Welcome to Students Incorporated. I'm your host,
Mr. Jason. Join me weekly as my team and I produce
content that's informative, positive, fun, and
uplifting. This podcast is created and produced
with the help of students from the International
Community School of Bangkok. Hello, everyone.
Welcome back. We've got a packed episode for
you today. I'm joined by co -host Mia and Frank,
and I've got two student guests in the studio,
Toto and Highlight. We'll be talking all about
entrepreneurship. How to go from just having
an idea to actually making it happen. We'll cover
some important steps, real challenges, and what
it really takes to bring a business to life.
Plus, we've got the next exciting part of our
adventure story, Legends of the Yucatan Part
6, coming up later. But first, let's kick things
off with our quote of the day and get some headline
news. Our quote of the day comes from Guy Kawasaki.
He said, Ideas are easy, implementation is hard.
This quote reveals a key truth in entrepreneurship.
Anyone can come up with an idea, but turning
that idea into something real and valuable takes
effort, strategy, and persistence. It's a reminder
that real challenge and the real reward comes
from the execution of the idea. Building a business
isn't just about creativity. It's about planning,
testing, and refining, and also overcoming numerous
obstacles. entrepreneurs need to move beyond
the brainstorming stage and take action. And
that action will be challenging. And that's our
quote of the day. Now on to some headline news
with Mia. Thank you for our quote of the day,
Frank. For today's headline news, we'd like to
share about three upcoming conferences that focus
on the topic of entrepreneurship and startups.
According to TravelPerk .com, anyone with the
entrepreneurial spirit, time on their hands,
and a little money should start planning for
one of these events. The first event is coming
up this month. It's called the Startup Grind
Global and it will be held in Silicon Valley,
San Francisco, California, April 29th and 30th.
You can attend online or in person. This is one
of the most renowned startup conferences worldwide.
Thousands of large scale and early phase startups
will have the opportunity to come together, meet
investors, exchange ideas, and participate in
workshops. With one -to -one meetings with top
angel investors in Silicon Valley, it's the perfect
place to pitch your startup and scale to the
next step. The second event is called Startup
Fest 2025 and will be held in Montreal, Canada,
July 9th through the 11th. This is Canada's original
startup event where entrepreneurs, investors
and industry veterans gather to chart the course
of future technology. This event is focused on
communication and has been designed to create
meaningful interactions. There will be curated
content for startup founders and investors, one
-to -one meetings with mentors, investors, media
exposure, investment opportunities and more.
more. This is a must -attend event, not only
for Canadians, but for the global startup community
too. And finally, the third event we'd like to
highlight is called the World Summit AI. This
AI summit will be held in Amsterdam, Netherlands,
October 8th and 9th this year. This event is
for those looking to be on the cutting edge of
AI development and innovation. The World Summit
AI is the place to go to meet some of the brightest
minds in the world of artificial intelligence
and big data to discuss relevant topics like
ethics, trust, privacy, and scalability. This
summit will focus on human -to -AI interaction,
innovation, and growth. Bringing together the
full AI ecosystem, including founders, CEOs,
CTOs, doctors, data analysts, academics, and
more, it's the perfect place to get in on the
ground floor of future AI innovation. This summit
will also offer a startup accelerator with a
dedicated expo and meeting area to facilitate
the connections you need. And that ends our headline
news for this episode. Thank you for the quote
and headline news. This first segment is focused
on the topic of executing an idea within the
context of entrepreneurship. So we'll be covering
everything from validating a business idea, common
founder mistakes, and building your MVP to why
execution matters more than just having a great
idea. We'll even talk about the art of pivoting
when things don't go as planned. Hi, everyone.
Yeah, this is an important topic, especially
for those who feel motivated to or want to start
their own business, because I think a lot of
people have really amazing ideas, but they often
get stuck and don't know what the next step should
be. Yeah, and honestly, turning an idea into
something real is a massive challenge. But that's
why we're here, to break it down and give you
the tools to move forward with confidence. Oh,
and by the way, Toto and Highlight are also in
the studio to help us break down this topic.
Welcome to the show, you two. Thank you, and
I really like this topic. It's an important discussion
to have, especially with young and motivated
entrepreneurs who want to start their own businesses.
Yeah, thanks for having me on the talk about
this subject. It reminds me of the project I
did in your entrepreneurship class, Mr. Jason.
Yes, it does, Toto. So let's start with the beginning,
ideation or idea validation. Toto, when someone
comes up with a new idea, what's the first thing
they should do to figure out if it's worth pursuing?
I think the very first step is talking to the
people. Not just your friends who will say, oh,
that's cool, but actual potential users or customers.
Validation is making sure that there's a real
problem being solved. You can start small, ask
questions, run surveys, or do informal interviews.
Yeah, that makes sense. A lot of people just
assume there's a market, but don't actually check,
assuming it's just cutting a corner. There's
got to be some research done, some data or information
that can help validate the idea. Exactly, Nia.
I'd add that it's also important to do a quick
competitor analysis. If someone else is already
solving the problem, how is your solution better
or different? And if nobody is solving it, you
need to ask why not. That's so true. Sometimes
an idea hasn't been done for a reason. It might
not be feasible or maybe people just don't need
it or want it. Good points, everybody. So it's
not about falling in love with your idea. It's
about testing it in the real world. Remember,
early validation saves you time, money, and energy
later on. Let's talk about some of the common
mistakes early -stage founders make. Highlight,
what are some of your thoughts about this? I
think one big mistake is trying to do everything
alone. People want to own the whole thing, but
building something great usually takes a team.
You need different skills like marketing, tech,
design, strategy, and no one can do it all perfectly.
Even if you're an M -shaped worker, you can get
yourself spread to thing. Yeah, and I think people
are also overbuilt. Like instead of testing a
simple version, they try to launch this huge
complicated product. Then they burned out or
run out of resources. For sure, like focusing
way too much time on logo and branding in the
early stages and completely ignoring whether
the product even works. Branding is important,
but it's not the priority when you haven't even
like proven the idea yet. It's all about balance.
It's easy to get excited and rush ahead, but
skipping steps can be costly. Start lean, learn
fast and stay humble. What's next, Frank? Alright,
so let's talk about MVP. Toto, what does building
a minimum viable product actually look like?
An MVP is the simplest version of your product
that still solves the core problem. It's not
meant to be pretty or perfect. It's meant to
test your assumptions. For example, if you're
creating an app, your MVP should just be like
a basic landing page, explaining the idea and
just seeing if people sign up. Yeah, that's a
great way to put it. I think sometimes we think
MVP means an almost finished product, but it's
really just about testing the core idea in the
easiest way possible. Yeah, it surprises me how
MVP not only means most valuable product, but
it also means most valuable player. So one cool
MVP, referring to both ways of interpreting that
acronym, I would say example is Dropbox. Before
building the product, they made a simple video
showing how it would work. No code, just a concept.
It got tons of interest in signups, which helped
them know it was worth building. It proves you
can test an idea without having the full product.
Another example is Airbnb. Airbnb started with
an air mattress in the founder's apartment. They
made a basic website and tested it. if people
would pay to stay in someone's home. That simple
start turned into a giant company it is now.
The MVP was basic, but it tested their assumptions.
I love that. MVPs are about learning, not launching.
Start scrappy. That early feedback is gold, especially
if there's a lot of money and time being risk.
Okay, let's move on to the next big truth. It
is that ideas are easy, but execution is hard.
Frank, what do you think? Absolutely. You can
have the best idea in the world, but if you don't
take action, it means nothing. Execution means
showing up every day, iterating, listening to
feedback, and putting in the work when it's not
glamorous. And honestly, it's out there everywhere.
People talk about their million dollar idea,
but then you ask them what they've done with
it and it's nothing or they haven't started anything
yet. Even in school with school projects, students
do this. I read once that Mark Zuckerberg said
that a mediocre idea with great execution will
beat a great idea with poor execution every time.
I think that's so true. Passion is great, but
discipline is what moves things forward. Also,
don't wait for everything to be perfect. Execute
with what you have. Some of the best businesses
were started with limited tools. But a lot of
drive. Execution is what separates the dreamers
from the doers. We need dreamers and we need
doers. An entrepreneur has to be both. Okay,
moving on. Mia, what's next? Let's talk about
pivoting. What do you do when your idea isn't
working out? A pivot doesn't mean failure. It
means you learn something. And now you're adjusting.
That's actually smart business. Airbnb started
as an air mattress rental site and they pivoted
after realizing that what people really need
it and actually wants it. That's such a good
example. I think it's important to not be emotionally
attached to a first version. You have to let
the data and the feedback guide you. Also, sometimes
you pivot not because the idea was bad, but because
the timing was off or the target audience needed
to be different. Pivoting is a tool. It's how
you stay in the game. Another example of a successful
pivot is Instagram. Originally, Instagram started
as a location -based check -in app called Bourbon.
Yes, you heard that correctly. The founders noticed
that the photo sharing feature was the most popular
aspect of the app, so they decided to pivot and
focus entirely on photos. This shift to a photo
sharing platform led to Instagram's massive success,
ultimately being acquired by Facebook. It's a
great example of how being open to change can
turn a product around. Oh, and by the way, Here's
a quick plug for the Students Incorporated for
all our listeners. Check out our Instagram account
and follow us. Our marketing team has had a lot
of fun this year creating fun and engaging content.
Yes, jump on board our IG account. It's been
fun to watch it grow this year. And on the topic
of pivoting, stay open, stay flexible, and be
willing to evolve. That's how you survive and
then hopefully thrive. This has been such a powerful
discussion. Before we wrap it up, let's go around
and hear one piece of advice from each of you.
for young entrepreneurs out there. Mia, go ahead
and start first. I'd say don't wait for the perfect
time. Start small, start now. Action beats waiting
every time. Talk to people, your customers, your
mentors, and your team. The best businesses are
built by listening and learning. Don't be afraid
to fail. Every failure teaches you something
and brings you closer to what works. Yep. As
a parting advice, stay curious, stay humble,
and keep experimenting. You never know where
your idea might lead. Well, thank you very much.
That was brilliant advice all around. Thanks
again to Mia, Frank, Toto, and Highlight. And
to all our listeners, remember, it's not just
about having the next big idea. It's about what
you do with it. For all students who want to
attend university, this announcement is for you.
What's the SAT? Maybe you've heard of it? The
Scholastic Assessment Test, or the SAT as we
all refer to it as, is a standardized exam widely
used for college admissions, especially in the
United States. It measures key skills in reading,
writing, and math, and is designed to assess
a student's readiness for college -level work.
Many universities use SAT scores as part of their
admissions process, and strong results can also
improve scholarship opportunities. Whether you're
planning to study abroad or simply want to keep
your options open, taking the SAT can be an important
step towards your academic future. With the SAT
coming up soon, now is the time to get prepared.
Make sure you know your test date and location
and gather everything you need ahead of time.
Be sure to get a good night's sleep before the
test and eat a healthy breakfast in the morning.
The SAT can be challenging, but with practice
and a calm, focused mindset, you can do well.
Stay confident, stay organized, and show what
you've learned. You've got this. And we are back
with our second segment, and we will continue
with part six of our story, Legends of the Yucatan.
Part six is titled The Escape. If you missed
parts one through five, you can get caught up
by listening to episodes 87 through 91. Legends
of the Yucatan is a sequel to our Season 2 story,
The Secrets of El Dorado. We released last year
during Episodes 55 through 64 in audio narration.
It's also available in book form as a downloadable
PDF from our website or in paperback version
on Amazon .com. Just visit studentsincorporated
.com to find out more. Now, moving on, Camden
will give us a quick recap before we jump into
Part 6. Recapping Part 5, the Cenote. The group
tours Chichen Itza. Eva shows the others her
pictures from the incident at the gala event,
and David recognizes a familiar tattoo. David
discovers that his brother has been kidnapped
and demands are made for an exchange. And without
further ado, let's jump back into our story,
where we join our eclectic group of characters
in their continuing adventure. The passageways
inside El Castillo. the step pyramid of Chichen
Itza, were small and cramped. This once great
structure from the ancient Mayan past held many,
many horrible secrets, some that would never
be told, and some that were too gruesome to be
told, especially to children. The inside was
dark, quiet, and still. Yes, the place gave us
a sense of mystery. If a person was not careful,
they could get lost, especially in the dark,
as no light from the outside could enter. It
was a sealed structure. Hawthorne, who was the
last of the five people in line, David being
the first, still marveled at the engineering
of the structure as he moved through the passageways,
which led down. Miranda followed David, then
Ava, Tommy, and then Hawthorne. Fortunately,
the five of them all had somewhat full battery
life on their phones, so they took turns using
the built -in flashlights. David, who was leading,
held one light, and then Tommy held the other
light, which gave them three phone lights as
backups. There was no cell signal within the
structure either. Hawthorne appreciated David's
confidence and had a good feeling they would
be in and out within 30 minutes. This would give
the group time to investigate the hidden chamber
David had mentioned. David, Miranda says quietly
as she is following closely behind him in the
cramped downward and winding passageway. This
place gives me the creeps. How'd you do it last
time with just your dive partner and you? I mean,
your expedition seemed to have been high risk.
I'm surprised the university endorsed it. David,
not stopping, turned his head slightly so Miranda
could hear him answer and said, I suppose that's
why they hired me. I've done so many high -risk
dives, this really didn't seem that different.
However, now that you say that, maybe it was
a bit more risky than usual. He continues, my
partner and I carried all our own gear in and
out of this place. And we did not have a way
to communicate with anyone on the outside once
we dove the cenote. The other two guys that came
with us left us down as soon as they saw us put
on our dive gear. I guess they were a little
jumpsy and superstitious and didn't want to be
inside this thing any longer than they needed
to. Ava, who could somewhat hear David's answer
to Miranda's question, then asked, So David,
hoping David would hear her question, then asked,
It seems we've been going down for a while now,
and we've got to be getting close to the base
of the interior of this thing. What's your estimate?
Are we almost there yet? Miranda echoed Ava's
question to David, who was walking and moving
at a good pace. She also added, How will we know
it when we are there? At that moment, they left
the narrow and cramped passageway and entered
into a large open space or cavern. In the center
of the large open cavern was a beautiful pool
of water. It was almost surreal as the water
was stunningly turquoise blue, clear, and pristine.
It glowed and the light it produced lit up the
cavern. As all five of them entered the cavern,
David said, Turn off your phone lights. We can
use the bioluminescence from the algae in the
water to see. Isn't it beautiful? Wow, David,
I guess you left this out of your story. This
is an incredible place, Ava says with a grin.
She then looks back at Hawthorne standing behind
her and says under her breath, This place sure
beats the tunnels on old man Sutter's property.
Hawthorne laughs quietly and nods his head in
agreement and says back to Ava, A place I'd rather
not revisit, that's for sure. He then adds with
a grin on his face, A place it seems you and
Sierra did go back and visit though, I mean,
The missus and I are quite thankful you did too.
Hawthorne and Ava's coded conversation about
their previous adventure back in El Dorado County
was interrupted when Tommy spoke up. So much
has changed about this place from the last time
I was here. Tommy tells the group, he continues,
I don't remember much being it was so long ago,
but I do remember that this pool was not glowing
and it was not this deep and clear. Miranda turns
and then asks Tommy, What do you mean? It wasn't
like this when you were here last time? Tommy
answers, It's been almost 30 years since I was
here. And no. Back then, it was just a dark and
dank cabin. Tommy then looks at Hawthorne and
asks, What do you think? Maybe there's an underground
spring or river that eventually collided with
a cenote pool here and, well, opened up, creating
a deeper chasm and bringing in the algae and
more fresh water. Tommy continues, and there
used to be a ground -level entry -exit point
to this cabin from the outside for many, many
years ago, when archaeologists were still studying
the interior. I've only been through it once,
way back in the day, but it's been closed back
in, I think. That's probably why the park ranger
had us enter from the top. Well, at least we
got some exercise. Hawthorne replies, You've
got a good memory, Tommy. I had totally forgotten
about that other entry point down on this level,
and your theory about the underground spring
and river could be true. There's got to be fresh
water source circulating from the cenote. Otherwise,
there wouldn't be that algae and fresh vegetation.
He then asked David a question. When you dove
this pool, did you and your partner feel any
underwater currents? David answered and said,
yes, the deeper we dove, the current got stronger.
He then says, my partner and I assumed there
was an underground river under this place, but
didn't want to risk exploring any more than we
had to at that time. We were not prepared for
that type of diving. That's when we called it
quits and came back up to the surface, took off
our gear, and then discovered the hidden passageway
to the chamber, just over there. David then points
to the far wall opposite of where they were all
standing. Come on, let's go and I'll show you
as we don't have a lot of time left. As their
car was nearing the ancient site of Chichen Itza,
Maria gives instructions to Renata and Carlos
about the plan. She explains, here's what's going
to happen. The other cartel guy in front of us
in the old pickup truck is going to pull off
the main highway close to the other main parking
site by the El Castillo. You know the big pyramid
and wait. Our driver is taking us to the Grand
Museum first. That's when you, Renata, are going
to take this black small black bag, the one in
the jay jar is in, to the front reception desk.
Drop it off with the desk clerk and attach this
note to it. Maria points to a note that says,
to Mr. Silva, welcome to the Yucatan. Enjoy your
stay. Maria continues, don't need to pay attention
to the note. It's just there to divert attention
away from the bag. Renata then says, wait, what?
We went through a lot to steal that thing. Why
are we dropping it off here? We're not, Maria
answers. Now listen, Big Boss wants to use it
as bait. The receptionist will just think you're
just dropping it off for someone coming to visit.
Maybe a friend or another tourist. Either way,
it's meant to deflect attention away from the
actual bag. At least that's what you need to
convince the desk clerk of when you go in there.
Carlos, who is sitting quiet and just looking
out the sidecar window, then chimes in and says,
that sounds like a stupid plan. Wasn't that piece
supposed to be turned over to the guy back in
Mexico City? The guy who's working with some
big oil company? Carlos then looks at his aunt
sitting in the front seat and asks, why did we
take this job? It's gotten way too complicated.
Maria answers back, this time with a softer tone
as she tries to assure her nephew that it's all
going to work out in the end. She says, Well,
nephew, we're stuck between two very powerful
players. Our driver and his boss represent one
of those big players and the guy back in Mexico
City represents the other big player. Both have
unlimited resources and both have all the power.
And we really need that payout. Renata jumps
in and says, This better work. I mean, I assume
you're trying to get more information from the
brother of the guy who's in the trunk. Why else
would I be doing this? I didn't think the big
boss wanted to negotiate. Maria then tries to
end the conversation with this. The brother of
the guy in the trunk has more information the
cartel wants, and it must be important enough
to negotiate with the jar. Well, that's what
we are hoping they think is in the black bag.
She continues. We've talked enough about it already.
We need to find a rock that weighs about the
same as the jar, wrap it in newspaper, and then
swap out the rock for the jar in the black bag.
The jade jar won't actually be in the black bag.
We want to bluff them and see if they take the
bait. You also need to zip tie the black zippers
together once you swap the rock for the jar.
We don't need anyone accidentally opening that
black bag prematurely. Renanta says one last
thing. This bluff better work since I'm the one
that will be walking in there. You do realize
that there are cameras everywhere. And that's
why you're going in there. Now make yourself
look like a young, innocent tourist. Maria snaps
back as she turns back around in the car seat.
The hidden chamber was dark and dusty. As the
five entered the space with David leading the
way, they were in awe at the contents that were
hidden within. Troves of old artifacts filled
the chamber. from well -kept and decorated old
pottery pieces and jars filled with coins, to
other gold and precious metal decorations and
ornaments that dated back to when the Mayan people
inhabited this land. El Castillo, or so it seemed,
was not just used as a spiritual place of worship
and sacrifice, but it seemed to also be used
as a place to hold Mayan treasure. The team of
five, Tommy, Hawthorne, Miranda, David, and Ava,
worked fast to document and take as many photos
of different pieces as possible. They knew that
they could not carry anything back out with them.
However, with the others in agreement, Tommy
and Hawthorne wanted to take several small gold
and silver coins back out with them as physical
proof so they could show the proper authorities
at some point. They all understood what was at
stake if the information about this hidden treasure
chamber got out to the wrong people. and there
was still concern for David's brother. David
still had not decided about how much detail he
was going to give the guy on the other side of
the phone once they were back outside of the
pyramid. He still had time to think as the group
was getting ready to leave the inside of the
Castillo. Meanwhile, the other cartel driver
of the old pickup truck had parked just off the
highway near the main parking lot of El Castillo.
The driver got out of the truck and looked into
the brush and undergrowth near the road. He made
a motion with his hand and whistled. Moments
later, two guys appeared. The group makes their
way out of the treasure chamber and then back
out into the larger Cenote Cavern. They meticulously...
put many of the stones and rocks back in place
to cover the hidden passageway once again. This
took a little longer than they had hoped for.
Hawthorne, who was now standing closest to the
corridor they had come down just a short 30 minutes
earlier, says to the group, Let's head back out.
I can leave this time with my phone light since
I've got a full battery. With that said, the
group of five exit the glowing Cenote Cavern
and make their way into the narrow and cramped
corridors that had led them down to the bottom.
They now must take the same path back out. All
of a sudden, Miranda, who was falling right behind
Hawthorne with the other three right behind her,
grabbed Hawthorne's arm from behind and stopped
abruptly, which made Hawthorne stop as well.
She then said in a whisper, Do you hear that?
I hear voices. It sounds like someone's coming
this way. Tommy, who was falling right behind
Miranda, says, Why are we stopping? Tommy then
watches as Miranda puts her finger to her ear,
then points towards Hawthorne into the darkness,
as if to communicate that she hears something
in the corridor up ahead. Tommy then turns around
and whispers to David and Ava, who are behind
him. Miranda and Hawthorne stop because they
heard something ahead. David then whispers through
Ava to where Tommy and says, Well, maybe it's
the kid park ranger coming to check on us down
here. Ava, who is visibly getting more nervous
the longer they stood still in the small narrow
corridor, then says, I doubt that kid is going
to come looking for us down here. We haven't
been gone that long, and he gave off the impression
that we were his biggest inconvenience of the
day. At that moment, a faint light coming from
up ahead in the corridor was slowly getting brighter
against the stone wall it was reflecting off
of. Hawthorne could hear the voices now. It sounded
like there were two people talking to each other,
maybe three. He quickly asked Miranda in a whisper,
What do you think? Should we wait here and meet
whoever this is coming toward us in the corridor?
Or turn around and have David take us back down
to the Cenote Cavern? Miranda immediately responds
and says, we should turn around and go back now.
I hear their Spanish and the way they're talking
to each other. Well, they sound quite serious.
I don't think this is anyone we know and no one
else is supposed to be down here right now. Miranda
then turns around facing Tommy now. She says
in a whisper, go back down, go back down. Tommy
could tell Miranda was serious by the tone in
her voice and by the look. on her face so without
questioning her he turned around and motioned
to ava and david to go back down to the cenote
cavern and quickly david turned around and with
the others following immediately started fast
walking back down the way they had just come
he was thinking but did not say out loud what
are we doing then he thought i trust miranda's
instinct though a few minutes later the group
enters the large cavern again and they are right
back where they came from Hawthorne, who was
last to enter, says to the others, who are now
huddled around each other, trying to come up
with a plan. We have maybe five minutes, tops.
Whoever's coming down that corridor is moving
pretty fast, and they'll be here shortly. What's
the plan? David, without hesitation, then says,
Wait, I have an idea, Professor. Yeah? Both Professor
Hawthorne and Prof Tommy answer at the same time.
David then asks, Do you both still have those
coin samples you took from the hidden chamber?
Yes. Both Hawthorne and Tommy answer at the same
time again while shaking their heads in agreement.
David then says with more urgency in his voice,
Throw your coins in the water, some in the shallower
part and some in the deeper part, and make sure
they can be seen from where we're standing. Miranda
then says, That's a great idea, and I know exactly
what you're thinking. As Hawthorne and Tommy
were dropping the sample coins they had taken
from the hidden chamber, Ava then says, Uh, Professor
Tommy, I think it's time you try to find that
other exit and fast. Otherwise, we're trapped
here with only one way out, and there's no way
I'm going to try swim out through that thing.
She says this as she's pointing to the glowing
blue and turquoise water. Tommy throws his last
coin in the wallet and then says, Got it, Ava,
and I'm walking on it. It's been almost 30 years.
and my memory is not what it used to be. He continues
to think and says out loud to us other now watches
him moving around the cabin looking for the old
entry exit point. Hmm, let's see if I've remembered
correctly. Hawthorne was standing on the edge
of the cenote pool struggling to get the last
two coins out of his pocket when all of a sudden
three people emerged from the corridor directly
behind him. He quickly looked at Ava, who was
about an arm's length away from him, and then
turned around, squarely standing face -to -face
with the young park ranger who had obviously
been smacked around a few times. The young park
ranger, who had been quite rude and distant to
the group a mere 40 minutes earlier, was now
standing there looking directly into Hawthorne's
eyes, scared and trembling like a small child.
He had a large red mark on the side of his face,
maybe from where he'd been hit or smacked by
one of the cartel members who had escorted him
down into the pyramid. Both cartel members had
weapons, one more lethal than the other. It was
obvious that the one cartel member who was holding
the long gun, was older and in charge as he was
shouting out commands in Spanish to the other.
The other cartel member was holding a worn -out
machete and pointing it in the direction of Ava.
Hawthorne and Ava stood still, motionless, not
wanting to escalate the situation. They both
understood some of the commands being given in
Spanish, but did not want the cartel members
to know that they understood them. So they played
dumb with faces of confusion. Miranda, looking
back and over at where Tommy and David were and
hoping they had located the old ground floor
exit passageway, slowly started walking over
to Ava with her hands up in the air and speaking
softly in Spanish. She says, We are only scientists
and professors. We are here at the request of
our university and with permission from the park
administrators. Both cartel members stood behind
the young park ranger, using him as a shield
and hostage, and threatening him by pressing
the barrel of the long gun against the kid's
back. As Miranda was trying to find her next
words, hoping they would be strategic and calm,
she noticed that the cartel member, the one holding
the gun, was now looking down toward Professor
Hawthorne's left hand. Professor Hawthorne knew
exactly what the cartel member was looking at.
The cartel member's flashlight was still on and
it was pointing at Hawthorne's hand. The coins
in Hawthorne's hands, the ones he struggled to
get out of his pocket a moment ago, were now
shining and glittering from the light of the
flashlight. Hawthorne, directing his gaze back
and forth between Miranda and the cartel member,
listened as the two seemed to be arguing. Not
understanding word for word, Hawthorne did figure
out they were arguing about the coins and the
potential of more treasure. While the verbal
exchange between Miranda and cartel member was
happening on the opposite side of the glowing
blue cenote, Tommy and David had quietly found
the old and partially usable exit corridor, which
was full of cobwebs, dark and damp. This small
exit corridor was used almost 60 years ago when
archaeologists and researchers were still studying
the inside of the pyramid. Researchers breached
the walls of the pyramid at ground level to assist
with getting in and out of the pyramid quickly,
instead of having to enter and exit from the
top. The exit corridor was big enough to squeeze
through, one at a time, with the hopes that the
gate on the other side, which led to the outside
of the pyramid and daylight, was not locked shut.
Tommy looked at David and then said quietly,
I think you should go first. Here, take this
rock. Tommy picks up a medium -sized rock off
the ground and puts it in David's hand. Go quietly
into the corridor while they're arguing over
there. See if it leads to the gate. If it does,
use this rock and try to break the lock, which
is on the inside of the gate latch. Then come
right back in the middle if it's open. We can
then figure out how we are all going to escape
this situation. David looked back at Tommy and
said, don't let anything happen to her. I mean...
Don't let anything happen to any of them. I'll
be right back. He then disappeared into the dark
small corridor with a rock in hand. After David
had entered the corridor, Tommy then stepped
in front of its entrance to obstruct his view
in case either of the cartel members suddenly
gave notice to what he was doing on the far side
of the cenote. Thankfully, the argument between
Miranda and the two bad guys was still happening,
and their attention was still on Hawthorne and
what he was holding in his hand. So Tommy stood
there, still and quiet, not wanting to attract
attention to himself or the fact that David would
be returning soon with either good or bad news.
Hawthorne, now impatient with the entire situation
and noticing the arguing was starting to escalate,
interrupted both Miranda and the cartel member
by holding out his hand toward the scared park
ranger kid. The professor had three silver coins
and two gold coins in the palm of his hand. The
coins were shiny and reflected the light of the
flashlight. The cartel members stopped talking
mid -sentence and just stared at the coins. Hawthorne
looked over at Miranda and nodded his head as
if to say, but without really saying it, go ahead
and tell him the treasure is in the cenote. All
of it. Miranda immediately said, if you want
to know, this was the secret cenote where the
gold mask was found. And there's a lot more items
in the pool. Coins like the ones the professor
is holding. See? She then points toward the beautiful,
glowing, and clear blue water and to the spot
where Tommy and Professor Hawthorne had dropped
some of the coins earlier. Some of the coins
could be seen under the water from the surface,
and others had slipped down deeper into the area
of the cenote with the strong current. She continues,
Look, there's a lot of treasure down there in
the water. Can you see it? Miranda noticed that
the cartel member, the one with the long gun,
the one that had been arguing with her, seemed
to be mesmerized in a trance by the coins he
was now seeing in the water. He was quiet and
peering. down into the water. Miranda could tell
he was thinking about how to get the coins out
of the water. Hawthorne knew this could be the
group's opportunity to escape. He met eyes with
Ava and mouthed the words, be ready. At the same
time, Tommy heard two faint bangs coming from
the exit corridor. He knew David must have found
the exit gate and was now trying to break the
lock on the gate with the rock. Tommy crossed
his fingers then looked up. and they made the
sound of the cross gesture from his forehead
to his stomach, then shoulder to shoulder. Then,
and to everyone's surprise, the cartel member,
who was holding the long gun, used it to push
the park ranger kid toward Ava as if to gesture,
Here, use your problem now. The cartel member
then pointed the gun at Hawthorne, Miranda, Ava,
and the kid, and moved the gun barrel back and
forth frantically from one person to the other.
He then motioned for them to move out of the
way and stand closer to the cavern wall. Ava,
grabbing the kid park ranger by his wrist, directed
him toward the side cabin wall, away from the
edge of the water of the cenote, and away from
both of the cartel members. Ava could tell the
guy who was in charge had one thing on his mind
right now, and that one thing was how to get
the coins. She could see it in his eyes. She
could tell he was now trying to figure out how
he was going to retrieve all those coins he could
see in the water. These were the gold and silver
coins Hawthorne and Tommy had thrown in right
before the cartel members entered the cavern,
with their very scared young hostage. Miranda,
who was now standing next to Ava and the kid,
was trying to listen to the conversation both
cartel members were having between each other.
The two guys were now standing on the edge of
the cenote and discussing how they could collect
all the coins themselves. Miranda knew that both
these guys, seeming to be lower -level members
of the cartel, wanted to take advantage of this
new situation for themselves. She could hear
it in their voices. They were excited. She could
tell they were now more interested in collecting
the coins for themselves than caring about what
the five of them were doing. This new opportunity
was now distracting them from their original
plans with the hostages. Hawthorne, who had moved
away from the edge of the cenote and who was
now standing next to the smaller and not -in
-charge cartel member, looked back at Miranda
and Ava and mouthed the words, be ready. He then
glanced over to where Tommy was still standing
on the other side of the cenote, opposite of
them, and mouthed the same words. be ready. Not
sure exactly what was going to happen, Hawthorne
knew they may get an opportunity to try to escape.
While still looking at Tommy, Professor Hawthorne
noticed Tommy looking down and to his left. Tommy
then immediately looked back up at Hawthorne
and nodded his head up and down as if to say
yes. Hawthorne took this simple gesture by Tommy
to mean one of two things. Either Tommy was acknowledging
that he was ready or that David had succeeded
in finding the old exit tunnel corridor and it
was feasible to escape. The four of them, Hawthorne,
Miranda, Ava, and the park ranger kid, standing
opposite of Tommy, would have to make their way
around the cenote and then one by one rush through
the small tunnel and then through the exit to
the outside. Hawthorne knew the timing had to
be perfect. and that they needed a distraction
to happen. All of a sudden, the loud crackling
of a radio broke the eerie silence in the cavern.
Ava jumped, as did the park ranger kid standing
next to her. Ava looked over at the kid and said
softly, you'll be alright, hang in there. She
noticed the kid smile back at her, then looked
down at the ground again. Ava looked up at Hawthorne
and noticed that he was staring intently at the
younger and not in charge cartel member whom
he was standing close to. Hawthorn watched as
the cartel member, the one that seemed to be
in charge, the one with the gun, pulled a small
hand radio out of his pocket and then said something
into it. The guy was talking softly on the radio
and seemed to be answering several questions
that were asked of him about the situation. Hawthorn
had forgotten a lot of his Spanish, at least
the speaking part, but he could still understand
a lot of it as it was spoken around him. Someone
on the other side of the radio was asking the
cartel member if they had found it. Hawthorne
knew the person on the other side of the radio
had to be close in proximity to them, as this
was a shortwave walkie -talkie radio. He assumed
the person on the other side of the radio was
outside the pyramid somewhere, but close to the
pyramid, maybe a lookout. Hawthorne watched and
listened as the cartel member, the one in charge,
proceeded to tell the person on the other side
of the walkie -talkie they found the cenote where
the golden mask was found. He could also be heard
asking what they should do with the hostages
that they were holding. Amanda, overhearing much
of the conversation on the walkie -talkie, looked
over at Ava and said, they are talking about
us and what they should do now that they found
the secret cenote. The look on Ava's face triggered
a small panic inside Miranda's mind. She was
thinking, my live stream and work has brought
me to a moment like this. How can this be? She
could also feel herself get angry, and without
thinking, she blurted it out so the cartel members
could hear her. This is a problem with people
like you. You take, take, and take, and don't
have a clue about the impact your actions have
on your own country, Mexico, or your own countrymen.
She then says, you should be ashamed. Your family
should be ashamed. Both of you. Ava looked over
at Miranda and was trying to suppress her smile.
Miranda was brave and correct. Ava felt the same
way. Ava felt time stand still, as if they were
now all waiting to see how the two cartel members
were going to react to Miranda's tongue lashing.
Ava secretly loved it, but was a little unsure
about the timing. Then, to her surprise, and
probably to the surprise of all of them, the
cartel member with the gun who was now standing
on the edge of the cenote looked over at Miranda,
smiled, and then laughed. He seemed unfazed by
what she had just said, or just didn't care.
He seemed to have one greedy thing on his mind
now. The coins. Hawthorne, breathing a sigh of
relief after listening to Miranda scold both
cartel members loudly and then observing neither
of them react, watched as the older one handed
over the radio to the younger one, whom Hawthorne
was standing closer to. The cartel member next
to Hawthorne was now holding the radio and the
old machete, one in each hand. Hawthorne knew
this kid still posed a threat. Then, something
that none of them would have predicted, the older
one handed his gun over to the younger one as
well. The younger cartel member was now holding
three things, the radio, the gun, and the machete,
in two hands. Hawthorne thought to himself, he's
vulnerable now, that his hands are full. He also
seems quite clumsy in the way he's handling the
long gun, not holding it in the way a person
would if they were familiar with how to use it.
Alright, this is a good sign. But, on the other
hand, a scared person with a loaded gun can be
just as dangerous or more dangerous than someone
who knows how to use it and control it. So they
all waited now, watching to see what the older
cartel member, the one who seemed to be in charge,
was going to do now that he passed the radio
and the gun over to his younger partner. Miranda,
still quite angry and scared, but she didn't
want to show it, took one step closer to Ava.
She looked over at Prof. Tommy, who was still
standing opposite of them on the other side of
the cenote. then looked at Professor Hawthorne,
whose back was toward her, and then at Ava. Miranda
then says to Ava in a whispered tone, I bet he's
going to try to get some of the coins out of
the water before they leave. These two guys want
them for themselves. They're not going to turn
those coins over to their boss. Ava whispers
back to Miranda, I was thinking the same thing.
They found the cenote, which means they can report
to their boss, and the coins only prove that
there may have been more treasure at the bottom
of it. And why not just take a few coins for
yourself while you're at it? They can't help
themselves. Look. Maria heard part of the radio
conversation between the driver and a person
on the other side of the radio. The signal was
poor and staticky, but she could tell it was
good news by the reaction the driver had. Renata,
who was sitting in the back seat of the car and
fanning herself, then asked, What is it, Aunt
Maria? Carlos busts in and says, yeah, what's
going on? I'm hot, bored, and hungry. Maria answers
and says, the cenote location has been confirmed
and there's proof. I guess they found some gold
and silver coins. Maria continues, Carlos, since
you're so bored, why don't you go see if the
black bag has been picked up at the museum's
reception desk? Be careful and nonchalant about
it. Try to blend in like you're a tourist. If
the bag is still there, behind the reception
desk. Then go sit down and wait for instructions.
Maria then says, this is exciting. We're close
to our payout and then we can go our own way.
After watching the older cartel member who seemed
to be in charge hand over the radio and his gun
to the other cartel member, Hawthorne again looked
over at Tommy and again mouthed the words, be
ready. Hawthorne watched as Tommy again nodded
his head as if to acknowledge and say, I've been
ready. They all watched as the older cartel member
took off his shoes, rolled up his pant legs,
and then stepped down into the water just inside
the inner edge of the cenote. Under the water
and around the inner rim of the cenote was a
narrow rocky shelf that ranged from two to three
feet deep. If a person stepped off the shelf,
the ground drastically went deeper as it was
steep, somewhat muddy, and very slippery. And
that person would go under. The rocky ledge was
easy to stand on, but if you were to step off
the ledge, you would have to swim to get back
as there was not a good place to get foot traction
under the water. The coins that Hawthorne and
Tommy had thrown into the cenote, some of them
had landed on the rocky ledge, and some had landed
deeper and further out, though still visible.
The only other person in this group that had
been in that water was David, and he had said
it was a difficult dive, mainly because of the
strength of the underwater current, especially
if you swam out into deeper areas. The water
was crystal clear and a person could almost see
all the way to the bottom, which gave the impression
that the cenote was not as deep as it really
was. Nor could you see the current that lurked
beneath the surface. Hawthorne watched as the
older cartel members sloshed around on the inner
rocky ledge, trying to pick up the gold and silver
coins, the ones that were easy to grab. He would
occasionally walk back over to the younger partner
and hand him one or two coins as he picked them
up out of the water. The younger partner, whose
attention was mostly on what his older partner
was doing now, looked more relaxed and confident.
Obviously, the thought of getting rich off the
coins had distracted him. Then it happened. The
older cartel member, feeling overly confident
in his ability to reach some of the deeper coins,
stepped off the ledge and immediately slipped
on the muddy underwater embankment and went fully
submerged. Hawthorne froze for a moment, then
looked over at the younger cartel member who
was looking right back at him as if to say, what
should we do? At that moment, both Hawthorne
and the younger cartel member lunged forward
toward the edge of the cenote to reach out their
hands towards the guy who was still submerged
under the water, but visibly struggling to get
to the surface. Then the unexpected happened.
As both Hawthorne and the younger cartel member
bent over the edge of the cenote to try to help
and save the guy from drowning, The long gun
and the radio slipped out of the younger cartel
member's hands. He had still been holding three
things, and in the haste of trying to reach out
one of his hands towards his struggling partner,
both the radio and gun fell. There was a loud
splash and a soft thud. Ava, seeing what had
just happened with the radio and the gun, looked
at Miranda and said, Now's your chance. Run to
Tommy now. Ava grabbed the young park ranger
by the side of his shirt and then made a beeline
directly to where Tommy was standing. She saw
Tommy motioning to them to come, come, and hurry,
quickly. Miranda followed directly behind Ava,
and in no less than 15 steps, they were right
next to Tommy and listening to his instructions.
As Tommy watches the commotion happening with
the Hawthorne and the younger cartel member on
the opposite side of a snorted pool, he says
to Ava and Miranda as he points to a small opening
next to him. Quickly. Go through there one by
one. Davin is waiting inside and will guide you
to the exit. He was able to break the lock. Now
quickly go. Ava pushed a park ranger kid through
the small corridor, opening first, and then she
follows, and then after her, Miranda then follows.
Eva is talking to the kid. Go, go, hurry up and
don't stop. Miranda, who is right behind Eva,
looks back as she passes into the small corridor
and sees that Tommy is waiting, assuming he's
waiting to see what happens with Professor Hawthorne.
She then feels a sense of relief as she hears
a familiar voice up ahead in the darkness say,
You're almost here. Follow my voice. She thinks
to herself, David, thank goodness. Meanwhile,
Hawthorne watches as the long gun sinks deeper
and deeper into the water. It had dropped further
enough out, missing the narrow ledge and landing
on the muddy and slippery embankment, which was
very steep. There was no way to recover it without
diving into the water after it. The radio, which
had also dropped out of the young cartel member's
hands, had landed on the rocky ground by the
edge of the water. After watching both items
fall, first the gun into the water, then the
radio onto the ground next to Hawthorne's feet,
Hawthorne still bent over with his arm out toward
the drowning man, looked up at the young cartel
member, who was now only holding the old machete.
The young kid was holding the machete under his
arm and squeezing it tight by the handle, and
he had a panicked look on his face. Hawthorne
could tell he was no longer a threat at that
moment. He was just scared. Knowing that neither
he nor the young cartel member could reach the
gun in the water, Hawthorne grabbed the radio
by his foot, stood up straight, and ran toward
Tommy, who was still waiting by the exit corridor
on the opposite side of the cenote. As Tommy
watched everything happen and then saw Hawthorne
grab the radio and run toward him, he yelled
out, James, right here. The exit is right here.
Tommy points to a small opening next to where
he's standing. Tommy keeps an eye on the younger
Akata member, who has to really move from his
kneeling position. It appears he's still trying
to find a way to reach his partner who has sunk
deeper and deeper underwater. Tommy watches as
Hawthorne twists through the opening and then
disappears into the dark corridor where the others
had gone just a few moments earlier. Tommy, feeling
conflicted about the cause I remember, went into
the water, calmly takes a few steps forward toward
the edge of the cenote and looks down to the
crystal clear water, secretly hoping there was
some way this guy could be saved, even though
he was just threatening them with a gun earlier.
But it's too late. Tommy watches as the man,
who's now just a blurry figure, who's drifted
deeper and deeper into the depths of the cenote.
His body is now motionless, then all of a sudden,
he disappears out of sight, as a swift and strong
underwater current catches his body and carries
it away, possibly into a deeper underwater cave
or cavern. Tommy glances over the other Kata
member, who is still kneeling down at the edge
of the cenote, to stare into the water. Tommy
looked at him for a moment in silence, not saying
anything. Tommy could tell he was in a bit of
shock as he had just watched the demise of his
criminal colleague. Tommy then looks up, makes
a sign of a cross gesture from his forehead to
his stomach and shoulder to shoulder, turns around
and then exits the synoptic cavern through the
small corridor where the other judges left from.
And that ends part six. Stay tuned for next week
as we bring you part seven in our continuing
story called The Legends of the Yucatan. As we
end this episode, I'd like to remind everyone
from our first segment that ideas are everywhere.
But what sets an entrepreneur apart from other
people is his or her ability to follow through
on that idea and create a business out of it.
From idea to execution. Also, keep listening
as we bring you another exciting part of our
adventure story next episode. And as always,
this podcast would not be possible without the
hard work and support of our international student
production team. All music and sound effects
are courtesy of Pixabay .com, a vibrant community
of creatives sharing copyright -free images,
videos, and music. And we are signing off until
next time. We are Students Incorporated, because
your voice matters.