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Kevin Gentry
This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. You know when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself, talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace. Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences, and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You, you'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus, Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a $0 copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code SPACE80 when you go to talkspace.com match with a licensed therapist. Today at talkspace.com, save $80 with code SPACE80 at talk.
Cesar Grajalas
My answer? Self aware that there will be more challenges ahead of me. But all the challenges that you face now to accomplish your whatever dream you have of a project, just enjoy it and be happy of what you're doing because you have to be. You have to enjoy what you do regardless of the outcome. Hard work, wake up early, work hard. But enjoy the moment regardless of the outcome. Because life is really short to be sad. And I promise you, people is always watching, always seeing you. And there are people that maybe you are not aware of, but everything that you're doing is inspiring other people. And I think that's important regardless of if your company becomes the next multi billion dollar company. But that process you have to enjoy and that process will inspire more people.
Welcome to the Going Big Podcast. I'm your host, Kevin Gentry and this is the place where we celebrate bold moves and big ideas. Each week I sit down with inspiring leaders, entrepreneurs and change makers who are making a significant impact in their careers and in their communities. Whether you're looking to level up your leadership or pursue your passion or just get inspired to take your next big leap, this is where those stories come to life. Now if you're listening on iTunes, YouTube or anywhere else you tune into podcasts, be sure to hit that subscribe button so you'll never miss an episode. Now let's dive in to what it means to truly go big. Well, greetings ladies and gentlemen. Today's guest on the Going Big podcast illustrates going Big in a lot of terrific ways. I know him as an entertainer, a nonprofit leader, a social change agent, a serial entrepreneur, and an amazing spokesman on Spanish language media for his principles. And I'm really pleased to be with Cesar Grajalas. Cesar, you and I have known each other for a long time. It's great to be with you. You have a phenomenal Going Big story and I've wanted to interview you from the start. So it's great to be with you.
Thank you, my friend. I'm happy to be here and it's an honor to be with you today on your podcast. I know it's been very successful. So again, it's an honor to be here.
Well, we're going to talk about your podcast in a moment and you've been an inspiration for me, not just with your podcast, but in many other ways. I want to start off with Going Big and ask you, do you think it's still possible to go big in America?
Oh, yeah, 100%. I know we face challenges in our country. I know there are people that maybe don't feel happy with election outcomes and things like that, but America continues being the place to be successful, the place for people like me who looks for freedom and opportunity. I immigrated from Colombia 25 years ago, and if you follow the rules and if you are committed to your purpose and if you are disciplined and if you really follow your spirit, this country will regard you with a good life, I would say.
Well, I think that's a great example. You set a good example for that. And I knew by asking you that question at the outset, it would begin to set a good foundation for this conversation. Where you've gone big is really now in the modern day, but there's so many steps that you took and you've always dreamed big. You mentioned being an immigrant from Colombia. Yes. Share a little bit more about your story. You and your father came here, I believe you just said, about 25 years ago. What was that dream? What was that go big vision to leave Colombia and what were the first couple of days like?
So, Kevin, I would say this for people like me and probably many stories and people who come from Latin America, we sadly have to leave our country of origin behind because the bad policies, because violence, because insecurity. And then a father who has their children and they want to raise their children in a better place. They find themselves in a place where opportunity and safety is no for their family, family members. So in his case, my dad and my Mom. They decided to apply for political asylum. The United States. We left Colombia when Colombia was almost a failing state. Guerrilla members and drug cartels and many things happening down there. And we gladly and thanks God we had the opportunity to come to this country. We didn't have enough money to bring my sister and my mom to America. But my dad and I have enough for our first two tickets we get here.
How old were you then?
I was 19.
You were 19. So you and your dad come to America?
18, actually. 18.
With this vision of coming to America. He's ultimately going to bring the rest of the family. Tell us about your first, your arrival here the first day and how much money did you have in your pocket?
So I never forget the day and time I got here with my. Died in November 14th at 1:30pm we landed from Cali, Colombia.
And November 13th, 2020.
November 14th at 1:30pm on 2020. On 20. Yes. On 2000, actually.
Okay, so 25 years ago this year.
Yes. And my first reaction was getting out of the airport and start seeing the palm trees of the beautiful city of Miami. And then I have never seen before limousine and I saw a limousine outside waiting for somebody else. Obviously know us and then getting in contact with the ocean the first night. But we had only $80. And we use it to pay for the first night of hotel in Miami Beach.
You didn't get much for $80 on a first night hotel. But $80 is not going to get you very far. After the hotel, what did you do the next day?
Well, the very next day, my dad pulls a woman that he didn't know her, but he, he did know actually her sister back in Colombia. They used to do businesses. Mom and dad used to have a clothing business back in Colombia. So this woman, she was the manager of the bakery here in Miami. Specifically in Miami Beach. Vega Bakery. I don't know you guys here at the studio. Remember the Biga Bakery? We filmed the episode in Miami. So Viga Bakery was very popular back in the day. Bakery and this woman was the manager. So my dad called this woman and said, I'm here with my son. I know your sister. We don't have any place to go, but we're just looking for a job. We came in a political asylum. We applied for a political asylum. And she graciously gave us opportunity to stay with her. And the very first day we started in my case, cleaning the bakery with my dad. Eventually they asked me if I know how to make cookies. I say yes, no clue. But everybody survived. So I Guess the cookies were great. And that's how we started. And then we went to a church. She took us on Sunday, that week, following Sunday, to church. My family and I, we are Catholics, and we met the priest at the church, and he introduced you to the community. And then the community opens the doors for my dad and I. And we started working on construction, painting houses, cleaning houses, gardening. And I think that, for me, was very impactful. See how our community actually embraces us and give us the opportunity to. To find our purpose and to continue following our American dream.
Well, I know the next phase of your life was in the public policy area, the organization LIBRE. That's how you and I met almost 15 years ago. Daniel Garza, who's the founding president of LIBRE, I interviewed him on one of my early podcast episodes, told me the story about how he recruited you as a volunteer. So let's talk now about that next phase of your life. Daniel Garza told me that you were an entertainer and that you all met maybe playing soccer. So tell us a little bit about that.
The early 2000s went right after we actually started living in our own place. We brought mom and my sister to the U.S. one of the things that I studied back in Colombia was music. Since I was a kid, I studied classical music. So that was one of the, I would say, talents that. That I have or skills. And I ended up working for two major TV stations, Telemundo and Univision, for the house band, many different shows. So I started playing the guitar and sometimes back at singer. But I wanted to be my own thing, my. My own artists. So I released back in 2004, an album and actually a single. And it was all over Mexico, Dominican Republic, back in Colombia, again, the music was there. And so we Latinos, we like soccer. So Sunday we were up with my dad and a group of friends playing soccer in a field here in Miami, and a guy came running. Can I play with you guys? He told us. And I said, yes. And when the game ended, I stay, because I'm one of those guys who really like to meet people and see what they do. And I asked him, what's your name? What do you do? And then he said, I'm Daniel Garza. At that time, he left the White House, I think, in that very year. So he told me, I used to work at the White House. Now I'm the president of Revista Poder, which at the moment was a very important magazine for Latinos. And we connected and we developed a friendship. And he was the one who introduced Me to the really interested, very interested in politics and policy and things like that. So fast forward years passed, we became really good friends and in 2011 he told me about, hey, there is a new group funding in Washington creating I'm going to be the president, which is the LIBRE initiative. And this is what we're going to be doing. Reaching out the Latino community from conservative values, hard work, discipline. When he was telling me the story, I said, do you know what, Daniel? The message resonates with me. I don't have experience in politics, but I do have experience about writing articles. At that moment, I was writing a weekly article for a newspaper in Mexico about music. So I said I can switch to write articles about what is happening to our Latino community in the country. And I started volunteering for Libre as writing content for them. And then eventually they needed someone to knock indoors and reach out to the community. I didn't know how to do this, but I want to spread the message in my community. So I started going to churches and partnering with either a priest or a pastor and going on Sundays setting up the table and talking about the Libra initiative. Eventually I became field director, state director, regional director, coalitions director, lobbyist, now a spokesperson, and eventually become also a go to for en with Spanish for a conservative perspective. What is happening in the country?
Well, I want to get to the Spanish language media component in a moment, but let's just tease out a little bit more about libre. There are 61 million Latinos, Hispanics in the United States.
Correct.
That is a fast growing aspect of the population. You recently shared with me that 50% of the population growth between the 2010 census and the 2020 census was Hispanic Americans. You obviously, having been yourself an immigrant from a country in Latin America and as you say, working with your community and these ideas and yes, fast forward, you went from a volunteer organizer to the national spokesman for them. Let folks know a little bit more about how are you connecting your principles, your ideas of the American dream with voters, new voters and helping drive policy. I know you worked a lot on regulatory reform, expanding education opportunity. Those were some of the big issues that you tackled. I remember here in Florida as well as broadly across the country. Tell us a little bit more about that.
Well, Kevin, I would say our community in a natural way, we had those conservative principles and values. We want, we want to do better for our families. We want to do better for our neighbors. We support hard work, discipline. When you go to the fields and you see people working from early morning until late night or even People that move from the fields to funding new companies, you see that they are actually really committed to their projects and everything from our community. And those are hardcore conservative values. Sadly, for so many years the grown ideas have been reaching out to them. They had more money, they had been going through different media outlets, through different politicians that had different interests than actually our community. And they have spread the grom messaging. Sometimes our community has been hit by different messaging that is not connecting with Latinos values. But the end, there is nothing else. That's the reason Daniel and other folks created the Libre initiative. And in my case it resonated so well because I said, you know what? The messaging that you're driving now is what I identify. So we grow from, let me go back to 2011, it was just Daniel and I think three or four more folks back in Texas to now. There are dozens, not only employees, but actually hundreds of volunteers and activists that volunteer for Libre. And Libre became a really well respected center right organization. We do our own research, polling and many things that connects those conservative values to our community. In my case, as you mentioned, I see it firsthand going to for instance Tallahassee, capital of Florida to testify in favor of more school options, for instance. And then polls prove that Latinos and minorities benefit the most from these kind of policies. And last year it become a law here in Florida after many years and many policy battles. The universal voucher, which is fantastic, is benefiting again minorities, including Latinos, African Americans and people who really fell behind by the traditional public education. Now you see that they have more options. So to me I feel proud about the work Libre has been doing for so many years and in my case, how well respected they became the organization. And I think we are positive that we will continue impacting the community. I know that the other side, the other ideas, they had more resources, but in our side we have.
Kevin Gentry
This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. You know when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself, talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace. Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support. Talkspace is here for you. Plus, Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a $0 copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code space80 when you go to talkspace.com match with a licensed therapist. Today at talkspace.com save $80 with code space80@talkspace.com.
Cesar Grajalas
Very talented people. That is really, regardless of what's happening there, really reaching out our community and bringing more, more friends to our side.
Well, this is a key reason I wanted to have you on the Going Big podcast. You've not only, not only you, not only have you always thought big and acted big and it takes big dreams, big vision, but also taking action. You and Daniel also had this big vision for Libre to fill a huge void in the political marketplace in the United States. And you've done that, you and the rest of your team, many others. And I think we saw that in the 2024 elections and we can see the trends perhaps now going into the future. So that takes me to another area. You're always thinking about the next thing. And you took some of your experience as a national spokesman for Libre into a talk radio program, a Spanish language program in South Florida, which is now the number one program in that space. It's amazing. In South Florida you're connecting with just hundreds of thousands of voters, citizens who've come to the United States just as you did from Colombia, maybe from Nicaragua, from Cuba, Venezuela, any Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, anywhere. It may be in Latin America. Where do you see the connection of what you're doing there to your principles, how you view the American dream and how you're connecting with your audience.
Thank you for asking that. And I'm going to put a little more of context. I started being invited probably 10 years ago as a political analyst from the center right perspective to the major media outlets from again, Univision, Telemundo. And it was.
And which, by the way, to be clear, generally were more on the left.
Yes.
So they had to have somebody with perspective. So you and I started going to fill that void.
Correct. We started going and but to the point now, as you mentioned, Kevin, that Daniel and I become a. And I do this with all thankful to the media that really trust Daniel and myself to be that voice continuous. There is no, there are more voices now, but Daniel Garza and I are definitely the people who you guys probably or people who speak Spanish see the Most on TV from the center right perspective. And I'm glad that they opened the door. However, it continued being more the perspective to our center left and that led to actually having my own show on La Poderosa, which is a Salem Communications only Spanish radio station that they own. And I have a two hours daily radio show where we analyze what is happening not only locally in Florida or Miami, but nationally in politics and policy. And we also take live phone calls from people which to me is fascinating because at the end it's live poll every day of what really people is feeling and then how do I connect that I explain to the people what is happening to the country and why we should continue choosing the right policies, not the policies that actually fail in our countries of origins and the policies that we left behind and why it's important to support specific, you know, for instance, education, educational freedom. Let me ask you, any country, could.
You see the population shifting more in the direction that it ended up voting last November by through the callers that you were speaking with?
Yes. And it is fascinating. I'm glad that you asked that because I had callers saying I'm a registered Democrat last year. Actually I'm a registered Democrat, but I'm going to vote this time for Republicans because I feel more represented by a conservative value and ideas than for what has been voting before. I think that this party has been not fulfilling their promises. And it said that for instance, there is one topic that I know everybody recognizes, which is immigration. And somehow they had been playing with that topic for Latinos, but also they had made to believe the rest of America that that's the only topic that we care about.
Right.
And it's fascinating that actually that was.
Definitely the case just a few years ago.
And it's interesting that actually Latinos care about the economy, safety, more educational options for their kids. They just want to work and do better for their families. And somehow they did or they created this topic or narrative that we only care about immigration. But it's fascinating how actually polls, including one poll from the library initiative that showed last year that Democrats and Republican voters, registered voters, Latinos over 60%, they supported more safety and more security at the border. Isn't that incredible? It shows that actually even Democrats, Latinos are more conservative in that angle related to immigration.
Well, good for you for even challenging that media narrative, demonstrating it as well. So another aspect of your going big and thinking big is your again, as I said, thinking that next big thing. So you took your experience from your radio talk show to start A podcast?
Yes.
Sabota Freedom.
Sabota Freedom. Taste of Freedom.
In English, Taste of Freedom. And a very popular. It's taken off. It's a Spanish language podcast. Tell us first a little bit about the vision for that and where that is today.
Well, I'm going to start by recognizing the people behind the podcast. Jose Malea, he used to be the CEO of Libre. He had the idea along with Manilara, one of the producers. And then they started working also with Judy Pino, which is the marketing director of Libre. And, and in my case, they gave me the opportunity to be the host and we started bringing stories of success. Our people want to listen to people who inspire them.
Yeah. What is the objective of support? What is the taste of freedom? I know you've had Patty, Janet, you've had, you have many different celebrities. What are you trying to achieve? Well. And what is the market you found?
Yeah, well, there was a voi, a podcast target to the Latino community that really inspire them, but also reminding our community why we came to this country in the first place. And I think it's important to listen to people who already made in America. Either you was born here or you're the second generation. It's great to listen to those stories. People from all over latam, people who immigrated from Venezuela or Argentina or actually your. Their family immigrated here. And now second generation and now they, they, they making it big. Like for instance, one of the recently episodes that we have is Rachel Campos Duffy that is one of the co hosts of the Folks and Friends and she was sharing her story and. And how is your father immigrated here.
From Mexico, I believe.
Exactly, Mother from Spain. And it's very, very interesting story. And we also have the former manager of Celia Cruz, which is someone who is very important in our community. She was a singer and he shared his story how he ended up working with her, but also the legacy that she left behind. And then so many other people that has fantastic stories and inspire a community. I want to share a story.
Yeah, you got to share a story. Come on, we're ready for this story.
This is fantastic. And I feel stupid.
$80 the first night and you're going to the bakery where you didn't know how to make bake cookies. Give us another story and listen to this.
And really I feel humble about this because I heard a story last week in an old staff retreat that we just had in Orlando and a guy approached to me and said, cesar, I want to thank you. I started working for Libre two weeks ago. I want to thank You And I was like, why me? Because he's now one of the employees in Colorado. And he said, well I discovered the podcast a few months ago, I think in November, October last year. And I get into the podcast and I get inspired and I want to try to find more. He went to the website, ended up applying for a job for Libre because he find that he just want to go a step forward. Not just watching the podcast, but not being in volunteer only. I want to be an employee and to me or Libre, to me that's a very inspiring story. Like we not only inspiring our community but also there are people who really wants to join the family the Libre initiative. And to me that's important. And again I'm going to recognize everybody that had made possible the the podcast Sabota Freedom because it's not just me is other people working behind the camera guys, they make up the artist, the director is a team effort.
Well, let's hope that you continue to reach and inspire new people like the example that you did. And we're doing that even today. So I have just a couple of wrap up questions but again you're always thinking of this new big thing. You're always going big. You're a serial entrepreneur as well. I don't know when you sleep, I don't know when you find the time. You have a shoe company, Indie genius.
Yes, I love here. I know you guys watching or seeing now but I again I have to thank Kevin. Kevin has been so generous. He, he, he believed in my project which is the. And I'm going to tell you to be the shoe company.
So what does the name Indie Genius come from?
It was a plainer words. First of all, I mix, it's 100% leather, the shoes. But also I mix indigenous fabrics from different communities in Latin America. It's handmade indigenous fabric. In your case, in your model, the indigenous fabric is right here and this design is right here. And what I thought is that empowering people through work is important and I was just trying to find a way to create value to people in Latam. People that maybe doesn't have the opportunity to immigrate or something like that. And most of the people actually if they have the opportunity to be successful in their country of origin, they will be happy there and stay there. And I believe if I employ one, two, three or four or five people, those are five families that are going to be happy they are working. So indigenous comes from indigenous. So I was playing kind of indie genius. And so far it's been like two years since I founded this endeavor, this company. And we have different designs. And I want to thank you because if somebody wants. Kevin is going everywhere with my shoes.
I'm an ambassador for indigenous. If you want to check out your shoes, do you have a website or just Google it?
Go to the Instagram, which is at Indigenous at. I'm sorry, Indigenous at By. Indigenous by.
For B, U, Y, for purchase.
Correct.
And then indie is like independent. I, N, D, I, E. Correct. Genius. Like, you're a brilliant guy.
All right there.
Okay, so what's next for Cesar Grahalis? Based on all of this whole trajectory? The trajectory is going up, but you started at the foundation, coming to the United States, started entertainer, public policy, media, Spanish language media, entrepreneurial activities. What's next?
Well, Kevin, again, I thank all the opportunities that I have in media, but it's not enough. I think we need to go more into that field and our people is hungry for more content. And now content have switched not to the traditional media, but more towards digital podcasts and things like that. So we working now as a team and other group of people to. And we created now that new company where Latinos looking for center right shows content and actually the truth in a new company that you soon are going to hear about it.
Well, I'm sure you'll do very, very well with it. Zazar. I conclude with two questions almost every time. First is, what would you looking back now, looking back growing up in a small village in Colombia, coming to America, coming to Miami 25 years ago, what would you tell an earlier version of yourself that you might have done differently?
It was very hard. The first year or two years, I was scared and I was worried. I would say don't be. Don't be scared or use that little bit afraid to propel your dreams instead of just being afraid of chasing them. So I will say that to me and always trust the Lord.
All right, well, that's a great way to look at that. So in conclusion, you put a very positive thing. You're always a very positive person, very optimistic. Obviously, this wasn't a straight trajectory. You had many setbacks, many disappointments, many challenges. I'm sure you learned from those failures along the way. How would you share with this audience today that they should think about going big in their life? You've taken your special gifts and applied them with tremendous energy and passion in a positive way, and you keep looking to do more. What would you share with this audience about how they should think about going big?
I will say this, Kevin, and again, I'm probably coming from, from my answer Selaware that there will be more challenges ahead of me. But all the challenges that you face now to accomplish your whatever dream you have of project, just enjoy it and be happy of what you're doing because you have to enjoy what you do regardless of the outcome. Hard work, wake up early, work hard, but enjoy the moment regardless of the outcome. Because life is really short to be sad. And I promise you, people is always watching, always seeing you. And there are people that maybe you are not aware of, but everything that you're doing is inspiring other people. And I think that's important regardless of if your company becomes the next multi billion dollar company. But that process, you have to enjoy it and that process will inspire more people.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, if any of this inspired you today, I hope you'll check out Cesar's organization, the Libre initiative, his shoe company, Indiegenius.
Thank you.
By Indiegenius. On Instagram, I'm sure you can Google and find out more. Be on the lookout for Cesar. Cesar, it's been an honor to work alongside you. It's been very inspiring. Looking forward to many years, many decades ahead. And really thank you for all you're doing, how you really, truly inspire others.
Thank you, my friend. And it's an honor for me to be here today and be your friend.
Thank you. All right, all the best to you. Thank you. Let's go big.
Let's go big.
Thanks for tuning in to the Going Big podcast. I hope today's conversation left you feeling energized and ready to tackle your biggest goals. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. It really helps spread the word and it gets these inspiring stories out to more people. You can also find more content, resources and updates at our website, goingbigpodcast.com Remember, the only limits are, are the ones you don't challenge. The limits that you impose on yourself. Keep pushing, keep growing, and above all, keep going big. See you next time on the Going Big podcast.
Podcast: Going Big! with Kevin Gentry
Host: Kevin Gentry
Guest: Cesar Grajales
Release Date: June 23, 2025
In this inspiring episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Cesar Grajales, a multifaceted entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, and influential voice in Spanish-language media. Their conversation delves into Cesar's remarkable journey from arriving in the United States with just $80 to making a national impact through his ventures in public policy, media, and entrepreneurship.
Cesar begins by sharing his poignant immigration story, highlighting the challenges and sacrifices he and his family faced when fleeing Colombia.
Cesar Grajales [05:12]: "We had to leave Colombia because of bad policies, violence, and insecurity. My father wanted to raise our children in a safer place, so we applied for political asylum in the United States."
Arriving in Miami with only $80, Cesar and his father faced an uncertain future. They found temporary shelter and employment through community connections, which played a crucial role in their initial settlement.
Cesar Grajales [07:00]: "We had only $80, which we used to pay for our first night at a hotel in Miami Beach. The next day, my dad connected with a former business associate who gave us the opportunity to work at Vega Bakery."
Cesar emphasizes the importance of community support and hard work in overcoming early challenges.
Cesar Grajales [06:24]: "We started by cleaning the bakery and eventually moved on to construction, painting houses, and gardening. The community embraced us and gave us the opportunity to find our purpose and continue following the American dream."
This period was instrumental in shaping Cesar's resilient spirit and dedication to his goals.
Cesar's involvement with public policy began through his connection with Daniel Garza, the founding president of the LIBRE initiative. Their shared values and commitment to the Latino community led to significant contributions in political outreach and policy advocacy.
Cesar Grajales [10:06]: "Daniel introduced me to politics and policy. I started volunteering for LIBRE by writing content and eventually took on roles such as field director, state director, and national spokesperson."
Under Cesar's leadership, LIBRE became a respected center-right organization dedicated to connecting conservative values with the Latino community. He highlights key achievements, including the passage of the universal voucher program in Florida, which expanded educational opportunities for minorities.
Cesar Grajales [16:30]: "The universal voucher in Florida benefits minorities, including Latinos and African Americans, by providing more educational options beyond traditional public schools."
Recognizing the power of media in shaping narratives, Cesar leveraged his expertise to become a prominent voice in Spanish-language media. His radio show on La Poderosa allows him to engage with hundreds of thousands of listeners, discussing politics and policy from a center-right perspective.
Cesar Grajales [21:02]: "Our show analyzes local and national politics, taking live calls from listeners. It's like a daily poll of what people are feeling and connecting those sentiments to our community's values."
Through his media presence, Cesar challenges prevailing stereotypes and highlights the diverse priorities of the Latino community beyond immigration, such as the economy, safety, and education.
Cesar Grajales [22:56]: "Latinos care about the economy, safety, and educational options for their kids. It's fascinating how polls show a shift towards conservative values in these areas."
Building on his media success, Cesar co-founded the Sabota Freedom podcast, aimed at inspiring the Latino community by sharing success stories and emphasizing the importance of upholding the American dream.
Cesar Grajales [24:53]: "Taste of Freedom was created to inspire our community by sharing stories of individuals who have made it big in America, whether first or second generation."
The podcast features notable guests, including Rachel Campos Duffy and the former manager of Celia Cruz, who share their journeys and legacies, further motivating listeners to pursue their aspirations.
Cesar's entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish Indiegenius, a shoe company that blends 100% leather with indigenous fabrics from Latin American communities. This venture not only promotes cultural heritage but also provides employment opportunities for artisans in Latin America.
Cesar Grajales [29:15]: "Indiegenius empowers people through work by creating value and supporting families in Latin America. Each pair of shoes is handmade with indigenous fabrics, celebrating our heritage."
Indiegenius reflects Cesar's commitment to social responsibility and his passion for creating meaningful business ventures.
As Cesar continues to expand his influence, he hints at new projects focused on digital content tailored for the Latino community. His dedication to providing center-right perspectives remains unwavering, aiming to meet the growing demand for diverse and truthful media representation.
Reflecting on his journey, Cesar offers heartfelt advice to listeners:
Cesar Grajales [32:35]: "Don't be scared. Use that fear to propel your dreams instead of letting it hold you back. Always trust the Lord."
He underscores the importance of enjoying the process, regardless of the outcome, and recognizes the impact his actions have on inspiring others.
Cesar Grajales [33:46]: "Enjoy what you're doing regardless of the outcome. People are always watching and your journey can inspire others, regardless of whether your company becomes a multi-billion-dollar enterprise."
The episode concludes with Kevin Gentry praising Cesar's relentless pursuit of big dreams and his ability to inspire through various platforms. Cesar's story serves as a testament to the power of vision, hard work, and community support in achieving significant impact.
Kevin Gentry [35:28]: "It's been an honor to work alongside you, Cesar. You're truly an inspiration to others."
Listeners are encouraged to explore Cesar's initiatives, including the LIBRE initiative and Indiegenius, and to embrace the mindset of going big in their own lives.
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