Why I do what I do…

At the first school I worked in, only one in three graduates would go to university. 

The second institution I worked in specifically targeted under-served populations. Still, some students couldn’t afford the bus money to get to the center. 

The first school was in a poor region in Thailand. The second is a city in Colombia where I still live today. 

Everyone deserves the same opportunities, but not everyone has access to them. 

Where you are born affects the opportunities you have in life. Your family’s income level affects the opportunities you have in life. It shouldn’t be this way, but it is. 

I was born with privilege. I was born in a country, and to a family, where I had access to education and opportunity. I worked hard to start my own business, but it was a lot easier for me than would have been for many other people. 

Inequality is easy to recognize, but finding an effective way you can make change is difficult.

At its core, my business is a way to extend opportunities to those who need them. Everyone, no matter where they are born, deserves the opportunity to work and support themselves and their families in a job they enjoy.  

Why I’m sharing this now

I was born in the United States. If you’ve seen any news from the United States lately, you know there are many problems related to race and inequality. 

There are people who are denied opportunities based on the color of their skin and the circumstances they are born into. 

There are children, like Trayvon Martin and Tamir Rice, who were never given the opportunity to grow up. They were killed. There are countless people being killed for no reason besides the color of their skin.

I won’t go into the details here, but I invite anyone who wants to know more to send me a message and I will respond. I may not be the best person to answer, and if I can’t I will do my best to send you to the right resources.

This problem isn’t unique to the United States. It would be selfish and ignorant of me to ignore the inequality and injustice in Colombia, where I live now.

If you’re reading this, you probably don’t live in the United States. But I know there are problems related to inequality where you live as well. And I encourage you to address them in whatever way you are able to. 

The first step is to start with the people closest to you and to address the issues in our society directly. 

My promise to you

The current circumstances in my country have helped me re-examine my priorities. Here’s what will continue and change in the next few months related to my business activities. 

I will continue to provide a place where open discussion is encouraged. My free english conversation club will remain free and we will continue to talk about global issues in a respectful environment. 

The money earned from the sales of my book in the next six months will be donated to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. 

I will review your what you have included in your resume and assess your English level. Even if you don’t have the money to pay me. I am the only member of my business and I am limited in what I can do. But I will do everything I can to help you, or help you find a resource that can. 

I will listen and learn. I am not an expert on race relations in the United States. I know even less about the complexities of race issues and police violence in other countries. But I will continue to listen to the voices of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States and I invite you to help me learn about the issues in your own country.

What I will do in the future

This is the beginning. 

I believe those with an ability to help have a responsibility to help. 

My company is less than two years old. My income and impact are small. But, of course, I hope that will change in the future. 

My vision is to partner with non-profit organizations that support education in minority communities around the world. I also intend to partner with organizations that fight for workplace equality.

I will provide a platform where my clients can find impactful charities to support. 

I can’t predict the future. As the pandemic has shown us, any company could fail at any time. 

But I will fight to grow, and as long as I’m able, I pledge to donate 10% of my annual earnings to these causes starting next year.

A final note

I love what I do. 

There are bad days, of course, but I honestly look forward to each and every coaching session with my clients. 

I love what I do because every day I have the opportunity to hear voices from all over the world. My job exposes me to diverse voices from different countries and professional fields. My job forces me to stay educated on issues in a range of countries from Brazil to Spain to South Korea. 

I am lucky to have a job that makes me a better, more aware person every day. 

I do what I do so I can offer my expertise and ears to motivated people who want to grow in their careers. To help people have the opportunities that I’ve had, and that everyone deserves. 

It may not be much, but I will strive to do more each day. 

Thank you.