Looking forwards and backwards…

It certainly has been an interesting year for this entrepreneur.  The year started off with plans in one arena and it looks like it is ending with no results on that arena.  Instead, we wound up with a totally different and distinct business model. Oh, the humbleness! My mother has a saying that translates something like: “We make plans and God laughs them off”.

I will say that the 2016 plans were great. I had two wonderful partners joining me that I knew would bring in a lot of success to this young venture.  But reality has a different way of thinking than you most of the time, and as time went by, so did my partners.  It is not their fault.  As many of you know, first and foremost, I am not an easy guy to work with everyday (although I really have gotten a whole lot better, a little sarcasm remains) but mostly, being a starving entrepreneur is not for everybody.

I wanted to make sure that I had the full experience of ownership, and that means carrying a lot of weight on you, and I did. In hindsight, I should have done it differently. I guess that I made a mistake and even though I was very clear and open about my finances and not-so-pretty expectations for the 2016 year, my mistake was not realizing that maybe I was ready but my partners were not. It is not their fault, it is mine for not understanding that cash flow is king and that when you are not an entrepreneur, if you are not ready emotionally to receive a big pay shave then you might as well not get involved.

Another thing to highlight on 2016 was that I realized that I am a  much better producer when I am out of my office. Unfortunately, I do not spend that much time out of office as I should, so next year I will strive to improve that.  Additionally, I found out that I should listen more to my wife and partner (yes, I know, I will never hear the end of this one.) My business common sense has really developed over the years and I can honestly say I am pretty good at what I do and at judging good business.  However, I found that my wife is really good at being human, and sometimes I go overboard on projects and ideas, thinking they should work one way because it is HOW it should be.  She sees it not HOW it should but how IT IS.  That grounds me immediately and I have started to see things more as they are and think more as a person instead of as a robot.

Lastly, I really enjoy my personal time.  I really like the time I get to spend with my family and I like the down time honestly that I am afforded when I need it.  I will improve my handicap for next year as well and I promise I will be more focused on being a better person.  I also think that next year will be a great make-it-or-break-it year for Hispanic Trade and I invite you to take the ride with me.

Best wishes for 2017 from us to yours!

Stay Calm and Keep Humble…