Breaking Limited Beliefs And Discovering Your Potential with Richard Montañez - Flamin Hot Cheetos Creator, Ep #113

I’m very excited to bring you one of the speakers at my upcoming Excelente the Event on the show today. His entrepreneurial story, how he overcame all the naysayers, and what he has created from huge disadvantages is inspiring.

Richard Montañez is an inventor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and business executive whose inspirational journey has taken him from the barrio to the boardroom. A sought-after motivational speaker, he may be best known as the creator of Flamin' Hot Cheetos—the billion-dollar brand and worldwide phenomenon. Hailed as the Godfather of Hispanic Marketing, Montañez began his tenure as a janitor at Frito-Lay/PepsiCo before rising up through the ranks to head his own division. He serves on several nonprofit boards and is widely recognized as one of the most influential Latinos in corporate America.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

  • Why it’s okay not to look glamorous (6:30)

  • How to navigate the balance between dreaming and doing (8:45)

  • The key to getting recognized by C-suite leaders (13:45)

  • Tips for shutting out the negative noise that comes from naysayers (18:40)

  • How to see yourself as more than where you currently are (23:20)

  • The importance of being honest with yourself (29:12)

  • How to stand out without being held back (35:30)

  • The way to get a revelation (39:40)

  • How to disregard haters (51:00)

  • Ways to practice healthy self-love (53:30)

  • What Latino leaders can to do make an impact in their communities (59:25)

The key pieces of wisdom that guided Richard through disadvantage

When I asked Richard what key moments or influences paved the way for him to create massive success, he made a compelling point. Latinos bring the best work ethics you’ve ever seen. But they often credit their success to luck. Richard points out this isn’t true. Good ideas have to be recognized and then acted on, which is what he has done, as well as putting in the hard work. Hunger is the antidote to fear. It’s okay if you don’t look glamorous; it’s much more important that you are willing to put in the work to create something truly valuable.

How to navigate the balance between dreaming and doing

The young generation right now needs to be taught the power of dreaming and visioning. But they also need to understand the value of work ethic. For many Latino youth today, this successful combination isn’t being modeled at home. Richard points out how important it is to find mentors outside of your family that can teach you what you haven’t learned at home. It is not always a success strategy to stay in your own lane. Instead, get in the lane you need to be in to get to where you want to go. Our parents broke doors down so that their children could get into opportunity. Our generation’s job is to use the key to open the door instead.


How to be recognized by leaders

Early in his career as a janitor at Frito-Lay, Richard was recognized by leaders simply by doing an extraordinarily good job at cleaning the restrooms, the break rooms, and the offices. He learned that it’s more important to be recognized by the right people, not just the masses. When he made the call to the executive’s office to pitch his idea for Flamin’ Hot, he knew he needed to influence the executive’s secretary; that was the key person to put his call through. Once he used his influence wisely, he ran with it. You have to follow through your influence with hard work.

Resources & People Mentioned

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