Why do I love Acapulco? A series.

I love Acapulco and today it hit me; I’ve got to describe my passion for this place to others. So I decided I’ll start with a series of articles. I’ve lived here for nearly four years now and have certainly gone through and seen hard times. But going through that here, with the people and relationships I’ve experienced, I love it and respect it more each day. The fact that I get to admire the beauty of Acapulco from the place where I live everyday doesn’t hurt either.

Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to see what everyone else doesn’t. I strongly believe I can play that role here. What I see is not only tons of opportunity but also the resources and ability to make the most with the least. An entrepreneur’s nirvana! And I’ll emphatically mention, there’s way more than what meets the typical Westerner’s eye when they first get here. It takes time to really absorb what Acapulco offers. Like I said, four years and I’m still adding to the list!

Those are some pretty big claims. So, I’ll start with an introduction to myself and why I might be
someone worthy of listening to. I’ve been a lifelong learner and. in addition, a serial entrepreneur. I attribute that in some part to the somber early years I had as my younger brother died from SIDS and for the next few years, emotion was restrained in the household. Any sudden action or noise could send my mother into bawling tears. I had to do a lot of thinking and wondering in solitude.

Very early I turned that focus on a construction project that transformed a forest into a shopping center before my eyes just across the street. I then spent time reenacting that scene in the backyard sand pile with my Tonkas. I loved playing and doing that modeling, and digging deeper into understanding how and why things worked. I had some serious introspection. My focus would be so intent my mother would have to yell out the window... “swallow!” Needless to say, I took time to look closely and observe.

At that time I was also learning how to express myself. I would ask very thoughtful questions of my parents and relatives. My uncle Dale, being the owner of an excavation and trucking business himself, gave me a front seat to understanding and profiting from the knowledge and wisdom of construction. I would sit next to him on a tractor or in the cab of a truck willingly, even in the cold and rain, to have the experience and get his answers to my questions. That understanding was then enhanced with my father’s passion for a hobby of motocross racing that he then turned into a successful business himself. I discovered a great deal of joy in participating in that as well. My grandfather and grandmother ran a successful vegetable stand just down the street. I learned from all four of them how to tackle the task of being successful as an entrepreneur while enjoying life. I had a front seat to a class on one of life’s best lessons: delivering value above expectations successfully. Each one also was an artist in their own craft. The love and passion they demonstrated for their work was how they constantly delivered quality that people loved and admired.

I was able to use that,as well as my experience becoming an adult, the time I spent in the military, the knowledge and skill I was able to acquire and experience via work, higher learning institutions and extra curricular activities. With the addition of new technology, and over time, I was able to successfully demonstrate skills and ability that most in the construction industry thought was impossible.

In doing so, I also recognized another quality in my family (and mentors) that I had never read in any book or heard anyone talk about until I asked some deeply probing questions. It related to how to interact with others. What is the best way to keep yourself and everyone around you happy? Content? Fulfilled? And be successful, satisfied and respected as an individual, too? The answer I got, not only in their word but in their actions was… Within each one of us is an entrepreneur. If we understand that and if we treat everyone as our customer, we start to begin to understand our own value. That understanding matures as we see value and qualities that extend beyond business, things that don’t have monetary value but are just as important. We deliver that value and play a role in the lives of others that is incredibly valuable to them, whether we recognize it or not. Most people don’t but this is where I discovered a great deal of confidence in the common man that many don’t see.

As I understood that better, I extended that concept to the people I worked with on the projects I involved myself with. The collection of people on a construction site varies greatly, yet we could work together well. I was able to see the effects on people’s pride, productivity and profitability when they understood. There’s an unwritten, but often stated, rule in construction that says “You deliver value in three ways: time (the sooner the better), quality (details and even finer details) and budget (under budget means profit and smiles all around). Choose two!” My projects delivered on all three. An anomaly. I would later learn what this is called: Peer to Peer.

Popularity isn’t an objective in construction because those who do it successfully are wise enough to keep it quiet. If you know what I mean ; ). But for those few who watched the numbers, I was a rockstar. I made myself good money and truckloads for many others.

But then there came an ethical question, then more difficult questions. I had to ask who was benefiting from the value I was delivering? Who was I really working for and was that good or bad as a whole? What were their intentions? Or was it all just about money? Was I helping the right people or the wrong ones? Needless to say, the answers to those questions led me here. The cutting edge of people in the pursuit of the most benefit for the least harm. Anarchapulco.

Thus,we return to Acapulco: The apple of my eye. Which also has, in addition to all the other veiled and hidden qualities, the focus of a new technology and industry that promise to add untold fortunes to a multitude of people. Credit certainly has to be given to Jeff Berwick and Anarchapulco for Acapulco being that place. But it’s grown beyond that as important individuals within the industry either visit regularly, spend time living here or have a connection with someone that lives here. In addition, there’s another plus… Acapulquenos also have a willingness and would eagerly participate in being the perfect testbed for actually demonstrating and delivering the value this technology promises to the common man or woman while doing so at a cost that very few places can match. Do I have to repeat myself? An entrepreneur’s nirvana.

There are so many things about this place I’d like to explore and mention. There are things about its physical location, the people, the people’s attitudes, the way they interact with each other, the traditions, the attitudes toward work, toward each other, toward government authority, the history, the fact that it’s a tourist economy... I could go on and on. But I’ll just conclude by saying that I’ve seen a lot of places. I’ve worked in a lot of places. I know what’s valuable, the tangible and intangibles. Acapulco is the hidden gem many people have been looking for, for a lifetime. I want to guide those people, those with knowledge, with ability, with the willpower together and get underway on making something wonderful happen. I want people to realize their dreams of a better world. If there’s a place to plant a seed, this is the most fertile ground I can find anywhere. Seriously! This place is golden, magical, incredible when it comes to value and qualities of its potential... I can’t find enough adjectives! And I can’t wait until the day enough people recognize it. It’s going to be something spectacular to be a part of!

Today is the beginning of my effort of getting that word out and participating in making it happen!

I will try and do that at least once a week from here until Anarchapulco.

In next week’s article I’ll start off with the biggest obstacle to Acapulco’s success. And why even the most difficult and scary problem actually has potential benefits and opportunities. There’s a book called The Obstacle is the Way! Check it out!

PS.

If you made it this far and liked what you read. Please do me a favor and as a word of mouth experiment, please pass this onto at least one other person with a personal reference. Some one that you feel might understand or enjoy this idea. Is an idealist or someone who loves to take action on a good cause. If you do that please write a comment they can reference and comment on. Let's see where this goes.

I strive to be a Peacemaker, an Entrepreneur and a Ambassador for Great Ideas (ie a Problem solver). I also wish to be a Artist, a Mentor and an Ethicist one day. At times I struggle to communicate the passions I have but I endeavor to do so meaningfully from my heart to others. All as I enjoy my life as a never-ending vacation in a place I adore. I care about what I do, I care about the people I do it with and I leave the rest to fall into place. ~ MikeonFire