Erica: Hey, girl. By now, you know I have Her Collective, my online community for ambitious women who are done doing it alone. Her Collective is for the women who are smart, capable, and driven, but they find themselves stuck on the sticky floors like self doubt, burnout, and waiting for permission that quite honestly never comes. Inside HER, you get more than motivation. You get real support, real strategies, and real momentum.

Erica: We work on things like clarifying what you want now and what's coming next, building confidence without burning yourself out, navigating hard conversations, career moves, and leadership moments with clarity, and surrounding yourself with women who actually get it. This isn't about hustling harder. It's about moving intentionally with the right tools and the right people in your corner. If you're ready to stop spinning, start choosing yourself, and build a career in life that actually feels aligned, I'd love to welcome you inside HER Collective. You can learn more and join us at www.joinhercollective.com.

Erica: Because honestly, girl, you were never meant to do this alone.

Cynthia: It was everything from, like, what I was wearing to how I was talking to deliberately just being, like, very, just outright rude and very inappropriate and very dismissive and chauvinist. I mean, you name it. Right? And I was like, what? Do you have a problem with me?

Erica: Cynthia, what a last name. Did I get it right?

Cynthia: Yes. Thank you. God. It's Italian. Right?

Cynthia: Oh, yes. That's what it's

Erica: Can't mistake it. Can't mistake it. So awesome to have you here.

Cynthia: Thank you. I know I'm really excited to be here. This is a really important topic. I think that, you know, we are connecting about and reaching out to just so many women and support systems. So I'm really happy to be here.

Cynthia: Thank you for having me. Awesome. Awesome.

Erica: Yeah. So you have an interesting story from corporate to being a business owner and back to corporate again. Tell me about this journey.

Cynthia: Yeah. So I, I can probably go a little bit from the beginning. So I actually went to school as an engineer and I specialized in medical device. So my whole corporate career has been in medical device. And, from engineering, I moved into marketing because I wanted to be more engaged with customers and kind of more on the forefront.

Cynthia: I worked for quite a while in an orthopedic company. So we did spine implants, total knees, etcetera, and had a great career within that and had a lot of different opportunities within that company. I would say that starting as my career as an engineer, and then also with an orthopedics, there were many times that I was the only woman in the room for quite a long time. I would say that it was, quite challenging at times. Sometimes it feels a little lonely or you don't really know who you don't have a lot of kind of people that you could talk to about kind of different things that you were experiencing.

Cynthia: Or I remember even one time, like the dress code, they were like, oh, you have to wear, I don't know, business casual. I'm like, well, what does that mean for me? And my boss was like, oh, you just know. You just know. And I'm like, I don't know.

Cynthia: So like, I'm like, no, I'm asking you. Right. And so just like small things, even at that level, it was, you know, how do you act? And, and I had some very uncomfortable, difficult situations that happened that I really, at that time, you know, this is going back in, you know, early two thousand updating myself, but early two thousands. And there wasn't as much kind of support, I would say.

Cynthia: And a lot of people talking about their experiences in, in work and, you know, I can give you a good example of, you know, of being bullied. I had this one person that I worked with and he would just not include me in like my own projects. He would talk over me. He would like, you know, deliberately make rude comments to me. And it was very uncomfortable.

Cynthia: And it got to a point where I asked one of my colleagues to be in meetings with me, with him because I needed somebody else kind of there to be like, almost like a mediator at times. It was everything from like what I was wearing to how I was talking to deliberately just being like very just outright rude and very inappropriate and very dismissive and chauvinist. I mean, you name it. Right? And I was like, what do you have a problem with me?

Cynthia: And I went, I even had a meeting with my boss to have, like, a mediation session with him to be like, you know, what am I doing? Like, how can we work better together? You know, taking a very proactive approach and nothing changed. And finally, it got to a point where I was so feeling like so sick every time I would have to go into work. So after mediation kind of getting no more support, I'd had tons of documentation and other colleagues that I had come in with me into meetings, you know, to, to kind of state my case.

Cynthia: And I went to HR and then nothing changed. And I was told that I exasperated the problem by going to HR. So then I really felt alone and looking. And then at the about a week or so later, I remember my boss being like, you know, maybe engineering just really isn't for you. And you should think about some other type of career paths.

Cynthia: And, you know, unfortunately, this company is a little too small for you to explore those. And so we're gonna give you six months or six weeks that you could still work here, transition your projects, but you can, like, feel free to go in interviews and look for other jobs. And we'll also give you your unemployment, like, severance. And I and looking back, like, at the time, it was like, okay. Like, yeah, I could see you.

Cynthia: Right? Like, this really isn't a good environment for me. Like I kind of went along with it. And now looking back with everything that's transpired and me getting more mature and, and talking with other people, like I was clearly being pushed out because they knew what they did was wrong and they didn't know how to handle it. Right.

Erica: The word now is gaslighting.

Cynthia: Yeah. Exactly. Like you

Erica: Are exasperating the issue. You won't belong in this company. You, you know, and, and like, I mean, it played out like a tip of one outside and you're like, oh my gosh.

Cynthia: Yeah,

Erica: I guess you're right.

Cynthia: Yeah. And then, you know, and I trusted my boss. So then I went into marketing and I, the environment was so much better. It's such a better position for me. Then now I'm in orthopedics again, I'm in a boys club then.

Cynthia: And a lot of times, again, you're the only woman in the room. And I would say that majority of the time, like it was great. It was definitely a work hard, play hard kind of environment. I developed some really great relationships. So that was really great, but I, I also remember another time, another good example of some different challenges.

Cynthia: Part of my job was going and working with a number of surgeons and training them and working on new products and new product development and attending surgeries to be a clinical support. So that is a big part of my role. And, one visit I was, told the surgeon, I was like, you know, I have to take the red eye. We can go to dinner, but I have a red eye flight. I have to be on it and I can't switch it.

Cynthia: And he's like, yeah. Yeah. That's okay. And so we were at dinner and then he kept trying to convince me, like, not to go. And I was like, no.

Cynthia: I really have to go. And so I left. And as, as soon as I was in the airport, like on the plane, I emailed my boss just to give him an update. Like, Hey, this is what happened. This is how we handled it.

Cynthia: Just within the, the couple of days that I was there. Oh, and by the way, he kept asking me to stay, but I told him I had to get on the red eye flight. I'm literally get off the plane. I walk into my office and my boss calls me in his office. He's like, so what happened out there?

Cynthia: And I'm like, what are you talking about? I emailed you. Here's all the things that happened. And he's like, well, I got an, a call this morning from the surgeon and being like saying how I was like incompetent and how I, you know, couldn't handle things appropriately and, and all of that. And I was like, what is he talking about?

Cynthia: I thought everything went smooth. Like, yes, we had some discussions and it was fine in the end and everyone was pleased and happy. I was like, the only thing I can think of is that I told him I couldn't stay. And he was just like and he's like, oh, okay. I'll look into it.

Cynthia: I was just like so nervous. I'm like, great. Now I'm either gonna be off the project. Am I gonna lose my job? Like, it was Yeah.

Cynthia: Awesome. And so, luckily, I told, like, a couple of trusted colleague what happened, and they called my boss immediately and, like, totally vouched for me, which is, like, this guy is off. Like, Cindy handled everything great, like, etcetera. Like, clearly, she's, like, doing a great job on so many other levels. But and then after that, I basically told my boss, I was like, I'm not gonna be alone with him again.

Cynthia: And I was like, I need to ensure that won't happen. It's just like those types of things, right, that happen that I think today would never fly. So kind of coming from that, like growing up in those different types of environments and then and kind of overcoming a lot of that and, and feeling like you have to be on your game all the time to prove yourself because you don't want any of any kind of misinterpretations or not just misinterpreting your, your, your efforts, but then you have to kind of prove that you are really good at your job, right? That you can't have any kind of missteps. I would say I left because I was starting to get burned out in that environment.

Cynthia: I was teaching Pilates and yoga on the side because I found kind of a refuge in those environments. You know, it was very supportive and open and what drew me to it. It was one area of my life that I didn't have to prove myself. Right. I didn't have to perform.

Cynthia: I didn't have to be the best. I didn't have to be perfect at it.

Erica: And yoga is very like meeting you where you're at.

Cynthia: Yeah.

Erica: Comparisons, like just be in the moment, like all about.

Cynthia: Yeah. And, and it was like, I just remember being in class one day and someone being like, you know, if you just feel you need to sit here, just sit here. It's starting to really teach me about trusting in my instincts and trusting in my body and trusting in what I needed at that exact moment, not what I felt I should be doing, or I should want, or I should, you know, like all the shoulds kind of started going away. And, and it is really true, you know, and I was very fortunate. I had amazing teachers that it was really true that like what you practice on the mat, just weave into everything else in your life.

Cynthia: It really kind of opened my eyes to give myself permission to just be right and just be in that moment and to accept what was going on or to let things just settle and process and to start really tapping into my instincts and moving through fear, I would say was, is a big lesson.

Erica: I used to teach yoga when I worked for Verizon and I'm a huge, huge like fitness fan. I need to incorporate more yoga in my life.

Cynthia: Yeah. But

Erica: How did you make this transition or make the decision to leave? I mean, it was a stressful job, right? But like it was a job. It was a significant corporate golden handcuffs. How did you make a decision to leave and start your own business?

Cynthia: Yeah. So at the time I got divorced, I was at a critical pathway or critical crossroads that I was like, this is something that I've been thinking about. I've been dreaming of my mom. And my brother have their own business, like individually. They started this, small Pilates studio together because my mom was a fitness director for a long time and she was starting to get her own clients and she herself was also like, I can do this on my own.

Cynthia: And so my mom had the small studio and it just was timing. I mean, some of it's luck and timing, right? And some of it is, you know, being willing and I, the right place, I was in the right moment to take a risk. You know, I had some money saved. I was divorced.

Cynthia: I had no other responsibilities except myself. And she also was at a crossroads where either she needed to grow the studio or she was going to just remain small. And I was already teaching. Right. I was teaching on the side as well.

Cynthia: So I was kind of half like one foot in one foot out. Right. At already. And so I was like, you know what? I just went through this horrible divorce.

Cynthia: I am not happy in my job, but let me just try it for a couple years. You know, I'm gonna help her out. She's helping me with like a win win situation. And I said, okay, let's do it. And my plan was only to do it for like a couple of years to kind of get my feet back on the ground, kind of recover from like an emotional dramatic situation.

Cynthia: And, and I joined and I remember like walking in and just being like, oh my God, because I went from like very structured, like corporate where you call IT and they come and fix your computer.

Erica: And you did this for six years. Right? Yeah. Alright. So Yeah.

Erica: You I mean, this is a lot. This is a lot of growth. Right? Always. So I hear you talk you know, we talked about kinda like the first stage in corporate where it's

Cynthia: Yeah.

Erica: You're orthopedic, male dominated. We've

Cynthia: Got I mean, I have

Erica: No other words except for just bizarre things happening. Right? Yeah. Like bizarre things happening that to me, I'm like, this absolutely makes sense why she got out and got into her business doing yoga and Pilates. Right.

Erica: And

Cynthia: I hear

Erica: You talking about this in just so I can tell you loved it. Right. And you probably loved you. What? I mean, we're back in corporate now.

Erica: What happened? Right.

Cynthia: Yeah. Yeah. We were at, again, another crossroads. Right? We built the business.

Cynthia: We relocated, kind of restructured. And, you know, what did we wanna do with this with the studio now? Right? And the big question was at the crossroads. Do we go bigger or do we go smaller?

Cynthia: Because where we were, like, it was just not we were just kind of flat. And it was like, well, what are we what are we doing here? Right? And so we decided to go smaller and we did that because, you know, I had a child and, to go smaller was actually a better choice to do that because it was more manageable. We were reacting to kind of where our niche is in the competitive environment.

Cynthia: You know, personal, I think we are not alone in that, and I'm not claiming victim or at all. Like, every but the whole world, right, came to a stop and came to a collapse. And

Erica: But it still impacted people differently. Yeah. And like, I think that's people feel this. Right? Like so many people went through so many changes that, like, you're really nice, you know?

Cynthia: Yeah. I mean, we were lucky that we quickly shifted to online training and our clients, you know, were weren't more open to that because they also felt like they needed something and that they knew us. And so it was kind of nice to see a friend, right, when you couldn't see anybody. And, especially clients we've had for like ten years at that point. And they were used to coming to you once, twice a week.

Cynthia: And now all of a sudden nothing and like a lot of time, like you are a staple in their life. And so being able to retain those connections. But at that time, I was like, I just don't know how. I, I just was like, I have to make a choice and I had to make a decision in terms of what I was doing. You know, I was already out of corporate for six years.

Cynthia: If I waited much longer, it would be that much harder to go back if I needed to. And I gave myself six months, six to eight months. And if I don't, then I will continue doing what I'm doing with the studio. But if I do, then, you know, I'm going back down into the corporate direction.

Erica: Yeah. You know, like there's no, it's not all roses. Like it, it, it sounded like such an easy decision for you to leave this male dominated gaslighting environment to open your own studio. But then again, you found yourself at this crossroads and no decision is the right decision. No decision is the wrong decision.

Erica: It's just a hard decision.

Cynthia: Right. -huh. -huh. Yeah. You have to make the best decision with the information that you have at the time and a little bit of foresight as to what that decision is going to impact, what is gonna change and, and evaluating the consequences of that decision and consequences doesn't necessarily mean bad things.

Cynthia: Right? Consequences just what happens after we make this decision and being able and being okay with okay, pros and cons in both. Right? I mean, that's part of life. And I think that's part of always growing up and, and being forced to, to have to make those decisions.

Cynthia: Right. And we look back and like, do I have certain regrets? Of course. Absolutely. But, but at the same time, it's like, well, I had to make the right decision for the right time.

Cynthia: Well, I think such a

Erica: A big thing that we all need to remember is that we're all gonna have these hard decisions. Right. And we could trust our instincts. And if you so happen to be wrong and the bottom falls out again, or you find yourself in another environment that doesn't work for you, there's always another decision to come after that. Right.

Erica: Like you are always going to be the one driving the bus Question that I ask all my guests, Cynthia, is Yeah. Imagine if you were talking to the Cynthia from 2005. You're working your way up. You're in these male dominated industries. You're all the things.

Erica: What would you tell her today?

Cynthia: I would say, to try and go after the big dreams and to not be afraid of what they are and to dream big and to really explore, explore them and try them.

Erica: Cynthia, if somebody wanted to connect with you because I'm sure this story resonates with so many, where can they find you?

Cynthia: LinkedIn is probably made best.

Erica: It was so awesome to hear your story.

Cynthia: Thank you. Thank you for having me. It was so great to chat with you.