7 minute read
EMILIO ANTONIO GUEVARA
from New Era
POWERHOUSE GLOBAL MAGAZINE INTERVIEW WITH:
EMILIO ANTONIO GUEVARA (EAG)
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Emilio Antonio Guevara is the President and CEO of Capitalists Conversations, Inc.
PGMAG: Emilio, great to have you on today's interview.
EAG: Thank you Lady Anita. I really appreciate you having me. I really admire the work you are doing with Powerhouse Global Magazine and I am honored to be featured in this amazing magazine.
PGMAG: Please introduce yourself to our readers.
EAG: My name is Emilio Antonio Guevara. I was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in the Bronx, NY to parents Rosa and Mariano Guevara that emigrated to the United States of America from Honduras, CA. I come from a family of seven.
I am a family man, a husband to my beautiful wife Kimyada Guevara and a grateful father to my precious daughter Enyada Lynette Guevara. I live by three principles. One making sure that my spirit is right, two that my intentions are always pure and last not least, three gratitude. I believe gratitude is the one principle that regardless of what is going on in your life keeps you centered.
I am a motivated, ambitious and driven entrepreneur. I have 35 years of diverse career experience combined in the entrepreneurial, private sectors and B2B environments. Above all things I am a servant leader.
Over the past 25 years I have had the opportunity to follow my dreams and take on entrepreneurial challenges and work with some amazing people along my journey.
PGMAG: Coming from a humble background and working your way up to becoming one of the leading leaders in the industry of change makers, what inspired you to change your circumstances and become the leader that you are today.
EAG: Although I grew up in a low-income community decimated by poverty, having parents that taught me and my siblings that the environment surrounding us did not define us. They taught us that we might be living in the environment, but our environment doesn’t have to live in us. It conditioned me mentally to not be afraid to pursue my goals. I was grateful that my parents sacrificed much to come to the United States of America for us to be born here and have a better life. I took that very seriously and it inspired me to want to be the best I could possibly be. Until this day, it still inspires me. I felt like it was also a freedom license to take a chance on myself. In the sense that I could have been born in more undesirable circumstances and since I was blessed to be born here what do I have to lose. I was also inspired by mentors that poured into me and nurtured me. I did not go to college, so I spent many hours reading business books. I read and studied many autobiographies and biographies of successful business leaders. There is so much you can learn from studying the stories of those that have come before you and have encapsulated what it takes to make it in just a few pages. One of my mentors SB Fuller said that “There is a spark of divinity in every human being, but it is up to that individual to fan it”. I believe fanning that spark, means being determined, working hard and staying focused on your goals and never giving up.
PGMAG: What are some of the keys to promoting Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace?
EAG: I grew up in the City of New York and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx. One of the things growing up in the City of New York was that you went to school with people from different races and ethnicities. New York has always been known as a Melting Pot. This allowed me to develop an appreciation for interacting and working with all people. Unfortunately, many in the position of leadership may not have had that experience and so they operate from a standpoint of what feels comfortable. Perceptions are real. I believe that leaders at all levels of an organization must make a commitment to question their perceptions in order to hire or promote the best talent. The key to Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace starts with each leader, each one of us individually doing some self-introspection. The culture, ethics and values of any organization from top to bottom are a direct reflection of the leader at the top. One of the things that my mentor taught me about leadership is that you take yourself wherever you go.
PGMAG: Change is sometimes the hardest thing to embrace by most people. In your capacity as a leader, what is the one crucial change that needs to happen in order to become more valuable in the marketplace?
EAG: Change is something that is difficult for most people to embrace. However, change is inevitable. In the world we live in, change is constant. The one crucial change that needs to happen to become more valuable in the marketplace is to understand that learning and preparation do not end after you have graduated from high school, college, graduate school or if you are an entrepreneur after you launch your business. As a matter of fact, real learning starts after that. To stay ahead take the INITIATIVE to be an expert in your industry. That means you keep studying. You have to research and search opportunities to continuously develop yourself. Be mindful of what the changes are in your industry. Whether you are an employee or an entrepreneur providing goods and services, constantly continue to educate yourself. Be it through books, certifications, mentors etc. If you are in a dying industry, re-educate yourself in another emerging industry. I know it sounds like work, well it is. The only people that will survive and thrive in this new environment are those that can adapt. Staying informed and educated on the latest trends will give you the self-esteem, self-worth and confidence to remain competitive and succeed.
PGMAG: If you knew what you know now, what would you do differently?
EAG: I find that to always be an interesting question because it juxtaposes that perhaps your journey would have been “more something” than it what it turned out to be. To be completely honest with you I am person who believes that your journey is as individual to you as your fingerprint. My journey has taken me on many roads and bridges, successes and failures and brought me where I am, and I am grateful for all of it. Having said all that, if there is indeed something I would do differently, it would be to have spent more time with my loved ones and my friends.
PGMAG: Please tell us about your organisation (Capitalist Conversations, Inc).
EAG: As an entrepreneur, I strongly believe imagination is the greatest gift and the greatest power that we possess as human beings. You do not have to ask permission of anyone to use it. I believe that is the essence of freedom. Capitalism is the only “ism” that allows you the freedom to execute on your imagination.
This belief is what inspired me to start this business. Capitalists Conversations, Inc. is a media organization devoted to espousing the virtues of capitalism by providing entrepreneurs and business leaders the opportunity to have two-way dialogue with businessmen and businesswomen that have succeeded in business. We do this via LIVE events in an intimate setting, future podcasts, online virtual events and an upcoming Business Show in 2021. We believe that having access to successful individuals in business that encompass a wide array of experiences in various industries and wisdom gained along their journey as they used the free enterprise system to achieve their dreams in businesses, will give attendees and followers a necessary edge and a greater chance to be successful.
PGMAG: What are the three books that changed your life?
EAG: There are many books that influenced me in my life. However, there are 3 books that made a tremendous difference in my life. Secret of the Ages by Robert Collier, Riches Within Your Reach by Robert Collier and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
PGMAG: Finally, what would you say to your younger self?
EAG: First, when you make the decision to take chances, understand that comes with failure as well as success. But understand that failure is just like a storm, it does not matter how powerful the storm is, at some point it will dissipate. So be patient and do not allow yourself to be stressed out. Secondly, comparing yourself to others makes it a race you will never win. It leads to a counterproductive feeling of inadequacy. Being inspired by others and running your own race with patience takes the stress out of the equation and allows you to enjoy the journey. Third, try hard to live a balanced life. Family and friends are very important in your life. Make the time. Where there is a will, there is always a way.
PGMAG: Thank you very much your time.
EAG: Thank you Lady Anita. The pleasure was mine.
PGMAG: Please share your links with us.
EAG: EMAIL ADDRESS: eantoniog@outlook.com COMPANY WEBSITE: CapitalistsConversations.com LINKEDIN: Emilio Antonio
Guevara | LinkedIn INSTAGRAM: #capitalistsconve rsations FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/ CapitalistsConversations
