Introducing…
…. Our newest friend, business guru, and Next Fun (Ad)Venture partners…
Maverick #175 Raul Villacis
Maverick #176 Bobby MacDonald
Maverick #177 Kevin Bombino
Raul Villacis, Maverick1000 Member #175 – Stamford, Connecticut
“I like to be surrounded by people who are creative and inspire me…“
Welcome Raul! What businesses do you operate?
I have a Real Estate business, and our niche market is in the default industry. Our clients are financial corporations who hire us to analyze the value of their real estate assets that are on default. Residential Real Estate and commercial are the main product.
(Check out Advantage Realty Group Advisors here: http://www.exitadvantagect.com/)
Why did you become a member of Maverick1000 and why are you a good fit for the group?
I like to be surrounded by people who are creative and inspire me. With everything that is going on out there in the economy, it is easy to find people who complain all the time and are stuck in the negative mentality. I think the Maverick 1000 group is definitely the type of peer group that sees the world as being full of potential and opportunities for those who are willing to take risks.
What top things would you like to gain / learn / do with other Mavericks, and what unique value do you bring to the group?
I have been in business for over 13 years, and I have a successful practice. Last year, I found myself bored, even though had the biggest year in growth in my company. I know I have not reached my full potential yet, and there is so much more that I can accomplish. My passion is helping people, and my vehicle has been Real Estate. Sales is my art and I would like to find a way that I can develop an online product that will help the Real Estate community run a better business and be more productive, while having a blast doing it.
What I bring to the group is the knowledge and my experience in Real Estate. I know there is a lot of uncertainty out there, but I’m in the front line finding out what the government and the financial institutions are doing to get real estate back on track in this country. Also, I have developed a training for my salespeople called “Mind Set” that can probably help anyone that has a sales organization.
What interests, activities or hobbies do you enjoy?
I love to do extreme things like skydiving and shark diving. I also love music, and my alter ego is Jay-Z. I grew up with Hip-Hop music and I relate to it.
What’s the most “Maverick” thing you’ve ever done?
I went to a Jay Z and Eminem Concert, and I just had to be in the Floor area. It took me a while, but I talked my way in there, and ended up backstage, hanging out with their entourage in the 40/40 club that night
What’s the most significant / important contribution you’ve made to a community or nonprofit organization?
Every year we feed about 100 families in our community on Thanksgiving.
Which books, authors or programs have been a powerful influence in your business and life?
Events:
- UPW (Unleash the Power Within) with Anthony Robbins — Changed my life.
- Business Mastery with Anthony Robbins—Changed my business.
Books:
- Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert T. Kiyosaki
- As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen
- The Compound Effect, by Darren Hardy
- Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl
- The Greatest Salesman in the World, Og Mandino
- The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho and Alan R. Clarke
What’s the weirdest skill, quirk or stupid human trick you’re known for? (C’mon, we’re gonna find out anyway.)
I like to rap, even though I’m not good at it. But sometimes I throw some good rhymes.
Raul Villacis
CEO / REO Broker
Advantage Realty Group Advisors
203-249-1248 Mobile
203-964-3000 Office
www.argct.com
“Attitude is everything.”
Bobby MacDonald, Maverick1000 Member #176 – Las Vegas, Nevada
“I saw all the fun you guys were having, and I obviously wanted to be a part of it!“
Welcome Bobby! What businesses do you operate?
Welcome Bobby! What businesses do you operate?My main business is Link Emperor, an SEO software service. We think it’s the world’s most efficient and fully-automated link building tool. 😀 We also just launched a small offshoot business, PennyBacklinks.com.
I also have a business that sells alkaline water filters at IonizerOasis.com. In addition to that, there are a wide variety of smaller businesses I’ve created. I’m also getting into investing in collectible currency.
Why did you become a member of Maverick1000 and why are you a good fit for the group?
I saw all the fun you guys were having, and I obviously wanted to be a part of it! As entrepreneurs we have such flexible schedules, but there aren’t that many people who can take vacations and afford to do the cool stuff we can. So I think having a group like this is a brilliant idea.
I’m also terrible at scheduling vacations for myself, so this was a great way to force myself to check off a few cool things I’ve always promised myself I’d do once I “made it” online.
I think I’m a good fit because I love meeting interesting people, making friends, and going on new adventures. 😀
What top things would you like to gain / learn / do with other Mavericks, and what unique value do you bring to the group?
Right now, I’m just excited to get to know so many successful new people. Since starting my first business, I’ve been almost entirely involved in the internet marketing space, so I think it will be nice to learn from the perspectives of entrepreneurs who span a wider range than the circles I’ve been involved with so far.
Regarding unique values, I think I have a very open-minded personality, and I’m always down to try something new. In terms of business, I come from a finance / accounting background, so I often take a very analytical approach to business. But like most entrepreneurs, I’ve enjoyed learning everything from sales to lead generation to copywriting, management, and more.
What interests, activities or hobbies do you enjoy?
Playing pool, watching Shark Tank, playing Risk, reading books and comic books, playing beer pong, traveling, playing the djembe, looking at funny pictures of cats on Facebook, watching football, going to nice restaurants… and much more.
What’s the most “Maverick” thing you’ve ever done?
In 2009, I quit my accounting career and packed all my stuff into a car with two of my friends. The three of us moved from NYC to a beach house in San Diego, without knowing anybody down there at the time—just planning to live off of our online businesses. Fortunately, the plan worked out.
What are the Top 3 adventures/things on your Big Life List?
- Convince all my best friends to start their own businesses, so we can party and vacation together constantly.
- Become a celebrity, most likely through starring in a low-brow reality TV show.
- Write an absurd autobiography that’s turned into a movie.
What’s the most significant / important contribution you’ve made to a community or nonprofit organization?
When I was growing up, every summer my friends and I went to the same summer camp, and we loved it so much that we eventually worked there when we were in high school and college. These days, I have a small stake in the company, and regularly give website / marketing help to keep them going. It’s not a huge contribution, but it feels nice to support a place where kids can be creative and have fun.
Which books, authors or programs have been a powerful influence in your business and life?
There are a billion of these, but here are a few:
- Warren Buffett – Read his annual letters to shareholders, as well as “The Warren Buffett Way.”
- One Up On Wall Street, by Peter Lynch
- Rework, by 37 Signals
- Home Business Tax Savings Made Easy,by Ron Mueller
- The 4 Hour Workweek, by Tim Ferriss
- Autoresponder Madness, by Andre Chaperon
- Mass Control, by Frank Kern
- Any books by Robert Greene
- Any books by Dan Kennedy
- Peter Schiff – Read any of his books (they’re pretty similar), and subscribe to his YouTube Channel
What’s the weirdest skill, quirk or stupid human trick you’re known for? (C’mon, we’re gonna find out anyway.)
I’m double-jointed in my thumbs, and can bend them freakishly far backward.
Bobby MacDonald
Co-Founder, LinkEmperor.com
remac22@gmail.com
Kevin Bombino, Maverick1000 Member #177 – Las Vegas, Nevada
“Try me.“
Welcome Kevin! What businesses do you operate?
I own Action Verb (http://actionverb.com/), which is a specialized web application hosting company. Action Verb was founded in my Harvard University dorm room in 2007. Today, Action Verb operates two successful web infrastructure products that are used by thousands of businesses. BrickFTP (http://brickftp.com/) is a secure file server solution for businesses looking to outsource their compliance requirements for file sharing and storage. Vae Platform (http://vaeplatform.com/) is a unique website hosting and e-commerce platform, meant for the pickiest of designers who hate being constrained by things like WordPress.
In 2011, fellow new-Maverick Bobby MacDonald and I launched Link Emperor (http://linkemperor.com/), the link building “marketplace” where publishers can purchase SEO link building services from dozens of diverse link building vendors. Link Emperor is now being used by the biggest SEOs in the world and continues to grow at a phenomenal rate.
I am also an investor/partner in a number of other internet-related ventures, including VegasBottle.com, as well as some affiliate publisher sites.
Why did you become a member of Maverick1000 and why are you a good fit for the group?
I joined Maverick because the caliber of the group’s members is so high. Being only 26, I know that most of you have done a lot more than me in your time on this earth, and I hope that I can learn for your collective experience. I think that I’m a good addition to the group because we do a lot of research in both general Internet Marketing and organic traffic specifically, and I’m always more than happy to share the exact formulas that are working for us.
What top things would you like to gain / learn / do with other Mavericks, and what unique value do you bring to the group?
I’m definitely looking forward to the trips and learning as much as I can from the group.
I am looking at getting more involved in angel/early-stage investing, especially in companies where I can provide value as an adviser… So if anyone has any active groups involved in that, I would love to get in touch.
I’m also a software engineer by training, so I’m good at making snap judgements about whether your software idea is good or bad, easy or hard, something you should do in house vs. outsource, etc. Try me.
What interests, activities or hobbies do you enjoy?
I love live music shows—everything from rock n’ roll to electronic. I’m going to be traveling to the big electronic music festivals this year, and anyone is always welcome to come along.
I play guitar, piano, bass, and I can hack my way through a song on the drums. I used to work at a recording studio, and I particularly enjoyed producing an album for a female pop singer. Once business starts taking up less of my time (I can dream, can’t I?), I hope to spend more time doing music production and maybe some DJ-ing.
I’m also big into snowboarding—I’d strongly support the idea of a Maverick ski trip! I’m also currently training to be a licensed airplane pilot. Just for fun.
What’s the most “Maverick” thing you’ve ever done?
I run two businesses, while living in Las Vegas and going out an average of four nights a week. Enough said!
What are the Top 3 adventures/things on your Big Life List?
- Become a celebrity (possibly a famous DJ?)
- Launch a nationally known product.
- Travel to the 15 biggest cities in the world.
What’s the most significant / important contribution you’ve made to a community or nonprofit organization?
When I was in college, I taught a number of the student groups at Harvard a class about how to make money by selling links on their website. (This was back when blatantly selling links wasn’t so frowned upon.) After hearing my presentation, the groups in attendance went off and implemented the strategy. I didn’t keep an official count, but I think the groups made over $10,000 using the strategy that year.
I love that story because it shows the power of leverage—by putting my energy into teaching something to people who were in a position to implement it, it multiplied the impact of my time.
Which books, authors or programs have been a powerful influence in your business and life?
- Power of Now and A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle
- Built To Sell, John Warrillow
Also, here’s a shameless plug: Bobby and I co-host a web radio show called Gangster Profit (http://gangsterprofit.com/), which focuses on both SEO, Internet Marketing, and running a lean business.
What’s the weirdest skill, quirk or stupid human trick you’re known for? (C’mon, we’re gonna find out anyw
ay.)
ay.)I have no idea; ask Bobby.
[Bobby: “Ha ha I have no idea.. Kevin is known for pacing around the room constantly while he talks. Does that count as a quirk? :)”]
Guess we’re bound to find out soon…
Kevin Bombino
Founder, CTO | Action Verb | kevin@bombino.org
http://actionverb.com/ | http://brickftp.com/ | http://vaeplatform.com/ | http://linkemperor.com/ | http://gangsterprofit.com/
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