Lessons from Successes and Setbacks: insights from Juan Chavez

In this episode, Drew sits down with Juan Chavez, a multi-business entrepreneur based in Medellín, Colombia. Juan shares his inspiring journey from the failure of his first call center business to creating JMC Automotive Equipment, a thriving Inc. 5000 company. He also delves into his ventures in VIP concierge services and real estate investment. Juan reflects on hard-learned lessons about delegation, leadership, and overcoming self-doubt.

Listeners will gain practical insights into building systems, fostering a strong company culture, and navigating challenges with resilience. With a martial artist’s discipline and a visionary approach to business, Juan offers valuable advice on how to work on your business rather than in it.

If you’re a business owner or aspiring entrepreneur, this conversation will leave you motivated to embrace challenges and strategically scale your ventures.

Key Takeaways:

1. Failures are Learning Opportunities: Juan’s first business failed due to lack of focus and unforeseen regulation changes. However, it laid the foundation for his later successes.
2. The Importance of Delegation: Start by offloading tasks you don’t enjoy or excel at to free up time for high-impact activities.
3. Foster a Positive Culture: Employees thrive when leaders provide support, clarity, and purpose in their roles.
4. The Pit of Despair in Learning: Recognizing and overcoming periods of self-doubt is essential in personal and professional growth.
5. Discipline and Resilience: Martial arts taught Juan valuable lessons in facing challenges head-on and staying the course.
6. Think Long-Term: While short-term strategies like SEO and paid ads fueled JMC’s growth, Juan is already planning for future scalability with private labeling.

Notable Quotes:

• "You have to work on your business, not in your business." – Juan Chavez
• "What if it does work? Even a 1% chance of success can be worth it." – Juan Chavez
• "Leaders should provide the why behind every task—it fuels purpose and ownership." – Juan Chavez
• "We suffer more in imagination than in reality." – Seneca (shared by Drew)