Enrique Camacho — From US Army Colonel to Uber Driver — A True Story

Enrique Camacho, a former US Army colonel, worked with some of the most recognized names in defense and served at several national agencies.

“I was kind of a big deal… at least I thought,” he wrote, sharing his story through a LinkedIn post. 

But after he retired from the military, his experience of becoming an Uber driver made him realize that “nobody cared I was ‘Kind of a Big Deal.’” This self-realization came about when he asked his Uber passengers many questions about them. 

“Funny thing is, only 3 out of 453 passengers I delivered [to their destination] ever asked about my story. Perhaps the 450 thought Enrique Camacho was a middle-aged immigrant supporting his family the best way he could, with a limited skill set and future,” he joked.

It was then that the “Truth bomb hit me,” the ex-colonel shared his moment of epiphany: 

“We’re only as good as our last race. People don’t really care what we’ve done [yesterday]. They’re interested in what we can do for them today and tomorrow...

It’s not a bad thing; it’s a realization that we must continuously learn and grow, so we don’t stagnate.”

From US Army colonel to Model Citizen Uber driver — A true story!

The former colonel initially started a coffee company. However, between writing business plans and developing product lines, his new Model Citizen Coffee Company needed additional financing, which made him give the Uber ride-sharing platform a shot. 

Model Citizen Coffee Company

Now that he knows what it feels like to network with the Uber ride-hailing service, he said:

“It also got me thinking about people we encounter every day. Do we measure them based on what we think they can offer us?”

Enrique Camacho, the Uber driver, truck driver, cable guy, hammer wielder, waiter, clerk…

“My hope is that when we encounter Enrique Camacho, the Uber driver, waiter, clerk, truck driver, cable guy, or hammer wielder, we’ll engage them with the same curiosity we engage those we deem important...

Enrique Camacho, Ex- Army colonel, Uber driver, Model Citizen Coffee Company business owner

... Be brave and enjoy our fellow man/woman’s story. It helps us develop new perspectives and appreciate others, which ultimately makes us all better,” Camacho advised.

Moral of the story

Enrique Camacho’s true life story tells us that if we define ourselves by our job title instead of our values and how we contribute to others, we may no longer feel validated and of any significance when we either lose our jobs or retire from our careers, especially if it’s a high-ranking position in a multinational corporation (MNC), for example.  

We may also feel the same if our job title signifies a lower-ranking position. Either way, the takeaway message from this story also echoes the words of retired Command Sergeant Major (CSM), Delta Force, Tom Sattery, who said:

“No one cares what you did; they care who you are.” 

Again, nobody really cares about your job title or what your profession was in the past; they care more about who you are right now and who you will be tomorrow.

How people will remember you: pic.twitter.com/xlM9rWrSAd

— Compounding Quality (@QCompounding) May 16, 2023

 As civil rights activist Maya Angelou once reflected and also reminded us:

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

P.S. There may be times when people don’t remember even the good things you did for them. That’s ok. Keep to your principles, nevertheless. What matters most is that you did the right thing, regardless.

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