December 9, 2024 • 55 mins
Get to know Chabely Rodriguez, a trailblazing Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant and social media influencer. As a first-generation Mexican-American woman, Chabely's story is one of resilience and triumph over adversity. Her story highlights not just the allure of financial stability, but also the profound impact of connecting with underrepresented groups who aspire to follow in her footsteps. From maintaining a healthy work-life balance to setting realistic expectations in content creation, Chabely continues to inspire our CAA community with her authentic sharing.
If you are experiencing DV, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or find more resources HERE
Resources Mentioned:
- Chabely's CNBC Millenial Money video
- Chabely's CNBC Millenial Money article
- Chabely's YouTube CAALifestyle
- CAALifestyle IG
- Chabely's 1st episode: 28-year-old Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant makes over $210K ft. Chabely Rodrigez
- AnesthesiaSal Youtube
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I feel like because I had so much responsibility
early in life, I wanted to getaway from poverty and some of
the hard circumstances I wentthrough.
So I just had the fuel in me,the motivation to just push
myself as far as I could go.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome to the Awakened Anesthetist podcast,
the first podcast to highlightthe CAA experience.
I'm your host, mary Jean, andI've been a certified
anesthesiologist assistant forclose to two decades.
Throughout my journey andstruggles, I've searched for
guidance that includes my uniqueperspective as a CAA.
At one of my lowest points, Idecided to turn my passion for
(00:42):
storytelling and my belief thatthe CAA profession is uniquely
able to create a life by designinto a podcast.
If you are a practicing CAA,current AA student or someone
who hopes to be one, I encourageyou to stick around and
experience the power of being ina community filled with voices
(01:03):
who sound like yours, power ofbeing in a community filled with
voices who sound like yours,sharing experiences you never
believed possible.
I know you will find yourselfhere at the Awakened Anesthetist
podcast.
Welcome in.
Hello Awakened Anesthetistcommunity.
Welcome back to your processseries.
This is the last processepisode in 2024.
(01:24):
After this, the podcast isgoing to take a few weeks break
as I sort of retreat inward forthe winter and I have a personal
retreat coming up that I'mexcited to go on and just do all
of the year end celebrationsand, of course, my kids being
home for a couple weeks sort ofputs me out of my normal routine
(01:45):
.
And then the podcast will beback in late January of 2025 and
continue through March, andthat will conclude season four,
which is sort of hard to believe, and I'm just really excited to
be in front of this mic yetagain speaking with all of you.
Today's process guest is ChabeliRodriguez.
I'm really excited to get toshare this episode with you all.
(02:08):
I've been wanting to do one ofthese process episodes with
Chabeli for months and months,and actually some of you may
remember that she's been on thepodcast once before when she did
her CNBC Millennial Money piece.
We just did a really briefbehind the scenes of being on
CNBC and what that millennialmoney piece meant to her.
(02:29):
But it wasn't her full processepisode and so I knew I wanted
to have her back on to reallyshare her full journey to become
a CAA.
And then, of course, we allknow her from at CAA Lifestyle
over on Instagram and YouTubeand TikTok, where she shares a
lot of day in the life, a lot ofwhat it felt like to be her
(02:49):
when she was a student, onthrough where she is now, which
is transitioning into locum'swork, and in this process
episode we're really going tomeet Chabeli in a new way.
She's been wanting to find theright way to share more of
herself with her growing numberof followers and really take
them along her journey in anauthentic way, and I've been
(03:10):
wanting to do this processepisode with her, so we sort of
collaborated and decided thatthis would be a really great way
for her to share more ofherself with all of us and for
us to get to meet who she isreally behind her online persona
, and I just want to say thankyou to Chabeli for being just so
honest and raw and authenticwith this conversation.
(03:33):
You're going to hear that sheshares her experience with
domestic violence, as well asbeing a first generation
Mexican-American woman growingup in New York, and just her
really unique journey to becomea CAA.
And as you get to know her andlove her on any of her social
platforms, it's helpful toremember that everyone has a
(03:55):
unique journey and story, andTrebelli really sheds some light
on why she's so focused onfinancial freedom on her social
media platforms and where thatall stems from and really what
her plans are moving forward,what she wants to share and
bring us all along with in herown personal journey, and so I'm
just really excited foreveryone to get to know Chabeli
(04:17):
a little bit more, a little bitdeeper.
This episode's really going toexpand any AA students who feel
like they had to sacrifice a lotof themselves in order to just
push through some barriers thatyou know weren't there for maybe
other AA students or otherperspectives who are around them
.
This episode's also going toexpand people who feel like they
(04:38):
don't fit the typical personaof who becomes a CAA, or maybe
you look around the operatingroom and you feel like a little
disconnected from the otherpeople who are doing similar
jobs as you, any CAAs who lovethe AA profession and want to
learn more about how to leverageit to create financial
independence.
(04:58):
So this episode is certainlygoing to land with so many
different people for manydifferent reasons, and I'm just
so grateful for Chabeli to shareher story here with me and I
hope you all enjoy meeting herand getting to know her a little
bit more.
All right, here we go.
Maybe let's get started withthe rapid fire so I can ask you
(05:21):
personal questions and it's okay, yeah, perfect.
Sounds good ask you personalquestions and it's okay.
Yeah, perfect, sounds good.
This one was really interestingwhen Sarah, the September
process guest, answered thiswhat's something that never gets
old.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Going on hikes and having amazing views.
I feel like that's always abreath of fresh air and just
beautiful to take in.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Love it.
What's been your favorite, hike?
Speaker 1 (05:52):
The Rocky Mountains was very beautiful and I did a
couple of hikes recently in NewMexico and we started off in
what looked like a desert andthen we went into it and there
was a lake at the bottom of itand the skies were like so blue
and there's also these beautifulclouds.
So I think those are my twofavorite right now Love it.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I know you've been doing so much travel too.
It's it's fun to watch you onsocial media, so tell us how
much time you spend on socialmedia.
You kind of have a unique CAAjob or adjunct to your job.
How much time are you spendingdaily on?
Speaker 1 (06:20):
socials.
It's all over the place.
Currently I work three 13-hourshifts, so I have these days
where I'm very focused on workand then the days where I'm
recovering from work and I'mtrying to catch up on social
media.
So I would say, still a lot oftime on social media, but mostly
(06:42):
I just enjoy seeing what otherpeople create and then sometimes
I get inspired and do my ownthing and make my own videos.
So all over the place, butdefinitely a lot of time.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I have a content creator question Are you doing
any social media on work days ordo you feel like it's two
different of a brain, like twodifferent brains?
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I try, but it's definitely a switch that I just
feel like I have to turn offwhile I'm at work.
Being a locum contractor, I'mstill newer to the group so I
still want to do everything thatI can to do a good job when I'm
at work.
So I feel like when I was at myW-2 and I had been there for a
(07:22):
long time, it was easier to kindof do multiple tasks in one
place.
But right now I try more tofocus on my job.
So I try to turn off some ofthe social media stuff while I'm
at work.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Yes, that is very smart because the temptation for
me is there.
But yeah, it's just, I'm PRN,so it's like I don't want people
to see me on my phone at work,but it's tempting.
Yeah, it's just, I'm PRN, soit's like I don't want people to
see me on my phone at work, butit's tempting.
Yeah, it's hard.
Okay, favorite case to giveanesthesia, maybe now in this
new locums world that you'reworking in.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Favorite case.
I still think that neuro justlike the drips and the
organization and the lines thatyou know are put in, and I feel
like that is still one of myfavorite cases to get into and
just kind of switch things up,because to me there's so many
ways to do a Teva, so I enjoythat.
It's, in my opinion, a bit morecreative than you know, putting
(08:17):
the gas and kind of titratingthe gas, so it's just a nice way
to switch things up.
So I would still say Nero isone of my favorite type of cases
.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
And you get to do Nero in your locums.
Yeah, Awesome.
Okay, last one favoritequestion of mine what's your
best coffee shop order?
Speaker 1 (08:39):
So there's actually a coffee shop in the West which
is called Dutch Bros, and I wentto Colorado and my boyfriend
and I were just so excited tohave Dutch Bros again when we
went to New Mexico.
So we have the.
I think it's just a oat milklatte and I think they just do
(08:59):
extra coffee in their shots, soit's really good.
That's my favorite.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I'm just now kind of tuning in to the Dutch Bros, so
maybe next time I'm travelingI'll look for it.
Yeah, okay, great, awesome.
Let's start off with yourcultural background, your
upbringing, and that's going tobe such a focus of what we talk
about today, so I'd love to hearjust how you grew up and how it
(09:26):
maybe shaped you.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
I feel as though the way I grew up is different than
a lot of people in the AA worldand maybe in medicine, but my
parents were farmers.
When I was eight years old theystarted a farming business and
they did that to support fivechildren.
I was the second oldest, soearly on in the business I was
(09:49):
very involved and, I feel, anintegral part of the business.
So from middle school throughhigh school, during the summer
breaks we would spend time onthe farm, and then during
holidays actually I reallydidn't look forward to holidays
because that meant that I wouldbe working so a lot of work on
(10:10):
the family business.
And so my parents had, you know, mostly vegetables.
They had tomatoes and, just tokind of paint the picture of
what the farm looked like, thiswas all in upstate New York.
So we would harvest thevegetables and then we would
clean them up for the farmer'smarket the next day, go to the
farmer's market and sell it andthen repeat the process in the
(10:32):
evening for farmer's markets inthe next day.
So it was very busy growing up.
That was, you know, kind of thefocus of our family just making
sure that our family businesswas thriving.
And in addition to that myparents.
They decided to keep mysiblings and I in school in New
(10:54):
York City, but they wereprimarily in upstate New York.
So this meant that there wereweeks during the school week
they weren't at home with us.
So that was another set ofresponsibilities that I had very
early on, and so that meantthat you know, I had to.
(11:16):
You know, with my older siblingand sometimes my younger sister
, we were in charge of makingsure that we ate dinner, that we
got home from school, that thehouse was clean, and that wasn't
always done, because we'restill children, so my home
wasn't always like the tidiest.
So I feel like that was justanother layer of growing up with
(11:39):
a little bit of shame, and then, on top of that, I did
experience domestic violence.
So lots of layers andresponsibility growing up.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Yeah, and I know a little bit about your story, and
maybe some people listening doas well, because you've shared a
lot through CAA Lifestyle, yourYouTube channel and your
Instagram and on TikTok, and Iknow today we really want to
dive into more of how yourchildhood shaped you and really
(12:15):
is driving you towards financialindependence, and how that has
become such a pillar of what youwant to talk about and share
with the world.
I wanted to just go back andhave you shed a little bit more
light on what it felt like as afirst-generation
Mexican-American.
What dynamic that added to yourchildhood?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
So they came to the country when they were, I
believe, in their 20s and theydidn't have a guide on how to do
things.
So I feel like for a long timethey were doing all sorts of
jobs and they never reallypicked up English.
That meant, like when I was inschool, that they weren't you
(12:59):
know the parents that werepresent for, like,
parent-teacher conferences.
They weren't holding usnecessarily accountable to do
well in school.
Obviously they wanted us to dowell, but I feel like that's
just another layer ofresponsibility that
first-generation students withparents that don't know English
have to navigate.
Yeah, and they also stillbarely know English.
(13:22):
They've been in the country forover 30 years and when my mom
says a couple of sentences inEnglish, my siblings and I were
like wow, mom, that's so good,good for you.
And they still were able to runa business which is still
incredible that in New York City.
I feel like it's credit to howmany languages are accepted in
(13:42):
New York City and I feel likethat's why to how many languages
are accepted in New York Cityand I feel like that's why they
were able to thrive.
But, yeah, they never went toschool in the US.
They did go to school in Mexico, but they were limited overall,
I feel like in the types ofjobs they could do, because they
didn't go to school and theydidn't learn English for many
(14:03):
years.
They've picked up some of itnow, but even then, you know,
when my mom met my boyfriend,she couldn't really understand
everything he was saying, andit's just regular conversational
English, so yeah, and yourparents wanted to keep you in
New York City public schools, Iassume because they thought that
was the best exposure for youguys to progress in your
(14:26):
education.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Yes, definitely.
And what was school like foryou if you, you know, had all
this work before and afterschool?
It sounds like on holidays andweekends were you like trying to
be an all-star student, or itwas just a struggle to stay
awake during class.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
It was kind of a mix.
So there's actually, I think, aphenomenon where if you're born
earlier in the year you tend tobe a stronger student because
you're more developed when yougo to school.
So actually I think that's abig reason why I was a very good
student my entire life.
I mean, there's also the aspectof my parents did want us to do
(15:03):
well in school, but not, youknow, over the farm.
At some point that was more ofthe responsibility.
But when I was growing up mydad would make me do math
problems and he would tell me towrite, like he would just give
me assignments when I was inelementary school and just kind
of push me when I was inelementary school and just kind
(15:25):
of pushed me when I was inschool.
In high school there were timeswhere I was in honors classes
and I dropped out of some ofthem because I remember just
taking in how much work it wasgoing to be to do some of my
honors classes and I'm like Ican't do that after school's
done.
Some things I can manage and dowell in, but in certain classes
(15:45):
that involved using a computerand doing projects a lot at home
.
That wasn't something I couldhandle.
So I dropped out of some ofthose classes.
But I set a lot of boundarieswith my parents and I do believe
that's why I was kind of thebeacon for the violence, because
(16:07):
I would push back on what theywanted.
But as I grew older they becamemore accepting but it was still
kind of like a back and forth.
But yeah, when I got to collegethey let me separate from the
work and so once I got tocollege I really got to focus on
my studies and not bedistracted, and that's where I
(16:30):
feel like I did very well.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Mm, hmm, were you able to confide in anyone in the
school system about why youwere having to drop out of
classes or about the domesticviolence you guys were
experiencing, and you inparticular were experiencing the
most?
Speaker 1 (16:44):
you guys were experiencing, and you in
particular were experiencing themost.
I never did that because I wasjust afraid that my family would
be separated and my parents Ididn't want them to be deported
or have any issues, so neverreally talked to an adult about
it.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Were your parents legal immigrants?
Speaker 1 (17:05):
No, they've become citizens.
Recently, they have becomecitizens.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Yeah, so, but while you were growing up, that was an
additional fear of yours.
If I tell anyone, my parentswill have to leave.
Yes, wow, wow, trebelli, sosome repair must have happened.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yeah, I feel like, because I had so much
responsibility early in life, um, I wanted to get away from
poverty and some of the hardcircumstances I went through.
So, um, I just had the fuel inme, the motivation to just push
myself as far as I could go.
I also had my older sister, whoshe was more of like the people
(17:47):
pleaser, I feel like.
So she didn't experience thesame things I did, but she was
there with me for a lot of it,and so even that relationship
isn't always perfect, but she issupportive when it matters and
she has believed in me and Iwould say sometimes maybe she
doesn't believe in herself, butshe's always believed in me.
(18:08):
So during college and highschool, she was my biggest
support system.
And then, as of late, I've hadmy partner, who I've been with
for four years.
He's also gone through a lotand he's been able to forgive
the people in his life andthat's shown me a pathway to
(18:30):
forgiveness, I feel like.
And so he just constantlyreminds me.
You know, life is hardsometimes for me, but he's like,
just imagine what it was likefor your parents who didn't know
English.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Yeah, not to excuse the behavior, but to have some
compassion for the people theywere that didn't get their own
needs met either.
Yes, yeah, that's really rough.
I'm trying to process how youmanaged all of this and I'm just
wondering at some point, ifyour parents started to give you
(19:04):
some more time to be able tofocus in high school, how did
you go from high school tocollege, to grad school?
Can you give us that journey interms of your drive?
Speaker 1 (19:14):
And again, I feel like my sister was kind of like
the people pleaser in a way.
She was the oldest sibling, soshe didn't push back so much,
and you know, older siblingssometimes if they just the
parents kind of depend on themso much and they just take on
that role, but I just didn'tfeel like it was right, like I
(19:37):
was like, no, I should focus onmy school, I should go to some
of these after school programs,and sometimes that was met with
a lot of anger, but then myparents would be like, ok, do it
, like that's fine, just do it.
And so as I became older, youknow, I took on jobs, I worked
(19:59):
in McDonald's, and they werelike, okay, fine, you can work
at McDonald's and you don't haveto be at the farm the whole
time.
And so I was able to establishsome independence.
I think, also my older sisterbeing around and now being in
college, that all started tohelp slowly kind of build a way
(20:19):
towards being more independentand away from the family
business, and so there wouldjust be opportunities that came
my way and I don't know if theysaid yes to everything, but they
just started accepting a bitmore of me kind of breaking away
from the family business.
And then by the time I got tocollege away from the family
(20:40):
business and then by the time Igot to college, I was just like,
no, I'm not going to do stuffon the farm and they were like,
okay, fine, you don't have to.
And I just got to, I don't know.
So I think they still wantedwhat was best for me at the end
of everything, but it wassomething that we had to work
through for a couple of yearsbefore I got to college.
In college, they mostly justleft me alone and they saw that
(21:03):
I was doing well and I gotreally, really amazing
internships, scholarships, and Ithink they saw that it was
worth doing my own thing andthey supported me and they just,
I think, thought I guess I hada good head on my shoulders and
just let me find my way.
(21:23):
Once I got to college, but youhad to fight.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
It sounds like to let them give you the chance to
find your way.
Like I can do this.
Give me space and time.
Don't tie me to this otherthing that that they needed you
to do.
Yeah, wow, what supports didyou have in college?
I know your, your older sisterit sounds like she went to
(21:47):
college before you but werethere any mentors or influences
in college that were like youcan do this here's?
Here are those scholarships, oris that all you as well?
Speaker 1 (21:58):
I feel like there were some influences like that,
but I think just because I'dnever really had my parents
pushing me in that way, I didn'trely on that much outside
support um.
But there were some positiveinfluences but I I didn't get
too close to that many um, justbecause I just felt like I had
(22:21):
to take care of things on my own.
But I did have a tutor thatbelieved in me and I remember he
told me that he believed I'd bea millionaire one day because
he saw I had strong habits.
There was like an advisor inone of the programs.
There was like an advisor inone of the programs.
(22:56):
Actually, I think a really,really positive thing was I
entered this program forminorities and trying to get
into research, and so there wasjust a space for minorities,
like myself, first generation,looking to get into sciences,
and that's where I met myboyfriend.
But yeah, there was peoplelike-minded.
Yeah, I guess we supported eachother and there were a couple
of advisors in that program thatwere very supportive as well.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
you didn't have any help or support.
Like it's such a differentexperience than my own
experience and likely so manypeople who are listening Like I
just it's hard for me to evenfathom what it felt like to be
you and growing up in thatsituation.
And now, because I feel soconnected to all CAAs, to every
CAA, yeah, my brain's like waita minute.
Like we got here and from verytwo different places.
(23:39):
So I would love to talk abouthow you found out about the CAA
profession and when that firstinstance happened, where you're
like okay, this is, I think,what I want to do when I grow up
.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
So I feel like it was not a straightforward journey.
I think my journey to A'sstarted with graduating college
and taking a step back fromdeciding to become a physician
and go through medical school.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
So you were thinking I'm going to go to medical
school.
That was like, okay, gotcha.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Mm-hmm.
Yes, so I did my best duringundergrad and I took some.
After I finished undergrad, myplan was to make my application
more competitive and I took anopportunity at John Hopkins
University, worked alongside anMD-PhD there, and I feel like it
(24:31):
was just by doing that I wasable to recognize that there
would be a lot more years ofsacrifice ahead, and I did feel
like I had sacrificed mychildhood.
I sacrificed a lot in undergradand I wasn't sure if I should
keep going on that path.
So I looked around at otherfields.
(24:52):
I looked at dentistry and thenagain I didn't really have that
much outside support.
I mean, I'm sure people wouldhave been supportive if I was
really looking for it, but Ijust depended on myself.
And so I went online and I wouldlook up, you know, md like I'm
(25:12):
questioning going to medicalschool, and people were talking
about PAs, and so then I waslike, ok, this is maybe what I
should do.
So I then became a scribe sothat I could have more clinical
experience to apply to PA school, and in doing that I worked
alongside PAs and I'm like, okay, they actually have a lot of
(25:34):
the similar day-to-dayresponsibilities as a doctor.
So that does seem like what Iwant to do and you know, again,
it's the expedited timeline, soI'm like I want to do anesthesia
though.
So is there a way to do that asa PA and I looked into AAs and
I've really at the time therewas almost no content.
Anesthesia Sal, I think, was, Ithink, the first to post
(25:55):
anything really.
So Anesthesia Sal, I think, was, I think, the first to post
anything really.
So this was before her and I'mlike why is there no content
Like this is crazy.
If this field exists, why arethere no people?
So I did find a few videos on aPA's platform of AAs.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Really, and what year was this?
Speaker 1 (26:16):
What year were you looking?
2018.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
2018 is when I was looking yes, shout out to
Anesthesia Sal.
Her name is Sally.
She was one of the initial CAAcontent creators and that's
actually who I found as well.
Yeah, she just had a baby, so Ithink her content's a little
bit less these days, but yeah,she definitely started this out.
So, yeah, okay, sorry, continue.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
So at the time there was no one which I did want to
put content out, and duringschool I was like I do want to
do this, but I'm not going torisk my schooling, I'm just
going to wait until school'sdone.
But I knew that there was sucha gap of knowledge.
But the point is I found thesefew videos online and then I
(27:02):
looked for shadowinging and Iliked what I saw with shadowing
and I applied and that's how Igot here and what school did you
go to and when did you graduate?
I went to Nova Fort Lauderdaleand I graduated in 2021.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Okay, were you one of their earlier classes, later
classes.
Has that school been around fora while?
Speaker 1 (27:21):
That school had.
I think it had been around for10 years when.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I was there.
That must have been one of theearlier ones.
I have lost track at this point.
Yeah, Okay, and then talk to meabout what being a new CAA grad
was like in terms of feelinglike you know you're at the end
of this really long journey, orwere you sort of like this isn't
(27:45):
what I quite thought?
Talk to me about how it felt inthat first.
I mean, you're not that far outfrom that, but just when you
first started working.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
It's definitely intimidating.
I feel like well, at least forme some people come out of
school and they feel completelyready, but I definitely felt
like there was a learning curveto it.
But where I started working,there were about five other new
grads.
So that was honestly reallyreally amazing, because we just
(28:14):
would catch up with each otherand we'd be like is this, you
know?
Be like, is this normal, youknow?
So I feel very fortunate that Iwent to a place that had so
many new people that we could gothrough things together and
learn from each other.
I feel like that really reallyhelped early on.
And then what was the secondpart of the question?
(28:36):
And then what was the secondpart of?
Speaker 2 (28:37):
the question.
Well, I guess I was just sortof thinking had you been kind of
like in this, I'm going to dothis, I'm pushing, pushing,
pushing.
And then you got there, yougraduated CA school and then
everything sort of settled andyou're like, oh wow.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Now, for the first time, I'm, you know, dealing
with a lot of this.
As you said, shame and dramathat has come up.
Like what did it feel like tokind of be at the end of this
journey that you'd been pushingyourself alone, um for um.
Well, first I was still tryingto be productive, because I feel
like that's just what I knew,uh, growing up just do as much
as you can and produce as muchas you can.
So that's why I think I startedmy channel too.
I was just not used to havingfree time.
I'm like, um, let me dosomething with this free time.
So I think for a long time, Istill was working towards paying
(29:28):
off my student loans.
So I feel like it was finallyafter I paid off my student
loans that I had this momentwhere I could kind of take in
what it meant to have morefinancial security, and I
started watching more psychologyvideos and just learning more
about myself through differentpsychology videos online.
(29:49):
Honestly, I still haven't goneto therapy, but I feel like
through these psychology videos,I've learned a lot and just
been able to reflect on whatI've been through, and I still
am constantly learning a lotabout myself.
So it definitely also reallyreally helped that my partner
was very patient with me in away that other people had not
(30:13):
been before him, and I trulyfeel like that was so important
for my healing process too.
I think those two things ofjust having more time and more
financial security and then alsohaving a very trusting and
patient partner really reallyhelped.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Yeah, and so much of your content is about the
freedom found within financialsecurity, financial independence
.
Do you feel like that is adirect correlation to what you
experienced growing up, and canyou talk about why you're so
passionate about sharing?
Speaker 1 (30:45):
that out of school, I can really take the time to
understand what I like doing,and for so long, you know,
growing up through college,through a school and paying off
student loans, it was justgetting through the stage I was
in and just kind of getting by.
(31:07):
So I definitely feel like nowthat I have more financial
security, I can just understandwho I am much better and also
have more peace in my life andenjoy things a little bit more,
and so that is part of why Iwant to make financially focused
content journey.
(31:32):
Again, when I was looking intothe field, I didn't really see
any examples and I think aboutthe person that I wish I could
find online, and I don't eventhink everyone has to be an AA.
People can take some of theselessons and just you know, in
their own profession,incorporate saving and investing
and just learning more aboutfinancial independence so that
(31:54):
they could have more freedom forthemselves.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
As a content creator, what do you think most
resonates?
What do people DM you sayinglike oh, thank goodness, you
mentioned this.
Or what part of you do youthink our community is
resonating with?
Speaker 1 (32:10):
I feel like people have resonated with making a lot
of money out of two years ofschool after undergrad, so I
don't know if that's always thebest way to resonate with people
.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
Why do you think people are so excited about that
?
Because they think it's ashortcut, because they think, oh
, if I make $200,000, I can buya big house.
Or is it?
I can see, I can have timefreedom, I can have freedom of
choice because I make more money.
What is it about it?
Speaker 1 (32:40):
Or do they not really say I don't know if everyone
knows what it is for them, but Ithink, especially in this
economy, making six figures ormaking within the 200,000's,
it's pretty hard for a lot ofpeople.
There's layoffs and jobs andpeople are not satisfied.
(33:00):
So, um, I think that it'sreally appealing just thinking
about the numbers, but I do.
Um, I have talked to peoplethat are doing mock interviews
or, you know, I've done somecounseling and I tell them this
is not going to be an easy path.
When you graduate, it's goingto be very stressful.
So, if you're not in it.
You know.
You have to realize that beforeyou go in.
(33:21):
Yeah, there's a lot of stresswaiting, even though it's two
years of school, but then it'slike a career of managing stress
and filling difficultsituations sometimes.
So, absolutely, it's not ashortcut, is what I try to tell
people.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Yeah, it's like, well , you get paid a lot of money
because what you have to do kindof takes its toll on you.
You know, I don't know thatpeople really appreciate that.
I do think, you know, obviouslythere's so much good within the
profession and I do think weare valued in a way that, you
know, our capitalistic societyvalues people, which is by money
.
I think we're valued well, butit's not without its costs.
(33:58):
So I'm just interested what youthink money personally has
given you.
You know, in terms of, like,happiness, security, like what
are those things that money hasgiven you personally?
Speaker 1 (34:11):
It's still something that I'm working on, but
definitely the last vacation Iwent on in New Mexico, um, that
was my favorite vacation andthat was the vacation where, um,
I paid for like a hot airballoon ride for my partner's
birthday and I got to treat himand he said he loved it.
So I feel like for me, it'sjust given me just peace when
(34:35):
I'm experiencing new things.
You know also the means toexperience new things that I
would have never done before.
And, yeah, I don't have toworry about paying my rent.
You know I could do both thingsat the same time and enjoy my
life as I'm saving, investingand taking care of myself.
So it's just giving me a lotmore opportunity to enjoy life
(34:57):
in the present and I'm slowlycoming off the mindset of just
saving for the future and justput everything away, because you
never know when something'sgoing to happen, or when I'm 55,
that's when I'll finally get toexperience life.
I'm starting to enjoy life alot more now.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
It's really nice.
And how old are you now, joelle?
I'm 29.
That's what I thought.
Yeah, I'm just so wowed by thebravery and the tenacity of your
story.
I just wonder for people whoare listening, who maybe
resonate with a difficultchildhood, one that had abuse or
trauma or shame in it, how youmanage to take risks Like, for
(35:41):
example, you know, going from afull-time W-2, which is an
employed position that's likevery stable to a locum's
position.
Maybe you could talk a littlebit about that.
And do you encounter situationsin the operating room where
you're like oh, this istriggering me, this is one of my
insecurities.
Do you just not feel that?
Do you have a way to movethrough that?
Speaker 1 (36:04):
So there's a lot.
First, the biggest thing I feellike was having a direction to
go in.
If you're in an earlier stageof your journey, I think it's
important to just have anoverall direction, keep an open
mind at the same time, becauseyou might change your ideas as
(36:24):
you grow and get moreexperiences, but you just work
towards the direction you wantto go in and then you take small
steps towards that.
So that's for that stage inlife.
In terms of becoming, I'vealways kind of been a risk taker
, I guess I don't know.
I've always just been like youknow what, let me just try it
(36:45):
out.
And it's worked out really,really well.
Like I feel like I've alwaysbeen a bit more bold.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
You have.
I can see that in your story.
I mean just even being able totell your parents when you're a
kid like no, I want to go toschool, I want to take this
extracurricular, like that isnot something that everyone
would probably describethemselves as.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
I guess, like there's like that saying of like the
squeaky wheel gets the oil, andthat's just kind of what I
noticed.
It's like no one is going to dothis for me.
I have to put myself out thereand try something on my own, and
obviously I'm not going to.
You know, it's not exactly likedo it and then ask for
forgiveness.
It's more like just ask if Icould do it, and most likely
(37:29):
that's usually a yes or you know, like usually works out if you
put yourself out there and so,yeah, I've just always been that
person to put myself out there.
And I guess, honestly, I feellike I've handled rejection.
I've handled, you know, no's alot.
So, um, I just keep puttingmyself out there and I take
whatever opportunity comes myway and just keep going with
(37:52):
that momentum and yeah, that'salways how I've been.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
Is there a no in your career or a?
Speaker 1 (38:02):
rejection in your like CAA career that you feel
comfortable sharing.
There hasn't really been a no.
It's more like, I guess, likewhen I was an undergrad I would
apply to scholarships sometimesand just I feel like it just
made me more tolerant torejection.
So mostly like an undergrad iswhere I faced some of that
rejection and I became morecomfortable with it as an AA.
(38:25):
For the most part it's beenpretty good, I would say.
I guess I got a rejection or Ifeel like it was a soft
rejection when I finished myfirst clinical rotation and I
wasn't necessarily excited towork there, but I did want to
just put myself out there and dothe interview process.
(38:46):
I do feel, coming from poverty,I was very in my shell and very
much feeling like impostersyndrome, so I didn't, in my
opinion, shine very, very brightand so I feel like I got a soft
no from that place, but itwasn't like a hard feeling.
But yeah, I just put myself outthere and I'm like, okay, cool,
(39:07):
so next time it's just, in myopinion, it was more interview
practice or I just put myselfout there and see how it goes,
and sometimes I want things andyou know, sometimes I don't.
I'll still try it and see howit goes and go on from there.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
Yeah, you've built your trust muscle in yourself
Like I can take these littlerisks early on and over time
when you see like, okay, Ididn't die, I didn't.
You know, that's how you learnthe skill of navigating failure
as an adult.
It's like you take little risksalong the way.
I am interested, though,because you just brought up
imposter syndrome and you soundlike you know things have kind
(39:45):
of worked out through everythingthat you've faced.
I can see you know that thiswas all meant for you, but I do
think it's interesting if youwant to touch on the imposter
syndrome, that, of course, maybeis there too, that maybe people
are resonating with Definitely.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
I feel I went through a lot growing up, but I still
feel like I was very sheltered,and so then, also in undergrad,
I focused a lot on studying andso I feel like there were just
certain social things that Inever picked up on and there's
still gaps.
I feel like I still feel like Iget teased sometimes about
(40:23):
certain things and I'm like,well, that's just me.
No, whatever, at this point I'mjust like that's just how I am.
But as a student I feltcriticism and I was very
critical of myself.
Yeah, I feel like in the AAworld there's a lot of people
that come from financialprivilege and I didn't feel like
I could always relate to peoplein that way.
(40:46):
And I wasn't in a sorority incollege.
So I don't drink.
That's a choice I've madepretty early on.
Sometimes I'll drink, but Ireally, really don't drink, so I
felt a little bit sociallydifferent.
So, yeah, definitely was in myhead about how I was moving
through the world.
I guess Something I'm stilltrying to understand, but I feel
(41:08):
like I've worked on it a lot.
Speaker 2 (41:12):
I just want to let that sink in, because I know
that's really important to youto share your story, to share
your story of overcomingdomestic violence and how
financial security has reallybeen a cornerstone of the life
that you want to build.
I'm just wondering where yousee your platform going in terms
(41:33):
of talking about CAA, financialwellness and maybe your future
in that space.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
I definitely feel like, as my finances and my
journey changes, my content ischanging.
I'm not really thinking aboutstudent loans anymore and so I'm
not really making that sort ofcontent anymore.
I feel like going locum.
It's a really, really goodbalance right now of being able
to enjoy life and then also workand make a really good living
(42:01):
with maybe working a little less.
So I feel like that's thedirection I want to take my
content and we'll see if thatresonates with people, because
it's not necessarily contentthat is going to connect, I
think, with the same audiencethat connected with me in the
past.
But I feel like my content isgoing to be reflecting just
where I am in life and thedirections I'm taking.
(42:22):
So I'll try to keep in mindstudent loan content and, you
know, things that other peoplecan relate to.
But, yeah, I feel like mycontent is just going to follow
my journey to financialindependence and also, you know,
enjoying the journey at thesame time.
So I think that's where I'mtaking it.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
Yeah, I'm excited to watch that.
That's more of my angle as well.
You commented that a lot ofpeople in the CA profession come
from a privileged backgroundand I knew that.
That's my background backgroundand I knew that's my
perspective of having thingsmore so handed to me, and I've
(42:59):
been wrestling with that myself.
I'm just wondering how do yousee the CAA profession moving
forward in terms of diversityand a diversification of the
type of people we attract?
Speaker 1 (43:10):
So I definitely feel sometimes on the outside a
little bit, but I feel like Iwork really, really hard to fit
in and so I do feel like I'mtrying to take up skiing.
Maybe that's the way I canconnect.
I want to connect with mycoworkers and have a good
relationship, but, yeah, thereare times where I feel like I
(43:33):
can't relate to certain things.
But, yeah, there are timeswhere I feel like I can't relate
(43:56):
to certain things.
Also, I grew up in New YorkCity, so that's a more blue
mindset and there's a lot of redin this field.
So there are definitely somedivisions, but I just try to let
people have their opinionsabout certain things and I do
try sometimes to separatecertain disagreements and you
know different points of viewand still come together and
connect with my coworkers asmuch as I can.
In terms of diversity, I thinkthat pages like mine and like
social media, that's how moreminorities that don't
necessarily have family, thatare AAs, can learn about the
(44:17):
field, and that's why I keepdoing what I'm doing, because I
want it to reach people thatdon't have like that into the AA
world, and so hopefully thatwill keep shaping things to be a
bit more diverse, but at thesame time, it is, I think, going
to attract people that hearabout the salary and maybe it's
helping, and maybe it's alsoattracting more people that you
(44:40):
know are focused on the salary,but at the same time, I
understand that it's importantto take care of ourselves.
So I understand why someonewould be attracted to the salary
and you know, I understand theimportance of financial security
.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
Yeah, yeah, it's like we don't want to hide it.
We don't need to hide it, butit's also not just the reason
you should be becoming a CAA.
Yeah, okay, one more question,I think, and then maybe we'll
make sure everyone knows how toconnect with you.
So much of Season 4 is abouthow to stay healthy, be healthy
(45:18):
and thrive as a CAA.
So many of the resources I'mcreating and so many of the
interviews that I'm doing, I'mtrying to really hit that
message home.
How do you think being a CAAallows you to be healthy and
thrive?
Speaker 1 (45:29):
Well, thinking about.
When I grew up, I would you knowmy parents weren't home, I
would eat takeout french friesand chicken wings from wherever.
So now I can afford for sure tohave more healthy groceries and
eat from organic places.
I did also have the benefitthat my parents did have a farm,
(45:51):
so that was still.
That's always kind of been inme, but now I can definitely
afford that as an adult, and Ido believe that, you know, where
you are at 55 is influenced bywhere you are at 30 and like the
habits that you have, and so Ido feel very financially secure
right now, where I don'tnecessarily have to pick up
(46:13):
overtime, and so I'm trying tofocus on being healthier.
That's my goal as I turn 30 isto become a healthier version of
myself and not feel so inclinedto pick up overtime and just
take care of the body that I'min, you know, and just try to
think about things like 20 yearsdown the line, because I have
(46:35):
financial security allows me toeat better food and then also
have more time to pursue thethings that make me happy and,
you know, recharge and also havetime to, you know, go to the
gym and be fit.
Speaker 2 (46:46):
I love that.
I love that that the the moneyhas allowed you to prioritize
your health and your time moreso than any amount of dollars.
Like you can't buy your time,you can't buy your healthy.
Yeah, I totally get that and Ilove that and I love that
message.
I love ending on that message.
How can people connect with you?
(47:07):
What's the best way to followyou and talk about all your
socials and channels?
Speaker 1 (47:12):
So I am a bit overwhelmed socials and channels
.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
So I am a bit overwhelmed, so maybe wait a
month.
Yeah, so actually yes pleasewait a little bit.
December is going to be thebest time to connect.
What if we just want to followyou?
Just follow you, maybe not?
Speaker 1 (47:30):
ask you tons of questions.
The best places are, uh, califestyle, on Instagram, on
YouTube, on Tik TOK Um,instagram is probably the place
where I respond to the mostcomments, um, mostly in the
comment section, but I do uhfeel like, if questions are a
little bit too personal, um, Idon't, I want to focus on the
(47:51):
questions that are going toanswer questions for everyone.
So those are usually the way Iprioritize answering questions.
So, if you want to have apersonal one-on-one, just
message me and we'll talk aboutthat and do you think you're
going to post more on yourYouTube channel.
Speaker 2 (48:07):
I know you've taken a bit of a pause there because
you had so much educationalcontent initially much
educational content initially.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
So I still have vlogs from last year and so much
content from last year that Ihaven't really touched in a year
.
I haven't really worked on it.
That's still what I want to do,because I feel like the YouTube
community.
That's where I kind of grew upand that's how I've connected
with content creators and reallyunderstood their stories.
So that is something I want togo back to.
But I want to also just berealistic and not overwhelm
(48:41):
myself.
But ideally, I'll get thesevideos done this winter.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
Well, don't let me pressure you, because I
certainly am trying to embodythe fact that every yes you say
yes to something.
It means you're saying no to athousand other things.
You say yes to a YouTube video,you say no to working out some
days, you know.
Speaker 1 (48:59):
Exactly yeah, and I have been.
I don't want to?
Speaker 2 (49:02):
Yeah, totally, and I think it's really, really honest
and valuable to exactly saythat that I can't create all of
this content and also do thosethings that allow me to be
healthy and thrive as a CAAs,and I get to have that choice
now because, you know, that'sthe life he worked so hard for.
So I'm so grateful for thisconversation.
Chabeli, I will be sure to putall of your information in the
(49:24):
show notes and, yeah, I lookforward to seeing what's next
for you on Instagram.
That's where I tend to connectwith you, and I'll be sure to
post any new YouTube videos, ifthose ever do come out.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
So thank you so much.
Thank you, Mary Jean.
This was a great conversation.
I appreciate you letting meshare my story in such a
comfortable way.
Speaker 2 (49:45):
Wonderful.
I'm grateful for you.
If you loved this episode.
I really encourage you to shareit with another CAA in your
life or AA student orprospective AA that you know.
It really helps to get themessage about CAAs and our
profession out to a wideraudience.
(50:05):
It also helps share the messageof this podcast, which is that
this very unique and specializedprofession is really uniquely
able to help CAAs live their owndream life, to create their
life by design, to gainfinancial independence if they
so choose, to break thosegenerational barriers that maybe
(50:26):
held their parents back ortheir grandparents.
There's just so many goodthings about this profession and
no one's really talking aboutit, and when I first was looking
for resources and my own CAAcommunity, outside of the few
CAAs I knew who I worked with, Icouldn't find one, and so it's
so valuable now that people likeChabeli and Anesthesia Sal, who
(50:50):
we mentioned in this episode,and Anesthesia Anonymous and
just so many other contentcreators who are really taking
their time to share theirspecific journey with the CA
profession, because that's trulyhow our profession is going to
grow, in addition to people justmeeting us in the operating
room and us sharing who we areand what we do, and so I just
(51:12):
would really appreciate if youguys would share this podcast
episode with someone that youknow would be interested or
maybe a little confused aboutwhat a CAA is or what we do.
Other ways to connect with meare on Instagram.
You can DM me or find me thereat AwakendAnesthetist.
You can sign up for my onlinenewsletter.
(51:33):
There's a link for that in theshow notes and then also coming
up in December, if you'relistening in real time we have
our next Making Connections forseason four.
This is an opportunity that Ihost every month.
I welcome AA students, caasperspectives, anyone interested
or even sort of on the peripheryof this CAA community to come
(51:56):
and gather.
We do a little bit of grounding, we do a little bit of
meditation and then we talk anddiscuss a theme for the month.
We've already done things likeboundaries and navigating
failure.
This month, in December of 2024, we're going to do something a
little different.
We are going to be talkingabout intention setting and how
we want to feel in 2025, butit's actually going to be hosted
(52:18):
as an Instagram Live and I'veinvited three other CAA content
creators to join me, so it'll bea conversation between those
three people and myself.
Of course, anyone else is alsoinvited to sort of play along
with us, do the grounding, themeditation, do the intention
setting and sort of theconversation there, and then
we're going to open it up for aQ&A for anyone who's there.
(52:40):
You'll have a really uniquechance to talk to several
different types of CAs atdifferent points of their career
, people who are doing differentthings online, and sort of just
get a really wide and variedperspective, which is, I think,
really valuable.
So I'm excited to host that onDecember 29th.
There's going to be moreinformation in the show notes as
(53:01):
well, as I'll be posting thingson Instagram about it, so just
be looking out for that.
I think that's all.
I hope everyone has a wonderfulwinter holiday and hopefully a
nice little break from school ora few days off from work if
you're so lucky.
I know this is fourth quarter,so it's like the whole world is
resting, but the operating roomis ramping up, so it's a little
(53:23):
bit of a hard spot, for sure,for CAAs.
Personally, I am going to betaking some time off from the
podcast and I will be back inJanuary of 2025 with more
process episodes, moreinsightful meditative episodes
and, of course, the CAAminiseries that I'm running
called Understanding CertifiedAnesthesiologist Assistance your
(53:46):
Complete Guide.
I have a big one coming upabout money and how much money
AAs make, so I'm excited toshare that in 2025.
All right, happy holidayseveryone.
I hope you have a wonderful newyear'm excited to share that in
2025.
All right, happy holidayseveryone.
No-transcript.
I feel like because I had so much responsibility
early in life, I wanted to getaway from poverty and some of
the hard circumstances I wentthrough.
So I just had the fuel in me,the motivation to just push
myself as far as I could go.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome to the Awakened Anesthetist podcast,
the first podcast to highlightthe CAA experience.
I'm your host, mary Jean, andI've been a certified
anesthesiologist assistant forclose to two decades.
Throughout my journey andstruggles, I've searched for
guidance that includes my uniqueperspective as a CAA.
At one of my lowest points, Idecided to turn my passion for
(00:42):
storytelling and my belief thatthe CAA profession is uniquely
able to create a life by designinto a podcast.
If you are a practicing CAA,current AA student or someone
who hopes to be one, I encourageyou to stick around and
experience the power of being ina community filled with voices
(01:03):
who sound like yours, power ofbeing in a community filled with
voices who sound like yours,sharing experiences you never
believed possible.
I know you will find yourselfhere at the Awakened Anesthetist
podcast.
Welcome in.
Hello Awakened Anesthetistcommunity.
Welcome back to your processseries.
This is the last processepisode in 2024.
(01:24):
After this, the podcast isgoing to take a few weeks break
as I sort of retreat inward forthe winter and I have a personal
retreat coming up that I'mexcited to go on and just do all
of the year end celebrationsand, of course, my kids being
home for a couple weeks sort ofputs me out of my normal routine
(01:45):
.
And then the podcast will beback in late January of 2025 and
continue through March, andthat will conclude season four,
which is sort of hard to believe, and I'm just really excited to
be in front of this mic yetagain speaking with all of you.
Today's process guest is ChabeliRodriguez.
I'm really excited to get toshare this episode with you all.
(02:08):
I've been wanting to do one ofthese process episodes with
Chabeli for months and months,and actually some of you may
remember that she's been on thepodcast once before when she did
her CNBC Millennial Money piece.
We just did a really briefbehind the scenes of being on
CNBC and what that millennialmoney piece meant to her.
(02:29):
But it wasn't her full processepisode and so I knew I wanted
to have her back on to reallyshare her full journey to become
a CAA.
And then, of course, we allknow her from at CAA Lifestyle
over on Instagram and YouTubeand TikTok, where she shares a
lot of day in the life, a lot ofwhat it felt like to be her
(02:49):
when she was a student, onthrough where she is now, which
is transitioning into locum'swork, and in this process
episode we're really going tomeet Chabeli in a new way.
She's been wanting to find theright way to share more of
herself with her growing numberof followers and really take
them along her journey in anauthentic way, and I've been
(03:10):
wanting to do this processepisode with her, so we sort of
collaborated and decided thatthis would be a really great way
for her to share more ofherself with all of us and for
us to get to meet who she isreally behind her online persona
, and I just want to say thankyou to Chabeli for being just so
honest and raw and authenticwith this conversation.
(03:33):
You're going to hear that sheshares her experience with
domestic violence, as well asbeing a first generation
Mexican-American woman growingup in New York, and just her
really unique journey to becomea CAA.
And as you get to know her andlove her on any of her social
platforms, it's helpful toremember that everyone has a
(03:55):
unique journey and story, andTrebelli really sheds some light
on why she's so focused onfinancial freedom on her social
media platforms and where thatall stems from and really what
her plans are moving forward,what she wants to share and
bring us all along with in herown personal journey, and so I'm
just really excited foreveryone to get to know Chabeli
(04:17):
a little bit more, a little bitdeeper.
This episode's really going toexpand any AA students who feel
like they had to sacrifice a lotof themselves in order to just
push through some barriers thatyou know weren't there for maybe
other AA students or otherperspectives who are around them
.
This episode's also going toexpand people who feel like they
(04:38):
don't fit the typical personaof who becomes a CAA, or maybe
you look around the operatingroom and you feel like a little
disconnected from the otherpeople who are doing similar
jobs as you, any CAAs who lovethe AA profession and want to
learn more about how to leverageit to create financial
independence.
(04:58):
So this episode is certainlygoing to land with so many
different people for manydifferent reasons, and I'm just
so grateful for Chabeli to shareher story here with me and I
hope you all enjoy meeting herand getting to know her a little
bit more.
All right, here we go.
Maybe let's get started withthe rapid fire so I can ask you
(05:21):
personal questions and it's okay, yeah, perfect.
Sounds good ask you personalquestions and it's okay.
Yeah, perfect, sounds good.
This one was really interestingwhen Sarah, the September
process guest, answered thiswhat's something that never gets
old.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Going on hikes and having amazing views.
I feel like that's always abreath of fresh air and just
beautiful to take in.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Love it.
What's been your favorite, hike?
Speaker 1 (05:52):
The Rocky Mountains was very beautiful and I did a
couple of hikes recently in NewMexico and we started off in
what looked like a desert andthen we went into it and there
was a lake at the bottom of itand the skies were like so blue
and there's also these beautifulclouds.
So I think those are my twofavorite right now Love it.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I know you've been doing so much travel too.
It's it's fun to watch you onsocial media, so tell us how
much time you spend on socialmedia.
You kind of have a unique CAAjob or adjunct to your job.
How much time are you spendingdaily on?
Speaker 1 (06:20):
socials.
It's all over the place.
Currently I work three 13-hourshifts, so I have these days
where I'm very focused on workand then the days where I'm
recovering from work and I'mtrying to catch up on social
media.
So I would say, still a lot oftime on social media, but mostly
(06:42):
I just enjoy seeing what otherpeople create and then sometimes
I get inspired and do my ownthing and make my own videos.
So all over the place, butdefinitely a lot of time.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I have a content creator question Are you doing
any social media on work days ordo you feel like it's two
different of a brain, like twodifferent brains?
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I try, but it's definitely a switch that I just
feel like I have to turn offwhile I'm at work.
Being a locum contractor, I'mstill newer to the group so I
still want to do everything thatI can to do a good job when I'm
at work.
So I feel like when I was at myW-2 and I had been there for a
(07:22):
long time, it was easier to kindof do multiple tasks in one
place.
But right now I try more tofocus on my job.
So I try to turn off some ofthe social media stuff while I'm
at work.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Yes, that is very smart because the temptation for
me is there.
But yeah, it's just, I'm PRN,so it's like I don't want people
to see me on my phone at work,but it's tempting.
Yeah, it's just, I'm PRN, soit's like I don't want people to
see me on my phone at work, butit's tempting.
Yeah, it's hard.
Okay, favorite case to giveanesthesia, maybe now in this
new locums world that you'reworking in.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Favorite case.
I still think that neuro justlike the drips and the
organization and the lines thatyou know are put in, and I feel
like that is still one of myfavorite cases to get into and
just kind of switch things up,because to me there's so many
ways to do a Teva, so I enjoythat.
It's, in my opinion, a bit morecreative than you know, putting
(08:17):
the gas and kind of titratingthe gas, so it's just a nice way
to switch things up.
So I would still say Nero isone of my favorite type of cases
.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
And you get to do Nero in your locums.
Yeah, Awesome.
Okay, last one favoritequestion of mine what's your
best coffee shop order?
Speaker 1 (08:39):
So there's actually a coffee shop in the West which
is called Dutch Bros, and I wentto Colorado and my boyfriend
and I were just so excited tohave Dutch Bros again when we
went to New Mexico.
So we have the.
I think it's just a oat milklatte and I think they just do
(08:59):
extra coffee in their shots, soit's really good.
That's my favorite.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I'm just now kind of tuning in to the Dutch Bros, so
maybe next time I'm travelingI'll look for it.
Yeah, okay, great, awesome.
Let's start off with yourcultural background, your
upbringing, and that's going tobe such a focus of what we talk
about today, so I'd love to hearjust how you grew up and how it
(09:26):
maybe shaped you.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
I feel as though the way I grew up is different than
a lot of people in the AA worldand maybe in medicine, but my
parents were farmers.
When I was eight years old theystarted a farming business and
they did that to support fivechildren.
I was the second oldest, soearly on in the business I was
(09:49):
very involved and, I feel, anintegral part of the business.
So from middle school throughhigh school, during the summer
breaks we would spend time onthe farm, and then during
holidays actually I reallydidn't look forward to holidays
because that meant that I wouldbe working so a lot of work on
(10:10):
the family business.
And so my parents had, you know, mostly vegetables.
They had tomatoes and, just tokind of paint the picture of
what the farm looked like, thiswas all in upstate New York.
So we would harvest thevegetables and then we would
clean them up for the farmer'smarket the next day, go to the
farmer's market and sell it andthen repeat the process in the
(10:32):
evening for farmer's markets inthe next day.
So it was very busy growing up.
That was, you know, kind of thefocus of our family just making
sure that our family businesswas thriving.
And in addition to that myparents.
They decided to keep mysiblings and I in school in New
(10:54):
York City, but they wereprimarily in upstate New York.
So this meant that there wereweeks during the school week
they weren't at home with us.
So that was another set ofresponsibilities that I had very
early on, and so that meantthat you know, I had to.
(11:16):
You know, with my older siblingand sometimes my younger sister
, we were in charge of makingsure that we ate dinner, that we
got home from school, that thehouse was clean, and that wasn't
always done, because we'restill children, so my home
wasn't always like the tidiest.
So I feel like that was justanother layer of growing up with
(11:39):
a little bit of shame, and then, on top of that, I did
experience domestic violence.
So lots of layers andresponsibility growing up.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Yeah, and I know a little bit about your story, and
maybe some people listening doas well, because you've shared a
lot through CAA Lifestyle, yourYouTube channel and your
Instagram and on TikTok, and Iknow today we really want to
dive into more of how yourchildhood shaped you and really
(12:15):
is driving you towards financialindependence, and how that has
become such a pillar of what youwant to talk about and share
with the world.
I wanted to just go back andhave you shed a little bit more
light on what it felt like as afirst-generation
Mexican-American.
What dynamic that added to yourchildhood?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
So they came to the country when they were, I
believe, in their 20s and theydidn't have a guide on how to do
things.
So I feel like for a long timethey were doing all sorts of
jobs and they never reallypicked up English.
That meant, like when I was inschool, that they weren't you
(12:59):
know the parents that werepresent for, like,
parent-teacher conferences.
They weren't holding usnecessarily accountable to do
well in school.
Obviously they wanted us to dowell, but I feel like that's
just another layer ofresponsibility that
first-generation students withparents that don't know English
have to navigate.
Yeah, and they also stillbarely know English.
(13:22):
They've been in the country forover 30 years and when my mom
says a couple of sentences inEnglish, my siblings and I were
like wow, mom, that's so good,good for you.
And they still were able to runa business which is still
incredible that in New York City.
I feel like it's credit to howmany languages are accepted in
(13:42):
New York City and I feel likethat's why to how many languages
are accepted in New York Cityand I feel like that's why they
were able to thrive.
But, yeah, they never went toschool in the US.
They did go to school in Mexico, but they were limited overall,
I feel like in the types ofjobs they could do, because they
didn't go to school and theydidn't learn English for many
(14:03):
years.
They've picked up some of itnow, but even then, you know,
when my mom met my boyfriend,she couldn't really understand
everything he was saying, andit's just regular conversational
English, so yeah, and yourparents wanted to keep you in
New York City public schools, Iassume because they thought that
was the best exposure for youguys to progress in your
(14:26):
education.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Yes, definitely.
And what was school like foryou if you, you know, had all
this work before and afterschool?
It sounds like on holidays andweekends were you like trying to
be an all-star student, or itwas just a struggle to stay
awake during class.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
It was kind of a mix.
So there's actually, I think, aphenomenon where if you're born
earlier in the year you tend tobe a stronger student because
you're more developed when yougo to school.
So actually I think that's abig reason why I was a very good
student my entire life.
I mean, there's also the aspectof my parents did want us to do
(15:03):
well in school, but not, youknow, over the farm.
At some point that was more ofthe responsibility.
But when I was growing up mydad would make me do math
problems and he would tell me towrite, like he would just give
me assignments when I was inelementary school and just kind
of push me when I was inelementary school and just kind
(15:25):
of pushed me when I was inschool.
In high school there were timeswhere I was in honors classes
and I dropped out of some ofthem because I remember just
taking in how much work it wasgoing to be to do some of my
honors classes and I'm like Ican't do that after school's
done.
Some things I can manage and dowell in, but in certain classes
(15:45):
that involved using a computerand doing projects a lot at home
.
That wasn't something I couldhandle.
So I dropped out of some ofthose classes.
But I set a lot of boundarieswith my parents and I do believe
that's why I was kind of thebeacon for the violence, because
(16:07):
I would push back on what theywanted.
But as I grew older they becamemore accepting but it was still
kind of like a back and forth.
But yeah, when I got to collegethey let me separate from the
work and so once I got tocollege I really got to focus on
my studies and not bedistracted, and that's where I
(16:30):
feel like I did very well.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Mm, hmm, were you able to confide in anyone in the
school system about why youwere having to drop out of
classes or about the domesticviolence you guys were
experiencing, and you inparticular were experiencing the
most?
Speaker 1 (16:44):
you guys were experiencing, and you in
particular were experiencing themost.
I never did that because I wasjust afraid that my family would
be separated and my parents Ididn't want them to be deported
or have any issues, so neverreally talked to an adult about
it.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Were your parents legal immigrants?
Speaker 1 (17:05):
No, they've become citizens.
Recently, they have becomecitizens.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Yeah, so, but while you were growing up, that was an
additional fear of yours.
If I tell anyone, my parentswill have to leave.
Yes, wow, wow, trebelli, sosome repair must have happened.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yeah, I feel like, because I had so much
responsibility early in life, um, I wanted to get away from
poverty and some of the hardcircumstances I went through.
So, um, I just had the fuel inme, the motivation to just push
myself as far as I could go.
I also had my older sister, whoshe was more of like the people
(17:47):
pleaser, I feel like.
So she didn't experience thesame things I did, but she was
there with me for a lot of it,and so even that relationship
isn't always perfect, but she issupportive when it matters and
she has believed in me and Iwould say sometimes maybe she
doesn't believe in herself, butshe's always believed in me.
(18:08):
So during college and highschool, she was my biggest
support system.
And then, as of late, I've hadmy partner, who I've been with
for four years.
He's also gone through a lotand he's been able to forgive
the people in his life andthat's shown me a pathway to
(18:30):
forgiveness, I feel like.
And so he just constantlyreminds me.
You know, life is hardsometimes for me, but he's like,
just imagine what it was likefor your parents who didn't know
English.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Yeah, not to excuse the behavior, but to have some
compassion for the people theywere that didn't get their own
needs met either.
Yes, yeah, that's really rough.
I'm trying to process how youmanaged all of this and I'm just
wondering at some point, ifyour parents started to give you
(19:04):
some more time to be able tofocus in high school, how did
you go from high school tocollege, to grad school?
Can you give us that journey interms of your drive?
Speaker 1 (19:14):
And again, I feel like my sister was kind of like
the people pleaser in a way.
She was the oldest sibling, soshe didn't push back so much,
and you know, older siblingssometimes if they just the
parents kind of depend on themso much and they just take on
that role, but I just didn'tfeel like it was right, like I
(19:37):
was like, no, I should focus onmy school, I should go to some
of these after school programs,and sometimes that was met with
a lot of anger, but then myparents would be like, ok, do it
, like that's fine, just do it.
And so as I became older, youknow, I took on jobs, I worked
(19:59):
in McDonald's, and they werelike, okay, fine, you can work
at McDonald's and you don't haveto be at the farm the whole
time.
And so I was able to establishsome independence.
I think, also my older sisterbeing around and now being in
college, that all started tohelp slowly kind of build a way
(20:19):
towards being more independentand away from the family
business, and so there wouldjust be opportunities that came
my way and I don't know if theysaid yes to everything, but they
just started accepting a bitmore of me kind of breaking away
from the family business.
And then by the time I got tocollege away from the family
(20:40):
business and then by the time Igot to college, I was just like,
no, I'm not going to do stuffon the farm and they were like,
okay, fine, you don't have to.
And I just got to, I don't know.
So I think they still wantedwhat was best for me at the end
of everything, but it wassomething that we had to work
through for a couple of yearsbefore I got to college.
In college, they mostly justleft me alone and they saw that
(21:03):
I was doing well and I gotreally, really amazing
internships, scholarships, and Ithink they saw that it was
worth doing my own thing andthey supported me and they just,
I think, thought I guess I hada good head on my shoulders and
just let me find my way.
(21:23):
Once I got to college, but youhad to fight.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
It sounds like to let them give you the chance to
find your way.
Like I can do this.
Give me space and time.
Don't tie me to this otherthing that that they needed you
to do.
Yeah, wow, what supports didyou have in college?
I know your, your older sisterit sounds like she went to
(21:47):
college before you but werethere any mentors or influences
in college that were like youcan do this here's?
Here are those scholarships, oris that all you as well?
Speaker 1 (21:58):
I feel like there were some influences like that,
but I think just because I'dnever really had my parents
pushing me in that way, I didn'trely on that much outside
support um.
But there were some positiveinfluences but I I didn't get
too close to that many um, justbecause I just felt like I had
(22:21):
to take care of things on my own.
But I did have a tutor thatbelieved in me and I remember he
told me that he believed I'd bea millionaire one day because
he saw I had strong habits.
There was like an advisor inone of the programs.
There was like an advisor inone of the programs.
(22:56):
Actually, I think a really,really positive thing was I
entered this program forminorities and trying to get
into research, and so there wasjust a space for minorities,
like myself, first generation,looking to get into sciences,
and that's where I met myboyfriend.
But yeah, there was peoplelike-minded.
Yeah, I guess we supported eachother and there were a couple
of advisors in that program thatwere very supportive as well.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
you didn't have any help or support.
Like it's such a differentexperience than my own
experience and likely so manypeople who are listening Like I
just it's hard for me to evenfathom what it felt like to be
you and growing up in thatsituation.
And now, because I feel soconnected to all CAAs, to every
CAA, yeah, my brain's like waita minute.
Like we got here and from verytwo different places.
(23:39):
So I would love to talk abouthow you found out about the CAA
profession and when that firstinstance happened, where you're
like okay, this is, I think,what I want to do when I grow up
.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
So I feel like it was not a straightforward journey.
I think my journey to A'sstarted with graduating college
and taking a step back fromdeciding to become a physician
and go through medical school.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
So you were thinking I'm going to go to medical
school.
That was like, okay, gotcha.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Mm-hmm.
Yes, so I did my best duringundergrad and I took some.
After I finished undergrad, myplan was to make my application
more competitive and I took anopportunity at John Hopkins
University, worked alongside anMD-PhD there, and I feel like it
(24:31):
was just by doing that I wasable to recognize that there
would be a lot more years ofsacrifice ahead, and I did feel
like I had sacrificed mychildhood.
I sacrificed a lot in undergradand I wasn't sure if I should
keep going on that path.
So I looked around at otherfields.
(24:52):
I looked at dentistry and thenagain I didn't really have that
much outside support.
I mean, I'm sure people wouldhave been supportive if I was
really looking for it, but Ijust depended on myself.
And so I went online and I wouldlook up, you know, md like I'm
(25:12):
questioning going to medicalschool, and people were talking
about PAs, and so then I waslike, ok, this is maybe what I
should do.
So I then became a scribe sothat I could have more clinical
experience to apply to PA school, and in doing that I worked
alongside PAs and I'm like, okay, they actually have a lot of
(25:34):
the similar day-to-dayresponsibilities as a doctor.
So that does seem like what Iwant to do and you know, again,
it's the expedited timeline, soI'm like I want to do anesthesia
though.
So is there a way to do that asa PA and I looked into AAs and
I've really at the time therewas almost no content.
Anesthesia Sal, I think, was, Ithink, the first to post
(25:55):
anything really.
So Anesthesia Sal, I think, was, I think, the first to post
anything really.
So this was before her and I'mlike why is there no content
Like this is crazy.
If this field exists, why arethere no people?
So I did find a few videos on aPA's platform of AAs.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Really, and what year was this?
Speaker 1 (26:16):
What year were you looking?
2018.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
2018 is when I was looking yes, shout out to
Anesthesia Sal.
Her name is Sally.
She was one of the initial CAAcontent creators and that's
actually who I found as well.
Yeah, she just had a baby, so Ithink her content's a little
bit less these days, but yeah,she definitely started this out.
So, yeah, okay, sorry, continue.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
So at the time there was no one which I did want to
put content out, and duringschool I was like I do want to
do this, but I'm not going torisk my schooling, I'm just
going to wait until school'sdone.
But I knew that there was sucha gap of knowledge.
But the point is I found thesefew videos online and then I
(27:02):
looked for shadowinging and Iliked what I saw with shadowing
and I applied and that's how Igot here and what school did you
go to and when did you graduate?
I went to Nova Fort Lauderdaleand I graduated in 2021.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Okay, were you one of their earlier classes, later
classes.
Has that school been around fora while?
Speaker 1 (27:21):
That school had.
I think it had been around for10 years when.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I was there.
That must have been one of theearlier ones.
I have lost track at this point.
Yeah, Okay, and then talk to meabout what being a new CAA grad
was like in terms of feelinglike you know you're at the end
of this really long journey, orwere you sort of like this isn't
(27:45):
what I quite thought?
Talk to me about how it felt inthat first.
I mean, you're not that far outfrom that, but just when you
first started working.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
It's definitely intimidating.
I feel like well, at least forme some people come out of
school and they feel completelyready, but I definitely felt
like there was a learning curveto it.
But where I started working,there were about five other new
grads.
So that was honestly reallyreally amazing, because we just
(28:14):
would catch up with each otherand we'd be like is this, you
know?
Be like, is this normal, youknow?
So I feel very fortunate that Iwent to a place that had so
many new people that we could gothrough things together and
learn from each other.
I feel like that really reallyhelped early on.
And then what was the secondpart of the question?
(28:36):
And then what was the secondpart of?
Speaker 2 (28:37):
the question.
Well, I guess I was just sortof thinking had you been kind of
like in this, I'm going to dothis, I'm pushing, pushing,
pushing.
And then you got there, yougraduated CA school and then
everything sort of settled andyou're like, oh wow.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Now, for the first time, I'm, you know, dealing
with a lot of this.
As you said, shame and dramathat has come up.
Like what did it feel like tokind of be at the end of this
journey that you'd been pushingyourself alone, um for um.
Well, first I was still tryingto be productive, because I feel
like that's just what I knew,uh, growing up just do as much
as you can and produce as muchas you can.
So that's why I think I startedmy channel too.
I was just not used to havingfree time.
I'm like, um, let me dosomething with this free time.
So I think for a long time, Istill was working towards paying
(29:28):
off my student loans.
So I feel like it was finallyafter I paid off my student
loans that I had this momentwhere I could kind of take in
what it meant to have morefinancial security, and I
started watching more psychologyvideos and just learning more
about myself through differentpsychology videos online.
(29:49):
Honestly, I still haven't goneto therapy, but I feel like
through these psychology videos,I've learned a lot and just
been able to reflect on whatI've been through, and I still
am constantly learning a lotabout myself.
So it definitely also reallyreally helped that my partner
was very patient with me in away that other people had not
(30:13):
been before him, and I trulyfeel like that was so important
for my healing process too.
I think those two things ofjust having more time and more
financial security and then alsohaving a very trusting and
patient partner really reallyhelped.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Yeah, and so much of your content is about the
freedom found within financialsecurity, financial independence
.
Do you feel like that is adirect correlation to what you
experienced growing up, and canyou talk about why you're so
passionate about sharing?
Speaker 1 (30:45):
that out of school, I can really take the time to
understand what I like doing,and for so long, you know,
growing up through college,through a school and paying off
student loans, it was justgetting through the stage I was
in and just kind of getting by.
(31:07):
So I definitely feel like nowthat I have more financial
security, I can just understandwho I am much better and also
have more peace in my life andenjoy things a little bit more,
and so that is part of why Iwant to make financially focused
content journey.
(31:32):
Again, when I was looking intothe field, I didn't really see
any examples and I think aboutthe person that I wish I could
find online, and I don't eventhink everyone has to be an AA.
People can take some of theselessons and just you know, in
their own profession,incorporate saving and investing
and just learning more aboutfinancial independence so that
(31:54):
they could have more freedom forthemselves.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
As a content creator, what do you think most
resonates?
What do people DM you sayinglike oh, thank goodness, you
mentioned this.
Or what part of you do youthink our community is
resonating with?
Speaker 1 (32:10):
I feel like people have resonated with making a lot
of money out of two years ofschool after undergrad, so I
don't know if that's always thebest way to resonate with people
.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
Why do you think people are so excited about that
?
Because they think it's ashortcut, because they think, oh
, if I make $200,000, I can buya big house.
Or is it?
I can see, I can have timefreedom, I can have freedom of
choice because I make more money.
What is it about it?
Speaker 1 (32:40):
Or do they not really say I don't know if everyone
knows what it is for them, but Ithink, especially in this
economy, making six figures ormaking within the 200,000's,
it's pretty hard for a lot ofpeople.
There's layoffs and jobs andpeople are not satisfied.
(33:00):
So, um, I think that it'sreally appealing just thinking
about the numbers, but I do.
Um, I have talked to peoplethat are doing mock interviews
or, you know, I've done somecounseling and I tell them this
is not going to be an easy path.
When you graduate, it's goingto be very stressful.
So, if you're not in it.
You know.
You have to realize that beforeyou go in.
(33:21):
Yeah, there's a lot of stresswaiting, even though it's two
years of school, but then it'slike a career of managing stress
and filling difficultsituations sometimes.
So, absolutely, it's not ashortcut, is what I try to tell
people.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Yeah, it's like, well , you get paid a lot of money
because what you have to do kindof takes its toll on you.
You know, I don't know thatpeople really appreciate that.
I do think, you know, obviouslythere's so much good within the
profession and I do think weare valued in a way that, you
know, our capitalistic societyvalues people, which is by money
.
I think we're valued well, butit's not without its costs.
(33:58):
So I'm just interested what youthink money personally has
given you.
You know, in terms of, like,happiness, security, like what
are those things that money hasgiven you personally?
Speaker 1 (34:11):
It's still something that I'm working on, but
definitely the last vacation Iwent on in New Mexico, um, that
was my favorite vacation andthat was the vacation where, um,
I paid for like a hot airballoon ride for my partner's
birthday and I got to treat himand he said he loved it.
So I feel like for me, it'sjust given me just peace when
(34:35):
I'm experiencing new things.
You know also the means toexperience new things that I
would have never done before.
And, yeah, I don't have toworry about paying my rent.
You know I could do both thingsat the same time and enjoy my
life as I'm saving, investingand taking care of myself.
So it's just giving me a lotmore opportunity to enjoy life
(34:57):
in the present and I'm slowlycoming off the mindset of just
saving for the future and justput everything away, because you
never know when something'sgoing to happen, or when I'm 55,
that's when I'll finally get toexperience life.
I'm starting to enjoy life alot more now.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
It's really nice.
And how old are you now, joelle?
I'm 29.
That's what I thought.
Yeah, I'm just so wowed by thebravery and the tenacity of your
story.
I just wonder for people whoare listening, who maybe
resonate with a difficultchildhood, one that had abuse or
trauma or shame in it, how youmanage to take risks Like, for
(35:41):
example, you know, going from afull-time W-2, which is an
employed position that's likevery stable to a locum's
position.
Maybe you could talk a littlebit about that.
And do you encounter situationsin the operating room where
you're like oh, this istriggering me, this is one of my
insecurities.
Do you just not feel that?
Do you have a way to movethrough that?
Speaker 1 (36:04):
So there's a lot.
First, the biggest thing I feellike was having a direction to
go in.
If you're in an earlier stageof your journey, I think it's
important to just have anoverall direction, keep an open
mind at the same time, becauseyou might change your ideas as
(36:24):
you grow and get moreexperiences, but you just work
towards the direction you wantto go in and then you take small
steps towards that.
So that's for that stage inlife.
In terms of becoming, I'vealways kind of been a risk taker
, I guess I don't know.
I've always just been like youknow what, let me just try it
(36:45):
out.
And it's worked out really,really well.
Like I feel like I've alwaysbeen a bit more bold.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
You have.
I can see that in your story.
I mean just even being able totell your parents when you're a
kid like no, I want to go toschool, I want to take this
extracurricular, like that isnot something that everyone
would probably describethemselves as.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
I guess, like there's like that saying of like the
squeaky wheel gets the oil, andthat's just kind of what I
noticed.
It's like no one is going to dothis for me.
I have to put myself out thereand try something on my own, and
obviously I'm not going to.
You know, it's not exactly likedo it and then ask for
forgiveness.
It's more like just ask if Icould do it, and most likely
(37:29):
that's usually a yes or you know, like usually works out if you
put yourself out there and so,yeah, I've just always been that
person to put myself out there.
And I guess, honestly, I feellike I've handled rejection.
I've handled, you know, no's alot.
So, um, I just keep puttingmyself out there and I take
whatever opportunity comes myway and just keep going with
(37:52):
that momentum and yeah, that'salways how I've been.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
Is there a no in your career or a?
Speaker 1 (38:02):
rejection in your like CAA career that you feel
comfortable sharing.
There hasn't really been a no.
It's more like, I guess, likewhen I was an undergrad I would
apply to scholarships sometimesand just I feel like it just
made me more tolerant torejection.
So mostly like an undergrad iswhere I faced some of that
rejection and I became morecomfortable with it as an AA.
(38:25):
For the most part it's beenpretty good, I would say.
I guess I got a rejection or Ifeel like it was a soft
rejection when I finished myfirst clinical rotation and I
wasn't necessarily excited towork there, but I did want to
just put myself out there and dothe interview process.
(38:46):
I do feel, coming from poverty,I was very in my shell and very
much feeling like impostersyndrome, so I didn't, in my
opinion, shine very, very brightand so I feel like I got a soft
no from that place, but itwasn't like a hard feeling.
But yeah, I just put myself outthere and I'm like, okay, cool,
(39:07):
so next time it's just, in myopinion, it was more interview
practice or I just put myselfout there and see how it goes,
and sometimes I want things andyou know, sometimes I don't.
I'll still try it and see howit goes and go on from there.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
Yeah, you've built your trust muscle in yourself
Like I can take these littlerisks early on and over time
when you see like, okay, Ididn't die, I didn't.
You know, that's how you learnthe skill of navigating failure
as an adult.
It's like you take little risksalong the way.
I am interested, though,because you just brought up
imposter syndrome and you soundlike you know things have kind
(39:45):
of worked out through everythingthat you've faced.
I can see you know that thiswas all meant for you, but I do
think it's interesting if youwant to touch on the imposter
syndrome, that, of course, maybeis there too, that maybe people
are resonating with Definitely.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
I feel I went through a lot growing up, but I still
feel like I was very sheltered,and so then, also in undergrad,
I focused a lot on studying andso I feel like there were just
certain social things that Inever picked up on and there's
still gaps.
I feel like I still feel like Iget teased sometimes about
(40:23):
certain things and I'm like,well, that's just me.
No, whatever, at this point I'mjust like that's just how I am.
But as a student I feltcriticism and I was very
critical of myself.
Yeah, I feel like in the AAworld there's a lot of people
that come from financialprivilege and I didn't feel like
I could always relate to peoplein that way.
(40:46):
And I wasn't in a sorority incollege.
So I don't drink.
That's a choice I've madepretty early on.
Sometimes I'll drink, but Ireally, really don't drink, so I
felt a little bit sociallydifferent.
So, yeah, definitely was in myhead about how I was moving
through the world.
I guess Something I'm stilltrying to understand, but I feel
(41:08):
like I've worked on it a lot.
Speaker 2 (41:12):
I just want to let that sink in, because I know
that's really important to youto share your story, to share
your story of overcomingdomestic violence and how
financial security has reallybeen a cornerstone of the life
that you want to build.
I'm just wondering where yousee your platform going in terms
(41:33):
of talking about CAA, financialwellness and maybe your future
in that space.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
I definitely feel like, as my finances and my
journey changes, my content ischanging.
I'm not really thinking aboutstudent loans anymore and so I'm
not really making that sort ofcontent anymore.
I feel like going locum.
It's a really, really goodbalance right now of being able
to enjoy life and then also workand make a really good living
(42:01):
with maybe working a little less.
So I feel like that's thedirection I want to take my
content and we'll see if thatresonates with people, because
it's not necessarily contentthat is going to connect, I
think, with the same audiencethat connected with me in the
past.
But I feel like my content isgoing to be reflecting just
where I am in life and thedirections I'm taking.
(42:22):
So I'll try to keep in mindstudent loan content and, you
know, things that other peoplecan relate to.
But, yeah, I feel like mycontent is just going to follow
my journey to financialindependence and also, you know,
enjoying the journey at thesame time.
So I think that's where I'mtaking it.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
Yeah, I'm excited to watch that.
That's more of my angle as well.
You commented that a lot ofpeople in the CA profession come
from a privileged backgroundand I knew that.
That's my background backgroundand I knew that's my
perspective of having thingsmore so handed to me, and I've
(42:59):
been wrestling with that myself.
I'm just wondering how do yousee the CAA profession moving
forward in terms of diversityand a diversification of the
type of people we attract?
Speaker 1 (43:10):
So I definitely feel sometimes on the outside a
little bit, but I feel like Iwork really, really hard to fit
in and so I do feel like I'mtrying to take up skiing.
Maybe that's the way I canconnect.
I want to connect with mycoworkers and have a good
relationship, but, yeah, thereare times where I feel like I
(43:33):
can't relate to certain things.
But, yeah, there are timeswhere I feel like I can't relate
(43:56):
to certain things.
Also, I grew up in New YorkCity, so that's a more blue
mindset and there's a lot of redin this field.
So there are definitely somedivisions, but I just try to let
people have their opinionsabout certain things and I do
try sometimes to separatecertain disagreements and you
know different points of viewand still come together and
connect with my coworkers asmuch as I can.
In terms of diversity, I thinkthat pages like mine and like
social media, that's how moreminorities that don't
necessarily have family, thatare AAs, can learn about the
(44:17):
field, and that's why I keepdoing what I'm doing, because I
want it to reach people thatdon't have like that into the AA
world, and so hopefully thatwill keep shaping things to be a
bit more diverse, but at thesame time, it is, I think, going
to attract people that hearabout the salary and maybe it's
helping, and maybe it's alsoattracting more people that you
(44:40):
know are focused on the salary,but at the same time, I
understand that it's importantto take care of ourselves.
So I understand why someonewould be attracted to the salary
and you know, I understand theimportance of financial security
.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
Yeah, yeah, it's like we don't want to hide it.
We don't need to hide it, butit's also not just the reason
you should be becoming a CAA.
Yeah, okay, one more question,I think, and then maybe we'll
make sure everyone knows how toconnect with you.
So much of Season 4 is abouthow to stay healthy, be healthy
(45:18):
and thrive as a CAA.
So many of the resources I'mcreating and so many of the
interviews that I'm doing, I'mtrying to really hit that
message home.
How do you think being a CAAallows you to be healthy and
thrive?
Speaker 1 (45:29):
Well, thinking about.
When I grew up, I would you knowmy parents weren't home, I
would eat takeout french friesand chicken wings from wherever.
So now I can afford for sure tohave more healthy groceries and
eat from organic places.
I did also have the benefitthat my parents did have a farm,
(45:51):
so that was still.
That's always kind of been inme, but now I can definitely
afford that as an adult, and Ido believe that, you know, where
you are at 55 is influenced bywhere you are at 30 and like the
habits that you have, and so Ido feel very financially secure
right now, where I don'tnecessarily have to pick up
(46:13):
overtime, and so I'm trying tofocus on being healthier.
That's my goal as I turn 30 isto become a healthier version of
myself and not feel so inclinedto pick up overtime and just
take care of the body that I'min, you know, and just try to
think about things like 20 yearsdown the line, because I have
(46:35):
financial security allows me toeat better food and then also
have more time to pursue thethings that make me happy and,
you know, recharge and also havetime to, you know, go to the
gym and be fit.
Speaker 2 (46:46):
I love that.
I love that that the the moneyhas allowed you to prioritize
your health and your time moreso than any amount of dollars.
Like you can't buy your time,you can't buy your healthy.
Yeah, I totally get that and Ilove that and I love that
message.
I love ending on that message.
How can people connect with you?
(47:07):
What's the best way to followyou and talk about all your
socials and channels?
Speaker 1 (47:12):
So I am a bit overwhelmed socials and channels
.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
So I am a bit overwhelmed, so maybe wait a
month.
Yeah, so actually yes pleasewait a little bit.
December is going to be thebest time to connect.
What if we just want to followyou?
Just follow you, maybe not?
Speaker 1 (47:30):
ask you tons of questions.
The best places are, uh, califestyle, on Instagram, on
YouTube, on Tik TOK Um,instagram is probably the place
where I respond to the mostcomments, um, mostly in the
comment section, but I do uhfeel like, if questions are a
little bit too personal, um, Idon't, I want to focus on the
(47:51):
questions that are going toanswer questions for everyone.
So those are usually the way Iprioritize answering questions.
So, if you want to have apersonal one-on-one, just
message me and we'll talk aboutthat and do you think you're
going to post more on yourYouTube channel.
Speaker 2 (48:07):
I know you've taken a bit of a pause there because
you had so much educationalcontent initially much
educational content initially.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
So I still have vlogs from last year and so much
content from last year that Ihaven't really touched in a year
.
I haven't really worked on it.
That's still what I want to do,because I feel like the YouTube
community.
That's where I kind of grew upand that's how I've connected
with content creators and reallyunderstood their stories.
So that is something I want togo back to.
But I want to also just berealistic and not overwhelm
(48:41):
myself.
But ideally, I'll get thesevideos done this winter.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
Well, don't let me pressure you, because I
certainly am trying to embodythe fact that every yes you say
yes to something.
It means you're saying no to athousand other things.
You say yes to a YouTube video,you say no to working out some
days, you know.
Speaker 1 (48:59):
Exactly yeah, and I have been.
I don't want to?
Speaker 2 (49:02):
Yeah, totally, and I think it's really, really honest
and valuable to exactly saythat that I can't create all of
this content and also do thosethings that allow me to be
healthy and thrive as a CAAs,and I get to have that choice
now because, you know, that'sthe life he worked so hard for.
So I'm so grateful for thisconversation.
Chabeli, I will be sure to putall of your information in the
(49:24):
show notes and, yeah, I lookforward to seeing what's next
for you on Instagram.
That's where I tend to connectwith you, and I'll be sure to
post any new YouTube videos, ifthose ever do come out.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
So thank you so much.
Thank you, Mary Jean.
This was a great conversation.
I appreciate you letting meshare my story in such a
comfortable way.
Speaker 2 (49:45):
Wonderful.
I'm grateful for you.
If you loved this episode.
I really encourage you to shareit with another CAA in your
life or AA student orprospective AA that you know.
It really helps to get themessage about CAAs and our
profession out to a wideraudience.
(50:05):
It also helps share the messageof this podcast, which is that
this very unique and specializedprofession is really uniquely
able to help CAAs live their owndream life, to create their
life by design, to gainfinancial independence if they
so choose, to break thosegenerational barriers that maybe
(50:26):
held their parents back ortheir grandparents.
There's just so many goodthings about this profession and
no one's really talking aboutit, and when I first was looking
for resources and my own CAAcommunity, outside of the few
CAAs I knew who I worked with, Icouldn't find one, and so it's
so valuable now that people likeChabeli and Anesthesia Sal, who
(50:50):
we mentioned in this episode,and Anesthesia Anonymous and
just so many other contentcreators who are really taking
their time to share theirspecific journey with the CA
profession, because that's trulyhow our profession is going to
grow, in addition to people justmeeting us in the operating
room and us sharing who we areand what we do, and so I just
(51:12):
would really appreciate if youguys would share this podcast
episode with someone that youknow would be interested or
maybe a little confused aboutwhat a CAA is or what we do.
Other ways to connect with meare on Instagram.
You can DM me or find me thereat AwakendAnesthetist.
You can sign up for my onlinenewsletter.
(51:33):
There's a link for that in theshow notes and then also coming
up in December, if you'relistening in real time we have
our next Making Connections forseason four.
This is an opportunity that Ihost every month.
I welcome AA students, caasperspectives, anyone interested
or even sort of on the peripheryof this CAA community to come
(51:56):
and gather.
We do a little bit of grounding, we do a little bit of
meditation and then we talk anddiscuss a theme for the month.
We've already done things likeboundaries and navigating
failure.
This month, in December of 2024, we're going to do something a
little different.
We are going to be talkingabout intention setting and how
we want to feel in 2025, butit's actually going to be hosted
(52:18):
as an Instagram Live and I'veinvited three other CAA content
creators to join me, so it'll bea conversation between those
three people and myself.
Of course, anyone else is alsoinvited to sort of play along
with us, do the grounding, themeditation, do the intention
setting and sort of theconversation there, and then
we're going to open it up for aQ&A for anyone who's there.
(52:40):
You'll have a really uniquechance to talk to several
different types of CAs atdifferent points of their career
, people who are doing differentthings online, and sort of just
get a really wide and variedperspective, which is, I think,
really valuable.
So I'm excited to host that onDecember 29th.
There's going to be moreinformation in the show notes as
(53:01):
well, as I'll be posting thingson Instagram about it, so just
be looking out for that.
I think that's all.
I hope everyone has a wonderfulwinter holiday and hopefully a
nice little break from school ora few days off from work if
you're so lucky.
I know this is fourth quarter,so it's like the whole world is
resting, but the operating roomis ramping up, so it's a little
(53:23):
bit of a hard spot, for sure,for CAAs.
Personally, I am going to betaking some time off from the
podcast and I will be back inJanuary of 2025 with more
process episodes, moreinsightful meditative episodes
and, of course, the CAAminiseries that I'm running
called Understanding CertifiedAnesthesiologist Assistance your
(53:46):
Complete Guide.
I have a big one coming upabout money and how much money
AAs make, so I'm excited toshare that in 2025.
All right, happy holidayseveryone.
I hope you have a wonderful newyear'm excited to share that in
2025.
All right, happy holidayseveryone.
No-transcript.
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