Today’s guest is an immigrant who went from incredible poverty to founding a multi-million dollar business.

She was born in an orphanage in Mexico and her first shot out of poverty was an opportunity to play basketball for the Mexican National Team – a shot she missed because she had broken her collarbone. Undeterred, she managed to immigrate to the United States on a basketball scholarship.

With a college degree in hand, but no job to be found, she found herself living on the streets during a snowy winter. A condition so familiar that she didn’t realize she was homeless. A friend saw her and gave her a place to stay.

Weeks later, she entered a Fresh Salsa competition, won unanimously, and received $800 to start a natural salsa and dips company. Which she grew into a multi-million dollar business within four years, with products distributed across 38 states to major supermarkets like Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Whole Foods, and many more.

At the height of its success in 2015, she sold her company to Campbell’s and then went to Mexico and rescued 31 orphaned children from a drug cartel.

Please join me in welcoming Magie Cook.

Would you leave an honest rating and review on Apple Podcast? Or Stitcher? They are extremely helpful and I read each and every one of them. Thanks for the inspiration!

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “The secret to great leadership is great empathy. When you can be empathetic over people and really care about them, they really respond differently.”
• some of her experiences growing up in an orphanage in Mexico, and how a basketball scholarship to the United States began her journey to a new life.
• her experience with homelessness and how winning $800 in a random salsa competition catapulted her to significant business success.
• the mindsets she has adopted that make her an incredible inspiration.
• the aha moment she experienced in her salsa business.
• how she built her business on her own and now helps other people, even competitors because she values collaboration.
• how she got into speaking, what she has learned, and where she is going with it.
• the correlation between sex trafficking, supply and demand, forgiveness, and collaboration.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com – episode 162