Luis Báez is a Revenue Enablement Strategist + Sales Coach dedicated to serving executives and sales leaders at businesses.
In 2017, after years of working in some of the biggest Silicon Valley startups (think LinkedIn, Google, Uber, Tesla, and more), Luis began to teach impassioned business owners how to scale their revenues and impact by creating and selling high-end offers. During that time, he was also invited to speak about leadership and personal branding at business schools across the country including Stanford, UC Berkeley and Bard.
Luis Baez Vroom Vroom Veer Stories
Born in Puerto Rico and raised in the South Bronx; live in public housing and went to public schools; first in his family to graduate high school
Came out after graduating High School and his mom was very loving and supportive; others in his circle took more time to come around
Went to college at Wheaton College in Massachusetts on a scholarship; he definitely struggled mightily just put his head down and finish with a degree; started with pre-med but changed to sociology and Spanish
Went down the Law Degree track and worked for a judge in New York before he realized that he didn't really want to be a lawyer; a friend suggested business, sales, and marketing
Took a job on the East Coast working sales and earned his Account Executive Title; the company later gave him a promotion offer or severance and he took the severance to move to the West Coast
First landed a job at LinkedIn because he was using that platform to try to find a job; then he was recruited to work at Google; the Google job landed him in the hospital with burn out
Worked at Uber for 6 months; but knew right away that it was not a good fit for him; about the same time Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and he need to focus some time helping with relief efforts from the states
About this time he started doing more consulting and teaching and is now giving away a free course called Flex and Flourish
Show Summary
In this episode of “Vroom Vroom Veer” hosted by Jeff Smith, the podcast explores the intriguing and tumultuous journey of Luis Báez, a former Silicon Valley insider turned sales coach and revenue enablement strategist.
The episode kicks off with a vibrant introduction by Tim Paige, who sets the stage for a discussion about steering away from a scripted life to embrace more authentic and fulfilling paths. Jeff then welcomes Luis Báez to the show, complimenting his polished online presence and probing into what excites him currently in his business. Luis talks about his latest venture, Flex and Flourish, a course designed to lay out his sales strategies and playbooks, which he promotes during the interview.
Luis shares his humble beginnings, born in Puerto Rico and raised in the South Bronx during a tumultuous era marked by drug epidemics and gang violence. He outlines his remarkable educational journey, becoming the first in his family to graduate from high school and college, navigating the cultural transitions at Wheaton College, and the inherent struggles linked to his identities as a person of color and an out gay man.
The conversation transitions into his professional life, detailing his initial aspirations in medicine and law, eventually finding his niche in sales and marketing. Luis discusses his moves through some of Silicon Valley's most prominent companies, including LinkedIn, Google, Uber, and Tesla, each experience contributing to his skill set but also to his understanding of corporate cultures and personal limits.
Personal stories of overcoming discrimination and establishing his worth in challenging environments weave through the narrative, showing Luis's resilience and strategic acumen. The interview takes a deeper dive when discussing his decision to move to California on a whim, taking a severance package and leaving his job without a clear plan, which he describes as a true “veer” moment.
Luis also touches on the impact of Hurricane Maria on his family in Puerto Rico, which led him to step away from corporate life and into consulting, giving him flexibility to support his family during the crisis.
The episode evolves into discussing his current engagements, including teaching, speaking, and his course Flex and Flourish. It also candidly covers the emotional and professional challenges faced throughout his career.
Towards the end, Jeff and Luis reflect on broader issues of diversity, the importance of resilience, and the necessity for pain to forge success, ending on a mutual note of respect and admiration for each other’s journeys.
Jeff concludes by thanking Luis for his openness and contributions, and Tim Paige rounds off the episode with closing remarks, directing listeners to the podcast website for more information.
Connections
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