In this 6‑questions‑in‑7‑minutes interview, Professor Pete Alexander talks with Francisco Alar Garcia, a digital operations and marketing professional at an innovative health‑tech company focused on making healthcare more understandable and consumer‑driven. Francisco shares how his personal experience living with a physical disability fuels his passion for transforming the healthcare system, emphasizing the broader impact on families. He highlights mindset and intentionality as the essential first chapter for any business, stressing the power of a clear "why" to overcome self‑doubt. He advises leaders to build deep personal connections and trust with their teams, noting that trust reduces stress during challenges and creates unstoppable momentum. Francisco acknowledges fellow leader Marissa Brown for her community‑building work. He recounts his first post‑MBA role at an artificial‑intelligence startup, where he learned the importance of agility, being proactive, and valuing progress over perfection. The episode closes with an invitation to connect with Francisco on LinkedIn and a reminder of the podcast’s channels.
Chapters
This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast, where business leaders share their insights. It is 6 questions in 7 minutes because successful business leaders are busy and rarely have more time to spare. So let's get to it. Question number 1: In a few sentences, please tell me who you are and what you do.
My name is Francisco Alar Garcia. I'm a digital operations marketing professional for an innovative health tech company that is looking to transform healthcare by making it possible for individuals to drive measurable health improvements by making healthcare simple to understand and more consumer-driven.
Francisco, it's so great to have you on the show. Question number 2: What's the best thing about working in your industry?
The best thing that's about working in my industry is that it bleeds into my own life experience. As a person with a physical disability, I have navigated firsthand the complex, frustrating, and sometimes financially destroying element that is healthcare. So being able for every day to dedicate myself collectively with others to transform and to change this into a system which helps people live happier and healthier lives, where it helps them affordably maintain their lifestyles. But even more importantly, it's about the fact that healthcare and health insurance doesn't impact a person, it impacts their spouse, their children, and even further down the line more and more family.
Yeah, it's a very powerful thing that you're working towards hopefully improving. I love that. Question number 3: I have a fictitious book with all the answers for business. What chapter would you think most companies should read?
I think the first chapter that I would put in is mindset and intentionality. And the reason why mindset and intentionality are so important is because our intention and what we're driving towards usually is a great influence on the outcome of something. A bigger, larger reason is, is that our why and what we strive for truly plays a role in everything that we do. As entrepreneurs or as business leaders, self-doubt is something that is an ever-present force, but when your why goes beyond you then you find that you are inspired to power through and to rise up and to overcome challenges and see challenges as opportunities for growth and to create greater opportunities. Hmm.
As you say that so powerfully, and I love, love the point about finding your why, because that it's, that's really the foundation for, for keeping you motivated as, and pushing through the challenges.
Definitely for me, my why is to reshape what it means to live and thrive with a physical disability, to empower others to live life with self-acceptance and courage. Hmm, it's so powerful.
Thank you for that. Question number 4: Other than the generic work harder, have a great attitude, and care for customers, what advice or insight would you give to other business leaders?
I think a power insight is to connect personally with those you work for. One of the things that I've seen play out a lot in, in my own role and in others that I've worked with is that when we connect on a deeper level, it changes the whole dynamic of the relationship. And by that, I mean people work with those they trust And that plays such a role because when everything is going fine, we're all friends. But at the first sign of concern or trouble, if you're that person that's there, that's there in the trenches, that is, you know, really truly looking for a solution, that's what people want. Because people know that not everything is always going to play out as you think, but you never know if that may create an even greater efficiency or solve a problem that you didn't know you had a solution for.
And it's— you make a great point that when things are going well, everybody's good, but you really can see the characteristics of the different people when the stress is there. And if the trust is there, if I understand you correctly, the trust is there, that stress won't be as high because you can depend on each other to get the job done.
Exactly. Trust is the great element of life that gives us the latitude to, to grow, but to grow with people not just on a business aspect but on a personal aspect, right? Because both elements play such a huge role in our lives. When we connect the personal to a professional, then we can create unstoppable momentum.
Hmm, I love that. Question number 5: What other business leader like yourself would you like to acknowledge and invite to be on my podcast?
Another business leader that I would like to acknowledge is Marissa Brown. She is an incredible leader who is all about building community and building communities that are about creating knowledge hubs. And having this influence of going back and forth and how we can, by working together, create greater opportunities.
That's great. Well, thank you for that referral. I'll reach out to her. And our final question, question number 6, please tell me about your first job.
My first job was straight out of getting my Master of Business Administration. I've had previous experience in internships, but working for an artificial intelligence startup was such a profound learning lesson to learn about how you have to be nimble, you have to be agile, and you have to be proactive rather than reactive, right? And it's— I think the largest lesson that I learned is progress over perfection, right? If we wait for the moment, we may miss our opportunity altogether. And if we think about it, what is a breakthrough if not the accumulation of knowledge gained from all the other attempts that did not go our way but are now setting us up for the catalyst for something bigger and greater? Mm-hmm.
If we have the patience for it, I just love that. And, and what a neat experience to work for an AI company like that. That was a phenomenal experience to have right out of out of college like that.
Yeah, definitely.
So Francisco, thank you so much for being on the show. How could people find you?
If you're passionate about continuing the conversation, which I know I'm always passionate about it because our lives are made richer by the people we meet and the stories we hear. So feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn and I look forward to learning your story who you are and why you're making such a profound difference by being you.
Wonderful. This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast. For more insights and ideas, please go to LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, or iTunes and search for the Winning at Business and Life podcast. Thank you for listening.
