00:00:27:23 - 00:00:30:08
Gary
Raul. Thank you so much for being here today.

00:00:30:08 - 00:00:31:19
Raul
Thank you. It's a pleasure

00:00:31:19 - 00:01:06:22
Gary
It's always a pleasure to be here at your home. , it's such a beautiful setting. And every time I come here, I learn something from you. Something new about your business and something new about your family. And it's always a great treat to be here. So I want to have a very organic conversation. our organization at NAHREP is very focused on building Latino wealth, and I do want to talk about that a little bit. But I think before we get there and before we talk about LATTITUDE, I want to talk about you, your background, your history, and of course, SBS.

00:01:08:00 - 00:01:30:13
Raul
Well, thank you, Gary. It's a pleasure for me to be with you today. And regarding my background, my father was a political refugee from Cuba. as you know. And so he started again his life all over again at 35 years of age. He started again. And he had always been in radio. He was a DJ

00:01:30:13 - 00:01:57:07
Raul
He was a radio announcer. And that was always the love of his life. And obviously when we when he immigrated to the United States, it was like starting all over again. And he didn't know the language. And it was tough, But he always wanted to be in radio. And he instilled in me that love of radio and of entertainment ever since I can remember, And finally, he was successful in acquiring a radio station in New York. I always.

00:01:57:09 - 00:01:57:16
Gary
Wow.

00:01:58:04 - 00:02:17:01
Raul
I always tell him, you started at the very top. People worked their way up to New York, and he started in New York. And it was a testament to his tenacity, really. And his work ethic, which, I would hope that I could say that I learned from him. And so that was really the beginning of the of the company, SBS what. It is today.

00:02:17:01 - 00:02:18:16
Gary
So he was in radio in Cuba?

00:02:18:20 - 00:02:19:15
Raul
Yes, he was.

00:02:19:15 - 00:02:26:09
Gary
So he knew the business. Was he was he a DJ or what? Okay. So he was he was a personality.

00:02:26:11 - 00:02:40:08
Raul
He was a personality. He loved that part of the business. I never went into that part of the business, but that was his love. And, and until his dying day, may he rest in peace. That was what he loved to do. Music on air, that kind of a thing that’s what he loved

00:02:40:08 - 00:02:43:19
Gary
Wow. you first came to New York?

00:02:43:19 - 00:02:43:23
Raul
Yeah

00:02:43:23 - 00:02:45:18
Gary
were you born in Cuba or were you born here?

00:02:45:18 - 00:02:46:15
Raul
I was born in Cuba.

00:02:46:15 - 00:02:49:02
Gary
Oh, wow. Okay. How old were you when you came Over?

00:02:49:02 - 00:02:49:19
Raul
four years old.

00:02:49:19 - 00:02:55:19
Gary
Four years old, So but the U.S. is basically all as as as your country.

00:02:55:19 - 00:03:05:08
Raul
Absolutely. Absolutely. I consider myself a Hispanic American in the fullest extent of the word. I grew up in New York. I lived there almost 40 years.

00:03:05:20 - 00:03:20:22
Gary
So I can't even imagine what it must be like to be a refugee to have success and comfort in your home and have all that taken away practically overnight. And then have to immigrate to a new country where you maybe know nobody,

00:03:20:22 - 00:03:21:18
Raul
nobody,

00:03:21:18 - 00:03:51:06
Gary
which is unbelievable, and then have the tenacity and the grit to say, I'm going to make it here. I'm going to take advantage of the opportunities that are available in this country. I know I'm good at something. Which he was good at. Radio. the audacity that it takes, to say, I'm going to do what I did in Cuba and be successful here in the United States is beyond words. But tell us about the early days when he first got into radio and how he was able to parlay that into, a business.

00:03:51:08 - 00:03:58:12
Raul
I agree with everything you said, Gary. And really, when you throw on top of that, the fact that he didn't speak the language.

00:03:58:13 - 00:03:59:03
Gary
the language, Wow!

00:03:59:03 - 00:04:18:08
Raul
It was a tremendous challenge for him. He was very fortunate in the to the extent that, when we arrived in New York, he got a job as a DJ. after being an owner of radio in Cuba, he had to start at the bottom again. And I would imagine I can remember years always. He never complained.

00:04:18:08 - 00:04:28:16
Raul
I mean, he was a very hard working guy and he started at the bottom rung again on air and then he but he was very good. my father was very good from very early.

00:04:28:17 - 00:04:29:18
Gary
It helps when you have talent.

00:04:29:19 - 00:04:52:19
Raul
It certainly does. And they recognized it. They recognized where he worked. They recognized used to be the old, what was it, Richard Eaton's company back then. This is I'm talking about the early sixties. And so he progressed, he started on air and then and then he was manager of the on air talent that became program director and became station manager.

00:04:53:01 - 00:04:58:14
Raul
And, that was his whole life. And it was it took him quite a while. It took him like a quarter century.

00:04:58:22 - 00:05:00:07
Gary
25 years? Wow!

00:05:00:07 - 00:05:07:22
Raul
To catch up to, I mean, he came to the United States in 1960. We bought our first station in 1983.

00:05:07:22 - 00:05:08:15
Gary
Wow.

00:05:08:15 - 00:05:14:13
Raul
So it took him a long, long time. But again, he had his sights on New York City. that's where we had it's where I had grown.

00:05:14:13 - 00:05:16:00
Gary
Up biggest media market in the world's.

00:05:16:05 - 00:05:38:08
Raul
Biggest media. And it wasn't easy. it wasn't easy back then. It just was very difficult as as it continues to be. And all of these stories really regarding immigrants and what they're able to do over time. My father's just one example, but I mean, that's the common denominator, hard work, perseverance, stick to it.

00:05:38:20 - 00:05:52:20
Raul
as I mentioned about a quarter century after we he had had an advertising agency, he had had a recording studio. So we met a lot of the artists early on and a lot of the clients

00:05:52:20 - 00:05:54:05
Gary
By the artists

00:05:54:05 - 00:06:10:15
Raul
And, and then so we parlayed all of that and I was working with him, really helping him out since I was 14. And so I was in that milieu, I was in that environment. And then when we got that first station, it was just a it was a big success in New York City.

00:06:11:01 - 00:06:12:11
Gary
Where did you grow up in New York City?

00:06:13:03 - 00:06:18:11
Raul
we grew up we lived in Manhattan for a while, Lower Manhattan, near the Meatpacking District.

00:06:18:11 - 00:06:18:18
Gary
Oh

00:06:18:18 - 00:06:24:00
Raul
it was the Meatpacking District. And then we moved out to Queens. So we I grew up in Queens. I grew up in Queens.

00:06:24:03 - 00:06:39:13
Gary
Wow. New York. Amazing. So. Okay, so great initial story. in the early eighties, purchased your first radio station in New York City and somehow started to build a network.

00:06:39:13 - 00:06:44:02
Gary
that stands today as one of the largest radio networks in the United States.

00:06:44:02 - 00:06:49:00
Gary
correct. Just give me a few more tidbits of how you got from there to where you are today.

00:06:49:02 - 00:07:05:15
Raul
Sure. Well, the station was a great success, that first station in New York. And I had always wanted to, to be national in scope. And my father, agreed with me and let me do what I wanted to do. And so he was more on air and that kind of stuff. And I was.

00:07:05:18 - 00:07:07:05
Gary
You were behind the scenes running the business.

00:07:07:05 - 00:07:08:02
Raul
I was more business.

00:07:08:02 - 00:07:08:09
Gary
Wow.

00:07:08:09 - 00:07:21:23
Raul
I was more on the business. And so we quickly purchased in quick succession in Los Angeles, which by the way, I had never been in Los Angeles. I just knew it was a big market and I wanted to be there serving the community and radio and, and so we bought Los Angeles, we bought Miami.

00:07:22:02 - 00:07:26:22
Gary
You bought a radio station in Los Angeles without ever visiting Los Angeles

00:07:27:16 - 00:07:33:20
Raul
I had never visited Los Angeles. I remember I was talking to the guy who used to be owned by a company named Cap Cities ABC.

00:07:33:20 - 00:07:35:07
Gary
I remember that.

00:07:35:20 - 00:07:53:11
Raul
Remember Cap City? Well they had this am in L.A. that they had to sell. And I met the fellow at the Las Vegas, National Association of Broadcasters, and I ran into him and he said, we, I've heard about your success in New York. We have an am station in Los Angeles that we have to sell by government decree.

00:07:53:11 - 00:08:10:05
Raul
They had to get rid of it, buying another one. And would you be interested? I said, yes. I mean, I'm interested. Could you be in Los Angeles tomorrow? Yes. And so I flew out from Los from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. And quickly I said we did a quick deal, a great guy named Jim Arcana I think he's still around. Wonderful fellow.

00:08:10:05 - 00:08:10:16
Gary
Wow

00:08:10:16 - 00:08:22:12
Raul
they wound up buying ABC Radio and television somewhat late. It was a small company capacities. And we've got that AM and that and that's how we started in Los Angeles. And I moved out there for the first four years.

00:08:22:12 - 00:08:23:20
Raul
I never. Knew that. You lived in L.A..

00:08:23:21 - 00:08:24:08
Raul
I did.

00:08:24:13 - 00:08:25:13
Gary
where did you live in L.A.?

00:08:25:13 - 00:08:27:00
Raul
I lived in the Valley.

00:08:27:05 - 00:08:28:07
Gary
Oh, really? Okay.

00:08:28:07 - 00:08:29:14
Raul
In a place called Northridge.

00:08:29:18 - 00:08:30:22
Gary
Northridge?

00:08:30:22 - 00:08:32:03
Raul
You're familiar. With them?

00:08:32:03 - 00:08:34:00
Gary
San Fernando Valley. Absolutely.

00:08:34:03 - 00:08:49:05
Raul
That's right. And it's nice. I spent four years out there. My two daughters were born there in California, and then we came back to buy Miami. the AM in the FM in Miami. That would have been 86. It happened really quickly

00:08:49:05 - 00:08:49:12
Gary
wow

00:08:49:13 - 00:09:03:07
Raul
just happened in quick succession. And we bought Miami and then we bought our first, FM in New York, which is a big, big to do for us. I always wanted to have there wasn't believe it or not, there was no FM service in New York

00:09:03:07 - 00:09:09:04
Gary
So back then I remember FM had stereo. and that was a big differentiator for me,

00:09:09:04 - 00:09:16:10
Raul
The sound quality and clear and so the sound and so New York didn't have that. Can you imagine?

00:09:16:10 - 00:09:16:23
Gary
Wow.

00:09:16:23 - 00:09:19:11
Raul
Almost 1990, New York didn't have an FM station.

00:09:19:11 - 00:09:20:04
Gary
Wow.

00:09:20:04 - 00:09:31:20
Raul
So I was really chasing that. It took me a while. And then we finally got the FM in New York, which today, I'm very proud to say is the most listened to Spanish state.

00:09:31:20 - 00:09:36:09
Raul
No, I take that back the most listened to state station in the nation

00:09:36:09 - 00:09:38:02
Gary
in the nation? Wow.

00:09:38:02 - 00:09:38:22
Raul
The nation.

00:09:38:22 - 00:09:39:15
Raul
Congratulations

00:09:39:15 - 00:09:48:04
Raul
That was quite a it was just built on the fact that, the Hispanic market has grown throughout these years, as you know. And I knew the FM in New York was going to be a big success.

00:09:48:04 - 00:09:48:16
Raul
And it was.

00:09:49:02 - 00:09:55:17
Gary
That's incredible. And then Miami, which are the three largest Latino markets in the country to this day, that's New York, L.A., Miami,

00:09:55:17 - 00:10:21:01
Gary
that's correct. That's right. And then we we filled it in again quickly with Chicago, Texas. Puerto Rico, where we have a bunch of stations and let's see what else? San Francisco. And then we were in Houston and, San Antonio, and Dallas for a while. And then, the company grew in terms of over the radio, so we did very well.

00:10:21:01 - 00:10:22:12
Gary
How many stations do you have today?

00:10:22:12 - 00:10:23:14
Raul
We have 20,

00:10:23:14 - 00:10:24:10
Gary
20 stations.

00:10:24:10 - 00:10:32:16
Raul
20 stations that we own and or operate. And then we have a network, a radio network of 300 plus stations with affiliates all over.

00:10:32:16 - 00:10:58:18
Gary
So I want to stay on this a little bit because, you've been able to evolve the business quite a bit. I mean, the media world has changed incredibly, from television to film. And I'm assume radio has been impacted in its own way. so I do feel in some ways a company like CBS that has not only survived but thrived through all these changes is rare.

00:10:59:08 - 00:11:20:06
Gary
You see a lot of companies just fall out of the industry and you see the Netflix is, take over the blockbusters and take over. Now, Hollywood studios, for all intents and purposes, they had a bad day in the stock market yesterday. But but but streaming obviously is has had a huge impact. Tell me a little bit about the evolution of the company and the way you've had to navigate that as the leader.

00:11:20:11 - 00:11:43:12
Raul
Well, absolutely, Gary. We, I saw this some years ago and I felt that we had to differentiate the company a little bit. And, I mean, we got into television and we still have a television operation as a smaller television operation, but it's kind of like, I don't know, you want to call it a Superstation. And we had we have stations also in Puerto Rico, and we had one in Houston.

00:11:43:21 - 00:11:58:02
Raul
And so I wanted to evolve the company. We got into concerts and events, and so we're now, I think, the largest independent promoter of concerts and events. We just had our calabash event in Los Angeles

00:11:58:02 - 00:11:59:00
Raul
huge, huge

00:11:59:00 - 00:12:00:21
Raul
Las Vegas, and it was a big success

00:12:00:21 - 00:12:01:22
Gary
Staples.

00:12:01:22 - 00:12:02:07
Raul
And in the Staples

00:12:02:07 - 00:12:03:07
Gary
sell it out.?

00:12:03:09 - 00:12:21:05
Raul
That's right. Three nights in a row and two other nights in Las Vegas. And then we had a concert in in New York City, Mega Masekela in Miami. And we just we've grown in terms of concerts and events. And it's a great business for us. And it's very much related to the radio.

00:12:21:05 - 00:12:35:06
Gary
And musicians have had to amend their business model quite a bit. over the last couple of decades. they used to make almost all of their money from record sales and now they make most of their money from live events and other things, I would imagine.

00:12:35:06 - 00:12:35:16
Raul
Absolutely.

00:12:35:16 - 00:12:36:23
Gary
And you have actually.

00:12:37:06 - 00:12:37:19
Raul
We've been able to navigate

00:12:38:09 - 00:12:39:05
Gary
Navigate through that.

00:12:39:11 - 00:12:56:21
Raul
We've we've been able I'm very proud to say that in terms of artistic development and finding new artists throughout these years, I took a look at I took a look at a list of artists, Latin artists in the last three decades. And I'm very happy and proud to say that we had we played an integral role in the development.

00:12:56:21 - 00:12:57:23
Gary
So that's part of your job?

00:12:58:03 - 00:12:58:15
Raul
Oh, yeah

00:12:58:17 - 00:13:08:17
Gary
you identify emerging artists and play them on your stations. I would imagine their music on their stations and maybe even promote some of their concerts.

00:13:08:17 - 00:13:10:09
Raul
Absolutely. They've been in many of

00:13:10:09 - 00:13:11:22
Raul
Who are. Some of the names that you want to call.

00:13:12:02 - 00:13:14:08
Raul
You pick a name. All the names, everybody.

00:13:14:08 - 00:13:15:11
Gary
Bad Bunny?

00:13:15:11 - 00:13:15:14
Raul
Yeah

00:13:15:14 - 00:13:16:18
Gary
I think the biggest in the world.

00:13:16:18 - 00:13:23:06
Raul
Bad Bunny came over here and visited me over here in the in my gazebo office there, and so did that. Well, as so many.

00:13:23:06 - 00:13:48:21
Gary
I mean, next time he's here, just give me a ring. but, I mean, he's the biggest the world that which, which also is another, topic in itself and that is you've also, like myself, I started this business trade association 22 years ago, and I've been the beneficiary of the fact that the Latino marketplace has evolved from a niche market to really a market that is driving economic growth in this country.

00:13:49:03 - 00:14:02:00
Gary
And the same thing is happening in the entertainment space or certainly in music, Where maybe Spanish language artists were successful, but part of a niche. Now they're mainstream.

00:14:02:02 - 00:14:09:19
Raul
Mainstream. It's like, the new American mainstream. And to borrow a phrase as well, I love that phrase because it actually is very true

00:14:09:19 - 00:14:11:03
Gary
the new mainstream. Yes.

00:14:11:03 - 00:14:29:21
Raul
And it's not only in the U.S., it's global. Latin artists are now being heard and played and performing and all over the world. And so that's a that's an astonishing fact. And it portends a great future for Latin music for the next few decades. I think that's going to be something that is going to be very exciting to ride that wave.

00:14:30:01 - 00:14:31:16
Raul
And of course, very good for the artists.

00:14:32:03 - 00:14:52:00
Gary
I mean, Raul your you come across as a very humble individual. I know you have an empire and the influence you have not just from the from a business standpoint, from but from a cultural standpoint. Is remarkable. Do you ever think about it in those terms? Do you really think about the influence that you have?

00:14:52:06 - 00:15:07:06
Raul
Well, I think of it in terms of, uh. Well, yes, yes, go and answer your question. Yes. But I have always been, from the very first days, a very big proponent of Hispanic ownership of business.

00:15:07:09 - 00:15:07:19
Gary
I Love that.

00:15:08:14 - 00:15:25:08
Raul
In my particular case, media and, I've tried to approach this from multiple levels in terms of government, in terms of local associations. I think that's a very important fact because really ownership is everything. Ownership is the key to everything.

00:15:25:08 - 00:15:45:16
Gary
I've said and I don't mean to digress much, but I've said that Latinos are some of the hardest working people in the world, frankly. But we we have a workers mentality and not necessarily an owners mentality or an investors mentality. And that's one of the things we have to change. I think culturally. Do you agree with that?

00:15:45:19 - 00:16:09:22
Raul
Absolutely. Absolutely. I've been singing the praises because I've seen it in my own company and the difference in what we've been able to do because we were Hispanic. I think that's a tremendous part of this, because we identify with the culture and we identify with the artists and we identify with the music and we identify with any number of things that I think are important in terms of success. And the people, of course, the population.

00:16:10:00 - 00:16:21:10
Gary
You're I just want to also comment on and this is just an observation that I've made, since I've gotten to know you, is that you have a tremendous relationship with these artists.

00:16:21:10 - 00:16:21:21
Raul
Yes.

00:16:21:21 - 00:16:29:00
Gary
And that hasn't always been the case, I mean, I don't mean with you. I mean just in general, there's the business, the suits, and then there's the artists.

00:16:29:00 - 00:16:59:11
Gary
And there's always been this disconnect. And even sometimes this friction. But I've seen the way the artists respond to you, respond to your company, the respect they have for it. When Sol and I tried to launch LATTITUDE, right, we didn't know if this thing was going to work, Fortunately, it has. But of course, one of the phone calls this whole made was to you and say, Hey, Raul, can you get us, a big name that come and help us really create some energy around this event?

00:16:59:11 - 00:17:11:15
Gary
You said. Sure. A couple of days later, you said, How's Luis Fonsi? It was only has the biggest record on the planet. Would you like him to come and just, like, sure. And he came.

00:17:11:15 - 00:17:12:13
Raul
he came here. I know.

00:17:12:13 - 00:17:13:17
Gary
No fee.

00:17:13:19 - 00:17:14:17
Raul
Very gracious.

00:17:14:21 - 00:17:15:18
Gary
Onstage.

00:17:16:02 - 00:17:39:07
Raul
Very gracious guy, Absolute talent. Luis Fonsi and others. And, that goes back. Gary, as I mentioned to you before, we weren't even in radio. we had a very successful and popular Latin recording studio in New York City. So I came to at a very early age, I came to know a lot of these artists myself personally and a friendly kind of way in a studio environment, you know?

00:17:39:07 - 00:17:54:16
Gary
A lot of. Things happened in a studio in Miami, but, at least it was something that put me in front of them in a different kind of a light, you know? And I think that that was the ten year studio experience that we had. So, I came in New York City. I came to know a lot of these artists personally very well.

00:17:54:16 - 00:18:26:01
Gary
And then, of course, with the radio and playing their music, it just became a much closer. Of course, that's important to them, but still it is. It did stand out in my mind the way these artists respect you and respect the company, because I don't think that that is typical per se. But anyways, I just wanted to comment on that for a second. So, Spanish broadcasting Systems, a large the largest Spanish language network of radio stations in the United States,

00:18:26:01 - 00:18:28:20
Raul
the largest Hispanic owned hispanish language Network. Yes,

00:18:28:20 - 00:18:37:15
Gary
Hispanic owned. Okay. The number one radio station period in the United States. Correct. Out of New York City. Correct. Who's your big star there.

00:18:38:13 - 00:18:40:01
Raul
Or whose you mean on air or.

00:18:40:05 - 00:18:41:10
Gary
on air. I mean, who's who's

00:18:41:10 - 00:19:03:01
Gary
we have we have a number of different shows in in Europe. We have “el bacilon de la mañana”, the craziness in the morning, which has been has been a perennial hit, joking and things like this and fun, fun and entertainment in the morning for New York City. That's been a that's been a mainstay show for us for the last time, I want to say 30 years ago.

00:19:03:02 - 00:19:04:09
Gary
Oh wow I didn't realize that

00:19:04:09 - 00:19:06:18
Gary
y'know. And then we have, of course, Alex and station.

00:19:07:05 - 00:19:08:02
Gary
I know Alex.

00:19:08:02 - 00:19:26:11
Raul
amazing, lovely guy, hardworking guy, very respectful, very hard working. He's an icon and he's on at 11 in New York and in other markets, too. We have Alex in a number of different markets. We have “El Jukeo” in the afternoon. I mean, it's just straight up to the station has been and it's always been very strong.

00:19:26:11 - 00:19:32:08
Raul
And that station was strong from the day it went on the air in 1989. It's just been a monster for us.

00:19:32:17 - 00:20:01:09
Gary
So I'm sure you get asked this a lot, somebody who is as successful as you are. But, I have a network of a lot of very aspirational Latino business professionals. They own real estate offices. They own, technology firms, They own finance companies. what piece of advice, given your journey, would you have for somebody that's just getting started or just trying to break through from a business standpoint?

00:20:01:14 - 00:20:04:19
Raul
That is an excellent question. I have the. Answer.

00:20:04:19 - 00:20:05:08
Gary
Okay.

00:20:05:18 - 00:20:26:00
Raul
And from my point of view, Gary and it's easy to say, obviously it's not easy to do, but I would have to answer that question by saying the number one ingredient that I think the success of any business, particularly, let's say in this conversation, we're having a Hispanic business.

00:20:26:00 - 00:20:26:08
Gary
Yes.

00:20:26:11 - 00:20:47:01
Raul
Because they have so many challenges that they have to face. And I don't need to tell you. Sure. I mean, I don't need it to make it that clear. But tremendous challenges and obstacles that they all have. And I would say that the one thing that they have to try to remember is to never, ever, ever quit.

00:20:47:19 - 00:20:48:10
Gary
Never quit.

00:20:48:11 - 00:21:04:01
Raul
No, you can't quit. As a matter of fact, I'll go further. I will say that every time they say no, you have to say, oh, okay, well, I'm going to beat that. No. And then come another. No, no, I'm going to beat that. No. And then I'll say another. No, but this. No, but you're too young, you're too inexperienced.

00:21:04:01 - 00:21:14:22
Raul
You don't know. You don't have the money. You can't get the money. It's too big a project for you. It's not. It's different for what you're doing. No, no, no, no, no. And you have to flatten all those out, and you just can't quit,

00:21:14:22 - 00:21:24:11
Raul
you know? That is incredible. First of all, it seems pretty, it seems like a pretty simple. Mindset. Easier said than done.

00:21:24:11 - 00:21:25:20
Raul
Simple, but not easy.

00:21:25:20 - 00:21:39:17
Gary
But, Emilio told me a similar story. he told me that he had been turned down seven times in a row by Sony for a record deal. Seven years later, he was the president of Sony Records.

00:21:39:19 - 00:21:47:14
Raul
That he's a perfect example, he's my hero. He's a perfect example of what we're saying. I'm sure he reflected that with.

00:21:47:14 - 00:22:10:11
Gary
You And then Sol Trujillo. So here's here's two of the biggest icons that we know that anybody knows. Latino icons in the business world saw first U.S. born Latino. That was the CEO of a Fortune 200 companies. Went on to lead two other similar sized corporations in Australia and in Europe. So he's been a business leader all over the world.

00:22:10:21 - 00:22:27:20
Gary
I've had a chance to work side by side with him with LATTITUDE and just what you describe is him. He's a smart guy. That's obvious. But his perseverance, it's his unwillingness to settle and to accept no is like nothing I've ever seen.

00:22:27:20 - 00:22:47:12
Raul
Sol is another example. And I'm a great fan of Sol’s, I know him very well. He's a great friend. And it comes through immediately when you meet. And he's a very understated volunteer. He's very humble guy and absolutely correct. a man with that will, first of all, he's brilliant and he's intelligent and we all know that.

00:22:47:12 - 00:23:12:00
Raul
But the unwillingness to give up, I saw it in him and we had a conversation about this. And the unwillingness to give up, I think is something that is critical, was critical in his case, certainly was critical in Emilio's case. It was absolute the foundation of whatever it is that I have today at this moment. And I and we work at and it's a very it's the most important ingredient, I would say.

00:23:12:11 - 00:23:50:21
Gary
I'm through this series of conversations I'm having with people. I'm framing a challenge. This is my sort of, focal point that these conversations at the end of the day, which is how do we increase Latino wealth? How do we close the wealth gaps in America? I have this funky name for it. I call it, Govies for people who really think government really needs to play a bigger role in leveling the playing field Plutes such as plutocrats, the capitalists who think government needs to get out of the way and just let the free market drive this and then gangster's, Govies

00:23:50:21 - 00:23:51:18
Raul
We're going to talk about them.

00:23:52:06 - 00:24:20:19
Gary
Gangsters, And I don't really I don't mean like, like, like hoodlum gangsters. I mean people who don't think about it in those terms. They just get up every morning and they do what comes natural to them and they kick ass. And I describe those folks as being gangsters. You're a very polished, obviously sophisticated businessman, but I do get a little bit of a gangster vibe sometimes because I just don't think that you're a type of person that settles or takes no for an answer and you just go through walls.

00:24:20:19 - 00:24:25:04
Gary
You go around them, you go over whatever it takes to succeed, and you've just validated that by your advice, you know?

00:24:25:04 - 00:24:43:00
Raul
Absolutely, Gary. And listen, it's not for me. It's not in any way. On the contrary, I think that's a compliment. And I do think you need that ingredient, whether some people call it gangster, some people call it, indefatigable. Some people call it, the guy that just doesn't give up.

00:24:43:00 - 00:24:43:20
Gary
Audacious.

00:24:43:20 - 00:25:02:19
Raul
Audacious. Some people call it tricky, slippery, whatever word you want to use. We all end up at the same place. They don't take no for an answer. And sometimes that, that could rub people the wrong way, you know? But it's absolutely an important ingredient because without it, you are the chances are you're going to get crushed.

00:25:03:07 - 00:25:20:11
Raul
You're going to get crushed by larger institutions, bigger players that have more money and are more well-funded than you are. And you just have to say to yourself, okay, well, there's the box, okay? And 99% of the people maybe are in the by how do I look at this outside of the box and still get in.

00:25:20:15 - 00:25:36:05
Raul
You know. And so but for me, that's not at all and unworthy term I feel it's absolutely descriptive and I think it's, it's honest and it's real and I accept it, I accept I think it's one of the ingredients to success.

00:25:36:05 - 00:25:59:06
Gary
And one of the other takeaways that, that I want everybody to realize is that, very early on you said ownership. we have to acquire an ownership mentality within the Latino sector. Nothing will close the wealth gap faster than that one paradigm shift. I think absolutely going from a workers mentality to a ownership mentality or an investors mentality is like, I like to put it.

00:25:59:06 - 00:26:23:11
Gary
So those are great pearls of wisdom. Just one of the thing. LATTITUDE. So again, we both have great respect for Sol Trujillo. When we made a short list of people that we said, We've got to get them involved in LATTITUDE, you were at the top of that list and you've been an incredible friend. And we're going to go a little bit deeper in that relationship this year.

00:26:23:11 - 00:26:31:04
Gary
Very excited for the concert that we're going to have this year produced by your team. I've got a chance to know your daughter a little bit, Ali

00:26:31:04 - 00:26:31:14
Raul
Ali

00:26:31:14 - 00:26:43:00
Gary
she's amazing. So that's great. But why LATTITUDE? Why do you think LATTITUDE's important? you're going to be there this year. We're excited to have you on the main stage.

00:26:43:00 - 00:26:49:05
Gary
Hopefully you'll bring some of your friends from the entertainment industry. But why do you think an event like LATTITUDE is important?

00:26:49:09 - 00:27:16:17
Raul
LATTITUDE is a very important and a very critical component because LATTITUDE is exposed to the enormous market that the Hispanics represent in this country, exposing that to some of the largest corporate players who may not, even though it's it's 2022, it should be obvious, but some of them are involved in their own problems, in their day to day stuff.

00:27:16:17 - 00:27:47:23
Raul
And the managerial and this is, of course, evolved over time. LATTITUDE is bridging that so that it's telling these corporate players, monster companies. Now, look, you've got the new America. I love that phrase, the new American mainstream. It's correct if you don't tap into it. And of course, what that does is awakens them to that opportunity. And I know that many of them are taking up that challenge and are actually investing in different ways in writing the New American mainstream and participating in it now.

00:27:48:06 - 00:27:51:11
Raul
So and I don't think anyone else is doing that. I don't think anybody.

00:27:51:11 - 00:28:10:05
Gary
No at that level on that scale. And, Sol being a former CEO himself, brought a very unique perspective to this idea, which is it all starts at the top of these corporations. If you don't engage the CEO of these corporations, then there's a good chance it's not that message. It's not going to work.

00:28:10:05 - 00:28:33:22
Raul
It's it's going to just, dissipate. But someone like Sol and some of the other leaders that you have involved in, in a very impressive array of Hispanic talent, I mean, business talent and business people and from all from all industries, to have them and come in front of these, Fortune 500 companies that of course, they're charges to grow.

00:28:34:01 - 00:28:34:07
Gary
Yep.

00:28:34:14 - 00:28:35:12
Raul
They're looking to grow.

00:28:35:12 - 00:28:36:00
Gary
Yep.

00:28:36:00 - 00:28:50:13
Raul
And so Sol very intelligently and you Gary are very intelligently are saying, well look, you're missing the one growth factor in this company for the country. Excuse me for the next I don't know century the Hispanic market, it's been proven. That's the one that's growing.

00:28:50:13 - 00:28:50:23
Gary
That's it.

00:28:51:00 - 00:28:52:14
Raul
That's the GDP of the future of this.

00:28:52:14 - 00:28:53:09
Gary
Country, actually.

00:28:53:12 - 00:29:03:14
Raul
And so you're exposing that in a very effective way, in a very entertaining way in one massive, meeting I think is a wonderful thing.

00:29:03:15 - 00:29:31:03
Gary
That's the objective. So number one, to your point, correct, the narrative about the Latino community in this country. Number two is create a marketplace. We want this to be a place where people go and get deals done, form partnerships, where small businesses get funding or film project get greenlit. That's absolutely it creates a life of its own. And the third is to showcase the best and the brightest we have within our community on that main stage.

00:29:31:03 - 00:29:42:09
Raul
And it starts with the ecosystem and you have created this possibility of this ecosystem at that CEO type level. Many, many beautiful things that come from that.

00:29:42:09 - 00:29:44:14
Gary
And that's incredible. Last question.

00:29:44:14 - 00:29:45:01
Raul
Yes, sir.

00:29:45:14 - 00:29:49:06
Gary
Describe the typical Raul Alarcon Day

00:29:49:22 - 00:29:59:11
Raul
Raul Alarcon Day. I don't know if there is a Raul Alarcon Day but I go from up there to over there and that's my.

00:29:59:19 - 00:30:01:05
Gary
From the bedroom to the bottom.

00:30:01:07 - 00:30:07:16
Raul
To the to the gazebo. We call it the gazebo. And I'm up there. I'm in there, but usually very easy. And that's like my inner sanctum.

00:30:07:16 - 00:30:08:05
Gary
That's where you.

00:30:08:05 - 00:30:09:06
Raul
Connected to everything.

00:30:09:07 - 00:30:09:14
Gary
Where you.

00:30:09:14 - 00:30:09:20
Gary
Work.

00:30:09:20 - 00:30:29:00
Raul
That's right. And it's important to have time to, to think, and obviously to act on whatever it is that's in front of you. And that gives me the seclusion and the ability to do that. I was just yesterday and it wasn't a typical day, but yesterday I was in Orlando and Tampa because we're starting up two stations there next week.

00:30:29:00 - 00:30:29:07
Gary
Wow

00:30:29:07 - 00:30:49:23
Raul
next week. And but it's important to be able to have a place where you can and I can, of course, meet people there, come to my house, and I meet a great number of people from the company, artists, managers, advertisers, clients here. And, and basically that's the way I spend my day. I find it, very productive to be.

00:30:50:00 - 00:30:54:05
Gary
That’s where Sol and I came the first time. That's right. And pitched you on LATTITUDE and.

00:30:54:07 - 00:30:55:05
Raul
that's right.

00:30:55:14 - 00:30:56:01
Gary
That was.

00:30:56:05 - 00:30:56:19
Raul
Absolutely.

00:30:56:19 - 00:31:16:05
Gary
It was a great day. I remember that clearly. Raul, I can't thank you enough for spending time with me today for a very robust conversation. Like I said, every time I come here, I learn something. and so I'm grateful for that. And thank you for everything you've done to support LATTITUDE and more importantly, the Latino community in the United States.

00:31:16:05 - 00:31:25:14
Raul
Thank you, Guy. You're very kind with those words. It's obviously a pleasure for me to reciprocate in any way that I can for your benefit. For my benefit and for the benefit of the Hispanic business community.

00:31:26:03 - 00:31:27:08
Gary
Thank you, brother

00:31:27:08 - 00:31:37:13
Raul
Thank you