January 26, 2023 • 57 mins
Join host Francisco Cardenas as he sits down with Latino Leaders Magazine founder Jorge Ferraez to hear the incredible story of how a small idea turned into one of the most comprehensive collections of Latino leaders' success stories in America. Tune in to "Loud and Clear" by LERMA Agency to learn more about Latino Leaders Magazine's evolution, its impact on the Latino community, and how a niche publisher amplified non-stereotypical Latino stories that better defined Latino's contribution to this country. Also, learn how advertising agencies play a role in telling these stories by their commitment to these communities and recognizing what they mean for the marketplace.
(title and excerpt of the podcast courtesy of ChatGPT)
Guest: Jorge Ferraez, CEO and Publisher of Latino Leaders Magazine
Producer: Rolf Ruiz, Digital Strategist, Creative Technologist & Agricultor at LERMA/
Host: Francisco Cardenas, Principal of Digital Integration at LERMA/
Music: Pedro Lerma and the Band, LERMA/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
I don't have to the band on crimes or tragedies or or
scandals to make my magazine sale.
First of all we are, we we are content creators.
The second thing we do is that we make connections, right?
We make ends meet for, for a benefit.
(00:22):
So we introduce people with others.
The third thing that I was telling you is that we like to
say we spice Our people so dream, big and the sky's the
limit. Welcome to loud and clear on its
(00:48):
50s on. This is episode 1 of the podcast
produced for those who give a share of our advertising and
marketing. I am your host, Francisco,
Cardenas principle of digital integration.
At our Multicultural, Elad agency Lerma on the controls, we
have r03s creative, technologist, producer, and
rock, and roller. Today, our guest is a leader,
(01:10):
amongst leaders, he is Latino and intrapreneur a dreammaker.
And one of the best storytellersfor Latino leaders in the United
States. He has been doing this for 30
years and his name is Jorge, rice.
Mexican founder of Latino leaders Magazine with his
brother Raul. Together, they've created media
(01:31):
properties that stood apart fromthe mainstream, their mission is
to connect leaders and Inspire the future.
Jorge leads several Publications.
Both in the u.s. and Mexico under the flagship sarai's
publication group. I can't wait to get in the weeds
with Jorge and get to know his story.
(01:51):
What inspired him? What Muslim and what is next?
He covers areas like franchise industry Latino Elves, corporate
companies, Latinos on, corporateboards, and special events.
He's here with us at Lerma headquarters in Dallas, Texas.
Now, full disclosure Pete, learnour founder was awarded the
(02:12):
2022. Dallas my gesture recognition by
Latino leaders magazine, and hisstory was future just recently.
So thank you for that. Jorge and welcome, welcome to
the larimar headquarters here inDallas.
Thank you Francisco my pleasure and I really feel humbled about
what Are saying about me, and I just want to start by saying
(02:33):
that I do give a shit about advertising and marketing
because that has been part of mylife, very important.
And you have been a great part of it, as far as they Latino and
how it has evolved throughout the years in the United States.
Yeah, yeah. It's been a great adventure and
seeing how particularly these part of the market of the
(02:55):
Hispanic market advertising and marketing has changed.
I would say. He has a bolt.
Yes, and has transformed itself.That is gorgeously in many
senses. Yes.
Entire businesses have based their model in the Latino and
Hispanic audience and Communications and advertising
has not been excluded from that naturally, right?
(03:17):
And billions of dollars have been spent on under the name of
Hispanic marketing sometimes with a good reason and a good
justification, some others, not that.
So, Yeah, but but still has beena huge, a huge stream inside the
Devolution of the marketing in this country.
(03:38):
Yeah. How long have you been in the
United States over 22 years? Can you tell us, you know, if we
start at the beginning, can you tell us a little bit your story
and what what made you come witha very unique Vision?
Even at the time right to get started, Latino leaders
magazine, of course. Yeah, yeah, no.
(03:58):
And thank you for For the urine,in the invitation, I am.
I'm not least in Seattle, and ciencias a communication and
yeah, I don't know say it in English because there's no such
which will be the same as a bachelor's degree here.
I shouldn't look really cases communication, something like
that. But that was my passion since I
(04:21):
was like 12 or 14 years old always on the marketing and
advertising and always, you know, doing things.
I used to do commercials with mycousins and up in a Super 8
camera, you know, Andy and make them act like if they were like
doing Something. And then I directed plays and
musicals with my friends and so you were always been a
(04:41):
Storyteller since like, yeah, they might my parents gave me a
tape recorder when I was like eight or nine years old.
And I used to record myself singing or doing like radio
transmission saying, hey this isheart of a rice and I welcome
you to LOL. So I dreamed about being a, you
(05:03):
do have the name of the radio personality not so it's a good
name for her. I personally don't really make
it over here. Advice is always giving me a lot
of problems. But no, you know, after I mean
after college, my brother who was a year and a half younger
than me, we decide we were we have always been very close in
(05:24):
and we have you know we shared alot of friends circles and
things like that we decided to do something on on ourselves.
Okay. I was by the time working at the
ladies AA very large a small company.
Media companies, huge, you know,in America.
And I was producing the novellasand I was producing Musical
(05:44):
shows, and in musical groups, and I was fascinated, you have
event that we might know the No,No II, never performed.
I always was on the, on the backstage, you know, producing
or or directing the tour's things like that.
But, but, but at some point, Oneof my bosses told me, you know
(06:08):
you need to you need to quit theVisa and start doing your own
stuff and say why I'm so happy. I'm about to get, you know,
graduated from college and I cannow be full-time producer.
I love this profession and all that Tommy.
Yeah, but you are more a person that would be a better business
(06:29):
owner and and start something byby Zone.
Wow, what an amazing. And in Hawaii we have Nice me
and he actually kind of force meto to resign.
And I went to my brother said, you know what I'm free.
Let's do something in my town. They call that firing us.
Okay. Well that's mainly gunfire you
(06:50):
Royal yes firing you right to dosomething and by the way we are
still very friends with that boss of mine, you should be
thankful. We don't know.
I mean huge, he did a huge favorto me write that side.
So with this, We me and her brother starting, figuring out
(07:10):
what to do, we didn't have moneyto start a radio station, not a
TV station, not even a newspaper.
So, the only thing that we couldafford was a magazine, okay?
Because he was once a month, youknow?
So we needed to get enough advertisers to pay for the
printer and the writers and the photographs photographers and in
all that for only once a month. So that, that started and we
(07:33):
started doing these little pamphlets, if you will, That you
that we used to distribute for free.
How's my house under the garage door, every Saturday or every
and they still in Mexico or already here in the days?
What them that was in Mexico City and we started one called a
bitter legal, another one calledPolanco and another one called
Las Lomas which is different areas from different as we don't
(07:56):
lose. Exactly.
Mexico City and after like two or three years doing that, we
can all learn a little bit aboutthe industry of magazines.
And how do you sell to advertisers?
And what What do they want? And what another time we would
do, you use advertising agencieswith just went directly to the
owner of the floors flower shop,with the owner of the grocery
(08:16):
store, the owner of the gasolinearea, their gas station whatever
and they would buy from us. So but but in doing these, we
became friends of a very famous host, radio host.
At that time he was huge in terms of audience and all that
and we did an interview with himand he got Resetting the project
(08:37):
and what are you doing? And blah, blah, blah.
And we started talking about about launching a larger
magazine, interviewing personalities and famous people
and all that and he was very very interested in in advising
us and being know. So with that without a vice in
with, I think we started thinking of a magazine called
(08:59):
leaders Mexicanos nice and it was 1990 or something like that
later on. For other circumstances, he
couldn't join us in in the partnership because he was not
allowed to partner with anyone. She was locked into the deal, he
had yes. It was locked into the, into his
(09:19):
employment because he was an employee of a company.
And so me and my brother were just ourselves by ourselves and
we started that magazine. But but, you know, in the way,
we started meeting a lot of people that Like the project and
would say, okay yeah I got a lotto give you an interview and by
(09:41):
the way I can introduce you to such and such for I can
introduce you do, have you met with full and Ito or with starts
connecting and we started connecting and one door, open
the other one and the other one and then a good experience of a
good interview and a good addition with nice photos and
nice. And I story, you know what's
enough to for someone to pick the phone and say, Hey I want to
(10:04):
introduce you. My friends for us Brothers.
They They're doing this magazine.
That looks very nice, they just interview me.
You should meet with them and then let you let them interview.
And so the ball started start rolling rolling was Mexico, a
good training ground for what you did, then in that room
United States, we we learned a lot on how to open doors for
(10:25):
interviews, but we also learn the, the pain and the pain Rod
Road for the advertising agencies.
Ring. And and at that time, we
understood that we couldn't sailto the clients the record
anymore because of the amounts. And because of that.
So we started dealing with advertising agencies, okay?
(10:47):
That was, that was, you know, welearned a lot there and we
always kept a good portion of our clients that were buying US
Direct. Of course, the advertising
agencies were huge at that time.And they were, they were remain
is a better Revenue stream for you, thanks.
Yeah. So, so We did that.
And in one of those passages, westarted dreaming with publishing
(11:13):
a story about a president of Mexico.
That was very important, that just signed the, the NAFTA, the
first NAFTA, with Bush senior and Christian in Canada. 70,
Salinas Carlos Salinas. Yes.
And we decided to make a story on him and then while doing his
story, We propose these two rowspenis, which is a quite helpful
(11:35):
in Mexico. And they told us the president
do not allow interviews, but if you want to write a story about
him, we can give you informationand we can hear blah, blah,
blah, introducing some people. Yeah, let's do that.
So we kept going and going and going and every time we could
meet about about the president, with someone else and at some
(11:58):
point we were, we weren't lying,but we were using a very
powerful true. So, we would, we would call the
Vittorio, de acción de. I would say where we're writing
an article about President Salinas, and we need to talk to
you. Who say no right so they would
say yes if we started reviewing very high-profile people, so it
(12:20):
wasn't a lie. It was just a truth that opened
doors, right? Yes.
So by the time that we ended thestory was very well written very
well researched. We have interviewed, not only
the cabinet, but his brother, his father, his constant, she's
the Inner Circle. Well, we said, well, the only
(12:43):
thing that is missing Here is really an interview with him, so
we send a text to Los Pinos requesting, the opportunity and
they say, well okay, send us a couple of questions and we will
see that the president asked those questions for you.
We did that, but we kept insisting in, on a live
interview or something like that.
And one of these days they they say well, okay, I mean the
(13:06):
president wants to know you, so he invited us to to both been,
no, no. We Invited us to tour, okay?
He in his administration he would tour the country every
Thursday Friday and Saturday. So every Thursday, the Air
Force, One of Mexico would take off from Mexico City's airport
(13:29):
and would take the president to Chiapas.
And then she wow and then Yucatan and then Acapulco.
And then an opening a new bridgehere, and then talking to the
communities, they're doing things that the president is
doing meeting with governors. Things like that in here and the
trip would last for two nights. Okay?
And on Saturday mornings he would come back to Mexico City.
(13:51):
So he invited us to do that trip.
And during the trip, he invited to invited us to talk to him and
so we could maybe convince him of the interview and we did that
and of course me and my bro I was like 25 years old, he was
like 24. So we were saying I got.
This is like a dream for us traveling with the president of
(14:11):
our country, you know everywhereand It was really, really a
highlighting. And yeah, and not only do they
more after so many years. Yeah.
And not only the president, you travel with the elite of the
Mexican, not only the stuff, youdo.
You travel with ambassadors withbusiness owners.
I mean, we met Carlos. Slim we met there.
(14:33):
I mean, I can consent just narrow we met their violent.
India's Modo, I mean, in the trip and the good thing is that
if the president introduces you to him, or to them, then, You're
not good. You're in good standing.
Actually, one of those. One of those trips.
The president told us I want I because we ended up doing many
fruits with him, okay. Because we convinced him about
(14:55):
the interview on the biography and we said now we need like
four trips and we need to talk to you and kind of make notes on
how you work and all that and hestarted loving that and then you
one of those trips. He said, by the way, I need you
to meet with a very brilliant. Ian politician young man, very
(15:16):
energetic. Kind of like you too.
That's why I want you to meet and then we enter the plane.
And it was this man was there ina corner sitting and he told us
I want you to meet with them at the colosio.
We don't know local laws. You can you tell the audience
that doesn't know who lived on anybody?
He was the candidate presidential candidate that was
(15:39):
assassinated during the campaignin opposition to His regime or
who today is Carlos. Salinas De Carlos Salinas.
If I remember correctly, that was 23rd of March 23rd of March.
Yes, that's correct over there. Yeah, you do you wanna so, you
know, we met a very good friendship with lose an
(16:00):
illusion, very good one. Actually, we were already
working on some things for say, the soul and for, you know, one
of these government organizations in Mexico, when he
started the campaign and And we during the campaign of colossal,
we were very close to Coliseum. And we met with all his stuff
(16:21):
with em and part of his staff wasn't necessarily yo.
And, and this guy that lives here leaving of Science and many
many Mexicans at that time, it'sthe one Moctezuma was part of
the. So a lot of Latino leaders, a
lot of Latino Mexican to make a long story short, that was an
(16:43):
adventure. The, the wonderful adventure for
us that they Vision was was out.It was a huge success that put
our magazine on the map and right after that we started
looking, what else? Hmm.
And then is when we decided, Well, let's do something in the
US, okay? So we started come.
(17:04):
Why why? Why in the US would because we
wanted to do it in South America, Latin America, same
language, same structure and countries.
Same social, social socio-economical, pyramids and
societies, but someone told us, you know, with NAFTA.
Mexico is not going to be very close to Latin America in the
(17:27):
future. So it's going to be closer to
the US and Canada and I think ifyou're like start something it's
better to look north than looks out.
Okay. So yeah that that makes sense.
The only problem is that we don't speak English good but we
can learn. Wow, you speak better.
We're going to learn. And then so we decided to here,
(17:49):
thanks to the relationships thatwe have with a Salinas
government. We knew some of the ambassador's
that were here, not ambassadors consoles, longer here in the US
and we started coming say well we have a new project, we're
going to launch a magazine for Latinos and for Mexicans in the
u.s. so do you know some people?Oh yes of course I can and we
(18:11):
started going to the 42. 243 cities in which Mexico have
consulates of that time, okay. And every single console, not
every single, but most of the consoles will vary.
We're very eager to share with us information and contacts and
people and you should interview these.
So we would come to Dallas and they would say, no, no, you you
(18:33):
should interview, you know, in the side of business, you have
these two or three business owners and Victor Almeida and
Guillermo paralysis and, and Eduardo Diaz.
And then, You go to the advertising, you need to
interview Pete Lattimer, he's there.
So so we had like a like a greatclass or connection build the
(18:55):
training, right? Exactly.
I mean names and every time we went back to Mexico, we were
just started making less than listen everyday, larger until
Madonna database. A talking about that it went up
to 17,000 names at some point and all of them in there.
U.s. mostly all of them in use. Okay, all of them, of course, we
(19:18):
started considering names and people not only from Mexican
descent, right? We started off course, doing all
the Cubans in Miami, all the Puerto Ricans and Dominicans in
New York and New Jersey. And although so we started
including all the community the Latino community.
And of course once you're here, as most had happened with you
(19:38):
you discover that the Hispanic Community is more is more
extended and is more rooted. Yeah, exactly.
There is sick of this, you thinkonly Mexican and US Mexican has
the most, but he sent is not only that, but it's all
ingrained and it's different geography, geography and stuff
like that. Yeah.
So in on November 11 of 1999 in a Starbucks coffee, that was on
(20:01):
57th and 5th, Avenue, New York. Me and my brother took the
decision of launching Latino leaders magazine here.
Wow. And I still remember the day
because we started walking down Fifth Avenue back to our hotel.
Kind of Rating. The idea that we were going to
Embark in a new in a new adventure leader as Mexicanos,
by that time already had like 13, 14 years old, the magazine
(20:23):
was doing great. We were very happy with the
performance. Actually was a very enjoyable
business, I was still independent in Mexico.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
To this day right? Yeah.
Do you say to this day? And we were me and my brother
always did kind of the same. It was not that he took care of
a and I took care of being, we were like very mixed.
So It was easy to separate or not separate but to certain
(20:48):
leaving on him most of the operations in Mexico and it was
easy for me. Start taking over taking the
u.s. operation, a u.s. operation, okay?
And the process lasted like seven years, it was not easy,
the beginning. It was a lot of
interconnections, a lot of things that were that were cross
(21:09):
criss-crossing and for example Administration, Sales at the
beginning role was selling from Mexico.
So you can I started concentrating on Latino leaders
and trying to find those stories.
That would be, you know, that the the initial stories to tell
here. Yes.
And we started discovering greatstories, Francisco.
(21:30):
I mean, every time you, you deepinto into any Market, any City
you found fabulous stories too and tell me something.
So back in 99 and trying to think that's that's I think When
the women's US soccer, team won the World Cup.
Columbine, have happened. What was the ambience as far as
(21:53):
who was telling the story of? I know we had Univision, we have
Telemundo in the u.s. There was no YouTube.
There was no Facebook. There was no Twitter who was
telling these stories other thanyou, like, who was really
highlighting the Latino intrapreneurial stories.
I mean, your story itself. It's wonderful.
(22:13):
What There was your competition.Well, that's, that's a very
interesting question. I've never been asked that
question because it's, and I understand where you're coming
from because you're a media, marketing, executive and in the
Panorama that time was dominatedby the speaking.
The Spanish-speaking media, there is some most of the
Hispanic spending, and most of the, Hispanic advertising.
(22:36):
And media was dominated by the newspapers.
The TV channels and networks in Spanish.
It was barely Barely one or two magazines in English, one or
two. I don't even know if they were
any TV channels already stationsin English for the things
covering custodian of? Yeah.
No, not not covering the storiescovering anything.
(22:57):
Yeah, anything about it. Most most things about the
Latino population were told on the TV networks in Spanish.
Or in the newspapers there was acouple of magazines.
One that I ended up admiring a lot.
What? That was called.
These are Hispanic business, okay?
And the founder was an academic Professor from the University of
(23:20):
California, Santa Barbara calledJesus, Correa make Jesus started
his magazine in in the 80s and he made, he made these magazine
like the very number one title. Okay.
Independent as well, he opened the doors for every single one
that followed Like Us in the print in the Hispanic print
(23:42):
industry in this country. He opened the doors with
advertising agencies, with with advertisers, he introduced me
for example, to, to people from Ford.
Wow, okay. And the people that manage their
baptizing from Ford, which ones at that time, subi advertising,
and there will be no jo Sumi andnot actually was her mother.
(24:04):
Okay? Mother Teresa.
That is so, so, so, but that magazine was more like a
Business magazine. It was like a fortune for, you
know, about business and in the stock market and and things
isn't. It was not necessary about
interviews or covering leaders, he was more business and it was,
(24:29):
he had it has his a little bit of doses about the Hispanic
discriminatory, you know, Bala novel in which all why they
treat us like that, and Hispanicbusiness need to be.
Or observed and more considered and more better evaluated, blah
blah blah. You know, a little bit, a little
bit of a chip on. Yeah, but but immediately Rose
(24:52):
and magazine was good for for many years until they closed.
But it was fantastic, publication, and it certainly
seems that he was somebody that opened the doors for you and
saw. So there was no need to be
afraid of. Let me tell you all of the
advertisers and all of the, all of the agencies were afraid of
him because he was very tough. Yeah, he was Was he was like,
(25:15):
like our African-American brothers are like, no, he
wouldn't he wouldn't come for. He would come to you say, I need
three insertions for My Magazinefrom this client of you or you
will see what happens. Mmm, and he made it real.
I mean, if you, if she didn't get those three pages for his
magazine, you would receive a call from the CEO of your client
(25:38):
saying. Why didn't you advertise in
Hispanic business? Because I didn't consider
important, of course, is important.
So that, so the movements that we are seeing now today of
diversity, equity and inclusion,which is like doing the right
thing, he had that narrative already back then, right?
We have very good relationships with people in Congress, okay?
And in the government, because of course, he was telling the
(26:00):
story and many of those legislators were, for example, I
remember he, he told me the story on how he he forced AT&T
to have. I think it was the first
Corporation, I'm not sure don't quote me on present realities,
but he was AT&T, or he was one of these companies
(26:24):
telecommunications companies, hemade because we see global
maybe. But then Romeo he made one
Congressman to Coal to the CEO of the company and saying you
need to devote 100 million dollars today to open a budget
in your marketing department forHispanic.
Advertising. Only Hispanic advertising.
(26:46):
Well, and I think that happens today really was a letter.
Yeah, nice. He was alert.
So, did you know that they November 11th, 1999?
Did you know that you were like coming into a niche?
Like, you're really going into awhite canvas like an opportunity
of something that was not covered.
It seems to me, so just a littlebit, I came also in 1999 States
(27:10):
and it seemed to me that what was being covered?
At least for Hispanic was a little bit more superficial in
the mainstream media and it seemed that you had a little bit
of what the experience that you had in Mexico.
You had a lot of substance of what you wanted to offer and the
story just want to tell the US. Did you know you were doing that
night? Was it an accident?
Not at all, we were completely unconscious of that but let me
(27:32):
tell you what we started discovering very soon.
You asked me that question before the Panorama once we most
of the budgets and most of the, the And the ideas in the
Hispanic marketing was dominatedby the results of the census of
the 2000. Okay?
That census was the first census.
(27:53):
That was very dramatic in telling how impressive was the
growth of the minorities, especially the Hispanic market
and the projections in the spenda teacher in purchase power, in
population, in purchasing power,all these so that That was, you
(28:14):
know, like like, like eye-opening too many, not only
eye-opening for us once beautiful.
We would enter the advertising agencies and, and we would meet
with the entire media departmentand said, oh, so you are a
Hispanic magazine? Yes, we want three ads, but we
haven't even explained, or not, doesn't matter, we need this.
(28:36):
They had this, they had this mandate from their clients to
find Hispanic media and and, andSpend money on them and there
was not a lot of billable was not enough.
Wow course in especially wish I knew you back then in especially
in the the segment that we were serving.
Yes. Which was the the high end
because as I explained you before the lower ends, the
(28:58):
Spanish-speaking population was already been served by Univision
and Telemundo. Not Telemundo, was not at the
time, but it was as SI n and, and, you know, all these.
Yeah. Yeah.
So so the higher Market that thehigh-end Of the Hispanic market
was under served completely. He was like a three or four
magazines only, right? So we started taking advantage
(29:20):
of that. And then the, for Tia of the
senses and all these diminished by the, by 1900 by 2004 2005.
And then, by the time we were already kind of Consolidated and
we started, you know, pushing tothe agencies.
And we, we passed like three or four years really difficult in
(29:43):
the Crisis of 2008. Yes, but then the new census
came in 2010 and the crisis was over, and there goes again and
you honeymoon. It's a reminder, 11 12, 13, 14.
We're fabulous years for us, in terms of advertising, in terms
of investment and all that. Because, you know, and still the
(30:08):
the don't the, the dominant dialogue in the media was not
Latino. As was not even minorities, it
was just diversity and things like that.
Yeah. But in the recent, the recent
uptick of these, which I which Ithink that the the panda Mia
came to kind of obstruct this a little bit, but you know what
(30:33):
happened? After 2020, with George Floyd
and with them me to movement andall the Discrimination in the
Latinos and all that, plus the senses It is giving us I think
at the beginning of this decade,the 26th a reminder of the
importance of this group's, right?
And the country and the role. And this time, I think it has a
chance of staying longer. Yeah, because it's not only the
(30:56):
sense of who is saying it is. Now many other factors outside
that is telling people and remaining.
As you said correctly, how important and how big is the
opportunity to invest in this market?
Yeah, so I have a hypothesis. One is What's available as far
as publication but serving the Latino community in the u.s.
(31:19):
part of my hypothesis is in the digital, digital outlets, and
platforms, open up a space whereyou could see that true
interests of Latinos, you back in 99.
Even before all this you saw something that perhaps was not
(31:39):
being covered and interesting, within the business real Umm,
but when you talk about the masses things like YouTube,
different Outlets that showed the Latino side of things Beyond
La Piñata and the Maracas and soccer only, which we love
soccer, but we love many more things.
No, Futbol Americano. We Love HBO Etc.
(32:02):
So in a way that's a very improper neural and Visionary
way to start. Did you ever consider expanding
your Niche? Right?
I think, Needs right now is veryclear in leaders and and Latinos
within the u.s. to the mainstream and the masses.
Whether it was music or sports or anything within that space.
(32:27):
Well, I think whoever answer that questions with a know.
This is not like understanding, you know, well, or interpreting
interpreting. Well, what's going on in this
world right now? And what's the future?
I think the future is that definitely, I mean, definitely,
(32:47):
he's going to go on the digital ones.
Going to expand on the Digital Universe has ended and the
virtual worlds of course. But you in, as in every change
in paradigms, in every industry,cars, steel carbon nuclear,
whatever industry you tell me the paradigms they are.
(33:12):
As long as you can attached and as long as you can keep the core
of your business, you can make that business, flourish in every
single platform. So, as I interpret, this is that
we do three things, right? First of all, we are, we are
(33:33):
content creators, right? So, we create contents as you
say, we tell stories, we identify leaders, we interview
them, we have Them to tell our stories, we tell their stories,
we dialogue with them. We recognize their leadership
and all that. So that's a Content creation
that can be applied to any platform.
(33:53):
Hmm. So we're talking about, as we
both learned in school like Marshall mcluhan.
Once said, the the message is that is the medium, the medium,
right? So what do you do, what kind of
media do you choose to to make these?
The message, go through, doesn'tmatter.
(34:15):
The the what important is that content?
The second thing we do is that we make connections, right?
We make ends meet for, for a benefit.
So, we introduce people with others, that's what we have
events. But we also make people that is
being interviewed in a magazine,be read by someone in a
(34:36):
different state, or different city, and they, then maybe they
want to meet each other and to do something connect.
Reconnect for something. Reminds me.
What you doing a little bit withClaudia Romo.
Edelman, who was also a guest inloud and clear and everything
you're doing. Yeah, exactly.
Please. A great connector of, yeah, she
had a great Mason and I think the connections of all these,
(34:59):
all these organizations like ours and I Claudius and like
some others out there that are doing a very good job, is like
they had towards the Hispanic community in this country, like
when you make the The neurons inthe brain.
Connect they create intelligenceor they create memories or
thought. Hmm.
When you make connections among leaders, you create leadership
(35:22):
and you create a future because you are doing you and him
connect to do something that didn't exist before.
Yeah. And that their program produces.
Yeah. And the other thing that I think
we do is that we Inspire and we inspire people, we love to do
Inspire with these stories others.
And to Bring that self-esteem that we we think the Latino
(35:47):
Community is lacking a lot. Yeah.
And that has been one of the most, perhaps biggest biggest
obstacles for for us to develop,but we want to show that what
they say, sees a query that if he can do it, you can do it.
You can do it. No, yeah.
So there's the philosophy. That is awesome.
(36:09):
I think sometimes the pride is there but it's not What kind of
lies in order to be productive, right?
Like the Viva méjico cabrones and the that's great.
But how do you bring that energyinto something that's productive
and something that we can feel Pride, right?
And I think that's those are thethings that you're bringing to
life with with your magazine told the story of these leaders
(36:30):
that not only shout and, you know, jail that they love Mexico
but they put that into action. Let me tell you, let me tell you
just three things that you can discover that can make that
difference. Not only saying, and yell and
green card. And all that one is when, when a
Latino realizes, that you are not only bilingual, you are
(36:54):
bicultural. So, by definition, you can go
right now go to a party or a reunions or a business meeting
in this building with Americans.With other people that are not
bicultural, and you will be the superior being in that room.
Hmm. Because you buy, Will you
understand? You understand two cultures.
(37:15):
You understand two languages? You understand to Attitudes to
two ways of interpreting things,seeing things if you're capable
to be empathetic and only if both sides.
Yes. And you can understand this
point and that point in and and that self that for me, if I were
a company that was that would bevaluable.
(37:36):
I will just ask my HR Director hire only people that are
bicultural not necessary Latino.I mean, Indians
African-Americans Brazilians, I mean whatever.
Yeah, yeah, second second I think that this struggle of York
(37:57):
or of your community and your your your ethnicity has to do
something with with your future.So it could it could drag you
down if you will understand that.
As a passive thing that you havecome on Paseo like Yeah, but if
you if you understand it as an acid, if you see it as an asset
(38:17):
and say, well I am resilient II can go farther because all of
these people haven't suffered the way we have suffered to be
here, right? So just in your case, you were a
Mexican student. That needed to come here.
Learn a new language kind of assimilating this culture and
(38:37):
start understanding what you do.You need to do compared to a kid
that could come from. Dumbass right now, the airport
and the it was not the same. You you came from from I want to
say look from a different place.I've had to overcome certain
challenges or things than the other.
Yeah and that makes you more capable.
That's interesting because rightnow as we are talking about
(39:00):
recession and things that are going on the market today, you
know in 20 23 January, 20 23, the the we have discussed how
Hispanics or Latinos tend to be more optimistic.
The Mystic and a lot of it has to do because they've been or
their parents been in situationswhere there's been hardship and
they always have the positive attitude to say we will overcome
(39:23):
or will get out of this, right? So now we optimistic sign.
Yes. And not not the drum aside.
Oh my God. I'm doing because I don't have
an education or my parents didn't go to the university.
Yeah it's the other way and the third one is the bright future
that we are starting to hear more often.
Day about. What is this country going in,
(39:47):
regards the minorities and especially in the Hispanic
Community is. I mean, it's undeniable that the
future is for the people that understand that.
Yes. So and that's a great segue
because one of the questions that I had for you, in
particular having vision, and just gave me a gift, a book
(40:07):
where it says, or story in 100 images, which is just 100 of
your top leaders. Is that you have interviewed but
this gives you great insight into not only what's happening
like talking to all of these leaders and understanding how
businesses and the trends. But what's going to happen?
And I would like to divide that into questions one is what is
(40:28):
your vision of what's going to happen?
It seems that we should be optimistic as Latinos but also
as Americans and and also, you know, a little bit of the
objective of this podcast, whichis as ad agencies.
What drove Do we play in that inthat future?
What can we do better? How can we challenge ourselves
(40:48):
more? Well, okay, so let's go to the
first one. I think the stories of the
Latino Community our heroic compared, to other countries,
because most of them started farbelow of the standards of the
usual leadership. So that gives them an advantage
(41:09):
to noting the the Write the bright side of that is that?
Yeah. If you understand this
resilience and you learn from your, you're passing your
ancestors and your culture and you feel well equipped and well
trained and motivated to do, youwould be a better leader and you
will be able to, to win battles that maybe other people won't be
(41:35):
winning as easy. The dark side, and my concern.
And that is really a concern. Is that they Younger generations
of Latinos transform, or become as a younger generations of
Americans. And and the lat the Latin
necessity, if you will be lost in the generations and you bunch
(41:58):
of on Sundays or punch or Jorge Ramirez, won't be different in a
few years. We won't have that it exactly.
They won't have that those characteristics that made your
father or your Previous generations.
So special, right, right. So if the new generations need
(42:18):
to understand that and need to keep that part of life, to be
able to keep having that Advantage.
Yes. Now the the advertising
agencies. I think that I think I am a
believer that the other taxing agencies were very responsible
in the story of media to invent.Media.
(42:43):
I mean, it was we can tell a lotof Stories on how I need for
marketing ended up creating a Channel of communication.
Hmm, TV radio, I mean all that they're in a whale has all the
shows that we're creating enoughalready, right?
Yeah, rather gamble, where to promote products were to promote
(43:03):
things in the media, in the TV's, wasn't this guy normally
from normally associate with in Mexico, who told Old Emilio
azcárraga how to how to sell thesoap opera, you divided by
three, and you make three interruptions for commercial or
three need to say, you put, you put three commercials are for
(43:25):
commercials of 20 seconds each and that gives you half an hour.
So, that map was made in an advertising agency because I
didn't know that meat, it neededto to advertising TV and, and
so. So, first of all, I think
advertising agencies especially The ones that were founded?
No, I mean, all of them because every generation has had its
(43:47):
Geniuses, and it's real Pioneershas a lot to do with being a lot
to do with the creation of media.
So I think that is one many veryimportant thing now.
What is very difficult right nowand I need to tell you these are
in will confess that Whoever knows, that's my opinion.
(44:11):
Yes, this form. Where the future of the Hispanic
marketing is, I think is lying, I think.
Now you the agencies that are active and are leading, this
industry are the ones responsible for for creating or
(44:31):
inventing, what is going to be effective to Market to the
Future generations of Latinos? Okay?
And I don't think no pressure. No me anything.
Yes, and I don't think many people has a cool on that,
right? I eat all my experience talking
and having this serious talks with advertisers and marketers
(44:53):
and even people from the client side on the business side, and
the business side is a, there's a lot of uncertainty.
There's a lot of of things that have not been yet defined or
have been studied enough and I don't know and you can see that
for example in the political Arena and you can see that how
(45:15):
both parties have been really, really struggling to capture the
vote of Latinos, and none of them has can say, oh, I wondered
why I have won the battle for Latinos.
No. Hmm, they are.
Like 50/50 is, it's also hard. You try to naturally bucket them
on the same and within the Latino, there's a spectrum of
(45:38):
beliefs on. Thoughts, right?
Like there's when you talk aboutpolitics, there's left and right
and anything in between the Middle, right?
Yeah. And and and then you want to add
to that the different ethnicities, the different ages,
the different parts of the country where they leave, the
different level of a simulations.
They have the different level of, for example, in my own
(46:00):
household, I am married and my kids were born here so where
they were Americans by board birth.
By birth, but when the opportunity to, to do the our
naturalization process me and mywife, she did it before because
I was not convinced that I wanted to do it.
(46:22):
I was still resisting right? When I or or not resisting, but
may be proclaimed in India Clinton to your decision.
Yeah, that I didn't want to to, to have and he lasted quite some
time, too. You know, be convinced that
yeah, I need to have both nationalities and because I
(46:44):
don't want to resign to be in a Mexican but of course, I need to
embrace my my my country where Ido business with my kids were
born and I think it's a great opportunity is your wife's
background. She Mexican Mexican.
Oh yeah, yeah. So we we came here.
Just marry them kids, incredible.
But I think that's if you have, I said that because that's an
(47:07):
illustration on And how complex our Latinos these days.
Yeah. When in a single household you
have two different views on their own future.
I used to argue that the difference between Mexican
immigrants and the rest of the Latino immigrants where that
(47:29):
most Mexicans were not planning to stay here forever.
So they would come here. They want to work.
They want to Create wealth, savemoney, send money to Mexico with
a dream to come back with the dream to some time.
Go back to my little town by a house to my mother and be there
(47:51):
may be having a school or a street named after me because I
donated something for the park or the public library or for the
Mercado De La Plaza, was never really me because I did all
these donations and I am kind ofa little hero there that if you
ask me. That is a huge Ambition, no,
ambition of many Latinos, that come here and work hard that,
(48:14):
and they don't plan to be like, yeah, I want to stay in America.
No, no, yeah, yeah, that's a huge difference, Francisco.
And you say, okay, how do you, how do you sell to those people
that I take, I take from this, that one of the biggest
challenges as leaders and as marketers, I think I think a lot
of the leaders you talk to have built businesses of on a certain
(48:36):
Niche or Neath of the Edit. So they probably have a Clear
Vision but as we try to communicate and some of our
clients, from what we call the General market or the mainstream
us come to us and they try to put Latinos in a niche, it's
more complicated than that, right?
It's the spectrum is too wise and there's too many options.
(48:58):
So you do almost treated on a cases case-by-case basis, right?
Please, my case. Now the question I think the
question is what will happen with the Get that agencies, are
they going to assimilate and especially the high end of the
Hispanic Community? Is it going to be still being
treated as just General market? Just because they understand
(49:22):
English and reading English as well as the others or it is
going to be something specifically directed to these
kind of people that appeals to them, for some certain reasons
that is not as appealing for Quite yeah guy can give you a
partial answer to that which is as you try to connect with these
(49:45):
groups. You use the steak language as a
tool to make a deeper connectionwith them so you might identify
them and say okay well maybe theSpanish language is a tool.
We could use in this case maybe it's a passion right?
Whether its food or music or so that means that those are things
that we're constantly talking with our clients and probably
you're finding out also with therelationships that you've built.
(50:08):
Well, the bigger call out of trying to unite and network and
tell the stories of this Latino leaders and the people they
represent because not only the leaders, you target, the
representing thousands and thousands of people.
I think it's a quest that's interesting in the next decade.
Yeah. And that you started, you know,
two decades ago. Yeah.
(50:29):
And you know what, what I have discovered that is a clue and I
think it's reflected in most of the interviews is that all these
people that we have interviewed had realized that they have came
to a country in which their dreams can come true.
And that, that welcomes them on on a, on a basis of hard work
(50:56):
and in rule of law and that is invaluable for many of these
people coming. Not only from Mexico, brought
from other parts of Latin America.
That is the the wonderful thing about this country.
And I think that the Latino nation in this country, should
emerge in 20, 30 40, 50 years asa very special Nation within the
(51:22):
u.s. that that could be like thenation or the community that
that that elevates or keeps elevating this country into
being one of the largest and most important.
Three syllables. Clear, the world.
The country of the I think. I sincerely believe that.
(51:43):
Yeah, because they they have come for these and they have
found what they have come to look for ya.
So Cory, I've enjoyed so much talking to you as a last
question. I wanted to ask you, if you were
as almost like what I see and your story as a rebel, finding a
niche and being Independent Media property.
(52:06):
What advice would you give to Mainstream media.
What are you seeing that you like what you see in the future?
I know they have gone out and bought digital properties.
They made alliances stuff like that.
You as a successful publisher and media property owner, what
would you tell them? Say, hey to get more in touch
(52:28):
with the people know that there was really happening on the
streets? I think Francisco.
And I think that's a very interesting question because no
one, no one asks that especiallyto Media people.
Well, because media people seem to be always very convinced on
what we are doing, right? So, so you don't dare to ask the
(52:48):
producer of Fox 5 News, what else could we do?
And he will tell you, I'm doing,you know, my question is no but
I think that, you know, I have have the privilege in all my 34
years as a journalist to be reporting on positive
journalism. I don't have to depend on crimes
(53:09):
or tragedies or or scandals to make my magazine sale.
So if if the large media companies can change a little
bit, The Narrative of their shows, both entertainment shows
or like the ministry reason, yougo to the miniseries and all of
them are about narcos or about crime and bullets and, and, you
(53:34):
know, but but if you if you I could do something to start
changing the mood of people and and changing a little bit, The
Narrative to make the the media,reflect a brighter and happier
side of our world, that has it. I think it would be greatly
(53:55):
appreciated and at the beginningmight be a little bit naive if
you will but at the end it will be more better consumed that
media those stories than the Like horrible stories that we
are accustomed to see, especially coming out from just
emerging from this pandemic, in which every single day you were
(54:15):
being reported, how many new people sick?
How many deaths, how many peoplein hospitals?
How many people are tired? Laters matching two years of
that people are. Yeah, I think there's
definitely. That's, that's a good answer.
I've I didn't think think of it that way.
I think there's still many love stories to be told many.
(54:37):
Successful stories to be told and I think yours is one of
them. So thank you for coming and
sharing with us these stories. I really appreciate you taking
the time to come across town andsit down our offices and and
talk like I miss this normally. We've been doing this through
teams or soon anything you wouldlike to close with.
(54:58):
Just say, thank you and your company for what you're doing.
I really admired what you and let Emma team are doing.
I think like one year. Boss are really good Visionaries
and I think that that you are really.
You have something that in the future will be, you know,
understood as a pioneering work.Hopefully, and just just say
(55:24):
that if you are Latino and you're listening to this podcast
Francisco, I think we should allbe proud because it's not easy
to come to this country. There's a lot of competition,
but View. If you think you can make it
here, I think is a great countryto not only realize or or
(55:45):
execute success for yourself, but when you succeed yourself,
you are at the same time, makingthe Latino Community succeed.
So dream big and the sky's the limit, amazing, love it.
And if you're listening is the Jorge, if anybody wants to get
in contact with you, what would be the best way to do that?
Well, my email very is Jennifer rice at Latino leaders.com.
(56:11):
It's, I think it's easy. Yeah, I know you're in social
media, right? Yes.
I'm social media whore, comprising, Facebook, and, and
photographer has also Instagram,or you can go to our Latino
leaders.com website and you willfind are all the contacts and
all the things to contact us on.That would be amazing.
Well, this is, this is the fifthseason.
(56:33):
Now, the first episode of loud and Here we start big with
horrify rice, great leader, great entrepreneur and
Visionary. I was already impressed when I
invited you. I'm more impressed now after
hearing your story, they'll be more episodes to come.
We appreciate you being here. Look for us, Letterman
(56:55):
underscore Agency on Twitter. Let my agency.com.
We have all of the episodes of this podcast there and we'll see
you on the Super Bowl is January.
And we're going to have a coupleof spots.
Are so we're excited about what's to come.
We're excited about what we're building.
So thank you, Jorge. Thank you to the audience will
be on the lookout gracias. Are so we're excited about
what's to come. We're excited about what we're
building. So thank you, Jorge.
Thank you to the audience will be on the lookout gracias.
I don't have to the band on crimes or tragedies or or
scandals to make my magazine sale.
First of all we are, we we are content creators.
The second thing we do is that we make connections, right?
We make ends meet for, for a benefit.
(00:22):
So we introduce people with others.
The third thing that I was telling you is that we like to
say we spice Our people so dream, big and the sky's the
limit. Welcome to loud and clear on its
(00:48):
50s on. This is episode 1 of the podcast
produced for those who give a share of our advertising and
marketing. I am your host, Francisco,
Cardenas principle of digital integration.
At our Multicultural, Elad agency Lerma on the controls, we
have r03s creative, technologist, producer, and
rock, and roller. Today, our guest is a leader,
(01:10):
amongst leaders, he is Latino and intrapreneur a dreammaker.
And one of the best storytellersfor Latino leaders in the United
States. He has been doing this for 30
years and his name is Jorge, rice.
Mexican founder of Latino leaders Magazine with his
brother Raul. Together, they've created media
(01:31):
properties that stood apart fromthe mainstream, their mission is
to connect leaders and Inspire the future.
Jorge leads several Publications.
Both in the u.s. and Mexico under the flagship sarai's
publication group. I can't wait to get in the weeds
with Jorge and get to know his story.
(01:51):
What inspired him? What Muslim and what is next?
He covers areas like franchise industry Latino Elves, corporate
companies, Latinos on, corporateboards, and special events.
He's here with us at Lerma headquarters in Dallas, Texas.
Now, full disclosure Pete, learnour founder was awarded the
(02:12):
2022. Dallas my gesture recognition by
Latino leaders magazine, and hisstory was future just recently.
So thank you for that. Jorge and welcome, welcome to
the larimar headquarters here inDallas.
Thank you Francisco my pleasure and I really feel humbled about
what Are saying about me, and I just want to start by saying
(02:33):
that I do give a shit about advertising and marketing
because that has been part of mylife, very important.
And you have been a great part of it, as far as they Latino and
how it has evolved throughout the years in the United States.
Yeah, yeah. It's been a great adventure and
seeing how particularly these part of the market of the
(02:55):
Hispanic market advertising and marketing has changed.
I would say. He has a bolt.
Yes, and has transformed itself.That is gorgeously in many
senses. Yes.
Entire businesses have based their model in the Latino and
Hispanic audience and Communications and advertising
has not been excluded from that naturally, right?
(03:17):
And billions of dollars have been spent on under the name of
Hispanic marketing sometimes with a good reason and a good
justification, some others, not that.
So, Yeah, but but still has beena huge, a huge stream inside the
Devolution of the marketing in this country.
(03:38):
Yeah. How long have you been in the
United States over 22 years? Can you tell us, you know, if we
start at the beginning, can you tell us a little bit your story
and what what made you come witha very unique Vision?
Even at the time right to get started, Latino leaders
magazine, of course. Yeah, yeah, no.
(03:58):
And thank you for For the urine,in the invitation, I am.
I'm not least in Seattle, and ciencias a communication and
yeah, I don't know say it in English because there's no such
which will be the same as a bachelor's degree here.
I shouldn't look really cases communication, something like
that. But that was my passion since I
(04:21):
was like 12 or 14 years old always on the marketing and
advertising and always, you know, doing things.
I used to do commercials with mycousins and up in a Super 8
camera, you know, Andy and make them act like if they were like
doing Something. And then I directed plays and
musicals with my friends and so you were always been a
(04:41):
Storyteller since like, yeah, they might my parents gave me a
tape recorder when I was like eight or nine years old.
And I used to record myself singing or doing like radio
transmission saying, hey this isheart of a rice and I welcome
you to LOL. So I dreamed about being a, you
(05:03):
do have the name of the radio personality not so it's a good
name for her. I personally don't really make
it over here. Advice is always giving me a lot
of problems. But no, you know, after I mean
after college, my brother who was a year and a half younger
than me, we decide we were we have always been very close in
(05:24):
and we have you know we shared alot of friends circles and
things like that we decided to do something on on ourselves.
Okay. I was by the time working at the
ladies AA very large a small company.
Media companies, huge, you know,in America.
And I was producing the novellasand I was producing Musical
(05:44):
shows, and in musical groups, and I was fascinated, you have
event that we might know the No,No II, never performed.
I always was on the, on the backstage, you know, producing
or or directing the tour's things like that.
But, but, but at some point, Oneof my bosses told me, you know
(06:08):
you need to you need to quit theVisa and start doing your own
stuff and say why I'm so happy. I'm about to get, you know,
graduated from college and I cannow be full-time producer.
I love this profession and all that Tommy.
Yeah, but you are more a person that would be a better business
(06:29):
owner and and start something byby Zone.
Wow, what an amazing. And in Hawaii we have Nice me
and he actually kind of force meto to resign.
And I went to my brother said, you know what I'm free.
Let's do something in my town. They call that firing us.
Okay. Well that's mainly gunfire you
(06:50):
Royal yes firing you right to dosomething and by the way we are
still very friends with that boss of mine, you should be
thankful. We don't know.
I mean huge, he did a huge favorto me write that side.
So with this, We me and her brother starting, figuring out
(07:10):
what to do, we didn't have moneyto start a radio station, not a
TV station, not even a newspaper.
So, the only thing that we couldafford was a magazine, okay?
Because he was once a month, youknow?
So we needed to get enough advertisers to pay for the
printer and the writers and the photographs photographers and in
all that for only once a month. So that, that started and we
(07:33):
started doing these little pamphlets, if you will, That you
that we used to distribute for free.
How's my house under the garage door, every Saturday or every
and they still in Mexico or already here in the days?
What them that was in Mexico City and we started one called a
bitter legal, another one calledPolanco and another one called
Las Lomas which is different areas from different as we don't
(07:56):
lose. Exactly.
Mexico City and after like two or three years doing that, we
can all learn a little bit aboutthe industry of magazines.
And how do you sell to advertisers?
And what What do they want? And what another time we would
do, you use advertising agencieswith just went directly to the
owner of the floors flower shop,with the owner of the grocery
(08:16):
store, the owner of the gasolinearea, their gas station whatever
and they would buy from us. So but but in doing these, we
became friends of a very famous host, radio host.
At that time he was huge in terms of audience and all that
and we did an interview with himand he got Resetting the project
(08:37):
and what are you doing? And blah, blah, blah.
And we started talking about about launching a larger
magazine, interviewing personalities and famous people
and all that and he was very very interested in in advising
us and being know. So with that without a vice in
with, I think we started thinking of a magazine called
(08:59):
leaders Mexicanos nice and it was 1990 or something like that
later on. For other circumstances, he
couldn't join us in in the partnership because he was not
allowed to partner with anyone. She was locked into the deal, he
had yes. It was locked into the, into his
(09:19):
employment because he was an employee of a company.
And so me and my brother were just ourselves by ourselves and
we started that magazine. But but, you know, in the way,
we started meeting a lot of people that Like the project and
would say, okay yeah I got a lotto give you an interview and by
(09:41):
the way I can introduce you to such and such for I can
introduce you do, have you met with full and Ito or with starts
connecting and we started connecting and one door, open
the other one and the other one and then a good experience of a
good interview and a good addition with nice photos and
nice. And I story, you know what's
enough to for someone to pick the phone and say, Hey I want to
(10:04):
introduce you. My friends for us Brothers.
They They're doing this magazine.
That looks very nice, they just interview me.
You should meet with them and then let you let them interview.
And so the ball started start rolling rolling was Mexico, a
good training ground for what you did, then in that room
United States, we we learned a lot on how to open doors for
(10:25):
interviews, but we also learn the, the pain and the pain Rod
Road for the advertising agencies.
Ring. And and at that time, we
understood that we couldn't sailto the clients the record
anymore because of the amounts. And because of that.
So we started dealing with advertising agencies, okay?
(10:47):
That was, that was, you know, welearned a lot there and we
always kept a good portion of our clients that were buying US
Direct. Of course, the advertising
agencies were huge at that time.And they were, they were remain
is a better Revenue stream for you, thanks.
Yeah. So, so We did that.
And in one of those passages, westarted dreaming with publishing
(11:13):
a story about a president of Mexico.
That was very important, that just signed the, the NAFTA, the
first NAFTA, with Bush senior and Christian in Canada. 70,
Salinas Carlos Salinas. Yes.
And we decided to make a story on him and then while doing his
story, We propose these two rowspenis, which is a quite helpful
(11:35):
in Mexico. And they told us the president
do not allow interviews, but if you want to write a story about
him, we can give you informationand we can hear blah, blah,
blah, introducing some people. Yeah, let's do that.
So we kept going and going and going and every time we could
meet about about the president, with someone else and at some
(11:58):
point we were, we weren't lying,but we were using a very
powerful true. So, we would, we would call the
Vittorio, de acción de. I would say where we're writing
an article about President Salinas, and we need to talk to
you. Who say no right so they would
say yes if we started reviewing very high-profile people, so it
(12:20):
wasn't a lie. It was just a truth that opened
doors, right? Yes.
So by the time that we ended thestory was very well written very
well researched. We have interviewed, not only
the cabinet, but his brother, his father, his constant, she's
the Inner Circle. Well, we said, well, the only
(12:43):
thing that is missing Here is really an interview with him, so
we send a text to Los Pinos requesting, the opportunity and
they say, well okay, send us a couple of questions and we will
see that the president asked those questions for you.
We did that, but we kept insisting in, on a live
interview or something like that.
And one of these days they they say well, okay, I mean the
(13:06):
president wants to know you, so he invited us to to both been,
no, no. We Invited us to tour, okay?
He in his administration he would tour the country every
Thursday Friday and Saturday. So every Thursday, the Air
Force, One of Mexico would take off from Mexico City's airport
(13:29):
and would take the president to Chiapas.
And then she wow and then Yucatan and then Acapulco.
And then an opening a new bridgehere, and then talking to the
communities, they're doing things that the president is
doing meeting with governors. Things like that in here and the
trip would last for two nights. Okay?
And on Saturday mornings he would come back to Mexico City.
(13:51):
So he invited us to do that trip.
And during the trip, he invited to invited us to talk to him and
so we could maybe convince him of the interview and we did that
and of course me and my bro I was like 25 years old, he was
like 24. So we were saying I got.
This is like a dream for us traveling with the president of
(14:11):
our country, you know everywhereand It was really, really a
highlighting. And yeah, and not only do they
more after so many years. Yeah.
And not only the president, you travel with the elite of the
Mexican, not only the stuff, youdo.
You travel with ambassadors withbusiness owners.
I mean, we met Carlos. Slim we met there.
(14:33):
I mean, I can consent just narrow we met their violent.
India's Modo, I mean, in the trip and the good thing is that
if the president introduces you to him, or to them, then, You're
not good. You're in good standing.
Actually, one of those. One of those trips.
The president told us I want I because we ended up doing many
fruits with him, okay. Because we convinced him about
(14:55):
the interview on the biography and we said now we need like
four trips and we need to talk to you and kind of make notes on
how you work and all that and hestarted loving that and then you
one of those trips. He said, by the way, I need you
to meet with a very brilliant. Ian politician young man, very
(15:16):
energetic. Kind of like you too.
That's why I want you to meet and then we enter the plane.
And it was this man was there ina corner sitting and he told us
I want you to meet with them at the colosio.
We don't know local laws. You can you tell the audience
that doesn't know who lived on anybody?
He was the candidate presidential candidate that was
(15:39):
assassinated during the campaignin opposition to His regime or
who today is Carlos. Salinas De Carlos Salinas.
If I remember correctly, that was 23rd of March 23rd of March.
Yes, that's correct over there. Yeah, you do you wanna so, you
know, we met a very good friendship with lose an
(16:00):
illusion, very good one. Actually, we were already
working on some things for say, the soul and for, you know, one
of these government organizations in Mexico, when he
started the campaign and And we during the campaign of colossal,
we were very close to Coliseum. And we met with all his stuff
(16:21):
with em and part of his staff wasn't necessarily yo.
And, and this guy that lives here leaving of Science and many
many Mexicans at that time, it'sthe one Moctezuma was part of
the. So a lot of Latino leaders, a
lot of Latino Mexican to make a long story short, that was an
(16:43):
adventure. The, the wonderful adventure for
us that they Vision was was out.It was a huge success that put
our magazine on the map and right after that we started
looking, what else? Hmm.
And then is when we decided, Well, let's do something in the
US, okay? So we started come.
(17:04):
Why why? Why in the US would because we
wanted to do it in South America, Latin America, same
language, same structure and countries.
Same social, social socio-economical, pyramids and
societies, but someone told us, you know, with NAFTA.
Mexico is not going to be very close to Latin America in the
(17:27):
future. So it's going to be closer to
the US and Canada and I think ifyou're like start something it's
better to look north than looks out.
Okay. So yeah that that makes sense.
The only problem is that we don't speak English good but we
can learn. Wow, you speak better.
We're going to learn. And then so we decided to here,
(17:49):
thanks to the relationships thatwe have with a Salinas
government. We knew some of the ambassador's
that were here, not ambassadors consoles, longer here in the US
and we started coming say well we have a new project, we're
going to launch a magazine for Latinos and for Mexicans in the
u.s. so do you know some people?Oh yes of course I can and we
(18:11):
started going to the 42. 243 cities in which Mexico have
consulates of that time, okay. And every single console, not
every single, but most of the consoles will vary.
We're very eager to share with us information and contacts and
people and you should interview these.
So we would come to Dallas and they would say, no, no, you you
(18:33):
should interview, you know, in the side of business, you have
these two or three business owners and Victor Almeida and
Guillermo paralysis and, and Eduardo Diaz.
And then, You go to the advertising, you need to
interview Pete Lattimer, he's there.
So so we had like a like a greatclass or connection build the
(18:55):
training, right? Exactly.
I mean names and every time we went back to Mexico, we were
just started making less than listen everyday, larger until
Madonna database. A talking about that it went up
to 17,000 names at some point and all of them in there.
U.s. mostly all of them in use. Okay, all of them, of course, we
(19:18):
started considering names and people not only from Mexican
descent, right? We started off course, doing all
the Cubans in Miami, all the Puerto Ricans and Dominicans in
New York and New Jersey. And although so we started
including all the community the Latino community.
And of course once you're here, as most had happened with you
(19:38):
you discover that the Hispanic Community is more is more
extended and is more rooted. Yeah, exactly.
There is sick of this, you thinkonly Mexican and US Mexican has
the most, but he sent is not only that, but it's all
ingrained and it's different geography, geography and stuff
like that. Yeah.
So in on November 11 of 1999 in a Starbucks coffee, that was on
(20:01):
57th and 5th, Avenue, New York. Me and my brother took the
decision of launching Latino leaders magazine here.
Wow. And I still remember the day
because we started walking down Fifth Avenue back to our hotel.
Kind of Rating. The idea that we were going to
Embark in a new in a new adventure leader as Mexicanos,
by that time already had like 13, 14 years old, the magazine
(20:23):
was doing great. We were very happy with the
performance. Actually was a very enjoyable
business, I was still independent in Mexico.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
To this day right? Yeah.
Do you say to this day? And we were me and my brother
always did kind of the same. It was not that he took care of
a and I took care of being, we were like very mixed.
So It was easy to separate or not separate but to certain
(20:48):
leaving on him most of the operations in Mexico and it was
easy for me. Start taking over taking the
u.s. operation, a u.s. operation, okay?
And the process lasted like seven years, it was not easy,
the beginning. It was a lot of
interconnections, a lot of things that were that were cross
(21:09):
criss-crossing and for example Administration, Sales at the
beginning role was selling from Mexico.
So you can I started concentrating on Latino leaders
and trying to find those stories.
That would be, you know, that the the initial stories to tell
here. Yes.
And we started discovering greatstories, Francisco.
(21:30):
I mean, every time you, you deepinto into any Market, any City
you found fabulous stories too and tell me something.
So back in 99 and trying to think that's that's I think When
the women's US soccer, team won the World Cup.
Columbine, have happened. What was the ambience as far as
(21:53):
who was telling the story of? I know we had Univision, we have
Telemundo in the u.s. There was no YouTube.
There was no Facebook. There was no Twitter who was
telling these stories other thanyou, like, who was really
highlighting the Latino intrapreneurial stories.
I mean, your story itself. It's wonderful.
(22:13):
What There was your competition.Well, that's, that's a very
interesting question. I've never been asked that
question because it's, and I understand where you're coming
from because you're a media, marketing, executive and in the
Panorama that time was dominatedby the speaking.
The Spanish-speaking media, there is some most of the
Hispanic spending, and most of the, Hispanic advertising.
(22:36):
And media was dominated by the newspapers.
The TV channels and networks in Spanish.
It was barely Barely one or two magazines in English, one or
two. I don't even know if they were
any TV channels already stationsin English for the things
covering custodian of? Yeah.
No, not not covering the storiescovering anything.
(22:57):
Yeah, anything about it. Most most things about the
Latino population were told on the TV networks in Spanish.
Or in the newspapers there was acouple of magazines.
One that I ended up admiring a lot.
What? That was called.
These are Hispanic business, okay?
And the founder was an academic Professor from the University of
(23:20):
California, Santa Barbara calledJesus, Correa make Jesus started
his magazine in in the 80s and he made, he made these magazine
like the very number one title. Okay.
Independent as well, he opened the doors for every single one
that followed Like Us in the print in the Hispanic print
(23:42):
industry in this country. He opened the doors with
advertising agencies, with with advertisers, he introduced me
for example, to, to people from Ford.
Wow, okay. And the people that manage their
baptizing from Ford, which ones at that time, subi advertising,
and there will be no jo Sumi andnot actually was her mother.
(24:04):
Okay? Mother Teresa.
That is so, so, so, but that magazine was more like a
Business magazine. It was like a fortune for, you
know, about business and in the stock market and and things
isn't. It was not necessary about
interviews or covering leaders, he was more business and it was,
(24:29):
he had it has his a little bit of doses about the Hispanic
discriminatory, you know, Bala novel in which all why they
treat us like that, and Hispanicbusiness need to be.
Or observed and more considered and more better evaluated, blah
blah blah. You know, a little bit, a little
bit of a chip on. Yeah, but but immediately Rose
(24:52):
and magazine was good for for many years until they closed.
But it was fantastic, publication, and it certainly
seems that he was somebody that opened the doors for you and
saw. So there was no need to be
afraid of. Let me tell you all of the
advertisers and all of the, all of the agencies were afraid of
him because he was very tough. Yeah, he was Was he was like,
(25:15):
like our African-American brothers are like, no, he
wouldn't he wouldn't come for. He would come to you say, I need
three insertions for My Magazinefrom this client of you or you
will see what happens. Mmm, and he made it real.
I mean, if you, if she didn't get those three pages for his
magazine, you would receive a call from the CEO of your client
(25:38):
saying. Why didn't you advertise in
Hispanic business? Because I didn't consider
important, of course, is important.
So that, so the movements that we are seeing now today of
diversity, equity and inclusion,which is like doing the right
thing, he had that narrative already back then, right?
We have very good relationships with people in Congress, okay?
And in the government, because of course, he was telling the
(26:00):
story and many of those legislators were, for example, I
remember he, he told me the story on how he he forced AT&T
to have. I think it was the first
Corporation, I'm not sure don't quote me on present realities,
but he was AT&T, or he was one of these companies
(26:24):
telecommunications companies, hemade because we see global
maybe. But then Romeo he made one
Congressman to Coal to the CEO of the company and saying you
need to devote 100 million dollars today to open a budget
in your marketing department forHispanic.
Advertising. Only Hispanic advertising.
(26:46):
Well, and I think that happens today really was a letter.
Yeah, nice. He was alert.
So, did you know that they November 11th, 1999?
Did you know that you were like coming into a niche?
Like, you're really going into awhite canvas like an opportunity
of something that was not covered.
It seems to me, so just a littlebit, I came also in 1999 States
(27:10):
and it seemed to me that what was being covered?
At least for Hispanic was a little bit more superficial in
the mainstream media and it seemed that you had a little bit
of what the experience that you had in Mexico.
You had a lot of substance of what you wanted to offer and the
story just want to tell the US. Did you know you were doing that
night? Was it an accident?
Not at all, we were completely unconscious of that but let me
(27:32):
tell you what we started discovering very soon.
You asked me that question before the Panorama once we most
of the budgets and most of the, the And the ideas in the
Hispanic marketing was dominatedby the results of the census of
the 2000. Okay?
That census was the first census.
(27:53):
That was very dramatic in telling how impressive was the
growth of the minorities, especially the Hispanic market
and the projections in the spenda teacher in purchase power, in
population, in purchasing power,all these so that That was, you
(28:14):
know, like like, like eye-opening too many, not only
eye-opening for us once beautiful.
We would enter the advertising agencies and, and we would meet
with the entire media departmentand said, oh, so you are a
Hispanic magazine? Yes, we want three ads, but we
haven't even explained, or not, doesn't matter, we need this.
(28:36):
They had this, they had this mandate from their clients to
find Hispanic media and and, andSpend money on them and there
was not a lot of billable was not enough.
Wow course in especially wish I knew you back then in especially
in the the segment that we were serving.
Yes. Which was the the high end
because as I explained you before the lower ends, the
(28:58):
Spanish-speaking population was already been served by Univision
and Telemundo. Not Telemundo, was not at the
time, but it was as SI n and, and, you know, all these.
Yeah. Yeah.
So so the higher Market that thehigh-end Of the Hispanic market
was under served completely. He was like a three or four
magazines only, right? So we started taking advantage
(29:20):
of that. And then the, for Tia of the
senses and all these diminished by the, by 1900 by 2004 2005.
And then, by the time we were already kind of Consolidated and
we started, you know, pushing tothe agencies.
And we, we passed like three or four years really difficult in
(29:43):
the Crisis of 2008. Yes, but then the new census
came in 2010 and the crisis was over, and there goes again and
you honeymoon. It's a reminder, 11 12, 13, 14.
We're fabulous years for us, in terms of advertising, in terms
of investment and all that. Because, you know, and still the
(30:08):
the don't the, the dominant dialogue in the media was not
Latino. As was not even minorities, it
was just diversity and things like that.
Yeah. But in the recent, the recent
uptick of these, which I which Ithink that the the panda Mia
came to kind of obstruct this a little bit, but you know what
(30:33):
happened? After 2020, with George Floyd
and with them me to movement andall the Discrimination in the
Latinos and all that, plus the senses It is giving us I think
at the beginning of this decade,the 26th a reminder of the
importance of this group's, right?
And the country and the role. And this time, I think it has a
chance of staying longer. Yeah, because it's not only the
(30:56):
sense of who is saying it is. Now many other factors outside
that is telling people and remaining.
As you said correctly, how important and how big is the
opportunity to invest in this market?
Yeah, so I have a hypothesis. One is What's available as far
as publication but serving the Latino community in the u.s.
(31:19):
part of my hypothesis is in the digital, digital outlets, and
platforms, open up a space whereyou could see that true
interests of Latinos, you back in 99.
Even before all this you saw something that perhaps was not
(31:39):
being covered and interesting, within the business real Umm,
but when you talk about the masses things like YouTube,
different Outlets that showed the Latino side of things Beyond
La Piñata and the Maracas and soccer only, which we love
soccer, but we love many more things.
No, Futbol Americano. We Love HBO Etc.
(32:02):
So in a way that's a very improper neural and Visionary
way to start. Did you ever consider expanding
your Niche? Right?
I think, Needs right now is veryclear in leaders and and Latinos
within the u.s. to the mainstream and the masses.
Whether it was music or sports or anything within that space.
(32:27):
Well, I think whoever answer that questions with a know.
This is not like understanding, you know, well, or interpreting
interpreting. Well, what's going on in this
world right now? And what's the future?
I think the future is that definitely, I mean, definitely,
(32:47):
he's going to go on the digital ones.
Going to expand on the Digital Universe has ended and the
virtual worlds of course. But you in, as in every change
in paradigms, in every industry,cars, steel carbon nuclear,
whatever industry you tell me the paradigms they are.
(33:12):
As long as you can attached and as long as you can keep the core
of your business, you can make that business, flourish in every
single platform. So, as I interpret, this is that
we do three things, right? First of all, we are, we are
(33:33):
content creators, right? So, we create contents as you
say, we tell stories, we identify leaders, we interview
them, we have Them to tell our stories, we tell their stories,
we dialogue with them. We recognize their leadership
and all that. So that's a Content creation
that can be applied to any platform.
(33:53):
Hmm. So we're talking about, as we
both learned in school like Marshall mcluhan.
Once said, the the message is that is the medium, the medium,
right? So what do you do, what kind of
media do you choose to to make these?
The message, go through, doesn'tmatter.
(34:15):
The the what important is that content?
The second thing we do is that we make connections, right?
We make ends meet for, for a benefit.
So, we introduce people with others, that's what we have
events. But we also make people that is
being interviewed in a magazine,be read by someone in a
(34:36):
different state, or different city, and they, then maybe they
want to meet each other and to do something connect.
Reconnect for something. Reminds me.
What you doing a little bit withClaudia Romo.
Edelman, who was also a guest inloud and clear and everything
you're doing. Yeah, exactly.
Please. A great connector of, yeah, she
had a great Mason and I think the connections of all these,
(34:59):
all these organizations like ours and I Claudius and like
some others out there that are doing a very good job, is like
they had towards the Hispanic community in this country, like
when you make the The neurons inthe brain.
Connect they create intelligenceor they create memories or
thought. Hmm.
When you make connections among leaders, you create leadership
(35:22):
and you create a future because you are doing you and him
connect to do something that didn't exist before.
Yeah. And that their program produces.
Yeah. And the other thing that I think
we do is that we Inspire and we inspire people, we love to do
Inspire with these stories others.
And to Bring that self-esteem that we we think the Latino
(35:47):
Community is lacking a lot. Yeah.
And that has been one of the most, perhaps biggest biggest
obstacles for for us to develop,but we want to show that what
they say, sees a query that if he can do it, you can do it.
You can do it. No, yeah.
So there's the philosophy. That is awesome.
(36:09):
I think sometimes the pride is there but it's not What kind of
lies in order to be productive, right?
Like the Viva méjico cabrones and the that's great.
But how do you bring that energyinto something that's productive
and something that we can feel Pride, right?
And I think that's those are thethings that you're bringing to
life with with your magazine told the story of these leaders
(36:30):
that not only shout and, you know, jail that they love Mexico
but they put that into action. Let me tell you, let me tell you
just three things that you can discover that can make that
difference. Not only saying, and yell and
green card. And all that one is when, when a
Latino realizes, that you are not only bilingual, you are
(36:54):
bicultural. So, by definition, you can go
right now go to a party or a reunions or a business meeting
in this building with Americans.With other people that are not
bicultural, and you will be the superior being in that room.
Hmm. Because you buy, Will you
understand? You understand two cultures.
(37:15):
You understand two languages? You understand to Attitudes to
two ways of interpreting things,seeing things if you're capable
to be empathetic and only if both sides.
Yes. And you can understand this
point and that point in and and that self that for me, if I were
a company that was that would bevaluable.
(37:36):
I will just ask my HR Director hire only people that are
bicultural not necessary Latino.I mean, Indians
African-Americans Brazilians, I mean whatever.
Yeah, yeah, second second I think that this struggle of York
(37:57):
or of your community and your your your ethnicity has to do
something with with your future.So it could it could drag you
down if you will understand that.
As a passive thing that you havecome on Paseo like Yeah, but if
you if you understand it as an acid, if you see it as an asset
(38:17):
and say, well I am resilient II can go farther because all of
these people haven't suffered the way we have suffered to be
here, right? So just in your case, you were a
Mexican student. That needed to come here.
Learn a new language kind of assimilating this culture and
(38:37):
start understanding what you do.You need to do compared to a kid
that could come from. Dumbass right now, the airport
and the it was not the same. You you came from from I want to
say look from a different place.I've had to overcome certain
challenges or things than the other.
Yeah and that makes you more capable.
That's interesting because rightnow as we are talking about
(39:00):
recession and things that are going on the market today, you
know in 20 23 January, 20 23, the the we have discussed how
Hispanics or Latinos tend to be more optimistic.
The Mystic and a lot of it has to do because they've been or
their parents been in situationswhere there's been hardship and
they always have the positive attitude to say we will overcome
(39:23):
or will get out of this, right? So now we optimistic sign.
Yes. And not not the drum aside.
Oh my God. I'm doing because I don't have
an education or my parents didn't go to the university.
Yeah it's the other way and the third one is the bright future
that we are starting to hear more often.
Day about. What is this country going in,
(39:47):
regards the minorities and especially in the Hispanic
Community is. I mean, it's undeniable that the
future is for the people that understand that.
Yes. So and that's a great segue
because one of the questions that I had for you, in
particular having vision, and just gave me a gift, a book
(40:07):
where it says, or story in 100 images, which is just 100 of
your top leaders. Is that you have interviewed but
this gives you great insight into not only what's happening
like talking to all of these leaders and understanding how
businesses and the trends. But what's going to happen?
And I would like to divide that into questions one is what is
(40:28):
your vision of what's going to happen?
It seems that we should be optimistic as Latinos but also
as Americans and and also, you know, a little bit of the
objective of this podcast, whichis as ad agencies.
What drove Do we play in that inthat future?
What can we do better? How can we challenge ourselves
(40:48):
more? Well, okay, so let's go to the
first one. I think the stories of the
Latino Community our heroic compared, to other countries,
because most of them started farbelow of the standards of the
usual leadership. So that gives them an advantage
(41:09):
to noting the the Write the bright side of that is that?
Yeah. If you understand this
resilience and you learn from your, you're passing your
ancestors and your culture and you feel well equipped and well
trained and motivated to do, youwould be a better leader and you
will be able to, to win battles that maybe other people won't be
(41:35):
winning as easy. The dark side, and my concern.
And that is really a concern. Is that they Younger generations
of Latinos transform, or become as a younger generations of
Americans. And and the lat the Latin
necessity, if you will be lost in the generations and you bunch
(41:58):
of on Sundays or punch or Jorge Ramirez, won't be different in a
few years. We won't have that it exactly.
They won't have that those characteristics that made your
father or your Previous generations.
So special, right, right. So if the new generations need
(42:18):
to understand that and need to keep that part of life, to be
able to keep having that Advantage.
Yes. Now the the advertising
agencies. I think that I think I am a
believer that the other taxing agencies were very responsible
in the story of media to invent.Media.
(42:43):
I mean, it was we can tell a lotof Stories on how I need for
marketing ended up creating a Channel of communication.
Hmm, TV radio, I mean all that they're in a whale has all the
shows that we're creating enoughalready, right?
Yeah, rather gamble, where to promote products were to promote
(43:03):
things in the media, in the TV's, wasn't this guy normally
from normally associate with in Mexico, who told Old Emilio
azcárraga how to how to sell thesoap opera, you divided by
three, and you make three interruptions for commercial or
three need to say, you put, you put three commercials are for
(43:25):
commercials of 20 seconds each and that gives you half an hour.
So, that map was made in an advertising agency because I
didn't know that meat, it neededto to advertising TV and, and
so. So, first of all, I think
advertising agencies especially The ones that were founded?
No, I mean, all of them because every generation has had its
(43:47):
Geniuses, and it's real Pioneershas a lot to do with being a lot
to do with the creation of media.
So I think that is one many veryimportant thing now.
What is very difficult right nowand I need to tell you these are
in will confess that Whoever knows, that's my opinion.
(44:11):
Yes, this form. Where the future of the Hispanic
marketing is, I think is lying, I think.
Now you the agencies that are active and are leading, this
industry are the ones responsible for for creating or
(44:31):
inventing, what is going to be effective to Market to the
Future generations of Latinos? Okay?
And I don't think no pressure. No me anything.
Yes, and I don't think many people has a cool on that,
right? I eat all my experience talking
and having this serious talks with advertisers and marketers
(44:53):
and even people from the client side on the business side, and
the business side is a, there's a lot of uncertainty.
There's a lot of of things that have not been yet defined or
have been studied enough and I don't know and you can see that
for example in the political Arena and you can see that how
(45:15):
both parties have been really, really struggling to capture the
vote of Latinos, and none of them has can say, oh, I wondered
why I have won the battle for Latinos.
No. Hmm, they are.
Like 50/50 is, it's also hard. You try to naturally bucket them
on the same and within the Latino, there's a spectrum of
(45:38):
beliefs on. Thoughts, right?
Like there's when you talk aboutpolitics, there's left and right
and anything in between the Middle, right?
Yeah. And and and then you want to add
to that the different ethnicities, the different ages,
the different parts of the country where they leave, the
different level of a simulations.
They have the different level of, for example, in my own
(46:00):
household, I am married and my kids were born here so where
they were Americans by board birth.
By birth, but when the opportunity to, to do the our
naturalization process me and mywife, she did it before because
I was not convinced that I wanted to do it.
(46:22):
I was still resisting right? When I or or not resisting, but
may be proclaimed in India Clinton to your decision.
Yeah, that I didn't want to to, to have and he lasted quite some
time, too. You know, be convinced that
yeah, I need to have both nationalities and because I
(46:44):
don't want to resign to be in a Mexican but of course, I need to
embrace my my my country where Ido business with my kids were
born and I think it's a great opportunity is your wife's
background. She Mexican Mexican.
Oh yeah, yeah. So we we came here.
Just marry them kids, incredible.
But I think that's if you have, I said that because that's an
(47:07):
illustration on And how complex our Latinos these days.
Yeah. When in a single household you
have two different views on their own future.
I used to argue that the difference between Mexican
immigrants and the rest of the Latino immigrants where that
(47:29):
most Mexicans were not planning to stay here forever.
So they would come here. They want to work.
They want to Create wealth, savemoney, send money to Mexico with
a dream to come back with the dream to some time.
Go back to my little town by a house to my mother and be there
(47:51):
may be having a school or a street named after me because I
donated something for the park or the public library or for the
Mercado De La Plaza, was never really me because I did all
these donations and I am kind ofa little hero there that if you
ask me. That is a huge Ambition, no,
ambition of many Latinos, that come here and work hard that,
(48:14):
and they don't plan to be like, yeah, I want to stay in America.
No, no, yeah, yeah, that's a huge difference, Francisco.
And you say, okay, how do you, how do you sell to those people
that I take, I take from this, that one of the biggest
challenges as leaders and as marketers, I think I think a lot
of the leaders you talk to have built businesses of on a certain
(48:36):
Niche or Neath of the Edit. So they probably have a Clear
Vision but as we try to communicate and some of our
clients, from what we call the General market or the mainstream
us come to us and they try to put Latinos in a niche, it's
more complicated than that, right?
It's the spectrum is too wise and there's too many options.
(48:58):
So you do almost treated on a cases case-by-case basis, right?
Please, my case. Now the question I think the
question is what will happen with the Get that agencies, are
they going to assimilate and especially the high end of the
Hispanic Community? Is it going to be still being
treated as just General market? Just because they understand
(49:22):
English and reading English as well as the others or it is
going to be something specifically directed to these
kind of people that appeals to them, for some certain reasons
that is not as appealing for Quite yeah guy can give you a
partial answer to that which is as you try to connect with these
(49:45):
groups. You use the steak language as a
tool to make a deeper connectionwith them so you might identify
them and say okay well maybe theSpanish language is a tool.
We could use in this case maybe it's a passion right?
Whether its food or music or so that means that those are things
that we're constantly talking with our clients and probably
you're finding out also with therelationships that you've built.
(50:08):
Well, the bigger call out of trying to unite and network and
tell the stories of this Latino leaders and the people they
represent because not only the leaders, you target, the
representing thousands and thousands of people.
I think it's a quest that's interesting in the next decade.
Yeah. And that you started, you know,
two decades ago. Yeah.
(50:29):
And you know what, what I have discovered that is a clue and I
think it's reflected in most of the interviews is that all these
people that we have interviewed had realized that they have came
to a country in which their dreams can come true.
And that, that welcomes them on on a, on a basis of hard work
(50:56):
and in rule of law and that is invaluable for many of these
people coming. Not only from Mexico, brought
from other parts of Latin America.
That is the the wonderful thing about this country.
And I think that the Latino nation in this country, should
emerge in 20, 30 40, 50 years asa very special Nation within the
(51:22):
u.s. that that could be like thenation or the community that
that that elevates or keeps elevating this country into
being one of the largest and most important.
Three syllables. Clear, the world.
The country of the I think. I sincerely believe that.
(51:43):
Yeah, because they they have come for these and they have
found what they have come to look for ya.
So Cory, I've enjoyed so much talking to you as a last
question. I wanted to ask you, if you were
as almost like what I see and your story as a rebel, finding a
niche and being Independent Media property.
(52:06):
What advice would you give to Mainstream media.
What are you seeing that you like what you see in the future?
I know they have gone out and bought digital properties.
They made alliances stuff like that.
You as a successful publisher and media property owner, what
would you tell them? Say, hey to get more in touch
(52:28):
with the people know that there was really happening on the
streets? I think Francisco.
And I think that's a very interesting question because no
one, no one asks that especiallyto Media people.
Well, because media people seem to be always very convinced on
what we are doing, right? So, so you don't dare to ask the
(52:48):
producer of Fox 5 News, what else could we do?
And he will tell you, I'm doing,you know, my question is no but
I think that, you know, I have have the privilege in all my 34
years as a journalist to be reporting on positive
journalism. I don't have to depend on crimes
(53:09):
or tragedies or or scandals to make my magazine sale.
So if if the large media companies can change a little
bit, The Narrative of their shows, both entertainment shows
or like the ministry reason, yougo to the miniseries and all of
them are about narcos or about crime and bullets and, and, you
(53:34):
know, but but if you if you I could do something to start
changing the mood of people and and changing a little bit, The
Narrative to make the the media,reflect a brighter and happier
side of our world, that has it. I think it would be greatly
(53:55):
appreciated and at the beginningmight be a little bit naive if
you will but at the end it will be more better consumed that
media those stories than the Like horrible stories that we
are accustomed to see, especially coming out from just
emerging from this pandemic, in which every single day you were
(54:15):
being reported, how many new people sick?
How many deaths, how many peoplein hospitals?
How many people are tired? Laters matching two years of
that people are. Yeah, I think there's
definitely. That's, that's a good answer.
I've I didn't think think of it that way.
I think there's still many love stories to be told many.
(54:37):
Successful stories to be told and I think yours is one of
them. So thank you for coming and
sharing with us these stories. I really appreciate you taking
the time to come across town andsit down our offices and and
talk like I miss this normally. We've been doing this through
teams or soon anything you wouldlike to close with.
(54:58):
Just say, thank you and your company for what you're doing.
I really admired what you and let Emma team are doing.
I think like one year. Boss are really good Visionaries
and I think that that you are really.
You have something that in the future will be, you know,
understood as a pioneering work.Hopefully, and just just say
(55:24):
that if you are Latino and you're listening to this podcast
Francisco, I think we should allbe proud because it's not easy
to come to this country. There's a lot of competition,
but View. If you think you can make it
here, I think is a great countryto not only realize or or
(55:45):
execute success for yourself, but when you succeed yourself,
you are at the same time, makingthe Latino Community succeed.
So dream big and the sky's the limit, amazing, love it.
And if you're listening is the Jorge, if anybody wants to get
in contact with you, what would be the best way to do that?
Well, my email very is Jennifer rice at Latino leaders.com.
(56:11):
It's, I think it's easy. Yeah, I know you're in social
media, right? Yes.
I'm social media whore, comprising, Facebook, and, and
photographer has also Instagram,or you can go to our Latino
leaders.com website and you willfind are all the contacts and
all the things to contact us on.That would be amazing.
Well, this is, this is the fifthseason.
(56:33):
Now, the first episode of loud and Here we start big with
horrify rice, great leader, great entrepreneur and
Visionary. I was already impressed when I
invited you. I'm more impressed now after
hearing your story, they'll be more episodes to come.
We appreciate you being here. Look for us, Letterman
(56:55):
underscore Agency on Twitter. Let my agency.com.
We have all of the episodes of this podcast there and we'll see
you on the Super Bowl is January.
And we're going to have a coupleof spots.
Are so we're excited about what's to come.
We're excited about what we're building.
So thank you, Jorge. Thank you to the audience will
be on the lookout gracias. Are so we're excited about
what's to come. We're excited about what we're
building. So thank you, Jorge.
Thank you to the audience will be on the lookout gracias.
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