Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you.
My name is Luis Daniel Cubero-Nazario. Cubero is my father’s last name and Nazario is my mother’s because in Puerto Rico, where I am originally from, is tradition to carry both last names. I am 26 years young. Married to Yahaira Lorenzo-Jaime and we have 4 kids. My wife is a Medicine Doctor. I am a first lieutenant in the US Army. I hold a bachelor degree in Criminal Justice from the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico.
Where are you originally from?
Originally from Isabela, Puerto Rico. Isabela is a beautiful city in the northwest of the island.
Are you an online student or on campus?
I am online student. I would prefer being on campus because I like the student life and the interaction but we have to adjust.
What do you think of WCU?
I am having a good experience so far. Professors treat us with respect; they know that we are professionals with a lot of other responsibilities and that we are trying to sharpen our skills through this program.
What made you pick this school out of any others?
I did extensive research on all the different business programs out there. Most of them focus on the management part of business and I was looking to learn how to be the owner. I didn’t want a Masters in Business Administration degree; I wanted a Management By Absence degree. Just kidding. I think is a different focus. I didn’t want to learn how to manage it. I wanted to learn how to start it from scratch and hire someone else to manage it. That’s why I picked this program.
What is your bachelor’s degree in?
I have a bachelor degree in Criminal Justice: Investigation.
Why do you want to be an entrepreneur?
Well, this is kind of a long story I think. Everything started when I red the book Why We Want You To Be Rich by Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki. I did not know anything about business at the moment. I couldn’t even identify the word “entrepreneur”; I knew the meaning in Spanish but I didn’t know the meaning when I first saw it in English. That book made me open my eyes and understand why there are rich people and poor people. It is not because rich people inherited what they have; becoming rich is a state of mind. I learned that if you do poor people stuff, if you keep your poor people habits you will be or remain poor. If you learned what rich people do and start doing it, you have a high probability of becoming rich. So, that’s what I started doing. I bought a bunch of Robert Kiyosaki’s books. I bought business and real estate books. My main motivation, to becoming an entrepreneur and subsequently becoming rich, is time. Most of the people spend their entire lives working 20, 30 or more years to retire at 50, or 60 years old when their best years are long gone. They couldn’t enjoy their spouses, kids, friends and family because they spend their entire life working. And most of the time a job that is not rewarding. Good for those who love what they do and make a little bit of time for the family but the reality is that most don’t. I want to be an entrepreneur to have more time for me and my family. I want to be an entrepreneur because I know I am capable of building something bigger and better than any other organization I have worked for in the past.
Do you have any entrepreneurship experience or are close with anyone who does?
I don’t have any previous entrepreneurial experience. I have always wanted but haven’t have a real chance. I remember when I was in my first year in college I told my mom to start our own elderly care center since she had been working for a long time in one of those. I had the money but she resisted to the idea saying it was too risky and other poor-people-minded stuff.
What is your current job, and are there any other notable jobs you have had?
My current job is as a 1st lieutenant in the US Army. In the Army I became a Human Resources Officer in 2009 after two years as a mechanic and two more as a cadet.
What have you learned from your previous jobs that may help in starting a business?
I have learned a lot during my career in the Army. One of those things is that I don’t want to keep being an employee and worked for incompetent people anymore. Before I joined the Army I thought that this was a prestige organization. I imagine things running so smooth just because this has been in existence for so many years and is suppose to be improving during all that time. How can stuff not be almost perfect? Well, I am very disappointed. Don’t get me wrong here; I like some things about the Army and I have a lot to be grateful but I strive for excellence and have not been able to find it here. I had great bosses in the past and maybe I’m basing my opinion on my current and most recent experience but I can’t afford to deal with anything similar again. I learned a lot about how to be a good leader with bosses like LTC Jones, Gregory, MAJ Lummer, Randall Arron and CPT Hull, Christopher. And I have also learned how NOT to be a great leader with other bosses not worth mentioning. I have learned how to remain calm under pressure and surpass any obstacles. At the end I will be proud of my execution during my years in the Army and will take with me what is useful and discard with is not.
Do you have any main hobbies?
Of course, I have many hobbies, as almost every guy, I like cars and I also like to do exercise but I am really passionate about contact sports. I love to fight and to practice any related sport like boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts. I am also a pro wrestler. Well, not so much right now after having back surgery to fix a herniated disc. But I will recover soon and progressively go back to do all those things that I like.
