108: Following Your Gut Unapologetically with Jeannette Marroquin

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

All right. Welcome, everyone. I am really happy today we have a special guest. We have someone who's going to be talking to us all about following your gut unapologetically. Our I actually love that topic but our guest speaker is Jeannette Marroquin. That's how you say last name. Yes Marroquin, okay. And I'm gonna go ahead and read her bio.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

So Jeanette, who uses she hers pronouns is a 25 year old professor and business owner. Yes, her purpose in life is to help people in any way that she is able to do so. As a DACA scholar, Jeanette has had the privilege to earn a master's degree. As a professor of Communication Studies at Cal State LA she teaches young minds, Jeanette extends the knowledge to people who do not have access to education, her business and this I'm I don't think I can pronounce it "atelier." How do you say that?

Jeannette Marroquin

atelier?

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Oh, of course. Okay. Atelier staffing provides people with employment in the hospitality industry. Everything is possible and follow your gut unapologetically. That's great. Thank you for coming. Welcome to the podcast.

Jeannette Marroquin

Thank you for having me. I'm super excited to be here in chat with you.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Awesome. So yeah, just to kind of get us started, I'd love to hear a little bit more about you your background backstory, your trajectory, just anything you want to share about how you became who you are today.

Jeannette Marroquin

Okay, well, um, I like to think that my story is very simple. I come from a loving home and loving family, both my parents, my siblings, my grandmother, grandfather, and my life, I was always told, go after whatever you want, it doesn't matter what it is, as long as it's good will support you. So that gave me the ability to feel comfortable to take on many things. And if I didn't like it, it was okay for me to let it go and start something new.

Jeannette Marroquin

So as a kid, I was taught that. So I was born in El Salvador to just backtrack a little bit more. I was born in El Salvador in 1996. And I came to the United States in 2006. So I was there for 10 years of my life. And it was interesting to come to another country, you know, learn the language, learn anything, everything there is to know about the new country and everything that comes with it. And it was still the same thing, whatever you want to do, will support you, we'll do our best. By no means we live, you know, in a in a small apartment, all of us. And I went to the school that was two blocks away. That's where all the complexes were located. And regardless, we always have food on the table, we always had a loving family, everybody was always healthy. So that to me was good enough to just feel like I had everything in the world, just pushing me and I would be catched if I were to fall, for whatever reason, because my family made me feel that way.

Jeannette Marroquin

So I really took held on to that and build what I say unapologetically. Right? Because I just was myself all the time. Anything that I did, it didn't matter who it was there, what was happening, I was always myself. Because I just felt like that's the only thing to be some people will like that some people won't. And it doesn't matter. As long as I feel like that's what's the right thing to do. So I've always kind of felt like that threw out anything that I've done, whether it was big tests, or it was smaller tests, it doesn't matter. I always tried to stay my authentic self. And that really helped me build a lot of connections, those connections that then made me feel even more comfortable jumping onto another project, jumping onto another task, even changing careers at some point, because that's what I did. I wanted to be a police officer, and then Oh, wow. Be a police officer.

Jeannette Marroquin

But then I found out that I have to have a green card, at least to even start the program. And I'm a DACA recipient, because I came here when I was 10. So I qualified under the dreamers got my work permit, I was able to go to work, go to school. And I really wanted to be a police officer. I was studying criminal justice. And then I was like, You know what, I'm already going to learn this and the police academy. Let me pick up a new skill. And I said, You know what, I think communication. I mean, they're police officers who have to communicate with the community. So I think this is a good step.

Jeannette Marroquin

So I take communication, I take an interpersonal communication class. specifically, and I just the professor, she was amazing. She's the reason why I think I followed that Professor path. I don't know if I ever said that to her, we lost connection. But I just that just felt like the right thing to do. So I completely changed my police route. I had already been working towards them for three years, but I was like, You know what, it's a dead end no matter how more I push it. So let me change my career. And I decided to be a communication scholar. So I'm certain things happened with the DACA program during all of this time. And every single time it was super anxiety inducing, at the moment, because I was like, Oh, my God, if they take my permit, then I won't be able to work or school, what am I going to do, you know, you freak out.

Jeannette Marroquin

But even so, I still wouldn't really let that affect me from going towards what I wanted. Because whether I worked on myself or not, that same time was still going to pass. So I just had to do whatever I had to do whatever my gut told me that I had to do. And I had to go with it. And that turned into getting my bachelor's in communication.

Jeannette Marroquin

And then I had another mentor that I met, then, who encouraged me to do the master's program. And during that time, I wasn't very confident in myself. There was a lot of things that I was going on, psychologically, that made me feel like I wasn't good enough, made me feel like I'm just a girl that came to this country like 15 years ago, I don't belong here, right? And then she was like, she just really encouraged me to push to push to push. And my gut told me to just do it, even though my brain was telling me, You're not smart enough, you can do it. Like it's too much. But my God was like, no, like, you have to do it. If you don't, you will have remorse, you will feel guilty.

Jeannette Marroquin

So I was like, You know what, I called another mentor of mine. And then I said, Hey, this was happening, what do I do? And he said to me, Well, if you apply and get in, cool, if you apply and don't get in cool, but if you don't apply, you will never know. So then that's when I began to follow my gut even more. So the past two, two and a half years, it's just been like, whatever my god is tilt my gut is telling me to do, I will do it. And then I'll take it from there.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

So wait, how did that lead you to then starting a business because you're a professor and you're business owner. So I'm curious about that part of your story, too.

Jeannette Marroquin

So when I was in grad school, um, there is a program across Italy, which is where I went to school. And they have a program where when you're going through your masters, you can also be working as a TA teachers associate. And basically, I get to teach the comm 1100 oral communication course, which is a basic course, every student has to take it at the university level. And I was allowed to teach that course for the duration of my programs over two years.

Jeannette Marroquin

And during that time, I was at a family gathering. And there was this gentleman and his wife, and they were talking about their business, which is marketing. And I was like, Hey, I do I do a little bit of marketing. I'm a communication professor. So we kind of connected it just it was just a conversation. We got to know each other we vibed. And then two years later, he calls me, his name's Carlos. He's the CEO of the company now of Atelier staffing. And he calls me and he's like, Hey, Jeannette. And then I was like, and then he's like, Hey, remember, two years ago, we talked about this? And I was like, Yes, I remember. And he's like, Well, I have an idea for you. It's an idea for a company that I want to start. And I would really like for you to run this with me to do this with me.

Jeannette Marroquin

So we started working together, June 7, we launched the company online until you're stuck bing.com. And it's all history from there. But I went from the professor to now completing my contract in December, to then running my company full time, and that's what my gut is telling me to do. Because this company needs me it's my baby, and I have to be there full time. So I my gut told me that I needed to stop teaching for a moment after I finished my contract this semester, and then just run the company full time. So I have now just switched my careers three times. And I feel 1,000% happy about it

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

There's so much that you said I'm trying to process them I'm like how do I respond to every everything that she said because There's something about you keep repeating. Like, I followed my gut, I followed my gut. And that's the topic of the show is following your gut unapologetically. But then I'm thinking about folks who struggle because you've been able to, it sounds like it probably isn't. But just the way you describe it seamlessly transition from one career to another probably wasn't seamless in the moment, but the way you describe it, you're like, oh, yeah, I was able to do this. And then this, and then this, and other folks, especially academics, though, because I have a big network of academics really struggle with this idea of like, like, how do I transition? You know, how do I transition to another job? Or who am I if I'm not an academic and, and there's a lot from you in terms of like, the, your upbringing and the, the assets like the I don't know, if it's like, cultural assets, or all the things that your parents instilled in you of like believing in yourself and supporting you, that has helped you almost gain this confidence to be able to switch from one thing to the next to the next, knowing that you'll be okay no matter what.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

And so I would love for you to expand a little bit more on like, this concept of following your gut, like, when did it become a thing? Like, when did you realize, oh, that's actually what I do, because I do that, too. And, for me, it's like, I think about it as a kind of intuition as just like trusting all all the knowledge and wisdom that I've gained over time that my body has gained, even without me even realizing it. And that my body then sends me signals. This like data, like this is the right thing, this is the wrong thing. That has never failed me. I've never regretted any decision that I've made when I followed my gut. But tell me about your interpretation of that, like following your gut and how it became a thing for you.

Jeannette Marroquin

Ooh, thank you for saying that. Because now it helps me understand how how mine is so different. To touch on the seamlessly part for a moment, I actually feel that way about it. i Oh, wow.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Not what I thought you were gonna say, it's no like that for a lot of people.

Jeannette Marroquin

There was there's definitely been roadblocks and a lot of issues that have happened in the transition. But regardless, I just feel like everything that I did, somehow is related to the other, for example, police work was intrinsically related to the communication because I knew that by picking up this, I was going to be a better police officer. Right. So then when I couldn't do that, because of my documents, I don't I'm not a citizen. I was like, Well, I really like this communication course. So let me write out my communication. And let me see what comes out of it. Right.

Jeannette Marroquin

So I'm doing this degree, and I get to almost earning my bachelor's degree. And I know what I want to do, which is marketing, I was going to do that, which is perfect. So when I met Carlos from he wanted to start actually staffing, it was marketing. So I met the right person, who then called me two years later, to do marketing, PR being the business owner of the company. So I very much feel when I look at it in a pattern. If I look at the timeline, it does look very, very seamlessly. So that's why I feel that way towards it. But definitely during the moment, there was a lot of what do I do? Is this the right decision? I don't even know. But this is what just feels this is what makes me happy. So this is what I have to do.

Jeannette Marroquin

So it all has worked out thankfully. And I honestly, that's why I say that I'm privileged because that comes with luck. I feel like it's it's privilege because people who don't have that cushion, per se not that I have it but I feel like I do because my parents made me feel like it was there. That's what helps me just okay, well this is what makes me feel happy than this is what I have to do. So that's what I'm what I mean by follow my gut. I guess for me, it's a combination of both logical and my gut because my body tells me that this is what I have to do. But then it has to make logical sense in my brain to actually execute this change.

Jeannette Marroquin

So every, the two changes that I've made are because my body wanted them but also because my body told me, okay, well if I do this, my pros and cons list, if I do this, are there more pros or are the more cons if there is a lot more pros? I'll do it. If it's somewhere in between are more cons then I won't do it. And that's what I've kind of followed through since i Three years ago, I think is when I noticed that I do this, but if I look back at it in hindsight there, I started to be this way. I think more. So in my second year of community college, I did three years of community college before I transferred to Cal State LA for my bachelor's.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

That's, um, that's really interesting. So congrats. I love having community college graduates on the podcast and, you know, hearing the transfer stories, that's huge. That plus, you know, being undocumented, like, those are all stories that we need to hear more about. Especially because you you're saying, I'm so privileged, and you'd think that someone of your background of your identity, might not feel that way. But you have been, and when you talk about following your gut, and you're talking about how it's it's both like, how you're feeling but also logical, I think about that as like, the you know, you're you've acquired the skill of being able to, like self reflect and assess the situation, in a way where you trust yourself, and you trust your judgment.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

And I think that not everybody has that skill. It's something that you have to gain over time. And sometimes you have to, like, get uncomfortable and try new things. And that's what has allowed me to follow my gut and my situation, that's like, being courageous and taking leaps. And that has helped me to just trust the next step. So I think that's, that's a really kind of powerful message to share with the audience. I would love to also hear a little bit more about, you know, what it's been like to navigate being a business owner, like, do you have folks in your family who have, you know, had started a business, like, it's kind of a big deal, and it's a big leap to take this on, and to run it full time and to let go of, you know, a professor job, which is a good job. And very, you know, people would consider like respectable, all your profits thorough to now being a business owner, that's a big shift. So what has that been like for you?

Jeannette Marroquin

Everything that I talk about any part of my story, I just, I see the hard times, but I never look at them that way. I think I think a lot of how I'm explaining my life and what's happened. It's because of my attitude. I do know people with my similar story, but they don't feel privileged. They actually feel like they've been like they've had all these. What's the word that I'm looking at? They've had all these obstacles, right? I don't I don't, the DACA. Yes, it's an obstacle, but I've never felt like it was. Because whether it's there or not, I just always felt like I was going to succeed. Because it's been instilled in me since I was little. It was drilled in me in the police program that I was in because it was very, like, trust yourself, assess the situation, what's right, what's wrong, think about everything.

Jeannette Marroquin

So I've learned a lot of skills, and I've been able to use them in different situations. So that's what I think has helped me strengthen them even more. And following the switching the company, I saw my dad, he is a business owner, he works in construction, he came to the United States, I think in 2001, you know, sweeping the supermarket under the table, to then stocking the shelves to then doing something else to then learning about construction, which he's been doing for over 20 years. So he has, he has this brain, I just, I just want to be as smart as him. You know, I really want to be as smart as him, and then surpass him, because that's what he would want. He would want me to be better. He raised me he gave my family everything. So so we could be better. So I see him being this way. And I see him thinking about how his business could be better. I see him grow. I see him training things, even though they're scary. So that's he's my model. You know, I see him doing that. I see him taking leaps.

Jeannette Marroquin

So I feel like I can do it too. And I feel confident and comfortable that I can learn how to do anything. And that's really what helps me try anything, even though I am not. I guess you would say qualified, I don't have a business degree. So what do I know about running a business? But what I do have are a lot of skills. I'm really good at problem solving. I'm really good at making friends. I'm really good at making connections. So it doesn't matter what I don't know in between, I'll learn it because I have the skills.

Jeannette Marroquin

So that's what helps me really just take on this new task of running a company and seeing it like longterm like this company to us is going to be the apple of the staffing. You know, that's the goal. And that's a really big goal. But all of us in the team feel the same way, we all have the same mentality, we all have the same hunger and drive. So the people that I surround myself with as well, does increase my my self awareness, and they just increase the positivity that I have, and how I feel about myself and my future.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Do you feel like, like, what impact did since this is Grad School Femtoring, like, what impact did your graduate program have on on this because you are very confident in your skill set, you're comfortable with new doing new things, like you said, you don't have a business degree, but I think most business owners, including myself, would have to agree that you don't need a business degree. Sometimes they can hold you back, like my husband has a whole last MBA. And I don't think it was very curious, like, yeah, like, what impact did that getting a graduate degree have? I know I've used a lot of my skills from getting a PhD, and I'm using them now and starting grad school Femtoring and setting it up as an LLC. So curious to hear from you about that.

Jeannette Marroquin

So all these skills that I'm describing, I've had them but I didn't know about it until I entered the grad program. So everything you see a lot of it is because of the grad program. Um, like I said, I didn't even think that I belong there. So I get there and just capsulation is so amazing. If anybody communication program, going to counseling, get casted away. They're amazing. They just gave me everything. They gave me everything. And I just graduated in May.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Oh, my goodness. Oh, congratulations. I didn't know it was that soon.

Jeannette Marroquin

just graduated this Emeline is first year, I was I was her second year. Now she's a second year I graduated.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Yeah. And for folks listening. Emeline is one of our former guests who's been on the podcast not once, but twice. So I'm happy to have folks from Cal State LA. I don't know what it is about. I've heard really good things about Cal State LA. I don't think I've had anybody tell me something about Cal State LA.

Jeannette Marroquin

That's speaks volumes.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Yes. And I think that's the you know, I've heard really good things about Cal State, specifically Cal State LA. And I don't think we kind of toot the Cal State horn horn enough and in terms of how impactful that programs are to their graduates. So I think we're getting ready to wrap up the podcast and I wanted to see, you know, what closing thoughts? Did you have any, like final messages or words of advice? Maybe there's someone who is like you getting, you know, ready to graduate from their master's program, trying to figure out what's next and afraid, you know, afraid of taking a leap of trying something new. What kind of advice would you give to listener? Or closing thoughts? Anything?

Jeannette Marroquin

Yeah, so to answer that question, I will share a story with you. So I recently started a podcast of my own as well. It's called Starting Thoughts Podcast, and I have about 13 videos up. And the reason why I started that podcast is because I had been wanting to for a really long time, but I just never had the confidence to do it. And then I get to the grad program, and the grad program just gives me all this confidence. And I really want to do this podcast. So I put myself out there and I throw it out there. And I start talking to my little brother, my dad, my friends about different topics. And as I grow that podcast, it has really helped me understand that even though I knew nothing about how to do a podcast, I had to learn how to edit a little bit. I needed to learn how to clean my computer so that the storage, I would have enough to edit and I actually even messed up my computer through the process. I had to reset it. I lost all of my documents. But now I have storage.

Jeannette Marroquin

So I have just not done the best job that I know that I could do with the podcast, but it doesn't matter. Because I am 100% proud of every single video that I've put out there because every single video gets better. And the only reason why that's happening is because I know that even though I'm not very smart Old in putting that together. And I quite honestly didn't know what I was doing when I started. I did it anyway, um, I had nobody to go to for advice, because in my area, I'm the one that's doing that. And I just decided to do it anyway, you know, I don't care if I don't have, I didn't even have a camera, I went to go buy an iPhone, so that I could use the iPhone to record. And then I was using a little 99 cent store thing to hold the phone. And I bought a microphone, but I didn't, I still didn't, they don't know how to use it.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

I have a microphone and I do'nt even, I'm not using it right now. You don't need, you don't need a lot. That's the thing that people don't realize it's like, you don't need a lot to get started, you don't need a lot of knowledge, you don't need a lot of tech, you know, all you need is that desire to want to get started and then to do it.

Jeannette Marroquin

So that's, thank you for saying that, that's the advice that I'm getting to with my story, that like you just you don't really need a lot, you don't need a lot of anything, and you don't need a lot of knowledge, to start something that you just really want to start. Because if this is what you really want to do, then just do it, you'll learn on the way and my experience I, I have the support of a lot of people behind me, I recognize that not a lot of people have that.

Jeannette Marroquin

So my advice would just be, do what you can, if you know that you can do it, going back to the logically you can wander with all your body. But if it doesn't make sense in your brain, chose that as well and try to find something in the middle. So I never leave, just cuz. But if I do feel like doing it, I'll take a little bit of time to just make sure that it's safe. And then I'll do it that I've revised has really helped me with anything, whether it's a big decision or a little decision, it's the same process.

Jeannette Marroquin

And I really think that that has helped me build trust in myself. And when you trust yourself, you exude that. So other people trust you. And then it just becomes your reality eventually takes years and years and years. But it eventually gets there. So I think those would be my, my final best words and to support my podcast.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Yea that's what I was gonna get to next. So the last thing I usually ask folks is, if people you know resonate with what you said, and want to connect on to stay in touch, want to support, how can they reach you? So definitely let us know about how to listen to your podcasts and how to be in touch with you.

Jeannette Marroquin

Yes, so currently, I am only on YouTube, going back to the, I'm still figuring it out. So my videos on YouTube, it's under Starting Thoughts Podcast. And I have an Instagram account as well called Startingthoughtspodcast as well. And those are the only two platforms that I have going on right now. On next year, I plan to do a launch after I finished my contract, I will have more time to produce the podcasts. So I'm definitely major things really nice things coming. And I'm really excited to finally get the time to develop that project.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

That's all wonderful. That's really exciting. I am going to follow you too. I'll add it to the show notes. That way, I can see how things develop for you over time. So thank you so much, Jeannette, for coming. It was just such a pleasure to have you to get to meet you and chat with you and to hopefully now we were part of each other's network.

Jeannette Marroquin

Thank you so much. This is exactly what I'm about. You know my company is about employing people. So that's where the networking came from. And now my podcast you know, I'll interview you, next time.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Let's do it. Whenever you're ready. The the window is open whenever. All right Jeannette, thank you so much.