In episode 47 of The Kitchen Table, Ken Baden interviews Lilly Mejia-Santo Domingo, CEO of Lilly's Printing. They discuss their longstanding business relationship and how Lily has been instrumental in helping Ken's business grow. They talk about the various services Lilly's Printing offers, from legal paperwork to marketing materials, and the importance of building strong business relationships.
Tune in to learn more about the value of strong business relationships and the importance of having a reliable team.
TIMESTAMPS
[00:01:24] Building Strong Business Relationships.
[00:02:57] Partnerships and Business Growth.
[00:06:35] Life-Changing Career Transition.
[00:13:21] Overcoming Excuses and Obstacles.
[00:24:40] Delegate and Time Management.
[00:31:51] Abundance Mentality in 2024.
[00:34:41] Overcoming Adversity and Finding Strength.
[00:39:13] Real Estate Investment Opportunities.
[00:44:28] Finding Peace and Happiness.
[00:49:16] Lilly's Printing and Law Offices.
In this episode, Ken Baden and Lilly Mejia emphasize the significance of surrounding oneself with knowledgeable individuals and cultivating strong relationships in order to seize opportunities and thrive in business. They highlight the importance of having friends and contacts who possess expertise in areas of interest and can assist in identifying and capitalizing on opportunities.
In addition, Ken and Lilly highlight the importance of adopting an abundance mentality. They firmly believe in focusing on the belief that there will always be ample resources and opportunities available, rather than succumbing to a scarcity mindset. They acknowledge that many individuals tend to possess a scarcity mindset, particularly when it comes to finances and resources.
QUOTES
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Ken Baden
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluecollarcloser/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheKenBaden
Lilly Mejia-Santo Domingo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lillysprintingmd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lili.mejia.5
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilly-mejia-20b26a16a/
WEBSITES:
The Kitchen Table Podcast: https://thekitchentablepodcast.net/
Lilly’s Printing: https://lillysprinting.com/
Welcome to the Kitchen Table, a podcast about where business is done. So pull up a chair and join your host, Ken Baden.
All right. Welcome back to another episode of the Kitchen Table podcast where business is done. And I've got my good friend. Actually, we've like four, three or four years. It's been a long time, right? Lily of Lily's Printing, who is more a good friend of mine at this point. I mean, we've been doing business for three or four years now, pretty much since I've been in business. She was the first person that I got to do. So I had somebody in Southern Maryland when we were doing business down there, doing all of our contracts, our gear wraps, Lily's does everything from our, our legal paperwork contracts to our shirts, to our truck wraps. I mean, literally, Everything. I mean, she even does specific marketing stuff. I mean, people that she was directly connected to help me get my podcast going. I mean, she's been a big, big, big help. I love doing business with her. I really like these relationships that, uh, you forge in business and you've meet somebody like Lily and you just like doing business with them. So Lily, how are you today?
Really good. Ken, thank you so much for everything you've been saying about me. It's a pleasure for me to be here. I'm very, very honored to be here with you. And I'm very proud of everything you've been through and where you are right now. Where you guys are. Because it's a big team, right? Yeah. It's behind you. It's a big team. And it surprised me, like, you say four years and we say three years. We say it's very easy.
I don't even think it's been, I think it might have been two, but I can't remember because it's been, it feels like so long. I think you're right. I think it's been, the business itself will be three years old in January. So it couldn't be four. So it's probably been, yeah, two or three years.
I know for sure. I, the first time you walking into our office was on 2019. So we don't even feel the days and years anymore because we were so busy doing business. We are so busy planning and doing this and that, but it's very, um, amazing to see everything, how you being increase your goals and you get every one of them. Congratulations. I'm very proud of you and very proud to be your friend. Very proud of this, uh, you know, this podcast. Hopefully you share this with somebody else because this is a, very good example how we had to going on, no matter what, right?
Lily knows all about my story, so she knows the whole deal. But when we first, you're right, if it was back then, then that was when there were still two companies, but we won't, we don't worry, we don't talk about that. But in all seriousness, I don't regret the first company. It's just, unfortunately, partnerships, I'm not a huge fan, but That's neither here nor there. I learned a lot from that. So, you know, Lily didn't know, obviously, because I'm not going to like walk into your office and be like, Hey, here's my whole story, my whole past. By the way, did you know I'm a felon? You know what I mean? I'm not going to tell you all that stuff. But once we became, you know, Lily is an easy person to like, and once we got, she's been through stuff and that's when I would ask you like, you know, get to know you more certainly, but she knows a lot about where I come from. So what she's talking about is she's seen us go from one Actually, when I, when I came there, I was probably out of my, my apartment, then a small office, then this office, and we just keep growing. So she's gotten to see everything before there was a podcast and everything. So it's really cool. And I've got to see her go from one building to another building and the freaking tornado and then back and just, so getting to see each other's businesses grow and just your, you've been through a lot of stuff and, uh, I'll let you tell that story, but your attitude. you know, it's infectious. It kind of rubs off on someone like myself. I mean, you're always positive. You've got a lot going on. You've been through a lot of stuff yourself. So first and foremost, tell us how, obviously, you know, you're from here, right? America, a hundred percent, right? Born and raised. I see, I hear you have an accent. Is that like Minnesota?
No, no. I come in from El Salvador, Central America. You're so funny. Yeah. I came when I had 17 years old and that's why I have really strong accent. You know, Sofia Vergara?
There you go. Yeah.
She's sexy too. And she speak like me. Yes. It's why I'm not worried.
I'm not saying I don't think anybody said it was a bad accent. I was just joking because the listeners may notice that English may be, but you speak perfect English. But my point is it came over here, got your business going. So talk about that. Like, how did you even get involved in like printing advertising, all these businesses you have, like, I'm sure it didn't just happen overnight. So tell me. and listeners, how you got into this position of entrepreneurship, successful business owner and where you are now.
Yes. Um, I was working, as you say, is why my ascent is very strong, but I hope everyone understand. I hope I will do my best. But, um, I came to this country when I had 17 years old. Um, you know, I started working since day two and I never, I never give up on my dreams. And right now, even if a lot of people say, oh, wow, everything you have already, but it's, I'm not where I need to be by this time. So every time I say, I told myself, when I saw to my mural, you're going to do better today. And it's my, my challenge. When I see to my, to myself and I say, you can do better than this, even if I'm doing good, because I challenge myself to do better, but I was working for nine years as a pawnbroker. That's right. Yes.
Saw a lot of... I'm surprised I never met you.
I bet you I did, but... Yes, yes. But I know a lot of some of your friends.
Yeah. She told me a few of the guys too that I may or may not have given opportunities to and she's like, I knew him.
I'm like... Yes. But this is how life changed, right? So I was working as... uh, pawnbroker for nine years. After that, I have my goal, you know, to, um, to have my own business. When, uh, I feel prepared to be honest, I wasn't that prepared. I have, you know, just a little bit of savings and I taught with this, I can start. And I just started with the little I had and I start my business. And, um, because I always was, I will make this, I had to make this and the painting idea came from, in this area, nobody can print my shorts. I want to print this and there's no one who can print my shorts. No one who can print my stickers. It's not a good designers around it. So I started that business. And, um, after that, I got married with a wonderful man, as you know, uh, when we met, I was married and happy with a wonderful man. And, um, He passed away. That's why you was talking about, you know, my story. And, um, because the cancer, he get cancer on very young age. He didn't look that young, but he wasn't that old. He just had a little bit of white beard, but he was very handsome. And, um, so he passed away and, um, we have a lot of goals and we have plans together. We sit down at the table every night as a couple and we tell each other, right? What you did today, what is your plan? And we, we put everything on the table and, um, we get to that point where we want more. And I'm not talking about money. We will, we want more. We, I say we can do more than what we're doing right now.
And her husband, by the way, was also a businessman and attorney and so very successful. you know, wasn't just like, that's what she's talking about. So they would sit down, both being entrepreneurs, both being very successful. He had a couple of law offices. Three law offices. I mean, three law offices. I mean, he was very successful.
Yeah. And Baltimore right now is three levels of attorney's offices in downtown Baltimore. And they just opened another one right now because it's still operating. Right. It's working really good. It's doing really good.
Which is the mark of a good business, by the way. Yes. I mean, my current attorneys actually are going through, I have a trust and estates attorney that helped me, you know, go through everything from setting your business up the right way with a holding company, wherever, however you want to set it up. But then ultimately to like, well, what happens if something happens to you?
Yes. Correct.
You know what I mean? And who, who do we, and just laying out something you never know, but what if, and then that would allow my business to continue to go on. And so everybody that's invested in it, There's no question. It's just like, all right, we just keep it moving. And I think that's the mark of a good business. So kudos to your husband.
Yes. And, um, when we get to the table, he had was really successful, uh, attorney and, uh, my printing shop was like VC as can be. So we was, I have at this point, I have, I know for someone of the views will be not much, but I have, uh, 2,700 customers like every four or three months, two months. You are the ones, you're my favorite one, by the way. So. That's right.
Y'all heard that.
So if you go to Lily's. You get good discount if you come from camp. We have, I have a lot of clients, a lot of clients for you.
Yeah. I get a lot of people that'll call and some of them, I don't even know. They're just like, yo, where'd you get your rap?
Yes. And I have a lot of, so thank you so much for that support. And as. us was selling a bat. So we did this thing every night with my husband and we tell each other, this is not enough. We had to do something else. And he decided to do, um, like a food, uh, company. So I have a Santo Domingo foods. So we, um, have those big and custom food trucks and I, I bought it and I finance into people. And they started their own business. So I never talk about that everywhere, but I had that business too. And also I come in on real estate also. So I investing, I, you know, fix and fleet, you buy and rent and hold it. Um, so I, in a lot of the stuff also right now, I am the president of the, uh, consul of my country in Anne Arundel. So pretty much I representing the, uh, my country in, uh, on the Randall and around the county. Yes. And, um, you know, and I'm the right hand of my pastor of the church too, because, you know, I'm trying to be, you know, it's not what I can get as a business only. I know it's really good to feel very successful, but it's something is not filled it up with just business. Do you need your part with your time with your wife? and with family, and also we had to do some social service. But not because we have to do it for someone to see us, it's because we had to help each other. So we've been getting a lot. Thanks God. We've been, we receive a lot, so we should give some. You don't believe so?
I do.
I agree a hundred percent. Yes. So it's a way to give what I receive.
I'm just calculating in my head the hours and how you could possibly do all that. I'm like, I didn't even know you had that other business. You have so many, you have several, you have a food business, you have your husband's business that's still going. You have Lily's printing. You are the president or the head representative of Venezuela for an Anne Arundel County, right?
Venezuela is El Salvador.
El Salvador.
It's a little tiny country. You can't even tell.
But didn't you say something about Venezuela? Or you just said, what's her face? I'm sorry. What's her name? The young lady that's, she's from El Salvador.
The other lady was from Venezuela. The other one you meet, that's why maybe you get confused.
No, the one you used earlier, it doesn't matter. The one who's like, has the accent. She's not from, she's from El Salvador too?
No, she's from Venezuela.
That's why I was confused. I think, yes. You just say you sound like her.
No, she's Colombian.
I think she is Colombian.
She's sexy, right? Yes. She's even, you know, she had my grandma age and she looks like that.
She's your grandmother's age?
Yes.
You know who she's talking about? Sofia Vergara.
She's beautiful. You guys, you need to see the good stuff. I'm joking. I agree. We have really young guys here.
Yeah, a bunch of young guys that I can't see them. So, and you also, let's segue right back into the God part, because that's a great segue where we were just at. In all seriousness, your pastures, so my point is, and that's an awesome story, by the way, because clearly, and all jokes aside, your accent, I Understand it fine. And some people may or may not be able to listen to this. Hey, guess what? You know, it's my podcast, but you're a perfect, uh, you're a perfect, you're a perfect guest because honestly, for me, I love the idea that you weren't handed anything. You came in here, you worked your butt off and you, you're concerned that you're not even, that it may be difficult for someone to understand you, but didn't let that slow you down one bit in business. And you have multiple businesses. My point is, if you're listening to this, What is your excuse? You know what I mean? If you haven't done, or you haven't built, or you haven't whatever, I mean, some lady comes over here at 17 years old. She's worked every day since. She's built multiple businesses. English is her second language, and she's still concerned today about coming on a podcast and speaking English, and concerned that maybe you won't be able to understand her. And yet, none of that slowed her down. So what is your excuse? I don't know what else to say. And I would really think about that before you start making some excuses up the next time, because really the only thing between you and what you want are the excuses that you tell yourself, you know? And so listening to someone like her just didn't make any time for excuses and just kind of, like you said, you keep going. You did, you said that early on, like, hey, just keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going. And I can relate to that too, you know, and then you kind of look up And even when life kind of pushes you back, it's like pushing against, you know, a really heavy rock, kind of like just barely inching it, but you're going up a hill. And every time you lose your footing, you go back a little bit and then you just keep going and keep going and keep going. And before you know it, like you look up and you, or you look back and you've moved it, you know, 200 feet or you're this close to the finish line, but it feels like you're not getting anywhere. Cause you keep sliding back and sliding back, but really you've moved forward. you know, 20 feet, you slide back two, but you're still 18 feet ahead. So, I mean, you're a perfect example of that. And that's what I really love about you. You don't make excuses. You don't make, you just don't have time for it. You know what I mean? I can relate to you a lot because I know we're both go, go, go, go, go. And I think that's why we get along so much because we're both just all over the place, which is good and bad, but it's a very, it's very good for business because it's a constant, it's a very, um, It's the cliche visionary archetype, right? High energy, not going to be the best with the organization, not going to be the best with like minute details, big picture, high energy, but in a lot of ideas, but what's good when we have somebody who can help us compartmentalize those ideas. And Lily actually passed me on to, I think it's because of you, but I got into, you know, the business, That's the word I'm looking for. Not coaching, but probably. Oh, they're coaching, yes. Yeah, you were like, hey, I got these guys. And she recommended that. And I was already going to go to business school, night school. I had been a part of several of these startups in this industry that got to a certain size. So I knew confidently, like, OK, we can get to $5 to $7 million pretty easily. You know, cause I had been a part of a couple other companies that had done it. I'd seen what it takes. I already knew like, all right. And me and my old partner, we did it pretty quickly. So I knew the resources it took and pretty minimalistically we could get there. Right. I also knew that I didn't know, like once we got to that and we got to that really quick, we were in our uncharted waters. Right. And so Lily was like, look, you know, I just had all this stuff happened to my husband, but he still suggested while, you know, when we were still together that, uh, before he passed that, you know, Hey, you should do this. And didn't he like make you do that on your own or pay for it on your own or something like that? I think you were telling me coaching.
Yes. He forced me. I didn't want to go. He forced me to take a coach. He forced me. Business coach. Yes. Business coach. And, uh, I said, why should pay all these for coaching? And he told me, baby, you need it. And I say, but I will not pay for it. And he said, you will pay, give me a car.
Mm.
And he take my car, my debit card, and he paid for my coaching and with my car, he made me pay. Because sometimes when you get, you give stuff free to people, they don't appreciate. It's like when you go to the gym, if you feel the pain, if you have, you know, training, if you know you pay for it, if you don't use it, you just lost, losing your money. So he forced me to do that. And I was, you know, it was a big, uh, help for me. because no one can tell me that on my face. You're doing this, you're doing this wrong, you're doing this bad. And when someone can tell you that, if your wife tell you, you get mad, right? No. No? Okay. But I was mad when he told me I was doing something wrong. A little bit, depends on what it is. Yes. I was kind of mad when he say something to me, but when somebody else say, Oh, you're right. That's how sometimes we are.
Yeah. I understand what you're saying. Right. Like depending on the source, I might be more like, like, and she does, she would actually say, if she listened to this, she'd be like, yeah, you do that all the time.
And your wife is Lily too, right?
Yes. She's an attorney.
She's an attorney. We have a lot in common, right? Because my husband was an, uh, was attorney too. And, um, so before he get really, really sick, we was so worried about to set up everything. And even we knew it, we're going to be out of business for, I mean, working, but not in the business. So we get prepared. We get prepared for that when he's not, he can be there at the office to work and sign, he have his attorneys and I will be not in my office for a long time either. So our surprise was when everything passed, I mean, and he go to the heaven, obviously, because he was too good to be here. So. Um, business was working normally. My business was bigger. His business was bigger. So nothing stopped. So I really appreciate that he forced me to do a lot of stuff because he wants the best for me. And sometimes when we feel the, the, um, I feel like nobody should say something to put you down about anything, even if it's hurting you. or something offend you, but it's to form in you or to make you stronger. Even if it's hurt, it helps a lot. And I believe so as, um, it's not, your adjective doesn't need to change. Like as someone, you can tell me right now, I can understand what do you say? No, I try to do my best and I will do that. I will do my best, but that will not pull me down. Or if you go just work, you know, it's a place where it's a work of men's stuff like that. Uh, just because I'm a woman, I will not put me down. So I had to prove what I can do and how are you going to prove what I can do? Not talking too much, but doing a lot. Actions. It's the result of what you say and you do it. So everything we say has to be, you know, doing results.
Yeah, everything you say has to, it's not what you say, it's your actions. I always say, I used to tell my guys, especially the ones that were good at doing a whole lot of this, I said, dude, I don't even hear this anymore. I'm watching your feet. You know what I mean? I'm watching your feet because your actions, it's in your feet, you know? I mean, I've heard before, your faith is in your feet, right? And so in that case, it's the exact same thing, I mean. when you're, you can say you're going to do this, do this, do this, but ultimately it's your actions. Like it's the same thing, like you said, like if you want your wife or anybody to take you seriously, at some point people get tired of hearing you say the same things, you know, action is what speaks. Yes. Result. Results. Results. Yes. So that to cut you off there, but like you come here, you start the business, you go in, you start at a pawn shop, you start the business. You have a lot of success, but it sounds like it wasn't just overnight. You had to work hard. You had to work hard because not only were you English as a second language, but then your husband passes away. You have a couple businesses. You also have a son. Yes. So now you're a single mom. Like, I don't think you mentioned that yet, but I mean, this woman's a single mother, multiple businesses, right? Like, you know, she was doing coaching to learn. And I tried the coaching solely because of her, which I think opened me up to bigger avenues and bigger coaching that I was really interested, but like learning more. I actually really do credit you for that because I wanted to do that in the future. And I, now I have my own coaching. I mean, it is, it's a, it's a coaching business, but I already had a consulting business, but I mean, it was cool to see what David then had going on because I mean, on a smaller scale, I was like, Hey, I could see myself doing this with the consulting, but to your point, I felt like I needed that resume piece, you know, and for me, it's build scale and exiting a business. before I, it's the only way I'm going to prevent having imposter syndrome. I mean, even right now, I feel more than capable to help and take somebody to that. I'd say that year one to five, it depends on what you're looking for. I've got really high goals. So if you're looking to get to that 10 million mark, I can, I can confidently get most home service businesses there very quickly. But I mean, I wouldn't even hone in so much on the specifics of like, Because what's 10 million in my market could be 20, 30 million in the Texas market or a market that's a storm market. It's more, I have the SOPs, the KPIs, the workflows, but also the leadership skills, the culture. I mean, all of those intangibles that I really believe it takes to get to where they want to be very quickly, right? Ryan was telling me that the other day. Bottom line, I thank you for that, because I probably wouldn't have done any of that coaching stuff had it not started with you. Because you were like, dude, I really enjoyed it. I don't get anything from it, but just you should try it. And it really helped me. And it helped me as well. So now, single mom, how many businesses? Three, four? Four. Four businesses.
Three organizations.
Three organizations, the head or top in your church. I mean, you got so much. How do you find time to do any of these things, much less just your businesses? I mean, what do you, can you give some, give some advice on time management, frankly, because you got to have some way, somehow do all of this. I mean, how do you do it?
Delegate.
Delegate.
Delegate. When you have people look for the, find the right people who can help you out to do everything you need to get done, because it's One of the things, and I really like the way how you move your stuff, because people want everything for free. Well, so I don't expect them to, because there's my aunt or my cousin or someone came and helped me out with my kid. I had to pay them. You know, this is not look anything for free, make people get paid for their time. Because you and me know the time is, every hour of us have a price. And I know it sounds really rude sometimes, but it's like when we spending time with people, we spending money, you know, because like, and I always say this because I don't feel, I don't worry about, you know, to give people back the money, you know, because I say I can make the money back, but I will not make my time back. And I don't wasting my time. So if you're wasting time, you know, with who you need to waste in time. So what I do is I find the people who can help me out. So for the organizations, I have this group of people in our organizing, who's going to help me for this, that, and this and that. But when I have a chance, they get rewards, you know, they can, um, With my son, I had a lot of help in my business. I have a lot of help. So I find the right people and I delegate that way I can do everything. And, you know, I don't do an everything perfect, but I'm trying to, you know, get solid, solid base. I know. So I trying to do solid base on everything. And, um, it's good for the young guys as the ones you have here, you know, to check. And it's good to talk about, you know, the fails, too, because… About the failures? The failures. Because we have so many of those. I have a lot. Time can relate. In the past, yes. But you know what? You helped me a lot. And I really thanks. Thanks, God. And thank you for come to my business, for trust us. Because my employees before, they said, oh, we cannot work with Lili. Lili's too hyper. fast, she bothers a lot. And they were like, I can't deal with Lily. Cause she's like, you know, cause I'm like, can you get me that? If you don't move it, I get it. I don't, I can't. It's just, I feel like I had to do everything now. I don't wait. Procrastination is how you say it?
Yeah, you don't procrastinate.
Yeah. Yeah. I don't like that. So we had to do now because now is the time. Tomorrow is not, I don't even know if I'm going to be alive tomorrow. So I learning that with my, my husband. Like for sure, for sure. The only security you have in this life is you're going to die someday because it's everybody qualify for, if you're alive, you qualify to die. So for tomorrow doesn't come to me. So I had to do everything today. And it's one of the things that's been helping me because everybody say, I can't deal with Lili because she's too hyper. And when you come in, I tell them. You're going to meet my friend and you're going to find that he's more hyper than I do. And for some reason, I don't know if he eat candy or something that day, but when he show up, I was in, you remember Cindy and the other girl, her sister, I think she was on reception area. The two sisters.
Hispanic or white?
No, it was Hispanic. Yeah. And, um, so they, I was waiting for you to, uh, appear one day. And that day, he was like eating candy or something, but he was like, and even the phone was falling off his hands or something. And they was like, okay, you want to see who's hyper? Watch him. And they was watching it like, oh my God, Lili, you was right. They was watching the video and everything. I was like, and that helped my business because everybody noticed. You see, Lili's not that much. It's somebody worse than I do, but you know, that's a good thing because it's one of the reasons why people get really fast where they are, because if we felt we go up and fast, we don't take too long. We don't thinking on the problem, we thinking on solving the problem. And we never stopped moving. When my husband passed away, I told myself, so we have plans of other three business with him. And I, I was saying myself, I gotta do what the plans we have together. I will not let this coming down because I'm widowed, because I have a single, I am single mom, because I'm a woman, because my language, because whatever. It's nice cues, as you say. Because it's not excuse. And I will not talking too much, but I will do a lot. And you know, and moving on, moving on, moving on, moving on. And when you're trying to, you don't, I don't expecting anything for free. If I ask you something, I want you, I want to pay you. Because you're my friend, right? And if you're my friend, I want you to be successful.
There's an interesting concept by the way, because I can't stand the opposite, where you just expect it's so hard and to support, it's not hard to support your friends that are entrepreneurs. What apparently is hard is to recognize that if they're really your friends and you support them, you should want to support them by paying full price and not looking for discounts, handouts, and I don't know, I can't, I want to, to your point, actually support, which in that case is pay full price, look out, Look out for the cookout, man. Make sure that I actually get these people taken care of and not just like, I know as a business owner that if I come in and I ask you for like, why am I making any money? You know what I mean? And like, if I'm to support you, I want you to make some money, you know? So that just was a, not a sore subject. Cause I don't get a lot of that, but it does make you like, you know what, man, like at some point I'm going to look out for my friends and family for sure. But like, you have to be like, man, this is business. If you really want to support me, I would think that you want to make sure that You know, it's a mutual respect thing.
And you never asked me for discounts on your stuff you ordered. And you know what happened when people like can't do that? He never asking for discounts, but what I do because I want to do it because he deserve it because he didn't ask for discount. I always looking to get this. You received text from me like can looks like if you get 500 of these, but if you get a thousand, you will pay very much the same price. Why you don't take that thousand?
She does it all the time too, man. She'll be like, Hey, if you get this instead, even those jackets, like, look, if you get this, you save money or whatever. And she, I don't ask her to do that. So it's a mutual respecting for sure.
Yeah. Because when you don't expecting nothing for free, everything's coming back to you, you know, no matter what you put to life or whatever you believe, but whatever you put on, it will come back to you.
I think that's an important point to make because it's, you know, 2024, the whole new year, like, you know, an abundance mentality, especially in this market. It's just so important. You know what I mean? Because I think so many of these days have that scarcity mentality. And I admittedly, even myself, you know, at the end of the year, you find yourself like looking at the finances and closing things out. And like, that's just never been something that I've ever even worried about. Not but, and I've got a couple of different businesses like you going on and one may be supporting the other because it's just getting started. And it's just, you know, it's been a whole year of that, but I'm confident, very confident that this is going to be the year where not only is PCR going to scale and hit what it's going to hit, but we're going to hit our goals there. But the other vertical blue collar ballers is going to get really taking off and going, and maybe we'll even take on some consulting clients. It's an abundance mentality, it's a mentality, it's a thought process, it's a way of thinking and a way of living of making sure that you don't worry or stress about like, there's not enough, there's not enough of, there's not enough resources, not enough money, but rather than thinking there's always gonna be enough, we'll always just make more. You know what I mean? So I think we both are in line that way too, like, whatever, I'm not gonna sweat that, there's a mess up, whatever. You always just say, hey, don't worry, we're not gonna charge you for that. Or same with me, you know, don't worry about it, if that's on me, hey, no problem, whatever, it's not a big deal. You know? So, um, I think that's another, another good point. You know, it's 2024. They're talking all this scary, stupid stuff about everything's always either going to be the stock market's going to completely crash or, or, you know, or we want it to, or reset or whatever the bottom line is. All I can control is what I can control in the same for yourself. And I don't know about you, but I don't have any plans to not hit my goals this year, simply because of the forecast of the market. I got to keep doing what I'm doing. So keep that abundance mindset and just keep it moving, you know, keep going towards our goals. I mean, you're going to keep doing yours, right? You're not, did you change your goals this year? I mean, market predictions and market circumstances, I suppose, should weigh in to certain businesses for sure. But depending on that business, like for us, I don't think it should impact it one way or the other.
No, because, um, I don't feel like, yes, I listen to it, but I don't really worry about it. I get prepared for, because the time it takes to be worried about it, I take that time to prepare myself. It's why I have more than one business because if I don't get money from here, I get money from here. And even sometimes I don't even like to do some business type of business, but I do it because I know if this happened, if this happened, I will get money from here.
How important is it to have those multiple streams of income?
It's very important because situation as COVID-19 should shut you guys down. Yup. Yes. So it, for me, it wasn't that bad because it was, it wasn't that bad because I was printing for, um, for the contractors, stuff like that. And they still doing, using the stuff, but, but anyways, if, This coming I hear a lot and people talking but I don't really worry about it because I need to be prepared I need to be prepared for it and it's not depends of what people are doing is depending of what I'm gonna do and what will be my move and be positive because Like right after my husband passed away. I was devastated. I was I want to die with him to be honest. I It was the love of my life. And, um, so I was the last one to die and cry, but instead to stay crying, I started moving on, moving on, moving on, moving on, because it's not depends only, uh, it's a lot of people watching what you do and watching you moves. So, you know what I mean? If you're coming down, a lot of people who's follow you will coming down to how many employees, how many, uh, how many, uh, families, because if we have one family, Just your family, my family, but it's not just like that. It's a lot of families here. And we need, we need to prove then we need to be the providers for there. So we need to be prepared for everything, looking what to do, looking what moves to do. And, you know, and that make us stronger. That make me stronger because when I think about a lot people needs, so that helped me out to coming out. And right now I'm very happy.
You look great. I've seen the whole transformation.
I mean, you look great. Thank you so much. Yes, right now it's about three years of my husband and I feel very happy. I feel very strong. And this year, 2022, I decide to take care of myself. I put myself here and then everything else coming down because I said I needed to work on me, you know, make it look good. You know, it's very important how it looks like as people say, I just want it. comfy and it's not that way. It's all the time. You had to be, you know, all depends where you're going is way how I need to show up. It's very important. I know people know the young guys don't want to listen to that. I know that for sure, but it's, it's how it is. You look good. You look good now, but you know, when you go out, people will treat you as they can see, right?
Yeah. Yeah. I just made a post about that today. Investing in yourself.
Investing in yourself. Yes.
So what's next 2024? You've got all these businesses. I mean, what's next for you?
For me, it's very much these last weeks I've been preparing myself to prepare vases. The base. Be a stronger base. Because if this... Be a stronger base?
Base, yes. Like your foundation.
Foundation, yeah, foundation. Be, uh, have, you know, prepare with, uh, documentation for my employees, you know, try trying to think what will be better for my business and what will be better for them. Protect everyone in this situation, right? And, um, prepare my, um, accounting and stuff, making sure everything is fine. Contracting the right people. If I need to move on from one, uh, accounting front to another one, CPI, I need to do it because it's, you know, it's, this is what it is. It's not about, because I'm trying to help someone who will affecting my business. And this is 2024 and I know come strong, but we came strong too. You know, I felt like this 2024 will be our year and I don't care what they saying outside. I had to be prepared and I have so many goals and I know for sure I will be double or triple of what I've been doing this year. And I'm very happy with everything I achieved this year. And I know for sure, for sure. And it's, I don't even think about negative stuff because don't take the time to think about the negative. take the time to solve the problems, to fix the problems, you know? And sometimes you say, ah, for you it's easy because you have your bank account. Who know? Investors use somebody else's money to make money. Money is a tool. It's not a goal.
And that's what real estate investors do do, by the way. They always, all my buddies that are involved in that, and I say that as if I'm like, Extensively experience in that what I couldn't possibly grasp was they were like dude And this is a couple of them now that I've done very very well He said every time I'd stress about like where am I gonna get the money where I got where am I gonna get the money? He said once you get the reputation and you get into it Even just a few positive wins. He was like, dude The money is the easy part. It's like, follow you. Yeah. He said people will literally like get upset with him and be like, you're not going to take my money. Like he's like, it's the investments, the opportunities, like the money is the easy part. It's like people always trying to get me to invest their money, which is just so crazy to me because it's like, now you're just putting up other people's capital and making money on that. That's a hustle. And that's something I want to explore in the future. But you know, I've got a couple, I'm just dipping my toes in real estate. I do think that this year will be an amazing market for real estate opportunity because of It's the thing, man, like when these lows happen, it opens up opportunity. I mean, it's the, it's the market when the market's bad, it's, it's, you know, when everybody's selling, they say that's a good time to buy and the vice and the adverse is true.
So what I, what I learning from business and these real estate stuff is when you see a problem, I see, I saw, I, when I, I see a problem, I saw a opportunity for me to win. Yep. So I don't, um, so I checked that I don't go by what people saying. I go around with the people who know about, you know, the specific stuff I want to do. And with this group, I help to find out if I have a chance to win. I just, uh, buy a house last week. It was amazing deal. This guy was about to get divorced and he have issues. Uh, and he, he need, he will go to the jail. I will not say nasal, I hope because I know this. And so he trying to sell his house for so cheap because he wanted to go, he wanted the cash money. Right. And who have that amount on packet like right away. So it's where you need to have a good relationships. good friends, you know, the people who know what they talk about. So I get amazing deal last week. And I, and I don't think when he offered me the house, I didn't think about, I don't have enough. I don't have what I need for. When I see the problem, I saw a opportunity to win it. And I say, yes, I want it. So now my challenge was. to find out how I gonna get, I will get that. And now it's a story. Yeah. I was worried about like a 30 minutes and I started doing calls, you know, doing this, that until I closed the deal. Deal is closed. I learned a lot from this situation. I really thanks the people who helped me out to get all this true. And it's amazing how. We can move just to say, yes, I can do this and trust 100% on myself. And it doesn't matter if someone say, oh, you're just telling us that, but you're not really, doesn't matter. Don't let no one to put you down. Because, and either let people put you to doubt, if they say, oh, you are amazing. Oh, you can do this. You can do that. And I wish I can do like you, because a lot of people call me and say, Lili, how much you charge me for two hours of you? And I have some questions because I have a lot of partnerships this year. 2023 was amazing because I have, I've been helping like a lot of people with MHAC license and all that stuff because I did a partnership, a lot of stuff. This 2023 for me was amazing. It was a blessing. I'm very happy and I meet a lot of people. I get a lot of, um, hours too. Get hours from, uh, one of the 50, um, uh, bigger, uh, investors in, uh, Washington DC and Maryland, like on the Spanish community. But it was amazing to receive all these because I didn't expect it. I thought nobody's, nobody was watching what I was doing. But it don't even care. But when people say, oh, wow, everything you have, you know, we are maybe on the level of 20 of those bigger guys on Texas, as you say, but for, they are 10, 100 for us. But even if we are on that level of 20, some people watch you and watch me and watch you as a 10, 100 level. And they want to be where you are right now. You know, and, and they say, I want to be like him or I want to be like her, but don't let those compliments to, to feel you better than somebody else. Because right.
Yeah, I agree. I think that's, I read something about that. I don't know if it's exactly in line with what you're saying, but ultimately, well, it just made me think of a poster I saw, but that's my ADHD.
You're trying to understand my Spanglish.
Your Spanglish? That's a good movie, man. It's something to the effect of like, don't, you know, you may think, you know, for me, even instance, like I'm on my own, we're always usually our own worst critics, right? We're high level folks are going to be hardest on themselves. Most people are, but like, Constantly feeling like you're not doing enough. You're not, you're not winning enough. You're not doing enough. You're, you're, you're only overthinking of what you're not doing. At least that's, and, uh, who was that? Who said that? 75 hard, that guy. Uh, but anyhow, and he's right, right? Like 4% of the time, you might feel like you're actually winning 98% of the time. You're gonna feel like you're losing. Just those are what it is, but there's always somebody who's watching you currently and would like die to change shoes with you. You know what I mean? And like, doesn't matter what situation you're in, there's somebody who would be like, If I could just get there, I'll be happy. And the same is true for, so it's finding peace in much of what my coach said. He said his goal was to find peace and happiness in wherever he's at, right? Because we got big goals. I think our 2024 is going to be really, really big. I know it is. I'm really excited, honestly. I mean, I don't pay attention to the noise. I thank you so much for A, coming by, but B, just showing people what's possible. Because like I said, I mean, Again, you might not, you might've understood like 85% of what she said. And again, she's not letting that slow down anything. I don't know, maybe 90, 95. 85%. I understand 100%, but I think it's funny when people who don't see, you have to understand too, there's a secret there. Like back in high school, I dated a Spanish young lady for 10 plus years. Now she spoke perfect English, but her family, her grandma, cousins, aunts, so like, I have been an active friend of the Hispanic community for a long time. So I hear that stuff and it doesn't, I can make sense of it regardless. So for me, it's easy. But we have Mariana who also has a very thick accent. And I just like, I forget that because I hear it, I understand it. And I just don't really pay much attention to it. But then some of the guys in the office or gals in the office are like, oh, you know, they just don't get it. And I'm like, okay, I have to understand that I may be able to understand because I'm so used to it. So anyhow, I think they understand most of it. My point, Lily, is that you don't use any of that as an excuse, man. It doesn't even slow you even the slightest, and you've got so much going on. I honestly think you are just a boss, you know what I mean? On epic proportions, a boss that I can't wait to see what you do this year. I didn't even know you were doing half of that stuff. I knew you were busy and into a lot of things, but damn. I mean, I'm really impressed. I mean, I'm looking forward to see what you do this year, and I'm excited to be alongside you while we do it. And we'll have to get an update next year.
Update, and just to say, to me, because I'm the first woman to be here, right?
First woman physically to be in here, yes.
Oh, physical?
Yeah, physical. We've had… I've never not had a woman on the podcast before. Is that what they told you? Oh, they're gassing you up. Well, Rojay wasn't here. I don't even know if David was here then. It was a long time ago. Zoom, she was in like California. But you're the first one to be in here. Probably the first one this year.
Really? Woman power.
There's plenty of good women that can come on here. I just, you know… I don't know. I feel like… Yeah. I don't know.
Hey. Women are very smart.
I understand. That's what I'm saying. That's why I'm keeping my mouth shut because I'm like, I don't know why there's not more women on here. There should be way more. I agree. Yeah, I don't know. I just probably have, you know, sometimes I have to lean on my network to get quickly and I don't know. I have probably less women. It's probably how it should be. I have less women in my network. It's probably how my wife would prefer that it be.
That's the point. I like Lily. She's so beautiful. And I love her name too.
Well, Lily's been around, man, for a long time. So she's got to understand, you know, I gotta. Yes. And she's been, she loves you guys. So I am really looking forward to this coming year. And by the way, where can we shout out Lily's Printing? Where can we, you guys are on Facebook, Insta, where, where can they find you?
Yeah, you can find us in our website as lilysprinting.com and also in our Facebook as lilysprinting on Instagram. And you know, everything you need to get done to do a physical presentation to your company. So just give us a call. We can help you out.
Graphics, wraps, truck wraps, all of it, man. But that's just one of her companies. And she also has the law offices of Santo Domingo.
Santo Domingo and Associates.
And Associates. If you get in trouble. Where can they find you? Yeah, if you get in trouble, you can holler at them. And then you can find Lili at, what's your Facebook and Insta, Lili?
Yes. My Facebook is Lili Santo Domingo. My husband last night was Santo Domingo, so I just honor him to use his last name. Lili, I'm not Santo Domingo, because I never change it. Uh, in Facebook, you can find me as Lily Santo Domingo, and I will be more than happy to help you out. If you have any problems with DUI, if you have accidents, so we can help you out to get, you know, some money because. No, we're there to help everyone. And thank you so much. I hope you understand the most I insane and, uh, thank you for the opportunity. And I'm very, very proud of your team and what you're doing. And just for you guys letting you know, when I get here, I feel like a star, a movie star. Because I didn't even open my door and I have a guy, this handsome guy with his umbrella over there waiting for me. I feel like, oh my God.
Well, that was important. And these young men, look, I will say that this generation gets a lot of slack or a lot of flack. But all I had to do was just look over. I said, there's a young lady showing up, it's raining and just glance over. And then he hopped right up. So did the other gentlemen. They're not all, you know, there's some were still raised by, raised the right way, you know. Cause I feel like y'all do get a lot, y'all catch a lot of strays, man. Especially all generations, a bunch of, there's a lot of lazy, you know, entitled, but we're not going to keep hammering them down. We don't have those young men here. We've got the ones that actually want to work. Or maybe it's just social media pushing that, man. Cause these young men here hop right up. These guys hop right up and made sure that she had a nice, A nice path. They probably said that about my generation too when it was coming up. You know what I mean? Like, oh, this guy's lazy.
You feel old now, right? You feel old, Ken, or not yet?
I don't, I don't, no, I don't feel old.
I don't feel old, but people keep saying like, me and you know, they feel like, I don't know. I can't relate. I feel, you know, like back in the years, I feel like, oh, when people had 38, so, but now I'm 38 and I feel like I'm so young. I'm not that old. 45 old people, 50 years old people are not too old.
I was so lost in my twenties, man. I was just a party guy. I had no use of anything other than just existing and partying. So I don't miss it. No, I don't feel, I don't feel old. You're only as old as you feel. And look, apparently we're both doing all right. So yeah. Yes, ma'am. Have a wonderful day. Thank you so much for coming on. We'll see you next time.
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