What Taking A Chance On a Startup Actually Looks Like
Some people stumble into their careers. Others go looking for something specific: a story they want to be part of or a challenge worth chasing. Juan Rios was firmly in the second camp.
When Juan joined Gravity nearly a decade ago, he was a University of Miami grad who had already tried door-to-door sales in the Miami heat. He learned fast and realized he wanted more than a commission check. He wanted to help build something special.
Today, Juan serves as Gravity’s Director of Business Development, Strategic Accounts, leading business development across South Florida and shaping one of the company’s most dynamic regional presences. Reaching this role, however, required years of persistence, hard work, and a willingness to forge his own path when no clear one existed.
Starting from Zero, on Purpose
After graduating from the University of Miami, Juan knew two things: he wanted to be in sales and he wanted to be part of something entrepreneurial. That combination isn’t easy to find. So when he spotted a Gravity job posting on his university’s career site, one that read like it was written specifically for someone with his ambitions, he applied.
At the time, Gravity was barely a year old, operating out of CEO Rick Connolly’s house. Juan’s interview was with Rick, COO Steve Dettor, and the handful of account managers who made up the entire team.
“When I left my interview, I just knew that’s where I wanted to be,” Juan recalls. “It felt very natural. It felt like a good match for the career objectives I had for myself: being part of a startup and being able to think about the future and say I helped build something.”
He started as a recruiter in Gravity’s first Fort Lauderdale office, one of fewer than nine people on the team. The systems were basic, the playbook was still being written, and just about everything was being done for the first time.
“All of our systems, like Bullhorn, weren’t what they are today,” he says. “We were building them for the first time. When I look back and see all the tools and processes we have now, we didn’t have any of that. It’s cool to see how far we’ve come.”
Earning Trust in a Competitive Market
Ask Juan about his proudest accomplishment at Gravity and he doesn’t point to a single deal or a title. He points to a body of work: the client relationships he’s built in South Florida, one relationship at a time, in a market where he had no head start.
“I’m not a South Florida native. I wasn’t born in Miami. I didn’t have a network here,” he says. “Every company I’ve had the pleasure of placing someone with or signing an agreement with came from doing the hard work and doing it the right way. Through countless networking events, referrals and relationships built over time.”
Some of those relationships took years to develop before a single agreement was signed. In an industry that can reward short-term hustle, Juan played a longer game, and it paid off. Today, Gravity works with some of South Florida’s largest companies and most exciting growth-stage startups, in a region that’s become one of the country’s most competitive tech markets.
Stepping Into Bigger Opportunities
One of the things Juan values most about his time at Gravity has been the company’s strategic partnership with the Executive Roundtable, a relationship that, by his own admission, pushed him well outside his comfort zone.
Growing up as an immigrant with English as his second language, the spotlight was never where Juan felt most comfortable. Public speaking didn’t come naturally. Yet through the Roundtable, he found himself moderating high-profile events, hosting panels, and curating experiences that drew some of the most impressive minds in the room. A recent standout Sports & Tech event brought together a caliber of panelists and guests that, in Juan’s words, “really pushed us to think outside the box.”
“It has pushed me out of my comfort zone,” Juan says. “As a kid, I always hated being put on the spotlight. But I always enjoyed the challenge and the thrill of it. Through our partnership with the Roundtable, it’s helped me build that muscle. It’s been a lot of fun.”
It’s also been a natural extension of how Juan approaches people in general: with openness, curiosity, and the same energy he’d bring to meeting a close friend.
“Every person I meet, I honestly approach them like they’re my best friend,” he says. “No matter who you are, where you come from, what background you have. I’m going to talk to you like my best friend because I genuinely care and I want to build a relationship.”
Building a Personal Brand, One Interaction at a Time
Nine years in, Juan thinks about his career less in terms of job titles and more in terms of what he’s known for. The personal brand he’s built in South Florida, one grounded in quality, responsiveness, and genuine investment in the people he works with, is something he considers among his most meaningful professional achievements.
That reputation wasn’t built through marketing. It was built the same way every Gravity relationship is built: by showing up, following through, and treating every person, whether it’s a candidate looking for their first job or an executive at one of Miami’s fastest-growing companies, with the same care.
The advice that’s stuck with him most came from Rick Connolly early in his career: treat every candidate and client the way you’d treat your mom or grandma. With respect, honesty, and genuineness.
“When I put it in that perspective: obviously I want my mom to be treated like the queen that she is,” Juan says with a laugh. “So I approach every single person I meet with that same mentality.”
Advice for Anyone Just Getting Started
Juan didn’t know what staffing meant when he joined Gravity and he didn’t know what technology recruitment looked like. In his view, that was an advantage, not a detriment.
“You’re not set in your ways. You don’t have a predetermined idea of how things are supposed to be,” he says. “My advice to anyone starting is: come with an open mind, ask a ton of questions, have a hunger for knowledge. The more curious you are about how the business works and how we do what we do right, the further you’ll go.”
And then, simply: have fun with it.
“Just have fun with it. Because if this kind of work doesn’t motivate you or make you want to get out of bed in the morning, go do something else. But if it does: lean into it. Be curious. Treat people well. That goes a long way.”
Looking Ahead: Year Ten
Next year, Juan will hit a milestone he’s been working toward since he first joined: a decade at Gravity.
His goal between now and that anniversary is to keep growing Gravity’s presence in Miami, a market in the middle of a major influx of companies relocating to South Florida, and one where Juan has spent nearly a decade earning his seat at the table.
“I hope that by my ten-year anniversary, our Miami presence grows, and more and more companies will know who Gravity is,” he says. “But more than anything, I just hope to make the company and the team proud.”
A Fun Fact Worth Knowing
Outside of work, Juan is a proud father and, yes, an ordained minister. He’s officiated weddings, though he’s quick to note that none have taken place at an Executive Roundtable event.
About Gravity IT Resources
Gravity is a Human Capital Management company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale with offices across the country including Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbus, Cincinnati, Nashville, DC, Salt Lake City, San Diego and Tampa. Our company has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as an “Inc. 5000” award winner and one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States for the last 7 consecutive years (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025). Additionally, Gravity is proud to be Great Place to Work certified for the 5th year in a row (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) and was also recognized on the SIA’s Fastest-Growing Staffing Firms in the US list the last two years (2024, 2025).
Gravity helps prominent clients like Salesforce, Chewy, Carnival Cruise Lines, AutoNation, Mosaic and hundreds of other enterprise and SMB companies to identify, recruit and hire IT professionals for their most critical projects and jobs. Our recruitment spans across various roles, including artificial intelligence (AI) specialists, software engineers, cloud engineers, project managers, data engineers, business analysts, security engineers, CXO leaders and more.
Gravity provides a variety of delivery models and services designed to meet client needs efficiently and effectively.
- Contract, Contract-to-Hire & Direct Hire of US-based Resources
- Nearshore Staff Augmentation
- Managed Team Services
- Executive Search
- ERP Program Leadership
- Workday Certified Staffing Partner
To learn more about Gravity IT Resources practices, career opportunities and culture, visit gravityitresources.com
