Episode 130: The Art of the Hustle with Ferox Strategies’ CEO, Cristina Antelo

Hustle – the Urban Dictionary defines the word hustle as: “to strive headstrong and voraciously towards a goal”. Or as Anthony Iannarino clarified in his article, “The Real Meaning of the Word ‘Hustle’”, is that you work hard every single day. It means you do the things other people won’t do, and you do them with a sense of joy and purpose because you love it.

In this episode, you’ll meet Cristina Antelo, a real-life example of the word “hustle”, who lives by Thomas Edison’s motto, “Everything comes to h[er] who hustles while [she] waits.” Cristina shares her life’s journey and how she learned to hustle.

Cristina Antelo is a founding principal and CEO at Ferox Strategies. She has spent more than a decade representing multinational corporations with her trademark hustle at Washington’s best-known government relations firms. From Wall Street to K Street, Cristina has set herself apart as a trusted advisor, skilled advocate, and effective negotiator who isn’t afraid of long, hard work.

Featured in Washingtonian magazine in “Success Stories of Washingtonians of Latino and Hispanic Descent” and identified as a "Top Lawyer," “Power Player,” and “Most Influential 40 and Under Leader” in other regional publications, Cristina provides insider advice on how public policy is created and communicated.

 

Highlights:

[02:35] Cristina’s journey

[07:03] Gaining clarity on your path & purpose

[13:11] Overcoming limiting beliefs

[20:15] Building your story around your strengths

[25:09] Cristina’s daily success habits

[28:21] Decision making techniques

[33:17] Building authentic relationships

[38:57] Cristina’s advice on accelerating success

 

Quotes:

“You will always get more information out of making a mistake than if you had done nothing out of fear of failing.” – Cristina Antelo

“There is not enough Latino representation in all of the places where decision-making happens as it related to policy.” - Cristina Antelo

“You can teach yourself anything. It doesn't matter what you know right now, in this moment, you just have to commit to learning.” – Cristina Antelo

 

About Cristina Antelo:

A fierce believer in Thomas Edison’s, “Everything comes to h[er] who hustles while [she] waits,” Cristina Antelo is a founding principal at Ferox Strategies.

Cristina has spent more than a decade representing multinational corporations with her trademark hustle at Washington’s best-known government relations firms. From Wall Street to K Street, Cristina has set herself apart as a trusted advisor, skilled advocate, and effective negotiator who isn’t afraid of long, hard work.

She began her lobbying career in 2004, immediately representing Fortune 500 clients at top-ranked, bipartisan government and public affairs firms in Washington, D.C. Her past clients include major chain retailers, spirits companies, national theme and amusement parks, pharmaceutical firms, and nutrition and wellness companies. Her policy areas of expertise include financial services, tax, trade, border security, transportation and infrastructure, and crisis management.

Featured in Washingtonian magazine in “Success Stories of Washingtonians of Latino and Hispanic Descent” and identified as a "Top Lawyer," “Power Player,” and “Most Influential 40 and Under Leader” in other regional publications, Cristina provides insider advice on how public policy is created and communicated. As a founding member and former President of the Hispanic Lobbyists Association and a long stint as the interim CEO of the non- profit Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), Cristina has served as both a leader and an advocate, promoting communication, ethics, education, and bipartisanship.

Before transitioning to government relations, in the early 2000s Cristina worked as a Wall Street investment banker and wealth management advisor at major Wall Street firms including Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan. She also served as a legal fellow with the Senate Democratic Steering Committee, then chaired by former Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Tom Daschle (D-SD).

Today, Cristina is active in charitable work, contributing her business acumen and political savvy on the Board of Directors of the CHCI, serving under Chairman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), as well as the board of the National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) Action Fund supporting conservation of endangered species and habitats. Cristina further serves on the finance committee for the March of Dimes' annual Gourmet Gala, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars boosting maternal and infant health worldwide. Finally, Cristina is also on the Board of Directors for her alma mater, the Brooks School in North Andover, MA, and volunteers with Common Threads, focusing on nutrition education for children.

A native Spanish speaker, Cristina was born in Dallas and graduated from Georgetown University and the George Washington University Law School. She is married with two young daughters, Havana and Brooklyn, who are fiercely loyal to any client that provides toys...or snacks...or anything with glitter.

Links:

Website: https://feroxstrategies.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinaantelo/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MsCEAntelo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceantelo/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ceantelo