Courage in Adversity: How a Marine Found His Path
Emilio Roman is a force in the world of Christian entrepreneurship, and our latest chat on A Warrior Spirit dives deep into his remarkable journey. From his roots in Camden, New Jersey, to serving in the Marine Corps, Emilio’s life has been a series of challenges and triumphs that have shaped his purpose. He candidly shared about the hurdles he overcame in his youth, including navigating a challenging family environment and the impact of trauma. Through faith and determination, he transformed his life and now dedicates himself to helping others find their authority and prosperity in business.
What makes this episode particularly engaging is Emilio's unique blend of humor and wisdom. He has a knack for making complex topics relatable, using his own life experiences as a backdrop. We explored how his military service not only instilled discipline but also provided him with a sense of brotherhood that he now fosters within the entrepreneurial community. Emilio believes that every setback can be a setup for a comeback, and his insights on maintaining a warrior spirit in the face of adversity resonate powerfully.
As we navigated through various topics, including the importance of community support and the role of gratitude in success, Emilio's passion for uplifting others shone through. He shared his vision of creating spaces for aspiring leaders to thrive, emphasizing the significance of storytelling in building connections. By the end of our conversation, it was clear that Emilio's mission goes beyond personal success; it’s about creating a ripple effect of empowerment that can transform lives. This episode is not just for Christian entrepreneurs but for anyone looking to harness their inner warrior and make a difference!
Takeaways:
- Emilio Roman's journey from a tough upbringing in Camden, New Jersey, to becoming a successful entrepreneur showcases the power of resilience and faith.
- The importance of community and shared experiences in overcoming life's challenges was a major theme shared throughout the episode.
- Emilio emphasizes that healing from past traumas can't be done in isolation; we need to support each other and share our stories.
- Both hosts reflect on how their spiritual journeys shaped their lives, highlighting that faith is deeply personal and can guide one towards purpose.
Links referenced in this episode:
Transcript
Welcome back to another episode of A Warrior Spirit, the show where the inner warriors shine in their light, presented by Praxis 33, the company that aligns your thoughts, goals, and actions to create your best life.
Speaker A:Do you consider yourself a Christian entrepreneur?
Speaker A:If so, today's show is for you.
Speaker A:And even if you're a non Christian, but have an entrepreneurial heart, today's show is also for you.
Speaker A:Today we're speaking with Emilio Romo.
Speaker A:Emilio is known as the master networker and has built an impressive career career with his highly energetic communication style.
Speaker A:His mission is to help Christian entrepreneurs create authority and prosperity in all they do.
Speaker A:And, Christian, I just want to welcome you to the show.
Speaker A:Thank you for joining me today.
Speaker B:Hey, thank you so much for having me, Darrell.
Speaker B:Outstanding.
Speaker B:I love a warrior spirit.
Speaker B:I love the title.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:I know that you have a warrior's heart.
Speaker A:You've done a lot.
Speaker A:You were a Marine.
Speaker A:I don't want to say former, because once a Marine, always a Marine.
Speaker A:My stepson was a Marine.
Speaker A:My daughter was in the Navy.
Speaker A:My father was in the Army.
Speaker A:So I have an affinity for everything that you guys do.
Speaker A:And thank you for your service.
Speaker A:Where did you get your start?
Speaker A:Where did you grow up?
Speaker A:Where did a little Emilio roam the streets?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Well, listen, again, I'm just so blessed, and I salute you for honoring our veterans.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker B:And you understand the veterans.
Speaker B:It's really core at.
Speaker B:It's a core part of what we do.
Speaker B:And so the backstory of where I grew up, not a place not too far from here called Camden, New Jersey.
Speaker B:And for those of you that are not familiar, Camden is right on the Delaware river, and you have the New Jersey side, and just right over it's a bridge called Ben Franklin Bridge, which puts right into Philadelphia.
Speaker A:So did you grow up on the streets of Philadelphia or did you have a good home life?
Speaker A:Was your early childhood, like, awesome?
Speaker B:Man, I love the way you dive right into this, Darrell.
Speaker B:And so I grew up in a Puerto Rican household.
Speaker B:My mom was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and I grew up here in Camden, New Jersey, is where what I called my home.
Speaker B:And it was a single family home.
Speaker B:So single family home and everything that that entailed growing up with my mom, she had her challenges, and I talk a lot about that at different places.
Speaker B:But, yeah, I would love to talk wherever you want to take the conversation, but let's just say it really wasn't the best for raising children.
Speaker B:Single family home in the 80s.
Speaker B:I'm in my mid-50s now, so it's a different generation where there's growing up today, if you know what I mean.
Speaker A:Yeah, well, I'm in my 60s, so I do know what you mean.
Speaker A:But I'm trying to find out, you know, what shaped you, because I know the man you are today.
Speaker A:But were you always a faithful Christian who just followed what God said, or was there a period where you were distracted from your mission?
Speaker B:Man, awesome.
Speaker B:This is powerful.
Speaker B:And I love the question, because my start, or my introduction to Christianity, Jesus more specifically, was from my mom.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:We were one of those Catholics growing up where we went to church once a year, like on Easter and on the.
Speaker B:What we call the midnight Mass, and in Spanish is la misa del gallo.
Speaker B:It's the mass of really wear a midnight Mass.
Speaker B:And so that's when we would go.
Speaker B:And so that's when it was rooted.
Speaker B:My mom said, you know, go there, get your first Communion, do all that wonderful stuff.
Speaker B:But we weren't practicing Catholics, per se.
Speaker B:Every Sunday.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I am a reformed Catholic, so I know exactly what you.
Speaker A:What you mean.
Speaker A:And when I say reformed Catholic, what I mean by that is that I grew up in a strict Catholicism household from my mom's side.
Speaker A:And then when she married my stepdad, who is the only dad that I call dad, but their side was evangelical, So I would go to mass on Saturday and church on Sunday and then made my own decision later in life.
Speaker A:And I found, for me, personally, I find God in everything else that I do, other than sitting in a pew listening to a preacher tell me what I'm supposed to sit, kneel, pray, sit, kneel, pray.
Speaker A:I felt like I was more in a gym class in Catholicism than I was in trying to learn the word of God.
Speaker A:So my connection and my spirituality with him came in my early.
Speaker A:When I was 11 or 12, I actually went to a movie.
Speaker A:My mom dropped me off.
Speaker A:This is back in the day when you could drop your kids off and not worry about them.
Speaker A:She dropped me off at the theater, didn't know it was a Christian movie.
Speaker A:Went in, really enjoyed the movie, and at the end, Billy Graham came out from behind the curtains and did his altar call.
Speaker A:And that was the moment that I decided personally for me to be a follower of Christ and have been ever since.
Speaker A:And I know the hand of God has worked through my life because, like you, I've had many stray moments in very low valleys, but without him, I would never have gotten out of those.
Speaker A:So I'm right there with you.
Speaker A:Do you have siblings?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:So thank you for sharing that story and the Billy Graham part.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker B:I mean, that is awesome.
Speaker B:That is awesome.
Speaker B:An altar call.
Speaker B:Billy Graham.
Speaker B:And so my family, yeah, big family, about seven of us, but my brother's in Puerto Rico, My sisters are here.
Speaker B:They're not too far.
Speaker B:In fact, they're coming today.
Speaker B:Great thing you mentioned, we rarely see each other.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Just like any family that we're within 5, 10 miles of each other, but we rarely ever see each other because, you know, everybody has grandbabies.
Speaker B:We have the grandbabies and everything else.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:So what was, what was some of your lowest points in your early childhood growing up?
Speaker A:Because I want to get the arc to how you got to the great man that you are today.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Again, thank you.
Speaker B:So big part of my story, Daryl, that I talk about is being molested at a young age by so called family members.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:My mom, as we said earlier, I grew up in an area in a time period where it's a lot different.
Speaker B:It's just two different worlds, I believe growing up in the 70s and the 80s, because I'm, you know, I was born in the 70, but I was, my child was in the 80s, if you will.
Speaker B:Yeah, right.
Speaker B:That's when.
Speaker B:So my mom was always, I feel like we were in this environment where there was always drinking, there was a celebration going on all the time.
Speaker B:And in the midst of that, my mom trusted everyone and so did, so did I.
Speaker B:And I got molested not once, but twice, my so called family members.
Speaker B:And that shaped the trajectory on how I viewed women, how I trusted individuals.
Speaker B:And that shaped my, my relationship with, with the Lord.
Speaker B:Because it was when I went to church that I found a safe place.
Speaker B:And it was in my teens that about between 12 and 13, that I had an opportunity and I had more choices.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I wasn't now being told to do it.
Speaker B:I was at a point in time growing up in the 80s where I had drug dealers encouraging me to sell drugs and push their product.
Speaker B:And then I would go to church and the priest, more specifically the Jesuit priest of Holy Name, they showed me love and I embraced that.
Speaker B:And that became the trajectory of my life.
Speaker B:Where I started working for the church, the Catholic Church in North Camden.
Speaker B:And that really shaped me because then I had an opportunity to go to Catholic school versus the public school.
Speaker B:And I paid my way, I worked and paid my way to Catholic school.
Speaker B:A lot different than a lot of my friends.
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:And so how does, how does young Emilio go from serving the church to saying, oh, I think I'll go in the Marine Corps because of the four branches.
Speaker A:And I.
Speaker A:And I wanted to be in the Air Force, but my eyesight wouldn't allow me yet.
Speaker A:I'm colorblind, so they wouldn't allow me because you can't fly a plane if you can't see the colors.
Speaker A:But how does.
Speaker A:How does someone go from serving the church to serving the government?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:No, great question.
Speaker B:And for me, who did I value?
Speaker B:Who did I respect the most, right?
Speaker B:And growing up at between.
Speaker B:Between 13, I saw the.
Speaker B:I saw people in law enforcement, I saw veterans, and I had the utmost respect for them.
Speaker B:I just saw how they walked, I saw how they talked.
Speaker B:And I was like, oh, I want to do that.
Speaker B:I want to be like that.
Speaker B:I like that.
Speaker B:I like that level of authority and respect.
Speaker B:So that's what drew me to the military and more specifically, the Marine Corps.
Speaker B:Again, all branches, right?
Speaker B:We salute all of them.
Speaker B:We respect them.
Speaker B:But there was something about the Marines that I identified with, right.
Speaker B:I grew up in an area where, again, it was Camden.
Speaker B:It was a time where, I don't know if you're familiar with the term mischief night.
Speaker B:Mischief nights the day before Halloween.
Speaker B:And so my area was.
Speaker B:I got goosebumps as I'm saying this.
Speaker B:The folks, not everyone, okay?
Speaker B:But the element, the street element, would call the fire department and would call the.
Speaker B:The fire department and the fire department and the fire trucks, right?
Speaker B:And they would throw stuff at them.
Speaker B:So can you imagine growing up in that area where then they.
Speaker B:Their response time was super late?
Speaker B:So if that.
Speaker B:That was.
Speaker B:Give you a picture of how I grew up, right?
Speaker B:So I had to be tough.
Speaker B:I had to be scared.
Speaker B:So courage and adversity, that's why I love.
Speaker B:I love a warrior spirit.
Speaker B:Because to me, that's what it means.
Speaker B:It means courage and adversity, right?
Speaker B:How do you demonstrate courage?
Speaker A:So in the Marine Corps, how long did you serve?
Speaker B:I served.
Speaker B:You'll love this.
Speaker B:I went in later in life because while I was in high school, I wanted to go right after high school, and everyone kept encouraging me, go to college, but I just never saw myself in college.
Speaker B:So I went ahead and I did apply, and everybody's like, emilio, you should go to college.
Speaker B:Go to college.
Speaker B:So I kind of listened to them.
Speaker B:I went to college for a year or two, then got into.
Speaker B:I had my son at 21, started working in workforce, and.
Speaker B:But I had that Marine, that thing I wanted to do when I was in Marine Corps.
Speaker B:So I went ahead at 26, if you believe it or not.
Speaker B:And I did four years of active duty.
Speaker B:Four years.
Speaker B:Loved it.
Speaker B:Had, you know, great experience.
Speaker B:Had some highs and lows, you know, but yeah, I mean that those.
Speaker B:I was one of the best decisions in my life.
Speaker B:Daryl is serving my country.
Speaker A:The first off that is later in life.
Speaker A:And oftentimes when people go in later in life, they, they have done enough college to go in as an officer with one year of college.
Speaker A:I don't imagine that applied to you.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, you go in a.
Speaker A:As a private.
Speaker A:And from what I know from my stepson's journey in, in the Marine Corps, boot camp is like no other.
Speaker A:So did you embrace that because you were a street gang mentality guy or did you like struggle with it like so many others?
Speaker B:No, I, I actually embraced it.
Speaker B:I loved it.
Speaker B:While I was never gang affiliated.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:Right, but you grew up in the.
Speaker B:Yeah, I grew up in that environment where there was a lot of gangs that people were wanting to bring me into that realm.
Speaker B:And thankfully, because of the church, I made that choice.
Speaker B:And so boot camp wasn't really a struggle for me because I had already had a certain degree of leadership and discipline, but I saw others who really struggled with it.
Speaker B:And yeah, so my biggest challenge wasn't the boot camp itself being told what to do and how to do was having young men who really did not understand leadership.
Speaker B:Take, you know, me being in leadership role, like, oh my God, are you really having us do this?
Speaker B:We could do it better.
Speaker B:So the Marine Corps and the military, word of advice for anybody watching this at a later date.
Speaker B:The military is not a place for you if you want to do things on your own.
Speaker B:Like, if you have a, if you want to have a whole program, military is not a place for you.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's, you know, the struggle.
Speaker A:And as an older individual going in, you know, you had that more maturity.
Speaker A:So you've already seen some of the world and.
Speaker A:But, you know, and even though you weren't a part of gangs, you knew how to survive the streets because of where you grew up and what you saw and then growing in as an older individual.
Speaker A:That mentality is vastly different than these 18 and 19 year old kids stepping off the bus and jumping on those yellow, you know, boots.
Speaker B:Footprints.
Speaker A:Yeah, the footprints.
Speaker A:Yeah, because they don't know Jack Diddley.
Speaker A:And in the, by the time you were getting there, you were in the late 80s, early 90s, I imagine, if I'm doing my math right.
Speaker A:And kids at that time had a very different mentality about authority than those of Us that grew up in the 70s and 80s, it was already the arc of change where they were starting to rebel a little bit.
Speaker A:So I can imagine as an older person it was really frustrating to see these punks step off the bus.
Speaker A:And I say that from a 60 year old curmudgeoning point of view, but you know, but it had to be frustrating for you.
Speaker A:So how did you, how did you weave your way between embracing the core and living around people with a lesser grown up mentality?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Now, well, the wonderful thing is that the military and the core as we call it.
Speaker B:Right, the core, it's a brotherhood.
Speaker B:So we're all focused on, on developing and growing and you know, they shave your head, we wear the same uniform.
Speaker B:So it got to the point where I just became receptive.
Speaker B:Like, like, you know, it was a challenge here and there.
Speaker B:That was just a little bit of a challenge.
Speaker B:But for the most part everyone wanted to see each other win because the way it's structured in the military, you're only as strong as your weakest link.
Speaker B:So when one person didn't fully do his job, everyone was paying for it.
Speaker B:So at that point, age didn't even make.
Speaker B:Age wasn't a factor.
Speaker B:Like you had to be your best.
Speaker B:And one of the things I learned about myself, I can share this.
Speaker B:And I never really thought I was afraid of heights until I was doing a drill.
Speaker B:And all of a sudden I ended up we're running through and doing all the, you know, uram military stuff.
Speaker B:It's exciting and you know, we're all cammied up with paint.
Speaker B:Then I ended up on a tower and I had a jump rope, you know, jump to the rope.
Speaker B:I looked over and I panicked.
Speaker B:I literally panic.
Speaker B:I was like my.
Speaker B:And like, I don't think I think I've ever been more scared in my life.
Speaker B:All of a sudden the drill instructor was downstairs, you know, down there.
Speaker B:Go.
Speaker B:Took his hat and he was like, I'm going to come up here and put mine and I'll.
Speaker B:So then I got all the weights of everyone.
Speaker B:The drill just stopped because we kept it.
Speaker B:It's supposed to.
Speaker B:Kept, kept moving.
Speaker B:So I finally jumped.
Speaker B:Did it.
Speaker B:Another mindset came in.
Speaker B:I was like, you know, like I was that all pumped up and they were like just keep moving, you know, but so you see what I'm saying.
Speaker A:Yeah, take your accolade later and get moving.
Speaker A:Did, did that.
Speaker A:Did, did the thought ever cross your mind to go in the special forces part?
Speaker A:Because my, my son was really my stepson was really good at shooting.
Speaker A:And they asked him to be a sniper.
Speaker A:And I said, wow, that's a really cool, you know, honor that they asked you.
Speaker A:And he said, I'm not going to do it, dad.
Speaker A:And I said, why not?
Speaker A:And he said, those guys are crazy.
Speaker A:They sit and look at a dot on a wall for three and four hours.
Speaker A:Like, okay, from a mental standpoint, probably not best for you, right?
Speaker A:But did you ever consider Special Forces?
Speaker B:You know what?
Speaker B:Already, like when you're in the Marine Corps, and again, it's the smallest branch out of all.
Speaker B:We're the stepchild, right.
Speaker B:So there was already a lot of special Force stuff that we were already doing that they don't even teach you in the other Air Force you mentioned earlier.
Speaker B:So we were already pretty good.
Speaker B:I had entertained the idea of becoming what's called a Marine Recon, which is the Special Forces within the Marine.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Every branch has like the rangers for the army and the Navy SEALs, but so we have our own Special Forces.
Speaker B:And like your, your, your son.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:You said your son, right.
Speaker B:So I entertained that.
Speaker B:But I was already being pulled away from my family enough.
Speaker B:And those guys, they're a really tight community.
Speaker B:And I want to say to you, the success rate, very, very little.
Speaker B:I mean, there's a big attrition rate.
Speaker B:So I didn't even want to participate.
Speaker B:I thought about it.
Speaker B:I thought it was great, you know, massage my ego.
Speaker B:Until I saw other people who went before me.
Speaker B:They were like, yeah, so and so didn't make it.
Speaker B:I'm like, yeah, I'm good.
Speaker A:No, I'm good.
Speaker A:So I want to circle back to something you said, that the early molestation shaped how you interacted with specifically women.
Speaker A:How did that shape the mother, the relationship with the mother of your child?
Speaker A:And after you got out of the core, you know, the women you met after that.
Speaker B:Yeah, no, again, your childhood, right.
Speaker B:Really does shape you.
Speaker B:And you have a degree in psychology.
Speaker B:So you know that they say by the time a child is seven years old, right.
Speaker B:He or she has already formed their opinion is the world friend or foe?
Speaker B:Basically, they've already formed their core values.
Speaker B:And so I had formed the value around women and relationships.
Speaker B:Like my mom had put us in these situations where we're dangerous.
Speaker B:So I didn't.
Speaker B:I had this non trust for women.
Speaker B:And with that non trust came not respect.
Speaker B:I didn't hold women in high esteem.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:We're having honest and open conversation here.
Speaker B:And today it's obviously different.
Speaker B:But that shaped me how I talked to women, how I treated women was all shaped on how I grew up.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Because I'm part of my mind and I can understand it now.
Speaker B:I didn't understand it then, I understand it now that my mom supposed to protect me, love us.
Speaker B:And there was a point in time that she burned the house down.
Speaker B:Like she had her own issues, her own demons.
Speaker B:And I remember this one time, and I don't talk about this much, but because we're talking, you know, I, I, I want to add more value to, to, to what you're sharing and put it in perspective.
Speaker B:It was a point that alcohol drove my mom to bring us all together in the room, my, me and my two younger sisters.
Speaker B:And she lit the room on fire.
Speaker B:And I would love to stand here and say that I was a hero, but when she grabbed us all in the, in a huddle and threw the, flickered the, her cigarette into what she had sprayed like alcohol and into a makeshift is where we used to have the clothing, the laundry.
Speaker B:She had it in a box, right.
Speaker B:She threw that in there and things started going up.
Speaker B:I broke away from her and I opened the door and ran out and so my sisters followed me.
Speaker B:So that's, that's what saved us.
Speaker B:But she was in that world where alcoholism had consumed her.
Speaker B:Her low self esteem.
Speaker B:Every time I turned around again, I love my mom.
Speaker B:I loved her then, I love her now.
Speaker B:But that's where my, I started to have different viewpoints about women.
Speaker B:And that since changed because I now have an understanding of, of what was going on.
Speaker B:I understand spiritual warfare today.
Speaker B:I understand the psychology and I understand people's intentions and motives.
Speaker B:Didn't as a young man, that doesn't quite all add up.
Speaker A:Was, did your mom follow as well?
Speaker A:She.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So, so we all made it back.
Speaker B:I mean we all made it because, you know, people saw the flames and, and yeah.
Speaker A:Okay, so how, what was your relationship with the mother of your first child?
Speaker B:Yeah, so my, you know what, my son, again, it was more of a romance.
Speaker B:And then we had my son at 21 and I didn't really have parenting skills.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I didn't have a dad in my life.
Speaker B:I didn't really care much about how I grew up.
Speaker B:So I can say that it really wasn't a really good relationship with women.
Speaker B:I really didn't, I stepped out of the relationship a number of times.
Speaker B:I attempted to do things differently for the sake of my son.
Speaker B:But that, that, that wasn't very, you know, it didn't last because again, I just had this hold about How I saw people, how I saw women.
Speaker B:And yeah, all this you talked about earlier, you know, life is won or lost in the mind first.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:And because it is extremely common for military and it's extremely common for children like you and I who grow up in abusive environments, it's very common to attempt to take our own life more than once, but at least once.
Speaker A:Did that ever happen to you as well?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So thank you for, again, you're definitely hitting the right buttons here because that was, that was something that I struggled with at least, at least twice in my life.
Speaker B:Again, questioning value.
Speaker B:Why, you know, poor me, poor me, pour me a drink kind of thing.
Speaker B:And alcohol really was the igniter for that because I really dove into the drinking and when I was, I wasn't drinking, I was clear headed.
Speaker B:But the drinking really ignited those thoughts, those which today I recognize, you know, the spirit of alcoholism.
Speaker B:It's a generational curse.
Speaker B:My father had it, my mother had it, and her, her parents had it.
Speaker B:So I have an understanding today.
Speaker B:But thank God that I'm here to talk about it.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:It is something that many of us have struggled with and it is by the grace of God that we, you know, if I, if I'm not successful at anything, that's what I don't want to be successful at the times where I tried to not be here.
Speaker A:So I, I'm grateful that, that you were able to find your way.
Speaker A:So I know that you have a wonderful wife now.
Speaker A:Do you have more children currently?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:So that the grandbabies is what we have.
Speaker B:So I have, and boy, you know, they say kids are great when you can give them back, right?
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:So we love the grandbabies.
Speaker B:We, we just moved in and we got bunk beds for them.
Speaker B:Some of the, the other grandparents were like, don't get them bunk beds.
Speaker B:I say we want to be the cool grandparents.
Speaker B:So we got them bunk beds.
Speaker B:But yeah, so it's just my, my, my son Jeff, who's in his 30s, and my daughter Milagros, which by the way means miracle in, in Spanish.
Speaker B:Milagros.
Speaker B:So, yeah, just a son and, and, and a daughter.
Speaker B:And, and I can tell you here in full transparency that because of my lifestyle, I don't even have a we.
Speaker B:My, my daughter and I don't even speak today.
Speaker B:I pray and anyone watching this, please pray for us.
Speaker B:I would love to rekindle my relationship with my daughter, but that's what happens when you live in that world.
Speaker B:You have to.
Speaker B:Doesn't matter that you're Saved.
Speaker B:It doesn't matter that.
Speaker B:Well, I'm take it back.
Speaker B:It does matter.
Speaker B:But because I've changed, right.
Speaker B:They still see me as that person who created a lot of things in, in their life.
Speaker B:And so that's, this is a real conversation.
Speaker A:So I'm going to ask you, I'm going to pull up a few things here and I'm going to ask you about each one of them.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker A:Right now.
Speaker A:ERA Ministry, the digital, digital, digital church.
Speaker A:How did you reconnect with your pastoral endeavors?
Speaker B:Yeah, so I grew up again, I told you about the church, right.
Speaker B:When I was young, that was.
Speaker B:They had a big influence to Jesuits, had a big influence in my life.
Speaker B:And so when I was younger, I had the opportunity to go to Catholic school.
Speaker B:I think I shared that with you.
Speaker B:I was highly influenced by the Jesuit priests.
Speaker B:There was a doctor, there was a lawyer.
Speaker B:It was very odd in the urban community during those 80s, in the 80s, to be able to have that kind of leadership.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Especially religious leadership.
Speaker B:And I was privy to that.
Speaker B:And I had, you know, I would go retreats, counseling.
Speaker B:So I wanted to be a priest.
Speaker B:And as the story goes, my wife shared this at one of our book launches.
Speaker B:She goes, many of you do not know that Emilio wanted to be a priest, but then he kissed the girl and he liked it.
Speaker B:So that was, that's my story, man.
Speaker B:I, I really wanted to be a priest again because of what God was doing in my life as a young man.
Speaker B:And then I again, you know, you, you heard what happened after.
Speaker B:I didn't have that, that support.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:A lot of us, we have this community and then once we don't have that community anymore, we go, we're left to our own devices.
Speaker B:You see what happens.
Speaker B:So we all need.
Speaker A:Then how did, how did the Sunday sermon series, and I love the, that you incorporated your military on this one.
Speaker A:So how did this one come about?
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:So this is something that now, when you and I were talking about, you felt when you did this three years ago, God placed it in your spirit, Correct?
Speaker B:You said to start this, right?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:So in the middle.
Speaker B: Well, really the beginning of: Speaker B:I had.
Speaker B:Did a challenge.
Speaker B:And can you imagine doing this?
Speaker B:I came on social media and I said I was going to come live 365 days.
Speaker B:I was going to pray whoever wanted to come on.
Speaker B:And now the human side of me thinks, boy, people are going to love this.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:So people are going to love this.
Speaker B:And all of a sudden I came on sometimes Crickets.
Speaker B:But I would come on every day for a whole year.
Speaker B:For a whole, dear.
Speaker B:Whole year, Daryl.
Speaker B:I came on.
Speaker B:And during that time, while there was not many people coming on, really, God was shaping me, informing me, and I really believe that.
Speaker B: Reverend about midway through: Speaker B:And I was always involved in some form of ministry.
Speaker B:Part of my business as a publisher and a retired Marine.
Speaker B:Excuse me, because I'm medically retired.
Speaker B:We were always already serving people in a capacity.
Speaker B:We start with prayer.
Speaker B:We, you know, we've always done that.
Speaker B:But just to answer your question in full, this is all recent here Sunday sermon.
Speaker B:This has all been recent with within the last few months.
Speaker A:Perfect.
Speaker A:And then this one, the AMA speaker, you know, you, You.
Speaker A:You are definitely.
Speaker A:I mean, you're an author, you help.
Speaker A:You're an international public speaker.
Speaker A:You help others.
Speaker A:And your mission is truly to help create authority and prosperity for other Christian entrepreneurs.
Speaker A:Do you do that through this AMA speaker foundation?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:Thank you for highlighting that.
Speaker B:In fact, as we're speaking here, I have these here.
Speaker B:And I'll just kind of show you because I'm putting new tags on this.
Speaker B:We always create a platform.
Speaker B:Can you see these?
Speaker A:Yep, right here.
Speaker A:Wonderful.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So we put on these events.
Speaker B:And what qualifies me.
Speaker B:Here's the funny part.
Speaker B:Darrell.
Speaker B:Here's the funny part.
Speaker B:I have a speech impediment problem as a kid, right?
Speaker B:In Spanish, it's called gago.
Speaker B:Someone who stutters.
Speaker B:So I am the least qualified person to help someone to learn how to speak.
Speaker B:But yet I've done it.
Speaker B:I've spoken thousands of times, right?
Speaker B:There's a system that I had to go through my own pain and struggles so that I can do what I do today.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I've shared stages with a lot of people, and to some people looking like, wow, okay, he's pretty.
Speaker B:He may.
Speaker B:I don't know what they're thinking, but they may say, he's pretty confident on camera, right?
Speaker B:And I am today.
Speaker B:But I had to get through the speech impediment problem.
Speaker B:I had to get through a lot to be able to do this.
Speaker B:So when people see me and when I say to them that I can help them become paid speakers, I've done it.
Speaker B:I've gotten paid good money to do this.
Speaker B:Daryl is because I've showed him that you got to show up authentically.
Speaker B:You don't have to be like everyone else.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Because you can't say the right thing to the wrong people.
Speaker B:And you can't say the wrong thing to the right people, you have to show up.
Speaker A:You, you show up in a lot of different ways.
Speaker A:And you know, your passion right now is to help Christian entrepreneurs.
Speaker A:In what fashion do you specifically do that?
Speaker A:To help them with their authority and their prosperity.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:And you and I were talking just before you and I had a great, great conversation about events that we've both been with and groups that we've supported.
Speaker B:So I had earlier, in fact, I don't want to get off camera, but I have a bunch of lanyards, like over 100 lanyards from events.
Speaker B:And you, you've heard of the top name, you've heard of Grant Cardone spend thousands.
Speaker B:You've heard of Tony Robbins.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And so I, I like to say that I walked on water, but no, I walked on fire.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:With Anthony Robbins, not once, but twice.
Speaker B:You know, those things involve an investment.
Speaker B:So I've invested in myself and I'm always telling people and encouraging people to invest in themselves if they're looking for prosperity.
Speaker B:And one of the ways we do that is we get people in books.
Speaker B:So we get them involved in an anthology.
Speaker B:For example, this anthology here, Born to Risk, it's called Risking it all stories of courage.
Speaker B:And so what happens is folks get a thousand words, right, and they all answer the same question, Darrell, what's the greatest risk that they've ever taken that has produced the greatest result?
Speaker B:And when people say yes to this project, what happens?
Speaker B:In short, and I didn't know you were going to ask me this, but I'm glad you did, we present them an award.
Speaker B:So they become award winning authors.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Because they have the courage to share their story.
Speaker B:And we bring them together, Darrell, with other like minded people.
Speaker B:And that's the key because a lot of people don't have the confidence to go to networking events to meet other people.
Speaker B:So we bring everyone together, we get to share their story.
Speaker B:And we've been doing that for several years.
Speaker B:We've published well over 300 authors and we've been highlighted in many magazines to include the Anointed News Journal and a lot of others.
Speaker B:Thank you for allowing me to share that.
Speaker A:But you're more than the.
Speaker A:See, this is where the arc of your story is so great because you came from where you came from.
Speaker A:You went through the mud that you went through and now you're giving back to others to pull them along too.
Speaker A:And I know that you do Thanksgiving dinners for the homeless and you lead Christmas drives for the veterans and at The VA hospitals, and you take care of those who aren't able to take care of themselves.
Speaker A:And that is what a father does, that is what a friend does, that is what a brother does, and that is what someone who follows Christ does.
Speaker A:You don't have to be in church to serve the Lord.
Speaker A:You have to be living your life the way God wanted you to do.
Speaker A:And that means fully stepping into your purpose, fully stepping into your passion, and helping others along the way.
Speaker A:Because none of this is about us.
Speaker A:It's about our service to others and when we can transform from the crap that we went through and make it the fertilizer for our life in blossom.
Speaker A:That's where the beauty lies.
Speaker A:And I can promise you, when.
Speaker A:When I was homeless, living on the streets, selling blood for gas money, there is no way in hell I was saying, oh, thank you, God, for the preparation for my future.
Speaker A:But by the hand of God, I survived that, and now I can use that to help others because I understand what it takes to pull yourself up.
Speaker A:And sometimes your best hand up is your bootstraps.
Speaker A:Pull your bootstraps and get up.
Speaker A:Move one step, move forward one way, but find somebody, something that you can be thankful for, grateful for, and help, and it will pull you out of where you're at, and you live that.
Speaker A:You live that, you know.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:No, thank you.
Speaker B:Thank you for.
Speaker B:For.
Speaker B:Again, the reminder there.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And that's the formula, right?
Speaker B:The gratitude.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:And all things.
Speaker B:We're called to be grateful.
Speaker B:And when we're going through that, as you said, when you were on the streets, when you were again doing what you were doing, it sounds like you were getting plasma for gas money, right?
Speaker B:We can't always see it.
Speaker B:We can't always see it.
Speaker A:Yeah, we certainly don't see it at the moment.
Speaker A:And I've said this a dozen times.
Speaker A:If we look back through the crap of our life, we can see the tapestry that God weaves through it to make it a beautiful picture at the end.
Speaker A:Sometimes it's not about our understanding.
Speaker A:Sometimes it's about our just doing and obeying.
Speaker A:And I told you off camera, I started this podcast, didn't own a microphone, didn't own a camera, said no for six months, and then finally relented.
Speaker A:And now I've interviewed 123 people, including yourself, and changed lives because they've shared their story, they've made their mess their message, and they've made it a survival guide for others to follow.
Speaker A:And when you can do that, whether you believe in God or not, Believe in God.
Speaker A:There is something higher than you creating your world, but you are also a part of it.
Speaker A:And you have to step into that and co create the life you're seeking, not just be the victim of where you are.
Speaker B:I thank you for sharing again.
Speaker B:I'm loving.
Speaker B:I should be taking notes, man.
Speaker B:And I'm loving, I'm loving the warrior spirit.
Speaker B:And when I came on, what grabbed me and tugged at me, I'm like, what does a warrior spirit mean to me?
Speaker B:And it's courage and adversity.
Speaker B:And that's exactly what you exemplified is courage.
Speaker B:And you were obedient to God's message for six months.
Speaker B:You were like, nah.
Speaker B:And then all of a sudden you said yes.
Speaker B:You have over 100 plus people that have influenced and are impacting the world because you said yes.
Speaker B:So thank you.
Speaker A:Yeah, well, I appreciate people like you who are out there.
Speaker A:And your world could have turned up so many different ways.
Speaker A:And the fact that you're still in service to God and helping others find their authority and their prosperity and giving back.
Speaker A:I know that you and your wife, how did you meet your current wife?
Speaker B:Yeah, interesting enough.
Speaker B:Daniela and I went to Catholic school together many moons ago.
Speaker B:And so the short of is, I like to say the Reader's digest version of this is we shared one class together.
Speaker B:We both graduated from Camden Catholic High School.
Speaker B:Many.
Speaker B:It's a Catholic school.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So two separate parts of the track, she likes to say.
Speaker B:And so we knew each other, we knew of each other then, and we reconnected about eight years ago.
Speaker B:We reconnected on social media.
Speaker B:I already have my kids, she had her son.
Speaker B:And we reconnected at a very interesting point in our lives through social media.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:And again, it's, it's, you know, people talk about serendipity, but it's not serendipitous if you follow the track that God, you know, those were seed moments.
Speaker A:You know, my wife and I have been together 10 years now, and we often, you know, talk about, you know, if only we would have met earlier.
Speaker A:But then we also immediately say neither of us was ready for the other earlier and we probably wouldn't have even liked each other earlier.
Speaker A:So we had to grow into who we are for us to have the beautiful union that we have now.
Speaker A:So your seed moments were planted way back when, but you followed the path back to each other with what people are hearing.
Speaker A:People might think, oh, Emilio's just got this great life now.
Speaker A:He's got the family and the grandkids and he's got these businesses and he's helping others.
Speaker A:But you recently experienced a really big downturn as well.
Speaker A:Can you share a little bit of that?
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:Thank you again for doing what you're doing, because someone will benefit from this.
Speaker B:So my wife and I, during the Christmas holiday, things were moving pretty well for us both financially and again.
Speaker B:We were investing in different groups, organization, and we thought, what is going to be the best Christmas ever?
Speaker B:And we were in a place where we stayed longer than we should have because we had owned property before and then we sold it.
Speaker B:We had moved to Florida, we moved around a bit.
Speaker B:And so, you know, we were loving where we were, but we were ready to move on at some point here in the next few months.
Speaker B:But so the short of it is house, the house, the place we were living that we called home, got mold.
Speaker B:And it wasn't just a little mold thing.
Speaker B:Like it came to a point where it infected.
Speaker B:And we lost 90%.
Speaker B:Over 95% of our belongings that we built, we've lost.
Speaker B:And the management where we were living downplayed it, didn't take care of it.
Speaker B:So we just continue to pray for them.
Speaker B:And we were really at a loss because the weather, if you know what you're in, you're in the Arizona, Phoenix area.
Speaker B:So we're here on the East Coast.
Speaker B:It was a cold winter, right.
Speaker B:We're just coming out of it now.
Speaker B:And it was days, it was cold just before Christmas and we were displaced and thankfully through.
Speaker B:Because you said the seeds, right?
Speaker B:You said this so wonderfully, Darryl, because we planted so much seed with others in our community.
Speaker B:Most people would struggle, they would still be.
Speaker B:It would take people 12 to 15 months to recover.
Speaker B:We did it in two months and about two months and a week we went from being displaced to having a place to call home, all because of community.
Speaker B:And the philosophy that I call shared pain is less pain.
Speaker B:Meaning that when you're going through something, stop trying to heal in secret.
Speaker B:Because we can't heal in secret.
Speaker B:That's what happens.
Speaker B:We're called as Christians to share, lift each other, work with each other in Jesus name.
Speaker B:Yeah, we came out of that.
Speaker A:And so now you are in a new home and your business is.
Speaker A:Is picking back up and you're.
Speaker A:And you're moving forward.
Speaker A:And again, not only a testimony to God, because all things glory, we're clear on that.
Speaker A:But without your efforts, without your work, without your shovel, you would not have done it as quickly.
Speaker A:You did your part, and so God did his part.
Speaker A:I heard a preacher Once say, everyone's waiting on God.
Speaker A:Everyone's praying to God for what they want and everyone's waiting for the answer.
Speaker A:Everyone's waiting for.
Speaker A:Everyone's waiting on God.
Speaker A:But what if God is waiting on you?
Speaker A:And that's the part people struggle with.
Speaker A:What if God is waiting on you to do your part?
Speaker A:Because if you're not grateful for little, you can't be grateful for much.
Speaker B:I love it.
Speaker B:I love it.
Speaker B:And thank you for sharing it again.
Speaker B:Because what I to add to that comes to mind is he's already given you the, your faculties.
Speaker B:He's already given you a lot of what you are praying for.
Speaker B:Like, you just, you know, everybody's waiting on God, but God is like, look, I've already given you the resources.
Speaker B:Let's call them divine resources.
Speaker B:He's.
Speaker B:It's already made at our disposal.
Speaker B:We're just not using it.
Speaker B:And we always in life reap what we sow.
Speaker B:So if we're not planting, as you said, we're going to end up waiting, waiting, and that's not going to do anyone any good.
Speaker A:Well, I appreciate that you continue to do what you do to serve God.
Speaker A:And voices like you are out there still preaching in today's world.
Speaker A:And you've mentioned it a couple times, but it is always my final question, so I'm going to ask it.
Speaker A:So I want you to expand on it a little deeper than you brushed over.
Speaker A:It's always my last question to guests.
Speaker A:What does a warrior spirit mean to Emilio?
Speaker B:You know, as I've gone through this interview here with you, and you brought some things up in my past that I really don't share.
Speaker B:And your program, a warrior spirit, really exemplifies that.
Speaker B:And that is courage in adversity.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:They say that life shrinks or expands according to one's courage.
Speaker B:And a warrior spirit.
Speaker B:This is the place where I know I'm going to be watching more of what Daryl, what you're putting out.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:Well, I appreciate you joining me today and I hope you have, you know, great stories and successes in the future to come.
Speaker A:And, you know, just thank you for being a part of my circle in my tribe and, and doing all you do.
Speaker B:Thank you, Daryl.
Speaker A:Alrighty.
Speaker A:And if you would like to get in touch with Emilio, you can connect with him on his website@emilior Romo.com or on his Facebook Co Author Network LLC.
Speaker A:And as always, I want to thank you for joining us on this edition of A Warrior Spirit.
Speaker A:Be sure to like or subscribe so you catch all the episodes.
Speaker A:Have a beautiful day and be in service in whatever fashion is called to your heart.
