Ep 22: WORDAFUL with Liz Hernandez
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WORDAFUL with Liz Hernandez
Episode 22: Show Notes.
“Manifest the life that you want with the power of your words. When you raise your vibration with gentle words and encouraging thoughts, positive changes occur.”
This is what the landing page of the WORDAFUL Community website says, and today’s episode is all about the power of words. Today’s guest is Liz Hernandez, a Mexican American Emmy-nominated television personality and journalist, and the founder of WORDAFUL.
Liz grew up in San Diego as a self-described radio nerd, with parents who always taught her about the power of words. Years later, Liz became the co-host of one of the most popular shows on one of the biggest radio stations in Southern California, which led to a series of other very prominent hosting positions on channels like MTV and Access Hollywood.
Then, her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Liz took some time off from hosting to help care for her mom. Just before she passed, Liz's mom lost 95% of her speech, but her positive spirit and limited speech inspired Liz to gain a new appreciation for the power of everyday words and the lessons that they can teach us.
Liz started WORDAFUL, a company that has grown into a thriving community with a large online presence. In this episode, Liz shares a bit about her process, starting with how she grew up, how she landed a coveted position at Power 106, and why the word ‘Canada’ has a special significance for her. Of course, she also shares how she found her way to creating WORDAFUL and all of the obstacles she had to overcome along the way. Tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
Liz’s favorite toy or activity as a kid was a talking doll named Julie, or riding her BMX bicycle.
Hear Liz talk about her family home and her childhood – full of people, cooking, and love.
Liz says that her parents are the main reason she started WORDAFUL, because they always used words to empower her.
Liz discovered radio in college and her parents encouraged her to do what made her happy.
Liz describes herself as a radio nerd – she always loved radio, and she fell into it naturally.
When co-hosting a radio show in college, Liz says reading the news was the hardest part.
Why the word ‘Canada’ holds a special significance for Liz, and how she made it to LA.
We think we need to be like those who came before us, but Liz believe that we win when we are ourselves – people relate to authenticity.
Liz reflects on her ten years with Big Boy at Power 106, summarizing it as the time of her life.
From radio to television with MTV – Liz got an agent, and had experience with a teleprompter.
In Liz’s first few months at Access Hollywood, her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Liz’s experience of looking after her mother as a primary caregiver while still working full-time.
Some of the warning signs of Alzheimer’s – forgetfulness, repeating themselves, suspicion.
Gratitude and support have been important Liz’s life and have helped her through hard times.
Meeting Oprah, how it helped move Liz’s career forward, and the genesis of WORDAFUL.
Starting WORDAFUL from her tiny studio apartment – it was a collaborative effort.
From videos to live events, Liz did WORDAFUL out of necessity for herself, not for money.
Watching her mother lose her words made Liz not want to be reckless with her own.
Liz encourages listeners to have the conversation with parents about how they want to be cared for when they can’t care for themselves anymore.
Liz’s advice for someone who wants to do social good – follow what’s in your heart.
Liz defines joy by peace in her heart – a healthy mental space is the ultimate success.
Tweetables:
“For the most part, the foundation of who my parents were and who they raised me to be was really beautiful. They encouraged me to do what [I wanted], where I found my joy, because they understood, life is short and you have to do what makes you happy.” — @LizHernandez [0:13:27]
“I think that we think we have to turn into these characters. We think we need to sound a certain way. We need to sound whoever became before us. ‘That's how this successful person did it, so that's what I need to do, or that's how I need to sound.’ The truth is, I truly in my heart feel, you win when you are yourself, because people can relate to what is authentic.” — @LizHernandez [0:24:52]
“It's so hard when the sky is gray to see that it's just the clouds and it's really blue on top. To not be able to help the person you love the most, or feel there's no cure, and there's no stopping the disease, and it's just a matter of time. That's really difficult to deal with on a day-to-day basis and not have it break your spirit. I will say gratitude has been a huge factor in my life and support.” — @LizHernandez [0:36:58]
“I feel when you're trying to make something happen, or you're pushing in the wrong direction, you have resistance. When you are going on your path, your correct path, there's a sense of peace.” — @LizHernandez [0:48:46]
“We can get very careless with how we speak to one another. Watching my mother lose her vocabulary made me not want to be reckless with my own. I don't want to say things I don't mean and I don't want to waste my words, because if I could have given her some of my words, I would have. She's definitely given me a gift.” — @LizHernandez[0:51:07]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: