My name is Carlos and I work in the Foundever Miami Office. My journey started with Foundever three years ago during the many changes and restructuring Foundever was going through. The office in Miami was not finished, so they asked me to spend two weeks in Foundever, Nashville. Great people, great place!
In addition to this change and this new challenge of being a part of Foundever, I also had that same opportunity within my first three months to grow and challenge myself personally, as well. Just two months after joining Foundever, my son, asked me if I wanted to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. My son had recently graduated, passed his CPA certification exam and had agreed to visit Kilimanjaro with his college roommate and his roommate’s father, just like us! I am not a mountain climber, hiker, adventurer, or explorer, but I am curious, love challenges and, most importantly, love my son. My wife felt I was crazy, my friends thought it was great, and my new Foundever family thought it was an excellent opportunity. My old friends thought it was scary, but worth the journey and I thought I would never get a chance to do this again so I simply took it! We had about ten months to plan for this event and the new job with Foundever could have been a problem, but it wasn’t. All I got from them was support and encouragement.
I think it is ironic that Foundever has promotional Peak Awards on “Climber,” “Trekker,” “Climber,” and “Mountaineer“ status. We all have challenges, mountains to climb and issues or unexpected changes that make our journey sometimes difficult. Having the support of your personal and professional family makes an incredible difference. I lost four toenails and had some rough days on the mountain during the twelve-day trip. I spent eight days in a tent with my son, had a 23-hour flight to and from Africa – and absolutely loved it for what it was… a trip of a lifetime. I am very grateful to have so many people who support my personal and professional journey. My wife, son, and daughter still think I was crazy to take on this challenge, but as I continue to say today… I would do it again in a heartbeat! If you have the right perspective, use the talent God has given you to the max, and live with integrity, you will overcome any mountain in your path.
Thank you for letting me share my Foundever story…and climb my mountain(s)!
Carlos