Supporting small business is a cause I hold near and dear to my heart. “I got it from my mama” perfectly illustrates the root of my entrepreneurial spirit. I’m switching gears from the heaviness of the last two weeks to a subject that will uplift and inspire, my mother, Rebeca H. Pulido. In my intro post, Hope Floats, I mentioned I’d be writing about the people and businesses that embody Grit. Gratitude. Grass. I cannot think of a better example than the woman who gave birth to me, Rebeca with one c.

I am not the only one in our family celebrating a milestone birthday this year. You could never tell by looking at her (her natural glow is genetic), but my mother will be turning sixty this March. In the time my mom has been on this earth she has endured many hardships. Some of these tribulations include the murder of my grandfather, moving to the United States at the age of seven, abandoning her academic accolades to focus on being a mother, and navigating a difficult divorce while being diagnosed with breast cancer to name a few. To the flip side of that, my mother has also celebrated many triumphs as well. She began running Art Decal in 2008 and in 2015 she, along with my stepfather, purchased the business. Art Decal is one of the oldest printing shops in the industry. It has been in existence for over 72 years. In 2019, they took another leap from the lion’s head and became owners of the building that houses Art Decal today. A milestone not obtained by many small business owners.

This post is dedicated to my mother, Rebeca Hernandez Pulido. An Aries through and through, this fire sign is independent, accepts nothing, but the best, and passed on the alpha gene to me. I also happen to look exactly like her. (Thanks for good genetics mom.) What once was annoying, I now find gratitude for. Who would have thought? (Definitely not 15 year old me.) I would not be where I am today had it not been for my mother’s grit. She has always been my example of what can be accomplished with focus, hard work, and faith. My mom is a Boss Bitch without even realizing it. As a matter of fact she is unaware the term is actually a compliment or is annoyed I used it to describe her. You’re welcome and Happy Birthday Mom! I love and appreciate you more than you know. The unique opportunity to share your story is not lost on me. I am so pleased I get to do this. Enjoy this new chapter in life. Cheers to you, another 60 years, and Art Decal!

In 1967, life in Guadalajara, Mexico, was sublime. My grandmother was married to my grandfather, my mom was about 4, and my uncle was a baby. My grandfather loved old cars. He bought, worked on, sold, and collected them. He passed on his passion for old cars to his children and grandchildren. All of us have our own love affair with vintage classics for various reasons. It is in embedded in our DNA. He also owned a watch repair shop and was an entrepreneur; more confirmation the traits of a hustler flows through the Hernandez veins.

Life for my mom was happy, maybe even a bit perfect. Up until that point her childhood was peaceful and pleasant. (They had a maid. For those of you familiar with Mexico, this gives you an idea of her quality of life.) My grandmother was a young mother with two young children, an adoring husband, and a bright future. Sadly, their happiness bubble was short lived. A bus driver, yes bus driver, decided to drink and drive, crashing into my grandfather’s car as he drove down a highway. He later died in the hospital. This trauma left scars that would never fully heal, changing their life course forever. My mom lost her father, her hero, her everything that night. Little girls need their fathers and my mother never had the chance to create memorable moments with hers. All she has are early memories and the traits that have shaped her into the woman she is today. Becoming a mother has given me a deeper appreciation of the adversity my grandmother faced in the wake of her husband’s passing. My grandmother is the original Baddie. She is a Taurus made of titanium. (We always get it from our mamas don’t we?)

The passing of my grandfather abruptly changed everything in my mother’s life as she knew it. When my mother was seven she relocated to the U.S. and spent her eighth birthday in her new home. She learned English quickly and soon became head of her class in all subjects. She loved school, excelled in music, and sports, specifically tennis. Her hyper-focus and drive has been present since birth. It allowed her to achieve full scholarships and be accepted to every college she applied to, including MIT. Although she had countless educational institutions to choose from, she chose to attend Cal Poly Pomona to study electrical engineering and be near my father. At the end of her sophomore year she became pregnant with me and got married.

Being a young mother in the eighties was not an ideal situation. We see how working mother’s struggle in the workplace today, and we have some of the best job protection laws in the nation. Can California improve and expand on those laws? Yes. My point is being a working mother, during any time, is challenging. Trying to balance school, motherhood, marriage, and a job became too much. Something was going to have to be let go. My mother chose to sacrifice her career. To this day she says she would not change a thing. I could have been left at the sitter longer, been shuffled around from relative to relative, but I wasn’t. My mother chose to do what the majority of mothers do. We sacrifice a piece of ourselves and do our best to process the loss that is, in many ways, like mourning a death. She said goodbye to her engineering dreams and never looked back.

My parents were very young when they married. In many ways they were still kids themselves. I cannot imagine getting married at 19. (Full transparency I’m amazed I was married the first time at 24… and then the second time at 32. Whoopsie-daisy!) During their marriage my parents owned two homes in Whittier, Ca. The last home they lived in is located down the street from where she resides today. During their divorce my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I witnessed my mom take less than a week off of work and keep it moving. This was ALWAYS my example. The bounce-back and be better game is strong in my family. During her treatment she would drive from Downey to Whittier to drop off my brother at school, drive to Long Beach to work, drive to Hollywood for radiation, drive back to Whittier to pick up my brother, then finally back to Downey to go home. She did this for months all while going through a divorce that was becoming more difficult as time went on. (No wonder she was born an Aries.) She pulled through her breast cancer with flying colors. I’m happy to report she has been in remission for 19 years.

The tenacity that allowed my mom to prevail over cancer is a trait that is applied to every task she takes on. As mentioned earlier she, along with my stepfather, purchased Art Decal in 2015. I had a first hand account of the struggles small business owners were forced to live through in LA County during Covid. Surreal and scary come to mind. The uncertainty Covid brought was all consuming. They had overhead costs, two mortgages, and a business to run in a world that had been placed on pause indefinitely. Thankfully they were able to weather the storm, however, they are now facing inflation costs in a post-Covid economy. Art Decal is standing strong and the grind and hustle are 24/7. This is the life of an entrepreneur, always under pressure. It takes a certain skill set, resourcefulness, and rigor to be a small business owner, especially during a global pandemic.

My mom has always been my inspiration whether I expressed it or not. As with all mother and daughter relationships, there have been ups and downs through out the years. (We still butt heads today.) What has been constant and steadfast is her love and support for me. It truly knows no bounds and set the blue print for how I parent my own son. She is even keeled, kind, and generous. She has a quiet confidence, never holds any jealousy, and is a total tomboy. She never wears makeup because, and I quote, “It feels like I am suffocating”. (I honestly have no idea how we are related.) We fought during my teen years as mothers and daughters often do. She would rather have me rebuild an engine, I was happier reading about Kate Moss, comme ci comme ça. She is happiest when she is in her garden, listening to The Beatles, or taking a ride on one of her Harleys. I have learned to accept and appreciate her for the woman who she is rather than only as my mother. Thank you therapy. (I can feel my therapist smiling as she reads this.)

My mother was shaping my grit and fortitude before I was aware any was being formed. Seeing her overcome setback after setback instilled a no-bullshit, I-can-handle-anything-that-comes-my way approach to life. It was only after becoming a mother myself, that the gravity of her sacrifices really sunk in. Having to face my own choices between spending time with my son versus pursuing my career, helped me better understand her “no regrets” attitude about the early decisions she made as a mother. I am able to push myself past the finish line because that is the only precedent my mother set. Imagine how the world would be if we all had mothers or role models like this?

Rebeca with one c has always marched to the beat of her own drum. (It is highly likely she designed and constructed that drum herself.) It is this authenticity and self-assurance that sets her apart from others. There is something incredibly inspiring about a woman who is comfortable in her own skin, accomplished, and unapologetically herself. My mother has never cared about the opinions of others or let pettiness distract her from her goals. Failure was never an option or a thought that crossed her mind. Ever. Her world was torn apart as a child, but she never let her circumstances hold her back from achieving in life. Every success I have is because my mother never gave up and loved my brother and I fiercely. She made us into the good humans we are today. I love you Mom. I am so proud to be your daughter. Thank you for always choosing us first. XOXO