South American Colleague Crosses Many Boundaries

Several weeks ago, my E-mail Inbox contained a message from Monica Yaneth Loeb Willes of Cali, Colombia, South America. She requested my permission to translate more than a dozen of my published articles into Spanish and post them on her Web site. As you can guess, I welcomed her interest in introducing me to a new audience. So my first impression was: Here is an adventurous professional who crosses boundaries.

Soon, Monica directed me to her site--and I could see several of my articles posted in Spanish. Check her site: http://www.empresariovirtual.com

As our correspondence developed, I realized that Monica knew plenty about me from my articles, Web site, and blog. I needed to learn more about her life and work. I expressed this to her in an E-mail. Her reply let me know that she has spent her life crossing boundaries--and will continue to do that, with remarkable success. Check these examples:

TECHNOLOGY: How well versed were you with computers in 1980? Well, that's when Monica started mastering technology--"selftaught," as she puts it. She wrote her first commercial quality software at age 12, got a contract with Xerox Colombia when she was 15, and soon built an impressive list of corporate and government clients.

GRAPHIC DESIGN: Not content with mastering the technical side of communication, she moved into graphic design. She exports "overseas" her expertise in slides creation

BUSINESS: "I felt the need to understand what I did from IT side from the managers side as well. That prompted me to study the career of business management studies at the Universidad del Valle, one of the best in my country." Monica studied also the complete human resources and marketing management emphasis.

HEALTH CARE: Recognized as an expert in medical informatics, for more than fifteen years Monica has served as an external IT consultant in hospitals such as Centro Medico Imbanaco, Hospital Unversitario del Valle, and other leading medical organizations in Cali, Colombia. Currently Monica contributes her services to physicians of all specialties. Worldwide, she assists physicians in doing medical presentations and also in establishing their Web sites.

RELIGION: Ten years ago, Monica felt compelled to pursue religion more deeply. Living in a country that did not recognize ordination of women, she became connected with a Christian chat room, dialoguing with other programmers. By 2000, she founded Christian Hope Ministry and Network. Since 2003 Monica has co-directed that organization with Pastor Matt Smith (NC) and Mrs. Pat Goshorn (PA). Monica helps poor churches by improving their ministry through websites and knowledge based resources. Pioneering even further, she became an ordained pastor--the only one in Latin America from her denomination.

LANGUAGE: Self-taught in English, Italian, and Portuguese, and speaks "German and Spanish because of my family roots." Two years ago she started studying the Hebrew version of the Bible--"really complex, but amazing."

PUBLICATION: Monica has written sixteen books--the first one at age 17. Soon she will produce them as E-books, making them available worldwide.

PATRIOTISM: Her confidence in Colombia convinced her to "start a business now in times where others are leaving." Her commitment: "I have decided to help to raise this country and not only dream but also work hard for a better future for other Colombians who stay here too."

That's part of the motivation for her Web site, where she not only features my articles but will feature my instructional videos and my book, along with other authors, speakers, and trainers. Monica intends to "tell the entrepreneurs here and in all Latin America that there is more ahead than just the conventional ways of doing marketing."

Looking ahead, she foresees "Colombia in peace that I have never seen." She continued: "I don't want that the children of the future live in a violent Colombia where I have lived, but in a place where they can develop as human beings and live a reasonably happy life."

Her goal? "My dream is to position my company as a world quality class organization and I am sure with time I will achieve it."

My prediction: Monica, as many boundaries as you have crossed already, so early in life, I have full assurance that you will achieve whatever you want.

My appreciation: Thanks to Monica, for showing us that we can communicate to the fullest extent of our potential--if we use boundaries as bridges we step across.