Blades, Nonprofits & Syrup

What do nonprofits, syrup, and swords have in common? Tiffany Galvan.

By day, she’s a nonprofit consultant helping organizations grow, evolve, and actually make a difference. Strategy, structure, impact… she’s been in it and knows how to move things forward.

But outside that world, it flips. Think swords, shields, and a completely different kind of discipline. It’s not a hobby, it’s a mindset.

Somewhere between building causes and stepping into combat, Tiffany brings a perspective that’s equal parts thoughtful, sharp, and unexpected.

This one’s about balance, identity, and how the most interesting people don’t fit in just one lane.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

All right, everybody. Welcome back to our our 10th episode.

SPEAKER_02 0:12

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Yes. I know. 10 episodes. I've made it that long.

SPEAKER_02 0:18

I love it.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

It's low budget. We are. Being in the room, I can guarantee you it is 100% low budget. See, my guest is already. We haven't introduced her, and she's already taking shots of my low budget now. Just wait till the cart goes by halfway through the interview. We have the lovely Tiffany Galvan.

SPEAKER_01 0:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 0:41

What is Galvan? What what name is that? Where does that come from?

SPEAKER_01 0:44

You know, that's a very valid question. Um, I don't even really know. Uh I I know part of it is Spanish, some of it is Portuguese. Um, but I I oh man, getting there already, man. Um so my um my grandfather um left his family when he was really young. Um and so a lot of my grandfather's side of the family, I actually don't know them. Yeah. Um, so there's a lot of part of my family that I just don't know. And yes, I'm sure I could go into the whole like we may the what? We may. Well, no, I was gonna say um the the uh records and actually look through the like the line and everything, but I I actually don't know a lot of my grandparents' families. My grandfather passed away when I was in second grade. Um my grandmother only spoke Spanish. Oh, okay. And my um indigenous Spanish, all that jazz. A lot of fun stuff. Um, and because a lot of our history was erased, and there's just a lot that I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

So before we get into all that, because we are we would we do want to get into your family life, but what uh because you told me your title when you walked in here, and uh I'm gonna let you actually just give me your career arc to where you are today.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

Oh, geez.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Like quickly. But but but like I want to know where you're at in life. Yeah. Uh so what what are you doing now and how did you get there?

SPEAKER_01 2:08

Yeah, so um I have been, I always say that I've been in and around the nonprofit industry the last 16 years. Wow. Um, I really got into the nonprofit world because my junior year of college, I had a an internship at the Family Violence Prevention Services. And uh I was helping with their volunteer coordination. And when I was taking a tour of the Battered Women Children's Shelter, there was a little girl who um blonde hair, blue eyes, couldn't have been more than three or four years old. And um, she was waving, smiling at me, and I picked her up and I sang her to sleep, and everybody just looked at me gobsmacked. Um, and I didn't realize that she had actually witnessed her mother's abuse. Oh, wow. Um, her mom was still in the hospital and she didn't have the voice. Yeah, she didn't have a voice to advocate for herself, she didn't have anything, and so I've made it a mission to really help others tell their stories and to help nonprofits tell their stories so that we can do good in the world. Um, I've learned early on that I was great at storytelling, and so if I can help others tell their story so that it can help the community, then that's what I do. And so at the heart of what I do as a nonprofit consultant and help helping with fundraising, helping with strategy, really an executive coach for people, um, not just nonprofit leaders, but also small business owners and people who have a big dream to help people. Sure. Um, that's that's at the heart of what I do is helping people tell their story so that we can uh create greater good.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Yeah, I mean a small a small business, I always tell people a small business is is basically it's for profit, obviously. That's the end goal, but it's run a lot like a nonprofit.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Right, and vice versa, to be quite honest.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

Yeah. So how did you how did you like how did you get there? I mean, so you said so you started, you said you're very young. Did you work for some nonprofits as well?

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Yes, so I worked for nonprofits. Um I actually started at the at um I I did family violence prevention services and then I was in AmeriCorps. So I was at San Antonio Youth Centers before I became SA Youth. Um I was at Big Brothers, Big Sisters. And what I learned um again early on was the fact that there weren't a lot there wasn't a lot of mentorship, especially for women of color or even people of color, because the system wasn't set up that way in order to help us understand how fundraising worked and how to fundraise sustainably. And um it's interesting because one of my um early bosses, we now work very closely together in a in a lot of capacities. And and she's even we've had this great conversation where almost healing conversation where she was um saying that she didn't even have support. And that's really what I've noticed throughout my career is that so many people, especially leaders, nonprofit leaders, are operating in survival mode um and operating under trauma. And because they are operating from that space of survival mode and trauma, it's gonna be a constant um fight against the current. Yeah, and and they're never going we're never going to be able to have the true impact that we would like to have because people are constantly operating under um survival and trauma. And I mean, I know you and I see this all the time, and even the people that we interact with is that the reason why people maintain surface level relationships is because it's protecting themselves and their own hearts and who they truly are. But if we don't break out of those uh uh moments, right, if we don't break break out of that survival uh mechanism, we're gonna constantly be trying to keep our heads above water and we're never gonna actually create the impact that we want to make.

SPEAKER_00 6:01

So when you uh nonprofits, I I've been in that world. I we work with nonprofits quite a bit in in the industry that I work in. But I I find that a lot of times you you brought up something going and getting money, raising money is what is the goal a lot of the times. But then you can't work on the nonprofit or the big vision. Um and I think it's hard to do both. Um and and so how do you help in that realm? Because you've got to separate the two.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

See, so for me, I think it's one way of thinking because and and the reason why is because your mission should drive funding. And so when you lose sight of your mission and you're constantly working towards um mission creeping, which is just going after any single grant and any single dollar um to sustain yourself, um, then that's when nonprofits come up with random, um, random programs, random projects. Um, that's when there's burnout from their employees and their staff. Um, that's when people are very spread thin. Um and if you were just focus on the heart of the mission and focus on what the impact is supposed to be for your mission, um, then that should drive the right uh funders, the right volunteers, the right opportunities to ensure that you're aligning in the best way that's not going to create burnout for you or your team.

SPEAKER_00 7:35

So what what do you see in San Antonio? Because you're you're on the ground floor of probably looking at poverty, um, all kinds of different things that are going on in this community. Um what is the biggest thing? I mean, I guess you could split this into two things. You can answer it either way. What do you see the biggest issue with nonprofits here in San Antonio? It could be even larger than San Antonio, but also like just in general, what do you see the biggest issues in San Antonio that we need to solve on that ground level, that base level?

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Um I'll I'll stick with the issues and uh that part first, and then I'll go to the second part. Um so I'm also a an admin for the Buy Nothing group in San Antonio. Um so not only um do I have the intersectionality of working with city employees, uh working with people in the city and elected officials, working with nonprofit professionals and um executives, but then also, like you said, being on the ground in the community because I care. Um so as part of the Buy Nothing group in San Antonio, um every single day, every single day I see people posting um maybe five, at least five to ten individuals posting saying that they can't feed their families. Um, saying that they just need a couple, you know, things of ramen or food just to get to the next paycheck. And and this is very well documented in all of the data um and all of the consultants that have been paid um for San Antonio of looking at uh food insecurity and looking at access and affordable housing crisis and the fact that people like there we have a working poor. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

Do you has that gotten worse? Yes, yeah, okay. Absolutely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:26

Um so with um everything going on in the government, right? Like that's always going to impact uh different things. Um, but San Antonio specifically has um uh what the term is is that they that it is some of the jobs, I don't remember the term at the moment. I will come back to it in my brain, I'm sure. Um, but basically some of the jobs like people are not qualified for those like high-paying jobs. And so we have um people who are working really hard, but they are underpaid, and the cost of living keeps rising.

SPEAKER_05 10:04

Going up, yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:05

Um, um, inflation keeps rising, tariffs are impacting a lot. Um, and so we have people, and this is not something that is new, and it's not something that that's happened um specifically just because since the pandemic, like this is something that has been generational in San Antonio. Um, we are one of the most um economically segregated cities in America.

SPEAKER_05 10:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

Um, we have in the east side um two zip codes in the east side still have the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation. Wow. I didn't know that. Our our high school reading or the reading level um for kids entering high school is still almost at a third grade level. Um they're closing schools because there's no um there's there's not a lot of people trying to get into those schools because of like low, low turnout rates. But then also like if we're not creating access, then that is going to make an impact too. Um, transportation is always going to be important um for any thriving community. Sure. And um, and Via works really, really hard to make things accessible as best as possible. Um, but when you have funders who are maintaining a bottom line as well because they are also running a business and they want to ensure important impact, that means that they're only going to work with nonprofits that are established. Um and that doesn't always mean the smaller nonprofits that maybe have the greater impact um who are boots on the ground. Yeah. Um because what I've seen too, um, and I might get in trouble for saying this, but now we're getting good. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

I'm leaning into the mic now.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Is that there's a lot of executive, there are really great executives in San Antonio for a nonprofit space, but there are also a lot of executives that are so far removed from the community that they don't even remember what the community needs.

SPEAKER_00 12:02

Sure, sure. No, that makes sense. I think I think that we also, like you're saying, the economic bubbles in this city, it's pretty crazy. I mean, you go to different parts of town and it's just completely different. I mean, it is insanely different. Um, what do you think causes that? I mean, just how San Antonio was built?

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Uh part of it is how San Antonio was built. Um, so if we look at the east side as an as an example, right? Um, and and actually now um segregation is um determined by highways. Oh so it used to be like the train tracks, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And and now it's the highways. And so if you look at San Antonio, um, and we go back to even um hemisphere. Um and the reason why hemisphere is called Yanaguana is because Yanaguana is the original um it means place of clear water. Oh, really?

SPEAKER_00 12:54

It ain't clear anymore.

SPEAKER_01 12:55

Actually, actually, you know what's really interesting? Um I was actually on a boat tour and the tour guide actually down the river the river. Down the river, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um and the guy meant like a yacht.

SPEAKER_02 13:08

I'm not rich like that.

SPEAKER_01 13:10

Um, uh the guy actually poured out his water and then and put it into the Santoni River and it was clear water. No way. It was clear water.

SPEAKER_00 13:20

What day was this? After it just rained?

SPEAKER_01 13:23

No, no, no.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

I'm not knocking. I should not knock the river water now.

SPEAKER_01 13:27

Well, see the thing. I wouldn't drink it. I mean, I wouldn't either, but I'm just saying what it can be and what the original name of the of this land is, right? And and really the hemisphere, um, it used to be hemisphere and then the east side used to have super thriving black and brown communities. And when hemisphere happened, it displaced all of those families.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

Gentrification, basically.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Um, yeah, gentrification, gentrification, but more so erasure.

SPEAKER_00 13:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:56

It it like like we need to be very clear in our language because gentrification is one thing, but the effects of gentrification is displacement and erasure.

SPEAKER_06 14:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 14:05

Because gentrification is is, you know, we want economic development, we want economic growth, and we want economic opportunities for everybody, right? But how you do it is important and how you include people is super important. So when the hemisphere happened, and actually there are documented um eviction notices that used to be at the Institute of Texan Cultures um RIP, even though it's at the bottom of Frostbank Tower Note. Um it's gonna be a stadium. Um it's gonna be a stadium. Um and and yeah, and so there's actually documented history of these eviction notices to black and brown families. And so even the east side um had had all of this displacement and erasure as well. And so it's been a um reclamation and coming back. And I am very proud of San Antonio that despite our issues, I do feel like there are so many more people on the ground who are doing the work to ensure that people are not erased and that our stories are told and that the work is still being done to create access for people. Um so it is as much as we have to work on. I am heartened that there are so many other people doing the work to make sure that the bad stuff doesn't happen.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Yeah, no, I I think it's important that that gets out there too. I mean, it's it's very important what you're doing. And I think um, I know you've spoken to some some things that I've been in. We'll get into that in a little bit, but I want to go uh start uh like we kind of go all over the place here, but um growing up, what was your childhood like? Did you grow up here in San Antonio? What was that like? I mean, um you were from San Antonio?

SPEAKER_01 15:40

Yeah, born born and raised, um, so uh childhood at home um that my parents still live in. I'm very privileged. Um we I grew up over in the Deco district um and um Catholic school trajectory, my whole career life, all the things. Um so St. Paul's, Antonian, um St. Mary's. Um, my Did you ever get the ruler? Uh no, but but but a classmate of mine did. Oh. A classmate of mine did. Um and then a couple years later they stopped doing that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're in that age group, right? I just missed it. I just missed the ruler. I got the ruler. Um but you know, I um I do remember though, like I uh I I may or may not have learned cursive from a very young age. Yeah. Um I was five or six and I already knew how to write in cursive. And um I forgot to get my spelling test signed by my parents, and so I wrote my mom's name in cursive. Um and then I felt so terrible that I told this, I told the teacher um on myself. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:49

Um, because like the teacher on yourself.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

I did, I did, and and um, and she was so angry and disappointed, and all and and I was traumatized.

SPEAKER_00 16:59

Well, you see, you're a better person than I. Although I was a you know me, I was a sweetheart, you know, growing up. She always spit her water owl when I said that. I was a complete angel. I mean, you know, look at me. What happened? What happened? I'm still a I'm still a teddy bear. You are, you are, you are not really. But no, you genuinely care about that. So you so you grew up in that that Catholic school background. Where did you go to high school? Uh was there anything growing up? You you gave one little thing in the beginning of this, but when you were growing up, did you ever go, I'm gonna be a nonprofit consultant, or I'm gonna be a nonprofit. No, what did it call? I mean, when it was it was it that story you just told that that it clicked, that's that's when you wanted to do this?

SPEAKER_01 17:44

I heard of that, yeah. And and so a couple things, right? So something that I've learned. Um, so I'm also um on the board. I'm the vice president on the board for a national nonprofit. Um, it's called American Society for the Positive Care of Children. I've been on the board uh for the last six years, um, going on seven, and um it it talks a lot about trauma with parents and um really creating the tools and resources so that parents learn more about their own traumas um so that they don't fuck up their children. Um and and what I've learned, especially in that journey, it's taught me a lot about my own upbringing.

SPEAKER_05 18:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:22

About how like my my parents have worked hard their entire lives, sacrificed everything for my brother and I in order to go to um Catholic school the entire time. Um my mom is the baby of eight. Her That's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 18:38

Family functions must be insane.

SPEAKER_01 18:40

Well, they're all dead.

SPEAKER_00 18:41

Oh well you bring the mood down. I mean, you ask. They're all dead. I mean all eight.

SPEAKER_01 18:48

Well, or seven really uh six, actually. It's six of them, and then it's just my my aunt and my mom that are that are the last two. Yeah. Um my mom's parents passed away when she was 33. I'm 30, I'm 39. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, six months of each other. Um, my um most of my mom's siblings passed away from cancer. Wow. Um, so they weren't old, like they they weren't old at all. They were quite young and in different ailments. Um, my my dad is the oldest of five. Um my dad was um working um uh like farming and and doing agriculture in Hondo, Texas as a um like a he he's lighter, but he's still a brown man in Hondo, Texas. Yeah, yeah. Um my my grandfather used to clean the church, you know, you know what I mean? So all these like hardworking stories, right, and all these like sacrifices that have kind of been instilled. And so what I've learned a lot, especially learning about trauma, is is that you know, parents do the best that they can, or at least most parents, you hope, do the best that they can. My parents did, um, with what they were given and what they knew at the time, right? And so a lot of the things that I grew up with, um, I look I look back and I and I look back with kindness and grace because I didn't realize how much um my parents' fear of anything happening to my brother and I impacted parts of how I grew up and and how I navigated a lot of my own emotions in growing up. And so for example, like I was five years old at the old YMCA, which is now a church, um, downtown. And I was the very first person to jump off the hiving uh jump off the diving board. Um completely fearless. Um I I would I still won't do that. I would I would jump off of I would jump off of trees, I would climb trees, I would my we would go hiking and we would um climb rocks, and I remember one time I got stuck and my dad said and and my and my dad said um Tiffy Tiffy let go. He said Tiffany let go. And I did, like just off of the rock and I just let go.

SPEAKER_00 21:06

Like I can envision you stuck on a rock.

SPEAKER_01 21:10

Yeah, and so you're fearless is basically I I was fearless, but then but then somehow along the way when I was growing up, I I was convinced, like for the longest time up until college, I was convinced that I didn't know how to swim.

SPEAKER_06 21:24

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:25

Because the fear that was instilled in me because they were protecting me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know that sheltered, yeah. Well, it wasn't just shelter. Like shelter is one thing, right? Of like not allowing people to grow, but it was more of my parents had lost so much that they didn't want to lose one more thing.

SPEAKER_06 21:43

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:44

And and so that makes sense. And so I I actually um paid for extra swimming lessons. Like I I like really pushed myself out of all these other things because I knew that I didn't want to be stuck in fear.

SPEAKER_05 21:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:57

Right. And and I didn't want to be stuck in. And um I didn't want to be stuck in my own way because if I was stuck in my own way that I couldn't help people and I couldn't actually be an advocate and I couldn't stand up for things that m matter to me.

SPEAKER_00 22:11

Yeah. Well, and if the river barge went down, now you're now able to swim.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

But I mean if the river barge goes down, just stand up.

SPEAKER_00 22:18

That's true. In the clear. In the clear clear, crisp water. It's a lot of algae on the bottom, guys. So where you're where your parents are they from here too? Or no?

SPEAKER_01 22:32

My mom is from here. Okay. Um my um my dad um was uh so my grandfather American, um, my grandmother um Mexican citizen ended up um getting legalized.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

Okay, so that's when they came over from Mexico at that point.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

Well my dad or my grandfather is American, um, and then my dad moved to Honda, Texas when he was three years old.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

Okay. And so now where you're at now, you're married. Explain that. How's that going? Explain marriage. Yeah, explain marriage to explain marriage to somebody. How'd you meet your husband? All that fun stuff.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

Yeah, so um I always tell the story that um Em and I mate met responsibly drunk at Pat O'Brien's.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

Um responsibly drunk.

SPEAKER_01 23:19

Responsibly drunk at Pat O'Brien's. That is Pat O'Brien's still here.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

No, I thought it closed. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:26

Yeah, I thought that, yeah. Yeah, so um we met in 2010. Um and we've like gone on this journey of life. Like, you know, the good, the bad, the ugly, the hard, the the beautiful. I mean, marriage is really just finding another person, and you may have brokenness together and you're figuring it out together, and you're figuring out life together. And life can be hard sometimes. And so it's good to have someone who centers you and grounds you and reminds you of your worth, reminds you of your light, and reminds you of you know what your purpose is. Um, and that's not always the responsibility of the other person, right? It's your responsibility to be good for yourself too and to take care of yourself and take care of your own mental health so that you can be um a partner to someone else. Sure. Um, but it is nice to still have someone there who um who know you can who who you know you can rely on.

SPEAKER_00 24:24

Yeah. So how long have you all been married?

SPEAKER_01 24:26

We've been married for um nine years. Nine nine years. No, no, no. I say I saw you.

SPEAKER_00 24:34

Are you sure it's nine? Is that your final answer?

SPEAKER_01 24:37

Pretty sure it's nine years. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:39

It's been so nice. You've forgotten how you how long it is.

SPEAKER_01 24:42

Well, see, because it's so much easier to say 2010 to now because you know that's that's 16 years of being together. Yeah. Um, but then but then the whole like wedding part of it is like, wait, okay. And I know the date of when we got married. Well, we got married October 29th. Um so it was Halloween. Um we uh we right for you. It does, it 100% does. Well, and it was funny because um I saw this like super kitschy, like, like um flyer that's like ghouls and goblins get married by um the cemetery at Black Swan Inn.

SPEAKER_00 25:19

This is such a Tiffany story.

SPEAKER_01 25:20

And I was joking with M. Like I was joking, and I was like, oh ha ha, wouldn't it be funny if right? Um and we're driving to Main Street Pizza, which fucking delicious by the way. Like it's always it's it's always sponsor us, right? Um I like the chicken parmesan. Um but but yeah, we were we were driving to Main Street Pizza and I was joking, and then he looks at the Black Swan Inn, which I had always heard that the Black Swan Inn was haunted. Um never wanted to go there because it was haunted. Um and um and and then he he looks it up and he's like, oh shit. He's like, have you seen what this place looks like?

SPEAKER_06 26:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:00

And I was like, no. And he's like, this place is gorgeous. He's like, it's how much? I'm like, oh, it's like$200. Which is nothing. Which is nothing. And um, and and he was like, and it includes everything. And I go, Yeah, it includes like the ceremony, it includes um like we're part of the party, it's a masquerade ball.

SPEAKER_00 26:18

Did you have to dress up?

SPEAKER_01 26:19

Um, well, I mean, we dressed like like a like we had an actual beautiful wedding. Like here's the thing.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

Oh, you didn't dress up like in a costume.

SPEAKER_01 26:26

No, no, like we had a beautiful, like I did get married in a black dress.

SPEAKER_00 26:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:31

Um, I got married in a black dress. He was married in a text. Um, my dress was gorgeous, by the way. I can show you a photo.

SPEAKER_00 26:36

We'll put pictures up for your show. We'll make sure you send that to me.

SPEAKER_01 26:40

Yeah, 100% will. Um, and and he's like, no, no, literally, like, look at this place. And I was like, okay. And then when I saw it was just this gorgeous, you know, home like location venue for a wedding. And then I called the lady, um, her name is Joe that owns the house. Um, and um, no one else signed up. Like, no one there's a reason. Well, no, it actually was really cool.

SPEAKER_00 27:04

So what happened was nobody signed up.

SPEAKER_01 27:07

Yeah, nobody so it was it was$200.

SPEAKER_00 27:09

They're probably like, what's going on in this place?

SPEAKER_01 27:11

Well, see, but here's what happened is that they did everything for us. So it was genuinely a beautiful There's no way it was$200. So with the no no no no no, it was$200. But then what happened was um we had 40 people there. So we$30 people. Yeah,$40, and my parents invited everybody, and it was a thing. But like from the wedding dress, tax, uh rental car, like everything, all-inclusive wedding,$2,500.

SPEAKER_00 27:40

Oh, well, that's not bad.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

Not bad at all. No, I mean, great way to start a wet uh life together, right?

SPEAKER_00 27:45

And then you celebrated Halloween?

SPEAKER_01 27:47

Um, well, it was a whole masquerade ball. So they had um they had aerialists, they had fire dancer.

SPEAKER_00 27:53

Is there more people getting married? Is it not is it was it just you?

SPEAKER_01 27:57

It was just us. Like no one else signed up.

SPEAKER_00 27:58

Oh, I see. So sometimes more people do, but y'all got lucky.

SPEAKER_01 28:02

Well, it was her first time ever doing this.

SPEAKER_00 28:04

Um and so I don't know how you find this shit.

SPEAKER_01 28:07

I I don't know either. This is totally uh this this is this nice to meet y'all.

SPEAKER_00 28:13

Aerialist.

SPEAKER_01 28:14

Yeah, there were aerialists, there were there were fire dancers, there were belly dancers, there was full on show, there was a tarot card reader, um the the uh Andrea Perrin from the Perrin family, as in like The Conjuring, like she was at our wedding.

SPEAKER_00 28:29

Oh, look at that.

SPEAKER_01 28:30

Um, like, like just like like there's no way I I got to pick all the music and the like song that I walked down like the aisle to, like I got to do everything, I got to pick the flowers. I got to like it was the real wedding and it was beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 28:46

Are you sure you're really married? We need to check your license. If somebody check our license to make sure she's actually I don't think they actually married you. No, no, no, they did. I have a similar story.

SPEAKER_01 28:56

It was a it was a judge. Um she was a sitting judge.

SPEAKER_00 28:59

Yeah, I made a mistake. We got married by Elvis and we didn't get a license, so we had to go back and get another. Yeah, it was a mess. We had to go through the document.

SPEAKER_01 29:09

That was actually a projection.

SPEAKER_00 29:12

It got it got we it got real expensive because we also had to do we're Catholic, so we had to do the Catholic wedding as well here in San Antonio. So we were in Vegas at the time, but I always say I'm cradle Catholic. Yeah, well, you know, or cafeteria Catholic Catholic light. This is what they call it. Uh we could go into the Catholicism quite a bit. Oh, we can. It's it's interesting. That's a whole other hour. Yeah, that is. You the first time because this story resonates. You won't I don't know if you remember this. Uh, you may. Really, the first my introduction to you, it was obviously we we we we can go into leadership programs here in a minute because you're big into that, and this is kind of my segue. It's a horrible segue. This is what I do here. I do horrible segue. Yeah, you did. That was not me snorting this time. The first time I met you, I got in the back of your car.

SPEAKER_06 30:02

Uh huh.

SPEAKER_00 30:02

This sounds bad. That wasn't the first time. It wasn't not the first time we met, but it's the most memorable the first conversation we probably really had.

SPEAKER_06 30:12

I agree.

SPEAKER_00 30:13

Now there was somebody sitting in the front seat. I wasn't just limo driving around the car. It was Charles. Yes, it was Charles. And I looked to my left and there is a sword. Do you remember this? There is a sword in the back of your car.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

Do you remember that there was a sword?

SPEAKER_00 30:28

Yes, there was a freaking sword.

SPEAKER_01 30:30

And I think the like the the it's a black one.

SPEAKER_00 30:34

I don't know what color it was. I was just in shock that there was a sword.

SPEAKER_02 30:37

Okay, I am.

SPEAKER_00 30:38

So I text the text Charles. I'm like, are we okay here? Like there's a sword in the back of your car.

SPEAKER_02 30:43

I cannot even remember this.

SPEAKER_00 30:44

Why do you have a sword? Why did you have a sword? So are you into like Dungeons and Dragons?

SPEAKER_01 30:49

So my husband is.

SPEAKER_00 30:50

Oh, that's what it was.

SPEAKER_01 30:51

Yeah, so so my husband is.

SPEAKER_00 30:52

Did he swing the sword around and not even th that's a good thing?

SPEAKER_01 30:54

So he likes um he likes to actually do um, it's called uh HEMA, and I'm terrible with acronyms, but it's basically like a form of like European martial arts. Um and it's really it's really like just for like his own activity and mental health. Um I should laugh, but it is brave. You really should just do it so that you can like stop touching.

SPEAKER_00 31:17

I could, Jane. Doing some tie to me. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 31:20

I could. Yeah, it might actually help your mental health. You never know.

SPEAKER_00 31:23

Why'd you say it like that? Um because like my mental health is perfect.

SPEAKER_02 31:31

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 31:35

Turned away. Just turned away from my own.

SPEAKER_01 31:39

Okay, so so this this kind of brings up the topic that my husband my husband has said that I have developed an evil laugh. Yeah, it was it was kind of very mischievous. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:49

After we're talking about swords, I need to calm down with you.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

Um, because like I don't think of jumping.

SPEAKER_00 31:58

I mean slightly jumping. There is a slight bit of jumping.

SPEAKER_01 32:01

Actually, what's really cool too that he's he started to do is um The laugh doesn't help. He um he actually has started to make um shields. Like like an like actual like like shields. Um How does he make a shield?

SPEAKER_00 32:15

Um We should have been interviewing him.

SPEAKER_01 32:17

You you can still interview him. That's a whole other person. My husband is a whole other person. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:23

How does he make a freaking shield?

SPEAKER_01 32:25

Um very carefully. I don't know the process. All I know is he wait a minute, hold on. He takes he takes wood and then he like glues it together, cuts it, all that jazz. Like he like stretches like rawhide and puts it around the the keep explaining.

SPEAKER_00 32:41

You have no clue, basically.

SPEAKER_01 32:42

I have no clue, absolutely not.

SPEAKER_00 32:44

Wait, hold on. Did it so do they Okay. So you this is I don't know why I'm going down this rabbit hole. So you get the sword do you start fighting with each other with shields and swords and shit? Like I mean, he has in the middle of the state. I don't know why you see you should see me waving.

SPEAKER_01 33:00

Unfortunately, he hasn't really been able to because um he's been going blind the last few years. Yeah, you told me this. Yeah, so he's he's lost his he's lost about 85% of his vision. Which is crazy. Yeah, it's it's really hard.

SPEAKER_00 33:10

Um and they don't know why, right? Remember you.

SPEAKER_01 33:13

Yeah, we don't really know exactly why, yeah. Um, but they've said that like his vision um is not gonna come back and that like you know, which is kind of what we're doing. So it's it's all about navigating. So I'm really proud of him because he um went back to college and um he still is doing the syrup business. Um yes, it's a bourbon syrup uh for the man the man child, yeah, the man child goods and sorts. And so under the man, child goods and sorts, um, he's been doing a lot more of like um engraving and um he wants to create um a whole line of different clothes and and different sayings and stuff, and I think the shields are just another part of that, yeah. Um, of like, you know, being creative and and putting something out there into the world.

SPEAKER_00 34:01

That's cool. So so speaking, well, yeah, we'll we'll finish that story really quickly. Yeah, because I was I was texting draws. I was like, I'm gonna die in the back of the street.

SPEAKER_01 34:09

That's hilarious. It was a plastic sword.

SPEAKER_00 34:10

No, I'd have it was real, I think. I think it was a real sword. It looked real.

SPEAKER_01 34:16

If it was a real, real one, then that was a gift for a friend. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 34:22

Just remember being terrified.

SPEAKER_01 34:24

He does have a real one like on his wall, right? And then he's gifted real ones to his friends.

SPEAKER_00 34:29

That can't be cheap though. I mean, all jokes aside, that's probably not cheap.

SPEAKER_01 34:33

Well, actually, he found pretty decent price ones on Amazon.

SPEAKER_00 34:37

So if you're into that thing, you can find a real sword on Amazon.

SPEAKER_01 34:41

Um but he but then he like um tempers it and then he he like um fixes it. Um I don't know these terms, but he fixes them so that they look nicer and they are um a better gift for a friend.

SPEAKER_00 34:55

Yeah. So so going into leadership, and and I I noticed uh I I didn't see it because I'm so unaware of everything. I'm not trying to be mean, but you you are communications on the committee for LSA, is that correct?

SPEAKER_01 35:09

Oh yeah, so um I'm I uh I've been on the Leadership San Antonio Alumni Association board for um the last um well it's three years, four years, time for you to roll off, I think. Um well excuse you. Do you know how much good I've done? Um so um I I am the new communications chair for um the alumni board.

SPEAKER_00 35:33

Yeah, and you posted uh the show. And you know what the funniest thing is? You're welcome. This is gonna be this is how humble. I I get humbled very easily. Because I don't uh you you know me. I've uh I I a lot of people think I like the public eye, but I am it's not my jam. You don't but you posted in the thing and I didn't see it, but I get a bunch of messages and most all of them emails. And it was funny because I would say two of the three people were very kind, both of them very kind, but and I I gotta be careful because I may have one one one of them on my show, but it was funny because they were like, Oh, we'll listen to your your first show. I was like, This is my tenth episode, and then now I'm like, where do I go? Do I tell them like this is not the like there's been nine others? Like, like so now I'm like, where's my ego go get into place here? I'm like, no, I've done 10 of these fucking things. So I'm not then I'm having to explain to them like go look for it. But I appreciate you doing that. And um, it was I did get a a a response, not not a great response to my ego, but so so why do that though? Like, why be a part of that? I mean, um, you know, I I I met you through those programs, I meet a lot of people through these programs. Um, I I have since taken a long sabbatical look from those programs, but why why is it so important to you and and our community to to be a part of those programs?

SPEAKER_01 37:07

Yeah, absolutely. Um, so I'll only touch two points on that on on that. But for me, um being part of these type of programs is access. Um so if as a nonprofit consultant and as someone who's working in the community and as a community advocate, being in the room with all the people who are making the decisions, that's for me, I I call I joke. I I lovingly joke and I say that I'm lazy. Yeah. Um because why would I not want to be in the same room that everybody I need to talk to at the exact same time?

SPEAKER_06 37:39

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 37:39

Right. And and so for me, that type of access is super important. But on top of that, right, being in the leadership roles is extremely important to me because it's a responsibility of bringing access to other people who don't have access. And so um one of the reasons why I've I've been the main um point person and the main um driver and activator for the LSA alumni's or the LSA's um graduation. Um so for the last um three years, I've done the graduation and it's the scholarship um breakfast so that we can raise money for scholarships for LSA for the LSA class. But I also did it for LLI. My class raised$21,000. LLI. That's a chuck. That's a chance. Latina Leadership Institute. That's a choke that I like to get. It's it's actually good because um we shouldn't be doing acronyms on a podcast of people that don't know us. So like Leadership San Antonio, Latina Lead Latina Leadership Institute.

SPEAKER_00 38:37

Um LLI is gonna come after me one day as many times as I joke about it, but no. Once again, we'll we'll get to that, James.

SPEAKER_01 38:45

Um but but but no, like I know how expensive these things are. And as a small business owner, like I didn't And getting more expensive. And getting more expensive, right? As a small business owner, like I had to take a loan in order to get into LOI. Um for LSA, I was able to get um a thousand dollar scholarship, but I still had to pay um an amount in order to be part of Leadership San Antonio. And my goal and what I've done, and I'm really, really proud of the work that's been done and the people that have worked with me, but like we've given away like$50,000 worth of scholarships alone for LSA in the last three years. Which did not happen before me.

SPEAKER_00 39:22

Yeah, and I think it's I think uh the perception um of LSA is is that you're already arrived and that you don't need money, but uh 80% of our city's small businesses, and I think it's vitally important what you're doing there. I think um, you know, giving those scholarships out is I know sometimes controversial, but uh I think it's so important to piece and nonprofits that are a part of the the class too. Not all nonprofits can afford uh the the prices to to get into these things and it's it's how you know you become successful in the city to a degree, especially as a small. Um but yes, go ahead. The so the scholarships is something you started or helped start?

SPEAKER_01 40:08

I it's something that I helped really drive. Um so I think I was it was a concept, an idea, and and I've really just built a lot of the infrastructure and I've really um driven driven the messaging so that it can be that way. And that's why being the communications chair now um is super important for me because it's it's not just about yes, I want to help with scholarships continuing and that, but I also see how many LSA individuals and leadership San Antonio people and even leaders in our community like you, um, who are not always highlighted in the way that we can be, right? And there's so many of us are just putting our heads down doing the work um that we don't have the time or opportunity in order to uplift the work we're doing. But if we're able to uplift the work we're doing, then we can help more people. Absolutely. Um and so if I can be uh if I can shine a light on the work that's being done within the community, even especially for members who don't always get highlighted, the people who have taken the sabbaticals, bringing people back into the community, sure, then we are able to be further connected so that like greater good can be done.

SPEAKER_00 41:16

Yeah. So what is something, and I know we were we we uh both of us I'll be honest, we're we're we were late today. And so we we are we're up against the clock here, and I apologize, and I appreciate you actually being patient with me. Um, but what is something that you would is a misperception of Tiffany, like in the world that you think that is about you that that that that you could change here today?

SPEAKER_01 41:49

I think there are a lot of misperceptions of me to be quite honest. So I I think I take the um strong leader role um often, and I think people assume that I don't need help. Yeah. That you know, I'm always happy, and I'm always there for everybody, but like that I don't need help as well. Yeah. But I do.

SPEAKER_06 42:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:09

Like there are so many times that it feels like I've been drowning or or it feels like I've asked for help and I don't feel as supported as I could be. Um but I also acknowledge that I don't always tell people all the hard work I'm doing. And so even if I've done a lot of even if I've had a lot of great success, even if there are a lot of um things that I've been a part of, I don't always get credit for it. Um and I and and people don't always see the work because what happens is people relegate me to behind the scenes rather than where I've actually been, which is on the stage. So like I've been on several stage. I've I've been highlighted nationally. Um but people don't know that because they only see me, right? And and it's it's a blessing and a curse in a lot of ways because I I appreciate that people value our friendship over access and over um like just using my talents, even though there are some that do. But but I I I think it's a blessing and a curse because at the same time I'm in a space right now where I really do need to uplift the work that's being done because my where I'm going and where I'm growing um is changing, and and I really need to um uplift that work even more um so that I can like get it out there.

SPEAKER_00 43:31

So so I I I kind of understand what you're saying because a lot of times with me, and I think this will translate to you, people don't see when when you are behind the scenes, whether you're up front behind the scenes or behind the scenes behind the scenes, um a lot of times one, it's not noticed, which neither one of us I think care about that to a degree. I mean you still need that that acknowledgement. Occasionally, but I think the the bigger thing is is sometimes people like us um we kind of want to just show that we can do it, and then we forget to ask for help. And and when and it's it's it's a too like you said, it's a positive and a negative. You you want to take it all on just to show that I can do it. This podcast came of that, really. It's just I want to show that I can do it, and people uh either listen to it or don't, or respond to it or don't. But I think that sometimes I have learned and and just you saying this, that asking for help is vitally important. It it's it's um and then sometimes you're put into positions where you're not comfortable and and and you have to say it. And and that's also difficult too because you just want to do it. You know?

SPEAKER_01 44:51

Well, I think people learn very quickly with me is um even if I have this very nice voice, even if I'm very kind. It's very sweet, yes. Very very sweet voice. Um unless I'm laughing at James. Um but despite this very sweet voice, um, I I still hold and I still work to hold healthy boundaries. Yeah and and so I have zero problem calling things out, yeah. Um and calling people out if needed. Sure. Um, even if it's hard. And so people um feel a way about that whenever that happens because they people don't like being called out. Um, but then what has also happened from that is sometimes I don't always get credit for the work that's been done. Sure. Um so I I I feel like especially for you and I, like there's no proving in what we can accomplish because we've already accomplished so much and we know that we know we can do it. I think what really needs to translate more so, and especially not just for me and you, um, but in general and working with people who are small business owners and working with at like advocates and people who are doing the work is to hire people like us. Yeah. Um and and if you really care about people like us, then continue putting us in spaces where we are hired and we are getting paid and able to continue doing the work that we're doing because we are good at what we do and because we care for what we do and because we care about the community.

SPEAKER_00 46:16

Yeah. So I'll end on this. What what is, I guess, what is to end this wonderful conversation, and I've had a great time. Um, what is what is your purpose in life?

SPEAKER_01 46:29

Yeah, um, which is actually a great segue for what's coming up. Um so my purpose in life is um, and it's my legacy, I want every single person to know that they are loved in my presence. Yeah. Every single person, even you, which you know I do. You know I do.

SPEAKER_00 46:46

Um this is the first time I've seen you in a long time.

SPEAKER_01 46:49

Oh, yeah, but but I mean I still check in on you and I still yeah, I I want every single person to know that they're loved in my presence. I I I've lost so many loved ones in my life, um, six to ten over the last 16 years and every single year. And um losing a lot of people teaches you that life and time are finite. Yep. Um, it reminds you um what is important in the world um when you have loved ones who have health scares and everything. Like, you know, life is not given. And you can focus on all the surface level bullshit, right? Like, but at the end of the day, none of that matters.

SPEAKER_05 47:24

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 47:24

Like if I look back in my life, right? Am I gonna look and count how many galas I went to? Am I gonna look and count of like how many people I supported, how many people should like I showed up for, right? How many selfies you took. Selfies take selfies matters to matter too because you know, when you lose people, you still have those memories.

SPEAKER_00 47:42

That's true.

SPEAKER_01 47:43

And so for me, what I'm working on right now is actually it's a helper survival book. Um, a a helpers helpers survival guide. Um, and it's a guide for helpers. Yeah. Um, I am over 200 words in. Um I am almost ready to publish. And and hopefully, I'm not sure if I'm gonna publish before this is um before this podcast is published or if it's gonna be immediately after, but um, but I really hope people um who are like us um really use it and I want it to be a lifeline for people because too many of us are being burnt out by the world and by society, and I need all of us to be okay. Yeah, like I need all of us to know that. Especially now. Especially right now. Like I need every single person who's listening, anyone who's about to listen, like that you are worthy, that you are loved, that you are deserving of good things, even if you don't feel like it, that um there's enough time that you can still get what you want accomplished, there's still time to go after your goals. It doesn't matter how long it's taken, it doesn't matter if you feel behind, it doesn't matter if you feel like people aren't there to support you. People are there, people love you, you can reach out to us, you can reach out to me. Like, like being a friend, especially in today's world, is so necessary and reminding people that we're not alone, like that is my mission and that is my goal.

SPEAKER_00 48:59

Yeah, so how just uh one last plug before we go. So, how do we how do we find some of this stuff? Just where where do we go to find you, I guess?

SPEAKER_01 49:06

Yeah, so you can go to my Instagram at Coach T M G.

SPEAKER_00 49:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 49:10

You can go to um LinkedIn, Tiffany Galvan. My website is uh coachtmg.com.

SPEAKER_00 49:16

And how do you spell Galvan? Just so people can see.

SPEAKER_01 49:18

Gal Galvan is uh G-A-L-V as in Victor A and as an Nancy. Okay, cool. Um, but yeah, um I have a lot of um stuff coming up and I'm really working to be more on the speaker stage. So even if there are speaking opportunities or other podcasts that you would like me um to be on and to share the message of uh mental health and helping others um through that process, um that's that's really where my heart is for sure.

SPEAKER_00 49:44

Awesome. Well, thank you again. You've been very gracious with your time today. I know you're super busy, and um I really appreciate you doing this. It was it was fun and I learned a lot about you or that I didn't know, especially the sword. I mean, at least we cleared that up.

SPEAKER_01 49:59

I mean, well now you have to get one.

SPEAKER_00 50:02

I'm going to Amazon right now.

SPEAKER_01 50:03

Or or you know, it just ends up showing up at your mailbox.

SPEAKER_00 50:07

Please don't.

SPEAKER_01 50:08

As a threat. Yeah. As a threat.

SPEAKER_00 50:11

With the laugh and just the box, you know, just you know.

SPEAKER_01 50:14

Yeah, it's gonna be a little voice box, um, little voice voice message, or one like one of those cards where like there's a card with a poppy on it, and then you like open it and just play like mischievous laugh. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:25

Thanks again, Tiffany, for doing this. Uh appreciate it.