Business Fit Magazine September 2019 Issue 2 | Page 22

Interview
A trusted adviser and close confidante to some
of the most high-profile political and business
leaders in America, tech entrepreneur in health
care and political opinion writer, Mark Vargas,
tells us how his Mexican grandmother’s
influences on his upbringing helped him become
the first person in his family to graduate and
his subsequent move to Washington DC put
him on the track to success.
Who are you?
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago,
Illinois, the oldest of three brothers. My father
is a truck driver for UPS, and my mother is the
Director of the RISE Program and the ADA
Compliance Officer at our alma mater, Judson
University.
In 2004, I was the first person to graduate from
college in my family. My parents made many
sacrifices and were committed to seeing their
son graduate with a college degree – and for
that, I am eternally grateful. After my graduation,
I took a huge gamble and moved to Washington,
DC, with only $72 in my checking account. I didn’t
have a job, or any money, but I knew I wanted to
be in DC. As a student at Judson on September
11, 2001, I knew I wanted to serve my country,
and going to DC would move me closer to that
goal.
Mark Vargas
If you see an opportunity,
go for it, and don’t look back
What is the single best piece of
business advice which helped
shape who you are now and
Why?
The best piece of business advice I’ve ever
received is to embrace failure, don’t be afraid to
take risks, and if you see an opportunity, go for it,
and don’t look back. In other words, if you see a
crack in the door, lunge your whole body through
it. I am a firm believer that every single person
has a purpose here on earth, but oftentimes,
we are too afraid to realise it. We minimise our
strengths and maximise our weaknesses, and in
the end, we are left wondering what could have
been.
I give an inspirational talk titled, “Are you
comfortable with your destiny,” where I explain
that we are all destined for greatness, and that
greatness has different levels – but none more
important than the other. Some are destined to
be the change in their family or their community.
Others are destined to influence the country or
the entire world – but we all have a place and
a purpose. And regardless of your strengths or
your calling, we all play a critical role in today’s
society. And that’s why I challenge people with the
phrase, “are you comfortable with your destiny?”
In 2007 I got a job working in the Office of the
Secretary of Defense, and was deployed to
Baghdad, Iraq fourteen times as a civilian advisor
from 2007-2010 on a special task force which
specialised in rebuilding war-torn economies
by attracting foreign and direct investment
opportunities.
Today, I am a tech entrepreneur and the co-
founder of a tech company in healthcare, and
I am involved in a variety of projects, including
working with the White House on criminal justice
reform, health care reform, and I remain a
close confidante and informal advisor to former
President of Mexico Vicente Fox.
And last May, I launched “Conversations with
Mark Vargas,” a highly influential speaker series
as part of Judson University’s World Leaders
Forum, where I invite the most recognisable
names around the world for an informal one-on-
one conversation where we discuss successes
and failures, inspiring stories, current events and
more.
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