Starting a company is thrilling, but also daunting. But what happens if you try building a company in a place where you may or may not have the community and the network to support you in your efforts? I want to ask foreign founders why they decided to take the leap and build their company in a specific location. With this podcast we are exploring ideas, listening to founder challenges, and discovering why foreign founders are the most optimistic group of people I've encountered.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Starting a company is thrilling, but also daunting. But what happens if you try building a company in a place where you may or may not have the community and the network to support you in your efforts? I want to ask foreign founders why they decided to take the leap and build their company in a specific location. With this podcast we are exploring ideas, listening to founder challenges, and discovering why foreign founders are the most optimistic group of people I've encountered.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jose Carlos "Charlie" Sarmiento went from corporate finance executive in Guatemala to extreme triathlete competing on the world stage, ultimately building VTX Athlete - a platform that connects endurance athletes with funding and brand sponsorships. In this episode, he shares his incredible journey from losing his father at 14, overcoming depression through ultramarathons, and creating a revolutionary algorithm that ranks athletes based on performance data rather than social media followers.
What You'll Learn:
⏰ KEY TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Introduction: Meet Charlie Sarmiento, Ultra-Athlete & Entrepreneur 03:23 - Losing His Father at 14: The Gift That Shaped His Character 07:14 - Building VTX Athlete: The "NASDAQ for Athletes" Concept 08:47 - Why Endurance Sports? The Untapped 100 Million Athlete Market 09:44 - The Real Cost Breakdown: $15K Per Race, $100K Annual Budget 12:07 - The VTX Algorithm: Performance Data vs. Social Media Metrics 14:29 - Three-Index System: Training, Social Impact, Athletic Results 16:36 - Market Size: 100M Athletes Worldwide, 60M Target Market 17:24 - Beyond Gear: Airlines, Hotels, and Real Sponsorship Needs 19:51 - "The Real Ultraman" Book: System to Rewire Your Brain 21:43 - From Zero to 50 Miles: Using Ultra Running to Beat Depression 23:02 - Immigration Journey: O1A Visa Through Athletic Excellence 27:40 - Why Entrepreneurship is Harder Than Ultramarathons 31:49 - Favorite Race: Lavaredo Dolomites, Italy (Family Heritage) 32:55 - Living in Gratitude: What Charlie is Optimistic About
🔗 Connect with Charlie:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ultrasarmiento/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliesarmiento/
Company: www.vtxathlete.com
Book: https://a.co/d/33SuRkQ
🎯 About VTX Athlete: VTX Athlete is revolutionizing endurance sports by creating the first performance-based marketplace connecting athletes with funding and brand sponsorships through data-driven algorithms.
#Entrepreneurship #EnduranceSports #UltraMarathon #Immigration #PerformanceData #SportsSponsorship #Guatemala #Austin #StartupStory
Enjoy the episode!
If you love this episode, please share and review the podcast! It will help more immigrant and international founders find these content.
You can find us here: https://linktr.ee/foreignfounders
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.