Author: ginajortega

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Road to the top – Why does personal development matter?

Tom Brady is arguably one of the best athletes of our time. One of my favorite Brady quotes is: “I’m not a person who defends myself very often. I kind of let my actions speak for me.” Let that sink in for a second. He isn’t concerned with your opinion of him. He isn’t going to tell you what he is going to do, or why he did or didn’t do something. All he is going to do is show you greatness. Rodney Harrison, an NFL hall of famer, tells the story about Brady’s work ethic and explains that they had a bit of teammate rivalry where they would see who would get to the gym first. They both started at 6 am, then would one-up each other and the next day one would get there at 5:30 to workout before the other. Finally after a few days of getting there earlier every day, Rodney got there at 2am and Brady was leaving the gym. He told him to have a nice workout. This is a testament to Brady’s personal brand and work ethic which has earned him the title of one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time. He didn’t expect his coach, the NFL or his teammates to get him up to work, to get him to the weight room or to get to practice. He did it himself, in silence, to show for it in public. 

How does greatness show up in your life? How do you “one-up” yourself every day to show not only yourself, but also your teammates what being great looks like? It is very common for people nowadays to expect their employer, their boss, their team, their friends or whatever external force it is to give them the tools in order to be successful. What people don’t see is that none of the growth that happens in someone’s life is given to them with specific steps or accomplished by others doing the work for them.

I have been in HR for 11 years and hear this on a weekly basis. Managers asking how they can help “Bob” on their team that wants to be promoted to manager. Or I hear Suzy venting about her manager not handing her all the training that is needed in order to become a manager. Now, don’t get me wrong – I 100% believe in training and development at work. I absolutely love facilitating training and believe your employer owes you training not only to make you better, but also to make the organization better. However, that isn’t all it is going to take. Brady going to every single practice and bootcamp put on by the Patriots doesn’t make him the GOAT. All the personal work he does outside of those practices, in ADDITION to all that is provided to him is what does. Every individual needs to do their part and invest in themselves by putting in the work in addition to the resources given to them. 

Not to toot my own horn, but I have to tell you something else that comes up frequently. In addition to being in, arguably, one of the loneliest careers in corporate America (yes, HR people are lonely sometimes), my career has consistently been on a trajectory where I am typically the youngest in the room. Let me tell you – that spot is even LONELIER! I tend to work with higher level professionals and senior executives, advising them on different topics and sometimes telling them the hard, uncomfortable truth. And despite the loneliness, guess what? I am constantly asked by peers or how I made it to where I am. How do I get to work with higher level executives? How did I become a manager at age 24 and advise on serious confidential issues. How do I consistently get promoted, not just in title but in responsibility. My answer to that is: amongst a combination of factors of formal training, amazing mentors, great work environments and others, a huge part of my continued career growth is the amount of time I invest in myself, on my own time, in silence. Many people expect that they will get all the tools that they need for work, at work and that is far from the truth. Or they expect that they will just be able to run a 5k without training or start a business without being educated on basic financial principles.

Point being: if you aren’t spending time on your personal development, you are falling behind. If you are currently working, or want to work for a growing, thriving company (or even build a growing company), you can’t expect to remain stagnant if your company is growing exponentially. You must also grow exponentially to scale with it. How can a stagnant person scale with a growing company? They can’t, right? Imagine you are 18 years old still trying to wear your clothes from when you were 9. Not going to fit, right? You need to be growing at least at the same pace, if not even faster to be able to prepare for what is next. Growing up, your mom likely bought you a ½ or a full size bigger in shoes because she knew you were going to grow out of them quickly. That is how personal and professional growth is. You need to be ½ or 1 full size further ahead than where your company, career or any other desired goal is going. And guess what? Nobody else can do it for you, except yourself.

Worst comes to worst, say  you don’t get what you want in your current role, job, fitness goal, or whatever it is.. it prepares you for the next one. You are a student of life. Just because one thing didn’t work in one area, doesn’t mean it doesn’t apply to a ton of other areas in your life. The amount of mental, physical and emotional strength you will get from personal development applies to all areas of your life.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Read. Listen to a Podcast. Watch a YouTube video. Watch a Ted talk. Talk to smart people. Talk to strangers. Do things that scare you. Run. Hike. Sign up for that race. Raise your hand in the meeting. Have the tough conversation. Push yourself to a limit where you are continuing to learn and grow and aren’t stagnant. Because if you don’t do it, nobody else will. Take ownership and you will see your life evolve! 

If you are looking for somewhere to start, here are a few of my favorite tools:

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Allowing your authentic self to show up

Hey friends! This week’s topic came up because I was inspired by someone at a conference I went to recently. She was the outlier in the group who provided constructive feedback in a situation where most people would be quiet. Her courageous act brought me to produce a video talking all about why being our authentic selves is so important and ways to ensure that we manifest all the gifts that we are given as an individual. It’s also a reminder that we are all on the same playing field, because we all have these similar insecurities with being ourselves, therefore anyone you talk to CAN relate to you!

Check this week’s video out and let me know your thoughts!

Questions to ask yourself from today’s post:

  1. What are the triggers and scenarios where you don’t feel like you are your authentic self?
  2. Who makes you feel like you can’t be your authentic self around them? Why? Remember to ask the 5 “why’s” to get to the core of the issue.
  3. Aren’t you exhausted of acting like someone you aren’t?
  4. You are the only person that has to live with YOU. Do you want to live with the feeling of putting up a front? That “punch in the stomach” feeling?

Remember that you are placed in different situations because you are supposed to be there.

Please subscribe to my channel if you haven’t already, and give this video a thumbs up!

I appreciate you and all your uniqueness!

Gina

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Redirecting Negative to Positive Self Talk

Did you know that we think anywhere from 12,000-60,000 thoughts per day? More impressive (and sad) is that, according to research, 80% are negative! How CRAZY is that stat? Personally, I found myself in the negative thought downward spiral these past couple weeks and have been working on combatting them!

In this week’s video, I share some tips on navigating both the self-talk that we impose on ourself, as well as dealing with the negative self-talk that can come from outside sources and judgements. Ultimately, we need to embrace our uniqueness and individuality to take us to the next level both mentally and emotionally.

 

Let me know your thoughts below, or on Instagram! 🙂

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Using Celebration to Move Forward

On today’s video I talk about the importance of celebration…WOOHHOO! We get so caught up in the “next thing” and “next step” that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are NOW. I talk through shame in accomplishments as well as the “enough” trap.

Because of this lack of celebration and appreciation of where we are, we actually lose the ability to leverage our celebration and wins for the next step.

Don’t forget.. celebrating and having fun is what it’s all about! Let’s make the best of our every day.

 

 

If you liked this video, please “like” and subscribe to my channel for more weekly content!

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Dealing with difficult times and getting through the tough season

Hey friend!

It has been a while, but I am baaackk! I have been going through some tough times in my life and am talking all about the lessons I learned through the past couple months.

 

A few highlights:

  • Realize you are living in a season, don’t let “can’t” take over your vocabulary
  • Use the 10/3 rule – Once you realize you tell yourself something negative, take 10 seconds to realize what you said and say the complete opposite, positive statement 3 times. Would you rather lose $10 or $86,390? Watch the video to learn more!
  • Don’t forget your gratitude list – this changes your paradigm and your focus!
  • How to balance the positive and the negative through this tough season

I talked about this in this week’s video. Check it out and let me know what you think!

 

 

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Coachella Camping Checklist

Hey party people!!!

It is officially Coachella week and I hope you are ready to make it your best Coachella ever!! If this is your first time attending, get ready to have an epic time! I am going weekend 2 and getting super pumped for it! My favorite part about camping is the fact that you are already at the festival. You can spend your time at your campsite hanging out with your friends, make new friends and have your personal items accessible to you before, during and after the festival. However, there is of course the downside of waiting in line to use the showers, porta-potties and the heat waking you up really early in the morning. Don’t let the downsides discourage you or kill your fun too much because the pluses for sure outweigh the minuses!

My friends and I are meeting this weekend to plan all of the logistics of our campsite because yes, we are hardcore and want to make sure we are prepared! We like to get together to talk about who is bringing what and we also discuss the menu for the weekend so that we can agree and have 1 person shop, then the others just pay them. We used to have everyone bring their own food, but this wasted so much food and money. Costco is for sure the way to go! If you are also camping and want a checklist to ensure that you have all of the things to ensure a successful campsite, here is  a little Coachella camping checklist that will help you keep your campsite fun and functional!

For your campsite

  • Portable Shower – if you prefer to have your own “tent” shower, you can. Just buy the water bags to add into the shower and make sure that you take down the tent before going inside because it can blow over with the heavy winds.
  • Tent
  • Inflatable Mattress + Pump
  • Cooler – At least two. You should have one for your drinks and another for your food
  • Utensils
  • Napkins
  • Solo cups
  • Plates
  • Cooking utensils
  • Cooking Tupperware to put food that you are cooking/raw food
  • Grill/camping stove
  • Propane – If you are taking a little stove, make sure it is propane based, as you cannot take anything that will require fire.
  • Tent locks
  • Canopies
  • Chairs
  • Tables
  • Plastic containers/buckets to store all the food so they aren’t flying everywhere
  • First aid kit
  • Wipeys
  • Lysol wipes
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Lighter
  • Lanterns / a Bulb on an extension cord for light
  • Battery power converter – This is HUGE for us to have light and charge phones throughout the day
  • Flashlights
  • Rope
  • Zipties
  • Scissors / Pocket knife
  • Trash bags
  • Battery powered individual fan
  • Toilet paper
  • Earplugs
  • A unique identifier for your campsite – usually a flag or some type of lawn decor. There are SO many campsites, it is easy to lose yours.

Easy menu ideas:

  • Hot Dogs
  • Ham and cheese Sandwich
  • peanut butter & Jelly Sandwich
  • Egg burritos
  • Chips
  • Granola
  • Pre-cut fruit
  • Salads – Fruit salad, green salad
  • Oranges
  • Nachos
  • Jerkey
  • Trail mix
  • Ice
  • Water – PRO Tip: take a flask that will keep your water cool. Also take some liquid IV so that you can add it into your water.
  • Beer
  • Clamato – If you want a nice little drink to bring you to life the next day, make a michelada! YUM!
  • Tajin
  • Lemons
  • Redbull / your preferred energy drink to keep you going
  • Speaker – take several!
  • Portable charger, preferably a solar-powered one

Games

  • Water guns
  • Glow stick ring toss
  • Bubbles
  • Cards
  • Dice
  • Loteria

Remember that this campsite is your home for 4 days! Make it fun, comfy and somewhere that you will feel happy. Some fun decorations never hurt! 😉

I wish you the best coachella ever!!!

Cheers!

Gina

 

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Coachella Essentials

I can’t believe it!

Coachella is right around the corner! ‘’Tis the time for fashion, sun, music, food and so much fun! This is my fourth Coachella and couldn’t be happier with the lineup. They thought about all of us Latinos when they made the lineup and I am HYPED (J Balvin, Bad Bunny, Tucanes de Tijuana)! I am also excited to see others, but these are at the top of my list to see at a huge stage.  

Today I wanted to share a little more of my necessary ‘Chella items that will hopefully help you on your first time(s) at the festival to make it run super smooth and have more fun. Here are the things to pack so that you can have a great experience:

  1. Water bottle/Camelback – It’s about to be HOOOTT! Make sure you prepare and have somewhere to store your cold water. If you can take an electrolyte replenisher and add it to your water, that would be the icing on the cake. There are water refill stations inside, so you can refill your water container.
  2. Sunscreen – Protect your skin! Make sure to not only wear some as soon as you get in the sun, but you continue to re-apply all day.
  3. Cute hats/caps – Ladies and gents, please cover your face! The festival begins around 1pm and you WILL be in the hot sun. Make sure to cover your face with a stylish hat.
  4. Bag flasks – If you have an alcohol preference, I would get a bag flask to more easily carry around your liquor.
  5. Walkie talkies – You will find that there are very few areas where you get full phone service, so if you are going with a group of friends that you won’t be with the entire time, then I would suggest buying walkie talkies. This will save you trying to call them over and over while there.
  6. Bandana – For the most part, the festival grounds are full of dirt. You want to make sure that you keep your allergies controlled and airways clear from as much dust as possible. It is typical to get the Coachella cough after the festival (basically a cough that lasts a week from all the dust), so anything you can do to help it will be best for you in the long run.
  7. Comfy shoes – You will be walking to a lot of different stages and for several hours through the day. Make sure that you are wearing comfy, preferably close-toed, shoes.
  8. Light jacket – Although during the day it’s super hot, it gets pretty chilly at night. The wind also picks up and it is worth carrying a jacket or a change of clothes to stay warm as it gets later.
  9. Portable charger – You want to make sure that you get all the fun times on your phone and Insta! Make sure that you pack a charger for your phone that fits in your bag.
  10. Not cash – This is really up to you, but just in case you were to lose your wallet, you want to make sure that on these multi-day events you don’t have too much cash lying around. This is why I would recommend just taking your card and always carry your wallet in the front of your outfit.
  11. For ladies – small purse/fanny – This will help you carry your lipstick, ID, etc.
  12. For guys – backpack – Carry your water and jacket with you and help out your girl(friends).

 

I hope that these tips help make your trip better and you enjoyed today’s post. Do you have any other essentials you ensure to take? Tell me in the comments below!

XO,

Gina

 

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How to get promoted

Hey, friend!

Did you know that, according to Pew Research, Millennials are the largest population in the workforce right now? This is why I decided to write this article because I know that we are all trying to get ahead in the game, but sometimes get stuck on HOW to go about it. I want to start off by saying that the career success and growth I have experienced was not created alone. I have been fortunate enough to have various mentors and advocates that allowed me to grow and learn through them. I am the first person in my family to work in corporate America, so learning how to navigate the job market alone was a huge learning curve for me in and of itself.  It’s tough enough to explain to my parents what I do on a daily basis, imagine explaining office politics.. NOPE!

I have worked in Human Resources for 11 years at various size companies, industries and cultures and been promoted consistently across my career. I have been fortunate enough to work for companies that place high importance on their company culture, are employee-centric and revolutionary in their operating approaches. Throughout my various experiences, I have worked with all levels of the company, from entry-level employees to executives and have the opportunity to both coach and learn from them. I tend to be a partner in my role, therefore work alongside people to be their advocate, advisor and sometimes therapist (I really need a couch in my office). Hearing the various perspectives, I have come to understand why and how those that are at the top of the organization get there. I hope that some of the things I have learned along the way will help you on your journey to success.

Real talk .. What does it take?

  1. Learn what that company cares about – AKA, how do they make money and how do you contribute to that larger picture? You are working for a BUSINESS that needs to make money. However, the business’ largest (for the most part) line item on their P&L is their people! SO it ends up being a two-way street. In order to grow in your company you must learn how they make money and how you add value to the bottom line. For example, if you are a sales rep, it is pretty clear. Your sales add up to the net gains of the company. Another example is, if you are a receptionist – what are the duties that you are doing on a daily basis to make the office run smoother? The core of your job is to create efficiencies and organization to save money. Therefore the better you get at that, the more likely you are to get promoted. You slowly make yourself a more valuable player in your field and they want to keep you happy and want you to stay, therefore they promote you.
  2. Learn what your boss cares about – Your boss hired YOU. Why? That is your challenge. What unique talent, skill, ability, characteristic, behavior(s) makes you unique in your role? There is something about the way you do your job that makes their life easier and you need to hone in on that. Maybe it’s your overarching positive attitude, maybe it is how much of an aggressive sales person you are, maybe it is organizing their lives so that they have to think less, or maybe it’s because you are a problem solver and come to them with more options to solve their problems rather than asking them to solve them for you. Whatever your niche is, find it and capitalize on it. Don’t think this is a guessing game. You can ask them how and why you are valuable to them and the company. A few examples of questions are:
    • What would you consider to be my biggest strengths?
    • In what area do I add value to the team that others may not?
    • Why did you hire me over others in the interview process? What did you see in me?
    • What is keeping you up at night about work? How can I help?
  3. Learn the culture – I learned this one the hard way. What it takes to be successful at one company doesn’t always meet cultural standards at your next company. You may be doing the same job, but the acceptable norms are not the same. You need to take time to learn the culture. What are your peers doing? What are they not doing? Why? What is the next level above you doing and how did they get there? Being able to understand the cultural differences between companies is crucial to your growth because if you cross the boundaries, that will put you in a very negative light which is hard to come back from. However, understanding the culture and staying within the boundaries and adding your talent into it will only make you shine brighter and allow you to thrive.
  4. Perfect your execution – In other words, after you have figured out why you are there, how the company makes money, how you play into the bigger picture, what is accepted and what isn’t – GRIND! How do you become the BEST at what you do? If you don’t know, look around you and find someone you admire. Why do you admire them? How are they the best? What are the behaviors/actions/habits you should adopt to make you the best? What are their flaws and things you should avoid? We are all human and make mistakes, but learning from other’s as much as possible is to our benefit. Maybe you can ask that person to mentor you. Maybe the best person in your field is outside your company and you need to follow them on social media or read their books. Whatever it may be, work on perfecting your craft every day.
  5. Work hard – This is a given, but hard work and consistency go a long way. If you are consistently a hard worker, who has all the points above aligned and are in the right job that meets your strengths, you will go places.. Very far places!
  6. Realize you are still in corporate America – Hate to break it to you, but there are these things called “politics” and “time”. Why do you care? There are certain boundaries you cannot break within a company structure because that just is what it is. These will require you to go through certain hoops, and you will have to be patient. There are also certain things that you can’t accomplish until you are in your field, or in your company long enough because the scenarios just haven’t happened. Remember that good things take time and you need to embrace the journey.

If you feel like you are in a position where you think you need to take the next step and haven’t been able to, I suggest you set a meeting with your boss to review the points above. If you have any other questions or want to chat further, leave a comment below or reach out to me in Instagram. I am more than happy to chat!

XO,

Gina

 

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Running tips part 2

Hello friend!

I hope you are having a fabulous week! This week has been really exciting for me because we are officially in Spring, which means we are closer to summer! Living in San Diego usually makes me feel like we are always in spring, but this winter brought WAY too much rain and I am still trying to recover from it. I am also really excited because I got new running shoes this week. With all my training lately, I was at the point where I needed and got a new pair of Asics GT-2000’s.

This made me realize that I didn’t talk much about shoes or any next steps after actually getting into running on my last running blog. So, I created this blog for those who are starting to run more often (although it doesn’t have to be long distances), and want to avoid injuries and perfect the craft. I used to run half marathons and hurt my knees, right ankle, IT band and my hip was even affected at one point because of the constant injuries and over-work.  From personal experience, the points below really mattered to me and I hope they can help you on your journey as well. That said, learn from my mistakes and don’t get hurt, increase your pace and feel the runner’s high!**

Tips to avoid injury

  1. Get good shoes – I mentioned above that I just got a new pair of shoes. This was after wearing the WRONG running shoes for a long time. I went to my local Road Runner store so they could “Test” my step and tell me more about the shoe that is recommended for my foot. It was an eye opener to find out that there were other shoes aside from Nike training shoes with a ton of cushion, support and breathing for my feet. Every person is different, but the super cushion-y shoes work for me, while low profile shoes work for others. Ultimately, the personalized assessment taught me so much and I have been buying these Asics ever since! The shoes at the store tend to be slightly more expensive than the shoe from the brand, but it is worth getting them there the first time then get them directly from the brand, or their outlet like I do, and save money on a future pair. On top of learning about the fact that I was wearing the wrong shoes, I also found out I was wearing the wrong size. Yup, I was wearing 2 SIZES too small. Can you believe it?! My poor feet were dying in my shoes. The thing is.. When running, your feet expand because they are swelling from the strain you are adding to them, as well as we retaining water. Of course you need to wear bigger shoes!! Another HUGE eye-opener for me. Lesson learned: when buying shoes make sure that you buy them larger than you normally wear tennis shoes to allow your feet to expand. I buy them 1.5 sizes larger, but the specialist at the running store can advise you best.
  2. Stretch and roll – This sounds basic, but I wasn’t doing it. I would go for a run and feel so good then go about my day. Big no-no! Make sure you spend AT LEAST 3-5 minutes stretching after your run! Part of the cool down process is also walking, so if you have been running really fast, make sure that you are walking and stretching right after. I also try to roll the nights that I run (if not more often). You can get a roller in so many places nowadays, but I love mine because it is a textured one. Believe it or not, rolling is painful. The pain is needed though, because it helps break down any kinks n your muscles and helps circulation. If you have never rolled before, you can learn how to use a roller in this guide. Rolling is essential. PRO TIP: If you are really ramping up the miles, icing your ankles, knees and hips can provide comfort. Make sure to do intervals of time so that your areas don’t get too numb.

Tips to get faster and increase endurance

  1. Track your distance and time – There are SO many ways to do this. I started by using my phone to take a picture of my distance on the treadmill, then used the Nike run app for outdoor runs and now I use my Apple watch. Whatever method you use, it is important to track your progress. Why? You can track you improvements and motivate yourself by seeing how much faster you are getting with your runs. Not only that, you can also see how your runs differ if you start incorporating hills and other new obstacles on your run. Trackers provide an overall big picture on how you are doing over a long period of time and you will be amazed by yourself and how awesome you are.
  2. Run 3 times per week – Consistency is key. You want to ensure that you are giving your body enough runs to continue to improve that one sport. You also want to make sure that you aren’t running too much at the beginning where your body is feeling fatigued. This ties into what I already said with tracking your runs because you will want to see how your runs are improving over time. As you become a stronger runner, you can increase it, but 3 is a good starting point.
  3. Control your breathing – This was the game-changer for me. Once you learn how to control your breathing, you will find that you have so much more control over your runs. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. If you are consistently just breathing through one vs the other, then you will get really tired and/or require more water. By focusing on your breathe and controlling it, you can also lower your heart rate in times of stress and exhaustion. Personally, when I am really tired and/or running really fast, I try to hold my inhale just a tiny bit longer and exhale a little longer, for 3 repetitions, so that I relax my blood pumping and my minid. As I have ventured to other sports, I have found that breathing is different for them and mastering your breathing pattern and technique is key.
  4. Control you water intake – Stay hydrated, but don’t over-hydrate! This is a hard balance to maneuver! When I first started off, I would drink too much water and get stomach aches under my ribs. My body would slow down and I would be in pain. This was a sign of too much water. I found that the nipple of your water bottle really makes a difference. My preferred water bottle has a controlled nipple and is small enough to carry in my hand. It also has a small pocket so I can add my key and phone in there as well. When I first started, I would try to sip water every mile, and try not to drink unless I really needed it. Now, I make sure to drink 8-16 oz of water 15-30 minutes prior to my run. During my run, I wait 30 minutes for my first sip of water, then drink every mile from there. As you get more comfortable with your style you will find what is appropriate and what makes you feel hydrated, but doesn’t hurt you or has you using the bathroom every 5 minutes.

I am curious to hear from you! How are these tips working for you? What else are you interested in learning more about, or what tips have worked for you that I can learn from?

XO,

Gina

 

**Please remember that I am not a Certified Personal Trainer, or physician. This is strictly based on my personal experience and preference. You should consult with your physician for expert and personalized advice.