blogger profile

Elisea Frishberg

Co-founder and Vice President of BizRadio Network; host of "Behind the Fame" 8-9AM Saturdays on 1110AM

As a radio host, I have interviewed movie stars, newsmakers, politicians and top financial gurus. They all share with me the secret of their success. My guests have included Daisy Fuentes, Vanna White, Dan Akroyd, William Shatner, Sid Caesar, Ed McMahon, Brooke Shields, Henry Kissinger, ...

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Hello Skirt!

Elisea Frishberg

I came from the Philippines where I did not see electricity until I was 17 years old. My mother always told me that once I finished my education, I could fly anywhere-so that’s exactly what I did.  I have always aimed so high in any endeavor in life.  I know I am the only limit to what I want. I had been asking the moon, once a month every full moon . . . I talked to the moon- “are you the same moon that lights America?” I always wanted to come to America.  I learned the English language from reading comic books and watching shows like Bonanza, Leave it to Beaver and TheJeffersons (what a combination, right!)

I worked as a bookkeeper, while my mother was a banker at our credit union in the Philippines.  We had no electricity, so by sunlight and candlelight, I learned 10 Key by touch by the age of ten. I spent most of my time as a young kid helping my mother during my idol time, adding interest, computing depreciation, adding deposits, taxes, amortizations—it wasn’t your typical childhood, but it helped me a lot—it fed my hunger for more information and knowledge.  Engaging in conversations with adults instead of other kids my age, I found joy in their stories and life lessons.  I loved hearing about their experiences.  It has continued to help me during times of crisis, remembering how they escaped their pains and problems.

My first year in America was one of the loneliest times in my life.   It is a catch 22- I was not able to socialize and make friendships because I had to work overtime—there were months where I literally saw no sunshine.  Since I was the rookie on the team at the hospital, I was assigned the graveyard shift- patient accounting- taking in new patients, the emergency room- I worked like a dog!  They called me, “the overtime queen.” My goal was to save as much money as possible.  I volunteered for any and every shift—I had a goal and nothing was going to stand in my way! It worked like a charm, I saved so much money- at the age of 25, I was already able to buy my own condominium and a lake retirement lot in Conroe, Texas.

I remember my coworkers used to rib me about the state of my “ugly pocketbook.”  I couldn’t afford to replace it at the time; it was of little importance to me to have a nice pocketbook . . . I knew at the end of the payday, they were borrowing money from me, so I would charge them interest. That was over twenty-five years ago.  Last month, I purchased a $3000 Gianni Versace pocketbook as a gift to a good friend – I did not even blink . . .funny how life changes us.

Start by focusing your energy and knowing what you want in life. Only in America- this is the only country that will allow you to have whatever you want in life. First you have to know what you want and know every breathe you take is one step toward that goal, whatever you want. You have to trust me on this, you will get what you want. I am a true, living and breathing example of it.

When I decided that law school was the only answer to my ignorance—I had to talk myself into believing that I could do it.  It was easier to make my brain and my heart believe it, but my stomach was another story!  The odds were stacked against me—until my stomach was on board, I could not move forward.  With my body finally in total agreement, I went for my dreams at LawSchool.   All the voices around me kept saying how crazy I was for wanting to do this-for thinking that I could do it. . .all I kept saying to myself was that I’d rather be crazy in a world where I can get what I want than live in a sane world where everyone else gets what they want while I don’t. 

So . . .YES , I got my JD. It was not easy, but I did it.  The reward is immeasurable--to cure that aching, longing feeling in the pit of your stomach is priceless.  But you will never experience that satisfaction if you don’t first have that hunger!

I hope to keep sharing my hunger with you gals!  Keep reading!  Here’s to being Fabulous and living a beautiful life!