Dear readers. Today I asked my friend Sonia Q. Thomas, CEO Spanish Waves, LLC. to answer a couple of questions regarding the differences between business at home (Argentina) and business in the USA. Here’s the excerpt of my conversation with Sonia, which I believe, is very valuable for anyone planning on doing business in South America, or targeting the US Hispanic market-. Here are the thoughts of someone who made it in both worlds.

Which is your experience managing a US company that builds bridges between the Hispanic and American entrepreneurs?

In my experience, managing a US company is different than managing a company in Argentina for different reasons. It was difficult for me in the beginning. I was not confident with the language. If you are not confident you can’t achieve anything. It took me a while to develop my confidence, and I was ok when I finally did. This is the normal process that we all have to experience. The first challenge comes with overcoming fears. We have to rewire ourselves and some people are faster than others. The faster you do it, the sooner you will succeed. A challenge is an opportunity to learn and to strategize is one of the things that I like the most. The problem is that we think that we know everything but the Hispanics bring a lot of knowledge on how to do business from their own country and diversity is great but we need to have a solid managing foundation. As we are in America, we feel things should work in a different way. We need to reeducate ourselves and to adapt to the circumstances. Changing ourselves first, things will start falling in place.

What does the US Entrepreneur need to know about Latin American and the US Hispanic markets?

An US entrepreneur should understand or at least should try to understand our culture and our differences, (i.e. it is different selling orchata and hot cocoa in Mexico than it is selling in Argentina.) We are not cookie cutters. But there is an interesting phenomenon that happens with the Hispanic market in the USA. There is a mixture of cultures. Because of this diversity we become one and we take a new culture; we not only eat empanadas, but popusas, texmex tacos, and maybe hotdogs etc. Our consumers are hybrid because we become “US”. And when we become “US”, US Latinos we will do much more and we will have a big impact in the market than we have today. I am looking forward to live to see this day.

Which would be in your opinion, the best thing we can do to foster relationships between countries, communities, associations, businesses and people from the US and Latin America?

Whatever you do, we always need a legal backup. Hispanic is supporting American companies and the laws should extend more work visas to those in need. An example would be the agriculture area. The politicians should see that USA is what it is today thanks to the immigrants efforts and we need to create opportunities for both to grow. If this does not happen from the government, my opinion will go to every American company regardless of what you sale; you will need to understand their cultures. Sooner or later you will need our assistance in marketing, importing, or you simply because you want to extend your business into Latin America. My advice is to extend more opportunities on bringing qualified people and give them and the companies the experience of working together. You won’t be disappointed, I promise you. I know how much capability the Hispanic communities have. I have experience doing business from Argentina for 8 years and I know how much good they can do for your company. My call to the Hispanic is simple but hard at the same time. Stop gossiping, stop complaining, you will never grow if you care more about your brother than how to improve yourself. Stop being so susceptible, start supporting and working with your competitors, start thinking with a business mind without judging. Learn from other cultures without forgetting your roots and language and the most important, don’t forget who you are for the generations to come.