We Are The Underdogs

Most entrepreneurs are great at what they do.

That doesn't necessarily mean they know how to build a business around it.

Dora Rivera Westerlund has spent more than two decades helping small business owners navigate everything from financing and accounting to permits, insurance, legal guidance and growth.

In this episode, Dora sits down with Isaac to talk about her journey from Mazatlán to Fresno, building Confia from humble beginnings, losing the support of half her board, finding the courage to keep pushing forward, and why small business can be one of the most powerful tools for creating generational wealth.

They also discuss predatory lending, access to capital, the mistakes entrepreneurs make when they don't have the right guidance, and the one quality Dora consistently sees in entrepreneurs who succeed:

Grit.

If you're building something—or even thinking about starting—this conversation is for you.

Josh Gill's story didn't start with success.

It started with a family journey from Fiji to California, a single mother fighting to keep her family together, growing up below the poverty line, becoming a young father, and eventually taking a chance on an industry that nearly broke him.

In this episode of We Are the Underdogs, Josh shares how six months without a paycheck, difficult lessons in the mortgage business, faith, mentorship, and an obsession with mastering his craft helped shape the leader and business owner he is today.

We talk about homeownership, sacrifice, failure, faith, building Compass Mortgage Team, creating generational security, and why Josh lives by one simple principle:

Honor God. Honor people.

This is a story about what can happen when you refuse to let your circumstances decide who you become.

In this episode of We Are the Underdogs, we sit down with Fernando Razo, founder of Grupo Razo, to talk about burnout, reinvention, delegation, and what it really takes to build a business that can grow beyond you.

Fernando shares how his journey started in real estate, where he was doing everything himself — making hundreds of calls, handling marketing, editing videos, managing contracts, prospecting, and trying to keep the business moving on his own. Like many entrepreneurs, he believed that if he wanted something done right, he had to do it himself. But that mindset eventually led to exhaustion.

After going through a divorce, Fernando began traveling to Mexico as a way to reconnect with himself. What started as a personal trip turned into a life-changing discovery. Through conversations, connections, and a willingness to keep going even when people told him his idea was impossible, Fernando began building the foundation for Grupo Razo.

Grupo Razo helps small businesses scale by connecting them with highly skilled international partners based in Mexico, specializing in administration, operations, sales, and marketing. Fernando explains how his company helps business owners identify the weak points in their systems, build better processes, and delegate the work that keeps them stuck in survival mode.

This conversation goes beyond business strategy. Fernando talks about growing up in a hardworking family, feeling like the underdog, learning from wrestling, getting punched in the face as an entrepreneur, and refusing to quit when doors closed. He also shares why ego is one of the biggest things every business owner must let go of in order to grow.

If you are a small business owner, entrepreneur, realtor, creator, or anyone trying to scale without burning out, this episode is a reminder that you do not have to do everything alone. Sometimes the breakthrough comes when you stop asking “how do I do this?” and start asking “who can help me build this?”

Fernando’s story is about resilience, resourcefulness, and building across borders with purpose.

If this story resonates with you, remember: you are not behind — you are becoming.

Keep showing up. Keep putting in the work. We are the underdogs.

In this deeply personal episode of We Are the Underdogs, Omar Ceja shares the emotional journey behind Republic Athletics and the life experiences that shaped him into the entrepreneur, father, and creator he is today. Born in Guadalajara and raised in Selma, California, Omar recounts growing up undocumented, losing his father at just eight years old, and carrying responsibilities far beyond his age while helping his mother navigate life in a new country.

At a time when he felt lost and disconnected, wrestling became his refuge. Coaches and teammates stepped in where guidance was missing, offering rides home, mentorship, accountability, and belief when he struggled to believe in himself. Omar explains how those moments changed the trajectory of his life and planted the foundation for the community-centered mission behind Republic Athletics.

The conversation explores entrepreneurship through the lens of resilience rather than hype culture. Omar discusses the early failures, moments of wanting to quit, and the reality of building something meaningful from scratch. From learning Photoshop through bootleg software and designing MySpace graphics to creating apparel worn by elite wrestlers and UFC athletes, his journey is proof that persistence and vision can transform humble beginnings into lasting impact.

One of the episode’s most touching moments comes when Omar describes taking his son to a wrestling event and seeing a giant logo he designed displayed in the gym where he once struggled as a teenager. For him, success is not fame or money — it’s knowing his story, his art, and his efforts may inspire another young kid searching for direction.

This episode is about overcoming hardship, embracing identity, and discovering that the people who help us along the way can completely change the course of our lives.