We had the good fortune of connecting with Maria Estela Duarte and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Maria Estela, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Getting ahead in your career means taking risks. There’s really not many ways around it. What’s important is that the risks you take are informed and that you have a clear vision of what you want, and why.
Business isn’t always about playing it safe. A conservative approach can protect your business’s position, of course. But that’s not necessarily what matters most in the long run. Success requires taking risks and gambling a little along the way.
In my opinion, one of the biggest differences between an employee and an entrepreneur is how safe it is to play business, to not challenge the status quo and to keep things as they are, while entrepreneurship requires us to take risks to achieve the results we want. It is scary to take risks, but they are necessary to improve our society and our lives.
Risk requires a mindset shift that initially is not easy. However, as our business grows, we as founders must take the uncomfortable actions that can make our company grow exponentially.
Throughout my career, I’ve taken risks several times, mostly by joining startups and seeing them grow, launching incubator projects, jumping into online work before it was a thing, and starting successful online businesses within the essential services industry. Many people advised me against these ideas at the time, but it turned out to be the right decision, scary for sure, but it was the right path.
Some of these learnings have also been incorporated into my own life, mostly through moving from country to country and city to city, and cultivating deep personal relationships. Today, I am taking greater risks and still working on my fears, like the saying goes: “it doesn’t get easier, you get stronger.”
What should our readers know about your business?
Utility Junction is a technology company committed to making utility billing easier, more affordable, and more productive for our real estate, property management, and homeowner customers. We’ve been in the property management industry for 15+ years and serviced other real estate investors with utility management. In March 2020 when Covid hit we found ourselves losing our biggest customer and realized we had an opportunity to further evolve our business from utility management services to creating a one-stop shop digital platform for all your utilities needs. It has not been an easy journey, as any entrepreneur can testify to but it has been a very rewarding one, with valuable lesson learned and incredible relationships made along the way.
In today’s digital world, managing essential utilities is still quite painful, having to navigate service provider platforms, understanding your consumption, educating ourselves on reading bills, paying bills on time, avoiding late fees, reconnection-fees etc. The process of connecting, transferring or disconnecting essential services can vary by state, city and zip code. It’s definitely not a streamlined process across service providers. Information about processes and resources are available but they are scattered across multiple platforms and offline resources.
Our goal at Utility Junction is to simplify this process for our commercial customers and in the future for every-day consumers, as well. Essential services are necessary in our day to day lives but we usually dont put too much thought towards them we just pay the bill. We believe this should change and we can do it by implementing it with technology and expertise know-how from the comfort of your smartphone.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Houston is a great city with so much to do, see and learn about. There is a place for everyone. You must experience The Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park showcases an impressive multi-story sculptural fountain that sees sheets of water cascading over large concrete walls and sculptures. The structure’s semi-circular shape towers 64 feet above you and is fronted by a large arch and 46,500 square feet of water.
Photos don’t do this attraction justice, it’s something that needs to be seen to truly be appreciated. This 2.77-acre park, covered with dozens of live oaks, is located in Uptown Houston.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Throughout the years, I have learned the importance of seeking assistance and guidance if you want to succeed.
Growing up, I was a student with honors, I did well in academics on my own, and once I got to the workforce, I contributed well to the team. For a while, I was a “DIY – Do it yourself” type person at work, until I reached my first management position and realized the team was better than me at doing the tasks and that my role had to change to an influencer/leader one.
I went through a similar challenge when making the leap from a Corporation to a small company and entrepreneurship. There are many people that come to mind when thinking about my professional journey.
I’ll start with the people that had faith in me from day one, since we met, they are my business partners Melvyn Huckaby and Marshall Stewart – their belief in my capabilities to launch and manage a successful startup played a big role in my confidence and ability to deliver.
It is important that I am part of something that is bigger than myself. Making an impact in this industry and in customer’s lives is motivating. My team inspires me to do that everyday, they bring so much passion, creativity and commitment that I feel so blessed to work along them daily in a culture of fun and laughter! Shout out to Yagnesh, Carolina, Jenina, Vinoda, Augusto and many more.
My grow as a founder and leader has also been influenced by incredible coaches and an amazing founder network that feels like they have my back in every step and risk I take. There are many of them to be mentioned here, some through their writing and others through their one on one coaching.
Website: https://utilityjunction.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/utilityjunction/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariaesteladuarte/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/M_EstelaDuarte
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/utilityjunction/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMJYAkJ3JAF1JqHT7TJTdcQ
Other: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.uj.clientapp https://apps.apple.com/in/app/utility-junction/id1637865138 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4JXP6HS