February 20, 2025 • 45 mins
In this hilarious and real conversation, Model and Influencer Leslie Rodriguez takes us on her journey from a funny Dominican kid in Washington Heights to a viral sensation and signed model.
Born to Dominican immigrant parents, Leslie developed her humor early on as a way to stand out, with her mother fully embracing her bold personality. Leslie took a leap of faith, putting corporate life on the back burner to prioritize modeling and influencing. The risk paid off big time, landing her major campaigns with Savage Fenty, Target, Nike, Clinique, and Macy’s.
Leslie’s story is proof that when you bet on yourself, the universe listens. And trust me—she’s just getting started! 🔥
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Come Again a podcast by Honey German. Welcome Leslie. How
are you today? Oh my god, so excited to be here. Honey.
I'm great, I'm great.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
The skin is skinny. You look absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Thanks so much so.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Do you equally beautiful in person as you are online?
And your energy too? For real?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
And you have been connected online for years now?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yes? You you actually started.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I started following you first, you know, equally inspiring Latina.
I'm like, I can resonate with you, and I'm like,
I love what you have and what you do and
how you represent yourself. And I'm like, this is somebody
that I can see myself connecting.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Where can be friends? Yeah, so we are friends. We
are friends.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
And when you follow me back and you started giving
me love too, I'm like, ah, yes, there it is.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
This right here is like surreal for me, for real.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
It's like a full circle moment because I've watched you grow.
I don't even know like the word to use the
way you have grown. We got to start from the beginning.
I'm not going to just talk about where you are
right now. I want to talk about where Leslie started.
Where were you born?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Here?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
New York, Washington, Heights born and raised well hospital talked
to me, Yes, Newark Presbyterian. I worked, funny enough, actually
worked there for ten years from nineteen till I was
twenty six.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
You wereid in the hospital where you were born?
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Yes? Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Where are your parents from? Where are your core people from?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
My dad is from Santiago, the Dominican Republic, and my
mom is from Mao, the Medican Republic.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Double whemy and ye Dominicana through and through total, and
they came to America And when do you know what?
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yes, so my mom came in her early twenties after
my older sister was born. My older sisters born in
dr and my dad, I think he came as well.
But they met here, okay, in a restaurant actually downstairs
from where my mom lives.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Still what restaurant is this? I know, the whole uptown? Yes,
just like oh Dominican because I'm that's a cute story.
And then they dated and yes marriage. Actually I'm their
only child together. My parents have two kids separately from
different marriages. Like unofficially, here we go, tell my sisters,
(02:15):
here we go. Now, I want to talk about your personality.
You're very all going, You're creative, you're fearless. Were you
like this as a child or did this developed later
in life?
Speaker 1 (02:28):
You know what it was like A.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Like a like a like a like a mechanism to
kind of like be funny and out going, like to
kind of protect myself because I was very sensitive and
so growing up with older sisters. I don't know if
you are you the oldest, so you know, I was
kind of like left to the side a lot. So
I use my funny and my ongoing personality to kind
(02:51):
of to get attention and to be included. And it
became a tool that it became me and it made
me feel so confident in my ability to connect with
people through comedy and like you know, dance and music
and just being free and loving who I was. And
I actually was like that since chig that bet On
insecure on the inside. Can I ask he was a mechanism?
(03:13):
Can I It was a mechanism, but it was no
trust me.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I understand, were yo, Gorita when you were little? All
my life same here, So it's just like you're a
middle child. You know, moms, Latina moms, Dominican moms, you know,
they tend to come down on us a lot about
our weight, and they create these complay holds, you know,
and these insecurities that as children we don't know how
to deal with, so we mask it. So I understand
(03:38):
where you're coming from one hundred percent. Because I used
to perform Janna Jackson in my house. They were saying,
it's just like y'all not looking at me, but y'all
gonna look now. I would put on the music videos
and be like, Okay, it's go time trying to perform.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
So I understand where you come from.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Now, how is your mom as far as like you
you know, being expressive, being outgoing, because some moms were
like medio. How did she receive you know, your coping mechanism,
and as far as like you know, wanting to be
included and being that child star inside the house?
Speaker 1 (04:08):
You know what she received there? Really well?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
I mean me and my mom have a really great relationship,
and I can really connect with what you're saying in
terms of like being labeled what we look like right
as growing up in a American household. But I'm lucky
enough my mom really was never that person to me.
She is like my best friend still is get.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
You and I love it. She really is a bad beat,
you know.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
And I just saw how she was always so giving
and loving to other people, and like everybody I know
lived in my house at one point, like my family,
and I just saw that. And so seeing that in
her again and how giving she was made me sensitive
and comfortable and you know, loud and proud around her
because I saw how she was with others.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
That is amazing. She really nurtured that in me, She
really did.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
She never she never sent me to sit down like
she she didn't find me a nuisance. You know, she
really just enjoyed me and still still does. I'm my
craziest child, like in the term of like going. I know,
I have no no filter within myself. You know, I
am very comfortable with me, and even if that makes
other people uncomfortable, I.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Love that because you know, not all Latin households can
be like that. You know, when children are loud or
they're you know, show offs, they tend to like, you know,
go to your room say say meet. I don't not
say oh y. You know, that's like kind of like
a saying like that where you know you're to be
seen not heard, so like you were blessed.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
I really am. Honestly, I didn't.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
I didn't have that so much from my siblings at
the time, right, because they didn't they weren't like me.
I'm not nobody's like, yes, they didn't want me around
like see whole exactly exactly. It wasn't until I became
a teenager that I could connect with them because we're
all four years in Kalorita. So I have like a
middle sister who's four years older than me, and then
(06:00):
who's eight years older than.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
That eight year old system. You must have been the
biggest news and stuff. Actually, my older sister took me
like a kid for her. Oh yes, yes, well yes,
she actually build me. She actually helped build me up
and she got me my first job like she because
that's why she was an adult, right, yes, yes, yes,
my teenage years were her you know, young adult years,
and she really helped me grow, you know, and gave
(06:24):
me opportunities to grow and see the world differently.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
So I really do have a powerhouse of women around them.
That that's very lucky.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
You're blessed, and really it's absolutely amazing, because if you
don't have that, sometimes your gift can be dimmed and
even taken away from you. Yes, you know, if you're
constantly being told what you're doing is wrong, when you're
just being expressive or when you're just being yourself, that
hinders you a lot, you know, when it handicaps you
as an individual. So I want you to know you
are super super blessed because I know a lot of
(06:54):
people that they knew from they want who they wanted
to be and what they wanted to do, but within
the home it was frowned upon because let's say, sometimes
Latina moms are like, I want you to be a doctor,
or I want you to be a lawyer, I want
you to be a teacher. You could have been to
Sam Fermeera, and any sign of creativity can be shunned.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yeah, and let me tell you that that's exactly that's
why I started what I did started doing at thirty
years old. You know, I would have started very much
younger because this is who I am now, who I've
always been. You know, I could have definitely if this
would have been like what you said. Yes, they didn't
hinder me, but they also didn't believe that that that
what I'm doing now was a possibility because for us
in our household, that wasn't something that was even an option.
(07:34):
Why because the nine to five a pension, you know,
retirement plan or X y Z that all, that's what.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
You would want you to have.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Very traditional, yes, And I was the first one who
did outside the box like yes at thirty years old.
But I said, you know, well, there's many things that
I do want to do. My creative ability does not
need to be behind the desk, like I need to
be using my creative my creativity to do more and
my heart to you know how Others like I just
(08:01):
knew I needed to do more, and so I had
different opportunities with workwise where when I moved, I moved
to Boston first from New York, and then I moved
to back to New Jersey and then the pandemic happened.
And right before the pandemic was going to put myself
out there and so that you know, social media helped
me to express myself, express myself through to the power
of connecting if others without having to physically be with them.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
When was the first time that you posted on social
media something that you felt like was you being a creator?
Speaker 3 (08:31):
In twenty twenty, right before the pandemic, even was thinking
of happening. My grandma had just died in twenty nineteen,
and I had a cousin who was doing managing talent
in the Bronx, and he was bringing them to clubs, like,
you know, as comedians, and at that point, I just
wanted to do comedy and that's why I saw myself, yeah,
just doing comedy, and that's why I was like, yo,
(08:51):
I want to do a stand up Like take me
to these clubs that you I want to host, Like
that's where I want to get started. And then I said,
you know what, I want the model too, So I
started taking professional pictures like you know, just trying to
build my portfolio and again not thinking this can actually happen.
To my cousin, you want to manage me, and he's like,
you know, he was looking at me like that. He's like,
yeah right, Leslie, like you you know, you are a
mother and a nine to five are like, what are
(09:12):
you talking about? And that's the one thing that exactly
I'm like, I'm funny. You should see what people say.
But I was still private on Instagram and I'm like
I'm the ship, you don't know, and he's like, all right,
you got to prove yourself to me. It's like open
your Instagram up and we've been signed the trick, shook
hands and everything went to my house, made it official.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Its January Third's a deal.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Every shore was twenty twenty step pa back, sit down right.
And so through that opportunity that he gave me, I
believed myself a little more right.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
I was like, okay, this is a manager. I'm put
myself out there. And from there I started posting videos
about like the weather and like walking my kids to
school or my morning experience as a mom and like.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
So none of this was pre planned. It was kind
of like freestyling.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
Freestyling, I said, I became an influenced my mistake because
I genuinely was just being, you know, and people gravitate
to the realness and authenticity that I that I present because.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I don't know how to be nobody else but me.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
No, you, there is a certain level of you know,
connection when it comes to you, it feels very organic,
feels very real, and it just feels like somebody you
know and somebody you would be cool with. So I
can see why people connected with you immediately and.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
You feel saying about you, and that's why you know.
I instantly it was like, this is somebody I want
to follow, somebody I want to see grow, somebody I
want to potentially be in the same business with, you know,
because here we are, here, we.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Are, this is just the beginning. Here we are guys.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Me or hey, you go, boom, how do you give
up our location like that? They're gonna pull up on it?
Speaker 1 (10:51):
And it is sound. You are too good at this.
You are way too good at this. Hey go mag wheel.
Now you've been with your husband twenty years.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Well, we met at seventeen. So we actually went to
the same junior high school and had the same friends
all our lives, and we just didn't have the same
grade because he.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Failed and I did.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Mentally, Hello, book wise, book wise the street smartest. Mean
he got more street smart, she said. He told me,
all right, I got more personality than him.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
That is true. That's a fact. I gotta give you something.
I gotta take something. She's the colorful one. There you go.
I'm the sprinkle. He's doving their lives. You're definitely funny.
I'll give you that much. Think we didn't think you husband.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
We're gonna put you on hold for comedy.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Yes, so comedy my dad I always saw. So I
got that from my dad.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
He's a very outgoing person and I saw him interact
with so many people and he made people laugh all
the time. People come to your dad is so funny,
Your dad is so funny. But Dad was not like
that at home, And I'm like, yeah, a mechanism.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Mechanism.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
You put you in two together, I don't see I
put you two together really young in because I'm very uh,
I'm EmPATH, so I can sense things with people like
this can't be because of this, Like you know some
people like yeah, I'm like, no, there has to be
something else, like they cannot just be like that, And
so that gives me more opportunity to be empathetic and
(12:34):
understanding towards a person. So the point being is that
my dad, you know, was doing that, like he will
switch on and switch off.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
I'm like, what is he really funny?
Speaker 3 (12:43):
So then I started paying attention more and I'm like, hey,
like this guy is really funny, and I'm like, you know,
at home, he has no reason to be funny. And
so I used my funny, like I said, to connect
with people and to vibe and to be able to
uh express myself, and so comedy was what felt like
home to me, you know, based on what I saw
(13:04):
my dad do and what I knew I could do too.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
And I'm like, hey, is that the reason why you
told your your cousin, Yes, I want to get on stage?
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Yes, yes, yes, I always dreamed of being in SNL
or Matt TV.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
I used to Matt TV was the for Yes.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
I need to hear about the first time you went
on stage.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I haven't gone on stage yet, what do you mean?
So he started managing you. I never got to go
twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Pandemic and you never got to hit that stage.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
And I got to hit that stage. My first and
only hosting gig was for my birthday. It was March seventh.
My birthday's March fifteen, but March seventeen and then March
eighteen everything closed.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
I did the last.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Friday because we knew it ceased to exist. Do you
still want to get on stage into comedy one day?
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yes, one hundred and twenty. I'm a good storyteller, and
I feel like that's what comedy is.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Life is funny. So that's what you gotta do. Is
that a good story? Now?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
When you decided, well, the world decided you weren't going
to do stand up comedy. You gravitated towards online content creation.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Yeah, and just like that, posting my day to day,
you know. And at that point I was going to start,
you know, being a teacher at.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Home too, your kids.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Yes, I had a four year old starting school for
the first time and that was her first time experience.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Unfortunately, I know.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
And I was working from home too, so I made
that part of my you know, my day to day
and sharing that and little by little and dancing is
I love to dance?
Speaker 1 (14:27):
And that is that you do? You do? Listen. I
wanted to be a choreographer. Me.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
I wanted to do anything. Advice is I want to
do everything. They don't want to do everything.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
A little bit?
Speaker 2 (14:39):
When did you start seeing like a shift, like, oh,
something's happening here. I went viral for a dumb ass
video because that's why I the by Land says, but
didn't go to the church, say.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
School, you know, don't.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yaga fourteen thousand, what's my first? Fourteen thousand? One's growing?
I was like a two thousand and then five and
then seven, then fourteen.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Thousand, No to no per.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Grammy museum commacing at the hand. So like you said,
well dollar monumental liberal, somebody else needed to have it.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
We gotta go other targe a target, make another one.
You work with them anyway, right, yes, yeah, okay, needs
to go viral if we're gonna end. It's a Germany
can not cone flooring, no flow is it? And Julie don't.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I was on the so when I went viral there
and I was like, I kept just doing that, like
doing dancing videos like I just I didn't have like
a niche could next thing. You know, I had a
friend who had another friend who had At that point,
my manager cousin wasn't doing much for me because his
talents were in real life and in the clubs and
(16:25):
the thing online.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Ton't say. He kind of didn't know what to do
with me.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
And I was like my like and I was like,
this is something I could actually do do and not
do do.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Like a five year old. But I said do do.
He's such a mom. I love it.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Sorry anyways, so I got myself another manager.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Don't tell me my cousin that's still your manager.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
No, okay, because they they gave me opportunities and uh.
And they served me as a grow a stepping don't
to grow and to see myself in actually really like.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
An influencer life.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
And in twenty twenty one, my modeling agency found me
online and asked me, so my modeling and without your management,
without my management, my modeling agency just found me. And
I'm still with them their stats and through them and
content creating, I kind of grew my brand. I'm like,
oh shit, now I'm a plus sized model and a
(17:25):
whole influencer and I literally and all these things kind
of manifested itself for me because I believe I could,
and I dedicated time.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
To believing I could. You know, you gotta.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
You definitely got to invest in yourself when you believe
in yourself, and some people think that believing is just
saying you want things like you really got to put
in work. And I silently did you know? And then
it all came to fruition. I mean, all that happened altogether.
It was like, oh my.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
God, So what they reached out to your social media? Yeah? Yeah,
I said, what agency that they wanted me to go
into the office.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
I thought I was for gazy. I mean, let's be serious.
Dominicans and New York and I'm a Russian.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Nona. When I went, I was like, is this real?
We say google them.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Yeah, they had a little They had a like a
office within like an office space. So right now they
have like a whole office. So they grew to everybody grew,
everybody grew, and so I went and met with them
and I'm like, and they signed me for a year
and let's say, let's see how we do. Two months
later my first commercial with Buchan and three months later
(18:35):
painted on a wall.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Like that mirrors around.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Well no, no, no, But I was like, I want
to go see yes, And they actually ended up when
I moved to Florida, they have put me up in
Florida too, which is crazy. So either way, but that
being said, it just like one year and I got
three years of my agency.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Let's let's see how it goes. It went well?
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Oh no, that that is super dope. Now, what are
some brands that you have worked with that you feel
super proud of? Like I have them all written down here,
but I'd rather yes say it.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Oh man.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
I mean, Target for sure was a dream brand seventh fenty.
I'm an ambassador for them. I dream of walking in
a show and actually working with them. Right now, they're
just you know, supporting me and me supporting them.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
But you got to make that happen.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Oh man, you don't understand like that is been on
my vision board since twenty before even.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Thought of becoming anything. That's my dream brand to work with.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
But Clinique, I've worked with, Macy's, I've I've worked with Nike.
Nike definitely was on my on my my vision board,
like I want to work and I is so bad
that we're one of my first people to work with Ceumonia.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
I saw that very that was incredible. Are very different,
you know it was it was it was.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
My second job ever. And that same day my mom
ended up going to the hospital with and I was
there crying before I got in that stage and killed
my and the and the shoe and killed and they
were so supportive with with the pink that day. And
I had to speak on my mom that day because
they was about being Latina and I saw how I
feel about my mother and so that made me. It
(20:03):
was incredible. It was incredible, my mom. Thank God, it's okay.
But the power that we have to find it within
ourselves when we got to show up is really incredible.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
We are incredible.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Now, how do you dress yourself in that confidence? Like,
you know, like we're not perfect, you know, we're got
We're not six foot tall, you know, how do you
put on that suit to go in there and shoot?
Let's say, when you shoot in lingerie, right, how do
you mentally prepare? Tell me that, don't.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
You block it out?
Speaker 3 (20:37):
I don't know what happens to me. I mean I've
been on Live TV twice like.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
That was my full circle.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Yes, like me, they had me twice, and that to
me is scarier than showing up for a shoot, because
you kind of get spared, right, you got to show
up and kind of get your words together in Spanish
is my first language, and I'm the best one, you know.
You know my Spanish was hardcore, but not my whole Spanish.
And that was more nerve wrecking to me than anything
else I've ever done. And so I did that. To me,
(21:04):
I'm like, I'm the ship, like I could do anything
like and I'm in front of these you know, women
who've done this for years. I'm equally there with my
with my head up high, my words right, with my
fucking confidence, you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Like, you ain't gonna make me lesser. I'm more. It's hard. Yeah,
do I live TV.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
That adrenaline kicks in and those nerves and your work.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
It turned out that went away is that I'm supposed
to be there. You're natural.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Then that's what that means. They generally I can turn
things on, don't televis. Look, I'm snapping right now. I
second that.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Who showed you that? Your kids showed you that?
Speaker 2 (21:40):
No. I watch a lot of Rue Paul, so okay,
because I feel like the kids are doing this now
all the time.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
The RuPaul's drag race is my thing. I watch it
with my eight year old. We're like mega fans who
pap you listening?
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I love you? And so this is how they like
you know, yeahs queens, that is that way they get
it from. I don't know, but the youngins are doing
it too. Yeah, look at me in the now, I
see that.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
And now, how did your husband take all this? He's
a Latino he and he's a gentlemaningerie.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
How did you maneuver this? M mass ahead hard time?
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Because you could do whatever you want to, but without
giving you a hard time? And telling you you cannot
expose yourself this way as my wife.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
You know, because of all of our history together, and
it hasn't been twenty years. All through and through, you know,
we've broken up. We've grew separately and together, and that
is the most beautiful thing you can do when you
find your soul. May you know you gotta let people
grow separately in order to grow together. And he has
really grown with me in this stage of our lives.
(22:52):
We have ten years, gonna have ten years married now
in April. Thank you, thank you, you guys. You guys
had an anniversary recently, a ray yes to many more,
to any more Cone and so through that there's a
lot of understanding of our individual passions. So he knew
that when I was going to start this journey, especially
as a model, you know, I'm going to be in
positions that you know are going to put me in
(23:13):
places that you are not going to be comfortable with.
So along with that, and he knows how passionate I
am about body positivity and empowering other women, and what
I do is not for attracting anything else besides this
message and getting this message across to these people who
need it. Men or women, and I think that he
sees that more than he sees being sexy and sexualize
(23:34):
it because it's not sexualized. I don't sexualize now itself,
you know, And that's very important part of what.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
You know, he might be like something. That's the reason
I asked anything.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
And it was like that at the beginning.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
I have experiences not with my husband for sae because
he's more Americanized in his Puerto Rican and mom was
like born here and everything, so he's a little more
far removed. But within my own family, yeah, like if
we go to you have your babysuit for family outings,
you have, you know.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
So that's why I ask just I'm like, wow, yeah,
I know.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
I tell people a lot of people, especially my friends,
they're like, yo, Christ because they know him. Man, he
is jealous and he is protective.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Of me, but he understands that this is a different angle.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
I'm in a different place and I am He's definitely
going to tell me what to do. I'll respect you,
and I am very proud wife, you know, and every
freaking step, you know, in every freaking way. So I
think that he doesn't have any doubt that my you know,
presents online will affect me and him in any way
because we saw it.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
He's he's confident in his marriage.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Yeah, we are. He travels for work and he you know,
he does his own thing. He has his own world,
and I have to be confident that my husband is
my husband no matter where he is, He's going to
stand by me, and I'm gonna stand by him, So
it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
What we do, or where we go or how we are.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Does he find it annoying at times?
Speaker 4 (25:02):
You did that one video where you guys are dancing
freestyle and he had the dog and he had the shades,
and I was like, yeah, I said, I wonder if
this man wants to kill kill her.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
He doesn't want to support me in that way. He's
like yo, I'm a stay in the background. Before I'm
like yo, we.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Could be saying I'm like no, this house is a
household with this man. Probably was Listen.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
He's fun too, but he's the lesser fun one because
he's very serious to give by his business and I
love that because we need.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
That in our house. Sad Comediante, your daughters.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
He's that's the thing. You got to open him up right,
like like a Jack in the box.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
You gotta you gotta turn.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Out, you gotta wind him up, you gotta wind him up.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
But he's incredible, he's equally funny. And people say that
he found his match with me, and people say that
I found a match of him because we are the
same person. Yes, crazy enough, I'm a pisces. I'm a
rising Gemini and descending.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Right now, cause I don't follow horoscopes.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
I just know what are the same sign on three?
He has the same as me. Three, So mates, She said.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
I want you to give me a reading right now.
I don't know what why all of a sudden you
put me in a space. My grandma used to do that.
You remember, hello, joy saying.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
I remember I used to go to the R sometimes
for long periods and we had you know how you
have maids in the R And we had this maid.
Her name was Victoria and Victoria and she used to
be like Ma Coluka fair and then you would drink
out of the coffee cups right yes and like that,
and then designs would come with the coffee, and then
(26:45):
the person would.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Cho twelve years old, thank you? The hell is wrong
with us? Hello? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yes, if you have Hello, like you know, yeah, Victoria,
you're going to go to one point.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
She ain't have the right samples around that point. She
wasn't giving somebody something cycle Seattle.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Yeah, you know one Dominican. You know all Dominican. We
all had the same childhood. How funny is that we
literally all had the same childhood. We can all relate.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
I love being Dominican. I love being Dominican. People like,
what are you like Dominican? Were people thinking hospital but Dominican.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I would never like say I'm American or I'm a
New York girl.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
I'm just Dominican. Period. You know.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
If somebody asked me this, I don't know. I think
at the photo stot I said we were talking about
something and they was like, oh, you know, what are
your where are you from? And I'm like, oh, I'm Dominican.
It's like, oh you were born over them Like no,
but my parents are Dominicans. They're like, no, so you're
American and I'm not Americans.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
I don't know how the married don't get me say,
for all the opportunities and granted our parents and granted us,
but I'm a Dominican.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
For sure, one hundred percent. You're gonna tell me anything different.
Not my kids. Those are American kids. Their parents are American. Right,
they're American kids. But I don't dominicana fool.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
How do your kids take this talk? Do you have
two daughters?
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Right? Yes, a teenager.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
The teenager hates oh right, she loves me and she
sees the work that I do and she reminds me
of that all the time. And I'm so proud of
her because she's a strong ass girl.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
I was very sixty. You're about to be sixteen, very determined,
very strong mind.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Don't see them, yes, be ready for it the last reason, right, yeah, hey, oh, I.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Don't know why you thought you want to say fifteen
or something like that. Well, because I'm thirty six, so
you look like a baby. Thank you, so do you?
Speaker 2 (28:52):
I thought you were going to say, like you're like
thirty years old?
Speaker 1 (28:56):
She said, I already have my license.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
I was twenty one to have my my I'll already
gon said in me, I don't want to stay together.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
She said, you take that back, I would not know
how Definitely my fault. If I want a little bit,
if you wants, it's okay to gonta bee marriage. She said, Listen,
maybe I wasn't listenab one.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
If you're listening your hot ass, don't be don't be
a friend. We not discriminating, we're not.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
We love better get it right now.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
So your older daughter is like, what's the what's the her?
Speaker 3 (29:42):
She doesn't want to be in none of my videos?
As you see, she's hardly in it. Like she loves
what I do. But keep before you set aside.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
No, man, don't force me to do anything I don't
want to do.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Because she's like, that's not my identity. That's your identity, period, period.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
And now.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
The other day I did a fucking teenager yesterday, I won't.
This week I did a brand collab with True Kind
and a True Important.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Because I need a different.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
Aesthetic Monday, young not you taking a sexy picture in
my room.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
That's nasty. Listen, nobody has sex. It was just a photo. Okay.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
I could take a picture anywhere I want. Okay, I'll
get you.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
I want to redesign your room and make it into
a content creation. I will mess up your bed. That is,
what about your other dough whatever? She supports me, she
loves me.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
I messa like like literally the absolute best, like it
is I created myself again, but better because she is
so much better.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Like my kids are incredible.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
I'm like, I'm mega proud of my job, a Miami
husband's job as parents. Like these girls are smart, determined,
strong minded, resilient. Like we've moved a couple of times,
they pick up where they left off like incredible, freaking incredible.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
And you know what's even more incredible that you didn't
have to break a generational curse. Your mother was incredible.
She to you how to be as credible, and here
you are passing it down to your daughters. It's not
you know, because it's you're blessed. And you know, I
tell people this all the time. If you were not
exposed to like deep trauma as a child, and you
(31:14):
were loved and you were encouraged and you were uplifted,
you already have like twenty points ahead of the rest
of us, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, So it's
like I love that for you, and I love that
for your daughters. Man, they're going to be even more
amazing than you are because of that.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
They already aren't. They already aren't. Thank you, Thank you
so much. And you know what, even and even if
you have had trauma. I say that it's how you
want to build yourself up. And you can come out
of anything you can, and it's up to you to
put in that work. You know, Trauma ain't gonna solve itself.
You know, problems ain't gonna solve themselves, and problems are
always going to be there, but it's how you handle
them that matters, you know. We I have two sisters,
(31:50):
Like I said that we grew up in the same
household and our three completely different people and chose three
completely different lifestyles, you know, and that my mom was
the same mom to all of us, you see, So
that says about them individual they're successful women right now
now that they went around a bad path, But we
went in different paths, you know, each individual with their
own goals and morals and decisions and decision making, you know,
(32:15):
no matter what mom taught us. And one thing that
we all have in common is that we love our mom.
We are all very believers in God, and we all
bad bitches. We all good as moms, and we all
career women. We all like to work. And that's something
that we saw on my mom, you know, and that
we did take with us. No matter how different we are,
(32:36):
we all got those three things.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
And you know what that speaks volumes because you're telling
me it's learned behavior. And some people come from different,
you know, environments where there is that type of behavior.
They don't learn that, they end up picking up other
negative outside influences. So I love the fact that you
know your mom pretty much created you, your personality and
(32:59):
your future as a mom.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Yes, yes, you know yesterday we were hanging out yesterday
and Union. Yeah, yeah, you went where you went where
I grew up in the Port Devon and one six
s third in Amsterdam. I grew up there. I literally
went there every weekend.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
And in that place.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Yeah yeah, I grew up on one fifty first in Broadway.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
You've never been to that Portivo?
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Well I wasn't an adult.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Well you moved out of there, what age?
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Right before high school?
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Oh okay, so yeah you probably didn't. Yeah, but your
make it's like a country club for Dominican your.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
My mother would not let me even go to the store. Wow,
my mom kind of was like that too. I only
went that we hurt.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Oh okay.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
It was like a club, like a country club for
them for adults, And I made my time.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
I've seen it on Broadway. Yes, yeah, the left of
your going up the Yes, yeah, okay, I know.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
It's been there forever.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
Look, I met I had my sweet sixteen there, I
met my husband there. I have a baby shower there
at my wedding.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
I know, you might as well just buy this place,
because that's not the list who exists, that cannot see
to exist.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
That's on my list. And my sister's always tell me like,
why are you like going there? When you come, I'm like,
it feels like home.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
It's like cheers to you, but a Dominican version.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
Yeah, it's exactly like that. I actually want to take
over that club. I was really sad, yes said it,
because I went with the intention to see all my
my theos and theas inherited, you know, through the through
the country club, through the cheers club, and none of
them were there, and and that that was very sad,
not because they died, but.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
They passed away. Jesus Chris just took a turn. They're
looking at me in the room.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Like no, no, you see why, And that made me
so sad.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
I'm like, I want to revive this. I got.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
For real, for real, that community there was very strong
and and I have I'm very Latina because of that place.
You know, I grew up with Americanized sisters, you know,
so I could have easily just gone that route, but
that place kept me very Dominican.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
When you say americanized sisters, what does that mean.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
So they listen married the culture?
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Okay, watually my oldest sisters that at one point, but
now but my oldest sister actually prefers African American line. Okay, yes,
but that's not what I mean. I mean like they
were Americanized in the sense of like they did not
enjoy the Dominican culture as much as you know I
(35:21):
was forced to.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Did they try to like refine themselves in a different
way to more European passion or what did they gravitate
towards Because Dominicans, I speak from experience and from my family,
they try to whitewash themselves at times and try to
mimic and emulate European culture, the way they dress, the
way they look, the way they do their hair. What
(35:45):
do you mean by your sisters who were more Americanized?
Speaker 3 (35:47):
So none of that, actually, none of none of their appearance, no,
none of that, Just that that they didn't connect with.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Our Dominican you know, the.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Music, the music, like just the loudness that everything that
comes with being the Mintic.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
You think they just like rejected it and we're like,
we're gonna be different because this is too much.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
They didn't.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
They didn't they didn't enjoy it. Okay, they didn't enjoy it.
Say that was let me put it to you this way.
They ain't like that right like I would go.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
I would be forced to go to the because I
was younger, so I didn't have a choice. Now they
were teenagers by the time that it became something that
we did every weekend, so they had the opportunity to
socide that that wasn't what they wanted to do. So
I could have down that route too, but instead I.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
Grew to really be that became my home, embrace ith
it and I made they're still my friends, those girls
that I met there, because you're just so colorful and
so just to manic it just makes it just makes sense,
you know. There there is those two sides to you know,
I feel like all Latinos, you know, you can embrace
you know, like you're dur inside deeply, or you can
(36:51):
kind of like go a different way or love Mexicanas.
I know Maicana scared like passing is white. But I
know Mechicanas that are like indigenous Mexicanas that are still
eating you know what they were taught by their It
tends to happen in all.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Of our Yes, yes, and I feel like out of
all of us.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Although my older sister actually came from the Dominican Republican,
she she is very much rooted in her you know,
immigrant experience, and she actually just became a principal. She
set out to Amber. Yeah, she's a bad beat who
just became She here in New York.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Yeah, please tell me this. Can you tell me the school? Oh?
Actually yes.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
So she was working at Lot, which is in the
Heights right Acrosstreet from my mom's house, and she was
a vice principal there and just got hired to work
at uh it's called Food and Finance School.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
It's like a high school here and okay specialized, yes,
high school.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
Yeah, I love that. I'm very proud of her, so
proud of her.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
Congratulations. She's a lot of work, she knows.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Good luck to you, girl, I hope you drink. Yeah,
you know what?
Speaker 3 (37:52):
She just said that yesterday, just said, I guess I
have to drink until I get this started because I'm nervous.
But I'm like, you know, I'm an encourager, So I'm like, Sis,
you got this, Like there's nothing you can't do. And
she knows that everything new is scary. So as long
as you have a positive mindset, like you got this,
there's not you can't do.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
No that that definitely is a fact.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Now, I want you to close things out by speaking
to someone who wants to venture out into, you know,
a career that maybe is not something that would be
typical for them, whether it has to do with their looks,
their background, their finances, what would you say, you know,
just speak to me as if like I told you
(38:34):
right now, Leslie, I too want to be an influencer.
I too want to be a model, but I don't
feel confident.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
So confidence is within everyone, and you build confidence by
building yourself up from the top, from the bottom to
the top. You know, really look at yourself. I really
encourage mirror work. So if you are conscious about your body,
look at your body. You know, there's so much beauty
you that you don't see because of what the world
(39:03):
tolds you to see and so if you feel conscious
about your body, I suggest that to start there, you
feel conscious about who you are internally and how you
go about things, and seek self help books.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
That's my route, you know.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
I love listening to a good podcast that you know
encourages me and motivates me. Seek to other people who
are doing things that you want to do and see
how they do things and how you can take from that.
You don't have to mimic it, but you can learn
from it. And there's a lesson and everywhere, there's lessons everywhere.
You just got to be open to receiving it, understanding it,
(39:38):
and having compassion with yourself through the process. It's not
going to happen overnight. And I got lucky. It doesn't
mean that that happened for you in that same sequence,
but it can happen for you too.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Now, what if I don't sign money. You don't need money.
You don't need money, Okay, All you need.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
Is passion and purpose and really a good positive mindset.
It will get you further than money. Well, because if
you have faith in God, God, God, God, God God, God, God.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
Is my.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
Favorite and honestly, without him, there's nothing, there's nothing, So
you know what, scratch everything I said. Start with God,
I mean, for real, start with God, and everything else
will literally fall into place, and money, money will come,
money will come.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
Money's already there.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
Because I feel like a lot of people know they
want to do something different. No they don't want to
do a nine to five. No they don't want to
work let's say, in an office all day, but they
just won't.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Go for it. I do all three things. I have
a nine to five. You do, yes, I do? How
did I miss this? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (40:42):
On my headset comedy, work from home, life I do.
I work in nine to five, a model, and I
content create and I'm a mother and my wife.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
I got a dog. Where's your cape?
Speaker 3 (40:52):
You?
Speaker 1 (40:52):
Thank you? Because thank you, honestly thank you.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
I have a puppy and I'm like, I don't want
this animal anymore.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
It's the passion. It is the passion in me. It's
the passion in me. I've got that fire.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
Yo, I got a purpose, I got I got something
to do with. I know. Me and my good friend
Jamie and business partner manager.
Speaker 1 (41:11):
Huh. I met her in Florida.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
Actually we're gonna start this uh uh it's gonna be
like a course slash show. It's gonna it's gonna be
called Empower your Empire?
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Is it audio or TV? What is it?
Speaker 3 (41:25):
We want it to be everything. Okay, we are visually
pleasing both of us. She's absolutely fabulous and she has
a background in finance, and she's an entrepreneur. And then
obviously I do what I do with building up my brand,
with building myself up and what I do as a model.
So we want to bring a course and a program
to women to teach him to build confidence, to put
(41:45):
themselves out there, just like you said, to put themselves
out there to start a business, I mean, or to
start modeling, or to you know, start content creating whatever
is that you want to do.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
But to start, we got to support this. We got
to build this up, We got to amplify it.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
And I would love for you to be a part
of it in any way that you can if you
want to, because I believe this is this.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
Is something we need. It is something this is something
we need. And the reason I ask you that is
because I know of so many people that tell me
their ideas but will not act on them. And they
were like, oh, can we talk. Can we strategize and
then nothing happens. So I'm like, Okay, we did all
this talking. You told me everything you want to do.
We put together this plan. I'm an EmPATH, I'm a
(42:23):
people helper, I'm a life coach. Oh everything I saw. Yes,
I'm everything that can help other people, you know, put
pursue their dreams. But I feel like people know it,
they want it, but they won't act on it.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
They're scared. It's scary. It's scary. Failing is scary. But
you gotta fail. You got to. You gotta hear no.
You got you have to. You have to go through that.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
And I learned that in this you know, business of
influencing and model that you're gonna say, you're gonna hear
or no.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
We gotta hear no. You're gonna hear no, and you
gotta just keep pushing and believing yourself. But then you
can also hear yes. You are going to hear it.
Speaker 2 (42:55):
That and that's the key to it. You know, what's
the worst that can happen? They can say no, But
what's the best that can happen? Yes, they can. You know,
you grow a little more, you grow stronger, you grow
more resilient, like there is power in the know.
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Just think about it like that.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
That's a different angle, man. I really really enjoyed our conversation.
You're absolutely amazing. I am tremendously proud of you. I've
watched your growth and every time I see you know,
another milestone reached, another you know, deal secured, I'm like,
she is amazing.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
You know, it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (43:30):
I saw you for fenty on fenty yes, oh my god,
you guys.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
I didn't even see it through you. I don't see
it through you. I was like, what am I looking
at her? Is this? Leslie?
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Just know you know that we're a community, We're all
rooting for you, you know, and that what you're doing
makes a difference because you're showing us your vulnerability, the
way you put yourself out there, which is not just
putting yourself out there, but you're putting yourself out there
like if she could do this, when we pull me on,
(44:04):
I can do I can do it.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
I know because you know, right we spoke once. Once
you're on worldline, listen, you are off.
Speaker 3 (44:12):
Like every almost had a hard tack. I was the
Starbucks almost died. Not in a good way, but.
Speaker 4 (44:19):
We're gonna talk about that later, about that lay behind
the scenes might say a lot of crazy stuff, but not.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
I want to thank you so much for coming by today.
You're traveling this afternoon. I know it was a you know,
an effort and you know, a sacrifice to come here
today and meet with me. But I'm happy we did it,
because if you're doing it, I can do it.
Speaker 3 (44:36):
Fucking yeah, Oh my god, I'm so excited. Thank you
so much, even for even considering me somebody that that
that inspires you in any way, like that's fucking dope.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
I want to say this Glasses come Again, Yes I will.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
That was a great
Speaker 4 (45:00):
Grasslers Come Again is a production of Honey German Productions
in partnership with Iheart's Macuntura podcast network.
Come Again a podcast by Honey German. Welcome Leslie. How
are you today? Oh my god, so excited to be here. Honey.
I'm great, I'm great.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
The skin is skinny. You look absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Thanks so much so.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Do you equally beautiful in person as you are online?
And your energy too? For real?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
And you have been connected online for years now?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yes? You you actually started.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I started following you first, you know, equally inspiring Latina.
I'm like, I can resonate with you, and I'm like,
I love what you have and what you do and
how you represent yourself. And I'm like, this is somebody
that I can see myself connecting.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Where can be friends? Yeah, so we are friends. We
are friends.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
And when you follow me back and you started giving
me love too, I'm like, ah, yes, there it is.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
This right here is like surreal for me, for real.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
It's like a full circle moment because I've watched you grow.
I don't even know like the word to use the
way you have grown. We got to start from the beginning.
I'm not going to just talk about where you are
right now. I want to talk about where Leslie started.
Where were you born?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Here?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
New York, Washington, Heights born and raised well hospital talked
to me, Yes, Newark Presbyterian. I worked, funny enough, actually
worked there for ten years from nineteen till I was
twenty six.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
You wereid in the hospital where you were born?
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Yes? Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Where are your parents from? Where are your core people from?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
My dad is from Santiago, the Dominican Republic, and my
mom is from Mao, the Medican Republic.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Double whemy and ye Dominicana through and through total, and
they came to America And when do you know what?
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yes, so my mom came in her early twenties after
my older sister was born. My older sisters born in
dr and my dad, I think he came as well.
But they met here, okay, in a restaurant actually downstairs
from where my mom lives.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Still what restaurant is this? I know, the whole uptown? Yes,
just like oh Dominican because I'm that's a cute story.
And then they dated and yes marriage. Actually I'm their
only child together. My parents have two kids separately from
different marriages. Like unofficially, here we go, tell my sisters,
(02:15):
here we go. Now, I want to talk about your personality.
You're very all going, You're creative, you're fearless. Were you
like this as a child or did this developed later
in life?
Speaker 1 (02:28):
You know what it was like A.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Like a like a like a like a mechanism to
kind of like be funny and out going, like to
kind of protect myself because I was very sensitive and
so growing up with older sisters. I don't know if
you are you the oldest, so you know, I was
kind of like left to the side a lot. So
I use my funny and my ongoing personality to kind
(02:51):
of to get attention and to be included. And it
became a tool that it became me and it made
me feel so confident in my ability to connect with
people through comedy and like you know, dance and music
and just being free and loving who I was. And
I actually was like that since chig that bet On
insecure on the inside. Can I ask he was a mechanism?
(03:13):
Can I It was a mechanism, but it was no
trust me.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I understand, were yo, Gorita when you were little? All
my life same here, So it's just like you're a
middle child. You know, moms, Latina moms, Dominican moms, you know,
they tend to come down on us a lot about
our weight, and they create these complay holds, you know,
and these insecurities that as children we don't know how
to deal with, so we mask it. So I understand
(03:38):
where you're coming from one hundred percent. Because I used
to perform Janna Jackson in my house. They were saying,
it's just like y'all not looking at me, but y'all
gonna look now. I would put on the music videos
and be like, Okay, it's go time trying to perform.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
So I understand where you come from.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Now, how is your mom as far as like you
you know, being expressive, being outgoing, because some moms were
like medio. How did she receive you know, your coping mechanism,
and as far as like you know, wanting to be
included and being that child star inside the house?
Speaker 1 (04:08):
You know what she received there? Really well?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
I mean me and my mom have a really great relationship,
and I can really connect with what you're saying in
terms of like being labeled what we look like right
as growing up in a American household. But I'm lucky
enough my mom really was never that person to me.
She is like my best friend still is get.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
You and I love it. She really is a bad beat,
you know.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
And I just saw how she was always so giving
and loving to other people, and like everybody I know
lived in my house at one point, like my family,
and I just saw that. And so seeing that in
her again and how giving she was made me sensitive
and comfortable and you know, loud and proud around her
because I saw how she was with others.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
That is amazing. She really nurtured that in me, She
really did.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
She never she never sent me to sit down like
she she didn't find me a nuisance. You know, she
really just enjoyed me and still still does. I'm my
craziest child, like in the term of like going. I know,
I have no no filter within myself. You know, I
am very comfortable with me, and even if that makes
other people uncomfortable, I.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Love that because you know, not all Latin households can
be like that. You know, when children are loud or
they're you know, show offs, they tend to like, you know,
go to your room say say meet. I don't not
say oh y. You know, that's like kind of like
a saying like that where you know you're to be
seen not heard, so like you were blessed.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
I really am. Honestly, I didn't.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
I didn't have that so much from my siblings at
the time, right, because they didn't they weren't like me.
I'm not nobody's like, yes, they didn't want me around
like see whole exactly exactly. It wasn't until I became
a teenager that I could connect with them because we're
all four years in Kalorita. So I have like a
middle sister who's four years older than me, and then
(06:00):
who's eight years older than.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
That eight year old system. You must have been the
biggest news and stuff. Actually, my older sister took me
like a kid for her. Oh yes, yes, well yes,
she actually build me. She actually helped build me up
and she got me my first job like she because
that's why she was an adult, right, yes, yes, yes,
my teenage years were her you know, young adult years,
and she really helped me grow, you know, and gave
(06:24):
me opportunities to grow and see the world differently.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
So I really do have a powerhouse of women around them.
That that's very lucky.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
You're blessed, and really it's absolutely amazing, because if you
don't have that, sometimes your gift can be dimmed and
even taken away from you. Yes, you know, if you're
constantly being told what you're doing is wrong, when you're
just being expressive or when you're just being yourself, that
hinders you a lot, you know, when it handicaps you
as an individual. So I want you to know you
are super super blessed because I know a lot of
(06:54):
people that they knew from they want who they wanted
to be and what they wanted to do, but within
the home it was frowned upon because let's say, sometimes
Latina moms are like, I want you to be a doctor,
or I want you to be a lawyer, I want
you to be a teacher. You could have been to
Sam Fermeera, and any sign of creativity can be shunned.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yeah, and let me tell you that that's exactly that's
why I started what I did started doing at thirty
years old. You know, I would have started very much
younger because this is who I am now, who I've
always been. You know, I could have definitely if this
would have been like what you said. Yes, they didn't
hinder me, but they also didn't believe that that that
what I'm doing now was a possibility because for us
in our household, that wasn't something that was even an option.
(07:34):
Why because the nine to five a pension, you know,
retirement plan or X y Z that all, that's what.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
You would want you to have.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Very traditional, yes, And I was the first one who
did outside the box like yes at thirty years old.
But I said, you know, well, there's many things that
I do want to do. My creative ability does not
need to be behind the desk, like I need to
be using my creative my creativity to do more and
my heart to you know how Others like I just
(08:01):
knew I needed to do more, and so I had
different opportunities with workwise where when I moved, I moved
to Boston first from New York, and then I moved
to back to New Jersey and then the pandemic happened.
And right before the pandemic was going to put myself
out there and so that you know, social media helped
me to express myself, express myself through to the power
of connecting if others without having to physically be with them.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
When was the first time that you posted on social
media something that you felt like was you being a creator?
Speaker 3 (08:31):
In twenty twenty, right before the pandemic, even was thinking
of happening. My grandma had just died in twenty nineteen,
and I had a cousin who was doing managing talent
in the Bronx, and he was bringing them to clubs, like,
you know, as comedians, and at that point, I just
wanted to do comedy and that's why I saw myself, yeah,
just doing comedy, and that's why I was like, yo,
(08:51):
I want to do a stand up Like take me
to these clubs that you I want to host, Like
that's where I want to get started. And then I said,
you know what, I want the model too, So I
started taking professional pictures like you know, just trying to
build my portfolio and again not thinking this can actually happen.
To my cousin, you want to manage me, and he's like,
you know, he was looking at me like that. He's like,
yeah right, Leslie, like you you know, you are a
mother and a nine to five are like, what are
(09:12):
you talking about? And that's the one thing that exactly
I'm like, I'm funny. You should see what people say.
But I was still private on Instagram and I'm like
I'm the ship, you don't know, and he's like, all right,
you got to prove yourself to me. It's like open
your Instagram up and we've been signed the trick, shook
hands and everything went to my house, made it official.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Its January Third's a deal.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Every shore was twenty twenty step pa back, sit down right.
And so through that opportunity that he gave me, I
believed myself a little more right.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
I was like, okay, this is a manager. I'm put
myself out there. And from there I started posting videos
about like the weather and like walking my kids to
school or my morning experience as a mom and like.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
So none of this was pre planned. It was kind
of like freestyling.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
Freestyling, I said, I became an influenced my mistake because
I genuinely was just being, you know, and people gravitate
to the realness and authenticity that I that I present because.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I don't know how to be nobody else but me.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
No, you, there is a certain level of you know,
connection when it comes to you, it feels very organic,
feels very real, and it just feels like somebody you
know and somebody you would be cool with. So I
can see why people connected with you immediately and.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
You feel saying about you, and that's why you know.
I instantly it was like, this is somebody I want
to follow, somebody I want to see grow, somebody I
want to potentially be in the same business with, you know,
because here we are, here, we.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Are, this is just the beginning. Here we are guys.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Me or hey, you go, boom, how do you give
up our location like that? They're gonna pull up on it?
Speaker 1 (10:51):
And it is sound. You are too good at this.
You are way too good at this. Hey go mag wheel.
Now you've been with your husband twenty years.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Well, we met at seventeen. So we actually went to
the same junior high school and had the same friends
all our lives, and we just didn't have the same
grade because he.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Failed and I did.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Mentally, Hello, book wise, book wise the street smartest. Mean
he got more street smart, she said. He told me,
all right, I got more personality than him.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
That is true. That's a fact. I gotta give you something.
I gotta take something. She's the colorful one. There you go.
I'm the sprinkle. He's doving their lives. You're definitely funny.
I'll give you that much. Think we didn't think you husband.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
We're gonna put you on hold for comedy.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Yes, so comedy my dad I always saw. So I
got that from my dad.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
He's a very outgoing person and I saw him interact
with so many people and he made people laugh all
the time. People come to your dad is so funny,
Your dad is so funny. But Dad was not like
that at home, And I'm like, yeah, a mechanism.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Mechanism.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
You put you in two together, I don't see I
put you two together really young in because I'm very uh,
I'm EmPATH, so I can sense things with people like
this can't be because of this, Like you know some
people like yeah, I'm like, no, there has to be
something else, like they cannot just be like that, And
so that gives me more opportunity to be empathetic and
(12:34):
understanding towards a person. So the point being is that
my dad, you know, was doing that, like he will
switch on and switch off.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
I'm like, what is he really funny?
Speaker 3 (12:43):
So then I started paying attention more and I'm like, hey,
like this guy is really funny, and I'm like, you know,
at home, he has no reason to be funny. And
so I used my funny, like I said, to connect
with people and to vibe and to be able to
uh express myself, and so comedy was what felt like
home to me, you know, based on what I saw
(13:04):
my dad do and what I knew I could do too.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
And I'm like, hey, is that the reason why you
told your your cousin, Yes, I want to get on stage?
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Yes, yes, yes, I always dreamed of being in SNL
or Matt TV.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
I used to Matt TV was the for Yes.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
I need to hear about the first time you went
on stage.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I haven't gone on stage yet, what do you mean?
So he started managing you. I never got to go
twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Pandemic and you never got to hit that stage.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
And I got to hit that stage. My first and
only hosting gig was for my birthday. It was March seventh.
My birthday's March fifteen, but March seventeen and then March
eighteen everything closed.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
I did the last.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Friday because we knew it ceased to exist. Do you
still want to get on stage into comedy one day?
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yes, one hundred and twenty. I'm a good storyteller, and
I feel like that's what comedy is.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Life is funny. So that's what you gotta do. Is
that a good story? Now?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
When you decided, well, the world decided you weren't going
to do stand up comedy. You gravitated towards online content creation.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Yeah, and just like that, posting my day to day,
you know. And at that point I was going to start,
you know, being a teacher at.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Home too, your kids.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Yes, I had a four year old starting school for
the first time and that was her first time experience.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Unfortunately, I know.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
And I was working from home too, so I made
that part of my you know, my day to day
and sharing that and little by little and dancing is
I love to dance?
Speaker 1 (14:27):
And that is that you do? You do? Listen. I
wanted to be a choreographer. Me.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
I wanted to do anything. Advice is I want to
do everything. They don't want to do everything.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
A little bit?
Speaker 2 (14:39):
When did you start seeing like a shift, like, oh,
something's happening here. I went viral for a dumb ass
video because that's why I the by Land says, but
didn't go to the church, say.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
School, you know, don't.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yaga fourteen thousand, what's my first? Fourteen thousand? One's growing?
I was like a two thousand and then five and
then seven, then fourteen.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Thousand, No to no per.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Grammy museum commacing at the hand. So like you said,
well dollar monumental liberal, somebody else needed to have it.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
We gotta go other targe a target, make another one.
You work with them anyway, right, yes, yeah, okay, needs
to go viral if we're gonna end. It's a Germany
can not cone flooring, no flow is it? And Julie don't.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I was on the so when I went viral there
and I was like, I kept just doing that, like
doing dancing videos like I just I didn't have like
a niche could next thing. You know, I had a
friend who had another friend who had At that point,
my manager cousin wasn't doing much for me because his
talents were in real life and in the clubs and
(16:25):
the thing online.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Ton't say. He kind of didn't know what to do
with me.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
And I was like my like and I was like,
this is something I could actually do do and not
do do.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Like a five year old. But I said do do.
He's such a mom. I love it.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Sorry anyways, so I got myself another manager.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Don't tell me my cousin that's still your manager.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
No, okay, because they they gave me opportunities and uh.
And they served me as a grow a stepping don't
to grow and to see myself in actually really like.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
An influencer life.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
And in twenty twenty one, my modeling agency found me
online and asked me, so my modeling and without your management,
without my management, my modeling agency just found me. And
I'm still with them their stats and through them and
content creating, I kind of grew my brand. I'm like,
oh shit, now I'm a plus sized model and a
(17:25):
whole influencer and I literally and all these things kind
of manifested itself for me because I believe I could,
and I dedicated time.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
To believing I could. You know, you gotta.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
You definitely got to invest in yourself when you believe
in yourself, and some people think that believing is just
saying you want things like you really got to put
in work. And I silently did you know? And then
it all came to fruition. I mean, all that happened altogether.
It was like, oh my.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
God, So what they reached out to your social media? Yeah? Yeah,
I said, what agency that they wanted me to go
into the office.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
I thought I was for gazy. I mean, let's be serious.
Dominicans and New York and I'm a Russian.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Nona. When I went, I was like, is this real?
We say google them.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Yeah, they had a little They had a like a
office within like an office space. So right now they
have like a whole office. So they grew to everybody grew,
everybody grew, and so I went and met with them
and I'm like, and they signed me for a year
and let's say, let's see how we do. Two months
later my first commercial with Buchan and three months later
(18:35):
painted on a wall.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Like that mirrors around.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Well no, no, no, But I was like, I want
to go see yes, And they actually ended up when
I moved to Florida, they have put me up in
Florida too, which is crazy. So either way, but that
being said, it just like one year and I got
three years of my agency.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Let's let's see how it goes. It went well?
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Oh no, that that is super dope. Now, what are
some brands that you have worked with that you feel
super proud of? Like I have them all written down here,
but I'd rather yes say it.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Oh man.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
I mean, Target for sure was a dream brand seventh fenty.
I'm an ambassador for them. I dream of walking in
a show and actually working with them. Right now, they're
just you know, supporting me and me supporting them.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
But you got to make that happen.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Oh man, you don't understand like that is been on
my vision board since twenty before even.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Thought of becoming anything. That's my dream brand to work with.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
But Clinique, I've worked with, Macy's, I've I've worked with Nike.
Nike definitely was on my on my my vision board,
like I want to work and I is so bad
that we're one of my first people to work with Ceumonia.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
I saw that very that was incredible. Are very different,
you know it was it was it was.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
My second job ever. And that same day my mom
ended up going to the hospital with and I was
there crying before I got in that stage and killed
my and the and the shoe and killed and they
were so supportive with with the pink that day. And
I had to speak on my mom that day because
they was about being Latina and I saw how I
feel about my mother and so that made me. It
(20:03):
was incredible. It was incredible, my mom. Thank God, it's okay.
But the power that we have to find it within
ourselves when we got to show up is really incredible.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
We are incredible.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Now, how do you dress yourself in that confidence? Like,
you know, like we're not perfect, you know, we're got
We're not six foot tall, you know, how do you
put on that suit to go in there and shoot?
Let's say, when you shoot in lingerie, right, how do
you mentally prepare? Tell me that, don't.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
You block it out?
Speaker 3 (20:37):
I don't know what happens to me. I mean I've
been on Live TV twice like.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
That was my full circle.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Yes, like me, they had me twice, and that to
me is scarier than showing up for a shoot, because
you kind of get spared, right, you got to show
up and kind of get your words together in Spanish
is my first language, and I'm the best one, you know.
You know my Spanish was hardcore, but not my whole Spanish.
And that was more nerve wrecking to me than anything
else I've ever done. And so I did that. To me,
(21:04):
I'm like, I'm the ship, like I could do anything
like and I'm in front of these you know, women
who've done this for years. I'm equally there with my
with my head up high, my words right, with my
fucking confidence, you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Like, you ain't gonna make me lesser. I'm more. It's hard. Yeah,
do I live TV.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
That adrenaline kicks in and those nerves and your work.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
It turned out that went away is that I'm supposed
to be there. You're natural.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Then that's what that means. They generally I can turn
things on, don't televis. Look, I'm snapping right now. I
second that.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Who showed you that? Your kids showed you that?
Speaker 2 (21:40):
No. I watch a lot of Rue Paul, so okay,
because I feel like the kids are doing this now
all the time.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
The RuPaul's drag race is my thing. I watch it
with my eight year old. We're like mega fans who
pap you listening?
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I love you? And so this is how they like
you know, yeahs queens, that is that way they get
it from. I don't know, but the youngins are doing
it too. Yeah, look at me in the now, I
see that.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
And now, how did your husband take all this? He's
a Latino he and he's a gentlemaningerie.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
How did you maneuver this? M mass ahead hard time?
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Because you could do whatever you want to, but without
giving you a hard time? And telling you you cannot
expose yourself this way as my wife.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
You know, because of all of our history together, and
it hasn't been twenty years. All through and through, you know,
we've broken up. We've grew separately and together, and that
is the most beautiful thing you can do when you
find your soul. May you know you gotta let people
grow separately in order to grow together. And he has
really grown with me in this stage of our lives.
(22:52):
We have ten years, gonna have ten years married now
in April. Thank you, thank you, you guys. You guys
had an anniversary recently, a ray yes to many more,
to any more Cone and so through that there's a
lot of understanding of our individual passions. So he knew
that when I was going to start this journey, especially
as a model, you know, I'm going to be in
positions that you know are going to put me in
(23:13):
places that you are not going to be comfortable with.
So along with that, and he knows how passionate I
am about body positivity and empowering other women, and what
I do is not for attracting anything else besides this
message and getting this message across to these people who
need it. Men or women, and I think that he
sees that more than he sees being sexy and sexualize
(23:34):
it because it's not sexualized. I don't sexualize now itself,
you know, And that's very important part of what.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
You know, he might be like something. That's the reason
I asked anything.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
And it was like that at the beginning.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
I have experiences not with my husband for sae because
he's more Americanized in his Puerto Rican and mom was
like born here and everything, so he's a little more
far removed. But within my own family, yeah, like if
we go to you have your babysuit for family outings,
you have, you know.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
So that's why I ask just I'm like, wow, yeah,
I know.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
I tell people a lot of people, especially my friends,
they're like, yo, Christ because they know him. Man, he
is jealous and he is protective.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Of me, but he understands that this is a different angle.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
I'm in a different place and I am He's definitely
going to tell me what to do. I'll respect you,
and I am very proud wife, you know, and every
freaking step, you know, in every freaking way. So I
think that he doesn't have any doubt that my you know,
presents online will affect me and him in any way
because we saw it.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
He's he's confident in his marriage.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Yeah, we are. He travels for work and he you know,
he does his own thing. He has his own world,
and I have to be confident that my husband is
my husband no matter where he is, He's going to
stand by me, and I'm gonna stand by him, So
it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
What we do, or where we go or how we are.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Does he find it annoying at times?
Speaker 4 (25:02):
You did that one video where you guys are dancing
freestyle and he had the dog and he had the shades,
and I was like, yeah, I said, I wonder if
this man wants to kill kill her.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
He doesn't want to support me in that way. He's
like yo, I'm a stay in the background. Before I'm
like yo, we.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Could be saying I'm like no, this house is a
household with this man. Probably was Listen.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
He's fun too, but he's the lesser fun one because
he's very serious to give by his business and I
love that because we need.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
That in our house. Sad Comediante, your daughters.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
He's that's the thing. You got to open him up right,
like like a Jack in the box.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
You gotta you gotta turn.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Out, you gotta wind him up, you gotta wind him up.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
But he's incredible, he's equally funny. And people say that
he found his match with me, and people say that
I found a match of him because we are the
same person. Yes, crazy enough, I'm a pisces. I'm a
rising Gemini and descending.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Right now, cause I don't follow horoscopes.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
I just know what are the same sign on three?
He has the same as me. Three, So mates, She said.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
I want you to give me a reading right now.
I don't know what why all of a sudden you
put me in a space. My grandma used to do that.
You remember, hello, joy saying.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
I remember I used to go to the R sometimes
for long periods and we had you know how you
have maids in the R And we had this maid.
Her name was Victoria and Victoria and she used to
be like Ma Coluka fair and then you would drink
out of the coffee cups right yes and like that,
and then designs would come with the coffee, and then
(26:45):
the person would.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Cho twelve years old, thank you? The hell is wrong
with us? Hello? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yes, if you have Hello, like you know, yeah, Victoria,
you're going to go to one point.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
She ain't have the right samples around that point. She
wasn't giving somebody something cycle Seattle.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Yeah, you know one Dominican. You know all Dominican. We
all had the same childhood. How funny is that we
literally all had the same childhood. We can all relate.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
I love being Dominican. I love being Dominican. People like,
what are you like Dominican? Were people thinking hospital but Dominican.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I would never like say I'm American or I'm a
New York girl.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
I'm just Dominican. Period. You know.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
If somebody asked me this, I don't know. I think
at the photo stot I said we were talking about
something and they was like, oh, you know, what are
your where are you from? And I'm like, oh, I'm Dominican.
It's like, oh you were born over them Like no,
but my parents are Dominicans. They're like, no, so you're
American and I'm not Americans.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
I don't know how the married don't get me say,
for all the opportunities and granted our parents and granted us,
but I'm a Dominican.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
For sure, one hundred percent. You're gonna tell me anything different.
Not my kids. Those are American kids. Their parents are American. Right,
they're American kids. But I don't dominicana fool.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
How do your kids take this talk? Do you have
two daughters?
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Right? Yes, a teenager.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
The teenager hates oh right, she loves me and she
sees the work that I do and she reminds me
of that all the time. And I'm so proud of
her because she's a strong ass girl.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
I was very sixty. You're about to be sixteen, very determined,
very strong mind.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Don't see them, yes, be ready for it the last reason, right, yeah, hey, oh, I.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Don't know why you thought you want to say fifteen
or something like that. Well, because I'm thirty six, so
you look like a baby. Thank you, so do you?
Speaker 2 (28:52):
I thought you were going to say, like you're like
thirty years old?
Speaker 1 (28:56):
She said, I already have my license.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
I was twenty one to have my my I'll already
gon said in me, I don't want to stay together.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
She said, you take that back, I would not know
how Definitely my fault. If I want a little bit,
if you wants, it's okay to gonta bee marriage. She said, Listen,
maybe I wasn't listenab one.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
If you're listening your hot ass, don't be don't be
a friend. We not discriminating, we're not.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
We love better get it right now.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
So your older daughter is like, what's the what's the her?
Speaker 3 (29:42):
She doesn't want to be in none of my videos?
As you see, she's hardly in it. Like she loves
what I do. But keep before you set aside.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
No, man, don't force me to do anything I don't
want to do.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Because she's like, that's not my identity. That's your identity, period, period.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
And now.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
The other day I did a fucking teenager yesterday, I won't.
This week I did a brand collab with True Kind
and a True Important.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Because I need a different.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
Aesthetic Monday, young not you taking a sexy picture in
my room.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
That's nasty. Listen, nobody has sex. It was just a photo. Okay.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
I could take a picture anywhere I want. Okay, I'll
get you.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
I want to redesign your room and make it into
a content creation. I will mess up your bed. That is,
what about your other dough whatever? She supports me, she
loves me.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
I messa like like literally the absolute best, like it
is I created myself again, but better because she is
so much better.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Like my kids are incredible.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
I'm like, I'm mega proud of my job, a Miami
husband's job as parents. Like these girls are smart, determined,
strong minded, resilient. Like we've moved a couple of times,
they pick up where they left off like incredible, freaking incredible.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
And you know what's even more incredible that you didn't
have to break a generational curse. Your mother was incredible.
She to you how to be as credible, and here
you are passing it down to your daughters. It's not
you know, because it's you're blessed. And you know, I
tell people this all the time. If you were not
exposed to like deep trauma as a child, and you
(31:14):
were loved and you were encouraged and you were uplifted,
you already have like twenty points ahead of the rest
of us, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, So it's
like I love that for you, and I love that
for your daughters. Man, they're going to be even more
amazing than you are because of that.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
They already aren't. They already aren't. Thank you, Thank you
so much. And you know what, even and even if
you have had trauma. I say that it's how you
want to build yourself up. And you can come out
of anything you can, and it's up to you to
put in that work. You know, Trauma ain't gonna solve itself.
You know, problems ain't gonna solve themselves, and problems are
always going to be there, but it's how you handle
them that matters, you know. We I have two sisters,
(31:50):
Like I said that we grew up in the same
household and our three completely different people and chose three
completely different lifestyles, you know, and that my mom was
the same mom to all of us, you see, So
that says about them individual they're successful women right now
now that they went around a bad path, But we
went in different paths, you know, each individual with their
own goals and morals and decisions and decision making, you know,
(32:15):
no matter what mom taught us. And one thing that
we all have in common is that we love our mom.
We are all very believers in God, and we all
bad bitches. We all good as moms, and we all
career women. We all like to work. And that's something
that we saw on my mom, you know, and that
we did take with us. No matter how different we are,
(32:36):
we all got those three things.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
And you know what that speaks volumes because you're telling
me it's learned behavior. And some people come from different,
you know, environments where there is that type of behavior.
They don't learn that, they end up picking up other
negative outside influences. So I love the fact that you
know your mom pretty much created you, your personality and
(32:59):
your future as a mom.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Yes, yes, you know yesterday we were hanging out yesterday
and Union. Yeah, yeah, you went where you went where
I grew up in the Port Devon and one six
s third in Amsterdam. I grew up there. I literally
went there every weekend.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
And in that place.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Yeah yeah, I grew up on one fifty first in Broadway.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
You've never been to that Portivo?
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Well I wasn't an adult.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Well you moved out of there, what age?
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Right before high school?
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Oh okay, so yeah you probably didn't. Yeah, but your
make it's like a country club for Dominican your.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
My mother would not let me even go to the store. Wow,
my mom kind of was like that too. I only
went that we hurt.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Oh okay.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
It was like a club, like a country club for
them for adults, And I made my time.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
I've seen it on Broadway. Yes, yeah, the left of
your going up the Yes, yeah, okay, I know.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
It's been there forever.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
Look, I met I had my sweet sixteen there, I
met my husband there. I have a baby shower there
at my wedding.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
I know, you might as well just buy this place,
because that's not the list who exists, that cannot see
to exist.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
That's on my list. And my sister's always tell me like,
why are you like going there? When you come, I'm like,
it feels like home.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
It's like cheers to you, but a Dominican version.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
Yeah, it's exactly like that. I actually want to take
over that club. I was really sad, yes said it,
because I went with the intention to see all my
my theos and theas inherited, you know, through the through
the country club, through the cheers club, and none of
them were there, and and that that was very sad,
not because they died, but.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
They passed away. Jesus Chris just took a turn. They're
looking at me in the room.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Like no, no, you see why, And that made me
so sad.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
I'm like, I want to revive this. I got.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
For real, for real, that community there was very strong
and and I have I'm very Latina because of that place.
You know, I grew up with Americanized sisters, you know,
so I could have easily just gone that route, but
that place kept me very Dominican.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
When you say americanized sisters, what does that mean.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
So they listen married the culture?
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Okay, watually my oldest sisters that at one point, but
now but my oldest sister actually prefers African American line. Okay, yes,
but that's not what I mean. I mean like they
were Americanized in the sense of like they did not
enjoy the Dominican culture as much as you know I
(35:21):
was forced to.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Did they try to like refine themselves in a different
way to more European passion or what did they gravitate
towards Because Dominicans, I speak from experience and from my family,
they try to whitewash themselves at times and try to
mimic and emulate European culture, the way they dress, the
way they look, the way they do their hair. What
(35:45):
do you mean by your sisters who were more Americanized?
Speaker 3 (35:47):
So none of that, actually, none of none of their appearance, no,
none of that, Just that that they didn't connect with.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Our Dominican you know, the.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Music, the music, like just the loudness that everything that
comes with being the Mintic.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
You think they just like rejected it and we're like,
we're gonna be different because this is too much.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
They didn't.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
They didn't they didn't enjoy it. Okay, they didn't enjoy it.
Say that was let me put it to you this way.
They ain't like that right like I would go.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
I would be forced to go to the because I
was younger, so I didn't have a choice. Now they
were teenagers by the time that it became something that
we did every weekend, so they had the opportunity to
socide that that wasn't what they wanted to do. So
I could have down that route too, but instead I.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
Grew to really be that became my home, embrace ith
it and I made they're still my friends, those girls
that I met there, because you're just so colorful and
so just to manic it just makes it just makes sense,
you know. There there is those two sides to you know,
I feel like all Latinos, you know, you can embrace
you know, like you're dur inside deeply, or you can
(36:51):
kind of like go a different way or love Mexicanas.
I know Maicana scared like passing is white. But I
know Mechicanas that are like indigenous Mexicanas that are still
eating you know what they were taught by their It
tends to happen in all.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Of our Yes, yes, and I feel like out of
all of us.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Although my older sister actually came from the Dominican Republican,
she she is very much rooted in her you know,
immigrant experience, and she actually just became a principal. She
set out to Amber. Yeah, she's a bad beat who
just became She here in New York.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Yeah, please tell me this. Can you tell me the school? Oh?
Actually yes.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
So she was working at Lot, which is in the
Heights right Acrosstreet from my mom's house, and she was
a vice principal there and just got hired to work
at uh it's called Food and Finance School.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
It's like a high school here and okay specialized, yes,
high school.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
Yeah, I love that. I'm very proud of her, so
proud of her.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
Congratulations. She's a lot of work, she knows.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Good luck to you, girl, I hope you drink. Yeah,
you know what?
Speaker 3 (37:52):
She just said that yesterday, just said, I guess I
have to drink until I get this started because I'm nervous.
But I'm like, you know, I'm an encourager, So I'm like, Sis,
you got this, Like there's nothing you can't do. And
she knows that everything new is scary. So as long
as you have a positive mindset, like you got this,
there's not you can't do.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
No that that definitely is a fact.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Now, I want you to close things out by speaking
to someone who wants to venture out into, you know,
a career that maybe is not something that would be
typical for them, whether it has to do with their looks,
their background, their finances, what would you say, you know,
just speak to me as if like I told you
(38:34):
right now, Leslie, I too want to be an influencer.
I too want to be a model, but I don't
feel confident.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
So confidence is within everyone, and you build confidence by
building yourself up from the top, from the bottom to
the top. You know, really look at yourself. I really
encourage mirror work. So if you are conscious about your body,
look at your body. You know, there's so much beauty
you that you don't see because of what the world
(39:03):
tolds you to see and so if you feel conscious
about your body, I suggest that to start there, you
feel conscious about who you are internally and how you
go about things, and seek self help books.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
That's my route, you know.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
I love listening to a good podcast that you know
encourages me and motivates me. Seek to other people who
are doing things that you want to do and see
how they do things and how you can take from that.
You don't have to mimic it, but you can learn
from it. And there's a lesson and everywhere, there's lessons everywhere.
You just got to be open to receiving it, understanding it,
(39:38):
and having compassion with yourself through the process. It's not
going to happen overnight. And I got lucky. It doesn't
mean that that happened for you in that same sequence,
but it can happen for you too.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Now, what if I don't sign money. You don't need money.
You don't need money, Okay, All you need.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
Is passion and purpose and really a good positive mindset.
It will get you further than money. Well, because if
you have faith in God, God, God, God, God God, God, God.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
Is my.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
Favorite and honestly, without him, there's nothing, there's nothing, So
you know what, scratch everything I said. Start with God,
I mean, for real, start with God, and everything else
will literally fall into place, and money, money will come,
money will come.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
Money's already there.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
Because I feel like a lot of people know they
want to do something different. No they don't want to
do a nine to five. No they don't want to
work let's say, in an office all day, but they
just won't.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Go for it. I do all three things. I have
a nine to five. You do, yes, I do? How
did I miss this? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (40:42):
On my headset comedy, work from home, life I do.
I work in nine to five, a model, and I
content create and I'm a mother and my wife.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
I got a dog. Where's your cape?
Speaker 3 (40:52):
You?
Speaker 1 (40:52):
Thank you? Because thank you, honestly thank you.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
I have a puppy and I'm like, I don't want
this animal anymore.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
It's the passion. It is the passion in me. It's
the passion in me. I've got that fire.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
Yo, I got a purpose, I got I got something
to do with. I know. Me and my good friend
Jamie and business partner manager.
Speaker 1 (41:11):
Huh. I met her in Florida.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
Actually we're gonna start this uh uh it's gonna be
like a course slash show. It's gonna it's gonna be
called Empower your Empire?
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Is it audio or TV? What is it?
Speaker 3 (41:25):
We want it to be everything. Okay, we are visually
pleasing both of us. She's absolutely fabulous and she has
a background in finance, and she's an entrepreneur. And then
obviously I do what I do with building up my brand,
with building myself up and what I do as a model.
So we want to bring a course and a program
to women to teach him to build confidence, to put
(41:45):
themselves out there, just like you said, to put themselves
out there to start a business, I mean, or to
start modeling, or to you know, start content creating whatever
is that you want to do.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
But to start, we got to support this. We got
to build this up, We got to amplify it.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
And I would love for you to be a part
of it in any way that you can if you
want to, because I believe this is this.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
Is something we need. It is something this is something
we need. And the reason I ask you that is
because I know of so many people that tell me
their ideas but will not act on them. And they
were like, oh, can we talk. Can we strategize and
then nothing happens. So I'm like, Okay, we did all
this talking. You told me everything you want to do.
We put together this plan. I'm an EmPATH, I'm a
(42:23):
people helper, I'm a life coach. Oh everything I saw. Yes,
I'm everything that can help other people, you know, put
pursue their dreams. But I feel like people know it,
they want it, but they won't act on it.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
They're scared. It's scary. It's scary. Failing is scary. But
you gotta fail. You got to. You gotta hear no.
You got you have to. You have to go through that.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
And I learned that in this you know, business of
influencing and model that you're gonna say, you're gonna hear
or no.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
We gotta hear no. You're gonna hear no, and you
gotta just keep pushing and believing yourself. But then you
can also hear yes. You are going to hear it.
Speaker 2 (42:55):
That and that's the key to it. You know, what's
the worst that can happen? They can say no, But
what's the best that can happen? Yes, they can. You know,
you grow a little more, you grow stronger, you grow
more resilient, like there is power in the know.
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Just think about it like that.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
That's a different angle, man. I really really enjoyed our conversation.
You're absolutely amazing. I am tremendously proud of you. I've
watched your growth and every time I see you know,
another milestone reached, another you know, deal secured, I'm like,
she is amazing.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
You know, it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (43:30):
I saw you for fenty on fenty yes, oh my god,
you guys.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
I didn't even see it through you. I don't see
it through you. I was like, what am I looking
at her? Is this? Leslie?
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Just know you know that we're a community, We're all
rooting for you, you know, and that what you're doing
makes a difference because you're showing us your vulnerability, the
way you put yourself out there, which is not just
putting yourself out there, but you're putting yourself out there
like if she could do this, when we pull me on,
(44:04):
I can do I can do it.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
I know because you know, right we spoke once. Once
you're on worldline, listen, you are off.
Speaker 3 (44:12):
Like every almost had a hard tack. I was the
Starbucks almost died. Not in a good way, but.
Speaker 4 (44:19):
We're gonna talk about that later, about that lay behind
the scenes might say a lot of crazy stuff, but not.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
I want to thank you so much for coming by today.
You're traveling this afternoon. I know it was a you know,
an effort and you know, a sacrifice to come here
today and meet with me. But I'm happy we did it,
because if you're doing it, I can do it.
Speaker 3 (44:36):
Fucking yeah, Oh my god, I'm so excited. Thank you
so much, even for even considering me somebody that that
that inspires you in any way, like that's fucking dope.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
I want to say this Glasses come Again, Yes I will.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
That was a great
Speaker 4 (45:00):
Grasslers Come Again is a production of Honey German Productions
in partnership with Iheart's Macuntura podcast network.
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