It is often said that it is not the destination but the journey that matters most. Nowhere does this ring more true than when we embark on an endeavor whose path we hope will lead us to great success. The road to our goals is a learning curve where we can acquire valuable information about the world and its place. The person who finishes the journey is never the same person who started it. We are transformed along the way by a myriad of trials, tribulations, achievements, and experiences. Entrepreneur, pilot, and founding partner of Magaya Corporation, Gabriel T. Ruz Jr. is very familiar with the affirming power and transformative nature of a journey. His own success story is still being written, but the chapters the man from Nevada, Las Vegas, has already finished during the last two decades contain many vital lessons and takeaways for those just starting out.
“Perhaps the most important lesson I have learned from my success journey is to take nothing for granted and always expect the unexpected,” explained Gabriel Ruz, who elaborated, “What I mean by that is life has a habit of happening when you’re doing something else, and fate loves to make a mockery of best-laid plans. So always be prepared to think on your feet and outside the box. Pounce on any opportunity that presents itself and adapt like a chameleon to changing circumstances because the only constant thing in life is change itself.”
Gabriel T. Ruz Jr. began his journey from there to here way back in 2001 when he was an integral part of establishing Magaya Corporation at the dawn of the digital era. Gabriel recalls, “Two other guys and I founded the company out of a living room. It was the American Dream writ large. We were fortunate that our journey shadowed that of the computer revolution, and the two combined to give us a once-in-a-lifetime sort of momentum. However, it hasn’t all been plain-sailing. We got hit by unfortunate circumstances and knocked down more times than I can remember. Yet the important thing is we always got up, dusted ourselves off, and went again. That’s another invaluable lesson I learned, never retreat and never surrender if you want to make it to your journey’s end.”