Vanessa is one of the few people that were very close to my mom the last two years of her life, especially the last days, you guys, of my mom's life, and she's never spoken about that publicly.
Seeing your mom, like go through what she went through in those last moments and how she would cry and stuff like that, I had to make a decision to have her back.
I have gotten comments when people would be like, oh, how is Vanessa your friend, and didn't she want to kick your ass because she was your mom's friend? And I was like, uh, yes, that is all correct. Hello, Hello, and welcome back to your favorite podcast, of course, Cheeky's and Chill Duh. I hope you all are doing amazing. Summer is just around the corner, so I hope you all have some fun activities or getaways planned. I am going to grease you guys, because I'm a summer baby.
Some My birthday is coming up. We're going to go for a few days and actually our next guest is going with me. One of my closest friends, Vanessa, will be joining me to talk about our friendship and our business endeavors. For those of you who don't know, Vanessa has been a part of my life and a part of my family's life for quite some time. I am so ready to get into this conversation, So let's do it.
This is Cheeky's and chill all right, y'alls.
Sitting here with me right now is Vanessa Sanchez, my boo. She's actually right down the street for me, you guys. She lives like literally down the street from me.
Okay.
So she's a hair stylist who has worked celebrities like my mother Jenny Rivera. She's also worked with Kate del Castillo, whom we've had on the podcast before. That was a really great interview, by the way, and she's also my hairstylist friend and business partner.
Hipoo, how are you Hipoo?
I'm good. It's a little nervous, but I'm good.
Don't be nervous. It's okay.
It's just, you know, it's a conversation you know, between go mother is because she's also my go mother, you guys, yes, and talking about her children because I'm the Nina of two of her children. Today's her daughter's graduation and I'm just so grateful that you took the time out of this important date to be on the podcast with us, so thank.
You, thank you. Yes. Luckily, her graduation isn't until this evening, so I was able to do both. So I'm super excited and nervous, and you know, I'm very proud.
You should be very proud. She is such a beautiful you guys. She's beautiful from the outside and the inside. She's super smart. And that's her eldest and she's graduating from nursing school, you guys.
Yes, so we're gonna have a nurse to take care of us.
Yes, my bees and all that kind of stuff. Both talks, maybe right, So congratulations on that to all of you, because it's her dad, you and and her stepdad your husband, So you guys did a great job. So you guys, we're gonna talk about a lot of things because I have gotten comments before, not as much as like, I don't know, like ten years ago, when people would be like, oh, how is Vanessa your friend? And didn't she want to kick your ass because she was your mom's friend, And I.
Was like, uh, yes, that is all correct.
And we've never talked about it, like we've never like and we're not talked about it. We've talked about it, but we haven't talked about it in public, and Vanessa's is one of the few people that were very close to my mom the last two years of her life, especially the last days, you guys, of my mom's life. Vanessa was there and she's never spoken about that publicly, and I am grateful for that.
I know my siblings are grateful for that. And we just didn't like.
Really think, oh it's necessary to talk about certain details. But now time has passed and now I'm like, okay, well it's part of my story. So anyways, Vanessa was my mom's friends.
First.
They started off because my mom needed a hairstylist, so Vanessa did her hair, and from there it turned into a friendship and you spent a lot of time with her, especially the last day. So tell us a little bit about how you guys met.
Where we met. She was looking for a hairdresser and she said she was gonna call me, and I was like really, I was like, Jenny's gonna call me, and I thought it was like not true, you know, it was like whatever, And sure enough, they had told me at the time that her phone number started with an nine O nine area code, and you know, I never answered random numbers and They're like, make sure you answer that nine o nine number. It's gonna be Jenny. And I was like okay. And then like two days went
by and she get call. So I was like, yeah, it's just probably a bunch of like bs, she's not gonna call. And then she I saw a nine o nine number come through and I was like holy shit, and I was like okay, So I answered the phone and I still forget. I was in the middle of the salon and I walked to the back to the color room to take the call, and she just said, hey, girl, it's me Jenny. And I was like, oh my god. But I was like, oh, hey, how are you you know?
So she asked me if I still did extensions, if I took that you know that class, And which was the funny thing was that the first time I met her, she had extensions in her hair, and I was concerned, not concerned. I was I didn't do them at the time. So I was debating. We're talking like I don't know fifteen years ago what extension line to go through, which class, And it was like a lot of money. It was like either a class was like either seventeen hundred or
three thousand dollars to learn how to do extensions. So I didn't know where to put my investment in, you know, and I was a lot of money, like for me back then, and I mean it still is, but I mean it was a lot.
Yeah.
So anyway, so I was like, let me, let me ask her which one she has and what she recommends since she wears them. And she's like, oh, I love these extensions and you know, I love hairlocks and they're the best. And I was like, okay, So I was between hairlocks and like I forgot the other brand, like Great Lines or something like that back in the day. So I took the class, I made the investment, and that was it. Like I didn't ever call her to tell her that, you know, I had taken the course
or anything like that. And I continue doing extensions for like a good solid five years. When she called and asked, hey, did you ever take that class?
That's crazy. I didn't know that.
Yeah, So I was like I did so five years later, five years later, Like it was like a seed was planted. And I'll never like forget that because I could have said, no, you know, I took the other route that was cheap, but I took the route that you know, I just said, fuck it, I'm gonna take it. And I did, and she goes, how good are you? And I said I'm really good. I've been doing them for like five years. And she's like wow, okay, and she said, okay, I'm
gonna have my assistant at the time was Julie. And she goes, I'm gonna have my assistant drop off my hair and that way you can go and order hair for me. And I was like okay, and she did. Julie came and dropped off all these samples of hair, and I was like, then I didn't know what to do because the hair was really expensive, and I was like, how do I pay for all this? It's like almost two thousand dollars worth of hair, and like what if
she doesn't show up? But I don't want to act like I'm broke and I can't afford to buy her hair beforehand. So I was like, you know what, I'm just going to take a leap of faith and I'm just going to buy the hair. And because it's non refundable and it's expensive, and it's expensive, so I was like yeah, So I did, and I went and I bought all her hair, and I bought extra cause I
was like, what if it's not enough? And then like what if it's you know, I just so I ended up spending like probably close to like twenty five hundred dollars just on hair for her, and I was like so scared because I'm like, if she doesn't show up or she doesn't like it, I'm freaking screwed.
Yeah.
So, she had asked for complete privacy because she had had a fallen out with her hairdresser for not having privacy in her hair salon visits. And I said, okay, yeah, you know, so I went in on a on a Monday, which was a day off, my day off, my salon was closed, and she was about an hour and a half late, and I was sitting there thinking like, damn, she's not gonna show up. You know.
She was an hour and a half late, an hour and a half late, So Jenny, that is so Jenny.
Then, so then I'm like, you know, I'm just gonna call her. And I called her. She's like, hey girl, I'm so sorry. I got tied up, and you know, I'm literally down the street, I'm on my way, and I was like Okay, well that's good, you know, like that's fine. You know. So she came in and it was just like I was so nervous too, Like I was like, oh shit. And then when I saw her hair, and I'm like, wait, you don't only need extensions, like you need your whole hair done, like your roots, your highlights.
She goes, I know, and I'm like.
Okay, she forgot that a very small detail.
Right, And I was like, oh okay. So now I'm like now I'm doing color and I'm doing all this stuff. And so in a nutshell, it was like about eight hours later because back then we had to do individual extensions, which now I only do like tapein's or sew in and it was like one by one, so two hundred and fifty pieces individually put into her hair.
That's insane. I remember though, she loved those damn things.
She loved those damn things, and I was like, it.
Would pull my hair out, but she was like stuck on them. And she my mom wore extensions for years, you guys. She could not see herself with that extensions.
It was crazy.
So eight hours later, you know, and I showed her hair and she like loved it. I still have the picture of the day that I showed her the back of her hair and she goes, you passed the test, and I was like, what test? And then she goes the hairdressing test. My hair looks she was like grabbed it. She's like, I love it. It looks amazing, and you know this is that. I was like, I didn't know it was being tested. She was, oh, you were being tested.
That is so Jenny fashion, Like it is just hurt it to test you, you know what I mean.
And she's like, Okay, I just want you to know your own trial. You're on probation. I just kind of you know.
But but that's awesome because now I didn't know this whole story about like she had told you to take the class. So it's like she has a lot to do with Oh yeah, like your cap year and you know what I mean, Like you've been doing her for like what twenty five years, twenty eight years, twenty eight years, you guys, and she's Vanessa, still looks real good, you guys, just fy. She has four kids. But like, so you've been doing hair for a long ass time. But I
didn't know this story, which is awesome. Look, I'm even learning something, you know, you guys, and I know that she's been. She was a huge part of like your career, but also as like a mother and as a wife, you know, like she was a very good friend to you in that way.
Yeah, she was. She was like I always say, like the sister I never have.
Oh, yeah, that's true. And she has you have her tattooed on your arm?
Yeah, I do have her on them.
She got it done after my mom passed. Yeah.
And I remember, like that Thursday before she left, I was packed for her to go to Monterrey and she was showing me on her phone some pictures of fans of hers that had tattoos of her, like a girl that had one like in her back, smoking and different things, and I'm like, they're crazy. I told her, who would tattoo you? Like, I mean, you're good, but like to put you on there like that, that's insane. And she goes,
what are you jealous, bitch? And I said, no, I'm just like I would just never do that, Like, I mean, I love Prince. At the time, Prince was still alive, and I said, but I would never go blast prints on my body like that's insane.
And then not even and look, you guys.
I ate my words, not even not even a month maybe two months later, she was my first portrait.
It's because she impacted your life so much. And yeah, and we're going to talk about all of that. But anyways, okay, So my mom picky with her hair.
She wasn't picky. I mean, she was picky, but not She wasn't a fool diva when it came to her hair unless we were like about to go on stage. Then she was a real diva. Like right before she went on, she would like nitpick and she would take the curly nine for me and start culling her own hair that I already curled, and I was like, whatever, just it makes her feel good that she's doing. She's like that.
Though even with her makeup, she wanted to do her own eyebrows. Scara her only good liner.
I'm like, so you're just paying for eyeshadow, foundation and contour.
Exactly because she was a little bit of a control freak.
So I know she wanted her curls a certain way where those curls, in my opinion, aren't in anymore right, and they were kind of not in back then. But for her, it's like I want my curly hair because throughout the show, right, you know. But she was so picky if like one curl was at a place, you guys should be like hold on, you miss And even in the.
Fast I would always have like a little spot that I would miss her hair. She's also delave this for good.
Luck or what like that's true. She's like this is for good luck.
Oh my gosh.
She would and you would think she's not paying attention because she would be on her phone all day, like when you were doing her hair her makeup, but then she she would know she won't see that thing.
Everything. She knew everything was going on. If like the era was like wrong between like me and one of the other people on her team were not getting along, she was like so swapping, what did they do to you? What's going on? Like she knew she knew something was off, like very instantly.
Yeah, absolutely, she knew. My mother was very busy, but very present.
I remember one time that we were at Deno Talento and I had got I was pregnant at the time, and I had a big fight with my kid's father at the time, and I was just like holding it together. Like, so I did her hair and I didn't like shed one tear, like, but I was like broken by some stuff that had happened between me and him. But I was like, this is work and I have to like separate the two. And again I didn't say a word
to her. I didn't say anything, and she went. I did her hair, She performed, and she came back and she closed the door and she asked everybody to get out, and I was like, am I getting fired? Like what the fuck is why is she doing that? She goes, she touched me, She goes, what's wrong? What did you do you? And I was like this and my tears just went.
That's so crazy, Vanessa. I'm like that, Yeah, she's.
Like waited, she waited to go and do what she had to do because she didn't have time to like obviously address it. And I wasn't going to bring it up, like I'm not going to pawn my problems onto her, like she was about to go on stage, like that's not it's not what I do. But yeah, she came back and then she was just like what happened? What did he do? I know, I know something's wrong, and I'm like how I didn't say a word.
It's because she's she was very human, you know what I mean. And that's one thing that is a good thing and a bad thing. And I have become like that where I my my employees become like my family, you know. So it's not just like come and do a service for me and that's it. It's like, no, like they become part of our family or extended family. So I think she she would feel it. She was very like in tune with her feelings in other people as well.
No matter how busy she was, she.
Always took the time to like text you, hey, how are you and and she would respond, even if it was hours later, she would respond. And it's just little things like that that people don't know. And I think the whole funny thing about this is obviously when you know Jenny was supposed to call you, you know Jenny Rivera, and she like for me, I didn't know that you weren't like a fan, not even of the music you guys have, regional music. She didn't anything. She didn't know
about nothing. It was just I know, Jenny Rivera is a famous person. I'm doing a famous person. But she wasn't like a fan fan, you guys. It wasn't like I love her music and I love.
I'm honestly a fan of her music. Like where I'm like loved it till and it's crazy to say like after she left, because to me, she was just my friend. Yeah, So it didn't like it didn't like I would think she was bad ass and I loved it when I started working with her, but not till after I was like, holy fuck, I realized the magnitude of what she offered to everybody as opposed to like when I was. I met her as a friend and as a criant. So it did it? Did it? I wasn't a fan.
I love that. I love that.
I think that that makes it even more special because people could say, oh, you know, it's all about Clout and you know, writing her coattel and it's like, actually, it wasn't.
It was quite the opposite. And how long did you do her.
Hair before she left? I guess I met her the first time into on thousand and seven, and then I started doing our hair I believe in like two thousand and nine.
Okay, all right, so yeah, so that's the story with them, and how they met you, guys, my mom and I in twenty twelve, we had a big fallout. Some of you may know, some of you might know, but you guys can read the stories in both my books, you know, Forgiveness or Unbreakable.
No wait, Unbreakable, Unstoppable, Unstoppable, Yeah, unstoppable. That's my mom.
My mom's unbreakable. Oh mom, Wait, So anyways, that's a detailed story. But in twenty twelve. October of twenty twelve, my mom and I had a huge fallout the beginning of the month with my sister, Jenica's Quintennera and I was very scared to go because my mom was like, you can't bring anyone. You're gonna come and uh yeah, we're not talking, but you need to be here for your sister.
And I said, okay, So there I go.
I was so nervous and no one was talking to me. It was just a huge, huge, huge misunderstanding. There were a lot of people that I feel didn't want to see my mom and I close, so a lot of people had to do a chatt on man non esto.
It went on.
Vanessa being her friend was the one that I was like scared of the most because I remember walking in and she looked at me. She gave me eyes of death. I said, this bitch is gonna fuck me up. And yeah, she was like, you gave me these eyes, you know. And I was like, oh my gosh. And I'll never forget that because I was like shaking in my boots. I was like, Okay, I know I shouldn't fight, and Vanessa probably kicked my ass, but I think it was because in that time, it was just difficult.
You know what I mean.
Time it was like if you weren't on my mom's side to say the least, or you know, it was like you're against me sort of thing, right.
Yeah, it was. It was more like I was one sided. And I guess, you know, like I said, seeing your mom, like, you know, go through what she went through in those last you know, moments, and how she would cry and stuff like that. So it got to a point where I had to make a decision to have her back, because not that I believed that what she was believing was true. It was more like for her own sanity and for her own safety, she needed to know like I believed her even though that were around her. Yes,
if you were on her team. If you were left the little people that were left on our team, you had to be one hundred percent on our team because if you brought any little thing, I would have smiled at you or would have like been nice to you. It would have been I don't know what would have happened.
Right, She needed to feel that, she needed to feel that the people that are closest to her and that she loved and you know, loved her that no matter what they were with her. So just to give a little bit of a backstory, you guys, because some of you may not know this, and I don't.
Really like to talk about it anymore, but someone started this rumor.
That I had slept with my mom's husband, Esteman, and that is absolutely false. That never happened, it never will happen. They said that there was a video, and there is a video. There is a video, but there's nothing on that video, any inappropriate conduct, nothing, And Vanessa watched it along with Johnny, my brother, for hours and hours and hours at a time.
Yes, that that is correct, and that's that's something that I have never spoken on because of respect to you, your brothers, and I mean your siblings. You know, I love your family very much, and to me, it's like, it's not my place to go and you know, get interviews. I mean I got offered tons of interviews after your mom passed away, and I was like, that's not that's not who I am, that's not my style. I won't
do that, you know. But now it's been so many years that it's happened, and you know, I feel like, you know what, like Cheeky's like, obviously our friendship has grown and we're we've been closed for a very long time, and it's very frustrating and upsetting to me the way people, the media, other family members of yours tried to not defend you and drag your name through the through the gutter. When I I all that video for about four to six hours with your mom over and over with Johnny
with Julie. We sat in her room and Johnny was going back up and down the stairs seeing it.
And Johnny at like the age of what hell does.
He like nine? He was the old woman that I know how to work the computers. Yeah, So he was playing I'm back and forth and he was like, what's going on, mama, Mama, She's like, go play it back to you know whatever. He's like, okay, mama, and he kept like going up and down the stairs, and I'm like, as I was watching this video with her, I'm like thinking, like, whoa,
what are we going to see? What's gonna happen? Because we've already been watching it for like X amount of time And by the vibe in the room was like I was thinking I was going to see some like crazy shit, and I'm like, I don't see anything. I don't see anything like what's going on? And I would look at her and I would look at Julie and I'm like, is she going crazy? Or am I like blind? Like what's going on? And then it got to the point where I realized, I mean, and I know this
may sound bad. I don't know if the delusionals the world just over. We're tired. She just was seeing something that wasn't there.
You know.
It was going through a lot.
And there was one particular woman And I talk about this in my book, you guys, so that's what I'm saying. Go read it if you want to know the full story.
But there was one.
Particular woman that had just entered her life a few months before who was just in her ear, and I think wanted to take control and was putting just so many toxic things in her that I think my mom just wasn't thinking clearly, and she was exhausted, and she was losing weight rapidly, so I think she wasn't eating enough. She was also having issues with a step on, her husband, and then this whole thing and the video. We're talking
about surveillance cameras. You guys, she had a camera. We had cameras all over the house and in our house in Encino and even inside in the stairs to see who would go into the bedrooms.
So in that video, you.
See me walking into my mom's bedroom to say bye to a step on because my mom wasn't home and I was in in there for no more than five minutes together, and you see me walk out down the stairs. Outside of the door, you see my car drive away exactly, my little buggy drive away, and that's it. So I was just like what When I finally watched this video, because I didn't watch it until after she passed, I was like.
What the hell?
How where do you clearly see me walk into the room and the camera is counting down and it's not even five minutes. It's a little bit less than five minutes. You see me walk down and leave. So I was just like, what is happening? Like, I was so confused. I was devastated, you guys, I was devastated for two months of my life before my mom passed away.
So that was in October.
And then I would want to clarify something that people say that just this is like one hundred percent real the truth. They say she was walking out of the room fixing her clothes. That is fucking bullshit.
Oh that I was.
She was not walking that you were, and you did not walk out of the room fixing your clothes. I put my life on the line, my four children on the line, like that you walked out of the room and you just like skip your happy way down the stairs like there was no there was nothing of that sort, like, and I know that, and I vouched that one hundred percent, you know, and I watched that video and there's that wasn't the case, like at all. It was.
Yeah, it was something that completely devastated me for years until one day. I mean, obviously, you guys know I go to therapy. I love therapy. Twenty thirteen was one of the worst years of my life, living without my mother, trying to raise my siblings, dealing with this shit the media, and just wanting my family to come out, the people that had watched that video to come out and defend me, and they wouldn't.
And it was just I was little. I was living in hell.
It was horrible, and thank goodness my strength and I was like, you know what, I said, let me take this negative thing that happened in my life and see it as something positive.
And it gave me the strength.
And I feel like my mom in some way because we never got to talk about it, like thoroughly, and for me to show her my evidence, and I had evidence. I have the evidence still. I have the phone bill, I have everything. I was like, look, mom, this is where I was. I would have never ever done that, you know.
And I told her that, I said, let her show you the phone bill that she was on the phone with Angel, like it's everything's tracked.
Angel's my ex boyfriend, you guys, yeah, oh yeah, sorry.
Yeah, it's like or yeah, she was on the phone. And so I said, let her show you the thing. She goes, oh, papers could be altered, I said, yeah, but not the online can't be altered if we log in, if she brings her computer, she logs into the you know, the Verizon. I believe you had Verizon at the time. She had told me, and she goes, we log into Verizon.
She can't alter the website. Yeah, if it's if you're on the phone for step forty seven minutes to somebody, you can't change that on a computer in front of you at Verizon dot com. You can't. And I said, no, you can't.
It's it almost like she didn't want to fix things. And I keep thinking and thinking about it because I was the second time that my mom and I had a fallout for two to three months.
You guys, that's the second time.
The first time I was fifteen years old, and then it happened before she passed, right, So I just feel like, not that she knew she was going to pass, but it's just like God's plan is so perfect because it gave me the strength to be there for my siblings. I don't know what would have happened if I would have had the strength, if I would have broken down.
I don't know if I didn't have those two and a half months before my mom passed to prepare myself and to go to therapy and for the therapist to tell me, well, you got to start living your life as if your mother's not here, because it doesn't look like you guys are gonna fix things, so you need to start just coming to.
Terms with that.
And that was two weeks before my mom passed, and then not saying that it didn't hurt me when she passed. I just was a little further in the healing process, in the greeting process than everyone else. So anyways, that's just a little bit of it. And that's how this
whole thing happened. And that's so why because some people know this story, and some people knew that Vanessa was really close to my mom and now she's really close to me, and so people taught crap and say, oh my god, why is Vanessa now you're co madre and your friend all of a sudden and one of your best friends, and blah blah blah.
It must be because it's.
Clout And I'm like, uh no, that means that she was a very loyal friend and she knew right when my mom passed, she we fixed things. Everyone was at my grandma's house for like two weeks straight. We slept at my grandma's house, and Vanessa was one of the people that was there almost every day for hours and hours at a time. And I remember telling someone at my grandma's house, I'm like, you know what, I'm just nervous. I was like, I feel like Vanessa's gonna kick my ass,
like I don't know. And so they sat us down and Vanessa apologized, and you know, she just said, I'm sorry. I had to be there for your mom. But I got to tell you, I never thought that you did it that you did that. It's just I had to be on your mom's like I had to show her at her back.
Right, Yeah, absolutely, And you know, to bring up like even Thanksgiving, you wrote her an email and she at my house. She was at my house when she read the email, and she was broken and she was crying so hard, and I thought something that like bad had happened to you, Like I thought like maybe like you had passed away, because she was the way she was crying.
She was so devastated. And then when I said, what is it, and she had a little BlackBerry and she was like scrolling down and showing me the email and reading it. To me, and she was just crying and
crying and crying. So then I grabbed her by her shoulders and I was like, look, Jen, I was like, you need to make a fucking choice, like you need to a make a public apology and say you're sorry that you messed up, or if your daughter did do that, you need to forgive her regardless, because it's killing you. She you know, you need to make a choice. That's it, Like you're gonna end up, like look at you. And she just said with that look on her face, and she told me she's like I know, I know. She
was like I'm just not ready. I'm I wait until I get back from Mexico. So she knew that she had made a mistake and she didn't know how to fix it. She didn't know how to backpedal because she was like, damn, I'm in so deep, like I've done so much stuff and I was wrong and it was I think it was so hard for her to accept it, and she was like, I'm gonna have to fix this, and she had it on the back burner because she wanted to finish her concert in Monterrey, come back and
fix things. But you know, time didn't allow that.
Yeah, and then that was that Thanksgiving. I remember writing that email and I just said, I'm going to send it. This is going to be the last time that I try to reach out because I had just talked to my therapist and I just said, I love you and I'm here whenever you want to see my evidence. I miss you. Happy Thanksgiving. I spent that Thanksgiving by myself, you guys, and then thank God, one of my really good friends she invited me to her house because I
was that's my favorite holiday. So my mom knew that. Yeah, she knew that, and she knew that, and she and I think it was like we were missing each other so much, so much, so it was it was really hard. And then you know, she passed and Vanessa was there with my mom that Thursday. My mom flew out, I think on on Thursday. My mom passed on Sunday, so she was there with her, sleeping in her bed with her. And then my mom never came back. But yeah, you say that you felt something, huh Oh, yeah, I felt.
It one hundred percent. I knew like something was like and I just felt it just this her energy like the era like everything like and she wanted to take everything with her, Like she took so much stuff, and I was like, why are you taking all this stuff? She's because it's mine and I can And I was like, okay.
Like she loved her diamonds, you guys, so she took all her expensive, most expensive diamonds with her.
Yeah, and she never would when she would go to Mexico, she would take her other stuff, you know.
Now, you know, forwarding to now what almost eleven years later, Vanessa and I, with time little by little started becoming really close. And after that conversation and she apologized and I said, okay, cool.
She started doing my hair.
She was the first one to help me with my hair and makeup at like literally she wouldn't charge me. You guys, I felt like that that was your way, and I don't know, we've never really talked about it, like your way of saying I'm sorry and also being there being a good friend to my mom. You knew how important her kids were, so it's like her daughter's about to embark on this new journey of singing. The best thing I could do for my friend and for her daughter is to be there for her. So she
didn't charge me. You guys for like years. So she would do my extensions and my color and we would travel together. And that's how it started. And it just grew into being go Madrees and now we have a business together. But it's been what since my mom passed, basically.
Right, I mean we were friends before then, but yeah, but then.
We were cool, but you were more my mom's friend, you know what I mean. And that's something that Vanessa and people I think wonder, like why we stopped working together. It was more because Vanessa was trying to work things out with her ex husband or her baby daddy and the kids were little, and I would think like, yeah, I was like you traveling and the traveling and I just felt very like and my mom felt the same way too.
Remember she might want to take you.
With her, you don't want to take me. I was actually supposed to go with her to Mexico. We talked about it and then at the time, my son was only six months old, and she said, no, the baby's too small, like you need to stay here with him.
Yeah, And see, those are things that people don't know about my mother. My mom was very selfless in that way of Okay, I don't want to take you from your kids and something happens. I don't want your kids to be motherless because they're so little. There were babies, you know, so because Renee, you were pregnant, you had just had Renee.
Yeah, when your mom passed, I had had Renee was six months old. But you know I had Lolan Renee. They were both under two years old.
Yeah, so yeah, So then when I started my career in twenty fourteen, they were babies. They were little babies. So that's the only thing. You know, other stuff little happened, little cheese mes and all that. But we fixed it and here we are and now we have we're business partners.
Yes, we're we have a very very great hair hairline.
Yes, it's called Plantitas, and we started what we were just we had a meeting yesterday. We had a numbers meeting with our accountant. And it's doing very well thanks to all of you guys. And if you still haven't tried it out, you guys need to go to the website,
okay and check out our products. But it's been what two years, you know, so it's been too And because again Vanessa has so much experience in the hair world, I trusted her, I was like, I want her to be my business partner, and I love taking care of my hair, and I think we're amazing business partners.
I think so too. I think it's really good because we like bounce off each other, you know, and like I feel like, you know, you have been you know, always into your hair as well. So when I'm like, okay, let's try this product, let's try this out, you're a good guinea pig, You're like, okay, yeah, I like this. No, I don't like the boo. I don't like this as sooth thick or it's you know, it makes it weighs my hair down and stuff like that. So it's it's good,
you know. And we're both Latina strong, you know, thriving, hardworking, hardworking,
and I think it's good, very honest. Yeah, I think it's very good that you know, we're able to show I feel like other Latinas like it's good to like empower each other women and make sure that you know, we support all businesses, you know, like I love to support like anywhere from like you know, people that make strawberries, that make T shirts, you know, graphic designers, like everybody, like most everybody on my team on our team is
a woman, like there is no man on the team. Yeah, you know, and it's it's not that we're biased, but I feel like I just love helping and you know, having the women around and then men just throw everything off. It's like, forget it.
Women, we just do things better. We multitask very well.
Yeah, Like every now and then I'll have my husband, I can you move these boxes? And he's like I thought I could do. I'm like, yeah, just move the boxes. We need your man power.
I love David.
Shout out to David, her husband, Sergeant Moreno, Sergeant Reno.
Yes, so so yeah.
I mean that's the thing like when you were saying that I was a guinea pig, because that's how it started, you guys.
It was very organic.
Like she started with her CBD line because she has what is the thing that the TMJ TMJ.
She's actually the one that told me to do the CBD. And I can't smoke weed because I like get paranoia, like I can. I've tried every kind and it does not work for me. So she's like, whooh, you need to try CBD. It's going to really help you. And I'm like, what the hell is that. She's like, it's not going to make you high. You know.
I had to educate her on it. She she researched it.
Yeah, so I researched it. I started trying different CBDs and that was the only thing that was able to help my TMJ.
And so TMJ, it's like when your jaw locks you guys, I don't know, but yeah.
Yeah, so my jaw locks up. And so I started with CBD line and then we started getting into like the top of boles and rollers and Amnika and I was like the ruler. Yeah, and I was like, booh, you gotta try this. And she has been my guinea pig and like my supporter since day one that I started my CBD company, you know.
And that's what I wanted for her because she was tired of being she loves doing hair, but after so many years you guys, being behind a chair. It was just just like, I'm like, you need to start a business.
Do it.
This is something and the best thing is to have a mission statement and a reason behind it, and you have a story to tell because this is real. And her nervous system was all out of whack. Her stress was killing her, so CBD was really the only thing that helped calm everything down. So she started that and then she's like, I was like, you need to start a shampoo line. Honestly, like you need to start a
shampoo line. And she'say, okay. So she started doing it and I started testing everything with her for six months, and then we decided to become business partners. And now we're barely gonna pay ourselves. You guys see it takes yeah a while.
My god, that's so true.
Yes, because it's like I want people not to get yeah, two years, not to get discouraged. Like, if you're a small business starting out, be patient. It's a baby. You got to just be patient. There are days where it's going to be slower than others. But after two years, guys, now we're finally gonna pay ourselves.
Yeah, we're getting a paycheck. And I was so nervous to bring it up. Balls off. Well, I'm like, you know, let's go over our numbers. I was like, wait, boo, can we get can we get paid?
Yeah? You were like I was gonna bring it up. I was like, well, actually I was.
Too, So so you guys be patient and just know that businesses take a while, and the first couple of years it's gonna be tough. But here we are, and I'm very proud of us, and hopefully, you know, we can inspire you guys to just if you have an idea, if you have something that you love doing and you're passionate about, just try it, try it, just do it. Yeah, the biggest risk is not taking a risk.
Right, and then nothing is too small, Like you know, like I started with like like four products and I think we're up to like thirteen products now, and you know, every time we just get bigger and better and we're like, oh, we can do this. Like yesterday, me and Lacey were up to like we were on a good one like till like midnight developed like thinking of all these different things, and the brain was just going and going. So it's like the more it's I guess it's like working out,
but I don't work out. But like when they say an endorphins start going. So I think once I start to get into that work mode, I just cannot turn it off. I'm like going and going and going and and you know, so girls, women out there, just if you have an idea, freaking run with it.
Man, run with it and start like she said small. You can have one or two products, give it your all. Once you get money from that, then you can get another product, and so on and so forth. So just be patient, you guys, be patient. Okay, So I have a question for you. Are there frozen con to having a business partner?
Okay?
And don't worry, because I know I'm your business partner. But just for people out there, I mean for me personally, I feel that there's more prompt pros than con. So only con for me personally is that you you know, we're fifty fifty partner, so we have to split everything.
Fifty fifty, right.
But other than that, it's less work on me and I'm busy doing other things. So that's why I love having a business partner, a smart business woman. I only have business partners that are women, guys, because that's just my shit. You know, that's my thing. But anyways, what about you, I.
Honestly, how do I say this without sounding crazy? I honestly would never do business with anybody else but you because of the fact that you're so busy that you let us run with it. If that makes sense. I trust you, you know, and there's trust and I know, like you have your own money and you're not like I've had like known different people and different experiences in the past. I had a friend that I did back in like I don't want to say, like twenty years ago.
I was gonna bind, you know, when I got my first and I went into partnership with my hair salon and that lasted like probably like not even three weeks, and she went psycho and I was like, oh my gosh, never again would I ever do this. Like she came in, she tried to change the whole salon around, change the music, and she just like I was like, what do you mean, what are you doing? And after that, I was like,
I'll never have another partner again. Like with this now with me and you, I feel like because we have the friendship and like it's not our only source of income. So it's like we're you know, we're able to dab and you know still like I'm obviously still behind the chair, and you know, I have the SEVD line as well, and you know.
I like because I have still growing, it's still.
Growing, and I like to have my eggs and like different baskets and stuff like that. But yeah, I mean it's if you could do it on your own, it's better. But if you need if you can find a partner that is not relying, if that's not their only source of income, then I think it would be okay, it would be better because if you guys are both starving or starting out and you guys both need money, then it's going to be very very difficult, you know what
I mean. But us we did it like of course, like we need money, but we have other sources of income, so we're not our main jobs. We have our main job, so this is kind of like a hobby slash like okay, let's grow as latinas as women and you know, let's get you know, this going, but it's not our only thing that we're relying to put food on the table.
For exactly so, and obviously our ultimate goal would be to live off of this brand eventually, you know, correct. So don't leave your job guys and say Okay, I'm gonna leave my job and go start this business. I think you need to have your job still because that's gonna bring in financial stability, and do this as or your business as a side hustle until it grows and again, it takes one to three years, even sometimes even five, you guys, to really have a lucrative business. You have
to be patients. So don't go in there and be like I'm gonna leave my job my day. No, keep your nine to five or keep whatever it is that you're doing. That's basically what we're doing. It's like, I have so much faith in this brand that I'm still doing my singing, I'm still doing everything else, but I still do this and I just thank God that I have the platform and the way to share it with you guys. And it's something that I'm very passionate about.
I mean hopefully that inspires you guys. And if you guys ever have questions, maybe we should have another podcast when I say you and I about you know, just business, just like you know, business advice or something.
Yeah, I think it would definitely be good to help people with that because I always say there's enough business to go around everywhere. Like I still buy other hair products from other people, Like you know what I mean, It's not just because I have mine, I'm only gonna buy my product. I'm not. I mean, ours is great, it's the best in my eyes, but there's still other people that are just as good. You know, it just depends.
Everybody has different texture, hair, different color, ethnicity. So it's not like you can't say, like, this is the best product, it's the only one you need, Like, no, you need multiple products to create a certain look.
That's what I love about you. You're not a hater.
You're not one to be like you know what I mean, Like I'm the same way, which I think that's why it works, you guys, that's another thing in partnerships. You have to be transparent, have to be honest. You have to have these conversations from the very beginning. Look, we're two come out that it is coming together two friends, and we're not gonna let this business get between us. We have to be honest and we have to learn
to separate friendship from business. And let's talk numbers and let's show each other this is what's going on in the bank account, because you don't want to ever have tarnish your friendship for business or money.
Me honestly, that was my first thing, Like I was like, there's no way I'm gonna ruin our friendship or any friendship at that matter of mine. I have a very small circle over money, like there's no value. Yeah, it's priceless. It's priceless, is what I meant to say. Like, there's no way I'm gonna like over five thousand dollars or twenty dollars or ten thousand dollars. Am I going to ruin a friendship' That's not it's.
Not And that's what we're both on that same page and we talked about it. That was the first thing we talked about when we when we entered this partnership and just for you know, to before we close out, since you've been doing hair for so long, what is I don't know, let's think of a tip that you can give people, okay, for extensions for instance, because I think everyone is like into tapins or the k tips
or whatever. Everyone wants its extensions. What is your opinion or a tip that you can give people for their extensions to last longer. I already know what you're gonna say, because you don't you clipping extensions?
Exact clips? Yeah, yes, I tell them why? Yeah?
I like clippings because of the fact that any kind of extension you're gonna put into your hair, it's gonna it's gonna do some minimal damage. It's it's it's depending on the technician to the method. It doesn't matter what anybody tells you, like, oh, these don't damage your hair. Anything foreign to your hair's gonna damage it. Whether it's eyelash extensions, hair extensions, it's gonna do some kind of
pulling some weight on your hair. So me being that been a hair dreser for twenty eight years and I've wore extensions all the time. I put them in my client's hair all the time, but I let them know, like, hey, you need to take breaks me now in between that your hair like get healthy and then we can put them back in, you know. So my suggestion is like, if you already have fine hair, go with clippings. I
feel like that's just better on and off. But some people, you know, if you don't care that you're gonna lose a little bit of hair, then just buy your Plantita shampoo and it'll grow back.
I love that. I love that and talking about that.
Share your social media booth, share your instagram, and share the website.
My instagram is hair by Vanessa Sanchez and our website is vspurely Natural dot.
Com exactly, and then Also she has her hair salon you guys, it's Prime Hair on Instagram, right right, So there you go, Booth, thank you so much for being on.
I had a great conversation with you me too, and I love you at them too. It's so nice to like talk to you like we talk.
We you know, we bullshit, we we like sit down and we buzzed and we just you know, talk about things. But this is a different conversation. So thank you for being on. I'm sure we all appreciate it, and you, guys, thank you for listening. I hope that you enjoyed and you learned quite a bit about my life, Vanessa's life, our partnership, and that we were able to inspire and empower you to hopefully one day start your.
Business if that's what you want to do.
And you guys know that before we close out the episode, I always have a quote for you. So this is your quote for the week. Okay, it's not what we have in life, but who we have in our life that matters. Again, it's not what we have in life, but who we have in our life that matters, you guys, So that is your quote.
Thank you so much, Boo. I love you. I'll see you soon too. And yeah, congratulations on the graduation girl or all, look at you.
Thank you. I love you guys, thank you so much. Besitos. Do you need advice on love, relationships, health emails. I'm so excited to share with you that my Cheeky's and Chill podcast will have an extra episode drop each week. I'll be answering all your questions. Just leave me a voice message person, Menday. All you have to do is go to speak pipe dot com, slash Cheeky's and Chill Podcasts and record your questions. I can't wait to hear from you. This is a production of iHeartRadio and the
Michael Gura podcast Network. Follow us on Instagram at Michael Gurda Podcasts and follow me Cheeky's That's c h I q U i s. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast, and check us out on YouTube.