#187: Revolutionizing Community on a Farm with Gerardo Martinez, USNA ‘11

Service Academy Business Mastermind

“I always struggled to fit into a mold...people in Africa didn’t want to fit me into a mold, they wanted to know who I was. There was no mold to fill and I really held onto that. I saw the impacts of having genuine conversations with people with no expectations or knowledge on either side of who the other person was or who they were in the past. Those interactions are liberating and we’re trying to create and encourage these types of interactions at the farm.”

- Gerardo Martinez (USNA ‘11)

We’re delighted to welcome Gerardo Martinez back to the SABM podcast. The last time we spoke, Gerardo told us about his role as CEO of Triple Leadership Direct, a company he founded that provides experiential leadership development training utilizing the outdoors. Gerardo is still CEO of Triple Direct Leadership, but a lot has changed since then! After an experience in Africa inspired him to invest in a farm, Gerardo is now creating a business and community enterprise centered around human interaction with a goal to improve mental health, regenerate agriculture and impact people’s lives for the better.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Covid-19 launched the explosive success of his new business, Wild Kid Acres, LLC
• Why his experience in Africa inspired him to transform his life and career
• What exciting revenue streams he’s created and why they have been successful so far
• Why mental health is at the forefront of Wild Kid Acres

We also discuss how Gerardo is partnering with a fellow military veteran to grow the business and his current fundraising campaign to build a multi-storey community barn that will better service demand and improve visitor facilities. We loved listening to Gerardo’s stories from the farm including how he successfully demolished, designed and built a house all by himself, how a county fine turned into a county grant, and how one incredible woman sparked the idea behind Wild Kid Acres. Gerardo is truly revolutionising his community and we’re so excited to share his story with you.

Connect with Gerardo:

• LinkedIn
• Wild Kid Acres
• Barn Build GoFundMe

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Special thanks to Gerardo for joining me this week. Until next time!

- Scott Mackes, USNA ’01