Building a Business, Part 3
Believe in your vision
Dear Alfonso,
Believe me when I tell you that all you need right now, at the age of 30, is a crazy idea and a vision that you are committed to that others may one day believe in, too. Trust me. It will all work out.
You are now well into your first year of running your own business, a specialty coffee shop. You rarely have, if ever, looked back since leaving your career in finance — a job that you enjoyed and built over seven years with the commitment to help others succeed financially. …
Building a Business, Part 2
Establishing a Strong Foundation
One of the first things I did after deciding to start my own business seven years ago was to… write a list.
In that list, I included everything that made a coffee business appealing to me.
Businesses are like buildings; they are only as strong as the foundation they are built upon. A business’s principles are the pillars that provide the foundation for success.
In the guaranteed uncertain times one will experience in operating a business, principles provide clarity.
I’m happy to share the principles I established when I started my business and how my team and I put them…
Building a Business, Part 1
A love story
“How would you like your coffee prepared?” the barista asks me, and I wish I could see my own blank face. I don’t have a clue on how to answer that.
Believe it or not, that question and the exchange that followed — seven years ago — changed my life. I left my comfortable job in Finance and jumped into the coffee world.
Friends and family would describe me as an avid sports fan, a curious person passionate about his hobbies. …
THE FUTURE OF REMOTE WORK — PART 3
Reserving up to an hour a week will reduce miscommunication and unlock productive time.
The trend of remote work has been growing steadily over the last year. Companies that were able to embrace the trend have found that it has been beneficial for employers and employees. Increased productivity and flexibility for employees are among the top benefits of this growing trend.
Some companies are quickly adapting to this change and have started to consider different ways to implement this new working model. They are focusing on ways to make remote, distributed, and virtual teams work together.
Spotify recently announced a “Work from Anywhere” model, which will allow employees to choose whether they want to…
SPORTS + LIFE
43. Tom Brady's age, making him the oldest player to appear in the big game
As a self-described sports fanatic, I’m excited and looking forward to Super Bowl LV this Sunday, when the defending champions, Kansas City Chiefs, will meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are also hosting the game (more on this below).
However, in case you don’t follow sports too closely, then let me be the one to break the news, the Super Bowl is this Sunday.
Suppose you want to impress your friends, husband, colleagues, or others. These fun facts and numbers will provide some extra insight into the game, both on-the-field, and off-the-field.
100,000,000. The estimated number of people in the…
SPORTS & LIFE
It’s more than wins and losses; sports can change the world
When I was growing up in Nicaragua, my Dad would ask me this one question frequently, especially on the weekends.
“Alfonso, is there a game today?”
My answer to him has always been the same.
“Dad, there’s always a game on!”
Now, you may be wondering why am I sharing this story with you? Well, it’s because the anecdote gives you a glimpse into my lifelong passion for sports. I have been in love with them since I was a young kid.
I followed a lot of teams and multiple competitions very closely — and I still do! …
The Future of Remote Work — Part 2
How to set up effective virtual meetings with distributed team members
In today’s workplace, an employee is just as likely to be working with someone in a different part of the country as they may be with someone in another part of the office.
This is another example of how traditional work experienced an accelerated and sudden shift in 2020 due to the pandemic. Thus, to appropriately adapt to the changing environment, it is vital to understand how, why and what makes remote meetings work.
Jason Fried, the CEO of Basecamp — a successful project management software — has been an advocate of Remote work for over two decades, framed the…
The Future of Remote Work — Part 1
Work is changing at warp speed. Here’s what you need to know about this mentality adjustment.
If you roll your eyes whenever anyone says “the New Normal,” you are not alone. We all know there was nothing normal about 2020. The future of work was accelerated at a dizzying speed by necessity.
Surprisingly, most people were able to adjust despite the intense logistical headwinds and the power of inertia.
The key to a successful pivot from physical to remote work is to adjust the team’s mindset. A virtual first mindset challenges many common and basic assumptions about how great work gets done. This piece will discuss what to consider to adjust to a virtual first mindset.
Measure Impact over Quantity
2020 has brought a November to Remember
Traditionally on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I take time out of my day to personally handwrite thank-you notes to those who have impacted my life in the year. Then, I put them in an envelope and would hand-deliver them to each person when possible.
On Thursday (Thanksgiving Day), I would typically spend time with friends & family and express gratitude in our dinners. After all, it’s time to be full of gratitude.
This year, as you know, has been very different for everyone. …
SPORTS & LIFE
There are many things to learn from imperfection.
On June 25th, 1994, I was an inconsolable 10-year-old laying in the arms of my Dad. Now, you may wonder why or how I remember that date with such exactitude? Well, that was the day in which I felt football was taken away from me.
That date is now infamous in World football history. It’s the day when Diego Maradona, the greatest footballer of all time, was escorted away by a nurse for a doping test. The results, unfortunately, would come back positive. It essentially marked the end of his football career.
I remember this moment as if it was…
Alfonso Guerrero
Sales, Operations, B2B Solutions Manager @ TripAdvisor. www.linkedin.com/in/alfonsoguerrerov
