Today's women of impact went from studying industrial engineering at USC to becoming a badass WWE Deva champion. But she dropped kicked more than just her opponents in the ring. She power slammed stereotypes by showing that women can be sexy, athletic and powerful all at the same time. With an action figure, three Deva championships and appearing Cosmo and Musselin fitness to name a few, yet it was safe to say that this woman was at the top of her game, until she came to a realisation. Newly engaged to Heney Gracie, grandson of the legendary Helio Gracie, she realised that her career as a wrestler was no longer her true North, and her heart was in building a family. So she said farewell to WWE and set sail on her new journey. But it turned out, wife and motherhood was not her final destination. Her intense passion for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the impact and power it had on women just kept tugging at her. So with hard-wired dedication on the godly amount of effort, she became the first female instructor at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy, going on to spearhead women empowered, a self-defense program where she teaches women all around the world techniques on how to protect themselves from violence. And guys trust me, her moves are just not for play, she's pretty freaking badass. So please, help me in welcoming the women who empower females to overcome their self-imposed limitations, one arm bar and choke hold at a time. The woman approves that beauty is more than skin deep and strength is more than physical muscle. The former wrestler, model, dancer, actress, and in my opinion, the real life wonder woman Eve Torres-Gracey. Welcome to the show, my dear. Thank you. I'm so happy to be here. So happy to have you. Where I want to start is you went to USC to study industrial engineering, which seems to me like it couldn't be, like the furthest thing to think about compared to where you ended up. So take me through how you started there and then having a career where you ended up. Sure. So I had always been very academically inclined growing up as a young girl into high school and into college and for me it was just always the path. Both of my parents were the first of their family to go to college. My mom was the first of pretty much like most women to go to law school. And I really knew no other path. So that's where I went. And I actually enjoyed, I enjoyed school. I was very academically inclined. And I did very well. I got a full tuition scholarship at USC for academics. So I went that path and kind of towards my senior year, I realized I'm not being moved to do internships. I'm not being moved to get my resume out there. And you did like emotion. Yeah, I'm not being moved to do internships.

I'm not being moved to get my resume out there. And- You like emotion? Yeah, I'm not being, and I know I'm just somebody when I want something, I do it. And I'm like, why am I not out there kind of killing it? Like all of my classmates were in terms of getting that internship and getting the resumes out and meeting with different companies in terms of getting job placement. And it's because my heart was being pulled in a different direction and that was the entertainment world.

And I told myself, I'm not... and meeting with different companies in terms of, you know, getting job placement. And it's because my heart was being pulled

in a different direction,

and that was the entertainment world.

And I told myself, I'm not going to touch that world until I finished school, because I knew that the moment you, especially living in LA, it's like you get one job and you're like, oh, well, I have to take a few weeks off school and I knew that it was possible I would not finish school.

Had I even ventured that direction?

You would like that self-aware.

I was aware that it would pull me too hard.

Buff. And I knew that it was possible I would not finish school. Had I even ventured that direction? You would like that self-aware. I was aware that it would pull me too hard before I was kind of ready. And in my mind, it was almost like having my degree was my safety net to then take the ultimate risk with my career, which was I got my degree and I said great. Now I feel like I can take whatever risks I want because I have this something to fall back on. And I think that's what allowed me to take the risks I did in the entertainment industry. I started off in dance, professional dance, and then went into my career with WWE. So complete change of path to go from industrial engineering to professional wrestling. But it's like I needed this in order for that to happen. I think I would have, I may not have taken that risk, had I not had this to fall back on. And so taking risks is an important part of growth. But it's like I need a little bit of safety net and then I go and I jump. Yeah, because most people that like the safety don't end up taking that jump. Right. But I love that you're able to do both. I need both. I need both. I need it for, I need part of it for the stability that like, whoo, make me feel like, okay. But then I need that risk taking and I need the ability to just do something that I never thought I could do. I need that for myself. But taking that first step, especially when you like safety is very tough. It was, especially the initial step. And I think with every time you take a risk, I think it gets easier and easier. Because it's a learned behavior. You learn that here I took this risk and it panned out. So what happens if I take another risk and obviously sometimes risk don't panned out.

But you need a balance of that. Sometimes you'll take a risk and you'll go, oh, that didn't work. But you know that it's worked for you in the past. And that was helpful for me to say, you know what, I did this. And I actually ended up in a place that I never thought I would end up, but I did it and it was the right move at the right time for me.

Yeah, all right, but what about those people that let's say it's the first but I did it, and it was the right, it was the right move at the right time for me.

Yeah, all right, but what about these people

that let's say it's the first time they take the risk,

and it doesn't panel. So you don't actually have a backing to prove, like, no, no, this can't work. Yeah, and that's where you really have to be rooted in what you believe you're meant to be doing. I think it's hardest for people who are like,

I'll try this thing, but I'm not really sure.

That's harder when it doesn't work.

You might say, okay, it wasn't for me.

But if you... I think it's hardest for people who are like, I'll try this thing, but I'm not really sure. That's harder.

When it doesn't work, you might say, okay, it wasn't for me. But if you have something you say, I know that this is my purpose, and I know this is what I want to do, and you take a risk and do it, you're going to have more foundation, more passion to support you through your next risk-taking journey, Even when that one doesn't pan out. So you have to have that foundation,

and if you don't, you will, that failure will scare you away from taking further steps. It's also a part of learning how much you really want something, if you try something and you fail, and it scares you enough a way to not continue that path, maybe that actually wasn't the path for you, and maybe there is another one out. And so I think it's also okay to listen to that.

If you say, you know what?

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