Meet Yanyn San Luis | Author & Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yanyn San Luis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yanyn, how do you think about risk?
Risk-taking is absolutely critical to success. I don’t know who to credit for this quote, but more than ever “you either innovate or die”. Innovation and risk-taking go hand in hand. For me and my business at the core, my values include courage, innovation, community, freedom, and resilience. These are values that infuse my messaging, the way I onboard clients, and more importantly how I show up. Showing up authentically can be perceived as a risk, it takes courage to show up, be vulnerable, and deliver your best self. What have I been up to in 2020? Besides contemplating my next moves, hoarding an obscene amount of paper towels, and finding new ways to stay sane… I’ve written a book! I wrote a whole book during this very quarantine all about BADASSERY and how to sustain it. Do you ever just feel absolutely BADASS and think “I need to have days just like this more often!”? Well, that’s exactly how I felt. In these most uncertain of times, I was thinking… We need more BADASSERY and more people leading the way. This is how risk-taking has shown up for me in 2020. I’ve shelved the idea of becoming an author for some time now, and what’s going on around us is what gave me the kick in the ass I needed to get it done. Writing a book and sharing a message about leveling up your skills has been on my bucket list for a while, so I’ve compiled what I’ve learned during this process while celebrating the official launch of “Building BADASSERY: A Guide to Stepping into your own BADASSERY and to Staying There” on October 8th.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My name is Yanyn “Yany” San Luis and I am an epic expert in negotiation because I’ve helped companies like Dell, Microsoft and Hyatt increase their bottom line by hundreds of thousands of dollars and coach their sales team in leveling up their daily performance. As a professor, I have taught my fail proof negotiation framework to hundreds of sales/marketing students at Florida International University who have gone on to enjoy lucrative and successful careers at BlackRock, Walt Disney Company and SalesForce. Through my tried and true methodology, I have secured millions in individual and corporate philanthropy for South Florida non-profit organizations. What I’m most passionate about now is the release of my first book Building BADASSERY: A Guide to Stepping into your own BADASSERY and to Staying There. I want to be intention and share who I wrote this book for. But before I do that, I need to take a step back and explain how this book was conceived. It has been a lifelong fact that I am a person who has always loved to read. As a child Pizza Hut’s “Book It!” reading rewards program was no match for my appetite for books (and pizza). As an adult this appetite was largely fed by my habit of reading books about business and all the diverse strategies authors have formulated for being a successful entrepreneur. This has always been a big part of how I choose to spend my “me time”. However, in 2020 this habit came to a screeching halt. It’s not that I stopped reading, but rather that I found the thought of consuming more business books centered around the same topics nauseating. Book after book I found I was reading the same repetitive crap. Shift your mindset here, set boundaries there, manifest your dreams by writing them down, and POOF you too will be able to reach success. Here’s the thing I realized: It’s not that these suggestions don’t work, it’s that there’s no accounting for the days you just don’t feel like it. If you’ve ever woken up in the morning and thought “You know what, today I don’t feel like doing anything”, you know too well what I’m referring to. The thing is, that one day turns into two and two turns into a month, and sooner than you realize you are in a full-blown funk. Soon this funk manifests itself in negative self-talk and seeps into other goals you may have by affecting your sleep patterns, your eating habits, and the time you spend with loved ones. Nothing is as deflating as realizing you’ve sabotaged your own progress and are back at square one, feeling like the furthest thing from a BADASS. How can you harness that energy you feel during those moments when you achieve BADASSERY during those leaner times when you feel discouraged or down on yourself? Sustainability is KEY. We will all have our moments of disappointment, but we can avoid being paralyzed by despair if we craft our very own BADASS routine and implement methods that can snap us out of that paralysis and propel us forward. So, who is this book for? This is for any woman who is looking to level up her professional game whether she is a corporate climber, an entrepreneur with aspirations for building their own empire and impacting her community, or a solopreneur that wants to figure out the inner workings of how to build influence in her own circles.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a homegrown Miami girl, and boy do I love my city. It’s hard to pinpoint all the areas to visit but there’s definitely Miami staples that I would not pass up to mention. Funny enough, my husband and I are big foodies, and so my list will revolve around the most delicious places to visit. This year made it difficult to visit a lot of places with the pandemic, but some of the ones I’m suggesting below got real creative with take-out and curbside. We’re BIG brunch lovers and Sundays are a reserved day for us to unwind with a view, kick back, and enjoy great food. So here’s my top list: You’ll notice a pattern and the fact that the majority of the places I’m suggesting are in Coconut Grove. I love Coconut Grove and the lush trees, cool breeze, and excellent food. Ariete Tigertail + Mary Eating House Miami For those with dogs, our favorite place to visit to take Apollo and Domino is Bark Park in Tropical Park. As far as go to dessert staples I would suggest: Misha’s Cupcakes and Salty Donut. If you’re looking for traditional Cuban pastries and treats I’d recommend Vicky Bakery. For live music and a real Miami vibe, I would recommend Ball & Chain.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
NAWBO South Florida I’m grateful to my NAWBO sisters in South Florida who through their encouragement, sisterhood, and accountability has led me to be the best me I can be. The push I needed to unshelve this book came from our mid-year retreat in January 2020. NAWBO is proud to serve as the voice of the nation’s over 10 million women-owned businesses and represent women entrepreneurs in all sectors, sizes and stages of development and at the local level members are encouraged to engage actively with their local chapter to gain access to other women business owners, leadership development and community development. The diversity in our membership strengthens our voice across the country as all women entrepreneurs are encouraged to bring their expertise and insight to the table.

Website: https://www.thewinwoman.com/
Instagram: @thewinwoman
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanynsanluis/

Image Credits
The picture with water/cigar: Graciela Valdes Fine Photography Picture of Milton and I: Chantelle Jordan