Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alberto Petit-Frere. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alberto, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The vision started in 2015 with my first organization called Win or GO Home. For me, it was all about getting the community together and I figured that nothing brings a community together better than by doing sports events. Honestly, I felt that deep in my heart that I wanted to do more than just doing sports events. I wanted to give back to the community by feeding the people in need at the Collision center. I remember growing up with me, my mom, and my older brother and trust me it was a battle for us. It was tough for us and sometimes, it was quite embarrassing going through the struggle knowing others noticed it. We were never homeless, we just needed that extra help. As a kid, what kept me from thinking about my struggles was playing sports. Growing up, sports was my outlet, my way to portray a personality. I was very shy around people but, through sports, something I was good at, I was able to be myself. I didn’t fit in at school so sports was kind of my safe haven. However, down the road, I began to struggle finding my own identity so I ended up hanging around the wrong crowd which left me getting into trouble a lot to the point where I was kicked out of Orange County Public schools. Many people felt that I was too far from saving and gave up on me as a result. I felt so misunderstood like people didn’t want to get to know the real me. All glory be to God, I had one special person by my side that always believed in me and that was my mother. My mother is a God-fearing and loving women and would constantly pray over me to this day because she knew that there was something in me that God wanted to share with others. She went out of her way to make sure that I graduate with a high school diploma. Because of her, I was able to get enrolled into a Christian Academy which I later graduated from. The tears that came out of my mother’s eyes receiving that diploma was something I vowed myself to never forget. I decided to attend Devry University but then a year later, I realized that school wasn’t for me. I worked for a few companies but later ended u getting laid off. It made me opened my eyes that I can be the hardest working person in the room but that doesn’t mean that everyone would truly value that. Nonetheless, I took notes from my working experience and realized that business is a business at the end of the day, you have to truly love what you do, and you simply have to expect failures in life because without failures, we can’t have the elation of success as we overcome the obstacles stacked along our path. You have to embrace every moment in life. I started writing down my goals that I had envisioned myself doing from couple of years down the line. Something had came over my head and then I knew exactly what I wanted to be which was an entrepreneur and a philanthropist. I wanted to be that someone who inspires the youth to be the better version of themselves and to never give up. That is when I came up with Win or Go Home. I decided to launch Win or Go Home in 2015. I had a great time doing sports events for the community. But even deep down, I wasn’t fully satisfied and wanted to do more. I had a bigger vision and wanted to take it a step further. So in 2018, I launched Heart of A Champion. I selected few close friends that I knew had the same heart like mine to be a part of the organization. To me, Heart of A champion had a great echo to it. It stood for something. It meant that no matter what you go through in life that you can overcome anything as long as you have that heart of a champion despite what one may being going through, it should not stop them from believing in themselves. Me and my team decided that we were not only going to do sports event but also give back to the community by feeding the people in need at the Collision Center. As I mentioned earlier, my team and I would feed others but you one thing you must notice is how I address those at the Collision Center. I call those that need a helping hand people in need meaning that people are stuck or struggling fora momentary time but eventually can fix their situation. I never liked using the word homeless because it has a strong connotation. Saying people in need means that despite struggling, they can soon get themselves back up which in my eyes that’s called having a heart of a champion. Heart of A champion wanted to gravitate not only to those in need but also the youth. Being doubted by people made me wanted to help kids in my neighborhood find their calling and purpose in life. Me and my team knew that sports could provide an outlet for many youth and we knew that it could bring the whole community together that’s why we did sports events. Sports in my eyes brought memories. Memories from playing these sports growing up and even the memories I continue to make today, will last a lifetime. Every trophy or scar has a story to tell someone and a memory I will never forget. I wanted to create new memories with others in my community that’s why Heart of A Champion means so much to me. It is more than just about people playing sports or giving back, it is about changing peoples lives by having them believe that they can make the community a better place and safe. The reason why we as a Heart of A Champion are able to do this is because we ensure that we prioritize our main goal and vision and that is to create unity within our community while devoting our time and efforts into giving back.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Well, my name is Alberto Petit-Frere and I am an entrepreneur and a part of a nonprofit organization called Heart of A Champion. Honestly, I feel what sets my organization a part is that we want to make a difference in our community. We want to show others that it is possible to bring unity, love, positivity, but most importantly a change to our community in Orlando. Heart of A Champion knows that giving back to the community is the cornerstone on which a great life is built and enables us to help ourselves and attain the biggest rewards of all; seeing the community come together as a whole. When our organization gives back to the community, it gives a reason to exist. It gives the opportunity to work for a cause and bring a positive change around us. Heart of A Champion really feels that this not only give our everyday a purpose to live but a reason for us to stay motivated in all our lives. What I am most proud of is that my team never stops being creative. By this I mean, they always come up with new ideas of how we can give back or new ways to bring the community together like fun activities. What I want Heart of A Champion fan base to know about me and my team is that we appreciate each and everyone that comes to our events because it shows that they also care about making our community a better place not just for themselves but also for the youth. I seriously want our fans to know that we take great pride in bringing positivity and happiness into our city. You see, what I want our supporters to realize is that by us spending time enriching our community is a great way to broaden our perceptions of the world. Heart of A Champion realized throughout our journey that by immersing yourself in a community and surrounding yourself with people who are dedicated to bettering the world, you can learn so much about how the world works. You gain a unique sense of purpose by serving those around you, one which often manifests in other areas of your life. That right there is what drives us to keep going.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn was stopping placing everyone first when it involved my life and my business. Something that is rarely discussed in society is that if you a have hidden trauma you will not be able to operate a successful business/organization in a thriving place. The reason why I say this is due to the fact that your decisions and actions will be based on rejection or shown a point. The sad part about this is that you will not get the opportunity to also recognize or maintain your success without feeling guilty to look for the next idea to show that you are not what people said about you. Eventually, I realized that in order for me to run my organization/business, I first must be in a place of being whole. I would like others to know that when you are healed and whole, you will begin to have this genuine confidence that will illuminate rooms that you have not even been blessed to walk in yet due to the grace of God. What I also realize is that what God has in store for you, no can block that blessing. No matter what may be happening today, God has good things in store for your future! It may not be easy to see now, but God has already lined up a new beginning, new friendships and new opportunities for you. I first must credit my success and healing which came from my God and it also came with a conscious decision to put myself first!
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
An advice that I have for anyone managing a team and maintaining high morale is that you simply have to make sure that everyone is on the same page when trying to complete a goal. Everyone is going to have different perspectives on how to go about things or getting certain things done but it’s very important that everyone put their pride to the side because at the end of the day, when my team and I are doing things for the community we must show that we are selfless and can come together to find a resolution to our problem. I am big believer that if you cannot get your team on the same page then you might as well expect that your organization is going to eventually fail. I do believe that everyone in a team should feel free and comfortable to express themselves in a way to show that they are a crucial asset to the team. Despite some members not agreeing with an idea that another member had brought up, they first have to think about how it might work and how that idea can impact the company or organization.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.heartofchampions.com
- Instagram: heartofachampions
- Facebook: Heart Of A Champion
Image Credits
Photographer: Flashionable.Inc & Dlow Studios Videographer: My Game ENT DJ: Deejay Squall Host: Johnniebee Graphic Designer; Doctortees