Maritza: So which of the success principles from Think and Grow Rich desire, persistence, masterminds, faith do you think has influenced you the most?

Andrea: I think it’s a combination of all of them. I think what Napoleon Hill has hit on is that beautiful recipe of creating a very successful life. I would say in my own recipe I’ve had a burning desire since I was very young, this desire to serve people. I truly want to leave every person who I encounter better off than when I found them. If that’s just a smile, a friendly hello, a nice to see you, how’s your day, it’s a small thing in the world, but it makes my life richer and it also allows me to feel like I’m living my time here with purpose, even if nothing great or amazing happens, it’s the little things in life that you do every day.

Every moment is a blessing and is a gift and it’s what you do with that. Faith has been a big part of my journey, because I have had this calling in my heart that never made a lot of sense on paper. I’ve taken big risks with my life that to my parents seemed crazy and foolish or to other people around me. Even with my own journey of losing weight, science was even telling me your genetics are against you. You’re going to be fat you’re destined to be this way, but I didn’t believe them. I had a deeper faith that I could find a way and faith in myself, the faith of being tested by life and adversity, yet knowing that I’m a person who loves living. I love life, I’m passionate about it. I have a deeper meaning for being here. Therefore, I just know that I’m going to continuously strive to overcome whatever I’m facing and that also comes with persistence that’s a big part of it. Learning that when you fall down.

The mastermind is very important as well. Surround yourself with people whom you admire; you truly become the people who you’re around. I love the saying ‘I would rather soar with the eagles than pluck with the chickens.’ That saying is like, there are thousands and millions of chickens and they all huddle together, but the chickens are so focused on what’s right in front of them. They pluck from seed to seed whereas they never look up or look around and they never see that there’s a bigger world around them.

Whereas, an eagle soars high above the whole world and if you look at an eagle most of the time they’re soaring alone. They’re alone in the sky and you compare that to the chickens that are surrounded by other chickens, but they’re still chickens and they’re still lost in their short-sighted world. It’s like you rise up higher and then you get to a place where you can lift them up. It’s about holding yourself up to that, soar like an eagle and what happens is you find other eagles, eventually. You meet other people at that level, but you have to stay at that level you cannot be sucked down.