Life & Work with Juan Echeverri (People Know Me As “JUAN ID” of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Juan Echeverri (People Know Me As “JUAN ID”.

Hi Juan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started my journey in music. For more than 14 years, I was part of a musical group called ID Music, where I studied vocal technique, performed in different countries and more than 70 cities, and learned what it meant to stand on stages, in studios, and in front of audiences. But my relationship with communication actually started from insecurity. The first time I heard my own recorded voice as a teenager, I didn’t like it. I felt uncomfortable, exposed, and different.

In 2018, I moved to Atlanta looking for new opportunities and a new beginning. Like many immigrants, I started from zero. I worked as a garbage collector in the mornings and as a waiter at night. A couple of months after arriving, I suffered a serious accident while working on the garbage truck, which left me in rehabilitation for almost a year. That season changed my perspective completely.

During that process, I returned to the microphone, but not through music; through conversations and storytelling. In 2019, I created Factor Esencial, a podcast focused on growth, purpose, communication, and real human stories. Since then, we’ve recorded more than 200 episodes, reached millions of people, and it has become the #1 Spanish podcast in Atlanta and surrounding areas.
Today, I’m an entrepreneur, filmmaker, speaker, and communication coach. I’m the co-founder and Owner of Altura Social and Double Espresso Films, and over the years we’ve produced hundreds of commercials, documentaries, and series, while also receiving 5 Emmy Awards for our work in storytelling and production.
Most of the work I do today is centered around helping people communicate with more clarity, confidence, and intention; whether that’s on camera, on stage, in business, or in everyday life.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all. Like a mentor once told me: “A good entrepreneur will never have two good days in a row.” Entrepreneurship is constant evolution. Every day brings new challenges, unexpected situations, and difficult decisions. That’s just part of the journey.

Without a doubt, it has not been an easy road. Over the years, I’ve experienced different kinds of setbacks and failures. At one point, I had a concert and events company where we lost a significant amount of money after competitors aggressively tried to push us out of the market. I also invested a large portion of our savings into opening a Colombian restaurant in Forsyth County, and eventually we had to close it. We’ve created businesses that simply didn’t work the way we hoped they would.

On top of that, moving to Atlanta in 2018 came with its own struggles. Starting over in a new country is never easy. I was working as a garbage collector in the mornings and as a waiter at night, trying to build a future while adapting to a completely new environment. A couple of months after arriving, I suffered a serious accident while working on the garbage truck, which forced me into rehabilitation for almost a year. That season challenged me physically, emotionally, and financially.

But I think that’s the reality of entrepreneurship. You learn to keep moving forward, even when things don’t go according to plan. For me, it has always been about creating opportunities, generating employment, serving the community, and building things that create impact.

Through every success and every failure, I’ve learned to trust God’s timing. He has opened doors I never imagined possible, and He has also closed doors that, looking back, were clearly not meant for us. And honestly, some of those closed doors ended up protecting us and redirecting us toward something better.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work is centered around helping the Hispanic community communicate better through what I call:

VOICE + STORY = IMPACT.

Through mentorships, workshops, conferences, masterclasses, and digital content in Spanish, I help entrepreneurs, business owners, sales professionals, agents, and creators learn how to communicate their ideas, their business, and their story with more clarity and confidence.

A phrase I always share is: “The one who communicates best wins.” Because you can have an incredible product, service, or idea, but if you don’t know how to describe it, people will never fully understand its value.

What I’m most proud of is seeing people transform; going from being afraid to speak on camera or express themselves, to becoming more confident communicators in business and in life. My focus has never been about helping people sound perfect, but helping them sound real, clear, and authentic.

What’s next?
As an entrepreneur, I’m excited about the growth of our companies, Altura Social and Double Espresso Films, where proudly around 80% of our team is made up of women. Today we have presence in more than 10 states, and over the next three years, our goal is to triple our structure and continue expanding our impact.

At the same time, we’re working on taking Factor Esencial to become the #1 Spanish podcast in the country. The Hispanic community continues to grow every day, and becoming a positive voice and reference for Latinos has always been one of my biggest dreams. I feel that my story is the story of many immigrants and entrepreneurs, so people see themselves reflected in it.

Another big mission of mine has always been putting Atlanta on the map for the Hispanic community. When people in Colombia, Mexico, or South America talk about the United States, they usually mention cities like Miami, New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. Atlanta is often seen as just a stop or a city people pass through. Part of my mission has become showing the Hispanic community that Atlanta is a city to truly live, enjoy, grow in, and fall in love with.

And with my communication programs, I want to continue serving. Continue hosting the masterclasses we do every month at our studios in Forsyth County, continue creating programs that help people communicate with more confidence and intention, and continue making a positive impact in the lives of others. At the end of the day, that’s my mission to serve people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.factoresencial.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/juanidofficial
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/juanidofficial
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/juanidofficial