Navigating Challenges in Real Estate: Insights from a Trailblazer
The focal point of today's discussion revolves around the transformative impact of real estate through the lens of Gladys Margarita Diaz, a distinguished bilingual Cuban American whose innovative approach blends architecture with community enhancement. Based in Miami, she exemplifies the integration of purpose with profitability, advocating for spaces that resonate emotionally with inhabitants while also serving a greater societal need. As a Cornell University alumnus and an accomplished architect, Gladys poses an essential question to all stakeholders in real estate: “What kind of space do you want to create?” This inquiry underscores her commitment to fostering environments that uplift neighborhoods rather than merely generate revenue. Our dialogue with Gladys promises to deliver profound insights into sustainable living, the nuances of property development, and the vital role of creativity in shaping the future of urban landscapes.
The current dialogue features an illustrious guest, Gladys Margarita Diaz, whose profound influence and innovative vision in real estate has established her as a formidable presence in the industry. A bilingual Cuban American residing in Miami, Gladys imbues her property developments with a distinct Latina flair, prioritizing purpose alongside profit in her endeavors. Her educational background, including an architecture degree from Cornell University, enables her to approach real estate not merely as transactions of square footage and price tags, but rather as opportunities to create meaningful spaces that foster community engagement and emotional resonance. This transformative approach is evident in her work with Urbanization Group, where she has spearheaded multibillion-dollar projects, deftly navigating complex negotiations and advocating for sustainable housing solutions such as the tiny house movement and award-winning accessory dwelling unit developments featured on HGTV.
Throughout the conversation, Gladys articulates her vision for real estate as a sensory experience, emphasizing the significance of emotional connections in the buyer's journey. She poses a pivotal question: "What kind of space do you want to create?" This inquiry underscores her commitment to not only enhancing neighborhoods but also uplifting the lives of individuals within them. Gladys's endeavors in transforming distressed properties into flourishing homes exemplify her dedication to sustainable living, while her leadership in the industry positions her as a trailblazer reimagining real estate's potential. Listeners can anticipate a rich exchange of insights as Gladys shares her experiences, advice, and the heart behind her impactful work, ultimately inspiring a new generation of real estate professionals.
Takeaways:
- Gladys Margarita Diaz exemplifies the fusion of passion and innovation within the real estate sector, thereby transforming spaces not merely for monetary gain but for profound societal impact.
- Her multifaceted approach encapsulates a blend of design, emotional resonance, and community upliftment, creating environments that significantly enhance neighborhood dynamics.
- The conversation underscores the importance of mentorship and continuous learning, highlighting how these elements can empower individuals to overcome challenges and achieve their aspirations.
- Gladys emphasizes the pivotal role of imagination in architecture, which enables professionals to envision transformative possibilities for spaces and communities.
- She advocates for affordable housing and sustainable living solutions, showcasing her commitment to enhancing the quality of life for underserved populations in urban environments.
- The discussion reveals the significance of cultural identity in shaping one's professional journey, particularly for minorities in fields traditionally dominated by others.
Transcript
Today's guest is a powerhouse of passion, vision and innovation in the world of real estate.
Speaker A:Gladys Margarita Diaz, a bilingual Cuban American based in the heart of Miami, brings her signature Latina flair to property development and revenue optimization, transforming spaces not just for profit, but for purpose.
Speaker A:An architect and Cornell University alumni, Gladys doesn't just talk square footage and price tags.
Speaker A:She asked a deeper question.
Speaker A:What kind of space do you want to create?
Speaker A:Her approach blends design, emotion and community impact, turning real estate into a sensory experience that resonates with buyers and uplifts neighborhoods.
Speaker A: r of urbanization group since: Speaker A:Her transformation of distress properties into thriving homes and SAS is shaping the future of sustainable living.
Speaker A:Glass is a trailblazer who's redefined what real estate can be.
Speaker A:Get ready for a conversation filled with insight, inspiration, and a whole lot of heart.
Speaker A:We welcome the dynamic Gladys to the podcast.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker B:I have to live up to all that.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So I'm going to ask you my favorite question.
Speaker A:What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
Speaker B:Never let them see you bleed.
Speaker B:Don't show your weakness to people and never enlighten your enemies.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:When you have people around you that are trying to undermine you, don't give them information that could hurt you or that they could twist, because it's all about twisting information.
Speaker B:It's never truth.
Speaker B:And believe me, it makes a difference.
Speaker A:You know, that's powerful.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:You know, I'm curious, as I look at your background and your.
Speaker A:What we talked about before the show even started, who are some people in your life who served as a mentor on your journey?
Speaker B:I had.
Speaker B:I worked for an office when I was 17.
Speaker B:I was an intern.
Speaker B:I wanted to be an architect since I was 14.
Speaker B:And the summer of my first year in school, I got to work in an office, a really big office.
Speaker B:And there was a young architect there who.
Speaker B:Young, meaning in his 20s.
Speaker B:I was a kid.
Speaker B:And he took me under his wing and he.
Speaker B:And he basically helped me to create the.
Speaker B:The viewpoint that I could achieve anything.
Speaker B:And that he said to me, make.
Speaker B:Make yourself a specialist in something.
Speaker B:Like in architecture, there's a million things you can do.
Speaker B:It's a very broad field.
Speaker B:And find what makes, you know, what makes sense for you.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And then I, I decided to go to college as opposed to do what everybody else did to go to local school.
Speaker B:And I figured if I'm going to go spend money and borrow money to go to school, I want to go to the best school for my major.
Speaker B:And I, and I asked him, I said, what's the best school for my major?
Speaker B:And they said, well, Cornell University.
Speaker B:And I said, not Harvard, not Princeton, not Yale.
Speaker B:And they're like, no, they have a very practical undergraduate program which is a five year program.
Speaker B:And the guy who taught everybody who teaches at Harvard and Princeton and Yale teaches there.
Speaker B:So go to the source.
Speaker B:And I think that was another sort of aha moment, like go to the source when you're looking for information, when you want to work with somebody who's an expert in their field, go, don't go to the disciples, go to the source.
Speaker B:Find out from that person what he did to make things, you know, successful and so on.
Speaker B:So yeah, that's kind of my first step.
Speaker A:So your journey is anything but traditional.
Speaker A:What inspired you to the approach you have for property management and development?
Speaker B:Well, I, I have to rewind a little bit.
Speaker B:When I graduated from architecture school and my master's degree from Cornell, I went to New York City and the starting salary for a young architect in that era was very, very low.
Speaker B:And, and I said, I can't believe that this is happening.
Speaker B:My then boyfriend was a lawyer and he was making four, three times as much as I was.
Speaker B:And we went to school for the same amount of time.
Speaker B:So I thought, what can I do?
Speaker B:How can I use my education to learn something that's going to make me different?
Speaker B:What's going to give me a special skill like what my first mentor said.
Speaker B:And a friend of mine said, why don't you study real estate?
Speaker B:Why, why don't you learn about real estate?
Speaker B:And the, the reality is real estate is architecture for sale.
Speaker B:So with that viewpoint and my master's in urban planning, I wound up getting a management training position with a big public agency called the Port Authority of New York, New Jersey.
Speaker B:And I wound up working in the World Trade center management office.
Speaker B:So you can't beat managing 110 story building, you know.
Speaker B:And so, you know, I learned all about how they operated, where they made their money and so on.
Speaker B:I went to night school at NYU and I learned towards municipal bonds.
Speaker B:That's how they pay for it.
Speaker B:Ah, okay.
Speaker B:If I have a vision to create a very beautiful space, public space, this is how it gets paid for.
Speaker B:You know, this is not taught in schools and this is something that became my My passion, which is to teach architects about business and finance and how to use their innate willingness and interest in making the world a better place, figuring out the mechanics of how to get it done right.
Speaker B:So that's.
Speaker B:That's kind of what led to.
Speaker B:How did I get into what I was.
Speaker B:I've been doing for 30 years, which is affordable housing and community development.
Speaker B:That basically boils down to the fact that architects want to make things more beautiful, that urban designers want to make spaces, public spaces, more accessible to people, more, you know, natural.
Speaker B:And, you know, an urban designer is designing parks and streetscapes and all that.
Speaker B:And so you're making the public realm better.
Speaker B:And so I thought, I'm going to learn how to finance projects that I believe in.
Speaker B:And that's kind of how I got started.
Speaker B:And, you know, I figured if I worked on Wall street in New York City, all the things I learned there, I could work in federal funding and affordable housing finance.
Speaker B:And so that's how I got to where I am today.
Speaker A:What are some of the challenges you faced as you delve into.
Speaker A:As you dug into this field?
Speaker A:Because I'm assuming that there's a lot of regulations, a lot of rules, there's a lot of red tape.
Speaker A:How did you navigate through all of those things to do what you do?
Speaker B:Well, the first challenge was being a Latina on Wall street in the 80s.
Speaker B:There were maybe three women like that.
Speaker B:And I got my job for two reasons.
Speaker B:I was bilingual and I had an Ivy League education, and I worked on the equities trading floor.
Speaker B:I had secured my license because I was working on a real estate project that was syndicated as a security, and my boss told me I had to get the license.
Speaker B:So fortunately, I had a certification that made me eligible for that.
Speaker B:But it was.
Speaker B:It was a totally new world.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And I think that, you know, just believing in what you can do and knowing that you know what you can do, those challenges are.
Speaker B:You're asking me what were the challenges that I faced?
Speaker B:Well, first of all, I needed to learn a lot of things that I hadn't learned.
Speaker B:And when you're starting out in your career, you're always learning.
Speaker B:And now at this point in my life, I'm still learning.
Speaker B:We're going to talk about that later.
Speaker B:And using the ability to learn as a tool, because when you go to college, wherever you go, whatever degree you get, if you learn how to study, if you learn how to analyze, if you learn how to think, then you can do anything.
Speaker B:And I'm lucky enough to have Been in a program at school that taught me how to think and how to take things, things an architect takes projects.
Speaker B:When you're doing a project, you take pieces of problems apart and you tackle them at different, you know, in different ways.
Speaker B:You know, everything has a different type of solution.
Speaker B:So that was that methodology, that strategy was something that is innate.
Speaker B:And I think that we were, we were trained in that manner.
Speaker B:And I think that we have the opportunity as a profession to make the world a better place.
Speaker B:I do.
Speaker A:So when I think about what you do, you have to look at a space and see it differently than someone else who sees that same space.
Speaker A:So how did you learn to develop, to see things that aren't quite there yet but could be there?
Speaker B:Well, it's called imagining.
Speaker B:The green couch and the purple drapes before, when you walk in a room and every, every single designer, every architect has that vision, you are taught to imagine.
Speaker B:Imagination is the most powerful tool that a human being has.
Speaker B:Imagine you being the pilot of a ship.
Speaker B:Imagine you being the queen of the beauty show.
Speaker B:Imagine.
Speaker B:And you have to imagine what you could be and what you could do.
Speaker B:And so when you look at a place, you're like imagining, gee, wouldn't this be great as a child care center?
Speaker B:Wouldn't this be great as an after school place?
Speaker B:What are the things that this place could become?
Speaker A:You know, I love, I do.
Speaker B:It's like, it's like, you know those makeover shows for women, you know, like what?
Speaker B:Well, she has good hair, you know, and she's got a good figure.
Speaker B:Let's, let's dress her this way, you know, and then, and then that became hgtv, which is like an obsession, right?
Speaker B:Diy, you know, how can you do this?
Speaker B:How can you do that?
Speaker B:And I think that we have a culture now that's very in tune with making things better, with improving things.
Speaker B:And people are starting to practice using their imagination.
Speaker B:I think that's the answer.
Speaker A:I like that.
Speaker A:Can you think of a project that you are really proud of that you saw and developed and tell us what that project was and what about it stands out to you?
Speaker B: Well, in: Speaker B:And there were, there was a very substantial amount of money allocated to Miami Dade County.
Speaker B:I was one of 19 developers that were approved to use this funding.
Speaker B:So the director of the housing office and the director of the regional office of Fannie Mae called me in one day and they said, we want to meet with you.
Speaker B:And I'm like, oh, what did I do wrong?
Speaker B:It's like going to the principal's office, right?
Speaker B:Because he was my client.
Speaker B:This is like the head of the housing office in Miami, Miami Dade County.
Speaker B:And they said, we want you to do a project.
Speaker B:And I go, okay.
Speaker B:There was a building called the Hampton House, which is a, A motel that during the 50s and the 60s was a housing, was an apartment, was a.
Speaker B:Not apartment complex, but like a place, a hotel for celebrities and entertainers that were African American that were not allowed to stay on Miami Beach.
Speaker B:So imagine performing at the Fontainebleau and having to stay in this motel.
Speaker B:There's a film that came out called called One Night in Miami, which was directed by Regina King.
Speaker B:I think she won, was nominated for an Oscar about this building being like a community center for that era.
Speaker B:And the county had invested money to rehabilitate that building.
Speaker B:But that building was surrounded by crack houses all to the west.
Speaker B:And there was an absentee landlord.
Speaker B:And they said, we will give you the funding, find the owner, buy the property and build something different.
Speaker B:And I said, okay.
Speaker B:So I started, I called 40 people at Chase, 40 different offices.
Speaker B:Hey, this is the loan.
Speaker B:And finally I got the guy and I said, okay, we have funding to buy your, your mortgage.
Speaker B:And we're going to, we're going to go to our, you know, I was going to auction and you know, all that mechanic.
Speaker B:So then I called a friend of mine who was a developer and I said, listen, you're.
Speaker B:You guys have money.
Speaker B:Partner with me and let's make this a really cool project.
Speaker B:So he says, it's your fault I got involved in this and basically we, we relocated all the people that lived there that needed to be relocated.
Speaker B:Then we demolished the entire block and we built 100 units of multifamily tax credit housing for people earning 50% of median income or below.
Speaker B:And, and I'm proud to say that the building, actually I visited the building about a year or so ago.
Speaker B: as start, basically opened in: Speaker B:I went to the building about three years ago and I met with the property manager.
Speaker B:70% of the residents had be.
Speaker B:Had become homeowners, had left and become homeowners.
Speaker B:So the pro, the pro.
Speaker B:The plan of action was to create a building that had social services that could help people that moved in there to go up to raise their standard of living, to find homeownership and become, you know, people who are happy and successful and so on.
Speaker B:They're not just living in a rental property.
Speaker B:So that to me is called Hampton Village, and it's next to Hampton House, which is the name of the motel.
Speaker B:And I'm really proud to say, and I got an award for it and everything, it was really nice.
Speaker B:So that to me, it changed the neighborhood, it made a lot of families happy, and it set a standard.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:I'm curious, with your background and your experience, what role does culture play, especially being a Cuban American woman in real estate, in the work that you do?
Speaker B:I'm a Latina.
Speaker B:I can't help myself.
Speaker B:Well, as a matter of fact, the commitment to homeownership.
Speaker B:I am now on the board of a national organization called narep, national association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.
Speaker B:I am the government affairs director, which means that I monitor legislation and stuff, and I.
Speaker B:And I share that with my members.
Speaker B:And I also advocate for sustainable Hispanic homeownership.
Speaker B:Now, I have been committed to homeownership regardless of, you know, where you come from.
Speaker B:But, and this is something that I pride myself on.
Speaker B:I've been a volunteer.
Speaker B:I'm the chairman of the architectural review committee for the Housing Finance Authority of Miami Dade County.
Speaker B:What that means is that I created with a group of other professionals, we created a really great team.
Speaker B:A visionary executive director, Patricia Brainon, she established the committee to create design guidelines so that developers would build housing that looked like, felt like market rate, but it was tax credit, low and moderate income people.
Speaker B:And I'm happy to say that the quality of the housing in Miami Dade county that's built with this funding is superb.
Speaker B:A lot of the developers have really gotten it and they create really nice buildings that have a lot of amenities and they feel like really very high quality environments.
Speaker B:So that's creating spaces where when you get home and you're in this beautiful building, you're like, wow, I'm doing good.
Speaker B:My life is good.
Speaker B:I have potential.
Speaker B:The future is mine.
Speaker B:The world is my oyster, you know, and that's what you want young people to have the feeling that they can go anywhere, do anything.
Speaker B:And if they live in a great environment, if you create a space where they are like, oh, let's go play ping pong, or, you know, because that, that's one of the things, like amenities for the people who live there, it really works.
Speaker A:If a young entrepreneur is listening to us today going, I want to do what she does in my community because I see the urban plight and the need for, you know, affordable housing, what key things or what steps would you advise them to start working on to kind of duplicate what you're doing in their area.
Speaker B:Connect with the Office of Community Development in your region.
Speaker B:Connect with organizations like narep.
Speaker B:We have a sister organization for African American realtors and brokers.
Speaker B:And I think that, and there's an Asian group.
Speaker B:So we have, you know, our, our group that support us.
Speaker B:We help our, each other.
Speaker B:And I think that.
Speaker B:Find your people.
Speaker B:Find your, your, your people who have the same passion and then learn as much as you can about affordable housing.
Speaker B:Find out about your local housing finance authority.
Speaker B:Get to know the executive director and the staff and you can learn how the funding gets done.
Speaker B:And then find out from your office of Community Development that manages the funds that come from the federal government, how that money is deployed and what programs are they creating so that you can become a developer if you want, if that's something you enjoy, or you can do financing for first time home buyers or you can sell property or if that's your thing.
Speaker B:Whatever you do, whatever profession you're in, there's a role for you in community development.
Speaker A:I think one of the challenges people see in what you do is how do you balance profitability with community enhancement?
Speaker A:Because no one's going to build houses and lose money.
Speaker A:So how do you, how do you balance that so that you do both?
Speaker B: for the last, Since n. Since: Speaker B:98% of the nation's housing is built using that instrument.
Speaker B:And those are multifamily projects.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And that basically means that you can learn how developers, private sector developers, they're not going to do this because they want their name on the wall.
Speaker B:They're going to do this because they're going to make a developer's fee.
Speaker B:And if you allow the developers, if you are, if you want to buy some property and you say, okay, I get it at a discount and I can sell it for XYZ dollars, you, there are programs that subsidize your buyer so that you can ensure that you can basically make money yourself.
Speaker B:Because if you don't make money, this is a market economy.
Speaker B:I don't care what nationality, I don't care what, what.
Speaker B:Left aisle, right aisle, I don't care.
Speaker B:It's all about the market.
Speaker B:It's all about the consumer.
Speaker B:And if you can satisfy the consumer and make money, you can design it that way.
Speaker B:You know, there is, it's a, it's an industry just like Any other.
Speaker B:It's tough.
Speaker B:Not every developer wants to do it because it's not for the faint of heart.
Speaker B:There are a lot of restrictions and a lot of guidelines, but that's life.
Speaker B:Life has restrictions and guidelines.
Speaker B:Life is a game.
Speaker B:Freedoms, barriers, purposes.
Speaker B:Your purpose is to do this.
Speaker B:You have a barrier.
Speaker B:Whoops.
Speaker B:You have the freedom to go around the barrier and create a way to jump over it.
Speaker B:Boom.
Speaker B:You're in business.
Speaker B:And it has to be something that speaks to you, you know, that makes you happy.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:So it's always a choice.
Speaker A:You have choice as you think about what you're doing now.
Speaker A:How do you stay creative and innovative and inspired in the industry that you're in right now?
Speaker B:Well, one fine day, I went to an alumni dinner and I sat next to a guy who is a scientist.
Speaker B:He's a data scientist.
Speaker B:He went to Cornell with me.
Speaker B:He's a couple years behind me.
Speaker B:He's a couple years younger.
Speaker B:And I started talking to him.
Speaker B:But I had an idea for an app for home buyers to be able to search for their home visually.
Speaker B: say, I want this and zip code: Speaker B:So that the whole community of home buyers, our culture is very visual, right?
Speaker B:So people have been raised on hdtv.
Speaker B:They know what they're looking for.
Speaker B:They're very sophisticated.
Speaker B:They have a sense of style.
Speaker B:And so then I said, can you help me create an app that says that search by style?
Speaker B:And I said, you're not thinking big enough.
Speaker B:So now, two years later, we have a platform with five AI tools.
Speaker B:Now, my partner, my co founder, the company is called Agent Mirror.
Speaker B:The co founders that I'm with are just geniuses at what they do.
Speaker B:Anil Cowell, who's our CEO, was the owner of a company.
Speaker B:He sold it, he cashed out, he did well, and he's been funding this project.
Speaker B:And he brought on board his lead AI guy from his previous the company that he sold.
Speaker B:And what has happened is that the technology has evolved and we are able to do things for the consumer to customize the search, to customize the market information in a way that was not available before.
Speaker B:And so we have tools that help the customer go through the journey and help the realtor take that customer through the journey.
Speaker B:So that's the idea, to help facilitate the ability to know what you're going to do and teach you the things that you need to know in terms of the market.
Speaker B:And so on and so on.
Speaker B:It's called Agent Mira.
Speaker B:We're launching this month, and we're going to launch here in Miami, and then hopefully we'll go national and you'll read about it.
Speaker B:Latina, co founder of AI company, sales company for gazillions of dollars.
Speaker A:And I could say I knew you win.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Mr. Bezos.
Speaker B:He's Cuban.
Speaker B:Yeah, I, you know, he.
Speaker B:You know the score.
Speaker B:You just do what you do, whatever it takes.
Speaker B:And I'm looking forward to, you know, beta testing it this coming month, and that's what I'm doing now.
Speaker B:So Learning.
Speaker B:It's all about learning how to learn, training yourself to.
Speaker B:To.
Speaker B:To be a student of everything you're interested in.
Speaker B:Look up words you don't.
Speaker B:When I see a def.
Speaker B:A word that I don't understand in the IT world, because you realize every industry has nomenclature.
Speaker B:And I have my architecture and I have my engineering and finance.
Speaker B:These guys, they're like in a world unto themselves, the IT guys.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So every time I come across a word that I don't understand, I define it, I look up the root of the word, and that takes me into the realm of understanding.
Speaker B:And that is learning.
Speaker B:That's learning how to learn.
Speaker B:That's one of three major obstacles to learning.
Speaker B:You having the ability, lack of mass, not seeing the physical, like, not knowing.
Speaker B:What does this mean if I tell you, here's my stickies.
Speaker B:You don't know what a sticky is if you don't see it.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:The second one is skip gradient.
Speaker B:You go beyond a gradient of knowledge that you could handle.
Speaker B:That's more in the realm of doing this.
Speaker B:Like, you learn how to build a puzzle and then you're like, wait a minute, the pieces aren't fitting.
Speaker B:Oh, my God, my Lego doesn't look good.
Speaker B:It's because you skipped the gradient.
Speaker B:You didn't read the instructions and follow the.
Speaker B:The sequence.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Everything has a sequence, but the most pernicious one is not understanding the words of your industry.
Speaker B:The nomenclature.
Speaker B:And that, to me, is the most powerful tool, the tool of being able to learn, to be able to observe and to apply that knowledge and make things happen.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:I love to ask my guests this question.
Speaker A:What do you want your legacy to.
Speaker B:Be when I grow up?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I want to change the way that architects see themselves to see themselves.
Speaker B:I want artists.
Speaker B:They are artists.
Speaker B:I want artists and architect people in the creative fields to see themselves as catalysts for change and for them to have the tools to be able to do that by learning Organization, administration, finance, things like that.
Speaker B:I want to change the way that real estate is sold.
Speaker B:I want it to be something that is visual, something that people can relate to, because visual is.
Speaker B:Is emotional.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:That's where we go with the emotion.
Speaker B:What you started talking about, what I believe in the.
Speaker B:That it's all.
Speaker B:Buying anything is an emotional experience.
Speaker B:So you have to feel the vibe of that neighborhood.
Speaker B:You have to feel that that house has your name on it.
Speaker B:And the only way you're going to do that is if you see it visually and if you can't visit it the first time, you get as much information visually.
Speaker B:So, you know, okay, let's go look at this.
Speaker B:This really speaks to me.
Speaker B:And I think that really letting the world know about the role of the architect, the role of the designer, the role of the artist, and how we could shape things that.
Speaker B:And make the world.
Speaker B:The artists.
Speaker B:Artists, the world of aesthetics.
Speaker B:Anything that has to do with aesthetics, Music, performances, they are at a different wavelength.
Speaker B:You're talking about somebody who's up here.
Speaker B:You know, people dance to music.
Speaker B:They can be any color, any shape, any size.
Speaker B:They love Gloria Stefan's conga, Right?
Speaker B:I bet you dance to it.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And the reverse flow, hip hop.
Speaker B:You know, people dance to that all the time.
Speaker B:So it.
Speaker B:Music communicates at a level that is above and beyond the.
Speaker B:The trappings of the physical universe.
Speaker B:It's spiritual.
Speaker B:Communicates at a spiritual level.
Speaker B:And you're a spiritual guy.
Speaker B:You know what I'm talking about.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker B:Gospel music, you know, takes you to another realm, right?
Speaker A:It does.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:Connects you with the.
Speaker A:With the.
Speaker A:With the Almighty.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:There you go.
Speaker B:So that's my legacy.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:So this year in season six of the podcast, we're doing something special.
Speaker A:We were asking a surprise question.
Speaker A:Pick a number between one and five for your surprise question.
Speaker B:Six.
Speaker A:One and five.
Speaker B:Oh, sorry.
Speaker B:That's my favorite number.
Speaker B:That's my birthday.
Speaker B:Three.
Speaker A:Three.
Speaker A:Oh, here we go.
Speaker A:What is the weirdest text you ever receive?
Speaker B:The weirdest text?
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:Oh, there are so many.
Speaker B:Just, you know, the.
Speaker B:The ones that tell you things like that are.
Speaker B:That are unusual and you don't expect people to confess to.
Speaker A:Accident.
Speaker A:Accident.
Speaker B:I did.
Speaker B:Blah.
Speaker B:And I'm like, what?
Speaker B:You did what?
Speaker B:I don't need.
Speaker B:That's tmi.
Speaker B:I don't need to know that.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Make sure you check your text before you hit send.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I think maybe they sent it by mistake.
Speaker A:I love the ones I get that aren't for me.
Speaker A:Those are hilarious.
Speaker A:So Gladys, as we wrap up our talk, what words of inspiration do you want to leave with the audience, especially young entrepreneurs who are just starting out, who are trying to get where you've gotten any words of wisdom or encouragement for them?
Speaker B:Always be learning.
Speaker B:Always.
Speaker B:Everything is an opportunity to learn.
Speaker B:Every mistake you made is an opportunity to learn and to change something that you want to change.
Speaker B:But always be open to learning and open to the, to new ideas because you never know where your next idea is going to come from.
Speaker B:And never, ever be afraid to talk to the guy sitting next to you or in front of you or behind you in line.
Speaker B:Hi, my name is.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:You have no idea how many magical things have happened in my life because I'm like, hi, I'm so and so.
Speaker B:Who are you?
Speaker B:What do you do?
Speaker A:So, Gladys, where can the audience connect with you, follow you and follow your career?
Speaker A:Follow what's next for you?
Speaker B:I'm on Instagram.
Speaker B:Gladmagdiaz.
Speaker B:G L A D M A G D I A z I'm on LinkedIn.
Speaker B:Gladys, Margarita Diaz, Jordane.
Speaker B:And those are the two places that you can find me.
Speaker B:Facebook.
Speaker B:Also Glad Magdias.
Speaker B:I use the same handle and you know, I can share those with you if you wish.
Speaker B:All of the social media channel attributes that I have.
Speaker A:Well, thank you so much for taking the time to share your amazing journey with us and your passion for what you do and the way you make an impact in your community.
Speaker A:You are truly an inspiration for us.
Speaker B:Thank you, sir.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:Thank you.
