As a part of The Startup Journal Female Founder series, The Startup Journal caught up with Gina Diaz, entrepreneur and prime immigration and actual property legal professional, Ms. Diaz is a champion of each entrepreneurship and investing, and educates and helps immigrant, ladies, and latino communities in navigating the challenges of economic independence and wealth creation. She can be a founding member of We Win, LLC, a corporation devoted to introducing ladies to the world of actual property, and We Win, NFP. For extra info, go to the TheGinaDiaz website or discover her as #TheRightAttorney on social media.
Let’s see what Gina shared with us about her journey…
TSM: Are you able to inform us, in 10 phrases or much less, what’s the major cause you need to assist individuals grow to be actual property traders?
Diaz: I would like individuals to have a fallback plan and a safety blanket, so to talk, that they’ll entry anytime.
TSM: With a bit extra element, inform us extra about the advantages of actual property investing and the easiest way for individuals to find out about actual property investing?
Diaz: Actual property investing, if executed accurately, can assist you retire out of your 9 to five job; it will possibly create passive earnings and a legacy for your loved ones. Apart from having this monetary safety, you might be additionally serving to people who find themselves not householders have a beautiful place to lease and name house whereas saving sufficient cash to be householders themselves. By investing in actual property, you additionally assist the neighborhoods you spend money on by rehabbing properties that in any other case wouldn’t be rehabbed or can deliver different property values down if in poor situation.
TSM: You additionally work with different entrepreneurs. How is actual property investing associated to the broader entrepreneurship expertise?
Diaz: Actual property investing can lead you to many various avenues which can make you an entrepreneur. On this course of, there are various transferring components. For instance, when investing in actual property, you have to the providers of an legal professional, an accountant, an appraiser, a basic contractor, a surveyor, an electrician, an HVAC firm, a cleansing service, a house stager, a mission supervisor, and so forth. By means of your ardour for investing in actual property, you possibly can grow to be an entrepreneur in any of those fields, and that may join you to your actual property investing tasks and do what you’re keen on for others whereas constructing your personal portfolio.
TSM: You even have a give attention to immigration legislation in your legislation apply. What relationship do you see between immigrants and the startup neighborhood?
Diaz: I passionately imagine that immigrants are a serious a part of a startup neighborhood.
Immigrants present providers that others aren’t keen to do or do for an inexpensive value. On the finish of the day, this nation was comprised of an immigrant neighborhood that got here for a greater future. Immigrants who come right here right now need to do the identical. I at all times discover it humorous that folks suppose that immigrants aren’t wanted. I don’t imagine that this nation can or would survive with out them.
Immigrants present an vital perform for the advantage of this nation, but they solely get acknowledged for the few that create points.
TSM: That’s very true. What are a very powerful belongings you inform immigrants to assist them discover their house on this nation as entrepreneurs?
Diaz: I prefer to remind immigrants that there is no such thing as a such factor as “coming right here the straightforward means” as a result of we come right here being conscious that we are going to be handled as outsiders and must adapt to the brand new setting. We’re conscious that we are going to get low paying jobs and that we principally should begin from zero, but our want to prosper within the land of alternatives and freedom is so excessive that we’re keen to simply accept it.
We got here for a greater future and our want to develop and to discover a higher future for ourselves and our household. Due to this fact, doesn’t it make sense we benefit from the liberty and alternatives that this nation has to supply and thrive? You don’t want any particular invitation to construct your expertise or craft and be that good at it. All you want is the will and the ethic to do it and do what, in some situations, you risked your life to do and search these alternatives. Entrepreneurship is without doubt one of the greatest and most worthwhile methods to do it.
TSM: You’re additionally the co-founder of We Win, LLC, targeted on introducing ladies to actual property investing, and in addition and a transitional housing non-profit. Why is it vital so that you can give again to the neighborhood?
Diaz: For me, it is extremely vital to help ladies in actual property investing as a result of whenever you consider the phrase “INVESTOR,” you normally image a person. You don’t routinely see a lady’s picture that pops into your head, right? But, ladies are the decision-makers in the case of buying a house. Girls are historically, not at all times, those who resolve if explicit properties are fitted to their households. Which means, we, as ladies, are already making many choices on what we take into account a “house”. Due to this fact, it is sensible that we additionally grow to be traders to help different households find their good house.
WE WIN was created to supply a protected area for ladies the place they’ll be taught from one another with out being intimidated by males the place they’d really feel that they aren’t asking the appropriate questions or fearing that they are going to be made enjoyable of or checked out as weak. As ladies, we historically really feel extra snug in a room the place we see different ladies doing what we need to do and listening to from a lady who has been there, executed that, and understands the challenges we face day by day.
TSM: As an entrepreneur your self, going again to your adolescence selections, inform us what components influenced your determination to be an entrepreneur your self?
Diaz: I really by no means pictured myself being an entrepreneur. I at all times thought I’d work for an enormous firm and undoubtedly be on the prime, however not really working my very own. Nevertheless, I rapidly discovered that not everybody shares your imaginative and prescient and is keen to entertain your concepts. After I grew to become licensed to apply legislation, I noticed so many alternatives to develop and assist, and, sadly, the locations I labored at didn’t imagine in them or need to strive the trail I wished. Due to this fact, with the assistance of my now husband, I made a decision to observe my imaginative and prescient and my concepts alone, which led me to be an entrepreneur.
Generally, you need to be the one to imagine in your self when nobody else will. You must have the braveness to take heed to that inside voice telling you to do one thing which others are afraid to do, and don’t be scared to fail. Failure isn’t a nasty factor, however a stepping stone that will get you nearer to success.
TSM: What do you’ve got deliberate for the way forward for your companies and the place you broaden into new areas of entrepreneurship?
Diaz: I plan to proceed to apply legislation and broaden my data of actual property and immigration. I plan to proceed to help my neighborhood in any, and each means I probably can. Hopefully, I’ll create a nonprofit group for authorized help to those who can’t afford correct illustration.
Moreover, I plan to proceed increasing my actual property portfolio in Illinois, different states and even different international locations. I got here to this nation as an immigrant from Mexico, and my mother and father wished me to have a greater future and achieve success. I don’t plan on letting them down. The sky is the restrict.
TSM: What’s a very powerful factor you inform different entrepreneurs and startup founders? What are your classes discovered?
Diaz: I imagine a very powerful factor to inform different entrepreneurs and begin up founders is shedding the concern. Worry is the primary cause individuals keep the place they suppose is “protected” and solely “dream” of at some point with the ability to do what they need. Time doesn’t discriminate or care about your plans as a result of it should simply maintain passing you by. Time doesn’t cease for anybody. So, as a substitute of dreaming about it, do it. Lose concern and embrace the teachings as a result of the one technique to be taught is by doing. YOU need to do it.
Nobody else can do it for you. YOU need to be taught the teachings, and YOU need to take these probabilities. It is extremely seldom that you simply grow to be an in a single day success in your first strive. It takes time, persistence and dedication, however most significantly, YOU BELIEVING IN YOU. Don’t let concern cease you.
A very powerful classes I’ve discovered have been those I needed to repeat. Keep in mind that.
TSM: What’s one attention-grabbing reality about you that folks might not know?
Diaz: I’m an solely little one, and I present not just for myself and my child however for my mother and father.
I’m very proud to say that because of their sacrifice of placing me by means of faculty, I can now repay, they usually had been in a position to retire at a really early age. My biggest accomplishment is giving my mother and father a greater life than the one that they had and endured to place me the place I’m right now.
TSM: That’s implausible. Thanks in your time right now and good luck in your future successes.
