We were lucky to catch up with René DeAnda recently and have shared our conversation below.

René, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

My sister tagged me on a post one day and said that the post reminded her of me, and that I should look into it. It was advertisement for a workshop where I could learn holistic stress management techniques.

I didn’t have the money to reserve my spot, so I asked my boss if they would pay for me to go, I was turned down because it didn’t match up with “advising” enough.

So, I called the number and I inquired about a payment plan, once again, I was turned down.

By this time, I really wanted to go and I was at a loss as to what to do next. I waited for the day the workshop started and I stalked the instructor, Dr. Brian Luke Seaward, in the parking lot.. He was unloading the car for the workshop and I approached him and introduced myself. I told him how I tried to get in, but was met with closed doors every time. He told me to make myself at home for four days and we would “work it out”…. he was so kind.

I stayed, learned, became certified to teach holistic stress management techniques and it was wonderful! At the end of the workshop he agreed to allow me to pay monthly until the debt was paid.

I took the risk, and it paid off! We remain friends to this day!

René, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was happy with my job at the computer company. We had a contract with the department of defense and the people were fun to work with. I started there as a secretary and was quickly promoted to technical writer. I truly enjoyed my job as a technical writer. Then I ended up editing my boss’s work. At that point I asked for a raise and I was told that I would never get a raise because I had topped out of my paygrade. Being a government contract, they were very strict about following the rules. I was hugely disheartened, and I kept walking around saying, “if I ever win the lottery I’m going back to school!”

Little did I know, my friend Gary heard me and was on the lookout. He came in one day and told me that his wife worked for a private college here in Denver and there was an opening for a secretary. He said it probably didn’t pay much but they had a tuition benefit. He told me that I could go to school and they would pay my tuition. So it was kind of like winning the lottery, but not really.

I remember I had bronchitis when I went to the interview. I was dressed in a wool suit and I remember being extremely hot. All I wanted to do was go home and go to bed. In fact, I secretly hoped I would bomb the interview.

If I was selected it would be time to put up or shut up.

I remember sitting around a large conference room table and every chair was full. It was the nursing department and all the faculty. Everyone from the Dean on down was in this interview.

I remember telling them what they had, telling them what they needed, and telling them what I could do for them. At which point I excused myself.

I left there feeling confident that I wouldn’t have to go back to school. And I was fine with that. All of a sudden I felt that I was making enough money and didn’t want to go back to school. Surely I bombed this interview.

As fate would have it, I received a phone call around 7: 00pm that night and they asked me if I could start sooner than later.

I struggled with the information because it was a huge cut in pay. I ended up biting the bullet, giving my notice at the computer company, and going to work for a private university in Denver, Colorado.

I ended up earning my bachelor’s degree, and my master’s degree, at the institution.

Between my bachelor’s degree and my master’s degree I upped my game and became an admissions advisor.

A year later, the university decided to do away with my position. I was told I could either go with marketing, or I could go with advising. If I went with advising I would have to earn my graduate degree. I had just had my only child and was not in the mood to go to school again. But I always wanted to be an academic advisor so I bit the bullet and went back to school.

It might sound strange to hear me say I always wanted to be an academic advisor. It was strange for me to realize as well. But I recalled that when I was a little girl I didn’t play school like everybody else, I played “advisor” (I just didn’t know it at the time). I would line my stuffed animals up and advise them one at a time. I had a little pencil that was blue on one side and red on the other and a ledger book. That’s all I needed to ensure they were all on the right track. I would list their names and give them a blue check mark if they were doing well and a red one if they weren’t.

I did it! I got through the master’s program and became a full-fledged professional academic advisor!

Now it’s 20 years later, I’ve had the honor of serving thousands of students. I now have the knowledge, and the experience to take my academic tips and tricks on the road.

Even though all students can benefit from my information, I enjoy serving adult students, veterans, and first generation students. I chose these students to serve because they often don’t have the example to follow or anyone to guide them.

One of my proudest moments was when a veteran had the American flag flown over the Iwo Jima Memorial, for a day, in my honor because he was grateful for my service to students. He presented me with two plaques, and the flag that was flown on my behalf.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Well it’s been a journey, and a long one at that. It all started when I learned how to drive my electromagnetic engine that is my body. When I learned how to drive my own electromagnetic engine my entire life changed.

I wanted to share that news with everybody because I thought everybody should know how to drive their own electromagnetic engines around. I continued to learn more and more about it and I even built a sculpture as a teaching tool.

The sculpture reflects a pulse, which is representative of our electrical thoughts, and swirls that represent our magnetic emotions. They come together to create an electromagnet which pulses a frequency out from our heartbeat.

Atop the sculpture is the electromagnetic engine. Along with the tree of Life which dangles our DNA and the red dragon, passion heart. There is also a magnetic lodestone at the bottom of the tree.

I put a peephole in the back of the sculpture so one could look inside. When they peer inside they can see a representation of a beating heart and all of the elements are represented.

The sculpture also lights up and can roll through all the colors, just like we do.

I say all that to say that I really got into personal energy management. So I set out to teach other people about it and I got certified to teach holistic stress management techniques because I thought they went hand in hand with what I was trying to teach people.

During this time I was working as an academic advisor. I loved my job, and yet I had this mission to tell other people about our electromagnetic bodies. My colleagues even let me practice in front of them during lunchtime.

So I invested heavily in learning how to start up my own online business. I built my website. I read “Profit First” and set up my accounts. And all kinds of other technical stuff that goes along with building your own business.

I retired from the job I loved and set out to build my business and spread the word!

When I started to make the videos I learned that I paused a lot and I said “um” a lot. This was not cool and quite disturbing.

Then one day I had to instruct someone else and I made a little video for them regarding their education. As it turns out I didn’t stammer and I didn’t say um.

This was the main reason that I pivoted and switched my focus to academics again. I could talk about them with ease. I spoke to students for years about their degree plans and their education. The muscle-memory kicked in and I could simply speak without worry.

So InnerstandU! took a backseat to Me and My Degree.

Eventually both businesses will be up and running, but for now we’re starting with Me and My Degree. I’m finding that I can’t speak about someone’s educational journey without bringing up personal energy management, so it will all unfold perfectly!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn the belief that I wasn’t worthy.

I never felt worthy of being successful. I knew that I could be successful but I never felt worthy of the success. So I had this fear of being successful.

What’s the backstory? A lot of verbal/physical abuse and toxic relationships. Backhanded compliments and judgmental influences over-ran my brain and I believed them.

I had to do a lot of shadow work to dispel any ideas of inadequacy and unworthiness. I took the time to do the work, I researched people who could help me in the way that I wanted to be helped, I invested in myself, and came out knowing that I am worthy.

This had to be done before I could launch my business. I had to show up whole for this endeavor. So alongside building the websites and reading the books I invested in some personal development.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.meandmydegree.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meandmydegree22/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/meandmydegreepublicgroup
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/76175544/admin/notifications/all/

Image Credits
Lisa Craig