Latino Americans: Social Engagement

We gladly share with you a witty infographic highlighted at today’s KPCC’s One Nation event; “Real and Virtual Worlds: A Forum On Today’s Latino Americans,” and take this opportunity to thank Giovanni Rodriguez (@giorodriguez), Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Deloitte Postdigital Enterprise; Fernando Guerra, Director, Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University; and our moderator and KPCC reporter, Adolfo Guzman-Lopez (@aguzmanlopez).

Stay tuned for upcoming events by following our calendar at CONEXION.

Why Businesses [really] Fail: What to Do

In working with chambers of commerce and business associations I’ve met many business owners who strongly believe that access to business capital is their number one barrier to growing their companies – and to some extent, and now as an entrepreneur, I can relate. The number two and three reasons usually stated are raising costs of health insurance and taxes. Most times these are also the same factors blamed for a failed business.

However, I believe those factors are more symptoms than the root cause, and the infographic alludes to that idea. The real problem? Intellectual capital (or the lack there of). This is the brainpower provided by a person or persons who know your industry better than you do; they know the who, the what and the when of things, and they sometimes have access to key figures to plug-in to. They see your business from a different perspective and could even provide you with an advantage over your competitors.

As you look at the infographic below, think of your business and the pains that afflict you, and then think of who specifically would best solve that problem, their skill set, is it a consultant, and MBA, a SCORE mentor perhaps? Think of that person and don’t limit yourself by money, or as Harish R. Rao says: “pay enough so that money isn’t an issue, then give high recognition, autonomy, and the opportunity to learn and grow,” and watch your team excel. The right person, after all, could be the catalyst for growth in your business and thus worth the investment.

Folks, we as entrepreneurs need to stop trying to do it all ourselves and instead need to hire, outsource, or create partnerships – in other words; delegate to the right people!

That 1 Stubborn Pound…

Not all infographics are useful or interesting, but this one could possibly be both, you decide.

As a former triathlete now turned Chubsy-ubsy, I find myself looking for time, motivation, and a simpler way to keep healthy.  My priority these days is my business and time is a luxury I don’t have, yet. Where I once ran 50 miles per week, I now walk the dog twice per day while handling business calls. Perhaps there is a smarter way to integrate fitness with business. Any ideas?

Develop a Team of [Business] Ideas Using the SUN

At the center of absolutely every great company there’s a group of people who are equally great. And it’s not just that these are good individuals, they are above all, a team better than the sum of its individual parts. In essence, each makes the other better, in turn making the team better, and ultimately making everything they do great. It’s a beautiful virtuous cycle.

But like in any team environment (business, sport, or other), the success of the group is measured by their execution of the strategy or plan. And because a plan is a set of ideas, it is easy to surmise that in order to have a great team, one must first develop a team that creates, or births, many ideas.

Be Kind, Be Grateful, Now Get Off Your Butt!

As it’s usually the case, we set out to do something objective, methodical and well planned, and life decides instead to teach us a lesson. I had one such occurrence recently while in Miami for a social media project where I got to interview dignitaries, CEOs, elected officials, and even got to post commentary by Gloria Estefan, who received “The Ultimate Latina Award.”

The event was on its last eve of four full days, and it had taken place in some of the most posh venues around the Miami area. However, the highlight and lesson in this post took place in a much more modest venue – it happened in the men’s restroom. Working the towels, soap and gum dispensers was a figure I always imagined my grandfather to look like, had I met him. He had wrinkles so distinct across his face from left to right, you’d swear they were painted on. He was 72 years young Orlando, and his happy and proud demeanor told you he was honored to be doing his job.

Grabbing the Spotlight: Takeaway from #Latism11

Whenever crime stories are on the news I often cringe and cross my fingers in hopes that it’s not a Latino perpetrator. It makes me think of the village idiot who gives everyone in town a bad name, and in our case, eclipsing all the positive things that ARE going on, which of course hardly ever gets coverage. But, I digress.

Like many of you, I’ve always wanted mass-media to paint Latinos with a different brush. I mean, we’re not only the leaf-blower or the maid who watches novelas, and we’re definitely not all in gangs or the drug-dealers you see on TV. So, who are we?

Headlines Make Us Read Posts…Said Darth Vader

If there is one thing Twitter proves is that as long as the 140 characters can trigger our curiosity, we are definitely going to click on that shortened link. It’s no different than the headlines on a newspaper or the subject line on an email — or for that matter, the title of our blog posts, right?

Case and point: regularly I receive emails from LinkedIn notifying me that someone accepted my invitation to connect — and usually those emails get deleted, unopened. But today I received one titled: “See what Jesus has been up to…” Let me tell you, I’m not religious, but I opened that sucker up so quickly I nearly hurt myself. Turns out, I have a new Latino friend named Hey-zoos (Jesus).

The lesson: think amazing (even impossible) headlines when posting.
Cheers everyone!

USHCC Convention Recap, Business Takeaways And Event Photos

It had been exactly four years since I last attended a US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Convention & Business Expo. I last attended as Executive Director of the Latin Business Association (LBA) in a capacity of acquiring knowledge and networking at a top level. This year I was attending (along with my team) as the social media manager behind the Convention. As luck would have it, this year’s event was held in sunny Florida at the glamorous Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. It’s a dirty job that I’m happy to do.

The journey began out of Monrovia, California, two days before the actual convention. We arrived early to become closely acquainted with the venue for purposes of covering more territory while blogging, tweeting and posting live on Facebook more efficiently. Of course our plans also included catching some rays and enjoying a relaxing meal pool side. The calm before the storm, I guess.

In Celebration of Our All-American Hispanic Heritage!

In areas like Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Chicago and many parts of Texas, it would be hard to miss how enriched our daily lives are with Hispanic influences. But even though those places are blessed with especially vibrant Latino communities, this phenomenon is not limited to large cities. Hispanics have been a force in this country from just about the beginning, and that force is flourishing.

Of course, part of that growth is purely a matter of numbers. The 2010 U.S. Census data showed that the Hispanic population increased by 15.2 million over the last decade to a total of 52 million. What’s more, Latino population growth is now driven more by births, not immigration – making many Latinos natural born Americans. This could explain why Dora The Explorer now outsells Barney and why piñatas are the country’s #2 party favor, behind balloons.

My Dad the Entrepreneur

I love to tell people how I learned to ride a bike at four – no knee pads, helmet, or training wheels – and how I learned to pencil sketch at eight, which is why I went into animation. That’s only half the truth, though. I learned those things at such an early age because my dad taught them to me.

My dad encouraged me to develop many skills but also to explore my passions. He himself was an industrial mechanic, a fireman, a soccer player, a welder, an artist, a cook, a professional cyclist…even the proud owner of multiple US patents. The guy gave everything he had to every single task, no matter how backbreaking or unglamorous. I credit my solid work ethic to that man.

Over the years, and through the course of his “real” jobs, my dad was happiest being his own boss. He was an entrepreneur up until he became ill and eventually passed away a year ago. I may be following in his footsteps or creating my own legacy; whatever the case, I’m glad I get to stand on the shoulders of a passionate and creative man – my dad. Happy Father’s Day!