometimes I think that the reason I stay quiet is just to calm myself down so I don't explode right because I don't also want to look a crazy person I want to come to you with facts right so I'm not gonna be like well shut up because I don't like your hair like you know No, it's there has to be a reason why, you know, I'm going in at you. So, I've just I've just learned to speak up since I was little, you know, after like going through that and and I just Has there been a situation where like it's worked against you in business? No. No, I don't think so. Okay. No, there could be, you know, I know there are people in the industry that they'll be like, I don't want to work with her. She's just too much. I'm like, that's fine. There's so much work out there. I'm okay with that. M like and I don't want to work with certain people, right? Whether they're loud, quiet, whatever, right? Um but I think that when you know your worth, you will find your your like your course, right? I'm like there's money for everybody. There's people for everybody, right? Like the guy you like is not necessarily the guy I like, right? So why am I going to make him like me for what? That's not that that's not even my type. Like why, you know? So the same thing with business. Why am I going to go after something that I don't even believe in their model? Like I just don't, you know, their their work climb. I don't believe in it. So why bother? So if they don't like me out and you don't like me, it's great. Like it's good. Yeah. I feel like women struggle with that too cuz they're always trying to be liked. Like and when they're not liked, it's like it it really impacts them a lot. No, I've heard people in the industry be like, "Oh, but why does she get it?" Who cares why she gets it? You don't It doesn't matter why she gets it. Just worry about what you get. Like don't worry about what she gets and what the other one gets. worry about what you get, you know? And I feel sometimes they focus so much on what other people are getting, they don't get anything because they're too focused on other people. Like focus on yourself. Like there is there is a Burger King, a McDonald's, and a Wendy's. I always use example. They all sell burgers. They all sell fries. And everybody likes different one, right? So it's just like that, you know? You have this this vendor, you have this vendor, you have this vendor, right? There's tons of planners out there. There's tons of planners that are good planners. There's tons of planners out there that are bad planners. I'm not the one to tell you who's a bad planner, who's a good planner. You're going to figure that out on your own. You know, there's been times people have gone like, "Oh, I went with this one cuz she was cheaper." I'm like, "That's great. That's great. Go with her." Then they're like, "Oh, we know why she's cheaper." Mhm. I love that. Where does that come from? Does that come from being raised by your dad or where does that compa come from? We interrupt our program to bring you this important message. Ooh, this is really good. You should know about this. So, I don't know about you, but I've been known to procrastinate, especially when things scare the hell out of me. The fear alone would have me stuck, overwhelmed, confused, and all types of self-doubt. And don't even get me started on the imposter syndrome. Okay. Okay. After getting laid off, not once, but three times, honey. E, I realized that the security blanket that I made up in my head was just an excuse because I didn't really want to bet on myself. The corporate benefits that had me in that headlock, girl, huh, they went out the window once my job decided that they no longer needed me. It turns out that I'll save a whole nickel if I cut your salary completely. The truth is the only security blanket guarantee is the one that you create for yourself. In other words, until you start a business, you will always be at the mercy of a company's headcount and you will never have complete control over your time, which means you'll be renting out your thought leadership and helping build someone else's dream instead of your own. If you've been waiting for a sign, this is it. Don't you think it's time you stop playing small and tap all the way into your powers? Click on the link above or below this video to learn my three-step process. The exact three steps that I took to make the transition from corporate to entrepreneurship. And this is helpful even if you don't know what type of business to start and have only one source of income. And this is absolutely free. It is my gift to you. I want you to win. It's winning season. In fact, what's that? It smells like winning season. Okay. So, tap in and I'll see you inside the training. Let's go. I I always wonder where where self-confidence comes from, right? Like that I'm not that deep in psychology, but I'm always like, was it my dad telling me that I was cute all the time, that I was that I was a good girl, that I was this, that I was that? Like, was that positive reinforcement what got me to have such great self-confidence? Because then I know people that have had horrible upbringings and they have great self-confidence, right? Like their parents tear them down, right? And they still have it. So, I think it's just something you're born with, right? like some people are born with sugar, some people born with spice, some people born with attitude, some people, you know, like I think it's just just like what you were given, your cards that you were dealt, right? So, I think you can work on self-confidence, right? Um, you know, I like to help people that are plus-siz styling, right? Like my friend's friends, my friend's cousins, whatever. When somebody's like, "Oh, my friend can't find a dress. She wants to know where you get your stuff." And I'm like, the same story. Everybody else get their stuff. you got to rip it on the side, sew it again, like do something to it, right? Um, but now there's so much more clothes, but I feel like people they'll all wear black or they they'll wear big shirts and I'm like, "No, you got to wear if you're bigger, you got to be tighter, not bigger, cuz then you look bigger, right?" So, I think that people don't know, right? And I think that alone, like being able to dress yourself and be comfortable with it gives you some kind of confidence, right? Like, damn, I look good. Like I didn't look good yesterday with that big t-shirt on and those sweats, but today I look good. Like something fits me. So I don't know. It's a combination. I couldn't even tell you. I don't even know where I got my confidence. I know. I know I have it. And I feel like my sisters have it, too. And we were all raised differently. Like my older sister was raised with my mom. My little sister was raised with my dad and me. Like she doesn't have I don't think she has the self-confidence I have because she always says it to me. But I think she has it, you know? I think she has it. Um she might have it in other ways. Like she's she's way book smarter than me, right? Like she's like really smart, right? So I think she she is confident that she's smart, right? Where I'm like, nah, I can't even read those words. So I'm like, I'm good. Like, you know, but I don't try to be something I'm not, you know? So I think I love that about you. Respect that so much about you. So you've been in business how long now? 2018. Since 2018. So that's I told you. Wait, 17. That's like seven years. Seven years. 28. 28 will be 10. So we're going to be in 26. So yeah, eight years. I want to go on eight years. And how long were you working a 9 to5 before you decided to go out on your own? Oh my life. So I decided to go on my own in 18. But from I got laid off on the radio in 2008 for so from 2008 to 18 I wanted to be a planner and I never did. I never did it. Never. I I never did. I didn't know where to start. I didn't know what to do. Like I knew I liked I started I started I would start decorating. I did flowers first and I would decorate Romeo's dressing room and Mark Anony's dressing room. They would call me. Sony would call me and I would go in and decorate their rooms like put flowers like you know I would put like a little standing behind you like that. Like I would come and decorate their cuz the Madison Square Garden back then didn't have nice rooms. They were all locker rooms so it wasn't pretty in there. So now it's pretty the dress rooms but before it was like you had to bring pipe and drape and drape the whole thing up and put flowers and scents and all that stuff. So I started there and then I would do that a little bit and dabbled in that but I always worked a 9 to5 because it wasn't enough. And then I just one day I told my boss I was like I want to do this for myself and he was like well you got to have a niche you don't have a niche all this stuff and then co happened and then when co happened I had to dive in deep I was like well I'm not going back to 9 9 to5 at all. So from 2018 to 2020 I still had a 9 to5 even though I incorporated my business in 2018 I still had a 9 to5 but I still did. So I used my vacation days to go work the Latin Grammys. I used this to go over here and stuff like that. But then in 2020, I was like, "Well, I don't think I'm going to go back into the office." And that's when that's when the boom started. I had I had three clients that year. Um I remember they call me and I'm like, "Oh, they're calling me. It's co." And I'm like, "Okay, I'll take it." And one of them is um they're they're um influencers. It's Meet the Simmons. And they are and they were my couple and they kind of wounded me. They were you married them, right? You did their marriage. I did. I did their wedding. Yeah. So, it was them and then I had another couple. I had Lisa and Mindy and they were a lesbian couple and they boomed me in the community in the LGBTQ L I always say it wrong. LGBTQ I ah plus community and then so then I began doing a lot of a lot of samesex marriages and then I had another couple that I met through through working in radio. So between those three couples, they started referring me and that's how I boomed. And then when businesses started opening up, right, start opening up in 2021, then I went back to like the corporate people that I knew and stuff like that and that's how I started doing like brand activations and stuff like that. Do you prefer brand activations versus weddings or I prefer some brand activations over weddings and some weddings over brand activations? It is easier to do a brand activation um because clients I don't know if a lot of you know but they have a brand book. So the brand book tells you everything you need to know like can you put the logo in blue? No you can't. Can you move the logo on the right hand side? No you can't. Now on on a a bride you know can oh put my name here put my name first. Okay we switch your name here. Everything is alakart like you do whatever you want. It's your wedding. You do it however in a brand in a brand activation you can't. So and there's no emotions in a brand activation. The client wants this. They want these are the metrics. This is what I need to get from this promotion. And okay, fine. From the wedding, who knows, right? You have a crazy mother like on Xanax. Then you have the dad drinking alcohol over here. Then it's like crazy. The ex-girlfriend showed up at the wedding. It's like so many emotions. It's just so much going on, right? That doesn't happen at that. What? An ex-girlfriend showed up at one of the weddings. You did security ones. No, you if this girl, they show me a picture. This girl shows up. We have security here just in case. We have two people under have cover. But if this person shows up, just so you know, they're going to kick him out. So, just know like nothing is crazy is happening. It's just the ex-girlfriend might show up. I'm like, "Okay, great. There must be so much bonj for wedding." The wedding has so much Oh, you have no idea. You have no idea. No idea. No idea. Oh my god, it's crazy. And you get all the tea behind the scenes. I get all the tea. Well, I have a little a I have a like when you fill in the blanks like the month before your wedding, I send you a questionnaire and it asks everything like the most intimate stuff. And you know, I have a clause with them, too. Even though, you know, I'm not going to go out talk about somebody's family, but it says, "Give me all the give me all the tea on your family. Everything I need to know. If your father's an alcoholic, I need to know because that could become a problem." Right? So, and they do. They tell me stuff and stuff. like, "Oh my god, what the heck?" Yeah. It's a crazy stuff. Even they even tell me like I' I've had one like my mother-in-law's racist. He's like, "She might not like you." I'm like, "That's fair." I'm like, "That's fair." And it's so funny cuz that lady wasn't racist. And if she was, she did a good job hiding it. But racists don't hug you. So, I've learned that in my upbringing, right? Like, if somebody's racist, they will not hug you. They will not hug. They will not touch a black person at all. Like, it's not happening. like because it's it's a hate that's they can't control, right? Um there's people that can be uncomfortable with other races, right? Like they don't know how to act. And I felt like that was her case. I felt like she's probably never been around Latinos and black. And then here her son is marrying a Latina, right? And she was like, "This is a lot. Like there's not even American music playing here. Nobody here is American or whatever." And she came up to me at the end and she hugged me and she said, "You made my son's wedding so beautiful. He was so beautiful." And I don't know how to thank her. She just hugged me. She was hugging me and I'm like this. And I'm not a hug. I'm like, "Okay, lady." I'm like, "Oh, of course, ma'am." I'm like, "Of course." And I call the girl. I'm like, "Yo, your mother-in-law is not racist, dude. You crazy. She not racist." I'm like, "She doesn't know how to act around." We just had a moment. Yeah, we just had a moment. I'm like, "She not racist, dude.
Wow. What are like your top five pieces of advice that you would offer to folks who are just starting out and they're struggling, my first piece of advice is to get an accountant. And not just any accountant, an accountant that knows about your business, right? cuz we all know there's accountants that know about, let's say, a beauty salon business, right? There's accountants that know more about real estate. There's accountants. So, depending on what your niche is, I would get an accountant, right? Second, I would get legal advice, some kind of legal advice. Just so when you go out there and you do a gig, you're covered, right? You have a contract. Like right now, I don't even know if I should be saying this, but there's there's a wedding happening. It's in the millions. In the millions. And they just fired a whole crew. This happened at the at the Beckham wedding, too, right? They fired they fired the team. So now what do you do? You just spent six months working on this wedding. You just got fired. Like does your contract hold up? Like are you going to get paid? Because you just spent six months and and you don't get, you know, you might get a deposit in the front, but you don't get paid till the service, right, is is complete or near completion, right? What do you do? So now you're out what? $30,000 like and you just have a team like and you don't have a tight contract right so you know you get a parallegal now you can get do chat GBT there's so there's so many things but I feel that legal and money how to pay your taxes is so important right like I'm still learning the tax problem the tax situation you know I come at the end of the year and I'm like just tell me how much I got to pay I don't I don't even want to deal with it anymore right like I try to do all my numbers put all my things in the right slots like try to do I'm just just give me just give my fee. Just just tell me what it is, right? But I think when you don't know that, you don't know what's going to happen. And at the end of the year, they're like, "Yeah, you owe 10 grand." And they're like, "10 grand from where?" Like, "I didn't even make 10 grand like over over my money. Like, how am I supposed to get 10 grand?" Right? So, I think those two, right, are big. Um, three, don't worry so much about your competition. Um, competition is always going to be out there. There's always going to be somebody better than you. There's always going to be somebody worse, right? Like, it's it's inevitable. You can't leave, you know? And even if you're at the best, you're at the top of the top for like three years, you're going to come down sometime because there somebody coming up right behind you, right? So I feel that, you know, like don't worry about it. Like just do what you got to do. Set your goals, right? So if you want to make $200,000 in a year or you want to make a million dollar in a year, you need to work towards that. Like not work towards what the other person is working toward because it's not what you want, right? M as to four, don't forget your family and friends in the process, right? Um I was a I think I was one of those, right? Like I would be like, "Oh yeah, I don't got time. I don't got time. I don't got time." Now I still don't have time, but I make time, right? Like this weekend I'm going to go see my friend. I'm going to go spend the weekend with her. Um and yes, I'm going to be working. Yes, I'm going to be on calls, but I'm outside of my zone, right? So, like I'm making a conscious effort to go spend time with one of my friends, right? Um, and I and I do that more so now, right? So, I take time off. I'm like, let's go get a massage or let's go to the movies or let, you know, let's just go get our nails done. Like, I try and especially around people's birthdays is when I try the most because I feel like it's, you know, it's like a time to be honored. You made it one more year of life and stuff like that. And then I have one more pray. So, make sure you're you know to whoever you believe in, right? Um or who whoever's helped you. Maybe you're not a spiritual person or you don't believe in God, whatever. But I think prayer is important. And I think with prayer also like you know people do tithing. I don't tithe but I give right. So I give money to people, right? Like so you know somebody might be having one of my friends might be having she's like oh I'm broke whatever this month and I'll just sell them at $300 $300. Like nothing crazy, right? or like, "Oh, I got to move." And I know when you're moving, you need money to move because it's not just because I feel like when you when you put out, you get back, right? So, I think and that comes along with like prayer and stuff and God and helping others, right? Like, you got to help others. Like, you got to do something for other people. Like, you know, it doesn't have to be all the time. Like, I'm a big believer in um in that Starbucks pay it forward. Like when you're in line, you pay the next person, whatever. My son and I love it. We like look at the back. Are they going to have a big order today? Is it a big order? And then they're like and they're like, "Oh, they just ordered like one coffee." We're like, "Ah, that's not like they're going to be like, oh, so what? She paid like three bucks. Big deal." Like, you know, like, you know, so we play we love playing that game, you know, stuff like that. So those are my I love those top fives. Those are really good. So where can people learn more about you? On my social media page. You go I'm on Instagram, but it's all under Sovereign Bee. And then my if you put Sovereign Bee, it comes up, right? And you know I wrote a book, right? No. Yeah. Book. What's your Don't [ __ ] up your wedding. Oh, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I have seen you talk about not that much though. I know because I got injured in the whole process. Like the year it came out, that's the year I got injured and then it's like been Okay. It's been a lot. So, it's on Amazon, but it's just it's just been a lot. I haven't ever I have a bunch of books in my house still I have to get rid of, but Okay. I'll get rid of them when I Okay. Yeah. No, I feel like that's a book that wouldn't go out of style. Yeah. like, well, you know, with some with maybe with like some rules for venues and stuff like that, maybe a little, but it it kind of gives like the gritty nitty-gritty of it, you know. Okay, so we got to purchase your book. Yes. Okay. It's called Don't [ __ ] Up Your Wedding. Don't [ __ ] up your wedding. I love that. And that that just fits your personality, that title so much. I love that. I love that. Well, thank you, Moer, for joining us. This was such a dope conversation. This was a lot of fun. Actually, over No, no, no. We're good. We're good. No, but this was so much fun. Um, and and thank you for just being you. Oh, thank you. Thank you for having me. Shout out to all of you for tuning in. Make sure to tap in with Sovereign Bee. And also, let me know what you thought about this episode.
The Cardi B. This was good. This was good. This was good. Um, but yeah, shout out to all of you guys and I'll see you in the next episode. Bye. Hey guys, if you enjoyed this video, I'm pretty sure you're going to love the next one. So, make sure to click right here and tap in to the next episode.
Follow Belinda on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sovereignbee
Check out Belinda’s book: "Don't F*ck Up Your Wedding" on Amazon!
LIMITED TIME ONLY: FREE Workbook
Top Hacks For Entrepreneurs
Claim it Here: https://www.victoriajenn.com/freeworkbook2025
Your opinion matters! Help us improve the podcast. Complete Our 1min Survey Here: https://forms.gle/iEDvZFiTqQuKCsVH7
Join Our VIP Email List & Never Miss an Episode: Sign Up here: https://www.victoriajenn.com/bankingoncultura_vip
Connect with our Host Victoria Jenn Rodriguez
Banking On Cultura:
Don't forget to tag #BankingOnCultura or @ us to let us know what you think of this week's episode!