Patricia Gracia/Interview with Leonora Martín del Campo
Time has passed, ideals are still strong as are memories and that bright picture being extended from San Diego, from the skies of the country that embraced her in the San Fernando Valley, to the mind of the young walker and mountain climber; it was the farewell of the turned-into-woman Peruvian girl... She is walking her way step by step to transform it in the successful career that demands from her to overcome, day by day, huge challenges in order to be palpable as benefits to her loved ones.
Patricia Gracia, from Peruvian origin, entered the United States via the Tijuana, Mexico border. She got to California when being 18 years old, her immigrating situation and the language barrier construct on her an unshakeable character and turned her into a lonely fighter of great courage. It is possible to summarize her career of success in: a Latin-origin woman, illegal, student, worker, fighter; winner; but no, Patricia Gracia does know that every step is indispensable and punctually demands her time and effort toll, thus, in less than one year she had a command of the language, enrolled to college where we can highlight that work was not an impediment for her to progress. She finished her program with excellent grades in the Los Angeles Valley College, was a practitioner in top-level institutions/companies that sponsored her studies in UCLA, graduated in Public Relations and after finishing a training program, Patricia Gracia reaffirms her philosophy and transforms the phrase that only warns to avoid the evil: “Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you”. Her courage goes beyond than expected, she transforms it as a benefit to others: “Do to others what you want them to do to you”. For this life philosophy, foundations, companies and various institutions have recognized Patricia Gracia for her humanitarian labor, the support to her country in tragic moments amongst them.
Patricia Gracia is Founder and President of Power Media Group. http://www.powermediagroup.com/who.html. A giant of marketing and advertising, the agency has been granted with multiple awards and recognitions.
1. LEONORA MARTIN DEL CAMPO M: Patricia, what was the motive that put you in a very difficult path, what is your strength, your ideal?
PATRICIA GRACIA: I took risks since being very young and I visualized the chance to grow as a human being, to grow to help my family. The mission to help both others and my relatives; it is my taste for leadership.
2. L.MCM. There are constant features throughout your life; we may highlight the role of the woman in the household, talk about it.
PATRICIA GRACIA: The woman is the core engine; everything is born from the family, which is the root of the huge tree: the society. Every activity carried out by the woman starting in the organization of her home, from the simplest task to the most complicated one will be reflected in the family, and from there in society; the woman is the link with society, she is the structure. Comparing the family with the business world, the family organization is as precise and punctual as every department of a company.
3. L.MCM. How do your reflect communication and household work to a company and society?
PATRICIA GRACIA: The origin of everything is in childhood, our mission starts when we have our children in our womb, from that moment, everything will affect the child; such a newborn will be fed with your physical and spiritual food, then when they grow, you guide them to set them free. The woman’s involvement is forming the individual to become honorable towards society.
4. L.MCM. How does that role transcend to a country?
PATRICIA GRACIA: The woman has evolved at both personal and professional levels, statistics point out that they are opening their very own businesses at a higher percentage than men, this marks the economy of the country –I mean the United States-. Great companies are led by women; they have a key position in the public, educational, entrepreneurial and diplomatic fields. Nonetheless, from the family scope, the woman is shaping society; her involvement is the root, the structure of every society.
5. L.MCM. Another constant feature is the aid for the fellow people, talk about the sentence you adapted: “Do to others what you want them to do to you”.
PATRICIA GRACIA: To help my fellow people is to help myself, it is the opportunity that gives peace of mind, fullness… from here it is what I say: “Do to others what you want them to do to you”. It is like giving away something you like; that causes happiness to both the person who gives it away and the one who receives it, it is a profound and sensible feeling that the interlocutor perceives; accordingly, communication.
6. L.MCM. What does love represent for you in routine and professional lives?
PATRICIA GRACIA: Love is the most important thing, it must be in every action; to transcend is educating children with love because that makes excellent individuals; when you cook with love, the dish will turn delicious, love when doing business; you have a passion for everything you do. Love in attitudes, feelings, and emotions; to know how to transmit that energy makes the receiver give their best; love lets us fulfill objectives.
7. L.MCM. What is the most important value?
PATRICIA GRACIA: The most important value is truth; a person who lies is a menace to society, lying brings terrible consequences, my grandma used to say: “Truth always comes to light”. It’s better living with the truth, people who are sincere have less mental work; lying generates tension and put you away from reality. Sincerity is peace of mind to undertake and create; it gives an actual lifetime purpose.
8. L.MCM. In the agencies, what are your achievements and your objectives?
PATRICIA GRACIA: I don’t want to fly overnight, but with firm steps; in 2008 a dream came true for us after buying a building in Santa Clarita. We achieved that in the middle of the economic downturn, when the world economic tragedy exploded here, it was a sad year in the United States, while for us it was a year of achievements. 2010 has been a very satisfactory year because the Federal Government granted the award: “Minority Small Business Champion of The Year”. My goal: To continue with sound bases, with a Latin taste, very humane, with passion.
My goal is to bring companies from Mexico, big companies that have no idea of the know-how to break into this market; they apply the marketing of their country, that doesn’t work; it generates failure, and our expertise responds to plans and marketing we apply to the awareness of the marketplace in this country, where the Hispanic is very different than the other Hispanics who live in the rest of the world. For me, the Mexican industry is the bridge to this country.
9. L.MCM. What do you advise in order to fulfill dreams?
PATRICIA GRACIA: Dreams are part of us, one has to live with dreams, paint them, shape them –and just like a painter- bring color to them, forge them on a daily basis… I see my dreams, keep my goals in them; crystallizing dreams is meeting goals. Dreaming is living, having energy. As a wrap-up of the interview, I fulfilled a dream: I went back to college, I always wanted to become a psychologist, and I resumed my program eight months ago in order to graduate. Drawing up goals and painting our dreams keep us alive with positive energy in order to give the best from ourselves; they offer us motives to go on. To thank God for his gifts, for the energy to continue; thank Him for the opportunity to share, everything in life is opportunities that God gives us. Thank God for letting me be what I am, for what he gives me every day, I thank the world and life. I ask God for letting me witness the growth of my children and see them go to college. Just to see them how they´ll become good people.
L.MCM. Patricia Gracia, thank you for sharing your experience and time with our Our Valleys readers
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