We recently connected with Steve Diaz and have shared our conversation below.
Steve, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I strongly believe that my resilience is cultural and instilled in me by my family. I come from a resilient line of people. My grandfather was a migrant farm worker who worked all his life to build and provide for his family. He was able to build a small generational wealth. A true Entrepeneur of his generation. Being a commoner with nothing and building a ranch in Mexico and home in central California. A single father of 7 children in a world that was changing with all sorts of technological marvels. I’d say that spells out resilience by far. That strength was passed down to my mother, which was the eldest of the girls of the seven children. She took on the role to help raise the other siblings and did a great job. Her life wasn’t easy, but her work ethic and discipline were by far unmatched. I also credit my father, from an early age of 13 left the island of Puerto Rico to venture on a life alone and strive to be a successful person by his one right. A celebrated veteran Marine of his time, where the country was changing, wars, and industrial technological changes were happening. It was easy for a self-made man to be a successful human and come out on the other side unscathed. I come from a community, culture of hard-working people that take survival to the next level of growth and self-preservation. When you ask where I get my resilience, I get it from the road map that has been paved by those before me, which I proudly call my family.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I come from a long line of hard-working individuals, which I am proud to call my family. Who I am and how I approach things in life, I credit to the lessons learned from their life stories. I was given the opportunity to grow with no boundaries and limitations to my development, and growth; nevertheless, it never came easy. It definitely came with expectations and a heavy burden to carry. I was made to grow up at an early age of 9 years old, which began my journey to see the world in a different light. I grew up in the community of my family, while my mother had to work many late hours leaving me home, as she fends for our livelihood and making ends meet. I express the importance of this because it’s the ingredients that make up the secret sauce, that makes me, me. Although, my father was still around and very present within my life, it was definitely a different upbringing than your normal separate household. This and all that came of my youth, became the building blocks that gave me a reason to make something that was broken better and a place for me to use imagination and ingenuity.
I am an artist, poet, musician, designer, engineer, businessperson and entrepreneur. Life excites me and inspires me to create. Just like the movie “Robots stated, see a need, fill a need” I did just that. I am really proud of the non-for-profit organization, The Bakersfield Music Recital Series Program that I co-founded with my loving and supportive wife. where I hold the position of President. We have created this program because of the lack of venues for classical music as an intimate experience, outside of an ensemble program. This would be like a coffee house for Jazz, or a bar for rock music, however it caters to chamber, art music, small group performance and art vocal solos. I have also created a company that provides professional services, where needed. Be it in construction, drafting, engineering, or as creative as audio reinforcement services. This is just a taste of the many things I am involved in. I pride myself on helping people where I can and when I can, hence why I have teamed up with a variety of community programs that help shape and feed those in lesser environments. It’s these programs that I recall were available for me growing up, and I see this as paying it back in full circle. This is just a taste of the many things I am a part of. I just give a taste because there is far too much to share and tell. I have truly been around and experienced many things I am very proud to have been a part of for sure. I make music, write poetry, compose music, design and create job opportunities within my community, I hold myself accountable for the chances that weren’t there for me when I was growing up and being that person, I wish I had, so I became that person I wish was around for me, but for others.
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?
Kindness, Respectfulness, and punctuality are the three qualities that mean most and are the simplest. Three Skills I find important are listen, be quiet, and observe. The knowledge that was most impactful for me was realizing that you are not alone, find someone who has done it before, and be hungry for the knowledge given.
My advice for the folks who are getting started, starting over, or just about to get started, just do it, don’t wait. Just leap, leap like it’s the most graceful leap imaginable, and when you fall on your face, laugh because this will be the moment in your past that was that funny memory to remember that got here. It will make it all worth it.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
“How to talk to anyone” by Liel Lowndes. It starts with a conversation. If you are not able to hold one, then you are at a disadvantage. It starts with a simple hello, or compliment to open up a world of opportunities.
Image Credits
images by Nicole Bolinger & Joe Lucky Photography have rights and permission to use these images.
