Jake: Hey I’m Jake of Body by Jake and welcome to our motivational minute! Vanessa Ramirez is here with us.
Vanessa: Yes!
Jake: Vanessa, we are here at Chase Field. I love talking about, you know, ambition. When you were a kid growing up, or even in college, was this something that you thought you would be doing or wanted to do?
Vanessa: You know, I didn’t realize it till later. Obviously I liked participating in sports and plays. I was in every play. I tried out, but crazy enough, I was shy. I was shy talking to people one-on-one.
I was like, I didn’t think that I’d be in this position now but when I went to college there was a public speaking class and after I took that class, the light bulb went off.
Jake: So you forced yourself to get in front of a class and speak!
Vanessa: As you know, public speaking is the toughest thing in the world for people you do!
Jake: Do you ever get nervous?
Vanessa: Sometimes I get nervous just because I want to do a good job. I want to make sure that I make everyone happy and that everybody is having a great time here at the ballpark.
Even in the morning, because we’re waking people up. It’s the first thing you’re watching in the morning and we want to make sure that we put you in a good mood and you are good to go.
Jake: It’s a big responsibility.
Vanessa: It is a big responsibility!
Jake: Is this something that you do – you know a ritual, that you do to get you going in the morning, or before you go on?
Vanessa:
So in the morning, while I’m getting ready for work I listen to motivational speakers: Tony Robinson, TED Talks, anything! I log onto YouTube and see anything with positivity in the morning paper.
That’s what I do in the morning while I’m getting ready for work. Instead of you know, listening to the TV or music. You’re constantly wanting to better yourself, yeah.
Jake: Is there a note, a tip, for a person who’s watching right now who might not, you know, feel the best about themselves? What would you tell that young girl?
Vanessa: I would tell that young girl or person in general is that you always have to try something once, because if you didn’t try it you’ll never know, right? So if I didn’t try that public speaking class I would never know that this is what I like to do.
Another thing, I participated in a short film and I was working a full-time job graduated college living with my boyfriend, right. Well, all of a sudden, I had to choose whether I wanted to keep this full-time job or go shoot this for three weeks in Sedona.
I quit my job when did this film and my whole life changed. While I was filming, the D-Backs called for an interview. I went into the interview. My boyfriend broke up with me. I came home to an empty house, but you know, I just looked on the bright side of everything.
I know that I had to keep going, no matter what, and that everything was gonna be okay.
Jake: Life is about moments and this was fantastic! Vanessa, you are awesome! Thank you so much!
