Luis Garcia, of Harlingen, is a graduate of Texas State Technical College’s Business Management Technology program. Last year he achieved his dream of owning his own business by the time he turned 40 when Vivid Promotional and Branding Products opened.
Garcia was born in Minnesota and moved to Harlingen with his family when he was in elementary school. He is a graduate of Harlingen High School and a U.S. Air Force veteran.
He is married to Stephanie Garcia, a TSTC student recruitment representative.
How did you choose TSTC and Business Management Technology?
I have always been good at sales, but I needed some experience and education in business management to help me get started. That was my goal to get back to school. I went to class when it was face to face. The program was phenomenal, and the instructors were great. I felt very encouraged and very welcomed to be in class. It made it very easy for me to want to be there. I became president of the Business Management Technology Club.
What is a typical workday like?
We do a task breakdown with what we ended on the day before and what tasks we have for the day, and we go through prioritizing them on our list to arrange the jobs and tasks that need to be accomplished. From there, we get into those tasks. We have incoming calls. We deal with business-to-business sales (because) a lot of customers cannot leave their business because they are dealing with customers. We have to go visit our customers and take them color charts or samples so they can see them. I think that is the difference between us and others in the industry.
What motivates you to wake up each day?
I want to make my business grow and not fail at the dream that I created. I have had that dream forever, and I don’t want it to fail. As a father and family man, the ability to sustain myself and provide for my kids and my family. Those are basically what keep me going.
What career advice would you give to younger people thinking of pursuing your field?
I think a lot of people have an actual instinct for what they want to do or they feel they are good at. People need to find encouragement to continue on that path, whether you want to be an office administrator or a firefighter, whatever it is. Stick to it and drive forward.
TSTC’s online Business Management Technology program offers an associate degree and a certificate of completion, along with an occupational skills award in Basic Accounting/Bookkeeping.
For more information, go to tstc.edu.
