Texan CEO Pilar Gonzalez On Finding Her Limits

Pilar Gonzalez is a born-and-raised Texan and the mastermind behind DipIt—a brand-new packaged dip company that's earning entrepreneurial awards across both the state and the country. While the all-natural snack product is simply a blend of yogurt and one of five different fresh seasonings (think: cilantro and green olive), the stuff has become a fast, Texan crowd favorite. Most recently, DipIt earned Pilar a slot as a finalist in Stacy's Rise Project — a program that provides grants and mentorship to female entrepreneurs in the food and drink space. Here's how she claims her power:

I feel most powerful when...

"I have the ability to help others conquer their goals — whether that's by opening them up to new ways of doing things or connecting them with the right people. I feel most powerful when I act as an ally."

Power to me means...

"The ability to change someone else's life in a positive way — to impact someone else's future in a way they can truly see and feel. To me, power also means being strong enough to stand by my decisions, even when no one else agrees. It's about standing for what I believe in."

 What do you do when you feel powerless?

"I look for a quiet place and try to search inside myself. I try to figure out what it is that's making me feel this way and how I might be able to improve it. But most importantly, I take a moment to recognize my limitations and acknowledge the fact that sometimes, it's only natural to feel powerless. The more quickly I can accept that, the more quickly I can let go and move forward onto things I can tackle!"

"'La Vida Es Un Carnaval' by Celia Cruz. But when I want to feel powerful, I also reflect on the things my father used to say to me when we were kids. His words give me the strength to keep moving forward, no matter what: Things like, 'never take no for an answer,' or 'keep asking until you find the way.' He used to tell me all the time that I was the smartest kid he knew, and that always made me feel powerful (I found out later that he said the same thing to all my siblings, and I love him for that)."

"My mother. She's a resilient woman with tons of vision, big dreams for her kids, and plenty of determination. After her divorce, she put up a fight to support, guide, and encourage her kids to achieve everything they wanted."

"My optimism."