Right About Now with Ryan Alford - Heidi Cortez - American Entrepreneur, Best Selling Author, Coach, and Branding Expert

Starting point is 00:00:00 I knew that branding was going to be important for what I wanted to do. So my biggest struggle in life ever was being a teenage mom. Everybody thought I wasn't going to make it. Now you can really make yourself look however you want and get a bunch of followers and people will pay you. You're listening to the Radcast. If it's radical, we cover it. Here's your host, Ryan Alford.

Starting point is 00:00:28 Hey guys, what's up? Welcome to the latest edition of the Radcast. I'm Ryan Alford, your host. Excited for an interesting journey today with Heidi Cortez. What's up, Heidi? Hey, what's up? Thanks for having me, Ryan. Hey, my pleasure.

Starting point is 00:00:44 I am an entrepreneur now. What's up, Heidi? Hey, what's up? Thanks for having me, Ryan. Hey, my pleasure. I'm an entrepreneur now. You've written a best-selling book, coach, branding expert. It always catches my attention owning an ad agency. So I'm excited to kind of get into your journey and things like that. How's life treating you? We'll start there. Good.

Starting point is 00:01:05 Couldn't be better out here in LA. Loving life a lot. Nice day. It's like 80 degrees today. So yeah, everything's going great on this end. How about you? It's good. It's been, you know, it's South Carolina's good.

Starting point is 00:01:23 We're not 80 degrees, but you know, I'm a week away from headed to Turks and Caicos for a week. So I'm halfway on island time already. So nice. Awesome. I know. But cool. Well, let's let's start down your path, Heidi. You know, we like to bring this, you know, through the lens of business marketing journeys and things like that.

Starting point is 00:01:41 I know you've had, you know, interweaving paths and multiple businesses now, but let's give everybody the Heidi, I guess condensed. I always say this, the Heidi, anyone's story, I guess could be two hours long, but let's give that career journey for you. Well, I've always been an entrepreneur since I was was a child I started doing businesses at 12 by 13 I was lying about my age to get jobs because when you're 13 you can't really you can't get a work license or a business license and when I was 13 I used my sister's birth certificate and social security card to get a job and pretend that I was her. And I got a job at Ross, Ross Dress for Less. Her name's Courtney. So I had a name tag that said Courtney. I was working the registers during the holiday season for like $4.75 an hour.

Starting point is 00:02:37 And I was so happy to have that job because we were really poor growing up. I was very underprivileged, grew up with a single mom, older sister, younger brother. And we were loved a lot, but we didn't have any money. We grew up eating beans all the time and lentils. And if we wanted to have nicer things in life or clothes or things like that, my mom really encouraged us to get a job. So my mom knew what I was doing about using my sister's birth certificate and social security card and getting a job at Ross. And I held down the job for several months until my sister got mad at me and called them and told them that I was her little sister who stole her wallet. But she was such a business person and entrepreneur too, that she was charging me every week to use her name. So, um, but anyways, yeah, that's, that's kind of how the journey started. And, um, when, uh, after high school, my family was supportive of me not going to college and really going the entrepreneur route. And, um, I opened up a tanning salon in my early 20s. And that was a lot of fun. I ended up being

Starting point is 00:03:50 on a television show on the E! Channel called Sunset Tan. And that helped skyrocket my tanning salon success. So I was always really into business, the passion of it. And now, you know, I, I own other businesses, but it's been a very long, interesting journey for sure. It sounds like you did embrace, uh, personal branding for a pretty early age. I did. So, um, I knew that branding was going to be important, uh, for what I wanted to do. So I knew that branding was going to be important for what I wanted to do. So somebody had to recognize me. How was I going to stand out from everybody else? So I really became, you know, I started writing. I told funny, short, sexy stories. told funny, short, sexy stories. I sent my stories in a bright pink manila envelope when I was, I believe I was like 19 to the Howard Stern show. And this is when he was on regular FM radio. They had 20 million listeners a day. I pretty much thought, okay, they're never going to see this bright manila envelope with my stories in, but that was my marketing technique then, you know?

Starting point is 00:05:06 So I sent them my stories, and they actually received it. And I would hear them talk about my stories and play the stories on their radio show. And I thought, wow, that's so cool. Like, they're talking about my stories or whatever. And then later, I actually called the Stern Show. And again, never thought somebody would answer. I called and they picked up on the first try and they said, Stern Show. And I said, you guys are talking about me, you know, and they're like, come out. So it actually opened up doors back then. It was a very short-lived experience, but I was able to,

Starting point is 00:05:49 well, one, my marketing techniques were working for me at 19. And two, I was able to get my name out there. So after that, then I just went on to use my leverage and start opening up more and more businesses and teaching people along the way what I was doing and coaching and mentoring and things like that. Do you feel like, you know, obviously it helped, but have you felt like you've had to like just overcome that perception? Because Howard's just so crazy. And I mean, like, and I don't think it was anything that salacious, but it's just, just the nature of his show. Have you felt like you've had to just kind of like put it behind you or have you've embraced it as, hey, it puts you on the map and it allowed you to have a broader voice to more people and do more maybe of where, you know, ultimately your career headed.

Starting point is 00:06:40 I don't know how you reflect on it now. Well, I think I would be in the same place if it wasn't for the show. Um, but I'm very grateful for the opportunity and the favor that I got from the Stern show. Um, you know, they were very nice to me and, um, you know, I, I guess, like I said, it was very short lived. I had a contract with Sirius radio for six months and, um, yeah, I got my name on the map, but I mean, it was so long ago. I mean, this is like 2005 or like, yeah, 17 years ago. Exactly. So this is so long ago. So, you know, I was, I was so excited and eager to do all these things in life.

Starting point is 00:07:26 I mean, if you saw my list of what I wanted to do at 20, I mean, it was just like thousands of different things. So the Stern Show was such a small part of my life to me. What makes – where does this entrepreneurial drive come from? Like, you know, I know you talked about the early age and doing it, but like, you feel like it's like innate. I mean, I, it sounds like you're born that way on some level, but maybe the, I don't know. What does that, what, what generates that? I think a lot of it has to do with, um, you know, my mom's support of like, like allowing me to get jobs early. And no matter what I told my mom I wanted to do when I was a kid, she was like, Heidi, that's a great idea. Heidi, you should do that. And she never said,

Starting point is 00:08:13 no, she never said you can't do this. And we, like I said, we were so like, we were so broke and I was so underprivileged that I would dream about how I can be successful or how could I provide for my family someday. So I think that for me is where my drive comes from, but I couldn't think of it any other way. This is definitely my passion and to be relatable to other people that maybe have upbringings like me. I grew up in a very conservative family and, um, you know, I, I, I chose a different route. I was not, I was not a traditional, um, you know, by the books person and I didn't want to go to college and, and my family was very supportive the whole way through. Yeah. That's great. And that always helps, you know, I think, uh, some, some aren't as sad as it is. You know, it's almost like they are part of, I don't know, the negativity.

Starting point is 00:09:09 You know, I talk to a lot of people when we go down this path, and the ones that have support always amaze me on one level, and then the ones that don't have support, it baffles the mind. Yeah. No, I agree. I'm very fortunate. What, um, let's talk about, you know, the last few years and, you know, what you've been up to, you know, like you got several initiatives and it's going on. Um, so talk about the here and

Starting point is 00:09:38 the now in the last few years. So, um, one of my biggest projects that I'm working on right now is the $3 marketing club. And that started in the pandemic. My partner and I, we wanted to think of a way that we could help entrepreneurs and small businesses that were struggling financially and a way to help them keep their businesses in the difficult time that we were all going through. So we created the $3 Marketing Club, which is online modules teaching small businesses and entrepreneurs how to do their own marketing. And you and I both have marketing agencies. And so there are times when people need to hire out because you're overloaded and you can't do everything yourself and you need that expertise and that help. But what we do is we kind of get we get everybody started. So if somebody doesn't know how to run their social media, we tell them how to do it in the shortest amount of time. $3 a month, they get one course per month on different niches or different marketing niches, I should say. So Instagram marketing, copywriting, email marketing, SEO, everything you could

Starting point is 00:10:54 possibly think of, we teach this course. So it really is $3 a month. And when we started the $3 marketing club, I was so excited for it. I didn't think I was going to have any backlash, but the backlash ended up being people contacting me and saying, great, it's $3 this month. How much does it cost next month? I said, oh, it's $3. And they're like, well, what about the month after? I'm like, yeah, it's $3, $3 forever. And I think people thought that we were, it was too good to be true, you know, that we were going to charge them like three 99 the next month or something like that. But yeah, so that's what you can't even do a good deed anymore. You know, nobody's like, wait a minute, what is she up to? Yeah. So, um, that is something that I'm very passionate about now. And, um, recently I just started a new clothing boutique for female entrepreneurs and hustlers

Starting point is 00:11:46 called Posh Boss LA. And when I was growing up very underprivileged, we didn't have money to buy clothes. So every year when we got money to get school clothes, I would go to thrift stores and buy all these clothes there and cut them up and sew them, whatever I had to do to make them fashionable. And it really weighed on my mind as I got older and recently more so about wanting to provide awesome, cool clothes that I wear that I could provide for other female entrepreneurs that maybe didn't have a large budget because a lot of entrepreneurs, as I'm sure you know, there's a lot of highs and lows. You're not always high.

Starting point is 00:12:30 Sometimes you might get a big check and that might have to last you a really long time. So Posh Boss LA is really affordable clothing. A lot of our items on there are $20, $29. And actually my top right now is Posh Boss LA. So it's clothes that I wear and that I believe in. And I believe in the mission. We collect donations from our fans or buyers. And we give $250 gift cards to female entrepreneurs that are in need of new work clothes.

Starting point is 00:13:02 Oh, that's awesome. Thank you. That's, hey, a nice top. I Oh, that's awesome. Thank you. That's, hey, a nice top. I mean, you look great. Thank you. A couple of things there. You know, you've two very different channels there with $3 Marketing Club strikes me as a brilliant.

Starting point is 00:13:19 I know it's for a good reason. And I believe that, but it's a brilliant play for, you know, maybe sparking clients that might need more help. So I give you a lot of credit there for that, but I would love to know, like, you know, what's been, what's been like a struggle. I mean, you know, entrepreneur to entrepreneur, like what's been your biggest struggle, uh, running businesses and, you know, like wherever you feel like you've grown the most? I mean, kind of a two part two part message there. OK, so first of all, my biggest struggle in life ever was being a teenage mom.

Starting point is 00:13:56 My son is now a 22 Army veteran and everybody thought I wasn't going to make it. They're like, how are you going to do this? But I was a 20 or I was an 18-year-old single mom. And I pulled it off. I can't believe it. I moved down to LA with my son, just he and I. And we didn't know anybody. And I pulled it off.

Starting point is 00:14:17 I can't believe I made it happen. But that was by far the biggest struggle. I've never been married. So I've never been divorced. And I've just done everything on my own. And I think when people find that out and they're like, well, maybe she had help or financial backing, and that wasn't my case. And so when they find out that I was also a young, single mom, it makes it more relatable and people can understand that that is a huge

Starting point is 00:14:43 struggle to go through by yourself. So that, to answer your question, is my biggest struggle, was my biggest struggle. Yeah, it's interesting. And it is amazing how, and I don't know if you've gone through this discovery process, but I'm sure in your 20s, it's not that you were in any way not proud, but now it seems like there's more of an acceptance and you realize as you get older, I've learned this myself, telling these stories and explaining that journey is so much more relatable than trying to power through it and act like it didn't happen or something. I don't know if you've experienced that. and act like it didn't happen or something.

Starting point is 00:15:23 I don't know if you've experienced that. Yeah, I've always lived a pretty private life and my son and I, we liked our privacy and there was no reason to try and put him in the limelight or people asking him questions or attacking him or whatever. So I've always been very proud to be a mom and I, I feel like I beat the system because a lot of women, my age, including a lot of my friends, they, they want to have babies so bad. And they're like, Oh, I don't know. Am I going to have one? I first, I need a partner or whatever. And I'm like, Oh yeah. I'm like, I already have one. I'm

Starting point is 00:16:04 very blessed. And people tell me all the time now, like how lucky I am. And I, like, oh yeah, Mike, I already have one. I'm very blessed. And people tell me all the time now, like how lucky I am. And I say, well, that's funny because nobody told me I was lucky at 18, but I do feel like I beat the system. I wouldn't have changed it at all. How's it been running the companies? Like what are your everyday challenges and like, you know, how have you kind of dealt with those, you know, growing multiple businesses now? Well, I think for me, because most of the time I'm able to work from home, that the pandemic didn't affect me the way that it may have affected other people. So I was very fortunate in that situation that I was able to work from home. So I was very fortunate in that situation that I was able to work from home. But I would say that, you know, the biggest challenges are, you know, one, gaining trust with a $3 marketing club.

Starting point is 00:16:53 And even though it's $3, people need to trust us that we're not going to upcharge them later. And even when you check out, we don't even have any up sales. It's just really, it's push pucks. So that's my biggest challenge currently. And as far as Posh Boss LA goes, I would say, you know, sometimes getting the inventory on time or getting it to the customer, you know, you're always worried about mail or is there going to be shipping delays or something like that? And even though you can't control those shipping delays, someone may come

Starting point is 00:17:28 back to you and say, Hey, why is my product not here? So I would say that that is, um, challenge challenges that I'm going through. How's the, I mean, is this response? So, I mean, it sounds like then usually when I asked someone that started e-commerce, it's kind of the challenge is like getting the motor going, like getting sales for the door and all that. And I'm sure I'm not saying that you've, I don't know, maybe you have figured it all out, but sounds like it's more distribution, like fulfilling the demand you already have. Yeah, we're definitely doing sales. And, you know, I'm new to this. So I created Posh Boss LA.

Starting point is 00:18:03 I designed the entire website myself. I found all of these vendors and the clothes and bought all these samples. And it was something for me that I felt God was telling me to do solo, that I was not to take on partners or investors. I was just supposed to do this myself. So I did. And then after I created the website, I knew that I needed more professional help on the actual process about people checking out and how to maximize what I was doing. So I did hire a team of experts to rebuild what I did. And that helped a lot. But we're very early. It's only been a few months. So, um, ask me again in a few more months and let's see what happens. I don't know. Exactly. Where does, um, where do you gain,

Starting point is 00:18:52 who are your influences now? Like, you know, like where do you go for inspiration? And I don't know what, what, what keeps Heidi happy? You know, I don't know. This might sound so cheesy, but my mom, she is like the sweetest, like, I mean, she's like the sweetest angel that ever lived. My mother is my inspiration. And I just think about how she was so loving and so supporting. And, you know, I thought everybody's parents were like that. And when I got older and I realized that everybody else wasn't. So my mom, you know, she's my inspiration. I live for my mother and I live for my son. And, you know, those are people that, that I love and I aspire to be like.

Starting point is 00:19:37 Any, any books? Are you a big reader? Are you like, where do you get your knowledge from? big reader? Where do you get your knowledge from? You know what? I have ADHD and dyslexia, so the fact that I'm even working on my fifth book right now is a miracle, Ryan. But no, I don't have books that I recommend to other people. I'm not a huge reader, and I don't watch TV either. I just flip through the internet. I have the most Speedy Gonzales fingers on the West side. I just flip flipping through the internet so fast because I get bored of things really fast. So I get all of my knowledge from YouTube, people like yourself, Instagram. And sometimes you see a post that's very inspiring or motivating and you don't even remember who posted it, you know, or it's one of those share pages, like an entrepreneur

Starting point is 00:20:33 page or something like that. So that is where all of my knowledge comes from is, is other mentors, my business partner. He's, he's very knowledgeable and great, but him and the internet. Oh, yes. That's everyone's best friend. It's amazing how many people will text me something. It's funny because being in the field I am, I guess I'm a source of knowledge on some levels. And somebody was texting and I'm like, did you just try Google? Yeah.

Starting point is 00:21:05 It's amazing how much information is out there. Yeah, I love Google. Yeah, exactly. I mean, so are you doing coaching now? I thought I may have saw like some one-on-one coaching. I don't know if you are into that or not and kind of your approaches are in that. Yeah, I do do coaching. Doing coaching started off

Starting point is 00:21:25 with another business that I own called The Model Advisor. And we do a lot of coaching and mentoring for aspiring models and models and aspiring models' parents. So that's actually how it started. And then more people started reaching out to me for business advice, social media advice. So I do coaching and mentoring on that as well. But the model advisor, I wanted to help people understand how the industry worked because people get ripped off on the modeling industry all the time. They get scammed. And so I thought that I would create a business where it could be a safe haven for aspiring models and models. And that's it. It's themodeladvisor.com. And we charge $7.99 a month where people can write me and get mentoring and coaching from me. mentoring and coaching from me. That's cool. Thank you. What's your thoughts, the landscape of modeling? It seems like it's trying to get more inclusive. It's not, I don't know. It seems like it's improved, but I'm speaking from 100,000 feet, not being in that field. I don't know, it seems like the, I don't know,

Starting point is 00:22:45 the culture of things has gotten a little better, but I know there's still probably some nastiness around it. Yeah, there's always going to be nastiness around modeling. And I think that there's a lot more opportunities than there used to be in the 80s or 90s. In the 80s and 90s, you really did have to be very attractive and everything was about lighting. There wasn't Photoshop. There wasn't the internet where you could just find yourself a job. Now you can really make yourself look however you want and get a bunch of followers and people will pay you to promote their product. So I feel like there's a lot of opportunities in the modeling industry now. But, you know, I always advise to my clients that you should not just model. You've got to have something else. So I actually used to manage models as well. And those models, I'm like, you got to do something else because you can't just model. models, I'm like, you got to do something else because you can't just model. And so it doesn't matter if you're an artist, you're a basketball player or a pool player. I don't care what it is.

Starting point is 00:23:50 Just do something else so you can stand out. Because I get hundreds of emails from people a week saying, oh, I want to be a model. It's my lifelong dream. Please help me. And I'm like, laundering. Please help me. And I'm like, trash, trash, trash. No, I would, I'd rather hear, hey, I'm a, you know, professional swimmer and I'm thinking about modeling. That's more attractive, attractive to me to see someone else wanting to do something else than just try to, you know, hope that someone's going to call you from a modeling agency because it doesn't work that way. It does seem like there needs to be more substance these days and i think you know like you know building a foundation around i don't know whether it's a skill set or a knowledge base and then you know some amount of attraction i mean certainly helps but like it just seems like

Starting point is 00:24:42 the longevity of that feels like the right advice that people need to be hearing. Yeah, I mean, I think that, you know, to be a model, it doesn't matter if you're attractive, quote unquote, attractive or not. I mean, really, there's modeling jobs for everybody. So, yeah. Well, I just meant the more important part being an attractive, I kind of put in air quotes, the, uh, whoever that is, but I think building a base of expertise,

Starting point is 00:25:13 that's not just, you know, what color your hair is or what, what magazine you belong in. Right. Yeah. Is, uh, is, uh, what is, you know, I always like to like to you know wrap up towards the end like asking people what their brand is like what's the height how do you define and what do you want to be like remembered for as far as the heidi cortez brand um i want to be remembered for, I guess, never giving up, right? And doing everything that I've ever wanted to do. So I have a bunch of failed businesses, but nobody hears about them. Because, you know, but we have to, it's life experience and it teaches me something. So, you know, I want to be remembered for never giving up and being a hustler and a go-getter. I think that more people should try.

Starting point is 00:26:09 They're scared and they're scared of failing. So if they weren't scared of the failing part, maybe they would do more. And hopefully they choose to do that like I have. Cool. Do you have a minute? We do a section called rad or fad. I give you a keyword and you tell me if it's rad, which is good, great, radical, or fad as in may not be here very long.

Starting point is 00:26:35 Okay. All right. First one, social selling. Selling on social media. Rad. Yeah. Yeah. I start started easy they get harder okay nfts oh um i'm gonna say rad i think they're here to stay um i i like digital stuff digital's not going anywhere cool the metaverse oh man you are giving me tough ones. You know, I've, I've actually been talking about this recently to friends about this metaverse. Um, I, I do think

Starting point is 00:27:16 it's going to be around and it's going to be, um, updated and upgraded. It's kind of just like how Facebook started in the beginning. It's completely changed since then, but I'm going to say rad. I'm thinking it's going to stay a while. All right. I think you have good senses. I think you're practical, but you've got good sense. Yeah, practical. Practical wisdom.

Starting point is 00:27:40 Heidi, I really appreciate you coming on the show. I think you've got a story that could be relatable to a lot of people. And I think you got a lot to be proud of. And I really appreciate you coming on. Thank you. And likewise for yourself. Congratulations on all you're doing. And I really appreciate you inviting me on today. I had a great time. So thank you, Ryan. It was so nice to meet you. And where can everybody keep up with you you though? Let's give everybody where they can find your stuff. Well, my Instagram is at Heidi Cortez and actually all of my social medias are at Heidi Cortez. So you can find me there or HeidiCortez.com also has links to all my other stuff.

Starting point is 00:28:17 Awesome, awesome. HeidiCortez.com. Hey guys, you know where to find us. We're at TheRadCast.com. Search for Heidi Cortez. You'll find all the highlight clips from today. Search for Ryan Offer on all the social platforms. You'll see me there.

Starting point is 00:28:30 We'll see you next time on The Radcast. Cool, Heidi. That was great. Great. Awesome. Thank you so much. So was this live or no? I don't know.

Starting point is 00:28:41 Yeah, not live. Oh, okay. Yeah, we're about six to eight weeks out typically oh okay yeah all right it's gonna be a while yeah just be probably march some mid march yeah okay great well i'm sure we email all the highlight like we do a really nice content package so you'll have little highlight clips from it you'll have the full episode audio and video and of course you know we distribute on probably 50 platforms now between audio and video.

Starting point is 00:29:10 So that will all happen on our end. My team, Zoe, will send you kind of a link to all the content and stuff and you can use on stories or social media or anything like that. We certainly, co-promotion always helps no matter what. Oh, of course. Yeah. No, I look forward to it. Content that I don't have to drum up. anything like that we certainly co-promotion always helps no matter what of course yeah no i i look forward to it content that i don't have to drum up exactly well that's i'm glad you said that

Starting point is 00:29:32 you'd be surprised like you know we give it to people and it's like they don't know because like even if they're like celebrities or no matter how big or small they are we're like this is so you don't have to create anything like they don't i I don't think they don't use it on purpose, but they just don't know to. So it's like, yeah, when I when I saw your press package, I was stoked. I was like, oh, great. They're going to do this for me. So I I immediately thought it was awesome. That's cool. If you don't mind, really quick, we always do this at the end as part of our thing. How was your experience on the Radcast? I mean, was it good? We like to just kind of get like a

Starting point is 00:30:10 quick take. Yes, it was rad. I mean, the Radcast is rad. I had a great time. Thank you for having me. It's been great. You're very lovable, awesome. And it's always nice to talk to other entrepreneurs. Awesome. Thanks so much, Heidi. I hope's always nice to talk to other entrepreneurs. Awesome. Thanks so much, Heidi. I hope you have a great rest of the day. Thanks. You too. Take care.

Starting point is 00:30:29 Take care.

Right About Now with Ryan Alford - Heidi Cortez - American Entrepreneur, Best Selling Author, Coach, and Branding Expert

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