Episode Transcript
Intro/Outro 0:04
Welcome to Investing Across Borders with Lauren Cohen. Every week she will share valuable information that you need to know in order to successfully invest in real estate and other business endeavors in North America. We believe in helping clients invest, live, work, and play across borders. And now, your host, Lauren Cohen.
Lauren Cohen 0:24
Good morning everybody, and welcome to Investing Across Borders with Lauren Cohen. I am an international lawyer and real estate expert and I specialize in helping people find strategies to invest live, work and play across borders. And I’m here today with my good friends. As a surprise, I got two for the price of one Bert and Alexa Oliva, Bert and Alexa run some amazing companies which I’m going to let them share with you because they do it better than me. We have been friends for a good few years. And we have been suffering through COVID together and they’re just wonderful, wonderful people with hearts of gold that are go givers and we just love working with them Bert and Alexa, please say hello, and share your video to introduce yourself.
Alexa Oliva 1:12
Hello Lauren thank you for taking the time for this. Anytime we get to spend with you we know is always special.
Lauren Cohen 1:20
Especially if we were able to give a hug, especially for kids. Oh, I miss hugs. Right? Isn’t that the thing that we missed the most I think going out and having a normal life and hugs because they say you’re supposed to have five hugs a day. And it’s great. At least you guys have each other and your kids but you know, it’s nice to have other people once in a while. Right?
Alexa Oliva 1:42
Absolutely. That’s the number one thing.
Bert Oliva 1:45
So let me show the video. Here we go.
Bert Oliva 1:51
The following is rated R for results and may not be suitable for the negative mind. Burt Oliva is an international oratory, as well as a renowned authority on leadership and human behavior. For over two decades, Bert Oliva has touched the lives of hundreds of 1000s of people. He speaks around the world about his experiences and his teachings have enchanted audiences all over the world, showing them the power of mind over matter. Bert has a dedicated social media following and an impressive online influence you possess. People are looking for that edge, you know, and you know who’s gonna get us there You tell me. Enabling him to communicate with all kinds of audience consider the voice of inspiration and motivation. He has developed many programs, recorded audio CDs, and written books, all of which to help those ranging from individuals to corporate and fortune 500 companies. He has dedicated his life to speaking all over the globe, and met some of the most influential and powerful people in the world. He has also coached highly successful business executives and politicians to influence millions of people around the world making it happen. Personally, Bob is a success and the father of human ology. So get ready to learn tools that will help you tap into your potential. Get ready to connect and be part of a positive world changing mission. Get ready to have an experience you won’t soon forget. Please help me welcome Bert Oliva.
Lauren Cohen 3:37
There you go. The little soundtrack is a lot different than usual. When you’re live with Bert and he goes on to stage, he is a magnet. I mean, you wear the most amazing jacket. Very colorful, these lovely people really have a presence. And it’s an amazing thing to be in their presence and to share the stage with them from time to time. So, Bert, my question is, you know, obviously this podcast is about going across borders. And you started in Miami, which is where you’re from? When was your first time going outside of North America? Let’s say going outside of America.
Bert Oliva 4:12
That’s a good question. That’s been a long time. When was the first time….
Lauren Cohen 4:19
The last time is a lot easier.
Bert Oliva 4:24
I would say probably maybe five years into my career because I speak both languages English and Spanish. And since we live in South Florida, we were doing a lot of stuff in the Caribbean and in Central America. So I would say within the first five years that I started my career, then my career I’ve been doing this for over 27 years. So when we first started about five years into it was when we started getting hired across different borders, especially in Latin America.
Lauren Cohen 4:49
Right, right. Makes sense. I mean, being a Hispanic speaker, Hispanic keynote speaker is a really big deal.
Bert Oliva 4:56
Well back then, 27 years ago, we weren’t As one we are now. Because back then I remember when I started, especially in our industry that was either for Anglo whites or black Americans, right? You had your Tony Robbins, your Zig Ziglar. And then you had your Les Brown TD Jakes. And there was not, there wasn’t really a space for a Latino speaker called Bert Oliva. But I thought that was an opportunity. So that’s when we started doing it. And nowadays, there’s all types of speakers from all over the world. But back then it was really kind of tightening those two sectors. Yeah, so we started getting picked up on more gigs throughout the years because of being able to speak two languages.
Alexa Oliva 5:41
One cool thing about it, though, is when we get booked to go international, the number one request nowadays is Spanglish. Believe it or not.
Lauren Cohen 5:50
That’s funny. I mean, it makes sense. Because, there’s a lot of that in the world. And also, I think that one of the huge reasons for your success is the lady right there. Because if not for Alexa being so supportive, and being able to go on the stage and introduce you and pump you up and not have jealousy and not be that jilted spouse or whatever. It’s made a huge difference in your career, because you guys have a family and have been together for what over 30 years? Right? I mean, and you have three kids.
Bert Oliva 6:24
If it wasn’t for her, there would not be a Bert Oliva. I give her 1000.
Lauren Cohen 6:31
Right. There’s no question. She’s a powerhouse in your own right. But she’s also willing to step back and let you shine.
Bert Oliva 6:41
Well, that was one of the decisions we made early on in my career. I wanted to go out there and do seminars all over the world. And she says, I’ll go ahead and, you know, do the background stuff, and some behind the scenes. And then throughout the years, which we’ll talk a little bit later about the nonprofit organization that she launched about seven and a half years ago, now that she actually took the front, you know, and I took the back end. So it’s about being able to balance it out. At the end of the day, she supported me for years. And now I support her and her nonprofit. And we’ve always been like a given and take relationship. It’s not just take, take, we get together and it’s been balanced. You know, and that’s one thing. I’ve been really fortunate. That’s why I tell some of the millennials, when people are younger, is that, you know, you work on, you build you first, and then eventually that perfect person will come into your life, don’t go looking for that perfect person, because you’re gonna miss out. You know, it took a while. And then once we found each other, we knew that this was it. And 30 years later, over 30 years and three children. I mean, we found our bones.
Lauren Cohen 7:51
I mean, I remember what about a year ago, when you were one of the recognized women in Broward County. And you were the one that was recognized. And Bert, you and Surge, we’re at the back cheering her on. And she was so nervous and wanted to be perfect. Because, you know, that’s Alexa. And she was like, I remember her. She’s like, I’m going on in five minutes. I’m like, Alexa, you’re gonna do amazing, you magnetize a room. And because she’s so used to being in the shadows, it was just not her normal role. But it was great. And she was wonderful. And so you mentioned this nonprofit. And actually, I talked very much about how nonprofits help build a for profit business because they bring credibility. And of course, it’s not where you start them. But a nonprofit can bring so much value, and it can have so much impact because you get on different stages, and you’re talking to different audiences. And you’re getting your message out to a much broader spectrum of people. Tell me a little bit about your nonprofit. And of course, if you’d like to play the video, I’m happy to have that as well.
Bert Oliva 9:21
I’m gonna play video for you, for the people on YouTube that will be able to see it for the people that are listening to the podcast, they’ll be able to hear it and it kind of breaks down exactly what motivational mission is all about. So let me go ahead and queue it up. Get it up ready for you guys.
Video Playing 9:34
Our world is broken. There is an epidemic of isolation infecting every corner of the earth. We are all more connected than ever before. Yet we are so desensitized, and we are not aware of what is happening. Even next door to us. Everyone feels some sort of disconnection. But most of us are not even aware of what it is that we’re lacking. We’re not communicating in ways that we innately crave as human beings, we need to have a positive shift, we need to realize how similar we are and how important we each are to the human race. This group is empowering children. teaching them that they are not stuck with the hand that they are dealt, you will reap the benefits of the actions that you take in your life that they can change it. And if they are able to change their own lives, it will ripple out as global change. Everyone here has an opportunity to do something special, not just for your country before the world was. The goal is to build awareness to prevent human trafficking and bullying by teaching leadership, self confidence, and much more. It is time to shift our global viewpoint from an emphasis on things to an emphasis on people. We are welcoming groups of students to be motivated by one of the world’s leading motivator, motivational programs, sometimes this nonprofit is one of those phenomenal, five star gold standard nonprofits that fights back I myself have motivated, although children will always show up year round to the kid that wants to have education. It’s all about just getting the message across to everybody. Because if nobody gets in that message of hope and inspiration, then who will do anything you want, you put your mind to it, I got a glass, I’ve been fired. This is the first time I do something like that, you know, my life, this was great. This was our goal, to not take money. Follow your dreams in your heart. It was all about celebrating, celebrating a big takeaway from all the to even small ones, the kids seem to really have enjoyed it, I can assure you that it resonated with them. Good things are happening. The most important resource we have on this planet is our children, and the connection between each one of us. This is a movement in human consciousness, or a world we need to come together on a human to human at grassroots level. It’s really about waking up and making a conscious decision of how you’re going to live this life. It’s up to us to do something that I’m making that we’re making it happen. We’re motivational missionaries right here. Each men, we are unstoppable. And together, we will make a world of words. To recognize the human connection.
Video Playing 9:41
Man, I missed that human connection. For zoom, it’s a little different. So one of the things that unfortunately, the podcast listeners won’t benefit from that amazing video is the scope of the International reach that you guys have. That’s fine. That’s why those podcast listener when they get a chance they got to log into your YouTube channel so they can see. Because there was like, I don’t know, 50 countries 50 flags or so a crazy amount.
Bert Oliva 13:17
We’ve been in many countries all over the world. And at the same time, one of the coolest things is that, like for example, Belize alone, we spoke to over 50,000 children in Belize. We’ve been to Trinidad Bermuda, we’ve done it in the United States, we’ve been everywhere. And that’s one of the biggest things that we missed. I mean, everything that we do for those that don’t know me, we do it big, right. I’ve been speaking for 27 years. And then my wife said, let’s do this nonprofit because she says one of our motivations is when you get to a certain level of success is to give back. But instead of giving back to not knowing which nonprofit she decided to open up her own her stuff. And Valerie Lightman, which is a partner. It’s open it up. And then this is where actually they run everything. They gaze, they hire me to go out there speak to the children. So basically, I work for them.
Lauren Cohen 14:29
Well, you know, it’s got to balance out somewhere, right? So then one of the, I don’t think also the podcast listeners would have had the chance to hear what the kids were saying, which Bert was teaching them. And the ultimate message in there is that I promised to believe in me, and as a motivational speaker, you take people I saw one of my colleagues in my real estate colleagues that was petrified of something going on in her life, and she couldn’t break the board and I saw you just push and push until she was able to break that board and break through those barriers. And you do that time. And again, the boards are just a little piece, that’s the simplest piece, the fire, there’s a little more liability in the class.
Unknown Speaker 15:13
You know, one of the things is that, especially now a lot of people do break throughs, right. So you’re probably seen bar breaking and other events, when you sign up. And when I say sign up is not just signing up, and you know, disclaimer or anything, but when you say, go do it, I will not let you sit back down without completing the task, because that creates more damage than it actually helps people.
Lauren Cohen 15:36
Then you think, forget about it. I can’t break through this, I’m dying, I give up.
Bert Oliva 15:41
There’s always a way, you know, we all have greatness inside of us, the only person that holds back is really ourselves. And one of the things is that, you know, my wife, and I said, you know, once they agreed to do a breakthrough, they’re motivated enough, they’re gonna do it, there’s always a way to do it. And that’s one of the things that we’re known for is not just the show part of it, because we call it edutainment. Where education routes, entertainment, you put it together, people love to learn in the same process. They’re having fun.
Lauren Cohen 16:08
And they’re captivated by you both because you both have captivating personalities. You know, I’ve been getting now that I have this podcast, and I’m doing so much more social media, people are saying I had somebody call me yesterday and tell me that I was motivating his kids. That’s like, really, I mean, I was shocked. And then I just wanted some contests for like, you know, sending out affiliate emails, and I had the most signups. And I was shocked, because I didn’t even know that I had a tribe. But apparently I do because there’s a credibility level attached to what I’m building, just like there is for you. And the reality is, we’re authentic in what we’re doing. And when you’re authentic in what you’re doing, and you’re truly that go giver, and you come from a place of giving people know, and people are drawn to you because of your warmth. And because those hugs that you give are authentic, you know, and eventually, we’ll be able to give them in person. And let me tell you, I’ll be down there in Miami on your house, when that happens. So you know, I’ve got all the times I’ve been invited I one day, I’m actually going to make it I’m going to be there. And I’m so excited. I wanted to ask you something else. So regarding the nonprofit and going global, what’s one of the most important tips that you would give to listeners, when you are expanding beyond your domestic borders, that would have saved you a lot of hassle.
Alexa Oliva 17:27
The most important aspect of going international is having someone that has your feet on the ground liaison, you have to have someone that knows the territory that knows the people and they can help spread the message and put a group together. And that has been our success internationally is we have had a great partnership with a local person.
Lauren Cohen 17:46
I agree with you 100%. Because at the end of the day, it’s just like I say stay in your lane, you’re not an expert in everything. And you’re certainly not an expert in that new country. And when I’m dealing, for example, with a real estate investor, or a business owner, that’s coming into the US. So right now I have a client that’s built that building in Honduras, another one in Spain, another one in Italy, in the UK and Israel, every and I know you said this in the response to my questions. Every country has a different cultural approach to doing business. And if you approach it, well, I’m in America, this is how I approach it when I go, they’re gonna be like, forget about it, the American approach is going to push people the wrong way and push their buttons wrong, and you’re going to just alienate them.
Alexa Oliva 18:33
Right. One of the most important things that I absolutely love and honor about Bert is that he’s very aware of those things. So before we go in, we do our homework, we plan our logistics, and then we have to change our presentation sometimes whether it’s the local music, at their culture in there. I remember one time we were in a country and they’re like, we know you’re American, but don’t use the word kids. It’s insulting us. Children, right? majors, but do not use the word kids. And that was really hard. Because in the US, we have kids for everything you know. So we pay attention to those minor little details. Also, if something important happens right before we went onstage, in another country, there was a shootout. And Bert does this thing where it inspires people and he goes bang, bang. And we was right before he went on stage. You have to adjust, you have to adjust. And that’s one of the most magical things to watch him work. And that’s why I love being behind the scene. Is seeing the way he can really adjust himself and connect with the audience anywhere you put them. That’s magical.
Lauren Cohen 19:46
It’s true. I’ve seen it time and time again the multiple times however many times I’ve seen you and it’s a different audience every time and you can read that audience and that’s a gift and not all of us have that gift. You know, I have to ask questions together. For my audience, you just read them you sense what you need to do to adjust.
Bert Oliva 20:05
Now there is some sort of training there, we train people on actually how to do it. I, especially when I started my career over 27 years ago, there was only a handful of speakers because most of the speakers really Oh, yeah, there was only a handful, like when I was working back 27 years ago, you know, again, the same names Talia, say, Brian Tracy. Yeah, all my parents that were for corporate. So now pretty much everyone has become a speaker, but people do it to feed their ego. And at the end of the day, you get on stage for two reasons. You either feed your ego, your feed your pocket, and I tell people look, it’s okay to feed your pocket. Because how can you motivate people if you can’t pay your mortgage, or loan your mortgage or your rent. So it’s a great industry is a multi billion dollar industry. But what sets you aside, you just want to get on stage. So you know, at the end of the day, most people will tell you did a great job, because the number one fear in the world is public speaking. Number two is that people prefer to die and to speak in public. So one of the things that we do when we train our students, we let them know, look, this is how you’re going to read the audience. You got to know your what it is you’re going to speak about. And these are the techniques, there’s a lot of techniques on what I do. I make it look flawlessly. And yes, I know, you know, I’ve been able to tap into that one gift that’s a little different. I’m not saying like our coaching students, we don’t make them the best they can be. We make them the best Lauren, they can be the best person they can be. Because that’s what’s gonna make you stand out with this huge crowd of speakers nowadays. Pretty much everyone now nowadays, you know, speaks on the platform. But do they leave an impact? Are they connecting with the audience? Are you leaving a legacy Are you going to really create something was long term, not just immediate gratification. And that’s one of the things that we do teach our students on how to do things and just leave that impact.
Lauren Cohen 21:57
So on that note, let’s talk a little bit about your amazing program that I’m about to join, which I haven’t joined yet, Power Partners. So how do we join Power Partners? And how do they let you know that they’ve come to you through my podcast? Because I think Power Partners is awesome. And I think I’m gonna have my own Power Partners eventually. Can you share that with us, please?
Alexa Oliva 22:23
Absolutely. I mean, Heart Martyrs is an amazing program that Bert developed, I don’t know, maybe 15 years ago, and it’s transitioned, they used to be live every week. And because you started traveling a lot, about six years ago, we actually made it virtual, then we called it Power Partners, because it’s about empowering our partners, it’s not just a membership. It’s not just a mastermind, it’s a lot more than that, because we’re all doing business together. We know each other personally. And spiritually, because the connection is amazing. But we teach things that are necessary when you’re an entrepreneur, or small business owner, or you’re in the process of growth. We teach all those things in the Power Partners. And so it’s really easy to find us because Power Partners is Bertoliva.com/partners, and you can get more information there.
Bert Oliva 23:12
And if you do reach out to us in Bertoliva.com/partners, just make sure that when you reach out to us, you let us know that you heard the podcast or you saw us on Lauren’s podcast, and then we’ll make sure that you know because she’s wants to build her own because we do have an opportunity to create a charter group. So this way you’ll be able to actually you know Connect
Lauren Cohen 23:40
Yeah, I don’t know what happened that stupid zoom now you can see at least my bed was made but there’s a dog on there.
Bert Oliva 23:50
Alright, this happens on stage right? You have your presentation is all set and then of course technology doesn’t work. So now you got to go ahead and speak right through.
Lauren Cohen 24:00
Right, it is what it is.
Bert Oliva 24:02
Especially third world countries. Those are great because sometimes they’re like okay, they don’t have a projector. Or they do have a projector but they don’t have a screen. So you go get a bed sheet, put it up then the wind is blowing. It’s just, you know, can you go off your cup or can you go ahead you have everything you know memorize. So it happens in life settings.
Lauren Cohen 24:22
Yeah, for sure.
Bert Oliva 24:24
It was more noticeable, right?
Lauren Cohen 24:28
Like, oh my god, what happened there? That was a little strange. So it just knocked me out. It said that my account was signed in somewhere else. I’m like, wait a minute there. That’s like, Is there a ghost here? No. All right, so we can reach you by going to Bertoliva.com and you can join power partners by going to Bertoliva.com/partners
Bert Oliva 24:48
Or just any of my social media. Look up the name Bert Oliva and just direct message me there and say I’m interested in our partners, and we’ll send you information.
Lauren Cohen 25:03
Or ask about the nonprofit and how you can make a donation to that, how you can help, how you can learn. Bert runs amazing webinars regularly, to help teach people how to use social media. I mean, there’s just no shortage of available opportunities to work with these lovely people. I want to thank you so much for your time today. Are there any parting words you’d like to say to our audience as we, as we’ll close out?
Bert Oliva 25:31
Yeah, if you’re out there, and you’re listening to this, Lauren is so authentic, and she really cares about people. If there’s any way that you need more information to truly grow your business, you need to reach out to Lauren Cohen, all the time to grow your business. We are here to serve. And I think that’s the one thing that makes us different than most people that go out there and say they do what we do. We’re doing it because we serve people that is our top priority. We know that that’s the gift that we’ve been given. And we love to share it with people. So if you want to connect with us, it’s very easy. Like Bert was saying, we’re on all social media and all information can be found there.
Bert Oliva 26:16
Or just connect with Lauren, and then have Lauren connect us.
Lauren Cohen 26:19
I am happy to connect you any day!
Bert Oliva 26:23
I just want to leave you guys with one thing. A couple of things. Number one, Lauren is a rockstar. The reason is because you’re not just doing interviews, she’s doing interviews with like minded individuals. And at the same time, she knows these people. So it’s not like she’s just picking out people randomly. There’s a connection. So it says a lot, who you surround yourself with, right? So that’s something to keep in mind. Number two, do not give up on your dream. I truly believe that greatness is inside every single one of us. And the only reason you haven’t made it is because you give up right before it happens. So whether you have a podcast, whether you have a video broadcasting, zoom, whatever it is, don’t give up. You can always get in, you can always get out. But don’t ever give up. Don’t give up on yourself and don’t give up on your dreams. My name is Bert Oliva, remember to live life and don’t let life live you. Cuban born American man, keep making them happen.
Lauren Cohen 27:22
Thank you. Pleasure. Love you guys. Kisses and hugs to both of you. Have a wonderful day and we’ll talk again really soon. Okay, I’m going to join this thing right now. Have a good one. Bye everybody signing off from Investing Across Borders where we teach you and train you on how to invest live, work and play across borders so you can truly have the life that you deserve. Take care. Bye everybody.
Intro/Outro 27:51
Thanks for listening to Investing Across Borders with Lauren Cohen. Make sure to check the show notes for any links and for guests contact information. If you have questions for Lauren, please reach out to her at FOUNDER@ecouncilglobal.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, rate, review, and share the podcast with a friend.
