IAM939- Digital Leader Helps Clients Increase Their Online Revenue

Jose Quiroz is a digital leader, he and his team help established brands, companies, and organizations successfully define and implement digital transformations. Over the past year, Jose and his team have helped clients see over a 203% increase in online revenue.

• CEO Hack: Teaming up with business coaches
• CEO Nugget: Balance your life
• CEO Defined: Create, lead, build a culture, and make the transition to a shareholder

Website: https://jayquiroz.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-quiroz/

Calendly: https://calendly.com/hey-jay

Full Interview:

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Transcription

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[00:00:14.09] – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

[00:00:43.20] – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Jose Quiroz of j kilos dot com. Jose, it's awesome to have you on the show.

[00:00:51.70] – Jose Quiroz

Thanks, man. I appreciate it.

[00:00:53.50] – Gresham Harkless

No problem. Super excited to have you on. And before we jump in, I want to read a little bit more about Jose so you can hear about all the awesome things that he's doing. Jose is a digital leader, and he and his team are to help establish brands, companies, and organizations that successfully define and implement digital transformations. Over the past year, Jose and his team have helped clients see over two hundred and three percent increase in online revenue. Jose, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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[00:01:15.50] – Jose Quiroz

Yeah, man. Hopefully, they're ready to listen.

[00:01:17.50] – Gresham Harkless

Yes. Absolutely. We're all ears. And to kinda kick everything off, I wanted to hear a little bit more about how you got started. Could you take us through what I call your CEO story? We'll let you get started with all the awesome work you're doing.

[00:01:26.09] – Jose Quiroz

Yeah. Of course, man. So I always love to start with, I'm not an entrepreneur. I'm an immigrant. That's the lens that I live my life with, and that's everything that's guided me to this day. You know, I was born in Mexico and came here as a kid. My dad was here at forty with the whole family and became a millionaire at fifty-five. How janitorial company seven days a week. The model at the house was you work twenty-three hours a day, you sleep one. You don't wanna work today, you don't eat today. And so then that's what kinda drove me that way. So all growing up, I worked a bunch of labor jobs.

I mean, your typical immigrant jobs from janitorial to construction, cleaning, all of that good stuff. Then I went to college and majored in organizational communications and public relations. When it was time to graduate, the universe, God, you know, just aligned for me. And, Obama had passed part of the Dream Act, which allowed people in my situation, you know, young kids coming over with no paperwork to get a license, to get a social security number. They can get a job.

They can move around without any fear. And I took full advantage of it. So I applied for it and grabbed it. I was living in Northern California at the time, helping my dad expand his janitorial business, but I wanted to get into the corporate world. So I applied and got a job opportunity down in Southern California, and that was my foot into the digital world. I got in there, you know, just a temp, just working. I was happy to be in the office, man. I was happy to be in some AC. I had no more construction in there, cleaning, and none of that. Right? And you're making good money just sitting on your on your butt.

So I brought the immigrant work ethic. My director of digital marketing at the time took a liking to me, offered me a position, and told her I'd love to, but I don't know anything about digital. She said, you work for me, I'll teach you anything you want to learn. She sent me to conferences and seminars and put me in meetings I probably shouldn't have been in, but it was just to observe knowledge, keep her in the loop, and help manage, you know, the team. And so, I worked under her for about two, or three years. Then I worked in corporate totally for about four to five years. And then I decided to make a move.

I was around twenty-seven, and I was looking at people around me, some people were thirty-five and forty-five. And I'm thinking to myself, if I give myself ten years, I'm at thirty-seven and it fails, I'll be back with them. This ain't going away. And so, yeah, I did. And I helped out some local businesses here and there, but really my core bread and butter was these big guys, the corporate guys or these medium-sized businesses doing low seven figures, one to five million a year online, but they wanna take it to twenty-five or one hundred million.

And that was really my bread and butter. And so I've been working that ever since. I have my independent consulting practice and then I also have a joint venture with a global branch strategy agency, Antonio and Paris. They've done amazing work. And under that partnership, there are the likes of Burger King, Mini Cooper, AT and T, and Paramount Studios. It's just a massive book of business there. So I go in and I help support any digital initiatives that come out of a brand strategy, which at this point right now, if your brand strategy does not have a digital aspect to it, you're doing something wrong. Right.

[00:04:06.59] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. That makes so much sense. And I love, that you've been able to kinda drill down and take that that work ethic that you kinda talk talked about because I think so many times, I think a lot of times the secret ingredient to success is that work ethic and you being able to kinda see that from your father, but at the same time implement that into everything that you do so huge and it ranks true in everything you're saying, but also in the work you do, I imagine too.

[00:04:25.60] – Jose Quiroz

Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. One thing I've learned from myself throughout this journey is balance. Know, my father was amazing he was an amazing business guy and, you know, really was a great provider for the family, but, there weren't very many hugs and kisses, you know, it's it was very just hard work. And so, I really and I've talked to him a lot about this. He's still in my life, and I share my business stuff with him. And, and, you know, the other day, he gave me kudos on a couple of things. He said, one, I love how organized your systems are and your structure is.

And I also love the balance that you're doing. You're taking time to go for a walk. You're taking time to kick it in and watch a movie with me. And know, this room doesn't get built in a day. So, you know, sometimes we work as if it does. And so, you know, it's that twenty-mile march, right, or that million-step march that you just gotta you know, one day at a time, and you step forward, and that's it.

[00:05:13.69] – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. It's a marathon. And and and, yeah, you're right. Sometimes when we hit we're ambitious and we wanna see goals come to fruition, we will work as if Rome can be built in a day, or we're gonna die trying to have it built in a day at some degree, and that only hurts us in the long run.

So I think it's so important to kinda do that, to have that work ethic to be able to to see that, but at the same time, be able to kinda see the long, journey that it takes to get to wherever we wanted to go. And so I know you touched a little bit upon that, that digital brand piece and how, you know, you should have a digital brand. So could you take us through a little bit more on how you help, you know, your clients to do that in different ways that they can do to implement that and how you help them to do that?

[00:05:50.10] – Jose Quiroz

Yeah. Of course. So I'll go, kind of two sides of the coin here. The first is internal. You know, my bread and butter are working with established business owners, established brands, and companies who've been in their industry and been killing it in their industry, but digital has kinda left them by the wayside. You know, they've been so focused on mastering their business, their industry that now that it's time for COVID has forced people to go into digital. Right? Before, it was already suggested and recommended as best practice to go there, but there were a lot of businesses that were able to maneuver without it. They were like, it's okay. We can do without it. We know it's important, but we can do without it.

So now that they're forced to do it, they're looking a little like deer in the headlights. Right? And they go online and everyone's trying to sell them something. Everyone's got a course for them. Everyone everyone has an agency. Everyone has a funnel that works. Everyone has a channel that works. All that good stuff. So the first part of kind of what I do is I just build an intimate connection with the business owners, with senior management, and help them understand this world.

Help them what it means to maneuver in this world. What are the psychographics of people in this world, what different platforms are they're in, why are they on that platform, the intent of that platform, and what are the different touch points that you have to have with someone digitally to build that rapport, especially if you're selling a high ticket item.

Right? Like,  you're gonna have to take them through this journey. So part of that is working with them internally on that mindset, helping them understand, removing all the buzzwords and the vernacular. Let's get to business and show you how you can use this as a tool.

Right? And how that supports your overall brand initiative and all that good stuff. And then on the other side, we try to identify what are the disruptive digital strategies you can use to cause noise in your industry or within your, you know, market space. Right? So that's digging super deep into consumer insight. This is a tip for anyone listening. Leverage social media as a consumer insight tool. You have your customers in front of you and you can't get more intimate to them unless you're texting them. Right? They're already on either phone.

A lot of people are scrolling middle of the night. They're scrolling whenever they're bored, whatever the case may be. But you can have a conversation with them. So, the first step I would recommend is to leverage these channels, the online world, and the digital world, to understand your consumer. Where are they going? How are they feeling? What are the trends? You know, The pandemic has shifted people's habits beliefs, and thoughts. I mean, the home I just heard this the other day. We're having an internal discussion with my agency partners, and they were saying how the pandemic has made people look at their homes differently. Right? Like, oh, this is this should be a place of comfort now. This should be my solace.

The crazy thing is that that should have been the mindset from the beginning. So the fact that that has now shifted, obviously, then we can look at, you know, if you're working with a painting company or a designer or whatever, your message shifts, you understand where they're going and how this is gonna affect it. Because moving forward, people are gonna understand this work-life balance a little bit more. And then I don't see it shifting a hundred percent to how it used to be in the rat race. Right? So, yeah, we leverage digital to find consumer insights, tap into what's going on with them, and then define, okay, well, what are the channel strategies, tactics that we do to get to the front in front of them?

[00:08:47.50] – Gresham Harkless

Nice. I appreciate that. And I think so many times, as you said, like, you know, know, when you're especially if you haven't been paying attention to digital, sometimes when you go and you you try to figure out where to do and, you know, what platform should do, what should I be saying, what should I not say, so on and so forth. It becomes very, very overwhelming. So I love, the way by which you're able to to let people know that this is a tool that you can use to have a conversation with your ideal clients and start to work from there. Because I think it doesn't become as overwhelming if you understand that this is, you know, who we are, what we're trying to do, as an organization. But also this is a way by which we can do that, and I love that you helped to to bridge that gap for those organizations to make that happen.

[00:09:23.79] – Jose Quiroz

Yeah. Thanks, man. And, you know, this was intentional. You know, before I started diving into my business, I did consumer insight. I said, okay. If the people that I want to help are our senior management, established business owners who are amazing in their business, they're experienced business owners, but they're feeling a little intimidated, at a loss, You know, they're feeling like rookies in the digital world. You know, that's difficult for someone who's been in the game for twenty-five, thirty years, right?

And so the consumer insight brought that out and it showed that they just wanted a sense of relief. They just wanted to get away with the BS and the noise and just go directly and talk straight. And it just so happens that's one of my skill sets too. I like to work with full transparency, and so it just kind of aligns with it all.

[00:10:03.70] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. It's great to be able to have so many win-win scenarios, and I appreciate how you're able to do and to help those people, especially if they're great at what they do to be able to reach the people so that they can be of even more service, and that's a huge thing. And so would you consider that to be what I call your secret sauce, the thing you feel kinda sets you apart and makes you unique? Is it that ability to be able to, I guess I don't know if I wanna use the word translate, but that's what's coming to mind. What somebody's doing to be able to communicate in a digital platform or do in most of the digital platforms so that they can reach and help the clients that they work with.

[00:10:33.29] – Jose Quiroz

I think that that's it. You know? And, again, being full being fully transparent with the audience. You know? And that's one of the the biggest creative challenges that I have that we have as a company is how do we because the secret sauce is to sit down with someone and say, listen. I get you. I'm business first. I'm not digital first. I'm business first. What do you want? What do you need? What's your sales process like? Who's your customer? Where are we at?

Great. Now let's get into the digital stuff of it. So because of that, you know, it's always a creative challenge of how do we throw that message out to folks. Because the magic comes when I'm sitting with them one on one or we're in a room together. Then they see, okay. This guy's his heart's in the right place. His mind's in the right place. And he's not looking at it from a digital standpoint. He's looking at it from a business standpoint and then applying the digital to it.

So, yeah, I would say that that is my secret sauce. And I think another thing too, that I would throw out there as a secret sauce is any of the work that we come up with, any disruptive strategies, any project, any campaign, etcetera, we shoot for the superficial side of let's get an award out of this.

Let's do something that's gonna be amazing and it's gonna be disruptive, etcetera. But really the second main part of it, and this is where the clients build something in the digital world or this campaign, a new platform as a product, whatever the case may be, that's going to increase your stock value. It's going to increase the overall value of the organization. So, from being understanding that we're both business people, I just so happen to bring in digital to it to, hey, we're not here to just get you more likes on Instagram or get you more comments. No. We're here to add a revenue channel. We're here to position the company in the best way for longevity and sustainability, you know, increase shoulder shareholder wealth. I feel like those are the secret sauces.

[00:12:12.50] – Gresham Harkless

What I was gonna ask you as far as, like, the CEO hack. So that could be, like, an Apple book or a habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient. Is it that book the one thing, one of my favorites that you feel helps make you more

[00:12:22.10] – Jose Quiroz

effective and efficient? So, you know, for me, what made me, affected and inefficient was business coaches. I've gone through two so far. I will go through more always because the goals keep getting bigger. Right? You hit a certain revenue goal, and you wanna hit the next level, and then the next level. And there's always someone that's doing it bigger than you.

So honestly, for me, it was that very first individual was Pops, you know, just seeing how he worked and maneuvered and his discipline and all that good stuff. And then, as I try to venture on my own, you know, I just kind of knew that, it's it wasn't really for the accountability, but it was to me, I just knew, like, this is the shortcut. This is a and I hate to say that word because everyone's looking for a shortcut. But if you team up with someone who has the experience, who can teach you, you're gonna avoid a lot of mistakes. You're gonna avoid a lot of stuff that you're gonna avoid the traps that we all fall into.

[00:13:17.00] – Gresham Harkless

I definitely appreciate that, Hack, and I want to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this could be a word of wisdom or piece of advice, something you might tell a client or if you have to tow a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

[00:13:27.00] – Jose Quiroz

From a younger business self-perspective, I have this hack that I started doing, I think, around twenty to twenty-two when I don't know where it came from. It came from learning somewhere, where I would ask people I if I stumbled on a thirty-year-old or a forty-year-old or a fifty-year-old, I would ask them, you know, what what's the advice you would give your twenty-two-year-old self? Three, whatever age I was at the time. Because I found that people always give advice based on regret.

Wish I would have done this, wish I would have done that. And I got crazy things, you know, anything from I would have gone on yeah. I would have hung out with more women before I got married. I would have, whatever. You know? And, one of the successful chiropractors he hit me with, you know, I would have balanced out my life a little bit more. More. I build my practice.

I have my practice. I got my kids and my wife. Don't get me wrong. They're still there and they love me and everything. But I wish I would have just spent a little more time with them because they're only kid's wants and things of that nature. So on the personal side, kind of the nugget, I would encourage you to do that. And it could still apply to this day. I'm thirty-one, I can go to someone who's in there.

[00:14:19.20] – Gresham Harkless

Great word of wisdom. And so, I want to ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping our different quote-unquote CEOs are on the show. So, Jose, what does

[00:14:29.79] – Jose Quiroz

What does being a CEO mean to you? I think it means to create, lead, and build a culture in the organization. But to me, a successful CEO makes the transition out and becomes a shareholder and the shareholder and whatever it is that that they're holding. You know, I don't mean shareholder just in stock per se. Right? You could be part owner of a company and have a CEO managing it type of thing. The successful CEO makes that transition.

[00:14:52.39] – Gresham Harkless

Definitely appreciate that, Jose. And what I wanted to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional. You can let our readers and listeners know, and, of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things you're working

[00:15:01.79] – Jose Quiroz

on. Sure. So, I guess the only thing I would say is just remember that Roam wasn't built in a day, and don't let this stuff overwhelm you. Leverage the digital world in a way of a tool. Can reach out to me on LinkedIn. You can find me there, Jose Quiroz or Jose Quiroz Digital. The last name is spelled q u I r o z. Find me on LinkedIn. Send me a quick message. Just say guidance, and we'll make it very simple. A quick fifteen, twenty-minute conversation. We'll get to know each other.

And, again, I'll guide you in the right direction, whether that's a specific channel, strategy, platform, or tactic, working with me or not, whatever the case may be. Hopefully, I send you in the right direction. And then, yeah, if you guys wanna check out the website, you can check it out, j a y q u y r o z dot com. If you have if you're a bigger guy and you're looking for this brand strategy bigger, again, the likes of Burger King, AT and T, these types of guys, this type of work, you could check out Antonio in pairs dot com. And then I also have a podcast, where to market your business online that you can check out on iTunes, Stitcher, and all that good stuff.

[00:15:51.50] – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. I appreciate that, Jose. We will have the links and information in the show notes, and I think it never hurts to have a conversation and ask. So I appreciate you for, making yourself, available for people to be able to do that. And I think so many times, we think that digital is completely different from what we're doing in the world, but it's just a representation of that and kind of a a snapshot of that. So I love that story that you told us well too because it helps us to realize that having a conversation one-on-one can be done digitally to, you know, a hundred times that or even more. So if we start to look at it differently, we can just have those conversations on these platforms. So appreciate you for doing that as well, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

[00:16:25.10] – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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