Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Muñoz.
Hi Alex, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
It all started with some tamales… Really. Though my background is Cuban/Spanish/Lebanese, I had partnered up with this Mexican guy who had the idea of starting a tamale factory. So we did. From this, I learned that I really could do almost ANYTHING if I put my mind to it; from manufacturing to credit risk management, to health information management, and then TAMALES, solving problems and making things happen is what I learned I was able to do. In April 2002, stepping out to build a tamale factory was the first step in building the strategy consultancy that we now operate across the whole country.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We tell our clients that 90% of any business’s problems fall into either money or people. Even knowing this, we have experienced our share of struggles – really getting our identity down (get ready: mission, vision, values – no eye-rolling, please!) was transformational for us to spend wisely, hire correctly, and not chase toxic clients.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am inspired by the small/medium-sized business owner. My Dad came to this country from Cuba as a student; at Georgia Tech. He would go to school a quarter and then return to Cuba and work for a quarter. He did this until Castro took over and if he would have returned to work, they wouldn’t have let him out. So, he brought my Mom over and my siblings and I were born and raised here in Atlanta (yes, real live Atlanta natives!). I watched him, after graduating, work as a research scientist at Tech. Smart, hard-working, and driven, he ultimately left Tech and started his own business – the American Dream! And couldn’t manage his way out of a wet paper bag. It was truly painful, even as a kid, watching him try and manage people, grow sales, scale his business, understand truck drivers from North Georgia missing most of their teeth, manage cash flow, etc. But he was brilliant in the lab. And he could communicate his vision.
I was too young to help him but it inspired me to help other highly educated professionals that needed what I and my team had to offer: to create greater happiness and success for their organization and leadership.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My wife, who is also the company co-owner, deserves the most credit – not only has she been a great wife and mother but provides balance to my craziness and drive. Without her, this never would’ve reached a year old (forget about >20!). My mentors have been few and impactful along the way – folks from my banking and HIM days particularly come to mind.
Our team at CSR are “grown ups” who are consummate professionals that deliver quality and embrace the accountability that makes us so effective.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.expertiseinresults.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConsultingSolutionsResults
- Linkedin: LinkedIn.com/in/CSRMunoz
- Twitter: @CSRAlexMunoz
