Interview: An Inspiring Role Model
I completed my interview of someone who inspires me with my mom. My mom inspires me because she is mindful, happy, persistent, a hard worker, determined, and creative.
My mom’s full name is Phaedra Mendoza. She currently works as a business owner, lead designer, and homemaker. For her jobs, she enjoys the flexibility of her own business, designing products that help people, and nourishing her family with healthy foods.
She has had several role models in her life. In college, her main role model was Madonna Moss, one of her archeology professors, because Madonna Moss really helped my mom to develop her writing skills. As an adult, her role models have varied.
My mom values integrity, honesty, and flexibility in a person. She portrays those traits in herself by being as fully present as possible. She hikes, sews, and bikes for fun.
If she could have dinner with one famous person who is dead or alive, she would have dinner with Neil de Grasse Tyson because he is extraordinarily brilliant and personable. My mom, personally, has no desire to be famous, but if she was it would probably be for service.
If she could visit one natural habitat, she would visit the Alaskan Temperate Rain forest because it is absolutely beautiful and she feels at peace there. If she could describe herself in three words, she would describe herself as dependable, quirky, and innovative. If she had an autobiography of herself, she would call it Plan B, because her life seems to have many obstacles and detours.
She would unsay anything that she had ever said that was unkind because she never wants to hurt anyone. If an author were writing a book and my mom was a character in their book, she would be the supporter of the main character because she tends to inspire people to recognize their own solutions.
She prefers to be behind the scenes. She also sees the glass half full. But if a bar of soap falls on the floor, the soap is definitely dirty.
If she was a published author, she would write children’s stories or cookbooks. If she could learn to play one instrument, she would play guitar because she’s always wanted to learn. If she were to write a song, she would call it Believe in Yourself. If she were a TV show, she would be Cook It Up - Healthy Family Meals. Hiking and mindfulness have significantly helped her in her life. Advice she would
give to aspiring business creators would be to believe in yourself.
If she could tell her teenage self a message, she would say “Believe in yourself. Stop seeking validation from other people! Go hiking and be mindful. The answers to all of your questions will come to you if you stop seeking validation from other people.” If she could tell the world a message, she would say “Wake up! Climate change is real. Life matters. Act responsibly now!”
I think that my mom’s answers are inspiring and I especially love the message she would tell her teenage self and the message she would tell the world. I think that those two messages are especially inspiring and are messages to create a positive change. So that is my interview with the person that inspires me. And I loved hearing the answers from my creative and inspiring mom.
