Entérate: All about dinero.

¡Hola! On today’s episode of Entérate con Verizon, host Diana Alvear had lots of great stories to share, so let’s jump right in!  

Financial literacy

How knowledgeable do you feel when it comes to your finances? If you feel a little shaky, Diana has the perfect expert for you. Marco Antonio Regil is a television host, podcast host and public speaker. One of his passions is teaching lessons about financial literacy that he learned himself the hard way:

“Money gives you the opportunity of choosing what to do and not to do,” explained Marco. “So money is not happiness, but it creates the space that takes away the burden of having to do something that you don't love.”

Marco talked about the four ways to earn money: as an employee, self-employed, business owner or as an investor. He went on to suggest that the first step is finding something you love to do, and then it’s important to “find a way to leverage and create something that is going to make money for you even if you're not physically working for it.” 

Family Money

One of the ways Verizon is helping you teach your kids good financial health is with Verizon Family Money. We caught up with V Teamer Lillian Vasquez, an Account Manager in Consumer Channel Management, to see how it was helping her family. 

Lillian explained that her eight-year-old daughter wanted to save for an expensive Apple pencil, but wasn’t excited to do chores because she never got paid right after she finished. With Family Money, she always sees her payment hit her account immediately. ”So the motivational piece of being able to look and see how much money she has and how much money she needs, definitely keeps her motivated every day to try to get that goal,” she said.

Lillian recommends all parents get Family Money to show kids the value of financial literacy.

Verizon Visa Card

While we’re talking money, Verizon Visa Card rewards are getting better. It’s the only card that lets card holders earn Verizon Dollars, which can be redeemed for the best phones, 5G tech and even put toward your monthly wireless bill. And now, cardholders can spend their rewards on even more of what they love outside of Verizon, like gift cards from favorite brands, hotels, flights and car rentals. 

Tips From La Tienda

Co-host and Solutions Specialist Chris Estrada-Ballesteros from Lady Lake, FL, shared some pointers on today's topic: gaming. 

When it comes to must-have gaming accessories, Chis recommends the JBL Quantum 400 gaming headset. It features lightweight construction, a braided cable to avoid tangling, a mic that mutes itself when you pull it up and down and memory foam cushions for comfort during longer sessions. This headset will truly change your game. 

Chris also recommends the super ergonomic Kishi Gaming Controller by Razr, which turns your phone into a gaming console. The buttons are both familiar and very comfortable. It works with Android, iOS and all cloud-based services. So, if you have the Xbox gaming pass, Apple Arcade or the Google Play Pass, you'll be able to elevate your gaming from your phone, anywhere you want. 

Are you often worried your phone might die? Banish that anxiety forever by investing in a quality battery pack. We carry so many great brands in our store and online, just in time for hurricane and wildfire season. 

A V Teamer superpower: being bilingual

Diana introduced us to three teammates at Verizon Business Group who handle small business customers with Fios: Omar Galarza, Julliane Abramson and Mayra Rosario.

Omar, an App Support Engineer, shared the reason he became a part of this team, “I wanted to help the Spanish business Community have some sort of voice at Verizon, and also I wanted it to be easy for the customers to do business with us. I mean what better than calling somewhere and having the language of your preference.”

Service Representative Julliane shared a story of a customer who had purchased Business Digital Voice from a door-to-door salesperson, but later struggled with the language barrier. “They were happy with the product, but they didn’t understand what they had purchased, so when the call came and they got my recording, they were like, ‘Oh my God, you speak Spanish!’ I explained everything and they were, like, thank you so much. They were beyond grateful.”

Business Sales Director Karen Ratigan described how the bilingual call center team was built using volunteers. Nine people volunteered initially and they continue to take calls with a level of excitement that you can hear through the phone. 

Julliane summed it up: “This is what Verizon is all about. Being able to provide our customers with the best experience they could possibly have.”

Thanks to Omar, Julliane, Mayra and Karen for all you do!

V Teamer profile: Ricardo Aspiazu 

Ricardo Aspiazu is the Executive Director for Creative Marketing at Verizon. He is originally from Ecuador, came to the United States at the age of 18, did a masters program in Spain, and now lives in New York City. 

Ricardo was working at a Hispanic marketing agency when one of his Verizon clients asked if would come fill an open position. Just like that, he was a V Teamer. 

Advancing the cause of the LGBTQ community has always been important to Ricardo, especially when he discovered that the stories that were most often covered tended to be focused on white males. “There's a huge neglected African-American LGBT community, youth, Hispanic, not to mention the transgender community as well. So we were, like, okay, we need to find stories about these people.”

Ricardo’s advice to young workers is to really work to know yourself and what you want, even if it means taking risks. “The last thing you want to be is a professional in your forties who doesn't really know what you want. It's okay to be that person in your twenties and thirties. Follow your gut, and and even if it makes you uncomfortable, take the leap and do it. 

Thanks to all of the V Teamers who made this episode so much fun to watch! Stay tuned because the next episode of Entérate con Verizon will celebrate Hispanic Heritage month and you’ll be seeing lots of recognizable faces. Nos vemos pronto! 

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