From The Fields To The Board Room with Juan Longoria - Director, Global Care Operations T-Mobile, EP #120

I met Juan on Clubhouse in the midst of the pandemic and we’ve become friends over the past couple of years. He is an amazing example of what we are doing with the Excelente movement and I’m so glad I get to share his story with you on the podcast.

Juan Longoria is the Executive Director and Founder of REVJLO Charities in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Founded in 2012, their mission is to remove obstacles to opportunity. As a result of his leadership, REVJLO has provided close to $100K in scholarships and has provided assistance to over 500 families in the colonias of South Texas.

In addition to being a philanthropist, Juan is a Director at T-Mobile, supporting the customer experience centers around the globe and the Co-Chair of their Magenta Latinx Network as part of the Multicultural Alliance ERG. He has over 22 years of leadership experience in customer experience centers and BPO partnership management. He’s working on combining his leadership experience, passion for DE&I, and philanthropic efforts to help those who wish to further their own careers. He would love to be part of the reason to see an increase in the representation of Latinos & Latinas in the boardrooms of corporate America and the number of Latinxs who are starting their own businesses.

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

  • How Juan’s migrant working childhood inspired him to do more for marginalized communities (3:21)

  • The career path that led him to his current position at TMobile (6:48)

  • Why mentors are important in becoming a leader (11:29)

  • Why Juan started his philanthropic work (14:50)

  • How he’s approached parenthood differently than his parents did (25:33)

  • How his position at TMobile has changed him (31:42)

  • Why passion is essential in what you’re doing (40:07)

  • How to manage impostor syndrome in your career (45:20)

Why adaptability matters as much as capability

Juan’s first job out of high school was a bartender. He loved having easy cash and going out with friends, but after a bit, he realized he didn’t want to be working there for the long haul. He applied his sense of excellence to his next job, working at an internet provider, and learned everything he could to become better. Once he worked his way up through various positions to a leadership role at TMobile, he already had the work ethic and sense of excellence, and he was allowed to explore a new level of leadership and innovation. When he became a senior manager several years ago, he noticed that it wasn’t just his performance that had led him to that role, but his adaptability within new roles and capability to work with anyone.

Mentors make the difference

Mentors made a significant impact on Juan’s journey from entry-level to the director level of professional work. He had someone point out his best options at key crossroads in his career and proactively show him the big picture of advancement. He wanted to give back once he was at the top level himself and applied to the mentor program within TMobile, Magenta Latinx, to mentor younger talent within his work community. This is where he is choosing to make a valuable impact after seeing what a difference it made in his own career to have that kind of insight and proactive involvement.

The strategy around stakeholders

One important strategy Juan learned within his career journey was to share his results and ideas with key stakeholders within his organization as he was creating them. That way, by the time he got to a job interview with these stakeholders for an advancement opportunity, they already knew what value he had brought to the company. This is where playing to your strengths and letting yourself be seen pays off in a big way. This goes against the programming of an institutionalized educational system, which puts everyone at the same level, and it’s what can set you apart as a high-value talent.


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