Let's Wine: Stories Uncorked™

Stuart Faught started his entrepreneurial journey by handing out donuts in dental offices to sell SEO services. Today he has built and sold 20 small software companies, all self-funded and run with a lean team of contractors.In Episode 49 of Let’s Wine Stories Uncorked™, our first virtual episode, Andrea Padilla talks with Stuart about leaving corporate America, building one of the first online reputation software companies, and the model that took him from his first exit to his 20th deal. Stuart explains why trust and partnerships make selling easier, why brand matters for both customers and future buyers, and how focusing on one niche helps a new business get its first customers. He also shares what skateboarding taught him about being an entrepreneur.🎙️ Featured GuestStuart Faught, Founder & CEO of MiniHorse and Co-Founder of Covingtonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-faught-59a5a76b/📲 Connect with usInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarerootmarketing/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/squarerootmarketing/Website: https://squarerootmarketing.com

In the 10th episode of the FIEXPO 2026 series of Let’s Wine: Stories Uncorked™, Andrea Padilla sits down with Dennis Speet, Managing Director of the Amsterdam Convention Bureau, over a glass of Protos in San José, Costa Rica.After 25 years at ICCA, Dennis took on the challenge of rebuilding Amsterdam’s Convention Bureau from the ground up. Five years later, his team is positioning the city as a leading destination for life sciences, energy transition, AI, and more.The conversation explores what Latin American convention bureaus can learn from Amsterdam, how business events can thrive amid overtourism, and what makes a destination matter globally. It ends with plans to record their next episode in Amsterdam.Featured Guest:Dennis SpeetManaging Director, Amsterdam Convention BureauLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dspeet/Connect with us:Square Root Marketingwww.squarerootmarketing.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/squarerootmarketing📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarerootmarketing/

In this episode of Let's Wine: Stories Uncorked™, Andrea Padilla, CEO & Founder of Square Root Marketing, sits down with Luis Carlos Ochoa, President and Founder of Valoriza Group, over a glass of Luigi Bosca in Medellín, Colombia.After two decades at Citibank across New York, the Bahamas, Miami and Panama, Luis Carlos returned to Antioquia with one mission: bring global investment banking standards to the SME owner who has never had access to a Wall Street caliber advisor. Valoriza Group has since closed over 270 processes in 14 countries and more than $1.5 billion in transactions.The conversation covers the three pillars every business owner should focus on before thinking about investment, why most entrepreneurs drive their companies without a fuel gauge, and the difference between building income and building value. Sharp, practical and deeply personal.Featured Guest:Luis Carlos OchoaPresident & Founder, Valoriza GroupLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-carlos-ochoa-paris-39888658/ Connect with us:Square Root Marketingwww.squarerootmarketing.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/squarerootmarketing 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarerootmarketing/

In this episode of Let's Wine Stories Uncorked™, recorded at FIEXPO 2026 in San José, Costa Rica, Andrea Padilla, CEO & Founder of Square Root Marketing, sits down with Kike Ramírez, international speaker, entrepreneur and author of the bestselling book Prohibido Rendirse (Never Give Up), over a glass of Protos.Kike shares how Prohibido Rendirse started as a social media phrase that went viral before there was ever a conference or a book, and how that movement has taken him across Latin America and beyond. He talks about why identity drives mindset more than any motivational technique, the real risk AI poses to those who choose not to learn it, why Latin America needs to change the story it tells about itself, and why your purpose was never something you had to find. One of the most energizing conversations we have had on this podcast. Featured Guest:Kike RamírezSpeaker, Entrepreneur & Author, Prohibido RendirseLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soykikeramirez/Connect with us:Square Root Marketingwww.squarerootmarketing.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/squarerootmarketing📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarerootmarketing/

In this episode of Let's Wine Stories Uncorked™, recorded at FIEXPO 2026 in San José, Costa Rica, Andrea Padilla, CEO & Founder of Square Root Marketing, sits down with Borja Castelar, author of Power Skills and former President of LinkedIn for Latin America, over a glass of Protos. A Spaniard who moved from Dublin to São Paulo overnight when Microsoft acquired LinkedIn and rerouted his entire career plan, Borja has since become one of the most sought-after voices on personal brand, human skills, and the future of work across Latin America and Spain.The conversation covers why he refuses to call them soft skills and what he calls Power Skills instead, the study showing that 85% of professional success depends on them, the four elements every professional needs to build a career in the AI era, and how to actually interact with AI instead of just using it as a search engine. He also makes the case that imperfect action taken consistently will always beat perfect action taken someday. A practical, sharp, and energizing episode.Featured Guest:Borja CastelarAuthor, Power Skills | Former President, LinkedIn Latin AmericaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/borjacastelar/Connect with us:Square Root Marketingwww.squarerootmarketing.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/squarerootmarketing📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarerootmarketing/