Been There, Done That :)

I have to say that I have quite a diverse resume. Most people, due to my current career, don’t know that I’ve worked on a whole lot of different industries. From cleaning houses with mom, to administrative work at a surgeons office. I have a vast range of experience. But why write about it? Isn’t this very common anyways? Simple: I ended in an industry where unfortunately if you are talent you are considered stupid or unexperienced. I’ve had several instances where people discredit me on what I am capable of or not. It’s very common in this industry, as talent, that people think that you are good for nothing but “look pretty” which becomes very annoying after a while. I have the same, or even more, capacity to perform and learn skills that most people around my environment can. The difference is, I am not paid to do their job, and most likely they can’t do mine, which is ok, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do or understand theirs. With that said, let me rant about my life/work experiences.

I’ve always been a hustler. I remember from a very young age I would put my little stand in front of my house selling trading cards individually to make a greater profit. Only thing about that is that I was only six and my brothers were the only ones buying them with my mom’s money, which is ok, I was still learning the trade. It was when I turn 16 that I learned what it meant to work. My parents were going through a very hard economic period where my mother decided to clean houses. It was the fastest thing to do because even though she has a bachelors in food chemistry, she had always been a house wife, so in order to find a job in her industry would have been harder since she had no experience and was competing against newly graduates. So her career in cleaning houses begun, and with it, my working life too. My mother had a deal to where for every house she charged a minimum of $120 a day, she only needed $100 and I could keep the rest. If the owner tipped her, that was mine too. So it was a great deal! I didn’t have to pay bills or rent, so it was easy to save for all my treats. We were cleaning three houses a month every two weeks each, so to me, I was making bank! In the meant time, I was also modeling here in there, getting extra cash every so and then.

By the age of seventeen, I got my first payroll job working as a “model/cashier” at Hollister Co., the job that taught me the best customer service skills ever! Hehehehe you got to start somewhere. I realized how life was much easier when you created your own income. Not only was I more independent, I was also able to help out at home. Nothing ever satisfied me more than knowing that I could help my parents and be there for them if needed, as little as the help could be, just as they have always been there for me. When I graduated high school, I was baby-sitting part time, helping out my mother part time, and working at Hollister part time. Modeling was fading since I stopped growing tall, so I gave that up…just for a little bit. I gained experience in many things during my collage years: I worked in real estate as an administrative assistant, property management, transcriptionist and administrative assistant for a surgeon, I was a host at Cheesecake Factory (one of my absolute favorite jobs believe it or not, I just loved customer service), I tutored math (for those who don’t know I love math), and last but not least, I became a full time house wife… hey that counts too! Lol!

All that can be found in my resume, what cannot be found in my resume are the skills that my parents have passed down to me. For example, a lot of people don’t know that I can be very crafty, my mother thought me how to sow by hand and with a machine. My father taught me how to change the engine oil in my car, which who doesn’t know right? I know a little about electricity, at least I know how to switch power sockets and light fixtures. I know a little about carpentry, painting, and plumbing from all that my father has taught me over the years. I’m pretty sure that I have taught my husband a few tricks as well as I have learned from him. I did major in Biochemistry, so I do carry some aces under my sleeve. Most importantly, I got to grow up in two different countries/cultures which definitely gives you more to learn and different ways to look at the world.

I’ve always worked hard, given 110%. When I came back to the entertainment industry as a playmate, my work ethic was not different. I was always learning and making myself better, giving my 110%. My father says that is the reason why I won Playmate of the Year. Who knows, maybe it’s in my genes, us Mexican do work really hard, hehehehe. Anyways, I can say I am a fast learner and a hard worker, and I appreciate everyone’s hard work for I have been there. It’s the lazy people who power trip that make me sad and mad. They try to hide behind their job and use it as an excuse to be mean and disrespectful, which I have no patience for. The saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is my conclusion. I bet you didn’t know that even though my job right now is to look pretty, I am not just another pretty face. ☺