Ep 18 Dr. Alejandro Jauregui, From Janitor to Doctor: Leadership Development

This leadership development podcast is brought to you by: Ovi Vasquez, Inspirational Leadership Keynote Speaker. Fatherless farm boy from rural Guatemala—Inspiring teams to peak performance. He challenges teams to embrace change and step into bold leadership through leadership culture. He grew up in a village off-the-grid, migrated to the U.S., learned English in two years, graduated from high school in three years, earned a B.A. in management, in two years.  Ovi has worked for Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, and Uber. He is a TEDx speaker, author, and a social entrepreneur. 

GUEST BIO: Meet Dr. Alex Alejandro Jauregui, a lifelong advocate for emergent bilinguals whose work in Buena Park School District, the Cotsen Foundation, and Biola University centers one belief: students’ heritage languages and cultures are powerful assets. He partners with teachers and coaches to design classrooms where translanguaging is welcomed, biliteracy is the goal, and every child’s story is seen, heard, and honored. 

Find our guest at: https://cotsen.org
Find our host at: https://www.ovinspires.com

Leadership Keywords: educator development, teacher coaching, emergent bilinguals, biliteracy, educational equity, translanguaging, professional mentorship, instructional leadership, program design, values-based leadership, student voice, Latino leadership, community impact 

Leadership Summary: In this episode, Dr. Jauregui shares how his grandmother’s wisdom and early mentors shaped his leadership path from East LA to statewide coaching roles. He breaks down how relational coaching, music, cultural pride, and servant leadership drive long-term team success. His story speaks to resilience, family values, and inclusive leadership. For corporate and school leaders, his message is clear: empower people, create safe zones to fail, and lead with empathy. 

10 Takeaways on Leadership
✅ Mentorship is a responsibility
✅ Active listening builds trust
✅ Let others fail and grow
✅ Lead with values, not ego
✅ Culture is an asset
✅ Music connects across language
✅ Coaching should be relational
✅ Invest in people first
✅ Create safe spaces to learn
✅ Center leadership on gratitude and faith

5 Titles for Leadership
✅ From Janitor to Doctor: Alex Jauregui’s Leadership Blueprint
✅ Coaching Is Culture
✅ Mentorship in Motion
✅ Lead by Listening
✅ Bilingual by Pride

5 Sound Bites for Leadership
🗣 “Mentorship is walking alongside, not above.”
🗣 “Every teacher needs a coach, not just new ones.”
🗣 “My abuelita said, you will be bilingual. You will use your voice.”
🗣 “Failure is not the end. It’s where growth begins.”
🗣 “Hard conversations are brave conversations.”

10 Chapters on Leadership
00:00 Meet Dr. Jauregui
04:00 East LA Roots
06:00 Mentors and Programs
10:00 Music, Faith, Culture
13:00 Janitorial Work for Tuition
16:00 Grandma’s Language Lessons
20:00 Coaching the Cotsen Way
25:00 Teacher Growth Through Mentorship
30:00 Advice for Corporate Leaders
35:00 Free Tools, Faith, Final Message 

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