บทถอดความฉบับเต็มของ Second Chances with Renee Ferrufino on Corporate Walls, Nonprofit Purpose, and Latina Leadership

there, I really started to explore what that next option for me would look like. And I really wanted to go to a college different from everybody else in Sterling. And I wanted to kind of make my own way. So I ended up at CU. And that was a a really exciting experience. It was really unknown. navigating that world by myself. And I just learned a lot about myself during that time. And I'll I'll share a little bit more when we start talking about second chances in that space. But you know, I ended up meeting graduating with two degrees. I have a degree in political science and a degree in accounting in business center. And then I went off and I started traveling the world a little bit. I was waiting tables and I traveled and I waited tables and I did that forever. I didn't get my first job outside of waiting tables until I was twenty-seven years old. And then my parents were like, you have got to get a job, young lady. And so I did. I met my husband and I started off as an accountant and then a financial analyst, then a revenue strategist for a really large ⁓ international company. And then that proved to be a space that wasn't really open to being a professional and a mother in the same breath. ⁓ then I ended up opting out of the workforce. I stayed home for a little bit and then I changed my career and trajectory into ⁓ the nonprofit sector. And I started that when I was 39. I changed my job and ⁓ stepped into a space as a part-time special events coordinator for the children's campaign. And then three years later found myself at the foundation, which I love because it really was a bit chaotic at the time. And I just found like there's more opportunity and chaos. So I I ended up here. But I think that's my professional journey. But personally, my entire childhood, I felt so lucky to be raised in a family that was navigating the world through different lenses. ⁓ because my parents were an interracial marriage. My dad was always an incredibly progressive. man who was always telling my sisters and I to never let anybody ⁓ drown our voice or make us feel like we don't belong. And so and then my mom was there and he lifted my mom up and was her biggest champion. And that's kind of how we gotta be in the space where we could really explore who we were, what we did and what we navigated. ⁓ always told this funny story that I don't know if you remember The whole Nancy Reagan Just Say No campaign. I mean, everybody does. And I I was in elementary school and I came home one day and I was very upset. I was in tears. My dad's like, what happened? Like, well, the fireman came in today and talked to us about the just say no campaign. And I think it's really weird that you and mom never say to me, just say no. And he started laughing at me. I'm like, why are you laughing? This is not funny. Why don't you care about me? Why don't you tell me not to do drugs? And he was like, because we're just not that judgmental of people. And I was like, what? And he's like, look, Ridane, the world is big. You are going to explore a lot of things in your life. And my hope is that your mom and I have given you values and a character that allows you to navigate the world in different places and try different things and decide what's for you, what's not for you. And some people in this world can manage. trying new and different things without having it have their entire lives come undone. And I just will not judge somebody because they do something that maybe I don't do. And I don't ever want you to do that in your life period. He's like, it's not that I don't love you enough. I love you more because I trust you to make good choices for yourself. Mm-hmm. And I was like, ⁓ my God, why can't you just be like the other parents and tell me not to do it? And he's like he's like, because it's never like that. So we we talked about God sex, drugs, politics, religion all the time and speaker-0: I remember your dinner you talked about your dinner table conversation. Tell me that would speaker-1: That was, ⁓ my gosh, we talked about so much. Like at the dinner table in my home, it was just there was no topic off the table. I mean, and so we talked about the just saying no. We talked about birth control. We talked about religion. My dad was not of a religion and I was raised Catholic. But my mom and dad's deal was my mom could get us confirmed. And once we were confirmed, we were able to choose what we wanted to do and explore religion or not anymore. And she was never allowed to say anything to us. That was the deal they made. And when it came to drugs, it was like, just be honest with us. Just tell us. If you go out and you're partying, just tell us. And I just I always felt so safe being able to explore anything I was curious about with my parents. My mom and I, she took me out for lunch after I had had a boyfriend for a really long time. And She was like, Look, you're gonna get serious. We need to get you want birth control, we don't you don't want to get prayed. It was just like this whole thing. And I was like, Well, I'm not ready yet. She's like, That's fine. So when I was, I came back to her and I was like, I think I'm ready. And she was like, Let's do it. And that's just kind of how it was. They always treated us like if we give you the information and you are rooted in your values, then ultimately you're going to make a choice. That you can live with. And sometimes you won't, and you'll learn a lesson along the way. But there was just a feeling of being open-minded, exploring the world and yeah, in a safe environment where I didn't have to worry. Like, and then when I would go out and you'd have like a drink when I was in high school a beer, I could call my parents and I did many times to come and pick me up. Yeah. And they said nothing, but they did wake me up at 5:30 in the morning and I would have to. speaker-0: Environment. speaker-1: clean out the shed. And so that was enough said. You know, enough said. And they

were like that with me and my sisters. speaker-0: Yeah. I assume the shit was on the farm. You were on a ranch or something. No. speaker-1: No, I was so Sterling is ranchers and farmers, but my dad worked on the railroad. And so we lived in town, but they had a beautiful yard and my and but let me just say to you, my dad between us three girls, his shed and his garage was thick and span. No cleaned. speaker-0: Okay. Okay. Okay. So you didn't say S H I T, you said shed, S E S H E D. Yes, Shed. ⁓ speaker-1: And his garage was picking. ⁓ speaker-0: You had to go to the stalls and clean up the S H I D. ⁓ okay. Okay. Okay. That's good. So funny. It's so funny. my gosh. Well, I'm really curious because you, you know, you moved into this job and you started working in construction internationally, and and then you became a mother, right? And so there had to be some level of clash just because we live in a culture where as a woman working for a male in a male dominated workforce, right? And then you become a mother, tell me about that. I mean, ⁓ our my audience obviously is primarily women and many of us have faced this place of like you kind of hit the wall of the patriarchy. And so I'm I'm just curious about the experience of that and your choice to walk away to stay home with your kids for a little while. speaker-1: It was my second corporate job. And so I this was a really large ⁓ construction company. And I started off with them as a staff accountant. My first week there, somebody from marketing came up to me and was like, Hey, would you like to be photographed and in this poster? We're doing this big ad campaign for the company. And I I just didn't really think much about it at first. I was like 28 years old and 29. And I was like, sure. And then when the posters came out, it was so obvious. I was the only woman. And then one of the two brown people in in the in the poster, I can tell you that this company probably still has my poster up till this day. And it it was so obvious. And I was like, wow. And so I worked as an accountant, a staff accountant on an all-male team. And my boss would be like, hey, he'd walk by and he'd always say to me, elbows up. To make sure I was working, but he never said that to the guys. He would have them over for ⁓ football on Sundays, like once or twice a month. And they would he would invite their spouses. I was never invited. And I'm like, okay. So I did this role for about a year. And then I got promoted to work as a financial analyst for one of the product lines. I thought that it would be different because I was working for the only female VP. At the company for the Denver metro area. I wasn't ahead of North America yet. And that ended up being the exact opposite. And I don't I don't really begrudge her because I understand the time that that was. And she was really fighting for that one spot. And there's a fear of scarcity, that scarcity mindset that really comes into play. But I wasn't brought into other spaces. I wasn't brought into the meetings. I did the work, but I wasn't, it wasn't that collaborative, generative space to develop. Right. So I really started to kind of reach out and branch out to other departments and and ⁓ areas of the business. And then a position opened up for the revenue strategist for North America. And so I did that. And I worked for this amazing man who was from Canada. And he kind of really, well, he really spent time talking and coaching me about not just the business, but the culture of the business. And we talked a lot about the dynamics of me always being the only woman. I'd go to conferences in Paris because that's where our home office was. And there would be myself and one other woman there. And that was it. So hundreds of people there and two women. And I was thankful that he was my boss because things always got a little tumultuous when we were out afterwards and the conferences and the dinners and stuff. And it it became just like a really challenging place. speaker-0: to speaker-1: feel like I was ever gonna really belong. And that was even truer when I became pregnant. I was given another, ⁓ I I shouldn't say given, I earned another promotion. And four months into this promotion, I became pregnant with my first with my son. And I happened to be at the office at like six o'clock in the morning because I was on the call with somebody on the East Coast. And My boss walked in at like seven and I was literally throwing up in my trash can because of the morning sickness. And he gave me this look like, What is happening? And I knew he thought that maybe I had been drinking or hungover. And so I went in there and I said, Look, I'm telling you before I had wanted to, but I'm pregnant. And he was like, Congratulations, that's wonderful. But when he told my president, which he reported to, he said, I can't believe Renee would take a promotion knowing she wanted to have children. When my boss told me that, he said, So your time here is going to be challenging. And I was like, I it it's just so unfair. Everybody else in my position has wives who have children. He goes, and our president made it very clear they stay home. And I was like, Wow, this is I I I was a bit naive, I thought, I think when I when that happened, because all of a sudden it was as if I couldn't be a successful professional and a mother who had a brain who could be strategic and thoughtful and earn us more money and revenue and save us on costs. All of a sudden I just became a mom who should be at home. And so I was like, Well, I'm taking maternity leave and I had to bring in a note from the doctor and had to get it ⁓ notarized. To show them that I couldn't travel, I was eight months pregnant to South Africa, where we were hosting our big international meeting. And I'm like eight months pregnant, you know, and he was throwing my presentation up in the air and cussing and like all this stuff and just everything, his attitude changed towards me. So I

went on maternity leave. And when I came back, they tried to ⁓ undercut me on my bonus. And so my direct boss was retiring and he paid me out of his own operational budget to make sure I got my full bonus because they weren't gonna give it to me. And even though I was there for nine months out of the year and I was not gonna get a percentage of it at all. And so Harp really took care of me in that space. But then I got a new boss who wanted to be posted in DC. So they were like, you can either move ⁓ will move your whole family there or you have to be there two solid weeks out of the month. And I had just had a new baby. And I'm like, why would I move my entire family to work for a company who doesn't believe my full existence exists right in this space. And so I just told my husband, I said, I I I'm I'm done. I'm done there. It's so stressful. It's not worth it. So I ended up leaving ⁓ the foundation, leaving that corporation and I stood home with my kids. Then we had a daughter. So I started to volunteer a lot for ⁓ really our family is really small grassroots nonprofit. We don't have it anymore, but it was Robbie's friends and I loved it. And I realized how much I enjoyed building relationships and I didn't mind asking for money for something I cared about. And so when I thought about leaving a going back into the workforce. I decided that I would try a new sector. And I I joined the the nonprofit sector. And it has been incredibly fulfilling for me. It has made me it made me feel more connected and fulfilled. And if I was gonna be away from my kids and I wanted to do something that was gonna fill my soul and and my passion a little bit more. And I learned that the difference in feeling the difference in the feeling that you get when you're at a job where you feel like they're just using your talents. versus what it feels like to have a career that really aligns with your values. Mm-hmm. That is a completely different feeling. Totally. So when I look back, I'm like, it's okay that that happened. It was, I was, it's a gift that it happened. So being pushed out of a field that didn't value me as a whole person opened up a door to one that really did. And I really think that Coming from that abundance mindset that and carrying on and being involved in something you're passionate, you realize that so many more opportunities are gonna unfold in front of you if you just stay authentic to what feels right to you. speaker-0: I like to say, you know, our our future is really predicated on our desires that the path is laid. Right. And so it's part of the teaching, right? You just have to trust and lean into, you know, what is the calling of your heart? I quit a six figure job when I was twenty six to become a social worker. People thought I was crazy. speaker-1: Totally. My husband was like, cause I was this I was thirty years old and I was making a six figure salary with a thirty percent bonus. Yeah. And and then I left and went into the nonprofit sector and and it was like wow. And I couldn't get a job for a while because people didn't believe that I was willing to sacrifice that kind of salary. Right. speaker-0: And you're overqualified, right? I didn't get into graduate school at KU because I was overqualified because I was a six-figure sales rep for national organiz. I mean, it's crazy. And the stories you tell are so real. And I'm so glad you're you're willing to share, you know. ⁓ of course. I in the 80s was young, naive. I hadn't gone to college and I was carrying a briefcase down Madison Avenue. And I remember one year I got a bonus check because I I literally like took everybody out on the sales team and had a huge contract. And my boss, I was flying somewhere with my boss and he was a New Yorker and and he and he handed me a bonus check, which was very lucrative, right? And I said, Why is it that thank you? And why is it that my bonus check is still less than the men on this team? Like I outsold everybody. Why? His words. Yeah, Christy, you're never gonna get married with that attitude. You're never gonna get married with that attitude. I was like, What the F does getting married have to do with the bonus check? Like they're not computer. It's so I mean, it's real. Like what we experience as women in the workforce is real, right? And thank you for your vulnerability to share that story because that had to have been incredibly painful. speaker-1: It was incredibly painful. And it was one of the first times because I grew up with a mom and a dad that believed so much in me. I married a man that's my biggest champion. It was the first time I was really in a space where somebody was challenging my abil my capabilities and my capacity because I was growing a child inside of me. Like it was just because I was a woman. And I just thought to myself, My dad and my mom raised me to believe that that was my greatest superpower. And now I'm surrounded by a bunch of men who were so threatened by a smart woman. And boy, I mean, when I was the head of North America, every single person that reported to me was a man and they were older than me. Yeah. And they did not like they did not like it. But also, that job was a gift in that I had to learn how to advocate for myself and use my voice. speaker-0: I did not like that. speaker-1: In a way that I probably wouldn't have if I had gone directly into the nonprofit sector. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. I'm so glad you followed your heart on that because you know, I think that is what does that's what takes us in the direction of what our calling is. And you obviously have a calling to lead the Women's Foundation of Colorado. ⁓ we're gonna run out of time and I'm like, ⁓ my gosh, we have so much time to we have so much to talk about still. Okay. All right, let's let's jump to the women's foundation. You've done so much, both as a VP of development and growing ⁓ the donor base and the circles and the the giving circles and expanding ⁓ so much of what the

women's le ⁓ foundation of colorado is about. Talk a little bit about your experience as the development person and growing everything that you did in annual contributions. And then I want to talk about this stepping into the leader. Hopefully German Shepherd in the background. speaker-1: A little dashy. Again, that was a role that I I started as a part-time special events coordinator. Then I became the major gifts officer two years later at the Women's Foundation. And then two years later, I became the vice president of development. So I'd only been a philanthropy for about four and a half years. And everybody had said, ⁓ you there's no room for growth. That was not my experience because I was also in a unique position where there was so much changing ⁓ at the foundation that That chaos provided opportunity for me. And I just I leapt into it. And it also I had women who believed and they saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. And so they took a chance on me being the vice president of development. They knew that I had the ability to build relationships, and that was probably authentically what was most true to me. And the rest of the stuff was t technical. And you can learn all of the tax. Benefits, challenges, what goes along with making a donation, building donor-vised funds, building giving circles, you know, just ensuring you have revenue streams that allows philanthropy to be accessible to everybody and to all women and to men that love us, right? And so when I got there, we were raising about 1.4 million. And then within like five or six years, we were raising close to four million, now five million, now six million. And this year I'm raising eleven million dollars. Yeah. And so That has been transformative for the foundation in our ability to add additional capacity to ourself, but more importantly, to really amplify the impact that we have in community through the different giving streams and getting people to connect their passion. Like being a fundraiser is probably one of the most beneficial and challenging jobs there are in this philanthropic space. And where the gift really lies is that people trust you. They trust you with the thing they've worked so hard for. You know, the their career, their stories of their careers, their family, their relationship with money, the areas they're most passionate about and interested in. I often learn things about family members and donors that sometimes their own children don't even know. Right. Right? Like they trust you with that story. And they trust you with helping them create a living legacy for themselves and their passions. So it's a real gift and honestly a real honor in that space to be able to go, all right, I get to connect with people and get them to invest in something that they feel so passionate about, but also There's a real opportunity to balance out that what is oftentimes with money and power an imbalance. Mm-hmm. You know, and what I learned was because I grew up, you know, really poor, young, and then my parents ended up in the middle class space, is that we are both bringing something to the table. This is like a reciprocal relationship. You're bringing money, I'm bringing ideas, you're bringing your passion, I'm giving you. ⁓ the avenue to invest in it. And then both of us are getting the impact in our communities that we need. That's right. So it's a it's a mutually mutually beneficial relationship. speaker-0: That's beautiful. I love that. We're gonna pause right here just for a moment. We'll be right back with Renee Farrafino of the Women's Foundation of Colorado. Let me ask you something. Have you ever noticed how the same patterns keep showing up in your life, your work, or even your relationships? That's exactly why I created Uproot. Uproot is a transformational framework that helps you uncover the unconscious patterns running your life, reconnects you with your authentic self, and intentionally creates what comes next. For years I've taught this work in coaching, leadership programs, and workshops. And now, for the first time, Uproot is becoming an evergreen online course you can take anytime. If you're ready for a real shift, not just another inspirational idea, join the wait list now at Christybells.com backslash uproot. Your next chapter starts with awareness. Many years ago, I started noticing something in my coaching work. Brilliant, capable people kept coming to me with the same question. Why do I keep repeating the same patterns in my life and leadership? That question became the foundation for something I now call uproot. Uproot is a framework I've used for years to help people uncover the hidden patterns shaping their decisions, relationships, and sense of purpose. And now, for the first time, Uproot is becoming an evergreen online course so you can move through the work at your own pace. If you're ready to understand yourself at a deeper level and create real change, join the waitlist at www.christyvells.com backslash uproot. Welcome back to Second Chances with Christy Bells and the amazing Renee Farrafino. ⁓ my goodness. Wow. Okay. There's so much we have to talk about still, right? Let's talk about the women's foundation. Like that, talk about a second chance moment when you move through your career and you hit the pinnacle of one of the largest foundations in the state of Colorado, supporting women and girls. Tell me about that. speaker-1: It's a dream job for me. and I will give you a little bit of background on why I felt like it was a real second chance because it also really aligns with what we do with the foundation and disrupting myths that we are are held, I think, more in the heart, the head of our of women. Being the first Latina CEO has been really phenomenal and a tremendous gift. But it was a role I told myself I wasn't ready for for many years. I have been offered a few CEO jobs ⁓ beginning around 2020. And I never took them. And I didn't take them for a couple of

reasons. One, being the VP of development here was a real fulfilling job for me. But also I had two kids in high school that it and it gave me the flexibility to be as present as I needed to be. And I really didn't want to give that up. But I knew that a CEO role would require so much more of me and my time. And I wasn't ready to give it up. And then the second one that I probably don't really talk out loud about as much as I should, and and and I want to say it out loud now is that I just didn't feel qualified enough, right? I did what most women do. I questioned my ability and my capacity. And I felt like I needed more experience in order to be a CEO, but can't be a CEO without having taken the chance and jumping in with two feet to be a CEO. And so I think it goes more beyond than just believing in myself. I it really spoke to me and when I w reflected on it, it speaks to the deeply ingrained belief that women hold themselves back so much more because we want to be a hundred percent ready for something. Unlike men who are like sixty percent ready, I'm overly qualified for this role, right? And it's more about the belief our belief in the re readiness is more about ⁓ a destination rather than the journey. And so that was really important for me to recognize in myself and to say, you know what? I'm never gonna be a hundred percent ready because I've never done it yet. So I'm not gonna actually fake it till I make it. I'm just gonna grow because I'm gonna learn and grow in it. And I'm gonna learn by my experiences and push myself to be uncomfortable. And to get a coach and to push my and like to have somebody constantly holding me accountable to what I say I want to be and how I want to show up as a leader. And that's been a real gift to me because I can tell you this past year has been something. You know. I I've been in it for a year and I started January 6th of 2025. So a we really kind of reframing that day. And then, you know. 20 days into my job, the administration really starts challenging everything that the women's foundation stands for. Even our just being a women's foundation was going to be challenged. Right. And then the rollback around DEI, and it was a real opportunity of a year to say, you know what? We aren't going to be immobilized by this. Right. And in times where there's a lot of pressure. I think some people abandoned their values and it was a time to stay more rooted and grounded in our values than ever before the foundation. speaker-0: Yeah. I really ⁓ saw that reflected in you when you did your talk at the Women's Foundation luncheon. You reflected the values of equity, inclusion, et cetera. ⁓ race, gender, social, economic status, ⁓ sexual orientation. I was I was blown away by the message that was sent in the times that we are in, right? And I think what you have talked about and what you've shared and I what I'm reflecting back to you is that you are a values driven leader. And that is what our that's what we need in leadership right now is that you stay true to that. ⁓ my husband and I are very involved with the university locally. And we also have a female president who is extremely steadfast in her values and her her same values, similar, very similar, right? ⁓ and I just think it's extraordinary, you know, 'cause it takes a lot of courage, Renee. It takes a lot of courage to lead in these times when it feels like there's so much adversity coming towards us, not just as leaders, but as women. Yeah. speaker-1: I could not agree more. And I was a part of a community conversation two weeks ago. And just to kind of reframe, the women's foundation is the only statewide community-funded foundation protecting women's progress and advancing gender, racial, and economic equity. Women's funds are incredibly smart, right? Everything that we do is rooted in our research. It is rooted in data we know to be true. Because we have to, especially in these times, it can't be just what's the right thing to do. It is like what is the ROI in investing in women? And you're gonna get the biggest ROI when you invest in women and their families and ensure that the most marginalized communities ⁓ are thriving here. So it's about the research, it's about our grant making and putting money into the hands of women who know their communities best, right? Then it's also about public policy. How are we coupling that with our grant making? How are we disrupting and dismantling systems that were not made for us to thrive. And so being a part and leading equal pay for equal work, the Paid Family and Medical League, the Family Affordability Care Act, Early Child Hair Education, the foundation is investing in all aspects of who women are. And then we also provide low cost capital for women entrepreneurs. We're starting more businesses than anybody, right? Our black women are starting more businesses than any other women right now. They do not have access. to affordable capital. So it's our job to look at women at the foundation and say, what are the diverse strategies we can use to invest in them to ensure that they are successful, which means our families are successful, our communities are successful, and our economy here in Colorado is successful. Because if we don't do that, we're gonna be find ourselves in a really difficult position. We have an aging population here in Colorado. Women are living longer than men. But we're also being expected to op out of the workforce to be caretakers for our children, for our parents, for everybody. So that means miss paychecks, less putting cheer retirement, less engagement and leadership in our community. And if that happens to us, we are not going to have enough money come retirement to do anything but meet our basic needs. We're the biggest consumers. And if we're not boosting our economy, we're not going to thrive. So it's it's so important about. what we're doing right now. But I do want to get back to one of the things you said. It is important

to be brave. But we're in philanthropy right now. And it is a really privileged space to be. I heard somebody say in a meeting about all leaders as funders want to step into this space and fully, but some of them have more challenging or conservative boards. And so there's still risk and The risk if that person loses their job and somebody else gets hired, you know, that person could be more conservative and less risk ⁓ tolerant, right? But when you think about the that risk of losing a job, which you probably are getting paid really well for, which you probably have savings in the bank for, versus the risk our communities are feeling right now, they can't leave their homes. We have a high school here in Colorado, Lincoln High School, where 155 kids are not showing up because of ice. Because people are afraid to come to school. They're afraid to go to get their own health care. So what does that mean? No education. What does that mean? No economic stability. You know, more stress on the systems. So we owe it to our community to be courageous and to be true to our values and be true to what we say we are for, which is investing in our community, because our community's risk is so much more grave than ours. And if they're brave in who they are and they're They can't hide who they are. They can't pretend that their needs aren't their needs or their background is not their background. Then who are we to kind of like hide under an umbrella? We just we can't afford to do that for our community. Our community deserves better than that. And our women deserve better than that. And the women that came before us deserve better than than us to cower. You know, it's just it's the moment. It's the moment for the women's foundation. Stand up and lean in. speaker-0: I love that. Stand up and lean in, ladies. It's time. Right. And we need we need each other and we need we know all of us to be able to stand up and lean in right now because it's challenging. I just wrote a blog about ⁓ as a social worker, I look back at history and the women's movement and what's happened over time. And you know, women have been faced with so much adversity over time, but we've always overcome. We've always and the way we do that is through collective. community through connection with one another. This is how we relate as women is in connection, right? So yeah, I'm just I really am I I want to say proud, but ⁓ it doesn't matter really what my esteem says of you. But I just I really support and value your your values and what you're espousing as the Women's Foundation of Colorado. ⁓ I think it stays true to the mission that I've known for thirty plush years and who it was developed to be from its founders to ⁓ and you stepping into this leadership role as who you are is just extraordinary. So thank you for your service and for saying yes. And and I understand the challenges. I led a nonprofit. It was much smaller than the Women's Foundation, but not for the faint of heart. So thank

you for what you do. speaker-1: thank you for what you you do now in lifting up women's voices, but also for leaving a nonprofit. There's nothing harder than being in the trenches of the work. Yeah. What I do is a lot easier than being on the ground in the work, trying to navigate these this chaos. Yeah. Right now. speaker-0: Yeah. It's challenging and it's scary. ⁓ can we just talk a little bit and literally we're gonna run out of time? I'm like, I need to have Renee back and have even longer time with her. she said she'd be willing to do, but let's just honor. I just really want to talk about ⁓ being Latina and being a leader ⁓ now. I think that is another aspect of ⁓ both our community. Colorado is has got a an extensive Latina community and has a lot of services, but as a as a Latina woman leading a foundation. I'm just curious your perspective and your view and ⁓ vision for that. speaker-1: First, I want to ⁓ thank you for making space for that and and talking about it because it is one of the greatest honors I've had is to be the first Latina president and CEO of the Women's Foundation. And, you know, we touched on it a little bit earlier around navigating my childhood and MJC and and CU, and then meeting my husband, who, you know, his family is deeply. Immersed in the the Latin community. So when I met him, I was like, wow, I finally get to kind of lean in and step in to this community and become more engaged because it was a different world I never knew in strolling like or anything I had experienced. It wasn't my parents weren't engaged in those different ways, right? ⁓ and so his his his dad really was. And when I found myself in those spaces, I became immediately aware of The fact that not being bilingual was really challenging. And one of my biggest insecurities when you think about imposter syndrome, that that's a big one for me. and so I found myself being in spaces when I was younger too Latina, and then in spaces when I was older not Latina enough. And so I found myself pulling back from the Latin community. when I was receiving that kind of feedback. Some of it was very intentional and in to my face, but some of it was really internalized about how I thought people were were really per perceiving me. ⁓ but then when I became the president and CEO, the Latina community showed up in such a big beautiful way to celebrate me and my leadership. And it made me realize that they had been watching, supporting Me the whole time. And they really did accept me for who I was. And that moment really kind of led me to that place of like, this is a second chance to really engage with a community that I hold very important. Right. And it was more when I reflected on it, it was about that danger of self-exclusion, removing yourself from a community before they have a chance to reject you or accept you. You know, what was What was that gonna be? And so it came back to that imposter syndrome that we all continue to navigate, that internal voice in

our head ⁓ along the way. And it put me in a position that I was kind of quietly severing my relationship with a community that filled me up so much because of my own insecurities. And so when I became the the CEO and I saw The Latin community show up in these really profound ways. And the more honest I was and authentic I was about my own insecurities, about not being bilingual or not Latin enough, or, you know, leading a foundation where they felt like sometimes they were left behind. You know, there was a lot to reconcile there. And so the conversations have been very generative and open and authentic. And there's more of a relationship and partnership being built there in ways. And Gives me the opportunity to lift them up in community and in a community they've invested so much in. Right. And and what a gift is that to be able to give back to a community that's been supporting me for so long. And so I think that the idea that belonging isn't necessarily how other people react to you. It's how you and that self-talk you have of yourself. ⁓ because people are are much more open and authentic. And it's so important for us to embrace our cultures where we belong so much and get so much from. And then pull other people in to celebrate it and be a part of it. It can't stand alone. It has to be totally inclusive. speaker-0: That's right. That's right. That's right. Yeah, thank you for that. I I love that we were able to go there and to embrace the Latina community. It's it's a powerful community here in the city and in our state. I'm so I always end my show with ⁓ what I call rapid fire questions just as a way for you. So first thing that comes to your mind, what's one word that describes your life right now? Threshold, love that. ⁓ if you had to give yourself a pep talk in five words or less, what would it be? That's a good one. speaker-1: Threshold. You are enough. speaker-0: What's one small daily ritual that helps you feel grounded? speaker-1: Spending quality time with my husband. Mm-hmm. speaker-0: Sweet. And who has taught you the most about second chances? They're great teachers, aren't they? Well, Renee, this conversation has just been such a blessing. Thank you for your honesty, for willing to show up, for your heart, for the courage and sharing your story, like and just and saying yes to the leadership. We so need a leader like you at the helm of the women's ⁓ movement and issues that are happening in our state. So thank you so much for doing that. ⁓ you can follow speaker-1: Probably my children. They sure are. speaker-0: Renee, you want to share how people can follow you and know more about you and the Women's Foundation of Colorado Colorado? speaker-1: Absolutely. You can go to our website at WFCO.org or you can follow us on Instagram or you can also reach out to me via LinkedIn. speaker-0: Yeah, please reach out. She's just wonderful and accessible. And yeah, ⁓ I cannot wait to see what happens next here with you and the women's foundation and where we'll go. So ⁓ just again, thank you so much. If this conversation moves you and you feel like you want to share it, please do. If you want to follow me, ⁓ please go to my website at Christybells.com and you can sign up for my newsletter. I blog, and these podcasts are available there as well. Blessings, Renee. Thank you so much. speaker-1: Thank you, Christy, and thank you for being a part of the WFCO family. speaker-0: You're very welcome. My pleasure. It is the joy of my life to showcase the voices of people and the messy details of life's journey. As you have experienced, my guests are thriving with purpose and style, but that does not mean that their life is easy and without challenges. I've dedicated my life to you and your journey. Thank you for listening to Second Chances with Christy Bells. Please subscribe and learn more at Christybells.com backslash second chances.