How does a single mother battling substance abuse end up pivoting to a career in the White House? How does she then become the founder and CEO of her own seven-figure business? The answer is within Rebecca Contreras herself. The CEO of AvantGarde, a human resources consulting firm, and author of a memoir, Lost Girl: From the Hood to the White House to Millionaire Entrepreneur (in which she describes her childhood, her decisions as a young adult, and how she turned her life around), Contreras gives new meaning to perseverance, dedication, ambition, and humility. Contreras’ life has been anything but easy. Though she has been successful in her career, Contreras began facing challenges at an alarmingly young age. In Contreras’ eyes, growing up in an abusive dysfunctional household under the welfare programs paved a predestined path for failure. Determined to escape a cycle of trauma, Contreras relied on mentorship, endurance, and willpower to overcome the obstacles that weighed her down. Listen to Contreras describe the trials and tribulations of her childhood and teenage years, and how she was able to go from potential destruction to achievement, on this episode of SheVentures. Time Stamps: 1:45 Contreras opens up about her traumatic childhood. 8:30 Advice for young girls and women with painful upbringings 12:30 How Contreras leverages her network for success 18:10 Contreras discusses how she built her consulting firm from scratch. 20:52 How to incorporate self-care and love into your daily routine, and why it matters 23:20 How Contreras flourishes in a male-dominated industry 27:20 To what does Contreras attribute her personal success? About Sheventures...
Why SheVentures? A message from the host Doria Lavagnino After nearly two decades as a magazine editor at Condé Nast and Hearst in New York City, — I experienced — career and life pivots that left me disoriented. No one told me that at age 40 I would be juggling motherhood, — caring for my parents, and my own career, as well as my physical and mental health — Not to mention the endless amount of scheduling; that would inevitably get derailed by a sudden water leak, a sick child, or a pandemic…
Plus, I don’t know about you, but as a career woman and a mom, I feel hoodwinked when I think about all the labor that women provide pro bono as caregivers.
My daughters (now 18 and 15) visiting me at Glamour to check out the free beauty swag. “We should work for free because we are selfless,” said no woman I’ve ever met. Moreover, I lacked resources and relatable role models. Don’t get me wrong — some women seem to ably juggle it all at once due to circumstance or choice. They lean in. I tried. When life required me to take on all these roles at once I did. Then, I crashed and burned. Thankfully, I put myself back together, but let’s leave that story for another time. “Women must understand and control their economic futures in order to control their fates.” My goal is for this platform to be a safe haven of trusted information where women can learn, explore, participate and debate any hot topic. If you have any feedback or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you. Below you will find a form to submit articles, ideas, say hi, or explore partnerships. To learn more visit...https://www.sheventurespodcast.com/