Luis Duarte: Build Your Own Mold
Creating your own definition of success, Hiring for values, and Building the mold where you want to fit
Luis Duarte is the CEO and Co-Founder of Amoofy, an app that helps organizations capture stakeholder stories. He’s a 3x founder, having built companies in the US and LATAM across social impact, waste management, and more. He has also been a leader in the world of philanthropy and impact investing at top family offices, including Imaginable Futures, Gary Community Investments, and more.
Luis is known by his team for:
Exceptional listening skills – even as someone who loves to talk ;)
Taking on short-term pain for the benefit of his long-term vision
Ability to create magical connection and meaning
Bringing calm to chaotic situations
In this episode, we cover:
How and when to take on short-term pain for the long-term vision
Hiring the best talent for long-term impact
People’s inherent value and capabilities
Living by your own definition of success
Building your own mold, instead of molding yourself to others’ expectations
🎧 Listen now wherever you get podcasts: Apple | Spotify
Some takeaways:
Be willing to consider non-traditional candidates - Sometimes the needs of the business make atypical candidates the best fit. Non-traditional workers can be a superpower for your business when they are best suited for the job that needs to be done.
Hire for values alignment, grit, and ability to learn - The best people aren’t always the ones who have done the exact job before. Look for candidates who match your values, learn quickly, and have a proven track record of persevering through challenges in life and work.
Hire people whose story you want to be part of - Luis can spot all-star talent, even in hidden places. When he notices that he has an excitement to be part of someone’s story, that’s a signal to follow.
Long-term vision sometimes requires short-term pain - Be willing to take on short-term pain, in order to get the best possible person for the role long-term. This will vary based on the needs of the role, and the skills required to do the job.
Believe in the inherent capabilities of people - Luis knows that everyone is inherently good and capable, but many people have not been given an opportunity to show it. Luis is willing to take a chance on talent, and to struggle through the learning curve with them. This has made a huge impact on Luis’s teams, and on the lives of the people he’s hired.
Know your company context - Luis understood that he had the support of his organization to take risks with hiring. It’s important to know the cultural and business context that you’re operating in, and to take calculated risks based on what the organization will support.
Listening is a superpower - Everyone has a unique story. Be willing to create space for others to speak up and share their experience. Listening is the key to unlocking the brilliance of your team around the table.
Prioritize open conversation - Open-ended check-in questions are well worth the time investment. When you build trust, the actual work can be done in a fraction of the time.
Pain builds strength - Luis has learned from challenging life and work experiences. All the difficulties and pain contributes to who he is today, and how he approaches life and work.
Live by your own formula of success - Embrace what is unique about you. Don’t feel the need to fit someone else’s mold. Choose your own definition of success, and find (or create!) the spaces where you can be the best fit.
Brutal honesty can come from a caring place - You can be both successful and kind. Be direct because you care and want people to grow. Hold people accountable because it makes everyone better.
When someone doubts you, use it as fuel - If someone doubts you or puts limits on you, then you can decide what to do about it. You don’t need to accept their view as gospel. You can decide to use their feedback as motivation to prove them wrong.
Build your own mold - Know your superpowers. Trust yourself. Build the mold that you want to be part of, instead of molding yourself to others’ expectations.
Learn as you go - Try things, and be willing to change when it’s no longer working.
🔍 Where to find Luis
Amoofy: https://www.amoofy.com/
🙏🏻 Gratitude
Thank you Brittany Mazin for nominating Luis
Thanks to Luis’s team for sharing feedback and stories about working for him, including Ashley Beckner, Gloria Kobow, and Samuel Emílio
📚 Referenced
📈Build your own leadership playbook
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Apply to a Fort Light cohort to level up and build your leadership toolkit
🤝 Stay in touch
Join us for more leadership lessons on Substack
Connect with the show founder and host Annie Riley
Connect with our producer Alexis Ramdaou
Best Manager Ever is a production of Fort Light and Now It’s Hear.
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