The women who shape my life and businesses

First, my mother. She has dedicated over 35 years to the nursing profession. In addition to taking care of tens of thousands of patients, she also nurtured and raised three boys. We didn’t do the best job of supporting her when we were bratty teenagers, and we are trying to make up for that now.

Second, my business partners’ wives. They all are smart, driven women with EQs that run circles around ours. They are both mothers and business leaders and also make time to support us in our roller coaster startups and provide unique perspectives that benefit our organizations and us as individuals.

The story: Twenty-two years ago a young woman in Venezuela started her journey. Every day she walked 1.5 hours from her house to school and 1.5 hours back, often in the hot sun and rain. She would come home in the afternoon to help her grandmother with chores. She would go to bed at 8:00pm so she didn’t disturb her grandparents while they slept. She woke up at 1am to study to maintain a scholarship she won for good grades, but she had to do this in a corridor so the light would not wake anyone up. She studied for 4 hours and then started walking to school. At the age of 18 she began her path to university. Every day she got up at 6 from Monday to Saturday. She could only afford to eat the two free lunches provided by the university and the lines were so long, often she went back to class at 2:00 without eating. Despite all odds, she continued this schedule for the next 4 years and received her MD. She worked for 2 years to take care of her family, and then spent the next 3 years specializing in anesthesiology. She was focused and worked hard to achieve her goals.

Then she had to move to the US. That sounds great, right? On one hand it was, but it also created obstacles. She worked a few jobs that paid minimum wage when she first arrived in the United States. Most of that money was sent back to her family. When we met, I ignorantly asked her why she didn’t apply to be doctor in the US. She informed me her degree was not recognized by the US, and she would have to take 3 tests over 2 years, apply to match at a hospital, and redo her residency. Effectively 6 more years of work to receive a degree she had already worked so hard for and had obtained. I could tell it hurt her to reflect on her situation. I have my faults as a human, but I would like to think empathy and wanting to see others be happy are strengths of mine.

I kept talking to her about it and asked her if she wanted to be a doctor here. She said she did, but people told her it wasn’t worth the time. I couldn’t believe it. We spent the next few months outlining the pros and cons. Before she made her decision, I asked her to consider one thing. When she looked back at her life, would she regret not trying, and her answer was “yes”. She is now studying for her first test in August, and I know she will not regret her decision because it was hers and she feels empowered to continue her dream. 

Yuly is one of the strongest women I have ever met, and I am proud to be her partner. When I think I have a tough day with my startups or fear failure that is around every corner, I remind myself that women like Yuly are constantly pushing to work harder and smarter.

I promise to constantly do my part and ensure that every organization I have influence in will 1) Pay women that are equal to their male counterparts 2) Ensure the interview process doesn’t have conscious or unconscious bias 3) Foster a culture where women can thrive and share their great strengths

Happy International Women’s Day 2022!