March 20, 2025 • 43 mins
What happens when home is no longer an option? For Gabrielena Alcalá, a temporary scholarship turned into a lifelong journey of resilience. In this episode, she shares how she built a new life after realizing she could never return to Venezuela—thriving in healthcare consulting and amplifying everyday changemakers through her podcast, A Cada Paso. With a mindset of action over victimhood, Gabrielena reveals how she creates meaning in uncertainty, helps others transform their lives, and instills a powerful belief in her daughters: Anything you truly want to do, you can do.
Connect with Gabrielena:
Episode 131's Affirmation:
With every step forward, I create new possibilities for myself and others.
I invite you to leave a positive message with your insights, feedback, or uplifting message.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Alethea Felton (00:07):
What does it take to build a thriving career
while amplifying the voices ofeveryday changemakers?
Well, today, on the PowerTransformation Podcast, we
welcome , who is a healthcareconsultant, entrepreneur and
podcast host.
You see, Gaby's journey fromVenezuela to the United States
(00:30):
is one of resilience, adaptationand purpose.
And through her podcast, A CadaPaso, she shares the inspiring
stories of unsung heroes makinga difference in their
communities, unsung heroesmaking a difference in their
communities.
And in this episode, Gaby opensup about her own path, some of
the challenges she's faced inher true transformation.
(00:52):
And I welcome you to the PowerTransformation Podcast.
I am your host, Alethea Felton,and if you have not done so
already, go ahead and follow,like, subscribe and share the
Power Transformation Podcast.
And, as a reminder, we are alsoon YouTube now.
I am gradually uploadingYouTube episodes, so they're not
(01:14):
all up there just yet, but staytuned.
Let's go ahead and jump rightinto this incredible interview.
We start here on the audiopodcast with our affirmation.
I'll say the affirmation onceand you repeat it With every
step forward.
I create new possibilities formyself and others.
(01:38):
I am so happy today to havethis guest, Gaby Alcala, here on
the Power Transformation Store,the Power Transformation
Podcast.
I was going to say PowerTransformation Story, because
she certainly has a story.
But welcome Gaby.
(01:58):
I'm so glad to have you heretoday.
Gabrielena Alcalá (02:01):
Thank you for having me.
It's a pleasure to be here.
Alethea Felton (02:03):
Thank you for having me.
It's a pleasure to be here,thank you so much, and the
audience heard a little bitabout you in terms of
professionally, prior to usstarting, and you're going to
share more of your story, but Ialways like to start with a fun,
lighthearted, icebreakerquestion, and so this is the
question for you.
And so this is the question foryou, gabi, if you could choose
(02:26):
a day to just have nothing butleisure, no work, no anything,
what would that ideal day looklike for?
Gabrielena Alcalá (02:34):
you.
Well, I'm going to start bysaying that a full day of
leisure, like staying at homedoing nothing, will not work for
me.
Alethea Felton (02:52):
I realize.
Gabrielena Alcalá (02:53):
I know now for certain that I'm happy when
I'm in movement.
So a day of fleece for me willbe doing some sport, intense
sport.
After doing sports, seeing somefriends, maybe going to lunch
or maybe going for a little walk, um, then sometime by myself,
(03:14):
doing whatever I feel like doingI don't know, depending on my
and probably seeing the sunset,uh the, at some nice place where
there is water, there is a bodyof water.
That will be a leisure day, andthen come home and be with my
family.
Alethea Felton (03:32):
I love the water also.
What is it about the water thatreally draws you in?
Gabrielena Alcalá (03:39):
You know, I don't know it's funny, because I
don't like to be inside thewater.
I hate being inside the water,but I think looking at the water
calms me down and I'm the typeof person that is always on, on,
on.
So that's why I like it,because it kind of relaxes me,
it gives me I don't know, it'slike it helps me say, okay, I
(04:03):
just want to slow down now.
Alethea Felton (04:05):
Indeed, yeah, wow, so we've.
We've learned a little bitabout you just through that
aspect.
But the question I have next isif a person were to ask you who
is Gabi Alcala, what would yousay to them?
Gabrielena Alcalá (04:28):
I will say Gabi is a very organized person,
very with a lot of how do yousay determination, and people
say that I have a lot ofwillpower.
I will say that it's say that Ihave a lot of willpower.
(04:48):
I will say that it's more, thatI'm very connected to my values
and to the things that I wantfor my life and the things that
bring me energy.
So I'm extremely connected andany decision I take it's
connected with that.
I'm very family oriented, veryclear on the things that I like,
(05:10):
very clear that I want toprotect my family, indeed and
very honest and direct.
Alethea Felton (05:18):
I will say when does that sense of protecting
your family stem from?
Did that come from your earlyorigins, or is it something that
you've learned to just developover the years?
Take us to that.
Gabrielena Alcalá (05:32):
Yeah, no, early in my life my father was.
He had four other siblings andthey were very close to each
other.
I never heard them fighting.
I always saw them helping eachother.
We got together every weekend.
The extended family, everybodywas a huge family and it was all
(05:54):
fun and good.
Even in difficult moments wewere there together and sharing
amazing time.
To this day, my father passedaway, unfortunately, but to this
day I'm so close to my uncles,to my cousins, even though we
don't live in the same city.
But it's just an incrediblefamily.
(06:17):
In fact, when my father was illin his last days, he spent two
months at a hospital inVenezuela and the family was
together the whole two months.
We helped each other.
There wasn't a single day withless than six or seven people at
the hospital and we were.
(06:37):
I mean, it was a dramaticmoment.
We were laughing, we were doingthings that my father used to
love to do.
We lived his last few days theway he wanted to live life.
Alethea Felton (06:50):
Wow.
Now that is definitely abeautiful testament to the power
of family love and just comingtogether in those challenging
times.
So let's go back some prior tous, going to where you are now,
and just paint a picture for me.
(07:11):
Share with us a pivotal momentin your childhood that really
started to shape and solidifyyour identity, which eventually
led you to be the person you aretoday.
Gabrielena Alcalá (07:30):
So I mean, I think there are a lot of traits
that I have right now that arethat were part of me since I was
born, from what my parentsdescribed me, but I think I was.
I live in a small town invenezuela.
Life was really good, uh, andthere was there's starting to
(07:52):
appear economic problems invenezuela that affected a lot my
family and affected my father,and then my father got sick.
He was a physician and hecouldn't work for a little or
for some time.
So there were some economicissues, both at the national
level, but also that my familyand I realized that I wanted to
(08:15):
have a life that gave me thepossibility of having options.
So I knew very clear, I wasvery clear that I needed to be
educated, that I needed to beconnected with different people
and that I needed to pursue thethings that I really wanted, to
(08:36):
have the options in my life.
And that's how I ended upstudying in the United States.
Even though my family couldn'tpay for my education here, I
found ways to get a scholarshipso that I could be educated here
.
Alethea Felton (08:51):
You know, I think that's actually very
commendable is that you knewearly on, or at least had an
idea as to what kind of lifethat you wanted to pay for
yourself, because sometimes Ihave encountered people, yes,
who are similar to you, who knew, but then there were others
(09:12):
I've met who were like I don'tknow.
Now, me, my life has continuedto change year after year after
year, but I always knew from ayoung age that I wanted to at
least be established, of course,have a very good education and
solid background, and so that tome, I think, is very, very
honorable is that you took aleap.
(09:34):
But, gabby this is my thing youtook a leap to a different
country.
A lot of people do not do that.
A lot of people do not do that.
You actually left a differentcountry, different continent
even, to really pursue a newlife.
So, education you came to theStates Out of all of the places.
(09:57):
What drew you and led you tocome to the US?
Gabrielena Alcalá (10:11):
US.
So I think it was.
I mean, it was more.
There was this program inVenezuela to help Venezuelans to
study post-graduate educationin the United States.
Oh, okay.
So a few of my friends from myuniversity, my college, were
doing it and they mentioned itand I said, ok, I want to do the
same.
So I applied and I got in.
(10:33):
So at that moment it was onlythe United States where they
were sending people, so I neverexplored any other place, just
because those were the options.
But I want to say that when yousay I moved to another country,
the reality is that I came hereto study.
Only I didn't come with theidea of staying in the United
(10:56):
States.
My idea was to study, so it wasfun, and then go back to
Venezuela.
But things started todeteriorate in Venezuela at a
very fast pace and we said a fewof us who came on the DAP
program we said, well, let'sstay in the United States until
things get better.
(11:17):
It's been 30 years and they havegotten worse, not better.
Alethea Felton (11:21):
Wow, wow.
I can only imagine that andthank you for bringing out that
part is that?
There's something to me when itcomes to home, regardless of
where a person is, it's like,yes, you may have come here to
(11:41):
study, but home is still home.
Gabrielena Alcalá (11:44):
Yes.
Alethea Felton (11:45):
Yeah, home is still home, it's going to be
home.
And so, with you coming to theStates and then you realizing
you know what Home isn't quiteas I remembered it.
It's changing.
Maybe it's not the best thingfor me.
Take us through those times,gabby, of how you adjusted and
(12:07):
then, I guess, finally acceptedthe fact that this is where you
were going to have to make yourlife, because that's not for the
weak.
A lot of people cannot do itand on top of that, become such
a success as you have been.
So how did you learn over theyears to just navigate and
reconcile within yourself tomake the best out of this
(12:30):
particular situation, althoughthat longing for home has always
been there?
Gabrielena Alcalá (12:35):
Yeah, that's a good question, as a friend of
mine, from your wife, by the way, he said to my husband and I at
some point you don't decide tostay, you keep staying.
And I think that's whathappened.
We never decide to stay here,you just keep staying until you
(12:55):
probably become more part.
You're not from here, not fromthere.
And for a long time you alwaysI always kept hope that I was
going to go back.
In fact, I would go to Venezuelaoften and see my physicians
there.
I would send my clothing forrepair there, I would buy my
medicines there, Everything wasthere.
(13:16):
I would go like two or threetimes a year until things
started to get so bad inVenezuela you couldn't even go
because it was very, it was notsafe to go and the situation got
so bad that actually they madethousands, thousands of millions
of people left Venezuela toother countries because you
(13:38):
couldn't live there.
So there was no option to go.
In fact, it's easier for I meaneasier in the sense to make the
decision to stay when you don'thave the option to go back.
So for many, many years, and tothis day, I don't have the
option to go back.
I mean I could, but it would bepretty stupid to go back.
(14:00):
It would be very complicated togo back.
Alethea Felton (14:06):
And thank you for even saying that B because
especially here and I am not apolitical podcast I'm going to
tell people that already I don'ttalk about politics or anything
, but I'm just saying thisgenerally, no matter what side
of politics people are on, inthe US the concept of
(14:27):
immigration is huge and for youcoming through legal routes and
I even share with you I'm partMexican and so I've lived in
Mexico I do understand, even ifit's from Mexico, latin America,
south America, wherever anycontinent on in earth.
(14:49):
I know a lot of people who havecome to the States due to school
and have had to stay, and maybethey didn't want to.
But when you talk about theconcept of not being able to go
back, sometimes that can bechallenging for people from the
states who are born and raisedhere to really understand,
(15:09):
because until you've had thatexperience, I'm from here, I'm
from the States, but Iunderstand why people come here
and the fact that a lot of themjust cannot go back because it's
safer.
So I do appreciate you sayingthat, because there's so many
(15:31):
things that our news and ourmedia don't show and, frankly,
don't care about here, and Ithink should, because it is the
plight of so many people who arereally longing for home and
just can't.
So that leads me in that, thisarea of thinking about who you
(15:53):
are as a person and what you do.
There are a couple of layers ofit, but I want to get into the
healthcare aspect of it first iswhat led you to have a career,
let alone a thriving career, inthe healthcare industry?
Is it something that you setout to do or did it kind of come
(16:15):
to you that you set out to do?
Gabrielena Alcalá (16:16):
or did it kind of come to you?
Well, my father, as I mentioned, was a physician in Venezuela
and I was very close to him andI wanted to follow his path, but
I didn't want to be a physician.
So I found a way.
So I studied economics and thenI found a way to be involved in
health care, but more from themanagement side of health care
(16:40):
and in process improvement andquality improvement and all
those areas.
And that's how I chose healthcare, more following my father's
path, but not necessarily thesame one that he had father's
path, but not necessarily thesame one that he had, and what
(17:05):
has been one of the mostfulfilling aspects of your
career in health care.
I mean, you're asking a hardquestion right now because
health care is so complicated inthe United States.
Oh it is.
I have more frustration thanyeah, I don't, I don't.
I mean, I'm like, yeah, butit's okay, it's okay, I get it.
Alethea Felton (17:27):
You don't have to look.
This is just a conversation.
Gabrielena Alcalá (17:30):
You don't have to answer that no, no, no,
I I actually have something.
I think it has been tounderstand how the system works
so that I can be an empoweredpatient and not a patient that
goes and takes things as theyare told.
I have now tools that allows meto be more engaged with my own
(17:55):
care and that of my family andmy friends when I can.
So I understand the health caresystem a lot to know how to
navigate.
That doesn't mean it's easy,that doesn't mean it's not going
to be broken for me at all, butat least I understand how it
works.
Alethea Felton (18:15):
But at least I understand how it works Exactly.
(18:39):
Fact, gabby, that althoughyou've had this career in
healthcare, one of your passionareas or your passion project is
truly helping people sharetheir stories, helping people
shift and transition to the nextlevel, and as a coach, you help
people to do that and to movepast that.
So take us on this journey ofwhat led you toward coaching and
(19:00):
then share specifically how youcoach people and what your
sweet spot is.
What is that passion area whenit comes to coaching?
Tell us about something in yourlife that happened that led you
to that.
Gabrielena Alcalá (19:16):
Yeah.
So I think I can connect alittle bit the work that I do in
healthcare to my coaching, inthe sense that one of the things
that I like to do now in myhealthcare life and going back
to your previous question isthere is a transition now to a
better healthcare system that iscalled value-based care.
(19:38):
So what I do then and we're notgoing to get into those details
but I'm helping providers bemore successful in that space,
and I kept hearing from myclients that they like how I
related with a stakeholder, howI manage the project, how I help
(19:59):
them transition through thesein a very organized way.
So that's one thing.
And then I realized that I hadbeen creating my own business,
like completely on my own, for along time because I have those
set of skills a long timebecause I have those set of
(20:24):
skills.
But at some point I realizedthat it was a lot of work to do
these things on my own.
So I decided to get a coach andI realized how important it was
to have someone who helped me,even though I was a counter.
I'm very.
If I say I'm going to dosomething, I'll do it, but it
was nice to do something withsomeone else to brainstorm ideas
.
So last year I said why don't Ido the same?
(20:48):
Why don't I help other peoplemove their ideas forward so that
they don't do it alone?
Those people that need thataccountability, that someone to
help them and hold their hand ina certain way.
And since I'm very organizedand I have this stakeholder
(21:09):
ability, I mean I'm able torelate with people well, why
don't I use those skills towardhelping people advance their
ideas?
That's how I decided to be inthe coaching business.
So everything is a little bitconnected.
It's the same type of skillsand the same idea of helping
(21:29):
people advance something.
Alethea Felton (21:32):
So how exactly do you go about doing that?
So how exactly do you go aboutdoing that?
Maybe not telling all of yourtrade tips and secrets, but say,
if a client or a person comesto you and they want to advance,
they want to move forward, butthey're absolutely just stuck.
(21:52):
They don't know how to getthere, they don't know how to
piece it together, just stuck,they don't know how to get there
, they don't know how to pieceit together, how can you go
about shifting and moving, andjust not moving them, but really
getting them to excel into thatnext version of themselves that
they want to be in order toattain that goal that they're
(22:13):
seeking?
Gabrielena Alcalá (22:14):
Yeah, so I start from the beginning.
Let's get to know each like, get, get to know yourself.
Who are you, who do you reallywant to be?
What do you enjoy?
What are your values, what kindof life you want to have, what
are your strengths, what are theshadows of yours, of those
(22:35):
strengths?
Strengths, because sometimesthe shadow of your strength are
really holding you back.
So we start with all of thatand there try to be very clear
of the type of life that willbring you the most joy and that
will be the kind of life you canhave for a long time, because
(22:57):
you can do things for threemonths, but you have to find
something that you can do in thelong run, because otherwise,
you know it's not easy.
So you have to keep going, andso we start with that.
If the person wants to havethey already have an idea of a
business they want to do we usea framework that is very
(23:18):
step-by-step on what are thethings they need to do to start
getting that service or productout there and also helping them
with tips on organization.
Okay, on organization, becausewhat I find a lot is that it's
missing that part of thestructure, and the structure,
(23:43):
the tools and the changes youneed to implement in your life
to really do what you want to dofor the long term.
So I will say it's like threeparts, or the third part is
connected with the second isidentifying really well who you
are using, a framework that isvery step by step to get that
(24:07):
product or service out, and thenalso organizational tools that
you can use and tips that youcan use to remain productive.
Alethea Felton (24:18):
That is a very systemic and organized process,
and you said from the beginningthat you're a very organized
person, and so I can see how allof this comes together in play,
and, as you're coaching yourclients, it kind of sparks the
question for me.
(24:39):
Gabby, in thinking about yourown life journey, tell me about
a time where maybe you felt abit stuck and how you had to
push yourself out of that toevolve into the place where you
want it to be next.
Gabrielena Alcalá (25:06):
I guess I am very.
My husband says when I wantsomething, I go for it.
I'm rarely stuck for it.
Alethea Felton (25:26):
Yes, I'm rarely stuck, but I have to say that we
get stuck with our own, withour self-limiting belief.
Gabrielena Alcalá (25:29):
There are days that I wake up and say, who
am I to be doing this?
Or I say, well, I mean thatperson is doing it because X, y
and Z, so you know, you startwith those thoughts that are
completely useless and that justlower your energy.
So I think that's the way thatsometimes I get stuck.
(25:53):
Or when you compare withsomeone, oh, they already did it
, how are they going to do it?
I'm so far alone.
So I get stuck in that way.
But I have the tools now toreally say, well, this is my
journey and I have a philosophyin life you can only score goals
(26:16):
if you shoot to the goal, tothe goalie.
I mean, if you don't try, ifyou don't start moving, you
don't advance.
So for me, perfection is theenemy of the good.
So I just start and then I fixas I go, and whenever those
thoughts come in my place, Ijust take one.
(26:38):
I take one task, I do anothertask that takes me closer to
that thing that I want to do.
Alethea Felton (26:48):
And thank you for mentioning that part about
it, because even if you orothers listening or watching
don't get stuck in a serious way, I think you're absolutely
correct Is that every personstill has those self-limiting
beliefs that we're constantlynavigating through, which can be
(27:10):
a form of getting stuck, and sothe way that you will yourself
to taking every step to get towhere you have to be, I think,
is key.
And mentioning every step,scabby, you just didn't stop at
coaching, you just didn't stopat the healthcare industry, but
you actually decided to get intothe podcast world.
(27:34):
Get into the podcast world, andthe fact that your podcast the
English translation is at everystep is quite profound.
So what I'd like us to do nowis I'm just curious, I want to
pick your brain as to whatsparked the idea that innovation
(27:56):
for a podcast and tell us aboutwhat that podcast focuses on
and how it's helping people.
Gabrielena Alcalá (28:06):
So I guess it was one of these ideals.
I noticed that most of thepodcasts when when I started
were a lot about famous people.
But, I noticed that around methere were so many people doing
impressive things that I saidthese are stories.
Nobody knows these stories.
How can we share these storiesand inspire others to do
(28:33):
something good for theircommunity or for themselves?
do something good for theircommunity or for themselves, and
you don't necessarily have tobe famous to achieve change
around you.
So that's how it started.
I wanted to interview peoplethat were not necessarily famous
, but they were doing reallygood things in their communities
(28:57):
.
So that's how it started, butit also is.
I was so interested in thisconversation and learning from
their journey that I thoughtothers could also benefit from
these conversations.
That's how I started thepodcast.
Alethea Felton (29:12):
And so what is the premise?
I know that you said it's aboutstories, but I guess what I'm
asking more about.
I think that the title itselfis really spectacular.
What led you to naming?
Gabrielena Alcalá (29:28):
it that?
But it's people that, at eachstep, are impacting someone.
Ah, okay, I got you.
It's more that, um, and theidea was that through their
reflection, it's all aboutreflection.
Like I don't, I rarely ask toomuch about their job.
(29:49):
I ask more about their journeyas a person.
So, thinking about how, throughthe reflections of others, we
can reflect as well.
Alethea Felton (30:00):
Exactly, and that's why I like our podcast do
have similarities, because Ialways say with anybody that I
encounter, even if it's like ameet and greet, even if we took
our titles away, if we strippedus away of what we did, I am so
(30:22):
interested in who you are at thecore of being a person, and I
think that's important becauseif we put everybody in a room
together and all we had was us,at the very essence of who we
are as humans, I think thatoftentimes we find we have so
(30:43):
much more in common than we dodifferent, because we all go
through this human experience,and so that leads me to even
wondering when you're thinkingabout this journey of having
everyday, ordinary peoplesharing their stories and also
(31:05):
how they are influencing theworld around them.
Let's kind of shift here andtalk about how are you showing
up as the mom who is leavingthis legacy for her children?
So I want to talk about that.
(31:26):
Is that?
What type of a legacy are youhoping to lay down for those who
come after you and forgenerations to come for?
Gabrielena Alcalá (31:38):
those who come after you and for
generations to come.
Yeah, I think the one thingthat I always tell my daughters
is, for the most part, anythingyou want to do, that you really
want to do, I mean you have tobe very clear.
Something you want to do, youcan do it.
You'll figure it out and you'lldo it.
(32:01):
I think sometimes we don't docertain things because we don't
really want them.
We don't, we're not willing todo the sacrifice that are needed
to get there.
But my message to them isalways figure it out.
You're going to be able to doit if you really want it, but
connect with yourself to see ifthat's what you really want to
(32:23):
do.
So that's the legacy I want toleave.
I mean there are other things,obviously that you know, always
be good to people, becompassionate and all those
things, but I always tell themjust try.
My father always said don't sayit, just do it.
(32:49):
So I always have that in mymind when I said to my father
you know, I want to studyeconomics, don't say it, just do
it.
I mean like something he wouldalways say like just get started
.
Alethea Felton (33:06):
Gabby, when we talk about power transformations
for my show, the PowerTransformation Podcast is
Transformation Podcast is as youknow.
It's how people have had tolearn to overcome that challenge
or adversity and just really beresilient in what they do and
to show up for not only othersbut for themselves.
(33:31):
In thinking about your lifejourney as a whole, how do you
define resilience and how hasthat played a part in your
journey as a coach as well as apodcaster, as you are
interviewing people from allwalks of life?
Gabrielena Alcalá (33:52):
I think for me, it's being clear on what I
want and what I believe, onMm-hmm and being connected with
what brings me energy and whatlowers my energy as well yeah,
(34:14):
and what lowers my energy aswell, yeah.
And also, like the, I'm notinto victimization.
So I know that there are thingsthat happen in my life that
could have been better, butthey're not so like I don't live
(34:34):
in my country, they're not soit's just just, it is what it is
.
That's a little bit, uh, theway I see things.
Alethea Felton (34:51):
So that helps me do all the things that I that I
want to move forward, and it'sit's really fascinating that you
said you don't believe invictimization, because I have
encountered certain people, so Ihave a journey, but instead of
me staying stuck in what I'vegone through, I've used those as
(35:16):
fuel catalysts to really launchme to that next level, and so
there are people, though, whoalmost wear their victimhood
like a badge of honor, and itreally keeps them in this loop.
Thinking about that wholeconcept of it is how have you
(35:37):
learned to just navigate thosewaves and those challenges
throughout your life withoutfalling back into that victim
mindset that you have refused tohave for so many years?
How do you do that continuallythroughout your life?
Gabrielena Alcalá (35:56):
Yeah, I think .
I mean I don't know if myfriends would agree with these
or the people who know me wouldagree with these, but I have
been lucky in my life.
In many ways I have been lucky.
So it's to this day, I thinknothing horrible has happened to
me, so it's probably easier forme to talk about not being a
(36:19):
victim.
But I don't know.
I grew up in a household wherethis didn't exist.
The way my father and my momtalked to us constantly was like
okay, yes, and Okay, yes, andwhat are you going to do?
(36:39):
Yeah, I got it, I understand.
Okay, now what are you going todo?
So it never registered in mylife that, oh, I can.
Oh, I know.
It was like, okay, thishappened.
Okay, what's next?
I know.
No, it was like, okay, thishappened.
(37:00):
Okay, what, what?
What, what's next?
So I don't know.
I think it's the way I havelived all the time.
But also, again, I don't thinkanything horrible has happened
in my life that that I would.
I don't know if I would changemy mind.
Something really bad happened,yeah.
Alethea Felton (37:13):
But again, it's all about perspective, because
you may not recognize it, but Iwould say me, from an objective
point of view, for you to saynothing's horrible ever happened
in my life.
There may be somebody listeningwho's like what is she talking
about?
(37:33):
Nothing's horrible happened.
She can't go back to her homecountry to live.
That's horrible, that could behorrible for someone else.
And so even when I have guestshere on my show, sometimes I'll
have people to say, well, Ihaven't really had anything bad.
I tell people your story andyour challenge is your challenge
(37:56):
.
Tell people your story and yourchallenge is your challenge.
Never compare it with anybodyelse's, because what's hard for
me might not be hard for someoneelse.
And I think it goes back to thatwhole premise of not being a
victim, of really standing inyour power and knowing who you
are and to say, hey, whathappened has happened, I can't
(38:16):
change it, but I can choose tomake life and the next steps
better for me as time goes on.
And so that strength you haveis, to me, the epitome of
resilience, is that you've hadto learn to adjust and navigate
with each change in tide.
(38:37):
It kind of reminds me a lot ofmy not by your age, but the way
that you speak and your thoughts, my mom is very similar.
She's like, hey, things happen,it is what it is, I can't
change it, I'm going to move on.
And to me she's gone through alot of stuff, but to her it's
(38:59):
nothing.
Gabrielena Alcalá (39:00):
So even that's why I say I have a friend
in mind to say why are youtalking about?
Alethea Felton (39:08):
I love it, though.
I really love it, because thenthat, then too, it's like that.
That is what keeps you going.
You are aware of everythingthat's happened to you.
You're not out of touch with it, but I think what my mom tells
me is that the past is the past,what's done is done, and so all
(39:30):
.
I can do is choose to moveforward.
So, as we come to a close,Gabby, first of all, before I
ask a closing question, say if aperson's listening to you and
they may, just like me, speakSpanish and English and want to
learn more about your podcast,about your coaching services,
(39:54):
and I'll have all of this inshow notes but how can a person
go about doing that?
Gabrielena Alcalá (39:59):
Yes, so my podcast.
It's on Spotify and ApplePodcasts and other platforms.
It's called A Cada Paso Podcast.
I have a webpage as well for mypodcast and a newsletter that I
write about.
(40:19):
I send a newsletter with areflection of the day and the
podcast and they can find mealso on my website of my company
website, mapa HealthcareConsulting there is.
You can contact me from thereand we can talk about coaching.
If you want connecting withyour values or anything else you
(40:43):
want to talk.
Alethea Felton (40:58):
Wonderful and say Gabby, if a listener is
hearing you and say I'm veryintrigued with everything that
you had to say, I know that Iwant to make an advancement, but
I don't think it's possible forme.
I'm just in this rut.
I'm in this state.
I don't know which direction togo.
There can't be hope or help forme.
What would you say to thatperson?
Gabrielena Alcalá (41:10):
That there's definitely.
Everybody has something tooffer, everybody has something
that makes them special, and Ithat sounds very cliche, but
really you have something and ifyou, if not, you can learn it,
and then it's only about gettingstarted.
The moment you start and youstart refining and seeing and
(41:33):
learning, you are on your path.
Everything is just advancement.
It's really just advancement.
I used to think as well I mean,until you connect with your
strength and the life you wantto live, you're not going to be
able to discover what you canoffer.
Like I had a friend who stayedover at my house this weekend
(41:57):
and she's like yeah, but I don'tknow.
I mean being in thisorganization, I don't know what
I have.
And I asked her for opinionabout a course that I'm creating
and she gave me an amazingfeedback and I'm like here, here
you are, you have something tooffer.
Yeah.
Alethea Felton (42:10):
Which she didn't know.
Yeah, exactly.
And as a closing question,especially thinking about what a
person has to offer and that weall have something to offer
(42:33):
overcome, soared in and excelled.
What is your greatest strengthand where does that strength
come from?
Gabrielena Alcalá (42:44):
I think I'm a doer.
I do things.
I'm totally.
If I learn something, I applyit.
If I go to a course, I'm goingto apply what I learned.
If I have something in my mind,I will do it.
Alethea Felton (42:58):
I'm just a doer.
Thank you for tuning in to thisepisode of the Power
Transformation Podcast.
If you enjoyed this episode, besure to follow or subscribe,
leave a five-star rating andwrite a review.
It helps us inspire even morelisteners.
And don't keep it to yourself.
Share it with someone who coulduse a little power in their
(43:23):
transformation.
Until next time, keep bouncingback, keep rising and be good to
yourself and to others.
What does it take to build a thriving career
while amplifying the voices ofeveryday changemakers?
Well, today, on the PowerTransformation Podcast, we
welcome , who is a healthcareconsultant, entrepreneur and
podcast host.
You see, Gaby's journey fromVenezuela to the United States
(00:30):
is one of resilience, adaptationand purpose.
And through her podcast, A CadaPaso, she shares the inspiring
stories of unsung heroes makinga difference in their
communities, unsung heroesmaking a difference in their
communities.
And in this episode, Gaby opensup about her own path, some of
the challenges she's faced inher true transformation.
(00:52):
And I welcome you to the PowerTransformation Podcast.
I am your host, Alethea Felton,and if you have not done so
already, go ahead and follow,like, subscribe and share the
Power Transformation Podcast.
And, as a reminder, we are alsoon YouTube now.
I am gradually uploadingYouTube episodes, so they're not
(01:14):
all up there just yet, but staytuned.
Let's go ahead and jump rightinto this incredible interview.
We start here on the audiopodcast with our affirmation.
I'll say the affirmation onceand you repeat it With every
step forward.
I create new possibilities formyself and others.
(01:38):
I am so happy today to havethis guest, Gaby Alcala, here on
the Power Transformation Store,the Power Transformation
Podcast.
I was going to say PowerTransformation Story, because
she certainly has a story.
But welcome Gaby.
(01:58):
I'm so glad to have you heretoday.
Gabrielena Alcalá (02:01):
Thank you for having me.
It's a pleasure to be here.
Alethea Felton (02:03):
Thank you for having me.
It's a pleasure to be here,thank you so much, and the
audience heard a little bitabout you in terms of
professionally, prior to usstarting, and you're going to
share more of your story, but Ialways like to start with a fun,
lighthearted, icebreakerquestion, and so this is the
question for you.
And so this is the question foryou, gabi, if you could choose
(02:26):
a day to just have nothing butleisure, no work, no anything,
what would that ideal day looklike for?
Gabrielena Alcalá (02:34):
you.
Well, I'm going to start bysaying that a full day of
leisure, like staying at homedoing nothing, will not work for
me.
Alethea Felton (02:52):
I realize.
Gabrielena Alcalá (02:53):
I know now for certain that I'm happy when
I'm in movement.
So a day of fleece for me willbe doing some sport, intense
sport.
After doing sports, seeing somefriends, maybe going to lunch
or maybe going for a little walk, um, then sometime by myself,
(03:14):
doing whatever I feel like doingI don't know, depending on my
and probably seeing the sunset,uh the, at some nice place where
there is water, there is a bodyof water.
That will be a leisure day, andthen come home and be with my
family.
Alethea Felton (03:32):
I love the water also.
What is it about the water thatreally draws you in?
Gabrielena Alcalá (03:39):
You know, I don't know it's funny, because I
don't like to be inside thewater.
I hate being inside the water,but I think looking at the water
calms me down and I'm the typeof person that is always on, on,
on.
So that's why I like it,because it kind of relaxes me,
it gives me I don't know, it'slike it helps me say, okay, I
(04:03):
just want to slow down now.
Alethea Felton (04:05):
Indeed, yeah, wow, so we've.
We've learned a little bitabout you just through that
aspect.
But the question I have next isif a person were to ask you who
is Gabi Alcala, what would yousay to them?
Gabrielena Alcalá (04:28):
I will say Gabi is a very organized person,
very with a lot of how do yousay determination, and people
say that I have a lot ofwillpower.
I will say that it's say that Ihave a lot of willpower.
(04:48):
I will say that it's more, thatI'm very connected to my values
and to the things that I wantfor my life and the things that
bring me energy.
So I'm extremely connected andany decision I take it's
connected with that.
I'm very family oriented, veryclear on the things that I like,
(05:10):
very clear that I want toprotect my family, indeed and
very honest and direct.
Alethea Felton (05:18):
I will say when does that sense of protecting
your family stem from?
Did that come from your earlyorigins, or is it something that
you've learned to just developover the years?
Take us to that.
Gabrielena Alcalá (05:32):
Yeah, no, early in my life my father was.
He had four other siblings andthey were very close to each
other.
I never heard them fighting.
I always saw them helping eachother.
We got together every weekend.
The extended family, everybodywas a huge family and it was all
(05:54):
fun and good.
Even in difficult moments wewere there together and sharing
amazing time.
To this day, my father passedaway, unfortunately, but to this
day I'm so close to my uncles,to my cousins, even though we
don't live in the same city.
But it's just an incrediblefamily.
(06:17):
In fact, when my father was illin his last days, he spent two
months at a hospital inVenezuela and the family was
together the whole two months.
We helped each other.
There wasn't a single day withless than six or seven people at
the hospital and we were.
(06:37):
I mean, it was a dramaticmoment.
We were laughing, we were doingthings that my father used to
love to do.
We lived his last few days theway he wanted to live life.
Alethea Felton (06:50):
Wow.
Now that is definitely abeautiful testament to the power
of family love and just comingtogether in those challenging
times.
So let's go back some prior tous, going to where you are now,
and just paint a picture for me.
(07:11):
Share with us a pivotal momentin your childhood that really
started to shape and solidifyyour identity, which eventually
led you to be the person you aretoday.
Gabrielena Alcalá (07:30):
So I mean, I think there are a lot of traits
that I have right now that arethat were part of me since I was
born, from what my parentsdescribed me, but I think I was.
I live in a small town invenezuela.
Life was really good, uh, andthere was there's starting to
(07:52):
appear economic problems invenezuela that affected a lot my
family and affected my father,and then my father got sick.
He was a physician and hecouldn't work for a little or
for some time.
So there were some economicissues, both at the national
level, but also that my familyand I realized that I wanted to
(08:15):
have a life that gave me thepossibility of having options.
So I knew very clear, I wasvery clear that I needed to be
educated, that I needed to beconnected with different people
and that I needed to pursue thethings that I really wanted, to
(08:36):
have the options in my life.
And that's how I ended upstudying in the United States.
Even though my family couldn'tpay for my education here, I
found ways to get a scholarshipso that I could be educated here
.
Alethea Felton (08:51):
You know, I think that's actually very
commendable is that you knewearly on, or at least had an
idea as to what kind of lifethat you wanted to pay for
yourself, because sometimes Ihave encountered people, yes,
who are similar to you, who knew, but then there were others
(09:12):
I've met who were like I don'tknow.
Now, me, my life has continuedto change year after year after
year, but I always knew from ayoung age that I wanted to at
least be established, of course,have a very good education and
solid background, and so that tome, I think, is very, very
honorable is that you took aleap.
(09:34):
But, gabby this is my thing youtook a leap to a different
country.
A lot of people do not do that.
A lot of people do not do that.
You actually left a differentcountry, different continent
even, to really pursue a newlife.
So, education you came to theStates Out of all of the places.
(09:57):
What drew you and led you tocome to the US?
Gabrielena Alcalá (10:11):
US.
So I think it was.
I mean, it was more.
There was this program inVenezuela to help Venezuelans to
study post-graduate educationin the United States.
Oh, okay.
So a few of my friends from myuniversity, my college, were
doing it and they mentioned itand I said, ok, I want to do the
same.
So I applied and I got in.
(10:33):
So at that moment it was onlythe United States where they
were sending people, so I neverexplored any other place, just
because those were the options.
But I want to say that when yousay I moved to another country,
the reality is that I came hereto study.
Only I didn't come with theidea of staying in the United
(10:56):
States.
My idea was to study, so it wasfun, and then go back to
Venezuela.
But things started todeteriorate in Venezuela at a
very fast pace and we said a fewof us who came on the DAP
program we said, well, let'sstay in the United States until
things get better.
(11:17):
It's been 30 years and they havegotten worse, not better.
Alethea Felton (11:21):
Wow, wow.
I can only imagine that andthank you for bringing out that
part is that?
There's something to me when itcomes to home, regardless of
where a person is, it's like,yes, you may have come here to
(11:41):
study, but home is still home.
Gabrielena Alcalá (11:44):
Yes.
Alethea Felton (11:45):
Yeah, home is still home, it's going to be
home.
And so, with you coming to theStates and then you realizing
you know what Home isn't quiteas I remembered it.
It's changing.
Maybe it's not the best thingfor me.
Take us through those times,gabby, of how you adjusted and
(12:07):
then, I guess, finally acceptedthe fact that this is where you
were going to have to make yourlife, because that's not for the
weak.
A lot of people cannot do itand on top of that, become such
a success as you have been.
So how did you learn over theyears to just navigate and
reconcile within yourself tomake the best out of this
(12:30):
particular situation, althoughthat longing for home has always
been there?
Gabrielena Alcalá (12:35):
Yeah, that's a good question, as a friend of
mine, from your wife, by the way, he said to my husband and I at
some point you don't decide tostay, you keep staying.
And I think that's whathappened.
We never decide to stay here,you just keep staying until you
(12:55):
probably become more part.
You're not from here, not fromthere.
And for a long time you alwaysI always kept hope that I was
going to go back.
In fact, I would go to Venezuelaoften and see my physicians
there.
I would send my clothing forrepair there, I would buy my
medicines there, Everything wasthere.
(13:16):
I would go like two or threetimes a year until things
started to get so bad inVenezuela you couldn't even go
because it was very, it was notsafe to go and the situation got
so bad that actually they madethousands, thousands of millions
of people left Venezuela toother countries because you
(13:38):
couldn't live there.
So there was no option to go.
In fact, it's easier for I meaneasier in the sense to make the
decision to stay when you don'thave the option to go back.
So for many, many years, and tothis day, I don't have the
option to go back.
I mean I could, but it would bepretty stupid to go back.
(14:00):
It would be very complicated togo back.
Alethea Felton (14:06):
And thank you for even saying that B because
especially here and I am not apolitical podcast I'm going to
tell people that already I don'ttalk about politics or anything
, but I'm just saying thisgenerally, no matter what side
of politics people are on, inthe US the concept of
(14:27):
immigration is huge and for youcoming through legal routes and
I even share with you I'm partMexican and so I've lived in
Mexico I do understand, even ifit's from Mexico, latin America,
south America, wherever anycontinent on in earth.
(14:49):
I know a lot of people who havecome to the States due to school
and have had to stay, and maybethey didn't want to.
But when you talk about theconcept of not being able to go
back, sometimes that can bechallenging for people from the
states who are born and raisedhere to really understand,
(15:09):
because until you've had thatexperience, I'm from here, I'm
from the States, but Iunderstand why people come here
and the fact that a lot of themjust cannot go back because it's
safer.
So I do appreciate you sayingthat, because there's so many
(15:31):
things that our news and ourmedia don't show and, frankly,
don't care about here, and Ithink should, because it is the
plight of so many people who arereally longing for home and
just can't.
So that leads me in that, thisarea of thinking about who you
(15:53):
are as a person and what you do.
There are a couple of layers ofit, but I want to get into the
healthcare aspect of it first iswhat led you to have a career,
let alone a thriving career, inthe healthcare industry?
Is it something that you setout to do or did it kind of come
(16:15):
to you that you set out to do?
Gabrielena Alcalá (16:16):
or did it kind of come to you?
Well, my father, as I mentioned, was a physician in Venezuela
and I was very close to him andI wanted to follow his path, but
I didn't want to be a physician.
So I found a way.
So I studied economics and thenI found a way to be involved in
health care, but more from themanagement side of health care
(16:40):
and in process improvement andquality improvement and all
those areas.
And that's how I chose healthcare, more following my father's
path, but not necessarily thesame one that he had father's
path, but not necessarily thesame one that he had, and what
(17:05):
has been one of the mostfulfilling aspects of your
career in health care.
I mean, you're asking a hardquestion right now because
health care is so complicated inthe United States.
Oh it is.
I have more frustration thanyeah, I don't, I don't.
I mean, I'm like, yeah, butit's okay, it's okay, I get it.
Alethea Felton (17:27):
You don't have to look.
This is just a conversation.
Gabrielena Alcalá (17:30):
You don't have to answer that no, no, no,
I I actually have something.
I think it has been tounderstand how the system works
so that I can be an empoweredpatient and not a patient that
goes and takes things as theyare told.
I have now tools that allows meto be more engaged with my own
(17:55):
care and that of my family andmy friends when I can.
So I understand the health caresystem a lot to know how to
navigate.
That doesn't mean it's easy,that doesn't mean it's not going
to be broken for me at all, butat least I understand how it
works.
Alethea Felton (18:15):
But at least I understand how it works Exactly.
(18:39):
Fact, gabby, that althoughyou've had this career in
healthcare, one of your passionareas or your passion project is
truly helping people sharetheir stories, helping people
shift and transition to the nextlevel, and as a coach, you help
people to do that and to movepast that.
So take us on this journey ofwhat led you toward coaching and
(19:00):
then share specifically how youcoach people and what your
sweet spot is.
What is that passion area whenit comes to coaching?
Tell us about something in yourlife that happened that led you
to that.
Gabrielena Alcalá (19:16):
Yeah.
So I think I can connect alittle bit the work that I do in
healthcare to my coaching, inthe sense that one of the things
that I like to do now in myhealthcare life and going back
to your previous question isthere is a transition now to a
better healthcare system that iscalled value-based care.
(19:38):
So what I do then and we're notgoing to get into those details
but I'm helping providers bemore successful in that space,
and I kept hearing from myclients that they like how I
related with a stakeholder, howI manage the project, how I help
(19:59):
them transition through thesein a very organized way.
So that's one thing.
And then I realized that I hadbeen creating my own business,
like completely on my own, for along time because I have those
set of skills a long timebecause I have those set of
(20:24):
skills.
But at some point I realizedthat it was a lot of work to do
these things on my own.
So I decided to get a coach andI realized how important it was
to have someone who helped me,even though I was a counter.
I'm very.
If I say I'm going to dosomething, I'll do it, but it
was nice to do something withsomeone else to brainstorm ideas
.
So last year I said why don't Ido the same?
(20:48):
Why don't I help other peoplemove their ideas forward so that
they don't do it alone?
Those people that need thataccountability, that someone to
help them and hold their hand ina certain way.
And since I'm very organizedand I have this stakeholder
(21:09):
ability, I mean I'm able torelate with people well, why
don't I use those skills towardhelping people advance their
ideas?
That's how I decided to be inthe coaching business.
So everything is a little bitconnected.
It's the same type of skillsand the same idea of helping
(21:29):
people advance something.
Alethea Felton (21:32):
So how exactly do you go about doing that?
So how exactly do you go aboutdoing that?
Maybe not telling all of yourtrade tips and secrets, but say,
if a client or a person comesto you and they want to advance,
they want to move forward, butthey're absolutely just stuck.
(21:52):
They don't know how to getthere, they don't know how to
piece it together, just stuck,they don't know how to get there
, they don't know how to pieceit together, how can you go
about shifting and moving, andjust not moving them, but really
getting them to excel into thatnext version of themselves that
they want to be in order toattain that goal that they're
(22:13):
seeking?
Gabrielena Alcalá (22:14):
Yeah, so I start from the beginning.
Let's get to know each like, get, get to know yourself.
Who are you, who do you reallywant to be?
What do you enjoy?
What are your values, what kindof life you want to have, what
are your strengths, what are theshadows of yours, of those
(22:35):
strengths?
Strengths, because sometimesthe shadow of your strength are
really holding you back.
So we start with all of thatand there try to be very clear
of the type of life that willbring you the most joy and that
will be the kind of life you canhave for a long time, because
(22:57):
you can do things for threemonths, but you have to find
something that you can do in thelong run, because otherwise,
you know it's not easy.
So you have to keep going, andso we start with that.
If the person wants to havethey already have an idea of a
business they want to do we usea framework that is very
(23:18):
step-by-step on what are thethings they need to do to start
getting that service or productout there and also helping them
with tips on organization.
Okay, on organization, becausewhat I find a lot is that it's
missing that part of thestructure, and the structure,
(23:43):
the tools and the changes youneed to implement in your life
to really do what you want to dofor the long term.
So I will say it's like threeparts, or the third part is
connected with the second isidentifying really well who you
are using, a framework that isvery step by step to get that
(24:07):
product or service out, and thenalso organizational tools that
you can use and tips that youcan use to remain productive.
Alethea Felton (24:18):
That is a very systemic and organized process,
and you said from the beginningthat you're a very organized
person, and so I can see how allof this comes together in play,
and, as you're coaching yourclients, it kind of sparks the
question for me.
(24:39):
Gabby, in thinking about yourown life journey, tell me about
a time where maybe you felt abit stuck and how you had to
push yourself out of that toevolve into the place where you
want it to be next.
Gabrielena Alcalá (25:06):
I guess I am very.
My husband says when I wantsomething, I go for it.
I'm rarely stuck for it.
Alethea Felton (25:26):
Yes, I'm rarely stuck, but I have to say that we
get stuck with our own, withour self-limiting belief.
Gabrielena Alcalá (25:29):
There are days that I wake up and say, who
am I to be doing this?
Or I say, well, I mean thatperson is doing it because X, y
and Z, so you know, you startwith those thoughts that are
completely useless and that justlower your energy.
So I think that's the way thatsometimes I get stuck.
(25:53):
Or when you compare withsomeone, oh, they already did it
, how are they going to do it?
I'm so far alone.
So I get stuck in that way.
But I have the tools now toreally say, well, this is my
journey and I have a philosophyin life you can only score goals
(26:16):
if you shoot to the goal, tothe goalie.
I mean, if you don't try, ifyou don't start moving, you
don't advance.
So for me, perfection is theenemy of the good.
So I just start and then I fixas I go, and whenever those
thoughts come in my place, Ijust take one.
(26:38):
I take one task, I do anothertask that takes me closer to
that thing that I want to do.
Alethea Felton (26:48):
And thank you for mentioning that part about
it, because even if you orothers listening or watching
don't get stuck in a serious way, I think you're absolutely
correct Is that every personstill has those self-limiting
beliefs that we're constantlynavigating through, which can be
(27:10):
a form of getting stuck, and sothe way that you will yourself
to taking every step to get towhere you have to be, I think,
is key.
And mentioning every step,scabby, you just didn't stop at
coaching, you just didn't stopat the healthcare industry, but
you actually decided to get intothe podcast world.
(27:34):
Get into the podcast world, andthe fact that your podcast the
English translation is at everystep is quite profound.
So what I'd like us to do nowis I'm just curious, I want to
pick your brain as to whatsparked the idea that innovation
(27:56):
for a podcast and tell us aboutwhat that podcast focuses on
and how it's helping people.
Gabrielena Alcalá (28:06):
So I guess it was one of these ideals.
I noticed that most of thepodcasts when when I started
were a lot about famous people.
But, I noticed that around methere were so many people doing
impressive things that I saidthese are stories.
Nobody knows these stories.
How can we share these storiesand inspire others to do
(28:33):
something good for theircommunity or for themselves?
do something good for theircommunity or for themselves, and
you don't necessarily have tobe famous to achieve change
around you.
So that's how it started.
I wanted to interview peoplethat were not necessarily famous
, but they were doing reallygood things in their communities
(28:57):
.
So that's how it started, butit also is.
I was so interested in thisconversation and learning from
their journey that I thoughtothers could also benefit from
these conversations.
That's how I started thepodcast.
Alethea Felton (29:12):
And so what is the premise?
I know that you said it's aboutstories, but I guess what I'm
asking more about.
I think that the title itselfis really spectacular.
What led you to naming?
Gabrielena Alcalá (29:28):
it that?
But it's people that, at eachstep, are impacting someone.
Ah, okay, I got you.
It's more that, um, and theidea was that through their
reflection, it's all aboutreflection.
Like I don't, I rarely ask toomuch about their job.
(29:49):
I ask more about their journeyas a person.
So, thinking about how, throughthe reflections of others, we
can reflect as well.
Alethea Felton (30:00):
Exactly, and that's why I like our podcast do
have similarities, because Ialways say with anybody that I
encounter, even if it's like ameet and greet, even if we took
our titles away, if we strippedus away of what we did, I am so
(30:22):
interested in who you are at thecore of being a person, and I
think that's important becauseif we put everybody in a room
together and all we had was us,at the very essence of who we
are as humans, I think thatoftentimes we find we have so
(30:43):
much more in common than we dodifferent, because we all go
through this human experience,and so that leads me to even
wondering when you're thinkingabout this journey of having
everyday, ordinary peoplesharing their stories and also
(31:05):
how they are influencing theworld around them.
Let's kind of shift here andtalk about how are you showing
up as the mom who is leavingthis legacy for her children?
So I want to talk about that.
(31:26):
Is that?
What type of a legacy are youhoping to lay down for those who
come after you and forgenerations to come for?
Gabrielena Alcalá (31:38):
those who come after you and for
generations to come.
Yeah, I think the one thingthat I always tell my daughters
is, for the most part, anythingyou want to do, that you really
want to do, I mean you have tobe very clear.
Something you want to do, youcan do it.
You'll figure it out and you'lldo it.
(32:01):
I think sometimes we don't docertain things because we don't
really want them.
We don't, we're not willing todo the sacrifice that are needed
to get there.
But my message to them isalways figure it out.
You're going to be able to doit if you really want it, but
connect with yourself to see ifthat's what you really want to
(32:23):
do.
So that's the legacy I want toleave.
I mean there are other things,obviously that you know, always
be good to people, becompassionate and all those
things, but I always tell themjust try.
My father always said don't sayit, just do it.
(32:49):
So I always have that in mymind when I said to my father
you know, I want to studyeconomics, don't say it, just do
it.
I mean like something he wouldalways say like just get started
.
Alethea Felton (33:06):
Gabby, when we talk about power transformations
for my show, the PowerTransformation Podcast is
Transformation Podcast is as youknow.
It's how people have had tolearn to overcome that challenge
or adversity and just really beresilient in what they do and
to show up for not only othersbut for themselves.
(33:31):
In thinking about your lifejourney as a whole, how do you
define resilience and how hasthat played a part in your
journey as a coach as well as apodcaster, as you are
interviewing people from allwalks of life?
Gabrielena Alcalá (33:52):
I think for me, it's being clear on what I
want and what I believe, onMm-hmm and being connected with
what brings me energy and whatlowers my energy as well yeah,
(34:14):
and what lowers my energy aswell, yeah.
And also, like the, I'm notinto victimization.
So I know that there are thingsthat happen in my life that
could have been better, butthey're not so like I don't live
(34:34):
in my country, they're not soit's just just, it is what it is
.
That's a little bit, uh, theway I see things.
Alethea Felton (34:51):
So that helps me do all the things that I that I
want to move forward, and it'sit's really fascinating that you
said you don't believe invictimization, because I have
encountered certain people, so Ihave a journey, but instead of
me staying stuck in what I'vegone through, I've used those as
(35:16):
fuel catalysts to really launchme to that next level, and so
there are people, though, whoalmost wear their victimhood
like a badge of honor, and itreally keeps them in this loop.
Thinking about that wholeconcept of it is how have you
(35:37):
learned to just navigate thosewaves and those challenges
throughout your life withoutfalling back into that victim
mindset that you have refused tohave for so many years?
How do you do that continuallythroughout your life?
Gabrielena Alcalá (35:56):
Yeah, I think .
I mean I don't know if myfriends would agree with these
or the people who know me wouldagree with these, but I have
been lucky in my life.
In many ways I have been lucky.
So it's to this day, I thinknothing horrible has happened to
me, so it's probably easier forme to talk about not being a
(36:19):
victim.
But I don't know.
I grew up in a household wherethis didn't exist.
The way my father and my momtalked to us constantly was like
okay, yes, and Okay, yes, andwhat are you going to do?
(36:39):
Yeah, I got it, I understand.
Okay, now what are you going todo?
So it never registered in mylife that, oh, I can.
Oh, I know.
It was like, okay, thishappened.
Okay, what's next?
I know.
No, it was like, okay, thishappened.
(37:00):
Okay, what, what?
What, what's next?
So I don't know.
I think it's the way I havelived all the time.
But also, again, I don't thinkanything horrible has happened
in my life that that I would.
I don't know if I would changemy mind.
Something really bad happened,yeah.
Alethea Felton (37:13):
But again, it's all about perspective, because
you may not recognize it, but Iwould say me, from an objective
point of view, for you to saynothing's horrible ever happened
in my life.
There may be somebody listeningwho's like what is she talking
about?
(37:33):
Nothing's horrible happened.
She can't go back to her homecountry to live.
That's horrible, that could behorrible for someone else.
And so even when I have guestshere on my show, sometimes I'll
have people to say, well, Ihaven't really had anything bad.
I tell people your story andyour challenge is your challenge
(37:56):
.
Tell people your story and yourchallenge is your challenge.
Never compare it with anybodyelse's, because what's hard for
me might not be hard for someoneelse.
And I think it goes back to thatwhole premise of not being a
victim, of really standing inyour power and knowing who you
are and to say, hey, whathappened has happened, I can't
(38:16):
change it, but I can choose tomake life and the next steps
better for me as time goes on.
And so that strength you haveis, to me, the epitome of
resilience, is that you've hadto learn to adjust and navigate
with each change in tide.
(38:37):
It kind of reminds me a lot ofmy not by your age, but the way
that you speak and your thoughts, my mom is very similar.
She's like, hey, things happen,it is what it is, I can't
change it, I'm going to move on.
And to me she's gone through alot of stuff, but to her it's
(38:59):
nothing.
Gabrielena Alcalá (39:00):
So even that's why I say I have a friend
in mind to say why are youtalking about?
Alethea Felton (39:08):
I love it, though.
I really love it, because thenthat, then too, it's like that.
That is what keeps you going.
You are aware of everythingthat's happened to you.
You're not out of touch with it, but I think what my mom tells
me is that the past is the past,what's done is done, and so all
(39:30):
.
I can do is choose to moveforward.
So, as we come to a close,Gabby, first of all, before I
ask a closing question, say if aperson's listening to you and
they may, just like me, speakSpanish and English and want to
learn more about your podcast,about your coaching services,
(39:54):
and I'll have all of this inshow notes but how can a person
go about doing that?
Gabrielena Alcalá (39:59):
Yes, so my podcast.
It's on Spotify and ApplePodcasts and other platforms.
It's called A Cada Paso Podcast.
I have a webpage as well for mypodcast and a newsletter that I
write about.
(40:19):
I send a newsletter with areflection of the day and the
podcast and they can find mealso on my website of my company
website, mapa HealthcareConsulting there is.
You can contact me from thereand we can talk about coaching.
If you want connecting withyour values or anything else you
(40:43):
want to talk.
Alethea Felton (40:58):
Wonderful and say Gabby, if a listener is
hearing you and say I'm veryintrigued with everything that
you had to say, I know that Iwant to make an advancement, but
I don't think it's possible forme.
I'm just in this rut.
I'm in this state.
I don't know which direction togo.
There can't be hope or help forme.
What would you say to thatperson?
Gabrielena Alcalá (41:10):
That there's definitely.
Everybody has something tooffer, everybody has something
that makes them special, and Ithat sounds very cliche, but
really you have something and ifyou, if not, you can learn it,
and then it's only about gettingstarted.
The moment you start and youstart refining and seeing and
(41:33):
learning, you are on your path.
Everything is just advancement.
It's really just advancement.
I used to think as well I mean,until you connect with your
strength and the life you wantto live, you're not going to be
able to discover what you canoffer.
Like I had a friend who stayedover at my house this weekend
(41:57):
and she's like yeah, but I don'tknow.
I mean being in thisorganization, I don't know what
I have.
And I asked her for opinionabout a course that I'm creating
and she gave me an amazingfeedback and I'm like here, here
you are, you have something tooffer.
Yeah.
Alethea Felton (42:10):
Which she didn't know.
Yeah, exactly.
And as a closing question,especially thinking about what a
person has to offer and that weall have something to offer
(42:33):
overcome, soared in and excelled.
What is your greatest strengthand where does that strength
come from?
Gabrielena Alcalá (42:44):
I think I'm a doer.
I do things.
I'm totally.
If I learn something, I applyit.
If I go to a course, I'm goingto apply what I learned.
If I have something in my mind,I will do it.
Alethea Felton (42:58):
I'm just a doer.
Thank you for tuning in to thisepisode of the Power
Transformation Podcast.
If you enjoyed this episode, besure to follow or subscribe,
leave a five-star rating andwrite a review.
It helps us inspire even morelisteners.
And don't keep it to yourself.
Share it with someone who coulduse a little power in their
(43:23):
transformation.
Until next time, keep bouncingback, keep rising and be good to
yourself and to others.
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