We were lucky to catch up with Brenda Urias recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brenda, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My upbringing as a child was not ideal and I was forced to deal with some difficult situations at a very young age. Instead of becoming a victim of my circumstances, I was very intentional in using these experiences to build my resilience and thrive versus just surviving in life. My resiliency has allowed me to choose to live my life positively and work hard at being successful in all that I do.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
After almost 25 years, I resigned from my corporate career to become an entrepreneur in my community. Doing so has allowed me to focus on building and making an impact where I live for the community that I love. I currently have two businesses in the historic downtown district of Sanford.
In partnership with the community, Sanford Tours & Experiences provides guided tours as well as bike and golf cart rentals that showcase the uniqueness of Sanford, Florida as a destination. You can learn about the vivid history of Sanford, the historic architecture we have in our community, the unique local craft beers we offer, and even some ghostly encounters that lurk around on our variety of tours. Or rent a golf cart or bike and go sightseeing on your own!
My second business is Bicikleta Bike Shop, where hospitality and local bike shop meet! As a favorite pastime of mine, cycling initially became a tool for me in overcoming a physical challenge I was faced with after a horrendous knee injury. It is now a staple in my life providing physical, emotional, and social benefits that I can now share with my community. As a female-owned and operated business, my business partner and I have expanded Bicikleta Bike Shop to include sales, service, and rentals. We also take pride in the several signature cycling events we offer to encourage exploring our community on a bike! Most recently, I launched Get Sanford Cycling, our new 501c(3) charitable organization created to inspire and empower children in our community to lead healthy, active, and goal-driven lives through cycling.
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?
Adaptability is a must. Industries change over time, our communities change over time, and our customers change over time. Be prepared and open to change in order to continue to grow and be successful.
Communication skills can either make or break a situation. Effectively communicating an idea, a problem, or an accomplishment is key is success whether it’s written or verbal.
Generosity is crucial to creating a positive environment around you and making a positive impact on others.
One piece of advice to others to help them along their journey would be: Imposter syndrome is prevalent and plagues most people. Your uniqueness and experiences in life are a value, not a barrier – use it to your advantage.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed, I jump on my bike and just ride. Exercise especially if it is something you love to do can boost your feel-good endorphins and take you away from the environment that is causing the stress. This will allow you to unwind, clear your mind, and even work on solutions to your concerns.
Then, keep several positive mentors in your life from all walks of life to help you bounce ideas off and talk through solutions and opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Website: ExperienceSanfordFL.com and BicikletaBikeShop.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/SanfordToursExperiences and Instagram.com/BicikletaBikeShop
- Facebook: Facebook.com/SanfordToursExperiences and Facebook.com/BicikletaBikeShop
- Linkedin: https://Linkedin.com/in/BrendaUrias
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
