Beauty, brains, talent and success — almost every man is looking for a woman who has it all. Even if these women might seem like a magical unicorn, ‘LLERO knows that they exist. Maybe SHE is your vecina, the one who got away, or your sister’s home girl. So right here on our site, we’ll be turning the spotlight on the ladies that we all know and love because we know that “SHE” means She Has Everything.
Tiffany Cruz has a positive energy that is contagious. This humble Jersey City native, of Puerto Rican descent, says things like:
“Life works out in a way where you find people who love you,”
casually and consistently during our interview. It’s powerful wisdom and she’s so matter of fact, the magnitude of the statement could almost go unnoticed.
Recently promoted to Vice President of a boutique investment management firm, it might be easy to assume that Cruz grew up with it all. In actuality the New Jersey City University alumni has faced some serious adversity. At 14, shortly after her family moved to Costa Rica, her mom and her stepfather sadly passed away. Young and alone in a different country, Cruz attempted to establish a relationship with her stepfather’s family who lived there, only to be sent on back to New Jersey with nowhere to go. After moving every year since her parents passed, a difficult relationship with her biological father and his family, you can only be in awe of Tiffany, her accomplishments and her outlook on life. She credits church for influencing the woman she has become. She states that church was, “the only thing that gave me solace,” during those tumultuous times.
Cruz, has worked since she was 14, and at 18 began living on her own. As a senior in high school, she was one of five students selected to work for UBS, a well-known banking and financial services company. From there, her career and her fighting spirit have brought her to where she is today: a young executive at an exclusive firm, a homeowner and most important a woman who has not allowed circumstances that could have broken her, to take hold. “It was either sit here and cry in a corner or keep moving; life is too short, you have to take the good with the bad,” she states simply. Bien dicho.
This single lady has a lot to say and here’s what else you should know about this Latina who has it all.
`LL: What would a guy be surprised to know?
TC: I watch ESPN. A lot of it. I fall asleep to it, lol.
`LL: What’s your biggest turn on?
TC: My biggest turn on is a man who knows how to take charge. Someone who cannot only ask me out on a date, but plan and implement as well. I can’t stand the 21 questions before a date. “What do you want to do? I don’t know. What do you want to do?” Just plan something! Be spontaneous.
`LL: What’s a total turn off?
TC: Poor grammar, spelling and punctuation. Nowadays we all text. One would think that people would spell check before hitting the send button. It’s so annoying to receive poorly written text messages. If you’re not able to formulate a coherent thought via text when you have ample time to craft a response, how are we going to sit through dinner? I’m not asking for the smartest man in the world, but when I say, “I got promoted!” I need the response NOT to be, “das good?” Yes. That really happened.
`LL: What’s your favorite thing about Latino men? Least favorite?
TC: My favorite thing about Latino men is their passion, commitment and strength. My least favorite is their arrogance and overall lack of interest in uninhibited communication and emotional connection. Also I have to mention, their lack of ambition. There seems to be a shortage of Latino men who are striving for something other than the newest Jordans or a car they won’t ultimately be able to afford. (Such a generalization, I’m sorry!) Very few men seem to be thinking about anything long term, even when it’s for their own benefit.
`LL: What’s your definition of a `LLERO?
TC: A caballero is someone who’s able to exercise control, respect and patience in every aspect of his life. He’s a man of his word, honest and admirable. He’s able to honor the old fashioned sense of the term while giving it a hint of swag with the style and pizzazz only Latinos possess.
`LL: Favorite body part on a guy?
TC: His hands. You can tell a lot about a person from their hands.
`LL: Best or worst pick-up line you’ve heard?
TC: “Girl, you are hotter than a summer’s day”. It was so bad I couldn’t stop laughing. Guess it served its purpose, though. I’ll never forget it or the person who had the courage to utter something so lame.
`LL: What do you feel sexiest wearing?
TC: A pair of high heels makes every outfit sexy.
`LL: Favorite sports team?
TC: Let’s keep this simple, the Yankees, of course.
`LL: Favorite food?
TC: Pizza and double stuffed Oreos. Not necessarily in that order.
`LL: On to the juicy stuff `LLERO’s would like to know. What’s your ideal first date?
TC: My ideal first date would involve live music at an intimate venue, nice wine and good food. Drinks on a rooftop somewhere. There’s something about being so high above the ground. It’s peaceful and beautiful — it turns the ordinary into extraordinary. If there’s live music on a rooftop, and it happens to be summer, for me, that’s very close to perfection.
`LL: What’s your ideal man like? (physically and personality wise)
TC: Two words – Ryan Gosling
Images courtesy of subject