Pull the Chute Podcast Interview

From Caribbean Dreams to Corporate Success: The Journey of a Revenue Strategist

In this conversation with the Pull the Chute podcast, I share not just my career path, but the deeper philosophy that’s guided me — from growing up in poverty in the South Bronx to leading revenue teams across LinkedIn, Google, Uber, and Tesla.

We dive into the real human dynamics behind leadership, sales, culture, and sustainable growth:

[02:00] My Origin Story
Born in Puerto Rico, raised 10 minutes from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, and first in my family to hold a diploma, a passport, and start a business. I share how that upbringing shaped my drive and my leadership approach.

[06:30] What a Revenue Strategist Actually Does
How I evolved from being an enterprise sales producer with over $600M in revenue impact, to leading revenue enablement — sitting at the intersection of operations, marketing, and sales to build systems that fuel performance across entire organizations.

[11:10] The Shift from Selling to Consulting
In today’s economic climate, long sales cycles and AI disruption are changing the game. I explain why I teach reps to stop “selling” and start driving decisions through consultative leadership, relevance, and trust-based conversations.

[16:30] The Leadership Model I Swear By
Why today’s leaders succeed by guiding rather than directing — building teams where every person operates with real ownership, self-accountability, and permission to bring solutions forward.

[21:20] You Don’t Have to Know What You Want to Be
I share how embracing career pivots — from nonprofits to tech to entrepreneurship — created clarity through action, not planning. Permission to experiment is often the fastest path to alignment.

[27:00] The First Hire Every Founder Should Make
Why founders should focus on transferring vision, not clinging to control. The person who can translate your vision into action becomes your first true leader — and your growth multiplies from there.

[32:15] Intrapreneurship: Building Businesses Inside Businesses
I explain how leading inside large organizations prepared me to build my own company, and why inspiring intrapreneurship inside your teams is key to creating empowered, high-performing cultures.

[38:00] LinkedIn vs Uber: Two Very Different Cultures
I share the honest truth about my best and worst corporate experiences, what great culture actually feels like inside an organization, and how toxic environments sap performance from even the most talented teams.

[48:10] What Really Motivates Employees
It’s not money. It’s dignity, purpose, recognition, and being seen. Most people leave companies not for compensation, but because they feel unseen and unappreciated. The data backs it up.

[53:20] The Single Most Important Lesson for Leaders
You never lose when you bet on your people. Not on market trends. Not on contracts. Your greatest investment is always the humans who keep the lights on.

This episode is not just for sales leaders. It’s for anyone building teams, building companies, or trying to build something bigger than themselves.