Sandra Gonzalez With Sandra Gonzalez Enterprises

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity Radio.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Another episode of High Velocity Radio, and this is going to be a good one. Today on the show we have Sandra Gonzalez. She is a Retired Marine Officer turned Executive Coach, Speaker, NeuroChange Practitioner. Welcome.

Sandra Gonzalez: Thank you so much for having me, Lee. It’s an honor to be here.

Lee Kantor: Well, I am excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about your practice. How are you serving folks?

Sandra Gonzalez: Yes. So how am I specifically serving? And thank you for that beautiful introduction. I served 20 years of honorable service as a US marine. Now as a high performance coach, speaker, and now author. I just published my book last month. I empower women in business to rise to top leadership positions in male dominated industries so they can grab that head seat at any table and take command of the room as they should. So that’s what I specialize in and that’s what I’m passionate about.

Lee Kantor: Lee, now can you share a little bit about your journey? How did you get to where you are now? You mentioned serving in the military, but what led you there and what led you to the path you’re on right now?

Sandra Gonzalez: Yes. Great question Lee. So in addition to empowering women to take command, I help them cultivate sexy confidence. And this definitely ties into your question. Um, I help them cultivate this high performance state of mind. It’s an attitude that enables women leaders to stay calm and composed during stressful challenges and situations. And growing up, I had a father who exuded sexy confidence. He allowed his moral values and principles to guide him. And it was my father who suggested I join the military right out of, you know, my senior year in high school. And when I joined the Marine Corps, my first boss was Colonel James N Mattis and, uh, Colonel Mattis at the time. You know, he was he this man exuded sexy confidence. He had this command presence. And he taught me so much about leadership, uh, that I fell in love with leadership and leading others. And that was my experience in the Marine Corps. Furthermore, I want to share that he would always share with the Marines. Uh, he would always share with us. Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet. Now this is very appropriate for us Marines. However, the following thing Lee that that he said that left an indelible mark in my heart was that we must first win the hearts and the minds of the people. So it was then that I fell in love with servant leadership. I knew that I was, you know, destined to serve my country for 20 years. And now, as a coach, speaker, author, I continue serving, but through a different modality. So that’s I can I can keep sharing. Morley. But that’s the basic premise of where, where I came from.

Lee Kantor: So when you got out of the Marines and now you’re still pretty young, even though you were there 20 years, you’re still pretty young. Um, what were some of the career paths you were thinking or were you always going to go into coaching immediately after, um, leaving?

Sandra Gonzalez: Great. Great question. Lee. Um, so I, I would say at my 17 year mark, um, I happened to be on the Home Shopping Network in Tampa, Florida, live on live TV promoting an international fitness models, um, product. And it was at that moment I realized, wait a minute, this woman has created her brand. I want to be an entrepreneur. Um, I want to, you know, delve into what that means and empower others. So that experience, uh, I would say, definitely sparked my interest for becoming an entrepreneur and serving others. And I know that I get that question, uh, asked um, often because a lot of our veterans or or military service members have a hard time making that transition, and this is applicable to anyone you know, especially when you’ve served for 20 years. Uh, that’s all I’ve been. I was doing, that’s all I know. It’s tied to to my identity. So how do I now shift into something new? And you’re right, Lee, I am young. I’m super young. So I, I’m passionate about serving. But that’s just the one example of where I realized. Wait a minute. If this woman. If this woman can do it, so can I.

Lee Kantor: So then you saw somebody who was able to kind of create a personal brand for themselves and be successful and offer a variety of services around that personal brand. How did you kind of determine what your kind of niche would be and what your personal brand would become?

Sandra Gonzalez: Yes. Well, you know, it’s a process. It’s definitely a process. But what I did identify Fi specifically with was that this woman hosted an international conference. Um, that same year, and she invited me to be a keynote speaker. So, uh, when the women are standing up giving you this beautiful standing ovation because they absolutely loved what I had to share, it was at that moment I knew that my calling was to be of service to to build my brand, to figure out what that was, but that I needed to continue speaking. So, um, that’s how it started. And and it’s it’s just something I’ve, uh, refined over the years. Um, and that’s what brings us to this point.

Lee Kantor: So when did you start kind of working with, um, women executives and women business leaders? How did that come about? Because that’s I mean, it’s, uh, I don’t want to say a totally different role because leadership is leadership. But how did you get involved, like in the business world?

Sandra Gonzalez: I got involved in the business world right after, uh, retirement, retiring from the Marine Corps. I had I was fortunate enough to go overseas. Uh, overseas. I lived in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for four years. And this was after my Marine Corps. You know, I’m retired, and I just went for it. I realized, you know what? I want to connect with ambitious women, uh, that have an insatiable appetite for growth. And, you know, we’re like minded. So that’s where it started. I started connecting with expats. I’ve coached women, thankfully, at an international level. And I seen two through my message. Um, especially because I, I come from a male dominant organization, I learned that it’s so important for women not only to be assertive, but to be feminine. To, you know, to give ourselves grace under pressure, because some of these situations we will find ourselves in are not easy. But when you’re able to combine the masculinity and the feminine, which is beautiful energy so that it serves you, you can stand out as a leader. Um, and that’s how I started connecting with these ambitious women.

Lee Kantor: Now, did you have any kind of coaching training? Did you go through any, um, kind of methodology or system, or did you come up with your own methodology in and around leadership coaching?

Sandra Gonzalez: So of course, you know, as an executive coach, holistic coach, certified, um, I was a personal trainer once. Um, that’s continuous getting that education, those certifications. That’s continuous. But I learned that. The information and the knowledge I had received, coupled with my signature coaching, was the thing that would help me stand out from others. And it’s important to, uh, figure out what that is. Figure out our strengths so we can be of service. And through my experiences and everything, uh, you know, and, uh, how I’ve educated myself, I learned that I had a signature methodology that I could serve others with.

Lee Kantor: So let’s start talking about your new book, uh, Sexy Confidence a US Marines blueprint for women to command their seat at the table to become bold, beautiful and bulletproof. Uh, tell us about, uh, the writing of that.

Sandra Gonzalez: Yes, yes. So I started, uh, writing my book, um, Last year. I knew that I’ve been writing before that, um, it’s one of these beautiful disciplines I believe especially women writers should continuously work on. Um, but I it was a beautiful journey of putting this, you know, methodology down on paper, coupled with beautiful stories that have helped me take command of the room, that have helped me and other women leaders and men. I’ve had the the honor of coaching men as well. Um, to, uh, empower them to step into the best version of themselves. So it was a beautiful process where I, I realized the imposter syndrome will pop up. The perfectionism will come up, but we have to do our due diligence as women leaders and persevere. Push through all that, uh, the self-doubt, the imposter syndrome. Because we’re not a fraud. We have so many a wealth of experiences that others could benefit from. But it was an empowering experience and very fulfilling at the end. Thank you for asking that question.

Lee Kantor: Now, is there anything you can share for our listeners that’s actionable right now? Some action they can take in order for them to at least begin their path to becoming sexy, confident?

Sandra Gonzalez: Yes, yes. So I share a lot of examples in the book, but I would say here’s a simple one. Uh, in that first chapter, I talk about really building a strong foundation. It’s important for women leaders to develop a strong foundation, and a strong foundation means that you build a strong identity. And when we have a strong identity, it’s tied to our character and our character speaks volumes, you know. Is this woman reliable? Can she lead others with servant leadership? Um, so a quick, uh, exercise would be for the women leaders that are listening. It’s it’s important to ask yourself these questions. Who am I and what do I stand for? And those two questions are powerful because, uh, from there, I, you know, I encourage women to write down just three, uh, character traits that you want to embody this year. So, for example, for me, my three character traits are I want to be more patient with my mom, my daughters. I have two amazing daughters. I want to be more profitable because it’s tied to my business. This is how I serve others, and I want to be present with every single moment that’s happening allowed me to be present. God, what does this do? This helps me raise my consciousness. So for the for the listeners that are listening, watching, write down these three character traits that are tied to your character, your identity that will help you step into your best version. Write them down. Have them visible somewhere where you could see, remember them, and then take action. And there’s more information in my book. Leave somebody that, you know, the listeners are interested.

Lee Kantor: Now, um, who is kind of your ideal client? Is it a woman that is a high achiever, or is it somebody that aspires to be a higher achiever and is frustrated? Um, who kind of who is your ideal customer profile?

Sandra Gonzalez: Yes. So my ideal customer profile is this woman who’s got this business and she wants to scale her business. She’s already achieved success, but she wants to scale her business. Take it to that next level. Um, she, you know, wants to delegate authority specifically to take that well-deserved vacation. Um, and right now, at this moment, she wants to fully, completely trust yourself and, um, and take action. So this this would be the woman. She she has an insatiable appetite for growth. She’s continuously refining and educating herself because she believes in not only living her life with integrity, but she’s passionate about servant leadership.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to learn more, have a more substantive conversation with you or somebody on the team, or get a hold of the new book, where should they go?

Sandra Gonzalez: Yes. My book. Uh, they could go to my website. Sandra Gonzalez. That’s with two zs.com. Or I can be reached on social media platforms. Love LinkedIn. Uh, Sandra Gonzalez or Instagram coach Sandra Gonzalez. Um, and my book is also available. Um, it’s on Amazon for purchase ASAP. That that’s another way they could, um, get the book and contact me directly through any of the social media platforms.

Lee Kantor: Well, Sandra, thank you so much for sharing your story today, doing such important work, and we appreciate you.

Sandra Gonzalez: Thank you. Lee, I appreciate you for having me.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on High Velocity Radio.