Latino Business Speakers Bureau: Charles Garcia
story by: David Gomez
The origin of a story can stem off from decisions so far back that they almost seem unrelated. A turn in the wrong direction and the story line disappears. Charles Garcia is fully aware of how fortunate he is that his dad opted to become a doctor rather than a priest. Charles’ story begins when his dad decided to attend medical school at Georgetown University where he met and married Charles’ mom. A year and a half after Charles’ birth, the young family moved to the country of Panama, the birthplace of his father. To Charles, his story line is a reminder of the power of decisions. He values agency and encourages his own children to make their own decisions in life. Mistakes are welcomed because they will turn into life lessons. However, Charles’ take on decision-making and agency came about through a tough life lesson. After he finished his studies at Columbia University School of Law, Charles was set to work at a law firm. He had received accolades and was published by Columbia Law Review. However, his heartwas set on becoming an entrepreneur. His family had expectations of what he should do with the degree he had completed. Although he didn’t know it yet, he would learn more than the value of decisions, he would also learn the difference between passion andpurpose.
Charles’ accomplishments are impressive. He has authored several books on education and self-growth. Jaime Escalante wrote the foreword for one of his books and was one of Charles’ mentors (the film Stand and Deliverwas based on Escalante’s teaching Calculus in East Los Angeles). He was a top student at the United States Air Force Academy and was an Intelligence Officer in South America. He was part of the White House Fellowship cohort during the Regan/Bush transition. As an entrepreneur, he created and sold lucrative companies that focused on serving Hispanic communities. In addition, Charles has a personal commitment to make a positive impact on someone every day. He is driven by a reflective desire to give and to help others. Although his life is remarkable and he’s been successful, he remembers the challenging moment when he told his parents that he would not take the offer at the law firm in Miami, FL.
Hispanic culture values parental leadership as a way to show respect for ancestors and parents is to follow their influence and value their input. It was very clear that Charles' family had expectations that he would become a lawyer. He had a promising career and had already been published. However, he had a great vision of the good he could do for others as an entrepreneur. To reconcile the dilemma of honoring his parents and following the path he knew was the right path for him, Charles had to really understand what his parents’ ultimate goal for him was. This process led him to a deeper understanding of his purpose and his passion.
Charles has a very well-defined understanding of what constitutes purpose and passion. He differentiates that purpose is using one’s God-given talents for the good of others, while passion is the pursuit of things and activities that fuel the soul with energy. This is very different from one individual to another. For one individual, purpose could be their role being a good parent. For another person, it could be teaching students in an underserved community. Pursuing passion could be joining a team sport and leading them to a championship or writing stories about inspiring people. But the greatest takeaway is that people who bring purpose and passion to their organization are the most productive people. They give their best and are fueled with energy every single day; and those around them benefit from the good they produce.
The decision to pursue his career as an entrepreneur was the right one, and Charles’ success is a testimony of believing what is right for oneself. He is now the CEO of Tendrel, a global organization that provides social impact leaders with the network, resources and skills to bring radical impact to our world. As he reflects on the dilemma with his parents it is clear that he has honored them. Thebottom line of what his parents envisioned for him was a life well lived. They wanted him to be a good man, have a successful career and keep the faith and traditions they inculcated in him. He has done all of this and more, but he alone was the one who knew what path would bring fulfillment to his life.