Toni Reece: Hi there. This is Toni Reece, and welcome to the Get Inspired! Project for Berks County Living magazine. Today I have Sabrina Bankes Fernandez. Hi, Sabrina.
Sabrina Bankes Fernandez: Hi, Toni.
Toni: How are you today?
Sabrina: I’m great.
Toni: Good. Sabrina, take a moment and tell us a little bit about yourself.
Sabrina: I’m a Berks County resident, born and raised here. I have a family and I’m a proud wife and mother. Everything I do centers around making sure that they have the best quality of life possible. Part of that is my cleaning company, Eco Friendly Cleaning by Sabrina, LLC, based here in Berks County, too. We service Berks County residents and commercial clientele.
Toni: That’s fantastic. You’re a busy lady.
Sabrina: I feel like I am very busy, yes.
Toni: Let’s get into the Project. What does inspiration mean to you?
Sabrina: That word “inspire” really makes me think of propelling things forward, upward, in a positive direction. I think for me, inspiration is something that makes me want to do bigger and better things every day; like outdo the day before kind of thing. Not really be complacent, just to sit back and watch the world go by, but make a difference. That’s how I think of it.
Toni: When you define inspiration as being propelled forward, is there something that happens? Is it something that’s in your gut or a feeling where you’re like, “That was it. This is going to move me?” Do you actually feel it?
Sabrina: I think so. I think your gut is a really reliable guide. If something doesn’t feel right, you really shouldn’t or I shouldn’t go down that path. As far as more of a propelling need to do something, I think it’s how much I value it. If it’s important to me, if it strikes a chord with me that I know it’s going to result in something really beneficial, that’s usually the direction that I want to go.
Toni: So you have a thought that inspires you, but then you do a gut check and see whether or not it aligns with your value system before it moves you forward.
Sabrina: Right.
Toni: That’s awesome. How do you put that process of being inspired into practice here in Berks County?
Sabrina: I think there’s a lot of really awesome things going on in Berks County. I look across the board at what fits with my mission. A lot of community outreach, different charities that are helping the community, whether it be Habitat for Humanity … I love the work that they do. A lot of the farmers markets promote organic living and healthy lifestyle, so I like to be involved in different levels with those types of initiatives and also volunteer where I can possibly put my two hands to good use.
Toni: So when you connect with these people and to learn from them, does that translate back into your business?
Sabrina: I think so, because a lot of the information that I compile from them, whether it be where the needs are in the community or different things that maybe I can contribute to the community. For instance, I can educate people about natural cleaning solutions that they could use or make in their homes. When I get asked to do those types of demonstrations or speeches, I love that. That is the coolest thing. I’m always saying, “If you need a speaker, let me know. I’m interested.” Those are really fun things that I can participate in.
Toni: Do you remember the last time you were inspired?
Sabrina: I think I’m inspired almost every day, because I like to get the pulse of what’s going on out there. I check social media and see what the buzz is about. I say, “Oh, that’s going on this weekend?” or there’s things that people are really jazzed about, whether it’s an artist community event or a nature walk or something like that. I feel like, “I can be part of that, too,” or I can do something similar that would highlight the aspects of natural living that I think would help the community.
Toni: Who in Berks County inspires you?
Sabrina: I think that I have a lot of people around me that I take little tidbits from that inspire me, but when I really think about it, I think my mother and my daughter both really inspire me a lot. Obviously my mother is older than I am and my daughter is younger than me, but they’re both very goal oriented. They see a goal in mind and they take the steps necessary to attain the goal. They don’t really let anything deter them. The world might say, “That’s too hard for you to do,” or, “Why are you doing that?” but they both are self-made women. One is coming up in this generation, and one’s seen a lot already. They are both in my eyes very successful women. I hope that I inspire them as much as they inspire me to be like that.
Toni: That’s amazing, and the way that you described what inspiration means to you as far as you are inspired by a thought and then you check it against your value system whether or not it’s right or wrong, but then you go for it. That’s exactly how you’ve described your mother and your daughter as far as going for it. That’s really cool.
Sabrina: Yes.
Toni: What would you like your legacy to be?
Sabrina: I think that when I’m gone from this earth, I would like people to remember me as someone who really helped them, whether it’s incorporate healthy living into their lifestyle, or whether it’s just being a good person to neighbors, community; being somebody who was a really good person. I just want to be known for that.
Toni: And remember, these are living legacies as well, which is what you’re doing. I appreciate you coming into the Project this morning saying, “I had to wear bright colors because it’s a rainy day!” and you needed to bring a bit of sunshine to the Get Inspired! Project. Thank you for that.
Sabrina: Sure, you’re welcome.
Toni: Take care.
