This week we got some good news from Pfizer on a vaccine, and a whole lot of bad news about COVID infections exploding nationwide. A recent trial indicated that Pfizer’s novel vaccine was more than 90% effective. This would make it about twice as effective as the normal flu vaccine. Medical experts believe that up to 30 million Americans could receive the vaccine by the end of the year and it could be widely available by April. Thank God. At the same time, COVID infections in the United States are approaching 200,000 a day. This means a lot of people are going to die in the coming months. Tragic. Those of us in the housing business have been spared the financial devastation that others are experiencing right now. We’ve been lucky. Millions of people are still out of work and the economy is far from recovered. That said, we just need to get past this. I’ve had friends who became infected with barely any symptoms, and I’ve had other friends who were hit so hard, they were sure they were going to die. As difficult as it is for everyone right now, mentally, physically and economically, we have to make it to the other side of this. The one thing I hope we have all learned from the pandemic, is that nothing is more important than health, because everything else can be replaced. Stay safe and wear a mask.
I’ve always believed sports are one of the most powerful stages in American culture. The people we celebrate—and the people who own the teams and institutions behind them—help shape how the country sees leadership, success, and possibility. In Episode 96, I share why José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones’ purchase of the San Diego Padres feels bigger than baseball, and why this moment could mark a tipping point for Black and Latino visibility, wealth, and power.
There is no shortage of data showing the impact Latinos are having on the U.S. economy, from GDP and entrepreneurship to workforce participation and homeownership. So why hasn’t that growth translated into the kind of economic and political power our numbers suggest it should? In this episode, I focus on two things we can actually control: building wealth and owning our narrative. Cultural influence matters, but ownership is what turns influence into lasting power. And if we want the next generation to inherit more than momentum, we need a strategy for converting our work ethic, growth, and economic contributions into the institutions and assets that shape this country.
The World Cup reminded the world just how magnetic Hispanic and Latino culture can be. In this episode, I talk about why that popularity is more than a cultural victory—it is an economic opportunity hiding in plain sight. From music, food, sports, and fashion to the global appeal of our biggest stars, our culture already has the power to shape markets and influence how people see us. The question now is whether our business and political leaders are ready to turn that momentum into capital, representation, and lasting power. This is a moment we cannot afford to waste.