By: Patrick Cullen
Today we chat with Arturo Gomez, founder of Big Game Air, a premier provider of luxury game day travel experiences for the ultimate sports fan. Earlier this year, Arturo left the Chicago-based hospitality company- Rockit Ranch Productions– that he co-founded and oversaw for two decades. Arturo’s next journey is proof that it’s never too late to Begin Anyway- even if you’ve already achieved tremendous success.
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The idea of ‘Beginning Anyway’ has been a motivator for me throughout my professional journey – focusing on swallowing uncertainty and taking a leap even if failure seems likely. Do you have a motto or daily intention that has given you that extra push?
Something that has stuck with me from a very young age was the concept of “seek and you shall find.” For me, this has been tied to a strong pursuit of finding purpose and happiness.
You’ve often referred to yourself as “the happiest morning person in the world;” How does having a strong morning ritual impact the rest of your day?
It’s been everything. Setting the tone for the day – before 6am – has enabled me to work very efficiently.
Tell us a bit about your story and your journey leading up to today. You’ve made a major career change and left a successful company you helped to found and build. What lead to your exit and decision to build something new?
My story started post-college in 1998 when I moved to Chicago from Michigan and fell in love with the hospitality business. I was extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunities I was. Over that early period my former business partners and I created some extraordinary restaurants and nightclubs that have had a lasting impact on the restaurant and bar scene in Chicago.
I think I knew about a year ago that a change in my life was coming. I’ve always had a strong entrepreneurial drive and the thought of exploring new ideas and industries was tugging at me. The defining moment for me came in January. I was doing an introspective review of my career and what I had accomplished, where I was going. I realized at that moment that it was time to embark on a new path. My pursuit of happiness has always been a driving force behind my decisions. The decision to leave Rockit Ranch Productions was entirely guided by the idea that I needed to try something new and challenge myself in different ways.
