March 15, 2025 • 26 mins
Lisa shares her transformative journey from educator to entrepreneur and police officer, emphasizing the importance of overcoming struggles to achieve personal growth. Through self-care practices and mentorship, she empowers listeners to embrace their unique paths and find their voices.
Lisa Meade Romero
- Tel: +1 954-326-2309
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-meade-romero/
- Website: LisaMeadeRomero.com
- Email: lisameaderomero@gmail.com
• Lisa’s business focuses on personalized skincare education
• History of early life challenges affecting personal growth
• Overcoming negative thought patterns through therapy
• Advocating for self-care as a vital component of mental health
• Transitioning from teaching to law enforcement and the lessons learned
• The value of seeking mentorship in overcoming fear
• Encouragement for listeners to embrace change and pursue their passions
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Voiceover (00:03):
Tales from the wild, stories from the heart.
A journey into the mind andsoul of fired up business
professionals, where they sharetheir vision for the future and
hear from a different non-profitorganization every month as
they create awareness of theirgoals and their needs.
Dive into a world of untamedpassion as we join our host,
(00:27):
Shireen Botha, for this month'sepisode of Friends from Wild
Places.
Shireen Botha (00:35):
Can you tell the listeners, Lisa, what is it
exactly that you do in yourbusiness?
Lisa Meade Romero (00:41):
My business is making you feel beautiful.
I'm it.
My business is.
I'm in the business of makingyou look good, right?
Whether it be educating you,which is 95% of my business, is
I educate individuals on whatproper skincare is for them,
right?
Because there's not a one size.
(01:02):
There is not one product outthere that's going to be the
miracle product for everybody.
So, if you think, like the nextInstagram, tiktok, whatever fad
is going to be it for you, it'sprobably not.
Everybody has unique skin.
Everybody has unique chemistryand it's about having that
personal coach that's going towalk you through that.
Because my focus is if you are abusy mom of six kids and you're
(01:25):
going to work, you don't havetime to do like 30 steps of
skincare.
It makes no sense.
Why would I be like this is theskincare plan for you?
It doesn't make sense.
I want to make something fitinto your budget.
Number one, because you have tofeel like you can afford it and
fit it to your time and yourlifestyle.
If it doesn't fit into that,nobody.
You have to feel like you canafford it and fit it to your
time and your lifestyle.
If it doesn't fit into that,nobody's going to do anything.
(01:49):
So I'm educating you on what'sthe proper steps.
I'm educating you on if you wantto update your makeup look, or
what's even the proper way toput makeup on that's going to
enhance your bone structure,enhance your looks, and some
people just don't even knowwhat's a professional
application of makeup that'sgoing to make you seem
(02:09):
professional versus hey, this isa glam, this is an appropriate
date night, probably notappropriate for the office, but
there's a difference in somefactors.
So I educate and then, like thatlast like 5% is I've partnered
with the product line Mary Kaybecause I believe in them, I
believe in what they stand forand I can sell you products that
I believe are great quality.
(02:30):
But 95% of it is me educatingyou on what's the best steps for
you, what things actually do toyour skin, what these products
actually do, and just making youhave a good time.
So sometimes it's about gettingpeople together and having a
spotlight, because you just needlike 60 minutes away from the
(02:51):
craziness of your life and thatthat adds value to you.
You now know that touching yourskin reminds you that you're a
human being and you're worththat investment 100 percent.
Shireen Botha (03:01):
Tanya thatanya.
Tanya Scotece (03:02):
That's beautiful.
That's beautiful, Lisa.
Couldn't you give?
Shireen Botha (03:06):
me a gift from um , from Mary Kay, and ask
beautiful mint foot cream.
Tanya Scotece (03:12):
Oh, the footsie rolls, the footsie rolls, I love
that.
Yes, yes, yes, it's one of myfavorites.
It was funny.
Shireen Botha (03:20):
Thanks, tanya.
Tanya Scotece (03:21):
I love it.
I have, um, I have a question.
So it's so interesting when wehave the podcast because you
know, I know you from, you knowas a friend, as a colleague, you
know business partner in thedimension that we know them and
(03:45):
what they share, right.
So all the time that I've knownyou for you know several years
now you know it's always Ialways see you as, like you know
this, entrepreneur, different,you know backgrounds, and it was
actually interesting it took meby surprise a little while ago
when you shared you shared theword struggles that you've had
and I'm like wow, I neverthought Lisa had any struggles,
like I mean it's, and I don'tmean to like you know, you know,
(04:06):
shed light on maybe a sensitivearea, but can you shed some
light as far as cause, just fromthe career aspect?
It's like you've been a teacherand you've been a police
officer and business owner,entrepreneur, community figure,
and I know you shared a littlebit about you know just basic
skills, you know, with having,you know a young mom, you know,
(04:28):
and not having those fundamentalskills, can you shed a little
bit deeper into other struggles?
Because I'm just curious, Imean I always see you just as
this like admirable person inthe community.
So, if you don't mind, I'd justbe interested in knowing.
Lisa Meade Romero (04:42):
So if you don't mind, I'd just be
interested in knowing.
Yeah, well, I think we all havestruggles, right, and it's what
defines us.
How we move through thosemoments is what defines us.
So my parents were super young.
My mom was 16 when she gotpregnant with my older sister.
(05:04):
She got married as a junior.
She got married to my dad whenshe was in junior high school.
I had my sister in her summerbreak and went back to school to
finish it.
So my parents were alwaysstruggling financially.
Not in the fact that we never Iwill say this, I never wanted
for anything that I needed,right, and because of that,
(05:30):
things were stressful at home.
Right, you have kids, raisingkids, and everybody has their
own individual struggles.
My dad has his own strugglesand at times, you know, there
was some physical and emotionalabuse growing up, because
anxiety and all of that usuallycomes out in some form of anger,
(05:53):
which was a became my defaultemotion.
That became my normal.
I grew up like just like angry,not understanding things right,
Like you're a kid.
You're like well, I can't think.
I mean, I prayed for my parentsto get a divorce when I was
(06:14):
little.
My parents are still together,but all of these, these things.
I left home when I was 16.
I went to live with my aunt anduncle because I was like I just
can't handle this anymore.
I literally made the decisionto go to college away from home
because I was like, listen, likeeither I will kill myself or
I'm going to kill somebody else.
Because, like, I cannot livelike this.
(06:34):
You know, it was just not ahealthy place, which is not
uncommon.
You know, like I don't think mychildhood was necessarily it
wasn't horrible.
You know, I still had love, Istill had, you know, lots of
other things and pleasantexperiences, but it definitely
caused me to adopt a negativethought pattern.
(06:57):
It caused me to adopt this ideaof I'm not good enough, I'm too
emotional, I'm too this.
You know, if I just triedharder, I would do it better.
Like there was all these littleyou know the negative self-talk
that happens and I'm gratefulthat, even through all that,
(07:19):
like, I watched my parents beable to put food on the table.
My mom would waitress at night,She'd come home and she'd count
her tips and cash and we wouldgo to the grocery store the next
day and that's how we boughtour food.
So I was always learning abouthow life happened, like how life
really is.
So when I went to college, mymom was like you go anywhere.
You want to go.
(07:39):
I have $2,000, which I didn'texpect my parents to give me
anything, you know.
Um, and so I, I picked theUniversity of Miami.
So I went and got myself like a$150,000 education.
But it was this because in mymind there was no barrier of
like, even though I had thatnegative self-talk of like me as
(08:00):
a person.
Right, I had always achieved,like I, because it was expected
of me.
Right, Like you get eight, youdo this like I had achieved and
I had seen my parents achieve intheir struggles.
So, even though internally Ihad a negative self image,
externally it was this find away, make a way attitude.
Like I got to find a way out ofthis house, I got to find a way
(08:22):
to make this out.
Like it was just like almostlike a survival, like find a way
, make a way to make thingshappen with a hard work ethic.
And so I found a way to go tocollege for four years and with
leave of $10,000 in studentloans and three grand on a
credit card, like that.
That wasn't a accomplishment.
(08:43):
Now, at the end of four yearswas I broke, mentally spent, um,
emotionally drained that Icouldn't even continue, like.
So my degree is in geology andphysics, totally random, um,
because I loved it, right, Ilove.
I'm more like, if I'm going tostudy, I'm going to study things
that I love, and I wanted tolearn about our groundwater
system and you, you know theearth, and I still love all
(09:06):
these things.
But I could not go get amaster's program because I was
like I mentally cannot handlethis any longer and I've been
blessed to have supportivepeople around me.
So, like, I think one of thosestruggles, like dealing with
learning to deal with thatemotional, like internal,
(09:26):
negative self-image but tosurvive externally, was a real
like dichotomy and it took me,you know, years to overcome that
right, Obviously with sometherapy and other stuff, and I,
we still struggle with thatright.
So even now my husband will saysomething and I'll like trigger
that thought pattern and I'llbe like that's, that's not a
(09:47):
healthy thought pattern, right,Like I have to step out of it.
I'll be like, yes, he doesn'tintend to hurt my feelings, Like
this is, you know, I still haveto talk myself out of those
things, Um, but being able to, Iguess, achieve externally.
Uh, gave me that space for forme mentally and emotionally to
(10:10):
wow.
It's just one little part.
I mean, we could talk all dayabout the problems but it's
amazing.
Tanya Scotece (10:15):
It's amazing and so I'm gonna just probe a little
deeper in your uh in thejourney here.
So when you said you knowobviously we, you know shereen
and I talked a lot about mentalhealth, mental wellness, um
therapy you know differentmodalities what other things had
you found helpful or do youfind helpful that maybe you
could share with the listenersin addition to therapy that has
been beneficial for you?
Lisa Meade Romero (10:37):
So I'm a big proponent, right, of self-care.
Big proponent of self-care andnot just like, okay, skincare
and beauty Self-care in terms ofcarving out pockets of time for
yourself, even if they're smallpockets, right?
So even in law enforcement, ifI had a small pocket in the day
and for 15 minutes I could read,like that trashy novel in my
(11:02):
car.
I'll read to trash it Like itshuts my brain off it, it
transports me to another placewhere I'm not thinking about all
of the stressors in my life, sosmall and find out what that is
for you, right.
So for me, I know I can read atrashy novel and I'll feel
better.
I know that I can take a walkoutside, like I love to be
(11:22):
outside.
I can sit there and just watchthe trees I can.
I can watch the water on theocean even better If I can just
close my eyes and listen tonature.
Those are all things that willfill my cup, right.
So it's about finding what your, what your place is.
That kind of gives you thatmoment to breathe and to just be
(11:46):
still in that moment and kindof like let everything fall away
.
So I love that.
I also love um exercise.
I actually like stretching morethan anything.
I love to stretch to just likebreathe and be in the moment,
let that tension leave your body.
I think is great as well, and Ido believe that a lot of it has
(12:09):
to do with my, my faith thatthere's a greater power out
there and understanding that I'mnot in control and I just don't
understand what's going on.
But I am where I am.
Even though all of these thingshave happened to us along the
way, and things haven't beenpleasant at all times, I am
(12:30):
grateful for where I am.
I live a great life.
I have a loving husband, Idon't struggle financially, I'm
in a place where I get to addvalue and be of service to other
people.
Like what else could I want for, you know?
So I think having thatperspective too, you know,
thinking about that, like welive in a country where we're
not dealing with bombs every day, you know, like these are all
(12:51):
things like, when you putyourself in that perspective of
gratitude, I think helps yourmental health a lot, because
when you're struggling you'realways just looking inside.
It's about what's happening inmy sphere, what's happening to
me, and it's almost like that,that victim hood, you know, and
(13:11):
that's why I think that quoteright of choices is so powerful
to me because it gives me thatpower back.
The power of choice is soimpactful and that gives people
that, that self-worth, or that,hey, I have some control in this
situation where it feels out ofcontrol.
Tanya Scotece (13:50):
Hmm Interesting.
Lisa Meade Romero (13:50):
And the education piece you said you,
you know you studied atUniversity of.
Tanya Scotece (13:51):
Miami.
Congratulations.
I mean that's a very difficultschool to get in and be
successful in, socongratulations on that journey.
You said you studied geologyand physics, and I'm just trying
to kind of bridge the gap here.
How do all things fit together,right?
Yeah, what's the puzzle?
What's Lisa's puzzle?
So the education piece how didyou get into education and what
did you teach and how did youget out of it?
Because most people that getinto education don't leave
education.
Lisa Meade Romero (14:04):
Yeah.
So I got into teaching and Itaught at a private Catholic
school in Fort Lauderdale,florida, because the University
of Miami has this amazingprogram where they have faculty
families that live in the dormsand so they're like your mentors
.
And I got really close to onefamily and he was a marine
(14:25):
science professor and his wifewas in the school system in
Broward County and obviouslythey knew me.
We talked about what's going tohappen after Am I going to go
back to Massachusetts, where allmy family's from?
And she said to me you have ascience degree.
If you just need a job, theyneed science teachers Like you
(14:48):
will get hired, like, just, it'sa possibility.
And I was like, okay, like,like, kind of like that, okay,
it's a possibility.
And I was like, okay, like,like, kind of like that.
Okay, I have, I have something,I have a marketable skill and I
just need to eat somethingother than ramen noodles.
So what, what?
What are we here?
So I got hired at this privatehigh school and I taught
chemistry and physics right atmy wheelhouse.
(15:10):
I loved it.
And I even loved more when astudent struggled in my
chemistry class and they choseto sign up for my physics class,
which is like an elective.
I'm like, ah, like I've made ascience person out of somebody,
like it was just like, yes, andI loved to transfer skills,
right.
So I saw kids, which I think isinteresting, right, right, so I
(15:34):
saw kids, which I think isinteresting, right.
Schools are so different acrossAmerica.
The schooling system is sodifferent.
I came from a public school inMassachusetts and I was like
wait a second, this is privateschool, like what is going on in
Florida, that this is privateschool.
So I was like these kids needsome life, life skills.
So, yes, I taught chemistry andphysics, but I taught more like
(15:55):
how to take notes, because Iwas like kids need these skills,
right, kids need actual skills.
And at the going into my fourthyear there I was already.
There was some friction, let'ssay, between me and the
administration, because therewas a slight bit of hierarchy at
(16:16):
this school.
Like you, were a man.
Okay, then you were a woman whohad graduated from that school,
so you're like a female alum.
And then there's all the otherfemales.
So I tend not to do great inenvironments such as that.
I have a little bit large of apersonality, I will say, and one
of them was like it's not right, it doesn't you know which.
(16:38):
The world is not fair, itdoesn't matter.
And so a bulletin had come outfrom the FBI.
The FBI was looking for math andscience degrees to apply to the
position of special agent and Iwas like oh, you know, like
this is one aspect of geology Iwas really interested in,
because forensic geology inWorld War II was used.
(17:00):
A lot were sending over hot airballoons to bomb the western
coast of the United States andthe ones that did not explode
had sediments still attached tothem and so they could determine
what beaches they were beinglaunched on overseas to
coordinate attacks.
So to me it's all about apuzzle, right?
Science to me is like theultimate puzzle.
(17:21):
It's like how do we figurethings out?
And I said, okay, things aren'treally.
I'm not feeling my jam here,right?
So I chose not to.
We always had a I think we had alike in mid, mid year sign a
contract for the next teachingyear.
So I had applied in likeOctober for this program with
the FBI and I had started goingthrough the process, which is
(17:42):
really interesting.
You actually have to do severaltests, like written tests,
which which kind of makes sense,right, like then a math test,
which you're kind of like why doI need to do a math test?
But it is and then like areading comprehension, then get
an oral interview.
Well, I was still going throughall those different processes
and they said oh, here's yourteaching contract.
I'm like, yeah, I'm not goingto sign.
They're like, oh, no.
(18:02):
And I'm like, yeah, no, I'm notgoing to sign.
So I ended up not getting thejob with the fbi.
Do you know why?
Because they told me I had nolaw enforcement experience.
And I was like, hold up, youasked for a science or math
degree.
Like, what type of lawenforcement experience did you
expect me to have?
Right, um?
but at the time I was dating aguy who worked for the sheriff's
office and he's like listen,you are too smart, but you can
be a cop.
If you want to be a cop, likego.
(18:23):
But at the time I was dating aguy who worked for the sheriff's
office and he's like listen,you are too smart, but you can
be a cop.
If you want to be a cop, likego, get a couple of years of
experience and they'll hire you.
So they came back to me theschool and was like are you sure
you don't want to have yourteaching job?
And I was like yeah, no, Ireally don't want to.
And like things happen for areason.
Right, like I was ready toleave that job for a reason.
(18:45):
I was struggling there justbeing in that environment.
So I went on this journey anddecided I'm going to be a cop.
Why not Again?
Find a way, make a way, right,like, ah, this is the next
logical step, let's just make ithappen.
I got hired by the Boca RatonPolice Department and within a
year I was on the bomb squad andI was like science-y stuff, so
(19:09):
excited, get to solve puzzles.
And then I was like wait, I cando my 20 years and be done and
be in my mid-40s and retired, Ithink that I can just do this
right, and the reality was,people were so confused that I
could go from teaching to lawenforcement.
They're like, that's sodifferent.
(19:29):
And I was like is it, though,because you're trying to
communicate with people whodon't want to hear your message
and get them on your team, likethat's really what you're doing,
right?
I'm trying to feed thisinformation to high school
students who don't want to knowit and get them to learn it.
Or I'm trying to deal with anangry criminal or angry
(19:49):
neighbors, get them to to youknow, resolve their problem, and
we all move on.
It's the same thing, it's.
It was all about communication,different styles of
communication and in different,I guess, arenas, but it was all
just about communication, and Iwas so excited I got to do all
my science-y stuff with the bombsquad.
(20:10):
So to me, life is like a puzzle, like if you get like, oh, I
love to figure it out, I love tofigure it out, and so that's
really what, what it's been theconnecting factor, maybe through
everything, but I loved, Iloved being a cop, I loved being
a bomb technician.
Like I loved that.
I loved looking at x-rays andbeing like, okay, that's a
(20:30):
spring and that's a switch andit looks like it works this way.
Shireen Botha (20:34):
It's just fascinating to me example of you
are painting your canvas.
And right now your canvas isyou've got some water paint,
you've got some acrylic paint,you've got a couple of photos
(20:55):
thrown in there.
It's all.
It's yours and it's unique andabsolutely beautiful.
And I have another question,but I just want to pop in here
with a buzzsprout ad.
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(21:20):
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(21:41):
So to start your own podcasttoday, follow the link in the
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This lets Buzzsprout know thatwe sent you and it does help
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So just remember that the teamat Buzzsprout is passionate
about helping you succeed.
Back to you, lisa.
I have this question what is apiece of advice to give someone
(22:07):
who is at a later stage in lifethat wants to go out on their
own and they're not sure, orthey've got so many doubts in
their minds.
What is that piece of advice tohelp them make that decision
and leap of faith?
Lisa Meade Romero (22:36):
leap of faith for me it would be find a
mentor and do it anyways, likeif you have a calling on your
soul, like if you have an urgeto do something like that was
put there for a reason.
Like you have a skill set, youhave a message share, you have a
way to be of service to people,you have a product or whatever
it is.
Whatever that thing you want tostep out in is, you're thinking
(22:56):
about it for a reason, and sothe fear is just the fear.
It will go away when you startworking through it.
But finding a mentor who haswalked the path before you takes
away a lot of that fear andgives you a support system.
Shireen Botha (23:13):
I like that and I think that's so true, just from
practice and experience formyself.
Yes, I think that you've hitthe nail on the head there,
because I don't think the fearever goes away.
But I think courage is feelingthat fear and just doing it.
And part of my road actually isgetting a mentor.
(23:36):
And there were many times it'sa lonely road being a business
owner and entrepreneur and manytimes there were I wanted to
give up because it's theimposter syndrome, it's the fear
of failure.
There's so many things that runthrough my mind that I just
want to throw in the towel andstep away and choose an easier
(23:59):
way of doing this, because thisis mentally quite taxing.
But with having a mentorinvolved, that really helped um,
talk you off the ledge,encourage you, motivate you,
tell stories from theirexperience.
You know, like shereen, this is, this is normal, it's not
(24:22):
linear.
Being a business owner, you'vegot ups, you've got downs,
you've got to feel them and gothrough them, um.
So I agree with you, lisa,that's, that's a great piece of
advice.
Thank you very much.
It's just because and, tanya,you can obviously um either
agree, I think you agree withthis, but a lot of our listeners
(24:44):
, you know, we aim for peoplethat have decided later on in
life to no longer work forsomeone else but to go on their
own road and be an entrepreneurand business owner.
Um, and this specific platformthat we've created is a safe
(25:07):
space for these business ownersand entrepreneurs all for those
listeners that want to go out ontheir own and they don't have
the courage.
And this is exactly why webring guests like yourself on
the show, so that you canactually share it for our
listeners and go hey guys, thisis my road, this is my journey
(25:30):
and this is the advice I cangive to you.
Uh, so we really appreciate you,lisa, for um, for that advice
and just being here again,because your story is so unique
and it is.
It's not.
You didn't stick to one roadand maybe change it halfway.
You just decided who cares?
(25:51):
Who says you can only be this?
Who says you can only be this?
I can be whatever I feel likeit and choose to be, and maybe
next term you'll see me ridingfor vice president.
You know, tune in next week forpart three of friends from wild
places you've been listening tofriends from wild places with
(26:14):
shireen buetta.
Voiceover (26:16):
Be sure to subscribe to the podcast from the links to
catch every episode and unleashyour passion.
Tales from the wild, stories from the heart.
A journey into the mind andsoul of fired up business
professionals, where they sharetheir vision for the future and
hear from a different non-profitorganization every month as
they create awareness of theirgoals and their needs.
Dive into a world of untamedpassion as we join our host,
(00:27):
Shireen Botha, for this month'sepisode of Friends from Wild
Places.
Shireen Botha (00:35):
Can you tell the listeners, Lisa, what is it
exactly that you do in yourbusiness?
Lisa Meade Romero (00:41):
My business is making you feel beautiful.
I'm it.
My business is.
I'm in the business of makingyou look good, right?
Whether it be educating you,which is 95% of my business, is
I educate individuals on whatproper skincare is for them,
right?
Because there's not a one size.
(01:02):
There is not one product outthere that's going to be the
miracle product for everybody.
So, if you think, like the nextInstagram, tiktok, whatever fad
is going to be it for you, it'sprobably not.
Everybody has unique skin.
Everybody has unique chemistryand it's about having that
personal coach that's going towalk you through that.
Because my focus is if you are abusy mom of six kids and you're
(01:25):
going to work, you don't havetime to do like 30 steps of
skincare.
It makes no sense.
Why would I be like this is theskincare plan for you?
It doesn't make sense.
I want to make something fitinto your budget.
Number one, because you have tofeel like you can afford it and
fit it to your time and yourlifestyle.
If it doesn't fit into that,nobody.
You have to feel like you canafford it and fit it to your
time and your lifestyle.
If it doesn't fit into that,nobody's going to do anything.
(01:49):
So I'm educating you on what'sthe proper steps.
I'm educating you on if you wantto update your makeup look, or
what's even the proper way toput makeup on that's going to
enhance your bone structure,enhance your looks, and some
people just don't even knowwhat's a professional
application of makeup that'sgoing to make you seem
(02:09):
professional versus hey, this isa glam, this is an appropriate
date night, probably notappropriate for the office, but
there's a difference in somefactors.
So I educate and then, like thatlast like 5% is I've partnered
with the product line Mary Kaybecause I believe in them, I
believe in what they stand forand I can sell you products that
I believe are great quality.
(02:30):
But 95% of it is me educatingyou on what's the best steps for
you, what things actually do toyour skin, what these products
actually do, and just making youhave a good time.
So sometimes it's about gettingpeople together and having a
spotlight, because you just needlike 60 minutes away from the
(02:51):
craziness of your life and thatthat adds value to you.
You now know that touching yourskin reminds you that you're a
human being and you're worththat investment 100 percent.
Shireen Botha (03:01):
Tanya thatanya.
Tanya Scotece (03:02):
That's beautiful.
That's beautiful, Lisa.
Couldn't you give?
Shireen Botha (03:06):
me a gift from um , from Mary Kay, and ask
beautiful mint foot cream.
Tanya Scotece (03:12):
Oh, the footsie rolls, the footsie rolls, I love
that.
Yes, yes, yes, it's one of myfavorites.
It was funny.
Shireen Botha (03:20):
Thanks, tanya.
Tanya Scotece (03:21):
I love it.
I have, um, I have a question.
So it's so interesting when wehave the podcast because you
know, I know you from, you knowas a friend, as a colleague, you
know business partner in thedimension that we know them and
(03:45):
what they share, right.
So all the time that I've knownyou for you know several years
now you know it's always Ialways see you as, like you know
this, entrepreneur, different,you know backgrounds, and it was
actually interesting it took meby surprise a little while ago
when you shared you shared theword struggles that you've had
and I'm like wow, I neverthought Lisa had any struggles,
like I mean it's, and I don'tmean to like you know, you know,
(04:06):
shed light on maybe a sensitivearea, but can you shed some
light as far as cause, just fromthe career aspect?
It's like you've been a teacherand you've been a police
officer and business owner,entrepreneur, community figure,
and I know you shared a littlebit about you know just basic
skills, you know, with having,you know a young mom, you know,
(04:28):
and not having those fundamentalskills, can you shed a little
bit deeper into other struggles?
Because I'm just curious, Imean I always see you just as
this like admirable person inthe community.
So, if you don't mind, I'd justbe interested in knowing.
Lisa Meade Romero (04:42):
So if you don't mind, I'd just be
interested in knowing.
Yeah, well, I think we all havestruggles, right, and it's what
defines us.
How we move through thosemoments is what defines us.
So my parents were super young.
My mom was 16 when she gotpregnant with my older sister.
(05:04):
She got married as a junior.
She got married to my dad whenshe was in junior high school.
I had my sister in her summerbreak and went back to school to
finish it.
So my parents were alwaysstruggling financially.
Not in the fact that we never Iwill say this, I never wanted
for anything that I needed,right, and because of that,
(05:30):
things were stressful at home.
Right, you have kids, raisingkids, and everybody has their
own individual struggles.
My dad has his own strugglesand at times, you know, there
was some physical and emotionalabuse growing up, because
anxiety and all of that usuallycomes out in some form of anger,
(05:53):
which was a became my defaultemotion.
That became my normal.
I grew up like just like angry,not understanding things right,
Like you're a kid.
You're like well, I can't think.
I mean, I prayed for my parentsto get a divorce when I was
(06:14):
little.
My parents are still together,but all of these, these things.
I left home when I was 16.
I went to live with my aunt anduncle because I was like I just
can't handle this anymore.
I literally made the decisionto go to college away from home
because I was like, listen, likeeither I will kill myself or
I'm going to kill somebody else.
Because, like, I cannot livelike this.
(06:34):
You know, it was just not ahealthy place, which is not
uncommon.
You know, like I don't think mychildhood was necessarily it
wasn't horrible.
You know, I still had love, Istill had, you know, lots of
other things and pleasantexperiences, but it definitely
caused me to adopt a negativethought pattern.
(06:57):
It caused me to adopt this ideaof I'm not good enough, I'm too
emotional, I'm too this.
You know, if I just triedharder, I would do it better.
Like there was all these littleyou know the negative self-talk
that happens and I'm gratefulthat, even through all that,
(07:19):
like, I watched my parents beable to put food on the table.
My mom would waitress at night,She'd come home and she'd count
her tips and cash and we wouldgo to the grocery store the next
day and that's how we boughtour food.
So I was always learning abouthow life happened, like how life
really is.
So when I went to college, mymom was like you go anywhere.
You want to go.
(07:39):
I have $2,000, which I didn'texpect my parents to give me
anything, you know.
Um, and so I, I picked theUniversity of Miami.
So I went and got myself like a$150,000 education.
But it was this because in mymind there was no barrier of
like, even though I had thatnegative self-talk of like me as
(08:00):
a person.
Right, I had always achieved,like I, because it was expected
of me.
Right, Like you get eight, youdo this like I had achieved and
I had seen my parents achieve intheir struggles.
So, even though internally Ihad a negative self image,
externally it was this find away, make a way attitude.
Like I got to find a way out ofthis house, I got to find a way
(08:22):
to make this out.
Like it was just like almostlike a survival, like find a way
, make a way to make thingshappen with a hard work ethic.
And so I found a way to go tocollege for four years and with
leave of $10,000 in studentloans and three grand on a
credit card, like that.
That wasn't a accomplishment.
(08:43):
Now, at the end of four yearswas I broke, mentally spent, um,
emotionally drained that Icouldn't even continue, like.
So my degree is in geology andphysics, totally random, um,
because I loved it, right, Ilove.
I'm more like, if I'm going tostudy, I'm going to study things
that I love, and I wanted tolearn about our groundwater
system and you, you know theearth, and I still love all
(09:06):
these things.
But I could not go get amaster's program because I was
like I mentally cannot handlethis any longer and I've been
blessed to have supportivepeople around me.
So, like, I think one of thosestruggles, like dealing with
learning to deal with thatemotional, like internal,
(09:26):
negative self-image but tosurvive externally, was a real
like dichotomy and it took me,you know, years to overcome that
right, Obviously with sometherapy and other stuff, and I,
we still struggle with thatright.
So even now my husband will saysomething and I'll like trigger
that thought pattern and I'llbe like that's, that's not a
(09:47):
healthy thought pattern, right,Like I have to step out of it.
I'll be like, yes, he doesn'tintend to hurt my feelings, Like
this is, you know, I still haveto talk myself out of those
things, Um, but being able to, Iguess, achieve externally.
Uh, gave me that space for forme mentally and emotionally to
(10:10):
wow.
It's just one little part.
I mean, we could talk all dayabout the problems but it's
amazing.
Tanya Scotece (10:15):
It's amazing and so I'm gonna just probe a little
deeper in your uh in thejourney here.
So when you said you knowobviously we, you know shereen
and I talked a lot about mentalhealth, mental wellness, um
therapy you know differentmodalities what other things had
you found helpful or do youfind helpful that maybe you
could share with the listenersin addition to therapy that has
been beneficial for you?
Lisa Meade Romero (10:37):
So I'm a big proponent, right, of self-care.
Big proponent of self-care andnot just like, okay, skincare
and beauty Self-care in terms ofcarving out pockets of time for
yourself, even if they're smallpockets, right?
So even in law enforcement, ifI had a small pocket in the day
and for 15 minutes I could read,like that trashy novel in my
(11:02):
car.
I'll read to trash it Like itshuts my brain off it, it
transports me to another placewhere I'm not thinking about all
of the stressors in my life, sosmall and find out what that is
for you, right.
So for me, I know I can read atrashy novel and I'll feel
better.
I know that I can take a walkoutside, like I love to be
(11:22):
outside.
I can sit there and just watchthe trees I can.
I can watch the water on theocean even better If I can just
close my eyes and listen tonature.
Those are all things that willfill my cup, right.
So it's about finding what your, what your place is.
That kind of gives you thatmoment to breathe and to just be
(11:46):
still in that moment and kindof like let everything fall away
.
So I love that.
I also love um exercise.
I actually like stretching morethan anything.
I love to stretch to just likebreathe and be in the moment,
let that tension leave your body.
I think is great as well, and Ido believe that a lot of it has
(12:09):
to do with my, my faith thatthere's a greater power out
there and understanding that I'mnot in control and I just don't
understand what's going on.
But I am where I am.
Even though all of these thingshave happened to us along the
way, and things haven't beenpleasant at all times, I am
(12:30):
grateful for where I am.
I live a great life.
I have a loving husband, Idon't struggle financially, I'm
in a place where I get to addvalue and be of service to other
people.
Like what else could I want for, you know?
So I think having thatperspective too, you know,
thinking about that, like welive in a country where we're
not dealing with bombs every day, you know, like these are all
(12:51):
things like, when you putyourself in that perspective of
gratitude, I think helps yourmental health a lot, because
when you're struggling you'realways just looking inside.
It's about what's happening inmy sphere, what's happening to
me, and it's almost like that,that victim hood, you know, and
(13:11):
that's why I think that quoteright of choices is so powerful
to me because it gives me thatpower back.
The power of choice is soimpactful and that gives people
that, that self-worth, or that,hey, I have some control in this
situation where it feels out ofcontrol.
Tanya Scotece (13:50):
Hmm Interesting.
Lisa Meade Romero (13:50):
And the education piece you said you,
you know you studied atUniversity of.
Tanya Scotece (13:51):
Miami.
Congratulations.
I mean that's a very difficultschool to get in and be
successful in, socongratulations on that journey.
You said you studied geologyand physics, and I'm just trying
to kind of bridge the gap here.
How do all things fit together,right?
Yeah, what's the puzzle?
What's Lisa's puzzle?
So the education piece how didyou get into education and what
did you teach and how did youget out of it?
Because most people that getinto education don't leave
education.
Lisa Meade Romero (14:04):
Yeah.
So I got into teaching and Itaught at a private Catholic
school in Fort Lauderdale,florida, because the University
of Miami has this amazingprogram where they have faculty
families that live in the dormsand so they're like your mentors
.
And I got really close to onefamily and he was a marine
(14:25):
science professor and his wifewas in the school system in
Broward County and obviouslythey knew me.
We talked about what's going tohappen after Am I going to go
back to Massachusetts, where allmy family's from?
And she said to me you have ascience degree.
If you just need a job, theyneed science teachers Like you
(14:48):
will get hired, like, just, it'sa possibility.
And I was like, okay, like,like, kind of like that, okay,
it's a possibility.
And I was like, okay, like,like, kind of like that.
Okay, I have, I have something,I have a marketable skill and I
just need to eat somethingother than ramen noodles.
So what, what?
What are we here?
So I got hired at this privatehigh school and I taught
chemistry and physics right atmy wheelhouse.
(15:10):
I loved it.
And I even loved more when astudent struggled in my
chemistry class and they choseto sign up for my physics class,
which is like an elective.
I'm like, ah, like I've made ascience person out of somebody,
like it was just like, yes, andI loved to transfer skills,
right.
So I saw kids, which I think isinteresting, right, right, so I
(15:34):
saw kids, which I think isinteresting, right.
Schools are so different acrossAmerica.
The schooling system is sodifferent.
I came from a public school inMassachusetts and I was like
wait a second, this is privateschool, like what is going on in
Florida, that this is privateschool.
So I was like these kids needsome life, life skills.
So, yes, I taught chemistry andphysics, but I taught more like
(15:55):
how to take notes, because Iwas like kids need these skills,
right, kids need actual skills.
And at the going into my fourthyear there I was already.
There was some friction, let'ssay, between me and the
administration, because therewas a slight bit of hierarchy at
(16:16):
this school.
Like you, were a man.
Okay, then you were a woman whohad graduated from that school,
so you're like a female alum.
And then there's all the otherfemales.
So I tend not to do great inenvironments such as that.
I have a little bit large of apersonality, I will say, and one
of them was like it's not right, it doesn't you know which.
(16:38):
The world is not fair, itdoesn't matter.
And so a bulletin had come outfrom the FBI.
The FBI was looking for math andscience degrees to apply to the
position of special agent and Iwas like oh, you know, like
this is one aspect of geology Iwas really interested in,
because forensic geology inWorld War II was used.
(17:00):
A lot were sending over hot airballoons to bomb the western
coast of the United States andthe ones that did not explode
had sediments still attached tothem and so they could determine
what beaches they were beinglaunched on overseas to
coordinate attacks.
So to me it's all about apuzzle, right?
Science to me is like theultimate puzzle.
(17:21):
It's like how do we figurethings out?
And I said, okay, things aren'treally.
I'm not feeling my jam here,right?
So I chose not to.
We always had a I think we had alike in mid, mid year sign a
contract for the next teachingyear.
So I had applied in likeOctober for this program with
the FBI and I had started goingthrough the process, which is
(17:42):
really interesting.
You actually have to do severaltests, like written tests,
which which kind of makes sense,right, like then a math test,
which you're kind of like why doI need to do a math test?
But it is and then like areading comprehension, then get
an oral interview.
Well, I was still going throughall those different processes
and they said oh, here's yourteaching contract.
I'm like, yeah, I'm not goingto sign.
They're like, oh, no.
(18:02):
And I'm like, yeah, no, I'm notgoing to sign.
So I ended up not getting thejob with the fbi.
Do you know why?
Because they told me I had nolaw enforcement experience.
And I was like, hold up, youasked for a science or math
degree.
Like, what type of lawenforcement experience did you
expect me to have?
Right, um?
but at the time I was dating aguy who worked for the sheriff's
office and he's like listen,you are too smart, but you can
be a cop.
If you want to be a cop, likego.
(18:23):
But at the time I was dating aguy who worked for the sheriff's
office and he's like listen,you are too smart, but you can
be a cop.
If you want to be a cop, likego, get a couple of years of
experience and they'll hire you.
So they came back to me theschool and was like are you sure
you don't want to have yourteaching job?
And I was like yeah, no, Ireally don't want to.
And like things happen for areason.
Right, like I was ready toleave that job for a reason.
(18:45):
I was struggling there justbeing in that environment.
So I went on this journey anddecided I'm going to be a cop.
Why not Again?
Find a way, make a way, right,like, ah, this is the next
logical step, let's just make ithappen.
I got hired by the Boca RatonPolice Department and within a
year I was on the bomb squad andI was like science-y stuff, so
(19:09):
excited, get to solve puzzles.
And then I was like wait, I cando my 20 years and be done and
be in my mid-40s and retired, Ithink that I can just do this
right, and the reality was,people were so confused that I
could go from teaching to lawenforcement.
They're like, that's sodifferent.
(19:29):
And I was like is it, though,because you're trying to
communicate with people whodon't want to hear your message
and get them on your team, likethat's really what you're doing,
right?
I'm trying to feed thisinformation to high school
students who don't want to knowit and get them to learn it.
Or I'm trying to deal with anangry criminal or angry
(19:49):
neighbors, get them to to youknow, resolve their problem, and
we all move on.
It's the same thing, it's.
It was all about communication,different styles of
communication and in different,I guess, arenas, but it was all
just about communication, and Iwas so excited I got to do all
my science-y stuff with the bombsquad.
(20:10):
So to me, life is like a puzzle, like if you get like, oh, I
love to figure it out, I love tofigure it out, and so that's
really what, what it's been theconnecting factor, maybe through
everything, but I loved, Iloved being a cop, I loved being
a bomb technician.
Like I loved that.
I loved looking at x-rays andbeing like, okay, that's a
(20:30):
spring and that's a switch andit looks like it works this way.
Shireen Botha (20:34):
It's just fascinating to me example of you
are painting your canvas.
And right now your canvas isyou've got some water paint,
you've got some acrylic paint,you've got a couple of photos
(20:55):
thrown in there.
It's all.
It's yours and it's unique andabsolutely beautiful.
And I have another question,but I just want to pop in here
with a buzzsprout ad.
Ladies, brains from Places is aplace to share stories from
other business owners andprofessionals, a safe space to
show support for everyone that'sall over the world when it
(21:20):
comes to being a business ownerand entrepreneur.
We feature nonprofits everymonth to try to make a
difference and give a helplineto someone in need.
Do you have a message you wantto share with the world?
Or maybe you just think it'llbe fun to have your own talk
show?
Podcasting is an easy,inexpensive and fun way to
expand your reach online.
(21:41):
So to start your own podcasttoday, follow the link in the
show notes.
This lets Buzzsprout know thatwe sent you and it does help
support our show.
So just remember that the teamat Buzzsprout is passionate
about helping you succeed.
Back to you, lisa.
I have this question what is apiece of advice to give someone
(22:07):
who is at a later stage in lifethat wants to go out on their
own and they're not sure, orthey've got so many doubts in
their minds.
What is that piece of advice tohelp them make that decision
and leap of faith?
Lisa Meade Romero (22:36):
leap of faith for me it would be find a
mentor and do it anyways, likeif you have a calling on your
soul, like if you have an urgeto do something like that was
put there for a reason.
Like you have a skill set, youhave a message share, you have a
way to be of service to people,you have a product or whatever
it is.
Whatever that thing you want tostep out in is, you're thinking
(22:56):
about it for a reason, and sothe fear is just the fear.
It will go away when you startworking through it.
But finding a mentor who haswalked the path before you takes
away a lot of that fear andgives you a support system.
Shireen Botha (23:13):
I like that and I think that's so true, just from
practice and experience formyself.
Yes, I think that you've hitthe nail on the head there,
because I don't think the fearever goes away.
But I think courage is feelingthat fear and just doing it.
And part of my road actually isgetting a mentor.
(23:36):
And there were many times it'sa lonely road being a business
owner and entrepreneur and manytimes there were I wanted to
give up because it's theimposter syndrome, it's the fear
of failure.
There's so many things that runthrough my mind that I just
want to throw in the towel andstep away and choose an easier
(23:59):
way of doing this, because thisis mentally quite taxing.
But with having a mentorinvolved, that really helped um,
talk you off the ledge,encourage you, motivate you,
tell stories from theirexperience.
You know, like shereen, this is, this is normal, it's not
(24:22):
linear.
Being a business owner, you'vegot ups, you've got downs,
you've got to feel them and gothrough them, um.
So I agree with you, lisa,that's, that's a great piece of
advice.
Thank you very much.
It's just because and, tanya,you can obviously um either
agree, I think you agree withthis, but a lot of our listeners
(24:44):
, you know, we aim for peoplethat have decided later on in
life to no longer work forsomeone else but to go on their
own road and be an entrepreneurand business owner.
Um, and this specific platformthat we've created is a safe
(25:07):
space for these business ownersand entrepreneurs all for those
listeners that want to go out ontheir own and they don't have
the courage.
And this is exactly why webring guests like yourself on
the show, so that you canactually share it for our
listeners and go hey guys, thisis my road, this is my journey
(25:30):
and this is the advice I cangive to you.
Uh, so we really appreciate you,lisa, for um, for that advice
and just being here again,because your story is so unique
and it is.
It's not.
You didn't stick to one roadand maybe change it halfway.
You just decided who cares?
(25:51):
Who says you can only be this?
Who says you can only be this?
I can be whatever I feel likeit and choose to be, and maybe
next term you'll see me ridingfor vice president.
You know, tune in next week forpart three of friends from wild
places you've been listening tofriends from wild places with
(26:14):
shireen buetta.
Voiceover (26:16):
Be sure to subscribe to the podcast from the links to
catch every episode and unleashyour passion.
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