 Hello everyone. Welcome back to our show. We're the voice for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii. I'm your host, Barbara DeLuca, president and co-founder, along with my co-host, Marisol Ruiz, vice president and co-founder. So, welcome back to the show Marisol. We got a great show today. Today, we're going to be talking to Hispanic Chamber members, Alba Butler and Latoya Renee Garcia. That's my middle name, Renee. They are go-to transformation coaches. So, where do we start, Marisol? Okay. Well, first of all, I just want to say thank you so much when Barbara and I get together and we're like, who are we going to have on our guests? Because what we really want to do is highlight and promote and celebrate Latino members of our community, in our case, Latinas. And it was really natural for us when we were a brainstorming to invite you both. So, thank you so much for joining us. You are a pillar in our community, especially with the Hispanic Chamber. You are at our events. You're always volunteering. Ask for nothing in return, I mean, without fail, even when you're with your little stroll, you know, your foot's injured, you're still there like eight in the morning. So, thank you so much for that. It's amazing. And yeah, it's natural for us to want to celebrate you and promote you. So, today we just want to, first of all, if you take a little deep dive, tell us a little bit about yourself personally, right? A little background. We'll talk about your business, what it is, what you're doing with it, your plans, how long you've had it. But we'd like to start to get to know you a little bit first. We can start with you. Latoya, you want to start? Well, thank you guys, ladies, for having us on, you know, with my injury and my feet and, you know, being on the news, the knee scooter is very challenging, but it's not, it just helps me, it's helped me in so many ways to break just limiting beliefs in my mind and just no excuses. You know, still being able to get results physically, not being able to run and things like that, just showing, you know, my clients that there's no excuses. So, you know, when I can go up in there, I'm just like, no excuses, let's go, we're going to help out the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and we're going to have a great time. So, hey, I want to hear, I want to hear about that and I need me some of that because I'm like, I know I can't, I'm tired or whatever. And then I'm like, how is she rolling around here at eight in the morning helping everybody out? It's amazing. So you're definitely going to share a little bit about that mama mentality that Barbara was telling us. But yeah, tell us a little bit about you. So I'm just going to share a little bit about, you know, before I got started and why I got started in, in my business. So before I got started, I was a single parent. I was going to school full time. I had three jobs. I was a Google dancer, promotional model and a graphic designer. And I just would wake up basically I was paid for party. That's what I, that's what I did. And at the time I thought it was the best job ever and everybody else thought so too. But when I would wake up, I didn't wake up with a purpose. I woke up pretty disappointed, concerned with people if they drank too much, things like that. And I just found myself in a position that I promised myself I wouldn't be in. I was dealing with a lot of drug addiction, alcohol addiction. I was in poverty, you know, government assistance completely. And I'm trying to be the best mom to my five year old daughter. And, you know, just flashing back, I think about when my mom was young, she had me at 16. And I remember looking up to her at the grocery store and I remember she would be filled with anxiety. I didn't know what it was called or whatever, but I would see her kind of freaking out. And it's because she didn't have enough money. Oh, you're getting me crying, too. I'm like, hey, I had a single mom, I know. Yeah, Bob in there. So it didn't. So I would watch her. And it's because she had to put food back because she didn't have enough money. I remember freaking out because the electricity bill, things like that. And I was like, you know what, when I was little, I was like, I'm gonna be rich. I'm gonna grow up. And I'm gonna be rich. And I'm gonna have my family. And then I'm sitting there thinking like, I'm in the same spot. I'm in the same spot, super depressed with my baby wanting me the best mom I can, but don't have no, I don't have no sense of direction. You know, my dad, unfortunately, he's in prison. My mom, she's dealing with a lot of depression and oppression where we're from in New Mexico. And so it's like, there was nobody around me to say, Hey, this is how you are, how you become successful. Like, Hey, this is how you are healthy. This is how you are financially healthy. There was nobody to go to for advice at all. And Oprah didn't email me back, you know, so it's like, I don't have nobody to turn to. And you know, just, just fast forward a little bit. One of my friends, he got into the business and I was just amazed by him. I for two years, he asked me to join and I said, no, this is your thing, not mine. But the man he became, because he was going down the wrong path with me fast. And now all of a sudden he's telling me, wakey, wakey time for shaky. And you know, I'm like, what shaky? And he's like, yeah, come to my nutrition club. I was like, what is this? Don't don't message me at six a.m. like I'll get off. You know, on my last hour of sleep. And so I went and I saw it. I saw the man he became I saw the people coming to him and saying, Oh my gosh, thank you so much. You've helped me lose weight. Thank you so much. You've helped me, you know, and earn extra income. You've helped me with my family, things like that. And I was like, all right, I'll go and check it out. I went and checked it out. And I was like, this is it. I said, this is it. I finally found something that I can do that I could have purpose, be proud of myself, help people and earn a lot of money. And so we've been doing that since, you know, for 2010. And, you know, and that's when my wife, he joined me about a year and a half later. That's amazing. You know, I when I was under the whole lifetime ago, I was at SC. And I remember one of my classmates, she was would talk about herbal or herbal life. I'm like, what is that that girl like skyrocketed, like stuck with it. I mean, she looked amazing. Like she was living living what she was selling, you know, wasn't just like, here's this product. I mean, she was a walking testament. And that was, you know, over 25 years ago. 44 years. Wow. That's amazing. So it sounds like you got all but involved in herbal life. How did that happen? Just a little bit about myself. I am from Los Cruces, New Mexico. I am 36 years old. I was raised by a mother who was an immigrant who we we live. She lived off of cleaning houses. So she was a boss lady. She came over she started her own business cleaning cleaning business. So I got the inspiration, right that I could be a boss myself from her. I did what I was supposed to do. I went to school. I went to college, but I had a baby at 15. I started getting involved with drugs and alcohol. And it was just really crazy. After I had my baby, though, I got a little straightened up. I decided that I was going to try my best to do my best for my son. And then I ended up in a very abusive marriage. And I found myself in just losing myself. I had lost myself for a while. And the day that I had left, I left because he had he had come at me with a sledgehammer and and was calling my son names as my son. And I decided that I needed to leave where this man was going to do something crazy. And I mean my son, we're not going to survive. So the next day when he went to work, I just put a bunch of clothes in a trash bag. And I took off to my mom's. And that's where my journey actually began in this career that I have now. I was a dropout college student. I was a full time server. I really didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. But I had my son who was with me and who was watching me. And I found myself spiraling out of control, drinking, hanging out with people that didn't have dreams or aspirations. And all we would do was go hang out at the bar, eat crazy bar food. And I was gaining weight. And I was losing money. And I had no direction. I was like, I need to do something and I need to do it fast. So I did what I knew best. Okay, I started eating salad that were covered in ranch and cheese and there's all the good salad, right? And then I started walking. I didn't know as a Latina growing up with a mom who was an immigrant, I didn't understand that I could afford that. It was just simple actions that I had to take. And so I started going to the gym because I got the courage, right? I was walking. So I was like, I'm gonna go to the gym. The first thing that I did was go to the treadmill. I didn't know anything else, right? I didn't know anything else other than the treadmill, push the button, start walking, 30 minutes were good. Very proud of myself. Well, that day was the day of my, I went to the gym on the day of my divorce. It was 5am. And guess who I see there? My wife. I see my wife. And she's like, I went up to her, we'd known each other two years prior. I went up to her and I said, hi. And she looked at me and she's like, who are you? She's, I had gained so much weight. Oh, nice who I was. My demeanor was down. I was just broken. And she's like, you know what? After this, she's like, I want, she's like, I told her that it was a day of my divorce. And I said, after this, she's like, I want to go hang out with you. And I was like, okay. She invited me to go to a healthy place. It's called the nutrition club. We actually, our goal is to get what here in the island of Oahu, here in Oahu. It's a club where you can come and we serve you healthy shakes, healthy teas, really great community together, reaching each other goals, having challenges, going for hikes and having beach parties, all that fun stuff, right? And so I went and I did not, I felt so awkward because I was so broken and people were just all excited and happy. And I was like, girl, like, yes, I was like, I don't know. So she gave me this tea. Y'all got one. She gave me tea and I was lit. I was all okay, I feel good. Shake and I was like, I don't need that. I was like, I know how to eat. And you gotta remember, I'm eating salads with cheese and croutons. Y'all like, I'm good, baby. Don't worry about me. And she said, okay, okay, fine. But six months later, I decided to try one, right? And I tried it and I said, okay, this stuff tastes good. I said, let's do this, like hook me up, give me on a program. She got me on my program and I was able to drop 40 pounds. Then all of a sudden the way that I got introduced to the business was my friends were attracted to what I was doing. They said, you look happier. You have a lot more energy and you look good. What are you doing? And I said, I don't know. I'm going to introduce you to my girlfriend. We can talk to her about it. So she helped them out and they got on a program. Their family started getting on programs and then she looks at me and she's like, you know what, you can make them lend me or I can make them. And then I was like, okay, I was all, I was all, show me what's up. Because remember, I was a dropout college student. My life was miserable where I was doing. I was like, I need something different. I need a different, I need a different. And now like 14 years later, this is where we live. This is what we do full time. We don't have any other job or we're on boxes. We've been neural bosses for 14 years. And we are helping others do the same. It's just, it's been crazy, crazy 14 years and just feel like yesterday. Tell us about your success with Herbal Life because I was looking at it and you've traveled and you know, just got back from Portugal. What was that about? Yeah. So I'll share a little bit and only my wife share. So for me, the highlights about going to Portugal, I have never been other. Okay, so we're from Las Cruces, New Mexico, right? We're right on the border of what is like El Paso, then it's Wadden. So I'm used to going back and forth to Mexico coming back. I'm used to traveling to like Lutacana. I'm used to traveling to the Dominican Republic. I'm used to traveling to all those places like Cabo, but I'm not used to going to a place where it's like a different language, different environment, different culture like that. So when we did that, it was for a training where they give out crazy bonuses, okay? Like you see, you picture the Grammys, picture them giving out crazy bonuses that I can't really go into detail about that. It's crazy with hard work, dedication, anything is possible. But then when we, I still couldn't believe it. I couldn't fathom me going to another country. Like I'm this girl who was raised by a mother who worked to pay the bills, like hand and foot, like she's just, I'm just so grateful for her, you know. She built an American dream for herself with no one to help her. And if she hadn't done that, I never would have been able to see a vision for myself and what's possible as a woman here in America. So I'm so grateful for her and what she did. But going to Portugal just really like blew my mind because I was like, dang, like talking to a lot of the people here on the island, like especially the young, the youth, that vision is too far for them to like get out and travel and see themselves in a bigger light. And I'm like, I could teach you how to dream bigger, how to live better. And it starts just by taking care of yourself. So going to Portugal just showed me that I have a mission here and that I need to, I have the responsibility to share where I come from and what I do and how I can help people. Well, yeah, that's me. I want to. Wow. You guys were living your best life. I was following you on social media. But you know, I want to, I want to touch on what, and I love, I thank you for being open and vulnerable. This is a safe space. And I mean, Barbara knows I cry like every other episode because I can really empathize and, and, you know, I love humanity and everything both of you are saying, I'm just like, that's me. That's my mom. That's my sister. That's all of us. And, you know, I think the common thread here too is, is sharing, educating. And we talk about this at every single one of our podcasts is, how do we teach other people? How do we enlighten other people? How do we show them a better way of being, right? Whether it's financial literacy, whether it's, you know, physical like, because if you don't feel good or you're sick, guess what? Nothing else matters. Like it really doesn't, you know, one little headache and I'm like, I'm out and, and or I'm a little overweight, forget it. I'll eat that other slice of cake because, you know, I'm already a little bit bigger. So you just kind of go down this bad path without, you know, realizing it. And so when you surround yourself with people that are that positive, like when you were saying out of my ear, like, oh, I turned it all happy and you couldn't relate because that wasn't your mind space, right? At that time. And now you both are creating something like that here. I think that's a, that's a really big deal. So I want to know what you guys are doing here in our community, because I believe that you have some workshops like or workouts or, you know, tell me a little bit if I'm wrong about that. Okay. So I just wanted to also add on this, this is something extremely powerful that I'm very proud of, you know, with after these 14 years in this business, we did reach the top 1% and I'm the seventh black female, Mexican president. You know, I just wanted to share that because whoever's listening or ever nice to hear it is it doesn't matter where you come from. Yes, it's you that determines, you know, your future and, you know, we're all here to help anybody to move to that next level mentally so they can get to where they want financially and physically. But what helps you with that drive and that because it's discipline, it's determination, it's desire, it's will, it's all, I mean, a lot of qualities and traits that I wish I had a little more of. So does that just, is it innate? Is it learned? Is it a combo of both? Can you talk a little bit about that? Well, I believe in, you know, I've heard it many times, you're the some of the five people that you surround yourself with. And so, you know, I had to be like, well, my family's crazy. So, I don't know. You know, my daughter's 17, you know, like me right now. It's just who you listen to, the books that you read, the people that you meet, you know, always being in the seminars, going to the places, going to the Portugal, we could have decided not to go, even though we qualified, many people didn't go, even though they qualified. Well, we made it happen. We made sure that we're in the rooms that we're actually sometimes you know, statistically not qualified to be in, but during in our company, we are. That's what makes the difference, you know, where in our company, it's how it's on Forbes Magazine, we're the top company to work for when it comes to women and minorities to have equal opportunity. So when people are coming to our FIC camps, right, it's a place where come together to work out right now, we have it in Oaxayua Tuesdays and Thursdays and Saturdays and then Waikele on Saturday morning, 730 a.m. And so our goal there is to show them love, to show them empowerment, to show them community, to show them that they too can get the body that they want. And once they start feeling good and moving their body, then their mind starts opening up. And that's when we share like you're powerful, you know, no matter what you went through, you already went through so much, this is nothing, you can make it through this workout, you can make it do a hard time. Like so then we start speaking life into them when they're about to like, you know, like this is a last crumb. Like, it's more like faith camp. In the end, you know, and so we just, you know, we breathe, we breathe faith into them and breathe deep into them. And that's where it starts right there, just planting that seed of faith in themselves. And whatever they want to do from there, if they want to, you know, get physically fit, let's go. If they want to join the 21 day We Do Transformation Challenge, let's go. If they want to be a coach and they want to make this impact in the community and make extra income, let's go. But whatever it is, this community is for them to feel loved and everybody's welcome and it's free. You said the top five people that you surround yourself with are, you know, who you've become. And I see some of your influencers are Tony Robbins, Gary V, Oprah, Kobe Bryant. Do you either want to be, want to share a favorite, you know, something that sticks with your favorite? I don't want to say a quote, but the inspiration. Well, I'll share one thing and then my wife will share. One of the people that I listened to a lot when I first started, it was Jim Rohn and Mark Q, and the founder of our company, Mark Q's, because there was nobody around me that was speaking very highly. So I would, I would absorb myself, my mind and, and everything that they would say and speaking. And that's what would help me to start to speak like them and, and, and act like them. So that's what I've been doing for the past 14 years. Go ahead, baby. Okay, so when I started this whole mind shift, it was because, well, I hadn't do the personal development to get past all the stuff that I did. So I went through some therapy and then I started reading books and I'm more, I like to read the Bible a lot. But when I really wanted to create a mindset shift of winning, I dove into Tim Grover. Tim Grover, it was Michael Jordan's trainer. And that there's a book, there's two books, Relentless and Winning, I recommend them for anyone who wants to get into that mindset and that space of no excuses. And what I've learned is that emotions don't matter when it comes to winning. It doesn't matter whether you feel sick or you feel tired, you get up and you do it because you have a greater purpose. And in the, like women, us women in business, we know that we do so much work and men too. We do so much work that we start to create momentum. Right. And when, when it calls, when it happens, it happens, we don't get to decide when it happens. And, and when it happens, you don't, you don't get to say not today, you don't get to say, I don't feel good, you don't get to tell, you don't, if something happens with your family, it's like, I'm sorry, I can't like, I have to keep doing what I'm doing because this is the momentum that I built and leaning less into my emotional part and having more of a responsibility, meaning the ability to respond to what's happening, not a reaction has really changed the course of not just my business, but my marriage, my family, and who I am is a leader for my community because it's, it's scary when your leader does it have emotional control, emotional control. We also have a women's empowerment group. And we started off that group with read during COVID because we wanted to make sure that everybody had some sort of in all place to go to. And we started reading, I work, I recommend this for everybody, emotional intelligence 2.0. It really helped to build skills when you're feeling something and what do you do when you feel something. And it's been very powerful and the group is still growing. And it's still there, but now it's on the mainland. So we have leaders that lead it over there. So we're building leadership, just by simply sharing books and also leading the way as well. Do you see a physical group here? I mean, first of all, I love what you said, you know, the ability to respond and not react. I mean, I think that's huge, right? To have that kind of self control and you have to be really mindful. So I'm going to have to take that little list of books that you recommend because I can use some of that. But do you see you forming a group here, a physical group? You said there's one in the mainland. Is that something that, you know, we could do here and help support because it sounds awesome? That I would love that. Definitely would because we were actually talking about it like we are both teen moms, like reaching out to the teen mom community. Right? That's something that's in our hearts, reaching out to the teens, especially for the LGBT as well. But also like for just young women and older ladies, right? Like myself. I'm 36. But definitely because women need to know how powerful they are. It doesn't matter how old they are. It doesn't matter, you know, if they feel like their time is past, there's always that gap of time where you can create whatever the heck you want. And if we can create a circle, which I am more, we are more than happy to do, where it's a circle of tight-knit women that speak life, believe and celebrate each other. Oh my gosh, the things that get created in that circle are, they're unfathomable. People start dreaming big, things start happening, people's lives start changing, generations start changing. It's really crazy to see. It's a blessing for sure. I have chicken skin. I'm so excited because it's attainable, right? I mean, it's attainable. It is what it is, but it's taking the action and doing it and putting it together. I mean, Barbara starting this chamber of putting in all the work, I mean, it's just a thought, right? And then action, followed through with action. So I'm just for you. We just have that, what Abba was saying earlier, when you have that momentum going, put all these things into place, like, oh, this year we should have a podcast and then Think Tech offered us the platform. And it's like, okay, now it doesn't matter if we don't feel like doing the show or not, we got to find guests, get on and have a conversation. But it's all good stuff. But no matter how I feel, we still got to be president and do it, right? The women's group, what is it called? Women's Empowerment. Women's Empowerment. And then you have Hawaii Nutrition 808. And you want to form your own nutrition shop here? Yeah, a nutrition club. Oh, and what you want? Yes. Oh, that'd be amazing. If anybody has a location that you want us to rent, we'll go in there. Okay. So I'm so excited for that. Yeah. And tell us about your mega-tees and how can we get some or contact you? Okay. So I'm pretty sure they're going to give my information here, but my number is 575-621-9879. You can just get ahold of me through my phone, Hawaii Nutrition 808 on Instagram, or LaToya Renee Garcia on Instagram. I know all this information will go out. And then we can send you the mega-tees. We actually have many of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce members on the program now feeling really good. So I'm super excited to get those before and afters. But one thing before my time ends, I just want to let everybody know that for me coming from a background of being sexually assaulted as a child, from dealing with bipolar symptoms, from dealing with poverty, dealing with a lot of things that people don't survive from, trying to commit suicides over six time, I'm a survivor. Me and my wife were survivors and now we're not just surviving what's thriving. So no matter the situation, anybody's in, I just want them to know that they can get out and they can accomplish dreams that they never even dreamt of, like me living in Hawaii. That's right. We're all living in Hawaii. We live in our best life. Like I'm here in Arizona, I'm at the Gulf of Reno. Yeah. And I came from a single mother and I don't like to say I'm a college dropout. I'm a high school graduate. And then I still have challenges. Like I was at the store yesterday and I'm like coffee for 12 little pods. It was like $10 and I was like, do I put it back or take it and put in the basket? And you know, you still may have to make those choices every day that your mom made. But that's okay. You know, we all are living our, yeah, we're survivors, we're thrivers. Our test is our testimony. And thank you for sharing yours with us. Thank you so much. Bless our mothers. Yeah, that's right. We're all mothers with crazy teens and Marisol, you're about, you're up next. You just turned 13. I would love to join you at one of your workouts. I live right here in Mililani. So I'll be there. I neither Juan Jua or White Keller. There's no excuses. Yeah, it's okay. All right. All right, ladies, so much body. So no, I'm just really excited. They have a 21 day challenge. Let's see what we could do with this body in 21 days. Let's go. Are you serious? Yeah, I am. All right, we're going to do before and afters. All right, well, thank you for joining us. And thank you think Tech Hawaii for providing the platform and we will see you again in two more weeks. Adios y adoha. If you liked this show, why don't you give us a like or subscribe to our channel? Thanks so much.