Meet Margo Segura

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Margo Segura. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Margo below.

Margo, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

I would say that all the traits you have listed: confidence, resilience, work ethic and generosity came from seeing my mother struggle with all the “isms” as a child. By example, as a single mother with four children, she fought against sexist landlords, racism, sexism and low wages in her workplaces. She held 2-3 jobs just to make ends meet. She would often say,” if I can’t provide it for you, you can’t have it, So, we were always poor. But in that poverty, she always found a way to help and feed anyone who needed help. She was a perfectionist and taught us how to start and finish a job and do it well.

Being the eldest of four, I learned early to help out by taking on home responsibilities, child care, cooking and being the parent for my siblings. When it came to being on my owm, I used my survival skills to get myself to college. There is where I experienced more sexism, racism and classism all over again. So I too, took up the struggle to fight against injustice, inequality and to preserve our civil rights.

When I graduated from the university with Master’s Degree, I became a teacher and passed on those skills and confidence I had acquired to all my students and colleagues.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I have had many careers in my Life so far. Since the third grade, I always wanted to be a teacher, just like my third grade teacher. I stayed focused through all the obstacles, challenges and hard times that came my way and never gave up to reach my goals. I became an Elementary Spanish Bilingual-Bicultural Multi-Subject classroom teacher.

When I entered the teaching classroom, the world reality came crashing down on me. My vision of teaching was wrecked. After a week of crying, I picked my self up and for 32 yeas made it work for me. This included struggling against the same old “isms” like in college and like my mother had fought. I found that the educational system was a “broken, separate, unequal and unfair social structure of society. After teaching all grade levels, even community college and Adult English as a Second Language, I resigned.

Then a new opportunity presented itself, and with a friend, we set out to create non-profit film company, called the Hispanic Education and Media Group, Inc. I learned a new career, langauge, skill set in film making, working with talent, writing scripts, producing, directing and some editing skills. I also brought to the table all my self-confidence, work ethic, and most of all, principles and discipline. This was important because in the film industry there is less integrity and lots of “isms”.

All of our hard work paid off, because we were able to escape most “ism” unscathed and produce an award-winning film, curriculum, teacher-training and implementation project across the nation. It was called, Cada Cabeza Es Un Mundo. (Each Miind Is A World). It garnered more than 12 awards and was used at The Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. But most importantly, the project helped many Hispanic students, incarcerated youth, parents, teachers and the community at large to become proud of who they are and become more productive in their lives. This project was my proudest and greatest achievement. After 20 years in the film industry, my associate passed away and so the company closed.

I went back to teaching for 8 years and then COVID-19 hit the schools and so I retired. I moved away from California to New Mexico, where I had various new jobs s, but the jobs did not last because of COVID-19.

Another opportunity knocked once more and my friends and I embarked on a new venture. We, as co-owners, bought a 1998 model trolley and a new career began in tourism and sight-seeing here in Las Vegas, New Mexico. YES, this Las Vegas is the ORGINAL Las Vegas, New Mexico not Nevada. Again, using all the skills and confidence I have gained over the years, I am now putting to good use. No. 11 Trolley Tours LLc is at your service. We say:

“Nestled in the historic small town of Las Vegas, New Mexico, you will find that No. 11 Trolley Tours LLC provides a unique educational, historical and cultural tour and sightseeing experience. Come take a ride on the trolley and experience the past, feel the present and envision the future with us”.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

There are many skills and qualities that impacted my Life and the three most valuable remained with me always: Integrity, Persistence and Belief in Yourself

I would advise to all that

1. LIFE is too short to sweat the small stuff. Choose your battles.
2. The Destination is not as important as the Journey. Learn all you can along the way.
3. Make everything you do count, Everything matters, even the small things.
4. Always do your Best. Try as hard as you to do the best with what you have.
5. Be a Happy Warrior.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

Both my parents, in different ways always supported me in my endeavors and encouraged me to do what I wanted even though they may have thought different. They encouraged me to seek, win and if fail to learn from the experience.
My Mom was there for me either physically or by example. My Dad loved me unconditionally and helped me when he could.
The rest is up to you to believe in yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.number11trolleytours.com

Image Credits

Courtesy of No.11 Trolley Tours LLC