Meet Marlen Rodriguez | Entrepreneur and Lover of Travel

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marlen Rodriguez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marlen, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I have been led by the voice inside my head that says “no guts, no glory”, for as long as I can remember. Many of us contemplate the “sure” the thing more often than not, but experience has taught me that very few things in life are “sure” things. I believe we make manifest the thing that we decide we want. Therefore, in essence “all things” or “no things” can be seen as a risk depending on perspective.

I have gotten jobs without the experience required; I chose to be a single mom at 24, living pay check to paycheck when my baby’s father and I broke up just as we found out I was pregnant; I quit a good job for a chance to own and operate my own business when my daughter was 7 years old – I owned it and It became a multi-million dollar business, 10 years later due to the crash of 2008, I lost everything; I took a job making less than I deserved – three years later I got a bonus and asked my then college daughter, if i should save it or go on a trip (I love to travel), she said “Mama, money comes and goes, go on your trip”, i went to Bali and met my partner of 9 years now; at that same job, – 4 years after I started, I became president of the company; I took a leap and entered the corporate world after being sought after for years, it wasnt for me as i need to serve customers at a closer level, and last year at age 53, I opened my own business and I am starting again.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
New Dawn Title Group is just turning a year old this July. It’s daunting – and amazing – to be starting over after three decades in the business. I went from having my own company to running the largest privately held title company in South Florida to working for one of the major underwriters in country, and now back to having my own company.

Everything taught me a lesson, especially the hard times. There are experiences you see as mistakes, maybe some as regrets, but they all teach us a lesson and they help us learn more about ourselves. From a professional perspective, I have learned that the most important thing to me is to serve – both members of my team and our customers. Helping people reach their full potential and showing customers I care, are two of the biggest reasons I do what I do. I was recently invited to a baby shower for someone who I employed when she was 16 years old in 2003. I gave her a part-time opportunity that developed throughout the years. At that baby shower, I was among 9 other past employees from that era, all whom I trained, educated, got licensed, and now own or have owned their own title company, including the mother-to-be. Their feelings of gratitude toward me for those opportunities really shook me and helped me understand a lot of why I do what I do. And as for customers, making sure they know what to expect, anticipating their needs, explaining the process, and providing them with the peace of mind that everything will be ok, is what governs me.

Our company slogan is: Communication. Connection. Compassion. Fun.
I feel like every word of that motto is so hard-earned and heartfelt. I’ve learned that communication is what’s missing from most business transactions. Communication is not just sending the email or saying the words; until you know that the person understands what you’re saying, there is no communication. Personal connection is always vital – it’s never B to C or B to B, it’s always P to P, person to person. We serve people who are first-time homebuyers very differently than when we serve the daughter who is selling her mom’s home because she just passed away, or the couple who is selling because they are getting a divorce. Compassion for others is a must. You must be able to put yourself in someone’s shoes, realize that their need to scream at you is really not about you, and not take it personally. We are always looking for how to make the experience great for our customers, and fun is a part of that too. Business is often so serious, and for good reason. It is also not a “one size fits all”. Being able to have fun, looking for ways to laugh or to lighten the mood – bringing joy forward is always our desire.

The biggest lesson I have learned from building something from nothing, living through the big 2008 recession, growing an affiliated business, experiencing the corporate life, and now starting my own company again in the midst of a pandemic and a slowing market, is that no matter what, everything is going to be ok. You must do what you do with the confidence that even through the bleakest of moments, everything is going to be ok, even if in the end, you find yourself doing something else.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I was born and raised in Miami, so if I had a week to create the best trip ever? I can’t think of a better place to do it! Of course we would start with the beach: our first day would be spent relaxing, not in crowded South Beach, but further north – Hollywood Beach. It’s a little quieter and a lot more relaxed, and you can even find street parking if you know where to look!

The next day, rested, we would dive into Miami’s roots – Little Havana! We would start near there at Café Versailles, which has been open since the 1970s. But not the restaurant – the bakery next door, where we would get guava pastelitos and a café con leche. Then into Little Havana, where we would stroll the streets, shopping for VERY Miami souvenirs, admiring the local artists, and listening to the salsa music that pours out of the bars. We would stop for lunch at one of the many local restaurants on Calle Ocho (8th Street) for Rabo (oxtail) or Lechon Asado (Cuban roasted pork, this is the typical dish eaten on Noche Buena, Cuban Christmas Eve).

Our next day would be spent in two of my favorite neighborhoods, Wynwood and Brickell. We would start our day at the Brickell City center for lunch at il Cucina, the Italian food stands on the ground floor, then spend the day shopping. Of course I would take my friend to Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, the Miami outpost of the famous Florentine perfumery started by Italian friars in the 13th century, the original is in Florence where I have personally visited as well. Then on to the Wynwood Walls and sushi at Omikase, where the chef brings you whatever is freshest for less money than anywhere else.

The next morning, we would take off for the keys! On the way, we would stop in Tavernier, to visit the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center and walk their bird sanctuary. We would also go to the Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory for authentic key lime pie.

A day in Key West would include my favorites, Santiagos for their amazing tapas and incredible sangrias, and Better Than Sex, which is all desserts in a Victorian boudoir atmosphere. We would finish with the drag show at Aqua, where people from all walks of life love coming to see outlandish characters like the big blonde “Inga.”

On our way back from the Keys, we would spend the afternoon in Islamorada, feeding the Tarpon at Robbie’s, and eating local fish at their restaurant.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I turn first here to Ghandi, who said “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” This, and Carpe Diem (seize the day), have served as my mottos throughout my life. Wanting the world to be a better place definitely needs to start with the person in the mirror; Ghandi’s words are a great reminder for me. And when we are reminded in so many ways that life is short and that we must enjoy the time we have and honor the love we have for others, Carpe Diem, is the phrase to live by.

I also am constantly motivated by my daughter, Casey. Ever since she was still inside of me, she’s made me want to leave the world a better place for her. It was just the two of us for a long time and she taught me some wonderful lessons along the way, like not to take things too seriously. Now, she is a successful, newly married woman, and I couldn’t be prouder. Looking at things through her eyes provides a whole new opportunity for me to experience things differently, and I cannot be anymore grateful for that.

Finally, my love of travel took me to Bali exactly 9 years ago, where I ventured off on my own on an Eat Pray Love tour. I am now in a love relationship, fairly late in life, with someone I met there and who I can travel and live adventures with. I am grateful to have someone by my side who loves and supports me in these years of my life; someone who already sees me as a success, even when I am just starting over.

Website: www.newdawntitlegroup.com

Instagram: newdawntitlegroup

Linkedin: Marlen11

Facebook: Marlen Rodriguez

Other: Email: marlen@newdawntitlegroup.com

Image Credits
Headshot by Rodrigo Varela