August 13, 2024 • 58 mins
Meet Rafael Caamano, a gentleman that I have known at events for years and finally had the opportunity to have a conversation with him about his life. I hope you enjoy meeting him as much as me. Sharing one of the stories from this episode with you.
When asked who are some of his favorite thought leaders. His reply was different from others. He shared a story about the quality time he spent with each of his grandfathers. Both of his grandfathers were very different from one another. One was a community leader and the other was a businessman with no educational background. Both were veterans. The grandfather that was a community leader spent his time on the corner with his friends. He came to realize that each of them brought something significant to his life about building relationships and brought something to the table.
Another highlight Rafael shared is that as most growing teenage boys, he loved food and wanted to help provide for his family when they moved from Puerto Rico to Florida. He started shining shoes to buy empanadas. He also loved grapes and asked to volunteer and put pricing labels on cans in the grocery store in exchange for grapes.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi, everyone. My name is Isabella Johnston.
I am the host of The InternWhisperer Podcast,
and this is brought to you by Employers 4 Change, my other company.
Today's guest is Rafael Caamano.
He is one of the UCF IncubatorProgram Management team members.
He helps drive economic growthin the Central Florida community
with a focus on mentoring, coaching,and supporting
(00:22):
innovative technologies and scalablestartups.
Caamano has contributed over20 years of expertise to mentor and coach
over 100 businesses and entrepreneurs,and guided them towards financial
stability and transform them into highgrowth and impactful enterprises.
He also served in the Armyfor nine years and is a veteran,
(00:45):
and he has his own nonprofit.
So, today we're goingto get to hear all about his story.
So, welcome to the show.
Thank you so much, Isabella.
Glad to be here.
Yeah, it's been a while.
I've been asking you for a while.I'm glad it all worked out.
So, our show is always about
learning and technologyand the future of industries and jobs.
(01:05):
So, I kick off my show with asking... tell usabout yourself using only five words.
And why those?
And, as you know, I can help you with them.
You know, I also wrote them downbefore we got on the air.
So, you had said Resourceful.
So why would you sayResourceful is one of your words?
For some reason, Isabella, I...
(01:27):
I have the tendency not to say ‘no’and to say a lot of ‘yes’ to people.
So, I find myself in a situationwhere I have to find help for folks, right?
So, I- and I become good at it
due to networking and the yearsthat I've been working in Orlando.
So, when people come to me,I get to deliver.
(01:48):
And if I don't personally get to deliver,I'll find another door for them
to seek some help.
But, at the end of the day,they can count on me to...
to get some type of answer or help.
Loyal.
Why Loyal?
I guess...
(02:09):
it's- it's part-
it's part of my family.
Especially on my parent- my dad's side. My grandparents and my dad.
They werevery involved in the community
and very...
they stay focused on...
on what was important in life.They had a very clear mind on that.
(02:31):
And... and I guess that's what helpsyou build loyalty, right?
Knowing what you want in lifeand sticking to that line.
And I feel very comfortable saying that
both at UCF andwith my nonprofit, and family.
I'm very loyal to all of thatbecause at the end of the day,
(02:51):
these are paths that are given to youand you have to respect
the boundaries, and respect the journey, right?
So, that's what's goingto make me better down the road.
If I become a disruptorby not being loyal,
then that's going to affect my path.So, that's the way I think.
I think that's solid advice there that your dad gave you, and I-
(03:13):
I'm going to guessthat he also exhibited that in his life.
You could see it in his life.
Oh, yeah.
From personal experiences, from...
his relationship with my momand the rest of my family.
And... and his work ethic.That's always been there.
And I see the value in doing that.
(03:35):
Sometimes I struggle when I see people
making so many changes,
for various reasons.
And at the end of the day, you know,what was the goal, right?
Or what were you trying to achieve?
So, I think that- it's a way of mesimplifying my life, right?
You know, keep it simple.
(03:55):
And, at some point we all have our callor we all can have our day.
It’s going to come to you...some way or some shape or form.
So anyway, that's why I think itpays off for me to be loyal because
we have no control, right?
And if we try to have control,we can be disruptors.
(04:16):
And affect our path.
So, yeah.A lot of the words
I know that you picked to describeyourself are built around trust.
And the things that really matter in life
are those very attributesthat we're talking about.
Being resourceful and loyaland some of the other words.
So, when trust is established, it's-
(04:38):
it's very, very valuable,but it can be gone in a minute.
You know, when we make a bad decision.
So, that's whyI think that what you're talking about
is truly of...
significance in a person's life.
Because that's what-
that's how people are remembered...for those qualities they exhibit.
Yeah.
And you have to have ethics, right?
(04:59):
And you have to have good integrity. And,
if you don't have a combination of that,
then... then there's- thenthe path is not clear, honestly.
Because there's going to be a variablecoming your way.
So, you mentioned Community Builderand I definitely see you as that.
I mean, when we go to events,I see you at the same events where I am,
(05:23):
and I consider myselfone of those same people.
And it's a lot of workto be in the community
and be a resource where you can say,oh, do you know this person?
I don't know. Is that- what do you think?
How do you define that word?
Well, Isabella, I... so, two things.Community builder and networking.
I can separate those.
(05:43):
I do like to network as long as...
I guess, as I get older,I get selective.
Yeah.
Because you start valuing your time more.
And... so anything that can help my mission,
I'll be there for,when it comes to networking.
Community builder.
It takes... that's where I spendmost of my time.
(06:04):
Whether it's engaging with local
leaders or businesses,
or clients of the incubationprogram, and the reason
why I spend so much timethere is because at the end of the day,
it's not about myself or the positionthat I'm in.
(06:25):
It's not about the companythat I'm trying to help.
It's about the resultsthat comes out of all those activities
for our local economy in the local region.
When I help someone or when I engagewith someone, I'm thinking of what
will be the indirect and induced costsor return of investment to our community.
(06:46):
And it could come in differentshapes, right?
So, at the end of the day,I want to live in a very nice place.
I want to live in a safe, secure place.
And in order for me to live in a placelike that, I have to do my part.
So, that's why I spend most of my timeas a community builder.
And I do go to networking eventsthat are aligned with that mission.
(07:09):
In my younger- when I was younger,
I used to pretty much hit every networkingevent in town.
And then, as you know, Isabella, some of them are worth it.
Some of them are not.
So, you have to start kind of measuring
how to use your time in a way
that can helpyou accomplish your next goal.
(07:30):
Yeah, I like that
when you mentioned itbeing a safe and secure place
and also how you value time differentlyby deciding, you know,
is that a good place- first,a good place for us to be, personally?
But is it a good placewhere we can bring value and it brings
value back into the other circlesthat you're in?
(07:51):
And sometimes we don't know, right?
A good example...
I always like to tell this story.
I have three girls.
I have a family.
I've been with my wife
since- we actually started datingwhen we were sophomores in high school.
So, we've been together for a long time.
And, one time, she invitedme to a kid's birthday party,
(08:13):
and Ididn't even want to attend the party.
I had too many thingsto do around the house.
And, what am I going to do at this kid'sbirthday party?
They’re all girls.
You know, I just didn’t feel comfortablegoing, but I did. I went anyway.
Long story short,
there was a very...
(08:36):
a very influential person
at that party, that I didn't knowhe was so influential.
And, we started talking and come to find out
that we had a lot of things in common,and it was a very good find for me.
As I always try to buildmy role of this so I can help people, right?
So, that's something that
(09:00):
I don't fight it anymore.
If I need to go to a place,I go to a networking event.
I go because of that. You never know.
But, that- I always like
to use that storybecause not only do you never know, but...
what are the odds that at my kid'sbirthday party, I'm
going to run into someone that is goingto help me down the road, right?
(09:21):
Yeah.
And it can be helping you or,you know, be a resource to help others,
which is still,you know, even more valuable. So.
Right. Right.
You have to allow for that to happen.
That's very wisethat you see, you know,
oh, you're not doing itto make your wife happy.
You're not doing itto make your daughter happy.
You're doing it because it'spart of the being a servant leader.
(09:43):
And you just go because you never know.
You could be the person
that's helping somebody elseinstead of the one that is also receiving, so...
That’s so true.
Yes. And I find myself doing thatmore and more as I get older.
And maybe... maybe that's the...
the script- my new script,
as we get older,we change characters in this movie.
(10:04):
Right?
You become somebody else. So, like, instead of the receiver,
I’m the one giving now. So.
Right. Yeah. Yeah.
I call that ‘Collective Wisdom.’
You know, over the yearsyou collect all of this wisdom and you're
able to go and...and share that with somebody else.
And it does helpthe next person in that same path.
(10:27):
Because there's a differencebetween knowledge and wisdom.
Would you agree?
Yes. Definitely. 100%.
So, if you could only have knowledgeor only wisdom, which would you pick?
Wisdom.Why? I would too, but why?
I just-
I think it comes more natural.
Although knowledge is good,because it's based on facts,
(10:50):
you have to be flexible and adjust...
and that all comes with experience.
Right?
So, I think having that wisdomis very important.
Yeah. Yeah.
Experience is... is a bigger deal in life.
Yeah.
I think that's really something thatwhen people are looking for jobs, they...
they think that, you know,you have to have lots,
(11:13):
we'll use AI as the example,
you have to have lots of experienceand an AI. Maybe, but it's so new.
Who could say that? You know,you have to be wise and go, well,
I need to learn about it.
And the more you learn, the more, you know,experience you do get.
Right, right. 100%.
Yeah.
So, your next word was Service Oriented.
(11:36):
Why Service Oriented?
I'm going to start with a little story.
And this was when I was goingthrough basic training and boot camp,
or boot camp, some... some... some services call it boot camp,
the army... we call it basic training.
(11:58):
I was acting as a squad leader,
and my role was to take careof a certain area
with my squad.
And I got in trouble because when the-
the drill sergeants came in,
I was working with them.
I was doing the work along with them,
(12:19):
and they wanted me to be delegating
and for me to be watching.
So, I thought I was wrongbecause I got in trouble.
But no, I was not wrong.
There's different typesof leadership. Right?
And there's- that was one of them.
So I, at that point, I found out,
naturallyand organically, the type of leader I was.
(12:43):
Which basically,
I like to be involved. I like to...
have my hands-on.
And, I don't like to delegate as much,
unless we have to divide to conquer.
So, that's why
(13:03):
I think that-I think I answered your question.
But that's what-that was my eye opener
at that point that... okay this is all up,because I felt comfortable.
Right? I don't like to...
I like to experiencewhat I'm telling other
people to go and do.
Right?
(13:24):
I like to be involved in it
because at the end of the day,we all want the same goal.
And I need to feel like I contributed to...
to that change physicallyor being involved directly.
Right?
Not just giving orders.I don't think that works.
Yeah.
Unlessyou have to divide and conquer, right?
(13:45):
I mean, I get it.
But for the most part I like to-I’m hands-on.
Yeah, I agree. I like that.I like working with my people.
I can delegate.I don't have a problem delegating,
but I also like working with thembeing in the trenches, if you will.
Yes, 100%, 100%.
So, your last word, you said Mentor.
(14:07):
And I think that ties in withwhat we were talking about
before, about that collective wisdomand being wise over knowledge.
Right.
And so one thing about mentorship
is that when I was growing up, Isabella,from the time I was born
till about 14 years old,I had a very strong family bond,
(14:30):
especially from both of my grandparentsand my parents.
I had a group of friends,I had a big network, but then my family
decided to move to Florida,and it was like starting all over again.
And at
that point, I didn't have my dad near me.
It was only my mom and my kids.
(14:51):
My siblings. I'm sorry.
And I needed-
I just realized now, as an adult,at that point, I needed a good mentor.
It could have been a dad or...anyway,
I remember like it was yesterday,
I needed to learn how to make a tie,and I knocked at some neighbors
(15:12):
door, older guy,and asked if he could help me.
And,
basically that period of my life
shaped me to make sure that I dowhatever it takes
to provide good information to peopleand to help people.
(15:34):
So, fast forward a little bit after that.
I have always been a personthat even though I had the...
the courage to knock at that door,
after that, I stopped seeking help.
And I think that's an error.
But we don't recognize thatwhen we're young
because we think we're invincibleand we think we know it all.
(15:57):
But the fact that I-
If I could go back in time,
I would have asked moreand I would have reached out to people.
And not felt embarrassed about doingso or...
or some type of...
yeah, embarrassed,or... because I think that is very important.
And that's the only way you can get ahead.
(16:18):
So, now at this age, I'm 51 now,
when I- every time I have an opportunity to...
whether they are my kidsor family members or friends
or young ones that I meet,I like to give my two cents of advice,
even though they may not be asking,but it’s more because
perhapsthey don't feel comfortable asking.
(16:41):
I volunteer
information, hopefully that gets to-
that, that can make a difference to them.
Right? Right.
So... so, that'smy- the part of mentorship I like to mentor
because I wish I had the mentorship
that I'm giving to people back then,
because my life perhapswould have been a little bit different.
(17:04):
Know that I don't like my life, I love it.
I think that I have been ableto accomplish a lot, but
I have a lot of battle scars,
because I wasn't asking questions.
So, you get, you know, you getso many different times on this journey,
right? That you get all these bruises and...
and I wish it could have been a lot
(17:25):
smoother till this stage of my life.
Yeah.I think what you're talking about is like,
you know, pride. When we're 14,we're so self-conscious.
15, we're so self-I used to teach high school.
They're so self-conscious of their bodies,of what they say, they're trying to fit in
they're desperate to fit in.And what they don't know,
(17:47):
and this I learned later, too,is that, by the time you hit college age
and you're looking for a job,
it's not-
There's a big giant seat, itno longer is trying to fit in.
You're just trying to stand out.
And so, when you'rein this small microscopic area
of your life,it's like, ooh, I need to fit in.
But then when you're in a bigger place,it's like, how do you make sure
(18:09):
somebody can see you? See you and hear you.
And asking for helpis the same in both of those situations.
But yet, we don't do that.
We don't do that.
And also valuing relationships, right?
The value of relationships,the value of friendships.
At the end of the day, basically,
those are the connectionsthat can help you
(18:31):
in many different areas of your life.
So, that's- sometimes we concentrateand dedicate ourselves
to getting... achieving all theseeducational goals, which are great.
I’m still chasing goals like that.
At the end of the day,
what matters is that human connection.
And sometimes we forget that,and especially this new generation.
(18:53):
They like to communicate through text.
Which is okay, I do that too.
But at some point,nobody has been able to replace that human
touch or human connection, that face-to-face interaction or a phone call.
Right?
So, I mean,that's my two cents on that.
Well, I totally agree with youbecause, as you mentioned,
(19:15):
I mean, we are all creatures of whatevereconomic,
and educational and...
machine-oriented thingsthat are happening in our generation.
There's all different types of variablesthat happen, right?
During Covid, it was a big thing.
It changed the world. When it was-we got the World Wide Web,
(19:38):
it changed the world. When 9/11 happened,
it changed the world.
And it has this impactwhere it spreads over.
So, whatever generation we’re borninto... those big events structure
how we think about things.
So, when technology comes around... it wasn'taround when you and I were growing up.
Not like it is now.
Texting was not the thing.
We had real relationships.
(20:00):
Texting is quick and easy.
I know that some generations,like you mentioned,
they like to have whole booksgoing back and forth.
I go, just pick up the phone.
The more of your senses that you engage,like you know,
when you can see the person,you can talk to them,
you can actually touch themand... face-to-face, you can give them a hug.
(20:22):
The more memories and experiential it is,
and no VR, no AR can change that.
And you can't get that in a textbecause you're,
you know, inferringwhatever you think they're saying.
You know, where they say, stop it,whatever.
It could be like a negative thing.It can be playful.
Yeah, and my worry about that is...
(20:43):
how does that affectthe sentiments within the person,
right?
The way you go about treatingother people because then it's
going to be all artificial.
That could have some-you know, add some problems
to our personal life or in our societybecause you're very disconnected.
Yeah, I totally agree.
(21:04):
Yeah. And we suffered that with Covid.
If you're an introverted personyou really were going, oh this is nice.
I don't have to deal with people.
But then it's also like,oh, I still have to deal with people.
But it's even more exhaustingbecause it's all online
and you have to be on cameraand all of these things.
Right? Right.
It’s always something that we... we trade forsomething that we ask for in our life.
(21:28):
So, we're going to move into...tell us about your educational background.
Where did you first-where was your first job?
If you want to start there,I know you went into the Army.
I'm interested in that.And I know our listeners are.
Then, how did you end up here?
How did you get VEI?
All right, so I'm going to try to...
(21:48):
put 51 years in a very,very short time here.
I've always been a hard worker.
True story...
I love empanadas,
and there was a place nextto my grandmother's house
that used to sellsome delicious empanadas,
and they were, at that point,they were like 35 cents.
(22:10):
And, one was not enough for me.
So, I'm like, how can I get more money?
Or how can I make my own money
in order for me to walk down thereand get my own empanadas?
So, I took my grandfather's shoesand I started polishing them.
And then I will go to my grandfatherand charge him 50 cents, per shoe.
(22:31):
And I was able to collect enough moneyto get my own... very own empanadas.
Right?
Then after that, I... fast forward,I was a little bit older, I used to-
I love grapes. By the way,I love food,
and that's like my biggestweakness there.
So, the only way I could get a lot ofgrapes was to help the guy in the bodega,
(22:54):
that- it was inthe corner of the street,
putting the cans-
And back then we used to take the price,or had a little machine
to put the price on the cans,or label it like a label machine.
I don't know if you remember, but- I do.
I do. So, I would volunteer, basically,
to do that for himin exchange for some grapes.
(23:17):
So, I've always been a hard worker.
I used to volunteer my summers...I used to volunteer my summers at a dairy
farm,milking cows and cutting sugar canes
to feed the cows,collecting food for the pigs.
And it's not because I had to.
It’s just that I like to work.
(23:38):
I just like to work.
And, when I moved to the US,
or Florida, the state of Florida,I'm originally from Puerto Rico.
When I moved to Florida, we found my-
we found ourselvesin a very tough position economically,
because it's not what we were expectingas a family.
(23:58):
And my dad was still in Puerto Rico.
He stayed there for about three years.
So, during those years,I needed to bring some income-
income into the houseso I could buy myself clothes.
So, I got a job at an old...
restaurant chain called PoFolks.
And I was doing- washing dishes at night.
(24:20):
So, while my friends were at home
doing homework, at 14,
I was washing dishes at a restaurantuntil 11 or 12:00 at night.
And that... that really had a...
a negative impact on me,because I was tired.
(24:40):
School was not the focus at that point.
It was all about surviving.
And then, that's why I decidedto go into the military.
Because I needed my independencyand I needed to start building
my own foundation.
At that point, I realized that,you know, having parents is not...
(25:01):
it doesn’t- it's not a guaranteed
security for yourself. Right? Right.
You have to build your own.
And at that point, I decidedto go into the military and kind of, like,
be responsible for my own benefit,be responsible for my own salary,
be responsible for myself and my future.
And that's why, after graduatingfrom high school, I decided to go.
(25:25):
Actually,I went... the whole- the plan, Isabella,
was to go in for basic training,come back as a reservist,
but I graduated with honors
from basic trainingand I decided to stay active duty.
And so, I didn't
get to come backand enroll into a local college.
(25:46):
So, I ended up finishing my educationthrough the military.
And, I ended up getting
my... part of myAA from Central Texas College.
And then I ended up getting my bachelor'sdegree
and my MBA from the PolytechnicUniversity of Puerto Rico.
And if it wasn't for the military,I wouldn't have been able to afford
(26:07):
my education.
But anyway, that's how I ended up
where I'm at today when it comes tothe career path that I took.
If I could go back,
honestly,I will not have gone after my MBA.
I don't think...even when I was going through the MBA,
it's basically a repetition of my BA,my bachelor's in administration.
(26:32):
But I would have gone in a different...different career path.
But anyway,that's where I'm at.
I'm currently seeking up continuing
my education, taking classes at UCF
to see if I can pursue my doctoral degreein education... leadership.
But that's something that it takes time.
(26:53):
And, is out there, right?
Taking one class at a time.
But,it's not my main- my immediate goal,
but it's something that is in my future, for sure.
Like I said,in the beginning, right? You have to have a path
or you have to stay in the pathand you have to stay focused.
(27:13):
And I know that's something that I want.
But sometimes you can achieve your goalsvery rapidly or they take time.
As long as you continue to move forward,you should be good to go.
So, my point is that I'm continuingto move forward towards that goal.
But it's going to take a little bitlonger.
Yeah. Well, we're always
(27:33):
in this place of constant learning.I think that's a good thing.
So, you know, I commend you on all of those.
That's quite a path.
How did you start VEI?
What's the story on that one?
Yeah.
So, Isabella, about 2013,
there was a lot of military personnelcoming out of Afghanistan, and
(27:58):
we ran into a handful
of them at the incubation program.
And at the same time,
we read a book called Startup Nation.
And by reading Startup Nation,
I realized that we...
were wasting a lot of
(28:20):
good talent by not...
by not insuring that we’re providingveterans with the opportunity
to create their own companiesor grow their companies.
And the reason I say that is... after WorldWar II, 40% of veteran-owned-businesses,
or 40% of all businessesin the United States,
(28:42):
were... were run by veterans.
Their veterans. 40%.
That's a lot.
That's a lot. That's a lot.
Today, I think we just broke 9%.
Why? Why the disparity?
I'm not sure.
(29:04):
I think that a lot has to do with...
the cycle, right? Of the generational cycles.
After World War II,there was a big increase in manufacturing.
It was... it was not as difficult
to get into those double businesses.
(29:25):
Now, it's not manufacturing,it’s more technology.
So, basically what...
what tells me is that the...
the veterans that are comingout of the military or the personnel
that is coming out of the military,which are veterans, may not be...
as prepared as they need
(29:45):
to be to succeed in civilian life.
But, Isabella,there are some fundamental skills
that these veteranswalk away with from the military.
And these are great skills for businessowners. Leadership.
They're team-oriented,attention to detail, mission-oriented.
(30:09):
And those are things that you needas a business owner in order for you
to be able to get to that next goal,or to build your company.
So, in 2013, after reading the book,
I was having a casual conversationwith two other colleagues at UCF,
and we were wondering what will happenif we
(30:33):
start to educate some of the veteransand they get to start these companies
inside the incubators next to companiesthat are owned by civilians.
Will there be a difference?
And we never got to finish that studyor study that.
One thingthat we- one thing we discovered
(30:54):
was the fact thatwhat we were trying to do was needed,
because veteransdon't like to recognize sometimes,
but some veterans liketo recognize themselves as veterans.
And also they don't knowthat they have certain skills
that could be good for business.
So, we started working with veterans.
(31:14):
We started helping one individual.
He was a consultant.
That individual ended upjoining the incubator,
or incubation program with Carol Ann Dykes, or Carol Ann Logue.
And then he ended upgraduating and started a...
has a lightmanufacturing company in Longwood.
So, that's an exampleof how we can help veterans
(31:37):
and make sure that they are...they're taking part in the ecosystem.
And so, that's basically when we started helping veterans
and the reason why.We started
coaching that veteran one day a week.
Right?
But then from there,we started conducting some cohorts.
And today, VEI is a 501(c)(3).
(32:00):
We basically are servingthe entire state of Florida.
Sometimes we do help companies or veteransfrom outside the state of Florida
virtually.
As of last month we have helped over 650 veterans,
or veteran business ownersin the state of Florida.
The majority of those are herein Central Florida.
(32:21):
You'll see in Orange County alonethey're 60,000 veterans. Wow.
So, there's a- it'sa big community.
And sometimes we don't...we don't look into those communities
to find our next
big businessor our next community champion.
Right?
So, that's what- VEI’s mission is basically
(32:42):
to empower veterans and...and that's what we're doing.
And, that's how we... that'show we started it, just by having that
simple conversation with a few veteransand then starting some cohorts.
And it was rough in the beginning because we...
we did all thatwithout any funding or any budget.
(33:03):
It was a passion driven project
that the three colleaguesbasically felt the same way.
So we were kind of volunteering our time.
I remember running a cohort every Saturday,for like seven Saturdays in a row,
and that was not part of my jobdescription at UCF or anything like that.
It was just volunteering hours.And- but I knew...
(33:25):
But again, there's a passion.And I knew the goal
that I was trying to reachand I had a mission to do that.
And so today, it's a different story.
Today, we have a strong organizationthat was just recognized
by the SBAas the Community Partner of the Year
for the entire state of Florida,but it also is a passion driven project.
We didn't start at a nonprofit to make moneyor to help people
(33:49):
for a particular reason, like, like...
no...we started just as a way to explore,
what are the chances if we talk to theseveterans, can they change their life-
Can we change their lives?
And... and we started noticing that.
And so the more we helped, the betterwe got at it.
And the biggerthe impact we ended up having,
(34:11):
not only in the regionbut in the entire state.
Yeah.
I've seen- I love working with veteransand I know that there's like, SkillBridge
and some other programsthat help them transition from there.
There's also the Florida Associationof Veteran Owned Businesses.
And so, I guess I'm kind of surprisedat the numbers because I feel like
most veterans, they're very,well, they are team-oriented.
(34:35):
They also get stuff doneand they can say, hm... that's a problem.
Let's go fix that.And then they go fix it. Right.
So, I would think that there would be,in this age, so many more people.
The other thing that I have noticedabout them is it's really hard
for them to fit into the pay scaleif they've been in it for 20 years
that is in the small business world.
(34:58):
That's why I think they wouldstart their own business.
They end up going to an enterprise-size company, whether it's Amazon
or something else,
because that's what, you know, the incomethat they're used to receiving.
And so that's... that's something elsetoo. You know, a different way
of looking at it. Yeah, and it's like anything, right?
Not everyone is cut out to be a business owner.
(35:18):
And not everyonelikes to take those risks, right?
And get paid less.
But that's also part of not being educated-
educated in certain fieldsor certain areas.
If we can help them seethe big picture at the end of the day,
you know,what's your exit strategy or what are you-
what are you trying to achievewith your business?
(35:39):
Then something clicks in themand they get it.
Yeah.
I may not get paid as much as I want toat the moment, but I’m building
equity, I’m building assets,you know, and all of these have a...
have a number at the end of the dayand perhaps I can get to retire.
Right? So...
Yeah, and, I don't know, retiringmay not be the thing that they want
(36:00):
because then it's like,well, you're not as active.
You know, the thing that keeps you activeis being in the world, not necessarily
going, unless you have enough money,you can travel the world.
That would be the thing I would do.
Definitely.
So, in my case, I would like to have enoughthat I can sail, right? And I can sail
the East coast of the United Statesor sail the Caribbean.
(36:22):
Right? And have no worry.
So... and I think it's doable. Right?
But we have to build that foundation.
And that's what I try to teach people.
You know,what’s the end game look like?
And if you have that endgame in your head, then it should not be
that difficult to kind of like,build a path or a journey towards that goal.
Right? It's not going to be a perfect line.
(36:43):
As you know, Isabella.
It's going to be zigzagging up and down.
But as long as you stay focused,you'll make it.
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
So, over here,
next question is... favorite thought leader?
Do you have one?
(37:03):
I do have
some from the mental leaders in my life,
but those same leaders taught me that
everyone is a leader.
And, so I got to spend a lot of quality time-
quality timewith my grandparents... from my father and
my mother's side.
(37:24):
And they were very
different characters,very opposite. My... one of my grandfathers
from my dad's side,he was a- had an accounting firm.
He was very... he was a community leader,
was very well known for his
leadership effortsin that town.
(37:47):
And my other grandfatherwas a businessman.
No educational background, both veterans.
But he was the one in the corners,
on the corner block with his friends.
And now that I think about it, I wonder...wow, I wonder what my grandfather was into but
(38:10):
but, so... two different schools of thought.
Right?
And... and at that pointI learned that they both love me.
They both give me quality time.
I learned a lot from both of them. Right?
Even though they were very different.
So, at that point,
I realized that every person that I meetbrings something different to the table
and what they bring to the tableI can learn from, regardless...
(38:34):
regardless of their position in life,their age, what...
who they work for.
We always-I always walk away with something new and...
and it's because I'm open to that. Right?
And that's the only way...
Perhaps I don't ask for help as much,but I'm always listening and...
and looking aroundto see what I can walk away with.
(38:54):
And something as simpleas a very casual conversation
to... more in-depth conversationlike the one we're having today. So...
So my point is, toyour question, Isabella, that I don't have a...
one person. I thinkthat I- we all as humans,
we can learn from each otherand everyone is leading the way somehow.
(39:15):
Some way.
And I walked awaywith a lot of good things from that.
So, we're going to take a moment
to acknowledge our sponsor, Cat 5 Studios,and we will be right back.
The Intern Whisperer is brought to you by Cat 5 Studios
who help you create games and videos for your training and marketing needs
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(39:36):
Visit Cat 5 Studios for more information to learn how Cat 5 Studios can help your business.
Thank you, Cat 5 Studios.
So, we're back to the secondhalf of our show, where we talk about
the future of jobs and industries in 2030.
And our guest,as you all know, is Rafael Caamano.
And so we're going to kick this one offwith... what do you think
(39:58):
2030 is going to look like?
2030... it’s 2024 today.
So, I- This year doesn't count and 2030 doesn't count.
So, we lose two yearsright off the bat there. Right.
So... so when I first think of 2030,
or 2040, I can see
a lot ofnew development in the state of Florida.
(40:22):
Housing projects.
So, that means less green.
So the state's going to be more condensedwith people.
I think of the water issuesthat we're having.
Hopefully we can come upwith some solutions for that.
The economy as a state should be okay.
And the reason for it is obvious...the natural resources
(40:45):
that we have as a state and alsothe attractions that we have here.
So, a lot of moneyfrom outside the state coming in.
That helps.
But that's how I- that's what I see
when I think of 2030 or 2040. Now,I can see a big demand...
And I know right nowthere's a big demand for certain jobs,
(41:07):
especially on the medical side,nursing and also civil engineering.
I think there's a deficiton civil engineers.
And they're going to need more
for all the developments that are goingto be happening in the state of Florida.
So... so I see a lot of construction,a lot of growth,
statewide, and a lot of shifting.
As you know, SouthFlorida is having some challenges
(41:29):
with water resources and flooding.
So, I can see some of those folks moving,
or shifting to the north sideor the central side of the state.
So, a lot of changes, basically,
for us here in Florida by 2030.
Yeah, I would definitely,definitely say that.
I know that Miami was caught off guardwith all of the rain that came
(41:54):
through a few weeks ago, and there wasjust massive amounts of flooding.
I don't know about you, but,I've been following
some of the trends about Miami, too.
And the water is rising.
And so it's been like a five footincrease.
Right.
Some of the landmass that it's covering.That's significant
(42:15):
because it's hardto imagine some cities underwater
and I go, I don't know, Florida'sjust a peninsula.
Could we...could we end up being underwater?
I don't know.Right.
Possible.
Well, let's not forget last yearwhere we had, also, a lot of rain and...
and the Fort Lauderdale airporthad to shut down for so many days, right?
(42:37):
Because they were underwater.
And now this year, there was an announcement that they're
building a new airport towardsthe southwest of the state of Florida.
So, I wonder if it's going to be a backupairport for Fort Lauderdale or not.
Right?
So anyway, yeah,something to be worried about.
Hopefully we can come togetheras a state and...
(43:01):
and come up with a good solutionto alleviate some of the headaches.
But it's part of the growth of
the popularity ofthe state. Not only loc-
in the nation, but globally.
Right?
Yep. Yep. Definitely.
So... so that part of it,
when we look at it, how do you thinkthat's going to impact our jobs?
(43:24):
Because when I look at it,this is how I see jobs.
I feel like,because we measure everything in life.
Everything now.
We look at how many looks,how many downloads, how many...
how many people go through a turnstile,everything.
I believe that, just like the governmenthas impact resumes,
and you have to quantifyeverything on there...
(43:46):
everybody'sresumes will have to be quantified.
What is the impact that you havein your job as to the tasks
and to the projects,but even in your competencies?
So, leadership. You know, if you're-one of your competencies is leadership,
I believe that people are goingto have to be able to demonstrate
how they improved somethingwith their leadership skills.
So, I was able to take my team
(44:10):
to a 90% close rate in sales.
That would be magnificent.
Who doesn't want to workwith that person? Right?
So I feel like resumes will be requiredto have that more than anything.
Not your certificates, not your education.
It's going to be...what is the impact that you have?
So, I think that is what... notI think, that's what I...
(44:31):
those are the trends I seeand it's what I know is coming.
So I feel like we need to bemeasuring everything we do now
so we can speak to that in our ability
to get jobs and acquire money and like,grants, things like that.
I see that right-
right at this moment.I get exposed to resumes for various...
(44:55):
for both organizations and UCF and...
and VEI. And if you want to stand out,
you gotta be able to explainwhat will be
the potential return of investmentfor this company that is going to hire me.
Right?
And... and I don't know if it-I think it's...
the business world has changed so much,right? From the... from what
(45:18):
it used to be, that now,I feel like businesses are-
They have more options, especially outsourcing to other places
where thehourly rates are lower than here.
So, it has to be very competitive,and it's going to be very competitive.
And you have to be able to demonstrate,again, what will be the ROI
(45:38):
for this company that is going to hire medown the road, or the potential ROI?
Right?
And if you don't have that, like yousaid, Isabella, then they're going
to pass that- pass your resumeand try to find somebody else.
Yep, yep, I agree.
So, what is the positive impact?
I know we talked about robots,
AI, augmented reality, virtual realityon the future of work.
(46:02):
You picked ‘robots.’
So let's decide...what is the definition of a robot to you?
Right,
so, to- so, I think that definitionis going to have to change at some point.
Because things that were not robots
before have become robots,like a car, a Tesla
(46:22):
that can drive by itselfand take you to a destination.
That’s- the vehicle is applyinga function that used to be done by humans.
So, will that be considered a robot? Right?
Vacuum cleaner, an airplane.
You know, who thinks about it, and...
but I think, you know, overall, having
(46:44):
that automation can be for the best.
It could be less car accidentson the road, cleaner house, right?
Yeah. Safe way to travel.
You don't have to worry about a pilotbeing drunk.
And flying an airplane.
So, I think there's more positivethan negative.
Of course there's room for...
(47:06):
for people to take advantage to...
to do bad things.
Yeah.
But, in reality, I think,
I think it's going to help us be...
it's going to help us be better, and
it's going to open up and give usmore time to enjoy other things in life.
You know, I read this article, it was about a year ago,
(47:28):
about how they're using robots... more...
robotic type,
I guess I'll call them...robotic type of services,
to help in the health care industry.
Like, in assisted living, things like that.
So, I'm trying to imagine this... this robotthat looks like a human
(47:49):
that's coming in as a nurse, that'schecking my vitals, things like that,
because there's many industries thatwe see, people don't want to be in them.
There is a McDonald'salso that's in Orlando.
I've not gone to it.
And it has no humans, no humans at all.
And I went, I don't like that idea becausewhen I go in, I really enjoy the person.
(48:12):
I know
it's not a lot of money, butthey get paid to come in and do something.
And when they say good morning to me,that's more meaningful
than going into a McDonald'sthat actually doesn't.
I have people at the window waving to me.
It's a middle schoolthat's stopping by to wave at the windows.
So, that's what you missby not being in the studio today.
(48:35):
Anyway, there's this placewhere having humans is really important.
That's a lot of times where people
get their first job in restaurantsor washing dishes,
if you will, because there's robotsthat can wash dishes.
There's all kinds of thingsthat can take the place of a human.
But I think that sometimesjust because we can,
not sometimes, just because we can doesn'tmean we should.
(48:58):
Because there's those skillsthat you had mentioned
that, earlier in the show,that are vital to be developed.
And if you are not there, you know,how are you going
to learn how to interact with humansin some of these many ways?
So I feel like, it's a disservice to takesome of those opportunities away.
I do like going into McDonald'sand seeing a human.
(49:20):
I do like knowing that there is somebodythat can't get a job because they may have...
they don't have a green card, if you will.
They don't have some of the...
same mental abilitiesas those that are blessed with,
you know, having other resourcesavailable to them.
(49:40):
So, there are jobs that people need to havebecause what are they going to do?
Right, right.
And... but then at the same time,you know, like when I go to McDonald's
right now, do you use the registeror do you use the automated system?
Right?
I use the registerand I like to have that interaction
with the person just like you do.
But I think it's becausewe're from a different generation. Now,
(50:01):
before or during the conversationwe were talking about
nowadays, people feel very comfortableengaging in text and
it's all very artificial, right? Anartificial way of communicating, right?
Removed.For them...
it will be great
to have that human interactionbecause they write a deal artificially.
So, it's weird.
But, I get what you're saying about
(50:24):
those folks needing a job,but I think that the new generation
will probably be those technicianshelping those facilities
keep up withthe burgers and the french fries.
Right? And things like that. I don't know, they're not in there.
They’re really- the article is about how
there was no humans,not even a manager to solve a problem.
I went, I can see all kinds of waysthat that could go wrong.
(50:47):
All kinds of ways, becauseyou also didn't go into it.
You just went through a drive-through.That's it.
Wow. Yeah.
So, you know, obviouslythey couldn't have a place
where you can come into...there's just a machine.
You get a machinethat sends your food out.
Well then, I'm in trouble becauseI don't like to order through drive-through.
(51:08):
And I'm sure that the order, if it getsmessed up, who are you going to talk to, right?
It's gonna be like-That’s what I'm saying.
There's, like,all kinds of problems with that.
Okay, so,moving to the next section here...
Geoffrey Hinton,he's called the godfather of AI.
He's actually the person that invented it60 years ago.
One of the waysin which he thinks that AI might escape
(51:29):
control is by writing its own codeto modify itself.
And he said, that's somethingthat we need to seriously worry about.
This is back in October 8th of 2023.
So, he is a big guest speaker.
I've been following him for a little bitand I find it fascinating.
He used to work for Google also,
so I feel like he'sgiving us a cautionary tale warning here.
(51:53):
You know, what ethical dilemmas doyou foresee with AR, VR, or
AI? I mentioned to you before we started
the show about Black Mirror and said,be careful if you watch that one.
It's pretty dark.
But if humans can think itand it's on a science-fiction show,
it's in the world. I sit here and I go, it's already in reality.
(52:14):
So, I think that it is possible,
I think that people can take itand make it go south in a heartbeat.
Yeah, definitely.
It’s happening right now. Right?
People taking advantage of AI to...
to extractmaterials and then sell that material.
And there's a lot of lawsuits aboutcopyrights and things of that nature.
(52:37):
So, imagine what could happen down the roadon the medical side
and the legal side too. So, anyway, I...
I still feel like that will be there,
but that as everything moves forward,we’re going to become better at it.
And there may be some regulationthat can help us
(52:59):
with-
interpretsome of the stuff that comes out of
AI and find out what's realand what's not.
It's not going to be easy.
It's going to be challenging,but I think it's going to be...
be used more
to help us as humans than develop
weapons,or to do, you know, bad things.
(53:22):
Maybe that's the optimism in me.
Try to be positive about thingsand try to look at the brightest-
the bright side.
But, yeah,I think that that that's how I feel,
like, I think that, it will be usedfor better than wars.
Yeah. I'm going to hope for that too.
So, best mentoring advicethat you want to share with our listeners.
(53:47):
What would you say?
I like your storiesof when you were a child
and you were starting your own businessand things like that.
I feel like you're never too youngto start your own business, so...
That's one of many. Yeah.
So, I think my best advice,and this is something that I...
as I transitioned from the military,
(54:07):
right before I started my own company,
I... I had a leader of a company down
in Fort Lauderdalethat told me, make sure that you continue
to educate yourself and read a lot.
And I was in my late 20s
(54:27):
and I knew what he meant,
but I didn't give it as...
to me it was not as important.
Now, that's the goal.
I think I value that, I did takehis advice.
And it's true.
I mean, you have to stay connectedwith your industry.
You have to read, and continueto educate yourself in...
(54:50):
not only in your industry or whatyou study for, but also, you know,
on what's going on around the world,what's going on with...
with our country and, in everything.
Right?
In general, you have to be ontop of the game. Because these are-
these are the types of informationthat you can use on your networking event.
(55:10):
These are the types of information thatyou can use to connect with other humans.
Right?
As I mentioned before, Isabella, it'sall about the human connection, right?
And it all starts with communication.
So, you better have some datato share. Right?
And in order to do that,you have to stay connected with reality.
And...so continue to educate yourself.
And reading was one of the best advicesthat I got from a mentor.
(55:34):
Yeah. That is solid. Yeah.
And people do need to readbecause we consume video like crazy.
And then we read headlinesand we think that's the real news.
So, reading real- really
authenticated, verified and
peer-reviewed,I'll put that one out there.
That would be so vital.
(55:56):
So vital. Right, right.
Okay.
So, how can our listeners contact you,both of your websites, what are they?
And LinkedIn okay?
Yes. So,I like to communicate through LinkedIn.
I try that-that's my main tool for communication.
I hope they can also visit our websitewww.incubator.ucf.edu.
(56:21):
So, www.incubator.ucf.edu.
Or, if they want to learnabout the Veteran Entrepreneurship
Initiative, it’s www.vei.center.
Well that's a lot easierthan the other one.
So, whichever way. The best place is LinkedIn.
(56:45):
Rafael Caamano,
and if you type Orlando,
I should be able to come upand I'll respond to your messages.
And if anyone has any questionsor anything they want to...
anything they may need,please reach out.
And if I don't know it, I'll send them to the right...
at least the right door for themto find that answer.
(57:06):
That sounds great.
Thank you so much. It'sbeen a pleasure having you on the show.
And I really got to feel like
I got to know youso much better than how we have these
passed-through conversations and all ofthe events that we go to, right? Yes.
Yeah.
It's a pleasure.
Thank you for the privilegeof being in your show.
And I look forward to see youonce again in another networking event.
(57:27):
That is very true. Thank you.
All right. Take care.
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production and editing team, ErikaUlman and Gavin Staley.
Music is by Sophie Lloyd,
The Intern Whisperer is brought to youby Employers 4 Change, helping
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(57:49):
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(58:11):
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channel or streamingfrom your favorite podcast channel.
Hi, everyone. My name is Isabella Johnston.
I am the host of The InternWhisperer Podcast,
and this is brought to you by Employers 4 Change, my other company.
Today's guest is Rafael Caamano.
He is one of the UCF IncubatorProgram Management team members.
He helps drive economic growthin the Central Florida community
with a focus on mentoring, coaching,and supporting
(00:22):
innovative technologies and scalablestartups.
Caamano has contributed over20 years of expertise to mentor and coach
over 100 businesses and entrepreneurs,and guided them towards financial
stability and transform them into highgrowth and impactful enterprises.
He also served in the Armyfor nine years and is a veteran,
(00:45):
and he has his own nonprofit.
So, today we're goingto get to hear all about his story.
So, welcome to the show.
Thank you so much, Isabella.
Glad to be here.
Yeah, it's been a while.
I've been asking you for a while.I'm glad it all worked out.
So, our show is always about
learning and technologyand the future of industries and jobs.
(01:05):
So, I kick off my show with asking... tell usabout yourself using only five words.
And why those?
And, as you know, I can help you with them.
You know, I also wrote them downbefore we got on the air.
So, you had said Resourceful.
So why would you sayResourceful is one of your words?
For some reason, Isabella, I...
(01:27):
I have the tendency not to say ‘no’and to say a lot of ‘yes’ to people.
So, I find myself in a situationwhere I have to find help for folks, right?
So, I- and I become good at it
due to networking and the yearsthat I've been working in Orlando.
So, when people come to me,I get to deliver.
(01:48):
And if I don't personally get to deliver,I'll find another door for them
to seek some help.
But, at the end of the day,they can count on me to...
to get some type of answer or help.
Loyal.
Why Loyal?
I guess...
(02:09):
it's- it's part-
it's part of my family.
Especially on my parent- my dad's side. My grandparents and my dad.
They werevery involved in the community
and very...
they stay focused on...
on what was important in life.They had a very clear mind on that.
(02:31):
And... and I guess that's what helpsyou build loyalty, right?
Knowing what you want in lifeand sticking to that line.
And I feel very comfortable saying that
both at UCF andwith my nonprofit, and family.
I'm very loyal to all of thatbecause at the end of the day,
(02:51):
these are paths that are given to youand you have to respect
the boundaries, and respect the journey, right?
So, that's what's goingto make me better down the road.
If I become a disruptorby not being loyal,
then that's going to affect my path.So, that's the way I think.
I think that's solid advice there that your dad gave you, and I-
(03:13):
I'm going to guessthat he also exhibited that in his life.
You could see it in his life.
Oh, yeah.
From personal experiences, from...
his relationship with my momand the rest of my family.
And... and his work ethic.That's always been there.
And I see the value in doing that.
(03:35):
Sometimes I struggle when I see people
making so many changes,
for various reasons.
And at the end of the day, you know,what was the goal, right?
Or what were you trying to achieve?
So, I think that- it's a way of mesimplifying my life, right?
You know, keep it simple.
(03:55):
And, at some point we all have our callor we all can have our day.
It’s going to come to you...some way or some shape or form.
So anyway, that's why I think itpays off for me to be loyal because
we have no control, right?
And if we try to have control,we can be disruptors.
(04:16):
And affect our path.
So, yeah.A lot of the words
I know that you picked to describeyourself are built around trust.
And the things that really matter in life
are those very attributesthat we're talking about.
Being resourceful and loyaland some of the other words.
So, when trust is established, it's-
(04:38):
it's very, very valuable,but it can be gone in a minute.
You know, when we make a bad decision.
So, that's whyI think that what you're talking about
is truly of...
significance in a person's life.
Because that's what-
that's how people are remembered...for those qualities they exhibit.
Yeah.
And you have to have ethics, right?
(04:59):
And you have to have good integrity. And,
if you don't have a combination of that,
then... then there's- thenthe path is not clear, honestly.
Because there's going to be a variablecoming your way.
So, you mentioned Community Builderand I definitely see you as that.
I mean, when we go to events,I see you at the same events where I am,
(05:23):
and I consider myselfone of those same people.
And it's a lot of workto be in the community
and be a resource where you can say,oh, do you know this person?
I don't know. Is that- what do you think?
How do you define that word?
Well, Isabella, I... so, two things.Community builder and networking.
I can separate those.
(05:43):
I do like to network as long as...
I guess, as I get older,I get selective.
Yeah.
Because you start valuing your time more.
And... so anything that can help my mission,
I'll be there for,when it comes to networking.
Community builder.
It takes... that's where I spendmost of my time.
(06:04):
Whether it's engaging with local
leaders or businesses,
or clients of the incubationprogram, and the reason
why I spend so much timethere is because at the end of the day,
it's not about myself or the positionthat I'm in.
(06:25):
It's not about the companythat I'm trying to help.
It's about the resultsthat comes out of all those activities
for our local economy in the local region.
When I help someone or when I engagewith someone, I'm thinking of what
will be the indirect and induced costsor return of investment to our community.
(06:46):
And it could come in differentshapes, right?
So, at the end of the day,I want to live in a very nice place.
I want to live in a safe, secure place.
And in order for me to live in a placelike that, I have to do my part.
So, that's why I spend most of my timeas a community builder.
And I do go to networking eventsthat are aligned with that mission.
(07:09):
In my younger- when I was younger,
I used to pretty much hit every networkingevent in town.
And then, as you know, Isabella, some of them are worth it.
Some of them are not.
So, you have to start kind of measuring
how to use your time in a way
that can helpyou accomplish your next goal.
(07:30):
Yeah, I like that
when you mentioned itbeing a safe and secure place
and also how you value time differentlyby deciding, you know,
is that a good place- first,a good place for us to be, personally?
But is it a good placewhere we can bring value and it brings
value back into the other circlesthat you're in?
(07:51):
And sometimes we don't know, right?
A good example...
I always like to tell this story.
I have three girls.
I have a family.
I've been with my wife
since- we actually started datingwhen we were sophomores in high school.
So, we've been together for a long time.
And, one time, she invitedme to a kid's birthday party,
(08:13):
and Ididn't even want to attend the party.
I had too many thingsto do around the house.
And, what am I going to do at this kid'sbirthday party?
They’re all girls.
You know, I just didn’t feel comfortablegoing, but I did. I went anyway.
Long story short,
there was a very...
(08:36):
a very influential person
at that party, that I didn't knowhe was so influential.
And, we started talking and come to find out
that we had a lot of things in common,and it was a very good find for me.
As I always try to buildmy role of this so I can help people, right?
So, that's something that
(09:00):
I don't fight it anymore.
If I need to go to a place,I go to a networking event.
I go because of that. You never know.
But, that- I always like
to use that storybecause not only do you never know, but...
what are the odds that at my kid'sbirthday party, I'm
going to run into someone that is goingto help me down the road, right?
(09:21):
Yeah.
And it can be helping you or,you know, be a resource to help others,
which is still,you know, even more valuable. So.
Right. Right.
You have to allow for that to happen.
That's very wisethat you see, you know,
oh, you're not doing itto make your wife happy.
You're not doing itto make your daughter happy.
You're doing it because it'spart of the being a servant leader.
(09:43):
And you just go because you never know.
You could be the person
that's helping somebody elseinstead of the one that is also receiving, so...
That’s so true.
Yes. And I find myself doing thatmore and more as I get older.
And maybe... maybe that's the...
the script- my new script,
as we get older,we change characters in this movie.
(10:04):
Right?
You become somebody else. So, like, instead of the receiver,
I’m the one giving now. So.
Right. Yeah. Yeah.
I call that ‘Collective Wisdom.’
You know, over the yearsyou collect all of this wisdom and you're
able to go and...and share that with somebody else.
And it does helpthe next person in that same path.
(10:27):
Because there's a differencebetween knowledge and wisdom.
Would you agree?
Yes. Definitely. 100%.
So, if you could only have knowledgeor only wisdom, which would you pick?
Wisdom.Why? I would too, but why?
I just-
I think it comes more natural.
Although knowledge is good,because it's based on facts,
(10:50):
you have to be flexible and adjust...
and that all comes with experience.
Right?
So, I think having that wisdomis very important.
Yeah. Yeah.
Experience is... is a bigger deal in life.
Yeah.
I think that's really something thatwhen people are looking for jobs, they...
they think that, you know,you have to have lots,
(11:13):
we'll use AI as the example,
you have to have lots of experienceand an AI. Maybe, but it's so new.
Who could say that? You know,you have to be wise and go, well,
I need to learn about it.
And the more you learn, the more, you know,experience you do get.
Right, right. 100%.
Yeah.
So, your next word was Service Oriented.
(11:36):
Why Service Oriented?
I'm going to start with a little story.
And this was when I was goingthrough basic training and boot camp,
or boot camp, some... some... some services call it boot camp,
the army... we call it basic training.
(11:58):
I was acting as a squad leader,
and my role was to take careof a certain area
with my squad.
And I got in trouble because when the-
the drill sergeants came in,
I was working with them.
I was doing the work along with them,
(12:19):
and they wanted me to be delegating
and for me to be watching.
So, I thought I was wrongbecause I got in trouble.
But no, I was not wrong.
There's different typesof leadership. Right?
And there's- that was one of them.
So I, at that point, I found out,
naturallyand organically, the type of leader I was.
(12:43):
Which basically,
I like to be involved. I like to...
have my hands-on.
And, I don't like to delegate as much,
unless we have to divide to conquer.
So, that's why
(13:03):
I think that-I think I answered your question.
But that's what-that was my eye opener
at that point that... okay this is all up,because I felt comfortable.
Right? I don't like to...
I like to experiencewhat I'm telling other
people to go and do.
Right?
(13:24):
I like to be involved in it
because at the end of the day,we all want the same goal.
And I need to feel like I contributed to...
to that change physicallyor being involved directly.
Right?
Not just giving orders.I don't think that works.
Yeah.
Unlessyou have to divide and conquer, right?
(13:45):
I mean, I get it.
But for the most part I like to-I’m hands-on.
Yeah, I agree. I like that.I like working with my people.
I can delegate.I don't have a problem delegating,
but I also like working with thembeing in the trenches, if you will.
Yes, 100%, 100%.
So, your last word, you said Mentor.
(14:07):
And I think that ties in withwhat we were talking about
before, about that collective wisdomand being wise over knowledge.
Right.
And so one thing about mentorship
is that when I was growing up, Isabella,from the time I was born
till about 14 years old,I had a very strong family bond,
(14:30):
especially from both of my grandparentsand my parents.
I had a group of friends,I had a big network, but then my family
decided to move to Florida,and it was like starting all over again.
And at
that point, I didn't have my dad near me.
It was only my mom and my kids.
(14:51):
My siblings. I'm sorry.
And I needed-
I just realized now, as an adult,at that point, I needed a good mentor.
It could have been a dad or...anyway,
I remember like it was yesterday,
I needed to learn how to make a tie,and I knocked at some neighbors
(15:12):
door, older guy,and asked if he could help me.
And,
basically that period of my life
shaped me to make sure that I dowhatever it takes
to provide good information to peopleand to help people.
(15:34):
So, fast forward a little bit after that.
I have always been a personthat even though I had the...
the courage to knock at that door,
after that, I stopped seeking help.
And I think that's an error.
But we don't recognize thatwhen we're young
because we think we're invincibleand we think we know it all.
(15:57):
But the fact that I-
If I could go back in time,
I would have asked moreand I would have reached out to people.
And not felt embarrassed about doingso or...
or some type of...
yeah, embarrassed,or... because I think that is very important.
And that's the only way you can get ahead.
(16:18):
So, now at this age, I'm 51 now,
when I- every time I have an opportunity to...
whether they are my kidsor family members or friends
or young ones that I meet,I like to give my two cents of advice,
even though they may not be asking,but it’s more because
perhapsthey don't feel comfortable asking.
(16:41):
I volunteer
information, hopefully that gets to-
that, that can make a difference to them.
Right? Right.
So... so, that'smy- the part of mentorship I like to mentor
because I wish I had the mentorship
that I'm giving to people back then,
because my life perhapswould have been a little bit different.
(17:04):
Know that I don't like my life, I love it.
I think that I have been ableto accomplish a lot, but
I have a lot of battle scars,
because I wasn't asking questions.
So, you get, you know, you getso many different times on this journey,
right? That you get all these bruises and...
and I wish it could have been a lot
(17:25):
smoother till this stage of my life.
Yeah.I think what you're talking about is like,
you know, pride. When we're 14,we're so self-conscious.
15, we're so self-I used to teach high school.
They're so self-conscious of their bodies,of what they say, they're trying to fit in
they're desperate to fit in.And what they don't know,
(17:47):
and this I learned later, too,is that, by the time you hit college age
and you're looking for a job,
it's not-
There's a big giant seat, itno longer is trying to fit in.
You're just trying to stand out.
And so, when you'rein this small microscopic area
of your life,it's like, ooh, I need to fit in.
But then when you're in a bigger place,it's like, how do you make sure
(18:09):
somebody can see you? See you and hear you.
And asking for helpis the same in both of those situations.
But yet, we don't do that.
We don't do that.
And also valuing relationships, right?
The value of relationships,the value of friendships.
At the end of the day, basically,
those are the connectionsthat can help you
(18:31):
in many different areas of your life.
So, that's- sometimes we concentrateand dedicate ourselves
to getting... achieving all theseeducational goals, which are great.
I’m still chasing goals like that.
At the end of the day,
what matters is that human connection.
And sometimes we forget that,and especially this new generation.
(18:53):
They like to communicate through text.
Which is okay, I do that too.
But at some point,nobody has been able to replace that human
touch or human connection, that face-to-face interaction or a phone call.
Right?
So, I mean,that's my two cents on that.
Well, I totally agree with youbecause, as you mentioned,
(19:15):
I mean, we are all creatures of whatevereconomic,
and educational and...
machine-oriented thingsthat are happening in our generation.
There's all different types of variablesthat happen, right?
During Covid, it was a big thing.
It changed the world. When it was-we got the World Wide Web,
(19:38):
it changed the world. When 9/11 happened,
it changed the world.
And it has this impactwhere it spreads over.
So, whatever generation we’re borninto... those big events structure
how we think about things.
So, when technology comes around... it wasn'taround when you and I were growing up.
Not like it is now.
Texting was not the thing.
We had real relationships.
(20:00):
Texting is quick and easy.
I know that some generations,like you mentioned,
they like to have whole booksgoing back and forth.
I go, just pick up the phone.
The more of your senses that you engage,like you know,
when you can see the person,you can talk to them,
you can actually touch themand... face-to-face, you can give them a hug.
(20:22):
The more memories and experiential it is,
and no VR, no AR can change that.
And you can't get that in a textbecause you're,
you know, inferringwhatever you think they're saying.
You know, where they say, stop it,whatever.
It could be like a negative thing.It can be playful.
Yeah, and my worry about that is...
(20:43):
how does that affectthe sentiments within the person,
right?
The way you go about treatingother people because then it's
going to be all artificial.
That could have some-you know, add some problems
to our personal life or in our societybecause you're very disconnected.
Yeah, I totally agree.
(21:04):
Yeah. And we suffered that with Covid.
If you're an introverted personyou really were going, oh this is nice.
I don't have to deal with people.
But then it's also like,oh, I still have to deal with people.
But it's even more exhaustingbecause it's all online
and you have to be on cameraand all of these things.
Right? Right.
It’s always something that we... we trade forsomething that we ask for in our life.
(21:28):
So, we're going to move into...tell us about your educational background.
Where did you first-where was your first job?
If you want to start there,I know you went into the Army.
I'm interested in that.And I know our listeners are.
Then, how did you end up here?
How did you get VEI?
All right, so I'm going to try to...
(21:48):
put 51 years in a very,very short time here.
I've always been a hard worker.
True story...
I love empanadas,
and there was a place nextto my grandmother's house
that used to sellsome delicious empanadas,
and they were, at that point,they were like 35 cents.
(22:10):
And, one was not enough for me.
So, I'm like, how can I get more money?
Or how can I make my own money
in order for me to walk down thereand get my own empanadas?
So, I took my grandfather's shoesand I started polishing them.
And then I will go to my grandfatherand charge him 50 cents, per shoe.
(22:31):
And I was able to collect enough moneyto get my own... very own empanadas.
Right?
Then after that, I... fast forward,I was a little bit older, I used to-
I love grapes. By the way,I love food,
and that's like my biggestweakness there.
So, the only way I could get a lot ofgrapes was to help the guy in the bodega,
(22:54):
that- it was inthe corner of the street,
putting the cans-
And back then we used to take the price,or had a little machine
to put the price on the cans,or label it like a label machine.
I don't know if you remember, but- I do.
I do. So, I would volunteer, basically,
to do that for himin exchange for some grapes.
(23:17):
So, I've always been a hard worker.
I used to volunteer my summers...I used to volunteer my summers at a dairy
farm,milking cows and cutting sugar canes
to feed the cows,collecting food for the pigs.
And it's not because I had to.
It’s just that I like to work.
(23:38):
I just like to work.
And, when I moved to the US,
or Florida, the state of Florida,I'm originally from Puerto Rico.
When I moved to Florida, we found my-
we found ourselvesin a very tough position economically,
because it's not what we were expectingas a family.
(23:58):
And my dad was still in Puerto Rico.
He stayed there for about three years.
So, during those years,I needed to bring some income-
income into the houseso I could buy myself clothes.
So, I got a job at an old...
restaurant chain called PoFolks.
And I was doing- washing dishes at night.
(24:20):
So, while my friends were at home
doing homework, at 14,
I was washing dishes at a restaurantuntil 11 or 12:00 at night.
And that... that really had a...
a negative impact on me,because I was tired.
(24:40):
School was not the focus at that point.
It was all about surviving.
And then, that's why I decidedto go into the military.
Because I needed my independencyand I needed to start building
my own foundation.
At that point, I realized that,you know, having parents is not...
(25:01):
it doesn’t- it's not a guaranteed
security for yourself. Right? Right.
You have to build your own.
And at that point, I decidedto go into the military and kind of, like,
be responsible for my own benefit,be responsible for my own salary,
be responsible for myself and my future.
And that's why, after graduatingfrom high school, I decided to go.
(25:25):
Actually,I went... the whole- the plan, Isabella,
was to go in for basic training,come back as a reservist,
but I graduated with honors
from basic trainingand I decided to stay active duty.
And so, I didn't
get to come backand enroll into a local college.
(25:46):
So, I ended up finishing my educationthrough the military.
And, I ended up getting
my... part of myAA from Central Texas College.
And then I ended up getting my bachelor'sdegree
and my MBA from the PolytechnicUniversity of Puerto Rico.
And if it wasn't for the military,I wouldn't have been able to afford
(26:07):
my education.
But anyway, that's how I ended up
where I'm at today when it comes tothe career path that I took.
If I could go back,
honestly,I will not have gone after my MBA.
I don't think...even when I was going through the MBA,
it's basically a repetition of my BA,my bachelor's in administration.
(26:32):
But I would have gone in a different...different career path.
But anyway,that's where I'm at.
I'm currently seeking up continuing
my education, taking classes at UCF
to see if I can pursue my doctoral degreein education... leadership.
But that's something that it takes time.
(26:53):
And, is out there, right?
Taking one class at a time.
But,it's not my main- my immediate goal,
but it's something that is in my future, for sure.
Like I said,in the beginning, right? You have to have a path
or you have to stay in the pathand you have to stay focused.
(27:13):
And I know that's something that I want.
But sometimes you can achieve your goalsvery rapidly or they take time.
As long as you continue to move forward,you should be good to go.
So, my point is that I'm continuingto move forward towards that goal.
But it's going to take a little bitlonger.
Yeah. Well, we're always
(27:33):
in this place of constant learning.I think that's a good thing.
So, you know, I commend you on all of those.
That's quite a path.
How did you start VEI?
What's the story on that one?
Yeah.
So, Isabella, about 2013,
there was a lot of military personnelcoming out of Afghanistan, and
(27:58):
we ran into a handful
of them at the incubation program.
And at the same time,
we read a book called Startup Nation.
And by reading Startup Nation,
I realized that we...
were wasting a lot of
(28:20):
good talent by not...
by not insuring that we’re providingveterans with the opportunity
to create their own companiesor grow their companies.
And the reason I say that is... after WorldWar II, 40% of veteran-owned-businesses,
or 40% of all businessesin the United States,
(28:42):
were... were run by veterans.
Their veterans. 40%.
That's a lot.
That's a lot. That's a lot.
Today, I think we just broke 9%.
Why? Why the disparity?
I'm not sure.
(29:04):
I think that a lot has to do with...
the cycle, right? Of the generational cycles.
After World War II,there was a big increase in manufacturing.
It was... it was not as difficult
to get into those double businesses.
(29:25):
Now, it's not manufacturing,it’s more technology.
So, basically what...
what tells me is that the...
the veterans that are comingout of the military or the personnel
that is coming out of the military,which are veterans, may not be...
as prepared as they need
(29:45):
to be to succeed in civilian life.
But, Isabella,there are some fundamental skills
that these veteranswalk away with from the military.
And these are great skills for businessowners. Leadership.
They're team-oriented,attention to detail, mission-oriented.
(30:09):
And those are things that you needas a business owner in order for you
to be able to get to that next goal,or to build your company.
So, in 2013, after reading the book,
I was having a casual conversationwith two other colleagues at UCF,
and we were wondering what will happenif we
(30:33):
start to educate some of the veteransand they get to start these companies
inside the incubators next to companiesthat are owned by civilians.
Will there be a difference?
And we never got to finish that studyor study that.
One thingthat we- one thing we discovered
(30:54):
was the fact thatwhat we were trying to do was needed,
because veteransdon't like to recognize sometimes,
but some veterans liketo recognize themselves as veterans.
And also they don't knowthat they have certain skills
that could be good for business.
So, we started working with veterans.
(31:14):
We started helping one individual.
He was a consultant.
That individual ended upjoining the incubator,
or incubation program with Carol Ann Dykes, or Carol Ann Logue.
And then he ended upgraduating and started a...
has a lightmanufacturing company in Longwood.
So, that's an exampleof how we can help veterans
(31:37):
and make sure that they are...they're taking part in the ecosystem.
And so, that's basically when we started helping veterans
and the reason why.We started
coaching that veteran one day a week.
Right?
But then from there,we started conducting some cohorts.
And today, VEI is a 501(c)(3).
(32:00):
We basically are servingthe entire state of Florida.
Sometimes we do help companies or veteransfrom outside the state of Florida
virtually.
As of last month we have helped over 650 veterans,
or veteran business ownersin the state of Florida.
The majority of those are herein Central Florida.
(32:21):
You'll see in Orange County alonethey're 60,000 veterans. Wow.
So, there's a- it'sa big community.
And sometimes we don't...we don't look into those communities
to find our next
big businessor our next community champion.
Right?
So, that's what- VEI’s mission is basically
(32:42):
to empower veterans and...and that's what we're doing.
And, that's how we... that'show we started it, just by having that
simple conversation with a few veteransand then starting some cohorts.
And it was rough in the beginning because we...
we did all thatwithout any funding or any budget.
(33:03):
It was a passion driven project
that the three colleaguesbasically felt the same way.
So we were kind of volunteering our time.
I remember running a cohort every Saturday,for like seven Saturdays in a row,
and that was not part of my jobdescription at UCF or anything like that.
It was just volunteering hours.And- but I knew...
(33:25):
But again, there's a passion.And I knew the goal
that I was trying to reachand I had a mission to do that.
And so today, it's a different story.
Today, we have a strong organizationthat was just recognized
by the SBAas the Community Partner of the Year
for the entire state of Florida,but it also is a passion driven project.
We didn't start at a nonprofit to make moneyor to help people
(33:49):
for a particular reason, like, like...
no...we started just as a way to explore,
what are the chances if we talk to theseveterans, can they change their life-
Can we change their lives?
And... and we started noticing that.
And so the more we helped, the betterwe got at it.
And the biggerthe impact we ended up having,
(34:11):
not only in the regionbut in the entire state.
Yeah.
I've seen- I love working with veteransand I know that there's like, SkillBridge
and some other programsthat help them transition from there.
There's also the Florida Associationof Veteran Owned Businesses.
And so, I guess I'm kind of surprisedat the numbers because I feel like
most veterans, they're very,well, they are team-oriented.
(34:35):
They also get stuff doneand they can say, hm... that's a problem.
Let's go fix that.And then they go fix it. Right.
So, I would think that there would be,in this age, so many more people.
The other thing that I have noticedabout them is it's really hard
for them to fit into the pay scaleif they've been in it for 20 years
that is in the small business world.
(34:58):
That's why I think they wouldstart their own business.
They end up going to an enterprise-size company, whether it's Amazon
or something else,
because that's what, you know, the incomethat they're used to receiving.
And so that's... that's something elsetoo. You know, a different way
of looking at it. Yeah, and it's like anything, right?
Not everyone is cut out to be a business owner.
(35:18):
And not everyonelikes to take those risks, right?
And get paid less.
But that's also part of not being educated-
educated in certain fieldsor certain areas.
If we can help them seethe big picture at the end of the day,
you know,what's your exit strategy or what are you-
what are you trying to achievewith your business?
(35:39):
Then something clicks in themand they get it.
Yeah.
I may not get paid as much as I want toat the moment, but I’m building
equity, I’m building assets,you know, and all of these have a...
have a number at the end of the dayand perhaps I can get to retire.
Right? So...
Yeah, and, I don't know, retiringmay not be the thing that they want
(36:00):
because then it's like,well, you're not as active.
You know, the thing that keeps you activeis being in the world, not necessarily
going, unless you have enough money,you can travel the world.
That would be the thing I would do.
Definitely.
So, in my case, I would like to have enoughthat I can sail, right? And I can sail
the East coast of the United Statesor sail the Caribbean.
(36:22):
Right? And have no worry.
So... and I think it's doable. Right?
But we have to build that foundation.
And that's what I try to teach people.
You know,what’s the end game look like?
And if you have that endgame in your head, then it should not be
that difficult to kind of like,build a path or a journey towards that goal.
Right? It's not going to be a perfect line.
(36:43):
As you know, Isabella.
It's going to be zigzagging up and down.
But as long as you stay focused,you'll make it.
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
So, over here,
next question is... favorite thought leader?
Do you have one?
(37:03):
I do have
some from the mental leaders in my life,
but those same leaders taught me that
everyone is a leader.
And, so I got to spend a lot of quality time-
quality timewith my grandparents... from my father and
my mother's side.
(37:24):
And they were very
different characters,very opposite. My... one of my grandfathers
from my dad's side,he was a- had an accounting firm.
He was very... he was a community leader,
was very well known for his
leadership effortsin that town.
(37:47):
And my other grandfatherwas a businessman.
No educational background, both veterans.
But he was the one in the corners,
on the corner block with his friends.
And now that I think about it, I wonder...wow, I wonder what my grandfather was into but
(38:10):
but, so... two different schools of thought.
Right?
And... and at that pointI learned that they both love me.
They both give me quality time.
I learned a lot from both of them. Right?
Even though they were very different.
So, at that point,
I realized that every person that I meetbrings something different to the table
and what they bring to the tableI can learn from, regardless...
(38:34):
regardless of their position in life,their age, what...
who they work for.
We always-I always walk away with something new and...
and it's because I'm open to that. Right?
And that's the only way...
Perhaps I don't ask for help as much,but I'm always listening and...
and looking aroundto see what I can walk away with.
(38:54):
And something as simpleas a very casual conversation
to... more in-depth conversationlike the one we're having today. So...
So my point is, toyour question, Isabella, that I don't have a...
one person. I thinkthat I- we all as humans,
we can learn from each otherand everyone is leading the way somehow.
(39:15):
Some way.
And I walked awaywith a lot of good things from that.
So, we're going to take a moment
to acknowledge our sponsor, Cat 5 Studios,and we will be right back.
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(39:36):
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Thank you, Cat 5 Studios.
So, we're back to the secondhalf of our show, where we talk about
the future of jobs and industries in 2030.
And our guest,as you all know, is Rafael Caamano.
And so we're going to kick this one offwith... what do you think
(39:58):
2030 is going to look like?
2030... it’s 2024 today.
So, I- This year doesn't count and 2030 doesn't count.
So, we lose two yearsright off the bat there. Right.
So... so when I first think of 2030,
or 2040, I can see
a lot ofnew development in the state of Florida.
(40:22):
Housing projects.
So, that means less green.
So the state's going to be more condensedwith people.
I think of the water issuesthat we're having.
Hopefully we can come upwith some solutions for that.
The economy as a state should be okay.
And the reason for it is obvious...the natural resources
(40:45):
that we have as a state and alsothe attractions that we have here.
So, a lot of moneyfrom outside the state coming in.
That helps.
But that's how I- that's what I see
when I think of 2030 or 2040. Now,I can see a big demand...
And I know right nowthere's a big demand for certain jobs,
(41:07):
especially on the medical side,nursing and also civil engineering.
I think there's a deficiton civil engineers.
And they're going to need more
for all the developments that are goingto be happening in the state of Florida.
So... so I see a lot of construction,a lot of growth,
statewide, and a lot of shifting.
As you know, SouthFlorida is having some challenges
(41:29):
with water resources and flooding.
So, I can see some of those folks moving,
or shifting to the north sideor the central side of the state.
So, a lot of changes, basically,
for us here in Florida by 2030.
Yeah, I would definitely,definitely say that.
I know that Miami was caught off guardwith all of the rain that came
(41:54):
through a few weeks ago, and there wasjust massive amounts of flooding.
I don't know about you, but,I've been following
some of the trends about Miami, too.
And the water is rising.
And so it's been like a five footincrease.
Right.
Some of the landmass that it's covering.That's significant
(42:15):
because it's hardto imagine some cities underwater
and I go, I don't know, Florida'sjust a peninsula.
Could we...could we end up being underwater?
I don't know.Right.
Possible.
Well, let's not forget last yearwhere we had, also, a lot of rain and...
and the Fort Lauderdale airporthad to shut down for so many days, right?
(42:37):
Because they were underwater.
And now this year, there was an announcement that they're
building a new airport towardsthe southwest of the state of Florida.
So, I wonder if it's going to be a backupairport for Fort Lauderdale or not.
Right?
So anyway, yeah,something to be worried about.
Hopefully we can come togetheras a state and...
(43:01):
and come up with a good solutionto alleviate some of the headaches.
But it's part of the growth of
the popularity ofthe state. Not only loc-
in the nation, but globally.
Right?
Yep. Yep. Definitely.
So... so that part of it,
when we look at it, how do you thinkthat's going to impact our jobs?
(43:24):
Because when I look at it,this is how I see jobs.
I feel like,because we measure everything in life.
Everything now.
We look at how many looks,how many downloads, how many...
how many people go through a turnstile,everything.
I believe that, just like the governmenthas impact resumes,
and you have to quantifyeverything on there...
(43:46):
everybody'sresumes will have to be quantified.
What is the impact that you havein your job as to the tasks
and to the projects,but even in your competencies?
So, leadership. You know, if you're-one of your competencies is leadership,
I believe that people are goingto have to be able to demonstrate
how they improved somethingwith their leadership skills.
So, I was able to take my team
(44:10):
to a 90% close rate in sales.
That would be magnificent.
Who doesn't want to workwith that person? Right?
So I feel like resumes will be requiredto have that more than anything.
Not your certificates, not your education.
It's going to be...what is the impact that you have?
So, I think that is what... notI think, that's what I...
(44:31):
those are the trends I seeand it's what I know is coming.
So I feel like we need to bemeasuring everything we do now
so we can speak to that in our ability
to get jobs and acquire money and like,grants, things like that.
I see that right-
right at this moment.I get exposed to resumes for various...
(44:55):
for both organizations and UCF and...
and VEI. And if you want to stand out,
you gotta be able to explainwhat will be
the potential return of investmentfor this company that is going to hire me.
Right?
And... and I don't know if it-I think it's...
the business world has changed so much,right? From the... from what
(45:18):
it used to be, that now,I feel like businesses are-
They have more options, especially outsourcing to other places
where thehourly rates are lower than here.
So, it has to be very competitive,and it's going to be very competitive.
And you have to be able to demonstrate,again, what will be the ROI
(45:38):
for this company that is going to hire medown the road, or the potential ROI?
Right?
And if you don't have that, like yousaid, Isabella, then they're going
to pass that- pass your resumeand try to find somebody else.
Yep, yep, I agree.
So, what is the positive impact?
I know we talked about robots,
AI, augmented reality, virtual realityon the future of work.
(46:02):
You picked ‘robots.’
So let's decide...what is the definition of a robot to you?
Right,
so, to- so, I think that definitionis going to have to change at some point.
Because things that were not robots
before have become robots,like a car, a Tesla
(46:22):
that can drive by itselfand take you to a destination.
That’s- the vehicle is applyinga function that used to be done by humans.
So, will that be considered a robot? Right?
Vacuum cleaner, an airplane.
You know, who thinks about it, and...
but I think, you know, overall, having
(46:44):
that automation can be for the best.
It could be less car accidentson the road, cleaner house, right?
Yeah. Safe way to travel.
You don't have to worry about a pilotbeing drunk.
And flying an airplane.
So, I think there's more positivethan negative.
Of course there's room for...
(47:06):
for people to take advantage to...
to do bad things.
Yeah.
But, in reality, I think,
I think it's going to help us be...
it's going to help us be better, and
it's going to open up and give usmore time to enjoy other things in life.
You know, I read this article, it was about a year ago,
(47:28):
about how they're using robots... more...
robotic type,
I guess I'll call them...robotic type of services,
to help in the health care industry.
Like, in assisted living, things like that.
So, I'm trying to imagine this... this robotthat looks like a human
(47:49):
that's coming in as a nurse, that'schecking my vitals, things like that,
because there's many industries thatwe see, people don't want to be in them.
There is a McDonald'salso that's in Orlando.
I've not gone to it.
And it has no humans, no humans at all.
And I went, I don't like that idea becausewhen I go in, I really enjoy the person.
(48:12):
I know
it's not a lot of money, butthey get paid to come in and do something.
And when they say good morning to me,that's more meaningful
than going into a McDonald'sthat actually doesn't.
I have people at the window waving to me.
It's a middle schoolthat's stopping by to wave at the windows.
So, that's what you missby not being in the studio today.
(48:35):
Anyway, there's this placewhere having humans is really important.
That's a lot of times where people
get their first job in restaurantsor washing dishes,
if you will, because there's robotsthat can wash dishes.
There's all kinds of thingsthat can take the place of a human.
But I think that sometimesjust because we can,
not sometimes, just because we can doesn'tmean we should.
(48:58):
Because there's those skillsthat you had mentioned
that, earlier in the show,that are vital to be developed.
And if you are not there, you know,how are you going
to learn how to interact with humansin some of these many ways?
So I feel like, it's a disservice to takesome of those opportunities away.
I do like going into McDonald'sand seeing a human.
(49:20):
I do like knowing that there is somebodythat can't get a job because they may have...
they don't have a green card, if you will.
They don't have some of the...
same mental abilitiesas those that are blessed with,
you know, having other resourcesavailable to them.
(49:40):
So, there are jobs that people need to havebecause what are they going to do?
Right, right.
And... but then at the same time,you know, like when I go to McDonald's
right now, do you use the registeror do you use the automated system?
Right?
I use the registerand I like to have that interaction
with the person just like you do.
But I think it's becausewe're from a different generation. Now,
(50:01):
before or during the conversationwe were talking about
nowadays, people feel very comfortableengaging in text and
it's all very artificial, right? Anartificial way of communicating, right?
Removed.For them...
it will be great
to have that human interactionbecause they write a deal artificially.
So, it's weird.
But, I get what you're saying about
(50:24):
those folks needing a job,but I think that the new generation
will probably be those technicianshelping those facilities
keep up withthe burgers and the french fries.
Right? And things like that. I don't know, they're not in there.
They’re really- the article is about how
there was no humans,not even a manager to solve a problem.
I went, I can see all kinds of waysthat that could go wrong.
(50:47):
All kinds of ways, becauseyou also didn't go into it.
You just went through a drive-through.That's it.
Wow. Yeah.
So, you know, obviouslythey couldn't have a place
where you can come into...there's just a machine.
You get a machinethat sends your food out.
Well then, I'm in trouble becauseI don't like to order through drive-through.
(51:08):
And I'm sure that the order, if it getsmessed up, who are you going to talk to, right?
It's gonna be like-That’s what I'm saying.
There's, like,all kinds of problems with that.
Okay, so,moving to the next section here...
Geoffrey Hinton,he's called the godfather of AI.
He's actually the person that invented it60 years ago.
One of the waysin which he thinks that AI might escape
(51:29):
control is by writing its own codeto modify itself.
And he said, that's somethingthat we need to seriously worry about.
This is back in October 8th of 2023.
So, he is a big guest speaker.
I've been following him for a little bitand I find it fascinating.
He used to work for Google also,
so I feel like he'sgiving us a cautionary tale warning here.
(51:53):
You know, what ethical dilemmas doyou foresee with AR, VR, or
AI? I mentioned to you before we started
the show about Black Mirror and said,be careful if you watch that one.
It's pretty dark.
But if humans can think itand it's on a science-fiction show,
it's in the world. I sit here and I go, it's already in reality.
(52:14):
So, I think that it is possible,
I think that people can take itand make it go south in a heartbeat.
Yeah, definitely.
It’s happening right now. Right?
People taking advantage of AI to...
to extractmaterials and then sell that material.
And there's a lot of lawsuits aboutcopyrights and things of that nature.
(52:37):
So, imagine what could happen down the roadon the medical side
and the legal side too. So, anyway, I...
I still feel like that will be there,
but that as everything moves forward,we’re going to become better at it.
And there may be some regulationthat can help us
(52:59):
with-
interpretsome of the stuff that comes out of
AI and find out what's realand what's not.
It's not going to be easy.
It's going to be challenging,but I think it's going to be...
be used more
to help us as humans than develop
weapons,or to do, you know, bad things.
(53:22):
Maybe that's the optimism in me.
Try to be positive about thingsand try to look at the brightest-
the bright side.
But, yeah,I think that that that's how I feel,
like, I think that, it will be usedfor better than wars.
Yeah. I'm going to hope for that too.
So, best mentoring advicethat you want to share with our listeners.
(53:47):
What would you say?
I like your storiesof when you were a child
and you were starting your own businessand things like that.
I feel like you're never too youngto start your own business, so...
That's one of many. Yeah.
So, I think my best advice,and this is something that I...
as I transitioned from the military,
(54:07):
right before I started my own company,
I... I had a leader of a company down
in Fort Lauderdalethat told me, make sure that you continue
to educate yourself and read a lot.
And I was in my late 20s
(54:27):
and I knew what he meant,
but I didn't give it as...
to me it was not as important.
Now, that's the goal.
I think I value that, I did takehis advice.
And it's true.
I mean, you have to stay connectedwith your industry.
You have to read, and continueto educate yourself in...
(54:50):
not only in your industry or whatyou study for, but also, you know,
on what's going on around the world,what's going on with...
with our country and, in everything.
Right?
In general, you have to be ontop of the game. Because these are-
these are the types of informationthat you can use on your networking event.
(55:10):
These are the types of information thatyou can use to connect with other humans.
Right?
As I mentioned before, Isabella, it'sall about the human connection, right?
And it all starts with communication.
So, you better have some datato share. Right?
And in order to do that,you have to stay connected with reality.
And...so continue to educate yourself.
And reading was one of the best advicesthat I got from a mentor.
(55:34):
Yeah. That is solid. Yeah.
And people do need to readbecause we consume video like crazy.
And then we read headlinesand we think that's the real news.
So, reading real- really
authenticated, verified and
peer-reviewed,I'll put that one out there.
That would be so vital.
(55:56):
So vital. Right, right.
Okay.
So, how can our listeners contact you,both of your websites, what are they?
And LinkedIn okay?
Yes. So,I like to communicate through LinkedIn.
I try that-that's my main tool for communication.
I hope they can also visit our websitewww.incubator.ucf.edu.
(56:21):
So, www.incubator.ucf.edu.
Or, if they want to learnabout the Veteran Entrepreneurship
Initiative, it’s www.vei.center.
Well that's a lot easierthan the other one.
So, whichever way. The best place is LinkedIn.
(56:45):
Rafael Caamano,
and if you type Orlando,
I should be able to come upand I'll respond to your messages.
And if anyone has any questionsor anything they want to...
anything they may need,please reach out.
And if I don't know it, I'll send them to the right...
at least the right door for themto find that answer.
(57:06):
That sounds great.
Thank you so much. It'sbeen a pleasure having you on the show.
And I really got to feel like
I got to know youso much better than how we have these
passed-through conversations and all ofthe events that we go to, right? Yes.
Yeah.
It's a pleasure.
Thank you for the privilegeof being in your show.
And I look forward to see youonce again in another networking event.
(57:27):
That is very true. Thank you.
All right. Take care.
Thank you to our sponsor, Cat 5 Studios,and thank you to our video
production and editing team, ErikaUlman and Gavin Staley.
Music is by Sophie Lloyd,
The Intern Whisperer is brought to youby Employers 4 Change, helping
hiring teams to recruit and upskilltheir intern talent and employees.
(57:49):
Learn more at www.e4c.tech
and become a member to reduce hiring bias
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