Q&A with Alex Vergara, Managing Director of AV Consulting Group
1. Alex, tell us a bit about AV Consulting Group, LLC.
AV Consulting Group is a consortium of services to help businesses in business development, strategy and branding.
At the intersection of sports, education and innovation as key pillars of focus, our custom process helps deliver a new perspective to a client’s business across markets and stages of evolution. We align firm’s core driving values, and deliver a process that helps provide a new story on how to focus on innovation of all types.
2. What gave you the idea for your business and how did it start?
Frankly after a diverse career in sports, media, small business, higher education, Fortune 100 business, and partnerships with thousands of events and clients, including a wonderful 20-year at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World, the idea of AV Consulting started last July in Orlando, FL.
As a lifetime learner, I firmly believe that now more than ever, wide and deep perspectives need to be delivered for innovation. Many businesses are so focused on the core business that most are not able to focus on innovation and growth. The is where AV Consulting Group, and our partners, come in and help craft a plan to help you leap the market and grow your business or help solve whatever “paint point” our clients may have.
3. What’s your favorite thing about your job?
Autonomy of my time, talent and selection of the accounts that we want to help support to a great good legacy.
4. What are your keys to making yourself productive?
As a small business entrepreneur working with firms of all sizes/scope, the ability to cut through the noise of both the media, messages, and marketing noise, the key is focus and good design.
5. Tell us one long-term goal in your career.
Long-term, as our product and services evolve through Phase I of our growth.evolution, we are going to expand our portfolio and get into content creation, new media, merchandising, publishing and education.
6. What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned through the course of your career?
You have to have faith in yourself, your talents and skills. You have to have courage to present ideas and not fall in love with all of them. I have had more bad ideas than good ones, I think, but I’m cool with that. One of the best leaders that I ever had a Disney, always challenged us to push through the stops “analysis paralysis to get to market. Don’t worry about perfection. On day one in the market, your consumer market will tell you what you didn’t get right. Be flexible, lean, and continue being a lifetime learning.
7. What advice would you give to others aspiring to succeed in your field?
Relationships, relationships, relationships make it happen.
8. What are your favorite things to do outside of work?
I’m actually writing two books. One about an unsuspecting weekend gambler in Las Vegas that gets mixed up with the Mafia. My second book includes my lessons on how to stay a lifetime learner.
9. Name a few influential books you’ve read and/or websites you keep up with that you’d recommend to readers.
I read a lot. . .
– See You at the Top, by the late great Zig Ziglar, was one of the early-career books that I quote often.
– A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink – Taught me about how to maximize my thinking by nurturing both your right and left brain.
– Free Agent Nation (I like Daniel Pink) – Forecast on the changing work force which we are now seeing
– On Writing, by Stephen King – As mentioned, I’m on the journey of writing/self publishing. This one is a classic for any aspiring writer.
– Better and Faster, by Jeremy Gutsche, owner of Toronto-based Trend Hunter firm.
– Tears We Can Not Stop, A Sermon to White America, Dr. Michael Tyson – My newest must read
– Tools of Titans – Tim Ferris; success secrets of the giants of industry, arts, fitness, wellness, entertainment and more. My book of the year so far.
Websites:
Sutton Impact, Bill Sutton sports industry site (Twitter)
Reading Lists – A list of lists of key leaders’ favorite reads
Muse, and Lifehacker
ESPN.com and Sports Business Journal to stay on top of my industry
