We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gustavo Rey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Gustavo, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

If I could change one thing about the education system, it would be to introduce real world life skills, entrepreneurship, and self-discovery much earlier in a student’s journey. Right now, most of us are trained to follow a path designed for stability, not fulfillment. We’re told to get good grades, pick a “safe” career, and stick with it, but no one teaches us how to explore who we really are, what we love, and how to turn those passions into a meaningful life or career.

I wish schools placed more emphasis on mindset, emotional intelligence, creativity, and financial literacy, not just academics. More importantly, students should be exposed to different career paths, especially non-traditional ones like content creation, freelancing, or building a business. Why wait until you’re burned out in your 30s to realize you were never meant to be in that cubicle?

Take me, for example. I followed the traditional path into engineering, something stable and respected. But over time, I realized it didn’t fuel me. I felt like I was living someone else’s dream. I would wake up at 5am to train, not just for physical health, but because running and fitness gave me a sense of purpose that my career didn’t. I started helping friends with their own health goals, motivating them and I felt alive. That’s when I knew: I don’t want to just work. I want to inspire, create, and lead. The best way for me to do that is by becoming an entrepreneur and content creator in the fitness and running space.

If the education system had helped me identify this earlier, through more exposure to purpose driven paths, mentors in creative careers, or even a basic “how to build your own brand” course. I might’ve avoided years of confusion and burnout. Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for my degree and my career, I am making a living thanks to it, and I am able to support and provide for my family because of it. I don’t want to blame just education for my situation because in a huge part this is on me. 10 years ago, it seems like the only way to success was through the educational path, but it is changing now.

We need an education system that helps students not just get jobs, but build lives that match their energy, their values, and their dreams. One that encourages them to explore, fail, create, and lead on their own terms.

That’s the future I want and that’s the mission I’m stepping into now.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Gustavo Rey. I’m 35 years old, originally from Colombia, and proud to be a husband and father to a beautiful 17-month-old (as of now). Professionally, I’m an Electrical Engineer working in the controls and automation industry. But outside the office, I’m deeply passionate about soccer and an enthusiastic runner. More recently, I’ve taken a leap into a new chapter, becoming a content creator on a mission to inspire others to take charge of their health, push their limits, and live a more active, fulfilling life, no matter where they’re starting from.

For years, I followed the “safe” career path — a stable job, a good salary, a respectable title. But deep down, I knew something was missing. The work didn’t align with my true passion or purpose. I didn’t just want to work — I wanted to motivate, lead, and help people grow, both physically and mentally. That inner calling, combined with my own health transformation, led me to reinvent myself.

On January 1st, 2025, I made a life-changing commitment: no more alcohol, no more excuses, and no more ignoring who I really am. In just 3 months, I lost 20 pounds, reignited my passion for running, and started showing up for myself in a whole new way. I’m now training for my first-ever marathon —the Publix Atlanta Marathon on March 1st, 2026 — and I’m sharing every step of the journey, from the highs to the challenges, across YouTube, Instagram, and soon TikTok, to help others believe in their own potential.

Under my brand, “Gustavo Rey,” I create bilingual content (mainly in Spanish, but also in English) focused on fitness, running, motivation, and healthy living. Whether it’s losing weight, running your first 5K, or simply getting your confidence back — I’m here to guide, support, and encourage. I also speak openly about the mindset, discipline, and habits that fuel real transformation — because fitness is about more than just workouts.

I’m not a celebrity trainer or a fitness influencer with a perfect six-pack. I’m a real person who’s been where many people are — stuck in a job that didn’t fulfill me, disconnected from my body, and unsure where to begin. I know how hard it can be to start — and I know how powerful it feels when you finally do. My voice is that of a friend, a motivator, and someone who truly wants to see others win.

What I’m most proud of is proving that it’s never too late to change your story. You don’t need a fancy gym or perfect gear. You need commitment, consistency, and someone who believes in you — and that’s what I aim to provide through my journey and my content.

If you follow me, you’ll find honesty, energy, and real inspiration, plus practical tips to improve your health, fitness, and mindset. Whether you’re starting from zero or getting back on track, my message is simple:
Tú puedes. You can do this. Vamos!!!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience has been a constant theme throughout my life. I actually have several moments that define who I am today, but one of the earliest and most meaningful ones happened back in high school.

As a freshman, I barely played on the JV soccer team. I wasn’t a standout player, and to be honest, no one really believed I had what it took to compete at a higher level. But I had something that didn’t show up on stats: heart, grit, and a never-quit mentality. By my sophomore year, against all odds and expectations, I made the varsity team. And by my senior year, I was one of only two players on the entire team who played every single game and logged the most minutes all season — right next to our star player. I’ll never forget seeing that stat. It reminded me that hard work, not talent alone, is what opens doors. I wasn’t the best, but I was relentless.

That same spirit has followed me in every chapter of life. I’ve had multiple soccer injuries, and every time I got knocked down, I found a way to come back, sometimes stronger, sometimes slower, but always moving forward. Today, I’m running more than ever before, training for a marathon, and chasing new goals with the same hunger I had back then.

There’s also the story of love and commitment — my wife and I were in a long-distance relationship for 7 years. It wasn’t easy. We faced hard moments, distance and doubts. But we stayed committed, kept believing in each other, and today we’re married with a beautiful baby — a reminder that real love takes resilience too.

Even professionally, I’ve had to bounce back. I was let go from my first engineering job, and instead of breaking down and filled for unemployment, I treated it as fuel. I landed a new job in less than a month and kept moving forward. I even tried launching an Amazon FBA business — it failed, I lost money, and I had to shut it down. But failure teaches me. Now I’m working on building my next business, and I feel more prepared, more grounded, and more driven than ever.

Resilience, for me, isn’t about never falling. It’s about rising every time, no matter how hard or how many times. Every setback I’ve had has shaped the person I’m becoming and I’m proud of that.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to unlearn is being afraid of failure. For a long time, I saw failure as something to avoid at all costs, something that meant I wasn’t good enough or that I had made the wrong decision. But life taught me otherwise.

I remember when I lost my first professional job, it hit hard. I had done everything “right,” followed the safe path, earned my degree, and worked hard. Still, it didn’t protect me from getting let go. At first, I felt embarrassed and defeated. But looking back, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me. It pushed me to reassess what I truly wanted and led me to a better opportunity in less than a month.

Then came my first business. I started an Amazon FBA venture, poured time and money into it, and it didn’t work out. I lost money and eventually had to shut it down. That experience could’ve stopped me, but instead, it taught me more than any course ever could — about business, risk, mindset, and resilience. Now I’m gearing up for my second business, and I’m coming in smarter, more focused, and more fearless.

I’m still working on fully letting go of the fear of failure, but I’ve learned this: failure isn’t the opposite of success — it’s part of the process. Every loss has given me something, knowledge, strength, clarity and now I see failure as feedback, not defeat.

That mindset shift is helping me grow not just in business, but in life, fitness, and even as a content creator. You can’t inspire others if you’re too scared to take the first step yourself.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @reyactiveatl
• Youtube: @ReyActiveATL

Image Credits

Nathaly Tabares Photography