Pivot With Purpose Season 6 Episode 13 Patty Arvielo Full Transcript
Episode 13 Season 6: Patty Arielo
Meghan Houle (00:01.53)
Welcome to the Paper What Purpose podcast. How are you? my God, it's so, I'm so excited that you're here with me. Yes.
Patricia Arvielo (00:10.162)
Thanks so much, Megan, for having me. I'm so excited to just speak with you and connect and talk about life. It's exciting.
Meghan Houle (00:17.332)
and all the things. Yes. And as everyone listened in in your intro, I mean, you're doing some incredible things. Patty and I met, full disclosure guys, in the mastermind we're in together, the blueprint, and immediately connected with her because I will tell you, and you can't see us, but she has like impeccable fashion. Chef's kiss. I was like, okay, this is my girl. And I love Patty. People like know us for things, but
Patricia Arvielo (00:36.924)
Thank you. Thank you.
Meghan Houle (00:43.704)
I genuinely feel deep down. Sometimes it's like all the things I post about they're just like, yeah, Megan, what are you wearing? Like show us your fashion. So I'm like, all right. All right.
Patricia Arvielo (00:51.278)
I love it. It is an exterior image of ourselves that we never are happy with. Right? I never have anything to wear.
Meghan Houle (00:57.034)
Right? True. Truly. No, truly. So jumping in, mean, I know you're running, you know, amazing, amazing company and have had a lot of pivots in your career. Would love to hear before we dive in, like, tell us a little bit about where you started early on. Do you feel like where you were early on is has led you on the path to where you are today? Did you always feel like you were going to be doing what you're doing or were you just on a completely different?
trajectory.
Patricia Arvielo (01:28.542)
Yeah, so, you know, what's ironic about me is I actually fell into the mortgage industry when I was 16. So I'm 59 now. So this would be a really long podcast if I were to go around and tell you all the pivots I make. I think one strategic pivot I didn't make was getting off the journey of mortgage finance. So I continued on the path to learn every aspect
of mortgage and then found myself as an owner of a mortgage company in my early thirties. So maybe you might want to call it luck, or I just continually saw the vision of what I wanted in my life on this journey. And I found my passion. I mean, when you get to hand, you know, close a mortgage loan and you're calling the borrowers who are so excited about their first home and you get to deliver the American dream, I'm like, this is so cool. So I found my passion really early, which is also, I guess,
fortunate.
Meghan Houle (02:22.478)
Yeah. How did you fall into it at such a young age? Were you just always like a numbers person? Did you just like love numbers or houses or like how did that transpire for you?
Patricia Arvielo (02:31.25)
Yeah, because the entry level position I found paid the most money per hour. I always money hungry.
Meghan Houle (02:36.268)
Amazing. Heck yeah. Run me my money.
Patricia Arvielo (02:41.98)
Great. So yeah, so I went into an early clerical position for a credit bureau and I didn't know, I had no idea. just thought data input clerk make this amount of money per hour and it was double of what you could make at McDonald's. So I took it and you know, just I was fortunate to then find that it was in a field that had upward mobility. So that's why it's so important to be able to see it. Like where is the upward mobility for me? And it was the person ordering the credit reports that I was delivering.
when I would have conversations with this person, said, well, how much do you make per hour? And that person disclosed she made more than me. So there was that journey of constantly climbing that ladder to gain more for myself.
Meghan Houle (03:23.706)
Did you feel like, you know, leading you where you were and maybe we can talk about like the first like big job that you feel like you're like, okay, this is like it. Did you have a lot of mentors along the way or do you really feel like you were a little scrappy early on? Because I feel like early on there were not the mentors out there that we had that are as available today. You know, just with people guiding our careers or people that we trusted, it was just a lot like you said of like figuring out or seeing that next kind of like shiny.
salary or whatnot, who do you feel assisted you at all with some of those pivots early on that you remember or just great advice that you got?
Patricia Arvielo (04:02.782)
Yeah, so, you know, let's be honest from the age of 16 to 30, you pretty much screw everything up, right? That's kind of that journey of learning how to adult. And so I did a lot of that. I mean, a lot of that. And I would say that I made every mistake financially, physically, mentally that you would make from being, you know, 18 till about 24. I think...
as far as mentors go, know, mortgage finance and finance in general is very male driven and very male oriented. So I did see mentors, but they were primarily male. So at that time, I mean, I'm, that old where they would mandate that I had to wear pantyhose to work and the skirts couldn't be above the knees. Like I'm like from that era. but again, I had my eye on the almighty dollar. Like I knew if somebody else could have it.
Meghan Houle (04:54.211)
No.
Patricia Arvielo (04:56.634)
if why them and not me. So, you I honestly always ask people that are wealth building are like, I just want this, I want success, but what does that look like for you? You know, so I remember I had a dollar amount of what I wanted that to look like for me. So I just always was doing whatever I can to attain that. So yeah, my role models in stores were men. They're still primarily men.
Meghan Houle (05:06.188)
Mm -hmm.
Meghan Houle (05:17.412)
Yeah. Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (05:21.554)
Honestly, as far as mortgage goes, but in life, I have been able to seek mentorship in others, global mentors that are available on social media, but it's still much more difficult for a woman sitting in my seat to find a peer that is at the equal level of where I am. It's mostly still male.
Meghan Houle (05:43.524)
Yeah. So tell me because there's a question I want to ask, but I want the audience to get to know you even a little bit more. Like where are we catching you in the here and now? Like give us like your own little personal elevator pitch of like, what are you leading? What are you running? Like, what are you up to? And then I have a juicy question for you after that.
Patricia Arvielo (06:00.67)
Wow, awesome. Awesome. So I currently lead one of the largest mortgage companies in America. We have 4 ,600 team members where in every state, we were one of the fastest growing mortgage companies in America last year. So really we're number 12 in the country. We have a goal to be number five, really pushing hard to meet that goal. I have incredible team members. I'm so proud of what we've been able to build.
Number two, I really spend my time in mentorship because I'm still seeking it. And so I really feel that if you can see it, you can be it. So I really put myself out there. I'm not so good on the social media thing yet, but it really is a commitment I made at Blueprint because that's what our goals are. And mine is to really be much better at putting my messages and just like tips out there, you know, all the mistakes I made, which we all will make.
I also co -own a company called We All Grow Latina. We are one of the largest Latina communities on social media. We have events, we host events, very similar to what we're doing in our mastermind space, but just directly towards the Latina community, which is thriving and emerging. That, and I'm still, you know,
a very active mom and a very active grandmother. And I try to be a really great wife to my really great husband.
Meghan Houle (07:30.946)
now and you're doing amazing on social media from the words of Chris Jenner. You're doing amazing, sweetie. I love all your posts and your reels. I'm like, yep, save, great advice, save.
Patricia Arvielo (07:42.686)
Thank you. I appreciate that. It's really out of character for me. Like I'm really having to come out in a very uncomfortable way, right? So like I did 10 videos last week. I didn't approve any of them. I'm just didn't like the way I looked on the camera or was it authentic? You're your biggest critic, right? So I, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I'm still in the process of being comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Meghan Houle (08:06.244)
Well, so tell me going now into my juicy question. I mean, beyond the obvious and what you're doing in the mortgage and lending space with this journey of creating this business, like what are you guys doing differently? How has it changed, you know, with all the things going on too with the housing market and, you know, competition and everything, like how has it changed and like, how do you really like pride yourself on standing out?
Patricia Arvielo (08:29.532)
Yeah, so in our business, we're really known as, I think, the champions of serving the underserved. So we do more loans by percentage to both the Latino market and the African -American market with just the way that we strategically market them where they want to be served and how they want to be served. You know, we all grow up culturally different. So I think that's really a forte of ours. The other thing is, you
before it became like super sexy, like culture, company culture, culture. Like nobody really talked about it 15 years ago. And roughly, you know, 13, 14 years ago, Rick and I wanted to create a culture. We wanted to create a brand that our employees could hold onto where they knew exactly how we expected that they treat others and how they would be treated if they came and joined our team. So we coined that NAV360.
and we really started to deliver our culture and you know, it became a thing and but then no one would come to work for us because of our culture. I would tell you last year, it's well into the 90 % of the people that we brought onto NAF came over because our culture. Because most companies in our platform offer the same thing. We all have great tech, we all have great reps. What differentiates you? I think what differentiates us is our culture, also our leadership. I mean, we're one of the very few.
female founded mortgage companies in America, yet women are thriving in the mortgage industry. Our president is a female, she's amazing, know, it's female running one of the biggest mortgage companies in America. So I think when females join our platform, they have that internal role model and mentor right there at work. So I think it's super important that, you know, companies start
to ownership starts to look different. That's when things will start to change. When ownership starts to diversify, not just your team.
Meghan Houle (10:24.374)
What does that culture mean? What does that look like for you? When you say you're establishing culture, what are some of your non -negotiables? And when you hire people or you look to hire people, what really stands out to make sure they're aligned?
Patricia Arvielo (10:37.266)
Well, we say a couple of things. So NAFTA receives that you treat everybody you come into contact with, whether it's a consumer or a team member or whomever, that you treat them with dignity and respect. So we allow asshole days, but we don't allow assholes.
So we're very, married to that. we are, you know, culture over profits, 100 % of it.
Meghan Houle (10:58.038)
Yeah.
Yeah, wow. And here you are. How big is your team?
Patricia Arvielo (11:05.022)
4 ,600 employees, 4 ,600 team members and growing. So super excited. Very diversified also, more female than male employees and 43 % minority.
Meghan Houle (11:16.73)
Okay, love that. Well, tell me, you know, as you've been building this business, you know, managing the careers, also other people on your team, maybe sharing in some like wisdom or advice of like, for you, what do you feel like has been like the worst career or business advice that you ever got? You know, and how did you take it and like move on? Who did it come from? You know, have you ever navigated some just really terrible advice that maybe you've said yes to and then you're like, ooh, or maybe not. Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (11:46.79)
I think the worst advice came from a higher up at a mortgage company that I worked for, that very prolific mortgage company. And the senior leader came to promote me and basically told me as he pushed my promotion paperwork across the desk, he slid it across the desk to me. He goes, I am doing this against everything I.
I believe in, I don't believe in you, you don't deserve this as he's pushing this like, because his local team members, this is a hired corporate. And any person probably would have got up and said, well then fine, if you don't believe in me, you know, I'm not gonna do this. Or why would I take this job if the senior leader doesn't believe in me? But I believed in myself. So I still took that job.
and I signed that paperwork and I didn't show up the next day to prove to him that he made the right decision because who was he to judge me? didn't really know me. And so I think my biggest career advice came from me personally when I was in elect somebody else who I felt like was above me, give me a version of myself because when I look at him, I'm like, he has very little contact with
He didn't really like it back then that I was a female and I was young, because I was one of the youngest. And I think ageism is a thing. think, you know, being a female still is a thing, but back then for him to have somebody as young as I was being given this opportunity was totally against the grain. But had I listened to him and accepted his advice, I wouldn't be where I am today. So that's probably the worst experience I ever had. I so excited for that day too. It didn't turn out like I wanted it to, but in the long run, I wish I could.
Meghan Houle (13:31.032)
Yes.
Patricia Arvielo (13:31.6)
them today and let them know who I was because my last name has changed since that day.
Meghan Houle (13:35.588)
Yeah. You need to like pull the Julia Roberts like, okay, big mistake. Yes.
Patricia Arvielo (13:40.703)
Remember me? Yeah, I need to do that from Pretty Woman. Yeah, I'm gonna do it. Maybe I'll find him.
Meghan Houle (13:46.522)
Yeah, we'll do that after the podcast, and you. We'll sleep together. I'm here for it. Hire me and Patty. Well, I know and I feel like for something to happen, which I feel like still happens to this day, it's like, you know, someone doesn't believe in us or someone's going to paint a picture of us that serves them in their mind, that's going to make it better for them to digest versus like what we want to be doing. I mean, I know that holds so many people back in making meaningful career moves because
instead of proving themselves right, that they can do it, they're so hell bent on like proving people wrong or shrinking themselves to fit into a position that's not serving them and so on and so forth. So I love you for that. And as I'm sure you I know you mentor so many individuals. What do you think today, Patty, like what are people and women specifically coming to you maybe consistently about that they're like really struggling with as it comes to like professional or
Patricia Arvielo (14:50.066)
think most people who email me questions from my mentorship group, are you
Meghan Houle (15:09.774)
Here we go. Literally just go, my gosh, let me ask that question. My computer has been crazy. And they'll get it. Did you start to answer and then stopped? Okay, good. Go ahead. Yeah, so what are most people coming to you with right now? Yes, take two. -hmm. Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (15:20.7)
No cut cut.
I think 100 % of the time, I'm telling you 100 % of the time, the younger generation entrepreneur, the people that I mentor, the people that just like it, are always asking me the balance question, right? Which I
Meghan Houle (15:35.949)
Mm -hmm.
Patricia Arvielo (15:43.122)
I've shared with you, I know others that were around share, it doesn't exist, right? So you kind of have to come, you have to come to peace on that what you do for a living is really core to who you are. And that is really either your passion or your purpose, right? Some of us change ideologies about what it is. For me, it's my passion right now, not my purpose. My purpose is my family. I think if you're continually struggling,
to overcome the guilt of not being like the perfect mom or the perfect wife or showing up and being the perfect friend, you're gonna struggle. think the expectations need to be set within your sphere of influence and your tribe that you are who you are, whether you're the person who lives in chaos or the workaholic or whatever it is that you are. That is, if you're being true to who you are and you're happy,
It doesn't matter if you have kids. I have grown kids that I felt like I wasn't around for. They think I was like an insane mom. They're so happy that I'm successful. They're so happy that I'm living my life the way I designed it. That's truly what you want from your kids, right? We want them to be happy and they want us to be fulfilled and happy. So that's still the number one thing is how to balance kids, young mothers I get all the time. It's not gonna be perfect for anybody.
We're all gonna make mistakes. We're all gonna make mistakes. And there's no book on who's the perfect mom. I still haven't found that book. There's opinions of ourselves of who's the perfect mom. But as long as you're doing your best and being a better version of yourself, I mean, even for me, I know I was a really good mom because I'm watching my daughter be a better mom. So, so, get this, get off the teeter totter.
Meghan Houle (17:18.361)
Mm -hmm.
Meghan Houle (17:26.777)
Aww. Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (17:31.326)
One lane, there's going to be speed bumps on the road and you're going to make it through, it's seeking something that doesn't exist. It just, it's frustrating and nobody ever asked my husband that question.
Meghan Houle (17:42.614)
No, totally. Yeah, I won't even go down that rabbit hole with you. But same I mean, no kids over here, as the podcast knows, and my husband, Mike's in finance. So it's like being on the flip side of like being around, you know, in a group of women. And they're like, Mike, how are your kids and like, no, my wife, we don't have kids and then silence. Just like move on. it's a it's a Hey, listen.
Like I just feel like it's such a beautiful thing. Having family is like whatever that journey is for you. Like you said, just like own it and know it's not gonna be perfect. there are people that judge you at all levels no matter what. And that's on them, not on us. So we just do the best we can, you know? Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (18:21.757)
Exactly. I think it's just a common question to ask. It's just a common question to ask, especially in your 30s, right?
Meghan Houle (18:26.064)
Yeah, totally. No, totally.
Meghan Houle (18:32.042)
Mm hmm. all the things like get married. They can't even be happy for the marriage. Okay, when the kids when's this one this one this you're like, it's coming. It's coming. well to get to where you are today, I mean, talking about shedding versions of ourselves, like what do you feel like was like the biggest thing because I've just been through this, like what did you have to release or let go of to like step up into that next version of you? Was there anything
Patricia Arvielo (18:39.843)
I get it. I get
Meghan Houle (18:59.352)
that you felt like was really holding you back early on as you were growing, growing the company, growing financially. I don't know, like to get into this version or how you always been like kind of, this is Patty. Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (19:11.419)
I think keep evolving and changing. think that we stop evolving and changing and becoming better versions of yourself. You're just kind of dying. So I'm always continually better. think I'm a much better leader than I was in my twenties. I think the biggest thing that held me back was other opinions of the others.
Meghan Houle (19:23.844)
course.
Patricia Arvielo (19:31.44)
you know, the way they viewed me or I would hear that somebody said something about me and that would really emotionally really hurt me. And then I was kind of sit back and realize they don't even know me. They think they know me by maybe a social media post or maybe a magazine article or maybe some story of an ex -employee. But so I had to think about that and realize that they're really the only people
opinions matter to me are my family and my close friends and those that I trust with my whole heart. Other than that, that took a lot because I was emotional leader. So when you lead people and they lead, I would take it really personally and it was going to kill me. So I don't ever want to look at people as metrics. I don't do that either. But I understand that there's might be a local manager they don't like. They're not leaving me.
But I'm open to criticism, I think. That's another gift that I have is that I'm fine with people telling me why, their why, but I'm not gonna take their why as personal, right? Everybody has the way, different ways they wanna feel. yeah, so getting past my emotional self.
Meghan Houle (20:41.158)
Mm -hmm. I know and it's so tricky. I was talking about this earlier today too as like, know, especially coming from corporate America We weren't ever, you know, especially some of the large fashion groups that I worked with. It's like don't show emotion Nobody cares your cat died. Whatever is going on You came from your grandmother's funeral come up show up be on the floor and I just remember this like pent -up emotion that I had over the years fatty where we had like a big visit and at one point like I just started
breaking down and crying. I'm like at some point, like you can't, and I just don't feel like people subscribe to that anymore. If like working in an emotionalist environment where people don't feel seen, heard, valued. Now there's a professional way to be able to talk about how you're feeling for sure. You know, finding that balance. But I also feel like, yes, not taking things personally. But I don't know, I feel like there's a safer space now for employees and it sounds like you make it for people to come to
Patricia Arvielo (21:36.104)
Yeah, I think an empathetic leader is cool. I think a superpower, if you can cry in front of people, that makes them feel like you trust them. It's a trusted space. I have video about crying and that it means you're an empathetic leader, which I would choose to go work for a thousand times versus somebody who is hard and a hard driver and mean, which people think that means power, but what does power truly look
Meghan Houle (21:38.882)
Yeah,
Meghan Houle (21:46.126)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (22:02.222)
Yeah. yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (22:03.346)
the unhappy person or the happy, thriving person. So yeah, think corporate America is different. I've been out of corporate America for a long time. When you're an entrepreneur, you're controlling your own space. It's different. And I do have a lot of people in corporate America that reach out to me all the time. And I honestly, I get climbing the ladder within corporate America, but you have to have a time limit on how long you're going to endure pain because life is too short. And there are other companies
Meghan Houle (22:07.372)
Mm -hmm.
Meghan Houle (22:29.22)
Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (22:33.298)
that there's competitors for all of us and maybe that's a better space for you. But I have so many people like at the big name financial groups that are just miserable and they feel like they need to be there because they got that big name brand right out of college, right? But I really tell them that that's just the bottom rung of the ladder. You need to climb and you need to be strategic about climbing, right? You don't want a hundred jobs on your resume.
but be strategic and have your end game. Like I'm only gonna put up with this for two years, but I'm gonna learn everything I can under this horrible leadership. And then you need to move.
Meghan Houle (23:09.09)
Right, no, absolutely. Well, what advice would you give to someone? I mean, definitely the community listening in, a lot of professionals at all levels and all businesses navigating toxic environments or like difficult conversations. Like what are some of your tips and tricks or if somebody's at their breaking point, like managing those tough conversations or exiting that toxic environment, yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (23:33.5)
Yeah, so toxicity in corporate America exists and that's unfortunate. It exists in both male and female leadership, right? Everyone. And again, number one, not taking it personally. They're probably just so miserable or they think that this leadership style drives productivity, but it doesn't. So what I often would tell people, just sit there and listen to
Meghan Houle (23:36.387)
Mm -hmm.
Everywhere. Yeah. Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (23:57.298)
They're waiting for you to react, because that makes them feel like they're winning. But if you just honestly sit there and listen to their spewage, whatever they have, their opinion of you or their opinion of your work, it's better. It'll drive that leader crazy. And then as far as giving informed feedback to somebody who's coming at you in a toxic way, it's much better to do it in not in a crying way, right? In it
If you spent most of your conversation just listening, you'll be able to come back with critical sentences on, heard you. You don't, you know, I hear you. Cause people at the end of the day just want to be heard, especially those that are like delivering the yelling or the toxic or you're not good enough or this team sucks or whatever. Okay, fine. You know, I heard you say this team sucks. heard you. Now everybody just wants to be heard. I think.
Meghan Houle (24:35.214)
the
Meghan Houle (24:47.438)
I love that. Flipping around, no, that's so smart.
Patricia Arvielo (24:51.9)
Yeah, just flip it around, listening is key, and primarily not gonna change that person, but you can look to goal set and get out of that environment if it doesn't change.
Meghan Houle (25:03.652)
Heck yeah. When I think too, a lot of people just take it. And I remember early on I did because working for this prestigious luxury French ran, you're like, I'm just so lucky to have this job. I'll take anything. then it wasn't really to my path of entrepreneurship. mean, listen, Patti, early on I knew I didn't really want to take, I didn't want to follow anyone's rules. I'm like, I'm not someone who wants to be told what to do from people that I don't
I think to capture the essence of these leaders who probably shouldn't be in leadership roles and doing all these things. But that really, as I coach so many individuals, lots of women that are transitioning out of these toxic environments, and then they think that's how it is. So when I'm like, okay, we're going to make this career move, it's going to be amazing, they come in with a lot of fear as that sits with you and it can take a second to detox.
an environment like that, but I feel like that's such good strategies for somebody. And not a lot of people can stand in their voice and their worth and be able to sit back and be like, okay, I hear you. I think a lot of people are managed in fear. But like Patty said, guys, if you guys are feeling like misalignment, the world is your oyster. There's a ton of opportunities out there. I don't know, advice that you would give for somebody making a meaningful career pivot.
knowing you followed a trajectory really of maybe a passion then you initially kind of caught on to, know, as you growing your career, but like, where do you feel like people need to like tap into to say, okay, I'm going to make a move. But like you also want to be strategic to make sure you're not going to make the same mistake, right? Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (26:45.82)
Yeah, I think a lot of people think that the move means an upward move. Sometimes you need to take a step back, take two steps forward. So in a corporate job that I had that really, really launched my career, I took a very entry level position to get into this company. I could have been the manager at the time, the guy.
Meghan Houle (26:51.812)
Mm -hmm.
Patricia Arvielo (27:05.896)
push the paper across the desk, but I came in at a very low level job, just get my foot in the door and earn my way. So sometimes it's not linear, right? Sometimes you have to maybe, if you're at like the big name financial institution, you may have to take a step back in a position to get into the right culture where you can thrive. So I think that's a lot of things that people always think, well, I should be making more than, or I need to leave if I make more. Well, that's not necessarily true. Where are you leading to gain more opportunity or more knowledge?
So especially in your 20s, it should be about that. It shouldn't all be about the almighty dollar. It should be about learning about where your place in this career is, especially if you're gonna stay in corporate America. For you, it was a gift, right? You worked in an environment that taught you, don't wanna be a corporate employee. Like it was your biggest lesson. I wanna be an entrepreneur. mean, how special is
Meghan Houle (27:55.16)
Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (27:56.56)
It's insane. So I think every single job we have is a lesson for us and it's not wasted on us. But I just think everybody's looking for that upward mobility. Well, I had to take two steps down to go take two giant leaps forward. That's one thing that I would tell somebody, especially early on in their corporate career.
Meghan Houle (28:15.96)
I love that. No, because it's so true. We definitely experienced a lot of ladder climbers or those individuals that are like, well, I should be running the show. And I'm like, don't know. It's just this interesting world out there. But I mean, being at the top has a level of responsibility. You're leading a huge company. I don't know. Where do you feel like there's this misconception of being the president, being the CEO, and what it is versus what it actually is? Curious there. Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (28:44.154)
I think there's a misconception that we're always happy. I think there's misconception that it's easy. I think that every CEO or owner
Meghan Houle (28:47.386)
Mmm. Mm -hmm.
Yeah. You're like, good luck. Here's the keys. God bless.
Patricia Arvielo (29:02.878)
goes to sleep at night with a huge responsibility on them. I mean, I'm responsible for 4 ,500 human beings and their families and downlines. So I take that very seriously. I think Rick said it best, my husband, he said, the thing I worry about the most is that I'm gonna eff it up. So when you go to work,
and you don't own it, I don't know that you necessarily go to bed worrying that what you're gonna do is gonna downline, affect everybody else. that's probably the biggest fear and the biggest misconception is that we, I hear this all the time, my God, you must be so busy. Oftentimes I am not the busiest person in the organization. So that's also a misconception that every president and CEO is like back to back, now your time's more valuable than downline.
Meghan Houle (29:54.04)
Right. Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (29:55.196)
My time is not more valuable than anybody else, not even from the person that answers our phone calls every day. My time in my life is equally as important as his or hers. So I don't see myself that way, but I know people view me that way. And I try to tell them, you're probably more busier than I am. I have an exceptional team. It's taken me years to build.
very proud of that and we made mistakes along the line. can't shove a, what is it, a square into a round hole. You got to make sure your are cultural fits. That's far more important than anything else. But we did that and I rest every night knowing that I have the most exceptional team in the country. But yeah, I try to let everybody else know my life is just like anybody else's life. The same life I had when I answered the phones, I was a data input clerk. I might have a couple zeros in my bank account,
Meghan Houle (30:40.313)
I love that.
Patricia Arvielo (30:46.528)
But my life and how I feel and how I'm affected by others is exactly the same.
Meghan Houle (30:51.32)
Yeah. Well, and then on the flip side for the road of entrepreneurship, I mean, that's a huge, scary leap. I did it out of corporate and kind of like trusted yourself in the process, but there's just so many highs and lows. I guess for you navigating, it wasn't out of your big corporate company where then you're like, I'm going to build something on my own. Like, how did you navigate that early on in
what advice would you give somebody that's maybe sitting in fear? Like I talked to all these other women in business that are not investing in the rooms and we'll talk about that, whatever. And I was just like, okay, I get it. But like, what are you missing out on by like not moving things forward and you're going to mess up and you're going to make mistakes. But like, what was that journey like for you? And what advice do you give young entrepreneurs often or entrepreneurs like me and not young but still doing it? Tell us a little bit about that.
Patricia Arvielo (31:36.687)
Yeah, I wasn't actually entrepreneurial minded at all. I was very comfortable in my paycheck world and my W2 world. It actually took my husband, you know, he was then my boyfriend and he had sold his first company when we first started dating and he had never had a job in his life. And I'm like, come work with me in mortgages. So fun. And I was kind of managing this broker shop.
Meghan Houle (31:46.404)
Mm -hmm.
Patricia Arvielo (32:01.702)
He came in and saw this, he's a visionary, he saw this huge opportunity. He's like, we should do this on our own. So I kind of followed his lead and he was really smart because he saw that the opportunity as an entrepreneur does, he had the vision like an entrepreneur does. He was willing to take the risk like an entrepreneur does, but the most important thing he did was find the person who could help him, which was me. Right? There's no I in company. So he right away, like, you, you know everything, Patty, why don't we do this for ourselves?
So it took me a while to be comfortable in my own skin, right? It took me a while to not realize that on the first and the 15th, I was going to get a direct deposit. So that fear, that risk taking is a real thing, but that's the beginning of the journey. That's actually the fun part in the stories that you're gonna tell. It's not like, my God, I made my first millions, da da. Those aren't the stories. You're gonna tell this shit story about the risk taking and you used your last dollar.
So the minute you leap into entrepreneurship and the minute you are so scared, just remember that moment. Cause that's the story you're going to tell at the table and, and to friends into your family. So my husband taught me how to be an entrepreneur. wasn't born. I was kind of a miser with my money. I wanted to risk my own dollars. Now,
Meghan Houle (33:13.633)
so cool.
Yeah. my God, I need to spend more time with you. Not me, I'm like, spend it. So I need to like ruin myself back in. No, amen to that. I've really gotten a lot better managing. here I am. A lot better managing.
Patricia Arvielo (33:25.274)
Yes, I a lot of cash in the bank.
Meghan Houle (33:39.002)
that sort of bank limit where unfortunately like early on in the day, living paycheck to paycheck, like thrusted out on my own at like 18, I'm like, I'm gonna figure it out. I don't need anyone to pay my way. And those are the scary years. Like you say, you mess up, you do a lot of things wrong, you overspend, you maybe rack up some bad credit. I mean, some people are a little more responsible. I really wasn't shown the way, Patty. You know, I'm, yeah. I'm in finance.
Patricia Arvielo (34:01.01)
Yeah, was in finance. I had the worst credit in my early life. I'm the worst credit. So I'm the big believer of states changing and making, you know, even just normalized financial literacy for all. I mean, we always talk about it in the underserved world, right? No, I'm telling you, this is a United States of America problem in our school system. They teach us how to do aerobics and play basketball, even though
we're five foot five, but don't even tell us how to manage or open a bank account, how to manage ATM fees. Like they don't teach us basic life skills and that's then falls on the working mom and the working dad. So the school of America need to step up and needs to be part of the curriculum. Yeah, I went around and I thought, my God, my first credit card swipes, swipes.
Meghan Houle (34:45.166)
Now for
Meghan Houle (34:48.73)
Oh God, don't even get me started. I'm like, wait, what? I'm like, oh, some magical fairy is not gonna pay my $800 cellular one phone bill. Cause I'm, it's like 1999 and I'm racking up minutes. like, what is this? I learned how to write a check. I remember in home ec, like writing out a check and I'm just like, oh, thanks. But that's about it. My grandmother was a good, she's like, you need to balance the checkbook. I'm like, ah, I'm bad at math. But no, I think that,
Patricia Arvielo (34:59.486)
I'm to
Patricia Arvielo (35:09.277)
That's it.
Meghan Houle (35:17.786)
Oh gosh, financial freedom, independence is something that I have just held true to who I am. I'm my mother's daughter that I'm like, I can do it on my own. And I just feel so passionate about having my own money and feeling secure. And anytime I get pushed a bit by my husband, I'm like, I'll show you. I remember when I left Louis Vuitton and I was working in corporate and a nice salary to go to 100 % commission, Patty. I didn't get paid for six months.
we were getting married in that same year and he's like, uh, and I'm like, listen, just trust me. And here we are 13 years later, we're doing great, sweetie. So, you know, I think like I'm somebody who you put my feet to the flame and I don't need to prove anyone wrong, but like, I'm going to do it. Like I'm going to make it happen. And I've, you know, always had these like big financial dreams and there's definitely more to come there. But I know, you know, our friend Allie Webb, who we love so much, you share in a similar, you know, kind of purpose of like, you can't build a business.
to think that you're just gonna get rich and make money, right? It has to be so much more than that. I'm like, how am I serving?
Patricia Arvielo (36:21.63)
Like the mister on this the wheel right? I mean you really what wealth the to define wealth is a personal Statement like right what might be enough for you might not be enough for me or vice versa So most women I asked I'm like, okay, but what is wealthy? What are what is wealthy to you? Is it a million? Is it two million five million ten a hundred
Meghan Houle (36:25.56)
Yeah,
Meghan Houle (36:31.758)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (36:37.176)
Right? Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (36:47.792)
What is the goal? Have it on a vision board. Know what it is. Know what your life around it looks like with it. Because there might be, I have friends that are totally happy, not that they're just, they feel wealthy in every way. And maybe, you know, society doesn't define them as wealthy, but what is wealth? What does it mean? Why you're just showing up to work for a paycheck or to build a company. You're not really working for financial freedom. Financial freedom happens when you desire nothing more.
Meghan Houle (37:00.782)
Yes.
Meghan Houle (37:05.656)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (37:16.548)
Yeah. Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (37:16.946)
don't need anything in my life. There isn't a personal thing that I need, not a car, not a house. That's my natural freedom. Like I don't desire anything that I don't already have. I always say, do I need it do I want it? There's two different things, right? I don't need anything. I may want something. So just defining wealth, I think is so important. And mostly when you ask women, we're afraid to say
Meghan Houle (37:22.298)
Mmm.
Meghan Houle (37:27.066)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (37:30.98)
Yeah, totally.
Meghan Houle (37:41.753)
Totally.
Patricia Arvielo (37:42.934)
We're to say it like, we're going to be judged. But I really feel like it's important otherwise. You're just showing up and you never really know when you made it. Like, it's so good to be like you and your husband just look at each other and you have everything you ever needed. You're like high -fiving each other because now you're just working for things you may want. But you don't need anything. That's freedom.
Meghan Houle (37:56.76)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (38:01.914)
Totally.
Yeah. Well, I love that so much. And I think it just is so different for everyone. I've had conversations with family members. We were out in Napa. I'm manifesting my house out there in Yonfil, which you're going to come and hang out at. And my husband saw me. like, can't you just be happy with where you are? like, I mean, yes, I'm happy and grateful. But I got goals. I got a lot of stuff to do still. But everybody has their own, and no judgment. But I do. feel like as women, we are so shy to talk about
what we make a year. It's like how many times in girl groups are you talking about like, I just got a raise. This is how much I make. just feel like there's a lot of shame or judgment, you know, behind it where we don't want to put it out there. Like, I mean, I feel like my husband knows everything his guy friend makes and his husband and brothers and everyone were like our girlfriends were just like, yeah, we're doing good. Here's, here's my LLB bag, you know? Yeah. Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (38:53.968)
It's exactly right. Every man will tell me what they've made in their life, what their net worth is. And all the women are so feeling like they're going to be judged. You know, there needs to be comfortable spaces because we're cheering them on. I'm cheering at Alley Web on. I'm cheering success on, you know, that, that is, that's just.
Meghan Houle (39:11.833)
Hell yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (39:16.442)
just a myth that we are being judged. So I think we just need to be comfortable with saying that we wanna be wealthy, we desire to be wealthy, we're showing up to succeed, to make money.
Meghan Houle (39:49.166)
to finish. I'm like, my God. So, I'm sorry, just talking about, well, let me ask you one more question because I feel like that was a good thing. You know, before I, okay, Patty, two more things before I let you go. So, when people are coming to you looking to be coached, looking to be guided, like doing all these mentor things, how do you
someone either set themselves up for success financially. Like what are you also talking about in these rooms or within the businesses that you manage for people coming to employees? yeah, I guess what are you excited about mentoring about now and like what are you looking forward to in the future with some of your programs and all the speaking and everything that you do? Yeah.
Patricia Arvielo (40:27.752)
So I think in life, think most people seek community and to feel significant, right? And at this time in my life, just, that's what my goal is. I just want to matter. And I wanted...
Meghan Houle (40:32.996)
Mm -hmm.
Patricia Arvielo (40:40.368)
make differences in people's lives. And I think that, you know, when people build companies like we do and we're in the rooms of other successful people, we oftentimes have resources that are not available to others. Being able to share those resources is really important because, you know, we've had men groups that we've been watching.
throughout our whole lives, like YPO and you know, men help other men create wealth and they become rich together and they start companies together. You know, so I think it's really important that we all start to invest in each other and support each other as women and dive in and pour into each other. So, you know, I've been angel investing for the last two years, pouring into women, sometimes a little money, sometimes a good amount of money, because maybe I'm not familiar with the product, but you know, just my voice at a cap table.
is such a limitation to be around those who are thriving. And I think that energy comes back to me. So it doesn't go wasted. My time never goes wasted. And I have loads of stories. In fact, I keep a notebook of the women I meet. And so, you know, when I met you, I was only making 60 ,000. Now I made 900 ,000. I I love those stories. So it's like I have all these kids in the world, you know? And it makes me feel significant. And it makes me feel important and that I'm.
Meghan Houle (41:56.944)
Hell yeah. Are you doing any other, what do you have on the table for the rest of the year? Like any other events or things that we can come hang out or hear your voice or yeah, what do you have going on?
Patricia Arvielo (42:04.561)
Yes.
Yeah, actually I do. have a We All Grow event in October in Los Angeles. And it's a Capital One sponsored event. And it's Amigas in Business Live presented by Capital One. It's a live event in LA. So you can find that information under We All Grow Latina. And then, you know, I'm still part of Blueprint Mastermind. I'm enjoying that.
I said by the end of September, I would have a thriving social media presence, but I'm still stumbling around on it, but I am trying. I also am working with a CEO school and I'm enjoying that. So I show up in different communities because, you know, that's what I find fun is being around other women who are living similar lifestyles and has same aspirations as me. It's fun and it's exciting.
Patricia Arvielo (43:32.708)
you know, I just think just pouring into yourself, you know, I think oftentimes we forget.
us like ourselves and it's the last thing we do. We're always working on business and thriving and being everything to everyone and we neglect ourselves and we neglect our mental health for you know the majority of us and whatever that looks like but I would say choose you first because without you being of healthy mind and healthy fitness and and everything else your business won't thrive. Like I say if you're not happy at home you're not happy at work so work on your on your relationships work on your relationship with your kids your husband.
You know, that if that's working, we show up and we kill it. if it's not, yeah, so I just always say choose you. Choose you first.
Patricia Arvielo (44:34.118)
I spend most of my time on Instagram and it's just Patty Arvielo. I have a fun name, just my name and I'm trying to put some educational tips out there and just some life skills that I've learned through my 43 year career mortgage and just hoping to aspire more women to build big platforms in a space that's primarily still run by men. I'm like pushing for it. I'm not retiring without more of us.
Not doing it.
Patricia Arvielo (45:14.024)
I'm not sure yet, like I said, I was probably thinking for the rest of your life, so I'm here to support you as well.
Patricia Arvielo (45:32.712)
Thanks for having me today.