MY UPBRINGING

My name is Dan Burgos and I am originally from the Dominican Republic. An island nation located in the Caribbean, and my native language is Spanish. I grew up in a middle-class household, my father ran an HVAC repair and installation service company, and my mother was a secretary.

I wanted to be an entrepreneur from an early age. I did not realize this until later in life, though, as this was the seed my father planted in my young mind when I was a boy. However, this desire would not come out until my college years. As a seven-year-old, my father would take me in these, now infamous, car rides and show me how people in poverty lived.

He would always tell me things like: There is a difference between being poor and broke; it is all in the person’s mind. Work hard, and you will achieve anything you put your mind to. You don’t have to go to college to be successful.

Pick an honorable profession and become so good at it that people will pay a premium to hire you. Be mentally strong, as life is not easy or fair. Some of his teachings came as I got older and even into my adulthood: Always live within your means; that is part of being an entrepreneur. You can build a career and become an executive, or you can build your own company; you can be successful either way. My father came from extreme poverty and built his wealth through entrepreneurship; he used to tell me about his early mornings working on a rice plantation field covered in mud and a slew of odd jobs to scrape a living. He wanted to make sure his children were mentally prepared for life.

THE “AHA” MOMENT

Right after high school, I felt I could not pursue my American dream in the Dominican Republic. I decided to follow my father to Puerto Rico to pursue my college education. This is the time when the entrepreneur seeds my father had planted in me earlier in life started to come out. I realized I wanted to build a service company that would help businesses thrive. However, I did not know precisely how.

After I finished college in Puerto Rico, it happened again; my career aspirations led me to conclude I needed to move to a place where I could reach them. At that time, I relocated to Texas; shortly after that, I found a home in Manufacturing. I felt I finally got to the place I belonged, and this was even more validated when I interacted with consultants that were helping my current employer make improvements. That was my “aha” moment in which I discovered my passion, and I remember thinking, “That is what I want my business to be.” Another realization I had during that time was that we made improvements, but the human element was missing because we were unable to embed the principles in the people.

BROKEN CONFIDENCE

I was eventually recruited away from this company by a large corporation. This was my first introduction to “true” corporate America. My previous employer was quite lenient in allowing us the freedom to make changes. In this new company, I learned what red tape was, what the term Seagull management meant, and what a dysfunctional culture felt like. I observed leaders displaying negative behaviors, and I felt very conflicted. Being a driven and motivated individual, I would push myself to reach my potential.

This led to high levels of stress and culminated in flaring up a heart condition I was unaware I had. Due to this condition, I found myself in the ICU a handful of times. I eventually had the heart condition corrected through a surgical procedure. This was a tough time for me as this environment created internal doubts about my abilities and about what my career path should be.

FINDING MY PATH

I gained clarity on the latter when I was sent to a training class and met a consultant that helped me dissipate most of my doubts and insecurities. I learned from him that I should pursue my goals and that small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy. He taught me that success happens when hard work and preparation meet opportunity. Those discussions changed my path; I decided that my path would be to build my consulting business. From then on, I deliberately guided my career with this goal in mind.

However, I was not yet ready to begin that part of my journey. I left the toxic environment I was in and began working in operation leadership roles, implementing improvements, delivering results, and regaining my confidence in the process. I eventually felt I was ready to transition into consulting in 2016. I started my company, Alphanova Consulting, which means “new beginning.” Our purpose is to help other businesses thrive. We strive to make such a difference that our involvement brings a new beginning for our clients.

Taking from the lessons I learned from mentors, leaders, and working in toxic environments, we bowed to create a balance between having operational excellence and healthy workplaces. This is how we developed our approach, which encompasses people, processes, and culture. My primary motivation for entrepreneurship is to have the means to provide for loved ones and to have the freedom to enjoy life with them. I enjoy traveling the world, languages, good wine, foods, fitness, and being from an island; I enjoy the ocean.