New Florida Start-Up Seeks to Boost Entrepreneurial Spirit

  Orlando resident Francisco Gonzalez has been working at think tanks for the past 16 years. Now, it might be said that he has started his own “think tank” of sorts. However, this one is not focused on public policy, but rather on raising entrepreneurs. Call it an “entrepreneurial think tank,” if you will. He calls it Fearless Journeys, a community for aspiring and ascending entrepreneurs, as well as a community for travel enthusiasts, since the organization has a travel component. 
  All of the information can be found at fearlessjourneys.org. For as little as $99 a year, people can join the community in the “start-up” phase, getting access to the community’s Slack page - a discussion board to exchange ideas and information with other members as well as learn from over 44 Featured Innovators, which include local Orlando businessmen like John Rivers (4 Rivers Smokehouse) and commercial real estate giant John Crossman (CrossMarc), as well as local nonprofit leaders like Glen Gilzean, CEO of the Central Florida Urban League. However, the large range of Featured Innovators hail not just from Orlando, but from all over the country, in places as diverse as Southern California, Illinois, Austin and Dallas, Nashville, Charleston, Atlanta, Miami, West Palm Beach, and many other places. 
  The Featured Innovators also come from a diverse set of fields from health care, financial management, e-commerce, technology, sales, music and the arts, as well as nonprofit leaders, writers, and authors. Most of these Featured Innovators were previous guests on Francisco’s long standing Agents of Innovation podcast, which he has hosted for more than six years. 
  The community also includes a book club. Each month, Francisco picks a book - most are focused on self-growth and entrepreneurship - and sends out weekly emails keeping members motivated to stay on pace, providing plot summaries, as well as questions and commentary that include real-life applications. Members then come over to the Slack page to take part in discussions with each other about the book. At the end of each month, one of the Featured Innovators leads the club through an interactive session 60-to-90-minute live session over the web platform Zoom. In August, world chess boxing champion Matt Thomas, who leads the Brawl for a Cause charity, led the first live book club session featuring The Alchemist by Paul Coelho. In Septmber, CEO Kevin Scott, of ADDO, will lead the group through Simon Sinek's best selling book, Start With Why.
  For those who want to level up to the $249 or $499 annual levels, they will receive access to interactive group coaching sessions led by a different Featured Innovator each month. People like John Rivers, John Crossman, and Glen Gilzean, among more than 40 others, will be available to interact with members of the Fearless Journeys community in these live conversations. Many of these type of leaders are available in much more expensive mastermind communities, but Francisco is determined to help those at any level of their entrepreneurial journey to take part. He is also encouraging retirees and lifelong learners to join the community for the intellectually stimulating environment and the wisdom they can provide to younger workers. 
  As the community evolves, there will be in-person events as well, such as the successful launch party for Fearless Journeys that was held in Palm Beach, Florida on June 16 at the home of vintage watch dealer, Eric Wind (President & Owner of Wind Vintage). Mr. Wind is one of the 45 Featured Innovators in the Fearless Journeys community. More than 50 people attended the launch party with another 50 from around the country who attended it virtually online. Participants were able to mix and mingle with more than 10 different Featured Innovators who also attended in-person. 
  Later this year, Francisco, who has been living and working from Guatemala for most of 2021, will be offering a group trip for members of the Fearless Journeys community, which will build on the connections he has made with a diverse range of local entrepreneurs in Guatemala. This will give members of the Fearless Journeys community the opportunity to travel with other members as well as experience a new place, like Guatemala, from a unique insider perspective. The Fearless Journeys community plans to start its first year with two group trips, and as the community grows, will likely offer additional trips to a wide array of places, while also providing a monthly travel newsletter for members to build their own individual trips with curated travel itineraries provided to them.
  Francisco believes very strongly in the power of community. “Anyone can read a book alone, take a solo trip or family vacation, or even watch YouTube videos and listen to podcasts to self-educate, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I do these things all the time,” said Francisco. “However, no one should journey alone. Everything in life is about who you know, and the networks you are a part of and I hope that the Fearless Journeys community can be a place where people can learn together, grow together, and help each other connect with different opportunities.”
  For those who know Francisco Gonzalez, we know he is well-connected across many professional fields and with people all across the United States and the world. Fearless Journeys gives more people an opportunity to tap into his network and it all started right here in Central Florida.