"We only fail when we quit, and the regret of never taking a risk is the most significant risk you could take."
Warner Quiroga Tweet
Warner Quiroga is a real estate investor that buys houses for cash to fix and flip while some of his properties he keeps as rentals. Their company is Prestige Home Buyers, located in Long Island, NY. As a black belt in martial arts and a graduate in Accounting from Baruch College, he has a diverse skill set. He is bilingual and can speak English and Spanish fluently. His passion for Real Estate came at a very early age when he discovered his love for Monopoly and helping others. Warner’s lifelong goal is to reach out to indigenous people from economically developing countries and help them by providing them with a sustainable livelihood program in the community. He is not yet there, but he knows someday he will.
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Let’s start with a brief introduction first. Introduce yourself to our readers.
Warner Quiroga: My name is Warner Quiroga, President, and Owner of Prestige Homebuyers. Our company buys houses, restore them and then sell them. It is popularly known as flipping. While the other properties, I keep them as rentals.
Our audience is interested to know about how you got started in the first place. Did you always want to become a CEO or was it something you were led to? Our readers would love to know your story!
Warner Quiroga: I’ve always wanted to work for myself and lead others. I believe in bringing people together to work towards a common goal, which would change the trajectory of all our lives. So yes, being a CEO has always been in my blood and something I knew that I would become one day.
“Selfmade” is a myth. We all received help, no doubt you love to show appreciation to those who supported you when the going got tough, who has been your most important professional inspiration?
Warner Quiroga: My most important professional inspiration has been my mentors and coaches. Guiding me through the mistakes I’ve committed and obstacles I’ve faced. And, of course, my family has always been there for me.
How did your journey lead you to become a CEO? What difficulties did you face along the way and what did you learn from them?
Warner Quiroga: I’ve always wanted to be my boss and lead others, so I knew being a CEO was in my blood. I always had that gnat to go out and be creative and make the most out of what was given to me. I faced many rejections, people who doubted me and mistreated me, but it all shaped me and prepared me for who I am today. So, I made sure that with each obstacle, I learned something from it not to commit the same mistake and always to know that there’s someone out there that’s doing the same as me if not more, and they were given fewer resources at their disposal. Because of this, I am always grateful.
Tell us about your company. What does your business do and what are your responsibilities as a CEO?
Warner Quiroga: We are a company that buys houses, rehabs them, and then sells them. While the other properties I keep as rentals and serve as a passive income. Usually, I go on 3-5 appointments a week, meeting potential clients and customers, hosting training with my team, meeting with private investors, buying extra materials if needed for house rehab, etc.
What does CEO stand for? Beyond the dictionary definition, how would you define it?
Warner Quiroga: A CEO is responsible for cultivating more leaders and not just managers. How to do it? Lead by sample. Show your people what a leader should be and eventually step up. Be the leader you want them to be like. Empower the leaders by giving them responsibility and accountability to help them develop their leadership skills. Encourage them by making their own decisions and being responsible for the decisions they have made.
When you first became a CEO, how was it different from what you expected? What surprised you?
Warner Quiroga: It wasn’t very different. I believe that if you want to be a CEO, then act like one from the start! If you want to own a multimillion-dollar company, then operate your company as if it were already a multimillion-dollar company! Always lead by example and stay true to your core values.
There are many schools of thought as to what a CEO’s core roles and responsibilities are. Based on your experience, what are the main things a CEO should focus on? Explain and please share examples or stories to illustrate your vision.
Warner Quiroga: A CEO should focus on the five pillars of leading:
- Lead from within – means leading with integrity and through your core values.
- Lead from the front – means keeping the team engaged, providing a vision and clarity.
- Lead from behind – means allowing others to take responsibility, serving, supporting, and coaching your team through tough times.
- Lead from the side – means working together, partnering on things, and allowing for healthy conflict.
- Lead in the field – means creating new ideas and constantly innovating.
Share with us one of the most difficult decisions you had to make for your company that benefited your employees or customers. What made this decision so difficult and what were the positive impacts?
Warner Quiroga: One of the most challenging decisions I’ve had to make was cutting down on some of our marketing expenses because our overhead was getting high, and the ROI wasn’t where we wanted it to be. It felt like we were taking a couple of steps back, which was discouraging at first. Still, it allowed us to dial in on what we currently had in our database and eventually create a stronger foundation to scale again.
How would you define success? Does it mean generating a certain amount of wealth, gaining a certain level of popularity, or helping a certain number of people?
Warner Quiroga: The definition of success to me is constantly evolving. As I grow and become wiser, the meaning continues to change. I don’t think there’s a black and white answer to it. Despite my current successes, I wouldn’t consider myself ‘successful.’ I suppose my meaning of success is the endless pursuit of your ultimate potential. Always strive to be the best version of yourself, create a lasting impact in the world and create fulfilling relationships.
Some leadership skills are innate while others can be learned. What leadership skills do you possess innately and what skills have you cultivated over the years as a CEO?
Warner Quiroga: I’ve always been a go-getter, and I’ve always strived to make decisions based on if they’re legal, ethical, or moral. Those have been innate to who I am, I believe. I believe I’ve cultivated leading by example and learning how to listen to support others better and help them become the best versions of themselves.
How did your role as a CEO help your business overcome challenges caused by the pandemic? Explain with practical examples.
Warner Quiroga: Luckily, the pandemic caused us to have our best year yet. I believe the lack of inventory was an obstacle we faced. Still, I decided to continue our marketing and leave our foot on the gas at the pandemic’s start. It led to the opportunities we came across that others may have missed for slowing it down during the beginning of the pandemic.
Do you have any advice for aspiring CEOs and future leaders? What advice would you give a CEO that is just starting on their journey?
Warner Quiroga: I would tell aspiring CEOs to stick with it and always take calculated risks. We only fail when we quit, and the regret of never taking a risk is the most significant risk you could take. Life’s too short, and you never know when things might go your way.
Thank you for sharing some of your knowledge with our readers! They would also like to know, what is one skill that you’ve always wanted to acquire but never really could?
Warner Quiroga: I’ve always wanted to have the ability to learn things very quickly, as some people do. Instead, I have to work twice as much; I think to understand something. However, that benefit is that it has made me very resilient and patient.
Before we finish things off, we have one final question for you. If you wrote a book about your life today, what would the title be?
Warner Quiroga: I still have a long way to go, and I have so much more to learn, so this question is tricky! But if I had to choose a title, it would be, “Crawl to the top. Don’t rush it.”
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Warner Quiroga for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Warner Quiroga or his company, you can do it through his – Facebook
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