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Ammiel Manevich Cepeda tuvo su primer negocio a los 17 años, pero solo hasta que terminó la universidad, viajó por Asia y trabajó en el mundo corporativo, entendió que en sus orígenes estaba el emprendimiento que buscaba: una cadena de comida que llevara el famoso “cholao” caleño hasta los comensales de Estados Unidos. Se llamaba Amazónica. Le fue bien, hacían fila, creció rápido, también vendía pandebonos y café, llegó a tener ocho locales y vender UDS 2 millones con 200.000 compradores. Pero se cansó porque el trabajo 24/7 le pasó factura a su salud. Vendió, volvió a Colombia, cambió de rumbo, identificó que la información de negocios está en su mayoría en inglés, así que creó una comunidad que le habla en español a todas las personas que están buscando una guía en esto de hacer empresa en ese idioma. El mercado: 635 millones de personas, de acuerdo con el Instituto Cervantes. En su comunidad se enfocan en asuntos de emprendimiento, startups y salud mental. Aquí está la conversación completa, para Emprendimiento y Liderazgo, de El Espectador.
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00:00Colombian entrepreneur with a very good backstory who also helps others
00:05Entrepreneurs. That's what today's featured figure in Entrepreneurship and Leadership is all about.
00:10from El Espectador.
00:17I want to read it because I don't want to say it wrong. Amiel Manevich Cepeda. Did I say it right?
00:23You nailed it, you nailed it.
00:25What's up, Amiel? Welcome.
00:26What else? It's a pleasure to be here.
00:28We are both at the same time at a CESA event here in Bogotá, at Founder Fest.
00:35It's an entrepreneurship festival organized by the kids, the students, which I think is great.
00:39A valuable start already. And here we have a date with Amiel, but let Amiel be the one to begin.
00:44With the presentation, because I don't want to spoil a story that I think is very good. Who
00:48Who is Amiel and at what point does he become an entrepreneur?
00:53I think I always was without knowing it. I come from a Jewish family where entrepreneurship
00:58It's always been ingrained in our culture. So I always saw that example in my own life.
01:04My father, like my mother, and like the society around me. That freedom they had,
01:11Not in terms of time in general, because there is a false belief that it is that the entrepreneur can do
01:17Whatever you want with time, which isn't true. I mean, one works more and 24/7, unlike
01:24suddenly
01:24The guy who works 9-5, shut down his computer at 5. But I did see that flexibility with which
01:31could
01:32negotiate their time. Then I remember that from a very young age there wasn't an event in the
01:37school or university and my parents could always go. That meant maybe my
01:42Dad had to work later. Unlike the others who couldn't because they weren't given enough.
01:46space at work. And for me, that feeling of freedom was always like the one that invited me or me
01:52It inspired me to want to start my own business, and I had my first venture at 17. Well, then, there
01:57It's already started. He hit the nail on the head, explained a bit of the context and how his first
02:01I started my entrepreneurial journey at 17. Here at CESA. I'm a CESA graduate, and I arrived at 17.
02:06to
02:06I went to Cabo Gotay in Cali and got a girlfriend. There were certain demands placed on my girlfriend, and I didn't have them.
02:16enough capital to cover them. In other words, she simply didn't have enough allowance.
02:22Because I had an allowance from my dad. And I said, well, what do I do? What can I come up with? And in that
02:27Wait, this is around 2011, the iPhone was 3 or 4 years old. I think the iPhone came out in 2008. The Blackberry
02:35It wasn't very common back then. The Samsung. "Give me your PIN," they'd say. "Give me your PIN." So, what
02:40What was the first thing you do when you buy a cell phone? The case, right? The cover. So
02:47I said, I'm going to start selling condoms. How do I do it differently? Then I found a website
02:54In the United States they were selling a machine where you put a white sheet in and it sublimates.
03:00One picture back. Oh, really? Well, I've ended up setting up a cell phone case factory.
03:06in my apartment and I sold 100, 200 custom phone cases every month. Then people
03:12She would send photos of her wedding, photos of her dog, photos of her favorite football team.
03:18And I lived off that, or with that money, for my girlfriend for many years. And the truth is, it was a business venture.
03:26It was very nice, and it went very well for me. And that was my first real experience in the world of...
03:34business. Then I understand from what I read about you and from what I also saw in your
03:38Social media. You were born in the United States, I understand, right? You were born in the United States, I understand.
03:43He came to Cali, was educated here, but then went to the United States and started a business that
03:48It has everything to do with its culture, with the Cali world and with the gastronomic world.
03:53Tell us about that part of your life too. When I graduated from CESA, in fact, I didn't even...
03:59The last year of CESA is an internship. Yes. And since I'm American, I could do it.
04:04I interned in the United States, something I wanted to do. And I did. The moment I moved,
04:09I moved to New York and I moved into a summer and just like the song says, a summer
04:13to New York, which was unbearably hot. And I, being a good Cali native, said, wow, how wonderful that would be
04:19A cholado at that moment. That's literally how it was. And I said, well of course in New York,
04:24Since there's food from Zimbabwe to Sri Lanka, there's bound to be a cholado. But no. There wasn't.
04:30I searched for it on Google and it wasn't there. There was a place called Cholados, which was actually
04:36There was a Colombian coffee shop that had a choladito for dessert, but there wasn't a cholado place.
04:40Real, real. Specialized and focused. And I began to value a product that was typical
04:47From my childhood, from my afternoons in Cali with my mom in particular, who loves sweets
04:52Sweetener. And it's like, you don't know what you have until you lose it. Well, that
04:57It was me. And then I said, I have to bring cholado to the United States. And I got more and more involved.
05:03I thought of cholado as a product, but I saw more potential in it. And I said, it's impossible.
05:09Literally, someone doesn't like this product. Fresh fruit, ice, combining it with
05:14Flavors, condensed milk, sauces. I was like, this is amazing. Then I kind of stopped
05:19The idea was there, just waiting to be born. I was very young, only 21. Back then too
05:24I was thinking, what am I going to do? I mean, what? Where am I supposed to get it from? That's how it ended for me
05:28I'm moving to Miami for work. And in Miami I thought, this product would be perfect here.
05:35But wait, let me interrupt you for a second. And is, are you working for a corporation?
05:38Very corporate. I mean, this is interesting because it happens a lot with entrepreneurs. And
05:43They complete their academic training and go to the traditional corporate setting. The corporate setting.
05:48It's usually going to a large company where you do the whole process. You arrive from
05:51They practice until they seek to reach the highest positions, and in those positions they spend 20 or 25 years.
05:56He was in that corporate world, he moved from New York to Miami, but he still had the idea
06:00of entrepreneurship. Always. And I was always clear that the corporate world was transitional.
06:05Yes, it was a step. It was a step. And a necessary step, mind you. I mean, I don't see it that way.
06:12It's not derogatory, nor necessary, nor does it go against the grain to want to undertake anything for nothing. It's a
06:17These are the kinds of columns that every entrepreneur needs at some point in their life. They were helpful to me.
06:22A lot, it gave me an important structure. The point is that when I moved to Miami and
06:26I mean, that cholado would be even more popular here than in New York. First, because of the climate.
06:31It's tropical almost all year round. Almost tropical, yes. Uh-huh. And two, there are a lot of [things] here
06:37Colombians and Latinos, and yes, very important and significant. So I said, you know what?
06:43I'm going to do it. And it coincided with my graduation from César. Uh-huh. And I went on my graduation trip.
06:50to Asia. And when I went backpacking in Asia, I realized that Southeast Asia shares
06:57The tropical region of Colombia, where they also consume cholado. In their own style, in their own way.
07:02in that way, with their flavors. But they consume shaved ice with flavors and condensed milk.
07:07Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Vietnam, Malaysia—everyone has a version, Taiwan, of
07:13the cholado, Asian version.
07:17But something they had done very well, unlike us, is that they had formalized it. That is,
07:22It wasn't just that this was eaten on the street, from a cart. No. There were establishments.
07:26and chains. I started to understand that there were brands, because I saw it again. I didn't understand.
07:31The name, but I saw it again, one of those Asian shaved ice establishments. And
07:36I said, this is what I dreamed about.
07:37Clear.
07:38But better.
07:39That was the piece of information he was missing.
07:41That was the part. I needed that validation that my idea could actually be done.
07:48Uh-huh.
07:48And I arrived very clear about the business model, the type of premises I needed, the type
07:53of the infrastructure that was required. The machines. I started noticing the stores of
07:57These Asians, well, I wondered which one they used. And I managed to put it together. And to my
08:02Twenty-two years ago, we opened the first Amazónica store, as it was called, in March. And from there
08:10It was eight years, from my 22nd to my 30th, selling cholados, pan de bono and coffee.
08:17Interesting. I was also studying business administration at CESA, so I had a very clear understanding of it.
08:22It's cool to tell the story here in your house, isn't it?
08:24It's crazy. Today, when I was giving the opening speech for the festival, I was saying,
08:30Like that complete circle, right?
08:31Yes, yes. And I was kind of coming to give back a little, right? As a thank you. I want to ask you,
08:36And what about that brand? Because there's another story there, isn't there? An interesting one, too.
08:40And this is what they call burnout, or entrepreneur fatigue, or business fatigue,
08:46And you also make it visible, right? Many people remain silent.
08:49No.
08:49Many people don't even talk about it because they think it's embarrassing, shameful. I think that, fortunately,
08:54Many of us are already talking about it openly. We'll be discussing it a lot here as well.
08:57So what's the matter? What's the matter that you made a decision that, in my opinion,
09:01Was opinion, obviously, judgment important?
09:04Very much so. And indeed, I dedicated myself to this business for eight years, from age 22 to 30.
09:10I'm 33 now. And, thank God, and fortunately, it was a resounding success.
09:16From day one. I mean, there was a line from day one.
09:20That's great, isn't it?
09:20It was crazy. Eight years later, we were serving over 200,000 people a year and selling
09:26more than two million dollars a year in eight locations, in two states, in Florida
09:30From New Jersey. And he controlled everything...
09:32Very Latin markets, right? Colombian ones too, right?
09:36Yes. Yes, I was always looking for a focal point within a significant Colombian community. And these are the two.
09:41most important. And after all this time, in an industry that, among other things, is complex...
09:49And in the United States.
09:50And in the United States.
09:51Food in the United States.
09:52I felt very lonely and started to feel burned out. So many years of putting everyone's needs first.
09:58of my business on my own, began to take effect.
10:02Clear.
10:03And that toll began to take its toll, which started to affect my health. My cortisol levels skyrocketed.
10:09My stress level was extremely high. I was sleeping terribly. And because I was sleeping badly, I was tired.
10:15So, I couldn't, I don't know, eat junk food. I couldn't go to the gym. I mean, like, a lot.
10:20My life began to fall apart. The responsibility was too much. The
10:26commitment. And the team was small. When starting a business in the United States, it's particularly alone because
10:33Human resources are very expensive.
10:35It's very expensive, of course. It's not Colombia.
10:36It's not Colombia. So, organizing work teams isn't easy because you have to do a lot of the work yourself.
10:43Starting a business in the United States is truly a personal endeavor. And you see that entrepreneurs
10:46In the United States, they are really very involved in the business because that's what they have to do.
10:50Of course, there's no other way.
10:51There's no other way. The margins don't allow it. So, I think that after all that time there
10:57And being away from my family and everything, I was already feeling very overwhelmed. I felt ready to
11:03Another stage, and I decided to sell the business at a good time. Which, among other things, was also
11:08as counterintuitive to what many people around me thought.
11:12Yes, many people would say, keep growing, expand, scale. That's what they tell you in the world.
11:16in the traditional dialogue of entrepreneurship. You've already achieved it, create the business, it works.
11:21That minimum viable product was a knockout. Scale it up. But at what cost, right?
11:28Scaling it up, at what cost?
11:29At the cost of one?
11:31Amiel, and then you sell that business. I understand it continued to grow even in
11:35Yes, there are 14 locations today.
11:36Imagine, 14 locations. And you go back to Colombia.
11:39I'm going back to Colombia. That said, it was a bit of an accident. I really
11:44After selling these restaurants, the restaurants obviously require a presence
11:48Important physics. So, I hadn't been able to experience what many of my classmates had.
11:53Millennials had experienced what this migration was, you know? And what virtual work was.
11:59So, I go to a place and I dreamed about that.
12:02Digital nomads.
12:03Digital nomads. To me, that sounded like freedom.
12:06My brother-in-law is a digital nomad and is currently preparing for his trip to Asia.
12:10Eight months straight in Asia, because he lives with a computer under his arm.
12:14He's an engineer, he writes code for a large multinational company. So, he doesn't depend on meetings.
12:17Physically, everything is virtual, under the model you're talking about.
12:21And I didn't dream of eight months in Asia, but I did dream of saying to myself, damn, I'm leaving
12:24Two months in Mexico, you know? I mean, I wanted to, like, I felt like I had
12:30I'd been very attached to the city of Miami and really wanted to try something else. So, I barely
12:35I sell them and I have this kind of freedom. At that time I had a girlfriend and I said to her, come here,
12:40Let's move to Mexico for six months. I'll find a virtual job. Financially, we're...
12:45Okay. Let's just do this trial. I need to breathe something different.
12:49And while I figure out what my next step is. She agreed at some point, but then
12:57She decided it was better not to. So, among other things, it really was the best decision.
13:04But that caused my plan to completely fall apart. And I said, where do I go?
13:08I said, I have to go because the only place where they'll easily accept me right now,
13:11which is my house in Cali. Because, among other things, by that point I had already sold my
13:14He delivered all the furniture to my apartment. I was ready to leave. And I came to Cali to spend
13:21That heartbreak and the need to recalibrate a bit. I was also going through a significant identity crisis.
13:26Because for almost ten years, Amazónica had been my life. I was Amiel from Amazónica.
13:32It was my last name. So I was saying, and now really, what do I want to do?
13:37When I arrived in Cali, I realized two things. First, that Colombia was spectacular.
13:43And that I really needed it. And that I, why would I go to Mexico where I don't know
13:46I had
13:46I've lost nothing? Among other things, a plan from a couple who were no longer my partner.
13:51So I said, first of all, I'm going to stay here. I love Colombia, I adore Colombia.
13:54And what a number of opportunities I see that come to me in a second. I said, all these problems
14:01And this loneliness that I felt as an entrepreneur does not belong to me and is not exclusive to me.
14:06We entrepreneurs all feel this. But unlike entrepreneurs in the United States
14:10United, in Spanish there are almost no resources, almost no community, almost no information
14:16And there's no education. And here's a statistic: it's estimated that 90% of all the information that
14:21There is information in the world about business and entrepreneurship, but it's in English.
14:24Oh, really?
14:24So there's a barrier right from the start.
14:27There is a huge opportunity for those of us on this side of the world.
14:30There is a huge opportunity and a very large barrier to accessing information because
14:33If you don't know English from the start, you're already out of luck. So I said, here's a space for...
14:39Me. A space that, among other things, is connected to my purpose, which is to have or generate
14:46economy, but also impact. I like to call it conscious capitalism.
14:53And that's where you turn around, using all that experience, the training you've had.
14:57Obviously in academia, but also in the corporate world and in entrepreneurship, as a creator.
15:03content generator focused on the business world.
15:07Let's say that's where the idea of creating this community called Copilot was born, accompanied
15:12Obviously, based on my image and the experience I had, we started and launched this company
15:18It's a media outlet, really, where entrepreneurship is discussed for entrepreneurs.
15:24by entrepreneurs. So that's when we launched Copiloto, which we have, and as I said, it's basically a
15:30In the middle, we have several content formats, from free content on social media to courses, classes, and events.
15:35to talks, to podcasts. In other words, we have a variety of written content with our
15:41newsletters. Today it already has an Instagram community of over 900,000 people and among
15:46Across the various networks, we are more than 1.2 million people, including Facebook and TikTok.
15:50Madness. Podcasts are in the top 100 in Colombia. So, thank God, he's found his
15:56space in Latin America because, indeed, as I told you, there wasn't much information and there isn't
16:02Lots of information in Spanish about entrepreneurship. Well, that's good, and that's where the transition comes in.
16:06Now, I wanted to put it this way, he already gave the data there, but I see it more as a bit when
16:11I checked him
16:12their social media, which is somewhat what I do at El Espectador from the position in which
16:16I have
16:16And he's a social media star. He's a social media star, and I've even seen him.
16:21In some videos, they're making a strong connection with businesses where, from what I hear, they are indeed...
16:27They become what every entrepreneur seeks: to sell. What has happened in this new world? What
16:33What happens after talking about burnout in entrepreneurship? What happens after talking about the
16:37the loneliness of the entrepreneur within this entire community of a million people, of more than a million
16:42The ones you're talking about? Which, let's be clear, isn't just from Colombia, but from Latin America. What has
16:49What happened there? First of all, it was impressive. I mean, I was already speaking personally. The level terrified me.
16:55of the reception it has had so quickly, among other things organically.
17:01No guidelines. No guidelines. What that means is that they don't pay the tools, the platforms.
17:05Sorry, I don't mean to make it more visible and reach larger audiences, but organic means that it only works with the
17:10Content you create without paying for advertising grows. So I've loved seeing
17:15That's it. I loved it and I was impressed by all the limiting beliefs that everyone has.
17:23We have entrepreneurs and how we have helped to, hopefully, mitigate them. The false images,
17:30You were talking about burnout, you were talking about exhaustion, you were talking about vulnerability, about all of these things
17:34These are topics that were not traditionally shown in entrepreneurship. In other words, the image
17:39My entrepreneurial venture was on the magazine cover. I raised $20 million and everything is perfect.
17:43with my life. And I knew that entrepreneur and I said, of course not, because I know that you
17:47you're not
17:47Okay. Agreed. So, a big part of the exercise that we—and mind you, I went to that one—was...
17:53magazine cover. I was in Forbes, and at the time I was in Forbes, I remember
17:57that
17:57They sent it to me and I said, what a hypocrite. I said, I've never been so miserable as I am now.
18:03moment. But how sincere, too, right? But now, at that moment, right? At that moment I participated in
18:10That image, you know what I mean? An apotheosis, then, of entrepreneurship, which is the one we carry with us all the time.
18:16time applauding and encouraging. Something that, when I start Copilot, I say, with absolute
18:23Determination, I'm going to help tear it down. That's not the reality of entrepreneurship. Yes, there are moments
18:29It's like a magazine spread, but that's just one of many moments. So, all of this has been very important.
18:35For me, it was about starting to talk, about bringing things to the table. And it's been really nice to see the result.
18:45It has been very
18:45It's nice to see the people who take our courses or come to one of our talks or listen
18:50Our podcast, which is free, and people tell me or write to us, "Hey, this changed my life."
18:55That's great! Listen, I was finally able to launch my business and I'm already earning an extra two thousand dollars a month.
19:01That's because it changes someone's life. Of course, you know you remind me of a very special experience.
19:04It's nice that, thanks to the viewer and the work I do at the newspaper, I was invited to a
19:08Montpreneurs Fest congress there, that's what it's called, which is like Women Entrepreneurs in Colombia,
19:14an important community as well. And I was asked to give a talk; I went up and when I came down,
19:19There were about 30 or 40 people there in line and one of them told me, thanks to what
19:24It was just announced, we're not going to close the company anymore. So, it's like you feel like there is something there.
19:28that lack
19:29of information for people who don't have the possibility of suddenly having this, this environment,
19:35the knowledge and contacts that others have suddenly had.
19:38And if you have it, you might feel lonely. That's why, from the start,
19:43the name
19:44copilot and our slogan you are not alone, is because, you say you are not crazy.
19:48The one who dances.
19:49If you're crazy, because to learn you have to have a certain degree of madness, I always say that.
19:55But we feel very alone despite the tools we have. It's difficult to talk about it.
20:02Your family becomes...
20:04Even a detractor, right?
20:05Even a detractor many times or many times simply as, in English, an echo chamber.
20:09An echo chamber is like an echo booth, where everyone simply repeats the same thing to themselves.
20:14A resonant face, yes.
20:14Sometimes you want that perspective, you want someone from the outside to trust.
20:19Sometimes you want to, sometimes you want to talk about it, because you would go and talk to your partner,
20:22But sometimes you want to talk about your partner.
20:24Sure, yes.
20:25And about the problem you're having with your partner.
20:27So, Copilot comes in to fill that gap and offer free and paid educational tools.
20:33And it has been, once again, as I said, very special to see and hear these stories,
20:38People who tell me, "Hey, thanks to, I don't know, the podcast I listened to with so-and-so,"
20:41It inspired me and I'm going to launch this business; it's going well.
20:45Or, you know what? Thanks to the communication class they took,
20:49I was able to talk to my partner and resolve a problem we had between us two years ago.
20:55So, all of that helps.
20:56And what I feel has helped the most is explaining and understanding
21:01You don't have to invent the iPhone to start a business,
21:06that you don't need 19 million dollars in a bank account to start a business.
21:10I like it, and a large part of what we do is showcase business ideas.
21:14and we share business ideas of a simple and straightforward nature.
21:19What can be done?
21:20What can be done?
21:21So that you realize, once again, that there's no need to reinvent the wheel.
21:26You have to add your own touch.
21:28It needs to be Colombianized.
21:31Latinize it.
21:31Latinize it.
21:32Well, it's time for The Pitch.
21:34A series of out-of-the-box questions seeking out-of-the-box answers.
21:38So, here we go with The Pitch.
21:46Amiel, if he could change one rule of business,
21:49if it were within his power, within his authority to do it,
21:52Which one would you change and why?
21:55No meetings before nine in the morning.
21:58In other words, I am totally and completely against it.
22:00I am more of a night owl than a day person.
22:02And I feel that before nine in the morning, at least I am not myself.
22:06So, when people wrote to me,
22:08No, we met seven o'clock in the morning.
22:09I tell you, it doesn't exist.
22:10And I want to debunk the belief that the early bird catches the worm.
22:15He who works, God helps him.
22:17And every business has a different schedule and time requirement.
22:21If I owned a nightclub that operates between, I don't know,
22:25ten o'clock at night to four in the morning,
22:27Telling me to get up early is ridiculous.
22:28You understand me?
22:29So, I also want to go against that saying
22:34because I've been told that my whole life
22:36And I've always done it differently.
22:38Okay, here's the other one.
22:39What was the mistake he made?
22:42Probably the worst mistake he ever made,
22:44but from whom he learned the most.
22:50I strive to structure society.
22:52Specifically, originally from the Amazon.
22:55Although I love and adore my partners
22:57And they were always cool and good to me.
22:59And there were never any problems between the founding partners of Amazonica.
23:07By not investing enough time and resources in lawyers or in legal processes,
23:13During that period, I laid very weak foundations for society.
23:19And that meant that we could only build the house with so many floors.
23:24because the foundations couldn't support any more.
23:27And once the house has three floors,
23:30go down to change the foundations
23:32It's almost an impossible exercise.
23:37which was, among other things, part of that final decision to sell the company.
23:42So today I reiterate to all those who are starting a company
23:46that truly address its structuring
23:51with great care and attention.
23:53That's interesting because sometimes, in trying to go faster, you don't do it right.
23:57And then he laments, as Daniel is telling us.
24:01Okay, here's the third one, and it's about your business today.
24:05or even in their business life,
24:08It was a TV series and they were producing it at Netflix, Amazon, whatever,
24:13What genre would it be and what season would it be in?
24:18That's a very good question.
24:20I think it would be like a, in English you'd say a dramedy,
24:24It's drama with comedy, because I have both.
24:27In other words, moments of great drama, very funny moments, very flashy.
24:31And I think it would go, this would be like the second or third season, I like to say.
24:38This is a new stage, definitely not the first.
24:43She comes informed by the knowledge of past experiences,
24:49But it's not the last one either.
24:50Interesting. And here's the last one in this series of out-of-the-box questions.
24:54Looking for answers outside the box, how is your mental health?
24:57And I'm asking you this because of a topic we were just discussing.
25:00And it's a question I ask everyone who comes through here these days.
25:04They all arrive here with their company logos,
25:06talking about how they raised so many millions in investment rounds,
25:10who went to Silicon Valley and everyone is talking about the result,
25:13But nobody talks about the process.
25:14Let's talk about it, how is your mental health today?
25:17And surely from that experience that the United States left him.
25:21Well, after that mental health and cortisol crisis,
25:26because it became, among other things,
25:28The connection between mental and physical health is absolute.
25:30She is direct.
25:31She is direct, she is emphatic.
25:33So, after a long time of neglecting my mental health,
25:35Well, my own body started to, let's say, not fail,
25:39but to express their disagreement, so to speak.
25:43So, returning to Colombia and starting a business again has also been an exercise
25:46to do it differently.
25:47And yes, I have done things differently, where my needs and well-being now take precedence in all my decisions.
25:58and in those of my company.
25:59And I learned to say no.
26:03That's the hardest part, but the key to an entrepreneur who can be successful over time.
26:11In the long term.
26:12In the long term, because entrepreneurship is not a sprint, it's a marathon, as the saying goes.
26:17So, if you don't learn to say no, you won't be able to endure the entire marathon.
26:23What happened to me on Amazon is going to happen to you, and I put up with it for eight years.
26:27Until.
26:27Until then, it collapses under its own weight.
26:30And I endured it for eight years, among other reasons, because I was also 22 years old.
26:33Of course, he was very young.
26:34I wouldn't have put up with it for even two days.
26:36So, nowadays, for me, it's key to say no and to state my needs.
26:40No, I don't hold meetings before nine in the morning.
26:43No, I'm not going to stay up until ten o'clock at night.
26:46I am not a surgeon.
26:48You understand me?
26:48I mean, well, if it happens, it happens one day.
26:50Sure, yes.
26:51No, my lunch break is my lunch break and I'm going to eat well.
26:55If I have to travel for work, then I'm going to take a break too.
26:58You understand me?
26:59In other words, I always integrate my well-being.
27:03I'm going to a hotel somewhere else; it has to have a gym.
27:07Because?
27:07Because I have to exercise.
27:09Yes, it's part of today's healthcare system that also ensures good mental health.
27:13If you're not feeling well, you can't perform well.
27:17And I like to say that businesses are what they are.
27:20Just as they say about dogs, that the dog resembles its owner, well, his business does too.
27:24And if the owner is well, if the entrepreneur's mental and physical health is good, their business will succeed.
27:30to be well.
27:31It doesn't mean it's going to be a success, but it's much more likely to be delivering the benefit that it's expected to.
27:38seeks.
27:38So, it's key and a priority for me, my needs and my well-being.
27:47Yes, you have to put one on first.
27:49And with this we finish, Amiel, and this is typical, but it's necessary.
27:54Advice for entrepreneurs.
27:56The advice for those behind this screen, and there are many, aren't there?
28:02Out of necessity, he had to create a business out of necessity.
28:05The one who started out of opportunity, like you, who saw the opportunity to sell a product there in the United States
28:10Colombian in a Latin community.
28:13The one who is about to quit because he wants to start a business.
28:18The one who started an entrepreneurial venture in the company and realized it worked and said, this is my path.
28:23There are many profiles.
28:24His message and, ultimately, his recommendation based on his experience for all those people who see it through
28:30from the screen.
28:31I'm going to answer you with a study that was done in New Zealand.
28:35It's a study that began in the 1950s, where a thousand children were followed or monitored in
28:43that moment.
28:44They were eight years old, until they were 60.
28:47That is, a thousand children from New Zealand were followed for 52 years, from age eight to age 60.
28:55And the subject of the study, which was led by a New Zealand university and one from the United States,
29:01Psychiatrists and psychologists sought to understand what the common denominator was among those children who, as adults, were successful.
29:14And they defined success as a person who felt satisfied in their personal life and at peace in their work environment.
29:22financial.
29:24At the end of this study, they found a common denominator among all these children.
29:31It wasn't the early birds who were getting up, it was the ones who were doing well, again.
29:35They weren't the most disciplined, he wasn't the one who read the most books, he wasn't the one with the most degrees,
29:40He wasn't the one who had had the most girlfriends or boyfriends, he wasn't the most handsome, the ugliest, he wasn't
29:45nothing like what one would think it is.
29:48The common denominator was that they were emotionally intelligent.
29:55And in conclusion, what does emotional intelligence mean?
29:59They summed it up in two words that sound simple, but it's the hardest thing in life.
30:03And it was those people, to put it another way, who were truly authentic to themselves and
30:10to its essence.
30:11Because?
30:13Because those people attracted the right people into their lives,
30:18both their right clients, their ideal partners, their corresponding matches,
30:26and they worked in businesses with which they felt truly connected and involved.
30:32So, the key to success, which doesn't exist, but the closest thing to it, is that you are you.
30:39And that's the message I always like to leave with when saying goodbye to all entrepreneurs.
30:43that they are truly authentic and now they do everything that makes us crazy, weird, different,
30:48Because that's where the essence that will distinguish you lies.
30:53Amiel Manevich Cepeda was there. Amiel.
30:57Thank you so much.
30:58Thank you for sitting with us here in the CESA Library,
31:03in the midst of this FounderFest that is just beginning,
31:06He's being interviewed to leave later, but that's also what it's about.
31:09I want to tell you that universities are also focused on the world of entrepreneurship,
31:13There are stories of people who passed through here and came back to tell all the guys
31:17who are surely also behind this camera.
31:20And just as Amiel passed through here, so did the founder and CEO of Nuang,
31:27the Colombian David Vélez.
31:29All those stories with which we hope to inspire you in one way or another
31:33to take that leap or how about continuing to grow the business.
31:38Behind the scenes was my colleague Valentina.
31:41Thank you very much and see you next time.
31:44See you soon.
31:44Bye.
31:47Bye.
31:49Bye.
31:50Bye.
31:51Bye.
31:52Bye.
31:52Thank you.