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

Hi Michael, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
Have you accomplished and experienced every goal, dream, and or visions in life that you ever envisioned? My personal experiences and personal issues support cultures, approaches, reasons, thoughts, visions, opinions, and backgrounds that influence our life outcomes and happyness. All mortals and living forms of life on this earth are guaranteed to expire. Consistency, perseverance, and ambition to be a better version of ourselves than we were yesterday can be influential to our happyness. Experiencing failure benefits the learning process, and teaches us that we must be accountable to our mistakes and actions.

Unique everyday life experiences and factors influence and support that there in no right answer to knowing if we should keep going or to stop giving that vision time. The shoe does not fit all, leading to variant processes and outcomes, don’t compare your life with others. Build and stay in your own lane, you owe it to nobody. Some explain that excessive money is the root of all evil and leads some to misery for being caught up in the vice or dream. You do not need an education or the need to follow a specific path for your career choice to be happy or successful in life You do not have to be successful to achieve happyness but stability provides you the time to chase your hapyness.

How do you know whether to keep going or to give up?
You don’t. There is no right or wrong answer that will present itself to rationalizing if you should keep going or to give up on your visions. We don’t know what we don’t know until we experience it. This is not our practice life to say or act like you will do a better job or do it at all next time around. One chance, one life to make this your best life. Dream big, structure your approach, accomplish, fulfill, execute, take pictures, smile, and don’t stop chasing your pursuit of happyness. We are all accountable to our outcome in life, situations, obstacles, and problems but does not mean anyone is limited to not being able to pursue their happyness. Occasionally giving up can be the best action, life is a learning journey. That doesn’t necessarily mean it was a waste a time. Not trying at all can be the difference between a happy life to an unhappy life, we are blessed everyday to have the ability to wake up and learn and express our thoughts, opinions, views, culture, and background. The best thing of the worst outcome is you walking away to learn a lesson after you have done everything you could to make the best of it. Life is not the easiest or fair to experience, so many things in life will seem dark and or feel like no one is there for you. Do it for yourself, do everything knowing you gave it your all and have no regrets in your approach to pursuing your happiest life.

I was diagnosed with HPV Papilloma at around age 5, I currently have a tracheostomy tube due to many factors in life and events around the world. My life experiences have not been the best, my struggles have been the most difficult and extensive to me but we must remember the need to always prevail and embrace our flaws and or differences only makes us stronger. Don’t stop chasing and accomplishing your crazy, unique, and personal visions. I am who I am today because of everything I have experienced, you are who you are because of your unique experiences. Don’t stop chasing and going after your unique pursuit of happyness. Be your biggest fan, supporter, lover celebrate your wins and learn from your losses. Greatness from small beginnings, keep stepping forward. You are the author of your happyness, actions and journey in life, do not give everything an opportunity to waste your most valuable asset, your time. Be realistic, manifest, and abundantly give it all your best energy. We have nothing to lose besides the same outcome we all have ahead of us. The Marathon Continues.

P.S. I am aware of the misspelling to happiness!! The Pursuit of Happyness by Gabriele Muccino is a positive example of this approach.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Michael Cartagena Group operates a nationwide commercial real estate group currently affiliated and based with Keller Williams Larchmont Commercial Realty in Los Angeles, California. I am the managing director for the commercial division at Keller Williams Larchmont Commercial Realty. Our collaboration with the Keller Williams brokerage is beneficial to our clients as we connect and expose them to one of the largest particular and exclusive real estate networks in the world. Additionally, I personally oversee and manage the Acquisitions and Dispositions division for multiple national cannabis compliance organization firms that assist me and my clients with the execution to facilitate commercial cannabis enterprise visions in any state of the country.

Our background expertise includes but is not limited to, Commercial Real Estate, Cannabaceae Enterprise Advisory, Enterprise Resources, and Residential Estate and real estate representation. I am excited and am really looking forward to meeting and connecting with everyone I am to meet this year. Please connect with me if there is anything we can do to be of any resource or assistance to you and your family, we are here for you!

How did you get to where you are today business-wise. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges?
It has been a step by step process, I don’t have anyone in my circle that has achieved business visions much less a successful vision of true happiness. My families blue collar lifestyle and background come from small beginnings but I realize that is enough to embrace my perseverance to go after everything I could ever think of. Everyone makes mistakes but being accountable to your mistakes allows you to rationalize the potential outcomes. Greatness from small beginnings, don’t compare your life or experiences to anyone else’s. Our unique struggles are detrimental to how we carry and execute our life and actions. Cherish every second and moment in life, we don’t get to buy anymore time to live longer yet we don’t take any mementos to our grave. Your pursuit of Happyness.

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Don’t stop running your marathon, consistently pace yourself and keep focused to your goals, visions, and dreams and most importantly stay in your lane. Circumstances and flaws are not the same to all, don’t look over to someone and compare any of you to anyone else and their unique life and experiences. Stay optimistic, realistic and love yourself to want the best for you. Let’s make this our best lives!! We are here for you at your service. The Michael Cartagena Group and I are readily available at anytime and anywhere that you may be in need of a or resources. I would love to connect with your visions, structure a plan, and execute our approach, I am here for you. The Michael Cartagena Group looks forward to meeting and connecting with you 🙂

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is probably not the best question for me to personally make arrangements or plans with a friend lol, people say I work too much or am boring for not going out. For the past couple of years I haven’t done much that would be fun or itinerary worthy due to many factors and health circumstances that obligate me to continue to persevere stability and my pursuit of happiness. I don’t have much to complain, I know to some the hustle culture is not the way of life, to me it has been the only way of life I know. As much as I have tried to prepare for life and outcomes, it has not been enough to influence avoiding particular situations. I continue to experience new things everyday in my life, I have so much to learn, experience, and see, I would not and could not trade my struggles for anything else. Execute the opportunity to enjoy life, please do. Live and enjoy it like it was your last trip/event of your life, when you realize or desire a change, time has passed by and it may be too late for you pursuit of happiness. Los Angeles is one of a kind, California is beautiful, experiencing the world is amazing. Live your best life yesterday, this is not your practice life.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am grateful and blessed for connections I have had the pleasure to acquaint and be of any help or service to throughout my lifetime. Although I can’t name everyone that has been involved with my journey in life, everyone including you as a reader are the reason why I am able to share my struggles, we are human not perfect. This year I am holding myself accountable and will strive to be a helping hand, resource and/or be of any support to everyone with the desire to pursue their happiness. I am here for you, let’s run it.

Forever thank you’s to the people I owe everything to and my biggest supporters, my family. My parents and both of my younger sisters deserve the world for putting up with me and the crazy dreams I had growing up. I am eternally and infinitely grateful for my family, I would not be where I am today without them. I am forever in debt to them for their support.

Additional thank you’s to amazing figures in my life:
– Nina Shapiro and medical team at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center/Mattel Children’s Hospital.
– Johhny Sok and medical team at Kaiser Permanente Fontana.
– Jose Garcia with the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 294.
– Coach Andy Montes at Fairfax High School, Varsity Baseball Coach.
– Coach Steve Dennis at Fairfax High School, Varsity Baseball Coach.
– Coach Armando Carlin at Fairfax High School, Junior Varsity Baseball Coach.
– Ryan Wooten at Starbucks Coffee, District Manager.
– Joey Sacavitch at Keller Williams Larchmont, Operating Principal, Forward Living Ownership Group.
– Forward Living ownership group at Keller Williams Realty Southern California.

Last but not least: Rob Marin.
Forever thank you’s to Rob Marin at Keller Williams Larchmont Commercial Realty. Rob has been the most influential being to the success of my career. Rob continues to be an amazing business partner, coach, mentor, and teacher. I have so much respect, love, and appreciation for you Rob. Thank you so much for truly believing in me. You have my best energy to continue your success and to live your best life!! Thank you for being the being there for me Rob, I owe you!!

I’m thankful for everyone I have met in my life up to now, I am excited and looking forward to connecting with you!! Thank you!

Website: https://themichaelcartagenacompany.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-cartagena-13b19315a/

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