The Place: Cherrywood Coffee

The Cup: Chai Latte for Mercedes, and a Cortado for me

The Background: Cup 33 Arie Moyal was in town for SXSW, giving hugs and spreading love. Unfortunately, I didn’t even get to see him while he was here because I was busy, busy with work! It seems the whole town shuts down during SXSW and many locals flee the city to make room for the 150,000 people who come to town for the festivities. Those who didn’t leave town all seemed to want to buy or sell a house. Lucky me!

Mercedes found a Meetup group that Arie had formed to find people to be a part of his hugging mission. Mercedes eagerly signed up and gave out free hugs to anyone in need of one. After the event, Arie introduced Mercedes and I via Facebook, and ta-da — we had coffee!

Common Grounds:

1. What’s your guilty pleasure? Coffee.
2. What’s the last thing you fixed? My sink. I had to use the plunger.
3. What is the best place to eat in Austin? Chuy’s on North Lamar. I know it’s a chain, but I love Chuy’s.
4. What is the best way to unwind? I turn on YouTube and I karaoke as I make candles.
5. What is a food you can’t live without? I love potatoes. I make some amazing mashed potatoes.
6. How did you make your first buck? Working a retail shop in the mall called G&G. I walked in one day and the manager came up to me and said, “You look like a G&G girl!” I said, “I do? Okay.” And I had my first job.
7. What’s the best gift you’ve ever gotten? My son. He got me on the right path. I don’t know where I’d be without him. He’s the best gift I can imagine having. He’s amazing! He’s living his life! He opens my eyes every day and he keeps me on track.
8. What is a book you found significant or impactful? Two come to mind. The Law of Divine Compensation by Marianne Williamson, and Outwitting The Devil by Napoleon Hill. The two books balance each other. One is about what not to do, and the other is about what to do. And of course, quarterly I read The Alchemist.
9. If you had a year to get really good at something, what would you try? Ballroom dancing. I want the flexibility, the outfits, the partner. I would be one of the best ballroom dancers! I would probably be in the best shape of my life. It’s on my vision board.

Dad’s Footsteps

Mercedes was born in Barstow, California and as soon as she was old enough, she followed in her military father’s footsteps — though she veered away from his precise path just slightly. Her father, a lifelong Marine, wasn’t thrilled when his baby girl decided to join the military, and when he learned it was the Army, he was even less excited. But he supported her decision and Mercedes spent the next six years in the Army.

Something Mercedes dreamed of doing when she was enlisted was to become a drill sergeant. When I ask Mercedes about something she’d do differently if she had it to do all over again, she says, “When I was younger, I was more passive and I would let things go. If I knew then what I know now, I would have stood up for myself more. Even though I made rank really quickly, I had people stand in my way. Had I not let them, or if I had stood my ground more firmly, I believe some things would have gone more smoothly.” And though her drill sergeant dream wasn’t realized while she was in active duty, she was not abandoning the notion just yet.

It Shall Be

Mercedes says when she got out of the Army, she regretted letting the dream go. So one day, as she was driving down the street, she came to a recruiting office. Mercedes pulled in the lot, walked in and told the recruiters she wanted to be a drill sergeant. Mercedes tells me, ”I am one of those ‘speak it and it shall be’ kind of people.” The recruiter looked at her and explained that a fax had JUST come in and they were looking for a female drill sergeant for the reserves. It shall be!

What is something people would be surprised to learn about Mercedes? Well, you might have to be standing in a room with her in order to be adequately surprised. But it’s this whole drill sergeant thing. Mercedes is very petite and full of positive energy — with a gleaming, ear-to-ear smile. Not sure about you, but that’s not exactly the image that comes to mind when I think about a drill sergeant. Mercedes describes herself as a stick of dynamite. A tiny, yet powerful package, with sparks!

Mercedes loved being a drill sergeant, but eventually she knew she was ready for her next adventure. One day she was visiting a friend in San Antonio and they were watching the movie, Sex in the City. Mercedes tells me she told her friend, “If I were to go to the desert, that’s where I would go. Abu Dhabi.”  It shall be! Soon after saying the words, Mercedes tells me, “I got head-hunted for a job there. The strangest part is, I don’t even remember applying for it.” Mercedes went into the Inactive Ready Reserves, and was off to the United Arab Emirates, where she taught the defense portion of a life skills training for young Emirate girls.

After nearly two years, Mercedes decided to move to Austin to allow her son to be closer to his dad. Before she made the move though, she knew she needed to map out what was next for her. Mercedes says she used to go up to a rooftop and meditate. During one of her introspective sessions, a business idea came to her and she knew what the next chapter of her life would focus on.

Lit From Within

Shine! Creations is the company Mercedes envisioned and this year she is focused on making her vision come true. The product line is hand-made candles, but as Mercedes says, the essence of the company is “Let your light shine.” It’s about empowerment and giving back to the community. She is working on an initiative called “People Who Shine,” where they will feature a person who is important within the community and create a candle for them. 18% of all profits from that product will go the charity of their choosing. Beautiful idea!

I ask Mercedes about the most significant thing that’s happened to her in the last 30 days. She says, “I realized my whole vision. I did a vision board and I realized just how visual I am. Within 5 days, the left bottom hand corner came to light. I realized how absolutely easy it is to live life to the fullest — in the last 30 days! And I realized how supportive my parents are. I told my dad about my vision board, thinking he wouldn’t know what I was talking about and he surprised me. He said, ‘Make sure you’re looking at it once a day.’ He was giving me pointers! I realized can do anything I put my mind to. It’s not hard. It takes time. It takes patience. But it’s not hard.”

The biggest issue in society today, in Mercedes’ view, is hate. She adds, “We breathe the same air. We all have blood running through out veins. It doesn’t make sense. On my vision board I have “I will be happy!” Part of being happy is learning to love, despite. We stop truly living because of hate. We are meant to live  When you don’t forgive, it builds up in you. We end up turning on ourselves.”

Perfect Day

I’m curious what Mercedes’ perfect day looks like. It’s no surprise she’s very specific about the details. She says, “My perfect day is on a beach. The sun shining. It’s 73-75 degrees. Not too much wind. The day will incorporate my son — he loves the water. Warm water. There’s family around, plenty of good food — baked potatoes and shrimp scampi. That is a perfect day! And the day ends by making love to the man of my dreams. Good love.” Whoa! Now THAT’S a day!

I wonder if there is a habit or ritual that Mercedes does daily that she feels contributes to her overall well-being and happiness. She laughs and then shares. “I tell my son all the time, this does NOT make me crazy! Early, early — first thing in the morning, I get up before I have to and I turn on my positive affirmations or a TEDx I’ve heard a hundred times and I just listen and let it wash over me. I play it loud — loud enough for my son, who is just waking up, to hear so it gets into his subconscious.” Mercedes laughs and adds, “He’s not necessarily the best morning person, and this helps. He’ll come out of his room and say, ‘I AM…beautiful!'” I’m guessing with a little smirk on his face.

Spread Happiness

If Mercedes had 30 seconds to make a speech to the world, her message is this: “Live your truth. It does not matter what anybody thinks. If it’s good to you, and it helps other and it makes you happy, do it. Happy people make for a happy world. Happiness spreads.”

Reflecting on my conversation with Mercedes, I remembered the stained glass art in the window next to our table in the coffee shop. I was thinking about how beautiful the colors were, and how when the sun came out from behind a cloud and illuminated the art it was even more magnificent. Which reminded me of a quote by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross:

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”

How perfect! Mercedes is an example of the power of light and its necessity. As I sat with Mercedes in the coffee shop, I was amazed at what she was reflecting. As she said, the essence of her company is “Let your light shine.” And she was very specific about that light coming from within. I can say that Mercedes light absolutely shines from within, and in such a way that she lights up everything around her. What an amazing way to be in this world! We certainly don’t need any more darkness, but we can always use more light.

To learn more about Mercedes and her business, check out her website Shine! Creations.

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