We should be empowering one another.

“There have been three women who have inspired me deeply: my godmother Evy, my mom Ernestina, and Suze Orman.  

The first woman that inspired me was my Godmother Evy. It was probably right before my early teens; my godmother Evy and her husband owned a business at a swap meet in town. I would go to the Swap-meet with her, and I studied the way she conducted herself professionally. That is the first time I realized, "Ok, just because you are a woman, it doesn’t mean you have to stay home. You can have your own business, set your hours, be a businesswoman, and have a whole family." Her husband never placed her in the category of gender roles. They have always been a partnership. 

That second woman is my mom, Ernestina. My mom's resilience and her capacity to forgive is incredible, I have never seen anything like it. For my mom, it doesn’t matter what she goes through, she always bounces back. I have seen it happen time after time. That is something I deeply admire about her. My mom is truly the best example of unconditional love. She has a heart of gold.  

Lastly, Suze Orman. Suze is a broker, and she has a show, writes books, and educates the public on everything that has to do with the financial world. Suze’s life story inspired me because she used to be a waitress and she would save all her tips with the hope of making a name for herself. She decided to see a broker for an investment opportunity, but unfortunately, this broker failed to take into consideration her risk tolerance. Suze ended up investing fifty thousand dollars, and she lost everything within a year. Obviously, she was devasted but instead of dwelling on the negatives of the situation she picked herself up and decided to learn the business trade. Suze became a broker to correct injustice. I love how she became more motivated and moved forward without letting this experience hinder her outlook on investments. Suze is who I strive to be like.  

I think as women, we tend to criticize and tear down one another. Women can be very competitive, and that is not necessarily a bad thing, but it seems like in the process of it, we forget to support one another. After all, we are very powerful and capable. We should learn to see our worth. We should not be looking for each other's validation, instead, we should be empowering one another. Cheer your fellow women.”

- Yessica Portillo, Real Estate Agent, ERA Integrity Real Estate