My Story

Kobe and Gigi

 

I came to the United States from a Third World country. I am a 20-year-old immigrant with no degree and no money. All I have is the willingness to try new things and give it my best effort.

 

I stayed at my brother’s one-bedroom apartment with my sister-in-law, my mom, and my dad. The apartment was located in East Los Angeles, where Oscar De La Hoya was training for the Olympics.

 

I was oblivious to the reputation of East Los Angeles. I would go out every day to look for a job, and I would walk around the neighborhood in the morning looking for job openings. A local resident noticed me and asked what I was doing walking around the neighborhood. I told him I was looking for a job. He proceeded to tell me that it is fine to walk around the neighborhood in the morning, but I should not be out and about after lunchtime. It was later in life that I realized I was walking around a neighborhood with a lot of gangs and gang-related violence, but I was so focused on my goal of finding a job that I did not fear walking around East Los Angeles.

 

A month after I arrived in this country, I got my driver’s license, and in my second month, I got my first job as a clerk in a healthcare office. After three months of working in an office, I ventured into my first business, partnering with two other people. After a year and a half, I got my first place and started running a medical supply company.

 

In my spare time, I would watch Los Angeles sports teams, especially the Los Angeles Lakers. I love watching all Los Angeles sports teams, but the Lakers have a special place in my heart.

 

I witnessed the last year of Magic Johnson with the team and the evolution of Nick Van Exel, Anthony Peeler, Eldon Campbell, and Eddie Jones. The team was not great, but they were exciting to watch. A few years later, the team got Shaquille O’Neal and traded for Kobe Bryant, and everything changed.

 

In the world of entrepreneurship, being in your 20s can sometimes be a liability; you have to earn everyone’s respect and prove that you are capable and can get the job done. This is probably the reason why I relate to Kobe Bryant so much. His NBA journey mimics my journey in business. I have to work extra hard simply because I am young. At the end of the day, your youth and inexperience can be overcome with hard work and passion for what you do.

 

I was inspired by Kobe’s dedication to perfecting his craft and his determination to put in the hard work. I use his Mamba mentality to overcome any obstacle I face in my business. 

 

This is why it is so painful for me to hear the tragic news of his passing and knowing that other precious souls, including Gigi, are with him. This realization is a heart-wrenching moment for me. I have never experienced such pain in my life until that moment. I really cannot explain why my heart feels the way it does. I guess making him my inspiration for the work that I do has tattooed his legacy in my heart, and the heart feels what’s deeply ingrained inside.

 

Anyway, I now want to use this platform to inspire anyone willing to embrace the Mamba Mentality by doing your very best in whatever field you are in.