AdaPia d’Errico (Part 2) – Financial Literacy, Women in Leadership, and Living Legacy

Welcome to the Legacy All Stars podcast. We feature inspirational stories from people who dedicate themselves to helping others. Here is your host, Alan Pavloski.

I hope you enjoyed the last episode with Pietrico. This is part two of that episode. Please enjoy and remember to keep building your legacy. Yeah, you talked about kind of that superpower of yours of listening and intensely understanding and reflecting back. I have to remind you about something that happened. My wife and I were together with you at an event and some other people and somebody else came in in the middle of a conversation. My wife actually reminded me of this Gail who, you know, she reminded me of this conversation that she was having with you. And somebody came in in the middle of that conversation out of nowhere and just kind of hijacked you for a minute. And literally you gave that person a minute, but you came right back and you said, okay, this is where we were. Tell me more. And it was so impactful for her that she, she wanted, she wanted me to tell you about that because that's who you are. You are finally in tune to the person's needs at that moment. And I love that about you, but.

Oh, thank you. I love Gail. Yeah, I, I'll say this. I call myself the anti networker, which is funny because everybody thinks I'm really well networked. I would prefer to speak to one or two people at an event in one night. And you've seen, like, I'm going to focus on you.

Yeah.

Because I'm actually deeply interested as opposed to like speed networking. I'm allergic to it. Don't understand it. Not interested. Right. Because how else am I supposed to build rapport and see you if I'm not spending time with you?

Yeah. It's so important. So important. Let's kind of transition now to kind of vision and impact. You often say that your work is personal, professional and planetary. Can you unpack what you mean by that?

Yeah, yeah. I mean, personal is. I have to do my personal work. I believe self awareness is the cornerstone of leadership in all fields. Like, if we're not self aware and we think we're going to lead anyone or anything, we're off course. Like, we have to lead ourselves first. And the only way to do that is to be self aware. The more I know myself, the better I can relate to others. True fact, 100%. This is how it works. So. So then professionally, that means I can be a better leader, I can be a better manager, I can be a better consultant, I can be a better. All these things. I can be all the things, because that's the professional work and we have work to do. Especially because we, you know, entrepreneurs, founders, et cetera, big work to do in the world and that affects the world. So Planetary is also, you know, if we know ourselves and we can be better with others. And that's like, there's like a ripple effect or a butterfly effect of. We can call it kindness at its core, but it changes everything. It changes the way we all relate to each other. And I believe that actually really changes everything. We have more founders doing things that are actually for, you know, actual planet earth regenerative, sustainable practices, you know, non extractive practices and Planetary as in community and you know, being helpful, being more human. And we're not going to talk a lot about AI, but I, I will say this one thing because you and I both do a lot of work with it is like I love AI for it to take away all the stuff that I don't want to do and to make me better so I can be a better human being. So I can focus on being human, on being social, on relational abilities like teachers can be teaching kids social skills instead of like drawing on a chalkboard like your digital tutor can do that. You know, like there's so many things. So to me starts with the personal work, manifests itself in our work professional and then impacts the planet through the people that we interact with on a daily basis. I really believe that.

Yeah, you live it too. Which is just goes right into the core of purpose. Right?

Yeah.

Let's talk a little bit about your philanthropic and impact driven work. What causes are you most passionate about and how do you integrate giving back into your leadership?

Yeah, I'm really passionate around women's financial empowerment and this stems from having grown up in the financial system professionally truly. And it's given me so much agency and confidence in myself and that sense of being able to weather turbulence and different things. So I also have learned so much from doing all this work on myself that a lot of my limiting beliefs, we can call them that are actually like historically, societally and culturally driven around what it means to be a woman versus what it means to be a man. There's like toxic, you know, paradigms on both sides. They're not good for us on either side. But for me I just think if we can get more money into more people's hands, like into the right hands and a lot of those being women who are inheriting it anyways. And I know that the way that they generally think about investing and impact is Very different than the system that was built, you know, for a certain type of male. And so for me, it's that it's women in the boardroom, women on cap tables as investors, like all these emerging VCs that are women and minorities. Like that, to me is like, wow, we're not just talking about it. We're using our money to make a change, because our world is built on it, whether we like it or not. And we can use it in a really good way. So by empowering women to have confidence and understand that they are fully capable, that is, like, to me, gold standard. And so I had a nonprofit called Women of Wealth for a few years during the pandemic, and we had a mastermind. And I taught a lot of financial literacy mastery and the kind of, like, financial fluency, like, courses to adult professional women to kind of, like, help them really build that confidence. And today I sit on the executive board for the Silicon Valley group of How Women Lead. And so I do financial literacy talks and training through them and work on getting more women into this wonderful organization that does a lot of advocacy, a lot of education, really big work in the world. And especially helping women do more board work, which is part of my professional journey now, is like, to be an independent board director or an advisory board member. And that's where I think I can make the greatest impact on, you know, on anyone. Man, woman, you know, it doesn't matter. But, like, that level is my next level of my professional career.

Tell me more about that organization in general, in specific, and how have you seen the impact of your work through that organization?

Yeah, I mean, the founder, Julie Castro Abrams, she is just an amazing woman that's done so much and she's been able to pull together. I mean, there's tens of thousands of women in the organization at this point, and they're all, like, really supportive. And I first came across her during the pandemic when I discovered that there was a woman venture capitalist, which was super exciting to me. I was like, what are you talking about? This is amazing. And she had a fundamental. And that was how women invest. And that's how I got to know the organization. And then I didn't know anything about boards. Like, same thing. I thought men were on boards, just like I thought men were VCs. And so it just really grew my awareness. And I just became really excited by the way that even through their work, they influence, I think, California legislation, and I can't remember if it's been, like, repealed or not, but that there be a certain percentage of women on board. And they definitely influenced it on The NASDAQ, where 50% board directors now have to be women. So, like, they do that work at that level, the political level. And so that's major. They do global fellowships. So women giving back by mentoring women from other countries who are starting their entrepreneurial journey. And the fund, of course, so getting women to be able to invest in venture, which is ultimately investing in female founders who are doing different things. And so I mentioned the board work, and so just this multifaceted way of empowering professional women to take different views on their money, on their journeys, like, whether they're pivoting, whether they're, you know, want to do philanthropic work. So, yeah, so I, like, I try to get involved as much as possible. Recently I stepped in for Julie to lead a financial literacy workshop at Blue Shield here in. Down in Orange county. And I loved it. I love having that community of women, like, they showed up because I didn't even need to tell them why it was important they were there. Let's just talk about all the amazing things that you can do with taking money into your own hands. And so that's the work that they do spread across the country. And it's also really supportive to me to be around women who are able to hold space for me in a different way. I think I'm on the younger end of the spectrum there. And just to be around these, like, amazing, powerful, impressive, sometimes scary women, I'm like, wow, you're impressive. You know, like. But to have them all in a community supporting one another is not common for women. We're not really brought up to be very supportive of each other. So that is such a special organization for me. And. And I tell everybody about it. And that is how I am supported by an organization where I can show up and be passionate and give back and teach and find my own path and to do it in an interdependent way. We might have said it before the recording, but, you know, like, I'm hyper independent and I'm learning to be interdependent?

Definitely. Have you seen or heard from any of the people that you've tutored or mentored from those organizations that have said, yeah, what you said to me really resonated in a way that changed my trajectory. And do you have any anecdotes of people that have told you that?

I've definitely had people say it to me. I even had people who read my book or watch some of my, like, talks that I gave in 2019. And they're like, a lot. I don't even know specifics because I've done so many, like, workshops, but even, like, founders, I think most of the time to, like, encapsulate it. It's. Thank you for helping me see something that I didn't see clearly.

Yeah.

Like, for me, the. My ability to bring clarity is a gift. And so for me to be able to offer that clarity to somebody, because then it's all them. It's not me, it's all them. They have to go do the work and, like, do the thing. And, you know, even recently, this woman that I was introduced to last year, she's a founder, and she reached out to me. She saw one of my posts on LinkedIn and said, hey, I've been meaning to reach out to you. And she did. And, you know, she's got the startup in the healthcare space, and she's. I mean, she's so impressive, like, really, like, going for it. And she had applied to the How Women Invest fund, and she knows. She said, you know, I haven't really heard back. And I said, well, send me an email and let me reach out. And I was able to do that and reconnect them. Whether that ends up in an investment, it's not up to me. Right. But for me to be able to have done that for her when I know what it's like to be a founder and you're really busy and, like, you can't keep track of all your investors and all your different things, I was like, just let me just send me an email that recaps everything you just told me that you did. You're so amazing. Let me reach out to some women that I know that are emerging VCs that invest in women, and let me just do that for you. I'll. That's it. And just for her to know that she had that support, I know, was really meaningful. And I think that's, like, the best thing that I can do for somebody is it doesn't have to be a grand gesture, but it's just these little moments of kindness and support and the clarity of that one thing that might have been said. And they go, wow, that really changed my life. Thank you. And thank you for saying that. And it goes back to. Oftentimes it'll be, I will say something that nobody else had the courage to say.

Yeah, for sure.

And we're all feeling it, and then we realize we're not alone. And that is like, I'm not alone for a founder or for anyone who's been in an emotional state of whatever it is that is not feeling good. All kinds of words of emotions we could say there, but like, to have somebody say the thing that they couldn't say, it's like a liberation moment. And I've had many of those, which is why I often say anything that I've gone through and continue to go through, external challenges, internal challenges I share, because it's not my lesson alone. That would make no sense for me to be the only one to benefit from that lesson and from the wisdom that I can bring to somebody else. And they needed that right in that moment. And wouldn't, you know, I just went through it or just had an insight about it. And so I love that, and I love to do, like, the fairy that, like, sprinkles little moments like that for people, but they add up.

Yeah, for sure. I'm gonna dovetail into a question I like to ask everybody on this show, and that is, what does legacy mean to you, and what do you hope to leave behind through your work?

Yeah, it's such a beautiful question. And I love that you're focused on legacy, because I'm hearing it everywhere, and I'm hearing it being redefined, coming from, like, the family that I come from. Like, legacy is in our name and who our grandfathers were and grandmothers were and all of that. You know, that's like, one form of legacy. But legacy doesn't have to be something that's the past or something that's the future. Like, it can be the legacy that, you know, because I don't have kids, so I'm not, like, necessarily passing down legacy in that way, because I sit with this sometimes, and I think, well, you know, what? What is it? And I think it's like, more like a living legacy, More like weaving this web and all these different people that I meet or I get to work with, like you or, you know, it's like that. The legacy of, like, being present and being open and sharing a story that might be. Will use the word feeling or insightful or clarifying for someone, that in a small way can also be really big when you see how big that web can be weaved. And so I think of it instead of external things, it's really, if I can leave a legacy of I've left people at least one time, at least once better off and feeling like I helped them in some way, that, to me, is a form of legacy.

Yeah, most definitely. So for our listeners who are in transition or feeling called to something deeper, what's the one piece of advice you'd offer?

Oh, man. Well, don't ask ChatGPT because it could give you really. You know, it'll take you down like, this rabbit hole. It's not your therapist. No, I mean, no, seriously, but. And it's funny because how Women Lead is currently doing a lot of this programming, and they have something called power, your pivot. And here's the thing. We're always pivoting with ourselves. Like, I've had so many different careers and I'm like, in a transition of my own right now. And so the best thing to do, two things. One is, is sit with yourself, reflect. Like, get quiet about it and listen. Like, what is it inside that wants to come out and sit with yourself first? And then maybe start to talk to a few other people. But make sure that you're not in shame or guilt or any of those kinds of emotions about it. But just look for the clarity. Like, try to get some clarity. You know, that helps. Naming the thing that you might be afraid of. That helps. Like, 50% of its power is removed when you name it. This is the thing I'm afraid of. This is the thing that I'm worried about. You've just, like, you've just brought it to the light. So, like, you know, most of its power is now gone. It can't, like, sit in the shadows and haunt you. So there's that piece of it. And then ask a few people around you, like, hey, I'm feeling like I'm transitioning or I want to go through this transition and, like, kind of like, test it out with some people that you trust. I always say this, right, Just like, you know, because on the investor relations and capital raising side of the coaching that I do, I always, always say, like, go out to your OGs first. Like, go out to your close people first and, like, test out some messaging with them. It's like, kind of the same. Like, get clear on yourself and then test out your messaging with people that are close to you and then let that take a natural path. And then if there are people or organizations that you feel, like, really resonate, like, gosh, I could really use some guidance. It is very helpful. You work with coaches and mentors. I work with coaches and mentors because it's often hard to see ourselves and somebody else, a real person, can often reflect back to us what even, you know, decades of personal work can't show us because we're looking down here instead of somebody looking, like, right at us.

Yeah. You know, we reflected the whole idea of it's lonely at the top. I'm not talking about that for myself, but founders and people that are really doing amazing things. Yeah, just like you talked about earlier, the conversation where people tend to listen to too much feedback from those who are not really helping them to get to their vision. And when it comes to getting to your purpose or getting to your vision or executing what you really believe to be the right strategy in the right direction of your purpose, you got to have somebody to reflect that off of. And that's why I also believe that mentoring and coaching and investing in yourself through people that can give you high level feedback is so important.

Yeah, it really is. And you said it like, there's a clarity that has to come from yourself first. And then you go out like back to those founders and I consider you a founder and you're doing amazing things in the world too. And like, you need your support because you're doing a lot of different things and you're making an impact and nobody's done anything alone. Like, Steve Jobs didn't do it by himself. Like there's this thing in the culture of the lone wolf hero, Right. That does everything on their own. But that's not true. That's just blatantly, like, not true. That's not how it works. And so it's often good to like, remind ourselves of that. And yeah, it can be really lonely at the top. The thing is, is that there's a lot of other people that are at the top too, that are feeling the same way. And so we want to also congregate and find the ones that are supportive.

Yeah, find our tribe, right? For sure.

Yeah, find your tribe. And like, this is really hard, but I'm going to say it this way. If there are people in your life, even people that are like close to you, when you start to change and grow, not everybody is happy for you. This is truth. Not everybody's happy for you. Right. And sometimes you have to let them go. And maybe it's for a period of time, hey, I can't hang out with you. Like, it's just like, that is not the vibe, that's not the energy. That's not what I need to hear. And they're in their process and you're in yours. So it's really important to understand that we also have to look for other people as well that can support us in a new way of being or a new level that we're going to. And it doesn't mean that the people that were with us before there's anything wrong with them. Right. But if they're not feeling up to it, they have to go through that process. But we can't stay down here if we want to be up here. Like, it just physically, like, if you want to be at the top of the tree, you have to climb it. You can't stay down at. At the roots. Like, you just can't. So we have to do that in all parts of our lives and hold compassion and love for ourselves and for those around us. But it's really important that if somebody is really feeling like they're bringing you down, it's really important to create some space from them because you'll feel even more lonely there in yourself with maybe like, you're getting the sense of, like, oh, this person's not really happy for me. Maybe I'm doing the wrong thing. Then you'll spiral down instead of spiraling up.

Yeah, for sure. Powerful stuff. Where can people find you, your book or your offerings? I really want to make sure people know how to reach you.

Oh, thank you. The simplest thing I tell people is to find me on LinkedIn. Absolutely. So if you type in Atapia, A, D, A, p, I, a derico, D, E, R, R, I, C, O on LinkedIn, I will pop up. And connecting with me there is where then they can find, like, my website and, you know, my book and everything like that.

So, yeah, always enjoy our conversations. We have come to the end of our time. I want to thank my good friend Anapia Dirico for coming on the show to share her story. She is such an inspirational person and has been so important in my life. So I hope that everybody would get a chance to spend some quality time with you because you are so present at what you do to our audience. Keep showing up, keep leading with purpose, because Legacy isn't later, it's now. I'm Alan Pavloski signing off for Legacy All Stars.