We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Figueroa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Many life decisions involve risk, especially at work. However, if you decide by weighing the pros and cons and…have a clear idea of where you want things to go, you’ll be able to run risks confidently, and …in case you fail, you’ll have less regret as you considered these factors.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business? I’m a sports business professional, specialized in management and leadership, Table Tennis is been my forte, but I have worked with Soccer also, since it is a big passion for me. what sets me apart from others? I am a professional with a very interesting mix, not only have I worked in the public sector but also in the private one, with knowledge on a wide variety of sports (Mainly Olympic Sports) also, knowledge/experience in the US and the Latin American countries.

what you are most proud of or excited about? I would like to contribute upping the status of the sport (Table Tennis), so that not only we can get much more participation, but Events, sponsors and of course…awareness.
How did you get to where you are today business-wise. Was it easy?
Not easy, not at all,…
To start, I had to overcome bilinguism, as many of the professional goals I have, involve circles where only one language is spoken but also, since I migrated to the US, at the beginning this move involved starting from zero in terms of network, which is one of the corner stone factors in my field.
Many other challenges more that I can mention eventually.

Lessons learned? Too many, to the point that is hard to summarize here, but I guess the first one I can think of is that I have learnt the lesson (still am) of balancing your mindset to adequately identify when to play collectively as a team mate and when you should venture independently.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take that friend to the Griffith Park Observatory, Santa Monica Pier, Hollywood walk of fame, Venice canals, Malibu, Broad Musseum, Downtown LA, Watts Towers, WeHo nightlife area and The LACMA museum.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First of all, to my mom who gave up everything in her life to provide me with everything I needed but also was always making sure I was learning things in life correctly. Then, my godfather who was always there for me in all the things my mom couldn’t provide.
High School teachers, Table Tennis coaches and mentors that I luckily came across in my path.
and last but not least, my dear wife that has been always there for me with her support and understanding of my career.

Website: https://www.lapingpong.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-f-92322368/

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