Angelina Rivera: Hello, Hello! Everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Refine and Shine Podcast

Angelina Rivera: I'm super excited about my guest today. And you know, I hardly ever get a chance to to interview males on my show, because sometimes they just don't want to talk, and which is fine. But I'm super excited about my guest today.

Angelina Rivera: I got to meet him in person in March and didn't really know his story. He's very, very humble man. Didn't really get to know his story, and didn't really know until I met him on the 1st day and didn't really know his story. And I got put on stage. And I was like, Wow, this guy has so much to share. And it's just such an inspiration. So our guest today is Juan Catalan.

Angelina Rivera: He is a speaker, an author, and an entrepreneur, whose life is a powerful testament to resilience, redemption, and faith.

Angelina Rivera: He was falsely accused of a murder he didn't commit. He spent months in jail facing the death penalty until a Los Angeles dodgers game and a rare stadium footage helped prove his innocence.

Angelina Rivera: After his release he built his life up from the ground. Up he returned to school. He earned his Ged, and recently graduated with a bachelor's degree and business management.

Angelina Rivera: He now shares his journey on stages, podcasts, and media platforms, inspiring others to push through the pain, rebuild from rock bottom, and never stop fighting for the truth.

Angelina Rivera: His upcoming book played is a raw and powerful memoir about perseverance, purpose, and how faith and determination saved his life.

Angelina Rivera: Also he also has was on a documentary, for Netflix called Long shot, and so also encourage you all to check that out and then order the book. But thank you so much, Juan, for being my guest today.

Juan Catalan: Thank you. Thank you, Angelina, for the invite. It's my pleasure. Thank you so much.

Angelina Rivera: When I heard your story like when we 1st met, you were just like, Yeah, I am Juan. And we just kind of had a little bit of conversation, and I just didn't know your story all the way, and the more that I read. And then also, you know, heard you speak at secret knock. And then I also watched the documentary. I mean.

Angelina Rivera: what a thing that you went through. So just a a powerful thing. And

Angelina Rivera: just to be falsely accused, you know, when we, when we people call us, you know, say that we did something. I remember a little kid getting told. Oh, you stole my my eraser, or stole something like that, and you get you're so frustrated. But the frustration that you had was nothing compared. I mean, what was that like? And before we actually go into that just kind of take us to the beginning of what your life was like?

Angelina Rivera: before this all happened like you were working in in a machine shop like. Just tell us how your life was, and then how it transformed from that day.

Juan Catalan: Yeah. So before this life altering event is which what it was, it changed my life completely transformed it.

Juan Catalan: I was just a young kid, and I had 2 beautiful young daughters

Juan Catalan: 4 years old and 6 years old.

Juan Catalan: and I really was just existing. I didn't

Juan Catalan: you know I didn't have any goals.

Juan Catalan: I didn't. You know. I was just getting by. My dad started a business when he way back, when with his brother, and you know we just kind of grew up in that in the machine shop, and from a young age, you know, my dad would make us go to work, you know, at high school, you know. I was kind of upset about that, because

Juan Catalan: all our friends, my brothers, and my friends we would. They would go and play after school, or whatever in summer, and we had to go to work. So you know I was mad about that, but you know. Little did I know that? You know my dad was trying to make us into men which I didn't know back then. So I was just basically existing. I said no goals. And then.

Juan Catalan: you know, one day, you know, without even doing anything. You know, I was getting dropped off at work. And you know this car that had no

Juan Catalan: no type of symbols of being law enforcement or anything. They pulled us over a very bad way. I thought that you know it was somebody that maybe that wanted to rob us or something. So I had my daughter, you know my daughter's mom in the car, so I got out to see who it was, and as soon as I got out I had a gun like right in my face, so

Juan Catalan: I thought I was dead, because, you know the guy. It was a white guy, you know. He looked like a biker. There was, like again, no signs of law enforcement.

Juan Catalan: But within a matter of seconds, you know, he yelled at me to get down, and I was surrounded by officers in like a swat style. Takedown. And you know, I just couldn't. It was just like a bad dream.

Juan Catalan: and you know I got taken in. I was questioning and kept saying what was going on what was going on, and you know they wouldn't tell me. It wasn't until 6 h later I found out that they were arresting me for what they said they were falsely accusing me of

Juan Catalan: killing a poor 16 year old girl, which I, you know, blew, you know, turned my head upside, turned my life upside down. And I was just trying to make sense of it. And yeah, I was in jail, sitting in a jail cell for about 6 months looking at a potential

Juan Catalan: death penalty sentence, until, by the grace of God, so many things like a jigsaw puzzle, had to come together to prove my innocence.

Angelina Rivera: Yeah, that that's just I mean just to be accused of that. And then the way that you were approached, and all the things, and then to be sitting there for 6 hours, not even knowing what happened. And here you are. Your children are probably like what's going on. That's that's some of one of their, you know, memories as a child, which you know just what a very traumatic experience, and luckily I mean and the whole thing about it is, you weren't even supposed to be at that dodgers game right? You had gotten some tickets a last minute.

Juan Catalan: Yes, the day of the game. I remember I was driving and I got received a phone call, and it was the person that we deal with one of our best customers, and he would always get tickets from other vendors, and you know, to try to gain favor with him. So you know, he called me up that morning. He's like, Hey, I have tickets to the Dodgers versus braves, and at that time, you know, Atlanta

Juan Catalan: was like a powerhouse team. The Dodgers weren't so so good. And I was like, you know, I'm a sports geek. So I was like, wow! You know, I actually had bought tickets for this was, I got tickets Monday morning for that game. I had bought tickets the week prior for Wednesday's game, because that was like the

Juan Catalan: star matchup between pitchers. But you know, this Monday morning I get this phone call. If I wanted tickets, I'm like, you know it's a no brainer. So I received 4 tickets, and I took my daughter Melissa, who was 6 years old.

Juan Catalan: She's the oldest, and my cousin Miguel, who's also I kind of grew up with him like a brother. So he we love sports the same way. And then, my good friend Ruben, who's also, you know, a sports fan. So we all 4 went down to Dodger Stadium, and you know, took in this game that I've been to plenty of games. But you know this one was different, because, you know, right in our section where we were sitting.

Juan Catalan: I had never seen anyone film anything at a game, because, you know, you're there to watch the game, not to see something else. And this particular game my daughter wanted some candy and popcorn from like during the middle of the game we went. When we came back right on our aisle there was cameras blocking our way to walk down our seats.

Juan Catalan: and I was like, Oh, wow! This is cool like in my mind, I was thinking, you know, let me get in front of the camera, just to, you know, thinking that it was cool. Never did I ever imagine that, you know it would be

Juan Catalan: crucial piece to prove my innocence, and it's just an unbelievable I know it wasn't a coincidence, but it was amazing that the way that things had to line up for me.

Angelina Rivera: I I think that that and I think that you know, if I remember the game was like in in May that you went to, but you didn't even get when you got

Angelina Rivera: arrested. It wasn't even till like what August or something like that.

Juan Catalan: Exactly. It was exactly 3 months after that game.

Juan Catalan: I went to the game may 12th and I got arrested August 12.th

Juan Catalan: Exactly 3 months to that game. Yeah.

Angelina Rivera: And then. So you're here trying to remember what's happened? Where was I at all of these things going through, and the way that you were taking. You know you were taking in. You didn't have really ways to, you know, communicate much with your family, and you know. So that was really hard trying to piece everything together. It was just like your life just got taken taken away from you like 7 instance.

Angelina Rivera: And one of the things I thought was really encouraged. Well, not encouraging. But like of all the things that went into place, is that when you, because they were filming that that TV show you were able to get just a and just from that one clip where they allowed you which they weren't allowing you. And then they allowed you

Angelina Rivera: to go ahead and go through and sit down. So that was a little bit of a clip.

Angelina Rivera: But the other part of it was that the lawyer who was the prosecutor, I mean.

Angelina Rivera: had never lost a case.

Juan Catalan: Yes, that was probably one of the scariest

Juan Catalan: reasons that you know I was fearful of, you know of.

Juan Catalan: you know, either going to Death Row, or you know my life ending there because, you know.

Juan Catalan: to go up against this prosecutor, who only does like

Juan Catalan: hardcore like gang cases. And you know she has put away so many people for the rest of their lives. And you know, here we are, here I am, you know, and just, you know, I the just the amount of stress and the and the fear that it was to go up into it. You know it was like. I I tell people about it, and you know people that don't know me, that

Juan Catalan: I I don't. Sometimes I you know, I'll talk about it like if I feel very comfortable with the person, I'll maybe bring it up. But usually I don't, and it's just not. You know what I mean it just I don't talk about it, but people have found out about it after on their own. And they're like, Hey, why did you ever tell me that you went through that I would have never imagined. And I'm just.

Juan Catalan: you know. I I know it's like it's almost like a movie. I mean, they made a documentary out of it. But you know it was just

Juan Catalan: incredible to, you know, having I had the best lawyer in the world, and you know

Juan Catalan: I, Todd Melnick, who, you know just

Juan Catalan: I felt like it was just him and I against the world, and that's what it felt like, because, you know, the whole world. I was on the news. My family saw me. Neighbors saw me. They were calling my mom, saying, Hey, did one really do this? And I'm like, you know, that that hurt somewhat because I'm like people that have known me my entire life. And you know they were asking about my character and stuff like that, but regardless, you know.

Juan Catalan: I just thank God that I was able to clear my name and prove my innocence, and, you know.

Juan Catalan: gain my freedom back.

Angelina Rivera: Yeah, I I could imagine I mean that just, you know, to be falsely accused, and then people to call. And I mean your poor mom what she went through. And I think if I remember right, your mom, you could. You talk to your mom almost every day right? During this time.

Juan Catalan: I try to, because.

Juan Catalan: you know, in jail there's a lot of racial tensions and fights and arguments. So when the inmates are misbehaving or fighting. They shut down the lines. The you know, the sheriff's department that run the place. They'll just cut the lines, and no one can call anywhere. So whenever I had the chance to, I would call my mom.

Juan Catalan: and that was because she seemed to me she seemed to be the only one that was able to bring me some calm. You know, when I talked to my kids I also forgot about about you know what was going on for the 5, 10 min that I got to speak to them. But my mom was the one that actually gave me the reassurance and the calm that you know that God wouldn't allow this injustice to prevail. And you know she has a gift.

Juan Catalan: When it comes to that. So you know, I just thank God that you know we were able to, you know again. Beat this.

Angelina Rivera: Yeah, what? What a thing. And so all the things that you went through and like we won't go too too deep into it, because the documentary they can watch and get all the information. But what I wanted to know with a documentary didn't show was like what was going through your mind every day like, How did you keep going? I mean talking to your mom, I'm sure was helpful. But how did you just keep your head like, and then, you know, to, so that every single day you just felt like it was gonna work out for you? Or did you ever have any doubt.

Juan Catalan: Oh, yeah, no. The doubt was, there was just like the dark cloud here that was just following me everywhere. I went. So what I did was, I just

Juan Catalan: chose not to indulge in those thoughts the negative ones, because

Juan Catalan: I would have probably lost my sanity. And you know, people, inmates that I became friends with in there, that I trusted you know they would tell me like, Hey, wait a minute, you look too calm.

Juan Catalan: and you know my answer was like, Well, I'm innocent, but you know, even though I was already caught up in that spider web of

Juan Catalan: you know, of courts and all that, and a detective. Later, another side interview I made. They asked him a question something like, How hard is it to get out of those things? And he was saying that you know, once you're in that spider web, it's like almost impossible to get out and given those circumstances and the allegations that they were, you know, accusing me of, which is like impossible, because

Juan Catalan: cases like that, if they, if you're a suspect, you had something to do with it. You know what I mean. So it wasn't by coincidence and all that. But you know what I did was

Juan Catalan: I just tried to keep myself busy, and that was through exercise and or reading

Juan Catalan: and in there you can go to 2 places, to church and to school, and I did both.

Juan Catalan: So you know school to

Juan Catalan: take my mind off of things and try to gain some type of normal, you know, sense of the world. And you know, but and church, because I would go to church to pray. And you know I as a kid growing up, my parents used to take us. You know we grew up Catholic. So on Sunday mornings we knew we had to go to church. So you know, that made me also, you know, take my mind off of things. But

Juan Catalan: you know it was at school that

Juan Catalan: something clicked inside of me because I had never graduated high school.

Juan Catalan: So you know, it was in there that I'm looking at a potential life sentence that my mind I'm sorry my life is like

Juan Catalan: my life is playing before me like all the scenes, and I was just thinking like.

Juan Catalan: what have I been doing with my life? Like I just, you know, it clicked in there that I had not really done anything, and you know, sadly, I hadn't paid attention to my education, which

Juan Catalan: I mean I don't blame my parents. My dad only went to 5th grade. My mom only went to second grade, and my dad and mom would tell us, Hey, you know, you guys gotta do well in school. But they didn't. You know. How can you say? Since English wasn't their 1st language, they couldn't help us with their homework. So it wasn't like.

Juan Catalan: you know, like I said, I don't blame them, but it was just almost like it to me. It wasn't important, and I couldn't have been any. I couldn't have been more wrong. Education is the key to success, and you know I promised myself in there, and God that if I had a second chance that I would come out, and then go get my Ged and see where else I would, you know, go further if I could.

Angelina Rivera: So, yeah, and and look at you, did you not only did you get your Ged you now have your bachelor's. And so I think that that's amazing.

Angelina Rivera: You're able to accomplish that, and I love that you accomplished. You got your when you got your bachelor's, you went, you you're your your daughter, and you graduated the same day. Correct.

Juan Catalan: Yes, that's another like amazing

Juan Catalan: accomplishment for her and as well as myself. But yeah, so I never graduated high school. I came out, studied for about 9 months, went to go take the Ged test. I got it, and then I walked over to Pierce College. I, you know, had to take an assessment test. And I started literally from the bottom. My English was one level above ESL.

Juan Catalan: And I started like at one of like the basic like. It was like high school algebra, I think. And you know, sure enough, little by little, I finally achieved my associate's degree in the general education, and then I transferred to Csun, and 3 months ago I graduated on stage with my daughter, who was who I was with at the Dodger game, which it still blows my mind, you know, again, it's like.

Juan Catalan: I don't know. I feel like I'm living a movie because of, you know the the valleys, you know the the highs and the lows, and it's just life is just. You know. It's an amazing

Juan Catalan: journey. And you know, I think that we have to a lot of the times. Life can beat us up, and, you know, throw us curveballs, and you know, stuff like that. But you know you just have to keep going. You have to persevere, you know. I tell people I'm not special. I just refuse to quit. So you know.

Angelina Rivera: I love that, and I love. I love that. You should say that because, you know there's so many times you hear people that are just stuck in this state of well, this happened to me, and this happened, you know, and so like like my life is over, or whatever but you choose to like you really thought about your you know. You pushed out the negative thoughts while you were, you know, in jail, and then you kind of just made yourself, you know, made yourself goals like, hey?

Angelina Rivera: God! If this you know, I get out of this because you know I'm innocent, I'm going to do this, this and this, and you not only just. You didn't make false promises, and you kept to what you said you were going to do. And I think that's important. A lot of times people say, well, when I when I when I get more money, I'm going to do this or when I do this or get this, and I get at this level. But you you didn't do it that way. You're like.

Angelina Rivera: it doesn't matter. I I set up a goal that I want to do for myself. It doesn't matter. My money doesn't matter any of those things, because a lot of times people like what you said like when you start working in high school. And you, you know you're making decent living and stuff you're like. Oh, I don't need education. But you went and like, no, I'm gonna do this for myself, because it could prove that I'm a finisher. I can finish what I started.

Juan Catalan: Yes, absolutely absolutely 100%.

Angelina Rivera: Do you still do? Does your dad still do machine shop work? And do you still do machine shop work? Just curious.

Juan Catalan: My dad is retired, but I like he comes in and helps me, which I love to just keep his mind busy, and I've you know, taken over the business since. It's just, you know. Business is not easy. If you know anybody out there is a business owner, it's just, you know, it's like everything else. It just

Juan Catalan: requires that you show up. And you know you put in your put in the work. You know your dedication. And just, you know, evolve with the times, you know, with technology. And you know everything like we use equipment like high

Juan Catalan: high precision. You know, technology. And you know you have to keep up with the Times, and you know I've tried to do that. And you know, I that was another reason that I wanted to go to school, because, you know, kind of at an early age. My dad was, you know, here he gave us the business to my brother and I

Juan Catalan: and you know, we didn't know anything we're like, well, what are we supposed to do? They're like, Well, run a business. So I basically like, I tell people I did it reverse I I ran a business, and then I went to school. But you know it's all. It all works together, and it just, you know, it just makes you that much better.

Angelina Rivera: I love that. I love that. And I and I think that, you know, like you said machine work. I used to oversee a machine shop. When I worked at the for the Marine Corps and the machine shops are very. You have. The precision has to be right. You have to be very careful.

Juan Catalan: It is.

Angelina Rivera: It's it's a lot of methodical things, and you know, paying attention to detail.

Juan Catalan: Yeah.

Juan Catalan: Oh, my gosh, it's super. I've been doing it for about 20 years now. And I and I'm still learning because of the technology. The software, you know, the tooling is comes different materials that we've never seen. You know, it's just some you could cut faster. Some you got to go slower. Some can, you know, run you a hundred pieces with this tooling other? You can only run like 10. So it's all you know. Knowledge that you acquire over. You know experience is what it is.

Angelina Rivera: Yeah, I I love that. I love that. You know. I I get excited when I talk to people about that. I may get excited about a lot of things. But

Angelina Rivera: but with all the things your book that you have coming out and is that it talks about, you know

Angelina Rivera: your perseverance and stuff. And so what is it? What is it? Is it like a forget from the your beginning of life till till now, or walk us through what we could find in your book.

Juan Catalan: Yeah. So played is basically my life story. It's a memoir. And it starts off with my childhood, which wasn't the best.

Juan Catalan: And I, you know it's

Juan Catalan: it's kind of hard to explain, because, you know, people will be like, well, you had both your parents, you know you had a house, and you know, what do you mean? You had a rough life, but you know I don't know if you're familiar with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which I talk about in early on in the book. And that is like, so spot on. And it's just, you know, the levels that you need to, just, you know, move up the ladder and some of those bottom things I never received, and it's again. I don't blame. I I hate excuses.

Juan Catalan: And I told my kids that 0 excuses. I don't want to hear excuses. And you know it's not, you know, I heard

Juan Catalan: somebody talking on a video, and they said that it's not our fault who our parents are, and where, in what environment you're born in.

Juan Catalan: But it is your responsibility where you end up.

Juan Catalan: So that. And that is easier said than done because I have. I'm like, I remember, in Kid as a kid, in elementary. I always ask questions like when we talked about the stars and the moons and stuff like that. I'm like, wait a minute.

Juan Catalan: How are we like just navigating in the space stuff would scare me, because I would always ask questions on, why is this? And why is that? And it's just a lot of self-study and a lot of self-reflection that I've done over my life because

Juan Catalan: you know my mom dealt with like crippling anxiety. I talk about all this in the book, and it's just, you know my mom talking about the power of the mind. My mom for 2 years swore she was paralyzed, even though every medical test that she took was negative. But you know, in here she was paralyzed because my mom had trauma as a kid, that she really doesn't know exactly what it was, but she knows it was there.

Juan Catalan: and you know it makes me sad to think about it, because my mom, you know, she has troubles. She cannot fly. Elevators are a problem, cars and all this stuff. So we saw I saw this with my brother and sisters growing up, but didn't know it would affect me later on, and, you know, throw in this murder case, and you know my life is just like spinning at a million miles an hour. So

Juan Catalan: it's just, you know it's perseverance, and I talk about resilience in the book. And you know it's this book I

Juan Catalan: you know I didn't see like a future as a kid when I had my daughters, you know, that gave me something to live for. But you know this book is for everyone who's ever been counted out, or just

Juan Catalan: to every kid that you know thought that he couldn't do anything. This book is for them to inspire and motivate, and if I can, you know, inspire and motivate one person with what I've gone through in my story. Then it's all well worth it. I believe.

Angelina Rivera: I I love that, and I I love all the things that you shared. You know about your mom, and about all the things that you, you know, and sometimes we deal with things in life, and people think, well, maybe your life wasn't part. I love how you said that, even though you, you know you had 2 parents, you had all these things, but

Angelina Rivera: it it. There's stuff that we still go through, the needs that we we still have or you know, maybe just to feel loved or wanted, or you know that type of affection that maybe you know I'm not saying that that was your case. But those are just some of the examples. And I know that for a long time my parents divorced when we were young. But I remember

Angelina Rivera: the the things that we that we had went through as a family and even so, for, like me and my kids, my when I was raising my kids. I'm like, I'm going to stay with my husband because I want a 2 parent household. But there were still things that we had to go through, and life gets hard sometimes. And so I love that you share that that.

Angelina Rivera: and how, no matter what our circumstances were or how we went through it, we can make. We are the ones that can make the decision. We are the ones that can make the decision of the choices that we can make. Are we gonna hang out with these people or hang out with those people, are we, gonna you know, Wake, you know, pursue this job or whatever we do like. That's our choices, and we can't blame our upbringing. We can't blame our parents. We can't blame any of that stuff. But yes, maybe things have happened. We've maybe had some trauma

Angelina Rivera: abuse or things like that. But we're the ones that can say, Okay, I can change the gender I can make changes into. You know, the generations. I can make an impact. I think that's important.

Juan Catalan: 100%. I you said it perfectly. That was beautifully said.

Angelina Rivera: Thank you. With all the things that you you got. So you you you have this business. You're now running this machine shop business. Is your. Are you still in partners with your brother doing it?

Juan Catalan: Yeah. So my brother, long story like, like I said, you know, we can talk for days, probably maybe even weeks. But my brother. So it was like a

Juan Catalan: so right before I got arrested. The reason that I got arrested, according to the police, was

Juan Catalan: my brother was accused, involved in another serious crime.

Juan Catalan: and something that was not related. But the police wanted to, you know, put together

Juan Catalan: is how the result of me being arrested, which was the farthest thing from the truth that I couldn't understand. I was even asking them to give me a lie detector test which they refused. So it was just weird, and to me it seemed, and my lawyer as well.

Juan Catalan: that they just wanted to close this case because it was making them look bad, you know. A witness to another homicide was, you know, murdered, you know the case is unresolved. It's just, you know. It just looked very bad, and it. Just you know it frightened me because

Juan Catalan: I said, Wait a minute. There is like 0 evidence that I did this, and yet I'm still in jail. You know what I mean in my case is just one of thousands. I was just, you know, by the grace of God I was able to prove my innocence, and you know I just chose to.

Juan Catalan: You know I refuse, like, I say, refuse to make excuses, and I I refuse to have a victim mentality, and I chose

Juan Catalan: to not indulge in those negative feelings. But you know, I said, you know what. Let's rise from this, and, you know, make something positive out of.

Juan Catalan: Let's make something positive from this negative.

Angelina Rivera: And so with you. You're running the machine shop business, and then you are now coaching. You're helping other. Do you do coaching to help men, or do you just go out on stages, and you know, speak and share your story.

Juan Catalan: Yeah. So you know, Greg was, that's the 1st time I I've done a ton of interviews. On TV. And you know, stuff like that, you know. Small like mini docs for different

Juan Catalan: companies. But secret knock was the 1st one that I was like up there on the stage that you saw.

Juan Catalan: and I was nervous about it. But you know I prayed about it, and I just I got amazing, you know, feedback from the from the audience. So a lot of people are telling me. You know, you should be a motivational speaker. So you know, I just something that's never crossed my mind.

Juan Catalan: But you know I just really believe in those things. That's just how I want to live my life. I want to.

Juan Catalan: you know, work my tail off, and I just want to experience all the beautiful things that life has to offer, and I'm willing to put in the work, whatever it is to, you know, to achieve that, and, you know, have.

Juan Catalan: you know, happy and peaceful and prosperous life, and you know, if I can motivate and inspire others to do the same. Then let's do it.

Angelina Rivera: I love all of that, and I love how you shared like, you know, just to motivate people, because there's a lot of times, and like. I even said, at the beginning of the podcast, like, I really have men who want to do this. I've had a few men, you know, who? I've heard their story. Maybe they've been through some trauma, or you know they have, you know, different things like that, or paralyzed. I've had

Angelina Rivera: probably 6 male, maybe 7 male guests on my, my, podcast most of them don't want to go on the podcast or especially because it's like refine and shine. And they're like, Okay, shine. It's like, but it's like, I want them on there, because it's like, no matter.

Angelina Rivera: we can go through life. And and a lot of men don't get to hear from other men about.

Angelina Rivera: You know, it's okay to, you know, not have that victim mentality. It's okay to move forward. It's okay to. You know how to work through those things, how to work through that negative self-talk, how to work through when you just don't feel like you want to keep going further. How to keep you know how to stay focused on the end. Game, I think, is important, and there needs to be. I was even just talking to my husband the other day

Angelina Rivera: was, you know, had his own series of things happen in life, and and he said that there's like there's hardly ever is there, like men. Don't don't talk about things. They're told not to talk about these things, or it's you know, man up, don't cry, don't do this or that, and where. So it's not.

Angelina Rivera: And they need some type of support system. So I think that you could go out there and help and share, change the world. And like you said, even with your book making that that impact if we can help people. And I could see so much more coming from the book like workshops, and you know all of these things, and you know I haven't had a chance to read it, because it hasn't come out yet. But make sure everybody you order this book. It'll come out September 16, th but

Angelina Rivera: that there's just so much things that can come, and also being, you know, and it's just like 1 1 particular thing that could have shattered you. How to just make it change your life

Angelina Rivera: for the, for the positive, right.

Juan Catalan: Yes, absolutely it just, you know.

Juan Catalan: I think a lot of times, you know. We ask.

Juan Catalan: you know, why did this happen to me? Or you know we choose to. I think it's human nature. I read somewhere where it's human nature to gravitate towards the negative

Juan Catalan: in life. I don't know why, but it's just psychology is where I read it. Somewhere where we, as humans, we just gravitate towards the negative. You can post something on social media. You'll get a thousand likes. And then one dislike with a negative comment. And you dwell on that, you know one comment. But you know I just

Juan Catalan: I want to tell people that

Juan Catalan: just because the I literally went through one of the worst things injustices that a person can endure.

Juan Catalan: and it almost did break me.

Juan Catalan: But again, you know, with that no quit mentality is just

Juan Catalan: whatever life comes at you, and you know I know everyone has a different walk in of life.

Juan Catalan: But you just got to persevere. And you know these words that I didn't even know what they meant before perseverance, resilience, fortitude, you know all this was being built inside of me when I was going through the worst possible thing of my life.

Juan Catalan: So if we pay attention to, I was hearing someone else speak on this, that

Juan Catalan: if you think about all the negative things, something that really negative in your life.

Juan Catalan: just think about what came from that

Juan Catalan: after, and if you pay attention and you keep the right perspective that was not sent to destroy you, it was sent to build you up, to strengthen you to go on with your life.

Angelina Rivera: Yes, yes.

Angelina Rivera: I talk about that on my that was one of my 1st episodes of my podcast. Is, I launched it on the day that that our daughter I had miscarried at a little over 5 months, and that the day that I launched my podcast was the day that she would have had. I think it was her 22nd birthday, or 23rd 22nd birthday.

Juan Catalan: Oh, I see

Angelina Rivera: Have been born, you know, you know all the things. And and I said, I'm not going to use this as a day of

Angelina Rivera: harder like. Oh, my daughter would have been 20, you know. 22, or whatever. I said. I'm gonna launch it on this day. And I talked about that, like how the burnout and and all the things that we go through in life are, we don't deal with our feelings, but then.

Angelina Rivera: instead of having a sad day. I make this day a happy day, that it's a launch of my podcast and also not only that, but it's also, that I was able to have my daughter, my, you know my daughter, who was born full term, and how it all worked out, because that's what you got to think about like it. It's that communication that me and my husband had to build because we weren't talking that well. And there's all these little things that can happen, and I love how you say that like

Angelina Rivera: it can destroy you or it can build you. You got to listen to the lessons and and not say, why is this happening to me, or why is like, what is God trying to teach me

Angelina Rivera: is another way that I like to look at it like. What is that trying to teach me? What is the lessons I need to learn, you know, and it's the same thing like if we, I find that

Angelina Rivera: it's sad, though, but when people pray they only pray because they need a lot. Some people, not all people, but they only pray because they need something, but they don't praise, pray because they just think, thank God for just waking up in the morning. And thank God, they're like, oh, you know, they only pray when they when it's a need, instead of just thanking the Lord every day. It's that same type of you just got to change your mind your mindset, and how you shape your day, and so many things can change from that.

Juan Catalan: Yeah.

Juan Catalan: absolutely. And I think you touched on a perfect point, in which is, you know, sometimes, you know, again.

Juan Catalan: human nature gravitates towards the negative, and for some reason I don't know why it feels good to just I don't know kind of. I don't know if you've experienced that, but it just kind of like

Juan Catalan: like. Oh, woe is me like this feeling! I don't know why. It just feels somewhat like

Juan Catalan: I don't even know what the word is, but you like want to live there. But I think when people say, Well, how do I get out of this funk? Or you know I feel like I'm stuck. Well, I think the 1st thing is, get out of your head 1st of all and start practicing gratitude, and it's just like, what do you mean? I am thankful. No, but you know, just

Juan Catalan: start making a list. This is what I started doing like I started writing down 3 things a day what I'm grateful for every single day. Try it, and it's just something as simple as

Juan Catalan: you know, saying hello or smiling at somebody at the supermarket that, you know. Maybe they're have a sick relative, or just went through a breakout. Something as simple as a smile can change somebody's day for like.

Juan Catalan: change it for the good, and you know that costs 0. It costs $0 to be a good person, and you know, before you know it, you know you maybe help out a friend to move, or something that you could do for someone that you know you. You're not thinking about yourself, which I know we do a lot, and yes, you do have to take care of yourself. But when you feel stuck and you're like, I don't feel like I'm progressing. Just

Juan Catalan: try that. And just, you know, practice gratitude, being thankful for something, one or 2 or 3 things, and then go out and do something nice for someone else. And just look at how that makes you feel better as well.

Angelina Rivera: I love that I just actually heard something the other day about that, too, is that it's not about like we can make all this money. We can do all these other things, but it's also you gotta give more than you receive. You gotta go out there because you can change the world by just giving. And it's not talking about like dollars or anything like that. You can just give your time, you can, and also like for you. You giving your time to write this book is going to help impact so many people

Angelina Rivera: just taking that time that you're, you know, giving of your time to do this book. Giving of your time to do this podcast can impact people. And sometimes that's, you know, we have to think about that. It's not

Angelina Rivera: I love that you said about the gratitude, and I love how you said. Just be thankful, because you know that we woke up. You know it could be a simple gratitude. I also say, when you talked about being stuck in, and it I think it feels comfortable to people to just be stuck in that because they don't. They don't.

Angelina Rivera: They're they're fearful of taking action. They're fearful of all of these things. And where does that keeping up. That's keeping them locked in, you know.

Juan Catalan: I agree with that. I like that. Yes, nicely said. It's it's it just feels they're like afraid of failing. I think so. They're just like, you know, I want to be here in my safe zone, and that's just, you know, something that you got to get out of that safe zone and just be uncomfortable, and I know it feels bad. But let me tell you some of the best friends and relationships that I have made in my life after this

Juan Catalan: was just talking, just being like nice person, and you know, and just speaking to somebody. If I'm at a bar, at a game, or whatever it is, just to, you know, a simple conversation, and just like, Wow, have friends in Boston, you know, Chicago. And it's just, you know, it's so cool to, you know nowadays, you know, everyone's on their cell phone. But

Juan Catalan: you know, I try to remember because I I'm guilty of it, too. So you know, I wanna like

Juan Catalan: put it away and just be like, you know. Just be present in the moment. And just, you know, take it in because

Juan Catalan: pictures are beautiful. I love pictures. I love taking pictures, but you know the memories are what lasts. And you know, just creating. I love creating memories with my kids, with my family, with my friends. It's just something that you know. I've had many friends. Tell me, man, thank you for inviting me. This was incredible like, I'm never gonna forget this. And that gives me, you know, that fills me up. So you know, it's just life is

Juan Catalan: life is short to begin with. So I that's why I say, I tell people you know, what, what's your passion? Do you love your job, or do you have? Do you wake up like, Oh, I gotta go to work, you know. No, it should be like no, I I got up and I get to go to work. You know there's people in the hospitals that you know. Maybe won't, you know, make it till next week, or in an accident, or something like that? So

Juan Catalan: you know, I think just again, after this happened to me. I get on my knees every day, and I thank God for allowing me to wake up.

Juan Catalan: that my parents are still alive, that my kids are healthy. I have a business. I just graduated, you know. I I feel like I have so much more to do, and it's just.

Juan Catalan: you know, taking it.

Juan Catalan: Don't try to rush it. Don't live in the future. Don't live in the past. Just be present and know that you know you're like you were saying. You know you're the writer and the author of your life. So you know, what do you want to change. It just starts there, really.

Angelina Rivera: Yes, it starts with us right? I love all the things, and you know there's so many we could talk forever about all of these great things and but I'd love to have you on a follow up podcast and you know a few months and see cause. I know you're gonna have this great coaching program. I just I could feel so much coming from this. And.

Juan Catalan: Thank you. Thank you.

Angelina Rivera: We're going to have the the best seller book. Remember everybody by that book on September 16.th But as we wrap up I would love to just ask. I always love to ask my guests, what is a word, a phrase, a quote, or anything a book, anything that people can do today something that they can do today. My listeners, just to refine and shine.

Juan Catalan: Hmm!

Juan Catalan: Let's see. Well.

Juan Catalan: well, when I was in the storm, like I call it in this just start, you know.

Juan Catalan: storm the darkest, you know, times of my life.

Juan Catalan: I didn't know what was going on, but

Juan Catalan: I knew that I couldn't let this

Juan Catalan: define me, and what I did

Juan Catalan: is I took all of this negativity, and I let it refine me.

Juan Catalan: So, you know, and after that is where the shine came from. So I let this negativity. In other words, refine me. And now, graduating from college with my daughter with this book, I feel that shine so. I hope that that you know to your listeners, you know.

Juan Catalan: is they can understand that.

Angelina Rivera: Yes, I I think I love that taking anything that any storm that we've been through, or anything that anything that we're holding onto that's maybe making us stuck, or we can't move forward, taking all of that and saying, Hey, what is it that I can do to be able to shine like. How can I refine my thought process, or all those things that have happened to me, and put the switch and make it so that we can. I can shine into being.

Juan Catalan: Don't, don't let your past refine define you, but take that, let it refine you, and then ultimately make you shine so.

Angelina Rivera: I love that I also love. That you talked about, too, is the gratitude, you know, practicing that gratitude, and, you know, being thankful every day, and and all of those things. So I think that you gave my audience just so many helpful tips. And just to show you know all the things that keeps going through the storm, that there are so many great things that you can do to come out of that, and then how your perseverance and all the great things. So I really thank you for that. This today.

Juan Catalan: Thank you. The pleasure was mine. I appreciate it. Yeah, I would like to come back on a you know post the book being released, and you know we'll we'll catch up.

Angelina Rivera: Yes. Well, thank you.

Juan Catalan: Thank you, Angelina.