May 6, 2026 • 33 mins
In this episode of Teach Me Something, hosts Penny Dellas and DJ Prostyle sit down with Randy Gomez, an award-winning strategist, educator, and founder of Sparxlabs.io. Randy shares her inspiring journey from immigrating to the United States from the Dominican Republic at a young age to becoming an entrepreneur by 13 and a leader in the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence.
Today, Randy helps business owners and organizations harness AI, automation, and emerging technology to scale smarter and operate more efficiently. As the leader of the MBA and Corporate Partnership Program at Berkeley College NYC and President of the International Association of Women’s NYC Chapter, she is passionate about expanding access to technology and empowering entrepreneurs with the tools to succeed.
From early hustle to building AI-powered solutions for businesses, Randy breaks down the playbook entrepreneurs need to navigate the future of work, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, what's up.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
This is DJ pro Style and this is Penny tell
Us and this is Teach Me Something.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
Brought to you by Berkeley College.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hello, beautiful people, welcome back to Teach Me Something. I
go by the name of DJ crow Style.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
And I am Penny Shot out to Berkeley College.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Of course, we're back. We're in season three. We're up
and running.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
Feeling great today, Penny excited? Which Penny, do we get to.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
The podcast instead of today?
Speaker 5 (00:31):
Anybody doesn't know what she says. She says, I'm feeling amazing.
I'm just so happy to be sitting here next to.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
You, my people.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
You know your translation is what you want it to be.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
That's what everyone heard, Penny.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
That's what I heard. You know it's true. It's true.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Can we be about today's guest, Penny?
Speaker 5 (00:46):
We can and war winning strategist, educator, and entrepreneur who
is helping business owners unlock the power of artificial intelligence.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Let me tell you about this nomenal woman that we
have here on this podcast, which just is winning across
the board as a tech founder, as a serial entrepreneur
because multiple businesses, as well as a Berkeley College alumna,
a colleague, really a woman that uplifts other women, including myself.
(01:20):
She's phenomenal and also forty under forty. I mean we
are here with a business go og we am benidos
randi omens.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
There we go.
Speaker 6 (01:35):
What an intro? Oh my goodness, it's.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Long intro of this because that's how much you know,
you have so much going on.
Speaker 7 (01:41):
Thank you, thank you, it's amazing. Super excited to be here.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
And speaking of your journey, Randy, So you let's just
bump into it, right, But you migrated here from the
Dominican Republic jun New York and you went straight into business.
Speaker 6 (01:56):
Oh yeah, that's pretty much the story.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Was that something that you were ingrained in from a
child or was it something of coming here or learning
a new culture, learning how to pivot?
Speaker 7 (02:09):
Right?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Where does that stem from?
Speaker 6 (02:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (02:11):
No, I mean I think it's the story of most immigrants, right.
You come to this country and you're not speaking the language.
You don't speak the language, and it's sink or swim.
You have to make it out here, right. And so
for me personally, my parents migrated from the DR and
they were professionals back home and now they're in this
new country where they have to figure it out. They
(02:34):
have to take care of two small little girls, and
like many immigrants, my parents had to make the difficult
decision of coming to the country working, building a solid foundation.
Speaker 6 (02:45):
Before bringing their children.
Speaker 7 (02:47):
Yeah, and that's the immigrant story that a lot of
people don't hear, right, all the sacrifices that come with it.
But in true entrepreneurship fashion, it all stems from solving
a real world problem, right, And in most cases it's
your own problem. You're just striving and looking for a
solution to a problem that's affecting you. And for me,
that was doing my little sister's hair in the morning.
(03:09):
My little sister has beautiful blonde, curly hair, and every morning,
because my mother would work late, it would be my
responsibility to do her hair. And so I quickly learned
how to braid hair out of necessity because we did it,
we couldn't do her hair every single morning. It was
very time consuming. So I learned how to braid hair
and then became the braider of the neighborhood, started working
(03:33):
in a barbershop.
Speaker 6 (03:34):
Shout out to Blade's barbershop.
Speaker 7 (03:35):
They're still up and running and yeah, and just starting
my entrepreneurial journey that way. You know, rented a room
in the back of the barbershop, started having clients. I
remember my first business cards. It said Randy Candy because
I was like thirteen years old, Randy Candy.
Speaker 6 (03:57):
With my phone number.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Also your Instagram is.
Speaker 7 (04:01):
Because people will be hitting me up for other things.
Speaker 6 (04:07):
But yeah, I know, like I said, you know, solving
your own problem.
Speaker 7 (04:09):
That's what entrepreneurship is all about, a real world problem
and that's what really set me off. And I was
so fortunate to be in a place where there was
just so much love around me. You know, these guys
took me under their wing that I was like their
little sister.
Speaker 6 (04:21):
You know. I remember having the DJs come into the
shop with the mix tapes.
Speaker 7 (04:25):
You probably you probably one of them that walked in there,
you know what, DJ Clue, DJ Camillo, and you know,
the barbershop was our third place. I feel like that's
something that doesn't exist nowadays, a third place where people
just come to get a haircut, but really to hang out.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
On a Friday night, a barbershop is still a thing,
like as far as people definitely go hang out. I
actually stopped going to barbershop because of how much time
consuming it was because of the hanging out and the
conversation and yeah, I actually cut my own hair at
this point, or I guess somebody, come, yeah, I actually
should cut here.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
It's like almost the same thing she was saying. I
started cutting here. I was cutting hair all through like
I get that.
Speaker 6 (05:02):
Oh my gosh, well that's actually where I met my husband.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
At home, I bought a barberchair. I have the little thing.
Speaker 6 (05:07):
Yeah, we have a barber share in our house.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Save some money because.
Speaker 6 (05:14):
Not ten dollars. Definitely not to come over to your house.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
But you know that's their great for the shots.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
All anybody out there watching or listening to us, who
cuts who's who's in the.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
Business of hair. It's such a great business to be in.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
I know barbers who have thrived and they're so successful
because I mean, you're cutting something.
Speaker 6 (05:33):
It's like it's a necessity.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
It's going to constantly grow if you're lucky, right.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
But so like if you're somebody who cuts hair, that
person you're cutting their hair, it's you're gonna cut them
forever and then their kids and you keep and their
hair keeps growing. And it's generational, perfect business. It's generation
even when they lose their hair, they still come in
and they get the sides faded up or something like that.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
You know.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
And when women and women, I mean it's women. I mean, wow,
it's so expensive to.
Speaker 7 (05:58):
Get to get your hair done. And there's always money
to get your hair done. You know, there's always money
for that. But you're right, you know, with your barber,
it's generational. You go to your barber. You know, you
take your son to your barber. Your son takes you know,
so it's generational money.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
It is. If I wasn't in this game.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Okay, I know where I'm getting my haircut.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
I got you, you know it.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
From starting your first business to now owning over six
businesses over the trajectory of your career, how do you
find the market now? Being the founder of sparks Labs right,
building a powered solution for entrepreneurs, how do you see
the business landscape pivoting.
Speaker 6 (06:50):
Well with the with emerging technology.
Speaker 7 (06:53):
I and I was just on a panel, you know,
yesterday morning, an AI panel, and I say that this
is so such a tremendous opportunity. You know, for me,
I feel that AI is the equalizer of our time,
right because for many decades, these corporations had access to tools, applications,
marketing strategies that the average average day person did not
(07:15):
have access to.
Speaker 6 (07:16):
I mean, you know, let's let's talk about CANBA. Right.
Speaker 7 (07:19):
CANBA is in application. It was built by a woman,
and you know, it's been transformational for entrepreneurs.
Speaker 6 (07:25):
Now they have incorporated AI into it.
Speaker 7 (07:28):
And this right now, this technology is really the equalizer
because you do not need the technical background to use it.
The return on investment is tremendous. It allows entrepreneurs to
scale their business at a speed that is unheard of.
And it also allows you to leverage all of the
different things that you can do with the technology, so
you can minimize outsourcing a lot of those processes. And
(07:52):
at the end of the day, what's really powerful about
this technology is that it gives you your time back,
right because now with you automating things that are tedious,
send that are time consuming, you can now you know,
do that and then take that extra time to engage
with more clients to do more of the things that
you love to do. The you know, the things that
really inspired you to start your business to begin with, right,
(08:15):
which was not to write invoices and you know, respond
to emails all day, so you're able to do more
client facing activities that move the bottom line. So for me,
the technology is transformational. The landscape is a great opportunity
for entrepreneurs, and you know it's only upward from here.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
What is your recommended first step into automation and we
can get into your toolkit, because guys, I downloaded a
free toolkit that should provided me and I've already been
instilling it. You need that for your business?
Speaker 5 (08:45):
Yeah, yeah, I have a bunch of questions I'm going to.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Share with you, But what is the first step? Absolutely
aside from downloading the kit?
Speaker 7 (08:53):
Yeah, yeah, no, the kid is definitely amazing, But even
before downloading the kid, I would say that, you know,
like anything in business, you first have to assess your foundation.
Speaker 6 (09:04):
What is your process to begin with?
Speaker 7 (09:05):
You know, most entrepreneurs don't even know what their business
process is and how they acquire customers, So you can't
automate what you don't know, right, So you first have
to really take inventory of your business and also identify
what is the one aspect of your business that takes
the customer from a prospect to a client and really
(09:27):
understand if that is something that you want to automate
or if you want to keep the personal, hands on touch.
And I always say this, you know, people buy from people.
You cannot automate the entire thing because humans purchase from humans,
and so really taking that inventory first before you start
automating processes, understanding what your process is and what has
the biggest impact on your bottom line, and then dedicate
(09:49):
the time to solving one problem, not everything, one problem
at a time. You know, are you spending too much
time responding to inquiries? Okay, how do we automate that
and put an automatic response that feels human that when
people you know, interact with your brand, they feel that
you're they're talking to someone you know, not something who
(10:09):
wants to talk to a bot.
Speaker 6 (10:11):
Right. You know, when you call customer service, oh my gosh.
Speaker 7 (10:14):
You're streaming at the phone, you're screaming and you're pressing
zero zero.
Speaker 5 (10:18):
Now, even when you go online, let's say you guys,
as soon as you go let's say I went into
my bank, friends, as soon as you log into think
it pops up on the screen.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Exactly, you know in the new generation that's where but
you could get a lot of answers quickly.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
And correct Yes, it's about access. But you know self
awareness is so important, right, and that's a transferable skill set,
whether it's business or your personal life, because if you're
an entrepreneur, your personal being is behind that business. So
doing that self assessment, conducting a gap analysis, seeing where
(10:53):
are the areas of improvement and growth, but also understanding
that consumer journey funnel that you were speaking about and
how those converts jens apply and what that business model
will look like. So identifying all of those things are
extremely important. So I concur with you. Also download the toolkit.
I'm just saying you're gonna need it. But there's also
(11:15):
another facet to Sparks Labs. And it's not fair because
I know the backstory, but we're going to share it here.
You founded the company because something sparked in you working
at Berkeley College and being a proud alumna and working
on the sales team there. But you also have brought
this full circle momentum where you provide scholarships to students
(11:39):
in tech and you create these opportunities to fly to
Brussels and fly all around the globe the Dominican Republic
and do all of these excursions with these students. To
have them have an experiential learning component. So why is
that so important for you to do?
Speaker 7 (12:00):
I started at Berkeley as an admissions associate, you know,
I was hired quickly after graduating, which was really life changing.
And shout out to my admissions associate, Sandra Hasib and
just all of the incredible people that I've worked with
that have seen me not for the person that I
was at the time, but for my potential and what
I could be. And I think that's what makes Berkeley
(12:21):
so special and unique that you know, everyone understands the
impact that they have on our students, and so, you know,
having that experience with my.
Speaker 6 (12:30):
Missions associate really really helped me.
Speaker 7 (12:33):
Understand how we are all catalysts for other human beings. Right,
someone walks into your office. They've not only made the
decision that they want to better their life and continue
their education and they want something more than what they
currently have, but they've actually taken action towards it because
they got up from their house, probably took a train,
and we all know the trains.
Speaker 6 (12:55):
In the city.
Speaker 7 (12:56):
You got to be motivated, you know, to go through
that journey. And so they're stepping into your office because
they're seeking support from you to you know, to move
on to that next phase of their lives. And so
that those ten fifteen years that I worked with in missions,
working with students really inspired me to start the brand
(13:16):
because I believe that every single student that I met
with has a flame within them, something that you need
to just fan and it will spark up their passion
and you know, you're really essentially supporting them with deciding
what they're going to do for the rest of their
lives or that first step into their career. And so,
you know, that experientially motivated me to start Sparks, And
(13:37):
as soon as we went into business, we dedicated a
portion of our revenue to support that next generation of leaders,
which I feel is our responsibility. Right, you've made it
now it's your you know, it's your responsibility to usher
that next generation of leaders to that opportunity because we
all know as business professionals, you know how access.
Speaker 6 (13:58):
Really makes a difference.
Speaker 7 (14:00):
Right, Being in the room is extremely important, and that's
why I really pride myself in always prioritizing having someone
in the room with me because I know firsthand how
that changes your world, you know, coming you know, working
in a barbershop, growing up in a really tough, you know, neighborhood.
My parents they had a bodega, right and not the
(14:21):
best of the areas. And so there's a lot that
you see when you're growing up in that environment. You know,
a lot of drugs, a lot of unfortunately overdosing. There's
a lot of real life that you see in those
situations that unfortunately, if you don't have someone to usher
you out of that environment, you get stuck, you know,
and a lot of people don't make it out of that.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
You know.
Speaker 7 (14:43):
Just two years ago, we had a friend that overdosed
thirty five, you know, thirty five years old. It's terrible,
but that's a reality. That access means I meet someone
professional and that person takes me under their wing and
shows me another world that's different from the one that
i'm current, And I believe that's that's our responsibility as professionals.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Do you feel that education in a way saved your life?
Speaker 6 (15:08):
Absolutely, you know, And I'm actually not first generation. My
father's a lawyer, and I have.
Speaker 7 (15:13):
A really fun story, you know about how growing up
in the barbershop scene. You know, I was hanging out
with the guys. Again, little sister going out to these
clubs Club Deep, not Deep, yeah, exactly. And you know,
typical Dominican parents saw me going in the wrong direction
(15:34):
and they decided, you know what, you go to dr
every summer. This summer, you're gonna go with a one
way ticket and you're gonna stay there.
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Yes, I got the deportation.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Took it upon themselves to make sure that they took
you out of.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
That exactly, that situation that you could have changed your.
Speaker 7 (15:54):
Life absolutely, you know, And I don't share this story often,
but I feel like it's important. It's extremely important because sometimes,
you know, students and people see where you are right
now in this nice house in the suburbs, and they
don't know what that journey was, that trajectory to get there,
you know, and all of the things that you sacrifice.
But you know, long story short, you know, that experience
(16:16):
living in the Dominican Republic was also very eye opening
and again access right. My father's a lawyer. He has
clients that have hotels. We're staying in hotels. That's not
what I was seeing in Corona, Queens in a two
bedroom apartment with you know, ten family members, you know,
so just opening up your eyes to what is possible.
And that's what education does. Right, You're in a classroom
(16:38):
with a professional with ten fifteen years of experience, and
you're sitting there with a group of individuals who are
also striving to do more and be more, and that
is very positive, positive, positive, that's very powerful. That energy
in the room is just life changing. So you know,
education is not just getting this piece of paper. It's
the experience, it's the network, it is the not that
(17:00):
you're downloading in the classroom. And that's why I'm so
passionate about what I do. And I really love what
I do. I feel like we you know, we change
lives every single day.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
That's awesome.
Speaker 5 (17:13):
And getting a bunch of thriving entrepreneurs that are in
the same room, like you're saying together, I mean, they're
networking with each other, and that opens doors to I
mean that's just all great things exactly.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Mm hmm, I know, right, yeah, wow, Okay.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
See, I feel like she's answered so many of these questions.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
I'm looking at.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Them like this could go so many ways right now?
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you go back to AI or do
we go?
Speaker 3 (17:43):
But well, now you spoke about access and the importance
to provide access. And we've spoken through the seasons, right,
we're in season three now, but we've spoken season one,
season two about how your network is your net worth
and it's so important. And we've spoken about mentorship and
giving back and how pro mentors you know, upcoming personalities
and like even me and us like we mentor each
(18:05):
other and we learned so much. Why is it important
to have emerging technology so accessible and how can companies
begin doing that starting at home?
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Right?
Speaker 3 (18:19):
Internally?
Speaker 7 (18:20):
Yeah, absolutely, there's so many reasons why. You know, there's
so many reasons why it's important to engage with the technology.
We have all seen that it is very it is
transformational really and so you know, from a student perspective,
and this is something that we really pride ourselves at
Berkeley is giving students access to the technology but also
(18:41):
the mentorship that is needed, right, so they feel confident
about what they're doing and they can see the transformation
that the technology can have with them on them with
their career opportunities.
Speaker 6 (18:52):
But I personally believe that it's all about access.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Right.
Speaker 7 (18:55):
Access to this technology allows you to really go beyond
what is present and see into the future of what
is possible and utilizing these tools, utilizing these platforms to
take what you're doing today from zero really to one hundred.
You have an idea, now you have access to technology
that can support you in taking that idea from something
(19:16):
in your mind, something in your heart, to execution taking it.
Speaker 6 (19:19):
To the real world, so you're solving real world problems.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I love that. I keep thinking about guys we work together. Okay,
so we have conversations all the time, but I keep
thinking about the past month and Women's History Month, and
how we've been uplifting each other and everything we do
on the back end with this partnership, and how we
continue to, you know, aspire to inspire and provide sometimes
(19:47):
unsolicited advice, but inspiration. But what is the best piece
of advice you have ever received?
Speaker 6 (19:56):
Oh, that's a powerful question.
Speaker 7 (19:59):
The best piece of advice that I have ever received.
The best piece of advice that I've ever received was
actually from a faculty member at Berkeley College, you know,
and I've received a lot of great advice, of course.
And his name is doctor ray Cart. I'm not sure
if he's still at the college, but you know, he
(20:20):
sat me down one day and he saw that I
was going through it right, and I was having a
hard time in the class for personal reasons, and he
sat me down.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
And he noticed the change in my grades.
Speaker 7 (20:31):
And I feel like that was so powerful because as
a faculty member, you know, he's not required to do it.
Speaker 6 (20:37):
It's not within you know, his scope of work.
Speaker 7 (20:39):
But he cared deeply enough to pull me aside and
have the conversation and he told me, you know, Randy,
you are more powerful than you think. And for someone
at that level of profession and that level of experience
to sit down this college student who's just getting her
career started and just feed that pas our, you know,
(21:01):
or feed that inspiration into I think it's extremely powerful.
Speaker 6 (21:05):
And sometimes that's what you need to hear.
Speaker 7 (21:07):
You need that validation from someone that you feel has
made it that you're in the right direction and that
you got this.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
You got this.
Speaker 7 (21:14):
You have the power within you, and you have all
the tools that you need to be successful. It's just
activating them and making it happen.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
That's so beautiful.
Speaker 6 (21:23):
Mhm, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
What's what's the best advice you ever got?
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Oh God?
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Or one for me?
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Going to roller decks in my head? Right? I don't know,
I have to come back.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
To that one.
Speaker 6 (21:39):
Think that's a tough one, right.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Advice, Well, you get so much right, and it's it's advice,
it's constructive feedback and.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
So many what I remember.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
Yeah, but it's good advice.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
I don't think they always say Papa prout, you know,
because I don't.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
Think I was blessed enough. I always say, like I
wish I had somebody like me or me right when
I was young. Right, Yeah, so you have to always do.
You have to make sure you remember that when you're
around other people to help. So I'm always willing to
have or down to have a conversation about this or that.
I always find myself whether it's in the radio or
street or in the club or something after the club ends,
(22:16):
like I'm sitting in the DJ booth like two or
three other people who are and then you know, coming
up or whatever, and we're having conversations and I'm explaining
certain things. But yeah, that's you know, I don't think
I got advice more than just I've always been somebody
who's been more of a quiet person who listens more,
you know, And I think that and kind of like, yeah,
(22:38):
observes more, and I think that's what's helped me out.
And obviously my life could have gone different different directions
a lot of times, and I think just having faith
and just observing and trying to make the right decisions
is what helped me get.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
To where I'm at.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
So obviously, you know, it's funny because a lot of
times when you ask that question, you know who probably
gives all of us the best advice probably would have
been our parents. We just probably didn't hear it or
listened to it the same way you would listen to
it from an outsider. That's like for now, with our kids,
we make sure that we're really going to be on
top of them as they get older because of what
(23:16):
they take in. As they get older, there will be
more you know, children seem to be more reluctant to
accept advice from people strangers versus versus your own parent
or something.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Tell me two teenagers, Well, my mom would always say
do as I say and you'll be fine. So I
don't think that was so much advice, if not a
directive and instruction, But we do.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
You know, one of the things I'll say is my dad, right.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
My dad always one thing he always really pushed on
us always was not to be a follower, would always
be a leader, just never be a follower, and it's
funny and this is way for social media and followers
and da da da.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
It was really that like and you know, you know
the clice say that.
Speaker 5 (24:00):
That, oh, if all your friends jump off the cliff,
where you can jump off your cliff, But it was
really you And I really found myself being that person
who would go a different direction when everyone went And
it's kind of like my whole career kind of like
if you really if I went back and talked about
like I've always been the type who I would be
successful one thing and then veer off and to not
(24:21):
give up on what I'm doing, but not be afraid
to step outside the box and do something different where
everyone else. And it's always been like that for me,
Like I've never been a follower, Like I'm not going
to follow the trend or the wave. I'm going to
go with wherever my heart takes me and wherever I
feel like I want to do.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
You know, our parents were you know, you can be
whoever you want to be, just do what I say.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
And yeah, that was the other thing.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
But I think early on in my career in my
early twenties was very young and I was in a
studio session and I spoke up about something and they're
like artist manager. Yeah, was basically like like know your place.
And when everyone left the studio, the producer that was
(25:07):
there asked me to stay back, and it was Lenny
Santos from Aventura, and he told me, don't ever be
afraid to take up space, own your space, follow your
gut because the notes you gave were valid and I
incorporated them, and he said, you know you have a
(25:27):
light about you and you know what you're doing. Just
own that and be confident. So it goes back to
what you're saying when someone like you know, El Baba
right is giving you this feedback and validation of you
do belong here. You do have that, And we speak
about all these imposter syndromes and all these things, but
I think when you're young, you have sort of that
(25:49):
fear of speaking up or is my point valid? Am
I giving a benefit to the table where I'm sitting?
And you go through that navigation of who am I?
Who do I want to be? And sometimes your placed
with people who see that way ahead of you and
give you these nuggets that stay with you through your.
Speaker 7 (26:10):
Career, absolutely, and that have such a tremendous impact. I mean,
you know, when we were sent to dr my sister
decided to stay with me, thank goodness. So we both
were out there in DR and we were meant to
stay for one year, but we loved this so much
we stay two years. So we did two years of
high school out there, and I kid you not. Every
single morning we would wake up to go to school.
(26:32):
My father would sometimes drive us, other days we would
take the Moto Concho, you know, and he would wake up,
he would read the Bible and he would tell us, like,
you know.
Speaker 6 (26:41):
You need to continue your education. And he did. He
made tremendous sacrifices. Grew up in the farm.
Speaker 7 (26:46):
You know how they say walk ten thousand miles to
go to school. And he would always tell us continue
your education. He didn't say go to college. He said
continue your education. Become a lifelong learner.
Speaker 5 (26:59):
You know.
Speaker 6 (27:00):
We had a ton of books in the house.
Speaker 7 (27:01):
We were always reading, and so that was his message
every single morning, seriously, every single morning he would tell
us that before we left and we went to school.
So that was engraved in us. That, you know, we
needed to continue our education. That that was our ticket,
you know, out of whatever situation we were in, because
you can always learn something new, right, you can always
(27:22):
expand yourself. Whatever whatever situation you're in today is not permanent.
You have the power to change that through learning something else,
through meeting someone new, to changing your circle, continuing your education,
continuing to expand and improve yourself as a human being.
So you know, those are things that stay with you
and you think that you're not acting based on those
(27:42):
messages or sub you know, subconscious messages that they.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Engrave in you. It's there, it's there, carry it with.
Speaker 7 (27:47):
You one percent. And our parents have such a huge impact,
you know, they really do.
Speaker 6 (27:52):
But so true. You know, I have two teenagers.
Speaker 7 (27:54):
I'll tell them one thing and you will literally come
and say the same exact thing, and they'll be like, yeah,
that's true.
Speaker 5 (28:00):
Say they learn it from somebody else you heard, Yeah,
tell you just for years.
Speaker 6 (28:04):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
But something you said is so important. Never stop learning.
Speaker 5 (28:07):
That's that's such an important thing in life. Never stop learning,
because it's not about going to school and then getting
a degree and then you're done. No, like, every single
day you should be open to learning something.
Speaker 7 (28:19):
Absolutely, and it's a two way street, right, Like I'm
always learning from my students. You know, you guys had
Ida on here, she's she is, right, She's amazing, and
we love I love Ida. But we're I'm always learning
from the students that you know, we're mentoring that we're
working with, whether it's new slang or what's happening or
you know, what's the new music, or just a unique
(28:40):
perspective on something that you know I do every day
and they're with me in this event and they're like, oh,
you know, have you ever thought of this?
Speaker 6 (28:49):
And you know just that.
Speaker 7 (28:50):
The students, right, yeah, fresh pair of eyes that look
at the information from a different lens.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
You know.
Speaker 7 (28:55):
So it's a two way street when you're learning and
when you're ussuring these students, it's going to be great.
Speaker 5 (29:01):
Probably if it hasn't happened yet, there could be a
time where you end up working side to side, side
by side with a student that you taught.
Speaker 6 (29:08):
You know, so true, that is so true. Yeah, that's
definitely very possible.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
As time goes on, these students will evolve and they'll
be their.
Speaker 7 (29:17):
Own yeah, I know. Yeah, hopefully in a few years
where because I'm really young right.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Now, so we're only twenty, that would mean I'm older.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
No, not necessarily true.
Speaker 6 (29:30):
No, I'm kidding.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
I've been called the boomer say it. We're gonna cut
that problem. But now this entire episode encompasses legacy and
in true teach me something for him. And let's just
do a little shout out to season one because for
those of you that do not know the infamous award
(29:56):
winning episode with Seampaul from season one, the the sunglasses
that I'm wearing are Randy's. Randy's was behind the scenes
after her partnership meeting because she does run the corporate
partnership side of ther partnership, and she hooked it up.
So Randy, you know what's coming next.
Speaker 6 (30:15):
Yes, yes, yes, I listened to every episode.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
If you could, you were prepared for this, prepared, if
you could articulate what you aim your legacy to be
in one word, what would that word be?
Speaker 7 (30:30):
That's such a challenging question, as I'm sure you guys
you know, are tired of hearing your guests say, well,
I have a unique perspective because I have AI, so
you better bet.
Speaker 6 (30:40):
I had a conversation.
Speaker 7 (30:43):
With my AI assistant and funny enough, you know, it
suggested a word that didn't jibe with me. And the
word that I've selected is love. Not corporately huh, it's not,
you know, business profession, but personally number one. I feel
or that love moves the world, you know, it really
does everything.
Speaker 6 (31:03):
You know, we do.
Speaker 7 (31:05):
Everything that we aim to be stems from love. Love
for our children, our family, our friends. And for me,
I feel that I always have this genuine interest in
seeing others win, and that is love because love is
not only a noun, it's an action word. And you
see the love that people have for you through their actions.
(31:26):
So I feel that everything that I do, I always think,
how can I support this person with being better, you know,
doing more? How can I be that person that you
know supports them in that journey? And I love what
I do, you know, I love what I do in
every sense of the word. I am surrounded by love
with my family, my friends, and for me, I think that,
you know, love isn't everything, And so that's the word
(31:49):
that I want people to remember. And I think Maya
Angelo said it best right. People will forget what you do,
they will forget what you say, but they will never
forget how you made it and feel. And I want
for people to remember and to yeah, to remember that
they fell loved around me.
Speaker 6 (32:08):
It's all love, spread love. It's a Brooklyn away.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
I love it. It's funny. Love is a great word.
Being that.
Speaker 5 (32:14):
We have a whole new show we're doing called Finding
Penny Love, and hopefully she'll find some He has a.
Speaker 6 (32:20):
Lot of love around her.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
Thank you so much, always love. Thank you so much,
at least.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
For me.
Speaker 6 (32:30):
Oh my goodness, I love it.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
But listen, it's it's all about love and greatness.
Speaker 7 (32:36):
Yes, greatness, Champaul, my lunch.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
That was crazy.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
We need to bring them back. We need we need
to have some sandwich.
Speaker 6 (32:48):
I think that's why I never came back. Guys, trauma,
So I'm still living through that.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
We have about of inside jokes, guys to spend three seasons.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Well, thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 6 (32:59):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (33:00):
Today's episode of Teach Me Something, Yes, presented by Berkeley
College and take.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Us out all right. This is Pennydellas, this is pro
style and you've been listening to Teach Me.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Something, presented by Berkeley College.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Follow us on pod dot Teach Me Something Bye, Hey,
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Tune in next week for all new episode of Teach
Me Something, brought to you by Berkeley College
Hey, what's up.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
This is DJ pro Style and this is Penny tell
Us and this is Teach Me Something.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
Brought to you by Berkeley College.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hello, beautiful people, welcome back to Teach Me Something. I
go by the name of DJ crow Style.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
And I am Penny Shot out to Berkeley College.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Of course, we're back. We're in season three. We're up
and running.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
Feeling great today, Penny excited? Which Penny, do we get to.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
The podcast instead of today?
Speaker 5 (00:31):
Anybody doesn't know what she says. She says, I'm feeling amazing.
I'm just so happy to be sitting here next to.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
You, my people.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
You know your translation is what you want it to be.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
That's what everyone heard, Penny.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
That's what I heard. You know it's true. It's true.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Can we be about today's guest, Penny?
Speaker 5 (00:46):
We can and war winning strategist, educator, and entrepreneur who
is helping business owners unlock the power of artificial intelligence.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Let me tell you about this nomenal woman that we
have here on this podcast, which just is winning across
the board as a tech founder, as a serial entrepreneur
because multiple businesses, as well as a Berkeley College alumna,
a colleague, really a woman that uplifts other women, including myself.
(01:20):
She's phenomenal and also forty under forty. I mean we
are here with a business go og we am benidos
randi omens.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
There we go.
Speaker 6 (01:35):
What an intro? Oh my goodness, it's.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Long intro of this because that's how much you know,
you have so much going on.
Speaker 7 (01:41):
Thank you, thank you, it's amazing. Super excited to be here.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
And speaking of your journey, Randy, So you let's just
bump into it, right, But you migrated here from the
Dominican Republic jun New York and you went straight into business.
Speaker 6 (01:56):
Oh yeah, that's pretty much the story.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Was that something that you were ingrained in from a
child or was it something of coming here or learning
a new culture, learning how to pivot?
Speaker 7 (02:09):
Right?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Where does that stem from?
Speaker 6 (02:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (02:11):
No, I mean I think it's the story of most immigrants, right.
You come to this country and you're not speaking the language.
You don't speak the language, and it's sink or swim.
You have to make it out here, right. And so
for me personally, my parents migrated from the DR and
they were professionals back home and now they're in this
new country where they have to figure it out. They
(02:34):
have to take care of two small little girls, and
like many immigrants, my parents had to make the difficult
decision of coming to the country working, building a solid foundation.
Speaker 6 (02:45):
Before bringing their children.
Speaker 7 (02:47):
Yeah, and that's the immigrant story that a lot of
people don't hear, right, all the sacrifices that come with it.
But in true entrepreneurship fashion, it all stems from solving
a real world problem, right, And in most cases it's
your own problem. You're just striving and looking for a
solution to a problem that's affecting you. And for me,
that was doing my little sister's hair in the morning.
(03:09):
My little sister has beautiful blonde, curly hair, and every morning,
because my mother would work late, it would be my
responsibility to do her hair. And so I quickly learned
how to braid hair out of necessity because we did it,
we couldn't do her hair every single morning. It was
very time consuming. So I learned how to braid hair
and then became the braider of the neighborhood, started working
(03:33):
in a barbershop.
Speaker 6 (03:34):
Shout out to Blade's barbershop.
Speaker 7 (03:35):
They're still up and running and yeah, and just starting
my entrepreneurial journey that way. You know, rented a room
in the back of the barbershop, started having clients. I
remember my first business cards. It said Randy Candy because
I was like thirteen years old, Randy Candy.
Speaker 6 (03:57):
With my phone number.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Also your Instagram is.
Speaker 7 (04:01):
Because people will be hitting me up for other things.
Speaker 6 (04:07):
But yeah, I know, like I said, you know, solving
your own problem.
Speaker 7 (04:09):
That's what entrepreneurship is all about, a real world problem
and that's what really set me off. And I was
so fortunate to be in a place where there was
just so much love around me. You know, these guys
took me under their wing that I was like their
little sister.
Speaker 6 (04:21):
You know. I remember having the DJs come into the
shop with the mix tapes.
Speaker 7 (04:25):
You probably you probably one of them that walked in there,
you know what, DJ Clue, DJ Camillo, and you know,
the barbershop was our third place. I feel like that's
something that doesn't exist nowadays, a third place where people
just come to get a haircut, but really to hang out.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
On a Friday night, a barbershop is still a thing,
like as far as people definitely go hang out. I
actually stopped going to barbershop because of how much time
consuming it was because of the hanging out and the
conversation and yeah, I actually cut my own hair at
this point, or I guess somebody, come, yeah, I actually
should cut here.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
It's like almost the same thing she was saying. I
started cutting here. I was cutting hair all through like
I get that.
Speaker 6 (05:02):
Oh my gosh, well that's actually where I met my husband.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
At home, I bought a barberchair. I have the little thing.
Speaker 6 (05:07):
Yeah, we have a barber share in our house.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Save some money because.
Speaker 6 (05:14):
Not ten dollars. Definitely not to come over to your house.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
But you know that's their great for the shots.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
All anybody out there watching or listening to us, who
cuts who's who's in the.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
Business of hair. It's such a great business to be in.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
I know barbers who have thrived and they're so successful
because I mean, you're cutting something.
Speaker 6 (05:33):
It's like it's a necessity.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
It's going to constantly grow if you're lucky, right.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
But so like if you're somebody who cuts hair, that
person you're cutting their hair, it's you're gonna cut them
forever and then their kids and you keep and their
hair keeps growing. And it's generational, perfect business. It's generation
even when they lose their hair, they still come in
and they get the sides faded up or something like that.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
You know.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
And when women and women, I mean it's women. I mean, wow,
it's so expensive to.
Speaker 7 (05:58):
Get to get your hair done. And there's always money
to get your hair done. You know, there's always money
for that. But you're right, you know, with your barber,
it's generational. You go to your barber. You know, you
take your son to your barber. Your son takes you know,
so it's generational money.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
It is. If I wasn't in this game.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Okay, I know where I'm getting my haircut.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
I got you, you know it.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
From starting your first business to now owning over six
businesses over the trajectory of your career, how do you
find the market now? Being the founder of sparks Labs right,
building a powered solution for entrepreneurs, how do you see
the business landscape pivoting.
Speaker 6 (06:50):
Well with the with emerging technology.
Speaker 7 (06:53):
I and I was just on a panel, you know,
yesterday morning, an AI panel, and I say that this
is so such a tremendous opportunity. You know, for me,
I feel that AI is the equalizer of our time,
right because for many decades, these corporations had access to tools, applications,
marketing strategies that the average average day person did not
(07:15):
have access to.
Speaker 6 (07:16):
I mean, you know, let's let's talk about CANBA. Right.
Speaker 7 (07:19):
CANBA is in application. It was built by a woman,
and you know, it's been transformational for entrepreneurs.
Speaker 6 (07:25):
Now they have incorporated AI into it.
Speaker 7 (07:28):
And this right now, this technology is really the equalizer
because you do not need the technical background to use it.
The return on investment is tremendous. It allows entrepreneurs to
scale their business at a speed that is unheard of.
And it also allows you to leverage all of the
different things that you can do with the technology, so
you can minimize outsourcing a lot of those processes. And
(07:52):
at the end of the day, what's really powerful about
this technology is that it gives you your time back,
right because now with you automating things that are tedious,
send that are time consuming, you can now you know,
do that and then take that extra time to engage
with more clients to do more of the things that
you love to do. The you know, the things that
really inspired you to start your business to begin with, right,
(08:15):
which was not to write invoices and you know, respond
to emails all day, so you're able to do more
client facing activities that move the bottom line. So for me,
the technology is transformational. The landscape is a great opportunity
for entrepreneurs, and you know it's only upward from here.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
What is your recommended first step into automation and we
can get into your toolkit, because guys, I downloaded a
free toolkit that should provided me and I've already been
instilling it. You need that for your business?
Speaker 5 (08:45):
Yeah, yeah, I have a bunch of questions I'm going to.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Share with you, But what is the first step? Absolutely
aside from downloading the kit?
Speaker 7 (08:53):
Yeah, yeah, no, the kid is definitely amazing, But even
before downloading the kid, I would say that, you know,
like anything in business, you first have to assess your foundation.
Speaker 6 (09:04):
What is your process to begin with?
Speaker 7 (09:05):
You know, most entrepreneurs don't even know what their business
process is and how they acquire customers, So you can't
automate what you don't know, right, So you first have
to really take inventory of your business and also identify
what is the one aspect of your business that takes
the customer from a prospect to a client and really
(09:27):
understand if that is something that you want to automate
or if you want to keep the personal, hands on touch.
And I always say this, you know, people buy from people.
You cannot automate the entire thing because humans purchase from humans,
and so really taking that inventory first before you start
automating processes, understanding what your process is and what has
the biggest impact on your bottom line, and then dedicate
(09:49):
the time to solving one problem, not everything, one problem
at a time. You know, are you spending too much
time responding to inquiries? Okay, how do we automate that
and put an automatic response that feels human that when
people you know, interact with your brand, they feel that
you're they're talking to someone you know, not something who
(10:09):
wants to talk to a bot.
Speaker 6 (10:11):
Right. You know, when you call customer service, oh my gosh.
Speaker 7 (10:14):
You're streaming at the phone, you're screaming and you're pressing
zero zero.
Speaker 5 (10:18):
Now, even when you go online, let's say you guys,
as soon as you go let's say I went into
my bank, friends, as soon as you log into think
it pops up on the screen.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Exactly, you know in the new generation that's where but
you could get a lot of answers quickly.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
And correct Yes, it's about access. But you know self
awareness is so important, right, and that's a transferable skill set,
whether it's business or your personal life, because if you're
an entrepreneur, your personal being is behind that business. So
doing that self assessment, conducting a gap analysis, seeing where
(10:53):
are the areas of improvement and growth, but also understanding
that consumer journey funnel that you were speaking about and
how those converts jens apply and what that business model
will look like. So identifying all of those things are
extremely important. So I concur with you. Also download the toolkit.
I'm just saying you're gonna need it. But there's also
(11:15):
another facet to Sparks Labs. And it's not fair because
I know the backstory, but we're going to share it here.
You founded the company because something sparked in you working
at Berkeley College and being a proud alumna and working
on the sales team there. But you also have brought
this full circle momentum where you provide scholarships to students
(11:39):
in tech and you create these opportunities to fly to
Brussels and fly all around the globe the Dominican Republic
and do all of these excursions with these students. To
have them have an experiential learning component. So why is
that so important for you to do?
Speaker 7 (12:00):
I started at Berkeley as an admissions associate, you know,
I was hired quickly after graduating, which was really life changing.
And shout out to my admissions associate, Sandra Hasib and
just all of the incredible people that I've worked with
that have seen me not for the person that I
was at the time, but for my potential and what
I could be. And I think that's what makes Berkeley
(12:21):
so special and unique that you know, everyone understands the
impact that they have on our students, and so, you know,
having that experience with my.
Speaker 6 (12:30):
Missions associate really really helped me.
Speaker 7 (12:33):
Understand how we are all catalysts for other human beings. Right,
someone walks into your office. They've not only made the
decision that they want to better their life and continue
their education and they want something more than what they
currently have, but they've actually taken action towards it because
they got up from their house, probably took a train,
and we all know the trains.
Speaker 6 (12:55):
In the city.
Speaker 7 (12:56):
You got to be motivated, you know, to go through
that journey. And so they're stepping into your office because
they're seeking support from you to you know, to move
on to that next phase of their lives. And so
that those ten fifteen years that I worked with in missions,
working with students really inspired me to start the brand
(13:16):
because I believe that every single student that I met
with has a flame within them, something that you need
to just fan and it will spark up their passion
and you know, you're really essentially supporting them with deciding
what they're going to do for the rest of their
lives or that first step into their career. And so,
you know, that experientially motivated me to start Sparks, And
(13:37):
as soon as we went into business, we dedicated a
portion of our revenue to support that next generation of leaders,
which I feel is our responsibility. Right, you've made it
now it's your you know, it's your responsibility to usher
that next generation of leaders to that opportunity because we
all know as business professionals, you know how access.
Speaker 6 (13:58):
Really makes a difference.
Speaker 7 (14:00):
Right, Being in the room is extremely important, and that's
why I really pride myself in always prioritizing having someone
in the room with me because I know firsthand how
that changes your world, you know, coming you know, working
in a barbershop, growing up in a really tough, you know, neighborhood.
My parents they had a bodega, right and not the
(14:21):
best of the areas. And so there's a lot that
you see when you're growing up in that environment. You know,
a lot of drugs, a lot of unfortunately overdosing. There's
a lot of real life that you see in those
situations that unfortunately, if you don't have someone to usher
you out of that environment, you get stuck, you know,
and a lot of people don't make it out of that.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
You know.
Speaker 7 (14:43):
Just two years ago, we had a friend that overdosed
thirty five, you know, thirty five years old. It's terrible,
but that's a reality. That access means I meet someone
professional and that person takes me under their wing and
shows me another world that's different from the one that
i'm current, And I believe that's that's our responsibility as professionals.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Do you feel that education in a way saved your life?
Speaker 6 (15:08):
Absolutely, you know, And I'm actually not first generation. My
father's a lawyer, and I have.
Speaker 7 (15:13):
A really fun story, you know about how growing up
in the barbershop scene. You know, I was hanging out
with the guys. Again, little sister going out to these
clubs Club Deep, not Deep, yeah, exactly. And you know,
typical Dominican parents saw me going in the wrong direction
(15:34):
and they decided, you know what, you go to dr
every summer. This summer, you're gonna go with a one
way ticket and you're gonna stay there.
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Yes, I got the deportation.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Took it upon themselves to make sure that they took
you out of.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
That exactly, that situation that you could have changed your.
Speaker 7 (15:54):
Life absolutely, you know, And I don't share this story often,
but I feel like it's important. It's extremely important because sometimes,
you know, students and people see where you are right
now in this nice house in the suburbs, and they
don't know what that journey was, that trajectory to get there,
you know, and all of the things that you sacrifice.
But you know, long story short, you know, that experience
(16:16):
living in the Dominican Republic was also very eye opening
and again access right. My father's a lawyer. He has
clients that have hotels. We're staying in hotels. That's not
what I was seeing in Corona, Queens in a two
bedroom apartment with you know, ten family members, you know,
so just opening up your eyes to what is possible.
And that's what education does. Right, You're in a classroom
(16:38):
with a professional with ten fifteen years of experience, and
you're sitting there with a group of individuals who are
also striving to do more and be more, and that
is very positive, positive, positive, that's very powerful. That energy
in the room is just life changing. So you know,
education is not just getting this piece of paper. It's
the experience, it's the network, it is the not that
(17:00):
you're downloading in the classroom. And that's why I'm so
passionate about what I do. And I really love what
I do. I feel like we you know, we change
lives every single day.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
That's awesome.
Speaker 5 (17:13):
And getting a bunch of thriving entrepreneurs that are in
the same room, like you're saying together, I mean, they're
networking with each other, and that opens doors to I
mean that's just all great things exactly.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Mm hmm, I know, right, yeah, wow, Okay.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
See, I feel like she's answered so many of these questions.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
I'm looking at.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Them like this could go so many ways right now?
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you go back to AI or do
we go?
Speaker 3 (17:43):
But well, now you spoke about access and the importance
to provide access. And we've spoken through the seasons, right,
we're in season three now, but we've spoken season one,
season two about how your network is your net worth
and it's so important. And we've spoken about mentorship and
giving back and how pro mentors you know, upcoming personalities
and like even me and us like we mentor each
(18:05):
other and we learned so much. Why is it important
to have emerging technology so accessible and how can companies
begin doing that starting at home?
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Right?
Speaker 3 (18:19):
Internally?
Speaker 7 (18:20):
Yeah, absolutely, there's so many reasons why. You know, there's
so many reasons why it's important to engage with the technology.
We have all seen that it is very it is
transformational really and so you know, from a student perspective,
and this is something that we really pride ourselves at
Berkeley is giving students access to the technology but also
(18:41):
the mentorship that is needed, right, so they feel confident
about what they're doing and they can see the transformation
that the technology can have with them on them with
their career opportunities.
Speaker 6 (18:52):
But I personally believe that it's all about access.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Right.
Speaker 7 (18:55):
Access to this technology allows you to really go beyond
what is present and see into the future of what
is possible and utilizing these tools, utilizing these platforms to
take what you're doing today from zero really to one hundred.
You have an idea, now you have access to technology
that can support you in taking that idea from something
(19:16):
in your mind, something in your heart, to execution taking it.
Speaker 6 (19:19):
To the real world, so you're solving real world problems.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I love that. I keep thinking about guys we work together. Okay,
so we have conversations all the time, but I keep
thinking about the past month and Women's History Month, and
how we've been uplifting each other and everything we do
on the back end with this partnership, and how we
continue to, you know, aspire to inspire and provide sometimes
(19:47):
unsolicited advice, but inspiration. But what is the best piece
of advice you have ever received?
Speaker 6 (19:56):
Oh, that's a powerful question.
Speaker 7 (19:59):
The best piece of advice that I have ever received.
The best piece of advice that I've ever received was
actually from a faculty member at Berkeley College, you know,
and I've received a lot of great advice, of course.
And his name is doctor ray Cart. I'm not sure
if he's still at the college, but you know, he
(20:20):
sat me down one day and he saw that I
was going through it right, and I was having a
hard time in the class for personal reasons, and he
sat me down.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
And he noticed the change in my grades.
Speaker 7 (20:31):
And I feel like that was so powerful because as
a faculty member, you know, he's not required to do it.
Speaker 6 (20:37):
It's not within you know, his scope of work.
Speaker 7 (20:39):
But he cared deeply enough to pull me aside and
have the conversation and he told me, you know, Randy,
you are more powerful than you think. And for someone
at that level of profession and that level of experience
to sit down this college student who's just getting her
career started and just feed that pas our, you know,
(21:01):
or feed that inspiration into I think it's extremely powerful.
Speaker 6 (21:05):
And sometimes that's what you need to hear.
Speaker 7 (21:07):
You need that validation from someone that you feel has
made it that you're in the right direction and that
you got this.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
You got this.
Speaker 7 (21:14):
You have the power within you, and you have all
the tools that you need to be successful. It's just
activating them and making it happen.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
That's so beautiful.
Speaker 6 (21:23):
Mhm, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
What's what's the best advice you ever got?
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Oh God?
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Or one for me?
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Going to roller decks in my head? Right? I don't know,
I have to come back.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
To that one.
Speaker 6 (21:39):
Think that's a tough one, right.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Advice, Well, you get so much right, and it's it's advice,
it's constructive feedback and.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
So many what I remember.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
Yeah, but it's good advice.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
I don't think they always say Papa prout, you know,
because I don't.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
Think I was blessed enough. I always say, like I
wish I had somebody like me or me right when
I was young. Right, Yeah, so you have to always do.
You have to make sure you remember that when you're
around other people to help. So I'm always willing to
have or down to have a conversation about this or that.
I always find myself whether it's in the radio or
street or in the club or something after the club ends,
(22:16):
like I'm sitting in the DJ booth like two or
three other people who are and then you know, coming
up or whatever, and we're having conversations and I'm explaining
certain things. But yeah, that's you know, I don't think
I got advice more than just I've always been somebody
who's been more of a quiet person who listens more,
you know, And I think that and kind of like, yeah,
(22:38):
observes more, and I think that's what's helped me out.
And obviously my life could have gone different different directions
a lot of times, and I think just having faith
and just observing and trying to make the right decisions
is what helped me get.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
To where I'm at.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
So obviously, you know, it's funny because a lot of
times when you ask that question, you know who probably
gives all of us the best advice probably would have
been our parents. We just probably didn't hear it or
listened to it the same way you would listen to
it from an outsider. That's like for now, with our kids,
we make sure that we're really going to be on
top of them as they get older because of what
(23:16):
they take in. As they get older, there will be
more you know, children seem to be more reluctant to
accept advice from people strangers versus versus your own parent
or something.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Tell me two teenagers, Well, my mom would always say
do as I say and you'll be fine. So I
don't think that was so much advice, if not a
directive and instruction, But we do.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
You know, one of the things I'll say is my dad, right.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
My dad always one thing he always really pushed on
us always was not to be a follower, would always
be a leader, just never be a follower, and it's
funny and this is way for social media and followers
and da da da.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
It was really that like and you know, you know
the clice say that.
Speaker 5 (24:00):
That, oh, if all your friends jump off the cliff,
where you can jump off your cliff, But it was
really you And I really found myself being that person
who would go a different direction when everyone went And
it's kind of like my whole career kind of like
if you really if I went back and talked about
like I've always been the type who I would be
successful one thing and then veer off and to not
(24:21):
give up on what I'm doing, but not be afraid
to step outside the box and do something different where
everyone else. And it's always been like that for me,
Like I've never been a follower, Like I'm not going
to follow the trend or the wave. I'm going to
go with wherever my heart takes me and wherever I
feel like I want to do.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
You know, our parents were you know, you can be
whoever you want to be, just do what I say.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
And yeah, that was the other thing.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
But I think early on in my career in my
early twenties was very young and I was in a
studio session and I spoke up about something and they're
like artist manager. Yeah, was basically like like know your place.
And when everyone left the studio, the producer that was
(25:07):
there asked me to stay back, and it was Lenny
Santos from Aventura, and he told me, don't ever be
afraid to take up space, own your space, follow your
gut because the notes you gave were valid and I
incorporated them, and he said, you know you have a
(25:27):
light about you and you know what you're doing. Just
own that and be confident. So it goes back to
what you're saying when someone like you know, El Baba
right is giving you this feedback and validation of you
do belong here. You do have that, And we speak
about all these imposter syndromes and all these things, but
I think when you're young, you have sort of that
(25:49):
fear of speaking up or is my point valid? Am
I giving a benefit to the table where I'm sitting?
And you go through that navigation of who am I?
Who do I want to be? And sometimes your placed
with people who see that way ahead of you and
give you these nuggets that stay with you through your.
Speaker 7 (26:10):
Career, absolutely, and that have such a tremendous impact. I mean,
you know, when we were sent to dr my sister
decided to stay with me, thank goodness. So we both
were out there in DR and we were meant to
stay for one year, but we loved this so much
we stay two years. So we did two years of
high school out there, and I kid you not. Every
single morning we would wake up to go to school.
(26:32):
My father would sometimes drive us, other days we would
take the Moto Concho, you know, and he would wake up,
he would read the Bible and he would tell us, like,
you know.
Speaker 6 (26:41):
You need to continue your education. And he did. He
made tremendous sacrifices. Grew up in the farm.
Speaker 7 (26:46):
You know how they say walk ten thousand miles to
go to school. And he would always tell us continue
your education. He didn't say go to college. He said
continue your education. Become a lifelong learner.
Speaker 5 (26:59):
You know.
Speaker 6 (27:00):
We had a ton of books in the house.
Speaker 7 (27:01):
We were always reading, and so that was his message
every single morning, seriously, every single morning he would tell
us that before we left and we went to school.
So that was engraved in us. That, you know, we
needed to continue our education. That that was our ticket,
you know, out of whatever situation we were in, because
you can always learn something new, right, you can always
(27:22):
expand yourself. Whatever whatever situation you're in today is not permanent.
You have the power to change that through learning something else,
through meeting someone new, to changing your circle, continuing your education,
continuing to expand and improve yourself as a human being.
So you know, those are things that stay with you
and you think that you're not acting based on those
(27:42):
messages or sub you know, subconscious messages that they.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Engrave in you. It's there, it's there, carry it with.
Speaker 7 (27:47):
You one percent. And our parents have such a huge impact,
you know, they really do.
Speaker 6 (27:52):
But so true. You know, I have two teenagers.
Speaker 7 (27:54):
I'll tell them one thing and you will literally come
and say the same exact thing, and they'll be like, yeah,
that's true.
Speaker 5 (28:00):
Say they learn it from somebody else you heard, Yeah,
tell you just for years.
Speaker 6 (28:04):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
But something you said is so important. Never stop learning.
Speaker 5 (28:07):
That's that's such an important thing in life. Never stop learning,
because it's not about going to school and then getting
a degree and then you're done. No, like, every single
day you should be open to learning something.
Speaker 7 (28:19):
Absolutely, and it's a two way street, right, Like I'm
always learning from my students. You know, you guys had
Ida on here, she's she is, right, She's amazing, and
we love I love Ida. But we're I'm always learning
from the students that you know, we're mentoring that we're
working with, whether it's new slang or what's happening or
you know, what's the new music, or just a unique
(28:40):
perspective on something that you know I do every day
and they're with me in this event and they're like, oh,
you know, have you ever thought of this?
Speaker 6 (28:49):
And you know just that.
Speaker 7 (28:50):
The students, right, yeah, fresh pair of eyes that look
at the information from a different lens.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
You know.
Speaker 7 (28:55):
So it's a two way street when you're learning and
when you're ussuring these students, it's going to be great.
Speaker 5 (29:01):
Probably if it hasn't happened yet, there could be a
time where you end up working side to side, side
by side with a student that you taught.
Speaker 6 (29:08):
You know, so true, that is so true. Yeah, that's
definitely very possible.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
As time goes on, these students will evolve and they'll
be their.
Speaker 7 (29:17):
Own yeah, I know. Yeah, hopefully in a few years
where because I'm really young right.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Now, so we're only twenty, that would mean I'm older.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
No, not necessarily true.
Speaker 6 (29:30):
No, I'm kidding.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
I've been called the boomer say it. We're gonna cut
that problem. But now this entire episode encompasses legacy and
in true teach me something for him. And let's just
do a little shout out to season one because for
those of you that do not know the infamous award
(29:56):
winning episode with Seampaul from season one, the the sunglasses
that I'm wearing are Randy's. Randy's was behind the scenes
after her partnership meeting because she does run the corporate
partnership side of ther partnership, and she hooked it up.
So Randy, you know what's coming next.
Speaker 6 (30:15):
Yes, yes, yes, I listened to every episode.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
If you could, you were prepared for this, prepared, if
you could articulate what you aim your legacy to be
in one word, what would that word be?
Speaker 7 (30:30):
That's such a challenging question, as I'm sure you guys
you know, are tired of hearing your guests say, well,
I have a unique perspective because I have AI, so
you better bet.
Speaker 6 (30:40):
I had a conversation.
Speaker 7 (30:43):
With my AI assistant and funny enough, you know, it
suggested a word that didn't jibe with me. And the
word that I've selected is love. Not corporately huh, it's not,
you know, business profession, but personally number one. I feel
or that love moves the world, you know, it really
does everything.
Speaker 6 (31:03):
You know, we do.
Speaker 7 (31:05):
Everything that we aim to be stems from love. Love
for our children, our family, our friends. And for me,
I feel that I always have this genuine interest in
seeing others win, and that is love because love is
not only a noun, it's an action word. And you
see the love that people have for you through their actions.
(31:26):
So I feel that everything that I do, I always think,
how can I support this person with being better, you know,
doing more? How can I be that person that you
know supports them in that journey? And I love what
I do, you know, I love what I do in
every sense of the word. I am surrounded by love
with my family, my friends, and for me, I think that,
you know, love isn't everything, And so that's the word
(31:49):
that I want people to remember. And I think Maya
Angelo said it best right. People will forget what you do,
they will forget what you say, but they will never
forget how you made it and feel. And I want
for people to remember and to yeah, to remember that
they fell loved around me.
Speaker 6 (32:08):
It's all love, spread love. It's a Brooklyn away.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
I love it. It's funny. Love is a great word.
Being that.
Speaker 5 (32:14):
We have a whole new show we're doing called Finding
Penny Love, and hopefully she'll find some He has a.
Speaker 6 (32:20):
Lot of love around her.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
Thank you so much, always love. Thank you so much,
at least.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
For me.
Speaker 6 (32:30):
Oh my goodness, I love it.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
But listen, it's it's all about love and greatness.
Speaker 7 (32:36):
Yes, greatness, Champaul, my lunch.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
That was crazy.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
We need to bring them back. We need we need
to have some sandwich.
Speaker 6 (32:48):
I think that's why I never came back. Guys, trauma,
So I'm still living through that.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
We have about of inside jokes, guys to spend three seasons.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Well, thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 6 (32:59):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (33:00):
Today's episode of Teach Me Something, Yes, presented by Berkeley
College and take.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Us out all right. This is Pennydellas, this is pro
style and you've been listening to Teach Me.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Something, presented by Berkeley College.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Follow us on pod dot Teach Me Something Bye, Hey,
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Tune in next week for all new episode of Teach
Me Something, brought to you by Berkeley College
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