Podcast #26 – Alfredo Miguel’s Mission to Empower Mexico | Mission Possible Podcast

Doug Dvorak (00:03.033)
Good day Mission Podcast community. I’m your host and podcast navigator Doug Dvorak and I’m so very excited to bring you inspiring stories from incredible guests. These individuals are on a mission to create remarkable possibilities that not only enhance their lives but also make a lasting impact on the communities around them. Stay tuned for some truly amazing conversations. Today on Mission Possible we welcome

Alfredo Miguel from Mexico City. Hi, Alfredo. How are you? It’s a high honor and privilege. Thank you. It’s a high honor and my pleasure. My pleasure. Alfredo is a visionary Mexican businessman and industrialist whose entrepreneurial spirit and leadership have left a lasting mark across multiple industries with decades of experience in business development, investment and innovation.

Doug Dvorak (01:02.831)
Alfredo has played a pivotal role in driving economic growth and creating opportunities both in Mexico and internationally. His story is one of determination, foresight, and the power of bold ideas brought to life. Great to see you again, Alfredo.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:20.291)
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Dr Doug.

Doug Dvorak (01:23.749)
My pleasure. I’ve known Alfredo for well over 20 years and the genesis of our relationship goes back in the time machine to about 2004 and 2005 to Tamarack Resort in Tamarack or Donnelly, Idaho, where he was very influential in suggesting or convincing that we really take a look at building a home, which we did.

Alfredo, before we get into your various businesses and how you’ve grown and scaled these businesses and impacted the lives of many around the world, tell us a little bit about yourself, your humble beginnings, and a little bit about your dad and that great story about the Navy or military ship. And just tell us a little bit about yourself and growing up in Mexico and a little bit about your background.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (02:17.287)
Sure, sure. Thank you, Doug. Well, yes, sometime now that we know each other. So, well, let me tell you, you know, my grandpa came from Lebanon. I’m Lebanese descendant, and he left Lebanon in—

1908 because of the draft of the Turkish Empire. So they had to leave because they were drafting all kids of 12 years old to the Turkish Army. We are Catholics, so we were not very welcome at that environment. So they left. He left to the United States.

His family was already in Boston and in St. Louis, Missouri, but the ship came to quarantine in New Orleans, so then he went to Veracruz, Mexico. So he went down to Veracruz and started life. It was tough to move at that time from Veracruz to New Orleans. No roads, no railroads, no

So he went to a little town and started working and like a merchant. my father was born in Mexico, in that little town called Teche Plan Tepoztlán. It’s a northeast Mexico. It’s close to Veracruz and in the mountains. And my father was born there, but my…

He lost his father young when he was 12 years old, but when was 12, 20 years old, he got a very open mind. He was a very bright guy, even coming from a little town in Mexico. So he moved to Brownsville, Texas, and he got a loan from a Mexican friend and bought a…

ALFREDO MIGUEL (04:37.835)
destroyer from the Navy that was going for scrap and he put refrigerator in and then went to Mexico at Honduras and start importing bananas and pineapple to the United States to Puerto Angel and he started that way that was early in the 40s so then he came to Mexico married my mother

go back to the United States. And I was born there in 1949. And my father built a big company, shipping company, this traditional fruit in the United States. And in 1955, they decided to move back to Mexico and start companies in Mexico. They were big field. My mother was got nine sisters. My father had five or six.

No, no sister brothers and so they moved back to Mexico my father started big companies in Mexico manufacture in the 50s he went to Germany and And there’s very important relations. That’s one of the the points that I would like to tell you about What is part of our subsist he went to Germany? You get relations with a big plastics company

He alliances, brought technology to Mexico, and then he built a manufacturer, plastics companies. He became the largest manufacturer left in America. Big companies, know, films for plastics, for lamination, for floors, for wallpapers, for blister packs, for credit cards. So he started that.

and that big company. I was born in the United States, moved to Mexico in 55. I started studying here and that’s my background.

Doug Dvorak (06:43.623)
So is it fair to say that your dad really invented back in the early to mid 40s refrigerated transportation of fruits. He saw something that no one did. He saw a scrap metal Navy frigate and he said there’s an opportunity there. Did that really start that industry.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (07:02.667)
Exactly, yes. And he was the first one to invent it, the packaging of the pineapple on site. I have newspapers of those years that his company was Pan American Company. He was the one who invented the packaging to package and to refrigerate it and to take it the United States. Innovation.

Doug Dvorak (07:29.319)
And that’s part of the mission possible mindset, seeing one thing and then envisioning one man’s junks, another man’s treasure. So your father saw this dilapidated going to scrap, but he saw an opportunity. So Alfredo, growing up in Mexico, what values or experiences shaped your entrepreneurial spirit?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (07:48.459)
Let me show you one thing here. I have a book here. This is my father and my mother. see them. And let me just show you this because this will give you an idea of his first ship. And here’s with my mother. It was called Marjorie E. You see it? You can see it?

Doug Dvorak (07:54.229)
Pepe and yes.

Please.

Doug Dvorak (08:10.927)
Is that your dad and mom on top above the Marjorie E? Wow.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (08:14.034)
Yes, yes, that’s one of the chips and this is a book I made for them. My, my brothers and me will both read this book about my parents and their, their life.

Doug Dvorak (08:18.289)
So, so.

Doug Dvorak (08:27.707)
That’s exciting. So your dad, born in Lebanon.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (08:31.881)
No, but I have born in Mexico.

Doug Dvorak (08:34.215)
Your grandfather, born in Lebanon, moved because of war, looming and draft, very humble beginnings. So what shaped your entrepreneurial spirit? Was it your dad’s entrepreneurial spirit? But what really, growing up in Mexico, what shaped your values and your entrepreneurial spirit? You could have gone in another direction. You could have been a college professor. You could have been a doctor.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (08:36.638)
Yeah.

Doug Dvorak (09:01.969)
Talk to us about what shaped those early entrepreneurial spirits within you, Alfredo.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (09:06.634)
Well, my father, he was very, very close to us, to the sons. And so when I got 12, 13 years old, he always take me with him to the factories, always. And I always was watching him. Let me tell you a story of, Vail, years ago in Vail, when I was there with my kids, they were really small.

took them to a ski school. And it was expensive, know, there no times to ski school. So I put them with a ski school. So I left them there. And then at the afternoon, I saw them coming down the hill. So I saw them for a while. And I saw that the ski structure…

Just was skin and brunt and the kids were following me. So when they came back, told his name was Mark. I hey Mark, you know, I pay a lot of money and I watched you for a while and I don’t see you give them any lessons. And he said, you’re wrong, Alfredo. We teach by imitation. You know, so they follow me.

And then they start doing what I’m doing. And I hope that’s a lesson for you in life. What you do, your kids will do. It’s imitation. So my father took me to the factories. I, since I was a kid, I said I want to be a businessman. I don’t want to be a doctor. I don’t want to be this or that or whatever. I want to be a businessman.

So that’s why I started.

Doug Dvorak (11:06.151)
So he took you early on to the factories and exposed you to that and that really resonated with you. What are the top three gifts your father gave you?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (11:19.273)
Well, he gave me, you know, I think that the gift that he gave me was to be truthful with myself, you know, to be honest, to be honest and hard work. You know, think those are the big values that I got from him.

Doug Dvorak (11:38.907)
and lot of love, because your family is very loving.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (11:40.712)
Oh yeah, oh yeah, a lot of luck truly. The family values, that’s a very Mexican.

Doug Dvorak (11:46.107)
Yeah, so let’s.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (11:51.845)
to have a family values.

Doug Dvorak (11:55.207)
Absolutely, and family is very strong and important in Mexico. So Alfredo, let’s talk about your business journey and strategy. What was the first big opportunity that put you on the map as a businessman? Not maybe working for your dad, but what big risk? What was that first opportunity, sort of like your dad, seeing that Navy ship and having a vision and it was successful. What was that first big opportunity that put you on the map as a successful entrepreneur and businessman?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (12:25.352)
Well, you know, it comes in the 80s. I was running for my family division of textile, big division. We were the largest yarn producers in Latin America. So I export a lot of yarn to Europe. Well, 30 % of my production. So one day I wake up and I see that Mexico opened.

borders. We always were protected, our borders were protected, industry was protected. So, suddenly they opened it, but open and wide open. So I said, wow, this is bad. So I went to see my father and told him, look dad, I’m going to sell all these factories. I had 8,000 implements on textiles.

I had several companies and I said, I’m going to sell them. I said, why not? That was the late 80s. I said, you know, I’ll tell you why, because I export to Europe. We export to Europe, as you know, but we start exporting until March or February because the first three months, Europeans buy all the products from Asia.

from China and from India. They sell at my raw material cost. That was their price. So I couldn’t sell anything until they filled their quotes, then I start selling. So I told my father, know, if this is open, Chinese are gonna come and Asians are gonna come and they’re not gonna disappear.

So I’m going to sell it and I’m going to change it. I have to change. So he stayed in plastics with my brother and then I moved to aerospace and that was the big thing I did. I started with helicopters. I saw an opportunity to give service.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (14:51.303)
to Medicare, to Mexico government. So I went to a bid, I won the bid for three or four helicopters. I went to Dallas, I met the vice presidents of Bell Helicopters. Then that’s very important, the relations. They did a very strong relations with them. So I convinced them to do a joint venture with me.

in Mexico and I create Bell Helicopters of Mexico and start selling helicopters and operating helicopters. Took a big risk, big risk because it was a lot of capital investment. I didn’t know nothing about helicopters. But I need to change. So I changed and that was the moment I really changed my life. Changed my life because I learned something that how…

American companies work those big companies, you know Bell Helicopter is a strategic American military company and so they have a tremendous structure so I learned how to manage and I learned the English business language and that really gave me all the all my background to create another type of companies then I did two

I went for auto parts and grand chefs. But that was, I think, main, the biggest change I did in my life.

Doug Dvorak (16:27.441)
So it was a pivotal moment. You saw these looming threats from Asia and India, China that was adversely affecting your market. And you said, I need to get out because the business, the margins are shrinking, done. And so you took a risk. now, and I’ve visited your Bell helicopter hangar. It’s one of the largest, well, it is the largest in Latin America, right?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (16:43.737)
Gone.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (16:56.486)
Sure, yes. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and I became number one sales helicopters in the world in Mexico, know, military and offshore. And that took me to another type of industries because then I started transporting labor to platforms offshore. So then one of my sons started, they started with me in the same.

Doug Dvorak (16:57.499)
Yeah, very impr-

ALFREDO MIGUEL (17:25.807)
They started like young kids. I send them to bail to work for a year and learn how to manage a company like one of the best US companies manage. You know, how to do the accounting management, the foreign corrupt practice acts, all these compliances that…

to have like a global company.

Doug Dvorak (18:00.517)
Interesting. So how do you identify and nurture talent within your various businesses?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (18:09.23)
Well, executives, my collaborators.

Doug Dvorak (18:12.945)
Just in general, yeah, in your culture, in your businesses, when you see someone who you see has potential, how do you identify and nurture that talent in terms of a career path for them?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (18:27.79)
Well, I know, you know, I have an incubator. I told you about my incubator.

Doug Dvorak (18:36.357)
No, I’m not familiar with your incubator. Share with us that, please.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (18:39.639)
Okay, well, when I grew now and my kids start getting old, they start working with me, now they run the companies and they have done it much better than me. They grew tremendously because I think they were more prepared. But then I personally said, well, I have to do something to create more impact, not just money, but now social impact. So I create an incubator.

for startups, for small businesses. So I already created around 1200 startups. Yeah, 1200. Yeah, for girls that in their garage, they do ice creams or of guys that whatever do food to sell to jail or all type of…

Doug Dvorak (19:19.655)
Wow, 1200? Wow.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (19:38.293)
And because there were programs from the government to support with money. So my incubator, I bring open, they become the kids, they account the projects. We give them courses, management courses based on Harvard of how to sell, how to account and how to be formal entrepreneurs.

Not informal, but informal. Very important that for me to be informal. that’s where I understand how the talent of the people, because I talk to them, I speak with them and sometimes motivation, they have to see honestly, have to be that you are honest,

that your success, you have to be an example for them. So that’s my most important view. And you saw one of those, you saw the one at the Capixcline Morelos, the one of the agriculture. It’s one of the, I incubated that one in my incubator.

Doug Dvorak (20:51.675)
Yeah, I want to talk.

Doug Dvorak (20:56.807)
That’s fascinating. I had the opportunity to visit Alfredo and his family a couple of years ago. And before I went to Mexico, he said, I can take you to the normal tourist spots, but I think what would be of interest to you is a special treat. So Alfredo took us to this location, maybe an hour, hour and a half outside of Mexico City, which with these grow buildings, and I have no clue what it was. So unpack for us, if you will.

the genesis of that, the challenges of trying to cobble together, because I don’t know indigenous or land laws, but it’s really tough. So walk me through what that business is, your vision, and what it is today.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (21:41.572)
Yeah, well, look, this part of the country is the part that I love because my father built a country home that we spent weekends. And then when my kids grow, because we live in Mexico City at 7,200 feet above sea level. And that one is 1,000.

So really, go weekends to go out of the altitude and go to lowlands. So that place I liked very much and my kids really loved it. And there’s a lot of poor people, lot, many, many little towns, but very poor. They’re under the poor line. They’re extremely poor. And so I said, and it was because of the…

Mexican policies through the Mexican Revolution. The government gave to the Ejido. I don’t know if heard about the Ejido. They just give the land to the prisons, but very small pieces. They don’t have money. They starve. don’t have… So it’s not…

They can’t compete with big companies. So it’s full of those little producers. But they know how to produce and they’re good people. I said, well, I’m going to create here an impact, social impact. So I went there and first we, I said, they need technology. So we brought these high-tech green houses.

produce tomatoes in big scale, 24 kilos per square meter per year. When in an open field, produces four or five kilos. This is high-tech.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (23:59.33)
Then I said, I need to change the mentality of these people. First, have to show all of them what it means technology, innovation and productivity. So 24 kilos, okay, it’s three or four kilos. Then they, in a hectare, they produce corn. And they were producing, two, they’re producing two tons, two tons per year.

It’s unbelievable. Per hectare. When high tech in the north, they produce 18 or 20 tons per hectare. Why? Because they don’t have technology. They still do their 400 years techniques. So I said, have to convince these people. They’re a dog. So first I’ll show them the tomatoes.

Doug Dvorak (24:39.908)
all.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (24:57.954)
And then I did another division of big relation. They are big producers of avocado, but very small producers. And are fixed. And their avocado, they produce it and they sell it on the streets or markets and they get almost nothing. So I brought them with us, like 250 producers. We got their trust first, they didn’t have trust in us.

And we gave them a, because they are very humble and they see big companies and they say, well, so they get scared. you have to be very, you have to then teach them, train them. I brought psychologists to talk to them and help them in their way of life and show them how to produce a product that could be exported.

mixed water with inoculation and to be safe for food to eat it. Sorry about my English. But then they learned, they bring their products. We have a packaging, high-tech packaging. They all are part of it. And then refrigeration. And then we…

We export all that avocado, all that of 250 producers to Dubai, to Kuwait, to Singapore, to Malaysia. And they’re doing much more, much better. But not just the money, because I have teams that talk to them and talk with their family and show them how to have a better life and to social security. so,

And so it’s really to improve the life of people. And that’s what really moves me.

Doug Dvorak (27:05.711)
Yeah, I hear you talking about these new businesses, it’s more about significance than success. It will be successful, but leading with giving back and social impact. when Kathy and I visited that very cool factory, you proudly said that a lot of these families that live around the factory

the men or husbands or fathers went to the U.S. to try to make a living and that would disrupt the family. Right now by what you created it’s not just about giving jobs, it’s keeping families together. You have nutrition, healthcare, childcare, and if I recall you give each family the opportunity to get transportation via a moped. So talk about beyond the real impact

beyond giving them a living wage, it’s health care, it’s child care, and it’s keeping families together and also keeping the monies in those local communities.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (28:03.359)
it.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (28:13.066)
Sure, you know, right now we’re having this situation of the illegal immigration. And so we are very concerned about it. Me as Mexican, I’m very concerned because I know there are people that went to the United States to work. There are good people that they care about.

sacrifice to live their families and to brother. So there’s a lot of many Mexicans illegal growing out in the United States, but they’re not going anymore. No more Mexicans are going. And they’re not going Mexicans, not because there’s barriers or there’s walls, not because today Mexico is giving a lot of opportunities. There’s change. You know, the ones that are crossing are

coming from South America and Central America or Haiti or other part places through our borders. But Mexicans, they’re not crossing. The ones that are in the States, well, they are there now. They are and they have to be solved that thing about the… Because I agree. I agree with the policy that they have to be legal and not illegal. But…

But you’re true. This type of impact programs that we do, and I’m not the only one to do it. A lot of Mexican interpreters were doing this to keep the families in Mexico so they don’t have to move to the United States and move illegally there, you know? They can stay in Mexico and work here and do all this healthcare, all this…

education, schools, hospitals, everything is a big work.

Doug Dvorak (30:14.331)
Yeah, and if you look at the history of this country, we took a third of Mexico. And, you know, some people go on a rant about immigration in Mexico. I have a deep love, affection and respect for Mexican culture, the country. I was an exchange student for a year in the early 80s, and I travel around this country every week. And if it weren’t for immigrants, specifically Mexicans, I wouldn’t have a meal.

an Uber ride or a clean house. So I’m really appreciative of the sacrifices that they have made. But I’d like to switch a little bit to your earlier point that Mexicans are staying in Mexico. Not so much they’re fearful of traveling to the U.S. for opportunities because the opportunities are existing now in Mexico. If you just look at the

US Mexico border, all that manufacturing that is exploding, pharmaceuticals. Tell me about what was the tipping point or why is the business climate so much different and better in Mexico now versus 10 or 20 years ago?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (31:29.641)
Well, first, the near-shoring. Near-shoring is right now the big opportunity of Mexico. Mexico has tremendous advantages because it’s strategically geographic. have a very, very high workforce. We have a stabilized economy.

So that’s why you see much and much more investment from US companies and European and all countries in the world investing in Mexico. one important thing, obviously, and now with the duties, duties, United States tariffs, that the United States is putting to China.

Mexico’s going to be benefited tremendously. As long as, you know, as long as United States do what he’s done until today, they put tariffs to Mexico, but they put the lowest tariffs, not over all the countries, 15 % of tariffs. So it’s very competitive. So that’s why I think Mexico has a tremendous opportunity. As you say, the North is impressive. You know, in Monterey, you cannot …

You cannot find a warehouse. Construction is booming. know, it’s even in Juarez, all the border. And now coming southern Mexico, no?

Doug Dvorak (33:09.991)
Yeah. So Alfredo, what do you think outsiders often misunderstand about doing business in Mexico?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (33:19.132)
Well, you know, that question is … Let me analyze it a little bit. First, let’s see if outsiders have confidence in Mexico or not. I think more than 50 % of the formal labor in Mexico, private.

out of government, instead of US companies.

Doug Dvorak (33:52.551)
50 %? Wow.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (33:53.564)
Yes. See, see, see, see companies like Walmart that has, I don’t know, I don’t know, 300,000 or 400,000 employees in Mexico. You have Uber, I don’t know how many. You have Google, have a Ford Motor Company. Huge, huge. So, so your question is what type of entrepreneurs don’t have trust in Mexico? The big corporations, they all have.

They’re just, they all have, they know they don’t have any problems with the cartels. They don’t have any problems with the government. They have communication, have transportation. They’re highways, already big infrastructure. I think one of the biggest difference between years to now is the infrastructure. Metro has grown in infrastructure.

very much so to get ready for all these investments, know, in roads, in electricity, in water, all the infrastructure, education that you need, schools, labor. So now what type of entrepreneurs don’t have trust in Mexico? I don’t know, maybe middle, entrepreneurs that they’re afraid of.

safety? don’t know. I want you to please, in your question, specify me more, a little bit more.

Doug Dvorak (35:29.063)
Sure. What can business people and entrepreneurs, sometimes they misunderstand the Mexican culture, the Mexican people, they see just the headlines, drug cartels, fentanyl. What are some misunderstandings that outside investors have about doing business in Mexico?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (35:56.933)
Well, know, obviously all these, news are terrible, you know, talking about all these cartels and, you know, we are big companies in my group, my family. We never have a problem with any cartel. We don’t even know them, you know. Maybe we saw them in the newspapers or the TV personally.

They were shit cartel guys. know, cartels are very, how can I tell you, very focused on their job, on their work. They’re focused on their producing their drugs that sent to the United States. That’s a problem that the two countries have to work. And they’re starting to work very strong. I think this government of our president

Dr. Sheinbaum, she’s really, really doing something that I’m surprised and I applaud about how she is combating the drugs on the fentanyl. And so I think the Americans that had some misunderstanding or

They understand because of the news. They have to be a little bit more, study a little bit more, come to Mexico and see what really is happening like you did. think you are one of the Americans that I know that knows more Mexico than somebody else. You visited almost all the country and you have seen all the sectors and the poor people, the rich people.

the art, the museums, you know. What can I tell to Americans that want to visit Mexico? To come in. Their chambers, their organizations, huge organizations in this country. Of commerce, there’s the Mexico-U.S. Chamber of Commerce. They will tell them everything, how to do business in Mexico. I think it’s very easy now.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (38:26.382)
and very profitable.

Doug Dvorak (38:28.165)
Yeah, I’ve had the play.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (38:29.453)
And you guys have to leave China. You have to leave China and come to Mexico.

Doug Dvorak (38:36.167)
Yeah, I think it’s a big tipping point, the whole global supply chain and we’re seeing businesses move from Asia Pacific to Mexico, Latam and the US. I’ve been to 154 countries, I’ve been to all 50 states.

and our love for all things Mexico, specifically Mexico City. I had never been to Mexico City and I’ve been there twice in the last three years. The first time you graciously invited us, I was blown away. Mexico City is better than Paris. The food, the safety, the diversity, the architecture, the theater, it blew me away and we were on the streets.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (39:14.231)
and

Okay.

Doug Dvorak (39:23.367)
at eight in the morning, eight in the evening, two a.m. I felt very safe. But just that the international feel, vibe, food, culture and the best museums, the best museums on the planet. So I would encourage all my listeners to go to Mexico, not just the beaches, but go to Mexico City. truly is a world class city. So Alfredo, I want to want to shift real quick to leadership and mindset.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (39:38.522)
Thank

ALFREDO MIGUEL (39:45.306)
the

ALFREDO MIGUEL (39:50.97)
Yeah.

Doug Dvorak (39:53.255)
What separates a good business leader from a great one in your eyes?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (39:59.47)
Well, I think a great leader manages, a great leader inspires. think that’s a big difference. Inspires. Inspires innovation. Inspires motivation. Inspires to make his collaborators be better people in all sense. I think that’s one of the biggest…

the difference they see of a good leader to a great leader.

Doug Dvorak (40:34.535)
Excellent. So how do you maintain your focus and discipline? Let’s say I was in a big room and I had all your business organization charts out there. Businesses that you’ve had in textiles when you own those was 8,000 employees. How do you maintain focus and discipline when managing juggling all these balls, social responsibility, family, tens of thousands of employees? But how do you maintain focus and discipline?

yourself.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (41:05.283)
Well, first, first I am very disciplined on numbers. I believe, I think that the language of business is accountant. So first of all, all our businesses have kept up. Perfect account, almost. This is accounting, perfect. So having information, having the accounting is first thing.

to really control businesses. And having accounting, you know where you’re going. You know where you’re standing. And it’s not easy. I’m just telling you. But today, today’s getting easier with the tools that we have with the IT. IT had changed a lot of things. That’s why I love Bill Gates with Microsoft, because I think that was a huge change on the…

on business to really have the information. And that’s why then I focus and day to day then I focus on their problems and then I put more time with their problems to solve the problems. Now I have my sons that they’re really running the companies. So I have more time now for my wife and for Gina that I love and my dog and all the things that I before I

have so much time and for my social work.

Doug Dvorak (42:37.871)
Excellent. So you brought up innovation and Microsoft. I was in technology for about 30 years and I was there in the early 90s at the explosion of the internet email and it was an incredible time of productivity and technical change. And I tell my clients today, you’re in the business you’re in, but what’s the second business you’re in?

That’s information technology to use and leverage that as a competitive advantage. Where I’m going with this next question is, I believe we’re at the first inning, the ground floor with AI. What are your thoughts on AI? Are you embracing it with your businesses? Are you afraid of it? What are your thoughts on AI?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (43:20.792)
you

Oh no, no, no, I’m not afraid of it. We’re embracing it. We’re starting, you know, like in our rigs, in our… We are oil producers.

We have 10 rigs in shallow waters in the Gulf of Mexico. we produce, our rig, our wells that we produce for the government, it’s not our oil, produce 350,000 barrels a day. So we are very, my son, Freddie, he did a, know, Steve Jobs in his book.

He talked about the elevator pitch. I know if you’re aware of the elevator pitch. That he was the elevator in his offices. And a guy came in and tells him, hey, I want to propose you a project. Said, you have the time that I go in the elevator and explain your project. And that was the other. It was the guy that told him how to…

to scroll the… So then in management, elevator pitch. In mine creator, we teach our startups to explain in two or three minutes to investors their projects. Yeah, exactly. But then, But then it really massive.

Doug Dvorak (45:00.593)
Sort of like Shark Tank.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (45:08.95)
volume, it’s not like short then, but you know, somewhat similar. And then, then in drilling, my son said, there was a big problem that the oil company, state company, took a long time to drill a well. You you drill a well 5,000 meters. You go in the water to the bed of the…

go 60 meters and then you go 5,000 meters. So he created, we created a pits, pits pitch, pits, like Formula One pits. You see how the cars come to the pits and they change their, they used to change it in, I don’t know, years ago, it took them a minute or 30 seconds or today they come in and in two seconds.

Doug Dvorak (45:52.007)
Yes.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (46:06.976)
Two seconds, they changed the wheels, boom, and they leave. So that’s when we created the pit speech. What’s the pit speech? Everybody is ready. When the car comes, everybody knows what to do and has the tool to do it. Boom, they do it, and boom. If one misses, it ruins everything. So when we start drilling,

wells. When we start drilling, everybody has to be ready. Everybody knows what to do. Everybody has the tooling and the products and the mud and the lubricant. Everything, pow! And we, the state company, made a well in 120, in 180 days. We do it in 30 days. And it’s productivity, you know. So,

So I think, so then now we’re using IT. We’re using AI, AI, sorry. We’re starting to use AI because with AI, you know, when the well, you’re receiving the information of gases or fuel or with AI, can redirect and.

correct and it’s going to be big change and it’s starting, know, starting. there’s not, in AI you need a lot of information. know, billions of information still in some areas like drilling, you don’t have enough information for AI to really give you a good solution.

But I believe the AI is going to benefit. You know, I have read a lot about people are scared that many jobs are going to be lost. But, you know, we have to work on it. We can stop it, man. We can’t stop it. We have to go for it. You know, I don’t think that the government should regulate it, maybe a little bit, but…

ALFREDO MIGUEL (48:35.861)
He has to go. You have to go for it. I don’t know what you think or what…

Doug Dvorak (48:40.935)
Yeah, I think the genie’s out of the bottle and I’m pretty close and pretty well versed in technology and AI. And I think in 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 years, we’re gonna look back and this is gonna be a seminal moment in the history of civilization on a multitude of factors. Pharmaceutical, science, prolonging life. I think it’s amazing. And I say, don’t be afraid of it.

Embrace it and and I say that AI think of a like this It’s ostensibly free or $20 a month for chat GPT-5 think of it as you having a super assistant for free that’ll Do some work for you. That doesn’t cost you a penny. You don’t have to manage. You don’t have to clothe You don’t have to ensure it’s amazing and I’m seeing that real time the impact

ALFREDO MIGUEL (49:23.221)
Thank

ALFREDO MIGUEL (49:28.245)
Thank

Doug Dvorak (49:39.747)
of AI in Boise. For example, at Micron, you can’t believe Micron is a chip manufacturer. number of huge construction cranes. Facebook in Nampa is building a huge data center that’s going to employ 5,000 people. These are good paying jobs. The need for growing and scaling

ALFREDO MIGUEL (49:39.829)
.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (49:47.443)
I know.

Doug Dvorak (50:05.647)
effective access to inexpensive energy for these data centers. So I say embrace it and if you don’t understand it, embrace it. It’s a key skill for the future. So you’ve got a incubator and you work with local entrepreneurs. Talk to me about some exciting ideas that are percolating in that incubator now that you’re excited about.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (50:13.972)
.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (50:23.988)
Thank

ALFREDO MIGUEL (50:35.624)
Well, they’re simple. They’re not very sophisticated. There’s some ones that are really in IT. Many are ITs. You know, they do some programs for hotels to see how was your experience in the hotel. You know, there’s many in ITs. Another ones are simple things like I told you. A girl that…

produces cookies that are, that are, sure less, that they say that you won’t get fat, you know, wellness and many of those things, many, many things of cooking, of food. Another one’s of tooling, tooling tool, unbelievable for tooling, food for protein, food for, for jail or for, you know, Mexico gives,

think it’s six million breakfast a day to kids free. yeah, at least yes, in Mexico. Yeah, free for the kids. You know, the education is free in Mexico. So they give them in the mornings, they give them their breakfast. So there’s startups that come and send the package.

Doug Dvorak (51:42.257)
Six million.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (52:03.805)
that has better protein and better for the health and more study food that could benefit the kids. So those are the things that really passion me. So many, so many you can believe opportunities. People really, and I love them, the people, that’s what I tell everybody on the kids.

Guys, work for yourself. Try not to be employed. If you have, well, if you have to be employed, be employed. But, you know, try to do something for yourself. There’s so huge opportunities. Take the risk. Take the risk, know?

Doug Dvorak (52:47.751)
Huge opportunity. Because once you’re an employer, you don’t want to be an employee again.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (52:54.447)
And, you know, and as you said, you know, you have to adapt. It’s like Darwin said, the species, the species that survive through the billions of years, we’re the ones that adapt to the change, no? So we have to adapt. Now with the AI, we have to adapt. And that’s what we teach our kids, to really be innovative and to adapt to change and work.

Work is … You have to tell them you have to work. I remember somebody said, work hard, works.

Doug Dvorak (53:33.777)
work hard works, you know.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (53:35.602)
I know somebody that said that one day. It’s called the work. Hard work. Hard work. Hard work.

Doug Dvorak (53:40.101)
Yeah. Hard work works. know, hard work works. I’ll take can do over IQ any day. But what advice Alfredo would you give to young Mexican entrepreneurs who want to create impact and not just income beyond taking the risk, identifying a business niche or opportunity? But what advice would you Alfredo give to Mexican entrepreneurs, young people?

not only in Mexico, but here in the US and our global audience on entrepreneurs who want to create impact, not just income.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (54:16.796)
Well, first, they have to dream. They have to dream, man. You have to have dream, and you have to dream on what you can do on your life. And then you focus on what impact you can do. You have to dream. And then put it in action. You know, I think one of my big success in life has been I dream things or I vision things. I put it in action.

In extra one example of stammering.

Doug Dvorak (54:48.999)
Yeah, talk to us about Tamarack. So it’s 1996, 97, and there’s this resort or kind of a resort, not even a resort, an idea of a resort about two and a half hours northwest of Boise. Take us through that story, because it is really fascinating.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (54:55.025)
Yeah.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (55:11.313)
Well, you know, when I was a kid, started skiing in Bretton Ridge, I told you. That was in the 70s. Then I went to Vail, and me and my father, started resting in Vail. And we were partners, we were kind of associates. We were pioneers in Beaver Creek, where you live, and then Arrowhead. single tree, through the golf course.

do the golf course with developments. So I saw how the industry was growing on real estate. It was unbelievable, unbelievable. I told you about Potato Patch, I had a lot of $30,000 and then sold it to guy in $70,000. Months later, he sold it to $150,000. My God, I don’t know how many million dollars.

They’re patched now, worked. So I started, they said in the 90s, well, I want to do skibishu. I want to do it. There was so much in Mexico, we lived with so many crisis because we had, there was stability in the 60s, but the 70s came.

And we have socialist, very leftist guy that really ruled the economy. And we started having tremendous inflation. The banks were… My father had a bank. We were expropriated in the 80s. So there was a lot of crisis. So said, I want to do something in the United States business. So what about…

but I want a real impact. So I said, I want to a skim resort. And somebody, was doing in Cancun a project and there was a French gentleman that I hired him to to tell me to project the Port of Cancun in Cancun, some port. And he told me, and he said, do you ski? I said, sure, and I want to do a ski resort.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (57:38.033)
So, well, I did things in Europe. So, why don’t come with me to Idaho? There’s a place you have to see. It was in 90s. So I said, okay, let’s go. we went to Idaho, and then he showed me the mountain. There was nothing. It was just a camel. It was a dead rod.

He said, man, you know, and there was a company, was called Balboa, and went bankrupt. They couldn’t get the permits. know, Taggart, his name was an architect, Taggart, from Boise. Very nice guy, but he couldn’t get the permits, so they went bankrupt. So I said, I want to talk to Governor Bet at that time.

and I said, you know, I studied that, as you know, the story of the Valley. It’s very important, story of the Valley, of the Valley County, because let’s go back to the 17th century. It was French, it was fur trappers.

The industry was food trappers. It was a huge industry in Europe, so they went all the way to America. They went to the mountains in Idaho, and they took the poor, sent them to England, to Paris, to all the places, the food trappers. So then Jefferson, when he became president of the United States, 1800, 1800, very early, he was very concerned.

because the port of New Orleans, where half of the commerce of the United States changed hands from France to Spain, Napoleon to put it to his brother in Spain. So he was concerned that problems could block the commerce of the United States. So he said, commission, with Napoleon to buy

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:00:02.458)
port of New Orleans. And they went with Napoleon and they told him that Mr. Jefferson wants to buy the port of…

I said, no, no, I don’t sell the port of New Orleans. I sell the Louisiana territory to Mr. Jefferson. And they said the Louisiana, what Louisiana territory? It’s from the Mississippi all the way to the Rockies. And they said because Napoleon was already fed up with America, he lost 15,000 soldiers in Santo Domingo.

So he said, I’m done. I don’t want to know nothing about it. I have to fight against these Brits, fighting against the British all the time, and so I need money. So he sold it for $50 million, that territory. And he said, and I’m selling it because I want that there be a new country that could fight against the Britons.

Napoleon idea to create the United States, a strong country that could be balanced to the British. So then he did the Lewis and Clark expedition because he wanted to find a pathway, a water pathway

Doug Dvorak (01:01:34.431)
expedition

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:01:41.881)
to the Pacific, so they went to the Mississippi and then Missouri, it was impossible. They encountered the mountains, the tribes. Sometimes they fight, sometimes they were helpful animals, so they came back, and they said there’s no way to do a waterway to the Pacific, but all they

put all the cartography. So the caravans start going to the west. So they went to the west, people start going to the west and they came to the valley and then the gold rush came. And the gold rush, there was a lot of gold in Idaho. There was…

What’s the name of this little town that I’ve been on my bike? Yellow Pine. Yellow Pine had 20, 24,000 people in 1920. Today there’s nobody there. I’ve been on my motorcycle and then the gold rush. So my call, everything was just booming. Gold finished. So then…

Doug Dvorak (01:02:40.667)
Yellow pine, yeah.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:03:08.682)
next industry, the timber, the wood. So sawmills, Boise Cascade, all the sawmills in the valley, two big sawmills. And then President Clinton passed a bill to ban the clear cut and to just selective cut. before you could, you had permits to have, you know.

20 acres of wood, of trees, cut it. No, put it to the summits. But then with that bill, was selective cut. So all the summits went bankrupt. So the valley went to a terrible situation, a terrible situation, know, Macaulay. There was no employment. The young kids started living, started living. So then that’s what …

really motivate me and they said, well, they have to keep a permit. That’s what I told the governor, Brad, governor, you know, the only way to keep the valley again, some income and people stay there is creating a resort, you know, man company without chimneys. And I said, well, you’re right, but you have to

Pay the locals what these guys from Balboa owe them. And I said, well, in the bankruptcy, I said, those are no, there no records. Those are loans that you have to pay them.

So I put a tent in Cascade. So I bought the land, the two ranches, was the Beeler Ranch and the Wellamuister Ranch. were cattle ranches. And then I went to Cascade, put up a tent, said, okay, who owns this company I’m gonna pay? And $6 million, you know. There were guys.

Doug Dvorak (01:05:24.795)
Wow.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:05:26.348)
There were guys that came and said, you know, like a lawyer in McCall, and I’m not gonna say his name, but he says, they owe me $240,000. I $240,000? They didn’t pay you at all? No? Well, I said, I know because I knew you had deals that they were gonna pay you with.

lots. now, back up now, you want to… But you know, I had a commitment with the governor, so I paid everybody. I paid people that had trucks, I paid people on gasoline stations, everybody. So everybody got their money, so I got the support of the community first. Secondly, then I started working hard. The governor kept to the west.

tremendous support. Kempthorne told me, you know, we have to do this up-trend because I don’t like the kids. They don’t have opportunities. They’re leaving the valley. There’s no opportunity in Idaho. So he supported tremendously the owner, Dick Kempthorne. So, but let me tell you a story. I went to a human myself in Cascade with a local community. And then they start, you know, you are going to destroy our mountains.

and you’re coming to our animals and this and that and suddenly, hold on, hold on, hold on. I’m coming here to restore what you have destroyed in a hundred years with your cattle. Because here in the land I just bought, there’s two creeks. One is Rock Creek and the other one is Poison Creek. And they’re full of debris, some cows, and they’re no fish and they’re full of mud. And I’m bringing…

all these engineers that they’re going to restore the original course and clean them. And clean them, so I’m going to restore. And I’m going to bring a community here. They’re come here. They’re going to be educated people. They’re going to protect the mountains. They will be always thinking how to protect.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:07:54.764)
and how to protect the animals and help to this valley to be better, we’re not coming to destroy it. So it was great experiences, and people got convinced, so they gave me the premise, and then we know the story. And okay, we start doing it. It was a big success until 2008, that there was a terrible situation in the United States. Even Lehman Morales was broke.

All the real estate companies, big companies, all went broke. know, the big recession. So Tamra came into our… And then came people like you and beautiful homeowners and me too. And I never leave. I never left. I gave my… You know, I never took a penny out of the loans that the company took.

Doug Dvorak (01:08:38.51)
and you.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:08:53.599)
never took a penny. So I had my face. I went to the judges. went to I went to deposition hearings. I learned more of law. But I was always there to show the community and show people like you that I was not going to leave. That I believe in Tamarack.

And then I put my money in front. didn’t do nothing wrong. And I was going to stay there until things were fixed. And you know the story now. Now we have great owners, the Navarro family, a great CEO that is Scott Charleston. And I’m so happy the way it’s becoming. So that’s the story.

Doug Dvorak (01:09:37.733)
Navarro family.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:09:49.993)
My story.

Doug Dvorak (01:09:51.387)
That’s a wonderful story. And I think it speaks to the love that you and I and many others have and had for Tamarack at its lowest point. And I believe it’s the only time in the history of development that the homeowners actually got together and put their own money in when the economy was at its lowest. But we knew we had an asset of value. And because of your vision and your commitment

what you saw back in the late 90s really created the beautiful asset that it is today.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:10:28.933)
And you know, and one thing that I love is when we immigrated, I was walking with Governor Kenton inside the kitchens and all the kids that were working there, Kenton said, Hey Joe, how are you? How’s your father? How’s your mother? And he saw me and said, Alfredo, that’s what I want. Exactly that the kids of the Valley stay and have a work and have a global.

a global mentality to talk with the international people and have education. That’s what… So we are… I think it was accomplished. The origin and the vision was accomplished. There was obviously… Well, you know, all these resorts, there’s Beaver Creek, when it took I don’t know how many years to take off Beaver Creek. So…

So for now, it’s a story of success and you know, what’s the most important thing is the community, homeowners that kept it open, it alive. Unbelievable. My heart just beats when I think about it. I have a family in my veins. Gina, my wife, we’ve been all around the world.

Doug Dvorak (01:11:48.519)
and I can see it when I…

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:11:56.713)
We got a yacht. And she says, best place for me in my life is Tamarack.

Doug Dvorak (01:12:02.893)
a great story. So Alfredo, it’s been a high honor and privilege to spend some time with you here today. I know our listeners are really going to enjoy that. I end every podcast, I call it the rapid fire round. So I’m going to ask you a series of about seven questions, one or two word response. Are you ready?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:12:23.081)
Okay, yeah.

Doug Dvorak (01:12:25.103)
Okay, the best piece of advice you’ve ever received.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:12:30.077)
Be honest.

Doug Dvorak (01:12:31.739)
What keeps you up at night as a business leader?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:12:35.539)
Responsibility of all the people that works for me.

Doug Dvorak (01:12:40.215)
one Mexican value the world should adopt.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:12:44.051)
family.

Doug Dvorak (01:12:45.487)
A habit you credit for your success.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:12:52.369)
My father is leadership and guidance.

Doug Dvorak (01:12:58.297)
If you weren’t a businessman, what would you be doing?

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:13:02.461)
Maybe teaching. I love.

Doug Dvorak (01:13:06.683)
Favorite place in Mexico to relax and recharge.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:13:10.877)
My house with my wife.

Doug Dvorak (01:13:13.475)
Excellent and the title of today’s podcast is mission possible your biggest mission possible moment so far

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:13:23.666)
By far, Tamarind Resort.

Doug Dvorak (01:13:26.723)
Excellent. Well Alfredo the hour and 15 minutes has flown It’s been a high honor and privilege to spend some time with you and to hear your journey and your story Our guest has been Alfredo Miguel a visionary a Mexican businessman and industrialist who’s impacted the lives of tens of thousands with his mark Alfredo, thanks so much for your time It’s been a high honor and privilege and for our mission possible listeners. Check us out

at MissionPossible.biz on Spotify, on Apple, as well as YouTube. Carpe diem.

ALFREDO MIGUEL (01:14:03.292)
Thank you very much, Doug. Thank you to you and your audience. Pleasure and honor to have to be with you.

Doug Dvorak (01:14:06.203)
Thank you.