LEAD Magazine Issue 2018 | Page 50

LEO MELENDEZ H 51 Have you ever felt trapped by your situation? I think most of us have at some stage of our life but what if you can from a small Caribbean island and your dream was to become a fighter pilot. Do you see that as even possible? This is the Leo Melendez story. Leo hustled right from an early age. He mowed lawns and did chores around the neighbourhood on Puerto Rico. But Leo never let go of his dreams, no matter how unlikely they were. He wanted to become a Marine Corps fighter pilot, but there were quite a few obstacles in his way. He couldn’t speak English, and he didn’t have the money to go to college. But he didn’t let that stop him. He reached out for help from organizations and good Samaritans until finally, he was able to join the Marines as a mechanic. It took eight years for him to work his way up to pilot status. Even when he did start training to fly an airplane, he had to work his way up step by step to become a fighter pilot. Through patient persistence, he finally achieved his dream of becom- ing a Marine, fighter pilot. He served his country and the USA in several tours that saw him stationed in Japan and throughout the pacific. It didn’t stop there for Leo. He had another dream. He knew that being a fighter pilot would come to an end so he dreamt of becoming an entrepreneur. He studied everything he could and attended various courses through- out the USA. He wanted to be on stage.Leo real- ised that the ticket to his dreams was to help others achieve their dreams, so he started a company that helped people build and produce their own expert products. He became very sought after and the material he built for others was of the highest quality. This led him to being on stages himself, talking about how he could help people who wanted to be on stages. Sometimes it’s strange how the universe works, but his con- fidence and surety that he was on the journey led him forward. In fact his first event ever he sold his ability to do Facebook ads. You see, Leo rea- lises that every step is a step to your dream. Whether you are mowing lawns, being a mechanic or learn- ing Facebook, provided you keep at it and focussed on your goal you will get there, but not always by the same route as others. Today Leo is a sought after speaker, coach and product creator with clients throughout the USA and Globally. LEAD | January 2018