In your life and business, things will work out in your favor and even better than you could’ve imagined. That’s the lesson I have learned time and time again from my friend and dream podcast guest, Felicia Romero. In today’s Connection Call, Felicia and I are chatting all about starting businesses from ground zero and how to keep the focus on your vision.
On Quianna Marie Weekly, we’re chatting about business growing pains, finding genuine connections, and celebrating wins of all sizes through the lens of a photographer at heart. Sprinkled throughout stories and interviews with past clients, photographers and other business owners this podcast is designed to help you step into your purpose and to truly create a life you’re proud of, a life worth photographing and sharing.
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Review the Show Notes:
Figuring out entrepreneurship since day one (2:45)
Don’t worry about the how (11:49)
Creating through excitement, joy, and fun (18:26)
Finding your deeply connected friends (24:08)
One key tip from Felicia (27:39)
Connect with Felicia Romero
Review the Transcript:
Quianna Marie
Many years ago, I discovered Felicia through Instagram, and I actually signed up for one of her online fitness programs. When I first moved to Arizona, I saw that she was speaking at an event. And I contacted the host. Not only did I purchase tickets to actually attend, but I also contacted the host and asked if I could photograph the event. She of course said” Yes! Thank you so much”. She didn’t have a budget for me.
But I said, You know what, that’s okay. I’m gonna just show up anyway. I just don’t want to step on anybody’s toes. It was a good done deal. And she invited me to photograph her event.
As soon as I walked in, Felicia lit up when she saw me and she pointed at me and said, “Hey, I think I know you! Ever since then the rest is history. Felicia quite literally swooped me under her wing and has helped inspire my business and grow exponentially over the last three to four years since moving to Arizona, I have had the opportunity to photograph tons and tons of her content her behind the scenes and help with many of her photos and videos for her launches. It has been such a joy to not only watch
Felicia his business grow, and to experience her pivots, her growth, even burning her past businesses down and to start from ground zero. It has been such an inspiration to be by her side to join her in masterminds and really fun experiences. In fact, she’s even taken me to Austin for her live podcasting events. It has just been such a joy for Felicia to be in my life as a real life Arizona Angel. In fact, I have to share this before I bring her on. When I first started this podcast, I wrote out a list of dream guests. And Felicia was on that list.
We talk off out on her podcast for Tuesday chats with Quianna but without further ado, I cannot wait to introduce you to Felicia Romero.
Welcome to Quianna Marie weekly, a podcast for creatives who love to celebrate wins, big or small by dancing in the kitchen photographers who are excited to serve their clients and friends who are ready to chase really, really big dreams. You can find all of the resources mentioned in this episode at Kiana murray.com/podcast. Join me as I share with you motivation, chat about growing pains, finding genuine connections and celebrating your wins through the lens of a photographer at heart. Come join me for a dance party. Ready? Let’s go.
Hey, hey, Felicia, welcome to the party.
Hello, I’m so excited to be here. Thank you.
I am just all as always so inspired by you. And I have to share with listeners that One fun fact about you is that you have never had an air quote, real job, right? Like you’ve been an entrepreneur since day one. So I would love to chat about that. I feel like a lot of our listeners and a lot of my friends have to put those two weeks in and take that leap. And you have a very different perspective. So I’d love to start chatting right about that.
Felicia Romero
Oh my gosh, I love this so much. And thank you for the reminder. Yeah, I’ve never had a real job. Well, actually, let me take that back. Okay, so high school. Yes. Like I remember, I have always been I’m first born Latina. Like I was born in a Mexican household. My mom like pushed me really hard. I was, you know, the first in my family, you know, especially the oldest grandchild, I think there was a lot of pressure put on me to succeed and to do the thing. But I also know and I don’t know if it’s just my generation, which is I’m kind of on the tail end of millennial is I wanted to work and I wanted to make my own money. Okay, and so I didn’t know I was an entrepreneur, I didn’t I didn’t even have any examples of people being entrepreneurs in my family. Like, I don’t come from a line of like, oh, let’s go out and just like create our own, you know, IRL life and our own business.
I’ve always seen the examples of working nine to five. So, you know, when I was in college, when I went to college, I that’s all the examples that I had was like, my mom’s like, Okay, you’re gonna be someone that is notable and as established in like this really credible profession. So she’s like, you’re going to be a lawyer or you’re going to be, you know, a doctor. Well, I am not good at math, and I hate blood. So I guess lawyer it was, and I was like, Okay, I love speaking and I love talking. I love writing. And so like, I always thought that was going to be my path because my mom, you know, I honestly think selfishly My mom wanted to, like brag to her friends, like my daughter is a lawyer.
I never really wanted to do that. And so like, you know, I did have some jobs in high school. You know, I started working illegally under the table when I was 15 years old at a medical office, because I wanted to make my own money. And then, you know, throughout like early early college, I did work at like a tanning salon while I was going to school. During that time, is when I got certified as a trainer. This was when I was like 1920, I was a junior in college at Arizona State and I just fell in love with it. And I started training people out of my house to make money. I charge $15 an hour. And this was when I was like 21. So officially, I worked before that at like little odd jobs and like high school jobs.
I was never a server or anything. But I did like medical records at a tanning salon. I worked at a law firm actually just doing records. And these were all again, I was like 1617. But like, as I was entering college years from 21, to now watch, I’m 40 gonna be 41 Soon, I have always figured it out, and have been my own boss. And I’ve never really had to like, you know, call in for vacation time I’ve never gotten, you know, a W two, like, I’ve always been the solopreneur and figuring it out along the way. And again, not knowing even what an entrepreneur was, I just knew I loved helping people and I could charge you money for it. Not a lot at that time. But I just went after and I did it. I didn’t know what I was gonna look like, but I knew that I needed to do it.
Quianna Marie
That is so admirable. And I feel like a lot of us can relate. Some of us can’t, because some of us do have these corporate jobs and all of these other high level positions. But for some of us that have that grit that I love how you said I just always figured it out that is so inspiring, and why I truly believe you are one of my Arizona angels that I just look up to is because you you always find a way, you always find a way and it always works out and like you’ve taught me to it’s always works out in your favor better than you could have imagined, which is like so fun.
Felicia Romero
Yeah, you know, it’s really interesting, you know, and I love that you said that, like, you know, my partner, Keith, my fiance, he had gone through some stuff recently with his business. And you know, he also was an owner of a company, or he was and you know, but he also had like CO owners with the company as well. And, you know, there’s some things that happen. I won’t get too deep into that, because that’s his story.
He was going through a lot of stress at the time and the thought of him going out on his own and doing his own thing really terrified him, there was no way I would talk to him about it, I think there was a lot of fear of failure, fear of not the unknown is it going to happen. And the thing is, like, you know, he’s really set himself up to have this really amazing life. Like if he didn’t want to create this business or do something else he could. But I think as a man, he really wanted to do this thing.
He ventured off and started his own business, which I helped him with. But I remember during the trying times of fearing the unknown, not knowing how this was going to turn out of literally like letting go and shutting something that he’s been doing for 20 plus years. Doing it now, on his own terms, was terrifying for him. And I think because I’ve been through it, I have been through buyouts I have been through where my business was literally, like taken from me. I had to start at ground zero again, like this has happened multiple times in my life.
I had to keep reminding him that this is a blessing in disguise. And you may not see it, or feel it now. And this may feel really scary. But I promise you, you are going to come out on the other side of this. So much stronger, so much wiser and actually so thankful for the situation that God the universe source has put in front of you. And so like, you know, for those that are listening right now, and you don’t know what’s going to happen, and this is like entrepreneurship, like when you just said like, Hey, you just figured it out. I think one thing that allowed me to move through it was such a clear vision of what I wanted to create.
I’m such a big dreamer. Like I am such a big dreamer so much so that I will be driving somewhere. And I’m there and I forget how I even got there. Like Wait, what streets did I take was I on the freeway, because I am in like Daydream mode. I’m thinking of I’m visualizing, I’m even like so much. So I’m like feeling the way that it feels having this thing of whatever it is that I want to create, like I’m visualizing how it’s going to look and what the women are going to experience and what it’s going to be and so, you know, I think there’s so much good in that.
So I you know that the figuring it out along the way, I didn’t really think about the risk. I didn’t really think about the failure, I actually wasn’t really afraid of the failure because I knew that I was just going to do something else instead, like I knew I was just gonna pick myself up. And it was gonna be something else that I was working on. So So yeah, so I think what Keith was going through recently, I think can be really relatable to a lot of people out there in terms of like fearful to take the few steps forward because you don’t know what’s going to happen. And the thoughts of what if I fail?
What if this doesn’t work out? Well, I challenge that. What if it does, and what if it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you in your life and so now that Keith on the other side of it, he is like so excited for life? If so happy, so just excited to get up in the morning like he sees it now is a blessing. And he’s grateful that he went through it.
Quianna Marie
That’s amazing. And I love that He has you for these types of situations where you can truly paint that picture for him and guide him. So you’re not, it’d be easy for us, you know, when we have this, this mindset, we’re like, oh, well, just trust me. Like, just just gonna be fine.
Felicia Romero
Just, it’s okay. I mean, I validated his feelings, I think it’s one thing to be like, You’re gonna be fine. Just don’t worry. That doesn’t, it’s not as helpful as like, you know, hey, I’ve been where you’ve been, I understand you, I remember feeling like, gosh, my world is ending, just keep taking your first few steps forward. And you’re gonna get through this, and I’m here for you if you need to talk. And I’m here for you to go through any emotion because it’s you really as a human, in order to have like this full embodiment, is you can’t just listen to someone and just like, Okay, well, I believe it now, like you actually have to physically go through it, you have to experience it.
Which is why you got to experience the failure, like Quianna you have to experience what it’s like to launch something and no one sign up, like you have to experience that you do it doesn’t make you a bad person. It doesn’t make your business bound, it doesn’t make your offer bad. It just means not enough people saw it. Cool. How can we work this and do it again. And so you know, it’s it’s, it’s a lot of that it’s just a lot of embodiment work and going through it so that you can feel the feelings and teach from that place.
Quianna Marie
Well, and I love that you are so rooted in seeing it and believing it and then making it happen. And one thing, one thing that you always share with me and I would love to really unpack this, I save this part of the question at the end, but I feel like this is perfect right now. And I love your lesson and your heart behind. Don’t worry about the how you say that, to me often like don’t worry about the how, just worry about that net, like that next step, worry about what you can control. And as these opportunities unfolded. And the way you explained it to me, I know these weren’t your exact words, but I literally saw like a video game like or like open highway in the desert, just like the path unfolding as you arrive. Yes. So can you please explain when you tell me? You know, don’t worry about the how, what do you mean by that?
Felicia Romero
That’s such a good question. And getting back to the naive, naive 20 year old who’s going to open up a gym, for instance, if I Okay, so my last gym, that method, I sold it in 2017 opened up in 2014. And, you know, I remember that vision, I remember how I was feeling I remember just seen this vision. So clearly, I knew what it looked like I knew how it felt inside. I knew the members like I even knew like the business model that I wanted to do as membership model. But I had no money. Like I had money, yes, like, for daily life for bills for my house, but I didn’t have money like $200,000 to invest in a business.
If I would have been bogged down by the how it would have crushed my vision. Now the house is important. Yes, we got to think the House is the step by step on how it’s going to get going. But if we only sit in the house, then what will happen is you will feel so overwhelmed, so paralyzed, right? Like, oh my gosh, I have all these steps to do and I gotta do all these things in order to like get here. And so like, the best thing that I could have done is like, okay, what are my first two steps forward? And who do I know? That would be even interested in something like this?
Right? This is like, okay, how can I get resourceful? Where do I find the money? Can I get a business loan? Like Are these all options for me? And I think just having my focus on those two things, and I think even in my energy and who I was being, what happens is, I think this is so important to realize, and this is important with manifestation law of attraction, is it’s not about the how the how will come when you take your first few steps forward, because like you said, and I said the path will reveal itself. But like, when I opened myself up energetically to these opportunities and to foreign investor to come in.
Guess what happened? An investor came because I was talking about it. I was talking about it with people and I talked about it with her and I talked about it with him. And then that happens is trickle effect. The universe is like conspiring in your favor. Oh, get a textbook. Felicia. I know this investor that was actually looking to invest in a fitness business. Like really, let’s have a conversation and that opened up the doors for a conversation now. If I was sitting in this mode of this is never going to happen for me and in this complaining mode in this victim mode how I want this so bad but who am I?
It would have never happened because I would have never been able to then talk about my dreams with someone. It would have I’ve never opened up the doors, this trickle effect for someone to come in to my life to say, hey, here’s $200,000 to invest in this business, it would have never happened, I would have been sitting in this mode of low vibe energy, it would have never had me or put me in a place of an energetic match for what I wanted. So back to the how question.
If we just focus on forward action, first two steps, it’s going to open up the doors to opportunities that you didn’t even realize were available to you. Because before, when you’re stuck in when you’re paralyzed, and when you’re complaining or your negative world, you’re actually repelling opportunity. But when you’re an excitement, and you’re taking the steps forward, and you’re just not sure of the how, but you know that it’s for you. The path then reveals itself, opportunities arise that you did not even realize were there for you. So that is, you know, that is what I meant by that. Oh, that’s
Quianna Marie
So, so inspiring. And I think that can help a lot of us feel that on stuckness, right, like, let’s just start moving, let’s start moving forward. And even with me, I resonate with this too, with even with me, beginning this podcast, I just, I really just wanted to share my voice. I wanted to share education for photographers and entrepreneurs. And then all the opportunities that have unfolded in front of me simply because I started this passion project is insane.
I really, really value your lesson on that where it’s like, don’t stress about it. Because if you’re bogged down by every little detail, or like you mentioned your long list, like I just think of like a Santa Claus list of all the names and like all the things that you have to do, nothing’s gonna get done. You might as well just go take a nap. Yeah,
Felicia Romero
for sure. I talked about this recently on my TED talk, and I saw a video about it. But you know, and I was doing this far before there was a name for it. I did not know the secret. I did not know the law of attraction or manifestation. This is all like fairly new the last couple of years for me, and learning that, but I feel I do feel like bringing back to like, my journey, that I’ve been doing this for a very long time, because I am such a dreamer. And I can see it. And I think for me, I don’t take no for an answer. Like I will get nose Yes. But it’s like, okay, well, that wasn’t the right person. And then I move on to the next. I don’t know how where or how I learned this Quianna. I think it was maybe something just ingrained in me to be honest, because I don’t ever remember, like, I didn’t even really get into personal development until like the last five or six or seven years.
So I think it was just something that was innately inside of me knowing that I was meant for more or wanting to do more. And again, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t come with a lot of struggle, and a lot of obstacles and a lot of failures, because I’ve had plenty of those. But I think it’s just knowing that you’re not defined by it. And there’s always something else, right, there’s always something else that you can continue to move towards. So I think that’s so powerful.
Quianna Marie
Yeah, absolutely. And one thing that I always look up to you as well, is your ability to keep creating, I feel like you are launching something every month, every quarter, whether it’s just like a two day boot camp or a content to cache experience. And you not only have your your programs that you’re running, but you will are always trying new things. So I would love for you to share a little bit more about like the heart behind why you’re doing that. And where do you get the confidence to just throw stuff out there and see if it works. Like do you have a strategy behind that?
Felicia Romero
Oh my gosh, this is such a good question. I would say it’s not competence. It’s just excitement. It’s pure joy. Like it really is. I’m really excited about the things that I’m doing. Like i i love it and I put so much emphasis into like the the like I know that something is for me like when something when I’m really aligned with something and when I’m like thinking about it I actually really looking forward to creating stuff for it. I’m I’m excited for the photoshoot I’m excited to create the payment links. I’m excited for like the stuff that’s the unsexy stuff in business I’m excited about that is what I get really jazzed up about. And it’s not even I think, a confidence thing.
I think I just get so excited about the women that I’m going to be bringing into my world. And yeah, like there is a level of like, Oh, I’m confident that people are going to sign up. But I think I also have a detachment to to know that I’m going to launch this anyways, there I have my sights set on 12 Women for this program, but if eight sign up or five, I will be equally as excited and so I think not putting so much pressure on myself to have it look a certain way but really just be committed to the process and honestly just excited like excitement. And that’s where my creativity comes like this sounds really fun to create.
I’m gonna go for it like oh my gosh, like this would be so fun, let’s do it. Like going on the road and doing the podcast on the road. Like, yeah, like, let’s do it, it’s gonna be so fun. And so like whenever I route it back to that excitement, joy fun, it, I think that’s kind of what gets me going and what allows me to even be more creative.
Quianna Marie
I love that. And I think for anyone listening that wants to either start a new program, or create a new mini course or even just add like one single digital product, go have fun, like, do it because you’re driven by that passion and the ability to help change someone’s life, change someone’s business, change someone’s mind, like, enlighten them, like whatever lights you up, take action on it. And I love that about you.
Felicia Romero
Absolutely. And so if and I think we oftentimes to what may hold people back from actually creating the thing, I know this for a fact, because I struggled with this for a long time is just the perfectionism but also the overthinking. Oh, like, Should I do this all like there’s a lot of people who are doing this or second guessing yourself, second guessing your zones of genius, second guessing your badassery like second guessing just you will actually also energetically keep you from all of the things that you also want, right?
I do believe they’re, you know, if you’re experiencing right now, any sort of like, energetic, like maybe a stall in your income or you feel stuck, or you feel stagnant, or you feel like the stall in like money, income opportunity, it’s time for you to evaluate a couple of things, you know, and there’s going to be three things that that subtly stall any sort of expansion or growth. And that’s going to be number one comparison, like the moment that we start comparing ourselves to other people. It we energetically block ourselves from wealth, because we’re so hyper consumed on what they’re doing, that we’re actually missing out on opportunities for us. Right. So that’s number one.
Number two, not setting proper boundaries. So you know, saying yes, when you really want to say, No, imagine what you’re doing there, you’re saying yes to something that actually is going to drain your energy and that is not aligned for you. And then again, stalling the energetic, the wealth, energetically, You’re stalling it from all of the other things because your energy is over here.
So when you’re out doing all the things that you don’t really want to do, and you’re saying yes, and you’re not saying you’re not saying no and you’re keeping you’re keeping really poor boundaries, you’re going to energetically stole the wealth that is meant for you. And then lastly is you know, the overthinking the overthinking the perfectionism. Just imagine how much energy you’re spending, overthinking this one post or this one program or creating this one sales page, whatever it is that you’re that you’re thinking of, can energetically stole you from those opportunities from the well that is meant for you.
So you know, if you are experiencing that stagnant energy, or just a, you know, stuckness sorting to evaluate those three things can be really helpful. And usually what I find most often than not, is people are usually struggling struggling with one of those three things.
Quianna Marie
Oh, yeah, you just hit it right on the head. Like, this is exactly how a lot of us are feeling. And I feel like it doesn’t like you don’t just like pass the test. And like, check it off. Like each new, up level, each new, like energetic shift every new opportunity. Like you have to go through those same checkpoints.
Felicia Romero
For sure, 100%. Yes.
Quianna Marie
Oh my gosh, well, one thing that I’m so grateful for, for you, is all the connections that you have brought into my life. I’m not even kidding, Felicia, like, I am so thankful for you. Literally since I moved here to Arizona, from the year 2020. Till now, you literally have helped pay my mortgage, like either you directly paying for photo shoots and content shoots or having me come along to your masterminds with a net to photograph all of your really fun experiences. Like I’m so grateful for those opportunities. And, and I just I would love maybe your advice on someone that is looking for those connections, like, kind of like those queen bees, right? Like someone where and it’s not the most popular girl.
It’s not the most beautiful girl when I say queen bee. It’s just someone that is deeply connected, that will harvest and like bring in tons of more connections and friendships your way. So what would be your advice for finding those friends?
Felicia Romero
Yeah, so good. Well, one of the things that I think you have done such a great job doing and this is all you and I think that’s what allowed you to have these types of connections and deeper connections that have only just and thank you so much for you know, but it has really been all you. You put yourself there you are the one that put yourself in the room. You’re the one that created these opportunities for yourself. You just maybe have connected with The right people that are aligned with your energy and that are a vibe for you. And you know, because you and I get along so well.
It was a good match good energy. But I feel like this is a credit to you is you I think one of the things that a lot of people don’t realize is in the beginning, when you are building something, you know, many times again, we mean that we may not be at the place where we’re charging a certain amount, or we’re at this level where you know, we’re being invited in sometimes you either have to create it yourself, or put yourself there for free, right.
In the beginning, you offered photos for free, hey, let me just give you take some headshots or No, yeah, let’s just do this and all and you don’t charge for it, like you’re giving your time and energy. And there was so much thoughtfulness in that. And I do think there’s a time and place for that in the beginning. Or when you are just making connections. Another thing is, is I pay to then be in those rooms, right?
So you can give your time for free, you can add value to that person you are adding value to Anette and I are adding value to the other girls in your world. And then the other way is like pain to be in that network that allows you to then open you up to more networks, right. So this is very prevalent in masterminds. And it’s prevalent in networking groups, and women are people that are like steps ahead of you. Now you’re there in their world and your energy, and now you can start making the connection there, which will probably lead to more business, right? more business, more connections, more networks. So yeah, and I think you did the the best way, which is giving your time giving your energy, being thoughtful and connecting with the right women, right, I think that’s also a really good key.
I think this is going to be there’s really no advice on that that’s going to be a total gut check. Like, there’s gonna be like, is this person to align with who I am and who I want to be? And I think I even know that, right? So aligning with, right, because you kind of aligned with women here in Arizona, that used you that took advantage of you that didn’t honor or respect you as a photographer, you could have easily been aligned with those people as well. And we again, you know, right.
So I think there’s just this like gut and intention check. And then again, this is why the universe brought us together, because we are mirrors for each other. You know, this is why a net nine connects so well is because her and I are mirrors for each other energetically, right? So um, so I think you know that and there’s really no advice I can give for that, except trust your gut. Trust your gut when it comes to the women and the people that you’re surrounding yourself with.
Quianna Marie
I love that. Oh, my gosh, well, thank you for sharing. And enclosing, I love asking every like every guest on here, what is your favorite key tip. So if you had a key tip to share with an entrepreneur, small business owner, what’s something you would love to leave everyone with today?
Felicia Romero
One of the best pieces of advice that I could give, and again, this is just coming from personal experience, is to enjoy the process. We all want to get to the outcome we all want to get there, whatever it is, but the thing is, there is no there. There’s always just this continuance and of all beam. So the journey is really where the gold is, because that is where the embodiment comes in. And that’s where we actually grow.
So imagine actually, you know, a lot of people just want the thing right at this moment, well, you may get the thing, but you may not be able to hold on to the thing, because you didn’t actually go through the journey, kind of like weight loss people, like I just want to lose, you know, 20 pounds, and I want to lose it next week and actually know, like, the person you’re becoming while losing that weight. And the time it takes to lose that weight is the goal, because the habits you create are actually gonna allow you to keep it off for good. So if I can say just enjoy the process, find gold in the process.
I spent many years not enjoying the process and only getting to the outcome of feeling unfulfilled. Kianna and like, what’s next? Why am I not fulfilled, I’ve hit this mile marker, I’ve had this thing that I thought was gonna bring me joy and I was not fulfilled. So that’s not the thing. So if we can find that gold in that fun in the journey in the process. That’s where the true growth happens.
Quianna Marie
I love that so much. Thank you so much for sharing your time. Your words of wisdom and tons of inspiration. Felicia, I just love you so much.
Felicia Romero
This is so fun. Thank you again.
Quianna Marie
Thank you have a beautiful day. All right, bye. All righty. You got to witness firsthand what it feels like to be in fallacious presence. She is literally a wealth of knowledge. A true true friend and dream big sister. I am so thankful that after all these years, I finally get to introduce you to Felicia. So your Felicia is out there. You’re of Alicia, maybe floating around online. Maybe someone that you aspire to that you see on Instagram. Reach out to her. Go find your Felicia and you never know what hype of doors will open for you once you start connecting and becoming friends with them.
Wishing you the best today and always, always cheering for your baby. Okay, love you. Bye. That’s a wrap on another episode of Quianna Marie Weekly. Thank you so much for your listenership and support. You can find the resources and show notes for this episode and more at Kiana murray.com/podcast. I’d be honored if you’d show your support by leaving a review and rating on your favorite podcast app. Until next time, keep on dancing.
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