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

Hi Rick, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

. In mid-2020, when the world was in crisis, I was suffering myself. I had just been laid off and was anxious and hopeless, not knowing what the future held. So, I decided to stop being a volunteer victim and looked for ways to help others who were far less fortunate than I was. This led me to write a blog article about using the pandemic as an opportunity to be grateful for all that I had and focus on ways to impact others positively. My first idea was to start writing a book that had been swirling around in my head for nearly twenty years. I decided that the time to act was now, so I began writing what would soon become 12 Hours of Heaven: Lessons for a Better World. I started my writing journey in April 2020, intending to give others hope and inspiration in a time of need.
I started writing very methodically, committing to 500-1000 words per day, and figured I would finish the book in about six months. All of this changed after a couple of months when someone higher up had bigger plans for me. As I wrote, I went through a period of intense spiritual connection where I had dreams and visions of what the future could become if I did far more than only write a book. It was then that I felt called to create a community to connect and empower those who want to make the world a better place but don’t know where to turn or how to get there. This calling was the birth of the I Spark Change movement. This was when I decided to devote my life to spreading positive change and elevating social impact.
At first, it was just an idea that I couldn’t get out of my head. This idea quickly took over my life for the next couple of months. My writing flourished to where I would write over 2000 words in a couple of hours. This compounded to the completion of 12 Hours of Heaven in under three months. I was so focused on the writing process that I didn’t share the transformation inside my head, heart, and soul with anyone. Maybe It felt too private and special to dilute by telling others, or I was afraid of what they would think. Either way, I held it all in until I completed writing the book. Once I finished the writing portion of the journey, I felt this incredible urge to share my experience with anyone I could. I recorded a short video of me telling this story and posted it on Facebook for the world to see. Others viewed it thousands of times, and the support was highly positive. This support gave me the courage to go from idea to reality and officially launch I Spark Change as a business and movement. We now highlight the good deeds done in the world and encourage others to do the same.

Rick, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I tend to wear a lot of hats, as do many entrepreneurs. I am a bestselling author, Ultimate Success Coach™and founder of I Spark Change. I help individuals gain clarity and guidance by eliminating the roadblocks preventing their personal and professional success so they can elevate their social impact and spread positive change.

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur in 2015, I had spent most of my career helping to grow and scale other companies. I began in the corporate world of healthcare sales. From there, I spent many years honing my leadership skills and learning all that I could. . Initially in large Fortune 500 companies in marketing, training, and corporate development. Later, I joined some smaller start-up companies focusing on growth and improvement. Before my latest endeavor, I was a business coach in the medical sector, working with doctors of all types on the growth of their practices.

Despite learning a lot over the 25+ years of my career, I feel I’ve only scratched the surface. Being open to opportunity and growth has allowed me to develop myself more in the past three years than in the previous ten.

Building I Spark Change for the past two years has been a phenomenal experience for me and others involved. We focus on empowering and connecting humanity to spread positive change and elevate social impact. Our work has touched thousands of lives from all across the globe. We are still in the very early phases and have big things ahead.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One of the first challenges I faced when launching ISC was the naysayers and doubts that come with change. As I stated earlier, I was a bit hesitant to share my ideas because of their grandiose nature. I first shared things cautiously with family and close friends with the expectation of support. In most cases, that’s exactly what I received, which positively affirmed my actions. Unfortunately or fortunately, the support was not always positive, depending on how you look at the situation. Some people very close to me reacted in a less than excited manner. It was akin to receiving a meh response when you expect praise and affirmation.

At first, this was a blow to the heart. I instantly became saddened that those I loved were unable to see my vision or didn’t care. It got me down for a short time until I received a boost from my friend and mentor, Danny. I shared what had happened with him, and he gave me some great advice. He first asked me if I was doing what I felt I was called to do. I responded with an enthusiastic yes! He then said that If I was doing the work I was called to do and living with purpose, then any negative response of others didn’t matter. He explained that it didn’t matter because I wasn’t doing everything for the individuals who didn’t care. I was doing it for all the people I would positively impact and the lives I would change for the better. He finished by saying that even if I worked for years and years and only positively impacted one life, it would all be worth it in the end.
His wisdom and guidance gave me a new resolve to continue on and not worry about the opinions of others. This lesson continues to fuel me regularly. Trust me. We have had many challenges in the past year and a half, getting things rolling. Whether having to rebuild our website, start a new social media profile from scratch, or train a new intern, we continue to move forward a little at a time. It is never really easy, and we know that we have a long way to go, but we take it one day and a time. And when I get down because things haven’t gone as planned, I pause and remember Danny’s great advice.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I’m a voracious reader as I see the value in learning from others who have been on a similar journey. There are three books that stand out among all others as they have messages that should resonate with any entrepreneur.

1) Mindset by Carol Dweck – This book is an incredible foundation for understanding how people think. It allows you to see the benefits of a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset and how this relates to one’s life. It can be beneficial for anyone, from a parent to a CEO.

2) The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy – No book explains the power of breathing things down to make them attainable better than this one. It explains how small, seemingly insignificant actions over time can compound into big results down the road. It shows you that anything is possible if you take action and put in the work.

3) Limitless by Jim Kwik – As the name implies, all human beings can be truly limitless in life. This book explains practical techniques to upgrade your brain, learn faster, and supercharge your life.

You can’t go wrong with any of the above or do yourself a favor and read all three.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rickornelas.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickornelas/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rick.ornelas/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickornelas/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/isparkchange
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxszC0wtIG4XxUOiFrHUqQ?
• Other: I Spark Change https://www.isparkchange.com ISC Instagram https://www.instagram.com/i_spark_change/