Jorge Mejia > www.argo.com

Jorge Mejia, Real Estate Agent, Interviewed by Laura Rosado

What do you need to be a leader?

For me it’s always around honesty and humility. I am a quite hard working man and when I look at those in the public eye who I respect – they seem to all be humble and honest.

           

What inspired you in your life?

Opportunity. When I came here and realized what I could accomplish with hard work, I was inspired. Working as I do in real estate – finding people the homes they will live in, I am inspired knowing that they will get a home and I will build my business and there is nothing unpleasant about any of it. Buying a home is a happy time; I get to share in that. It’s inspiring.

           

Does being Hispanic/Latino have any influence on your business?

Yes, language is the way we best communicate. The fact that I can communicate in both English and Spanish makes me a better sales person. I love the culture and the language of my birth, and I am in awe of the language of my country.

In the face of adversity, how do you decide to drive ahead?

I don’t think about it. There is no decision to drive ahead. It’s my life and I am grateful I have a road in front of me.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?

Getting started. Building a base of people who would recommend me. Real estate is a slow build but worth it.

If you could change one thing about your business. What would it be?

The way our industry treats each other. I try so very hard to leave it behind, and for the most part I do, but if all brokers worked toward the best results for our customers, we would have a more pleasurable experience.

What was your childhood ambition?

To be a great family man. To come to the United States and be the best me I could be.

Tell us about three leaders that you admire.

The Pope. He is humble. He is honest – or I hope and believe he is. It seems as if he had the way he wanted to behave in place and just stuck to the simple every day things, and look at where he is. I admire him most perhaps. And, he speaks Spanish!

President Obama, who again never pounds his chest or asks for credit. I think and hope he will be treated better later in life, and his contributions will be recognized. I like the way he carries himself and I like the way he presents himself.

Mark Moskowitz. You might never have heard his name, but he owns Argo, the company I work for. He is very, very successful and he is very smart. But he is the most humble man I have ever worked with, and I admire him greatly. I try and be like him around others. He is an inspiration to be sure.

For business meetings, which do you prefer: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

I prefer what the client prefers. Different for each one. Sometimes they prefer a cup of coffee. I try and figure out what works for them, not for me. But my favorite meal of the day is dinner – with family.

What sacrifices in your personal life did you have to make in order to become successful in your business?

I don’t think of sacrifice. I think of service and I’ve enjoyed serving my clients. I serve them the best I can. I listen to what they say matters to them about buying or selling their home, and then I try and do just that. It’s not a sacrifice. It’s really not.

What is your favorite quote?

We need to internalize this idea of excellence. Not many folks spend a lot of time trying to be excellent.  Barack Obama

Is it difficult to be unconventional?

I’m not sure I am. The question makes me smile. I don’t want to be unconventional unless I have a reason to be. And, so far, I like convention.

Biggest mistake made?

There is no mistake I’ve made that hasn’t been a lesson that’s helped me. But I guess the biggest mistake I make is when I don’t write something down. There is so much to remember in a day in the times we live.

Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?

 I consider myself as constantly changing as I learn new things, and that’s innovation isn’t it?

About the company:

Argo is a small company that services well those looking to buy and sell apartments. Argo owns many many buildings in the city. We know how they work. We know neighborhoods and our team is not large in number, but we each have something very different we bring to the company and what I bring means I’m respected for my individuality. It’s a great real estate company with a great reputation which makes me proud. 

Francheska > www.francheskamusic.com

Francheska, Actress, Model and Singer Interviewed by Laura Rosado

What do you need to be a leader?
To be a leader one needs to have a vision, share that vision with others and inspire  to support that vision. A leader stands by their decisions and motivates others to contribute to the vision or set goal. 

What inspired you in your life?
I'm mostly inspired by the two people who mean the most to me, my brother Glenn and  mother Bella. Their love and support to follow my dreams is unconditional and for that I am forever grateful. 

Does being Hispanic/Latina have any influence on your business?
Being latina has a lot of influence in my business. My culture is expressed through  music, from the “tambora" to the “trompeta”. I am proud to be latina and  my Dominican roots. 

In the face of adversity, how do you decide to drive ahead?
When one is going through hard times you are left with no other option than to pick up and start again. There's nothing that you are incapable of overcoming in , it all starts with self will. 

If you could change one thing about your business. What would it be?
I would change the lack of knowledge artists and people have on the "business side  things" in the music industry.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
I am a singer/songwriter and in my business the biggest challenge has been defining my artistry. Once you define your sound and your style, its magical.  

What was your childhood ambition?
When I was younger I wanted to be a kindergarden teacher

Tell us about three leaders that you admire.
1. Juan Gabriel - his artistry 2. J-Lo - her work ethic 3. Barack Obama - his courage.

For business meetings, which do you prefer: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Dinner. 

What sacrifices in your personal life did you have to make in order to become successful in your business?
Having been on a couple of tours already I can definitely say one sacrifices being away from loved ones. Being away from my family on my favorite holidays and birthdays, including my own. 

What is your favorite quote?
“intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of
 life".

What is your favorite quote?
No. Not difficult, but scary. 

Biggest mistake made?
Biggest mistake has been doubting my vision at a point in my life. I quickly
recovered and got back on track!

Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why? 
Of course! I’m always trying to innovate with my music.

About the artist:
Instagram: @francheskamusic
Facebook: www.facebook/public/francheska-gomez
Web: www.francheskamusic.com

Lin Manuel Miranda > www.linmanuel.com

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Actor,Composer, Playwrite, Lyrist and Rapper. Interview by Laura Rosado of PlanetM

1) What is it that you need to be a leader?

I don’t think of myself as a leader.  I think of myself as a collaborator.  That’s the fun of creating theater. That by definition, you cannot do it alone.  I work with directors and choreographers, and other writers, and I play a very specific role - and I am very aware of the role I play.  I think that’s the most important gift that a leader can bring to any project - the ability to get everyone talking and on the same page, and the best idea in the room wins.  A leader is not afraid of where the idea comes from, but recognizes what the right idea is, and implements it. 

2) What are some of the things that have inspired you in your life?

Everything in life has truly inspired me.  And as an artist, that’s my job.  An artist’s job is to be inspired, to fall in love with that story so good, that you feel you are the only one who can tell it… that the melody or song in your head can only come to you, not to anyone else.

Our job as artists is to be open.  Sometimes that’s difficult, because sometimes you want to shut down, and you don’t want to let anything in.  But artists must let everything in.  And then, the stuff that sticks, that’s the stuff that we are meant to make. 

3) Does being a Hispanic have an influence in the work you do? 

Everything about me has an influence on the work I do!  I think that growing up Latino, in a Latino neighborhood, speaking Spanish and English… all of it informs my work.  I think that even when the subject matter of what I’m writing about isn’t “quote unquote” Latino, I think that there is a sensibility there, which is informed by my Latino upbringing, that is a part of who I am.

4) What is the biggest challenge that you face?

The biggest challenge that I face, is the challenge that all artists face: which is recognizing the right idea to run with.  Musicals take a long time, so you can start working on one, and three years down the road realize: “Oh, this isn’t it.”  As artists, we fall in love with our work for our living, and sometimes projects don’t work out.  But any artist’s challenge is to nurture an idea from it being just an idea, followed by the hard work of building the infrastructure, of building the thing – it’s own thing.

5) If you could change anything about what you do, what would it be?

I would make theater ticket prices cheaper!  That’s easier said than done, obviously, and that’s actually not my job as an artist.  My job is to write the shows, not produce them.  And things are expensive to produce.  But luckily, there are ways to make theater tickets afforfable.  For example, we recently announced a new initiative by the Rockefeller Foundation, that will provide tickets for “Hamilton” to 20,000 New York City students.  It would be great to see initiatives like this expand  and grow.

6 )What was a childhood ambition of yours?

I wanted to be either a Hollywood movie director, or a Hollywood stuntman.  But then I realized that I didn’t like getting hurt or going fast, so the stuntman idea went out the window.  Later, I discovered that I was always making up songs, and then at some point, I turned in that direction; and ran with it. 

7) Three leaders that you admire:

Martin Luther King:  I admire his mix of compassion, and urgency and social justice.  He was able to harness a lot of conflicting and really tough challenges, into an amazing movement.

Broadway Director Hal Prince:  He is the inventor of the “getting everybody in the room and on the same page” approach to stage directing and leadership.  His notion of “the best idea in the room wins” can be applied in all aspects of life.

Rubén Blades:  He has been a songwriter, an actor, a politician.  He just kind of does whatever he thinks he should be doing next.  And that is the mark of a true artist.  He doesn’t plan his career by what “looks good” or what’s “hot” at the moment.  It is about what’s inside him that he feels he must do.  And I hope I find that same internal compass. 

8) Business meetings preference – 

I love a good lunch meeting!  I never think of dinner meetings because I’m always doing a show!

9) Sacrifices that you have made to become successful at what you do?

The sacrifice is always time.  It takes a long time to write shows.  It takes a long time to make art.  And the only way to minimize that sacrifice, is to surround yourself with people who love you, who understand what your work is, and “get” what you are doing.  Even if that means a little bit less time for them.  I am married to a wonderful woman who is passionate about her own field practice.  If I am off writing all-night, she is off working too, and we come back, and find each other at the end of the day.

10) Favorite Quote:

“This Too Shall Pass” – It is my mother’s favorite quote.  It is true in the good times and the bad times.  It is just true.

11) Is it difficult to be unconventional? 

I don’t set out to be unconventional.  I think that leadership and success come from finding your “internal compass” – finding the things that you want to put into the world, and feel uniquely suited to do or to create.  That is very hard, but finding that story that you feel uniquely suited to tell or write is essential.

12) Description about the Company/Artist

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