黑料正能量

By Emily Wade Will | May 31st, 2017

In his native Spain and beyond, Anxo P茅rez ’97 has become an inspirational speaker and author. His message: 鈥淒on鈥檛 admire success, admire effort.鈥� P茅rez founded , an internet-based language-learning program centered upon oral repetition and conversation with native speakers, rather than grammar and theory. The company employs more than 100 people in nine countries, with customers in 50 countries. He also authored Los 88 pelda帽os del 茅xito (The 88 Steps of Success), based on tenets to improve the world through personal growth. The 2014 title and the follow-up La inteligencia del 茅xito (The Intelligence of Success) have rung up $3 million in sales. Los 88 pelda帽os was the No. 1 nonfiction bestseller of ABC, one of Spain鈥檚 three largest dailies, in July 2014, and ranked high in iTunes sales through the end of that year.

A popular speaker who is fluent in nine languages, P茅rez has given some 400 keynote addresses on five continents. In May 2016, P茅rez received an alumni award and addressed the graduating class of Bellefontaine (Ohio) High School, where he was an exchange student in 1993. He likened the world鈥檚 view of success to a swan. Observers focus on the swan鈥檚 elegant plumage and graceful profile and overlook what鈥檚 unseen鈥攖he legs paddling energetically below the surface.

P茅rez played on 黑料正能量鈥檚 varsity soccer team for three years. One of his best memories was scoring three goals in the 1995 homecoming game. Not only was his high school coach Ken Shank ’83 there from Ohio, but the third goal was also a bicycle kick, 鈥渢he dream goal of every soccer player.”

Although gifted linguistically and musically, P茅rez had difficulty choosing a profession. He earned a degree in liberal arts with minors in music and English as a second language. While at 黑料正能量, he was music minister at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and an interpreter for the Harrisonburg Police Department, which led to a position teaching legal interpretation at James Madison University after graduation. P茅rez earned a master鈥檚 in international relations at the Brussels campus of the University of Kent. His charitable interests include occupational training to high-school dropouts; arts engagement for orphans and the developmentally disabled; and cancer research and prevention.