Despite failures and the odds stacked against her, 10X Lady Adriana Gallardo made her own American Dream come true. 

You can see Adriana Gallardo’s face everywhere today.

Her billboards are all over buses and highways promoting the company she founded with her mother, Adriana’s Insurance. The insurance agency is the largest in Southern California and employs over 600 people.

Taking it to the next level, she also teaches branding and marketing strategies to others growing their businesses in this industry. 

However, Adriana didn’t always have the motivation to be great, nor did she believe in herself. It took her mother’s push and creativity to get to where she is now. 

New country with new obstacles

“America looked beautiful, just like the movies showed it.”

— Adriana Gallardo on arriving to the U.S.

But the luster didn’t last long. When she first arrived from Mexico at 18 years old, she didn’t speak any English or have a high school diploma. Another obstacle she faced was that she didn’t have the proper papers to be in the country legally. 

Due to her age, Adriana had to be enrolled in an adult education school. Being around fully grown adults and troubled students depressed her, so she quit the school.

Adriana’s mother, of course, insisted she get a job. Because of her immigration status and lack of experience, the only job she could get was as a janitor at Burger King. 

A different kind of American Dream

However, Adriana loved her job cleaning and prepping the food there. There was one thing though. She didn’t like coming home smelling like grease. Gallardo started daydreaming about becoming one of the girls who took the orders in the front of the restaurant.

In her free time, Adriana learned English and the entire menu to impress the manager enough to put her in the front. 

“I told my mother I did it and that I accomplished the American Dream… but I thought she was so mean because she said there was more potential in me.”

— Adriana describing her mother’s reaction

The countdown

When Adriana’s mother saw she was going to be complacent taking orders, she did something about it. Her mother insisted that Adriana came with her to buy her car insurance. 

While they were waiting in the office, her mother said to her suddenly, “This place has a lot of clients. You’re going to ask for a job here.” 

Adriana protested immediately saying that she had a job and didn’t have papers. That’s when her mother said she was going to count down from three, and if she didn’t ask, her mother would. 

It only took her mother to the count of two for her to go ask. 

Adriana Gallardo quickly rose to the top salesperson in that agency. With her mother pushing her again, she opened her own agency, Adriana’s Insurance. 

Gallardo made her American dream bigger than even she thought was possible. This story really shows me how drastically we underestimate our potential.

I hope that I too can guide my children to greater heights like Adriana’s mother did for her. I have a feeling that she isn’t done yet either. 

Build an Empire,

Elena Cardone  

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