Learning to Get the Best Out of Every Experience with Fran Muñoz

Today at N5 CIZ we will have the opportunity to learn about the enriching life of Fran Muñoz, from his beginnings in the human resources areas to becoming CEO and head of Brazilian fintechs.

Below you will see the key points of the interview, from how his family experienced the culture shock when they moved from Spain to Brazil to what they learned from each of their superiors. We will also see the importance of setting priorities and the value of making the best of every situation. Even so, we recommend that you watch the full video so as not to miss a talk full of valuable experiences.

Beginnings of Fran Muñoz

At first, Fran Muñoz had no plans to study business administration. In fact, he began studying industrial engineering. However, the moment came when he saw that this was not his thing and that he would be years without finishing his degree, so he leaned towards business science.

When he was starting in the business world, Fran created a company called Ares Padel, which was dedicated to the sale of rackets for sports. However, he ended up leaving him – a decision he would later regret – to start working as an employee in different companies.

He first started in the human resources area, but then he found the opportunity to enter the financial world with BBVA. Some time later, he began to do risk consulting and ended up joining the Santander group. He is currently in Brazil and is the CEO of one fintech and head of another – which becomes even more important when We take into account that Brazil is the country with the highest growth in fintech in Latin America.

Culture Shock and Its Benefits

When Fran started working in Brazil, he and his family – who came from Spain – experienced a huge culture shock. This is something that Fran marks as positive and considers that it opened her mind.

Fran greatly values ??the diversity of the region. He believes that his family has had the opportunity to learn a lot from this clash of cultures. About this Fran tells an anecdote that seemed especially important to her.

In Spain his sons had come to know the wise men more or less as everyone knows them – the one with the white beard, the one with the red beard, and the one with the brown skin. Few know the names, but most can distinguish them that way.

However, one day when he asked his son which of the wise men is his favorite, he replied that the one without a beard. Instead of noticing brown skin, as most would, he noticed the absence of a beard. That’s the importance of being exposed to diversity – especially when it comes to guys.

Every Encounter is an Opportunity to Learn

Fran Muñoz tells how the different experiences he went through throughout his life working for different people enriched him. One of those experiences occurred while working at checkout.

At one point he wanted to go to the bathroom, but when he was about to do so, his boss arrived and stopped him until he attended to a person who had been waiting in line. Fran tells how that experience taught her the enormous importance of customer service.

He also went through military service, which taught him the value of precision when communicating because his duty was to give exact coordinates. He applied a bit of that discipline in another of his jobs, which required employees to clean their desks at the end of the day – something he continues to do today that helps keep him clear.

Throughout his career, several bosses have helped him and have taught him various lessons, such as the value of reading the atmosphere in meetings – something he continues to work on – or the importance of humility even with people who have just started. known.

Why Self Doubting Can Be Counterproductive?

At one point in the interview, Julian Colombo asks a characteristic question of him, and that is what

Fran comments that something that he considers a huge mistake was having given up early with his first company, Ares Padel. He sees how that company could have enjoyed a lot of growth today.

However, at that time it was not. At that time he still did not trust himself very much and had doubts about the company. Which, as we will see in future editions of N5 CIZ, is something common in the past of many CEOs.

Fran also mentions that neglecting the family can be a big mistake. Sometimes we get so focused on work that we forget to spend time with family. That is why he now makes sure to always find time to spend with his family and enjoy every moment.

Regarding her family, Fran comments on how happy her children’s own happiness makes her. It’s what makes him feel fulfilled.

How does a CEO manage his time?

One of the things that Julián notices about CEOs in general is that they don’t usually have someone to set the tone for them, so they must always know how to organize themselves. Fran comments on this that when you have responsibility you are often alone, and that is why you have to be in the habit of identifying priorities. To separate the urgent from the important.

In his case, although he has a heavy workload, he also finds time for various recreational activities. Outside of his working life, he likes to read fantasy, philosophy, and lately technological news books.

He also greatly enjoys playing sports. He has run multiple marathons, horseback riding, cornering and sailing from time to time, and even finds time to play golf and soccer on an occasional basis.

He has even learned to play bass and managed to join a band with which he ended up playing on stage for the first time.

Fran comments how if it hadn’t been for keeping a firm record, she wouldn’t have been able to do all of these things that she set out to do. Without a doubt, developing an iron and unyielding discipline so as not to lose constancy is yet another of the challenges that CEOs face.

Tips For Young People Who Want To Go

Far At the end of the interview, Julian is interested in knowing what advice Fran would give to young people who one day want to be in her position.

To this, Fran responds with something that he himself learned working for years in the sector and relating to new cultures: the importance of humility. Regardless of the environment or the people, humility is something that cannot be lost.

He also advises young people not to forget that they can learn all the time. They should always be renewing their knowledge. It may seem difficult, but with constancy anything is possible.

People who want to go far necessarily need to have goals. Either get to a certain position, create a company, or go to live in another country. For example, Fran now has the goal of growing her company and getting it recognized in the Brazilian market. You seek success, but you also want happiness for your children, and one of your main goals is to unlearn and re-learn.

Fran would like to be remembered as someone who transformed the people around him. He wants them to think about him and say “he was a good person.”

Conclusions

Fran has come a long way from the beginning studying business administration. His career leaves us with valuable lessons to consider:

• With patience and perseverance you go far. Fran went through various positions and duties until she got to where she is today.
• Culture shock ends up being beneficial because it opens our minds to new ways of seeing things that go beyond what we are used to.
• Each experience leaves us something valuable to learn. It is up to us to take a little thing from each side and apply it to our lives.
• Sometimes it is easy to doubt ourselves. Many times, however, we are more than capable of achieving what we set out to do and it is just a matter of keep trying.
• When you’re in an important position, sometimes you don’t have anyone dictating the pattern. In those cases, it is best to know how to separate what is important from what is urgent, and act on that basis.
• Constancy, humility, and balance are things that cannot be lacking. Not just as a CEO, but as a person.

Editorial: Marcelo Frette