There are some lessons to be learned from the success of this year's Tire Business Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award winner, Rodrigo Valle Hernandez.
Many of us don't have the means to donate substantial amounts of money to charities — especially in the middle of a pandemic. Investing back in the company — or perhaps just meeting payroll — might be the only option.
- This article appears in the Nov. 9 print edition of Tire Business.
Mr. Valle, whose Tijuana-based Grupo Tersa company operates more than 150 tire outlets in eight Mexican states, remembers those days. He still, however, contributed to causes dear to him, particularly his alma mater, CETYS University.
Mr. Valle said there are three ways one can contribute to a charity: Give money, get money or give time. As he struggled to turn his first shop into a success, Mr. Valle didn't have any extra money for anything other than reinvesting in his shop.
Instead, he served on the board of the institution, donating his time, while also encouraging other, wealthier business owners to contribute to CETYS.
For those with the financial means to contribute to charitable organizations, Mr. Valle reminds us how to determine whether we have donated enough.
"It's got to hurt," he said, repeating advice he learned from an older colleague in his community. "If it doesn't hurt, you're not giving enough."
Mr. Valle said he "definitely" felt the hurt when he announced in 2011 that he was contributing $1 million to CETYS to build a gymnasium/auditorium at the institution. Today, that facility bears his name.