“EARNING IS LEARNING” | Adam Casillas helps connect people with business opportunities through the Latino Business Expo – VC Reporter

PICTURED: Adam Casillas at the Latino Company Expo. Photo submitted

by Alex Wilson
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Adam Casillas learned the price of difficult do the job and networking by the time he was aged more than enough to ride a bicycle.

Increasing up in Oxnard as the youngest of 12 youngsters, together with just one who passed away at delivery, his parents instilled the values that led to his results as an entrepreneur, he said. Casillas organizes the Latino Enterprise Expo at the Ventura County Fairgrounds with his associate Richard Ramos twice a calendar year, although also doing the job as a real estate agent.

“My persona is, I like talking to persons. I like gross sales, I like partaking. I’m great at what I do,” Casillas stated.

His dad and mom have been from Guadalajara, Mexico and equally passed away about a decade ago. His dad, Roberto, worked tricky in agriculture and landscaping, occasionally leaving the residence at 5 a.m. and returning at 7 p.m. 

 “He taught us how to earn proper off the bat,” he recalled. “At the age of 7, 8, 9, 10 decades aged, me and my brothers were being hustling. We were being mowing yards, we were being marketing make, we have been often on the lookout for a way to function and make income.”

Mom Enedina was also a enormous affect as a result of the way she cared for their relatives and the community. 

“She managed an army of 11 kids and no one finished up in undesirable condition. We all survived the ’ 70s and the ’80s,” Casillas said. “I come to feel like she could have been the CEO of any corporation all over right here if she experienced the time to do it in its place of raising a household. So among my mom’s attitude and my dad’s operate ethic, I believe that that was the foundation for the options for my everyday living.”

Now, he attempts to go on those lessons he realized rising up to his individual small children and other mothers and fathers as nicely. 

“Work ethic is everything. It starts off at a toddler’s age. Make them do the job for what they want, even if it is just selecting up their toys. Put a worth on their labor, since learning is earning and earning is discovering,” he stated.

Bridging the gap

Ahead of finding into true estate and enterprise promoting, Casillas was a bartender for about two decades, which aided him develop his interpersonal competencies.

“I’ve been by each probable state of affairs you can assume of in a bar,” he said. “If you really don’t find out everything about psychology staying at the rear of the bar as lengthy as I’ve been then you’re not paying out focus . . . Everyone tells you almost everything. Everybody spills their guts. I’m like a priest to persons with no faith.”   

The initial Latino Small business Expo took put in 2007 the 2022 event is slated for Oct. 27. Two had been canceled thanks to the pandemic, but in accordance to Casillas, the momentum is back.

“The Latino Business Expo is a networking celebration on steroids, generally, for firms that are hoping to boost new solutions, who are seeking to hire, who want to sample their new items or just get purchasers,” he said. 

A wide selection of businesses are represented at the Latino Business Expo, such as insurance coverage corporations, dentists and home-based organizations like jewelry makers who are just having a begin. Food stuff and beverage enterprises are also drawn to the celebration.

“A whole lot of the places to eat are sampling new items on their menu. If you have some thing that you want to sample out, why not place it in entrance of 2,000 persons,” he stated.

Casillas mentioned the name Latino Small business Expo was selected simply because organizations owned by Latinos have been underrepresented at other enterprise networking functions in the past. He extra that 99% of the sellers at his situations talk English, and that achieving out to the Latino local community is critical to all organizations in Ventura County.

“Say your title is Bob Smith and you really don’t communicate a phrase of Spanish, and you have a merchandise to offer. Then my expo is the spot to be,” he described. “You’re heading to get to the Latino community and people who are bilingual. You’re going to attain everybody. Due to the fact the achievements of your small business is dependent on making new connections and meeting folks. What I’ve completed with it is, I have been able to bridge the hole involving the Anglo and the Latino community.”

The occasion is minimal to 110 distributors who are all charged the similar payment of $600. Tickets to attend charge $10 at the doorway, but Casillas stated he gives away 1000’s of free of charge tickets right before the event to any one who asks. Most distributors return year after year.

“They’re getting company out of it and they are possessing a great time carrying out it. Due to the fact I have a 70% retention from one event to the up coming,” he pointed out. “I have sellers who have been at every one expo. If it wasn’t performing, they wouldn’t be undertaking that.”

 “As extensive as I live, I’ll do God’s work”

Casillas also donates his time to a wide range of charities together with the Salvation Military and Lion’s Club. “I just secured $2,500 for a bicycle program for the little ones of Nyeland Acres . . . so I’m heading to be offering about 25 bikes.”

Casillas reported his drive to assistance other people stems from a promise he manufactured to his mom when he was about 19 a long time outdated.

“She attempted to drag me to church and was upset that I wasn’t church-likely. So I explained to her, ‘As extensive as I live I’ll do God’s operate.’ And that indicates serving to other individuals,” he stated. “I feel that this is paying out homage to my mom.”

As for the legacy Casillas needs to go away behind?

“I just want people today to know that I was always there to help. Constantly trying to make a difference to convey folks with each other and I was shade-blind in the approach. I really do not discriminate in opposition to any person. Any person who needs to develop their organization is welcome to be section of my crew and get involved with us,” he said.

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Latino Enterprise Expo
www.latinoexpousa.com