In one of those curious corners of life I learned that I should ‘walk my talk’; and I started to live up to that premise as much as I was able to. It was several years later that I discover that ‘my walk is my real talk’, that I didn’t need to follow my words anymore, instead my purpose should focus on living my every ‘present’ moment as if there it was no tomorrow, with determination, passion, love and compassion.
This is the story of my walk in short.
My childhood days were spent in Rubio, a small town of 40k inhabitants in Venezuela, near the border with Colombia. Very catholic principles and education combined with the culture of a mixed family summarizes very well my early days (I have European blood in my veins and latino rhythm in my flesh).
At a very early age I left home and started my battle to succeed - since then the meaning of success for me has changed dramatically!
I studied Information Management and worked at the University (UNITEC) in different roles and projects. I had the bless of studying in a very unconventional and progressivist university that allowed me to start my path as trainer and facilitator.
At the University I discovered AIESEC, a global platform to explore and develop my leadership potential, and I took up that challenge. My first round of AIESEC Experience took me to lead teams in my country and organize a 4 days conference for over 100 people. It also allowed me to travel to Brazil for a leadership conference and work in the local office of Rio de Janeiro. Suddenly the world started to become smaller and smaller, those dreams of the little village boy started to become insignificant and irrelevant; there was access to a whole new and bigger way to see life!
It was then when I left to Peru to coordinate projects in the area of Education on Values. The journey was supposed to last 6 months, but it was only two years and a half later that I returned to Venezuela after working as well in Germany as a trainer for the winter season and in Ecuador as National Vice-President in the External Relations area of AIESEC - and learning English in the road, by choice, default and need!
In those two years and a half the village boy learned that to keep the inner child alive was essential to his survival.
Back in Venezuela to finish university I took over the responsibility of leading the local office of AIESEC as its president. The journey was over, real life was waiting!
For three years I worked in a management consultancy firm - Lopez&Velazquez, now dissolved -, starting as junior assistant and finishing as senior consultant designing and delivering learning experiences for customers as General Motors, Ford Motors, Daimler Chrysler, Pfizer, etc. Life was good, but my inner smile slowly started to fade away…
It was then when the opportunity showed up at my door. I could get elected president of AIESEC Venezuela! I had the opportunity of applying and the possibility to get the post!
What??? I am a grown up man, that is for kids!
What??? I am a professional already, a very successful one!
What???…
But I knew I was not happy, and I learned to trust life, after all life is wise when we jump on her and she was inviting me to take a dip!
I applied, I got the position. One thing lead to the other and I ended up working in AIESEC Macedonia for two years leading processes of leadership development for young people in that country that few years before I didn’t even know existed and taking it to earn a global recognition award for excellence and achievement.
From there I got the position of Director of AIESEC International for the Africa region, one of the most incredible and rewarding experiences of my life. A year of (r)evolution and ambitious impact. It was the success of my job in Africa and the support and hard work of my african colleagues what gave me the chance of becoming the global president of AIESEC in 2006.
The village boy discovered that he was back to close the circle, he was again a village boy, but this time of a global village.
The AIESEC journey was over now. There were no more mountains to climb, a new journey was about to start.
After jumping from one place to another for a while looking for something rewarding and exciting to do, and without even planning it, I ended up in the land of my father, Portugal.
Today I work from home as freelancer in several exciting projects that go from responsible traveling to brand re-creation and freshening. I have also co-founded, with my best friend Amalia, Beautiful Individuals, a social construction looking forward to bring more beauty to the world starting with ourselves as human beings.
Today I live in harmony with my inner child and my dog (Jocca) in a cute old house in central Lisbon, traveling constantly out of the country to meet friends and work with them in inspiring initiatives that honor Life.
Today I speak three languages fluently, have visited over 70 countries and have a network of close peers all over the world with whom I share not only values and beliefs, but a strong sense of urgency to make this world a more beautiful place ‘now’.
This is my walk, I believe it talks by itself.
Here I am, eager to hear from you and work together in transforming the way we operate individually and collectively to move teams, organizations, communities and the whole world to a more powerful space from which to exist in harmony and togetherness.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me: 
Thanks for reading my story. Have a beautiful day! ツ
