Rudy Rodriguez entered the Navy at the age of 18 with the dream of becoming an astronaut. After ten years in the service and having received his pilot wings, it looked like that dream would soon become a reality. That was until Rudy unexpectedly failed a physical evaluation, immediately ending his career in aviation.
Forced to make a decision between a different placement in the Navy and accepting an honorable discharge, Rudy decided to pursue an entrepreneurial path.
After finding success in building sales teams for companies running large live events, Rudy once again found it necessary to change directions when the COVID-19 pandemic eliminated that entire industry in just a matter of weeks.
In this episode, Rudy Rodriguez joins the show to discuss turning adversity into opportunity when life forces you to pivot.
Time Stamped Show Notes
[01:58] Welcome To The Show…
- 2:29 Rudy enlists in the Navy at age 18 with aspirations of becoming an astronaut.
- 2:58 After a shocking performance review failure Rudy must decide between a different role in the Navy or pursuing an entrepreneurial path.
- 4:35 Starting a company that provides sales teams for businesses hosting live events.
[05:22] Rudy is forced to make a pivot as COVID-19 wipes out the live event marketplace.
- 05:58 The pros and cons of shifting from live to virtual events.
- 09:44 How Rudy turned a potentially catastrophic change in his market into a larger and more profitable business.
[13:27] How strong hiring practices can make or break your company.
- 14:04 It’s not the What or the How; it’s the Who that matters.
- 15:17 Why most companies have the hiring and firing processes backward.
- 18:30 What you need to do as an employer to ensure your new hires have the highest chance of success.
- 18:55 What you can offer potential hires that matters 8x more than what you’re going to pay them.
[21:34] How to create an ethical sales team.
- 22:34 Why company culture is so much more than cliches and platitudes.
- 23:24 If you hired an a-player and they aren’t performing, start by asking them what they need from you to succeed.
- 26:07 The principles of selling ethically.
[31:25] Wrap-Up—Thanks For Checking Out This Episode Of The Primed Mind Podcast!
3 Key Points
- Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities: Often in life, our biggest obstacles have the potential to turn into our most lucrative opportunities. When faced with adversity, you have the chance to either fold under the pressure, or use it as an opportunity to grow and evolve. Those who win in the end are those who are able to see the silver lining in their problems and quickly make the necessary pivots.
- Your Company’s Success Starts With Its Hiring Process: The What and the How of your business if you don’t have the right Who. Most business owners wait far too long to hire for an area of need, then rush the process. Be slow to hire and fast to fire, and do the work necessary to ensure that the person you hire is the right fit for the job.
- The Mindset For Ethical Sales: Sales is a scary word for most people, yet it is the lifeblood for every business. When you approach sales with a mindset of service and adding value, it quickly switches from feeling sleazy to being exciting and invigorating. When you listen to your customers and offer them a product or service that satisfies a need, you’ll find that most of the negative feelings associated with sales disappear.
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