Episode 157: Beating The Odds And Building a Life You Love | Andrea Guevara | Branding & Career Coach for Authors
Andrea Guevara’s journey is a masterclass in resilience. From escaping an abusive marriage to surviving homelessness, she rebuilt her life piece by piece. She creating a thriving branding and career coaching business for authors and becoming a mindset mentor for women. She shares how pivotal moments, bold choices, and relentless determination led to her dream home, a business that changes lives, and clients featured on Netflix. Andrea’s story is proof that even in the face of overwhelming odds, you can rewrite your future and inspire others to do the same. If you’ve ever felt stuck, under-resourced, or unsure if your dreams are possible, Andrea’s path will remind you why the next step matters.
“Women don’t just want success for themselves. They want success for everyone around them. ”
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Follow along using the Transcript
Chapters
00:00 – Parallel stories and shared struggles
01:00 – From rock bottom to Netflix-level wins
04:00 – Andrea’s client success with Maid
07:00 – The power of showing women what’s possible
09:00 – Leaving a controlling marriage at 16
12:00 – Realizing there’s more to life than survival
14:00 – Custody battles and protecting her children
15:00 – Homelessness and rebuilding from nothing
18:00 – Holding on to mindset tools in crisis
20:00 – Choosing purpose when there’s nothing left to lose
23:00 – The importance of honest self-awareness
28:00 – Spotting a gap in the author industry
31:00 – How volunteering led to new opportunities
32:00 – Why raising your hand can change your career
35:00 – Living a vision board life
37:00 – Building a supportive network
39:00 – Writing a survival guide for women
41:00 – Redefining “Powerful Ladies”
44:00 – Life in the wine country and everyday joys
46:00 – The Powerful Ladies scale
48:00 – Dream clients and dream opportunities
Her story is very similar to my own story. I was also a single mom for a decade and I also struggled financially. My ex took off and didn't pay child support, and I didn't have a degree, and it was really hard for me to get through watching the theory.
That's Andrea Guevara and this is The Powerful Ladies Podcast.
Hey guys, I'm Kara Duffy, a business coach and entrepreneur on a mission to help you live your most extraordinary life by showing you that anything is possible. People who have mastered freedom, ease, and success, who are living their best and most ridiculous lives, and who are changing the world are often people you've never heard of until now.
Do you ever feel like you're being haunted by Murphy's Law? The if it can go wrong, it will go wrong. Bad Uncle of the universe. Today's guest, Andrea Guevara, was pretty sure Murphy had moved in and took a residency in her life. Abusive relationship. Check, custody, battle, check, homelessness, check. Start a business to have it all.
Crash. Check. And yet today she has clients whose work is featured on Netflix. Yes, Netflix in this episode, learn how she kept going through it all and what pivotal action changed her life so that today she's living her purpose. In the dream house that was on her literal vision board and earning a living, changing the lives of women just like her.
Enjoy the episode.
Well, you know, my favorite podcast guests are those that are recommended with like screaming, shouting, you have to talk to this person, type of of recommendations. And that's how you became, I guess, the powerful lady. So let's jump right in and tell everybody who you are, where you are and what you're up to.
Alright, well thank you. Oh, that's such an awesome intro. I appreciate that. It's always good to be recommended. So, uh, I'm Andrea Guevara and. I have kind of two facets to my business. So I work with authors to help them create the brand and the career that they want long term. So when their book comes out, it's not just about the book, it's about how do we pivot this into an entire career that's in line with their dreams.
And then the other side is all about using kind of similar tools, but really like mindset and a lot of life experience. Kind of on the the rough road of life in helping women move past whatever's, blocking them and live the life that they want to, whatever that looks like, whether it's career, family, whatnot.
And then I'm located in Northern California, in the Sonoma County Wine Country. Country. And I know you're in Southern California. I actually moved up here during the pandemic. So just to be around family and nature again. But I
love
Al
too. I
was
down there for like 18 years, so Yeah. Yeah. We're pretty spoiled whether you're in northern or Southern California, you're having a pretty good time.
Mm-hmm.
Yes, definitely. Except for fire season. Yeah. Yeah. But we won't talk about that. And you've had some great successes with some of your clients, so, um, you know, who, who would you like to brag about perhaps right now?
Well, I'll go to my most famous client that everybody will recognize right now, which is Stephanie Land.
She is the author of Maid, which is a memoir about her life, uh, trying to make ends meet as a low wage worker doing house cleaning and trying to raise her daughter on her own. And that the reason you probably know her name is because that was turned into a Netflix series that debuted in October of last year.
So that has been a wild ride because we met before she even had a book deal and have been working together ever since. So it's, that's been a really fun journey to just kind of, that's like the epitome that everybody kind of wants to get to. Not everybody,
but a lot. So. Well, yeah. Yeah. And you must be so proud, right?
Because like, I know for me nothing's better than a client having a huge win. So how is that experience for you? Absolutely. Oh my gosh. It's.
It's been surreal, honestly, because it's just like, oh my God, you're this show that, you know, you're, you're everywhere. And especially when you know someone personally like that, it's, it's such a shift.
But it's been an amazing journey too because her story is very similar to my own story. I was also a single mom for a decade and I also struggled financially my ex took off and didn't pay child support and. I didn't have a degree. And, um, so I can really, like, it was really hard for me to get through watching the series, to be honest, because it was so triggering.
I was just like, oh God, that was, you know. But it's, it's also so exciting because there are millions of people living at the edge of poverty, and especially since the pandemic has hit, and to see that this is a story that people. Wanna watch and to talk about. Mm-hmm. I mean, I have goosebumps right now.
Like, that's huge, you know? Mm-hmm. And that's, that's always the goal is every single one of my clients, all, most of my clients are women. Mm-hmm. And I'm sure you encounter this, women don't just want success for themselves usually. Yeah. They want success so that they can change whatever corner of the world that they're in.
And. All my clients are that way in whatever, you know, little ways. And it's just so inspiring. I feel like I get, I have like the best job in the world because I get to help these people push their, their voice and their stories and their mission out in the world and create actual change. So
it, it's what gets me up every day.
Yeah. I mean, it's. I to be able to be, um, in your circle of women who are helping other women or people just like do their dream life. Um, nothing's better. Like it, it, it's, it's amazing to me that this is my life now and my life before I was doing this full-time was awesome, and I'm like, oh, it can be even cooler.
Okay. Yes. Mm-hmm.
So true. Yeah. I sometimes, I would say almost every day, I'm not gonna lie, I'm like, I can't believe I'm finally here. You know, it took so long to get here for me because I had a lot of, you know, odds to work against. But yeah, it's such a blessing and it's good. I think it's important for us to talk about too, because there are so many women who want to.
They have that dream inside them. Mm-hmm. But they're telling themselves they can't, or maybe they're with a partner who's telling 'em they can't or whatever. Mm-hmm. And it's important for us to see other women succeeding and to be honest about the process because then it inspires others.
Well, and and when you look at social media, there's so many middle class to riches success stories.
There's not a lot of. Flat broke to success stories that people are talking about and we get so hung up. I think in that, you know what I, I can't is why powerful ladies started in the first place. I was so sick of hearing people say I can't, who had no business saying I can't. And we, it's because I think the pressure we put on ourselves, like, I can't be a 10, I can't make a million dollars.
It's like, well first of all, why are we shooting for being a 10 or a million dollars? Let's just move from where we are one step forward because we don't know it's possible till we take that first step anyway, like we can't even see it. Yep. And you know, I'd love to go back to your story because. You know, you're working with inspiring people, but you are so inspiring.
So let's kind of tell people where your, where your pivot started from. Like, where were you at before you decided to make a change?
Yeah, and, and by the way, I totally agree with what you just said. Yeah. There are so many talented women that don't realize they are, you know? Yeah. All of them. Like we all, for the most part, we downplay.
Our capabilities. We don't really believe in our ourselves, like we, and that's why, you know, like powerful ladies, it's like, yes, you, we all are. Mm-hmm. We just need to realize it. But yeah, so my story, I've had a unusual life. I, I've had one of those lives where, you know, when I was, I'm a writer as well, and so when I was working on my memoir, which has not finished yet, but uh, my classmates were always like.
That happened to you? That happened to you that, you know, it was kind of like, and I'm like, I know it's stranger than fiction. I don't know what to tell you, but it's just been like a marathon of, um, I don't know if you swear on this,
you're, you're welcome to We are, we're an explicit podcast, which I laugh at all the time because I'm like, what are we saying?
That's so horrible, but okay. Right. Yeah. All
I was to say is a marathon of shit. It was just, you know, but yeah, I mean. The biggest, so I got married very young. I was part of, um, we were very fundamentalist, evangelical, like extreme. And I got married at 16 and that was, uh, you know, it was to a man who was very abusive, uh, a little bit older.
And it took me a while, you know, because I grew up kind of with him. It really damaged my own sense of self and identity and, and my own belief in myself because he was a narcissist. And you know, I'm sure a lot of your listeners have dealt with true narcissists. Uh, there are a lot of them. And so, you know, their kind of mode is to slowly chip away at you until you are completely controllable.
And that's kind of how I was, I didn't even know. I, I had my kids very young and they were my joy and they were like my first loves. But aside from that, I had nothing. You know, I was just like, I felt like at that time I was going through life with like blinders on, head down, just doing the thing and. I ultimately, we were, we were on a trip.
Um, we, we used all of our between, hi, my ex-husband's master's and PhD program. We decided to live in Europe with our two, our kids were four and almost two. I love the audacity of the twenties, you know, um, but. That was a pivotal moment in my life because I all of a sudden realized there was more to life than the way I was living it.
Mm-hmm. And I realized that this depression that I was struggling with, the root of it was that I was really unhappy in my marriage and I knew that I either was gonna end up in a mental institution or I was going to. Um, end of my own life, and that was really scary because in that moment I didn't care about myself at all.
But my, my love for my children is what really saved me, ultimately, because I knew I couldn't do that to them. I couldn't leave them in his charge. And even though at the time. Because I was so abused, I didn't even understand what the danger really was. I just knew there was danger. Mm-hmm. And it took me, it took me almost two more years to actually finally leave him, because I had to, I had to, uh, that's when I started my own business doing graphic design.
That's, you know, I, it took me a while to build that all up and to build the courage up. Mm-hmm. But I eventually did. And, um, you know, thought. I was on the right track. I was working for myself. I was doing work. I enjoyed, my kids were good, and then my ex got into drugs and we had a huge custody battle, and that was really traumatic because I, I'm sure some of your listeners as well have experienced these horrible custody battles where you legally, you still have to bring them over to their house.
You don't know what's gonna happen, you know, they're in danger. But the court hasn't done anything yet and thought it was torture. So eventually though, I got, I, I won so to speak. I got sole legal and physical custody and, and that was kind of during that time I was, I was, I no longer really considered myself a Christian, but I still was like, had a relationship with God.
And I was praying like, God, I don't care if he never pays child support again. Like, just make sure my kids are safe. Mm-hmm. And it was kind of funny because I was like, man, I, I shoulda have made that prayer a little different because that's exactly what happened. We always get exactly what we ask for.
Right? Yeah. I was like, wow. Like I'm a powerful manifester. Um, but, but yeah. So he, once he lost custody, he quit his. Big C-level job in Irvine and he took off and stopped paying child support. And so that, that really was a hard hit for us because at the time I had two businesses, my kids and I actually had a children's clothing line, which was really fun.
Um, and then my design business. And so we had to downgrade and then. Eventually, another couple years went by and I had the market crashed. That was 2009. Mm-hmm. And we were technically homeless. We had to go live in my mom's living room and you know, it was. It was just a nightmare of a time. It was like there was an outbreak of lice in Southern California.
My kids got lice like three times during, and here we don't even have a home and it mm-hmm. You know, I'm using my last 30 bucks in my bank account to buy life shampoo. I mean, it was just, it was a moment where I got really, I didn't handle it well. Mm-hmm. Because up to that point, I kind of was always, I ascribed to that idea of like.
I'm an entrepreneur. Entrepreneur, I can, it'll always work out. It's always gonna work out. It's always gonna be okay. And it was not, it all fell apart. And if it wasn't for my mom, we would've been sleeping in our car, you know? So it made me realize how close so many people are to being homeless, and it made me realize that I had judged people too harshly.
Mm-hmm. But it also. I was judging myself really harshly. Even in that moment, you know, I, I felt like a complete failure and was so ashamed of myself and like being an entrepreneur was such a part of my identity. I felt lost and luckily it, that period of time only last a couple months, I was able to build back my client load and, and ended up getting an apartment with my brother.
Keep expenses as low as possible and um, but it took me two years of concentrated therapeutic work to get over the damage I had done to my own psyche in that, for, in those two months. Mm-hmm. You know, I just really, you know, you talk about survival mode, I was in ultra survival mode and I really detached from my own emotions because I felt.
I couldn't do what I needed to do if I felt how bad I felt. Mm-hmm. And that was really damaging. And so fast forward a couple years, uh, unfortunately I had another big dropout of like a next wave of clients who had held out for a while, but then they eventually couldn't afford me anymore. And, um, I did, I applied for jobs.
In my industry for like a year. 'cause I saw it coming, could not get an interview. I had like one interview and so finally I had to take a job at Trader Joe's. Mm-hmm. And that was really humiliating because I went from making like a hundred dollars an hour to $11 an hour. Mm-hmm. But it wasn't just humiliating, it also meant I couldn't afford our apartment anymore.
Yeah. So again, here we are, like my worst nightmare happening again. And I just, um. Of course it was hard. It was a very hard time. My kids were 12 and 10 then, and you know, that's difficult time anyway and we're still like recovering from trauma of the last time and recovering from trauma from their dad and mm-hmm.
But, um, but one thing I did right during that time period was I didn't let myself go down that despair hole and disconnect I clung to, um. Positive mindset tools that I had used and continue, you know, would, would listen to any kind of positive reinforcement, audio books and things on the way to work every morning.
And I got a second job. And, um, it, but it took a while and. Eventually I was able to go back to school and for writing, which of course was really scary 'cause it wasn't like, oh yeah, writing is a really good paying thing. That's like a super smart choice. Um, but I knew in 2013, you know, I, we were all living in, um, uh, by that time my mom had upgraded to a two bedroom apartment.
So we had a bedroom to ourselves, me and my two. Preteens and I got the flu and it was like just everything sucked and I don't know about you, but I get depressed when I'm sick. So it was just like piling on and, and I just thought, you know what? I've, I've done, I've failed now hugely twice doing things that I feel like I should do.
Mm-hmm. Um. I'm gonna start pursuing what I feel like I'm meant to do and 'cause I've got nothing left to lose. Mm-hmm. And you know, I still had to work, but I just was like, okay, all I can, bandwidth wise, all I can do is 10 minutes a day towards the school. And so I just started like a blog, make myself accountable.
I recorded a little video and. You know, I'm, I'm putting this out there. I wanna be an author. I wanna be a writer. That's all I know, and I wanna be a speaker and I have no idea how I'm gonna do this. And it took a while, but, mm-hmm. I, I don't, I don't technically have a book published yet, although I do have one I'm working on, uh, which is out there, hopefully getting represented soon.
But I am a writer. I've had a lot of things. Smaller things published and I have done speaking and it's evolved to more, you know, where now I'm doing, using this skillset that I built all those years of struggle and entrepreneurship to help authors. Mm-hmm. And it's kind of interesting because I think there's a lot of, a lot of us have an idea of what we think we wanna do, what our big dream is.
Mm-hmm. And we don't know. Details yet. And so we don't do it 'cause we think we need to know what we're doing. And it's like, you really don't like just start, start anywhere. You never know where to lead. I didn't think I'd be doing branding for authors. I didn't think I would be teaching, you know, the things that I'm teaching and I love it.
And it, it just happened organically. You know, it's like you just keep. Once you open the door to the universe and say, I'm ready and I'm committed. Most importantly, show me the way I think it just, it becomes a lot easier.
Yeah. I mean, there's so many things you said that I'm like, yes, yes, yes. I'm over here nodding like my head's about to fall off.
But you know when so many people have been in your shoes of. You know, having to get out of the bad relationship or having to figure out how to be a single mom or having to figure out how to go from, you know, my business crashing to now I have to like figure it back out again and get back on my feet Financially.
What, what was it in you and was it something that you were born with or learned to like keep getting up and trying again to keep getting up to? How did you know you were meant for more?
To some degree, I've always felt since I was a child that life was too short. Mm-hmm. Which is odd thing for a kid to think.
But yeah, I just felt like life was too short and there were so many things I wanted to do. And even growing up. Fundamentalist. You know, like my mom was always like anything, I, anytime anything bad happened, she'd be like, I can't, can't wait to be done with this earth and go to heaven. And I was always like, no, there's so much I wanna do.
And I think that's part of it is like that drive. Um, and I think it's also important that, I'm glad you asked that question, because we are all different and not everybody has that drive. Mm-hmm. And that doesn't mean you can't be successful, it just means you need to be honest with yourself. And think about like if I don't have, you know, for instance, I don't have the drive of Tony Robbins or Marie Folio, or like, I don't, and I also don't have the privilege that they have.
You know, like there's so many factors of why I'm not who they are. Mm-hmm. And that's a good thing. We're all, I believe we all have our special things that we're like, we're all a part of this puzzle and there's a reason we're all passionate about different things because we're all supposed to be doing.
These powerful things mm-hmm. That were meant for. Um,
but Well, and to that point, you wouldn't have been able to help, you know, share a story like Nate. 'cause I don't, Tony Robinson and Marie Folio may not have gotten it the way that you got. Exactly. It's, I, I really do believe that, um, to your, what you're saying, that there's something, we're here for a reason.
There's a special unicorn ness about us. And if we don't act on what we know we should be doing versus what we think we should be doing or are doing, you know, the people who are missing out are less us. It's more the people who are waiting for us to show up. Yes. Yeah.
Yes, there was, uh, somebody said this recently on Instagram, I can't remember who it was, but they were saying like, what happens if, if you don't do the thing that you feel like you're called to do, who are you letting down?
Like, there are people waiting for this. Yeah. And oh my gosh, that really hit me like it's so true. We don't realize that when we access our own power or light, whatever you wanna call it, we, we present ourselves differently in the world. And it mm-hmm. It sparks that in other people. It's, yeah. It's amazing.
And I think, yeah. The other thing that kept me going was I just felt like I did not wanna let my kids down. Yeah. You know, that was like. I felt like if, if I, if I fuck up everything else in my life, at least if my kids are okay, I've done my job at that point. Yeah. And they made it, they made it to a, and they're great people.
I did.
And, and then so you get to this point where you start blogging every day. You make a commitment that you're like, I know what I wanna do. I have no idea how it's gonna happen, but I'm a yes to making it happen. How did that evolve to the success that you're experiencing now?
Yeah, so I, it's funny because again, it, it's so much about.
When you're putting yourself out there to what you're committed to, just the there, there's the woo woo side of it, of universe and whatever, but then there's also this other side of just that it changes your mind. Mm-hmm. And that's the biggest thing to me. That's why I say like, I like to teach mindset tools because mindset, mindset shifts are the things that shifted everything from me just being one.
Wanting to be someone who was doing the things I felt like I needed to do to be coming. Mm-hmm. And there's a real difference there. And there was, and before I was there, there was this agony of not doing what I felt like I really was meant for, you know? Mm-hmm. And so there was a relief and a sense of fulfillment that even if.
I was on the path at least, and that's the best I could do. And then over time, I, I was able to build more in, I got laid off from one job, which was devastating, but I was able to get some unemployment and I was able to go back to school during that time and work the other job. Um, and I, during that time was just hungry for like, I don't know if you've ever heard of the Les Brown, um.
That motivational speaker, do you know him? Mm-hmm. He always, he's, he's a really charismatic speaker, but one of the things he always says, you gotta be hungry. And I was, and it, it, it's true, you know, it's like. You have to. That's why I think if you really wanna be successful, you have to do something that you're meant for.
Because if you're just doing something that's not really in alignment with who you are, it's really hard to stay hungry. If it's something you are really meant for, it's a lot easier to stay hungry and just you're more open to the opportunities that come along and you jump on things. And one of the things that I jumped on was there was a, a writing conference.
Coming to town, coming to UCLA and I decided to volunteer. And so I was just helping with social media and, and then I, I just said, you know what, they need someone who's in charge of this, so I'm just gonna tell them that's what they need and hope that, you know, they take me as that person. And that's exactly what happened.
I, I became the brand director for this national writing conference and. Made so many wonderful connections with other writers, but also was in a position of power, right? Mm-hmm. Where visibility. And that was also the moment that I realized that writers are not taught any of the business skills. Nope.
That we entrepreneurs are. And I was shocked. Like I was just like, nobody knows what branding is. Like nobody knows what really how to market themselves or you know, and. So that was a really big aha moment for me. I was like, I need to start teaching this. Mm-hmm. Um, because this could change their entire careers and they don't even realize it yet, you know?
So, yeah, I started, I just started with an online course at first and just like taught for, I think it was six weeks. I charged so little too. It was like $99 for six weeks. I mean, but you know, it was all an experiment and mm-hmm. It was really cool to see the mindset shifts that the writers were having.
And then over time, I was able to phase out. I was doing brand strategy and design for businesses, for startups and small businesses, and over time I was able to phase that out and really focus just on authors where my heart. You know, was more so. Mm-hmm. Um, and then of course that enabled me to be able to really talk about all the mindset, mindset shifts I had had personally in the struggles that I'd had, and see other people's struggles as well.
'cause like I, I had it rough, but I'm still a white woman. In America, you know, I, I still have a certain amount of privilege that I didn't even see, and then I started interacting with more and more people from our, our conference was very inclusive, not just, uh, races, but disability and also, um, gender variants and stuff like that.
Mm-hmm. So it helped me be a better person too, and just be more aware and. Be able to do this work in a way that's more conscious,
you know? Well, and something that's really stood out to me about that pivotal moment for you of going to that conference first is you volunteered, which people get so nervous to do things that are for free because like, I can't afford anything right now.
Why would I ever do this for free? Well, 'cause you never know what's gonna happen. So like if it calls you, go do it. But then, yes, the second thing you did was you saw something and you said something. And. They're so, you know, we, I joke that when we, they say it in airports all the time, if you're traveling, see something, say something.
And we don't do this enough in our own career path and our own life journey because we think back to that self-worth element of like, oh, why should I do it? Like. If it's not happening, it's for a reason. Why things don't happen in the world is 'cause nobody says something. Like everyone absolutely is so busy and so wrapped up in whatever they're doing.
They're not paying attention. So when someone like you raises your hand and says like, you guys should have this, why don't you? I'll do it. It's such a relief to be like, oh, you're right. Okay, here, go do it. Like. I, there's so many people listening right now, and if you're listening, I'm speaking directly to you for this, um, like you saw something, go, go tell somebody.
And it's honestly the secret I give clients about how to pitch yourself to a, a cold client. Go tell 'em what you see. Just go have a conversation about it. You never know what's gonna happen. Absolutely. We, we like free feedback. So, uh, it's like, I just wanna pause for a second and acknowledge you because you didn't give up.
You kept being bold, you kept being curious. Um. You, you've made it happen. And because you were playing the game, you get to work with all these amazing people that you work with now. Um, so yeah, I just, I'm proud of you for not, not giving up and not choosing the easy option. Thank you so much. You're welcome.
I, I
appreciate that. You're welcome. And I totally agree with what you just said too.
It's really sad. How incredible. So many incredible women don't fully believe in themselves. Mm-hmm. And I'm not saying I'm perfect at it. I have my moments for sure, but like the difference between where I'm at now versus 10 years ago is night and day. And you're right, you have to, when you, this is the thing, I think women are afraid to say something because.
Of imposter syndrome, but also like, they don't wanna be the jerk, right? Like, they don't wanna be like, Ooh, I'm criticizing something, or whatever. And it's like, people know if they're a reasonable human being, which you only wanna work with reasonable human beings. So, you know, uh, but they know, they can tell when you're coming to them from a place of wanting to help mm-hmm.
Versus coming to them. A place of criticism, you know? Yeah. It's totally different. So it's like you gotta set that aside and just go with what your, your gut is telling you, you know? But it's true. It's like I cannot, I, there's probably been hundreds of times in my life that things would not have happened if I didn't say anything.
Mm-hmm. Nobody's gonna hand you your dreams on a silver platter. You have to fight for them. Yeah. So that's why it has to be something you care about enough to fight for.
100%. 100%. So now that you've had this insane journey, you are living a life that you never expected, but is very much in alignment with who you've always been, what is your experience of getting to step into that place for yourself?
Like feel like? How does it occur to you? I know it occurs to me, but like how does it occur to you to be doing what you now feel like you're like, oh, I'm always supposed to do this?
That's,
that's a good question. It feels. I think it depends on the day. Sometimes it feels very much like, yeah, of course. You know, like, this was the journey, you know, and like it just feels so good and just like, yeah, this is the path. I'm on it. I'm not just on it, but I'm like pretty far along it now where I can see the, the even bigger things that I wanna do with it.
But, um, it does feel surreal sometimes. Mm-hmm. You know, there are a lot of moments where I go, my gosh, I get to do this. Like, I can't believe I get to do this. Yeah. You know, or even where I live, like the house that we ended up moving into was something that's been on my vision board for years, and granted I don't own it yet.
That's like the ultimate, but you know, um. Living on a farm just outside of town. I mean, there are so many moments where I walk through my house going Thank you to the universe, to God. Mm-hmm. Whatever. Mm-hmm. There's just so much gratefulness.
Yeah. That's the biggest thing. So now that we're in 2022.
Everyone's talking about how this is like the year to like make shifts to go for things. I know a lot of people in my circle, whether it's clients or colleagues, a lot of people are feeling this need to like con mari their business, their life things right now. 'cause like we gotta make space, shit's happening.
Like we cannot take this bullshit into this year any further than this month. Um, yeah. How is it showing up for you and what are you excited about for this year?
That's, yeah. So many of us are on that page, right? Mm-hmm. Um, very similar. I've been doing a lot of, last year I hired a business mentor for the first time, and that was Congratulations.
Thank you. That was a big, scary, expensive thing. Mm-hmm. And I'm so glad I did it. Like, I wish I would've hired her years ago. Just, it's, it's really shifted things for me and ha. I think that's another big thing too, is like, I think we as women, because culture, our society put so much on us that we're supposed to carry everything.
Mm-hmm. We forget to ask for help and it's like you can't do this on your own, even if you can't hire someone to help you. Start forming your pod of other women that are also motivated, and if you can't find any, like keep searching, you know? Mm-hmm. It takes time to build those really good relationships.
But my mentor and also just my group of ambitious women. Is, it fuels me and I, so I, I would say like, if you really wanna make big moves this year, that's the biggest thing that's made a really big difference in my life in the last past year. Um, but yeah, I am, I, this year I have a lot of new workshops and I'm, I'm launching a group program for authors, which is, I haven't really done before, so I'm excited about that.
And. And then of course, as I kind of loosely mentioned, I have a book that I'm pitching, which is really, um, it's kind of funny. I always thought my first book would be my memoir because that's what got me into writing. Mm-hmm. That sucker is taking forever.
Um, which makes sense 'cause it's heavy stuff that you have.
Oh my gosh. Without you it's hard. And when you realize what, when you really recap what happened, you're like, wait, that was me. Oh shit. It's so emotionally draining. Yeah. And
that's exactly why it's taken so long, because all these, so many things have happened. It's like, oh, okay, I can't handle that too, but it'll happen when it's sent too.
I have, you know, faith in that. But this book was really born out of the pandemic and, um, it's, it's kind of quasi self-help slash memoir, so it's mm-hmm. All really practical tools, the things that saved me. Told through the stories of the situations that I went through, that it taught me, you know, what I needed to know.
And it's really, it's for women right now. Mm-hmm. Because we're doing everything as usual and especially moms. Mm-hmm. You know, I, I am thankful every day. I don't have little kids right now. Like it is so much that women are have on their shoulders during this pandemic. And so it's really just, um. Kind like a, a funny survival manual.
Um, yeah, so I'm excited about that because that's, you know, it's one of those things again, where I'm pushing myself outta my comfort zone, even though I'm a writer. There have been so many moments with this book because it didn't get picked up right away, where I've been like, does anybody care? Is this really what I should do?
You know, like all those doubts and. I keep coming back to, it's like you have to, I tell my clients all the time, you have to go back to the original reason why you're doing something. It's like a long-term relationship. It's gonna be rough sometimes, and you have to go back to remember why you fell in love with it in the first place so that you can fuel yourself, you know?
And so it's, I'm taking my own advice, but hopefully by, you know, next year it'll be out and, mm-hmm. Helping
women. That's the
goal.
When you hear the words powerful and ladies separately, what do they mean to you and does that definition change when they're put together? Ooh.
Okay. Separately powerful. I immediately have this kind of vision in my head of strength and ability to affect change.
And ladies, this is gonna be funny, LA ladies, I think my initial thought is like, ladies, proper ladies having tea and like chatting about the book they read or something like that. Um, together Then yeah, that shift and I see. Obviously I'm a visual person. I keep saying I see. But I, I see more of like a, a woman in that like power pose, you know, wonder Woman pose.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. And. It's funny 'cause I don't even know if I would consider myself a lady anymore because I swear and I whatever. Like that idea. Yeah. But I like, I think that's the thing, right? Is like we, this is women's time. I really believe that there is so much happening with women and we get to redefine these things and you're redefining that.
Mm-hmm.
You know? No, it, it's, um, that's the note I was just making to remind ourselves to use that in our marketing. 'cause I say it all the time in here, like, we're redefining what that is like. Yes, it's, we powerful and ladies means something so different to everybody. Some people are like, of course I'm a lady, and they would never fit this.
The description that you just, you used, other times they fit that description and they're like, I'm not a lady. And you're like, wait, what? And it makes me think of people, um, like Betty White, right? Who on the outside for many years looked like she was a lady and she was. But when you think about what rules she broke and the ground, uh, where she was a pioneer and what she was doing and all these things that.
It's, it's the example of most women like you. We don't, for most women, you don't see the 100%, you see a sliver and it's whatever sliver the world wants you to see at that time, or they're able to share with you at that time and. I, I think I'm, so, this is the most selfish thing I do, is this podcast and I love it because I just get to, like, see the other sides of what's happening with, you know, women making an impact today.
And I'm super thankful that that's how I get to spend my time. Yeah, it's awesome. It's really awesome. So when you're not changing, I'm glad. Thank you. When you're not changing the world for yourself and your clients, what else are you up to? Oh,
well, I, I like to do the, a lot of the usual stuff, hanging out with friends and mm-hmm.
Family and, um, I'm lucky to live in the wine country. I can go wine tasting. I love wine, but I really, more often than not, what I'm usually doing is if the weather's okay, I'm outside hiking. Mm-hmm. Or gardening or, you know, taking the dog for a walk. It's nature is like the thing that restores me and brings you back to like who I really feel like I'm at just a base human animal level, you know what I mean?
Just, um, but yeah. And then I, I, I'm really lucky I get to spend time with my loved ones and you know, that's been weird over the course of the last year and a half, but we do what we can. Yes. Yeah. And then of course writing.
Mm-hmm. Lots of writing. And then are you a big reader as well with all the writing that you're doing?
Mm-hmm. Yes.
Yeah, I am. Although I don't know about you, but I had a hard time reading at the beginning of the pandemic. It took me a while to be able to like focus. Um,
you know, when I, if I think back at, like, at the beginning of it, I would probably say yes because I think we were so engrossed in like the news and updates and what's happening and, and prepping.
Like, do we have food and water and toilet paper? And like, at least in my world, it was not just pivoting myself, but all the clientele and. Like, we launched a group at the, at that time we were like, oh shit, we need each other. So like, all the stuff was happening. So I did not have time to read, but um, once things kind of settled and I was like, oh, all I can do is read or go for a walk, guess I'll start reading again.
Right, right. Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Yeah. I love to read and it, I, that's another big perk of my job, right, is I get to read all my clients' books and a lot of time I get them. Very far before they're even out there in the world. So that's it. That's fun. Mm-hmm.
You know, when we ask everybody on the podcast where you put yourself on the Powerful Lady scale, if zero is average everyday human, and 10 is the most powerful lady you can imagine, where would you put yourself today and where do you think you would rank yourself on average?
Ooh.
That is such a good one. 'cause that is such like I can feel the immediate imposter syndrome trigger go. Like, you better not say what you think girl. Um, but okay. Today I would say I'm probably at like a seven. I think when I'm at my best, I'm like an eight that's really high. It's, you know, whatever.
I'm just gonna say that that's how I feel right now compared to where it used to be. But I hope, like I know I have growth left to do and I know I have more, um, confidence that could be built. So I would love to be though, like operating at a 10, 12 someday soon. You know, like I look at someone like Oprah and I'm like, oh, she's like 15.
Mm-hmm. You know, I don't, I don't know if I'll ever get quite there, but, but I'm in it to keep growing, you know? I want more power,
as you should, as you should. Um, for everybody who wants to be a client of yours, work with you, collaborate, how can they find you, follow you? Where's all the things?
All the things.
So you can go to andrea guevara.com, which you want
me to
spell
it out. Or you can, we'll also have it in the show notes Okay. At the powerful ladies.com/podcast. So in your po the blog for your event, it'll be all be in there.
Perfect. So I'll just leave it at that. I won't bore you guys with my spelling, um, but it's just, it's Andrea, the normal spelling and Guevara, like Che Guevara.
Mm-hmm. Um, and then on Instagram, which is where I usually am, that's my favorite platform. It's just the Andrea Guevara. Or, uh, for specific only author branding stuff, it's brand strength. Um, yeah, and I'm, and yeah, if you Google me, you'll find my other places too, but that's where I usually am. Perfect.
And who is a dream client for you?
Ooh,
my dream clients are. With the author branding side of things, our authors who have a book that has already been purchased by a publisher usually, and they are, it's a very, um, the strong, strong writing, strong premise. They know they have a good idea of what they wanna do in the world, but they're not really sure how to get there.
And they're good, good people. You know, that's the most important thing to me, is I know I can be proud to like cheer them on and mm-hmm. Um, 'cause I take on that work seriously. I take it on like it's my own brand, so I wanna, you know, that's, and then as far as the other side with teaching women mindset tools and things like that, it's really, it's, it's primarily just that you're a woman who has.
You've got that dream inside you. You may not know what it looks like yet or whatever, but you know there's something in you. You know, there's more to this life than the way you're living it. And, um, that's really all you need. If you're committed to figuring that out, I have tools that can help you start along that process.
I love that.
Um, and then powerful ladies have powerful connections and I'm now asking everyone who's a guest, what do you need and how can this community help you? Oh, that's a good one.
What do I need or what do you need? I don't even know what I need. Um.
Well, actually, here's a good one. So this year I'd like to do a lot more public speaking. I really kind of went in my own hole, like a lot of us did during this pandemic and I didn't teach as much, and I would really love to come speak wherever or mm-hmm. Speak over zoom. So yeah, I'm definitely looking for those opportunities to help spread the word of.
That women can are more powerful than they realize. Yeah.
Perfect. I love it. Well, thank you so much for being a yes to me and the Powerful Ladies Podcast and for sharing your story with everyone listening, and thank you so much for who you are, for all the people that you get to impact on a daily basis.
Thank you Kara, and thank you for doing this. I mean, this is an awesome podcast. You, you are changing the world, so it's really an honor to be here. Thank you for having me.
All the links to connect with Andrea are in our show notes@thepowerfulladies.com. Please subscribe to this podcast wherever you're listening, and leave us a rating and review. We appreciate them so much because they are so critical for podcast visibility. Come join us on Instagram at Powerful Ladies, and if you're looking to connect directly with me, visit kara duffy.com or Kara Duffy on Instagram.
I'll be back next week with a brand new episode and new amazing guest. Until then, I hope you're taking on being powerful in your life. Go be awesome and up to something you love.
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Twitter: andreamguevara
Website: AndreaGuevara.com
LinkedIn: theandreaguevara
Created and hosted by Kara Duffy
Audio Engineering & Editing by Jordan Duffy
Production by Amanda Kass
Graphic design by Anna Olinova
Music by Joakim Karud
