The Greatness Garage Episode 156 - Ricardo Monardez

In this episode of The Greatness Garage, Brad Borkhuis sits down with Ricardo Monardez, founder of Taligens, a cultural transformation company. Ricardo shares his unconventional journey from being trained as an architect in Chile to becoming an organizational coach and business leader in the U.S.

He opens up about the challenges of starting a business without a network, the power of partnerships, and how admiration and trust shape successful collaborations. Ricardo also reflects on his early leadership lessons, including a pivotal moment when he asked a team member to “help me be your boss.”

Along the way, he shares extraordinary personal stories—from navigating post-9/11 travel as a newcomer with limited English to discovering the importance of intentional language in shaping identity and culture.

Ricardo’s insights remind us that leadership is less about showing what you know and more about how much you care, and that building meaningful partnerships starts with friendship, respect, and admiration.