About the Show:

"Get your LinkedIn polished, treat it like a professional network and read. Read the things that interest you, but read the things that will challenge you."

– Jose Socorro

In this episode of I Am Northwest Arkansas®, host Randy Wilburn sits down with Jose Socorro, regional director for Jan Pro of Arkansas and self-proclaimed "Jersey boy," to explore his journey from Jersey City to the Ozarks and what it takes to build a life in a new place.

Jose's path wasn't straight—it wound through Missouri and Oklahoma before landing him in Northwest Arkansas. Along the way, he built small businesses with family, weathered Hurricane Sandy, coached high school football, and worked for major companies like JB Hunt and Central States. Being bilingual opened doors, but it was his willingness to hustle, stay connected, and keep learning that kept him moving forward.

Now thriving in Northwest Arkansas, Jose shares what makes this region different—the welcoming business community, the power of chambers of commerce, and how foundational skills like Excel can launch a career. Throughout our conversation, gratitude and community emerge as the thread connecting it all.

This episode is for anyone considering a move to Northwest Arkansas, looking to build business connections, or simply curious about what life looks like when you trade the Northeast for the Ozarks.

Key Takeaways:

1. Embrace the Power of Connections: Northwest Arkansas has a “one degree of separation” feel—networking and community matter.
2. Learn Essential Skills: Mastering basics like Excel and building a strong LinkedIn profile are musts for young professionals.
3. Gratitude and Perspective: Overcoming challenges and staying thankful helps you grow and prepares you for what’s next.
4. Community Matters: Chambers of commerce, local business groups, and giving back make Northwest Arkansas special for workers and families.
5. Quality of Life: The cost of living, opportunities, and welcoming environment make Northwest Arkansas a great place to raise a family or launch a career.
6. Read the Room: Understanding people and staying humble go a long way in business and life.

All this and more on this episode of the I Am Northwest Arkansas® podcast.

Important Links and Mentions on the Show*

1. Jose Socorro on LinkedIn

This episode is sponsored by*

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*Note: some of the resources mentioned may be affiliate links. This means we get paid a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you use that link to make a purchase.

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Thank you for listening to this I am Northwest Arkansas podcast episode. We showcase businesses, culture, entrepreneurship, and life in the Ozarks.

Consider donating to our production team to keep this podcast running smoothly. Donate to I Am Northwest Arkansas

It's time for another episode of I Am Northwest

Arkansas, the podcast covering the intersection of

business, culture, entrepreneurship, and life in

general here in the Ozarks. Whether you are considering a

move to. This area or trying to learn more about the place you call

home, or. We'Ve got something special for you. Here's

our host, Randy Wilburn. Hey,

folks, and welcome back to another episode of I Am Northwest Arkansas. I'm

your host, Randy Wilburn, and I'm excited to be with you. As always, I have

a cool episode for you today. And the reason why I think it's cool is

because the individual that is here with me, Jose

Socorro, is a Jersey boy like I am. He's

from. Not from Teaneck, but he's from close enough that

will claim him. But he is from Jersey nonetheless. And I thought it was

kind of ironic that I would run into him all the way here

in Northwest Arkansas. And Jose and I connected online

via LinkedIn and we have some mutual friends. And. And it's

so funny that when you. What you realize about Northwest Arkansas is

that while it might appear to be large, it really isn't. I mean, everything

is. There's like one degree of separation for anyone that you can come in

contact with here in Northwest Arkansas. And so I thought, man,

it would be great to have this guy on my podcast just to

kind of share his story, talk a little bit about his journey

to Northwest Arkansas, how he got here, and really how he's

making things happen on a regular basis. He is the regional director

for Jan Pro of Arkansas. And so he's constantly out

on his hustle, making connections with people left and right. He's the

consummate salesman. And yeah, we just really vibed. And so

I thought, why don't I bring him on the podcast? And so I hope you

guys enjoy this episode. We are going to sit down and have

a really in depth conversation with Jose Socorro.

Jose, how are you doing today? I'm good, Randy. Thank you for having me.

Absolutely, absolutely. Well, man, it's a pleasure that we finally

get a chance to. To connect and sit down. We. We caught some

coffee not long ago and then I told you

we would try to figure out some time for us to get together and have

this podcast episode. And, you know, one of the things that I enjoy

doing with this podcast is just having

regular folks tell their story. You know, what sets them apart from

anybody else, right? I mean, what. What sets any of us apart from anyone else?

That's always the question. And so I think podcasting Gives you

a place and a platform and a canvas, if you will, to be

able to share that story. And I think I always say this,

and it's a well worn phrase. There is nothing new under

the sun. So anything that you are thinking about doing, somebody probably already

has done it. Meaning that there is always going to be a blueprint

for success, for how you do things a certain way. And

certainly in the arena that you're in and

sales and marketing and kind of getting out there and going door to

door literally to generate and drum up business is

one of the oldest activities in the book and

you have successfully done well with that. But I would love for you just

to kind of share a little bit about your superhero origin story with

our audience. Let them know a little bit about who Jose is and why

they should even care about this episode. Absolutely. Well, I want

to say give a shout out to the 201. Also known as

North Jersey. That's right. That's right. So my parents

are from the Caribbean, guys from the Dominican Republic, mom from

Puerto Rico and they met in Puerto Rico and they

got married and in 1989 they had me

and a native from Jersey City, New Jersey, which

is where you would go to go visit

the Statue of Liberty or Ellis island on the Jersey side. Sure, the Hudson

river is beautiful. It's a great, I wouldn't say divide,

but a great little space between New Jersey, New York City

and historically there's always love, hate. But we're not going to get

into that because New York is. Okay. My book. But yeah,

originally from Jersey City and Hobokens. New Jersey City, home of Frank

Sinatra, Amazing eating, apparently. I didn't know this, but

there's over 50 realty offices. A couple of years ago when I checked in

Hoboken and it's a small little spot. It is a small spot, but it's also

a great spot for dining, for socializing.

Also, I've been told a lot of New York folks that

work there live in Hoboken because the cost of living in New Jersey is

fairly reasonable. Hard to believe that's a statement I can say about New Jersey.

No, but it is true because the taxes are high. Oh, man, everything.

Every exit has a toll. If people thought Dallas was bad, they

have idea. They don't know. They have no idea. So

grew up in Jersey, lived in Puerto Rico for a little bit, then moved back

to Jersey around the mid-90s and started

kindergarten. I was bilingual at the time, so I didn't have a lot of English.

I had to kind of learn English with the bilingual students. And then eventually I

learned English. And one of the things that I appreciate about having

spoken or speaking two languages is that it was really common

once you learn English, for Hispanics to kind of forget speaking

Spanish. But thankfully, my parents made sure that did not happen. And

so I am so glad I speak two languages to this day, which, in my

current role, it helps out tremendously. It's one of my secret

weapons. Yeah, the dual language, Especially when communicating

with the stakeholders for who I support and work for. So I

was in Jersey, moved over all over Hudson county, and

then I went to school in southwest Missouri. In 08, left

Jersey. My parents dropped me off and said, son, you're on your own.

But the thing about it is, how did you choose southwest

Missouri? Well, I think at the time, it was school. So I was

wanting to be a pastor at the time, and I had went to a competition

in Indiana, and I did well, auditioning and

submitting my information to the schools that were there. And the one

school that actually reached out and offered me something that I wasn't even looking at,

that school, There was a school in Pennsylvania that I was kind of looking at

at the time because my pastor had gone there, and I was like, well, it's

not far from where I live, but interesting turn of events. My senior year,

my mom and I took a trip from New Jersey through every

Greyhound bus stop from here to southwest Missouri. And then I got to

tour the school, and I was like, man, I really want to go here. And

I ended up getting there on a music scholarship. At the time, I wanted to

be a music teacher. I ended up switching to biblical

studies. And then after that, I ended up doing a degree in business.

I learned so many good things about business. I had a really good business professor

that opened my eyes and kind of helped me through some of my misconceptions of

business. And so from there, from 08 to 12, I

lived in southwest Missouri. Springfield, Missouri, to be exact. Great city.

And then in 2012, my dad went into

business for the first time with a family member in South

Jersey, right outside of Atlantic City. And so I was

like, okay, that's where I'm gonna go. At the time, I. If I had

known what I'd known, I probably would not have gone. But it was more

of more than me. It was a calling, and there was. It was an assignment.

I needed to be there to help my dad. But I got some really great

experiences from it. Learning how to file LLCs,

learning how to follow the rigorous process to get a business

approved, especially in a state like New Jersey where there's a lot of regulations and

rules, bureaucracy is in New Jersey. And the thing is I had an

associate's degree so it wasn't like I had a four year degree. I ended up.

So when I was in school because I switched my degrees

and I wanted to keep it at a feasible cost even though

I'm paying it back is not as feasible. But I ended up going

to a two year degree program even though it took me four years because I

ended up going part time my last two years of school but working, which

really helped. And again, it was just at the time the best option. I didn't

want to be a college dropout. So I said this is probably the

next best option. And so I went in there, helped my dad with the business.

I mean he had some big ideas and expenses. And I can remember

telling him, I know I'm your son and in the Hispanic culture the kids

don't speak up to the parents, but I'm going to tell you that we are

not going to drop money on these certain equipment and

tools. And thankfully we found a way around it and found

alternatives. And it was interesting because Hurricane Sandy hit

around that time. Yeah. And so that was a devastating effect on Jersey.

Yeah. And I guess my one advice, if you're having a business

and you don't think you don't need that insurance, let me encourage you to

reconsider because that was an interesting lesson learned the hard way.

My dad and uncle recovered from the experience, but it was, it was

a painful recovery. It was painful. I mean that hurricane punch hard. You know, at

the time I was working two part time jobs because dad really couldn't

afford to keep me on. So I was like, let me go work, but I'm

going to help you because I came here to help the business and help you

what I can. The benefits of speaking English and Spanish definitely

kicked in big time with my dad. And even that season was really

helpful. I mean we grew closer, we had a good relationship, but we grew

even more during that time. And then I was coaching high school football.

I always love sharing that story. If I can always insert I coach high school

football because I was aspiring to be a college football coach. Even though I didn't

play in college or anything, it was one of those things I want to do

it. So I did it for about two years there. A small little Catholic high

school. We won states our first year. That was great. And then the second

year we went Again, we did not win, but it was overall a good experience.

And then I was also managing schools. I got my associates. And then I

was working on my online degree program through Oral

Roberts University, which, I'm telling you, football is a game of

inches. And I'll mention that even though ORE doesn't have a football program, my

GPA was barely good enough to get in the door. But all I needed to

do was get in the door, because I knew once I was in the door,

I was gonna do well. My GPA actually went up because the online model worked

well for me, because I was able to work full time. Then I was able

to do work because I'm a late guy. I don't go to bed till late.

I mean, after midnight, I can put in a few more hours of

work. And that's kind of carried through where I am now. But

that just kind of my story. I was in Jersey, and then in 2015, I

moved to Oklahoma to finish up at ORU. In person.

In person. Even though I was still an online student, but I lived in town.

So now I was able to kind of experience Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is one of

my other favorite places. Okay. Tulsa, Oklahoma, Springfield, Missouri,

and obviously Jersey. But northwest Arkansas as number one.

Because I remember when I was in school in southwest Missouri, at Evangel University,

we would do business competitions in Roger's Embassy Suites.

And I can remember, because this is what I always remember standing at Embassy

Suites and being able to see the Coca Cola sign. But it's

now crossing construction. Yeah. And then I'm looking over across the street,

there's a big Home Depot. There's an. An Olive Garden and a Red Lobster. And

I'm like, this place is amazing. Stuff like this in Jersey, you're having to

drive ways. Yeah. And it's in really nice cities

and counties where it's like, oh, man,

I'm not ready for that yet. But being able to

see all that, that's what I remember the most about northwest Arkansas. My first

time, like, I want to be back here one day. Yeah. I remember you told

me that. I was like, wow, that's kind of cool. I mean, you had a.

You had a little taste of northwest Arkansas and got a feel for what it

was like. Oh. And every time I came down here during my college days, I

loved it. I always enjoyed it. And actually, it's interesting because northwest

Arkansas, this is not something I share with too many people. But when are you

sharing it with the world? I'm going to share it now. That's okay. Because

when it came to driving, I'm a very. I'm shy. And most people would say,

he's not a shy guy. But I had only driven in Springfield.

Even though I had my license, I only drove in Springfield. I had to drive

the northwest Arkansas. Jack Shoemaker, very prominent

Walmart executive, worked really close with Sam Walton, had passed away.

And I was trying to get anybody to come with me on this trip

just so that I'd have to drive by myself, because I've never done this drive.

I didn't have a gps. Right. And I was like, I'm driving two hours into

a different state I know very little about. And the only times I've been to

Arkansas, I had a group of people with me. Yeah. So it's kind of one

of those big learning moments where like, all right, here I go.

I made it to the memorial service.

I remember because I had to change at a neighborhood Walmart, too. That was kind

of interesting. And then I remember I was there for a brief time.

I'd seen some very successful folks that were there pay

their respects to Mr. Shoemaker. Wait a minute. How did you get invited to

that funeral? Well, I was involved with an organization called Students in Free

Enterprise, which is now called Enactus. And that organization was a

game changer for me in college. I mean, the people I met, the professors,

the recruiters, the businesses, I mean, that really played a big part

into realizing business is good. Yeah. Because I used to think business is

the root of many evils. And it still can be, but it's like it could

be used for good when you. When you have the right attitude and mindset. Yeah.

I think not to cut you off, but I think when I think about business,

I think of it the same way I think about money. Right. It's like, you

know, it's a. The love of money is the root of all evil,

not money itself. Right. Money is just this object

and business in the same vein. Right. But when you operate

a business and it's only for your glory and not somebody

else's, not to benefit somebody else, then you run into a problem. And

I. And I really go back to thinking about Sam Walton and why he even

started Walmart to begin with. And when you think of,

like when he went, was with Ben Franklin's 5 and 10, and

then eventually started Walmart, and he wanted to benefit

the average consumer that didn't have a lot of choices.

And because of that focus, which, you know, theoretically, Walmart still

operates with from today, you know, that makes a big difference. And that's

when you're doing something and it's not just about you. Yes. Did Sam

Walton benefit from starting Walmart? 100% he did. But

there's a lot of other people that have benefited from that as well. And I

want to tell you, I love his book. Oh, it's great. I bought. Someone gave

it to me that I went to school with and worked at Walmart at one

time. And, and that book was so inspirational that I tell everyone,

every college student in America should be reading that book. Whether you agree with him

or not, it is amazing. The only thing, and Mizzou fans aren't

going to like it. You know, I'm not the biggest Mizzou fan, but I got

to give him respects because they have Sam Walton and they have a lot of

recognizable alum and a good portion of them really

are big time contributors to the growth of Northwest

Arkansas, particularly with Walmart and vendors. Sure. But, you know, that's the

little joke jab, because I have Mizzou friends all over. So I

tease them a little bit and I'm like, yeah, you guys are doing good. I

think, you know, it's funny you mentioned, I think that. And I don't know if

Walmart does this, but I think like, that should be like required reading. Yeah. You

start with the company, you should get like a swag bag with like a little

bit of Walmart like stuff, you know, some paraphernalia, hat, T

shirt, sweater, hoodie, whatever. And then you should get that

Walton autobiography, which is amazing. And I'm gonna put a link

in the show notes for a podcast that I listen to quite a

bit. And I think those of you that listen to this podcast will enjoy that

podcast. It's called Founders. And in that podcast, this guy

reads. His goal is to read a thousand biographies.

And one of them was Sam Walton. Actually, he's done like two, maybe three

episodes on Sam Walton. All of them are amazing. But just talking about Sam

Walton's life and how Sam Walton, you know, started Walmart and,

and how, you know, what it was like for those, that first group of people

that came in with him to work with him and that, you know, the original

people that got stock and then talks about how he got the

idea for Sam's Club, because again, there's nothing new under the sun. But

he hung out with a guy named Saul Price out in California who ran the

Price Club, and that's how he got the idea of Sam's Club. And

he leveraged that to start Sam's Club. And then, you know,

Sam's club started off slow, and then it was just a hockey

stick up into the. Right, Right. You know, as it grew. And so. But

again, you know, just looking at his story and the arc of,

you know, he had trouble. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's. That's how life

is. But he overcame even the challenges that he ran into

to ultimately build this behemoth that we know today

that, I mean, next to alongside of Amazon, I would

say they're the two most consequential outlets

in America for commerce. Oh, absolutely. And Jack

Shoemaker is actually one of the originals. I was told he was the guy

that brought the barcode. Okay, okay. And that

was pretty impressive because Mr. Shoemaker was really big with students in free

enterprise. There's a video, I think I remember. But he's also

in the museum, too. I think so. Because there's a whole thing in the

museum about the barcode and the significance of it and why it was so important.

So. And I remember there's a video. It was a. Like a

celebration of Mr. Shoemaker, and there's a conversation that he shares

of having with Mr. Walton. He was approached about supporting

Scythe, and then Mr. Walton, to that individual said, I think Mr.

Shoemaker would be good. I mean, obviously, that Jack, but. And then from there,

it just grew because I met Jack Shoemaker once, and I got to shake his

hand. It was kind of like being a celebrity or being a president. Right. And

I remember because it was in Minneapolis in 2011 or 2010, and

I was trying to find a way to just shake his hand. There was a

time, and I still do this now, where I. There's someone who's very well known.

I'm going to go, at least say hello. Nice to meet you. And I remember

our paths crossed. I shook his hand. I said, how are you, Mr.

Shoemaker? He asked for my name, and then he shared a Chinese

proverb with me. And this Chinese proverb went along the lines of,

you're going to have an impact, a positive impact for many years

or to a group of people. I was like, I never even met the guy,

just first time. And I was like, man, I can appreciate that I forgot the

proverb, so I have to remember kind of the origins of it. But, I

mean, the student, he loved the students. Yeah. Mr. Shoemaker was about the students.

I mean, he had awards. I mean, the students. I mean, there's videos and

testimonials. I mean, there's so many Walmart and vendors that were part of Cypher

around the time I did, that were in those big schools that can share their

experiences as Mr. Shoemaker. I wish there was a way we can kind of

celebrate and bring him more up because, I mean, he played a big part in

providing opportunities for students with his resources and network.

So, yeah, it seems like everybody that was a

FOS friend of Sam, that was in the early days

of Walmart did. Has done something, you know, in

the community. Right. So, like, what Mr. Shoemaker has done and what others have

done and. And you. You think of all of those top. And we hear their

names mentioned all the time when we go around. There's

buildings and other things named after some of these people. But it's

always interesting when you see just the impact that one

individual can have on so many people. Absolutely. And then

because of that, I think people saw, you know, how

Sam Walton operated, and they wanted to operate similar

to that. Now, everybody couldn't do exactly what he did, but

they said in their own way, you know, they said, I'm going to carve

out something for me that I can then give out to the world. And I

think that's important for people to recognize. A lot of times we feel like,

oh, I could never do what Sam Walton did or what Oprah or fill in

the blank any other amazing individual did. But, no, nobody's asking you to

do that. I think what the universe is asking for folks to do is to

do the best they can with what they have. And that might be on a

much more limited scope, but it still doesn't mean that you

can't impact or change the life of even one individual. And the

thing about it is that. And I know I'm going off on a tangent here,

changing the life of one individual can have repercussive

effects for centuries, like, literally. And so that's why

I say, you know, you open the door for somebody. You make a way for

somebody to do something that they weren't. Wouldn't normally be able to do because you're

in a position to make that happen. You just don't know how

quickly you can change someone's trajectory just by, you know, not just

being nice to them, not just being nice to them, but creating an opportunity for

them that maybe they wouldn't have been able to create on their own. No. Absolutely

thankful for him and really appreciate the opportunities that I had

in college because, you know, Jersey folks, this is interesting because

I'm going to tie into how I got to where I am now. Talking with

you I had a professor in college in Missouri, and she was

like, you know, Jose, you're a little different. And

not in personality. Yes, but. And this is where I realized

we're in a different. It's a different playing field. But I think I have to

be aware of this moving forward. New Jersey or Northeast

folks have this tendency that if it says 50

as a speed limit and you're driving, we'll go 60 to

70. Yeah. And in the Midwest, if it's 50, they're probably

going 30 to 40. Right. And that was a really good

visual reminder. I'm like, okay, she's saying something. I kind of get

what she's getting at. But it really challenged me to be like, okay, I need

to scale back. I'm a Hispanic. We love. We're

affectionate individuals. We love hugs. Handshake. Well, more hugs and

handshakes. But not everyone's reciprocates those hugs well. So

I've had to learn to handshake. Sometimes I don't even do the handshake.

It's like, hi, how you doing? Yeah. From a distance. So, look, I don't

know if it's social. Social cues. That's the word I'm looking for. I had to

learn that very quickly in the beginning of 2008. But I do

like the pace that the Midwest embraces and

has, which is you can go fast, but you can relax. Yeah. I have

family that every weekend they've got to do something. And I've had to learn,

and I've learned and began to appreciate. I don't always have to be going.

Now I do DJ weddings on the side. So there are seasons where I

am out every Saturday. But, you know, for the

most part, it's. I can call it a job. It pays. Yeah. Yeah. I mean,

even if it didn't, it's still something good. But learning to slow it down

has been a good thing. So when I was in Jersey, I moved

back to. I moved to Oklahoma in 2015 for school, and then I

threw. A friend, met my wife. We met at the church across the university.

What's interesting, the founding pastors of that church are from Arkansas

authorities, and they're great people. When we met, we connected.

And then in 2017, she

said yes, and I married an Arkansas girl, which meant that instead of going to

Dallas, which we were talking about, we ended up moving to northwest Arkansas,

which was kind of a full circle. I don't know if it's deja vu or

rendezvous, but, you know, I always wanted to live in Northwest Arkansas. And so

in 2018, we made that happen. Yeah. And so we lived in the Rogers

area, an area that I kind of was pretty familiar with before.

And so, like, here I am. And then I was at JB Hunt for a

couple years. Was at JB Hunt during COVID That was fun.

Boy, talk about dynamics of freight and demand,

changing logistics. Oh, man, we were right there.

But it was a good learning experience. JB Hunt's a good place. They have good

people. It's not perfect, but no place is.

One thing about J.B. hunt that I appreciate, unlike is when you. When you hear

from executives in the past, they'll tell you, yeah, I've interviewed at Walmart

and Tyson, and of all those. J.B. hunt always had opened the door. And I

think that's. That's great. Now I know there's J.B. hunt folks that go to

Walmart, but you know, J.B. hunter, I mean, you were talking about Operational

Excellence 24 7. Yeah. I can remember where I

really got sunk my teeth and I really started to grow as a broker.

Was like that two months before COVID and we were. We had

a customer that traveled all over the country. And I remember having

to cover 20 loads. And I, at one time, I was even up at

like, like after 2am covering a couple trucks because pickup was

happening within an hour. Yeah. And that whole. That from

that Sunday to Monday, because I was like 24 hours

at home, dinner, no kids at the time. And so it

was one of those where we stayed home, we did our thing, but I was

just working. The team was very happy because every load was

covered. We had an issue with one, but we got it resolved. But just the

fact that. That I was like, unproven, untested. And that

weekend proved, oh, this guy has potential. Yeah, this guy can kind

of do. It's like in the movie Grinch, the. The cartoon one where Max is

get. Is trying to push the sleigh. He gets buried in snow. Next thing

you know, the sleigh starts moving and he kind of rises up

and then just starts going. That's kind of like what that moment was. Because, you

know, I was middle of the pack. And like when I had another opportunity present

itself. So I moved on from JB Hunt. When I left that J behind, I

went from middle of the road to top three. And there were numbers that backed

that up. But I really learned a lot, enjoyed it. J.B. hunt Provided so

many good opportunities. I was involved with the Toastmasters Club. We did some really cool

things there. Then work Matters. Another

colleague and I In the engineering department, we kind of held

workplace studies and then REITs across America. That was

really cool to be involved with that because when I moved over to

Central States, which I was there for about two years as well, I actually brought

the REITs Across America program. And now it went from just a

donation from like 13 locations to now they're sending drivers to

deliver and pick up breathes. And now it's grown. So it's just been really

cool to see, you know, because at the time, we didn't really have much for

military initiatives because Central State's a company that gives. I mean,

they are in the community. They do all kinds of great things from the leadership

down. And so the military component was like. Because a portion

of our drive, the drivers at Central States are veterans. Sure. And so I was

like, what a great way. Because I get into the habit anywhere I

am. If I see someone with some sort of military apparel,

I'm going to go shake hand. Thank you. And it is amazing how

receptive they are to that. Yeah. I'm like, this should be normal.

I mean, you guys did something that I had to select the service card number,

ready to go. And I'm so glad. We never did the draft, but that number

was ready. So if the draft happened and my number got called,

I was going. But I don't think I was ready mentally, emotionally. But

it's just amazing, a project like that to see how

it's carried on and grown. And then I had

moved to Fort Smith a couple years ago. That's where I'm at now.

And worked with a food manufacturer for a

brief time and we moved on from that in

24. I started with Jam Pro. What's interesting about Jam Pro, not

interesting, but a fun fact. It's. The title does not mean anything.

Nobody had to tell me that. And I say that because my job is to

support the small business owners that have bought in to do

business with JAMF Pro. And so they're partners, not

employees. So my job is to make sure I am getting in front of as

many businesses as possible to say, hey, we have a solution. We have a

great option for you. If it's a great fit, let's move forward.

If not, let me circle back with you another time. Yeah. And it's just been

amazing because it's perspective. You hear about it, there's great

books on it, but it gets missed depending on, you know, who you are and

what you're doing. I work for certain groups of

people. They may support Me, I don't know that they work for me. And

I say that because the franchisees, hey, if they do well, I do well. You

know, I have a job. Because they're doing well, they're able to maintain

support their customers. They're providing great cleaning services.

And then there's a support staff that I work with that

part of their roles is to check in with the franchisees and the

customers. Then we have an amazing office manager. She does a great

job making sure I submit everything necessary for billing and all. So I

work for them. They don't necessarily work for me. It's a team effort. So

I have a lot of bosses. I don't think I'm a boss, but I just

know I got to make sure I have activity and work to make sure, hey,

the lights are kept on, they're doing well, and the customers are getting taken care

of. Yeah. And so that's what I do at JPro. I mean, I

support. I'm in Northwest Arkansas a good amount of time through Fort Smith. I'm involved

with the chambers. We're members of the Springdale and

Rogers Lowell Chamber. I'm ambassador for both. And then I'm

also a member of the Fort Smith Chamber. All three are really good chambers.

They do a great job of meeting the needs of the business community and of

the community, and they find a way to really present

opportunities to the ambassadors and the members. I'm also

involved with the commercial real estate group called the Contractors Closers and

Connections. I've been serving on that group as a leader

since it started in 2024. And we've done some really

amazing things. We do four events a year. We support a local

nonprofit at every event, and we're going into year three.

A lot of growth, a lot of great things happening. We're adding two new

amazing leaders in the business community in Northwest.

And now I don't have to do as much as I had to. There's a

lot of hats I wore, but I enjoyed it. I really did. It reminds me

of my JB Hunt toastmaster days, wearing

multiple hats and just sharing the word. And so there's been some really cool

things with those groups. I mean, public relations, I've always

enjoyed doing, so I get to do some of those things as a giving back.

And it's just been amazing, the response and the

publications and all through the work we do. Yeah, you know,

I mean, you strike me as somebody that kind of gets your hustle on. You

get out there and you get in front of folks, and it's just like wash,

rinse, and repeat. You know, you just keep doing it. And some days it doesn't

always work out the way you want it to, and then other days, it's amazing.

What advice would you give to younger people listening to this that are

just coming through high school? Or maybe they. They were like, you

were back in the day when you were at Evangel, and they're either finishing their

associate's degree or just finishing up a college degree. And

now they're looking at the prospects of getting out there and. And working and

on. And unfortunately, what is a very challenging work environment

just with AI and with a lot of changes. Right. That are

happening that. I mean, I've got you by a few years, but, man, when I

graduated from college, I did not nearly have the obstacles in front of me

that. And they're not necessarily obstacles, but it's like things are different

now. Right. And so for young people to hear

an encouraging word in terms of. What would you say to them,

knowing what you know now in terms of these are the things that you

need to be doing in order to be. Successful, there's going to be a few

things. I think the first thing is be proficient in

Excel. Okay. That's the biggest takeaway. When I was in Fort

Smith with that one manufacturing group, that was a

bite your teeth get your teeth kicked in hard experience of

Excel. You don't have to know all the fancy formulas. You just got to know

the basics. Yeah, it's got to be more than just putting in information and

creating really nice tables. It's really knowing how to use

those functions of multiplication, division, subtraction. It sounds

redundant and plain, but let me tell you, I mean, it really makes

a difference when you know your numbers. I think I had one boss of mine

who said, you need to know the details better than your boss. So

here, let me help you out. Excel's hard, it's painful, it's not fun, but

once you get over the hump, it's going to benefit. I think the biggest thing

is make sure your LinkedIn's up and going. Don't treat it like Facebook.

Randy, you and I see people all the time treat LinkedIn like Facebook,

and you just, you know, rub your head or you shake your head and it's

like, this is not it. I have competitors that treat their LinkedIn like a

Facebook. And let me tell you, nothing's more unattractive than

criticizing or bashing other people. Yeah, that's just a no. No. You could do that

in other platforms. Sure. On LinkedIn, we maybe want to be careful,

especially if you're in the sales operations space, because

customers are watching. I mean, I have stories, but we're not going to get into

that. But the first point is get Excel down, get over it, you're going to

be fine. Get your LinkedIn polished, treat it like professional

network and read. Read the things that interest you, but read

the things that will challenge you. The Harvard Business Review has

always been one of those publications that you could just learn so much if you

don't know what to do. Just read the Harvard Business Review and get a feel

for what they're doing because they are so amazing. They're very

operational, very academic, but it's process driven and

it's a simple read. It can get complicated, but it's a simple read

from the standpoint of here's what I want to convince you on and then here

are the steps to get there. That's very doable, it's not hard, nothing

hard about that. And then I think the thing I'm learning now with in the

world, the sales that I'm in is, well,

reading would be one. But really understand what's going on in the region. Yeah, understand

what's moving, who are the movers and the shakers and get

acquainted and understand that your competitors are going to have

advantages over you. But that doesn't change anything. It's like a

football philosophy. There's a time and they still do it, where coaches in the

college and the high school level, they want to be fancy, they're going to go

to Madden, the video game and they're going to throw out every play.

And one thing I've learned in my time coaching many years ago is

the fancy stuff isn't going to get you. It's not what. That's how

you win. You win by the fundamentals and the basics. Nick Saban,

obviously that's a well known name. That guy is so old school

because he's focused on what are you doing in your position.

I'm not worried about what the play is doing. I want to know what are

you doing exactly. Every time this play happens, it's

focusing on your part in the big scheme of things. Right. And that

is a very unattractive thing today and had never been

attractive. But it's the thing that is proven, especially with

all the changes in our world of sports and technology, the old school,

the basics, the fundamentals, what our grandparents did is still the

proven model to really do well, whether in sales or not. The phrase

that comes to Mind when you say that is like majoring in the minors. Yes.

You know what I'm saying? Like, it's the little things. Every day. I tell my

boys this all the time. It's like, you know, just being on time. Early

is on time and on time is late. Just, you know,

giving yourself an extra window just to get yourself prepared. You

know, think about what you're going to do the day before you actually do it.

Little things like that go a long way and really separate,

as I like to say, the wheat from the chaff. It really separates people.

And I think in an environment where employment, getting

a job is even harder now than it was before, you know, those little

things can separate you and be the difference maker between

you getting a call back for a potential job opportunity or

somebody saying, hey, I was really struck by the way you carried yourself in this

meeting. Or I really like how you shook. How firm. You shook my

hand. And you looked me in the eye and, you know, you had a

thoughtful response. And even when you didn't know what to say,

you said as much. Right? Yeah. Because it's like, you don't have to fake the

funk. I mean, a lot of times you just got to put yourself out there

because we've all been there. We've all been at a loss for

words. We've all been in places where maybe we. We don't.

Can't. You don't know how to put our best foot forward. So we do the

best that we can with what we have. Right. And I think, you know, the.

To go back to the points, The Excel, the LinkedIn.

The reading. Yeah, it's a popular sports term. Keeping your hand on a

swivel and what. And I didn't know what that meant for a while.

I just heard it, when you watch a football game, keep it. Or, you know,

when you're in coaching sessions. But I think it's being aware of your surroundings, learning

to read the room, learning to read people. And the more you read people and

the more you learn and understand social cues, the better it is for you.

Sometimes, hey, I need to stop talking. Or, hey, I need

to not approach this person this way. I just need to

keep it cool and simple. Yeah, I mean, learn to read the room

helps, but it's also attitude and demeanor. I mean, obviously at

18, 19, 20, 22 age range, I know it

all. I don't need help. I'm like, well, that's not true. But I think

the sooner you can keep an open mind, the better it is. And there's no

shortcuts. The shortcuts, really. And people can read through the fluff, you know,

that head on the swivel and reading the room. People can read through

the fake and this in genuine, you know,

approach that people have. And it's like, this ain't gonna work. No. Yeah.

So the sooner you can master that, the better you'll be prepared mentally and

emotionally. And hey, you may not get the outcome you wanted, but if

you're more prepared and you're not shocked because like I put my eggs in this

one basket, that if I do this, this is going to work and your eggs

just break because they hit the ground, you realize this is now how I need

to go about it. Yeah, well, you're emotionally out of it, so you're

now surviving, not like thriving or afloat.

Yeah, this is just an interesting thought there. No, it is, man.

And we could go on all day about that. I think it's, you know, I

don't know that I think I'd mentioned this book to you that I've been reading

Scott Galloway's book Notes on Being a Man. And especially

for young men, I think this is an area where they struggle. Humility,

being able to say, hey, I made a mistake, little things like that.

We're all there. But you know, I keep telling my son, I have a 20

year old, a 19 year old and a 15 year old. A lot of the

regular listeners know that, but you know, I tell all of them, but

especially my 20 and 19 year old, I'm like, listen, you guys are still

figuring things out. You got another like the 20 year old. I'm like, you got

five years, the 19 year old, you got six years. You know, you're still

forming, formulating, your brain is still forming and developing. And

so you've got to be patient with the process and don't try to

circumvent it, don't try to short circuit it,

Let it happen and develop yourself because, you know, you

want to be the best version of yourself. And that's going to require you going

through some iterative processes where you're going to make mistakes and

you're going to fall flat on your face. And you know, whether it's.

It could be for a number of reasons. But I just continue. Lately

I've realized how much I've. I want to encourage young men, especially

because women don't struggle as much in this area. I mean, yeah, they, they

struggle with some issues. I'm not saying that they're, they're immune to it, but Young

men right now are really struggling with loneliness and a lot of other factors

that are defeating their mindset. And I'm trying to

tell these young guys, listen, it's a long game and I really

want you to be encouraged by the process and

embrace it and embrace the suck. Because there's going to be moments when it

really is tough. And let me tell you, faith played a big part

because in 2012, I just graduated with a two year degree.

It really, it wasn't a pleasant experience when my colleagues

are graduating with four year degrees and skipping jobs. Right. And

here I am graduating with a two year degree, going into a situation that

I have ideas. But then when I get to New Jersey and learn

how, wow, the whole thing was, I'm like, man, it's too

late to walk away. But I mean, I was like, all right, my

God, we're going to do. Everybody has different methods, you know, Faith, self help. But

faith was a big driver because like, all right, this is the time where I

need to embrace the suck, embrace the uncomfortable, embrace the.

And realize that there's good. And it really has been the last few years where

I've realized, hey, what I call suck really is a.

Is a way to help me to get prepared for what's ahead. Yeah. And that's

easier said than done. And I'm in my mid-30s and so

still young man. Yeah. But that brings

me to a point. Gratitude has been a big part. Gratitude really opens a lot

of doors. Perspective and mindset, emotion wise. But because

I could, you know, New Jersey gets a bad rap. It really does.

But I tell you what, I am really thankful for being raised there,

for doing life there. And my parents are amazing people. You know,

they went to college, they didn't finish, but they went to school and they, they

embraced a lot of suck to put my sisters and I through high school to

get us to college. All my sisters and I were college graduates. We're working,

we're doing well. I mean, they did more than they could. And you know,

my parents on occasion, like, hey, I'm sorry, I didn't do much. Are you kidding

me? You foot the bill, you did all these things

for me and things that, I mean, so that you guys

did more. But you know, being in Jersey, there's a lot of pluses to it.

I mean, you know, cost of living is one thing, but just the environment,

just having to. You have to be street smart. Yeah. I

mean, where you and I are from, you definitely have to know your surroundings and

whereabouts. You can't Be naive and foolish. Yeah. I mean, Jersey City was

certainly a little bit more than Teaneck. Teaneck was a. A

bedroom community in Jersey City is a lot different. And I mean,

but, you know, it is. It is what it is. You know, it's a badge

of honor to say, I am from Jersey, because, you know, it's. There's a lot

of traditions. I mean, you know, to the Garden State. The Garden State, it's a

prime. It's a prominent Catholic state. Yeah. So, you know, Catholic high school football is

really big out there. And. And, you know, like, there's a lot of coaches that

were, to me, an inspiration just because of how they carry

themselves and how they were able to take young men and win and do things

that at that time weren't a big thing. You know, you had teams from North

Jersey going to play some of the biggest teams in the country and beat them.

Right. And you had a lot of recruits. I mean, I went to high school

with a guy that got 43 offers and ended up playing at Penn State

during Joe Paternal's last year's. Wow. I mean, and that's no light

tie. I mean, jerseys. I mean, you know, St. Anthony's with Coach Hurley. Sure. I

mean, that's basketball at its finest right there. A cop that gave his time

to a school that barely can make ends meet. But it was. It was more

than. Than just the glory. It's about developing young men and trying

to see the things that he learned and saw as a cop and say, hey,

I don't want you guys going through this. Right. And so it, you know, it's

a chip on your shoulder. It's a badge of honor. And there's a lot of

good things that come out from being from Jersey. Absolutely. But being in Northwest

Arkansas has been amazing. I mean, my. My boys are Arkansas boys. They're. They're

born here, you know, my wife's from here. Her family's here.

I love it. I don't see myself moving anywhere. I mean, I always do get

asked the question, hey, would you move back up to Northwest? Not anytime soon.

You mean to Northeast? Back up to Northwest.

Being that I'm in Fort Smith. Oh, right, right, right. I got you. But there's

many places in the state that are amazing that I would consider moving for the

right opportunity if I wanted to move. Sure. But Northwest

Arkansas is great. Great to raise family, good dining.

It may not have the big city feel, but I'm going to tell you, being

from the big city, it's overrated. It is But I like it, I. Like

it when I go back and you know, I was just back in New York

City for New Year's this past year and it's been

almost a year ago, but you know, there's nothing like going back home like that.

Just having that experience and you're reminded of it. But then it's like,

it's nice that sometimes, you know, you can just go somewhere and see the

stars up, up above you and it's just different. You know what I'm saying?

And it really is. And the traffic. And the traffic. Yeah. And I tell people

all the time, like, because people, I laugh when people complain about traffic between

Fayetteville and Bentonville. I'm like, you have no idea.

The Garm State Parkway. Oh my goodness, you, dad, you have. Or

I mean, the George Washington I'm on one time going through the Holland Tunnel.

I mean, you name it. I mean, it's, the tunnels are, are

bad. I, I, my parents, my dad used to take me to Met games. Yeah.

And those tunnels, I mean, you're waiting an hour. Yeah. One time,

many years ago on a Sunday, I was going to Connecticut to see Family Night

and then I had some work things to do the next day. And it was

a two hour traffic. Yeah. To get from Jersey

through the bridge into New York. And it's not a peach walk

either because once you get over the bridge into like the boroughs, Manhattan

and all that, that's like standing traffic. Sure. It's bumper to

bumper. And then I had another funny story. When my wife

came to see family, we went to Connecticut. It was like almost two and a

half hours to get out of New York over the bridge into

Jersey. Yeah. And so, but I mean those experiences. And

you probably went the distance that would be equivalent to leaving Fort Smith and maybe

getting to the Bobby Hopper Tunnel if something like that, if not that far.

Oh yeah. I mean, we're not driving, you're not driving far

distances. But it can take forever. It can take forever. Yeah.

But I mean, it's a gratitude because my parents

didn't have what I had. Sure. And things were very different from them

for them when they were my age. And then I go back, I'm like, they

did a lot and they really did above and beyond. Not

even barely speaking English. I mean, now they speak good English now, but back then,

and I was no cakewalk as a kid. I mean, I was probably

the kid out of my siblings, but you know, thankfully,

between my parents doing everything they can to get me the

right home support and the good Lord, man. We, We. We've come a long way.

We've come a long way. I'm in a better spot for my wife and kids

than I probably was when I was little. Well, that's good. I mean, well, you

know, like I said, I tell people all the time and I, I say this,

I've said this a number of times on the podcast, is that, you know, whatever

your parents ceiling is, is your floor. So,

you know, your parents may have done some amazing things, but clearly,

you know, if they've done it right and set you up for success,

then you know, their high is where you're starting off from and

then you're building on top of that. So I think that's, that's like the only

way you can look at it or you should look at it. Right. That's good

perspective. I didn't think about that. Yeah, that's good. So, yeah, their, their ceiling is

your floor, so you got nowhere to go but up. And the same can will

be said for your kids. So listen, before we wrap up,

what else would you want to share with somebody listening to this that's maybe thinking

about relocating to northwest Arkansas? About this area, what makes it so

special, whether from a business perspective, from just a

living perspective, what makes this area so special

and has you staying here, calling it home? I think the

biggest thing is the quality of life aspect.

The housing, the options, amenities. It's not a big city feel,

but it doesn't need to be. And if you have a young family and you

want to buy a house within cost. Yeah, this is the area between

the schools, between the things you can do and the

drive to big cities. I mean, you have Tulsa, you have Dallas, it's five hours.

I mean, Tulsa is about two. And you have Little Rock. I mean,

there's just a lot going on in Kansas City. Kansas City is amazing. It

is. But I think the thing here is if you come from a part of

the country where you're paying a lot, you come out to the

Midwest, those expenses are going to be minimal. Your dollar will go further. Sure.

Because I've had family come out to northwest Arkansas. They love it, but they don't

want to leave Jersey because that's all they know. Yeah. But when they come out

here, they realize, man, the house is amazing. The cost, you know, the

salaries, opportunities are amazing. It's a different pace. And

with the way our country is going, you obviously, if you have kids, you

obviously want to be in an environment where there's good resources, good schools,

and Good homes. But if you're a bachelor, hey, when you have Fortune 1

in your backyard. Yeah. And everything Fortune 1 brings, I think you

can just. You'll be fine. I promise. There's good activity, good

things. Maybe you're a city slicker and you live for that nightlife.

Hey, that's fine. But I promise, drive five hours to Dallas or go to

Kansas City. I mean, but they're all, you know, they're smaller cities. Even

Dallas, to me, I mean, coming from New York, Dallas is like, oh, it's a

great city, but it's not like New York City. It's like. Yeah. I mean, I

can get my arms around downtown Dallas or I can get my arm. Well, Houston's

a little bit bigger, but I can get my arms around it. But, you know,

it's. You can't compare it to places that are like. There is no

comparison. Right. And the change of pace is a big one because

there's a lot of self health and mental health. And mental health is

kind of. It has been on the rise for years. Sure. And honestly, northwest

Arkansas provides a good. A different outlook on

that balanced approach of Absolutely. The stresses. And I think that's

something that people look, I mean, alcohol consumption, on a random

note, is down. Yeah. And just peace and quiet and relaxation

is kind of really starting to become more of a priority where we were growing

up. Yeah. That was no such thing. You just took it with stride

and you from A to B and that's it. That was. It didn't even bring

it up. Yeah. Because you'd hear from your relatives and all and you

didn't want to hear from your relatives. Sure. So I think out here is different.

Give it a chance. Especially if you're under 30 and you get a great opportunity.

Hey, you serve your time and you move on. But with all the changes in

business where all the big companies are going to an office and they

want you here. Yeah. It's not that bad because once you have a family, you

realize, boy, I've really made a good move. Good move coming out here.

Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, on that note, he is Jose

Socorro, man. Jose, thank you so much for joining me on this

podcast. If people want to connect with you because they just.

Just like your vibe and what's the best way for some. Somebody to do that?

LinkedIn would be a good way. Okay, we'll put your LinkedIn post. We'll put your

LinkedIn profile on our show notes so anybody can

connect with you and maybe if they even want to do business with you. So,

hey, I always welcome an opportunity. That's not why you came on here, but

I'm just, I'm putting it out here. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. Absolutely, man. Well,

Jose Socorro, thank you so much for joining us, man. We wish you and your

family nothing but the best continually. And thank you for joining us

on this episode of the I Am Northwest Arkansas podcast. Thank

you. Absolutely. Well, folks, there you have it. Another episode of I

Am Northwest Arkansas. We're excited to bring you this conversation with

Jose. If you enjoyed this, please let us know. You can always write

a review of the podcast on any of the major podcasting platforms.

We'd also love for you to follow us and smash that like button when

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comes out rain or shine. Every Monday we have a new episode,

so we look forward to seeing you right back here at this appointed time next

week. Until then, I hope to catch up with you at some point in time

in the future somewhere roaming around Northwest Arkansas. If you

ever want to catch up with us or catch up with me, just hit me

up at hello@iamnorthwest arkansas. Com. I'm

happy to grab a coffee with you or just catch up just the same way

that I did with Jose. So really appreciate appreciate you listening

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additional information outside of the podcast and that newsletter each

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week for another new episode of the I Am

Northwest Arkansas podcast. Peace.

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