Q&A with Elena Cardone – The G&E Show
Welcome to the G&E show! This time, it’s just little old me holding down the fort and answering all of your questions. Let’s get to business shall we?
What was early-twenties Elena like?
While I was in my early twenties, I was very confused! I really hadn’t figured myself out. Only thing I knew was that I had to be very independent; I had to be a strong, powerful woman. I couldn’t let all my sisters down, so I really felt like I could never depend on a man. Ever. I felt like I had to do everything on my own to defend my credibility. The one thing I would tell my younger self is that it is completely ok to depend on a man. In fact, by me depending on a man, I now have more strength as a woman. In life, if you expand outward from it just being you and you really build an empire, you will have to depend on other people, period.
What made you stop drinking?
People from NOLA have an extra spice and wild streak in them that get some of us in trouble we drink! Haha! – But in all seriousness, I decided to stop drinking because I had reached a certain point in my life where I just could not get myself to the next level – no matter what I was trying to do. That’s when I decided to stop drinking and doing drugs. Let me tell you what that did for me. Being sober, helped me be enough. It helped me be entertaining enough, be good enough. I don’t need liquid courage, I find everything I need, within myself. This was extremely liberating. You know, anyone can have that liquor boost, but who are you when it’s just you?
Second, I don’t drink because I can’t afford to even take a day off. I am going for a super life, an extraordinary life that requires hitting targets that are so massive, they are impossible to attain. This doesn’t leave a whole lot of loaf time in my life. Some say living an all work no play life is not worth living but of course, I would disagree. Nothing feels better to me than hitting my targets and impacting the lives of others. So if I have to sacrifice a little play time in order to really celebrate life and achievements down the road, so be it.
The third reason, (which sounds crazy I know), is that I’m always watching Grant’s back. I know it’s odd because I’m a woman and he is a man, who could defend himself, but I have “small dog” complex. I am fiercely protective of him so I’m always reading situations and environments to ensure he is safe.
Lastly, I need to be super sharp and alert at all times in order to read people and to protect our empire. So I can’t have alcohol in my system because I don’t want it to dull me down or cloud my perceptions. If I don’t hold myself accountable and I lack integrity, then it blinds me to see when other people lack integrity. If you get in “bed” with a bad guy, it can cause a severe amount of damage to the empire. Nobody has a “monitor machine” on the success you gained by avoiding not getting in business bed with a bad guy.
How should a woman handle being with a man who believes the bill should be split?
That is one heck of a question. It depends on what you guys agree on. Any type of issue on money is something you just have to have a discussion about – there’s no way around it.
Here are some tough questions to ask:
- Why does he want you to pay half?
- Why don’t you want to pay half?
- If not half, what are you able to contribute?
The reasons on why he may want you to pay half are endless, but maybe he wants you to earn that financial trust, maybe he’s been jaded by a woman that took financial advantage of him in the past. Grant wasn’t just throwing hundred dollar bills at me, I had to earn his financial trust. Money is a sensitive subject but not having a discussion about it, could destroy your empire. Lastly, ask yourself this, if you want him to pay for everything, what are you going to do in exchange for that?
What changes would you make in your list today?
That was such a good question I nearly fell off my chair! Honestly, I wouldn’t change too much. But I won’t lie and say nothing. The one thing I would change is the attention given during date night; I WANT MORE. When I put on that dress, when I put on those heels, it’s about me. Turn everything else off, and turn your attention on me, ON!
What made you make the decision not to deny your partner sex?
I don’t usually answer questions like this, I’m a pretty private person, but what the hell. Ok, so remember, I come from an actress background, that means – I have been rejected, A LOT. It went a little something like this: go to the audition, wait in line, do the audition, get selected for the next round, get to the next round, sign the contract because you think you’re the one – only to receive a call later, letting you know, you are in fact, not the one. And if you don’t think that was bad – when they’d call to reject you, they’d knit pick and tell you why. It was so stressful and hard to deal with that I just promised to never put the person I loved the most through any type of rejection like that. It was a decision I made a long time ago, on my own.
The thing that separates my relationship with Grant and every other ma, is the intimacy factor. We are monogamous. I don’t ever want that special bond between us to get weird. That’s the part of our relationship that is private and differentiates us from being best friends to lovers.
I love answering these questions from you guys! I hope my answers guide you on the right path to success.
Build an Empire,