I’m on a mission—driven by a love of learning and empowering others—to help South Florida businesses succeed
From an early age, I knew that I wanted to run a business. After all, it’s in my blood—both mom and dad owned firms back in Venezuela, and many dinner conversations revolved around work. And now, after spending a couple of decades in the “business arena” myself, helping other entrepreneurs succeed really aligns with my purpose.
My Why is to be “a catalyst for change so that people can get the most out of life.” It’s something I work at by connecting authentically, creating mastery, igniting action, and committing to results. Joining The Profit Recipe fits my purpose and these values, and it allows me to use those tools every day.
Best of all, I work with fellow entrepreneurs who experience many of the issues I did while running companies. I can share my knowledge to help them get the most out of their businesses—and their lives.
Pursuing knowledge in law, finance, and the corporate world
I didn’t jump into entrepreneurship right away as a young man because I have a passion for education, whether formal or informal. I love creating mastery in various disciplines so I can apply and share that knowledge. So, I attended college and went on to get an MBA and a law degree before going to work for financial firms.
I started my career building a book of clients that included high-net-worth individuals and multinational companies. During this time, I was fortunate enough to be chosen to participate in a U.S. State Department professional exchange program. It gave me the opportunity to travel the U.S., visiting with everyone from national politicians to CEOs of major banks and hedge funds.
When I returned to Venezuela, I became the director of an advertising firm struggling to survive during a national political crisis. Though I didn’t found that company, the position wound up being one of the toughest entrepreneurial challenges I’ve experienced. We turned things around in a couple of years but learned plenty of painful lessons along the way.
I gained confidence from this hands-on experience rescuing a distressed company, and it was time to jump into entrepreneurship with both feet.
But as I quickly discovered, there was plenty I still didn’t know.
Hard lessons in wearing too many hats and failing to delegate
I soon started two companies: an advisory firm that educated people about personal finances and managed investment portfolios, and a wholesale paper distributor. The second venture, in particular, was outside my comfort zone. But it was a fantastic opportunity that gave me a chance to work on something that could scale rapidly.
I ended up being right about the company’s potential—we started with only two team members and grew to 20 within two years. But I was certainly mistaken about a lot of other things.
For one thing, I underestimated the challenges that come with this type of growth. And I hit the ceiling that a lot of entrepreneurs run into: I had trouble letting go of accountabilities and responsibilities through delegation.
I tried to do everything from day one, involving every department from marketing and sales to operations and finance. This hands-on approach often starts out fine when things are small. But my wheelhouse is managing the financials and forging relationships. And as the company grew, we ran into issues that I simply couldn’t handle alone.
Eventually, I realized that the main problem in my company was me.
I wasn’t empowering my leadership team to be accountable for what they had to do, which was the only way to achieve smart growth. I realized that we all need to spend our time where we shine, rather than me doing everything just because I’m a founder. I had to quickly learn to “de-centralize me” for the company to scale successfully.
After studying The Entrepreneurial Operating System® and Gino Wickman’s Traction, we applied several lessons to improve the organization. We established a stronger team and developed better communication and focus with more explicit responsibilities. Our company grew 50% within the first six months of implementation—and it was more stable, focused growth.
But figuring out that I needed to delegate—and how to do it—had been an immensely tough, stressful process. And those were lessons I wish I’d learned earlier.
An “ah-ha” dinner: The Profit Recipe, EOS®, and a new path
In 2019, I left my companies in my partners’ capable hands and moved to the United States. To afford a better future for my family, I worked for a private equity real estate firm, raising capital and managing investor relations. But one night, I had dinner with my old friend Cesar Quintero. And, along with our other partners, we decided to launch a firm together to help entrepreneurs to evolve and change the world, one company at a time.
We officially launched a new, expanded version of The Profit Recipe in 2020. It’s been a pretty challenging year for everyone, but I’ve loved every minute of putting my experience and knowledge to work. Our aim is to help our clients not only survive in this tough year, but thrive with EOS and the concepts we teach entrepreneurs to help them evolve.
A highlight of my year was taking on a client who was concerned about improving his company enough to sell it eventually; he wanted to achieve a better multiple to enhance the sales price. I was able to show him how EOS creates consistent operations that translate into an attractive buy. And I could connect my background in fundraising with the benefits of implementing a proven model.
I knew these elements would work because I’d had many of the same problems in my old business. But the system allowed me to prove how defining accountabilities and improving operations directly tied to the organization’s value (and eventual sales price).
In a few short months with the firm, I have helped multiple businesses in many segments, including software, hospitality, education, and technology. Each company and its situation are different. But many of the problems—and the solutions—are similar.
Working with “the Dream Team” and changing the world, one business at a time
As entrepreneurs, we know the problems the companies we work with face and how to overcome them. And because I love being a catalyst for change, I absolutely thrive on this stuff: helping people get the most out of their life and business.
I’m also excited to be part of a legit “dream team.” Working with my Profit Recipe partners provides even more value to our community, in addition to being a whole lot of fun for me. We’re all from different professional backgrounds and countries, so we have a truly multidisciplinary team with complementary strengths. I truly believe that we’re a special firm because we can share issues and approaches and get each other’s feedback.
All of the partners at The Profit Recipe have been entrepreneurs and dealt with the exact stuff our clients must overcome. We share the journey but maintain the practical outside perspective of an implementer. And while you can read Traction and use many of the EOS tools on your own, it can be harder to see what’s working and what’s not when you’re part of the organization. I believe implementers are a shortcut to success through the value of providing a disciplined, external perspective.
I’m passionate about helping South Florida businesses succeed. If I can change the world, one company at a time … well, that certainly fulfills my purpose.
Empower your Leadership Team and improve efficiency, increase value, and foster collaboration to get better results. A professional Facilitator can ensure that all of your members are on the same page, so you can kick your business up a notch. Connect with The Profit Recipe to Achieve Traction.