S4:E1 Leadership & Success Podcast Live with Enrique Acosta Gonzalez

I am waiting for LinkedIn to pick it up.

¡Hola! Hi, I'm John Maxwell. When the top companies in the world are looking for trainers, speakers, and coaches, there's one name that stands above the rest, and that's Maxwell Leadership. Our certified team members have gotten proven results for companies all over the globe, and our reputation I'm proud to say, is second to none. Some of our members have risen to the top of their profession, including the one you're going to meet today. I proudly introduce you to my friend, Bob Fabien Zinga.

Welcome to the Leadership and Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ. If you need to develop into a better leader, this podcast is for you. If you want to achieve a greater level of success, this podcast is for you. His mentor, Dr. John C. Maxwell, said it best: everything rises and falls on leadership. We hope to inspire you today and provide you with an insight that has the potential to positively impact the trajectory of your life. Welcome to the Leadership and Success Podcast.

All right, hello everyone, uh, this is Coach Bizzy. Thank you so much for being here. This is the very first episode of season 4. Yesterday I did the And now I am so excited to have somebody with me, just like me, is a Maxwell Leadership Certified Coach. So he's got serious experience in leadership and he can pretty much share clues and principles that will potentially change your life. So that's Enrique Acosta Gonzalez, and I'm gonna switch over to the screen here. You should already have access to his LinkedIn page. Here he is, and he is the CEO of Triad Leadership Solution. And he is also an author of an upcoming book which should be published soon, I believe next month. And the, uh, your book is going to be this one here. Here we go. So the, uh, sorry, the, the book will, will be Latinos 100: Leaving Our Legacy and Inspiring the Next Generation. So, uh, he's been in the Navy for more than, uh, 20 years, uh, business leader, and like I said, he has a whole lot of experience in leadership. And we're going to be diving into his transition from military to civilian leadership, the power of mentorship and heart-centered leadership, how veterans can leverage their unique strengths in business and beyond, and also his advice for aspiring leaders in every field. As you know, my passion is about the aspiring military and tech leaders. So with no further ado, here is Enrique. How are you doing, sir?

Good, Bizzy. Nice to be with you. Thank you for having me on the show.

Absolutely. I am so, so glad you are here. So we are definitely from the same Clan. We both certified by John Maxwell and his team. And on Wednesday, day after tomorrow, I will be interviewing Chris Robertson, who is this executive vice president. I'm sure he was one of your faculty mentor as well. So I'm very, very glad to have you there. And another thing we have in common is we both have served in the US Navy. So if you can tell us about your leadership journey.

Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you once again, BZ, for having me on the show. It is a pleasure to share my journey. So Enrique Acosta Gonzalez, born Puerto Rico, raised in the Bronx, New York, and then after high school back in Puerto Rico, decided that the military was it, and I joined the Navy. Now that was a byproduct of being kind of pushed away from the Air Force, because I didn't cut the mustard, I guess. In their testing score, and the Navy received me. They put me into the meteorology and oceanography community, which I was in for 26 years, rose to the ranks of E-8 as a Command Senior Enlisted Leader or Command Senior Chief, and then exited, you know, gracefully after 26 years and decided that Hey, why waste all my leadership knowledge that I gained while in the military? And I decided to create Triad Leadership Solutions as a leadership consulting and coaching entity, right? So that's my current position now.

Wow, that is amazing. And you know what, when I joined the Navy— actually, before I, I go there, so you said you tried to go to the Air Force and then you got into the Navy. Did you try going to the Marines and the at the time, the— sorry, and the Army also?

No, no, I knew that that side of service I did not want to be part of. There is a calling, right? There's a calling for those folks, and I'm glad that all that answer that call go. That left me an opportunity to go to the Navy. No, I was actually looking for And then you realize that afterwards that they— that it is available. But I was looking for the, uh, STEM fields.

Yes.

Uh, in school I was high in science and math, and so when I was going for the Air Force was, you know, to be in the STEM community, and the Navy provided that avenue, and so I stood there.

Outstanding. And what was the main reason why you, you wanted to, uh, join? Because I know people join for all kinds of different reasons, but what was your primary motivation?

Well, I had a foundation already laid through high school. I was part of the Junior ROTC program.

Oh, nice.

So I already had, uh, kind of like a taste of what that would look like. A secondary thing was that I was in Puerto Rico and that things weren't all that well. Right, they were not— the community wasn't, uh, well, the environment wasn't good, and I needed a way to continue to progress, and I did not see that opportunity there where I was. And that also, you know, kind of helped me to continue to push and get into service and potentially, you know, leave and go abroad, which I did.

Wow, that is, that is wonderful. For me, I joined in 2004. Actually, I tried to join after 9/11, but at the time I wasn't a US citizen and didn't have my green card. So I talked to all four branches. They all asked me to go back, which was fine. But that's when I realized, like you, the Army and the Marines, God bless them, that's not for me. But it was either the Air Force or the Navy because we tend to use a lot of our brain, right? Instead of our muscles. It's really a lot of, you know, if you want to do things with computers, technology, this kind of things, definitely I highly recommend that. Now for those watching us, especially young people maybe getting out of high school or college, I highly, highly recommend you join the service, even the Army and the Marines, that is fine too. But even if you only do it for a couple of years, I think it's going to be great for you, definitely going to learn about leadership. And if not going on active duty, you could also consider the Reserve or the National Guard. I think it's really a great privilege to be able to serve your country. Now, another thing I must say about the Navy, my daddy always told me, right, what location is to real estate is really what leadership is to the services, especially when you become a senior enlisted and an officer. It's all about leadership, leadership, leadership. So that's something that's really ingrained into us from the, from the get-go. Is there anything else you would like to share about your leadership journey and what you've learned either through the Navy or the leadership consultancy business you have now?

Yeah, I'll share some of that, but let me just be mindful that there is Coast Guard and Space Force, right? So you can do that if the other branches are not available, and they all serve both intellectually and physically in one way or another, right? So for those that are listening, uh, you will be in good hands wherever you go and choose to serve. Now, in terms of leadership, my journey— and you mentioned that you had followed John Maxwell since you were 16. I believe I was already in the military then, but, uh, when I joined in 1989, I already had heard whispers because I grew up in the church about John Maxwell and his program within the church. And so I had already in the early '90s been following him from the church perspective, right, from his faith-based perspective and his leadership. And he grew the John Maxwell Leadership into what it is today from that, uh, bed, right? That foundation. And I decided early on that leadership would be something that I studied. And I consider myself a leadership practitioner. A lot of folks want to say they're experts, they're this, that, yeah. No, I practice it so that I can hone it and then, you know, try to make it alive in me. And so my first 3 years in the military were faced with an individual that was a high-level individual in the enlisted ranks. He was my command senior enlisted leader. And for some reason or another, at this point, it kind of just blows my mind. He did not like the way I spoke. And like I told you, I was— I'm from Puerto Rico. I grew up in the Bronx. And so I must have had an accent. And I understand that we all do. If you go to the Bronx, typically you pick out people that are from New York or not. And so for some reason or another, he chose that, hey, I don't really like this guy's way of speaking. And so he, you know, challenged me all 3 years. And from that, I said, number 1, I cannot have anyone from this point forward suffer the things that I did? And number 2, how can I be the best person in terms of speaking and using the spoken word as a tool and sometimes weapon? I will tell you, uh, that I would not have to go through this ever again. And so that is really what pushed me down the leadership road and perfecting who I was and what I represented and ensuring that I was not that type of senior enlisted leader that would devour, you know, their, their young, right? And so that's how all of that got started way back in the early '90s.

Wow, that is amazing. As you know, in the Navy the senior enlisted rank, they wear khaki. E-7 and above, they are the chiefs. And in my humble opinion, they run the Navy. I think we officers take glory for all of the hard work, all of the chiefs do. And thank you so much for being a senior chief in the US Navy. You really are the anchor. But only of all of the thousands of chiefs I've had to encounter, especially when I was enlisted, maybe only 1 or 2 were kind of bad chiefs. I wonder, Admiral, did they earn their anchor because they didn't like their sailors at all. Now most chiefs I've seen, like you, you really love your people, you really do everything you can to give them all of the resources they need to succeed, and you develop them into leaders and eventually to replace you when you retire and all of that. So your experience though, being from Puerto Rico, being in the Navy now, I believe the Navy is probably one of the most diverse organizations I've ever been a part of. And I think we've improved a lot from back in the days, but I feel like we still have, you know, room for improvement, especially, you know, if you are Black, Mexican, Puerto Rican, or a woman in this Navy. It is not always easy. I think, again, in my 20-plus years experience, it's got better and better and better, but there were definitely times where I felt like, yeah, some people, they didn't like me because of my accent, because I was born in another country, because I'm Black, or for whatever reason. And part of the reason why I wanted to become a better leader, just like you, is to really show the people who come after me what leadership looks like, right? What it means to really care for people and support them regardless of where they come from. And so how would you define leadership?

Well, I think that we will always go to the standard Maxwell definition of influence, right?

Yeah, right. Yeah.

I'll tell you, right? Uh, and, and it is, uh, leadership without influence is not leadership. It, it is coercion, right? You have to force somebody to do something if you have not influenced them in a way that they will naturally follow you and do the things that would, you know, you're asking asking them to do. And so that's why, in terms of Maxwell, the, uh, influence is a key factor. But I will tell you that a leader that does not know themselves can't accurately and truthfully lead anyone else. And so In terms of leadership, uh, which I tell most people, if you aim to lead, then ensure that you know how to lead yourself. And if you cannot do that, then take a step back, get that done, and, or, you know, continuously do it because we are always learning more about, uh, ourselves. Continuously do it. Where you're not being a false leader or a leader in a position only, and not by winning the hearts of the people and allowing them to freely follow you, right? So that's my take, a long take there, but, uh, I believe that, um, uh, that's as accurate as I can put it.

Absolutely. No, I, I couldn't agree more because many people, especially when they're young, they feel like being a leader is your title, right? And I guess even Dr. Maxwell teaches, no, that's the lowest form of leadership possible, right? Because if you have a title, you have a CEO, you have a manager, of a director, yeah, you can fire me, so I'm gonna do whatever you say. So I, I give you a position of leadership, but again, it's following you just because I have to, not because I want to. And one thing I've really learned in the Navy, um, most of the skippers, the leaders I've had, those are people I would almost follow anywhere. And as you know, in the Navy, we get paid a lot less than they do in the industry, you know, for similar skills and experiences. But I've never heard of anybody at IBM or Google or Microsoft who says, I'm willing to die for you. I've never seen that. But every day in the Navy, the person to my right, to my left is willing to do that for me. And that's really, really huge. So being able to follow not even all the way to the point where they sacrifice their own life if they have to. I mean, that's real influence right there. It is quite amazing. Anything else you'd like to add, Enrique?

Yeah, and you mentioned the military, and some people think that, you know, that's just the case. There have been stories of wartime where some people have walked away from others, you know. And so it's, it's a sad thing to know that that would even be the case within the military, but that goes to show you how true leadership is valued, how people are looking for folks that they can gladly put their life on the line for. And would do it any day, right? And so the majority of folks in the military will do that, but there are some instances where the leaders are so bad that they, they might just say deuce and walk the other way. And, um, it's a, it's a sad setup and a sad scenario, but people are people regardless whether they are in the military or out in the civilian world. We are people at the base, right?

Yes, yes, that is very, very sad and unfortunate. But in my own experience, I've seen very, very few of those. Uh, you know, no organization, no system is perfect, but I think in the Navy specifically, we try to get rid of those people because they just do not belong. Try to make sure they don't get promoted or be in a position of authority and responsibility because the selection process we have is not Again, it's not perfect, but it's one of the best ones I have ever seen. I was very fortunate last year, I sat on the selection board for O-4s. So all of the O-3s in the entire Navy Reserve, I was one of the 9 members who decided if they're going to get promoted or not. And part of the things we did is to look at their experience as an O-1, as an O-2, as an O-3, their record, their qualification, and also the way they are led when they were on active duty or deployment. But anyway, yes, it's very, very important, and it's really part of the reason why I have this podcast. I call it the Leadership and Success Podcast. I started this, uh, you know, 3 seasons ago, so 3 years ago. And now I also have a daily leadership excellence and accountability devotion. I write every single day. Again, my focus is for the aspiring leaders in both the military and technology, but really, like you said earlier, it applies in any field. Now, I'd like to start the best part of my conversation now, the 7 questions I ask. If there's anything you'd like to share before we get into those 7 questions, let me know. And just so that you know, I got all of those 7 questions from Papa John. He's the one, he's very, very famous in Atlanta. He takes people to lunch for an hour and he really wants to know the answers to this question and he takes notes. So that's where I got the idea from. Anything you want to share before we start with the 7 questions of leadership?

No, no, go ahead.

That's fantastic. Okay, question number 1: What is the greatest lesson you have learned? Greatest leadership lesson.

The greatest leadership lesson is that you can fake leadership. You can fake it. And there's a lot of people out there that are doing that just right now. But faking it will only last you but so long, and then the truth comes up. And for those leaders that are faking it, do you know you're faking it? Uh, you can actually gain a hold of the rest of your life if you just say, you know what, I'm not going to do that no more. Uh, I need help and I need it desperately, and I'm going to get it. And no one's going to, you know, frown on that. No one probably will— will probably cheer you, uh, because you've come to a point where you realize, uh, that faking typically causes harm to those that you are leading. And so, and sometimes those people know already, right? So, yes, so, but yeah, that, that was a hard lesson and one that I realized that, yeah, you could fake this thing.

Yes, and that's very, very sad. And, uh, I agree with you. I think people always know, uh, you know, if a boss really cares for you, or like, no, many times they would say, how are you doing? Or, and when you start saying how you feel, okay, Next, you've got to do X, Y, and Z. Like, they just focus on the work and not the people. Like we've learned in the Navy, right? Mission first, but what? People always. So, and people know it if you don't prioritize them in any meaningful way. I guess that's what makes some Papa John's leadership sad, especially, you know, in the last 5 years or so in our country. I think there's been a lot of things happening where leaders don't always do what they are supposed to do, which is, you know, that's why I think I wrote an article, I think, uh, 5 years ago about the difference between a boss and a leader, right? Usually a boss, they want you to work for me, so you're gonna do something, you know, for my own betterment, my own enrichment. I'm gonna use and abuse you. But the leader, I'm going to serve you, right? I'm gonna show you the way forward and That's exactly what Dr. John Maxwell teaches, and that's what all of us teach, and that's really what we aspire to— leading and not bossing people around. So what about, uh, what would you say is the secret to your success? You've got your own company now, you know, you had a great career in the Navy, and all of the lives you are touching right now, and I see that you volunteer quite quite a bit too. So what's the secret of your success, you think?

Yeah, the secret is truth. I lead with truth and I lead in truth, and truth is the basis and foundation of my leadership. If it's not true, then it's not being done, and that's been it. And people appreciate that. Because one thing that you can do as a leader that could really be detrimental is to live in and lead in lies. Yeah, people do not appreciate that. Now, they may have a challenge with lying or sharing lies, but they don't appreciate a leader that leads that way. And so You— that's where you see the major pain points of most people in corporate or in private, is that they have leaders that lead in the midst of lies.

Wow.

And so that has been my biggest gain, is that I embrace truth and I live it and I lead by it.

Wow, that is, that is awesome. Yeah, because eventually it will always, always catch up with you. Oh yeah, again. Yeah. Wow. So what is the greatest leadership advice you have ever received?

The greatest that I've received is to not be afraid of telling truthfully the things that you're doing. You know, in leadership, we kind of encourage you know, humility, right? And John is— yeah, you, you want to be a humble leader. You don't want to be a, a haughty leader, but you also don't want to be, uh, in the shadows leader, right? For the sake of humility. And I was like that. I would, I would do a lot of things in the shadows. And then, you know, in the military, that's not going to work because what are you going to put on the eval?

Yes.

And so a Master Chief You know, um, uh, he, he says, hey Enrique, man, you've done a lot and nobody knows about it.

Nobody.

And he says, I understand, you know, your faith-based background kind of pushes you to humility, but that's not going to work here.

Yes.

Yeah, it's just not going to work. You're going to be doing all of that, no one will ever know. And you'll never get credit for it. Um, and I was one that I thought, you know, let not— don't let your right hand know what your left hand doing type of stuff. And, uh, and then I embraced it and just made sure that, that it was truthful, but that whatever I did was brought to light so that others can kind of celebrate with me, but at the same time be aware that, hey, uh, this brother's doing this, this, this, and that, and so that counts for this and that. And, and sure, and it sure did help me as I was going through the ranks, you know, into senior enlisted leader.

Yes, showing your impact and also encouraging others to come out of the shadows and to follow your example.

Exactly.

Yeah, because I know in my experience, no great leaders— even when I had the opportunity to become a commanding officer, whenever anybody in your command does something great, as the CEO, you take credit automatically, right? But I always made sure to share the credit with, with them, or show who actually did the work, and then the entire unit would share credit. But then if any of my people did something very, very bad, then I would take the full responsibility. So I think that's what it means to lead. You have to find those people within your organization who are kind of timid, who don't want to get credit for what they do, but really, you know, I think elevate them and put the spotlight on them. Anyway, that's part of the reason why I have another newsletter, and I believe you're going to be featured this Friday. I call it Friend in the Spotlight. So out of the 30,000 people I have on LinkedIn, I like to put the spotlight on somebody else for an entire week. I want to tell everybody on my network who you are, what you've achieved, and what you bring to the table. Because this is very, very important in life to be able to do that. Definitely something I learned in the Navy for sure.

Absolutely.

Yes. Actually, when I was a seaman recruit, it was a chief in my command who actually showed me how to do my eval and taught me how to brag on the things I did. Because it's true, if it's not in your record, it doesn't exist, right? So never have, will never get credit for that. Wow, that's quite powerful. So question number 2, uh, what are you learning now? I know Papa John always says, no, leaders are readers, we are learners. So what are you learning these days?

Yeah, I'm learning these days that things can become monotonous, you know. Uh, it's easy to just lay back and watch things happen. You know, there's a lot happening in our nation.

Yes.

You know, and it's very easy to say, nah, I'm not gonna— I'm not gonna be partaking in none of that. I'm not gonna be talking about that. And I think that we do a disservice to our country, our fellow citizens, when we don't take a stand on something. Right? We don't stand for something, you're going to fall for anything, right?

Yes.

And it doesn't mean that you need to be an activist or, you know, out in front of, you know, the stairs of the Capitol Building.

Yes.

But you must be sure that you have an understanding of what's going on and where you lie. And because If not, then we will be a nation, they say, that has, you know, has lost the want to, has lost the want to. I have a young man that I mentor, and I asked him about, you know, serving. Yes. He says, Do you think our nation is worth serving now? Hmm. And I said, what? He says, look at this mess. You think that I want to give my life for that? Hmm. He's young. I'm like, teens.

Wow.

And I said, oh my Lord, because you know, me and you came from a different era. Yes, you didn't have to ask me to join, I was going. Um, but our, our world and, and nation is different, and there are some youth and teens that see it differently. Uh, this particular one just kind of floored me because I was looking at it and I said, man, I gotta admit, the dude's right. Wow, what he's seeing right now, it's, it's, it's tough. It's tough to, to swallow. So yes, yeah, you, you could, uh, things can become monotonous, things get— but you, we have to fight that. We have to fight the monotony.

Thank you so much for, for sharing. And from what you said, so people really need to know who they are, what they stand for, what their core values are. You and me being in the Navy for more than 20 years, it's been drilled into us, you know, courage, commitment, right? Those are my personal core values. That's what I stand for. And, uh, what, what do you think the average person, or like the young men like the one you are mentoring, aspiring leaders, they need to do to figure out what they really stand for, what those principles are, right? Because one, one thing that kind of concerns me a little bit, you know, we'll see it in the country, like back in 2020, like for example, diversity was really big. Everybody wanted to do diversity as a performance. Oh, we're going to spend so much money and invest, and yes, Black, Latinx, they are important. But today it's like, no, they're not important at all. We were lying to you. We don't stand on anything because the political shift is changing. Therefore, they really don't stand on anything. All they want is whatever is popular, whatever is trending. So in this society, what do you advise people should do to really figure out what they really, really stand for so that it doesn't matter what the political shifts and winds are, they know who they are and they can stand in their integrity.

Yeah, you know, I have always encouraged mentorship, right? I've always encouraged it because there are others that have gone before you that can kind of fill you in on the substance of what is really happening, right? And, you know, I, I don't know how these next few years are going to impact, but that period will end, right? There's going to be another election and there's going to be changes and things like that. So I would encourage a young person not to focus on what they see right now, but in totality, right? Look at the totality of our nation and look at the totality of what it can afford you, your, your future family, uh, your current family. Yes, because I'll tell you, I did go serve. Hey, you know, and I'm a Cold War veteran. I can't believe that, right? I came in at the very tail end of the Cold War, so I got a certificate that said, you know, first Iraq War, Kosovo, second Iraq, Afghanistan. You know, I My career spans a lot of wartime, and it still didn't shake me in terms of whether I was going to serve or not. Uh, but this, what we see now, is all more internal, right? The war is internal now. So don't look at what's happening in terms of like right now and look at the totality and look at what kind of impact you can have. Yes, because it may not be service, right? It may not be service, but what impact can you have to bring about a positive outcome to your world, right? Because my world and Bizzy, your world, although they, they kind of crossed each other in different ways there's still two worlds. Yes, right. And so what can you do in your world with your capacity and with your knowledge to influence a positive change and start there? And I think that if we all did that, we, we'd be in a nice place.

That is powerful because sometimes people think it's so insignificant what one person can do, but you can really change your world. And by doing so, again, you give permission to other people to do the same. And when you add it all up, eventually it can have a big, big effect. That is powerful. So what is the greatest investment you have made in yourself?

Uh, coaches. Coaches. Goodness. Um, you don't know what you don't know, but a coach understands that you know a lot, right? We might not have all of the information necessary, but we have enough. The thing is that it was like in pieces all over in our head and all over in our timeline of life. There are pieces, and coaches, as I am one, They— we can help you put all those together and help you realize that you do have what it takes, and you do have the knowledge necessary, and you do have the capacity for this, that, and the other. But without it, we're floating on, uh, you know, we're floating by ourselves. And there's a lot you could do alone Right, you know, the old adage of, you know, you want to go fast, you go alone. You want to go far, you've got to get somebody. And so a fast life will lead to burnout, but you know, when you have somebody, they, that, they kind of mitigate things so that you can go the long way. And that's really where you want to go.

Wow, that is powerful. Now, one thing that Dr. Maxwell teachers. No, most people, when they look at leaders, they only look at the bright side. Oh, they've done so much, accomplished so much. And I look at all of your work for podcasting, your business, and all of that. Wow, it almost feels like you walk on water. But the truth is you've had some failures as well, right?

Oh yeah.

How has failure shaped your life? In my own experience, it seems like I've learned the most through failure than I do through my successes. So has failure shaped yours?

Yeah, so I often say failure is a door. That's all it is. And when failure as a door does not open, there's, there's a ton of other doors, right? So don't look at it in a way of, man, you're keeping me from what I'm trying to get. A failure as a door is keeping you from something that may be too bad for you. And so sometimes we think that that door, that's the one that I need to open, and it, you know, it's locked shut, and you trying to figure out what can I do. Do I put some TNT on this? Do I get some cryo, uh, you know, some bars to open this thing? Sometimes those failures are meant to save you, and if you succeeded in that one thing it'd probably be your demise, right? So look at failures as doors, uh, and appreciate the fact that they didn't open for you because the one that is for you will. And, uh, and then you can keep on going.

That is powerful. And in my experience, I've seen so many people, they kind of get paralyzed, you know, when they fail or they face certain circumstances, you know. One of my mentors called it paralysis by analysis. Sometimes it's like just too much to do that you just don't do anything, you just freeze. Uh, what, what is one, one fear, one of your greatest fears that you were able to overcome?

My, one of my greatest fears was, and it goes back to the reason why I lead with truth, one of my greatest fears was that people would realize that the person I had created was created and it wasn't me. And it goes back to the first 3 years. I created a persona, a person, and that's who I showed until it just got too much. It got too heavy. And then I realized that I had lost years trying to create somebody that I thought people wanted to see versus kind of refining myself so that they got who I was. And so, you know, a day came when my wife was like, Hey, you're this way and this thing, and you're that way and that way, and that can't continue. And, uh, and I said, okay, yeah, we, we, we have to fix that. Um, and, and then that's when I started on my journey with truth, and it's been the best since.

That is really awesome. Authentic leadership, being the same person in public as you are in private. That is very, very powerful.

Wow.

So question number 4 now: who do you know that my audience and I should know? Who are some of your mentors or thought leaders, people that you are following that might be good to know?

Yeah, I have a good buddy of mine, I love him to death, Alex Ramos. And you can look him up on LinkedIn. Uh, he has a wonderful leadership approach. And, and, you know, if you see Alex, uh, raising a helmet, don't think he's crazy. He's got a purpose with that. But, uh, I love the brother, and he is definitely one you need to know.

Wow, that is, uh Great, Alex Ramos. And we— I'm gonna get his LinkedIn profile and I'm gonna add it to, uh, to the comments. And one thing I like about LinkedIn Live is it stays there forever as a replay, so people can go back, listen to it, and look at the comments. Thank you so much for sharing that. So in that same vein, if you had 3 people to choose from you would like to have dinner with, whether alive now or even people who are dead from from history, 3 people to have dinner, who would you choose and why?

Yeah, number 1 would be Jesus Christ. That's, uh, I would love to have dinner with him. Um, there's a, there's an announcement on going on, but anyway, Jesus is one. President Barack Obama.

Are you still there?

I am. I'm still here. Yeah, I'm still here. Let me make sure that—

Okay, I can hear you perfectly well.

Yeah, I'm still here. Sometimes the camera will go off. In one way or another.

But okay, you are back. Fantastic. Yes, yes, Jesus Christ and President Obama.

President Barack Obama. And, uh, I don't mention God because one day I will be, right? So, but, um, and my mom.

Wow, that's beautiful.

Yeah, my mom.

Great. No, that is, that is, that is quite, uh, powerful. And I think I, I know, I know why you, you would choose those, uh, three. It sounds pretty, pretty amazing. Is, is there something about your, your mother that you can share with the audience why you, you would like to have that one, uh, conversation with, with her again?

Yeah, well, unfortunately, when COVID, uh, took over the world, they all— it also took my mom. So, um, back in 2021, uh, so yeah, so, you know, it's been, uh, over 4 years, and it's one of those losses that you reflect on later on, and you're like, man, Yeah, I can't believe it happened. And since it happened that way, so abruptly during that time, you know, you wasn't able to see them. It was cremated, you know. It basically— I knew my mom was sick and she goes in the hospital and then I never see her again, right? So it was, it was a tough, uh, a tough loss, you know, for everybody too, right? And I remind and I'm mindful that a lot of people went through that particular way.

Yes, actually this is another thing we have in common. My mother died July 2021, partly because of COVID She was in Africa where I am originally from, and then she was in France with my brother, and the idea was to come to America. Actually, I just bought a brand new house and I had the room set up for her on the first floor, everything ready to go, but with COVID she couldn't fly and then she passed away. And yeah, she was my hero. And yeah, I wish I could have even just 5 more minutes with her. But yeah, but it also makes you kind of look at things, put things in perspective, right? Because I live here in Silicon Valley, San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to COVID, we were working 50, 60, 70 hours a week every week, like work, work, work, work, work. And even when we take time off on vacation, most companies I work for, they say It's unlimited vacation. I mean, you can be on vacation for 11 months in the year if your boss is okay with it. No problem, we don't count. But nobody ever takes vacation. And anytime I took vacation, people look at you like cross eyes, like, what is wrong with you going on vacation when we have so much work to do, right? But really, COVID and my mom passing away, it just gives you some perspective on life. What is very important is not chasing after money, it's not working 60 hours a week and not being home with your wife and, and your kids. And no, because you can get all of this money, all of these things, but if you don't have anybody left to share that with— and I know life as a soldier, as a sailor, is pretty, pretty tough too. You always deployed, always, always out. And, and for some of us, right, by the, the time you end your career, your wife has left, left you, and your kids don't know who you are. And it can, it can be a real challenge. And those are things you definitely need to prioritize in life right now. Anything you wanted to add to that?

Yeah, no, it's definitely a thing. You will be faced with some circumstances in life that will kind of put you in a position where you have to reevaluate. And, you know, that period in the world's life, you got to say, yes, it's afforded all of us an opportunity to do that. Now, what have you done since then? You know, have you gone back to your old habits? You know, did you make some changes? But, you know, as you had asked before, you know, what, what are you learning? Yeah, just continue to learn, continue to grow, continue to adjust. As long as you are breathing, you have an opportunity. It's when, when you're done, you're done. But as long as you're breathing, you have an opportunity to do so. So take advantage of it.

Yeah, that is, that is, uh, so powerful. I know we, we are running out of time. Can you give me another 10, 12 minutes? So you have to go.

I'm good, I'm good, brother.

I, I'm really having a great time talking with you. No, it's like, uh, like, like-minded. I can't believe we've never done this before. It's like, uh, we have so much in common, you and I. So Number 5, so what have you read that we should read? Which book or books you would recommend to my audience right now?

So there have been several, but there's one that I always— every time somebody asks me this, Catching Leadership, Michael Liedem. L-E-Y-T-E-M, and, uh, it's called Catching Leadership. I enjoyed that book so much, and every time someone asked me, I just— that's the first one that I think of. And you could also follow him on LinkedIn, uh, and, uh, and, and purchase his book.

Wow, thanks. Do you have a second book you would recommend?

Yeah, there's a second one. Let me, um, I am trying to find Catching Leadership on Amazon.

I'm sure I'm gonna find it in just a second. Yeah, got it.

Oh yeah, you You'll— yeah, you'll find it. Um, so there was— oh my goodness, I'm trying to think specifically about—

and I am— I'm going to share the screen here. Let me see. Oh, so you, you can go ahead while, while you are talking. I'm gonna show this. Oh, there's another one.

Yeah, there's another one, uh, by, uh, Darryl Bryant, um, and it's called Engage, Lead, Deliver. I really enjoyed that book as well, uh, and it's for, you know, early leaders, you know, folks that are trying to, um, trying to start off in leadership. He did a great job in presenting that journey there.

Wow, this is fantastic. Yeah, I've got this book here, Catching Leadership. Do you see it on your screen?

That's it.

Yeah, fantastic. Okay, I'm gonna add all of those again in the comments. I think it's good for people to see. Oh, just, uh, is this the Alex Ramos you were talking about? Because I'm connecting to this guy, he was in the Navy. I'm hoping it's the same one, but if not, I'm gonna wait for, for you, for your link. I don't know why my computer is a little bit slow right now. Uh, I mean, I'm supposed to have one of the fastest internet connection in Silicon Valley.

It's faster than—

maybe I'm just, I'm just over, overtaxing my, my computer right now. Anyway, it is, it's gonna show up in it.

Yeah, you have quite a few tabs open there.

Is, is, is this him, Alex Ramos? No, the same one?

No, no, it isn't.

Oh no, okay, okay, okay.

That's— yeah, I'll definitely, uh, connect you with them.

Yeah, because one, one thing I usually joke is, uh, you know, I am maxed out at 30,000 connections. So I think you and I, we connected, I think it was 3 or 4, 4 years ago. But anyway, for me to connect with you, I had to disconnect with somebody else. So I sometimes joke that, you know, I am either connected to everybody who matters in cybersecurity, and leadership and the military, or if I'm not directly connected to them, I'm only one person away.

But well, I put, I put him on there on the comments. You have the right one. He's also an air— he served in the Air Force. He's a light colonel, your rank as well, on the Air Force side.

But yeah, fantastic. Wow, okay, that is, that is quite, uh, amazing. Wow, okay. Uh, is there anything that you have watched that you would recommend people watch or listen? Maybe music, movies, or shows, or, or documentary, or anything like that?

Yeah, so I seldom invest my time on that type of entertainment, uh, but I've been really looking at doc— documentaries that explain the background behind, uh, nations, right? Uh, so I don't know any specific one to, um, to suggest But I do suggest that we get a little more educated on the backgrounds of things, and that will help us really understand why things are happening. Uh, because when you don't have a context to the happenings of today, you could be a little lost. But there are a lot of things that have been in the works for years, and you're only seeing the fruition of it today. But if you can get a hold of, you know, things, uh, in that regard, uh, it could be beneficial for how you perceive what's happening, right? And, uh, there's a, there's a gentleman, uh, by the name of Johnny Harris, right? He's not paying me, but he does great investigative journalist work. Right? And, uh, if you'd like to really get into the background of things, he does a good job in presenting it.

Well, yeah, I think I've seen him on YouTube, right?

Yeah, he's on YouTube.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think I've seen— I think— I believe he used to work for Vox, if I'm not mistaken, and then he started, right?

Yeah, he was doing his own thing, and then he's doing his own thing now. But yeah, wow.

That is pretty, pretty amazing. Okay. And next question I have for you then is what have you done that we should do? What is one action you have taken that has positively affected your— impacted your life? And by the way, this is the correct Alex Ramos.

Yes, yes, that is. That's Alex.

Okay, I'm going to make sure to follow him. And yeah, definitely somebody people should know from all Orlando, Florida, helping leaders build meaningful mission. There's nothing more important than, than that these, these days. Yeah. So something that you, you, you have done that you would encourage everybody else to do that has positively impacted your life?

Yeah, the, the biggest thing that I've done that has impacted my life is, you know, seek more of the Lord. I, I cannot give you— if, if I give you anything else, would be superficial. It would be, it would be something that you can get anywhere. Um, you can't get God anywhere, right? You can get him anytime, but you, you have to get him. And so we are in times where— and I think that it's always been tumultuous, the world has always been tumultuous. Uh, that's not changed, it's just the way things are being delivered. But in the midst of so much chaos, there is peace in the midst of storms, and that is God, right? Uh, you know, I personally believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior, and that has made all the difference in my tumultuous life, whether it's internal or external, and he definitely brings peace to my world. And so I'm appreciative of that. If anything I could suggest is that you seek God in one way or another.

Thank you so much for sharing, especially in this tumultuous time. I think it's definitely needed. So what is one action you are thinking about taking that you think might positively impact your life?

I just started a publishing company. Imagine that. Yeah, just— I mean, literally today I got the EIN for it. And, um, so what I suggest, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid of doing what you think you're afraid of. Go for it. You know, and I'm going to tell you, um, Adriana Rosales is the reason why I'm going down this journey. You know, if it wasn't for her— she was an Air Force vet as well, right? She worked for the Space Force before it was Space Force.

Yes.

And, um, she's doing— she's been doing that. She's also a John Maxwell leader. And she's been doing that for a while, but, uh, you know, by God's grace and guidance, she led me to this.

You know, let's make sure to add a LinkedIn profile in this discussion too. Definitely somebody I would like to, to meet.

Yeah, definitely. I'm gonna, I'm gonna tag her here.

That's wonderful. Wow. But this is really amazing how one person can impact the life of somebody else, sometimes even without realizing it.

Yes, she, she has made, she has made such an impact in both my wife, my wife's life and my life in terms of this, this book journey. Uh, you know, it was, it was through her that we got exposed to being writers and authors and, and led to my wife not only collaborating on projects but making her own book, right? Releasing her own book.

Let's make sure to list those books also. I want to make sure we promote them.

Yeah. And so, um, so, and I, and I'll, I'll tag my, my wife on here as well.

Absolutely. Because when I do your, uh, you know, uh, friend in the spotlight this Friday, I want to make sure all of those books are listed so people can buy. Because, uh, we, we need minorities and women to become best-selling authors, not just best writers, but best-selling.

Oh yeah, and she's done it. She did it with my wife. My wife, her first book was a best-selling book. Wow, you know, and, and outstanding. So yeah, so I, I'm going down that journey now, and that is the book that you see, uh, coming out in July. And, um, and I'm excited about it, and, and, you know, don't know where it's going, right? But I do know that you can't be afraid. You can't be afraid. Just, uh, you know how we, how we like to say, do it scared. Go ahead, do it scared.

Yes. And the, the book you are talking about is this one here. I showed it before. Uh, let me see. Here we go. Yeah, I really don't know why my computer is so slow right, right now. It's usually faster.

It may be all the tabs that are open.

That's Yeah, yeah. But anyway, no, this is, this is great because we have a lot of, again, aspiring leaders here listening to this podcast, and they have no idea where to start and, and what to, to do. And I think what you're doing is, is really giving them hope, right? Like you, originally from Puerto Rico, coming to the US, getting into the Navy, and now you're gonna retiring as a senior chief, which is a huge, huge, huge deal. You have your own business and now you're getting into publishing. So really nothing is too big, right? And one thing I've really learned, part of the reason why some people have such little expectations, especially again when it comes to ethnic minorities, because they have never seen anything different, right? So they don't even know that it is possible, right? That's why I think it's so— representation matters so much. Us having our very first African American president, the one and only one who was not a white man, right there in the White House, that really makes it like, yeah, this is possible, it is a possibility. But prior to that, it's like, you know, we don't even know what is possible or not. One of my heroes, I don't know if it was one of yours, but General Colin Powell, I've read all of his books, let me know, yeah, it's possible, you can be a flag officer in the US Army, so it is possible. So that's why that matters so much. But no, what you're sharing is really, really powerful. So in the same vein, then, when you wake up in the morning, what is one problem you would like to solve?

Actually, when I wake up in the morning, I don't try to solve problems. The first thing I do is plant my face on the floor. And thank God for this particular day, that particular day, right? I— that is my— that is my humility moment. Yes, get on the floor face down and thank him for one more day. After that, and we start thinking about what kind of problems are there.

So everyone kind of related to that then is, if you had one day and only one day to live?

Yeah.

What would you have liked your final contribution to be?

Depositing into my family. I, I, I can, I can try to help people all over, but what I leave on this earth with my family, it's what's going to help everybody.

Yes.

You know, But shame on me if I'm helping everybody else and my family can't do it, right? So there's something that my wife always is reminding me about, you know, your family has to be able to do it when you're gone.

Yes.

And what good was it that you helped all these other people and your family can't? And so I'm mindful of that, uh, even as I am stating it.

Wow, that is, that is powerful, because unlike you, I grew up in church too, and sometimes when, uh, you are ready to minister, they spend so much time taking care of the church and other people and just, you know, loving everybody else, but sometimes they don't really have that same energy and love for their own family. And that's definitely some, something we we need to think about the balance. Because if, in my opinion, if you don't take care of your own home, you're not going to be good to anybody else.

Yeah, it's part of that living in truth, right? It's part of that living in truth. Uh, you know, if, if, if you're losing your family and you're saving the world, what did you actually save?

Yes. Wow, that is, that is very insightful, very, very powerful. I'm really glad I talked to you. I'm sorry, we are actually over an hour now, but if I can ask the 7th question, so we almost toward the end. So how can myself and my audience of, you know, 30,000 connections and 34,000 followers, what can we do to add value to you? What can we do to make a, to make a difference right now?

What you could do to make a difference is go to YouTube go to @DTLW Podcasts altogether and hit that subscribe button. I'm 50. All right, I'm 50 away from 1,000.

Wow, congratulations!

Oh, it's a big milestone.

After that, it's so important. Can you put it in the comment right now? I'm gonna do this right now live. We are gonna take care of this now. Wow, this is awesome. And again, everybody that is following me, please, please do this. This is super, super important. And do you know there was a time where you couldn't broadcast on YouTube unless you had at least 1,000 followers?

Yeah, that's crazy.

That must have changed very recently because right now that we're on LinkedIn, I'm broadcasting on YouTube too, but I only have about 375,000. So I wanted to get to 1,000. So I could do this broadcasting thing. But now, for some reason, they are letting me do it. But, uh, wow, this is, this is powerful. Thank you.

Yeah, definitely. And so, yeah, that's, uh, that's one thing that you could do to, to help me. Um, and you know, when we talk about things like YouTube and, and subscribers, it just allows us to continue to do the work of leadership. Because, yes, um, you know, Developing the Leader Within sounds familiar because it's John Maxwell, right? And, and my— when my wife was the one that suggested, hey, you know, why don't you just call it Developing the Leader Within? I was like, well, I, I will. And so we did.

Oh, DTL, Developing the Leader Within.

Yes.

Oh, right, got it, got it. That makes sense.

And, um, and so, you know, we do this as coaches, as content creators on the leadership side, to help all those that can't do it by getting coaching, right?

Yes.

And, you know, when, when we invest in gathering all these people to do interviews and things like that it's with them in mind. It's, it's with the people. Like, today's episode was Speak Without Fear, you know, learning how to overcome the fear of public speaking. There's a lot of leaders that don't know how to do that, and that video alone, you know, 25 minutes can get you enough information to get you over that fear hump and get you going as a person that can speak confidently. And so You know, when I say, hey, please subscribe, there's a— yes, there's a reason behind it, right?

Wow, this is beautiful. So here, here we are developing the Leader Within, and I'm gonna subscribe. So you have 952, so you're gonna have 953, and I am hoping by the end of today you're gonna have over 1,000. So, uh, come back and let us know. And as you can see, I am live right now with you.

Exactly.

And, uh, yeah, so After you guys subscribe to Developing a Leader Within, then go to Leadership and Success with Coach Bizzy and subscribe too, because it does make a difference on the impact on how many people we reach. And of course, when your book comes out next month, maybe you should come back here, but we need to talk about it and promote it. Because again, for me, my wife has written books, I've written books in the past, but sometimes you write a book, but it doesn't really go anywhere, right? I really want it to become a bestseller. That's really how I feel.

Thank you. I'll share the information with you.

Wow, that is wonderful. Okay, so we are going to finish for sure. And very, very thank you for your time. I know we started a little bit late because I'm still trying to learn this technology with Restream. I used to do a lot of my podcasts with Ecamm. I know exactly how to use that. So Restream, I am still learning, but Thank you for, for being so gracious with your time. So to finish now, uh, what is the most rewarding aspect of your life experience so far?

My wife and children. That's the most rewarding. You know, I could, I could get anything, and I have. I've gotten many things, right? I've gotten awards that, uh, you know, are inaugural, right? I just had one for the podcasting. Um, actually, two of my last awards for my podcast have been inaugural awards.

Wow.

You know, so I had some in the Navy that were inaugural awards. Yeah. So I've, I've been blessed, man. I, I cannot complain. Wonderful for what I've received from my life on Earth, but there is nothing Nothing on Earth that can eclipse the honor of having my wife and children.

That is powerful. That reminds me of one of the definitions of success by Papa Maxwell when he says, so, success is when the people you care about the most, uh, respect you the most.

Some—

something like that. When you get the respect and the love from your wife or your children, people you know the most, because they know you. Because the most important— probably only know me when I come in on the podcast or YouTube, or I'm a commander in the Navy doing all of these things. But when I come home, the person that my wife and my kids see, if they can respect that person, I am successful. Because that means a lot more than all of the accolades and anything I can do out there. Wow, powerful. Okay. 3 adjectives that describe you as a child or a teenager growing up.

As a— wow, I had a, I had a rough, I had a rough childhood.

Um, um, what comes to mind? Don't think too hard, just whatever comes to your head. 3, 3 adjectives. So Because we're going to do the same as an adult. So we're going to see how different you are, if they are the same.

Let me see. I was thoughtful.

Thoughtful.

Caring.

Caring.

And humble. I think that—

Wow, that's wonderful.

I think those have been, and they've been with me all of that.

Those would be the three that describe you as an adult as well. Yeah, yeah, I thought so. Okay, very good. And then the very, very last question and we are done. What is one word that represents our shared experience in this podcast? So everything we've talked about, what word comes to mind that represents all of it?

Enlightening.

Enlightening.

I hope that by people listening, they have become enlightened in one way or another.

That's powerful. Powerful. Yeah, man would be insightful. Okay, thank you so much, Enrique. No, this is the first time we are actually talking face to face. It's like I've known you all of my life. We have so much in common, and I'm so, so glad, so glad you said yes. And you are the very first guest on the Leadership and Success Podcast for Season 4. So thank you so much for that. God bless you. And when your book is published again, I definitely want to see you again and We're going to try to promote your book and sell it like pancakes, right? Because we really need that. It's like some of my mentors, like Tony Robbins, for example, he doesn't write books every year, but every time he writes a book, it's a number one New York Times bestseller. Same thing with Papa John's. He's written more than 86, 89 books. Almost all of his books, right? Bestsellers. That's really what we need. That's how I think you make a huge impact. You change the world, at least in some meaningful way. Okay, any last word before we log off the podcast?

Yeah, and so this is one, I've written this book or will be authoring this book in July, but it truly is a compilation of 20 Latino leaders that have come to share their stories. And so if you are of a minority and you want to get inspired by what could happen and could be, even though you start off in a rough, uh, beginning, uh, these gentlemen are going to inspire you with their story. So what I love about this book is just that, that it's not just me telling my story. But 20+ other men sharing theirs.

And the book is right there on the screen, Latinos 100, uh, Leaving Our Legacy and Inspiring the Next Generation. Wow, that is very, very, very powerful. Thank you, thank you so much, Enrique. Really appreciate you being here. And for everybody else, until next time, this is Coach Bizzy, and I'm gonna be back here on Wednesday with a special guest. Chris Robinson, the EVP for Maxwell Leadership. Until then, bye-bye.

Thank you for listening to the Leadership and Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ. If you like what you heard, please subscribe to our channels and come back for more wisdom nuggets on how you may develop into a better leader and achieve greater levels of success. Leadership is the most critical skill the world will always need leaders to lead others, deploy the next disruptive technology, or execute a business strategy. You may as well decide on counting yourself among the 21st century leaders. See you right here next time on the Leadership and Success