Analiza: Welcome to the Women of Color Rise Podcast. I'm Analiza Quiroz Wolf, proud Filipina American, mom of two, and former CEO of a nonprofit and Captain in the US Air Force. I'm on a mission to support having more diverse leaders at the table. We'll be talking with successful CEOs and C suite women leaders of color and learning about their leadership journeys. If you're a woman or woman of color, who wants a seat at the table, you're in the right place. Now let's get into today's show.

I am thrilled to be talking today with Lisa Song Sutton. She has an incredible background, entrepreneur, real estate investor, former congressional candidate for Nevada's fourth district and former Miss Nevada. I mean, she's on it. All right. And when you think about Lisa, we'll learn more about her. She started her career in a law firm, right? She's focused on business litigation, went on to be an entrepreneur starting scaling, seven and eight figure businesses including Sin City Cupcakes. When I first met Lisa, she offered me one, of course brought a ton for people, so generous and delicious. And in addition to all this, she writes for Forbes magazine, she also has supported the military community, particularly the veteran community with a general fund that has a venture capital fund called the veteran fund. And it's a way that she pays back to her roots in the military. We'll learn more about that. And I mentioned earlier that Lisa was the first Miss Nevada and she was the first Miss Nevada of Asian descent. She continues to stay actively involved. Vegas 40 under 40 list. And I'm so excited, Lisa, because we are going to go beyond this incredible bio to learn more about you. Thank you for being here.

Lisa: Thank you so much for having me.

Analiza: Okay, Lisa. So let's go back to the roots. Because in your bio, you share that you our military sort of started, like it all started there, you're still paying back to the veterans, but can you share in general, whether it's the military or being Asian? But how did this form you as you made these decisions through your career?

Lisa: Sure. So I come from a military family. My father was a Vietnam veteran. He served in the United States Air Force for 20 years, and then served with the Department of Defense as civil servant for another 20 years. And I think being around that just really instilled a sense of, you know, true patriotism in me and a love for country. And just a true respect for the sacrifices that it takes, especially among our military community on deployments and TDY. And just kind of all the things that the families go through to serve and coming from a military family. That was a huge part of my upbringing in my life. I grew up right next to a small base army base called Fort Huachuca. And this is down in southeastern Arizona, about 70 miles south east of Tucson, 40 miles north of the Mexican border. And so we were down there. I was born in South Korea, but raised in a very small town in Arizona.

Analiza: So this love of country, I mean, I've seen your social media, and I see pictures of you talking with troops and helping to inspire them. Can you also connect because you mentioned you were born in South Korea, but then raised in the US. How is being born from South Korea informed you and your life?

Lisa: Yeah, so I grew up with like a guess that stereotypical Asian Tiger Mom, my mom is a total badass. And she is Korean and just really instilled in me the importance of education. From a very early age, I was enrolled in every type of extracurricular under the sun. So I started piano lessons at age, five tap dance lessons at age five, flute lessons at age nine. And through that, I think I learned how to manage schedules and multitask pretty well from an early age. And she was just a constant. I mean, both my parents, but certainly my mom, in particular, she was just such a constant person in my life. She was the chaperone of every field trip that I can remember in elementary school. She's just always around. And I just think it's so incredibly important to have that kind of level of support from family and it's translated into the confidence that I have today and my want to nurture and help others. My mom always says, you know how to love because you've been loved. And I just think that's such a prime example of even the nature versus nurture argument.

Analiza: Which is that so sweet, your admiration and appreciation of your mom. And it is not something to be taken for granted that you were loved, right? Like it truly is like life's work. And we're seeking love and admiration from others. Can you please respect me? Look what I've done, versus knowing that you already have it within you. And having that from your parents, your especially your mother? That's a beautiful thing. So hats off to mom, tiger mom and all.

Lisa: Yes, yeah, I give moms just in general, so much credit because, well, you know, moms and dads as well, but I just feel like moms in particular, right? It takes so much effort and energy to care immensely about somebody else. Right. So to care immensely enough about your children and to pour into them every single day. I mean, it's not that it's always easy. It's not that they're always wonderful, right? Like, you have to work so hard at it. And I just think that it's such a special relationship.

Analiza: So Lisa, let's fast forward, you have amazing accomplishments in your career. And I want you to look back and think about young Lisa, eyes wide open thinking about your future. What were beliefs you had about this future that you realize, actually having gone through it now, live the experience, they're actually not true?

Lisa: What my parents always told me, like, you can accomplish anything that you want, you know, you're so smart, you're so pretty, you can accomplish anything that you want. And so I just always had this mantra kind of stuck in my head. I think the competence obviously, has always served me well from having that type of support from a young age. But what I wasn't prepared for, especially as a young adult, working in particular, in like male dominated industries, right? In law, in real estate, I wasn't prepared for people not to like me, which sounds silly with it, like flying out of my mouth, right. But I think when you kind of grow up in this little bubble, this really safe bubble, right, where you're loved on and you have tons of friends, and everyone's nice, and, you know, I didn't really have a lot of like bullying or anything like that during elementary school, I think maybe one time, like in the third grade, you know, some girls like made fun of my eye shape or something like that for, you know, for being Asian. And I remember crying about it and telling my mom and my mom was like, they're just jealous, because you're smarter and prettier than them. And I was like, oh, like, that's literally what she told me in third grade. And I'm so grateful. But, you know, my mom kind of put blinders on me in that sense, because I literally was just, like, totally good with that explanation. I was like, Okay, and so after that, they literally just didn't bother me at all.

So, you know, as an adult, now, obviously, you realize that was a parenting tactic, right? That was my mom's way of protecting me just being like, I'm just going to tell you something that, you know, maybe partially true, if at all true, but I know that that's gonna get you through, you know what, let it bother you. So I think like I said, as a young adult, I was, I guess, a prized for lack of better word, when I would encounter situations where someone didn't want to work with me, or they didn't like me, or they thought I was too bubbly or to whatever I am, right. And I just wasn't prepared for that. And so that was a learning curve for me. And I think it just comes with maturity.

Analiza: Let's actually go through there. Because there's situations in your career in law in business in real estate, where you faced men who didn't want to work with you, for whatever reason. So let's actually walk through it. Can you give it in a specific example? I remember when I was a lawyer, and I worked with so and so I felt like actually walk us through it. And how did you see through it? Like, what? You look back? What kind of tools did you use to remember? Did you think to yourself, I'm really pretty, they're just jealous, like, how did you get through that to still keep going?

Lisa: Yeah, so no, I didn't pull that third grade, from the third grade toolbox. Probably better for everybody. But yeah, there was a particular instance very early in my career, I think it was like 25 or 26, first year associate. And there was a client that we had that did not want to work with a male attorney, and the only one to work with male attorneys did not want to work with any female attorneys. And that's just the reality of the situation. So we had all heard that and knew that and so I personally just steered clear, like, he wasn't he wasn't part of my portfolio. So it was fine. One day, my old boss at the firm came to me and he said, You've got to take this guy's deposition, and no one else is available to do it. He already has the questions. It's gonna take less than an hour, he's already in the conference room, just go do it. You literally just have like, one sheet, like just read off the questions and record it. It's not a big deal. And I was like, okay, so I go in, and I use older gentleman, probably early 80s At that time, just to recover the old school guy and, you know, feeling when you just you know, someone doesn't like you. So I just walked in and introduce myself and then I sat down opposite table from him. And I asked if you wanted anything before we got started, and he said, I'd like a cup of coffee. I was like, Sure, no problem. As an admin. She brought coffee and After she brought that cup of coffee and left, he looked at me and he said, I want you to go get me a cup of coffee. I know, I was like, floored, I was like, I was just I was just sitting there with this, like, dumb look on my face. Like I would literally was just like, staring at him. Like, I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to do. And there was a small part of me that was like, should I just go get like, should I walk out of here and like, go get a cup of coffee, like I did not know what to do. So I'm sitting there staring at him, we're just staring at each other. And I just like thought quickly on my feet, right?

And I was like, Okay, I was like, I can go get you a cup of coffee. It's gonna take me like 15 minute, and I bill at $450 an hour. And then we just started at each other. Like this terrible, awkward, like, longest moment of my life. And he looked at me, and then he like, waved his hand, like dismissed it, like waved his hand. And so I took that as a sign to proceed.

And so I hit the record button on the recording device. I was in the middle of the table, and I jumped in the first question, and we flew through the questions, and then I ran out of that room, I bolted out of there. And it was just crazy. I'm so glad that happened to me, early in my professional career, because it just made me realize, like, you're gonna have more instances like this where like, you're in the room to get the job done, negotiate whatever it's going to be. So you're, you're in the room for some reason. Sometimes people are just not nice. And whether it's a test, whether it's because that's actually just their personality, nine times out of 10, you probably aren't going to change their mind, right? It's not like he's gonna be like, You know what, Lisa, actually, you are so great. And you're so smart. And I'm so glad we're working together. Like, that's not gonna fly out of his mouth. And so I'm not there necessarily to convince him of that. But the least I can do is like, get the job done. Right,

Analiza: Lisa? I have to say, first, awesome. I wish I had heard that. You're like, I bill like $450 an hour. I feel like that's like a movie moment.

Lisa: I wish it was. It did not feel glamorous at all.

Analiza: So Lisa, like actually talk us through because there's this lesson learned. And we look back terrible breakdown, I would have cried after it.

Lisa: Oh I did, I ran out of there. And I ran straight to my car because I wasn't going to like go into my office. Right? So I ran straight to my car. And I called my mom and like told her what happened. And I asked, you know, your day, she was like, He’s such a jerk, you know, we, like commiserated over, like what a jerk he is. And then she was just like, Okay, it's just like, you know, like, are you ready to go back and like you need to go back inside, you know, like, you need to go back to work. And so I went inside my office.

And my boss came in, and he was like, how did it go? And I was like, it got done. I said, but I need to tell you what I said to him, in case, he's not very happy about what I said. I didn't say it in like a snappy comeback way. You know, to me it kind of like it just quietly came out of my mouth. And that's like, all I have to say, you know, so I told him what happened. And he was just like, Oh, my God, he was like, I'm so sorry. He was like, You will never be in a room with him again, like, don't worry, you know. And so that was that. I didn't hear anything further as far as like if he like, complained to the partners or something like that. But I thought it was important for them to know what happened. And at least just like what I said, because I wasn't trying to be I wasn't trying to be disrespectful, you know, but I was like I did this is what I said, and this is what happened.

Like I just like I said, I'm just grateful that it happened early on, because I realized I could get through situations like that by just focusing on why I'm there. Right? Why am I there? And it doesn't get done. What am I going to do? Walk out of there and go to my boss's office and cry and say, he doesn't like me. So like, I can't do that. Like, I don't know, you know what I mean? I do think it was rude and disrespectful, like how he was being so condescending to me. But like, was it completely unbearable? No. And we still got it done.

Analiza: I just want to actually start to talk about it. Because as part of what I try to learn, and we get these, like amazing experiences and try to learn from them and share with others. It's, I'm hearing a sense of like, this is a terrible situation, right? Like it is and I'm going to just accept that. This person is not a nice person, like, I'm just going to accept that. It is what it is. I'm not going to change him. It is what it is and then there's a second piece of I'm not going to take it personally, like I'm actually like, with acceptance, then it's like, I can't change him. I'm not going to take it personally, it's not about me. And the third thing is I'm here to get the job done. I'm gonna get my job done. I'm going to tell my manager what happened, but I'm gonna get it done. So that's the third thing. And the fourth is some gratitude that this was terrible. And I cried and called my mom who's amazing and helped Be back, get back up. But I'm better for it, because I'm going to show up in situations differently going forward. So I just want to map that. Did I miss anything? Anything else you'd add?

Lisa: No, that's a really nice breakdown.

Analiza: So the reason that I mentioned this as a lesson is it feels like even in your career, you start to move out, like you become a lawyer, and you go into entrepreneurship, you become, you know, Miss Nevada, and keep on climbing. And this I imagine kept happening, right? Where like, you meet girls boys in the playground, and they're just like, not nice people. So I want to talk about this because you become more and more visible. And there's something to be said about a woman and attractive woman who is in these male dominated fields, competitive fields, also women to in these fields. And you're now what's I think, awesome about you is that you're like, in front of people. I mean, like you're in front presenting pitching idea, like, you're in front. And so I want to talk about that, we're now talking about a bigger field, and you're on stage. And how does that like, when we talk about these four steps, right, like, accepting, not taking it personally, like trying to be grateful, you know, like, what changes there, or you're just like, now, it's just a bigger scale.

Lisa: So for sure, not taking things personal, because we just can't get bogged down in worrying about what every other person out there thinks of us. Like I said, if you're in the room, you're there for a reason. You're not just there to like, hang out, right. So if you're there to raise money, if you're there to, you know, close the deal. If you're there to negotiate better terms, you're there to whatever it is like, you should stay laser focused on that be professional, of course, right? There's no, it didn't even cross my mind to like, stand up, get into like a yelling match with this person, like one, what good would that have done into again, especially in this professional setting, right? Like, it's completely unnecessary, because especially through that type of dialogue, you're not going to change their mind. So what's the overarching goal here? Why are you even in the room in the first place, I always try to stay focused on that. I think being a woman being a visible woman, especially in business, you'll get kind of two factions of men. And I will say the overwhelming, you know, 98% of the men that I work with and interact with, treat me as a professional peer, like, it's totally fine. And then you'll get this small, you know, one to 2%, that's either misogynistic, or assumes that you're there only because you're, you know, an attractive woman, or they underestimate your abilities. They underestimate what it took to get there, how smart you are all those kinds of other types of values. And so again, I'm not there to change their mind, right. But what I am there to do is, is get a job done. And I find that something is simple is showing up with that preparedness of having your data, having your steps, having all the things available and in front of you that you're there to talk about in the first place, and not being unorganized. And not being flustered, interestingly, goes a long way. Like you're actually just doing your job at that point, right? When you show up prepared. And people who have underestimated you are like so impressed, because they're like, oh, my gosh, you really came in with that stuff. And you're like, that's why we're here. You know what I mean? Like you're like, that's what we're supposed to be talking about today. So I always find that amusing when people are impressed with you simply doing your job, because they underestimate you.

Analiza: So it's building on your point, Lisa, when you are talking about showing them that you've got brains, right, you are beautiful. And I also have brains behind this, I'm prepared doing my job focusing on what matters, let's like draw attention back to the work. And I'm curious, because when you're in front of people, and let's actually take take, let's go to to these high status, even let's go to miss Nevada, I mean, you're adored, but also imagine you're getting some feedback that's not so positive, right? People have opinions about what you look like or how you're talking or acting or presenting and how do you stay focused on what matters and not let it even with all the confidence you have and love from your mom and friends? Like how do you not let that get to you so that you can continue to be so visible?

Lisa: I think anytime, especially if you take on a public endeavor, whether it's pageantry, whether it's politics, one, you're making a conscious choice to actively participate, right to be a participant in this, too. You personally have to understand why you're even doing this in the first place because it's not always going to be roses. So especially with Miss Nevada, I hadn't determined his experience as Miss Nevada and my why, my purpose for it was because I was really serious about ingratiating myself within the community on a nonprofit level. And so I did nearly 500 Community appearances during my time as Miss Las Vegas and Miss Nevada, volunteering in schools, reading and hospitals working with countless nonprofits, which to this very day, obviously, that was eight years ago.

Now, I think, to this day, I still have tremendous, you know, relationships from that time period. And to this day, I still, you know, hear from kids that I met, they were an elementary school, and now they're going to high school, you know, and they're finding me on Instagram, and they're like, You came to my class, when I was in fourth grade, or whatever it was, you know. And so it's awesome, right? The community remembers that stuff. And the impact people have, especially on a kid, when you go to their school with like, this shiny crown on right, and you talk to them about education, and you talk about college, and you talk about, you know, opening your own business, that plant seeds that maybe they've never even heard some of those dreams before. Right?

Maybe neither their parents went to college, they have no clue what this idea is right? And you come to them. And you talk to them about stuff that they can't really imagine the moment that they see someone that they are excited to meet. And so you already have their ear, you have their attention. And so what a great platform, right? What a great microphone to use to be able to amplify whatever, you know, community messaging you want to do. And so that was a tremendous experience, and actually didn't really get too much hate during my time as Miss Nevada, which I'm grateful for.

And I think it's because I hit the ground running so hard, that people who maybe at first were like, Well, why is she competing in a sorority doing all these other things or whatever. They saw quickly, why I was competing, and why I wanted to win. And I think I gained the respect, I earned the respect out of the community work that I did.

Analiza: Lisa, it's the why as center for why you and how you show up, and the why when you do get some feedback that, thankfully, didn't get a lot of negative feedback you could go back to and here's what I stand for. This is a microphone that allows me to carry the message forward at representation, right? Like how often totally Yeah, didn't have that a right and Asian American with the Crown like that is so inspiring, talking that you can have right not just like brains, but you can beauty you can go on to start businesses and be successful. I love it.

Lisa: Yeah, I got to travel around the entire state. And I went to places where they were surprised to see me as a miss Nevada. They were just like, hello, you're Miss Nevada. And I was like, hi. You know, like, it was great. It was awesome opportunity.

Analiza: What was your talent?

Lisa: So in the Miss America system is talent. I played the flute when I did the Miss America system. The year that I won Miss Nevada, I did the United States system. And that one is interview swimsuit, evening gown, and answer each question. So a lot more focused on ability to speak, which was very helpful, because obviously, I was literally traveling the entire state speaking, right, like meeting people, meeting the community.

Analiza: Where did you get the inspiration to do this? Was it like part of the tiger mom plan, play flute and all the activities and then when you turn X years old, you are also going to be going for that.

Lisa: So not necessarily part of the plan growing up, but my mom actually is a former Miss Korea. And so growing up, which I appreciate I was not in pageantry growing up, I think that's really important because seeing, especially, you know, kind of pre teenage, obviously, into your teenage years. I think we as women, especially like we can spend the rest of our lives being body conscious, right? Like once it gets you hit a certain age where you're like, looking at yourself and how you're looking photos or whatever, right? But like, when you're in elementary school, middle school, even in high school, like I don't remember being body conscious. I don't remember thinking like, What do I look like in this photo? Whereas now we all check the photo after someone or we check the phone or someone takes the photo, right? I think had I done pageantry growing up? I think I feel like it would have just made me more conscious of like, what I looked like and how I stand and what do I look like in front of people? So I'm glad I didn't do it growing up.

But fall of 2013 my mom called me and she was like, are you competing for Miss Las Vegas? And I was like, I don't know, I just started a business. I was like, I'm busy. Like what are you talking about? And she was like, you're getting ready to age out. So I was like, Oh, Miss America, you age and this was back when I was competing at that time the age cutoff. Miss America was 24 Miss USA was 26 Miss United States was 29 and so I had like one last chance of like the major systems to win a state title because I was getting ready to age out. Oh, and you know, I guess you fall off a cliff if you're not married after 29. So that's about to happen. I had to buckle down. I was racing against the clock. I had to buckle down. I hired a pageant coach, like it became a priority. And I was definitely the underdog. I was the shortest contestant. I was the oldest in the Miss division. So I had a lot of perceived strikes against me, but still pulled out the win.

Analiza: Oh, my gosh, congrats. I love that story's so inspiring. I started a business. I finished law school. I went to a real estate deal. Wow. Okay, pageantry. I mean, it's like oxymoron, right? And yes, I did that too. I just like, that's why I love talking to you. Let's actually go to this run for poll. You're in politics. What's up, or mom, even? Like, where did that come from?

Lisa: Definitely not in politics, not in the plan. And it still is not in the plan. But at that time, when I ran during the 2020 cycle, I felt very moved and compelled to run. And I think like many first time candidates, I had this very altruistic view, because I genuinely wanted to help the community. And I genuinely felt that I was a better choice that I would do a better job than the incumbent than the person I was running against. That all came about, actually, by being a small business owner.

So I also own some shipping stores within my business portfolio. And one of my shipping stores is outside of the Air Force Base, Nellis Air Force Base here in North Las Vegas. And when I opened up that store in 2018, I was just attracted to the area because the rent was cheap. And I was right outside the base. So I'm like, What is this magical place, and I get up there and it's completely vacant on all sides. Walmart had pulled out of the area, you know, Walmart, they do a lot of research before they go into a neighborhood, right? When have you ever seen a Walmart pull out of anywhere, they pulled out of that area in northeast Las Vegas, because of shoplifting and crime. There's a Reddit thread on this Walmart called Stab Mart. And so you have the base. But then right outside the base is a community that has nothing to do with military. It's low income, predominately African American. And there's just there's nothing over there. So once that Walmart left, you're talking about a food desert, right? Like we live in this city, Las Vegas, so much abundance, so much abundance, and there's literally this community that had no, nothing, there are no resources.

So I opened up my shipping store there. And I was advised by Metro Police, I mean, everybody that I knew, they were likely to go back to Summerlin, they were like, please don't open up here, you're gonna get robbed. This is an area called the triangle. This is the longest lead times most amount of calls, like. I know you're trying to, you know, be a little business owner. Like, don't open up up here. This is bad news. And what do I do? I'm hard headed and optimistic. So I was just like, No, it's gonna be great, right? And it's, you know, it's 99 cents a foot. I was like, come on, like, I gotta try this.

And so I went to a landlord. And they were new owners of the complex, they had bought it out of bank owned. And so it was like, bad news. And I went to them and I said, I'm going to open up the store here. I am not going to sign like a five year lease, I will do a one year lease. And if I get robbed in the first 90 days, I will pay you for four months worth of rent, and you just let me walk, no personal guarantee. And they took it. So I was like, Damn, I'm getting robbed. So we open up like apprehensively open up my mailbox info pack and ship store. The very first customers we had the day we opened our doors were these two little black ladies who live in the apartments across the street, and they were so happy to have a place to buy stamps. They're hugging us, because without us they take a bus to the closest post office, which is like 40 minutes away. So we became them to this day, knock on wood, we have not been robbed, we have not been vandalized, we actually have brought business into the area. Because at the time when we opened up, we were like this island like there were no other businesses around us. And it's because one we took a chance on the neighborhood but two you know, we provide a much needed resource there, right?

And so that got my brain ticking. And I'm like, Who is in charge up here? Like, how is this possible? How does this pocket of like nothingness exist in the city with so much abundance or so much money here? There's a lot of people who want to do good things here too. So I'm like, Who is in charge? And I learned that the congressman for the area lives in Virginia. He's a Nevada congressman, who takes a taxpayer salary to represent this district in Nevada. And he lives in Virginia, so much so like his kids, like switch schools, like they used to go to school in Vegas. Now they go to school in Virginia, like they moved. You know what I mean? You moved your family, and I just did that. That wasn't right.

So I'm like calling around telling people I'm like someone needs to run against this guy. I'm like, It's not right. I don't care what party he has. It's not right. And everyone's like, Lisa, you should just drive. So this was 2018. And I was just like, You know what? All just do it. And it was the craziest 10 months of my life. It felt like starting a new business. I basically started a new venture, right. Like during this campaign, we just had this tremendous support to actually raise donations from all 50. It became this like national race, like we raise donations from 50 states, I raised the most in a primary election in Nevada.

I was the first Korean American candidate they'd had, I was the first woman under 40 that they'd had, as a candidate, I had national leadership come off the sidelines and endorsed me. I mean, it was really tremendous. It was an incredible experience. And interestingly, very similar to my time is just Nevada in the sense that I was out talking to people, right, I got to travel the entire district, the district that I ran in, is northern Clark County, which is Vegas, like Northern Las Vegas, and then six other rural counties. So I had like the whole like midsection of the state. And there's just an incredible experience.

And I'm so grateful that I ran, and my parents were so proud of me, my dad was like, convinced I was gonna save America. And it was just a crazy experience. I'm so grateful that I ran. And you know, God works in mysterious ways. Because I'm used to being rewarded for my hard work. And I worked really, really hard. And it was crazy. It's really crazy time, I lost the primary election, June of 2020. And that was really hard. That was hard on me again, which I'm used to being rewarded for my hard work. And I lost the primary election, June of 2020. And then my dad was diagnosed with cancer, August of 2020. And he passed October 2020.

So had I won the primary election, I would have been full speed ahead into the general election to prepare for November of 2020 of that year, right? I am 100% convinced I had One, my dad absolutely would have heard what was going on because he was so but of course, my whole family, but my dad in particular was just very invested in this congressional race. Man, like I said, he was so convinced that I was going to win and that I was going to do everything right for the state and, you know, do a really good thing for my community and for our country. And so that's how you know, right? Like, things truly do work out the way that they're supposed to do. And like, we think we're in control. And like, we're not in control. We play all these things, and like, we're not in control.

Analiza: Wow, I'm so sorry, Lisa, for your father. And it just speaks highly of him. And you and that relationship that even with the loss that was painful, you're like, and I'm grateful, because I got to be present with my dad. And he did. Yeah. It's just thanks to you to Lisa, just how much you're optimistic. And you are beautifully hard headed. Like, I'm gonna go at this with everything I have. And I'm not just here, you know, on a superficial basis, I have a deeper and deeper why. So Lisa, let me ask you this question about your vision for just life and impact.

And I hear this: why service to community? Can you talk about? How, like, Do you have a Northstar that helps guide these decisions? Because you've done so many things. I'm like, What are you going to do next? Like I really and you kind of covered everything? Do you have a guide of how you decide to go into a venture or you're just like it feels right and go for it.

Lisa: So initially, and this is still something that obviously I adhere to, to this day, I had initially just had a goal of, I want to have different money coming in from different places at different times. Like I want to design my life with flexibility in mind. And there's a quote and it's a Tony Robbins quote, that's basically like success is doing what you want, when you want with whom you want, you know, whenever you want something like that, I'm paraphrasing it. But I liked that I was like, that makes sense. And so that is initially what I started out with in relation to the fact that I built with these multiple ventures, and they're so diversified, I wanted to build them with that mindset of I want to have different money coming in from different places at different times. And I still adhere to that to this day.

But now being 12 years in, I also just really try to look at what's most like, impactful, like what speaks to me from a purpose level. And so that's why I really enjoy, you know, the real estate brokerage, for example, because we're also training our agents there to not only make money, you know, helping others buy and sell real estate, but we want to help them build wealth, by teaching them how to own real estate, how to be investors themselves. And I love the fact that the majority of our core team are actually all like really strong women. So because we recruit for that it's not because we say you know, a women only on this team. And that's not that's not the case at all. We just find that we attract these really strong women who are serious about wanting to build financial wealth for themselves. And so I love that purposeful piece of it, the impactful piece and same thing with the veteran fund, you know, we invest in companies that are owned and led by veterans and military spouses. Again, like that purposeful piece of obviously, you know, military families are near and dear to my heart coming from on myself but it's even more Isn't that right of being able to help young budding American entrepreneurs, right. And these are folks who are exactly the type of entrepreneurs that I love investing in because they already have the grit. They already have the intangibles that a founder need, right? Because things aren't easy, especially in the beginning when you're building. So I think impact on purpose and just kind of figuring out things like, what hits buttons for you is kind of the best way that you can design your life.

Analiza: Great, Lisa. With that, let's go to lightning round questions. Ready?

Lisa: Sure

Analiza: Chocolate or vanilla?

Lisa: Chocolate.

Analiza: Cooking or take out?

Lisa: Cooking

Analiza: Climb a mountain or jump from a plane?

Lisa: Climb a mountain

Analiza: Have you ever worn socks with sandals?

Lisa: No

Analiza: How would you rate your karaoke skills on a scale of one to 10, 10 being Mariah Carey?

Lisa: Oh, I'd say like, seven or eight.

Analiza: What a recent book you read?

Lisa: I just started re-reading Tools of Titans.

Analiza: What's your favorite way to practice self care?

Lisa: I try not to schedule anything on Sundays. For the longest period of time. I worked like seven days a week, Sunday's are my one day to not schedule anything.

Analiza: What's a good professional development you've done?

Lisa: Joining a great peer group like YPO like how we met?

Analiza: What's your definition of a Boss Mama?

Lisa: I think a Boss Mama is someone who is doing what she wants, how she wants with who she wants, whenever she wants.

Analiza: What advice would you give your younger self?

Lisa: Don't worry about the fact that not everyone is going to like you will stay rooted in your purpose.

Analiza: And lastly, where can we find you?

Lisa: You can connect with me on social at lisasongsutton And my website lisasongsutton.com.

Analiza: Wonderful. And any last ask recommendations parting thoughts with the audience.

Lisa: There's a quote my parents told me growing up that I still you know resonates with me to this day. It's, Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. And I found that to be true multiple times in my life.

Analiza: Beautiful, Lisa, it's been such a pleasure. I love these stories. Love the inspiration. Love your authenticity. I'm excited to see where you go next. Who knows the world is your oyster. So thank you so much.

Lisa: Thank you so much.

Analiza: Thank you so much for carving out time today to hear today's podcast. Three things before you go. First, if you found it helpful, please leave a five star review. Second, please share with someone else you can share the link and posts on Facebook and say check it out. Lastly, I want to thank you for being a listener and you can go to get a free self care bonus called juice your joy at analizawolf.com/freebonus. Thank you so much