Meet Andriana Garbiso

 

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

Andriana, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

Being one of a kind is a super power… but it didn’t always feel that way. 1980’2 cinema and television put blonde haired, blue eyed, thin persons on a pedestal. It seemed everyone was trying to assimilate. In various cultures, people of color are seen as less than or “the help”, unless you had an artificial tan and blonde hair. Growing up in a tough town lends itself to creating a front or bravado. It helps you get by for awhile. I always genuinely liked my olive skin color, but it took years of self exploration, to realize that trying to be blonde did not make me look better. Frankly, it made me look pale. The Ah-Ha moment for me, was an acting workshop in my 40’s. There’s a common question that asks, “What in your life has prepared you to become a great actor?” Spoiler alert…. the answer is, EVERYTHING. As someone who has been through some $hizzle…. I whole heartedly agreed. I am unique, I am skilled, I am valuable and it’s okay if I am not right for every role and not every role is right for me. I don’t need to be desperate. I do need to hone my skill, continually learn and be of service to the story. Actor, Lawyer, Janitor….. if you have pride in who you are, see purpose in what you do, have passion for life…. you will shine in any room.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

My brand is called Conflicted Films. As a strong woman in a seemingly mans world, I have had internal and external conflict since birth. Growing up in a Mexican American family, there are so many deep rooted contradictions I face on a regular basis. My maternal grandmother was born in a Mexican town heavily influenced by Spanish culture. Married to an American soldier at 15, her mother-in-law hard pressed the ideal that you do not speak Spanish outside the home. She never learned to read and write English above a 5th grade level and I could tell it bothered her. As a housewife she mainly spoke Spanish because she was in the comfort of her own home, but none of her children, taught their children Spanish. TO this day, random people feel empowered to give me a hard time for not being fluent. Those who grew up speaking it, have no consideration for the roots of why we weren’t taught. They say, “You don’t know your culture” or immediately assume you are not or can’t be of Mexican descent. On the flip side, my father’s family are Spanish and Native American. If you don’t know, the “pride” of being Spanish and “NOT MEXICAN” is real. I’ve seen this sentiment transfer from my aunts to a few cousins who brazenly correct people with the phrase… “I am not Mexican, I’m Spanish”. Third, as we know, the US Government tried to eradicate the indigenous people of America. My family is Navajo, but they were not pushed onto reservations. They held out and defended their land, even going so far as to register as Caucasian on the US census to detract attention. I get flack from some indigenous people who grew up on reservations for not having a specific tribal affiliation. In certain circles, you are not considered Native American if you are not recognized by a tribe, even if you have all the genetic markers. My personality has always been driven, competitive and on occasion, compassionate. My roots and life experience now fuel my creative outlet of scriptwriting. There are niches of society that are under represented and hold great value. These are the stories I am passionate about telling, those are the voices that need to be heard.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Learn workplace etiquette. Not $13/hour workplace, but as if you were in a Doctoral, Legal, or Financial workplace. The expectations are vastly different. If you learn above the income level you want, you will always be above the bar. For example, you want to be a teacher (elementary, middle, high) educate yourself enough to walk into a University in mindset, preparedness and execution. Set your bar above, what you think you are, deserve and aspire to.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

There are two distinct books that I subconsciously reference often. IT”S NOT MY DEPARTMENT by Peter Glen was handed to me by the manager at my third job ever, Tower Records. I was 17 years of age fresh out of High School. He was a 30 or 40 something ex drummer from who knows what bands. It was a game changer at just the right time of career development. Take the extra steps to be of service. What type of help would I want or expect and how would it affect my day? There’s so much domino effect from those actions. Later, I found No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs. I was fascinated with people trying to climb Mt. Everest and Danali but never wanted to “conquer” them myself. The overall message was clear as a bell, how it related to all aspects of things you strive for in life. Scaling the summit is only half way, you still have to get home alive! If your goal is to land a promotion or open a business, that’s only the first benchmark. You must continue to be successful.

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@BenandBriProductions

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