What makes the difference between someone who succeeds and someone who continues to struggle? How do you define success? What’s the differentiating factor? What separates leaders from followers? In this episode of MissionCTRL, Ramon and the PD Flight Crew host Jessica Rivera, Executive Business Coach and Mindset Master, who together, set out to answer these questions. Believe it or not, a lot has to do with the stories we’ve been told and continue to tell ourselves — in a word, mindset. Rivera had her first child at 19 and was determined not to become a typical teen mom statistic which catapulted her onto a journey of self improvement and professional development.

Before launching her executive coaching business, Rivera was climbing the corporate ladder in a competitive industry for a top-five international bank. During her tenure, she led a team that brought in approximately 4 billion dollars in originations annually, which was by far the most in the company. In this episode, Jessica shares her secrets to leading high-performing teams and individuals: spoiler alert it was coaching, not managing, people. Tune in to hear a lively, deeply personal discussion on how Rivera led her team to attain their goals and cultivate meaningful relationships with each other and their clients.

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Find Mission CTRL on Anchor, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and our website.

Mission CTRL aims to ignite the innovative spirit inside us all through providing budding and successful entrepreneurs and community leaders with a platform to share their stories and inspire others. Tune in every Wednesday and catch up with the team at Peralta Design as we unleash the origin stories behind some exceptional leaders, share marketing/branding insights, and navigate the ever-changing currents of pop culture.

Subscribe for weekly branding and entrepreneurial content here! To learn more about Peralta Design's work visit peraltadesign.com.

#welaunchbrands #digitalagency #mbeagency #mbe #digital #branding #marketing #web #startups #creative #BrandU #w2 #fulltime #leadership #contentcreator #contentstrategy #marketingstrategy #entrepreneurs #business #launchyourbrand

Our next guest on MissionCTRL has a name that bears a striking resemblance to the call letters of a radio station, which is ironic because Lidj Lewis started his career at WWRL as an intern with Sonny Taylor. Lewis was born in Harlem and grew up in Brooklyn. He holds a BA in English/Communications from The City College of New York, an MBA from Pace University, and an MA in Secondary Inclusive Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Lidj is the Founder of The Trip Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that funds domestic and international field trips for public high schools in low-income areas. Tune in to hear how Lewis transitioned from the world of media broadcasting to education and into running a nonprofit. Before diving into Lewis’ story, Ramon and the PD Flight Crew tackle some amazing stories of BIPOC athletes in non-traditional sports, such as Lewis Hamilton in F1 and Biniam Girmay in the Tour de France.

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Find Mission CTRL on Anchor, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and our website.

Mission CTRL aims to ignite the innovative spirit inside us all through providing budding and successful entrepreneurs and community leaders with a platform to share their stories and inspire others. Tune in every Wednesday and catch up with the team at Peralta Design as we unleash the origin stories behind some exceptional leaders, share marketing/branding insights, and navigate the ever-changing currents of pop culture.

Subscribe for weekly branding and entrepreneurial content here! To learn more about Peralta Design's work visit peraltadesign.com.

#welaunchbrands #digitalagency #mbeagency #mbe #digital #branding #marketing #web #startups #creative #BrandU #w2 #fulltime #leadership #contentcreator #contentstrategy #marketingstrategy #entrepreneurs #business #launchyourbrand

Today's MissionCTRL show is special because it’s not every day that Ramon and the PD Flight Crew host a power business lunch, book launch, and record an episode with the same client/guest, Chris Jarvis. Jarvis is more than a client and guest; he’s Ramon’s high school buddy. Chris joined Ramon and the PD Flight Crew in the MissionCTRL studios to share his story and promote his latest book: *Be The Giraffe: 14 Paths to Reach Higher in Business and Life*. Chris Jarvis is a corporate coach, financial fixer, and stirring speaker. Jarvis helps you see differently, so you can business differently, money differently, and life differently. For decades, Chris has helped hundreds of successful entrepreneurs and wealthy families build, protect, and transfer significant wealth.

After being kicked out of a company he built and sold, Chris found himself at a crossroads, questioning his purpose, dealing with the death and grief of a parent and sibling, and undergoing spinal surgery. When life starts lifing, you need an elevated perspective. Tune in to hear how Jarvis turned his trials along his journey into a testimony, a map of sorts to help you navigate out of your wilderness and stand out while reaching the highest levels of success. As a bonus treat for our listeners, Jarvis shares a FREE code for a 19-page personality assessment. The Wild Factor is a unique tool that focuses on your actual behaviors and feelings that you are experiencing right now – not on general preferences. By comparing your actions to your desired outcomes, the Wild Factor gives practical tips to help leverage your strengths and improve other areas of your life. Animal guides offer powerful visualization and memorable mantras for the customized recommendations that will help you on your journey to the Wild Factor!

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Find Mission CTRL on Anchor, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and our website.

Mission CTRL aims to ignite the innovative spirit inside us all through providing budding and successful entrepreneurs and community leaders with a platform to share their stories and inspire others. Tune in every Wednesday and catch up with the team at Peralta Design as we unleash the origin stories behind some exceptional leaders, share marketing/branding insights, and navigate the ever-changing currents of pop culture.

Subscribe for weekly branding and entrepreneurial content here! To learn more about Peralta Design's work visit peraltadesign.com.

#welaunchbrands #digitalagency #mbeagency #mbe #digital #branding #marketing #web #startups #creative #BrandU #w2 #fulltime #leadership #contentcreator #contentstrategy #marketingstrategy #entrepreneurs #business #launchyourbrand

This week on MissionCTRL, Sarah Taylor joins Ramon and the PD Flight Crew to share her unintentional entrepreneurial journey. After nearly a decade working within NYC Foster Care and Child Protective Services, Taylor suffered extreme burnout. Faced with the exorbitant housing costs associated with living in NYC and wanting to continue doing good in the world, Taylor decided to move back to Connecticut. Sarah found healing and light at the end of the tunnel through beeswax candles. With a bachelor's in psychology and a master's in social work, Taylor didn’t originally set out to be a beekeeper.

Tune in to hear how a quest for a local beeswax supplier for candles gave birth to the Huneebee Project, which started as an LLC in 2018 and is now a certified nonprofit. Since its inception, they’ve graduated 8 cohorts from their 15-week Beekeepers in Residence therapeutic job skills training program and educated over 2,000 children and adults on the importance of pollinators. They maintain 40 honey bee colonies and over 20 pollinator-friendly garden plots across 9 sites in New Haven and Bridgeport. Before Ramon and the PD Flight Crew get to the heart of Taylor’s origin story, they cover the ongoing trend of social capitalism and consumers' expectation that the companies they support are making a difference in the world.

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Find Mission CTRL on Anchor, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and our website.

Mission CTRL aims to ignite the innovative spirit inside us all through providing budding and successful entrepreneurs and community leaders with a platform to share their stories and inspire others. Tune in every Wednesday and catch up with the team at Peralta Design as we unleash the origin stories behind some exceptional leaders, share marketing/branding insights, and navigate the ever-changing currents of pop culture.

Subscribe for weekly branding and entrepreneurial content here! To learn more about Peralta Design's work visit peraltadesign.com.

#welaunchbrands #digitalagency #mbeagency #mbe #digital #branding #marketing #web #startups #creative #BrandU #w2 #fulltime #leadership #contentcreator #contentstrategy #marketingstrategy #entrepreneurs #business #launchyourbrand

Pitch & Pixel, also known as Maggie, PD’s Marketing Associate and George, PD veteran staffer and interactive designer, join Ramon and the PD Flight Crew this week in the MissionCTRL studio for a special Tiny Desk performance. Maggie is PD’s resident triple-threat entertainer, and George is a semi-professional musician with over 40 years of experience as a guitarist. As the PD Flight Crew prepares for the next iteration of MissionCTRL on YouTube, they encounter a musical snafu that gave birth to this episode.

Ramon and Kevin, the man of few words on the soundboard, share some of the challenges they encountered prior to launching MissionCTRL on YouTube, along with the valuable lessons they learned along the way. Before diving into Pitch & Pixel’s Tiny Desk performance, Ramon and the Flight Crew share keys for finding fulfillment in life while holding down a 9-5 job or being an entrepreneur. Sharing your gifts and passion can be the keys to happiness.

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Find full episodes of Mission CTRL on Anchor, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and our website.

Mission CTRL aims to ignite the innovative spirit inside us all through providing budding and successful entrepreneurs and community leaders with a platform to share their stories and inspire others. Tune in every Wednesday and catch up with the team at Peralta Design as we unleash the origin stories behind some exceptional leaders, share marketing/branding insights, and navigate the ever-changing currents of pop culture.

Subscribe for more weekly branding and entrepreneurial content here! To learn more about Peralta Design's work visit peraltadesign.com.

#welaunchbrands #launchyourbrand #BrandU #missionctrl #mctrl #digitalagency #mbeagency #mbe #digital #branding #marketing #web #creative #contentcreator #contentstrategy #marketingstrategy #leadership #leader #entrepreneur #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurial #startup #startups #business #businessowner #businesstips #scalingyourbusiness #smallbusiness #w2 #fulltime #9to5 #office #officelife #music #podcast #podcasts #podcastshow #businesspodcast #lifestory #lifestories #personalstory #personalstories

Up next on MissionCTRL with Ramon and the PD Flight Crew is Dr. Marlon Gray, a young, energetic, and passionate social entrepreneur. Dr. Gray is not the kind of doctor you’d call in an emergency to perform an operation, but rather a PhD, one that is serving families and communities within the behavioral healthcare world. Marlon built a successful startup and then sold the business after growing it for 10 years. Dr. Gray is a first-generation Guyanese-American whose family settled in “Homicide” Hollis, Queens, after migrating to the United States.

Dr. Gray received his Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Fordham University, his Master’s degree in Management: Strategy & Leadership from Michigan State University, and his Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California. Dr. Gray is a proud father who serves as the CEO and founder of Empower U, a learning and service organization that seeks to empower individuals affected by behavioral health challenges. Before launching into Dr. Gray’s origin story, Ramon and the PD Flight Crew share some branding insights from one of the world’s biggest social media tech influencers, who just happened to share an office incubator with our distinguished guest.

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Find Mission CTRL on Anchor, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and ⁠⁠our website⁠⁠.

Mission CTRL aims to ignite the innovative spirit inside us all through providing budding and successful entrepreneurs and community leaders with a platform to share their stories and inspire others. Tune in every Wednesday and catch up with the team at Peralta Design as we unleash the origin stories behind some exceptional leaders, share marketing/branding insights, and navigate the ever-changing currents of pop culture.

Subscribe for weekly branding and entrepreneurial content here! To learn more about Peralta Design's work visit ⁠⁠peraltadesign.com⁠⁠.

⁠⁠#welaunchbrands⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#digitalagency⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#mbeagency⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#mbe⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#digital⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#branding⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#marketing⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#web⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#startups⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#creative⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#BrandU⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#w2⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#fulltime⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#leadership⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#contentcreator⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#contentstrategy⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#marketingstrategy⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#entrepreneurs⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#business⁠⁠ ⁠⁠#launchyourbrand⁠⁠

This week on MissionCTRL, Ramon and the PD Flight Crew are joined by Nelson Merchan from the Connecticut Small Business Development Center, where he serves as a Business Advisor. Born in Bogota, Colombia, Merchan, like many, migrated to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream. Nelson holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Universidad del Rosario and an MBA in Marketing from Georgia State University.

Merchan shares a bit of his entrepreneurial journey that landed him at the CTSBDC (Small Business Development Center). Nelson’s career spans over fourteen years in marketing, marked by success in mastering access to challenging market segments, with notable success in mobilizing the Hispanic community and producing bottom-line results through creative implementation of both cost-containing and revenue-generating strategies. Merchan has successfully established businesses in Costa Rica and internationally and has been hired to speak in Chile and El Salvador. Put your seat belts on as we launch into this episode filled with solid small business tips.

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Find Mission CTRL on Anchor, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and our website.

Mission CTRL aims to ignite the innovative spirit inside us all through providing budding and successful entrepreneurs and community leaders with a platform to share their stories and inspire others. Tune in every Wednesday and catch up with the team at Peralta Design as we unleash the origin stories behind some exceptional leaders, share marketing/branding insights, and navigate the ever-changing currents of pop culture.

Subscribe for weekly branding and entrepreneurial content here! To learn more about Peralta Design's work visit peraltadesign.com.

#welaunchbrands #digitalagency #mbeagency #mbe #digital #branding #marketing #web #startups #creative #BrandU #w2 #fulltime #leadership #contentcreator #contentstrategy #marketingstrategy #entrepreneurs #business #launchyourbrand

Guy A. Fortt joins Ramon and the PD Flight Crew in the MissionCTRL Studio to share his adventurous journey into entrepreneurship. After witnessing a traumatic murder at 18 years old, Fortt made a vow to dedicate his life to serving others. This decision led to a 28-year career as a Firefighter/EMT. Fortt holds a Bachelor's in Organizational Leadership from the University of Bridgeport and a Master's in Sports Management from Columbia University. You may recognize him from his unique acting style on Broadway in Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple or from Law & Order: SVU. Guy's contributions to the entertainment industry have earned him a membership in the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, New York City chapter, where he also serves as a judge for the Emmy Awards.

So, how does a firefighter manage to carve out time to earn an advanced degree, raise four amazing children who are academically sound athletes, cultivate a loving relationship with his wife, launch an acting career, and become a founding investing partner in Eleven86 Real Artesian Water? Before diving into this episode and quenching your curiosity, Ramon and the crew share several networking cheat codes to ensure you’ll get a follow up and other tips for making a positive, memorable impression.

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Find Mission CTRL on Anchor, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and our website.

Mission CTRL aims to ignite the innovative spirit inside us all through providing budding and successful entrepreneurs and community leaders with a platform to share their stories and inspire others. Tune in every Wednesday and catch up with the team at Peralta Design as we unleash the origin stories behind some exceptional leaders, share marketing/branding insights, and navigate the ever-changing currents of pop culture.

Subscribe for weekly branding and entrepreneurial content here! To learn more about Peralta Design's work visit peraltadesign.com.

#welaunchbrands #digitalagency #mbeagency #mbe #digital #branding #marketing #web #startups #creative #BrandU #w2 #fulltime #leadership #contentcreator #contentstrategy #marketingstrategy #entrepreneurs #business #launchyourbrand