My Family’s Enemy…BREAST CANCER: Leyna’s POWERFUL Story!

[Music] [Music] [Music] everybody Welcome Back To unarm Talk podcast for  this special episode on International women's day I mean what an amazing time to do a special  episode in honor of all of the women on earth who have contributed to some amazing achievements we  have one right in front of us in a virtual space if you guys are on audio you will hear her her  name is Lena Marie Topete and I tell you that name let me do it right ladies and gentlemen boys  and girls there's a bunch of humans o

n Earth but there's only one women one woman right now who is  above the ionosphere how you doing welcome to the show oh my gosh I love it I love it by the way I  actually do think I'm the only Lena Marie to on the planet I do I've actually Googled that to see  like does anybody else have my name my first name my last name I think there are a couple of Lena  topetes which I was surprised but Lena marito p no I don't I think I'm truly the only one um I  can confirm that because when I research yo

u you are the only one that came up we you know you  have you have an entrepreneur Spirit you're a business owner we'll get to that in a bit everyone  but um we could take your initials LM you know T and just brand that too and make that part of  your impromptu you maybe build a product line or something I don't know but you're awesome  and everybody she is a business owner she you know she's an entrepreneur you guys got to check  out what she's doing her her um company's called impromptu I'll p

ut the links in the show notes  give her a chance to talk about that a little bit and then her nonprofit is her too we'll  talk about that before we jump in the topic but before I bring this amazing amazing guest on  the show thank you everybody thank you to all the women I'm a mama's boy my mom's in heaven right  now smiling at her little son but all the women thank you I don't have a special button y'all know  that maybe by 2027 I'll raise enough money to buy one L can you do me a favor and bl

ess our audience  on this special episode and tell them a little bit about yourself oh thank you Mario um well I am  Latina I am half Puerto Rican half Mexican and I am as you mentioned I'm an entrepreneur and  a philanthropist singer actress which is a part of my life that a lot of people don't maybe  necessarily know about because I do have some background with that but overall I would say that  what really defines me if I think about who I am within I'm just really a person who is really  pos

itive I believe everything and anything is possible with the hard work with the dedication  with determination and I can't forget of course with faith I believe that is a very important  component to being able to make things happen and um I just see life as the gift that it really  is wow and for all you Marines out there she is a um the assistant comedon if you of her mom retired  Master gunary Sergeant you know her first name is Lola I love it and uh anyway but she has that  Marine blood in h

er and and more and more but she's doing amazing things around the world and  if you could just talk a little bit about you know the main effort that you are doing and what  You' have done I mean you've raised hundreds of thousands of dollars probably have impacted more  than hundreds of thousand thousands of people and then women and then particularly you know Latinos  blacks and then the indigenous women when it comes to um breast cancer can you talk a little bit  about that yeah I started her

too in honor of my mom Lola who did pass away from breast cancer in  2019 September 11th of all days um and she fought breast cancer for 12 years uh but because she was  in the Marine Corps she didn't have a financial hardship and I remember we were talking one day  and I was telling her that you know I'd like to start a nonprofit but at that time I wanted to  help fund or raise funds to further research for stage four and she said you know that's great but  I would rather you raise money to he

lp women with the cost of treatment it's really expensive  we would talk about the fact that if not for the Marine Corps she could not have fought her  fight past the first year because of just how expensive it was and so I said you know what  then that's what that's what that's what we'll do that'll be the the mission and then 2020 I  I remember that day it was the summer of 2020 and I that's when I thought okay there's no time  like the president in the middle of the pandemic the world is in c

haos of all times to really  but that's me that's how I am you know that's just that's just the way that I'm wired and I  remember saying okay I guess it's time to do this and so I started raising money in 2021 got  the 501c3 and yeah and now we're rolling forward with everything and and that is not easy first of  all being comfortable in crisis I mean that's one heck of a soft skill you know L's like there's a  crisis I'm super yeah you know you actually never thought about it like that but yea

h you're right  it's um I feel that that's now a gift from the Marine Corps being raised in the being raised in  the Marine Corps it really has has really taught me a lot and especially being an entrepreneur um  I'm biased but I really do think the Marine Corps is the best there's no other Branch like it I I  please forgive me for anybody who's hearing me that is Army or or any other Branch but I grew up  in that and I grew up in that in a time where from a single mother you know she joined in t

he 80s  and she she raised me through that so she raised me like a little [Laughter] Marine you know Ela I  think I fit the the little accurately so we word little and Mario P feel to everybody y'all know  me but um that is you know and then this to start a nonprofit from scratch is not easy um a lot of  folks you know they don't realize that and then to get your 501c3 from the IRS that determination  letter um that is not easy at all so thank you but now let's jump into the topic you you have b

een  caretaking you know you were you were thrusted right thrown into the caregiver caretaker world  for your hero your mother um there's no training there's no College there's no online certification  program prog I don't care how much money anyone has on earth that is a experience from hell and  for you you've been providing you took care of your mom and got rest your your mother's Soul  if you will you you've you you've been helping women in lowincome communities and you you  know I've been o

n your social media you have been just helping people you are a giver but has  anything happened in your life where now you need help um yeah there I mean i' I've definitely  I've definitely gone through a lot [Music] um I haven't I haven't spoken about this in in  a public platform so this will be this will be that opportunity but but last November of 23  at two weeks after the gala I found myself in that very position where I was diagnosed with  stage one breast cancer and there are no words t

here are no words because I I I never feared  getting breast cancer some people might think that's crazy but I really just strongly believed  it was not in the cards for me not because I'm so special but because I've been through with my  mom I'm now trying to give back to the community the breast cancer Community I just felt that I  would be exempt from that uh but I found myself right in that and um it I'm still I I think  I'm still trying to understand it in a way if that makes sense like I'm

still trying to wrap  my head around that it's been now almost four months since that day of being told that I that  I had it and since then I've had my I've had a lumpectomy I've done radiation and I've been  going to doctor's appointments and things like that but yeah in that moment I definitely felt  like I I need the support now around me and I've learned whether it's stage one two three four it  doesn't matter when anybody who's ever been told they have something as serious as as cancer of

  whatever the of whatever type of whatever stage no there's there's nothing to explain that there's  nothing you know what I mean like so yeah you know L I was going to tell you too thank you because  that's courageous because I know you're still dealing with it and and it's been re it's recent  and for you to to come on the show and I'll give congrat you know thank you to to Sergeant Major  retired Cortez Brown for connecting us but but but I am you know I'm so I'm honored you know  for you to

have the courage to even share this for the first time and you're still processing the  emotions of of you know you're doing all of this to help people survive it prevent it and then boom  it hits it hits you was there any time you know after you received this this diagnosis you know  that that you you went to prayer or whatever and say God why why me why why now why me talk to me  you know did did that happen instantly instantly I mean instantly I so I I had the the I had the  appointment wher

e they suspected and they really thought it'd be nothing but when I had that  appointment they did the biopsy they did the mammogram and then I flew to Puerto Rico four days  later and just one day after getting there and with my family and I get the call that that you  know we're so I'm so glad that we did this because it did turn out to be cancerous cells in that  moment I remember being in my grandma's living room and in that moment hang hanging up the phone  and telling my grandma you know w

hat I've never said this before but I'm I'm doub in God like  I I don't I don't understand right now haven't I been through enough and I would never say why  me because I don't I don't believe in saying that because I feel like why anybody the nobody nobody  anything that we go through why anybody but it was just the thing of haven't I gone through  enough I've lost my mother I've you know I I don't even know if you know this but in 2022 I was  diagnosed with Ms that rocked my yeah that rocked m

y world and you know the business ups and downs  and and like you said uh having the organization and planning gas at the Beverly Hills Hotel and  all the stress of that and so many factors and I just thought isn't it enough I could I could  cry almost thinking about it right now because it just was like isn't it enough when do I get my  reprieve when do I get this break and now this um so I had that moment for sure but my grandma  instantly was her thing you know she tells me or she told me no

no no you know we can't question  God we don't we don't know the reason why but we have to know there is a reason and I want to pray  right now and so she prayed over me and it took me a couple days to say okay you know what I'm going  to reframe my thinking and it's no longer what is this about in a negative way now it's like okay  there is a purpose for this what do I think that purpose is and and I and I feel like I now have  understanding of that purpose wow you you know you just listening t

o you and and Grandma when you see  your grandma tonight give her well you got to make your hands like this small to hug her cuz you know  Nicole and I were small so but you got to give her a hug from from the fields that way she know  yeah I do as a matter of fact before we before like just what 10 minutes before we got on we got  on here I was I was uh I gave her a hug because she's here with me in California right now um and  I was like just give me a hug I love hugging her and it's crouching

down and just hugging her  so yeah she's 41 she's 411 she's she we're good you know so so and then the second thing  is you know listening to you it reminded me of of um this kind of saying is that God doesn't  qualify people and send them to do his work he sends those who are qualified and they get  qualified doing the work so he doesn't send the qualifi he qualifies The Chosen and it's  powerful for you to say that because that's what I'm saying I mean heck Lena I went to I  was on my my wife

's case today saying you you know because she was like I feel a little  lump a couple of days ago and I said babe make your appointment you know and it's because  of you you know it's because of us meeting each other what three minutes ago but it's because  of us meeting each other y'all know I'm joking but it's been recent that now my you know don't  like I don't care make your appointment make your appointment but let's say we didn't meet let's  say you weren't the chosen one to be qualified t

o not just Inspire women I'm a man you men don't  really have to deal with this a lot by statistics but that doesn't mean we still can't support  our loved ones our sisters or our mothers our grandmothers the women in our world um in our  lives so you're you're already you're already doing it you know I have a permanent T so you  can't see me blushing so I'm G blush with my eyes I'm telling you so so how did  you think because because you know unarm talk is about um you know again  we we all hav

e emotions but to think is a choice so after you get this advice this  wisdom from from Grandma you you know you go into deep prayer how did you think  through it where now you're starting to thrive that I mean it I had to pray a lot through  that I mean it's it's you know it's interesting too Mario because I I was talking to a really  good friend of mine and Romeo shout out to Romeo because I'm sure he'll see this at some point um  but I remember telling him that I was doubting God and he actua

lly had a different take on it he goes  I don't know that you were doubting God because in that you kept praying you never stopped praying  and you never stopped seeking him in that time so I he goes I think you were just afraid it was  fear you were feeling the fear so to answer your question I na I mean I started I navigated that  through prayer constant prayer and I just was I just totally gave it to him as a woman of faith  that really is just all I knew that I could do is just give somethin

g of this magnitude to him  because I really felt that there is purpose and um I never I don't think that God gave it to me  because I know some people have a different View and I don't think God gave it to me but I do think  he allowed it and he allowed it for a purpose and it was going to be for me to figure out and  find out that purpose and I would say I was I was still in Puerto Rico uh I needed to navigate  that was probably one of the hardest things for me was I'm on this island and it's

not necessarily  homebased like LA but I had to find an Imaging Center and continue to do more imaging and I would  say about a week after getting that call I started to feel this mental shift of okay I'm excited  I'm not excited that have this certainly not but I'm excited because I know from this something  good is going to to come of it and I remember I want to say it was a few days after I got my  own diagnosis a supporter of her too reached out to me and she said Hey when's the next her to 

event because my friend her daughter she's 27 she was just diagnosed with with uh stage three breast  cancer she's Latina and I thought yeah this is it this this is this is going to be the reason why  because she didn't even know about my my friend didn't even know that I was recently diagnosed  um so but when I got that text I said this is going to be the reason why because there are so  many Latinas who are getting diagnosed younger and at later stages and I need to be a voice one  of many vo

ices but a but a voice of influence and a voice of inspiration that can remind ladies  hey we need to take it serious we're living in a different time we're living in a different world  women are getting diagnosed younger and I want to shed light on what I've learned in my journey  and I don't want women to be afraid because my mom just passed from this four years ago and that  didn't stop me from if anything it's it's in honor of her like let it not be in vain that she passed  from this let me

let me take note and and pay pay attention and take care of my heal wow that is  so powerful you know and and I love how you said that I don't believe you know God gave it to me I  believe he allowed some things to happen um we're we're now the to sympathize and empathize with  folks you're taking care of it's different like you said to to give that wisdom to even folks  like me on on you know what if it happens to my own wife or you know to be able to reach out to  you and now say Mario I know

like this is what I went through not saying everyone else is going  to experience the same and that's powerful and then to just keep going because that's a choice  I mean I you know in your lifetime have you seen folks who you know have received this diagnosis  and that was it shut them down you know they were like I'm done have you ever seen that before  well I mean I definitely thought my in my mind I thought um I mean it never occurred to me to  do that but I but I told myself I go you know a

lot of people in something like this they would  Retreat within probably and just say hey you know what I'm shutting this down I got to focus on  me they would probably crumble no no disrespect you know it's it's heavy it's really it's really  heavy um and um but but uh it was never an option for me I'm not a quitter to know me it's no I  don't quit I pivot and I keep moving forward that's that's just the way I'm bu bu and I love  that about myself if I can say so um because I think it's it's n

ecessary to have that you know  to to be in business started to do things that I've been I've been doing you it's I remember one  of the um marketing companies that I worked with in the beginning when I first started impromptu I  will never forget when she said to me in a meeting she goes you know business is not for the faint  of heart and I didn't I didn't fully get that then but I roll forward and everything I've been  through and I was like she was she was right like to to really survive thi

s life and really make  an impact you are going to go through stuff and and you're G to find out what you're made of so  well you're you're I believe this in in my little heart L that your mom is up there smiling um when  you said the word pivot that really probably got her jumping up because that's you know that's  a Marine Corp that's my girl I told you girl to Pivot yeah pivot and um pivot and leverage those  are my those are my favorite words in business learn how to Pivot and leverage and y

ou're good  well you've done some amazing things I mean I mean again for-profit company nonprofit a pandemic  external Factor slams into all Industries and look at you you're thriving impromptu is doing  amazingly well has done well what I mean by that is making an impact on people and then your  Charity's just been doing some great things I am not going to hold you too much longer  like the other guests because every single guest I tell every single guest including you  I enjoy just having disc

ussions without armor and I will have you guys on for so long that  I'm preventing you from continuing to make a positive impact on thousands of people so with  that said looking back if there was any piece of advice that you can give the women in this  world today on International women's day what would you give them that's really a good question  um I would i i two things come to my mind I think one of my piece of pieces of advice would be uh be  kind to yourself and it's because it's somethin

g that I'm still learning how to do I struggle  with it but and it seems to be something that's being said a lot but I think there's a reason why  it's being said a lot is because we're not doing it we're not giving oursel enough Grace and just  realizing that as women we're very powerful we're very capable to do so much in in this world  and um and it's okay to have set back backs and it's okay to have you know just things not go  as planned and when that happens just be kind to yourself and I

would also say but also truly be  mindful of how you are moving in this world and how you're being with other women that's another  piece of advice that that I speak on because in my years in business being fully transparent  one of the things that I've seen there's so many women and I don't want to get Flack for  this I don't want to get any any negative but I'm being sincere when I say this there are a  lot of women who in public forum they act like they're for women yeah they do they they act

like  they're a woman for women and then behind closed doors it's not the case and I don't like that  and I and I'm and I'm sure there are probably a lot of women who are hearing this and they're  going to say oh I can relate to that and and they get that um and it makes me sad because there's  enough space for everybody I think I think once we really learn that there's enough room for  everybody we all bring something different to the table and what my strengths are are not what  your strength

s are and really we could both be doing the same business but we're not going  to speak to everybody of the same audience so that's and that's okay that's okay so I would  just say be kind to yourself and please be kind to to other women too so you you guys heard it  you all heard it again she's already famous but now she's going to be running Galaxy I believe  that in my heart but but you you all heard it you know self-care take care of yourself ladies  and everyone take care of yourself focus

on you first and you know and then be authentic you  know it's okay be unarmored just be you be you be authentic if you say on on the TV on the show  or whatever you're doing that you're for women progress for you know progression of women and  equality for women you do that behind the scenes and you guys are looking at one young man who was  inspired and shaped it formed in my personality and everything else by darling Annette Fields God  Rest her soul my mother so thank you Lena thank you to a

ll the women on this Earth and I firmly  believe that you guys have inspired the heck out of change and social and economic growth and we  have a lot more work to do it's been a pleasure Lena I hope you feel the same oh Mario it's an  absolute pleasure for me as well I definitely just I'm honored that I got to be a guest on your  podcast thank you for having me and thank you for allowing me to share about everything I have  going on and for supporting I appreciate it no I appreciate it and one l

ast thing how can people  find you yes so I can be found on my personal Instagram Lena toet and um impromptu the website  is WW impromptu dolive her to breastcancer.org and also the the handle for her to is um her to  nonprofit nice I'll make sure those are in the show notes and on the YouTube video banners and I  will continue to keep you Lena in my prayers for recovery and everything else that you continue  to do but everyone you guys know the deal until the next episode may God continue to bl

ess you  may God continue to bless your family members and may God continue to bless your friends have  a wonderful night Lena you too thank you Mario [Music] [Music] oh