883 Rebecca Contreras:

Melinda Wittstock:

Coming up on Wings of Inspired Business:

Rebecca Contreras:

Probably my number one obstacle was the imposter syndrome mentality that a lot of women tend to have either because of the failures of our past. I have a bestselling book called Lost Girl, my memoir of my journey, not only from my early stages, but reinventing myself as an entrepreneur as well. And I talk a lot about that imposter syndrome and that, and that not really knowing what you really have and thinking that the failures and the issues and the mistakes of your past are going to impede your future and really not understanding how to overcome those and change your mindset to believe in yourself.

Melinda Wittstock:

Rebecca Contreras is the ultimate bootstrapped success story, climbing from extreme poverty as a high school dropout and single welfare mom to build a $25 million business. Today we learn the secrets of Rebecca’s success as she shares her inspiring entrepreneurial journey.

Melinda Wittstock:

Hi, I’m Melinda Wittstock and welcome to Wings of Inspired Business, where we share the inspiring entrepreneurial journeys, epiphanies, and practical advice from successful female founders … so you have everything you need at your fingertips to build the business and life of your dreams. I’m all about paying it forward a five-time serial entrepreneur, so this podcast is all about catalyzing an ecosystem where women entrepreneurs mentor, promote, buy from, and invest in each other …Because together we’re stronger, and we all soar higher when we fly together.

Melinda Wittstock:

Today we meet an inspiring entrepreneur who refused to let her circumstances confine her, embracing every failure along her path as an opportunity for learning as she built a $25 million business and now gives back with mentoring and scholarships to young inner city teenage girls with her initiative Girls of Legacy.

Melinda Wittstock:

Rebecca Contreras made a bold leap from being a low-paid government employee into entrepreneurship, leveraging her skills in people management, change implementation, and team building. The CEO and Founder of Avant Garde, an Austin-based consulting firm federal agencies depend upon to help them transform their leadership and grow their organization through holistic and sustainable approaches.

Melinda Wittstock:

If you need some uplifting inspiration, this is the episode for you today because Rebecca shares all her secrets of overcoming imposter syndrome, investing in her team, iterative learning, and building supportive networks. Rebecca will be here in a moment, and first:

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Melinda Wittstock:

When we’re stuck in challenging circumstances, it can be hard to see a path to your big dreams. Rebecca Contreras is living, breathing proof that anything is possible, even from the most adverse conditions. Today you’ll learn how she came from extreme poverty as a high school dropout and single welfare mom to build a $25 million business.

Let’s put on our wings with the inspiring Rebecca Contreras and be sure to download the podcast app Podopolo so we can keep the conversation going after the episode.

[INTERVIEW]

Melinda Wittstock:

Rebecca, welcome to Wings.

Rebecca Contreras:

Thank you. Thank you, Melinda. I appreciate you having me. It’s an honor to be here.

Melinda Wittstock:

Well, you’re walking, talking proof that women can reinvent themselves as entrepreneurs, you know, without any kind of training or coming from corporate or coming from government. What was the spark that made you say, hey, you know what? I’ve got this entrepreneur stuff in me. I’m just going to go and launch my own business?

Rebecca Contreras:

Well, yes. So, for me, it was a process and a journey of a few years. I actually, when I left my government career, I was working at the time for President Bush, W. Bush in the White House. And I left in 2005 and wanted to go into the private sector. I’m an HR practitioner, strategic management, change management, HR strategy, all that good stuff. That is what I call the operational suite support. And I wanted to go into the private sector, and I joined a company, a very small company, to help them start their government practice.

Rebecca Contreras:

And I never thought I could have sort of the grit and the tools to start a business, but I was working for another firm as an executive, starting their federal consulting practice. And Melinda, I found in the six years that I was there that I was really good at it. And I had a knack for things like business development, client relationship management, growth, marketing, all the things that come with good entrepreneur, you know, skill sets. And after making the owner a lot of money, my practice alone surpassed the growth by 90% of the practice revenue. I decided, you know, there’s something wrong with this picture.

Melinda Wittstock:

I’m making this other person rich when…

Rebecca Contreras:

Yeah, yeah. And it was Melinda. It was one of my mentors of 20 years, a brilliant man, who is my mentor today. He said to me, he said, you know, Rebecca, have you ever thought of what you’re doing for him you could do for yourself?

Melinda Wittstock:

Right?

Rebecca Contreras:

And I never thought of it until that moment. I had sort of an aha moment that I could do it.

Melinda Wittstock:

This is interesting because a lot of women in business do get held back, really, by our own thinking in terms of what we actually imagined to be possible. And so, I believe the more, we see that it is possible, our visions for ourselves become bigger, and the bigger the vision, the more likely to achieve that big vision.

Rebecca Contreras:

Right, exactly. And I think it’s so it’s not only the fear of. So, for me, it was fear of the unknown and not really believing in myself at that juncture. I mean, I knew I was a good soldier, I knew I was a good executive. I knew I was a good manager, but, you know, leaving Europe, you know, at that time, I was making more money than I had ever made in my career. And my husband had just left to start our nonprofit because we’re also social entrepreneurs and he had left his high paying job. And I thought, well, both of us can’t be entrepreneurs. You know, one of us has to have a steady w two, you know, clock in, clock out job and overcoming that fear and taking that leap to really plan it.

Rebecca Contreras:

I planned it over a year before I sort of took that leap of faith, but to plan it, to have a good financial plan and all of those things are important. But it was really trusting my instinct and my gut that I really had what it took to be successful.

Melinda Wittstock:

And we just learned by jumping in. It’s kind of like on, well, sorry, we learned by jumping in. And I liken entrepreneurship as building the plane as we’re flying it. And that’s really not for everybody because it’s hard, right? Like there’s so many things you can’t control, but you know, and then we think, oh, like other people are making it look easy. So how could I possibly do that? But the fact of the matter is it’s hard for everybody and everybody has a unique individual journey in this realm as well. And so how did your confidence build as you kind of took that leap and you start your consulting business? What were some of the things that you had to overcome? I mean either in mindset or skillset or, you know, what were some of the biggest obstacles for you?

Rebecca Contreras:

Well, I’ll have to say I talk a lot about this and probably my number one obstacle was the imposter syndrome mentality that a lot of women tend to have either because of the failures of our past or I have a bestselling book called Lost Girl where it’s my memoir of my journey, not only from my early stages, but reinventing myself as an entrepreneur as well. And I talk a lot about that imposter syndrome and that, and that not really knowing what you really have and thinking that the failures and the issues and the mistakes of your past are going to impede your future and really not understanding how to overcome those and change your mindset to believe in yourself. And the second biggest thing is the financial obstacle, which is a huge one. I think some, I read a stat the other day out of one of the Forbes magazines that said some 70% plus new startups fail because of lack of financing or funding.

Melinda Wittstock:

Acute for women as well, because for businesses that actually qualify for VC, we still get less than 2% of that global capital in this country. And that’s actually a number that hasn’t moved for more than two decades.

Rebecca Contreras:

No, it’s really dismal. And when I was chair, chair of the access to capital committee for the National Business Women’s Council in DC, I traveled the country and did listening sessions. What I learned, Melinda, through that process is so many women lack capital and lack financial funding and even the ability to get a good sizable credit line. Right. You know, and listen, we’ve come a long way as women. I’m not saying we’re back where we were, you know, 100 years ago. We still have the most challenge in terms of our ability to acquire not only capital, but investment capital, you know, loans. And you know what the data shows.

Rebecca Contreras:

Melinda and I learned this through that access to capital committee and the data that we did. Women actually pay back their loans at record pace more than men. So, it’s not that we don’t. We’re not good financially. Like, we’re really good financial disciplined people, and we know how to pay our debt and pay down our debt, but it’s. It’s having the sort of faith and the infrastructure in place to really go out and get that capital and secure that funding to give us that sort of sustaining foundation that we need. And my biggest. My biggest challenge was I had a very high paying job.

Rebecca Contreras:

You know, my husband had left his job to begin our nonprofit. We had little kids at home, and, you know, I had to figure out how I was going to pay my bills and just basically pay the bills. So, what I did, Melinda, is I just looked at my bills and saw how we were living and said, okay, let’s cut our bills in half. Let’s get, like, down to the bare bones of what we know we can live on, and let’s get super disciplined for the next year or two on our finances until we get that. That first win and that first, you know, client and, you know, had a little cushion, borrowed a little money, and started bootstrapping it from the ground up. Today, Melinda, I am debt free, have been debt free for the last ten years, and we have a thriving, thriving practice of 25 million plus in annual revenue. But it’s overcoming that imposter syndrome. It’s overcoming that fear of not having the finances to be able to pay your bills and survive with your family, because most of us have families.

Rebecca Contreras:

Those are the two biggest factors.

Melinda Wittstock:

Yeah, it definitely slows us down. I come from the tech realm in entrepreneurship as a serial entrepreneur, and I’m innovating in AI, and I have been for many years now. And the check sizes that women, if they do get funded, they get a smaller check. And then you’re competing on a playing field where your closest rival, who’s a dude in a hoodie, most likely, okay. And with likely not as much experience or expertise as you, in many cases, gets ten times the amount, and then you’re held to that same standard. So, there’s all kinds of structural issues here.

Melinda Wittstock:

And so, part of it, I think, is overcoming the imposter syndrome in the sense of really actually knowing our own value. Because when we go to raise money, however we raise it, we’re providing an opportunity for other people to get wealthy on our work and on our innovation. But, like, the mindset isn’t necessarily there. So that’s part of the issue. But the other part of the issue, too, is just not being in the club.

Rebecca Contreras:

It’s hard to get. It’s hard to get in the club. To get a foot in the club. Right, exactly.

Melinda Wittstock:

Because, I mean, all these guys get together as, hey, I got this deal. Are you in? Am I in? You know what I mean? And they all, you know, talk about it and they help each other and they do deal flow together, you know, all that stuff. Right. And women tend not to do that so much, I’ve noticed.

Rebecca Contreras:

Well, so I will say there is a way to overcome that, and I’ve done that. I was probably the most risk adverse. My husband of 34 years will tell you I’d never took a risk. I’d like to see the money in the bank. I have my matrix with all my finances in order. I’d never spend above my budget. I don’t jump off the cliff.

Rebecca Contreras:

I don’t like doing things that I don’t swim in the ocean. I don’t like risks. I think there is a way to learn that behavior and to learn how to be a risk taker. A calculated risk taker is what I call good risks and also to be bold and to demonstrate those. Sort of get your foot in the door through any means necessary, including, you know, not a demand at the seat or foot in the door, but. But perhaps proving that you bring something valuable to the table. I believe that women bring tremendous value, whether we’re trying to start a business or fund an initiative or become an executive in a top firm, and we do have to earn our place. But once we do, and we’re known for being result driven and outcome based, then we definitely have a voice.

Rebecca Contreras:

But we have to exercise that voice with authority and with resolve. And I do believe Melinda, and if you read lost girl, I grew up in the projects of the dropout teen mom, the whole thing. And I learned who I am today over a very long journey of a lot of mentoring and development on myself, including the entrepreneur grit that it takes to be successful.

Melinda Wittstock:

Yes. If you come from a background that was financially challenged, it does set you up to be risk adverse, I would imagine.

Rebecca Contreras:

Yeah, my entire life was on welfare, but my mom was a product of the welfare system. I was, you know, on welfare and in poverty, and, you know, I had what I call a poverty mentality. My husband used to get so frustrated with me because he’d say, you’re just thinking so poor. Literally, your mental state is in poverty. You know, your physical state can be in poverty, but it doesn’t have to. Your mental state doesn’t have to stay there, and certainly you can get out of it. So, I had some insurmountable odds to overcome. So, I always tell people, Melinda, hey, listen, if I did it with my background, anybody can do it.

Melinda Wittstock:

Yeah, but it’s important what you say about the mindset shift, because, again, if you can’t imagine it or if you stay constrained by your present circumstance, like so for any entrepreneur listening, that’s really constrained, doesn’t have the capital. It’s like, oh, my God, how am I going to meet payroll? You know, all of that is pretty common, right? How to not let your vision be dampened by the present circumstance. Entrepreneurship, to me, it’s become, you know, definitely a personal growth journey. It really actually a spiritual journey because you do have to, like, face all those subconscious beliefs that you got as a child, you know, and not let those define you.

Rebecca Contreras:

Absolutely. And the spiritual journey is just important as the mental journey and my journey as well. It’s been both. And, you know, it’s not an overnight process, but it is possible, and it has to be very deliberate and very, you know, very consistent every day. I just turned 55 this year, and, you know, I’ve just completely reinvented myself in terms of how I grew up and my early background and even starting in government. When I started in government, Linda, I started in a welfare to work initiative under a woman by the name of Ann Richards here in Texas.

Melinda Wittstock:

Amazing.

Rebecca Contreras:

And was taking on single moms on welfare to get them off of welfare. And it was a Texas initiative. And, you know, I started there. And so, you know, there’s a lot of points that I’ve sort of worked through, that reinvention and that mind state. But it has been a process for me. And I would encourage your listeners, specifically those that are looking to go into entrepreneurship. It’s possible with the right sort of infrastructure of support and the right planning. I just launched a business series online called the sort of fundamentals of success and how to start and scale a business.

[PROMO CREDIT]

Wings of Inspired Business is brought to you by the new podcast, Zero Limits Business Growth Secrets. Join me together with Steve Little – serial entrepreneur, investor and mergers & acquisitions maestro – as we explore the little-known 24 value drivers that spell the difference between a $5m business, and a $50mm even $500 mm business. That’s Zero Limits Business Growth Secrets, produced by Podopolo Brand Studio at zerolimitsradio.com – that’s zerolimitsradio.com and available wherever you get your podcasts.

Melinda Wittstock:

And we’re back with Rebecca Contreras, bestselling author of Lost Girl, Founder and CEO of consulting firm Avant Garde, and founder of Girls of Legacy.

[INTERVIEW CONTINUES]

Rebecca Contreras:

And it’s so important to have the right tools. Melinda, I didn’t have everything that I have today. I have learned so many lessons through the school of hard knocks that you would not even imagine.

Melinda Wittstock:

I hear you. Same with me. You know, when I started out really, as an entrepreneur, it was like, you know, 2001, right? It was right after 911, my first business. It was kind of a little bit inspired by that. And I. I didn’t know anything. I didn’t even know; you know what I mean? But I just sort of jumped in, I guess. I’m not risk adverse.

Melinda Wittstock:

I just kind of, like, did it right. But, like, without really knowing anything. So, like, I learned everything as I went.

Rebecca Contreras:

Oh, yes. And it’s, honestly, for me, it’s been the best way to learn because I can actually say that I, you know, I’ve done it. I’ve achieved it. I’ve been able to really learn through, I call it a failing forward strategy. You know, John Maxwell, a great book called Failing Forward. And there’s a lot of great lessons from CEO’s that have failed miserably and how to fail forward. And I leverage the tools he shares in his book.

Melinda Wittstock:

That’s a very powerful concept because it’s really, if we can reset our mindset about failure, I mean, failure is not a judgment about you. Right. What it is feedback. In fact, it’s an opportunity to learn something. It’s like, oh, that didn’t work. I’ll try it this other way. Because entrepreneurship is kind of creative iteration, right? Because, you know, especially in stages where you’re trying to find, you know, your customers or where you fit into the market or what’s your unique differentiation? What do people actually want? Do I have some. How can I package what I have to meet the needs of a client or a customer? You know, all that.

Melinda Wittstock:

That’s all so iterative. Like, you just don’t know. You have a thesis, but you don’t really know until you’re out there in the market. So, you’ve got to get that market feedback to be able to learn and grow.

Rebecca Contreras:

Yes, absolutely. And, you know, and also not only looking and learning and leveraging from the market or the industry, you know, sort of success factors, but also people around you. So, Melinda, I’m a product of my relationships and my network. I’m a product. I was, listen, I was a product of the bad influences when I lived in poverty and was strung out as a single mom on the border, you know, living on the border of El Paso, Texas. And I’m a product now as an, as an adult on my good influence, the people that impacted me greatly. And so I think there are a lot of women out there like you and I and others that, you know, we’re willing to share our lessons and give knowledge and share knowledge across various areas of the industry for women who are looking to get started. And I’m trying to do that through the seven-week business series that I just launched.

Rebecca Contreras:

And the feedback I’m getting is it’s a lot of positive knowledge and you and I can only be somewhere. It’s probably why you do your podcast, right?

Melinda Wittstock:

Yeah, it’s exactly why. Because I remember launching this podcast in, I think it was 2017, thinking, God, I’m just going to launch the podcast I wish I’d had because I really believe, just like your Ann Richards example, it takes another woman to give a hand up. It’s like that. It’s why this is called Wings because lift as we climb. Because if women genuinely help other women, more than a “you go, girl”, but like, actually from a place of abundance really paved the way for others with that kind of generosity. Men have been doing that for each other for millennia, right? So why not us?

Rebecca Contreras:

Exactly. And we don’t need to be competing and one upping and thinking about, well, who has the bigger business and, you know, who’s going to get on the stage or who’s going to. It’s all about supporting women. And I’m thankful, Melinda. I have a strong network of, I call them my RC tribe. You know, they’re about seven women, all entrepreneurs. We all support each other. We all celebrate each other.

Rebecca Contreras:

We all help each other succeed. And when one wins, we all win. And that’s the kind of sort of energy that I’m trying to, as I travel the country and just impart to entrepreneurs and share my knowledge, that’s the kind of energy I’m trying to, you know, escalate up, because I think once we all begin to do that, there’s really, the sky is the limit for what we can achieve together.

Melinda Wittstock:

I 100% agree with you, and I see more evidence of that happening. I think you and I are, you know, about the same age, and I think back to, you know, my early jobs and where women were very much in scarcity, and it was very much, women were competing for, like, a few slots and weren’t necessarily very helpful to each other. I have seen that that’s changing, like, quite significantly. I mean, have you experienced that as well? Do you think the environment or women are just more open to this now?

Rebecca Contreras:

At least I’m talking about the women that I’ve, you know, I’ve probably touched since I launched my book two years ago, you know, about 50,000 or so, you know, audiences. And I am seeing that as I talk to people in small circles, as I, you know, as I get into their world through either panel discussions or small groups and even sidebar conversation, the media that comes in, I’m hearing and seeing that, and it’s so exciting. I think there’s a readiness for it and an energy that is different than what we even saw even ten years ago. Right. I think there is a trend, and I do hope it continues and more women that have achieved a level of success. So, Melinda, I don’t know if you know the stat, and when I was on the National Business Women Council, we’re the fastest growing demographic in terms of the number of women owned businesses in America, but only the top 5% ever achieve a million or more in revenue.

Melinda Wittstock:

I know. Isn’t that crazy? I know that stat, and I think there’s so many things that hold us back from that. I think it’s partly okay, we’ve gone through imposter syndrome and how we value ourselves really deep down and what we envision for ourselves, but it’s also a structural issue as well. But it’s also to do with, we were talking about being risk adverse. Women tend to hire too late or try and do it all themselves. Right, which really holds back any to scale. So, like, overcoming that risk adverse, like, sometimes debt is really great. Like it’s other people’s money.

Melinda Wittstock:

As long as you’re using debt to actually grow an asset as opposed to going on vacation, you know what I mean?

Rebecca Contreras:

Yeah, and there’s all sorts of creative ways we could do that. My husband and I started our third company where we started investing in real estate. And, you know, as I gained a success in my for-profit consulting firm, you know, I decided we’re going to. We’re going to live modest. We’re not going to, you know, overspend. We’re not going to live, you know, like gazillionaires. We’re not going to do anything that that is out of the norm. We’re going to take our money we’re going to fund our own investment properties, and all of a sudden, the entity that we own becomes the bank. And, you know, there are ways you could. You could, you know, have healthy debt that is asset based, and you’re producing assets at record number, record pace and making sure those assets are working for you so that you are, you know, not, you know, I have literally, I was on a call with a friend of mine last week who, he’s been very successful entrepreneur, and he has. He has a colleague of his that just lost pretty much everything because he got so far into debt that, you know, when something went, a deal went wrong, he lost everything, and he didn’t have any assets or anything, you know, tangible assets, and it took him out. And my first thought was, why would you do that? Like, any capital you have, you want it to be, or any assets you have, you want it to be able to be healthy assets so that then it can work for you. And you start small. We started with one small property, and you do right by that property, scale that property. And then when you do end up having the capital, your second one, and you start small and grow.

Rebecca Contreras:

But we have to start somewhere as women, we have to start looking at how can we produce a legacy, a financial legacy, be financially independent. I’m really glad that I’ve been able to build that with the things I’ve been able to do. And it’s a legacy that I’m leaving for my children and my children’s children. I’m a grandma, by the way. Melinda.

Melinda Wittstock:

Gosh, congratulations. That’s amazing.

Rebecca Contreras:

Yeah. But it’s all very calculated, very planned out, and very methodical around how you can achieve this success. And I’m excited that women are beginning to be more financially independent in my tribe, a lot of the women that I work with have put a financial feature in front of them that has provided that opportunity for them, through their business, to be financially independent. And that doesn’t mean that we don’t need anybody else. That just means that we’re putting ourselves forward in the good footing as entrepreneurs 100%.

Melinda Wittstock:

Well, I like what you say about diversifying and almost essentially becoming your own bank. The first female VC firm started in what, 2013? They tend to get smaller check sizes from their LP’s, and so as a result, the check sizes are smaller for the women and whatnot.

Melinda Wittstock:

So how can all these different funds pool their resources, for instance, you know, and all the training, there’s a lot of solutions beginning to emerge. And the thing they all have in common is collaboration of women to pull it off, because as long as we’re isolated or our heads down or thinking we’re alone or any of that kind of stuff, like, it holds us all back. So really that kind of collaboration, again, it’s like the lift as we climb. So, I’m curious, the transition from working in government to then you have an entrepreneurship that is consulting in government, but like, the skills that you had navigating government as opposed to running a business, what’s different about that? What were you able to bring in from your government experience that really accelerated you as an entrepreneur? And what were some of the things maybe that might have held you back in terms of the way government moves at a much slower pace than, say.

Rebecca Contreras:

Oh my goodness, entrepreneur, right? It’s just an antiquated entity for sure. Well, it’s interesting you asked that, because week one of my new business series just three weeks ago was reinvent you. How to transition from employee to entrepreneur. And I talk about that transition from government employee to government executive to entrepreneur, and that sort of metamorphosis that happened. And I will tell you, I didn’t know anything about starting a business when I started. I had to do a lot of research, a lot of work, seek a lot of counsel, but I did know several things. I knew that I was really good with people. I’m a people expert.

Rebecca Contreras:

That’s what I’m known for in the industry. I knew that I was a change agent, and I could create change, effective change, to drive results and outcome in organizations. I knew that I could mobilize a team and get a team’s loyalty in terms of building a team. And I had a history of hiring hundreds of people in both in the time working for Governor Bush here in Texas and then going to DC. And I had a sort of network of people that had were loyal to me as a leader. And I also knew that I was good at HR, and I knew that my expertise, people would pay for that. In other words, I had built sort of an expert expertise in the industry that was valuable. What I didn’t know, Melinda, is how much money I could make or how long it would take me wouldn’t.

Rebecca Contreras:

If we had the crystal ball, wouldn’t that be amazing? And I was one of those government workers and employees. I started again on a welfare to work initiative and grew my way up in government to be. When I left government, I was a commissioned officer working for President Bush, doing all his hiring for various positions. But I knew that I had built this sort of skillset and had grown and metamorphosed myself into this expert industry. And I just started knocking on doors and working my network. And that’s why I say your people will literally be your biggest asset. The people, you know, your network, the network I had built in government. And truly, it really worked very nicely for me.

Rebecca Contreras:

I had to shore up the things I didn’t know, you know, how to start a business, how to do the foundation in terms of an infrastructure. You know, do I do a sole proprietor? Do I do an LLC? How, you know, getting the right CPAs, getting the right lawyers, all of those things. Knowledge comes with experts that you surround yourself with. But I knew I had those four fundamental qualities that I could sort of transition into becoming an entrepreneur and put…

Melinda Wittstock:

Them to work, 100%.

Rebecca Contreras:

So, Melinda, it’s focusing on what you do have and not what you don’t have. Right. We could focus as women; we could focus on what we don’t have.

Melinda Wittstock:

I think focusing on what you do have is very much an abundance mindset, because the more we focus on that and we’re grateful for it and we acknowledge ourselves for what we have actually achieved, the more we invite that actually into our lives. I mean, you mentioned a little back in the conversation about consistency in that practice, and that’s something that I believe because, you know, on my kind of spiritual journey in that sense. Right. You know, doing things like gratitude and intentions and just, you know, all the things. Right. There’s this big toolkit and all the things you can do.

Melinda Wittstock:

And I’d find that I’d be doing these practices and things. Amazing things would start to happen, and then you’d get really into the doing of all the things that you manifested or whatever. Then I’d drop off the practice, and then things would go back, and it’s like, oh, no, no, no. Oh, my God, you know, you’ve got to be doing it consistently.

Melinda Wittstock:

And that’s been my big, big, big lesson to do that.  So, Rebecca, here you are, you’ve had so much success. You were 2023 Austin Businesswoman of the year. You got a Golden Stevie award for best female entrepreneur in 2022. That had to feel good. I mean, congratulations.

Rebecca Contreras:

Thank you. We have a great team. We are a team, and we achieve success as a team, and I think one year, the year we bought, we won the Stevie award, we won a silver and a gold in the same year and for different, you know, categories.

Rebecca Contreras:

And I just. I sit back and I pinch myself, Melinda, because I happen to know that all of this is possible only because of the team that delivers and that is out there representing me and the team back to that fourth element, the people that I have built to execute. And I think you’re right. I think women CEOs of their own businesses, they tend to want to do it all. And sometimes it’s worth investing in that team member and pulling up so that you can. For me, I got my first contract, and instead of being the facilitator and the strategist, and I decided I’m going to pull up and I’m going to invest the money of that contract into hiring, you know, a good strategy person to let them execute and then just pull up and provide that oversight.

Rebecca Contreras:

But we have been so lucky and blessed in so many ways with all of the accolades that we’ve received in the last ten years. And I just know the best is yet to come. And we’re not stopping anytime soon. We’re keeping forward movement and also that consistency and the approach of how we’re leading and growing the business.

Melinda Wittstock:

Amazing. Gosh. So, what is in your future. What’s, where do you see yourself going in the next five years? What would be amazing success from where you are now?

Rebecca Contreras:

Well, we are, we are still a small business in terms of our category. Even though we’re scaling and growing this year. We have a sizable amount of revenue in the pipeline and our end of fiscal year closes in October. Our goal is to achieve another probably 10 million in annual revenue of new business is our goal. We’ve set the goal audaciously and very high and we’re hiring. I think my HR director told me the other day, I think we have like 40 people we’ve already hired this year and another we’re scaling up to execute. But we’re going to continue to grow, continue to stay focused on doing the right things as a company. An exciting thing for you and your listeners to be aware of as we all.

Rebecca Contreras:

I’m bigger on the give back and the pay it forward. I mentioned to you earlier I was a welfare mom, high school dropout early on in my, in my life. And we have an initiative called Girls of Legacy. Our initiative was just featured in Forbes and Fortune and it’s my give back. We have twelve girls from the inner city here in Austin that we’re scholarshiping and mentoring and developing in terms of their own growth. And Avant Garde is a strategic partner and a matching program for those scholarships. So, we have that going on. That event’s happening in June and then we’re trying to raise as much as we can to scholarship all the girls.

Rebecca Contreras:

And you know, we’re, we’re, we’re working diligently to grow, but we’re also keeping our thumbprint on the give back and on community service because I believe, Melinda, that, you know, there success happens for a reason. It’s usually not to put you in an ivory tower isolated, away from impact. Right. It’s all about impact, that next generation, for me, it’s about impacting the next generation of these inner-city girls, disadvantaged girls that are going to be the next future leaders here in Texas. So that’s my, that’s my focus.

Melinda Wittstock:

Oh, how wonderful is that? And, you know, Girls of Legacy, I’m going to make sure that that’s in the show notes. So, anybody that really aligns with that and wants to help out, I think what you say too about legacy, you know, when we’re successful paying it forward, so, so important. So, Rebecca, I just want to make sure that everybody knows where to find you and work with you, particularly if any kind of government folks listening here and be part of your $10 million revenue goal or get your Lost Girl for sure. I know you have an offer to get the first. You can read the first chapter of that for free, which is great. What’s the best way for people to find you and also contribute to Girls of Legacy?

Rebecca Contreras:

Yes. So, the best way is to go to my website@rebeccacontreras.com, and there is a link there to connect with us. All my content is free. All the tools we provide is free. The business series that I have up on the page is really good series. And so, you subscribe, connect so that we can keep in touch with you. And then lost girl is available on the site as well as on Amazon. And then we have a specific, unique link on my site for girls, a legacy, our gift back initiative.

Rebecca Contreras:

People can also contribute. And just bear in mind, when you contribute, say you contribute $20, it becomes $40 because I have a personal match with my company, Avant Garde and myself that we do. So, we double the impact. For every donation we get for these girls, 100% Melinda of our donations go to the scholarships. We have zero overhead in the nonprofit on purpose. We want all the money that comes in to go to the girls and their scholarships. So, it is a double the impact.

Melinda Wittstock:

How inspiring you are. Well, I just want to thank you for putting on your wings and flying with us today.

Rebecca Contreras:

Thank you so much for having me. It’s been a pleasure. And God speak to all you do.

[INTERVIEW ENDS]

Melinda Wittstock:

Rebecca Contreras is the CEO and founder of Avant Garde, an Austin-based consulting firm federal agencies depend upon to help them transform their leadership and grow their organization through holistic and sustainable approaches. She’s also the founder of Girls of Legacy, helping inner city girls with mentorship and scholarships. Your donation will be matched 100% by Rebecca’s company.

Melinda Wittstock:

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Melinda Wittstock:

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