"Under the Radar" Opportunities: Leveraging Them to Your Advantage to Make Your Mark as a Business Leader
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🌴 In Part One, Generation Si! introduced you to Eduardo "Eddie" Gonzalez Loumiet and what thinking like a boss really means. Today, in Part Two, you'll learn how he was able to take opportunities many people may have dismissed and turned them into even bigger opportunities for growth.
🌴 Plus, you'll learn about a new initiative that could help you network in the tech industry in a Florida city you may not have previously considered.
BE OPEN TO NEW IDEAS
Tallahassee as a tech ecosystem? Really?
I know. I can’t say I ever thought of it that way.
And that’s why I bring it up.
Tallahassee wasn’t on Eddie Gonzalez Loumiet’s radar, either.
But in 2008, his brother-in-law approached him with an idea.
Highlighting Tallahassee's Tech Ecosystem
THE TIP JAR (tips provided courtesy of Eduardo "Eddie" Gonzalez Loumiet)
THE STUFF THAT’S HARD TO DO: “Sometimes, it’s hard to admit. But, I think it’s important to look in the mirror and say, you know what? I can do that better. Or, I shouldn’t do that at all. Or, for example, I should take care of myself before I take care of others. Often, as entrepreneurs, and I’m sure some of the readers will experience that, you tend to put the oxygen mask on the other person before you put it on yourself. And that’s probably been one of my biggest challenges where I’m the one that could potentially get burned out. Or I’m the one that’s always exhausted. Because I’m always thinking about everyone else.”
Eddie trying to get in some self-care in Sedona, AZ with his wife
I’LL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN: “Trying to make everyone happy. And it takes up so much energy. And, sometimes, you can’t. It’s almost impossible, if not impossible. And, then, at the end of the day, you sit home, and you get on the couch. Because you’re exhausted. Because you’ve tried everything to make everyone happy. And you forget about making yourself happy. And, so I think that’s probably one of the biggest things that, to this day, I continue to try to improve.”
BEST KEPT SECRET: “I think creating a strong network of professionals in one’s life is really important.”
Gonzalez Loumiet says it doesn’t have to be strictly about work. Your network can be a great support for life hacking. He gives the example of a friend in his network of professionals that he called to ask about keeping up his energy level.
“And it was great because he responded and said, ‘I’m right there with you, brother, I feel exhausted right now’…”
NOTE: The friend said he practices meditation. So Eddie is now going to learn about meditation.
PODCAST HE RECOMMENDS: “It’s one word: SmartLess. And it’s with Jason Bateman. It’s with Will Arnett and another individual. It’s, you know, comedians and movie stars. But they have guests. And it’s brilliant because they have business folks. They have actors. They have philanthropists. And what I love about it is you get to see what their day in the life is. You get to see what their life hacking is, or how they operate their business… and it’s so interesting to learn. And, of course, it’s super funny. It’s light. It’s not stressful. And, so, I think it’s a great podcast.”
YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE, OR FROM WHOM, AN OPPORTUNITY MAY COME
Gonzalez Loumiet’s brother-in-law said to him, “Hey, do you want to move to Tallahassee?”
The health data tech services company that Gonzalez-Loumiet's brother-in-law co-founded employed eight to ten people at the time and notched under a million dollars in revenue back then. The company is now known as Ruvos.
EVEN IF AN OPPORTUNITY DOESN'T WORK OUT, YOU CAN ALWAYS DO SOMETHING ELSE
Gonzalez Loumiet could’ve said no to the opportunity.
Instead, he said, “Let’s try it out. If it doesn’t work out, we can always do something else.”
And that’s what he stresses: just because something isn’t on your radar or on your wish list, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seriously consider it.
Even his first opportunity wasn’t something he had previously considered.
The year was 2003.
CONSIDER OPPORTUNITIES IN OTHER COUNTRIES
“I had the opportunity to go to Antigua and the Caribbean and the West Indies to work in international private banking. So, at the age of 23, I had this enormous opportunity and responsibility to manage the technology for an $8 billion private bank.”
So off to Antigua he went.
“I think they were crazy to give it to a 23-year-old, but I think it was awesome to be able to fail and learn, work overseas, be able to overcome things like homesickness and being away from your close-knit Cuban family in Miami and friends.”
“You have that tug of war. Should I go? Should I not? Should I do? Should I not? And, sometimes, you have to say, you know what? Let’s try it out. If it doesn’t work out, we tweak it and we adjust, or we roll with the punches…”
Eddie with his co-workers in Antigua
LOOK FOR HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
Then, you make the most of that opportunity.
In Tallahassee, for example, Gonzalez Loumiet and Ruvos have taken a lead role in magnifying the tech industry by co-founding Launch Tally.
It's an initiative to raise awareness about the growing tech community in Tallahassee.
“I’m not only talking about companies with a brick and mortar [presence] in Tallahassee. I’m talking about people that work at Google, Apple, Amazon Web Services and happen to live in this area code, in this community.”
No one really knew how big or small the tech community was, especially with so many people working remotely from Florida during the pandemic.
“If you would’ve asked me that in December, or if you would’ve googled ‘technology Tallahassee ecosystem’ in December, you would’ve received minimal information. It was an embarrassment. I wouldn’t have been able to give you much – maybe 30 companies.”
And that’s the point. Gonzalez Loumiet saw an opportunity to change things.
REMEMBER, YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT
Eddie all-in to support Launch Tally
Through Launch Tally’s website, “you can actually go and look at all the technology companies that are in our community - and all the people. Like I said, it’s not only the companies, it’s also the people that are involved in technology.”
He says it’s now possible to find “hundreds” of listings in the Tallahassee ecosystem.
Gonzalez Loumiet says Launch Tally is even working with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
“We are working with NASA to bring an actual physical rocket to downtown Tallahassee.”
Gonzalez Loumiet would’ve never had these kinds of experiences if he would’ve taken a more traditional path.
And that’s precisely why he wants you to go out there and take chances!
NO NEED TO GO IT ALONE
HELP ON THE OUTSIDE...because we can all use a helping hand:
Selling on Amazon: Next-Level Advice
If you’re selling your products on Amazon and want to know how to increase not only your sales, but also your profits, you’ll want to watch this FREE webinar. You’ll learn about SEO, promotions and Amazon Advertising in this intermediate level course.
NEC (National Entrepreneurship Center) & SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)
“Selling More and Greater Profits on Amazon”
Monday, June 13, 2022
5:30 p.m. EDT – 7:30 p.m. EDT
Virtual Webinar
FREE
https://nationalec.org/event/selling-more-and-greater-profits-on-amazon/
WORKING ON THE INSIDE...because we know our culture has a hard time asking for help:
De-stress At Your Desk
Most of us spend a lot of time at our desks. If you’re looking for a way to practice good mental habits and get the circulation going to help you de-stress, listen up. This FREE webinar will teach you why “eating your frog” is a good thing and how you can do some stretches and get yourself moving, even while at your desk. Details are below:
SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)
“Desktop Mindfulness: the Body Mind Spirit Connect”
Tuesday, June 7, 2022
12:00 p.m. EDT – 1:00 p.m. EDT
Virtual Webinar
FREE
https://www.score.org/event/desktop-mindfulness-body-mind-spirit-connect
INSPIRATION FOR THIS ISSUE:
We all have a bunch of responsibilities.
We all get the same 24 hours in a day to get things done.
Sometimes, it’s just overwhelming. And that’s not even considering surprise problems that get thrown in our laps.
I found it refreshing that Eddie admitted that, some days, he is flat-out exhausted and shared how he uses his network to get advice on how other professionals manage all of their responsibilities.
We need to talk about burnout and exhaustion. We need to discuss options and share ideas and strategies on how to manage stress.
I was also interested in sharing Eddie’s story because we often hear about taking risks, but few of us have actually left the country for a job.
Tallahassee also frequently gets sidelined when discussions turn to tech. Places in Florida like Miami and Tampa usually get the bulk of the attention.
But it’s worth paying attention to Tallahassee and surrounding communities. Because if you’re looking for opportunities, going to a place that may have a lower cost of living, especially now with inflation, may be the ticket.
When I lived and worked in Atlanta, I learned that the way Atlanta’s former mayor Kasim Reed was able to attract a lot of tech companies' headquarters to the city was by heavily promoting the quality of the talent pool in the universities in the area. It worked. Atlanta is known as a key tech hub in the U.S., especially for finding Black talent.
In Tallahassee's case, Eddie said the talent of state workers is being used as a selling point, as well as the quality of the talent at Florida State University.
I’ll be watching to see how Tallahassee’s tech ecosystem develops and where they’re able to take it, especially if the team at Launch Tally is able to get a physical rocket situated in town.
Big goals for Latinos in the tech industry - even back in 2009
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Eddie with his family