Ep 7: Priorities with Silvia Castro Bennett
92,000 Hours
Ever wonder how successful working mothers balance their careers and personal lives? Meet Silvia Castro Bennett, the executive director of Suazo Business Center. Silvia's extraordinary journey of aligning her career with her calling will inspire you.
Are you a working mom or planning to be one? How do you balance work and motherhood without losing your sanity? Silvia sheds light on these questions by sharing how motherhood reshaped her perspective & priorities and unpacked the societal pressure of trying to "have it all".
Join us as we explore how she successfully integrated her whole self into her work, and how the pandemic has changed our economy.
Transcript
0:00:01 - Annalisa Holcombe
Did you know that the average human spends 92,000 hours at work during their lifetime? That's more than we spend eating, cleaning, driving, watching TV or even surfing the internet? In fact, work is what we do most. It comes second only to sleeping. Welcome to 92,000 hours, the podcast that believes in the integration of life and work.
I'm your host, Annalisa Holcombe. Before we begin, I wanted to tell you a quick story about why this podcast is so personal to me. I began practicing law at age 26 and learned many valuable lessons, including that I was deeply unhappy at work. Although I was on a path that looked like traditional success, I realized that I needed to quit my job in order to align myself with my passion and purpose. Now I am dedicated to making sure all of our 92,000 hours at work are spent well instead of simply spent. How do we construct a working world that values and accommodates our humanity? How do we construct a life that is not separate from, but fueled by, the purpose we find in our work? In this podcast, we will explore those questions and more. In each episode, I will speak to someone that demonstrates meaning, passion and purpose in their work. Join me in discovering what happens when we bring our whole selves to our work, schools and communities.
Today, I am joined by Silvia Castro-Bennett. Silvia is the executive director of the Suazo Business Center, a nonprofit business resource for Latino Hispanic communities. Silvia holds an MBA in international business from the University of Utah. She also serves on the Utah Governor's COVID-19 Economic Task Force and the Multicultural Task Force, and on the date that this podcast will drop, she will be receiving the prestigious Pathfinder Award at the Salt Lake Chamber Women in Business Conference. Today, we will be discussing priorities, how to stick to them and how to give up perfection along the way. Hello Hi, Silvia. All right, so I gave you a heads up about this, but for every podcast, I want to start with this question, which is my difficult question is really, what I'm trying to do is take away the question that we always ask each other at the beginning. When you meet someone, you say oh hi, what do you do? I want to talk about? Oh hi, who are you?
And so if you take out any references to any of that stuff I just talked about in your buyout to work school, sports, volunteerism, church activity, any of those things that people often list on their resumes. What is your greatest accomplishment as a human being? I asked my students this in interviews and I tell them the answer. That is the correct answer is the one that you would never say to in a job interview. It's the one that might actually make your throat catch a little.
0:03:15 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Yeah.
0:03:15 - Annalisa Holcombe
That's the right one. It's the stuff about what really matters to you.
0:03:20 - Silvia Castro Bennett
But you know, it's funny because usually when you talk about the greatest accomplishment, people rattle off professional accomplishments. But when the first reaction, the first thing that popped into my head when you asked me that it's been a mom, which is so cliche I'm very and me, when out in the public, because I'm used to kind of being this, I always swear this hard ass executive, no nonsense, that's like a public persona that you have. But the biggest thing in what drives me it's really my daughter and me coming, a mom which if you have told me that 20 years ago, I will tell you you have the wrong person.
0:04:10 - Annalisa Holcombe
It just changed you that much.
0:04:12 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Yes, it changed me that much and it really kind of and as we're talking about pro is it really puts everything on its tail, Because, even though I'm leading a nonprofit as a person, everything comes from that spot on. I've been on the day. Who is probably number one?
0:04:34 - Annalisa Holcombe
right, right. That's awesome. What does it feel like to be a mom?
0:04:42 - Silvia Castro Bennett
It's the most awesome and scariest thing ever, because I'm like in charge of a person. Yeah, you know, and especially I guess you know thankfully she's five and a half the half is important, especially to her. Oh yes, you know, the first two years all you can think of is like I can't kill this little person because they can't find out. That's a lot of responsibility. Like literally, remember pulling away from the hospital after giving birth and I went I gotta do this now. Like I am like oh crap, that's awesome. I mean, it's really this moment of sheer panic right and then tell me about that.
0:05:23 - Annalisa Holcombe
And I'm just asking because you talked about it in terms of you know you're, this is your greatest accomplishment. Is this little person right? How? How did you change? Because you can't? You know you're. You said 20 years ago Nobody would think that about you.
0:05:42 - Silvia Castro Bennett
What it I would not think that about me. So how are you different? Oh, lastly, it really I Enough. I'm probably less intense because of that.
0:05:55 - Annalisa Holcombe
Hmm, I See people more like you're more accepting of other humans.
0:06:01 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Yes, I'm more, accepting more humans. But also I tended to sometimes I was so focused driven people went by the wayside. Yeah, I Was so interested in the outcome. Sometimes people, people were just pushed to the side, which is not a good way to lead either. So in that sense I think you made me a better leader because he made me read. That half is soft of me, wow look at people.
Wow, yeah, I literally this word talk about I Six months after you know, when I was six months, I actually called back my old assistant. I apologize Really, because I was. I had no idea, I did not understand. I should have been more kind to you. I should have been more flexible with you. I did not get it.
0:06:51 - Annalisa Holcombe
Because she had been, because she dealing with parenthood?
0:06:54 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Yeah, she had been with parenthood and everything else and I was you know, and it's not like I was a horrible person but never truly understood it and never truly understood the sacrifice what it is to be a working mom right. I just thought that's just the way you do and that's what you do, but I never really truly understood the sacrifice and how hard it is To be a working mom.
0:07:17 - Annalisa Holcombe
I think I think that's really important. I have that in one of my questions. I wanted to talk to you about which is we talked about? That we're gonna talk about families or talk about priorities, and and I Think that there are so many of our listeners that would be interested in how we prioritize our whole lives- we end up talking about what to do and we will talk about that today in terms of how to Prioritize as a leader, as a boss, etc.
But prioritizing your entire life. I mean you've, you've, you're a mom, you, you've been a single mom, you have, you know, we hear that phrase like you can have it all, and it provides so much stress for For people. I'm just interested in what you think about that, how we probably, how you have prioritized, how well, and this is where I mean you get to.
0:08:10 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Is it first of all because I am a more of a cheevers? It is to begin with, and then throw in the mom mix to it. I had to let go of things For sanity sake. Did you try not to at the beginning?
Yeah, I really thought I could pull it off, and I quickly find out on everybody around me that when I don't get sleep I'm not very kind, but I think I mean the mommy guilt is so real. And even when Because I share, you know, custody with her dad I the only I allow myself to work more when she's not with me, but when was she's, even she could be at school or take care of whatever mommy gets still there. Maybe I'm missing out on her. Missing this out or and that was the biggest thing is trying to Be like you know what. The best that I can do is good enough.
It doesn't have to be perfect right, I and they kind of and not you don't have to prescribe to be a certain type of mom. The best I can do is the best mom that she, that she can have right, right.
But if I keep modding myself after this, because you know, you see, now, with social media, I think what's hard is the it increased ability for you to compare yourself with other people. And you know I have some friends that I call them the TV mom that they have. You know, they decorate every holiday, they go all out and I'm just like, oh wow, how would it be? And I wanted to be that mom. It's not me, right? I have never been that person that decorates, so why change?
like, but I wanted you know, but I wanted to provide that experience of motherhood. But then I think the magazine right the magazine experience. But then I said you know, it doesn't it's kind of short changes her and me Because I'm, because it's not who I am, and it's okay.
0:10:06 - Annalisa Holcombe
There's different types of moms and that's so important right authenticity of your relationship with your kid right.
0:10:12 - Silvia Castro Bennett
But you and that's a lot of it is really that mommy guilt. Is you're supposed to fit this mall this kind of this template? This way, it's hard to just say no, it's okay not to do that right. But it took a while To get there and be okay with that and I mean, and I still, I've experienced mommy guilt every week either way. But it's kind of pushing back, saying Good enough is fine.
0:10:46 - Annalisa Holcombe
That's nice. You find a way to accept yourself in it, yeah, but it's a constant struggle right All the time right, I imagine right Going back to a general overview of our topic, about being priority, about that being priorities, I think it's really interesting that you, when I gave you the list of potential topics, you're like this is the one.
0:11:08 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Because it's the one I have struggled the most with. Oh, that's a good, that's interesting and I think that's what I felt. Like I could talk a lot about it, because it's something I have always struggled with. Right, as a woman, you tend to put other people ahead of you all the time. Yes, and that actually is part of the priorities.
0:11:27 - Annalisa Holcombe
Because I'm interested in how, like, tell me about it. When you felt that, when you heard the, the language of it, because I think about that I thought you know, when you hear the word priorities, how does it make you feel originally, like I imagine some of the listeners hear that word and are filled with like energy and empowerment. Yeah, I'm going to prioritize, and some people are filled with dread and anxiety. Where are you on that scale?
0:11:54 - Silvia Castro Bennett
When I think of a priority I just keep thinking of. That's my ongoing list of things to work on. So it's not like I'm excited. It's definitely not exciting thing. I'm not terrified of it. It's just something I continuously work on, right Every day. To me, is it means work? Yeah, I believe that. Because I don't have it, I have to constantly check myself into it.
0:12:19 - Annalisa Holcombe
I think in one of your bios it talks about how you're bilingual and bicultural and how that's important to your work. And I'm really interested in how we talk about prioritization from with you, from your experience Both being and working with immigrants, and what that means to us. So like tell me a little bit about what Suazo Center does Talk about. Like I'm really interested in how priorities line up.
0:12:51 - Silvia Castro Bennett
So Suazo Business Center is an interest is probably the only nonprofit I could work for, which is because I've always been so business driven Entrepreneur. There was a joke that I was the biggest lover of capitalism, and I am.
I love capitalism, but this is why Suazo is basically a nonprofit that focuses on economic development for the minority community, the only one doing so in the whole state. That's amazing. There's a lot of talk on demographics. Yes, you just you're just a bit behind when it comes to diversity by population alone, but that's where the growth is coming.
But, we are it when it comes to economic development, and it's a different business model too. We work a lot with immigrants and basically helping them transition to become more mainstream, to know how to work here, who know how to have successful business here. We see a lot of immigrants who were a very successful entrepreneur in their countries, but what worked in their countries is not work here. Right Right, it's a different accounting system, different label system, different everything. There's also the Utah component of it too. Business system differently in Utah.
0:14:13 - Annalisa Holcombe
You have to learn about it.
0:14:14 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Yeah, and what's interesting is so, when my family immigrated to Utah, I was 14. And it's an interesting paradigm. I was old enough to remember everything, but I was young enough to take in the new.
0:14:31 - Annalisa Holcombe
So I'm in this. That's really great, though, yeah.
0:14:35 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I'm in this interesting spot where I see both sides of the coin. Right, I get it Because technically I'm a first generation immigrant, right, but the vast majority of my life has been spent here Not to age myself, so basically over like this. I actually made this comment on Facebook where, out of I mean basically more than 20 years, almost 27 years of my life have been here, but I'm still an other, wow, no matter what I do. And that's the thing is, I have come to just not embrace it, but just have peace with it. I'm always another and it's fine, I'm okay with it.
Now, what is that like? Well, there's negative, but then I started to see the positives too. I have fun that everybody remembers me, because I'm usually the only brown face in the room. I don't remember any of them. I don't remember me. That's good. The other thing, too, is I have been okay with pushing back Because I have what I call the two, for Not only am I a minority, but I'm also a woman and there's a role, for you know, it's the type of thing that is associated with me that usually I'm more okay with, but I'm more okay with pushing back. I think there was a study recently and I experienced this because I have seen this with some of my other Latina professionals we get interrupted more. Wow, so you have like Senator Luz Escamilla right, there was actually a study on who gets interrupted more. She tops it, hands down. No one even calls In terms of people with a legislature.
Yeah, she's a legislator herself. She's a senator. She's the most interrupted individual in the whole Senate.
0:16:31 - Annalisa Holcombe
And she is the only female woman of color.
0:16:34 - Silvia Castro Bennett
She's not, but she's the only female senator, female, the only Latina senator, and it was interesting, actually was done by a Westminster, yeah, student. That Luce told me about this. She said you know there was. I can actually confirm, I can actually. Somebody has actually done the numbers in the research, or I can be like see who you are. I knew it, I had a suspicion about it, but I had never had a literally confirmed with data. Wow, I'm used to.
What does that say about us? I don't know if it's. I think there, we, you know, there's always assumptions made, things like that, but then again, they're not used to pushback. So when there's pushback, what's interesting is is a two sided coin. I have to be 200% better than most people. So what they're not expecting is, number one, for me to push back. Number two, to have an opinion. Number three, that I'm actually have a smart opinion and I were. Oh yeah, thank you for saying that. I'm used to being the person that says what everybody wants to say but doesn't, because I figured what do I have to lose? Wow, I get. Thank for saying things that everybody else doesn't want to, which is funny. That was funny to me.
0:17:59 - Annalisa Holcombe
But you, but, but. You learned to embrace that, rather than shy, fearful right.
0:18:04 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Because it will be. It's so easy to be quiet, but that doesn't get me anything. What's interesting to me is when somebody thanks me for saying what everybody else says, but when but you are free to say it, you actually have more freedom to say it, but it's funny that I have to be the one has that affected you in your professional life?
0:18:25 - Annalisa Holcombe
but either good or bad.
0:18:30 - Silvia Castro Bennett
It has been good. If it's bad, I'm in the wrong place. Yeah, and that's part of it. Is that if that is, I'm in a space where that does not work. I have learned that that is not my space and I just move on.
0:18:45 - Annalisa Holcombe
And you have had that happen to you yeah.
0:18:46 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I have had that happen and I went okay. So this is not a space that works for me, so just move on. There are so many other spaces to go to.
0:18:54 - Annalisa Holcombe
There's so many other organizations, places where your difference and your ability to appreciate it?
0:19:01 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Yeah, right, it's appreciated where it's not. I don't dwell on it, I just.
0:19:10 - Annalisa Holcombe
I just think it is what it is, I just work it From your perspective of how you just talked about being the person who says the thing that other people are thinking, who have more freedom to speak about it. What would be better for people? I mean, what would you want from people who have the power and the privilege already to be better allies too?
0:19:36 - Silvia Castro Bennett
It's interesting because there's a lot of talk about privilege and a lot of talk about allies. It's crap, hmm, I, because here's the thing For all that progressive talk about I don't know diversity, I have found that to never really mean anything. The only thing that changes is the term Interesting.
That's really interesting, this is what the end of the day matters to me, it's what you do, not what you say. So if you talk about diversity how important it is to you and I look at your staff and they all look the same. You have told me everything I need to know. So you actually don't mean that, because the old argument that there's no qualified people is BS. There's plenty of qualified people, but it does not matter to you. But if I look at your executive cabinet, if you look at the people you surround yourself with, that's what really matters. So in spaces where, if I'm the only person of color in that room, that's not a means on you.
It's not my job to enlighten you. It's my job to bring in an opinion based on my professional experience. I'm not here to be your wrong person of choice. It's not. It's not so. When people actually talk to me about diversity, I'm not your girl. If you want to talk to me about entrepreneurship, economic development, business development, I'm your girl.
0:21:22 - Annalisa Holcombe
If this conversation has caught your attention and you want to join in on conversations like this, check out our website at ConnectionCollaborative.com. You're listening to 92,000 Hours and today we're chatting with Silvia Castro-Bennett.
0:21:59 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I was talking to somebody. It sounds to me like you're flirting with burnout. This was about six months ago. It was funny to me. He's like I think you're flirting with burnout. I said I think we're in a full-fledged relationship by now. We're not flirting anymore. It's a full-fledged relationship by now. The biggest thing I had to drop is to stop working weekends. I was not stopping. I went on a nine-day vacation for the first time in almost two years. I've been there.
0:22:32 - Annalisa Holcombe
My name was Gloria. You didn't check your email. I didn't go that far.
0:22:37 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I checked my email, but it was over three days.
0:22:40 - Annalisa Holcombe
It was not every day, it wasn't every hour.
0:22:45 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Far prioritization is also having the trust and building up your staff to handle things so they're not depending on you.
0:22:54 - Annalisa Holcombe
That is definitely on the leader to provide that level of trust and authority for their staff.
0:23:02 - Silvia Castro Bennett
If things can still run and they know what to do. I'm doing my job well. I think people struggle with that. I think it's a controlled thing. That's part of letting go of. The perfection is letting go of that control a little.
0:23:18 - Annalisa Holcombe
The people will do it. It might not be exactly the same way you would do it, but it will get done.
0:23:22 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Of course, I believe my way is better, but I have to let go of that too. I guess at the end of the day, it's about the end result. The end result is being achieved. I'm not so grumpy, which is great. Also, it's not good for me as an organization to burn out. I love what we do. It sounds cheesy, but I get to see how we change lives. We truly do change lives.
0:23:49 - Annalisa Holcombe
Talk about that a little, because I don't know if our listeners really understand or know what.
0:23:55 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Svazah Center does. I talked about economic development, but what that means is we teach people how to start business and how to stay in business. We provide them. I really love that part of how to stay. The fun part, the easy part, is starting. A lot of businesses start every day. If you're still in business after 10 years, that's what really means something. Because people start every day. But are you successful? Are you staying in business? Are you growing? Are you expanding? That's what really is the difference.
But nobody ever talks about that is doughnut startups. This actually sustained in business what matters. So like, for example, one of our clients 48 year old man had a stroke. He thought he was done for. He was like I will be a burden to my family, right, I will not provide to my family.
So as therapy he actually started needing bread barfless physical therapy for his arm to recuperate from the stroke. Well, that needing bread. Turning to a business, so we helped him to get started actually to be able to sell that bread from home. So we established for him to have that approval from the farm agriculture, set everything up, then work out a deal with Verex so that he could be shipped from there Wow. And then get into a business to market, to grow, to have systems. He's now selling to five different states Wow.
So not only is he not a burden to his community, he got so big he actually needed a commercial space. He's no longer at his home Wow. So it goes back to the individual. He was able to, first of all, feel like he can still contribute to his family. His family is better for it, his community is better for it. He hires people to help them. So now their families are better. Right, and that's just part of it. Our focus really is an ensuring people are able to feed their families, and this is where the light goes back into their eyes. They're no longer defeated. Our goal is to encyclose a poverty. We want them, we erase expectations and we take them by the hand and show them how. But it's them. It's them doing it. We are just a willing partner to show them the way, but they have to be willing to.
0:26:32 - Annalisa Holcombe
This is one of my most important lessons that I feel like many of these podcasts come back to. But it is this, like it's about the relationships that we build and it's about the joining of both having support and challenge Right In order to become your full, purposeful, meaningful self, right. I think that's something really interesting because, just because you're bringing that up right, like here, you are running this nonprofit that is helping people become entrepreneurs and in their businesses, so normally we'd be talking just about the business, and yet we're talking about families and so and one of the things that I'm really interested about in terms of having this podcast at all is is how our society often separates us, like there's our home life and our work life and they're different, and you're automatically talking about your clients as whole people Right their parents, their community members, their business owners, their full people and they bring all of it to all of it. I love that you do that. I think that we don't do that enough.
0:27:41 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Well, I think that's what makes us different and this is what we have this specific niche and we have. This is the niche that we have always done. We have always focused on minorities. We our clients have probably seen us too needy, but most of the other organizations but that's okay. We'd rather spend that time, that one on one time, getting into things. If they have that solid foundation and they understand it, they thrive. So what's interesting is so we're a business resource center but we operate like a community center. People are always welcome to come back. This is what we've been in existence for 17 years. I will still have somebody come in that came in 10 years ago, 15 years ago. They want to grow their business. They want to look at next level. They're bringing their kids with them. That's what's been. Fascinating is to now, because we've been around on the committee long enough, we're starting to see the kids of the first generation of clients. Yeah, that's lovely.
They're coming in because that's where my parents went, that's lovely. This is the place to go.
0:28:52 - Annalisa Holcombe
I'm ready to start my business. I'm ready to start my business.
0:28:55 - Silvia Castro Bennett
So this is the place to go, because you help me, you help my dad, you help my mom and this is a lot of people walking through the door is really that kind of word of mouth but we do things differently. We teach them and this is where the culture, competency, the being by culture helps. There's things I understand. They're different. They're not good or bad, they're just different, and that's also we. There's no judgment, it's just an understanding that this is a system here and it's different from there. Wait, so let's just learn. Let's just learn it. It's just how you know when in Rome can I do? This is just how Rome works.
0:29:39 - Annalisa Holcombe
Well, I'm interested in talking a little bit about the role that community plays in your life and how you prioritize things.
0:29:49 - Silvia Castro Bennett
about that, you know, like you're a I laugh because I got lost and that could be the ones and not longer lost.
0:29:58 - Annalisa Holcombe
What tell me, what that means?
0:30:02 - Silvia Castro Bennett
So what's the interesting thing is, as a minority person, there seems to be this concept of leadership, that you're a leader.
Like an inter-election, Like a prominent person yeah, if you made any name for yourself then that you have to be this leader, but the last thing I want to do is actually be a leader in just a minority community. But I used to be pegged that way and it's something that actually motherhood broke me out of. Oh, that's interesting Because I put the community this whole, because when we talk about communities like this big group of people that are dependent on you, you can get lost in that fairly quickly, right?
0:30:47 - Annalisa Holcombe
And both in terms of your perceived importance to that community Right, your perceived importance to that community yourself, because I think it could be.
0:30:58 - Silvia Castro Bennett
You could get lost in the ego fairly quickly. But at the end of the day, does it really matter? Are you really making a difference? No, but you sure look good in those pictures, but nothing. And this is the chief ring me. I don't have patience for that. I don't like the pictures I want. What did we do? What was accomplished? The action, the action.
0:31:23 - Annalisa Holcombe
Many of our listeners might say, wow, I mean, what a fascinating life that you've created. You have this. You're running a big nonprofit, you're active in your community, you have great friends, you have a wonderful child. Like you have all of these things. What advice would you give to them about prioritization in order to do all the things that you do or live this life that you have?
0:31:57 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Learn to say no. That's so hard to do yeah. Learn to say, like I said, do you have advice on how to do that? This is going to sound funny. It's okay to be selfish. I think it's harder for women Because we are taught from an early age to put everyone else above you. I know being comfortable with not being perfect and saying no. I could sit on more boards but it doesn't help me. I'm also more choosing about who I surround myself with. Where is my energy spent? There's always work. You could work 80 hours a week. There will always be work. There's always busyness. The question is what are you looking to accomplish this week? So usually what I try to do is I actually set goals for on Sunday, I sit down and be like what do I want to walk away from this week? What are the three things that, if they're done, I'm happy with? That's the way to be done. That was a good week. I could have meetings every day throughout the day. Nothing will get done.
0:33:26 - Annalisa Holcombe
You could have 50 things on that list, but if you prioritize one of the top three, so, not only that, what are the top three things that will actually move the organization forward?
0:33:39 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I could do many things. That's wassual, but I don't, because the highest value for me for the organization is to fundraise. I could teach, I could do marketing, I could do all sorts of things, but nothing happens without money. My focus is to actually be the leader of the organization. We need to be, to let go of things that, yes, I could do, I probably could do really well, but it doesn't benefit the organization. Those are the three goals that benefit the organization for me to accomplish for that week. That's also the goal of that. I could do all sorts of jobs, but what is my job? Then? The other thing too. This is something I talk to my staff all the time. I ask them, especially when we have a new staff. I ask them what's my job? Can you tell me what's my job? What do I do? Wow.
0:34:41 - Annalisa Holcombe
How do they answer?
0:34:43 - Silvia Castro Bennett
To bring in money.
0:34:46 - Annalisa Holcombe
You say that good, I'm doing the right thing To bring in money and to have the right partners Correct.
0:34:54 - Silvia Castro Bennett
And what's the goal? To serve our clients. So we may have different roles, but we all have this understanding that we step up where we need to step up If it means somebody being at the front desk, no matter what their job is, including me, and that's what needs to happen. That's what happens. We have to serve our clients, but we do have expectations about each role.
0:35:24 - Annalisa Holcombe
That's great. So clarity is super important in order to appropriately prioritize.
0:35:30 - Silvia Castro Bennett
But the reason why I tell them that is not only for them to know, but for them to remind me.
0:35:36 - Annalisa Holcombe
Alright, so another question I have is, as you know, I am personally really passionate about the role of mentors in our lives. Have you had a particular mentor that was important to you?
0:35:49 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I probably have had a few mentors that have come to my professional life in different ways.
0:35:57 - Annalisa Holcombe
What kind of lessons have you learned?
0:36:01 - Silvia Castro Bennett
There's different mentor types. There's the positive ones and there's the negative ones. Yeah, that you learned from. Yes, the negative mentors are the ones where I learned what not to do. That's also important.
0:36:12 - Annalisa Holcombe
It is absolutely.
0:36:14 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Which is funny, but I actually do take that as something I take into account. I have had a lot of mentors. I've also never been shy about seeking out mentors. I know what I don't know and I'm okay with it, and I will look for the person that will know it. Whichever way it is, and that's it. I'm very happy. Not I don't have to be the expert in all things, but I just need to know the expert in that thing.
0:36:48 - Annalisa Holcombe
Right, you know how to find the expert Right.
0:36:52 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I have had different mentors with. Some of them were bosses, some of them were peers. I love that I think there's people underestimate the peer mentoring a lot and I think that's actually the strongest, the one that stays with you.
Yeah, the most impactful type of a street right, that peer network to have people that Support you, the whole circle of support around you and you. It's and it's a little bit of a balance, is really what Help you succeed. Mm-hmm one, because sometimes you need to vent to. Sometimes, is that, am I crazy? Or sometimes you need somebody to tell you yeah, you are being crazy.
0:37:44 - Annalisa Holcombe
But it takes a while to create that and to allow for that, yeah yeah, and to be able to hear it right. People talk about having Mentoring circles or your own personal board of directors, but but being intentional about finding those people in your life, it's an important part of success, right? Thank you to Silvia for her candor and thoughtfulness. If you want to connect with Silvia, you can find her on LinkedIn. If you're interested in the incredible work she does at Suazo Business Center, you can learn more at Suazo Center org or by following them on social media.
Next week, I will be joined by dr Gary Danes. Gary is the provost and vice president of academic affairs at Barton College. He holds a PhD in American history with a focus on the history of efforts to build and strengthen community. Next week, we'll be discussing trust. Join us, as always. Thank you for listening to 92,000 hours. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review. We really appreciate your support. If you're interested in integrating the personal and professional through authentic conversation, just like you heard on our episode today, please check out our work at Connection Collaborative. You can find us at connectioncollaborative.com or send me an email at annalisa@connectioncollaborative.com. Thank you and see you next week on 92,000 hours. 92,000 hours is made possible by Connection Collaborative. This episode was produced and edited by Brianna Steggell. Lexie Banks is our marketing director and I'm your host, Annalisa Holcombe
0:00:01 - Annalisa Holcombe
Did you know that the average human spends 92,000 hours at work during their lifetime? That's more than we spend eating, cleaning, driving, watching TV or even surfing the internet? In fact, work is what we do most. It comes second only to sleeping. Welcome to 92,000 hours, the podcast that believes in the integration of life and work.
I'm your host, Annalisa Holcombe. Before we begin, I wanted to tell you a quick story about why this podcast is so personal to me. I began practicing law at age 26 and learned many valuable lessons, including that I was deeply unhappy at work. Although I was on a path that looked like traditional success, I realized that I needed to quit my job in order to align myself with my passion and purpose. Now I am dedicated to making sure all of our 92,000 hours at work are spent well instead of simply spent. How do we construct a working world that values and accommodates our humanity? How do we construct a life that is not separate from, but fueled by, the purpose we find in our work? In this podcast, we will explore those questions and more. In each episode, I will speak to someone that demonstrates meaning, passion and purpose in their work. Join me in discovering what happens when we bring our whole selves to our work, schools and communities.
Today, I am joined by Silvia Castro-Bennett. Silvia is the executive director of the Suazo Business Center, a nonprofit business resource for Latino Hispanic communities. Silvia holds an MBA in international business from the University of Utah. She also serves on the Utah Governor's COVID-19 Economic Task Force and the Multicultural Task Force, and on the date that this podcast will drop, she will be receiving the prestigious Pathfinder Award at the Salt Lake Chamber Women in Business Conference. Today, we will be discussing priorities, how to stick to them and how to give up perfection along the way. Hello Hi, Silvia. All right, so I gave you a heads up about this, but for every podcast, I want to start with this question, which is my difficult question is really, what I'm trying to do is take away the question that we always ask each other at the beginning. When you meet someone, you say oh hi, what do you do? I want to talk about? Oh hi, who are you?
And so if you take out any references to any of that stuff I just talked about in your buyout to work school, sports, volunteerism, church activity, any of those things that people often list on their resumes. What is your greatest accomplishment as a human being? I asked my students this in interviews and I tell them the answer. That is the correct answer is the one that you would never say to in a job interview. It's the one that might actually make your throat catch a little.
0:03:15 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Yeah.
0:03:15 - Annalisa Holcombe
That's the right one. It's the stuff about what really matters to you.
0:03:20 - Silvia Castro Bennett
But you know, it's funny because usually when you talk about the greatest accomplishment, people rattle off professional accomplishments. But when the first reaction, the first thing that popped into my head when you asked me that it's been a mom, which is so cliche I'm very and me, when out in the public, because I'm used to kind of being this, I always swear this hard ass executive, no nonsense, that's like a public persona that you have. But the biggest thing in what drives me it's really my daughter and me coming, a mom which if you have told me that 20 years ago, I will tell you you have the wrong person.
0:04:10 - Annalisa Holcombe
It just changed you that much.
0:04:12 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Yes, it changed me that much and it really kind of and as we're talking about pro is it really puts everything on its tail, Because, even though I'm leading a nonprofit as a person, everything comes from that spot on. I've been on the day. Who is probably number one?
0:04:34 - Annalisa Holcombe
right, right. That's awesome. What does it feel like to be a mom?
0:04:42 - Silvia Castro Bennett
It's the most awesome and scariest thing ever, because I'm like in charge of a person. Yeah, you know, and especially I guess you know thankfully she's five and a half the half is important, especially to her. Oh yes, you know, the first two years all you can think of is like I can't kill this little person because they can't find out. That's a lot of responsibility. Like literally, remember pulling away from the hospital after giving birth and I went I gotta do this now. Like I am like oh crap, that's awesome. I mean, it's really this moment of sheer panic right and then tell me about that.
0:05:23 - Annalisa Holcombe
And I'm just asking because you talked about it in terms of you know you're, this is your greatest accomplishment. Is this little person right? How? How did you change? Because you can't? You know you're. You said 20 years ago Nobody would think that about you.
0:05:42 - Silvia Castro Bennett
What it I would not think that about me. So how are you different? Oh, lastly, it really I Enough. I'm probably less intense because of that.
0:05:55 - Annalisa Holcombe
Hmm, I See people more like you're more accepting of other humans.
0:06:01 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Yes, I'm more, accepting more humans. But also I tended to sometimes I was so focused driven people went by the wayside. Yeah, I Was so interested in the outcome. Sometimes people, people were just pushed to the side, which is not a good way to lead either. So in that sense I think you made me a better leader because he made me read. That half is soft of me, wow look at people.
Wow, yeah, I literally this word talk about I Six months after you know, when I was six months, I actually called back my old assistant. I apologize Really, because I was. I had no idea, I did not understand. I should have been more kind to you. I should have been more flexible with you. I did not get it.
0:06:51 - Annalisa Holcombe
Because she had been, because she dealing with parenthood?
0:06:54 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Yeah, she had been with parenthood and everything else and I was you know, and it's not like I was a horrible person but never truly understood it and never truly understood the sacrifice what it is to be a working mom right. I just thought that's just the way you do and that's what you do, but I never really truly understood the sacrifice and how hard it is To be a working mom.
0:07:17 - Annalisa Holcombe
I think I think that's really important. I have that in one of my questions. I wanted to talk to you about which is we talked about? That we're gonna talk about families or talk about priorities, and and I Think that there are so many of our listeners that would be interested in how we prioritize our whole lives- we end up talking about what to do and we will talk about that today in terms of how to Prioritize as a leader, as a boss, etc.
But prioritizing your entire life. I mean you've, you've, you're a mom, you, you've been a single mom, you have, you know, we hear that phrase like you can have it all, and it provides so much stress for For people. I'm just interested in what you think about that, how we probably, how you have prioritized, how well, and this is where I mean you get to.
0:08:10 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Is it first of all because I am a more of a cheevers? It is to begin with, and then throw in the mom mix to it. I had to let go of things For sanity sake. Did you try not to at the beginning?
Yeah, I really thought I could pull it off, and I quickly find out on everybody around me that when I don't get sleep I'm not very kind, but I think I mean the mommy guilt is so real. And even when Because I share, you know, custody with her dad I the only I allow myself to work more when she's not with me, but when was she's, even she could be at school or take care of whatever mommy gets still there. Maybe I'm missing out on her. Missing this out or and that was the biggest thing is trying to Be like you know what. The best that I can do is good enough.
It doesn't have to be perfect right, I and they kind of and not you don't have to prescribe to be a certain type of mom. The best I can do is the best mom that she, that she can have right, right.
But if I keep modding myself after this, because you know, you see, now, with social media, I think what's hard is the it increased ability for you to compare yourself with other people. And you know I have some friends that I call them the TV mom that they have. You know, they decorate every holiday, they go all out and I'm just like, oh wow, how would it be? And I wanted to be that mom. It's not me, right? I have never been that person that decorates, so why change?
like, but I wanted you know, but I wanted to provide that experience of motherhood. But then I think the magazine right the magazine experience. But then I said you know, it doesn't it's kind of short changes her and me Because I'm, because it's not who I am, and it's okay.
0:10:06 - Annalisa Holcombe
There's different types of moms and that's so important right authenticity of your relationship with your kid right.
0:10:12 - Silvia Castro Bennett
But you and that's a lot of it is really that mommy guilt. Is you're supposed to fit this mall this kind of this template? This way, it's hard to just say no, it's okay not to do that right. But it took a while To get there and be okay with that and I mean, and I still, I've experienced mommy guilt every week either way. But it's kind of pushing back, saying Good enough is fine.
0:10:46 - Annalisa Holcombe
That's nice. You find a way to accept yourself in it, yeah, but it's a constant struggle right All the time right, I imagine right Going back to a general overview of our topic, about being priority, about that being priorities, I think it's really interesting that you, when I gave you the list of potential topics, you're like this is the one.
0:11:08 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Because it's the one I have struggled the most with. Oh, that's a good, that's interesting and I think that's what I felt. Like I could talk a lot about it, because it's something I have always struggled with. Right, as a woman, you tend to put other people ahead of you all the time. Yes, and that actually is part of the priorities.
0:11:27 - Annalisa Holcombe
Because I'm interested in how, like, tell me about it. When you felt that, when you heard the, the language of it, because I think about that I thought you know, when you hear the word priorities, how does it make you feel originally, like I imagine some of the listeners hear that word and are filled with like energy and empowerment. Yeah, I'm going to prioritize, and some people are filled with dread and anxiety. Where are you on that scale?
0:11:54 - Silvia Castro Bennett
When I think of a priority I just keep thinking of. That's my ongoing list of things to work on. So it's not like I'm excited. It's definitely not exciting thing. I'm not terrified of it. It's just something I continuously work on, right Every day. To me, is it means work? Yeah, I believe that. Because I don't have it, I have to constantly check myself into it.
0:12:19 - Annalisa Holcombe
I think in one of your bios it talks about how you're bilingual and bicultural and how that's important to your work. And I'm really interested in how we talk about prioritization from with you, from your experience Both being and working with immigrants, and what that means to us. So like tell me a little bit about what Suazo Center does Talk about. Like I'm really interested in how priorities line up.
0:12:51 - Silvia Castro Bennett
So Suazo Business Center is an interest is probably the only nonprofit I could work for, which is because I've always been so business driven Entrepreneur. There was a joke that I was the biggest lover of capitalism, and I am.
I love capitalism, but this is why Suazo is basically a nonprofit that focuses on economic development for the minority community, the only one doing so in the whole state. That's amazing. There's a lot of talk on demographics. Yes, you just you're just a bit behind when it comes to diversity by population alone, but that's where the growth is coming.
But, we are it when it comes to economic development, and it's a different business model too. We work a lot with immigrants and basically helping them transition to become more mainstream, to know how to work here, who know how to have successful business here. We see a lot of immigrants who were a very successful entrepreneur in their countries, but what worked in their countries is not work here. Right Right, it's a different accounting system, different label system, different everything. There's also the Utah component of it too. Business system differently in Utah.
0:14:13 - Annalisa Holcombe
You have to learn about it.
0:14:14 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Yeah, and what's interesting is so, when my family immigrated to Utah, I was 14. And it's an interesting paradigm. I was old enough to remember everything, but I was young enough to take in the new.
0:14:31 - Annalisa Holcombe
So I'm in this. That's really great, though, yeah.
0:14:35 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I'm in this interesting spot where I see both sides of the coin. Right, I get it Because technically I'm a first generation immigrant, right, but the vast majority of my life has been spent here Not to age myself, so basically over like this. I actually made this comment on Facebook where, out of I mean basically more than 20 years, almost 27 years of my life have been here, but I'm still an other, wow, no matter what I do. And that's the thing is, I have come to just not embrace it, but just have peace with it. I'm always another and it's fine, I'm okay with it.
Now, what is that like? Well, there's negative, but then I started to see the positives too. I have fun that everybody remembers me, because I'm usually the only brown face in the room. I don't remember any of them. I don't remember me. That's good. The other thing, too, is I have been okay with pushing back Because I have what I call the two, for Not only am I a minority, but I'm also a woman and there's a role, for you know, it's the type of thing that is associated with me that usually I'm more okay with, but I'm more okay with pushing back. I think there was a study recently and I experienced this because I have seen this with some of my other Latina professionals we get interrupted more. Wow, so you have like Senator Luz Escamilla right, there was actually a study on who gets interrupted more. She tops it, hands down. No one even calls In terms of people with a legislature.
Yeah, she's a legislator herself. She's a senator. She's the most interrupted individual in the whole Senate.
0:16:31 - Annalisa Holcombe
And she is the only female woman of color.
0:16:34 - Silvia Castro Bennett
She's not, but she's the only female senator, female, the only Latina senator, and it was interesting, actually was done by a Westminster, yeah, student. That Luce told me about this. She said you know there was. I can actually confirm, I can actually. Somebody has actually done the numbers in the research, or I can be like see who you are. I knew it, I had a suspicion about it, but I had never had a literally confirmed with data. Wow, I'm used to.
What does that say about us? I don't know if it's. I think there, we, you know, there's always assumptions made, things like that, but then again, they're not used to pushback. So when there's pushback, what's interesting is is a two sided coin. I have to be 200% better than most people. So what they're not expecting is, number one, for me to push back. Number two, to have an opinion. Number three, that I'm actually have a smart opinion and I were. Oh yeah, thank you for saying that. I'm used to being the person that says what everybody wants to say but doesn't, because I figured what do I have to lose? Wow, I get. Thank for saying things that everybody else doesn't want to, which is funny. That was funny to me.
0:17:59 - Annalisa Holcombe
But you, but, but. You learned to embrace that, rather than shy, fearful right.
0:18:04 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Because it will be. It's so easy to be quiet, but that doesn't get me anything. What's interesting to me is when somebody thanks me for saying what everybody else says, but when but you are free to say it, you actually have more freedom to say it, but it's funny that I have to be the one has that affected you in your professional life?
0:18:25 - Annalisa Holcombe
but either good or bad.
0:18:30 - Silvia Castro Bennett
It has been good. If it's bad, I'm in the wrong place. Yeah, and that's part of it. Is that if that is, I'm in a space where that does not work. I have learned that that is not my space and I just move on.
0:18:45 - Annalisa Holcombe
And you have had that happen to you yeah.
0:18:46 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I have had that happen and I went okay. So this is not a space that works for me, so just move on. There are so many other spaces to go to.
0:18:54 - Annalisa Holcombe
There's so many other organizations, places where your difference and your ability to appreciate it?
0:19:01 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Yeah, right, it's appreciated where it's not. I don't dwell on it, I just.
0:19:10 - Annalisa Holcombe
I just think it is what it is, I just work it From your perspective of how you just talked about being the person who says the thing that other people are thinking, who have more freedom to speak about it. What would be better for people? I mean, what would you want from people who have the power and the privilege already to be better allies too?
0:19:36 - Silvia Castro Bennett
It's interesting because there's a lot of talk about privilege and a lot of talk about allies. It's crap, hmm, I, because here's the thing For all that progressive talk about I don't know diversity, I have found that to never really mean anything. The only thing that changes is the term Interesting.
That's really interesting, this is what the end of the day matters to me, it's what you do, not what you say. So if you talk about diversity how important it is to you and I look at your staff and they all look the same. You have told me everything I need to know. So you actually don't mean that, because the old argument that there's no qualified people is BS. There's plenty of qualified people, but it does not matter to you. But if I look at your executive cabinet, if you look at the people you surround yourself with, that's what really matters. So in spaces where, if I'm the only person of color in that room, that's not a means on you.
It's not my job to enlighten you. It's my job to bring in an opinion based on my professional experience. I'm not here to be your wrong person of choice. It's not. It's not so. When people actually talk to me about diversity, I'm not your girl. If you want to talk to me about entrepreneurship, economic development, business development, I'm your girl.
0:21:22 - Annalisa Holcombe
If this conversation has caught your attention and you want to join in on conversations like this, check out our website at ConnectionCollaborative.com. You're listening to 92,000 Hours and today we're chatting with Silvia Castro-Bennett.
0:21:59 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I was talking to somebody. It sounds to me like you're flirting with burnout. This was about six months ago. It was funny to me. He's like I think you're flirting with burnout. I said I think we're in a full-fledged relationship by now. We're not flirting anymore. It's a full-fledged relationship by now. The biggest thing I had to drop is to stop working weekends. I was not stopping. I went on a nine-day vacation for the first time in almost two years. I've been there.
0:22:32 - Annalisa Holcombe
My name was Gloria. You didn't check your email. I didn't go that far.
0:22:37 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I checked my email, but it was over three days.
0:22:40 - Annalisa Holcombe
It was not every day, it wasn't every hour.
0:22:45 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Far prioritization is also having the trust and building up your staff to handle things so they're not depending on you.
0:22:54 - Annalisa Holcombe
That is definitely on the leader to provide that level of trust and authority for their staff.
0:23:02 - Silvia Castro Bennett
If things can still run and they know what to do. I'm doing my job well. I think people struggle with that. I think it's a controlled thing. That's part of letting go of. The perfection is letting go of that control a little.
0:23:18 - Annalisa Holcombe
The people will do it. It might not be exactly the same way you would do it, but it will get done.
0:23:22 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Of course, I believe my way is better, but I have to let go of that too. I guess at the end of the day, it's about the end result. The end result is being achieved. I'm not so grumpy, which is great. Also, it's not good for me as an organization to burn out. I love what we do. It sounds cheesy, but I get to see how we change lives. We truly do change lives.
0:23:49 - Annalisa Holcombe
Talk about that a little, because I don't know if our listeners really understand or know what.
0:23:55 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Svazah Center does. I talked about economic development, but what that means is we teach people how to start business and how to stay in business. We provide them. I really love that part of how to stay. The fun part, the easy part, is starting. A lot of businesses start every day. If you're still in business after 10 years, that's what really means something. Because people start every day. But are you successful? Are you staying in business? Are you growing? Are you expanding? That's what really is the difference.
But nobody ever talks about that is doughnut startups. This actually sustained in business what matters. So like, for example, one of our clients 48 year old man had a stroke. He thought he was done for. He was like I will be a burden to my family, right, I will not provide to my family.
So as therapy he actually started needing bread barfless physical therapy for his arm to recuperate from the stroke. Well, that needing bread. Turning to a business, so we helped him to get started actually to be able to sell that bread from home. So we established for him to have that approval from the farm agriculture, set everything up, then work out a deal with Verex so that he could be shipped from there Wow. And then get into a business to market, to grow, to have systems. He's now selling to five different states Wow.
So not only is he not a burden to his community, he got so big he actually needed a commercial space. He's no longer at his home Wow. So it goes back to the individual. He was able to, first of all, feel like he can still contribute to his family. His family is better for it, his community is better for it. He hires people to help them. So now their families are better. Right, and that's just part of it. Our focus really is an ensuring people are able to feed their families, and this is where the light goes back into their eyes. They're no longer defeated. Our goal is to encyclose a poverty. We want them, we erase expectations and we take them by the hand and show them how. But it's them. It's them doing it. We are just a willing partner to show them the way, but they have to be willing to.
0:26:32 - Annalisa Holcombe
This is one of my most important lessons that I feel like many of these podcasts come back to. But it is this, like it's about the relationships that we build and it's about the joining of both having support and challenge Right In order to become your full, purposeful, meaningful self, right. I think that's something really interesting because, just because you're bringing that up right, like here, you are running this nonprofit that is helping people become entrepreneurs and in their businesses, so normally we'd be talking just about the business, and yet we're talking about families and so and one of the things that I'm really interested about in terms of having this podcast at all is is how our society often separates us, like there's our home life and our work life and they're different, and you're automatically talking about your clients as whole people Right their parents, their community members, their business owners, their full people and they bring all of it to all of it. I love that you do that. I think that we don't do that enough.
0:27:41 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Well, I think that's what makes us different and this is what we have this specific niche and we have. This is the niche that we have always done. We have always focused on minorities. We our clients have probably seen us too needy, but most of the other organizations but that's okay. We'd rather spend that time, that one on one time, getting into things. If they have that solid foundation and they understand it, they thrive. So what's interesting is so we're a business resource center but we operate like a community center. People are always welcome to come back. This is what we've been in existence for 17 years. I will still have somebody come in that came in 10 years ago, 15 years ago. They want to grow their business. They want to look at next level. They're bringing their kids with them. That's what's been. Fascinating is to now, because we've been around on the committee long enough, we're starting to see the kids of the first generation of clients. Yeah, that's lovely.
They're coming in because that's where my parents went, that's lovely. This is the place to go.
0:28:52 - Annalisa Holcombe
I'm ready to start my business. I'm ready to start my business.
0:28:55 - Silvia Castro Bennett
So this is the place to go, because you help me, you help my dad, you help my mom and this is a lot of people walking through the door is really that kind of word of mouth but we do things differently. We teach them and this is where the culture, competency, the being by culture helps. There's things I understand. They're different. They're not good or bad, they're just different, and that's also we. There's no judgment, it's just an understanding that this is a system here and it's different from there. Wait, so let's just learn. Let's just learn it. It's just how you know when in Rome can I do? This is just how Rome works.
0:29:39 - Annalisa Holcombe
Well, I'm interested in talking a little bit about the role that community plays in your life and how you prioritize things.
0:29:49 - Silvia Castro Bennett
about that, you know, like you're a I laugh because I got lost and that could be the ones and not longer lost.
0:29:58 - Annalisa Holcombe
What tell me, what that means?
0:30:02 - Silvia Castro Bennett
So what's the interesting thing is, as a minority person, there seems to be this concept of leadership, that you're a leader.
Like an inter-election, Like a prominent person yeah, if you made any name for yourself then that you have to be this leader, but the last thing I want to do is actually be a leader in just a minority community. But I used to be pegged that way and it's something that actually motherhood broke me out of. Oh, that's interesting Because I put the community this whole, because when we talk about communities like this big group of people that are dependent on you, you can get lost in that fairly quickly, right?
0:30:47 - Annalisa Holcombe
And both in terms of your perceived importance to that community Right, your perceived importance to that community yourself, because I think it could be.
0:30:58 - Silvia Castro Bennett
You could get lost in the ego fairly quickly. But at the end of the day, does it really matter? Are you really making a difference? No, but you sure look good in those pictures, but nothing. And this is the chief ring me. I don't have patience for that. I don't like the pictures I want. What did we do? What was accomplished? The action, the action.
0:31:23 - Annalisa Holcombe
Many of our listeners might say, wow, I mean, what a fascinating life that you've created. You have this. You're running a big nonprofit, you're active in your community, you have great friends, you have a wonderful child. Like you have all of these things. What advice would you give to them about prioritization in order to do all the things that you do or live this life that you have?
0:31:57 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Learn to say no. That's so hard to do yeah. Learn to say, like I said, do you have advice on how to do that? This is going to sound funny. It's okay to be selfish. I think it's harder for women Because we are taught from an early age to put everyone else above you. I know being comfortable with not being perfect and saying no. I could sit on more boards but it doesn't help me. I'm also more choosing about who I surround myself with. Where is my energy spent? There's always work. You could work 80 hours a week. There will always be work. There's always busyness. The question is what are you looking to accomplish this week? So usually what I try to do is I actually set goals for on Sunday, I sit down and be like what do I want to walk away from this week? What are the three things that, if they're done, I'm happy with? That's the way to be done. That was a good week. I could have meetings every day throughout the day. Nothing will get done.
0:33:26 - Annalisa Holcombe
You could have 50 things on that list, but if you prioritize one of the top three, so, not only that, what are the top three things that will actually move the organization forward?
0:33:39 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I could do many things. That's wassual, but I don't, because the highest value for me for the organization is to fundraise. I could teach, I could do marketing, I could do all sorts of things, but nothing happens without money. My focus is to actually be the leader of the organization. We need to be, to let go of things that, yes, I could do, I probably could do really well, but it doesn't benefit the organization. Those are the three goals that benefit the organization for me to accomplish for that week. That's also the goal of that. I could do all sorts of jobs, but what is my job? Then? The other thing too. This is something I talk to my staff all the time. I ask them, especially when we have a new staff. I ask them what's my job? Can you tell me what's my job? What do I do? Wow.
0:34:41 - Annalisa Holcombe
How do they answer?
0:34:43 - Silvia Castro Bennett
To bring in money.
0:34:46 - Annalisa Holcombe
You say that good, I'm doing the right thing To bring in money and to have the right partners Correct.
0:34:54 - Silvia Castro Bennett
And what's the goal? To serve our clients. So we may have different roles, but we all have this understanding that we step up where we need to step up If it means somebody being at the front desk, no matter what their job is, including me, and that's what needs to happen. That's what happens. We have to serve our clients, but we do have expectations about each role.
0:35:24 - Annalisa Holcombe
That's great. So clarity is super important in order to appropriately prioritize.
0:35:30 - Silvia Castro Bennett
But the reason why I tell them that is not only for them to know, but for them to remind me.
0:35:36 - Annalisa Holcombe
Alright, so another question I have is, as you know, I am personally really passionate about the role of mentors in our lives. Have you had a particular mentor that was important to you?
0:35:49 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I probably have had a few mentors that have come to my professional life in different ways.
0:35:57 - Annalisa Holcombe
What kind of lessons have you learned?
0:36:01 - Silvia Castro Bennett
There's different mentor types. There's the positive ones and there's the negative ones. Yeah, that you learned from. Yes, the negative mentors are the ones where I learned what not to do. That's also important.
0:36:12 - Annalisa Holcombe
It is absolutely.
0:36:14 - Silvia Castro Bennett
Which is funny, but I actually do take that as something I take into account. I have had a lot of mentors. I've also never been shy about seeking out mentors. I know what I don't know and I'm okay with it, and I will look for the person that will know it. Whichever way it is, and that's it. I'm very happy. Not I don't have to be the expert in all things, but I just need to know the expert in that thing.
0:36:48 - Annalisa Holcombe
Right, you know how to find the expert Right.
0:36:52 - Silvia Castro Bennett
I have had different mentors with. Some of them were bosses, some of them were peers. I love that I think there's people underestimate the peer mentoring a lot and I think that's actually the strongest, the one that stays with you.
Yeah, the most impactful type of a street right, that peer network to have people that Support you, the whole circle of support around you and you. It's and it's a little bit of a balance, is really what Help you succeed. Mm-hmm one, because sometimes you need to vent to. Sometimes, is that, am I crazy? Or sometimes you need somebody to tell you yeah, you are being crazy.
0:37:44 - Annalisa Holcombe
But it takes a while to create that and to allow for that, yeah yeah, and to be able to hear it right. People talk about having Mentoring circles or your own personal board of directors, but but being intentional about finding those people in your life, it's an important part of success, right? Thank you to Silvia for her candor and thoughtfulness. If you want to connect with Silvia, you can find her on LinkedIn. If you're interested in the incredible work she does at Suazo Business Center, you can learn more at Suazo Center org or by following them on social media.
Next week, I will be joined by dr Gary Danes. Gary is the provost and vice president of academic affairs at Barton College. He holds a PhD in American history with a focus on the history of efforts to build and strengthen community. Next week, we'll be discussing trust. Join us, as always. Thank you for listening to 92,000 hours. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review. We really appreciate your support. If you're interested in integrating the personal and professional through authentic conversation, just like you heard on our episode today, please check out our work at Connection Collaborative. You can find us at connectioncollaborative.com or send me an email at annalisa@connectioncollaborative.com. Thank you and see you next week on 92,000 hours. 92,000 hours is made possible by Connection Collaborative. This episode was produced and edited by Brianna Steggell. Lexie Banks is our marketing director and I'm your host, Annalisa Holcombe