Supported by Texas Mutual Workers Compensation Insurance Company.

Hola!

Welcome to Salud celebrating South Texas Latina leaders.

I'm your host, Melanie Mendez Gonzalez.

We're so happy to have you here on this episode.

You'll see how Latinas are changing history right before our eyes in historical archives.

Inspirational pageants and the food industry.

Salud.

Starts now.

History in itself is an amazing story.

San Antonio's rich history is full of incredible women.

And now many are leading and preserving that history.

The Bexar County Historical Commission is now led by the first Latina to chair that organization.

This is history in the making and the woman making it is Belinda Mora Gavallos.

My name is Belinda Mora Gavallos fine arts professional, executive director of the San Antonio Women's Chamber of Commerce, and chair of the Bexar County Historical Commission.

For the last 22 years I've been in the fine arts not as a creator, but as a business professional, buying and selling 19th century and early Texas pieces.

But as that aspect of my professional life has wound down, my interests have evolved from fine arts to historic preservation and to empowering women.

My family arrived in 1731.

They came from the Canary Islands, and they were the founders of the first civil government in San Antonio.

On another branch, I am a Navarro descendant.

The original Corsican Navarro came in 1741.

And through this Navarro, my third great grandmother, was in the Alamo during the battle.

Her future grandmother in law was also in the Alamo during the battle.

I like to think that the girls in our family have come from pretty sturdy stock.

Strong women, I believe, begat strong women, and it's important for us to embrace where we come from, who those women are, to know our stories so that we can know our voices.

History is who we are, where we come from.

Why is San Antonio and Bexar County the way it is?

You have to look back at your history.

You have to embrace it.

We need to keep studying history, keep looking and preserving it.

The Bexar County Historical Commission's mission is to protect, preserve, and promote the history of Bexar County and all of its its historical assets and resources.

I'm so focused on historic preservation and building women up and empowering women.

And so the message has to come across.

My conversation with the public involves the building of that relationship.

Women have been left out of the really important points in Bexar County history, in San Antonio history and Texas history.

I've had conversations with the folks at the Alamo who I have an enormous amount of respect for.

We've got a statue of Susanna Dickinson.

We've got a statue of Emily Morgan.

Where are the Navarro sisters?

Where are that?

The Tejanas?

There's none.

There's none there.

Finally, with the development of the lunette and all of the Alamo Plaza, there is a placard there with a story of the Navarro sisters.

So I was very pleased to see that.

I remember, going to see in it an advisor, as I was starting university and being told that I wasn't smart enough to go to law school.

You don't have what it takes.

And that's stuck to me.

I didn't go to law school.

I should have listened to my gut.

Sometimes you just have to listen to yourself.

What's your drive?

What's your passion?

Maybe it wasn't in the cards for me to go to law school.

And maybe this is my my purpose.

It was very discouraging.

I'm the daughter of two educators.

So education is the gateway to success.

And my parents, who were the first in their families to go to an institution of higher learning, both graduated with advanced degrees and certifications because of them and their mentoring and the complete support, advocacy, belief in me.

I feel very successful.

I am not through with anything I'm doing.

I think it's important for a woman to evolve.

I went from, you know, graduating from school and working as an account executive at an NBC affiliate in West Texas.

That was another place where I learned that women were discounted.

So I was going to sell add time to this one business and I'm a whopping 23 years old.

All of 100 pounds.

And he says to me, this is a man my father's age.

He said, you know, you're very intimidating.

You have no business doing this.

And I could feel the whole chill going down, my body of adrenaline going, oh, wow.

Now what do I do?

And I was just mortified.

I was mortified because I was so shaken.

It was my first cold call.

So I went back to my station manager practically in tatters.

And he was a wonderful man who did remind me a little bit of my dad, and he said, I should have known not to send you to him.

I think you're just exactly what the station needs.

And he made me remember that the confidence in myself is important and it's good.

And not to let other people bring you down.

From that point on, I raised my children.

Once they started middle school, I jumped back into the professional world.

Now that my children are adults and I have grandchildren, I'm much more intrigued, much more free to embrace what is out there that I can do to help better my community, and to be able to be a model for women who don't think they can do it.

Absolutely.

You can do it.

I guess it boils down to who believes in you.

My parents believed in me.

My father taught me I could do anything.

He wouldn't even let me get a driver's license.

Until I learned how to drive a stick shift and learn how to change a tire.

That's a very empowering thing.

Those are empowering tools for a teenager to know how to do so.

Things like that where you build on these stepping stones because you have a good mentor.

That mentor gets you through the fear factor.

I had amazing professional mentors, Doctor Yvonne Katz from the San Antonio Women's Chamber of Commerce, to have her have that faith in me and mentor me and guide me and make me understand that I have a value beyond what I think I have.

The same thing with Judge Sky.

I was appointed by Judge Sharkey in January of 2024 to chair the Bexar County Historical Commission.

It was a little scary to step into an organization that you've never dealt with, with these exceptionally bright people, professors and lawyers and judges and architects, and then come in to lead that.

That's that's scary.

But I was able to do it because that confidence that was built carried me through.

The key to my leadership is listening.

Whether that's leading your children and guiding them, leading colleagues.

You've got to listen.

To be able to learn, to be able to understand where they're coming from.

Whether or not I'm successful depends on your definition of success.

Am I a wealthy woman?

I'm not a wealthy woman.

I have a wealth of relationships, wonderful relationships.

And I think that's where wealth comes from.

And relationships are what is most important.

The best advice I ever got was from my grandmother, and she told me it's been the stick while it's green.

In other words, train yourself like a little green twig to have self-discipline.

To be giving.

To be trustworthy.

To earn people's respect.

To be truthful.

I'd like to pass on some unsolicited advice to young women.

Younger women than myself.

Relationship building is going to be the paramount of just about everything you do.

You're going to have to look somebody in the eye and give your thoughts.

Stand by your words.

Own your voice.

You're not a little girl.

Don't act like a little girl.

Own your voice.

Be proud of your voice.

Be proud of your thoughts.

You're going to do good things.

I had worked in corporate America for probably about 18 years and, you know, climbed the corporate ladder and during my time, you know, there weren't a lot of women of color, walking the halls of corporate America.

And I didn't have a whole lot of mentors or anyone that would help me and guide me through, you know, those ranks.

And, you know, you just you hit a glass ceiling, and I hit a glass ceiling.

I hit a few glass walls.

And I said, you know, I just I needed to make a change.

And if I was ever going to be, CEO or president of a company, I needed to create that opportunity on my own.

There was a time in history when beauty pageants were focused on nothing more than physical beauty.

That is in the history books now.

Pageants like Miss Texas Latina focus on Hispanic culture, empowerment, and community involvement.

Allegra Rodriguez is the current titleholder.

And besides being beautiful, she is an inspiration in the world of science and technology.

Mr.

lucky to have.

You know.

My name is Allegra Rodriguez.

I'm Miss Latin at 2024, and I'm an aircraft technician and also book writer for an aviation children's book and student pilot.

I'm originally from Mexico, Tamaulipas.

I immigrated here to the United States, to Douglas, Texas.

I came at the age of 13 years old and it was really hard to get used to English.

I still have an accent and, maybe at the beginning I didn't embrace it.

But today I think that became just me.

You know, it was mainly me and something different than others.

Do they embrace it?

And I try to, some sticks.

Latina, you know, show kids that your culture is what makes you you.

I don't have a lot of experience in pageants, but it has changed my life, I think.

How did you came at the right time for me, miss Texas Latina offered the unique opportunity of using my passions and interests to make a positive change in my community.

You are in the eye of people, but you are heard and you are have the opportunity of inspiring others.

I am a model, but I am a role model to this girl.

She can sum everything I do in the community.

It's not the crown or the sash that makes you a queen, but the impact that you make.

And I think I have make a lot of impact by, you know, being a mentor, going to community events, being president and being a representative for Latinas.

I can do what someone else didn't do for me.

You know, I didn't have a lot of, girl role models growing up, but I joined like other groups, like Women in Aviation and found mentors.

My role model is Ora Custodio, the first Latina pilot to be on the U.S.

Air Force.

She is such an inspiration to me.

She became a mentor, a friend, and pushed me, you know, to pursue that future that I wanted to.

I have three degrees.

Two of them are in aviation.

Do they work for one of the biggest aviation companies in the world?

Launched my book about a little girl that is a pilot.

But I do modeling.

I do my extracurricular activities as being a mentor and just being a role model to the girls that maybe want to be in Stem.

Stem is science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

For me, it's evolution by degrees, starting in the science of airframe and powerplant for hallmark University College of Lunatics.

I also need part of my engineering degree.

And today I'm going to be a pilot.

Aviation is more than just math and science as well.

I mean, I love those things, but it feels more empowering.

We're making a change in our community.

I know Stem is the future, and I think our younger generations are the future.

So if we can educate them to be part of that world, special little girls.

I think Stem deserves to have more women, and I think we need that point of view in the Stem field.

And I know the futures female.

When I fly the skies somewhere, I can feel free and I feel powerful unstoppable.

A goal is something I never dream of as a little girl.

And now to have accomplished it's a dream come true.

Oh.

Don't, perceive obstacles that are the movable?

There's always challenges.

It's helpful to be aware that there going to be speed bumps along the way.

But if you know that they're there, you hurdled them, you slow down and you jump over the hoops and you do what you need to do.

Most of us celebrate our family history through our traditions around food.

Those family gatherings around the kitchen table, those wonderful recipes from our Abuela's.

Maria Hess wanted to honor her heritage by sharing her traditions with her company, Hess Street Foods.

She shares with Jesse how she made her space in a very competitive field.

This year.

Jesse, so nice to meet you.

Same here.

Please have a seat, please.

Thank you.

Oh, we have so much to talk about.

Yes, yes.

First and foremost, getting to the point where you are now, I'm sure success didn't come easy.

It did.

And what were what would you say were some of the major obstacles, or perhaps the biggest obstacle you faced in getting started?

First of all, I had no clue on to how to start a business.

I didn't know what was allowed.

Not allowed.

I didn't know the law.

The business law.

Well.

So I try to search on online, you know, on my computer.

I open my computer and I search, programs, places where I could get all this knowledge, information, help.

And I found launches say, geekdom.

So I started to go to those, programs, conversations, talks met a lot of amazing people, mentors.

And they guided me, Jesse, onto how to start a business.

So they gave me all the tools.

So that's how I started.

Okay.

I knew I had to go to the city hall, open a DBA or online.

I'll see all those little details that you I didn't know how to.

So they kind of gave me, blueprint, you know, on how to start a business.

First you need to open your, DBA or LLC at this specific location in San Antonio.

Then, then you start of, opening your bank account and then you start getting a plan ready.

So they really held your hand?

Yes, throughout the whole process, because otherwise I'm sure you would have been, again, just relying on the internet.

But thank God for the resources that are out there.

Yes, but as despite all the good advice you got, I'm sure that there may or may be some red flags out there.

But tell our viewers what kind of red flags and what should they be on the lookout for, especially if you're just starting a business.

First red flag is, you not being sure if your product is going to be a success and then, probably finding out that your product, has some improvement still for for it to be showed out to the entire world so that, that that's the biggest challenge for me to, to be sure and of what you really want and not scared of trying new things, it's hard to go from self-doubt starting to question, is this the right thing for me, for my future and gaining that confidence that you need to forge ahead?

Yes.

You don't know where to start, number one, but then you get a blueprint.

So now you know, and then you, you are scared.

And that's the biggest challenge.

Don't be scared.

Be yourself.

A lot of people are going to tell you this is not going to work.

This is probably you don't there's not a market for your idea or your product, but keep trying and believe in yourself.

So, once you get through that biggest challenge, which is in your head, you know, it's that little voice telling you, hey, this this might not work.

You're going to face a lot of problems.

Are you ready?

You might not be ready.

You have to, just put all those voices in the box and throw it away really far away and keep going.

And believe in yourself, and you'll find the answers.

You just need to go ahead and start.

Jesse, that's the biggest advice I would give.

Start your plan.

Start what you are dreaming up.

Use that passion to make that passion.

Yeah, and thank God for your ability to meet you.

Yes, because I know in reading your bio that originally you wanted to make actual choice.

Yes.

But there was a problem.

There was a big problem.

And at that point you said, that's it.

I'm not going to do this.

So briefly tell us what that problem was and how you overcame that.

And it came to you, perhaps thanks to your a little easier.

Yes.

I believe very strongly about, my abuelita telling me and giving me advice.

Still from heaven.

So I wanted to do the entire Teresa link.

That's what I wanted to bring out to the market.

But handling raw meat, specifically raw pork, that's a very tricky, very risky.

And it requires a lot of money, which I didn't have.

So I thought, this is the end of the line for me.

This is it.

I'm not going to be able to just to make this idea, this project happened.

And then I thought, so it pork is the problem.

If raw meat is a problem, just take it out.

Just take it out of the equation, which is what I did.

And I brought that day to all of my, mentors and people that I was, you know, meeting at this places.

I brought the pastes.

So just the starter, the natural flavor right there, the seasoning, the paste that makes chili.

So cherries.

Yes.

Minus the pork, minus the pork.

And guess what?

It worked.

Yeah.

It worked.

It worked.

You were guessing, then I was.

And then imagine that you never know what happens when you're open for change, when you're open for a new way for your business to operate, to, it's amazing what happens when you break stigmas.

It's very difficult because it's very personal.

You have in your hands a generational recipe, and you feel a lot of responsibility.

You just need to you just need to break that barrier.

Don't let it hold you back.

It should inspire you, but at the same time, not let it hold you back and limit your realm of possibilities.

Correct.

And so I guess that taught you the importance of being flexible.

Yes.

And be open to alternatives, because so often we cling to that idea that's ours, ours, ours.

I want to make it.

And you learn.

You learn very well.

Thank you that I'm still learning.

I'm still learning.

It's it's the entrepreneurial journey.

It's like that.

You need to be ready for change all the time, because all the time live presents you a new challenge, right?

So just breathe in.

Remember why you want to do this.

Why?

Your why is very important.

What's the purpose behind all this.

And at the same time expect the unexpected.

Yeah, because it will happen.

Expect beyond any range of possibilities.

Well, given again your experience and what you've learned in the process, what advice?

I think can others get from this in terms of especially given it's a very competitive field?

Yes.

And to make matters more complicated is the fact that we have a very difficult economy here.

Yes.

So consequently, how are you trying to overcome all of that based on your experience and how can others learn from your experience?

I love that question.

I want to say all the entrepreneurs out there, women that have an idea, a dream.

It's not all bells and whistles you need to be.

You need to be very organized, very organized.

If you have a source of income.

This is very important for me also to tell people, keep it, keep it until you start being profitable.

Okay.

It's going to require a lot of work.

More hours for you at the beginning, probably the first three, four years.

It's going to be worth it, I promise.

It is a lot of work.

You need to surround yourself by community.

Your family is the first number one support.

You need to sell them your product first.

They need to be convinced this is going to work.

Your first customers.

Your first customers.

Yes.

Thank you.

Oh gosh.

Well, wonderful way to end our interview.

Thank you so very much for all this great advice and I know there are going to be a lot of people out there who will learn from your experience.

Thank you very much for having me.

Thanks.

Such a pleasure.

Learn to speak up, because it is part of our culture where we're kind of quiet to begin with.

And, you hear those syndromes who are like, you were going to raise your hand and you did it, and somebody else said what you were going to say.

So, so if anything, I've learned it, I need to speak up and speak up quickly.

As soon as I think about it, even though it might not fit in the flow.

But to make sure that you get your thoughts, you know, out there because, if not, somebody else is going to get it and you're going to I was just thinking that.

Why didn't I say anything?

So, I think I've learned how to speak up a little bit more and not be quite, quite so modest.

Latinas making history in South central Texas.

I hope you enjoyed hearing these women tell their stories.

Thank you for being here.

We'll see you again next week.

To celebrate Latina leaders on Salud I'm Melanie Mendez Gonzalez not vamos.

Salud is supported by Texas Mutual workers compensation insurance company.