Rosa Florentino:
We are a force that if we set our mind to and we leave the bullshit behind and the pettiness because we can also be brutal with each other, instead of criticizing, let's celebrate each other. And it's so easy, and I'm telling you, if you wish your competitor good and you hope that they are as busy as you are, the universe will bring it to you.
Sonya Palmer:
Generosity is power, competition doesn't have to mean scarcity, and women, especially in law, don't rise by stepping over each other, but by rising together.
Rosa Florentino:
Let's raise our standards, the universe will meet us there and let's just get together and celebrate each other, it's doable, Rosa Florentino, principal of Quest Settlements. We help claimants receiving a settlement check to preserve their settlement funds and plan or design their payment plan completely tax-free.
Sonya Palmer:
They have helped structure over half a billion dollars in settlements in just four years. As a senior settlement consultant she works case by case, human by human. In the aftermath and the quiet, often chaotic moments after a settlement is won, when a check arrives, so do a thousand questions. Her job is to turn that moment of chaos into lasting protection. Before she was structuring settlements, she was a child growing up in Mexico where the idea of financial security looked very different.
Rosa Florentino:
I was raised in Mexico. Until the age of 10 my father used to cross the border when there was no border. He tells us that there were officers on what was recognized as the border with a clipboard, and they will check in and they will check them off, and they will be allowed to go work the fields, cabbage fields, strawberry fields in Carlsbad area. And a bus will be waiting for them at the border to pick them up, take them to their work site. And at the end of the day they will come back to the border and check them out and continue doing that the whole week.
And I remember this like it was yesterday, my father comes home early from work one day and tells my mom, "You know, this officer showed up to the field and we thought we were going to get in trouble, but instead they set up two canopies." One canopy was if you were interested on a green card and one canopy was for you to apply for citizenship. My father didn't know what was what, so he just got in a line and he just completed some applications. My mom got so upset at him for doing that. He shared his kids' information, my mom's information. And my mom used to say, "Why would you do that?" He said, "Well, they asked me to."
My dad had no clue he was applying for amnesty. And back in the day they started with the field workers. So he started this big ordeal. And a few months later we get an invitation to come to the US, San Diego, Front Street, to get fingerprints done, a physical and go back to Mexico. A few months later, he comes home and he says, "We're going, they're telling us we can go. That at the border they're going to give us a card." And my dad tells me and my brother, "You can pick up one backpack, pack one backpack and pick up one toy." We came across and we didn't know anything, we didn't know the language, we didn't know anyone. It was a culture shock.
Sonya Palmer:
Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, over 1.2 million farm workers were granted legal status, many for the first time. It was a rare moment in US policy that recognized the necessity of protecting our labor forces. And like so many, her family came for opportunity and the chance to build something lasting from almost nothing.
Rosa Florentino:
My parents set me and my brother up for success. My father worked about four to five jobs one time to put us through college without a student loan. Our outings were on Sundays when my dad used to work at Sizzler restaurants and he would tell us at the end of the buffet line if there were leftovers. And if there were leftovers, we were to meet him there and that was our treat every Sunday. And we looked forward to it.
My work ethic definitely comes from my parents. Never gave up in a country that they had no clue how to do things. We never owned a car. We always took public transportation. My father is 76 years old and he still takes public transportation and works full time, he refuses to stop working. It was inevitable we were going to have to do okay and be someone and do something, there was no other choice.
Sonya Palmer:
For Rosa there was never a plan B. Success wasn't optional, it was the way she repaid the people who gave everything so that she could have a shot. In their family hard work wasn't just a value, it was a form of love.
Rosa Florentino:
There was no looking back, I had seen how much my parents had sacrificed, that that was the only way of me repaying them back and I had to give back something and I had to be okay and I had to be a good human. And we were in this country that had given us so many opportunities that I only had to take advantage of.
Sonya Palmer:
Rosa's sense of duty didn't stop at home, it shaped every step of her early career. First in federal corrections, where she learned to treat people with dignity no matter their story. Then in the legal world, where she realized her own story could be a bridge not a barrier. Her instinct was always the same, serve people well and meet them where they are.
Rosa Florentino:
We have always been taught, and when I say we, I say my brother and I, to give back, to be good humans, to treat people with respect no matter what position you are in. When we started our immigration process, we were always treated with respect, we never had a bad experience. And it was a field where I was like, "You know, a lot of people that are here in this office, in this immigration office, we are scared, we're frightful." And our first interaction with authority in this new country for us is them. And yet they are being gracious, they're being nice, they treated us well. So it was like, that could be a good start and I could interact with my people and I could understand their position and where they come from, where they're going and what they're expecting.
So I went into federal corrections. It was a correctional facility with the US marshals. I worked in a male facility. It taught me so much. Every day was a different day for me, but I felt that I was making a difference. And whatever reason they were in a detention facility was not my business. My job was to treat them with respect. And I was no one to judge them. And my mother will always remind me of that. I will tell her, "You know, so-and-so came in, they are from La eMe or the Mexican mafia." And my mom always said, "Stand clear, stay in your lane, treat them with respect, they are humans and what they did is not your business. You make sure you go home every day."
Sonya Palmer:
Sometimes the path shifts unexpectedly. An injury pulled Rosa out of corrections, but it pushed her towards something new.
Rosa Florentino:
My husband and I realized that that was not the job to keep while my babies were little. So I went to USD and was going the law school route, paralegal route. And then I met a competitor of mine. And he offered me a job in structures. And I learned the business from the inside out. I was his assistant, which I am eternally grateful for that opportunity. I'm a true believer that you're a student of your profession. If you're going to sell something, you better learn it inside out. And that is exactly where it took me. I learned structures. And then another competitor reached out and offered me a better opportunity. And then I met Louis Masry, my business partner. His father was the attorney for Erin Brockovich. And we open Quest. I took that leap of faith. It has been fun, it has been challenging. But I think that if you do things with the right mindset and a good heart and just focus on doing the right thing, listen, the universe will line up things for you.
Sonya Palmer:
In an industry still shaped by power imbalances, by gender, by language, by access Rosa made self-advocacy part of her mission.
Rosa Florentino:
Know your worth, advocate for yourself. When I was 18, I had this job, and it was at a check cashing facility. A girl got hired after me and then I realized that she was getting paid more than me but I got there two years before. And I didn't want to ask her, so I said, "I'm going to ask the boss." He's kind of weird, but I will ask him. And I go up to him and I said, "Excuse me," I said, "Can I ask you something? I've been here for two years, I think you're happy with my performance." He said, "I'm very happy, I'm very happy you're here." I said, "Okay. Well, so-and-so just started here about a year ago, and she already got a pay raise and she's getting paid more than me." He said, "You want to know why?" I said, "Yes, please." He said, "Because she asked for the pay rise."
And it's like, okay, that never happened again. It's like, ask, speak up, yeah. Advocate for yourself, and especially in a male dominated industry that we are in. Know your worth, do the right thing and do it right. There's always someone watching and waiting for you to fall, don't give them that satisfaction, do the right thing.
Sonya Palmer:
Knowing your worth is one thing, showing up for others so that they can claim theirs, that's another. For Rosa, being fluent in Spanish isn't just a skill, it's a form of advocacy. In an industry where life-changing money is often explained in legalese or mistranslated entirely, Rosa speaks to clients in the language of clarity, care, and cultural respect.
Rosa Florentino:
I am very proud of my upbringing and the ability to speak and read Spanish, proper Spanish. Especially in our industry when it has to do with money and you're trying to connect with our clients, you cannot use Google Translate to try to keep their money. You have to make sure you explain to them the ins and outs of our industry and the benefits, the pros and cons.
Another stream of income for me, I help many of my competitors across the nation with their Spanish-speaking clients. A translator is not going to sell your case, they don't care about the claimant, it's just one more translation job. You have to make sure that the product, the benefits, the structures and everything else explained in a way that they understand.
Sonya Palmer:
For Rosa, translating financial products is truly a translation of power. For many of her clients, a settlement check is a real chance at stability. Her job is to make sure that protection doesn't slip away, that it becomes a foundation for healing, for independence, for long-term financial justice.
Rosa Florentino:
So many of our clients have gone through so much to get that settlement check. And when I say so much, losing a loved one, injuries that they receive, I mean, the entire family suffers, and they are eager to receive that settlement check. And when it comes, you have to make sure that you are aware of their future medical needs. You are aware that you set them up with a plan that is going to pay out to help them live a good quality life considering their circumstances.
I hate to say it, but unfortunately a lot of our clients have family members that are just waiting for that check to come in and take advantage of those funds. All of them from one day to another they become financial experts and they have this grand business ideas and they want to use their money. So us putting a settlement plan in place is nothing but protection against them, a protection against other people. And most importantly, we can help them preserve their government benefits. It's so expensive this days, but we have the ability to do stuff like that.
Sonya Palmer:
While most financial consultants handle their work remotely, Rosa shows up, sometimes across the country, sometimes without a paycheck because presence builds trust. Research in behavioral economics shows that face-to-face meetings can significantly increase client trust and long-term engagement, especially in emotionally charged decisions. For her, it's about being a steady hand in the room when everything else feels uncertain. Even if the case doesn't settle, the client will remember that she was there.
Rosa Florentino:
I think it's very important to connect with the client from the beginning of the case. Even if the case doesn't settle during that specific mitigation, you being there, the client will remember that you were there. And listen, the case might settle and they might decide not to structure. You might have flown out to Washington for nothing, but was it really nothing? I mean, you educated them, you help that attorney, because we know that attorneys work so hard to get those settlement checks, big winnings. So we want to make sure that the attorneys educate their clients on all of their options before receiving the settlement check. And us being there makes this valuable, brings value to that client even if they decide not to structure.
Sonya Palmer:
Rosa doesn't see clients as cases, she sees them as people, families, futures, milestones. She stays in touch long after the paperwork is signed, a practice rooted in connection.
Rosa Florentino:
Every client that we work with, we take pride in saying that we build relationships. They are not just clients that we structure, done, we move on. Not at all. When I started this business and my kids were little, I will make them come to me to events they had, because we always get invitations, birthdays, graduations, funerals, you name it, they stay in touch, and I will make my kids come with me and visit those clients or celebrate with those clients. Because those are people that at one point they trusted us with their money, they paid our bills, and we should always be grateful.
Every client that we work with, we try to stay connected with. We have a spreadsheet that reminds us of birthdays, we update their home address, phone numbers, and we stay in touch. We know when they're starting college, we check on them. It's a lot of work, but it makes a difference. So my clients stay with me.
Attorneys call me and say, just yesterday as a matter of fact, I had this attorney call me and say, "Hey, do you know what's going on with Rafael?" And then I said, "Yeah, this, this, and that" he's like, "Wow, you worked with him nine years ago?" And I'm like, "Yeah, but he's married now, he has babies." I mean, I stay in touch with them. And I think that us helping them structure their settlement funds, it creates a lifetime safety net, not just for them, but for their families as well. So they all have a special place in my heart to say the least.
Sonya Palmer:
For Rosa, giving back isn't a gesture, it's a responsibility. She knows what it means to live by the rhythms of seasonal work, to watch the holidays bring not celebration, but scarcity. The average annual income for a US farm worker is under $25,000. Off season months can mean housing insecurity, skipped medications or children going without basics. That's why she founded Fields of Humanity to support farm workers during the months when paychecks stop but the needs don't. Her roots may have shaped her, but they also drive her forward.
Rosa Florentino:
Instead of crying over it, I have to do something about it. So I'm starting a nonprofit, Fields of Humanity, and we will be helping those farm workers off season with some of their expenses, whether they are family related, legal matters or medical. A lot of them get injured and they have to wait a long time to get worker comp, if they do. So yeah, that's the purpose of Fields of Humanity.
Sonya Palmer:
Building a business meant sacrifice, but Rosa never let go of the vision, she stayed grounded in her values, work hard, stay kind, and don't quit. Her success was built with grit, with heart and with the kind of power you can't fake.
Rosa Florentino:
Building a business comes with a lot of sacrifices. You question yourself so many times, this is going to work, right? This is going to pay out, right? It will pay off, right? My kids were witness of that from the beginning. Some days it was even raining in the room, I am not kidding you. But we trusted. I thank God my husband always saw my value. My husband always had the steady job in law enforcement, so his paycheck definitely helped me.
My kids take the work ethic, work ethic, they're good humans, resilience. They believe that if you work hard and you're a good human, things will come back. That you just got to keep trying. You do not give up without giving a fair fight.
My team, I'm blessed to have an amazing team. They are machines, considering the volume of work that we have, I mean, they are amazing and I am blessed to have them. And I don't think I will ever retire to be honest, I love my job too much. I might slow down, but I'm doing something that feeds my soul. Giving back, making a difference, and I get to do this, it's a privilege. Considering all the career challenges I had in the past, I'm grateful that the universe pushed me to where I belong, this is my place.
Sonya Palmer:
For Rosa, power isn't about status or scale, it's not the size of your company or the title on your card. It's knowing who you are, speaking up when it matters, doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. And maybe most of all, it's remembering where you came from. And using that memory, not as a weight, but as a compass, that's the kind of power Rosa owns, the kind that lasts.
Rosa Florentino:
Power to me is nothing but knowledge, my ability to speak up, my ability to do the right thing, that is power to me. And I know that power looks so different to everyone, and it's okay, but I think that what we go through in life defines that for us, that is power to me.
