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Introduction and Geoffrey Aguilera’s Background Geoffrey Aguilera (0:00) ������ý supported me with the learning credit, the real life. I got credits for living life. And here I am thinking, I am not a traditional student. And they are like, no, you have actually gone through some stuff that education cannot teach you. Geoffrey Aguilera (0:15) That is one of my biggest things. There is some stuff you cannot learn in books. But what can you experience from being a father, from losing a parent, from being a brother, from dealing with family and all these different things, addiction, whatever we go through, and we all go through it. Geoffrey Aguilera (0:36) And I realized we are way more alike than we are different. Host (0:51) Hello and welcome to the Degrees of Success podcast. I am your host, Keith Chandler, and today we have an incredible guest, Geoffrey Aguilera. Host (0:58) Geoffrey is a proud father, a mentor, and someone who believes in paying it forward. He started his nonprofit, Helping Our Own Daily, with a mission to serve his community. Host (1:09) He is a Phoenix, earning his bachelor’s degree while making the President’s List, and later his master’s degree with honors and distinction. Host (1:17) Along the way, he became a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society and the National Society for Leadership and Success. Host (1:25) He is a certified personal trainer, a marathoner, and a recipient of the Founders Dream Award at Discount Tire, where he now serves as a regional recruiter and an advocate for community partnerships. Host (1:36) Welcome, Geoffrey. And you said I could call you Geo, correct? Geoffrey Aguilera (1:41) Yes, yes, definitely. I go by Geo. My family calls me Geoffrey, but either one works. Geoffrey, I guess if I am in trouble, so you can say Geoffrey. Host (1:49) You are not in trouble with me, so I will call you Geo. Before we dive into more about your incredible journey, I have to ask: you mentioned that you are a marathoner. Host (1:59) I have run a couple of half marathons in my life. I have never been motivated to actually complete a full marathon. So I am curious what made you want to make that leap and run a full marathon, and how do you get yourself in that mindset to run 26.2 miles? Host (2:15) Because I can barely get myself in the mindset to run the 13 that I have to for a half. Geoffrey Aguilera (2:21) Oh man, it is funny because I always feel like it is cliché because nobody wants to run miles. I do not even want to run that many miles. I took it more as a challenge and a goal, and it was something I wanted to strive for. Geoffrey Aguilera (2:37) I knew it was going to be hard, and that is kind of why I wanted to do it. I had run a couple of half marathons and I felt the same way you did, and it was just suggested to me. Geoffrey Aguilera (2:48) It was a challenge to me. Looking back, if I were to try to run one again, I would say no, do not want to run one. One is enough. Geoffrey Aguilera (3:00) So I do not even know what motivated me other than I wanted to push myself. I wanted to know I could do it, and it is just a process like anything else with growth. Geoffrey Aguilera (3:07) You put yourself through it and you realize you can do something like that. Same to you, man. You could do it the same as I did. It was hard. I would have taken it a lot more serious had I, if I could go back, hindsight is 20/20, but yeah, it was definitely worth it. Host (3:25) Awesome, I might ask you for some pointers a little bit later, do not worry. Geoffrey Aguilera (3:25) Good playlists and something to drink. Host (3:32) I am all about the playlist as well. That is what keeps you motivated throughout the entire journey. Early Life, Family Influence, and Educational Journey Host (3:38) Let’s dive back a little bit. As I mentioned in your introduction, you have a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and an interesting journey with education throughout your life. Let’s start at the beginning. How did education play a role in your life as you were growing up, and how did your family play a role in your education? Geoffrey Aguilera (3:58) Looking back and reflecting, I came up in this generation where education was so important. My parents often spoke about it. My parents did not go beyond high school, so I am a first-generation graduate in my immediate family. Geoffrey Aguilera (4:21) I have cousins who have done that as well, but they are also first-generation graduates. It was something that was stressed to us early. I knew it was important. Geoffrey Aguilera (4:32) As a teenager, I knew I had to do well in school. As an adult, I did not know how much that would have affected me if I did not. You hear about the opportunities, and I had dreams and different aspirations, so I knew education was the way I had to go. Geoffrey Aguilera (4:54) I think that is still relevant today. Some paths require higher education, any path. In high school, I did well, and then some things happened in my personal life. Geoffrey Aguilera (5:10) My parents split up my senior year, or right before my senior year, so my grades really took a fall. I was in advanced classes and I did not apply myself, even though I knew things. I just did not apply myself. Geoffrey Aguilera (5:25) When my parents split, my twin brother and I stayed with my dad, and work was all that was important to me. I would skip school to go to work and help my dad with the bills. Geoffrey Aguilera (5:46) Looking back, it shakes me because I felt like that was the wrong thing to do at the time, or that I knew it could affect me. But my dad was my hero, so I wanted to help support. I just put that stuff to the side for the time being. Geoffrey Aguilera (6:08) I did not graduate on time. I had to go to summer school to graduate. The crazy part was I had enough credits to graduate. I did not have the right credits. I had 33 credits, but I did not have the algebra credit I needed because of truancy and missing class. Geoffrey Aguilera (6:34) I did not get to walk. Looking back at how important that was for my dad, I think it broke his heart because he wanted the best for us and wanted us to go to school, go to college, and have a better life. Host (6:44) As you are talking about your education, what did you want to be when you grew up? Host (6:51) I always like asking that and understanding how people have changed over the years. My first-grade career aspiration was to be a bus driver. I was dead set on it. I thought, this looks like a lot of fun. You get to meet all of these interesting people. They come on and off the bus. This is a rocking gig. Host (7:12) What did you want to be when you grew up? What were some of your early career aspirations? Early Career Aspirations and Changing Dreams Geoffrey Aguilera (7:24) That is also one of my favorite things to ask, because you do get a little bit inside of what people dreamed over the years and how it changed. Geoffrey Aguilera (7:30) As an adult, you do not look at bus driver like that, but I know one of the first dreams was to be a pilot. I do not know if it was Top Gun or something that came out. I wanted to be a pilot. Geoffrey Aguilera (7:44) For the longest time, from my teenage years all the way up to my young mid-20s, I wanted to be a detective and wanted to be a police officer. Geoffrey Aguilera (7:50) I wanted to give back. Even then, I always wanted to help people. I wanted to help people in the community. I wanted to change their lives for the better and essentially catch bad guys, slide over the old-school car, and be a cool detective. Geoffrey Aguilera (8:08) That is what I wanted to be for the longest time. Host (8:08) That is wonderful. Your journey includes some setbacks and comebacks. In your journey, what kept you moving forward when life did not necessarily go as planned and threw you some curveballs along the way? Overcoming Setbacks and Finding Support in Life Geoffrey Aguilera (8:24) Looking back, at the same time I was being thrown curveballs, life also brought me a lot of great people. That is essentially what happened: at every single one of those setbacks, I was blessed to meet somebody. Geoffrey Aguilera (8:42) Whether it was my daughters, or after losing my dad, or going through a divorce, or not getting into the police academy because of something that happened when I was 17, I felt there was somebody there with me. Geoffrey Aguilera (9:03) It could have been a close friend, somebody I met at work, somebody who was really helping me in life, somebody who encouraged me. That is what inspires me to pay it forward because I know that regardless of who we are or where we are from, we are all going to get thrown a curveball. Geoffrey Aguilera (9:28) We are all going to go through something where we need encouragement, belief, a pep talk, or a shoulder to cry on. As cliché as that may sound, that was always given to me at every single one of those moments in my life. Geoffrey Aguilera (9:45) So I aim to be that for somebody else. Host (9:52) That is beautiful. You wear a lot of different hats. We have talked about marathon running, fitness training, and the work you do at Discount Tire. How do you manage all of that, and how do you make sure you are not overworking yourself? Work at Discount Tire and Community Involvement Host (10:08) How do you make sure you are taking care of yourself in the process of your journey? Geoffrey Aguilera (10:13) You have to forgive me because I am a romantic. I believe there are so many cool, amazing, beautiful people. There are so many different things you can learn, whether it be food, music, or just people. Geoffrey Aguilera (10:28) To me, it is about meeting people where they are. And again, somebody met me where I was at, whether that was low or high. I am constantly getting something poured into my cup just by meeting somebody, sharing food, sharing a moment with somebody, or being there for somebody when they lost somebody. Geoffrey Aguilera (10:50) That is something I know what it feels like because somebody was there for me. I just take a lot from those moments. It really is about people and connecting with people. Geoffrey Aguilera (11:04) That is why community is so big to me, because I would not be who I am without the different people in my community throughout my life. Host (11:13) That is wonderful, and you work a lot with your community today. Let’s chat a little bit about the work you do at Discount Tire. What is your title? Geoffrey Aguilera (11:20) I am a regional recruiter, like talent acquisition, and I am big in community partnerships, thanks to a big part of my education. Geoffrey Aguilera (11:33) I started changing tires, same as everybody else does. I was moving up, and I am blessed to be part of a company that puts people first and is big on culture and paying it forward. They are big on things that have absolutely nothing to do with tires. Geoffrey Aguilera (11:46) It is about dreaming big. It is about being honest. It is about working hard. It is about having fun. Geoffrey Aguilera (11:51) I moved up. I left the company after I lost my dad because I did not know what I wanted to do. I started when I was 18, and they were like, “Hey, you want to do this all the time?” I was like, “Tires? That is pretty lame.” Geoffrey Aguilera (12:10) Nobody wakes up and wants to change tires. But it was every bit of the people I worked with and the people that helped me along the journey and the people I met there that I have had lifelong connections with. Geoffrey Aguilera (12:24) My best friend got promoted to manager when I was not working, when I was a personal trainer and working at 24 Hour Fitness and other places. He asked me to come back, and I would do anything for that guy. Geoffrey Aguilera (12:34) At the time we could not have facial hair, so I shaved my beard and went back. I was a little older, a little wiser. You do not realize what you do not know. We are conditioned to think we are supposed to have it all together after high school or college. Geoffrey Aguilera (13:05) We think success is linear and supposed to follow a timeline, but my life told me everything that it was not. It came in different moments. Geoffrey Aguilera (13:15) I wanted to pour that back into somebody, and they asked me to go back into management and I did. Again, I had a different view. I wanted to help people and pay it forward just as somebody did it for me. Geoffrey Aguilera (13:32) I continued to grow and move, and then I said, “You know what? I want to get back to school. I cannot let it go that I did not finish my degree.” Educational Challenges, Perseverance, and Returning to School Geoffrey Aguilera (13:42) Going through the divorce and losing my dad, I was on academic probation. I was going through these things that I thought made me a failure. But I realized some of those setbacks mean you cannot really fail unless you stop, unless you quit. Geoffrey Aguilera (13:56) I came to understand that everybody feels this exact same way at any given time, whether they went to an Ivy League school or did not go to school at all. At some point in life, we all feel like we are not living up to our standard or our dreams. Geoffrey Aguilera (14:18) I could not live small after losing my dad. I needed to finish my bachelor’s degree. They encouraged me to go back to school. So I am working full time, and that was another really big thing about ������ý. I was not a traditional student. Geoffrey Aguilera (14:32) I had preconceived notions and felt like that was a mistake, like I was missing out on something. But I have come to realize that is just part of my journey, and everybody’s journey is different. There is no comparison of success or timeline. Geoffrey Aguilera (14:52) There are a lot of people who feel the same way. I wanted to be encouraging to those who felt that way: hey, you are not traditional. Nothing in life is traditional, really. There is no blueprint for it. Geoffrey Aguilera (15:10) Some lessons are learned the hard way, and some things you just have to go through. You cannot read about it. So I went back, got my bachelor’s degree, got promoted at work, and founded my nonprofit. Geoffrey Aguilera (15:21) During that time, I found my purpose. I wanted to be around people, and I wanted to find a way to give back to the community that raised me and poured into me. Geoffrey Aguilera (15:34) It was examples of just living life. Somebody bought you lunch one day, somebody checked in on you, somebody asked how you were doing. To the extreme of my best friend giving me a car at one point. Geoffrey Aguilera (15:50) He gave me a Mercedes. It was an older Mercedes, sure, but nonetheless I tell everybody he was rich enough to give me a Mercedes. He was blessed enough to pay it forward because it had been done to him. Geoffrey Aguilera (16:11) I knew it was important to share a meal, share a conversation. These were things money could not buy. So I asked myself, how could I create a place where people could do that? Geoffrey Aguilera (16:24) The nonprofit is about small things. It is connecting people. It is giving lunch. It is giving a coat drive. It is showing up to schools and doing field day. Geoffrey Aguilera (16:38) It is all these different things we see every single day in our lives that we can look back on and say, “Oh yeah, somebody did that for me.” I wanted to create those moments. Geoffrey Aguilera (16:52) I was blessed with my journey, and I knew God had something planned for me. I wanted to be wherever those blessings led me, because at the time I was asking, “Why am I a failure? Why do I keep messing up? Why am I not good enough?” Geoffrey Aguilera (17:05) Looking back, I am glad I was not able to do some of the things I thought I wanted to do. It would have kept me from who I am. Geoffrey Aguilera (17:17) We are going to fail. We are going to fall short. You just have to keep going because it is going to take you somewhere else. Geoffrey Aguilera (17:29) My wife tells me I yap, and it is only when I am passionate about something. Host (17:36) I love listening. Geoffrey Aguilera (17:36) Thank you. I got promoted. I started my nonprofit. I am trying to pay it forward. I am trying to do things. Geoffrey Aguilera (17:45) I remember a counselor at ������ý called me while I was finishing my degree. I do not even remember exactly how the conversation went, but the person asked me a question that changed my life. Geoffrey Aguilera (18:00) They asked if I had ever thought about doing my master’s. I paused for what felt like an eternity. I had just finished a bachelor’s degree, and it took forever because I left, came back, and was on academic probation. Geoffrey Aguilera (18:26) But the way I finished, I finished on the President’s List with better grades because I applied myself. That was the theme: it is not about how long it takes. It is not about how you start. It is about how you finish. Geoffrey Aguilera (18:44) Here I am riding this runner’s high, so to speak. I had just finished this marathon of a bachelor’s degree, and I thought, “I could do that.” Geoffrey Aguilera (18:53) They said, “Yeah, you could.” Essentially, if you want to do it, you are kind of already accepted. You just need to figure out if you want to do it. Geoffrey Aguilera (19:00) I wanted to share it after I was done. I wanted to do the work quietly. I eventually told my wife, who was my fiancée at the time, and a few others after I got accepted. Geoffrey Aguilera (19:23) I just wanted to keep my head down and do the work. Geoffrey Aguilera (19:42) They said, “When would you want to start? You want to wait a year?” I said, “Definitely not. What is the earliest I can start?” Geoffrey Aguilera (19:54) They said I would graduate with my bachelor’s in May and the class starts in July. I said, “Sign me up. I do not want to stop.” Geoffrey Aguilera (20:01) Again, going back to that work ethic, I said sign me up. I did not tell anybody. My wife at the time knew, and eventually my best friend and my brother knew. Geoffrey Aguilera (20:20) I never gave it another thought. Reflecting back, I think about how much this would mean to my dad because education was so important to him. The community was so important to him. Geoffrey Aguilera (20:37) I think about what this would mean to him and what it means for my daughters. That was a big thing for me because I knew my daughters were going to grow up and at some point in life they were going to hit a really bad spot. Geoffrey Aguilera (20:47) They were either going to look at me and say, “Dad kept going through this,” or they were going to look at me and say, “I do not know how to handle adversity.” I could not let them down. That was my ultimate motivator. Geoffrey Aguilera (21:08) I know our time is not promised, so what am I doing with my time right now? That is what spurred me to finish my degree and go higher. Geoffrey Aguilera (21:16) I received my first A after my first class, and something in me said, “Can you make all As?” I had never been an A student. I had never even thought about applying myself like that. Geoffrey Aguilera (21:31) But the discipline and the things I learned along the way, things I did not know when I was 18, taught me that life is the best teacher. I just did not have experience then, but now that I did, I thought, “Can I really apply myself?” Geoffrey Aguilera (21:47) Can I get all As? Sure enough, I made sure I set the time and I went for it. Geoffrey Aguilera (21:53) When I got closer to finishing the master’s program, I shared it with my mentor. He is an assistant vice president, and we had conversations. He started out as a tire tech too. Geoffrey Aguilera (22:11) I shared that I was going to finish a master’s program, and that was the first he had heard of it. His initial reaction was, “Wow.” He was happy for me, but he also said, “We are going to lose you.” Geoffrey Aguilera (22:18) I said I did not want that to be the case. To move up, you do not need degrees. Obviously it helps, but we promote from within. Geoffrey Aguilera (22:33) There is a current CFO there who started as a tire tech. The journey and the path are always there. We also give tuition reimbursement. We want people to achieve their dreams. That is the mission: to make dreams come true. Career Growth, Community Impact, and Paying It Forward Geoffrey Aguilera (22:39) My dream was to get a bachelor’s and start a nonprofit. And we realize your dream changes. Geoffrey Aguilera (22:46) I said, in that moment, I do not want to leave. Actually, I have a new dream. Geoffrey Aguilera (22:52) If I could find a way to still work within the stores and with the young men and women who come through there—18, 23, 25, 30, just like I was at one point going through these things—I would like to encourage them. Geoffrey Aguilera (23:03) If I can find a way to be a part of giving back to the community, because as a company we take from communities and they help our business, what are we giving back? Geoffrey Aguilera (23:24) I had done a few things with local nonprofits. I showed up to schools, and there were things they gave us the autonomy to do. But I said, I do not think this exists within our company on an operations level. Geoffrey Aguilera (23:37) I would like to do that. He said, okay, let me make a call. Geoffrey Aguilera (23:43) Two weeks later I was sharing the same passion with a vice president of our company, in what I now know is a different department focused on living our values. I did not know what it was then. Geoffrey Aguilera (23:56) I was just passionate about, “Hey, this is what I want to do. We do not have one of these in the Dallas region. Can I go to stores? Can I build connections within the community?” I was learning about corporate social responsibility in one of my classes, and I wanted to be part of that because I love the company and I love the community. Geoffrey Aguilera (24:15) I made a PowerPoint and was going all out, and I did not know it was essentially an interview. They asked if I would move out to Scottsdale because the corporate office is in Phoenix. Geoffrey Aguilera (24:35) I said I would consider it, but I really wanted to stay here in Dallas because I was engaged at the time. I had a daughter who would be 16 next month and a younger daughter who is turning 13 in March. I really wanted to be part of their lives. Geoffrey Aguilera (24:58) I said I would consider it, but probably I really want to stay here in Dallas. Geoffrey Aguilera (25:03) They said okay, and I never heard back again. I did not know it was an interview, but I am used to trying and having something not happen right away. Geoffrey Aguilera (25:18) I remember telling myself I was still going to do what I said I was going to do. I want to be the person I said I am. So I am still going to work with the community, still going to work with this nonprofit, still going to mentor people. I am not leaving. Geoffrey Aguilera (25:30) Six months later, they said they wanted to create a position in the region and asked if I would take it. I immediately said yes. Geoffrey Aguilera (25:41) I had never recruited before, but they said it was essentially recruiter work, with community partnerships. I have been there a year and a half, and in my second quarter I got Recruiter of the Quarter. Geoffrey Aguilera (25:54) Recruiting is just meeting people where they are. It is knowing them where they are on the journey. I get to talk to candidates who say, “I want to go to school for this,” and from my experience I know there are places that support them, and colleges like ������ý that exist. Geoffrey Aguilera (26:16) Knowing what I know now as an adult, it was not transactional. It was meeting people like Vicki at the ceremony, meeting people in my class who were going through life, and it was not traditional. So I knew I had a really good place to guide them. Geoffrey Aguilera (26:44) Whether it be to ������ý or not, that was my experience. So when I talk to candidates and tell them I got a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree while working full time here, and I got it from here, they are like, wow. Geoffrey Aguilera (26:59) I would have never thought it. I tell them 20 years ago when I started, I would have never thought I would be in a new corporate role. I was a blue-collar worker. I thought my hands were always going to be dirty. Geoffrey Aguilera (27:14) I am not used to sitting behind a desk or a camera. But now I say things like bandwidth and let us circle back, which I never thought I would say. Geoffrey Aguilera (27:26) That is essentially how life works. You never know how far you are going to go until you go through it. You try. You stay positive. You dream big. You give back. You pay it forward because somebody helped you get there. Closing Remarks and Gratitude Geoffrey Aguilera (27:40) Whether it was my mentor who said, “Let me make a call,” whether it was my best friend who said, “Hey, I need your help, can you come back?” whether it was my fiancée saying, “Yeah, you can do that, you can do a master’s degree,” all the way back to my dad saying, “Be proud, work hard, go to school, get an education, give back,” or my daughters who, when they were younger, thought I was the best thing out there. Geoffrey Aguilera (28:09) They thought I was stronger than Captain America. They thought I was a hero. I rode that high for a very long time. They loved me the way I needed to be loved in that moment in my life. Geoffrey Aguilera (28:23) There are different things along the way that helped me. There are people, conversations, and moments with people. Host (28:31) What do you have coming up and what goals do you have set for yourself? Geoffrey Aguilera (28:41) I think learning is always in there. There are some certificates and things I am looking at, even if it is not a doctorate. Maybe we can compromise on some other things. But I think just growing, and I think of a legacy. Geoffrey Aguilera (29:07) The reality is, when I am gone someday, I want to leave a legacy of optimism, love, and encouragement. These are just moments in the grand scheme of things. Geoffrey Aguilera (29:25) What will my daughters remember? What will the people around me remember when we look back and reflect? I want it to be love and encouragement. Maybe it is a song, maybe it is a meal, maybe it is the first time trying a certain food with somebody. Geoffrey Aguilera (29:46) Just these everyday gifts that we have. I want to leave that impression of helping somebody, encouraging somebody, and using words for good. Host (29:59) Geo Aguilera, thank you so much for joining Degrees of Success podcast. Geoffrey Aguilera (30:05) Thank you. Again, I am grateful to be a part of this. Thank you for having me. I am just super grateful. Host (30:11) Excellent, Geo Aguilera, thank you so much for joining us. That brings us to the end of this episode of the Degrees of Success podcast. Do not forget to like, subscribe, and comment. And thank you again for joining us. We will see you next time.