We recently connected with FELIX AGOSTO and have shared our conversation below.

FELIX, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I am a retired US Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, and the founder and CEO of The Rise Up Experience (TRUE), I recognize the hardships military children and families endure. My organization started as a way to fill the void left by the rise of competitive sports. When I retired in 2012, my son was 11 at the time. I was unable to find suitable sports programs for someone interested in playing for fun. Rather than wait on someone else to identify what I already saw as a problem, I developed a plan and launched MVP360 Leadership programs. The concept went beyond sports. The “MVP” stands for Motives, Values and Personality. MOTIVES: We believe in utilizing Motives as a way to guide their path to success. VALUES: Understanding what is Valued in life, is will increase the likelihood of maintaining focus through adversity. PERSONALITY: We live in a world where “Character Counts” and we are judged by what others see. Personality is key to ensuring others’ perception is in line with Motives and Values. 360: The number 360 represents a well-rounded mindset in which we promote Education, Fitness, Social Acceptance and Emotional well-being.

We started as a community program. However, I knew that this issue was not only impacting kids in the community, but it was also impacting military kids as well. Sports are seen as a way to develop communities. It often provides youth with somewhere safe to congregate, and it usually fosters community spirit. However, providing sports opportunities alone will not have a long-lasting impact. We need to utilize sports as a way to establish healthy living habits and positive coping mechanisms. We need to create a leadership first mentality and a “together we can” attitude. That’s what MVP360 Sports is all about. We have served our surrounding community since 2012 and will continue to do so. However, we believe that our mission, vision, and message need to reach a broader audience.

In addition, all was well until COVID derailed many in this world. Rather than sit on the sidelines, I started a program called Leadership First. This program was designed to educate youth about essential life skills necessary for continued success and personal advancement. In life, the emphasis is on winning now. Unfortunately, many youths find that their path to a successful life may not be in sports or entertainment and therefore are unprepared to face life’s challenges. I utilized military, civilian, and educational resources to create what is essentially a motivating and educational life skills program for youth of all ages. We hosted three cohorts online and by all accounts, it was successful. But a topic continued to come up unrelated to our goals, kids kept mentioning the love of arts. Many of the kids on the online groups were artists. They enjoyed music, singing, writing, drawing, painting, etc. Once again, I found the need to do something that could provide a path forward for those pursuing their passion. I developed the concept called “My City Sound Stage”. My City Sound Stage works with local talent to create limitless opportunities for the storytellers, musicians, singers, song writers, visual and performing artists. It’s a unique way of establishing their presence in the entertainment industry. This concept evolved from the need of local artist of all types to be given the platform to perform.

In 2015, MVP360 hosted its first camp for Military Kids whose parents were associated with Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ. Fast forward to 2023, we are proud to announce that we are the first organization selected to run Flag Football Summer Camps for the US Air Force! We ran 6 camps 4 military installations in 2023 and will be expanding to 26 locations 2024. This, along with what we learned from our Leadership First cohorts, dictated the path we travel today.

We are now a sports and entertainment management company called The Rise Up Experience. This name comes from the idea of doing something so amazing that the audience rise and applaud your efforts. It also captures our tag line for many years, “Rise Up! Be All That You Dream” Under this umbrella, we have now become a sports and entertainment company managing MVP360 Sports and My City Sound Stage as our pillars.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

When I was 12 years old, I started playing basketball in my neighborhood. I wasn’t very good, but it gave me a purpose in life. Something inside of me wanted to be “great” and so I practiced day and night. “Great” to me didn’t mean that I would make it to the NBA; it meant that I would be able to compete no matter who I faced on or off the court. This competitive nature would get me through many tough times throughout my life. Thus my love of sports was born. At 16, I started working for a gym in my neighborhood. I loved it! I got a chance to be a part of starting and running sports programs for kids. Ironically, I was part of a group of workers that formed an indoor flag football league from scratch. The rules we came up with then are the same ones I use today.

I also worked at an amusement park which till this day I credit for changing my perspective on life. I learned about diversity in people and music. What I enjoyed the most was the entertainment I got to watch daily because the main stage was right across from the stand that I worked at. I graduated from Dieruff High School in 1991. After a brief time living in New York, I was offered a job at the Boys and Girls Club of America in Allentown, Pa. to be the Youth Athletic Director. It was here that I developed the love for managing events. I created a week-long program to run along the NCAA tournament that included, competitions related to basketball.

This is the origin of my love for sports and entertainment. The final piece to what I consider to be a successful journey in business, was my experience in the US Air Force. I took to heart the core values of Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence in All We Do.

These core values, along with my experience, are what guide our brand. Rather than looking at what others were doing, I focused on what we can do to provide the best experience possible for anyone associated with our programs and company. The little things like making sure that the lines on the field were freshly painted every week so that the feeling parents got on day one would carry over week after week. I raised funds to provide new uniforms and equipment as a way to show my appreciate for their commitment to our programs. I highlighted our volunteers every chance I got. They were and still are the lifeline of our organization.

We are striving to be the premier all-in-one, management service that focuses on Sports, Entertainment, and Development. The Rise Up Experience is the answer to an ever-changing world. We inspire and encourage a culture of creativity! From concept to conclusion and beyond, we plan and execute sporting and entertainment events. Our slogan, “Your Vision, Our Mission, It’s Time!” Represents what we do for you in this space.

If what I am communicating is a bit confusing, it’s because there is work to be done. When you build something from the ground up, you find that the challenges can only be overcome by unrelenting dedication to the mission. Whether in sports or entertainment, it is the thought process that sets us apart. Very few people can dig into the details, apply lessons learned, and clearly understand capabilities and limitations. I am up at 5am every morning. I am still learning, and I never take success for granted. I share this statement all the time. that is that I have failed more than I have succeeded. I am hardest on myself, and achievements are steppingstones in my journey, they are not the destination.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I have come to the conclusion that no one will ever live up to my standards, this includes me. What I create in my mind doesn’t always translate into reality. I found early on that I spent too much time chasing a ghost called “perfection”. This caused my organization to hit a wall and compromised its growth.

I had to learn to rely on others. In my mind, what I do, and my reach will be global. In reality, this is not possible without the right team around me and building it one step at a time. Maybe someone will read this and open some doors or offer advice on a path forward. We have the opportunity to grow. But I need to keep my standards in check, and I need to trust that the spirit of our mission will be met when others are in charge.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I am in “pivot” mode right now. We started as a local community program and are now in line to run programs at 26 locations stateside and overseas. In addition, we have started the process of doing market research throughout the US to see if expanding into communities surrounding the Air Force bases is feasible. Pivoting is not easy. It’s essentially starting over and like most in business, and in life, change is difficult. Although by most accounts, I have been successful in what I have done, I am not satisfied, nor did I think I had reached my potential as an entrepreneur. When I started down this journey, I asked myself, when I look back at what I accomplished, will I be satisfied? My answer was no. Nothing highlights this more than when we won an award from the NFL called, “Together We Make Football”. NFL Films produced a documentary, and we were flown to California to be a part of Super Bowl Week, NFL Honors and Super Bowl 50. Many congratulated me, and thought it was the best thing ever. Yet, I was not of that mindset. My goal was to see my organization operating on a national level. This award was amazing, but it did not put me any closer to my goals. My advice to all in this; enjoy your success, celebrate your wins, but don’t become complacent and never lose sight of your dreams.

It is easy to get caught up in the here and now. It’s what I believe hinders small business, I called this the “Sight vs Vision” syndrome. When technically defined, both are similar. When applied to business, they couldn’t be farther apart in my meaning and scope, Sight is what you see in front of you, positive or negative. It’s the bills, employees, lease, sales etc. many become consumed with what they see. So much so that they lose sight of their vision. I have never lost sight of my vision. In fact, I was prepared to walk away from entrepreneurship with the understanding that I had not achieved my goals. Then I pivoted.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.riseupexperience.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mvp360sports/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mvp360sports/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felixagosto22/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/felixagosto22/ https://www.facebook.com/felixagosto22/