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What does it take to walk away from a steady paycheck and bet everything on yourself? Ruben Perez, founder of RP Flooring, shares his extraordinary journey from frustrated corporate employee to thriving business owner in just eight months.
After years of building customer relationships and exceeding sales targets for someone else's company, Ruben faced the moment many dream of but few pursue—breaking free from corporate America's constraints to launch his own venture. The catalyst? A company that repeatedly failed to honor commitments and treated him as replaceable despite his outstanding performance. When his employer told him "if I knew you'd leave after five years, I never would have hired you," Ruben knew it was time to bet on himself.
The transition wasn't without challenges. Ruben candidly shares his early struggles with delegation, admitting he initially tried to handle everything from sales and installation to bookkeeping and inventory management. The breakthrough came when he realized his time was better spent leveraging his true strengths—building relationships and providing flooring expertise his customers couldn't get at big box retailers. "I could spend three hours balancing my checkbook, or I could land four or five jobs in that time," he explains.
What sets this conversation apart is Ruben's insight into the entrepreneurial mindset. He emphasizes how surrounding yourself with other business owners creates not just networking opportunities but neurological changes that enhance leadership capabilities. His customer-centric approach—sometimes turning down jobs when materials don't meet his standards—demonstrates how small businesses can outcompete corporate giants through personalization and genuine care.
Whether you're contemplating your own entrepreneurial leap or simply need inspiration to pursue what you're truly worth, this episode delivers powerful lessons about trusting yourself, delegating effectively, and building a business with reputation and relationships at its core.