Before officially launching my first business at the age of 17, my entrepreneurial spirit dates back to the third grade. A son to first generation immigrants and humble beginnings, creating something from nothing was a necessity. I was the kid at recess that didn’t have the pogs, marbles or Pokémon cards–I was the kid that came into recess with nothing, but somehow found a way to end up with everything an hour later–the hustle, drive, persistence, relationship building & creative solutions that I Chase championships with in the business world today, originated back then.
Only someone that has pursued entrepreneurship can truly relate to the difficulty of building a business–the sacrifice of time, money, energy & putting yourself last in pursuit of a vision & a dream is something that every entrepreneur has been through, which inevitably becomes an emotional roller coaster because of the fact that you’re ALL IN and there is no Plan B. I’ve made many mistakes over my career, and learned from each, priding myself on never making the same mistake twice. A company will only go as far as its leader takes it; learning that nobody is coming to save you and completely owning the responsibility helped elevate everything.
Therefore, the growth of a company is directly correlated with the growth of the leader & entrepreneur behind it. Establishing a growth mindset is everything; it sets the tone for the culture of an entire organization and it becomes contagious. As my mentor from afar John Maxwell once said “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” In the process of growing as an entrepreneur and business owner, I learned the value of mentorship—up until recently I haven’t had a real life business mentor that I could call and ask for advice, or tap into their experience. As a result, My passion grew for helping out other entrepreneurs, sharing information and bringing value to businesses of all levels.
