John Maxwell convention
What happens when you arrive in a new country at 17 with no English, no money, and no plan, and refuse to quit?
You sell mattresses at a flea market, build 50 customers paying you weekly, and open your first store at 22. You survive a recession that wipes out everything. You rebuild from zero, cross a million dollars, and go on to manage 50+ real estate properties across NC
Gustavo Rodea doesn't just tell that story — he teaches the 7 principles behind it. As a John Maxwell Certified Leader, published author, and creator of The MexiCan Way™, he delivers keynotes that move audiences from inspired to activated. Bilingual. Battle-tested. Built for stages that demand a speaker people remember.
Be the first to review The Mexican Entrepreneur
Write a reviewPrice range: $2700
Languages: English, Spanish
Gig length: 30 - 75 minutes
What You Can Expect When You Hire Gustavo
For Your Audience: A Blueprint, Not Just a Story
When your audience comes to see Gustavo Rodea, they will not just hear an inspiring story — they will walk away with a framework they can use the next day. Built around the same 7 principles in his book, every keynote moves from story to strategy to action.
They will experience:
A Speaker Who Lived It: Gustavo does not teach theories. He teaches from scars. From selling mattresses door to door, to losing everything in 2008, to crossing a million dollars and building a 50+ property real estate portfolio — every lesson on that stage was paid for in full.
Stories That Stick: The image of burning the ship. The moment he walked away from a fight to protect his crew. The night he realized resourcefulness beats resources every time. These are not motivational metaphors — they are real moments that audiences carry with them long after the event ends.
Actionable Principles: Audiences leave knowing exactly what to do — when to burn the ship and commit fully, how to build the right crew, how to shift from worker to investor, and how to solve problems that create income. The MexiCan Way™ is not a slogan. It is a system.
For the Event Planner: A Professional Partnership
Pre-Event: Gustavo works with you to understand your audience and customize the message to match your event's goals — whether that is sales motivation, leadership development, entrepreneurship, or community impact.
On Stage: He arrives prepared, on time, and ready. No surprises. No hand-holding. A polished, high-energy performance that respects your schedule and your audience.
Post-Event: The conversation does not end with the applause. Audiences leave with shared language — Burn the Ship, Build the Crew, Fly with Eagles — that keeps the message alive inside your organization long after the event.
Universally Applicable: His message works for C-suite executives, sales teams, entrepreneurs, students, and community organizations. The immigrant mindset is not a niche — it is a human blueprint for anyone willing to adopt it.
In short — you get more than a speaker. You get a catalyst. A proven leader who delivers inspiration, strategy, and stories that change the way people think about what is possible
Gustavo Rodea — Speaker Bio
Entrepreneur | Real Estate Investor | Author | John Maxwell Certified Leader
Gustavo Rodea arrived in the United States at 17 with no English, no money, and a plan that turned out to be completely wrong about what was going to happen next.
What followed was 23 years of building — and rebuilding. He sold mattresses at a flea market, collected $50 weekly payments from 50 customers, and opened his first store at 22 with $4,000 and no business plan. Then 2008 hit. He lost everything, carried $75,000 in debt, and spent three years rebuilding from zero. By 2015 he crossed the million-dollar mark. In 2017 he launched into real estate and today manages 50+ properties across Coastal North Carolina.
His keynotes are built around 7 real principles — from burning the ship and committing fully, to building the right crew, using resourcefulness over resources, solving problems that create income, thinking like an investor, leveraging people and capital, and building a legacy that outlasts you. Every story is real. Every lesson was earned.
Keynote Topics:
Burn the Ship — When Going Back Is Not an Option
The Crew — Build the Team That Builds the Dream
Don't Reinvent the Wheel — Resourcefulness Over Resources
Give 'Em What They Want — Solve Problems, Win Markets
Kicked by Zig — Boldness Is a Strategy
Flying with Eagles — The Room You're In Changes Everything
Waking Up to Hundreds — The Shift from Worker to Investor
Why Book Gustavo:
Real story. No fluff. A blueprint that works — because he lived every page of it. Audiences leave with practical principles they can apply immediately. Bilingual. High energy. Built for stages that demand a speaker people remember.
As a John Maxwell Certified Leader, 40 Under 40 honoree, Latino Diamante Award recipient, and co-founder of the Latin American Business Council, Gustavo brings credibility and conviction to every stage.
His philosophy — The MexiCan Way™ — is simple: the "Can" in MexiCan is the most important part. No matter where you come from, you can build. You can lead. You can leave a legacy.
Technical Rider & Performance Specifications
To ensure the highest quality experience for the audience and a seamless partnership with your event team, please find my standard technical requirements below. We are flexible and committed to working with you to meet the needs of your venue.
1. Audio Requirements
Microphone: A lavalier (lapel) microphone is strongly preferred for hands-free delivery and mobility. A headset microphone is an acceptable alternative.
Backup: A wireless handheld microphone on a stand should be provided as a backup.
Sound System: The audio must be clear and able to be amplified to fill the entire room without distortion. I will provide a presentation slideshow with embedded audio; please ensure the system can support a direct laptop connection (HDMI or audio-out jack).
2. Visual & Presentation Requirements
Projection & Screen: A high-brightness projector (minimum 4000 lumens) and a large, professional screen are required. The screen should be positioned so all attendees have a clear, unobstructed view.
Presenter Display: I require a confident monitor (a duplicate of my slides) placed on the floor in front of the stage. This allows me to maintain eye contact with the audience without turning to look at the main screen.
Presentation Source: I will provide my own laptop (MacBook Pro with necessary adapters with the final presentation. A technician must be available for a direct HDMI connection to the venue's system.
3. Stage & Lighting Requirements
Stage: A raised stage or dedicated speaking area is preferred to ensure visibility for all attendees.
Lighting: The stage must be well-lit. I must be clearly visible to the audience. Please avoid having a strong backlight (e.g., from a projector) that would cast me in shadow. Standard, neutral-colored stage wash lighting is ideal.
Water: A small table or stool on stage with a bottle of still water and a glass.
4. Pre-Event Requirements
Technical Rehearsal: A brief (15-20 minute) audio/visual check and stage walk-through is required on-site, preferably one hour before the doors open to the audience.
Introduction: I will provide a short, pre-written speaker introduction to be read by the emcee. This ensures consistency and a smooth transition onto the stage.
Dress Rehearsal (Virtual Events): For virtual presentations, a mandatory 30-minute technical test will be scheduled with the production team prior to the live event to check stream links, audio levels, and virtual background compatibility.
5. Logistics & Hospitality
Arrival: I request to be scheduled to arrive at the venue at least 90 minutes before my scheduled speaking time.
Dressing Room: A private, quiet room (green room) is requested for preparation and to store personal items.
Contact: A dedicated point of contact from your event or technical team must be available from my arrival until my departure.
We understand that every venue is different. This rider serves as a guideline for optimal conditions. We are happy to discuss any adjustments or alternatives to meet your specific setup. Our primary goal is to partner with you to deliver an exceptional and impactful presentation for your audience.
The Keynote Architecture
"The Immigrant Investor: A Blueprint for Anyone Willing to Build"
(60–75 Minute Signature Keynote)
While I am not a musical act, every great keynote has a set list — a carefully built journey with rhythm, emotional arc, and a finish that stays with the audience long after they leave the room. Here is mine.
Act I — The Foundation
Burn the Ship
The story starts in Mexico. A teenage crew, a border crossing, and the moment I realized going back was not an option. The first principle lands here: full commitment is not a feeling — it is a decision.
The Crew
Before I ever ran a business, I led people. The moment I walked away from a fight to protect my crew was my first real lesson in leadership. The people who follow you are your responsibility. That never changes.
Act II — The Build
Don't Reinvent the Wheel
From a flea market mattress sale to 50 customers paying weekly — resourcefulness beats resources every time. The tools you need are already in front of you.
Give 'Em What They Want
The 2008 recession did not just take my business. It taught me the most important business principle I know: money follows the person who solves the problems people actually care about.
Kicked by Zig
Zig Ziglar changed my life. I read him in a language I was still learning. This chapter is about boldness as a strategy — and why the suit I wore everywhere became my first personal brand.
Act III — The Shift
Flying with Eagles
The room you are in determines who you become. A business coach. A mastermind. The right mentors. This is the chapter where survival becomes strategy and strategy becomes scale.
Waking Up to Hundreds
The most important shift you will ever make — from working hard to making your money work hard for you. From worker to investor. From surviving to building wealth.
The Finale — Legacy
The story comes full circle. Not to wealth. Not to awards. To the student who walked up after a speech and said he thought there was no chance for him. To Lupe. To Anthony, Leonardo, and Matteo. To the Rodea Family Endowed Scholarship at UNCW.
The call to action is simple: identify one ship you need to burn. One crew member you need to add. One problem you are uniquely positioned to solve.
Because statistics are not destiny.
And you are the author of your next chapter.
Sí se puede.
What Shaped the Blueprint
1. Personal Experiences — The Chapters Written Before the Book
Raised Without a Father: My grandmother raised me. According to every statistic, I was not supposed to make it. That taught me the most important lesson of my life — statistics are not destiny. It is the foundation of everything I teach.
Leading My First Crew: Before I ever ran a business, I led a street soccer team in Mexico. The moment I chose to walk away from a fight to protect my crew was my first real lesson in leadership — that protecting the people who follow you matters more than winning the battle in front of you.
Immigrating at 17: This was my Burn the Ship moment. I arrived with nothing. No English. No plan. No safety net. What I had was hunger — and the understanding that going back was not an option. That mindset built everything that came after.
2. Business and Leadership Philosophies — The Teachers Behind the Framework
Zig Ziglar: His philosophy — help enough people get what they want and you will get everything you want — is the north star of every business I have built and every community I have served. Chapter 5 of my book is named after him.
John Maxwell: Certifying in his leadership program in 2016 gave me the language for what I had been doing by instinct for 15 years. Leadership is influence. Everything else follows.
Robert Barker: The man who gave me my first real shot in sales. Without him, there is no mattress business, no furniture store, no million-dollar mark, no real estate portfolio. I dedicated my book to him.
3. The People Who Are the Real Why
Lupe and my three sons — Anthony, Leonardo, and Matteo: They are not in the background of this story. They are the reason the story exists. Every ship I burned, every crew I built, every investment I made — it was for them and for what we leave behind.
Every immigrant entrepreneur who started with nothing and built something anyway — your stories fuel mine. This book was written for you.
In essence, my "group"—my businesses and community initiatives—is a product of these influences. We operate on the principle that past challenges are lessons, not life sentences, and that by blending street-smart intuition with proven leadership principles, we can help others rewrite their own stories of success.
Projector & Screen High-brightness (min. 4000 lumens), widescreen format (16:9). Screen must be visible to all attendees.
Lavalier Microphone Wireless, with a fresh battery. Strongly preferred for hands-free movement.
Backup Microphone One wireless handheld microphone on a stand. To be placed on stage as a backup.
Sound System PA system capable of clear amplification for the entire room. Must support a direct audio input from the speaker's laptop for video clips.
Raised Stage A raised platform or dedicated speaking area. Not required for small, intimate settings.
Business Motivational Speaker