Wow, it’s 2014 already, and here I am writing my first blog post during my family vacation in Turks & Caicos (have to take advantage of this time as my wife and kids are all sleeping). I am finally kicking off this blog, after years of wanting to get it started (life gets busy, and this always seemed to fall off ‘the list’). As my father always told me, “be patient, things will come to you when the time is right.” So, it looks like the time has come, and the timing is just right. This blog will be like my public diary, where I will share the many ventures, adventures, mistakes, mistakes, and more mistakes (did I say mistakes?) that I have made (and learned from) in my short life. In addition, I will share how the various paths I’ve chosen have enabled me to meet some incredibly interesting people, who have helped shape who I am today. It is the collection of these life experiences that have given me the the tools to become an entrepreneur, which fuels my passion for everything I do and is a role that I truly love.
Here’s the rundown of who the heck I am:
• Born in Buga, small city located in the Valle del Cauca department of Colombia. This city is famous for its Basilica del Señor de los Milagros, which houses an image of Christ called el Señor de los Milagros ("the Lord of the Miracles"). • Migrated to the to US in 1984 at age seven • Grew up in San Fernando Valley in Southern California • Started my first business at age ten • Married with two boys, Camilo and Sebastian • Live in Salt Lake City, Utah • Run a VC firm, Zerimar Ventures • Love all kinds of music, including R&B, hip-hop, salsa, and flamenco • Fluent in both English and Spanish; pretend to know Italian and some French ;)
As you can see, I started my first business at age ten, so my entrepreneurial spirit is about twenty-six years old. You’ll see more about the different businesses I was involved in growing up and how these small ventures taught me some of my most valuable lessons in business and life: lessons that I would later validate as I met some amazing individuals, who shaped me into the person I am today.
There are many, many books, documentaries, articles, and blogs written by hundreds of successful business people sharing how they got to where they are. This blog is not one of those. I am still writing my story and have lessons to learn. I strongly believe that we all have something to share with the world and others can learn from my successes, failures, and bumps along the way.
With social media, it is easy to be well connected, and information can spread very rapidly through this channel. Somewhere in Latin America -- or anywhere else in the world for that matter -- there is a young buck that will hopefully read my posts, relate their current situation to mine, and feel motivated because they know they can do anything they set out to achieve. My hope is to deliver real, practical advice that can be digested in small quantities. Some of the books on achieving entrepreneurial success are simply too complex and time intensive to get through; I want to create something these young cats can relate to and apply to their lives.
My advice to any young, budding entrepreneur is to find an opportunity -- any opportunity -- and use it as a foundation to define and achieve success. Building a business can be a daunting task, but I truly believe anyone with love, passion, and humility can and will find a way to make it happen. It takes courage, and a lot of motivation to get going. Read the words, use this blog as a source of motivation as a new entrepreneur, and also find some practical advice for yourself, not matter your experience level.