1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: I've always sort of been straddling like two different identities 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: and cultures and then just kind of melding them together 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: and making them my own. 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 2: Welcome to She Pivots, the podcast where we talk with 5 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,080 Speaker 2: women who dared to pivot out of one career and 6 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 2: into something new and explore how their personal lives impacted 7 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 2: these decisions. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. Today I'm 8 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:39,480 Speaker 2: sitting down with Elsa Collins, a social impact strategist. From 9 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 2: starting her own firm with Eva Longoria and America Fererra 10 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 2: to doing the boots on the ground work at the 11 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 2: US Mexico border, she uses her circle of influence to 12 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 2: have a big impact. Elsa's pivot into her career started 13 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 2: a little later in life after being a stay at 14 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 2: home mom to raise her three children because her husband, 15 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 2: Jaron Collins, was traveling in the NBA for. 16 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 3: Most of the year. 17 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 2: At first, she just dabbled into advocacy in politics. Then 18 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 2: in twenty sixteen, she decided to jump in headfirst. She 19 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 2: is the co founder and founding member of This Is 20 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:22,199 Speaker 2: About Humanity, The Idator, I am a voter and more. 21 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 2: When I met Elsa, it was of course at a 22 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 2: campaign event, and I remember being so impressed by her work. 23 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 2: I had just left my decade long career in politics 24 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 2: and was unsure if I'd be able to build towards 25 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 2: the success that I had wanted, and here was this 26 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 2: amazing woman who had just taken that same leap successfully. 27 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: My name is Elson Marie Collins, and I do all things. 28 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: I guess I would say my official title when I 29 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: have to fill out an official document is a social 30 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: impact consultant. 31 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 3: That is the official type will I gave myself. 32 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 2: Okay, so we're going to back up pre social impact consultant. 33 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 2: You live in La Now where did you grow up? 34 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: So? 35 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 3: I was born in the United States, but I grew 36 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 3: up in Mexico. 37 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: I grew up in Tijuana, which is a border city 38 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: with San Diego. So my parents, who are both Mexican, 39 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 1: my father who passed away when I was eight, When 40 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: we were very young, they sort of made a decision 41 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: about wanting to raise their family close to the border, 42 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: having experience on both sides, and eventually deciding they wanted 43 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: to raise us in Mexico. So looking at different border 44 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: city is a settled Monthiquana, but still wanting us to 45 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 1: have exposure and experience in both and so all of 46 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: us had to at some point attend school or university 47 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: in Mexico really be in that culture in the society. 48 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: So I really say that I grew up on both 49 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: sides of the border. I went to school on both 50 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,519 Speaker 1: sides of the border, lived on both sides, used to 51 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: cross the border every day to go to school at 52 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: different times in my life. But yeah, I'm a border kid, 53 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: as we like to call us. 54 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 2: Can you actually explain that how that works? So someone 55 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 2: who doesn't live anywhere near the border, Yeah, that sounds surprising. 56 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, well, listen, I think we now have 57 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: a very different idea of what the border is and 58 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: what it looks like. It was different back then, late eighties, 59 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: early nineties. So it would look like getting up in 60 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: the morning, having breakfast at my home at Tijuana, driving 61 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: to the international border, waiting in line, presenting yourself and 62 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: you know, proving your US citizen across the border, and 63 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: then driving to school and then doing the same thing 64 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: in reverse every day. And there was actually a not 65 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: insignificant population of people from the Iquana who were going 66 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: to school in San Diego. It seems like an insurmountable 67 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: thing like can you go to school in a different country, 68 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: And the answer is yes, you can, and it was 69 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: so great. And it was also great because people who 70 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: I went to school with were like, you live in Mexico, 71 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: what is that about? And so just even being able 72 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: to be that person that was sort of the introduction 73 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: of very many people's first experience meeting somewhere from a 74 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: different country. 75 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 2: I feel like that still happens in your life and 76 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 2: ended up happening a lot in your life. Do you 77 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 2: feel like you kind of got your bearings as a 78 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 2: kid talking to people about being their friend from another country. 79 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 1: Yes, I think sometimes being the only person that people 80 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: might have known from a different country or who was 81 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: Mexican or that was in their life that was different 82 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: than them. And even when I was going to school 83 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 1: in Mexico for junior high, you know, being someone who 84 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 1: for them was more of like Nagarina, like the American 85 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: who was there, and like where did you come from? 86 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: And what's your story? And you have all these different, 87 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 1: very much more progressive ideas than we have. And so 88 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,600 Speaker 1: I've always sort of been straddling like two different identities 89 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: and cultures and then just kind of melding them together 90 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: and making them my own. That for me was so 91 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 1: great because because it really helped me take what I 92 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: thought was the best of both sides and incorporate and 93 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: uplift what I love the most about it to be me. 94 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 2: But growing up on both sides of the border didn't 95 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 2: also mean her parents supported the decision to go to 96 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 2: college in the US. 97 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 1: My mother, who at the time was raising the five 98 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: of us. I'm the youngest of five, and she had been, 99 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: you know, raising us from being a widow at the 100 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: age of forty two forty three, but very much understanding 101 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: that education was very important and wanting to really infuse 102 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 1: that into sort of our DNA, but also having some 103 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: limitations like education is very important, but you must stay home. 104 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: You can't leave home to go to college. You need 105 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: to go to a religious university. And so she told me, 106 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: you can apply anywhere you want, but you're going to 107 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: have to stay home and go to the religious university 108 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: and live at home, which is what my older siblings did. 109 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: And so I took her to heart and I said, great, 110 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 1: I can apply anywhere. So I decided to apply to 111 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 1: Stanford and I got in and she was like Okay, 112 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 1: that's great, so like, you'll stay home. And fortunately, by 113 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:14,600 Speaker 1: that point I had an older sister who was like, 114 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: I think you need to let her go to Stamford, Like, 115 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: I think this is not an opportunity that she can 116 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: pass up. 117 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 3: And thankfully my mom listened. 118 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 2: So she went off to Stanford and headed nine hours 119 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 2: north of where she grew up. Although still in California, 120 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 2: it was worlds away from what she knew or even expected. 121 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 3: In society there. 122 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,040 Speaker 1: When I had a very clear idea of like the 123 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:42,480 Speaker 1: goal was to like marry someone awesome Mexican and live 124 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: in Tijuana and raise a family, and that's an amazing goal, 125 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 1: and that was mine for a time, and then kind 126 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: of going off to Stamford even a little bit still 127 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:53,839 Speaker 1: with that idea that that's what I was going to 128 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: be doing, and quickly realizing there was other opportunities available 129 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: at the time other people. Being the youngest of five, 130 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 1: I was kind of always responsible for myself. My three 131 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: elder siblings were so much older, there was a big gap, 132 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: and then my brother and I were like the younger 133 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: two siblings left to like kind of fend for. 134 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 3: Ourselves a little bit. 135 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: Like my mom would always be like, you're so good 136 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: at cooking. I'd be like, it's because nobody's cooking for me. 137 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: It's because I have to cook for myself. It's funny story. 138 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: My mom went to go visit my sister, who had 139 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: become an attorney. 140 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 3: At this time. She was living in New York. 141 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: She had left my brother and myself, and my brother 142 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: was in high school and I was a freshman in 143 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 1: high school, and so she's like, i'll be back in 144 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: like a week, and I think she gave my brother 145 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: all the money, and then like a week later, my 146 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: mom was like, we've run out of money. And I 147 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: was like, oh, well, okay, and so he's like, we 148 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: need to go get jobs. 149 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 3: And I was like okay. And then I call mem 150 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 3: I'm like, are you coming back? 151 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: And so that's like literally how I got my first 152 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: job because it was my brother and I were like, hello, no, like, 153 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: we needed to go get jobs. 154 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 3: So I was definitely a very responsible person. Worked through college. 155 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: And the whole nine and it was a great experience 156 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: in sixteen having a job, having a paycheck which immediately 157 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: needed to contribute to my brother, and I like surviving 158 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: at home was great. And then I was always working 159 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: while I was studying, and that wasn't a weird thing 160 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: for me. 161 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 2: So you had a serious boyfriend in college, I did. 162 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 2: Do you remember meeting. 163 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 3: Oh my god, are you kidding me? 164 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: Yes, So my serious boyfriend college who I'm now married to, 165 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: and I met because I was interning at the athletic 166 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: office at Stanford, and so I think I was like 167 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 1: waiting in the waiting area to meet with the person 168 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: I was working for, Jamie san Ninovitch, who we still know, 169 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: and my husband Jaren was being interviewed kind of in 170 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: the main area. He played basketba at Stanford, and so 171 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: I was kind of like just awkwardly standing off to 172 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 1: the side, like I didn't want to interrupt the interview, 173 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: but I wasn't being called back for work yet, and 174 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: so he Jamie came out, introduced Daren and I and 175 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:52,199 Speaker 1: I like literally thought nothing of it. But Stanford is 176 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 1: the kind of place where once you like know somebody, 177 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: all of a sudden you see him everywhere. 178 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:57,079 Speaker 3: So I would see him around. 179 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: But at the time I was just like, this is 180 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: the tallest person I ever met, and also like just 181 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 1: had no context for like, this is going to be 182 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 1: my future husband and. 183 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 3: Here we are, like, you know, twenty four. 184 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 2: Ish years later, despite Jaron being a star basketball player, 185 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 2: didn't seem like he had much of a game plan 186 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 2: with Elsa. 187 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: I think he would say that, like he had a 188 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: game plan. This is like nascent days of email. Ninety 189 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: eight was when we met, and so he sent me 190 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:32,839 Speaker 1: like an email through the old Stanford system being like, Hi, 191 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 1: this is Jaron Collins. 192 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 3: We met. I have some questions about like basketball tickets. 193 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: Like it was some weird question that I was like, 194 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: I feel like you should be able to ask other people. 195 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 3: And then he was like, can you please call me? 196 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 1: And so I was like okay, So I called him 197 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 1: and he was like, yeah, so I need like more 198 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: tickets to games. 199 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 3: And I was like, okay, first of all, you're a player, 200 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 3: you get tickets. 201 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:56,079 Speaker 1: I was like, this does not feel like a normal 202 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 1: but that was like his way of just like getting 203 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 1: me on the phone based. 204 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 3: But yeah, I would say he really was patient. And 205 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 3: then a couple. 206 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 1: Weeks later at the we were at a Halloween party 207 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: and at the time, well, Stanford is open Greek system. 208 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 3: Anyone can go to parties. So I go to this 209 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 3: Halloween party. 210 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: In my head thinking like I know this guy's going 211 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: to be there who has a crush on me, like whatever. 212 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:19,199 Speaker 1: So I get there, of course he's like nowhere to 213 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 1: be found. I look and I see his twin brother, 214 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: who also went to Stanford at the time. I'm like, 215 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 1: where's your brother. He's like, I don't know. He must 216 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:27,680 Speaker 1: be in his dorm. And I was like, I don't 217 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:28,959 Speaker 1: know what to think about that. So I'm like, where 218 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:30,559 Speaker 1: does he live? So he tells me where he lives. 219 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: So I decided to leave this party dressed a scary spice, 220 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 1: and boy was I scary, and trapes around Stanford campus 221 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: trying to find his dorm find it. 222 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 3: Go in like, ask where Jaron Collins lives. They tell me. 223 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: I go upstairs and all of a sudden, just like 224 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:49,120 Speaker 1: realizing all these things, like it's Halloween. If you're not out, 225 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: maybe you're antisocial or slightly nerdy. 226 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 3: I don't know. 227 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: I'm not going to put any labels anyways, bottom line 228 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:56,559 Speaker 1: as I bust into this room and I'm like, why 229 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: aren't you at this Halloween party? 230 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 3: And He's like, Star Trek is on. 231 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:02,959 Speaker 1: Take us out. 232 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 2: Family had been so important to you, Yeah, growing up 233 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 2: such a core piece. Did you feel like when you 234 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 2: met Jaren, you bonded on that, like on that values piece, 235 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 2: I did you see a future in that sense with him? 236 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 3: It's interesting. 237 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: Family's been important to me forever, to him forever. It 238 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 1: was one of the things I just loved the most 239 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:31,559 Speaker 1: about him, and I think one of the things he 240 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,079 Speaker 1: loved the most about me. I would definitely say that 241 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 1: when we met, though I don't think at the time 242 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: my mom envisioned me marrying someone who was not Mexican. 243 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: I don't think she had imagined I'd marry someone who 244 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 1: was black either. I think that was like adjustment for 245 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: her for sure at the time. But I knew that 246 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 1: the things that were most important, like family and the 247 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 1: importance of family and culture for the both of us 248 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: were I think something that I felt deep inside were 249 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: we're going to be very important and it was very 250 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: attractive to me. 251 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 2: Were those conversations that you had with your mother or family, 252 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:11,200 Speaker 2: or even that you had with Jaren. 253 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: I remember coming home Thanksgiving and back at the time, 254 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:19,199 Speaker 1: we had this scene called disposable cameras, which you would 255 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:22,959 Speaker 1: have developed at Long's Drugs, and you would go pick 256 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:24,680 Speaker 1: up and they would make this little album that you 257 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 1: could like flip through. And so I remember I had 258 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: developed a disposable camera and I was showing my my 259 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: mom was going through pictures and I was like, oh, 260 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 1: this fun thing. Here you are with friends. And there 261 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 1: was a picture of Jaren and I at freshman formal 262 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 1: and she was like, you know, canness like who is this? 263 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: And I was like, oh, it's a friend and she 264 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:45,640 Speaker 1: was like, oh okay. And so it was like even 265 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: that beginning, like I was like, oh man, this is 266 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:50,559 Speaker 1: not going to be as not that it was supposed 267 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: to be easy, but I guess I just in my 268 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 1: head hadn't really gone through all the steps of like 269 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: what not even just going to freshman formal, because I 270 00:12:57,920 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: mean at the time, that's all it was. 271 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 3: It wasn't even like we were getting married. 272 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 1: But we didn't start to navigate some of those more 273 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: complicated conversations. I would say until probably closer to like 274 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 1: us getting married, And then even then I would say 275 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 1: probably not until really we started having kids. 276 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:18,200 Speaker 2: Elsa is the first to admit that having her kids 277 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 2: had a huge impact on her and her purpose. But 278 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 2: before she had her three kids and started those conversations, 279 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 2: she made plans to go to law school. Did you 280 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:30,440 Speaker 2: think you were going to be a lawyer? 281 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I think we all think we're going to 282 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 1: be lawyers, and so I honestly, I honestly feel like 283 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 1: it's impossible to get through law school if you don't 284 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: actually think you're going to practice law. 285 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 3: Yes, I definitely thought I was going to be a lawyer. 286 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: And my sister Caroline, who was the sister who sort 287 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: of pushed my mom to let me go to Stanford, 288 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 1: herself was an attorney. She had gone to Stanford Law 289 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: School after completing her required at home mandatory religious undergraduate education, 290 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 1: and she is someone who I still admire. And so 291 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 1: at the time time that I graduated, Jaren was still 292 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 1: it was just in a second year in the league, 293 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: in the NBA, and we hadn't really determined what our 294 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:10,720 Speaker 1: future was. And so I was like, well, I'm not 295 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:13,959 Speaker 1: going to move to follow him somewhere. I wasn't quite 296 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: sure what I wanted to do, and so I was like, 297 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: Carolin and I are very similar, maybe I should be 298 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 1: a lawyer too, And that's a. 299 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 3: Very hilarious way to end up at Columbia Law School. 300 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 2: So she moved from California to New York and began 301 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 2: her studies at Columbia, while Jaren stayed west and played 302 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 2: for the Utah Jazz. 303 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 4: Two thousand and one NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz select 304 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 4: Jaren Collins from Stanford University, possibly to Boston, GA. 305 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: To Collins who slams it down, picking wall to perfections jam. 306 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 3: And from behind it's Collins with the rejection. 307 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 1: It's funny because I think the way we've done all 308 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: our conversations about major decisions as a couple, even before 309 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: we were married, certainly as we're married, and certainly as 310 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: we're raising children, are that like we we want to 311 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 1: support each other's goals, and that might not look traditional 312 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 1: or like everybody else's version of support. So for Jaren, 313 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:11,840 Speaker 1: he was like, great, you want to go to law school. 314 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: Go to law school. I'll support you. We'll stay together 315 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: and we'll see each other and we'll make it work. 316 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 1: You know, I'll come to New York, you'll come to 317 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: Utah when you're able. And so I was really fortunate 318 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 1: and that he wasn't like, why are you even going 319 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 1: to law school? You should just move here also to 320 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:28,680 Speaker 1: be frank, I mean, it wasn't like he'd proposed or anything. 321 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 1: So I was like, I'm not ready to make decisions 322 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: about anything. Well, I mean, I knew, but I wasn't 323 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: like it wasn't official. I guess I'll say. 324 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 3: And so then. 325 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:37,800 Speaker 1: Basically I go off to law school and I'm in 326 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 1: law school for one month and then he proposes, and 327 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, well, but you know, to be fair, 328 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: like I went did the three years. 329 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 3: We got married after my second year in law school. 330 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 1: But I do feel like we have always made sure 331 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 1: that the other person feels like they can make kind 332 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: of big decisions, and we'll figure it out, you know, 333 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: We'll figure out how to make the relationship, the marriage, 334 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:03,800 Speaker 1: the parenting, the consistency and seeing each other and and 335 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: also being able to kind of like grow together and 336 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: evolve together. 337 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 2: I remember at that point in my life it seemed 338 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 2: like every decision I made would be forever. And I 339 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 2: have to admire Elsa's ability to have these huge conversations 340 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 2: and take them all in stride, trusting that her experiences 341 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 2: would lead her down the right path. So did you 342 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 2: ever end up practicing law? 343 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: I mean, I was at White in Case for like 344 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: one minute, and I think it's like, honestly, it's a 345 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 1: great profession and when you're in the industry that you 346 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 1: want to be in or if you enjoy it, I 347 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: think it's great. I think for me, the experience of 348 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,480 Speaker 1: going to law school was getting out of it what 349 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 1: I needed to, which was like understanding contracts and understanding 350 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: how the world works, and how to be a persuasive writer, 351 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: how to express myself, how to look for compelling kind 352 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 1: of arguments when it comes to discussing your point of 353 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:04,679 Speaker 1: view or how you feel about certain things. And I 354 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: got to live in one of the greatest cities in 355 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: the world for three years, so like, have no regrets 356 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:09,159 Speaker 1: about it. 357 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 3: But I'm not mad that I'm not a practicing lawyer. 358 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:13,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I feel the same way. I didn't 359 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 2: even have one minute at a firm, Like I didn't 360 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,439 Speaker 2: practice at all, but I'm so happy that I did it. 361 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:19,200 Speaker 3: Yeah. 362 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,160 Speaker 1: I think the one other gift law school, we gam 363 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: me was like more of a love of running, which 364 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 1: I didn't. 365 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:25,679 Speaker 3: Have prior to law school. 366 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 1: Once I was there, it was like running became a 367 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,639 Speaker 1: little bit of my escape and also kind of this 368 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: foundation for this idea that like I need to do 369 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:36,440 Speaker 1: what I need to do to take care of myself. 370 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 1: Which is get physical activity, get outside if I can. 371 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 2: What role does in physical activity play in your life? 372 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: I mean the biggest I would say as someone who's 373 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:51,359 Speaker 1: super busy, three kids, a husband who doesn't live here 374 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 1: full time, navigating a couple of different organizations, wanting to 375 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:58,959 Speaker 1: do good in the world, and five hundred million other things. 376 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:00,199 Speaker 3: My mom who lives with me. 377 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:03,359 Speaker 1: Like all all the things I always say, Like to me, 378 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: getting a workout or moving my body is probably the 379 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,239 Speaker 1: most important thing I can do in a day, not 380 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: because it truly is, but because if I don't give 381 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: it that importance, I won't do it. Because of course 382 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 1: it's not the most important thing. There's a list of 383 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 1: seven thousand things I should do before working out, but 384 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: for me, working out is number one because as soon 385 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: as I get that out of the way, I'm like, 386 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:25,199 Speaker 1: I have done what I need to do to then 387 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: be able to be of service to anybody else. 388 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 3: It's my version of a glass of wine. 389 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 2: That selfishness for me in a good way piece really 390 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 2: really resonates with me. 391 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,640 Speaker 1: I mean, I think, let's be selfish, because by the way, 392 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: when I do that, I'm so much better at everything 393 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 1: else I need to do, even with my kids, like 394 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: just my temperament and how I can be with them. 395 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:50,439 Speaker 1: So I think, to me, it's like it gives me 396 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 1: like the superpower to keep going. And so it plays 397 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,439 Speaker 1: a huge role. And like anybody who's my friend on 398 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:59,560 Speaker 1: Instagram knows, you know, I'm like, here's my accountability snap, 399 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: I got in and like it's for me. It's for sanity, 400 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 1: not even vanity. I mean, like great, A great consequence 401 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: can be that you're you're healthy and you might look 402 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: better than you would if you didn't. But like for me, 403 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:14,480 Speaker 1: it's it's that I just am totally centered and like 404 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:16,359 Speaker 1: now can be completely purpose driven. 405 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 2: So after you graduated law school, you did your one minute, 406 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 2: where did you move? Because where was your husband living? 407 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 3: It was still in Utah. 408 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:28,320 Speaker 1: He played in Utah for eight years after graduating after 409 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: leaving Stanford, and I moved to LA because this is 410 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: where he was from, and so he was like, this 411 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: will be our home base, LA, and it was. 412 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:40,440 Speaker 3: It was kind of not the normal and not the usual. 413 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,120 Speaker 1: When we got married, I said, you know, I understand 414 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 1: your career and this is your goal and like I 415 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:50,919 Speaker 1: support you. But the NBA can be a very transient, 416 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 1: fickle place. I mean, it was a shocker that he 417 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: handed up for eight years in one place. But usually, 418 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 1: you know, you can sign and you can get traded, 419 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:00,679 Speaker 1: and it can be very mobile. And so I was like, 420 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:02,200 Speaker 1: I just don't ever want to get on this merry 421 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:05,879 Speaker 1: around and like he accepted that, which was not easy 422 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,080 Speaker 1: because he was living in Utah during the season. I 423 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: was here in LA, like setting up the house and 424 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: where we were going to spend the rest of our lives, 425 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 1: where we still live today, and that's still the current 426 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: setup today, you know, eighteen years, married later, three kids. 427 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:23,159 Speaker 3: He's in New Orleans right now and that's where he 428 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:25,159 Speaker 3: lives during the season, and we're here in LA and 429 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:26,400 Speaker 3: our children go to school here. 430 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 1: And I tell him, like, the best way I can 431 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 1: support your journey, your career and your goals is to 432 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:35,439 Speaker 1: make sure our kids are taken care of, they have 433 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:39,720 Speaker 1: a routine, they feel supported. We're connected to you via 434 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:41,919 Speaker 1: you know, FaceTime, and when we go to see him 435 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:44,520 Speaker 1: and when he's in town. And I think, again, it's 436 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: not the normal, and I don't think it would work 437 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:48,400 Speaker 1: for everybody, but it's actually. 438 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:49,719 Speaker 3: Worked really well. 439 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 1: You know, there is a process of like continually checking 440 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:57,119 Speaker 1: in and reconnecting, you know, when you're together, because you 441 00:20:57,119 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 1: can kind of get into this like, well, everything's so 442 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:00,199 Speaker 1: amazing when you see each other because like who has 443 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: time to talk, argue or do whatever. You know, first 444 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:05,800 Speaker 1: of all, there's always time to argue, but I think 445 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: it helps us really remember like what's important. 446 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:13,560 Speaker 2: So did you feel any pressure from the NBA community 447 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 2: to be living with him? 448 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:15,720 Speaker 3: Sure? 449 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:22,679 Speaker 1: I mean, I think, And again, the composition of significant others, 450 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: just like anything in this world, shifts generationally. When Jaren 451 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:29,680 Speaker 1: was a rookie, some of the veterans were like karme 452 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,920 Speaker 1: Alone and John Stockton and like Hall of Fame players, 453 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,119 Speaker 1: amazing people in the league. But at the time I 454 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 1: was just a girlfriend and even when we were engaged, 455 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: well you're not married. But yeah, I think it was 456 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:45,439 Speaker 1: a little surprising. I think it's less so now. I 457 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 1: think just the way the league is now, how you 458 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 1: can be anywhere and everywhere with social media and how 459 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:55,719 Speaker 1: that works. I think that it's a little bit not 460 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: as shocking that I don't live where he played or 461 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: now he coaches, and the people who've known me forever 462 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: just know this is my jam. 463 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 3: But yeah, I think at the beginning, I was. 464 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: It was a little bit like, oh, well, like why 465 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, I go to law school. 466 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 3: I don't know. 467 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 1: I'm not done. 468 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 3: Yet, you know. 469 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: And then when I was done, they're like, well now, 470 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:16,359 Speaker 1: and I was like, no, I really go down right now. 471 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,120 Speaker 3: So I do think I was I'm probably a little 472 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 3: bit of an oddity in that sense. 473 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:24,160 Speaker 2: But how did you think about your identity at that time, 474 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 2: whether it was your career your personal identity when you 475 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 2: were living separately. 476 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:28,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean. 477 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:32,439 Speaker 1: It's interesting because I would say before I am who 478 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,399 Speaker 1: I am now. I guess in a sense, I was 479 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 1: like I was his significant other. 480 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 3: I guess. 481 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,200 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously I'm my own person and my own individual, 482 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,120 Speaker 1: but at that time when I was like, I don't 483 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:44,560 Speaker 1: really know, I still don't really know what I want 484 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 1: to do. Okay, I'm not going to be a practicing attorney, 485 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:51,000 Speaker 1: I know that, but I didn't know what else yet. 486 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:52,480 Speaker 1: And then we kind of started to get into this 487 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:55,199 Speaker 1: conversation about having children, and then we actually started having children, 488 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 1: and so being in a position to be at home 489 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:01,359 Speaker 1: when my kids were young was something that I really 490 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:04,159 Speaker 1: cherished and felt really blessed that I could do. And 491 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:07,919 Speaker 1: in a sense, it was like amazing, but also comfortable 492 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:12,679 Speaker 1: in that I still didn't feel like pressured to figure 493 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:14,960 Speaker 1: something out yet, you know what I mean. And again, 494 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 1: that's a privilege that I had at the time that 495 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 1: not everybody does have, and so kind of enjoying being 496 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: with them when they were young, and then at a 497 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 1: certain point then figuring, okay, I got it. 498 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:31,200 Speaker 2: Always inspired by her kids, Elsa centered her work around them, 499 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 2: balancing the demands of motherhood, but wanting to do more, 500 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:37,719 Speaker 2: she started to dabble in organizing. 501 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:40,400 Speaker 1: I had kind of gone in and out a little 502 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 1: bit of politics and election work. 503 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 3: It was like every four years, and so like every 504 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:47,440 Speaker 3: four two years. 505 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 1: People would be like hey, I'd be like, yes, I'm 506 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:52,720 Speaker 1: into this, and I'm into helping the Latino community. 507 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:54,639 Speaker 3: I'm not going to say in this casualty, but in 508 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 3: this cyclical way, I will say. 509 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:01,440 Speaker 1: And then kind of realizing that this cyclical system wasn't 510 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: working for anybody, including the community, and I needed to 511 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 1: sort of say like, well, if it's not working for 512 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 1: the community and that's the only time I'm engaged, well 513 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: that's probably not working then for anybody. So I should 514 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 1: try to figure out a way to be more present 515 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:19,680 Speaker 1: and more intentional in being a part of the change 516 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 1: that I wanted to see. 517 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 2: She had worked on and off the political scene, but 518 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,840 Speaker 2: didn't feel committed until something shifted for her. It was 519 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 2: twenty sixteen and Hillary Clinton had just announced her run 520 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 2: for president. This was particularly personal to Elsa because she 521 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:40,400 Speaker 2: was best friends with Chelsea Clinton at Stanford. 522 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 1: And Hillary Clinton was announcing that she was going to 523 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:48,439 Speaker 1: run for president. I want to be in the middle 524 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:50,679 Speaker 1: of that, and I want to be doing what I 525 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,880 Speaker 1: can to help make that happen. But as a professional, 526 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:57,119 Speaker 1: you know, graduated from college and a master's and a 527 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:00,440 Speaker 1: law degree, I didn't really have a serious job until 528 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:02,920 Speaker 1: I was thirty six, and parenting and being a mother 529 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 1: is a serious job. Just went outside the home. And 530 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 1: I think that that's something that when women confront almost 531 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:14,479 Speaker 1: seems like an insurmountable obstacle to get back into it 532 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: or to decide. 533 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 3: How do I do it? 534 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 1: And I think I was my own worst enemy and 535 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:25,480 Speaker 1: gatekeeper and obstacle, and so I think having the desire 536 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: to do it and then having the guts to say, 537 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: how do I do it? What's the first step going 538 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 1: to be? Who am I going to call? And putting 539 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 1: myself out there in that way like you were saying 540 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: when you were like, well, I don't know that I 541 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 1: want to indicate to everybody else that it's time to 542 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:45,440 Speaker 1: lose weight, because you're also saying like that's a thing 543 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:47,680 Speaker 1: for you. At the time, maybe I didn't want to 544 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 1: say it to the world like hey, I actually want 545 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:53,680 Speaker 1: to get back into being someone who is working towards 546 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 1: a goal, because that would indicate like what was I 547 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: doing before? And so once I literally just got over 548 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 1: myself because that's what it took. I was like, I'm 549 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:05,479 Speaker 1: just gonna I'm gonna start my own consulting company. I'm 550 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:07,720 Speaker 1: going to focus on social impact and how to make 551 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 1: this world a better place and how to bring people 552 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 1: together to do it together and so but then of 553 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: course I had no clients. So it was like I'm 554 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: starting this thing and I have this idea, and in 555 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:24,159 Speaker 1: like twenty sixteen, it was it was a little bit 556 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 1: ahead of what we know now to be a huge 557 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 1: important part of brands and corporations and individuals and entertainers 558 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:35,199 Speaker 1: and athletes is like who are you and what are 559 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:36,679 Speaker 1: the things that matter to you and how do you 560 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:40,160 Speaker 1: engage in those things? At the time, it was like, wait, 561 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: what is that even a thing? And I was like, 562 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: it's yes, it is a thing, and it's going to 563 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:44,440 Speaker 1: be a thing. 564 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:48,280 Speaker 2: One thing that I admire about Elsa is her ability 565 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:52,280 Speaker 2: to make the ask no one is too unobtainable for her. 566 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:57,160 Speaker 2: From Reese Witherspoon to Sarah Michelle Geller, to Zoe Saladanna 567 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:01,120 Speaker 2: to Nina Dobrev. She has built a wrong and growing 568 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 2: community with her tenacity. Yeah. 569 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:06,439 Speaker 1: I basically spent like the first year doing what we 570 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:08,919 Speaker 1: like to call business development, and I just like to 571 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:11,399 Speaker 1: call calling everybody you know and saying like, well, you 572 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:11,680 Speaker 1: have a. 573 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:12,199 Speaker 3: Meeting with me. 574 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: And then I eventually got my first client, which ended 575 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:17,399 Speaker 1: up being America Fererra, who I had met in the 576 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:20,159 Speaker 1: two thousand and eight election when Hillary ran for the 577 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 1: first time, and she was like one of the first, 578 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 1: you know, sort of like latinas out there who was 579 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:27,919 Speaker 1: going to be a surrogate for her and her saying 580 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: she was creating at the time a very successful organization 581 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: called Harness which exists today, which was how you and 582 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 1: I met and said, like, you know, you're the person 583 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 1: who creates community, and will you help me create this community? 584 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: And so fortunately yes. And the work that Harness has done, 585 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:47,800 Speaker 1: that we did together, that you and I did in 586 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 1: the twenty eighteen elections, I think really sort of created 587 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:56,159 Speaker 1: this culture of like people who are in entertainment or 588 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 1: in sports, behind the camera, in front of the camera, whatever, 589 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:03,160 Speaker 1: they are all so contributing members of society. They're citizens, 590 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:05,239 Speaker 1: they live in the cities we all live in. They 591 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 1: care about the things we all care about, and so 592 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:12,239 Speaker 1: they're also interested in using their platform to help make change. 593 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:15,000 Speaker 2: So let's get into that. When we did meet, so 594 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:19,359 Speaker 2: it was twenty eighteen. I had a two year old 595 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 2: and a six month old. That was when I left 596 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,280 Speaker 2: the think tank and started doing my own consulting, so 597 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:26,640 Speaker 2: kind of in a similar place that I was going 598 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 2: out doing my own consulting, and I was so insecure 599 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 2: about this idea that nobody would want to hire me 600 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 2: outside of the think tank, that like my whole identity 601 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 2: was tied up to it, and that if I went 602 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 2: out on my own, nobody would want to hire me. 603 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 2: I somehow talked Swing Left into hiring me. I remember 604 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 2: the person introducing us saying you have to meet Elsa. 605 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 2: I can't really explain who she is or what she does. 606 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 2: She's just sort of the kingmaker. And I was like, 607 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 2: oh my god, she's so impressive. She knows everything, Like 608 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:56,600 Speaker 2: from the minute I talked, I was like, oh my god, 609 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 2: she just gets it, like she knows everything. And I 610 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:02,640 Speaker 2: was trying to prove that I was still like a 611 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,800 Speaker 2: viable political consultant, like I was trying so but you 612 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 2: know what, like I was in such a muddled brain 613 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 2: space of like young kids, and I ended up really 614 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 2: going deep in like back to that twenty four to seven, 615 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 2: working for like the last couple of weeks of the cycle, 616 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 2: totally abandoning my kids, and then having to recalibrate again 617 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,640 Speaker 2: at the end of it because I was so I 618 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:29,479 Speaker 2: didn't know how to introduce myself in a professional setting 619 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 2: that wasn't like ramming myself into it. Actually, I still 620 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 2: don't know how to do that. That's still a continuous 621 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 2: challenge for me. But that was the first time, and 622 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 2: I was so concerned with how others viewed me as 623 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 2: a serious political person. And I was so impressed by 624 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 2: the way that you came into it and so confident. 625 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:53,680 Speaker 2: So this is actually fascinating for me to learn that 626 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 2: you were still sort of in this process of setting 627 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:58,680 Speaker 2: up your own consulting at that point, I mean, further 628 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 2: along than me. But but where were you in that place. 629 00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:06,800 Speaker 1: I mean, let's say twenty eighteen, my kids were oh 630 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: my god, six, eight and ten. I knew once I 631 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 1: had like my north star, which is like, Okay, what 632 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:16,760 Speaker 1: are the issues that affect my family and my kids directly? 633 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 2: So you've talked about how your children have changed your 634 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 2: perspective and really motivated you to be involved in so 635 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 2: many of the issues that you're involved with in Champion. 636 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 2: It was really interesting for me going into this conversation 637 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 2: because my whole premise in this is that my children 638 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,320 Speaker 2: killed my career, right, and I feel like you really 639 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 2: challenged that for me. 640 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 1: I feel like my kids really just made me realize 641 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 1: that part of my sort of version of parenting is 642 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,960 Speaker 1: helping them understand like who they are and where they 643 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:52,480 Speaker 1: fit into this society multi racial children. I'm Mexican, my 644 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:57,160 Speaker 1: husband's black and Native American, and wanting them and telling 645 00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:01,160 Speaker 1: them like you might be also the only black and 646 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: brown and Native person that someone in your sphere is 647 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:07,560 Speaker 1: ever going to meet. And that's I feel a responsibility 648 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:09,239 Speaker 1: that I need to be good at educating them on 649 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 1: because I want to make sure that they understand like 650 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 1: what that actually means, being like an upstander, being someone 651 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:17,800 Speaker 1: who is gonna talk about when things are right or wrong. 652 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: And so having them made me feel like I should 653 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: be doing more and so Lord knows we're doing it. 654 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 1: And I genuinely felt also that, you know, I had 655 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,800 Speaker 1: to be equally as an impassioned advocate when it came 656 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: to like who they were, being Latino and Mexican and 657 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 1: also being black young children in this country and advocating 658 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:43,680 Speaker 1: for that as well. And so I think it's really 659 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 1: helped hone that north star that I have keep me 660 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 1: motivated when I'm tired, and also given me the opportunity 661 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:53,520 Speaker 1: to be able to talk about the issues that are 662 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 1: so important with them. My work is also some of 663 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:00,960 Speaker 1: the most challenging and complicated conversation pieces that you can 664 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 1: be having with adults, let alone with children. Obviously everything 665 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 1: in an age appropriate way, and now that they are fourteen, twelve, 666 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:10,640 Speaker 1: and ten, we're in a place where we're having the 667 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:16,840 Speaker 1: same conversation with more information, more realness, I guess, I'll say, 668 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 1: And that's something I feel very blessed that I can do. 669 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 2: She does it all and then some. She has founded 670 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 2: several organizations, all that address key issues here in the 671 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 2: United States. Then, midway through the Trump presidency and a 672 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 2: growing border crisis, she decided to co found her organization 673 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 2: This Is About Humanity. 674 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 1: This Is About Humanity was something that came from just 675 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 1: the situation with the separation of families becoming more well 676 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: known because as we know, it had been happening for 677 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:54,479 Speaker 1: a minute and we just weren't really aware of it. 678 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 1: And so someone had called me, actually America had called 679 00:32:57,720 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 1: me to say that there was a small group that 680 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: I was going to go to El Paso to protest 681 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 1: the proposal that they were doing about building ten cities 682 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 1: to put these kids that they were separating from their 683 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:11,120 Speaker 1: parents into. She wasn't able to make it, but she 684 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:13,479 Speaker 1: was like, would you go and check it out? And 685 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:16,400 Speaker 1: I said yes, I will totally go. And so I 686 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:19,400 Speaker 1: flew to El Paso and I was doing this protest. 687 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 1: Everyone had made a sign that said something different, and 688 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:23,560 Speaker 1: the sign that I had made had said this is 689 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 1: about humanity, because that's how I felt about the situation, 690 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,360 Speaker 1: like this isn't even about politics, this is not about 691 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:30,120 Speaker 1: right and left. This is literally about who we are 692 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: as like human beings and as people. And so she 693 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:34,680 Speaker 1: was like, you should hot, this is about humanity and 694 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 1: I was like, okay, So first thing you got to 695 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 1: do is get the Instagram handle. It was available from there. 696 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 1: It was when's the next trip and when's the next 697 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 1: opportunity to help these families. 698 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:47,440 Speaker 3: And so here we are four years later. 699 00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:50,680 Speaker 1: We've done like over twenty five trips to visit families 700 00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:55,640 Speaker 1: asilum seekers children at the border in Tijuana, doing everything 701 00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 1: from bearing witness, listening to stories, to doing community service projects, 702 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:04,320 Speaker 1: building playground painting, replacing tents at the shelters that needed them. 703 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:06,240 Speaker 4: First trip a. 704 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:15,120 Speaker 2: Trip and today the vers highly heard details of how. 705 00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:19,800 Speaker 4: Family Anti Quanas a relief effort. 706 00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:24,839 Speaker 3: La Santia and his restaurant crew have. 707 00:34:25,360 --> 00:34:28,320 Speaker 2: Facilitated this meal prep for migros. 708 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:29,560 Speaker 3: I'm here with mariive. 709 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:35,000 Speaker 4: Some of the items that this is about humanity has 710 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,480 Speaker 4: brought here to the migrant shelter. 711 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:45,400 Speaker 1: At and now we have a relief kitchen that we're 712 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:48,920 Speaker 1: operating that feeds two thousand people a day who are 713 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:50,399 Speaker 1: seeking asylum who are at. 714 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:51,040 Speaker 3: The border region. 715 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:53,719 Speaker 1: And we also do events here in the US with 716 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:56,839 Speaker 1: families who were previously separated but are now reunified. 717 00:34:56,920 --> 00:34:58,360 Speaker 3: So we do a holiday. 718 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:00,960 Speaker 1: Party for families in LA We're doing one in Miami, 719 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 1: and so at the core, it's really just an opportunity 720 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,359 Speaker 1: for people to get closer to the issue, to feel 721 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:11,200 Speaker 1: more comfortable talking about the issue. You know, sometimes we're like, well, 722 00:35:11,239 --> 00:35:13,640 Speaker 1: I'm not an expert on X, Y and Z, so 723 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 1: like easier for me to kind of just stay away. 724 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 1: And the truth is, you don't need to be an 725 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:20,480 Speaker 1: expert on what it means to be like a human being, 726 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:24,520 Speaker 1: a mother, a daughter, a friend. And if people are 727 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:27,280 Speaker 1: interested in being of service, like I'm interested in getting 728 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:27,880 Speaker 1: them involved. 729 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:31,919 Speaker 2: You've done an incredible job of utilizing like a being 730 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:35,879 Speaker 2: sort of placed based in your connecting and creating out 731 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:38,920 Speaker 2: of nothing. I think that's very inspiring, and I think 732 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:41,600 Speaker 2: that's something a lot of people could think about in 733 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:44,040 Speaker 2: their own communities, that you don't have to start huge, 734 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 2: like you can start with what you have. 735 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:49,600 Speaker 1: We're always thinking about like this concept of like who 736 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:53,839 Speaker 1: can amplify and how that's so important, But then at 737 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 1: the same time, I'm like, but you might be the 738 00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:59,560 Speaker 1: most influential person in your own community way more than 739 00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 1: somebod these people can be because you're the one that's 740 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:06,080 Speaker 1: interacting with your neighbors and your colleagues and the people 741 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:06,800 Speaker 1: in the community. 742 00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:09,880 Speaker 3: And so I also feel like that's something we can. 743 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:12,520 Speaker 1: Never lose sight of, because it can always feel like 744 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:15,319 Speaker 1: you're looking around to someone else to show up to 745 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:17,399 Speaker 1: do the thing, and I'm like, you can do the thing, 746 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:20,399 Speaker 1: like you're going to be, you know, the messenger that's 747 00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:22,759 Speaker 1: gonna tell your family how important it is to show 748 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:24,920 Speaker 1: up to vote, or you're going to be the messenger 749 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:26,840 Speaker 1: that's going to like look around. 750 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:27,080 Speaker 2: You know. 751 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:29,560 Speaker 1: I'm always like, you know, the situation that's happening at 752 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:31,680 Speaker 1: the border seems far away. But the truth is, we 753 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:35,200 Speaker 1: have detention centers in almost every state in this country. 754 00:36:35,239 --> 00:36:38,480 Speaker 1: We have people in our community who are either undocumented 755 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:42,120 Speaker 1: or members of mixed status families. We have people in 756 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:44,200 Speaker 1: our lives who are we're working with or who are 757 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:46,520 Speaker 1: working for us, who I don't know if you've ever 758 00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:48,680 Speaker 1: asked them, like what their situation is, how did they 759 00:36:48,719 --> 00:36:51,040 Speaker 1: get here? Was their life experience? So it's like people 760 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 1: are looking so far away where I'm like, you just 761 00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:56,640 Speaker 1: maybe need to look a little bit closer and be 762 00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:59,719 Speaker 1: more open to having these types of conversations with people 763 00:36:59,719 --> 00:37:01,399 Speaker 1: in your life, and I think people would be very 764 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:04,600 Speaker 1: surprised about the ways that they personally can be making 765 00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:05,160 Speaker 1: a difference. 766 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:08,839 Speaker 2: Thank you so much, Elsa, Thank you for joining us. 767 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:10,279 Speaker 3: Thank you so much for having me. 768 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:15,240 Speaker 2: Elsa still lives in California with her three kids and husband, 769 00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:18,880 Speaker 2: and somehow still works on all of her different organizations 770 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:24,040 Speaker 2: on key issues like voter registration for marginalized communities, promoting 771 00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:28,440 Speaker 2: racial and gender equity, protecting the undocumented, and more. 772 00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:30,920 Speaker 3: She is a true advocate and. 773 00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:33,080 Speaker 2: A reminder to me and I hope all of you 774 00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:36,600 Speaker 2: that you can have an impact on your community, no 775 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:41,080 Speaker 2: matter the size. If you use your voice to get 776 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:44,160 Speaker 2: involved with This is About Humanity, you can follow them 777 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:50,800 Speaker 2: on Instagram at This is about Humanity. Thanks for listening 778 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,440 Speaker 2: to this episode of She Pivots when I talk with 779 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 2: women about how their experiences and significant personal events led 780 00:37:57,640 --> 00:38:01,480 Speaker 2: to their pivot and eventually their successes. Be sure to 781 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:05,560 Speaker 2: follow us on Instagram at she Pivots the podcast and 782 00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:08,120 Speaker 2: leave a rating in comment if you enjoyed this episode 783 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:10,640 Speaker 2: to help others learn about it. A special thank you 784 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:13,319 Speaker 2: to our partner Marie Claire and the team that made 785 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:16,280 Speaker 2: this episode possible. Talk to you next week. 786 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:23,880 Speaker 3: Lauren Demolo vanished without a trace on June nineteenth. Police 787 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:25,839 Speaker 3: call Demolo's disappearance suspicious. 788 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:28,560 Speaker 2: Lauren Demolo was last seen more than a week ago 789 00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:31,840 Speaker 2: at her Cape Coral apartment, and police believe she's in danger. 790 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:35,439 Speaker 4: Where is Lauren Demolo? 791 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:43,880 Speaker 3: You don't really hear these stories. In such a. 792 00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:46,840 Speaker 4: Beautiful town, you feel like your whole world is safe. 793 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:51,120 Speaker 4: This is a story that needs to be told, because 794 00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:52,759 Speaker 4: this story needs an ending. 795 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:57,799 Speaker 3: Her message said, I don't know what to do. 796 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:01,600 Speaker 2: I need to get out of the situation. I need help. 797 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:03,879 Speaker 3: Maybe somebody really was after her. 798 00:39:04,239 --> 00:39:06,200 Speaker 1: And I said, the girl you're supposedly in love with 799 00:39:06,239 --> 00:39:08,840 Speaker 1: and engaged too as not been home and is missing, 800 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:10,799 Speaker 1: and you're not going to be there or go looking 801 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:12,560 Speaker 1: for her, I said, I got a big problem with 802 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:12,960 Speaker 1: all of this. 803 00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:17,360 Speaker 4: Unexpected twists and turns fuel a community wide search to 804 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:22,400 Speaker 4: bring Lauren home. But Lauren is still missing and nobody's talking. 805 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:26,359 Speaker 2: I do believe she will be found. I really do 806 00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:29,520 Speaker 2: believe that justice will be served. A lot of people 807 00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:31,480 Speaker 2: know exactly what happened. 808 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:33,759 Speaker 1: There are so many puzzle pieces here. 809 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:35,480 Speaker 3: You can't figure out what happened. 810 00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:39,440 Speaker 4: Someone is responsible, someone is complicit. 811 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:42,040 Speaker 3: I'm not going to stop until I find out what happened. 812 00:39:41,760 --> 00:39:42,240 Speaker 1: To my daughter. 813 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:46,960 Speaker 4: I'm Hillary Wadsworth and I'm Caitlin Body join us as 814 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:51,520 Speaker 4: we seek to find out what really happened to Lauren Demolo. 815 00:39:56,120 --> 00:40:00,120 Speaker 4: Complicit is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or or 816 00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:01,560 Speaker 4: wherever you get your podcasts. 817 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:21,120 Speaker 2: She Pivots is hosted by me Emily Tish Sussman, produced 818 00:40:21,160 --> 00:40:24,960 Speaker 2: by Emily Eda Voloshik, with sound editing and mixing from 819 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:28,759 Speaker 2: Nina Pollock, and research and planning for Christine Dickinson and 820 00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:29,680 Speaker 2: Hannah Cousins. 821 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:37,920 Speaker 1: I endorse Chi Pivots