Grow Til You Go with Edie Rodriguez

Edie Rodriguez
Even at this stage of my life. I’m still evolving. I’m still changing the goalposts of what do I want to do? How do I want to do it? So I think if you embrace life, it should. It should never end it shouldn’t for me personally, it’s not Oh, I achieved that. I checked off the list. Oh, done. Now let me just rest, it’s not my personality. My personalities always have 10 More things on my personal goal list.

Music Insert #1
Bellodrone (:37-:53)

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
Hellooo listeners! You are tuned in to Voice of Athena, a podcast celebrating the more personal side of the successful women that make up our community at Athena Alliance. I’m your host, Priscilla Brenenstuhl. Today, we are diving into passion, mantras and loving ourselves with Edie Rodriguez, experienced CEO and Member of the Board of Directors for the Saudi Tourism Authority where she Chairs the Nominating and Remuneration Committe.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
Edie, How would you describe yourself?

Edie Rodriguez
Well, first of all, thank you for having me as your guests. It’s truly my pleasure to be here today. I wouldn’t describe myself as a triple A New York personality. I have an energy level that, you know, one of my assistants once said to me, I was born on a different ship but different DNA and I am extremely, extremely extroverted. So I would describe myself as a high energy extrovert, who is absolutely passionate about life and a hunger and a desire to grow till I go and constantly learning and excited about life

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
Wow, that is a fire answer. I just caught fire over here all the way in Cape Town amongst this this flooding was so electric. Say that again, was it, “grow til I go?”.

Edie Rodriguez
Yes, I have a lot of these mini mantras I call “Edisims” and one is, “grow until I go”. I heard that saying once and I loved it, it stuck with me. Life is about perpetual growth and I’m alwasy on a healthy eating kick so I don’t mean grow until I go size wise, I mean life is an adventure

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
I like that, I wanna grow until I go to

Edie Rodriguez
Lifelong learning

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
What inspires you and why?

Edie Rodriguez
Well, life inspires me and you know, people that have challenges are what inspires me where things didn’t come easy for them. They had to struggle and yet they not only survived but they thrive. So that’s a big inspiration for me, that people you know, with the right mindset and the power of positivity, have determination and they don’t let anything stand in their way and so that’s certainly a big inspiration for me in life. And you know, as to an individual, I mean, you’re there in South Africa. So I mean that Nelson Mandela was a tremendous inspiration for me. Desmond Tutu, and many others. The Dalai Lama. I love those philosophies where you know, even when life throws you some unbelievable unsurmountable struggles in a myriad of different ways and levels, people overcome them. And again, it’s not about survival. It’s about thriving, and so they not only survived, but they thrived and created a great world for themselves and others.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
That puts me in mind of the quote, “live like the Lotus at home in the muddy waters.”

Edie Rodriguez
Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
We all love a good inspirational story, a hero’s journey.

What song are you singing in karaoke?

Edie Rodriguez
Well, you know, the big Rod Stewart fan? Yeah, from when I was 12 years old. I’ve seen it literally on four continents. 260 shows from when I was 12. And for my 25 for the second time birthday. He took me up on stage in Las Vegas. So much to the chagrin of my husband I always say that other than the birth of my son. That was one of my you know, life’s wonder wonderful moments. But I love his song passion because I’m a very passionate person. I won’t do anything if I can’t be passionate about it. And he has a song called Passion. So I love that song and I sing that. But the other thing I love I love music music in a myriad of genres is a big part of my life, love going to all concerts and just music in general. So I really feel good song at karaoke or just when you want to feel good and you know, we have an attitude of gratitude and thankful for life. It’s a 70s hit song called It’s a beautiful morning. I think I’ll go outside for a ride and just smile. And so that’s one of my favorite songs to just feel good song. You have to make things in life about feeling good and nice are songs that resonate with me.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
Yeah, I was transported in the way that you said it I that song for sure. And also Rod Stewart, one of my earliest and favorite memories with my mother. I mean, I was young enough that I wasn’t like sleeping on a bunk bed and she had went to she have kids young and she went to a Rod Stewart concert and she came home late and woke me up because she just wanted to tell me about it like that. He was like kicking a soccer while on stage and just how like awesome it was and it’s literally it’s one of my earliest memories is like my mom lighting up in that way talking about Rod Stewart and being on stage and how it was just the best concert.

Edie Rodriguez
I love that and I love your mom a fellow Rod fan and yes, does kick soccer ball so he actually signs them all he’s a big Celtic soccer football fan and I have I’m humbled and privileged to have been given six of those sides soccer balls so I get and much like your mother sharing the joy with your children. So my son is now 32 But when he was eight years old, it was millennial New Years and Rod was playing in Las Vegas again, and I took my eight year old son and it was so funny because there’s a three hour time change from South Florida and my little eight year old was exhausted but I was not starting the new millennial without my son by my side. And there we are singing Old Langs Eye. I have the Rod Stewart Millennium concert. is very, very funny because we were in first row and he kept tapping my son on the shoulder mommy, mommy, and I said what he said, “he has a really big head for his body.” Down the car here from row looking up at him on stage, but with your mom, you should enjoy your loves with your children at every stage of life. Yes. So back to a couple of concerts with me with me to see him even as an adult. So it’s good to keep sharing.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
And He is still out there. I my friend posted from the Hollywood Bowl last yesterday that she went to to see Rod Stewart, he is still going strong

Edie Rodriguez
is I just saw him as recently as February here in Hollywood, Florida. They played two nights from for Valentine’s Day and my husband and my wedding anniversary our wedding anniversary. We went to see him both nights and at 77 is still fantastic. You just sang at the Queen’s party at the palace, the Jubilee and he’s still healthy and has a fantastic voice. And I still love him. But you know, that’s a quid pro quo sharing these joys with your kids. Because when my son was 16 through a friend, his favorite at that point in time was Velvet Revolver. And so I had gotten the tickets and backstage passes to that show and went with my son so you know while he was mesmerised, I was mesmerized watching my son be mesmerized by his favorite singer. So as I say, it’s important to you know, share those joys together.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
Music is best shared. I like that I love that. We just went on the spiral about that and especially Rod Stewart. definitely thank you for sharing is you’re actually one more thing about that. Is your husband Rod Stewart fan too or is it just like like being there and watching you get excited?

Edie Rodriguez
Well, all of the above? Yes, he is and yes, even long before he and I each ever met we were both fans but he’s not as crazy as a fan as I am. His equivalent is John Lennon and you know it’s it’s crazy because I lived in the city and I remember very much that October night when sadly John Lennon was killed and you know he he couldn’t go see John Lennon in modern day obviously because he passed away and about I don’t know maybe 12 years ago. We were at Hard Rock calling concert in Hyde Park in London. And Paul McCartney was one of the headliners. And we again through friends. We were in the Friends of Paul McCartney seats. And I looked over to my left as we were seated there because you know typically then the artists friends around you who couldn’t be famous or not and I look to my left and I say I’m texting my husband who’s to my right. And I said, Oh my God, it’s Julian Lennon. See? And he is his father’s twin because Julian was his father’s age at that point in time father passed away and I thought oh my goodness, Are they twins? So my husband is very introverted, and I did not want to embarrass my husband so I asked him via text, do you want me to take a picture with my husband? Shockingly. And he said yes. So I looked to my left, and I tapped him on the shoulder and I said, Excuse me, I don’t mean to bother you. So I realized we’re in the friends Paul McCartney seats. But my husband was your father’s greatest fan and he would be so humbled and honored to meet you and take a picture with you and we don’t want to bother you. So no worries, okay. He was nice. This young man. He couldn’t be more accommodating. And that photo is blown up on my husband’s desk and his it was just the highlight of his life so

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
and the goodness you are in partnership, right? It’s good to have opposites in partnership. A lot of times I hear with friendships and all the opposite of me and I think yeah, but isn’t that a good thing?

Edie Rodriguez
Opposites attract. Yea, it was it was really quite fantastic. It was a special moment from my husband. And I made sure to take a good photo and I actually blew it up and I say kudos to Julian Lennon because he couldn’t be more gracious and his father surely is smiling down from heaven. I’m proud of him. I hope because he’s a lovely young man.

Music Insert #2: Fillmore Sweet (:05-:19)

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
Edie, what is your biggest fear?

Edie Rodriguez
Well, I have a very strong faith in God. I’m very spiritual. So I really am not a fearful person because I do believe God takes care of everything. But one of my other favorite many mantra, Edisms is it is better to dare to fail than failed to dare. So I guess my biggest fear is not trying so I always try and I never look at anything as failure. I look at it as just needs to be tweaked and drive in. Different way. So not trying and not following your passion would be my biggest fear and I try not to live my life that way.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
And helps to have a faith to lean into those times for sure.

Edie Rodriguez
For me, personally, always.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
What is the most daring thing you’ve done?

Edie Rodriguez
Well, that’s a good question. I would say climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge because I just that is one awesome experience and I’m not a fan of heights. And you are literally chained to a group of people climbing up to the top, but boy oh boy, once you get to the top. It is amazing. And I would say ziplining as well. I did that once in Belize. Never again for the zipline I would find new harbour bridge again. But I’m not a ziplining fan. Because I don’t like heights. I mean I can go up to the highest buildings and look out and that is something really different. than actually being and walking and looking down and climbing. So I would say from a daredevil standpoint, it would have been climbing that Sydney Harbour Bridge but what a great feeling at the top and it was fun. It was on beautiful sunny sydney australia day and it was great fun.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
If not your current profession, what would you be doing?

Edie Rodriguez
Well, that is another great question and I get asked out a lot and I always say I would be James Bond you know I’d love a female James Bond. Why not?

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
I love that is it the whole package deal? Like what like I just need to know a little bit more like what is it specific isn’t like the cars is like the mysteries like the athleticism is it just the whole thing? Or is there certain things that really all I was about that?

Edie Rodriguez
All of it. I love to travel the world and he’s traveling the world in a really dynamic way? It’s all of it. You know, when I get asked that question, I usually give three different answers because I do get asked that question. And it’s always my first answer is always James Bond because I’ve just a big James Bond fan and I think wow, what a great career in life. That would be if you’re that much of a daredevil number one on many levels. The second way I answer this I would say I was you know, for my generation and the current generation of Formula One driver like the female Mike Walker, or Lewis Hamilton, or now Max who who’s winning, and I love that name, Max. It’s my son’s name. So it would have been a Formula One driver and the last one would be a diplomat to Italy. I would love to be the US ambassador to Italy someday God willing, that would be it. Wow.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
I mean, the first two are so I mean, I guess they’re connected in their own right but you kind of threw me at that last one all I thought the next thing you were gonna say is like, what’s that guy who’s like doing the outdoor tracks like Bear gorilla or I don’t know. Something with high intensity. It makes sense that you’re a place for your passion to really shine through.

Edie Rodriguez
Exactly.

Music Insert #3- Lunerah (:48-1:04)
Priscilla Brenenstuhl
Edie Rodriguez has over 35 years experience in the global cruise, travel, hospitality, luxury and technology industries. She is recognized as an expert and thought leader in the luxury and travel sectors with a strong financial acumen and broad based sales, marketing and operations experience.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
At please will you tell me about a life changing or life defining moment?

Edie Rodriguez
That’s a good question. Well, I guess becoming a mom, I think that you know, for me, always it’s God and family and these are the things that are important to me and I value and so I would say that any person, the minute you are thinking about becoming a parent or and certainly from inception to birth of that child and your children, that that changes your life forever, and I’m one of five kids and I always say my parents made it look so easy, because you know, we were five kids. We were blessed. We had a great life. And it’s sort of like I used to think oh, well, the kids journey gene and your job as a parent is done. That’s what I used to think at 18 in my you know, silly mind. And then becoming a mom, you realize the minute you get pregnant and give her that it’s all a blessing, that from that moment on, it’s for the rest of your life. It’s not so simple that you think the child’s grown and you’re done. You’re never done. It’s for the rest of your life. So I think the biggest life changing thing for coming along. Yeah, definitely. I just have one my son Max is 32.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
Yeah, you know,

Edie Rodriguez
like every mom the love of your life to your kids. Yeah.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
Without a doubt 100% and I already prep my husband that we are going to be following our children, moving wherever they move. I just hope they move in proximity to each other. I don’t ever want to be away from them, even when they are grown. We don’t have any grandparents around and I’m like we are going to be the grandparents that are around helping take care of the kids.

Edie Rodriguez
Absolutely, especially if you only have one. My son lives one mile from me. If you know he told me tomorrow that he was moving to London or wherever, I would certainly think, I’m going to be moving to be close. Especially if there are grandchildren. If these are your priorities, and they are my priorities and it’s you know, kids have their own lives, they grow up and they have their own lines, but you always want to keep them close no matter what.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
Absolutely. So we’ve gone through our questions really quick, I think the quickest I’ve ever gone through them. But I do I am going to pull in a surprise question. So I’m starting this a little bit of a new thing. I have a little bit of a following here now on this podcast, and so I am bringing in audience questions kind of as a Russian roulette. So I’m just gonna scramble here and scroll down these questions until I put my cursor on one and then I’ll ask you Oh, yeah, this is a good one. When you’re down, what do you do to feel better?

Edie Rodriguez
Well, that is a very good question. So one of the things I do is play music that I love because back to the musical piece, music is important to me. I also one of the big things I was always a scent fan. But in the pandemic, I really became a fan of scented candles. And I love the aromatherapy aspect. And so, you know, I would say lighten aromatherapy candle, put on some music that I love and Just Dance like nobody’s watching in my big family room so that I can just feel good and that’s what makes me feel good. And I have to say I’m really blessed with a positive attitude. It’s very rare that I get down of course, you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t, but I really live my life with this attitude of gratitude and in general, I’m very, very happy individuals. So I you know, living in South Florida and or traveling the world to sunny places. Just seeing the sun makes me happy. You know, life throws many curveballs. You just have to be in tune to figure out how to deal with it. And always be thankful and always know there’s there whatever you’re viewing as something that’s bringing you down or challenge the it could be much worse. So take heart and figure out a way around it.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
The sun is is definitely a motivator for me. I I’m thinking as I sink into a little bit of the doldrums here in the winter which is good to rest and reflect but I definitely noticed a shift and in my energy and vitality in these winter months, so hopefully I can get back to sunny Florida or somewhere. Around there soon.

Edie Rodriguez
Oh, definitely. Listen, I am definitely one of those people that I need the sun to feel happy. And so I’ll give you an example growing up, you know, in New York and in the New York metropolitan area, where to me from October one to April one it’s gray and gloomy. I don’t like that. But I obviously used to come to Florida on spring break and always fell in love with it and said someday I’m going to live here and I have no regrets. I moved here many many decades ago. Of course the New Yorker in me I always traveled and was up there with my family friends in New York at least once a month. So you know, I got my shots of New York. But what I would say is that the sun is definitely a proven science and for some people, the sun makes you happier and I am definitely an individual in that category.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
You and me both coming from Cleveland Ohio. I have that too much time in the winter and I appreciate it like I you know Christmas maybe snow for a week if I’m on vacation, that’s really the way to spend it not having to actually like live and manage life. So that’s a whole other thing that I don’t need to battle anymore. Well Edie, thank you so much is there anything else? You know, this this this podcast the goal of this podcast is to highlight the incredible women of our Athena Alliance community, but particularly in a way that really elevates the personal behind the professional because I feel like so much focus is put once you reach a certain level in your career, so much focus and how you introduce yourself and and how you are portrayed to the world rests on the professional, you know, the resume, what you’ve done, where you’ve been in all of those things are, of course are amazing and things that we should be proud of. But I’m, I’m particularly interested in the person, you know the person behind the CV and, and in a way that links to storytelling and is a pastime of mine and my family but also in a way that is an inspiration for all women, you know looking to become leaders no matter who they are. What their their background is. And just I guess in that, with that in mind, is there anything else that you would like to share or to be included that I didn’t cover?

Edie Rodriguez
Well, thank you for that excellent question. So I’ll say a couple of things. First, what somebody asked me to describe myself, you know, last thing I say is Oh, CEO or board member. What I always say is I’m a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, you know, those are the things again, back to God and family that are important to me. Probably the last thing I define in myself would be the career aspect. And I’ve been blessed with a fabulous, fabulous career. I work very hard at it had some great people. It’s a team effort to help me along the way. What I would say is, you know, back to these mini mantras, find your passion, I was told as a young girl, get a great education, find your passion and follow it and that is exactly what I do. So to thy ownself be true. Find your passion and be very authentic to yourself and figure out priorities and goals for your individual life. And then be true to yourself and build your personal brand around that ethos, and you know, particularly for women, if you want to have a family, you shouldn’t have to decide should I have a family and not a career or a career and not a family? It’s important to you that both figure out a way to have both you need a good support system, you know to do that. And now of course good things, quote unquote, about COVID are that you can work from home there’s more flexibility or you can work from anywhere in the world. Find a career path that allows you to develop into the goals that you want and don’t compromise by picking family or career if one of your goals is to want both. But I would say you have to be true to yourself and be important to yourself and figure out what it is you want and then work towards those goals. And by the way, those goals and those things change in life. What you wanted as a 21 year old college graduate, might be very different than what you want as a 30 year old vice president or 40 year old CEO. And learn, learn, learn it’s about perpetual evolution. Don’t think oh, I got here and this is all there is no, you’ll stagnate. If you have that Outlook, you have to think about how do I perpetually stay relevant? What’s important to me and how do I contribute? And these are all things that people have to come to the conclusion on an individual basis. And what I will say is career development and with being on a board is one of your goals. Athena is a fantastic organization to help you get there I would remiss to not state how highly I think of Athena and everything they are doing for women and from a philanthropic standpoint as well not only Board work.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
i i mean Fantastic, everything you said. But there’s something in particular that gave me pause. And so I’ll ask, were you always important to yourself?

Edie Rodriguez
absolutely, positively. If you don’t love yourself, how can you be loved and love anybody else? And I mean that in the most humble way. I was really blessed. I grew up in a family. You know, I have some very, very successful girlfriends. And you know that some of them I think are way more career wise successful than me. And one of them said to me once God, where do you get your confidence? Where, where and how does it come from? And I thought that was a very good question. I said it’s very simple for me. I was really blessed with a loving family. I grew up and I knew how loved I was. And I had to prove nothing to anybody. Else. But it was very important to love yourself and self respect. I remember as a as a young girl, my father said to my younger sister and I never never allow a man to raise a hand to you. They’re Yellow Bellies, and you know, like half self respect and you know, all of that came from parents guiding you who loved you and wanted you to be the best you can be and by the way, dare I say I’m 20 for the third time now. So I you know, I was born sixty years ago, and even then, you know, they say you can be whatever you want. I remember my younger sister, who is a New York banking lawyer today she wanted first Supreme Court justice. And back then that was like, Are you crazy a woman bla bla bla, and she changed her goals through life. I’m sure if she stuck with that she would have been the first, but my point is that when you when you have belief, a positive belief from a young age, that you are fabulous and you are loved and you can do anything you want in this life, that that resonates and it should be a guiding it’s been a guiding force for me. And I try raise my son the same way. You know, find your passion following. You can be anything you want to be and figure that out. First, what’s important to you, because if you don’t figure it out, and hopefully at a younger age before you have a partner and children, then you won’t perhaps be as happy as later on when you’re forced to pay mortgage and go to work and be in a job you don’t like because you’ve got kids to feed or you know, mortgage to pay.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
I agree with that and I also like I reflect on so often, my mother will be 16 in December, and like I said she had children young and I think about like, I on the other hand, my first was born at 33 and I had really developed a sense of self by then, of course is changing and shifting and growing. Like you said, “grow to go” and that’s exactly what I plan to do. But in the same vein, so much of myself. I feel like I guess I guess the analogy that’s coming right now is like I was the caterpillar becoming the butterfly but first I became like super in the cocoon and I feel like when I became a mother I became soup, like I lost the sense of identity in some ways. And just like my priorities and my time and my ability to invest time in myself, all of those things really shifted dramatically. And so I think, particularly if you don’t have that strong foundation, before you go into parenting or motherhood, right, and then and then you’re trying to decide who you are from a place of, of now being a mother I think that that can be really challenging, and I know that that it was for for my mom. And so I think what you’re saying is, it’s important to kind of understanding and reflecting on your own passions and taking the time to spend with yourself and get to know yourself. Particularly if you didn’t have that kind of strong background, like you did growing up. There needs to be time to really develop relationship with the self to understand that you’re passionate about and tight for it or work for that

Edie Rodriguez
absolutely. So my mom was young mom as well. It was her generation. She got married at 19. My eldest brother is was born and when she was 20, she had a great support system with my grandparents and all of that. But as I said, we are five kids and there’s a 13 year age difference from my eldest brother to my youngest sister, and it was never easy. Make no mistake being a mom is the hardest job in the world. I don’t care man or CEO of a billion dollar company. It is easier than being a mom of one child to multiple children. And certainly, some things have to get put on hold, particularly as children are young. If you want to be a good parent, for me, it’s always putting your child first you know, there’s no two ways about it. So there’s nothing wrong with the feelings that you’re feeling. And it’s not forever, it does pass. I mean, they do grow up or they do at five go to kindergarten and so you get part of your day back to yourself or things of that nature. But it’s also figuring out a way each step of the way to integrate them along the way. Like I think formal education is certainly paramount. But there are other ways of educating that are important as well. And so for me, I grew up with being told travel is so important and I had a love of travel and I traveled I’ve been blessed to been to over 120 countries and my goal is to be to all 195. One day at a time, but my son, so for me it’s a parent traveling with supporting me but I would never from when he was born, let it affect his school schedule, and I wanted him to come with me. So every time he was off for summer holidays or whatever, or school break, I would plan fabulous trips for us and we’ve experienced that together. And we still do that. You know we still go on some great family trips together. But but so much so that that was an important part of the educational process for him. So while I would never take him out of formal school for a trip, whence formal school was on break, we would go on these fabulous trips and he would learn and so I mean, literally when he was 14 years old, I remember taking him on his first African safari to Kenya and Kenya at that point for that 14 year old was his 70th country. I mean, this child was well traveled and now of course at 32, he’s been many, many more places. But my point is, I became a parent. So I had a whole my travel schedule, right? You know, whatever amount of weeks a year I got many times I would have to say, well, I can’t because I have to take care of my son. So that’s part of being a parent but life does evolve and you do get things back and even developing as a person that to grow till you go. Even at this stage of my life. I’m still evolving. I’m still changing the goalposts of what do I want to do? How do I want to do it? So I think if you embrace life, it should. It should never end it shouldn’t for me personally, it’s not Oh, I achieved that. I checked off the list. Oh, done. Now let me just rest, it’s not my personality. My personalities always have 10 More things on my personal goal list. And believe me in another life, well, I said this often, I would have certainly gone to the CEO roles that I’ve got, I got to at a much younger stage in life. Had I not decided to become a mom. But that’s okay. Because that was what was more important to me. So I still had a fabulous career so I career goals, but they took longer to achieve because my priority was to be a mother. And I said no many times because I knew saying yes to career promotions would have meant I would have taken more time away from my son. And I never wanted that in those growing years although I traveled a lot and took them with me when I could certain acceptance of promotions would have meant even more and I would not I chose not to do that. So again, it’s back to an individual thing. You have to figure out what’s important to you what works for you and of course what support system you have you know your partner and then raising the child takes a village.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
and I I think it’s a great note to end on because I love with all of that, with all of this and with all of this and your passion. And your talk of the next thing and moving the goalposts for me you’re somebody who like launches into life with so much yes, yes, yes, like passion and yes, like let’s dive into this but what you just said is equally as important. And it’s the you know, when you know your priorities, being able to say no, knowing that it may take you a little longer, but in the end you can have both. You can have the career in the family, like you said, Knowing when to say no, is equally as important to being able to launch into those yeses. As you know, and having your priorities straight is what guides you to be able to do both from a really confidence space

Edie Rodriguez
absolutely positively and you know, and it’s good to ask for help help. No man or woman is an island. It’s better. There’s a saying somewhere, I think in the Bible that says I’m not quoting him verbatim, but it’s better to have two people with half the strength to pull each other up then one person with double the strength. It’s basically the thought of it and the ask for help. Of course, you know, nobody can do things on their own and whether health is talking to a psychologist talking to a friend. It’s okay to need help. Whatever it is, ask for help read the books. Click away on the internet. But human interaction is important. We will I think one of the biggest detriments of COVID was people not being able to interact with their fellow humanity. Everybody needs a hug and you need you know, there’s a study that was done the Blue Zones how people live the longest and there are seven blue zones around the world of where and how and why they live the longest and one of them is community, you know, to crack so ask for help.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
Without a doubt, we desperately need to feel we belong. Well I am so grateful to be in community with you, Edie and to even though it’s been a year since we last saw each other that we can be assumed to facilitate a conversation even more personal than the one that we had when we met in person so thank you for sharing your time with me and all your passion and insights with me, I’ve really enjoyed this conversation.

Edie Rodriguez
Well the feeling’s mutual. It was my pleasure and I wish all of your listeners a healthy happy life and you have to dream anyway, so dream big. Follow your dreams and I wish all of your listeners much success in life. Thank you.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
Thank you, Edie. Have a blessed day.

Edie Rodriguez
You too. Thanks again.

Priscilla Brenenstuhl
Thank you

Edie Rodriguez
Bye

Music Insert #4 Noah Smith (:50-1:07)

Voice Insert #3
Thank you for sharing your time with me today. On our next episode we welcome, Linnie Haynesworth. She is a Corporate Board Director, Former A&D Executive at Northrop Grumman Corp (NGC) and Member of the US Dept of Defense Business Board. If you have any questions you’d like her to answer or you are a member of Athena and would like to be included in a subsequent episode, please email me at [email protected]

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