"You tell me how you want me to help you shine and continue to shine. And I empower you, the mentee", with Cinthia Manuel, on...

Transcript:
0:01
Hello everyone, welcome to The Intersection, a podcast program about intersectionality, intersectional identities, and intersectional journeys both professionally and personally.
And as we all know, they are very interconnected.
0:17
And I am your host and producer, Joe Fung.
Today we have another amazing guest coming here to share with us their own journeys and stories and the learning along the way.
Please continue to listen and find out more.
0:33
Welcome.
Hello, welcome to The Intersection.
And today we have a wonderful guest here to chat with us today.
Her name is Cynthia, Cynthia Monoyo.
0:51
Cynthia and I met a few years ago, I think just as a fellow entrepreneurs in Portland.
And we didn't connect very much until I think this year.
I mean, we saw each other at events, but we never really had a real conversation until this year.
1:11
And we both happened to be at a a venture partner cohort.
So we are fellows and I was very excited to see a familiar face at the cohort and we started to talk more about each other, like our own stories.
1:30
And so today, I feel this is like a long time coming and I'm very excited to welcome Cynthia to the program.
So welcome, Cynthia.
Tell us who you are.
Yes, yes.
Thank you so much, Joe.
I am so excited to be here.
And like you said, I think this conversation needed to happen a long time ago.
1:50
But things happen for a reason when they need to happen.
Yeah.
So Cynthia Manuel, I am a leadership coach.
I do strategic planning, and then I have a big passion for mentoring.
And so I'm working on something around there for some services and products.
2:05
More to come on that.
I was born and raised in Mexico City.
I have a lovely sister who I love to death and my parents as well.
I also let's see what else will be really fun to tell.
2:22
I I feel like my journey, especially when it comes to my professional career, has gone in different directions.
I started in tech, then I went to healthcare, then I went to a startup, then I went to a nonprofit and then I, you know, I'm here as an entrepreneur almost six years.
2:40
So actually, yeah, it'll be 6 years this month actually, and I'm we're in September.
I know.
Wow.
Congratulations.
Thank you, Thank you, thank you.
So I'm super excited about that.
So I'm I'm a six year old.
I like to call myself.
Yes.
And it's been really a really, really, really fun journey for me.
3:00
Yeah, I definitely had some mischievous moments when I was 6, so yeah.
Yeah, that, that sounds right.
Yeah, I have to say I really loved your hometown, Mexico City.
3:16
It's such a wonderful place.
And our listeners cannot see this, but I think they're wearing very beautiful earrings from Mexico.
And her wallpaper is just so beautiful and vibrant.
It's wonderful.
3:33
So you mentioned, you know, 6-6 years ago you started your consulting practice and I remember is Authentica.
Right.
Yes, I didn't say the name.
You're right, Authentica Consulting and I really wanted to make sure you got us all right.
3:50
And I wanted to make sure when I was picking the name because it's so crucial.
So my educational background is in, I did business and marketing.
So definitely picking a name was very difficult for me because you know, when you start a brand, it's not just anything, it has to be meaningful.
4:08
And I wanted to have a very special meaning for me that represented who I am as I think as an entrepreneur.
And my mindset is I am going to be able to kind of dictate how I want to do my work, impact how I want to do it.
And so I was like, I need to have something that is representative of me being born in Mexico City being that are of a proud that are of immigrants being living in the US for many years now.
4:36
I was thinking I want to make sure that it's bilingual if it can be.
And so that's where the name Authentica, which is authentic in span in English.
So I'll get consultant came about and that really has really emerged many different opportunities and I've been able to kind of flex my brand based on who I am really and what I love and what caught my attention, how I want to support my community.
5:04
So I I love the name me.
Too.
I think it's really cool.
I've shared on the program before I've been learning Spanish.
I've been making very small progress.
I feel when I have the kind of a resource, I might have to work with a tutor because I need to, I need to say I need to speak the language.
5:28
And right now I, I feel like I have plateaued a little bit, like I feel a little stuck.
So I know your business is very rooted in your heritage and culture.
And, and Speaking of culture, I remember watching your TEDx talk and it's a wonderful TEDx talk.
5:50
I will add the link to the show notes as well.
I think everyone should watch it because you shared a very heartfelt and funny story of you and your grandma mother.
Yes.
And and I think that story was a really good example combining A cultural significance as well as where you are as a person in your journey.
6:15
And you mentioned you're passionate about mentorship and you and you used your story with your grandmother as an analog.
So sorry, analogy.
Sorry, not an analogy, an analogy.
6:31
It's so hard, I agree.
And so.
Can you talk a little bit about, you know, your culture, heritage and how does that show up in your work and kind of assisted you in your passion for mentorship?
6:54
Yeah, I know a lot of people have different perspective for mentorship so I would love for you to share yours.
Yeah, yeah.
And thank you for that question.
And yes, I, you know, so interesting.
Just a super fun side fact, when I was getting ready to do my TEDx, I never on my Ted talk, I never thought about sharing a story about my grandmother.
7:18
That's not how my process started.
Like that never even crossed my mind.
But I think through a process of working with an amazing coach, Kathy Armez, which I always give her a shout out.
I got there and it honestly, like when I say like my name Authentica Consulting, I felt so authentic to who I am and I love, love, love, love that talk.
7:41
Like I love it so much.
It's probably the best talk that I've ever given.
And it was honoring also my ancestors, my, my Walita, my grandmother.
So as I mentioned, you know, grow up, grew up in Mexico City.
I, I would say this and I say with a lot of love, I grew up in a household that was where I was very fortunate and very privileged to be showered with loved and with care and attention.
8:09
And I think that that really makes a big difference because I was my sister and I, we were able to literally focus on school and just grow up and be children.
And I know that that's not something that many of us experience or have opportunities or access to.
And for me, when growing up, I really wanted to, as the oldest daughter, I really wanted to follow the rules.
8:35
And so my parents always said, if you did really good in school when you turn 15, because in Mexico, when you turn 15, we throw this big party.
It's like you're Sweet 16, but we do it, you know, I guess sweet 15 and Quinceanera, the parents said, we will, we will treat the party of your dreams.
8:54
And so I was like, I was the best student in school.
I anything that the teachers wanted me to do, I did it.
And so I was really this child that was really focused on being the best student I could be.
And I literally had like my parents were, we were not rich or anything like that, but we definitely had the resources.
9:16
Like if he, you know, they said, Hey, you need to get a new notebook.
I was able to go and get a notebook.
If they said, Hey, you need materials for this project, my mom was able to purchase those materials for the project.
So it wasn't again, that I was, we were rich or anything, but we also didn't have a lot of limits when it came to accessing school supplies.
9:36
So I feel like when I, my grandmother, actually my grandfather, my maternal grandfather and my maternal grandmother were the ones that help raises.
So it's very common in Mexico that your grandparents pitch in and they literally built their home on top of our, my parents house.
9:54
So we were like living in the same place.
And my grandpa, he was the very like the handyman.
He fixed anything he could and he was very talented, very artistic.
So I really love how he took so much care like any school projects that he helped me with, he actually did it with love and with care, right.
10:15
And so when I Fast forward to who I am, how I do things, I have a deep love and appreciation for the talents of individuals and the skill sets.
Because one of the things that I really didn't talk about a lot, and it wasn't because of anything in specific, I just thought it was normal in my childhood is that my grandfather, he was deaf.
10:40
So we had to communicate, you know, reading our lips.
And to me that became so normal in our household, right?
So that I never thought, oh, my, my grandfather is deaf.
Like it, that never came up to me.
Like, just like, oh, this is how you live life.
10:57
And then my grandma didn't know how to read or write.
And yet in Mexico City, if you know, like you said, you've been there.
But anyway, anybody who's been there can probably relate.
It's huge, right.
So you to navigate it.
I mean, you got to you got to pay attention.
11:14
You can just jump in any bus or anything like that.
My grandparents together, like, you know, my grandpa, he was dead, but he was, he knew how to read and write my grandma and just didn't know how to bring it right.
And they will navigate Mexico City like nothing.
11:30
They will, you know, they're like, oh, we're gonna go to, you know, disappointment and whatever.
And they will go together and they will come back or we're gonna go shopping, blah, blah, blah.
And they will go together and they will come back.
And it was, that's what I'm saying, like I grew up in this childhood feels so normal, right?
11:46
There was never any limitations or they didn't show me that there were limitations, right, based on the lack of access or, or you know, like physical impediments that they had.
It was like they were like, no, this is how God made us and this is how we're going to execute ourselves and the world.
12:05
This is how we're going to show up, right?
And the best that you can.
And I mentality really helped me when I moved to the United States because I was like, the language was a big, big thing.
Obviously, I also was like, I'm very resourceful because my grandpa, my grandparents taught me to, to be resourceful.
12:26
So I was like, oh, who can I lean on for help and for support and for resources?
So that's how I've been navigating kind of my journey.
And as we were talking about mentoring, I have mentors along the way and individuals that I never even called mentors, but they were mentors.
12:43
Yeah.
And there were individuals that I also confused in some ways their, their support as mentorship.
When I read it, they were like, hey, this is a 1 and done this cycle for you.
And that's fine too, right?
Like that's totally acceptable.
And so it wasn't until I wasn't like my first, yeah, my first internship in college that I was actually given a formal, being asked to be part of a formal mentoring program where I was, you know, this is how we're going to help you.
13:17
And I didn't think I had a voice or I had a way to push back or challenge, right.
I was just being led by my mentor, which it was.
It was a good, a good person and a great manager and whatnot.
Nothing bad to say about this individual.
13:34
But I think I didn't know how to actually be in a mentioned relationship.
And so I didn't know what to ask for.
And that's where my career took a shift from like that in flat, that experience alone influence what I major in, influence what kind of jobs or internships I got.
13:54
And I thought it was normal when I could have done probably more if I was able to speak up because I thought I could, I couldn't, right?
Because there was a little bit of that power privilege.
And so Fast forward to now when I said I'm passionate, I was like after the manager, I had another manager who was my mentor too, which is typically what happens a lot, especially when you're in college, that who they make your mentor or they ask to be your mentor.
14:23
And this person completely changed my mindset when it's like, no, you tell me what you want.
I can help you, but you need to tell me what you need and how you want the help.
And I was like, oh, like, I have an opinion, right?
So I shifted my whole thinking, my whole dynamic, how I approach mentorship.
14:46
And literally all my mentors that I had from that moment on were very intentional.
And that's what I feel like when we think about mentoring, that doesn't happen often.
I'm not saying that it doesn't happen at all.
It does because there's something like, this is what I want.
15:02
This is who I need support, you know, from.
But we're not, we're not trained to do that.
We're not pushed to challenge a lot of the times and especially when it comes to the OR upbringing, right?
I was raised to be extremely respectful to the elder.
15:20
So even if an elder person says something that I didn't agree with, I don't have to agree with them, But I didn't, I, I couldn't push back because you show respect by just acknowledging what they're saying and move on.
And so I translate that into my mentoring relationships into work.
15:35
You know how to how do you manage conflict?
And there has been a lot of unlearning through that process.
And thank you for sharing that story, kind of a connecting your childhood and your mentorship journey.
15:53
And also I just, I'm so amazed by your grandparents.
How did they do that?
I mean, Mexico City is ginormous.
Did I do it?
16:10
So that's amazing.
And so I'm curious, you know, after you learn to speak up, to ask for what you need and want from a mentorship, and now you are a mentor yourself, how has your kind of relationship to mentorship evolved now that you are also mentoring other people?
16:33
Yeah, no, fantastic question.
I think when I think about my mentoring experiences now, I really want to empower the mentee as much as possible.
I, when I engage in any mentoring relationship, I, you know, first we kind of do an assessment of, let's just identified all the skill sets and experience, live experiences that you bring to the table that make you shine, because all of us have that.
17:04
And I have this thing that I always say to people like you're a diamond and you're meant to shine.
And I know that you like, I'm not going to do anything to make you shine brighter.
You are going to, you know, you basically take this ownership and you tell me how you want me to help you shine and continue to shine.
17:21
So to me, as I again, empowering the, the mentee, helping them kind of, if it's not clear to them, helping them see the, the incredible value they bring to the, to the communities, to the place of work, to their households.
17:38
And then we, you know, and then once we go through that, then we're, then we can start talking about here are the goals and here are the, the support that they might, they might need.
But through that process, it like something happens, like a shift happens because they're able to realize like, wow, I have power in this relationship and it's not like anything negative, right?
18:01
But it's, but now I can have a conversation with this adult, with this person.
And if there's something that I need to challenge because hey, maybe that doesn't really work for me.
They're comfortable doing that in a respectful manner, in an effective way.
And again, it's a skill set that they're putting into place that is also help them develop, you know, who how they can engage in different communities and cultures and workplaces.
18:26
So that is one of the main things that I do is really empower the individual.
Because when we think about mentoring programs in general, often times, you know, a mentoring program in there, it has it will go through a community organization or it will go through your place of work.
18:43
And for the most part, there's always trainings, but mainly trainings for the mentor.
And I think too, the mentor's got a lot of resources, but it's also we in some ways telling the mentor like you're in charge of this individual's future, right?
18:59
And it's a lot of pressure.
It's a lot of pressure.
And that's a lot instead of a collaborative effort, which I think that's the intent at the beginning.
But honestly, how many times, if you think about like if you had mentors, how many times do you wish you could push back or that you wish you could ask to go in a different direction, but you were like, hey, I got to trust my mentor.
19:22
I can push back again because of cultural differences or whatever it was, right?
And then you end up doing something that again, and maybe it was in alignment with what your goals were or even with your authenticity.
And not that it was any ill intent at all in that relationship.
19:39
It's just that people are going to mentor you based on their experience, they're going to mentor you based on what they know.
And so if we don't also help the mentors by empowering the mentees, it might be very difficult to sometimes for some of us get to the angle that we want and they'll then take the most effective way possible.
20:04
Yeah, I think thank you for sharing that.
I mean, my reflection on this is I feel people coming into mentorship usually with very good intention and you know that they mean really well.
20:22
They want to do the right thing, they want to help people.
But like you mentioned, you know if the alignment was missing then sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you try because you are not aligned.
Yes, yes.
20:38
And you know, especially individuals that volunteer to be mentors, like you said, they have the best intentions in the world and they probably have really good resources and support, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they're able to support that person with the skill sets or the expertise.
20:56
They could maybe somebody else or maybe they end up being the right person.
Right, this is.
Well, I, I think a lot of times when we engage mentoring relationships, I mean, that is not like a working relationship.
Yeah.
And then sometimes we guess, you know, I have somebody, I have asked several people actually.
21:16
I was like, oh, you know, how many people have mentors that you feel like you have for a lifetime?
And some people raise their hand like, Oh my, you know, I have a mentor or a person that I call a mentor and we're known each other for 13 years.
And one of the things that I tell them all the time is like when we think about a mentoring relationship, right?
21:37
You come in and you have a goal, you accomplish the goal and it's OK to end the mentoring relationship.
It doesn't mean that you have to end the relationship like, but having a beginning and an end to that goal and to that accomplishment really helps the mentee to move forward, whether that is continue the work with that person or continue the work with somebody else.
22:03
And so, and I think what happens, like it has happened to me too, you know, I'll have previous mentees.
So they're like, oh, Cynthia's my mentor and you know, they'll, they'll mention to somebody and I probably haven't mentored that person in five years, right.
And then somebody would like, I miss so and they said that you're a mentor.
22:22
And I'm like, I was a mentor, but I'm not only supporting them in any type of in any type of goals, right.
And again, it's not that it's bad.
It's just that sometimes I'm like, am I ever gonna like it?
Like we're still friends and we and we're talking all that stuff.
22:38
But at some point, I'm not like they can come to me for advice, but that's not if they want a mentorship is.
And the way that I look at it is you have a goal and you have, you know, a time frame that you want to work on within that goal.
22:55
And I'm going to give you my all at that moment to make sure that we help you achieve that goal in the best way possible.
And so you have like an ongoing mentoring relationship that I don't know that when it never stop, then that feels that I'm always on the on the clock.
Right.
Yeah, I think that's a really good point.
23:13
I hadn't thought of that before.
I feel most mentorships it's like open-ended, kind of like you don't really set when it's gonna be the the last kind of wrap up phase of the mentorship.
23:30
And I think that makes a lot of sense.
It's almost like a program, like when you join a program that is a starting day that is end date and I feel having the mentorship structure that way can provide a more realistic expectation.
23:47
Yeah, yeah, 100% especially because so for example, if he like if I'm this ongoing mentor, right, there are going to be times in my life where I am like maybe emotionally not available or you know, something is happening major in my life and I'm with that focus.
24:08
And then, you know, this my former mentee comes and says, hey, I need help and I'm you know, and I'll be like, OK, I can give you advice.
That's what I can give you right now.
And so they might be like, OK, I'll take it, but that's not membership, you know what I mean?
24:25
So.
Right, it's not.
But if they were to come, and This is why I really how I like the structure mentoring program says you need to have a beginning and end.
You need to have an ask, a clear ask, right?
And the ask needs to like, I need you to as a mentee again, empowering the mentee at least have an idea what you want to accomplish and explore that together.
24:45
Of course, but and also tell me like the length of time because also the mentee needs to be ready to be engaged, engaged in a mentor relationship.
So the mentee can come and be like, OK, so I need to work on this goal in the next three to six months.
Like that's what I need support with.
25:01
So I really need somebody who is available to support me because maybe we're meeting twice a month, right?
Or maybe it's like an ongoing support that is needed for the school.
And so if you come to me with at least some some clarity or where you want to work on your goal, why you want to accomplish the time length or the time frame that you are willing and have availability to engage in this relationship, then I can say, OK, Cynthia, you have three to six months to really provide the support to this person.
25:36
And I might be like, OK, I do OK, now this is the goal that they have, right?
And yet do you feel strong that you can support them with with this goal?
And then I can make the decision without pressure or, you know, feeling better and they can say wholeheartedly, yes, I can do that.
25:53
And then we engage and we have a fantastic experience.
Or I can be like, you know what, I really don't feel like I'm the right person for this.
And we might connect in different ways and maybe I can support in other ways.
But you know, I do have the time, but I don't don't feel like I have the expertise and we can help this other person find somebody else.
26:11
Or it can be like, I have the expertise, but honestly, like, like my parents are sick or, or I'm going to travel or work, you know, have a huge project.
And I know that the quality of time that I'm going to give this person is definitely not what they deserve, right?
26:29
So, and I think again, it provides you at least some clarity as to how you can move forward in an effective way.
Yeah, I, I really hope more mentors and mentees out there hear this message because I think often times, at least in the US, we don't have clear communications because sometimes it's because we we say we don't want to hurt people's feelings.
26:59
So you just keep it vague and unclear.
But then that just creates more harm.
So I feel like if we are clear about the timeline, clear about the goals and expectations, it actually is healthier.
27:15
And I think, you know, to go back to your consulting practice, it's more authentic so that you can show up fully with the, you know, the more appropriate expectations and you can stay authentic and honest and also transparent with each other.
27:34
Yeah, yeah, I know.
Honestly, yeah, when I, when I was talking to when I was starting to explore a few years ago, like mentoring, right?
Because again, the way that I did my mental relationships, that's why I was doing it.
I was like, oh, I need support in XYZ.
27:49
And this is the like, Oh yeah, we can do this, right?
And there was a lot of clarity.
But I feel like we, I mean, we need to get, I feel like this training even since high school, like a course or in college or something, because it is kind of like part of life, part of your professional development and even your personal development, right?
28:09
So and we just don't get the support or resources to help and and the other thing too, right when you because I mentioned relationship a lot, I feel like some people just don't have a clarity you need to communicate.
Yes.
28:25
You need to set boundaries right.
You need to know and understand how to work together in goals.
You need to understand how to manage conflict really like it is a relationship, it's it's two individuals.
28:40
So maybe it's a group effort to, but we don't even sometimes pay attention to that.
Yeah, again, I feel in the US, you know, everyone's trying to.
A lot of people are conflicts avoidant.
28:58
Yeah, why you do avoid conflict?
Yes, yes.
And I hear you and I think it's it's very true, especially when it comes to mentoring relationship, the power dynamics.
And what I mean by the power dynamics, I mean, if you're getting mentor potentially by somebody who's older, somebody with a higher position, yeah.
29:16
I mean, even if you decide to meet at a coffee shop, how and mentees, you can tell me this.
A lot of times, you know, people might be like wondering who gets to pay for coffee.
Oh gosh.
That and the power dynamic alone.
29:31
I mean, how stressful that is when you walk into and you're like for coffee and you may even question like, do I even have enough money to pay for?
Yeah.
And there's all these things that we don't even take into consideration or like, what do you mean?
I say, do I need to make a convenient for the mentor?
29:47
Do I need to make a convenient for me?
Right.
Like again, like who takes the notes?
Who who sets agenda?
Because that should be an agenda.
So then again, it just helps guide the meeting a little bit more specific and, and, and help get the mentee to the goal that they want to accomplish.
30:05
But there's some components.
And again, when we engage in a mental relationship, sometimes we we see it or I've seen it is very casual or sometimes it's really structured and it doesn't allow for flexibility, right, for for pivoting relationship.
30:25
And again, and This is why it's important.
I mean, if you are going to work on a mentor, if you're seeking mentoring and support, you need to be ready to be there, do it and do the work.
And also the mentor needs to be ready to engage, right?
Because if you have a very engagement team who's like, OK, I'm giving them my all for the next three or six months.
30:46
And the mentor's like, oh, you know what?
I, I thought I could, but next month, let's talk about it next month, you know, and you cannot leave the person hanging.
Or it could be vice versa where the mentor's like, OK, yes, I'm gonna give you my time because I, you know, I believe in you.
31:01
I, I think you can do this and I can help you.
And the mentee is not responsive.
So again, and like and like you said, how do you have these conversations and you can fix this very, very easily, right by a really quick conversation about this and resetting the guidelines and how you want to lead your conversations and mentorship relationship.
31:23
But like you said, we're many of us are conflict avoidant and we just don't even do that.
I know, I know.
I mean, it should be so much easier.
I learned a lot from our chat on mentorship for sure.
31:39
I mean, I yeah.
So I feel like I'm gonna need to implement some of the tips you share today into my future mentorships and think that will really help with relationship building.
And so maybe I want to talk a little bit about your practice.
31:58
Authenticate Consulting is you bring authenticity and honesty and transparency into mentorship and how do you also bring that into your consulting practice?
32:16
Because you have to navigate all kinds of clients and different relationships and sometimes you know, partners and collaborators as well as someone you know, for me, I'm from China, so my, I bring in more like a Chinese kind of cultural perspective.
32:37
And for you, you bring in your cultural, cultural heritage from Mexico.
And how do you stay authentic and still navigate sometimes like very confusing or at times very complicated, this capitalistic environment here?
33:03
That's a really great question.
And so here's what what comes up for me when it comes to that.
One of the things growing up in Mexico is that, so I was there until I was about 14 years old.
And so definitely there was a lot of I saw how we, you know, manage, not manage, but I saw our traditions, I saw how we connected.
33:30
I saw, you know, I, I was, I was at a good age that definitely was able to experience what Mexico Mexican was like.
Yeah.
And one of the, the key things for me is always being relation, like relationships and building relationship.
33:47
And through building relationship equals building trust, right?
So when I come into engagements or conversations, I don't like to come kind of like cold Turkey, like here's what we're going to do everybody, right?
34:03
I like to develop a relationship with whether it's the client or if I'm doing a training.
And a lot of the times I do tell individuals, right, I'm committing to your space as a guest, especially if I'm doing a facilitation.
So I'm going to ask you to do things that I already did because I'm not going to ask you to do things that I'm, I haven't done right, because I want to know.
34:28
I know what it made me feel like from my perspective, from my point of views.
So if I'm asking you to do something, that means I, I already done it in some way.
But at the same time, I also like to do a super brief kind of like ensure who I am and not necessarily talk about business, but just talk about Cynthia, the individual Cynthia, who's going to be here, right?
34:51
Because when you're working with people, they're human beings.
And often times we forget that they haven't, you know, they have feelings and they have a heart and they have goals and they also have, you know, live experiences that a lot of times are relevant to the conversation.
35:09
And so I also want to make sure that they feel comfortable and feel that they, they have control as to what they want to share and they don't feel obligated to share.
Because when you're in the workplace is really especially a lot of the work that I do is, is very personal, right?
35:27
Even if you're talking about strategic planning as a leader is like, what kind of leader are you?
And how can we how can that leadership that you bring the skills as again, the live experience can feel the your team to help you get to where you want to go organization, right?
35:43
And so we sometimes have to talk about like our personal experiences just so that we can again see and help see leaders the skills so that they bring to the table because they're going to help.
That's what they're we're going to talk about and and help, you know, implement.
36:00
And so with me is a lot of the relationship components of it.
And I also, when I engage with organizations, I like to take it back to at the end of the day, you are going to come and work, you know, 8 to you're 8 to 5 who, who's getting impacted by the work that you're doing.
36:22
And I, and I want to bring that in or I bring that in because I don't want them to forget that at the end of the day, yes, they're working on workplace culture or their strategic planning or the equity teams that every decision they made, it's impacting whether that's a customer, that's a community, that's a city, somebody's getting impacted by how they're doing their work, right?
36:48
Has more meaning than it's just, I need to fill this strategic plan.
And it's like, yes.
And who's impacted by the strategic planning?
How are they?
And is that what the impact that you want to leave?
Is that the legacy that you want to leave?
So, so that's how I, I feel like that's how I bring the authenticity back in into the world that I do.
37:09
I do it through a lot of the storytelling and I do it through exploring again or, or upbringing, because again, like you said, and just the example that we share about the, the respect as a leader, I'm like, even if it's somebody older, it might be lower ranking than I am, but it's somebody who's older and my brain has been wired to make sure that I don't challenge them, right?
37:37
And then leadership that doesn't really work.
So how can I respectfully challenge, yes and help move forward or protect my team, right?
And, and I think again, without us really understanding where we coming from, how that has had our live experiences have translated to our skill sets and how we actually implement those skill sets into the workplace, it makes it a little bit difficult sometimes to, to walk organizations or individuals through it.
38:10
So for me, it's really important to really focus on that at the beginning because at the end, right, like they know how to do the work, They're qualified individuals that are in workplaces that a lot of times is the most difficult part is getting along or collaborating with your teammates or with other or the other teams.
38:31
Yeah, I, I really think that has a lot to do with in this individualistic society.
What I hear you say is to remind people, clients and members of an organization that we are connected beings.
38:49
What we do has a real impact on other people.
It's not just I do my work and then be done with it like we are all connected beings.
Yeah, 100 percent, 100% right.
And the other thing too that when I talk a lot about work, when I things that I talk about a lot is privilege.
39:09
And the way that I talk about privilege is how am I utilizing my privilege to create the impact I want to create, right?
And that, you know, if I have a leadership position, like I had to remind myself, I have, I am seen as a power figure.
39:30
I just by my title alone, that gives me a different level of power, right?
So how am I, how am I actually utilizing that power to support my staff, right?
To, to support, bring ideas from the community or bring awareness to, to my organization about the impact the community is having.
39:53
So again, and, and I feel like a lot of times we're just like, so into our work because we're like, there's goals and that's yeah.
And we're like, this didn't get done.
Why didn't they get done?
Like where, you know, what can we do?
And I'm like, yeah, but let's remind ourselves every single Joe has a different level of power and privilege.
40:12
In.
The organization within the role.
So again, how do we re acknowledge that and and use that to push things together or push things up right.
So one of the things that I talk about is also how the power and privilege shifts for individuals.
40:28
So as a woman of color, you know, when I started talking about this topic, I actually myself was like, oh, I don't think I have a lot of privilege, but I do have some privilege and some of that is earned and some of that is, you know, you're born with.
40:44
So one of my earned privileges is my education, right?
Yeah.
And so when I, when I like, when I think about how do I want to help my community through my education?
Well, based on the, the colleges I went to, based on the, that my degree that I have, I've been able to work in different organizations, some of them global companies, some of them, you know, local organizations.
41:09
So I've built a network.
So for me, my network is one of the ways in which I see how I can support.
And I tell people like, I will hope, like that's one of the things that I, I can bring to the table, right?
So in my community, if somebody is like needing, you know, a connection, I'm like, oh, if I don't know the person, I will find somebody who knows the person that you're looking for to be the connection.
41:33
And then you can take it from there, right.
And then so that's how I do it.
Like if you say like in the professional space, when I am home, my privilege shifts because if I'm using education as well, I'll have college degrees.
So at the moment automatically I hold higher power and privilege within that area.
41:55
So I also think about like, well, how I, how can I help my parents?
Like, so they retire, for example.
And they were talking about like we need to get health, you know, health insurance.
Well, I used to work at a health insurance company, Yeah.
And I don't sell health insurance anything, but I'm like, oh, I know some of this stuff or I know people that can help us get the health insurance that you need, the resourcefulness with that, the network.
42:20
And so again, when I do things for my parents, I assess the level of privilege that I have and then, you know, to say, can I or can I not do it?
Or can I know, can I or can I not help you?
So I don't and I don't do it because I have to.
42:38
I do it because I want to.
And so that's the way that I look at print is like you have this gold mine in specific areas.
Nice.
And I utilizing it to again go back to that purpose and fulfilling the purpose that you have.
I love that.
42:55
I think that shows so much love from you, not only, you know, for your work and also for your roots.
That's where you know you are from.
You are raised by folks who really are.
43:13
They are rooted in their own belief systems and they provided for you and now you are giving that love back to them.
And I think that's really heartwarming.
And yeah, it gives me a lot to think about just in my own family as well.
43:33
I, you know, Speaking of privilege, I don't have the privilege to be close to them physically.
So, you know, how can I utilize my resource and provide my care back to them for me?
43:50
That's an ongoing question for sure.
So.
So I think your story just gives me a lot to think about and just to put things into perspective, you know, what we are able to do and what we are not able to do.
So thank you for that.
44:10
I feel we can talk a lot about, you know, being a person, like how to keep doing better and how to continue to work on ourselves, et cetera.
But I think as we kind of near the end of our conversation, I would love to.
44:34
And also, you know, we are very close to the Hispanic Heritage Month.
And you know, I, yeah, there is for me, it's just so rich.
It is so much richness and abundance in Hispanic heritage and I mean, we have a lot of that too as a Chinese.
45:01
But the way I see it is that we have a lot to learn from our heritage and our ancestors.
And we know, you know, right now we're at a very strange time in our lives and in our world and environment.
45:27
And you know, I feel you probably have more first hand kind of experience with the ongoing struggles and challenges not only in Oregon, but also in other places.
45:44
So as we approach Hispanic Heritage Month, a time where we reflect and celebrate each other, and also, you know, acknowledge the ongoing struggles in our communities, collectively, from your perspective, how do we stay hopeful and still being able to look forward with a sense that abundance is possible, a better future is possible.
46:23
Yeah.
Great question.
Great, Great question.
I think like you said, is, you know, each of us have our own experiences and, and where we are in the world right now is affecting us in different ways.
46:40
And I, I think for me, when I think about that question that you ask is so my sister's a social worker and I only say this because she's always telling me, remember that you can only control what you can control.
46:56
Right.
And I honestly, and I had to remind myself, I feel like I need to make a sticker or something because I spiral a lot of the times, you know, like, especially in, in the work that we're doing or these conversations, I mean, we're, I'm literally having these conversations every single day.
47:13
And I can just get into my mindset, you know, and, and, or incur A trauma that we carry or trauma that we have experienced.
It can get triggered by different things that are happening within our communities and our nation and the world.
47:31
And when they get triggered, I'm just like, you know, like I can do anything.
I feel like I have no impact.
I feel hopeless sometimes and I can keep going down that rabbit hole.
47:48
And so I remind myself to what my sisters is.
I was telling me she's like, what can you control?
What can you do today?
And it goes back a lot to looking into my community and the impact that I can create, right?
So and going back to looking at that power and privilege that I hold, right?
48:07
So one of the things, for example, that I think about is, OK, so I have funds and maybe right now I'm shifting who my funding is going to my donations because the organizations that I want to support and I know they're doing the work that I can do, but that's the way that I can support, right?
48:33
Another one is like educating organizations and individuals and painting.
Here is my education that I want to share with you through my perspective, right?
And let's just have a conversation and, and ask questions in a facilitator and safe space.
48:50
And I'm willing to do that, right?
So again, I think about the different ways in which I can bring awareness and yet still be able to take care of my family and be able to show up for my community and the ways that can fulfill me.
So I've been doing like a mix of, you know, supporting organizations, whether that's volunteering, alternating money or sharing information.
49:18
So that's how I'm doing because I can control that, right?
Right, right.
And then also the other half is engaging and community events that again is helping with healing and where I can just laugh even if he has for like a couple hours about anything else but just a beautiful relationship that I have with my friends or with the community or just celebrate something.
49:41
Because.
I again, if I don't have that balance is I COVID definitely show me this without violence, you know, I can fall into depression.
I can go into a very dark place and that doesn't really help me.
49:59
It doesn't help my family, it doesn't help my community.
So again, I just I, I try to stay stay alert and awake in terms of what can I do?
How much can I control?
And you know, what can I do to also to support me because I'm part of my family, I'm part of that pillar that is holding our foundation together.
50:19
Definitely.
So if I am weak and my sister's weak, you know, like it's just not going to help anybody.
So again, it's a constant reminder.
I'm not saying that it's not hurtful.
That is no is you know that is positive a lot of times, right, yes, I mean, and I guess let my emotions kind of also show up and there's times where I just cry all day.
50:44
I mean, yes.
And it's OK and it's OK, right?
Like, and I process and then I clean my tears and I'm like, OK, how can I bring love to my, to my heart right now?
And then I keep going and things like that.
51:00
But it's being a push and pull.
But that's the place in which I, yeah, I can't show up in today.
I really appreciate that.
It makes me feel less alone at least, so hopefully resonates with our listeners as well.
51:18
And I think really at the end of the day, we have to remember, you know, love is a powerful thing, 100%.
So thank you so much today, Cynthia, coming here and chat and how do people find you and work with you?
51:34
Yes, yes, thank you.
You can find me through my website authenticaconsulting.com.
You can find me through LinkedIn is through my my, my name Cynthia Manuel on my LinkedIn.
51:49
And I started to play around with Instagram.
I know I at the beginning I said I major in marketing, but in a whole business and managing social media accounts, it is like it's very hard, family hard.
But so I'm trying to do Instagram where I can do fun things on it.
52:09
But yeah, so that's, those are the only, the only two social media channels I have.
And then my website.
But yeah, through my website, if you have even questions or you just wanna have a chat, you can submit your request form and I'll communicate with you.
52:24
But yeah, and it's been so lovely being here with you and just having a conversation.
You know, I, yeah, I just, I, I wish we could just keep talking and talking, but I know we will talk again.
So.
With that and with a lot of appreciation and we'll wrap up here today.
52:47
Thank you, Cynthia.
Thank you so much.
Again, thank you for having me and this was amazing.
Thank you.
Thank you for listening to today's episode of The Intersection.
We hope you enjoyed it and if you like our program, please subscribe and recommend it to your friends and family.
53:06
Our original music is created by my friend Kel Van Zong and I am your host and producer.
Zhoufang.
See you next time and take care.