My Favorite Mistake Podcast #155 Hosted by Mark Graban -
My guest for Episode #155 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Rebecca Contreras. She is President & CEO of AvantGarde LLC, an SBA certified 8a and Women Owned Small Business firm she co-founded as Majority Partner in May 2011. Her firm offers a “one stop shop” approach to addressing complex organizational, people and technology needs.
Rebecca is the author of the book Lost Girl – From the Hood to the White House to Millionaire Entrepreneur, which recounts her journey from becoming a welfare-dependent teenage mother to advising a sitting president, to driving a successful 100-person company.
She is a social and business entrepreneur who started her fifteen-year service in government in a welfare-to-work program for Texas icon Ann Richards.
Rebecca then spent nearly twelve years working with George W. Bush, first in Texas as his Director of HR then in the White House as a Commissioned Officer supporting the Presidential transition, followed by other roles in D.C.
In today's episode, Rebecca shares her “favorite mistake” story about trying to move past some mistakes she made as a young woman. When she was becoming part of the White House staff, she was open and transparent about her past mistakes — was it a “crapshoot” that might not have turned out well? How did Rebecca move past her early mistakes, including dropping out of high school and becoming a teen mom?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
Mentoring and coaching girls today
When President Bush called you to serve, why did you have imposter syndrome? How did you recognize that and get past it?
West Wing protocol mistakes?
Tell us more about the book
Tell us about your firm… who you serve and how
What is it like being the CEO of a minority- and woman-owned consulting firm working in a male-dominated industry?