3 minute read
SNAPSHOT
from D CEO January/February 2023
by DCEO
continued from page 051
WHAT I DO:
“I run Dallas-based RancH2O Spirits. We have four canned cocktails on the market, distributed in seven states.”
STYLE ICON:
“I’m half British, so my love of the monarchy naturally runs deep. Princess Diana has always had the perfect look for whatever event she was attending. She also was daring and bold with her fashion.”
ON THE JOB:
“If I’m going to be visiting liquor stores, I make sure to wear outfits tht are conducive to lifting and merchandising. I love to look put together, but a girl has got to be comfortable, which means I’m in sneakers.”
FASHION INSPIRATION:
“The bottom line is that if I don’t feel beautiful in what I’m wearing, it will affect my confidene. When I feel beautiful, I’m unstoppable.”
STYLE DEFINED:
“Comfortably classic but unafraid to make some bold choices.”
FASHION ESSENTIALS:
“An Hermés Clic bracelet— or two! You can dress them up or down.”
GO-TO LOOK:
“I have an addiction to La Vie Style House. Their wraps and caftans are bold and make a statement, and I’m known to wear them everywhere.”
HOW I ACCESSORIZE:
“I usually wear a pair of diamond earrings, a delicate necklace, the Clic bracelets on one arm, and a Cartier watch on the other arm.”
WEEKEND LOOK:
“I have three young children. If I’m with them, I’m in casual clothes that can take a beating.”
FAVORITE STORE:
“Tootsies. I work with the sweetest woman, Sherry, and she’ll have a dressing room with options for me when I arrive, all perfect for every occasion.”
SNAPSHOT
Finding a Place to Call Home
Charles Schwab executive and former NFL player Christian Rodriguez found stability just in time.
christian rodriguez reached the athletic pinnacle, playing in the National Football League for the Indianapolis Colts under Head Coach Tony Dungy. But the president and COO of Charles Schwab Premier Bank muddled through an unsteady childhood to make it there. After being born in New York, Rodriguez lived with his grandparents in the Dominican Republic for the firstsix years of his life. He then moved in with his mother in the U.S., but six years later she was sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison for drug traffickingHis next three years included military school and seperate living stints with his aunt and uncle. He then jumped from couch to couch with friends until his sophomore year at North Mesquite High School ended. He came close to breaking and thought his only escape route was returning to the Dominican Republic.
But after his sophomore year, a stabilizing influenceemerged in the form of his head football coach, Mark Elam. “He told me he saw something in me,” Rodriguez says. “And that was the firsttime anyone said that to me.” Elam adopted the teenager and the two agreed that Rodriguez would live with him and his wife for two years. Under Elam’s guidance, Rodriguez found structure. But it didn’t always come easy. “Being a person of color and living with a White family, we had adjustments to make, and we would definitelyget looks,” he says. Rodriguez went on to earn a football scholarship to Texas A&M University and his success led him to go pro. “Coach Elam taught me that if you think like a champion, and act like a champion you can become a champion—and I still carry that mindset with me today in executive leadership,” Rodriguez says. —Ben Swanger
SIGNING DAY
Rodriguez signed to play college football at Texas A&M out of North Mesquite High School.