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NextGen Collective recently spotlighted Mr. Electric franchise business coach Benjamin Gomez. Read about his work, his long-term professional plans, and more.
Where are you from?
I was born to Victor and Linda Mae Gomez in a small town called Beeville, which is located in South Texas. Beeville is a small but mighty town with hardworking and generous people. Both of my parents are American, but my lineage comes from Mexico, and my father’s lineage is a mix of Spanish and German. I currently reside in Waco, Texas.
What do you do today and where do you want to go in your career?
I serve as a franchise business coach for the Mr. Electric franchise brand, which is part of a larger franchisor called Neighborly, a holdings company which owns twenty-plus franchise brands within the home service industry. My primary responsibilities as a business coach are to provide technical, operational, and marketing guidance to Mr. Electric franchise owners. Long term, I aspire to become a franchise executive who can lead a large franchisor and use my platform to create greater accessibility to business ownership for minorities.
What do you wish you had known at the start of your career?
I wish I would have known how important it is to develop clear and concise goals. I admit, during my early twenties, I did not create goals that were actionable and it showed. I was unmotivated, unfocused, and latched on to any new interest that popped into my head without evaluating how it aligned with where I want to be in life.
It was not until I reached the age of 25 that I became serious about goal setting. I made it a habit at the end of every year to go through a goal-setting process and assigned metrics of how I wanted to measure success in the coming year. Then, I scheduled a calendar event to conduct a quarterly review of my goals so they remain top of mind. This process, while time-consuming and, at times, hard, is certainly worth the effort and will begin to shape a vision for your life.
What are some of the biggest challenges you see for Latinx professionals early in their careers?
Imposter syndrome, seeking validation where it is not needed, and hesitation to lead. In my opinion, Latinx professionals believe they are not fit for the rooms that need them most. It is this doubt of not belonging or belief that their work is inferior that perpetuates imposter syndrome. In full transparency, I have subjected myself to this too many times and have found myself exhausted. This is why it is important to surround ourselves with people who empower us and make us aware of the unique value we already bring to the table.
What podcast or life hack could you not live without?
Let’s start with podcasts: Crime Junkie is a necessity for long trips and the Maxwell Leadership podcast for your daily fix of leadership content. TedTalks are some of the audio content I can’t be without. They give me a healthy balance of entertainment and professional development. With regards to life hacks, I created a schedule in Google Sheets in increments of fifteen minutes to manage my day and it has been a huge productivity hack. It forces me to be purposeful with my time and prioritize tasks.
What are you most excited for in 2022?
I am working with several community partners to establish a board matching program that will help nonprofits find board members who are the best fit for their organization. Additionally, I am working to develop a podcast to highlight Hispanic leaders around the US and share the rich history our culture has to offer.
Moreover, Neighborly is making strides to develop leaders within the organization, so I am taking a hold of several opportunities to hone my leadership ability while contributing to Neighborly’s vision of becoming a household name.
When you get a new idea, what is the first thing you do with it?
Once I have formulated a good idea, I brainstorm what kind of people I need in order to execute and search for those individuals. I build relationships with each person to establish trust and set the foundation for a team culture. From there, it’s about communicating vision, identifying everyone’s role on the team, and creating a plan of action that allows everyone to operate in their strength zones to bring the idea to fruition. And, of course, we have fun in the process!
What behavior or personality traits do you attribute to your success?
I would say perseverance and a growth mindset have carried me to success early on. Perseverance, I believe, is the gumption to pull yourself through those inevitable plateaus and hardships that come with pursuing your ambitions even when there is no destination in sight.
Coupled with perseverance is holding onto a growth mindset. If perseverance is what pulls you through, a growth mindset is what helps you maintain positivity and distill the lessons from your experiences.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is helping business owners realize their potential and break through their own self-doubt to achieve their goals and ambitions. When I start a new coaching relationship with a franchise owner, I always ask them “How high do you want to go?” From there, that sets in motion a lengthy process of understanding their passions, ambitions, and goals for the coming years. The most rewarding part is seeing franchise owners check off the milestones we have accomplished together, signaling their progress toward reaching their life goals.
What causes are you passionate about?
I am passionate about education and entrepreneurship. Through my nonprofit work, I have the opportunity to sit on the board of directors for a local charter school and an early childhood education program. In both organizations, my aim is to make sure children are receiving equitable education opportunities and are prepared for college, career and life. With regards to entrepreneurship, I am searching for opportunities to employ my coaching skills to help business owners, Latinx specifically, to grow and scale their businesses. 📈
