From bagging groceries to celebrated author, mentor, and entrepreneur, our next Pro-for-a-Day has done it all. Lorenzo Gomez joined us in class this year to share his story and talk about the importance of building your “personal board of directors,” investing in your reputation, and embracing opportunities.

Flickr Photo Album
Prof-for-a-Day Presentation
Cilantro Diaries

A Journey from HEB #5 to Business Owner and Advocate:

With the help from his brother’s reputation, teen-aged Lorenzo landed a job at Handy Andy’s – his first grocery store. He excelled at the position until the competition - HEB – won him over.  The lessons he learned and the reputation he built as a dependable employee there helped him land a job in a computer showroom, eventually leading to a career at the tech company Rackspace.

While working through the ranks at Rackspace, the opportunity presented itself for Lorenzo to move and work in their London department. “I had a very small view of the world. I’d only been on one plane and had only crossed the border to Laredo with my parents,” Lorenzo says and goes on to explain that it took him almost a year to pursue this path with the help of a coworker’s encouragement. The experience opened Lorenzo’s eyes to the world of possibilities and helped further propel his career at Rackspace where he eventually served as a senior manager.

Lorenzo’s work has extended beyond the corporate world into nonprofit and advocacy efforts, such as TechBloc and the 80/20 foundation. These organizations are designed to foster innovation and support local communities in his hometown of San Antonio. Lorenzo has also written four impactful books The Cilantro Diaries, The Bully in your Pocket, Tafolla Toro, and The Rack We Built. The books address topics like building company culture, conquering fear and bullies, and other general advice centered around Lorenzo’s upbringing and rise to success in the business world.

Key Lessons Shared in Class

At the heart of Lorenzo’s message to the class was the importance of building a “personal board of directors.” Exemplified by his brother who has been a consistent mentor, or his coworker who pushed him out of his comfort zone, these are people who have your best interest at heart and push you to your limits. Some advice on curating this board include:

  • Seek Truth-Tellers: “The people on your board of directors should speak the hard truths in love-they see your potential and won’t let you waste it.”
  • Start Small: “You don’t need an entire Jedi Council, but you need one good counselor. Just one person can change the trajectory of your life.”
  • Diversify Perspectives: “Include people with different experiences and viewpoints – they’ll challenge your thinking and help you grow in unexpected ways

Another central theme to the talk was the concept of reputation as a currency. From his first job to his last, this has also been a theme in Lorenzo’s career. Having not attended college or really any sort of technical training, his rise to the top is a result of his reputation and dependability. Things like utilizing “manners as a superpower” and keeping an open mind as a team member are central parts of what drives Lorenzo’s success. “Reputation is a currency. You can start building its value right now.” To come full circle, he also notes that “at some point, you’ll need to put your reputation on the line for someone else. Make sure they’re worth it.” Your professional circle is a team, you need to be open to letting others help elevate you and stay active in your role elevating others.

Through his books on fear, impostor syndrome, and bullying, Lorenzo shares his personal struggles with belonging. Getting involved in tech companies with no knowledge or experience, becoming an author, and building nonprofits to support his community are examples of times when his comfort zone was pushed and that can be scary. He notes that “fear and imposter syndrome will always try and stop you, but the people you surround yourself with can help you overcome them.” Beyond professional accomplishments, pushing past this fear opened doors to global experiences for Lorenzo, from working in London to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and running with the bulls in Spain.

Takeaways from Lorenzo’s Journey

It can be powerful to approach entrepreneurship with honesty and humility. Acknowledging and overcoming fear is the only way to push pass the many hurdles life throws at you. That is a lot easier when you have a team of people supporting you on that journey. Lorenzo’s inspiring story and impactful messages are what makes him a recurring Prof-for-the-Day, having presented annually since 2019. We thank him for the words of encouragement and efforts in supporting others along their entrepreneurial journey.