Growing up in San Ramon, a small town in Northern California, I had two unique aspirations that captured my imagination. The first was inspired by my mother's Avon collection. I was fascinated by the colorful lipsticks and dreamed of becoming an Avon lady. The idea of hosting parties, connecting with women, and having my own set of lipsticks was incredibly appealing to me. The second aspiration came from my grandfather, who was a truck driver. I admired his cool and rebellious image and wanted to follow in his footsteps, driving trucks and embracing the freedom of the open road.

Looking back, I realize that these aspirations reflected a blend of traditional gender roles. It's interesting to see how I was influenced by both feminine and masculine ideals. Although I never pursued those specific paths, the love for beauty products and skincare has remained with me. I have always been drawn to the world of cosmetics and take pride in self-care routines.

Growing up, my Mexican immigrant father instilled in me a strong work ethic. I started working at a young age and explored various jobs, becoming a jack of all trades. However, I now understand the importance of specialization and finding a career path that aligns with my passions.

If I could offer advice to my younger self, I would emphasize the value of balance and not taking life too seriously. I would encourage myself to embrace the journey, navigate the bumps along the way, and let go of rigid plans. I would remind myself and my daughters to find their own balance, take care of their physical and mental well-being, and enjoy the beautiful moments that arise when life deviates from our expectations.

When I was younger, so I grew up in California in Northern California, very small town, East Bay San from East Bay of San Francisco. I guess they would say Oakland but the town was called San Ramon. And I remember back in the day, I don't know if you guys know this, but in terms of what this is, but they had these things called Avon ladies kind of a precursor to Mary Kay Cosmetics and my mother would buy Avon so this was like in lieu of the Sephora is of the world today. And she had this little square container of lipsticks like this big and I think I was about probably five, maybe six years old. And I remember just being so fascinated with all the colors and how they were, you know, smooth and you could put them on your face and you know, I'm sure I put them on the walls and everywhere they weren't supposed to go.

So I thought it would be fantastic. To be an Avon lady. And I really would always say there were two things I was always wanting to do. One was be an Avon lady, much to the chagrin of my parents. I don't think they understood but I thought it would be amazing because the Avon lady had these big bags. It was like a magic bag and all this stuff in it and all the women would congregate around and try on all this stuff and the perfume samples. I think I was just so into the mini samples and the sense of community from women that this sort of brought in and I'm sure I love the idea of sales and money because I always love to have you know, change. I always had a piggy bank. So I think the idea of going door to door and having parties for me was really cool and to have my own set of lipsticks.

And then the second job I really wanted to do was being a truck driver. I think, you know, I failed in both ways. I although I was sort of like an Uber driver for my daughters, so that kind of took care of that. That little sense of wanting to be a truck driver. And I think where that came from is my paternal. My maternal grandfather was a truck driver and he he passed when I was six but I absolutely adored him and I remember he was like one of those James Dean, old school white t shirt with the mom tattoo with the ciggies wrapped up in the sleeve and I thought he was so cool. And so I knew that for a while he was a truck driver so I thought that would be really great. And yeah, I I've done neither one but that's what I thought I would do.

I think probably anywhere from five to six or seven, that I love cars. I've always loved cars. And so I think that that idea of being a I think was a tow truck driver that I wanted to do and like this idea of pulling cars, you know, a rounded what's so interesting is one is like the quintessential female role and one is the typical male role. So it's now looking back. It's sort of interesting to me that I had this blend. I never realized that I was talking about it with you guys.

Well, you know, the fact is I don't enjoy dirt or being dirty, so I don't think tow truck driver was going to stick for very long. I'm not a camper. I mean, I would I said don't do dirt. I'm like, it's a Holiday Inn. And that's camping. I'm not going to do there. But I think the other thing is that the Avon lady thing, you know, I'm not so sure that that ever really went away because I love beauty products I truly do and I love skincare I've always loved it and would save all my money to to do skincare to buy like really nice creams and things for my things that like 1516 I'm buying wrinkle cream for my eyeballs go big here but I think that that love for beauty products has always stayed with me. I just didn't ever pursue it. I've always done retail but not at that level.

Well, I think so my father is a Mexican immigrant. And I think that side of the family was so proud to be American and just so you're so lucky to be here. They would tell me and they would say you can do anything you can be anyone you can you know you need to work you need to have a strong work ethic. So I'm not sure that the path was really deviated from work ethic wise, like I just I've worked since the age of 13. I started babysitting. I've done every job you can imagine like I've rolled burritos with the hairnet on not a good luck for me. And I you know, sold videos back in the day like this is free blockbuster just to age myself. I worked at a yogurt stand. I mean, I don't think I think you know, Aaron I think I'm still trying to think my way in terms of a career. There's so many. I was thinking about this the other day, I'm sort of a jack of all trades, because I knew you have to work that was just ingrained in me from a young age. But I'm kind of a master of none. And I'm realizing that's not I would not recommend that particular path. If you can avoid it. I think being specialized, especially when you get into the bigger numbers. In your age. It's it's nice to be able to fall back on a specific career path than it is. You know, I feel like I'm more of a branched out career person.

Oh my gosh, so many pieces of advice I would give myself don't don't take life so seriously. I think for me, I tend to run a little on the anxious side and I don't always have good balance, and I highly, highly recommend balance. I really do. And I know at your young ages, it's it's that is such a foreign concept for you guys. But when I look back at those ages when I was just so like I gotta get it done, I gotta get here. I got to be that I didn't get it nice. So the rigidity of my 20s I would have redone that a lot and looked at completely different, which is to say, you're going to be okay, you don't you can enjoy this bumpy path along along the way. You're going to wind up in the same place. So if you just eliminate that anxiety, you're going to enjoy the road so much more. That would be myself.

Oh 100% I give it to every one of my daughters because they are hard, hard working women. First of all, I'm immensely proud of my daughters. I mean, there's just I absolutely adore them. There's not one thing I would change. Yeah, I get it. Nobody's perfect, but to me they are and that I I would aspire to be my daughter's I think they're doing life really beautifully. I do but I do think there are times when they're too rigid and they're too. Too hard on themselves. I'm not far enough. yet. I'm not this title yet. I'm not here yet. I want this by this and I too had a personal agenda for myself where I would write myself letters and say Okay, at this age I need to be here. And at this age I want a kid and the truth is, is hard as we try and carve our own path out. It's never perfect. And it's so frustrating when things don't unfold the way you've planned them to unfold. But here's the trick. Those little nuances can be the biggest blessings in your life. And so that's why I say yes, simmer down a little bit. You know, go ahead and stay at the simmer speed.

You don't have to boil water all the time and because a lot of things beautiful things can be made out of your life journey when you deviate from your plan and your path and and so that would be my word. of wisdom for young people today. Alex van balanced balanced. Yeah, take your body, your body mind soul, you're not going to get another one. Right. I really and I know that's abstract because you guys are invincible and you're made of rubber. And you just, you know you bounce and fling and you're resilient. But I'm telling you treat your body and your mind right will be a much better life.