Mauricio Velasquez, MBA, is the Founder and President of the Diversity Training Group based in Herndon, VA. DTG is a nationally recognized Diversity and Inclusion Training and Consulting boutique including Unconscious Bias, Emotional Intelligence, Trust, Employee Engagement Training and Consulting.
Mauricio is also an Expert Witness and Executive Coach. Mauricio and our team have trained in every state but ND and work/life have taken Mauricio to over 70 countries. Mauricio has trained more than 1 million participants in his 28-year career.
For more information go to their website – diversitydtg.com
Here we sit down with Mauricio, to know a bit more about his journey as an entrepreneur.
Q. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Mauricio: I am the son of immigrants and my father always wanted to start his own business. After experiencing bias, prejudice, and discrimination in the workplace, I decided the best way to really maximize my career was to be my own boss, and my parents were a huge inspiration.
Q. How did you get started?
Mauricio: I started my firm on a houseboat in the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD. That was my first office. I then moved above a dry cleaner. The key was to always keep overhead as low as possible!
Q. What was your biggest startup challenge? What did you learn from overcoming it?
Mauricio: Cash flow was the biggest challenge. Getting started is always the hardest part and those were some lean months at first. I started with Nasa, Ryland Homes, Hewlett Packard, and Black & Decker as clients.
Q. What is the most memorable thing you’ve done since you started your business?
Mauricio: I worked at the White House (during the Clinton Administration) and I also worked at NASA. My work for Native American Tribes (Bureau of Indian Affairs, DOI) and my work for the US Navy at GITMO, CUBA are also big sources of pride for me.
Q. What is one book you recommend, and why?
Mauricio: The Speed of Trust by SMR Covey and his follow-up Trust & Inspire. Everything in my work comes down to trust, so those books were very valuable to me.
Q. What are your top 3 favorite online apps, tools or resources?
Mauricio: My top 3 are LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google. I use LinkedIn for networking, for marketing, and to increase firm visibility. I use Facebook for networking as well and it’s how I stay connected with clients. Of course, Google is where I do all my research, so it’s very essential.
Q. In terms of legacy, what is the mark you’d like to leave on the world?
Mauricio: I made a difference (combating bias, prejudice, and hate) and I want my legacy to be one of helping others understand how their differences can be a game changer, life changer, and career enhancer.
Q. In one sentence, what’s the best advice you’d give to someone just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey?
Mauricio: Find mentors, people who started their business many years ago, and ask them for advice. Specifically about the Do’s and Don’ts, what mistakes to avoid making, and the best decisions they ever made.
To keep up to date with Mauricio and his journey, connect with him on LinkedIn.
