How One Entrepreneur Uses AI to Run Two Businesses and Raise Five Kids

What happens when someone decides to completely rewrite their life story? In this episode, Flora sits down with entrepreneur Armando Duran from San Jose, California. Armando shares his journey from serving time in San Quentin State Prison as a teenager to building multiple businesses, teaching Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, raising five kids, and using AI tools to streamline his companies. Armando talks about the moment he decided to change his life, how he transitioned from traditional sales to digital marketing, and how tools like AI are helping him save time on things like sales proposals, reports, and marketing content. Today, Armando runs a security company, works in digital marketing for the Jiu-Jitsu community, trains and teaches martial arts multiple days per week, and is building a new AI-driven lifestyle media platform called Coffee and Burpees. This episode is about discipline, reinvention, and how technology can help entrepreneurs move faster — when it's used with intention. In this episode we discuss: • Armando's turning point inside San Quentin • How he transitioned from traditional sales to digital marketing • Why Gracie Jiu-Jitsu became a major part of his life • How he uses AI to save time in business operations • The importance of adapting to new technology as a business owner • His vision for his new lifestyle media platform, Coffee and Burpees If you're a small business owner curious about using AI to work smarter, this episode is packed with real-world insight.