Where does my Entrepreneurial mindset come from?

I never considered myself an entrepreneur . Currently I have no interest in starting a business (not yet at least) as I truly enjoy working my 9-5, but who am I kidding what's a 9-5 in the nonprofit world? But when your work aligns with your own personal why and mission then it doesn't feel like work. If you read my first article published two years ago, you can read a little bit of my back story and my journey landing in Seattle. It was this past weekend that it truly clicked, although I have not started a business, I have always held the mindset of an entrepreneur, and this is how it came to be.

In a small summary:

My name is Melanie Chavez and I am the daughter to Mexican and Guatemalan Latino parents. My dad has been in the same job for nearly 30 years and my mom is a housewife. My parents didn't believe in chasing their dreams and to be very honest they didn't believe in encouraging mine either. When I moved to Seattle, my dad thought I was crazy for quitting such a "great job" and my mom did not call me on my birthday because she was upset that I was leaving her. My dad told me "Melanie,I give you two years and you'll be running back home crying". Well , it's nearly been two years and I believe myself to be thriving. Sometimes I think,"What if I would have let the opinions of my parents get to me”? I remember being told by a cousin I was a bad daughter for leaving, Seriously! These kind of comments can leave a girl feeling like crap. What happens when your whole family is against your vision? You continue on despite the support. You stick to your dream.

How I became the CEO of my life path and journey:

In the summer of 2017, I packed up my VW Beetle and drove to Seattle with that dream, two suitcases, student loans , and $1,000 in savings. I knew two people, my landlady at the time who happened to be a family friend and her daughter, besides them,I had to create my network from scratch. I successfully navigated my way through networking events and utilized my LinkedIn to share my story , connect with professionals, and ask for job leads. Here is the thing, I have met a lot of Latina women job searching and this is something that comes about a lot, we don't like asking for help and I seriously think it has to do with pride and culture. We are taught to do things on our own, don't show weakness, blah blah blah, the Machismoism in Latino culture exists ya'll and it's a nasty habit to break. But a girls got to do what a girls go to do, I had no problem sharing with the internet that I was in search for a job. 50 LinkedIn messages and 3 coffees later, It worked. Someone from my organization reached out to me and was my referral to my first position at the org. I have been in my current job for two years and in that time I have earned a promotion and bought a house. I am 25 years old and a homeowner who bought a house on a non profit salary, after constantly being told I would not be able to do so. Don't tell me I can't do something, it fuels me.

I used to be scared to share that I am a homeowner, I did not want people to think I was rich or question how I was able to do it. In a nutshell (I will probably go into more tips and tricks in a future article) I live 35 miles south of the city and my mortgage is what you would pay for a one bedroom apartment in Seattle. I also have two awesome roommates, so there you have it, it's freaking possible!

Where does my drive and hustle come from you may ask? This woman right here.

My great grandmother , my Abuelita, aka Lita. Zoila Clara Luz Araujo.

My great grandmother left behind her entire family in the 70's to come to the U.S. in search of a new opportunity. She left her husband, her children, everything. She worked as a seamstress in Los Angeles making who knows how much in the early 70's but was able to save enough to purchase her first home. My great grandmother didn't make it past middle school yet when she passed away at the age of 87, she owned five houses and made her living from collecting rent.

She is the reason I am resilient, she is the reason I left home despite support from my family, If my abuelita could navigate a new country while barely speaking English, I could navigate living in a new city, which pretty much feels like living in a new country compared to LA.

Things I have survived in Seattle:

Microaggressions:

Oh hey do you speak Mexican? Yep been asked that a few times. Having my name mispronounced as Chaves (prounounched Chay-Ves) or people think I am introducing myself as Melanie Travis, being asked if I was a DACA student, yes because all Latino millennials are undocumented? Come on ! Asked by Latino's where I learned my Spanish because I speak it so well, and the list can go on and on.

But every day I keep going, I keep thriving, I keep my vision alive. I currently work in the world of Partner Relations and Fundraising and my dream is to create more opportunities for people like me. I hope to inspire more girls and women who may not receive the support they need at home, but who can see themselves as someone greater than what family members believe them to be. I hope to inspires others to take risks, dream big, and know that I believe in their dreams.

I have my Lita's photo taped to my kitchen counter, and I remind myself every time I look at it that my accomplishments are not just mine, they are hers and they are for my future children who will carry on the entrepreneurial soul and spirit of those who have gone before us.

My name is Melanie Chavez and I am my ancestors wildest dreams.