Jose Rodriguez Interview

“At first it was not easy, just like everything in life, nothing is easy,” Jorge Luis Rodriguez highlight in the interview. As a University of California, Riverside student, I had the opportunity to interview a successful, wise and kind man, who owns his own small business. He owns big trucks that pick up, transport, and drop off packages and small shipments within the state of California. He began by talking about his early life as a garbage collector and how the backbreaking job led him to serious health problems that ended up with him in the hospital. Rodriguez informs how that incident helped him realize that it was time to take risks and strive for something better. To recover economically from the days he was unemployed, he began working
as a truck driver. To support his wife and children, Rodriguez took the initiative to start his own trucking business after a few years of driving his truck and making deliveries. He had met friends that shared his dream and vision, so they decided to work together to have a successful business.
When asked what his opinion on what is the secret to business success Rodriguez had this to say, "There is no secret to being successful. You aren't going to find a magical formula that is going to lead you to succeed. Like everything in life, you have to work hard for it, try again when you fail, and just keep trying to improve." "It also helps to do something that you love, that way it never really feels like work!" He adds with a laugh.
Seeing as he seemed to enjoy talking about his business I continued my inquiries. The next question I posed to him was what in his opinion is the most important quality for a business owner to have? He didn't seem to think about it at all and quickly replied, "Responsibility." "Holding yourself accountable for each and every service you provide and making sure the job is done right is imperative for a good business owner. Providing good service for your customers ensures that they will return for more business and also attracts more customers allowing for your business to grow." "How long is your average work day?" I asked him. He smiled broadly and said "My work days can stretch anywhere from 3 hours to 14. It just all depends on how hard I feel like working, how much money I want to make, and the amount of work available. I can even choose to not work at all if I don't feel like if. That is the beauty of being the boss!" I enjoyed his enthusiasm and it encouraged me to continue my interview.
My next question dealt with what is the most difficult part about managing employees. This question seemed to require more thought on his part than the previous ones. "I've never really thought about this since I see my employees more like peers than employees. It's simple really, make their importance to the company known, treat them fairly, and give them a good wage for the honest work they provide. Do this and you won't have any trouble at all."
Finally I arrived at my last question and in my opinion I couldn't have received a better answer. "Based on your experience, what can you tell me so I can become a successful businessperson?" He smiled and said, "Find something you love to do and find a way to make money off of it!"
He gently patted me on the back while he laughed and I thanked him for his time. I couldn't help but walk away from the interview with a smile. The positive outlook that Mr. Rodriguez had on his business was refreshing and just inspired me all the more to pursue my own business one day. I find it hard to disagree with his take on things and I believe his wisdom that he shared with me will be invaluable on my pursuit towards
success.