Today we’d like to introduce you to Sergio Perez.
Hi Sergio, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Biography of Sergio J. Pérez
Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Sergio J. Pérez grew up with a deep passion for learning and personal development. A top student throughout school, he earned outstanding grades and pursued a degree in Informatics at the university. By the year 2000, at only 19 years old, he became a teacher of information technology, dedicating six years to educating others while continuing his own studies.
In search of greater opportunities, Sergio immigrated to the United States, where he faced one of his first major challenges: his Cuban academic degree was not recognized. Instead of giving up, he rebuilt from the ground up. He enrolled in Miami English Center to study web design while working at Pizza Hut, starting from the bottom. Through discipline and leadership, he rose to become a store manager.
In 2008, Sergio entered the aviation cargo industry, beginning as a clerk. His strong work ethic and ability to adapt quickly stood out. In less than one year, he became Interline Manager. When the airline closed, he was immediately hired by Centurion Cargo as an Interline Coordinator, and once again climbed the ranks—first to Supervisor, and in 2010 to GSA Manager, leading over 200 employees.
His leadership trajectory continued when he transitioned to another airline in 2016 as Sales Director. But in 2018, life took a difficult turn. Sergio went through a divorce, experienced homelessness, and continued working two jobs—both as a coach and a director—while trying to rebuild his stability. A lifelong martial artist since age 7, with four black belts and a personal trainer certification from ISSA, he used discipline and mental resilience to push forward.
As circumstances at work shifted, Sergio was forced to leave his position. Still determined, he worked as an Uber driver while coaching, but the pandemic shut everything down. That’s when his brother Yesiel asked him for help in plumbing. Sergio accepted—and discovered a new passion that would change his life.
Within a year, his quality of life doubled. In 2021, he founded Kendall Plumbing & Backflow, a company that quickly expanded across the state of Florida. Through hard work, reputation, and relentless commitment to excellence, Sergio grew the business to more than 10 trucks and over 15 employees, providing professional plumbing and backflow services throughout Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, and beyond.
Today, Sergio is not only a successful entrepreneur—he is a diversified investor with holdings in real estate, the stock market, and even as a shareholder in an oil well in Texas. His life is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and the power of never giving up, no matter how hard the circumstances.
From a young teacher in Cuba, to a manager of hundreds in the aviation industry, to a homeless worker rebuilding from zero, to the owner of a thriving statewide company—Sergio’s journey embodies perseverance, discipline, and the belief that success is built, not given.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has been anything but smooth. Every stage of my life came with challenges that tested my character and forced me to grow. When I arrived in the United States, I discovered that my university degree and years of experience as an IT teacher meant nothing here. I had to start from zero, studying English while working entry-level jobs and proving myself all over again.
Even as I advanced quickly in the aviation cargo industry—rising from clerk to manager of over 200 employees—my personal life took a difficult turn. My divorce in 2018 left me homeless, working two jobs and still barely surviving. I was coaching, practicing martial arts, and doing everything possible to stay focused, but I was living out of my car while trying to maintain a professional image. It was one of the darkest periods of my life.
Then came the pandemic. I lost opportunities, Uber shut down, and suddenly the little stability I had left disappeared. It felt like starting from zero all over again.
But every setback also opened a door. My brother invited me to help him with plumbing, and what started as a temporary job became a turning point. I fell in love with the trade, the discipline, the problem-solving, and the opportunity to build something with my own hands. From that moment on, I decided to rebuild my life for real, from the ground up.
The obstacles—immigration, financial struggles, homelessness, career resets—were never easy. But they taught me resilience, humility, and the value of hard work. Today, as the owner of a statewide plumbing and backflow company with multiple trucks, employees, and investments, I look back and realize those struggles built the foundation of the person and businessman I am now.
The road wasn’t smooth, but every bump prepared me for greater success.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Kendall Plumbing Services LLC?
Kendall Plumbing & Backflow is a statewide plumbing and backflow service company built on discipline, integrity, and real hands-on expertise. What started as a single truck and one man determined to rebuild his life has now grown into a multi-location operation serving Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach, Naples, and beyond—with more than 10 trucks and a growing team of highly trained professionals.
We specialize in solving complex plumbing challenges that many contractors avoid.
Our brand is known for:
Backflow prevention, repairs, and certifications
Commercial plumbing solutions for major retailers and restaurants
Sewer jetting and camera inspections
Emergency response and difficult diagnostics
High-pressure jetting, leak detection, and advanced troubleshooting
Many of our clients come to us after other companies failed to resolve the issue. We’ve built a reputation for stepping into complicated scenarios, uncovering the real cause, and providing honest, long-term solutions—not temporary fixes.
What sets us apart?
Statewide coverage with local responsiveness
Fully licensed and insured teams with specialized equipment
A culture of professionalism, discipline, and transparency
High standards of quality and ethics
Proven reliability with major corporate clients
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Luck has played a role in my life, but not in the way most people think. I’ve experienced both good luck and bad luck, and in many moments, the “bad” luck ended up becoming the turning point for something greater.
I’ve had chapters where nothing seemed to go my way—immigrating to a new country and having my degree dismissed, starting from zero, going through a divorce that left me homeless, working two jobs just to stay afloat, losing work during the pandemic, and facing moments where it felt like every door was closing at the same time. Those were heavy moments, and it would be easy to call them “bad luck.”
But looking back, every difficult event forced me to reinvent myself. Every setback trained me to be more disciplined, more grateful, and hungrier for growth. The truth is that my business wasn’t built on lucky breaks; it was built on showing up, even when life was falling apart.
If I’ve had any good luck, it came in the form of people—my brother giving me the opportunity to try plumbing, the clients who believed in me, the employees who trusted my leadership, and the mentors or friends who helped push me forward. But even those moments only mattered because I was ready to work when the opportunity appeared.
I believe luck is real, but it’s not everything. Luck might open a door, but discipline, consistency, and sacrifice are what keep that door open. And when luck goes the other way—when life knocks you down—your mindset becomes the only thing that can turn a setback into your next chapter.
In my case, the toughest moments of my life became the foundation for my business. So yes, luck has played a role, but the real story is perseverance. Hard work created the opportunities. Resilience allowed me to survive the bad breaks. And purpose is what keeps pushing me forward.
In short: luck visited me… but I built everything else
Contact Info:
- Website: http://kendallplumbingllc.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kendall.plumbing/
Image Credits
i took them myself
