#45 From Telemundo to School of Rock: Jayme Ribeiro Neto on Reinvention and Leadership

He managed 60 employees, ran one of the most profitable TV stations in the country — then got laid off and started over from scratch. In this episode, Nicole Alicea and Maria Daly sit down with Jayme Ribeiro Neto, former General Manager of Telemundo Tampa and now franchise owner of School of Rock Clearwater. Jayme's journey takes him from an MTV internship in New York to leading a Telemundo affiliate through three consecutive years as the most profitable station in the ZGS group — right through the 2008 recession. Then, after nearly 17 years and a corporate acquisition by NBCUniversal, a round of layoffs changed everything. What happened next is a masterclass in reinvention, humility, and betting on yourself. Jayme opens up about navigating the fear of starting over at 50, why he traded boardrooms for a music school, how he opened with 55 students on day one, and what it really takes to go from managing a team of 60 back to standing in a tent at a Florida farmers market — and doing it with pride. What We Cover: From MTV intern to GM: Jayme's 20+ year media career in his own words How he built Telemundo Tampa into the #1 most profitable station in the ZGS group — during the Great Recession The NBCUniversal acquisition, surviving the cuts, and eventually being let go anyway Why the higher you climb in corporate, the harder it is to land somewhere new The unexpected pivot to School of Rock — and how his own kids led him there Opening day: 55 students on day one, nearly 80 within three months Why School of Rock is about way more than music — confidence, teamwork, math, and life skills The real difference between leading a corporate team and running a small business alone How he hit the ground hustling: farmers markets, pay-per-click, grassroots, and cold calls Hiring for attitude, presence as a superpower, and finding meaning after chasing money Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:45 Career Journey in Media — MTV to Telemundo 05:12 Transition to General Manager at Telemundo Tampa 08:05 Building the #1 Most Profitable Station in the ZGS Group 10:38 The NBCUniversal Acquisition 13:42 Surviving the Cuts — Then Getting Laid Off Anyway 16:18 What's Really Happening to Local TV and Newsrooms 18:46 Life After Telemundo — The Job Search Nobody Talks About 23:50 Navigating Career Transitions at the Top of Your Field 26:09 The Pivot: Why School of Rock? 31:02 Opening Day: 55 Students, Zero Grand Opening 36:46 Corporate Leader to Small Business Owner — The Real Contrast 41:49 Hiring for Attitude in a Small Business 49:19 Sales at Every Level — What Never Changes 52:57 The Risks Nobody Warns You About in Entrepreneurship 54:24 Fear of Failure and How to Move Through It 56:52 Why Franchising Reduces Risk — But Doesn't Eliminate It 58:28 Leadership Lessons That Cross Every Industry 01:01:47 The Power of Presence in Business Ownership 01:04:39 From Chasing Revenue to Finding Meaning Keywords Career reinvention, entrepreneurship, franchise ownership, School of Rock, music education, Telemundo, media executive, NBCUniversal, small business, leadership, hiring, sales, Tampa Bay business, Clearwater business, starting over, purpose-driven business, Nicole Alicea, Create Brand NV, Maria Daly Connect with Jayme & School of Rock Clearwater: 🌐 clearwater.schoolofrock.com 📍 1530 McMullen Booth Road, Suite D2, Clearwater FL (across from Ruth Eckerd Hall) 🔗 LinkedIn:   / jayme-ribeiro-neto   📸 Instagram:   / schoolofrockclearwater   ▶️ YouTube:    / @schoolofrockclearwater   📘 Facebook:   / schoolofrockclearwater   🎧 The Create Brand NV Podcast ◼️ Work With Nicole — Brand strategy, marketing consulting, and agency services: https://calendly.com/nicolealicea ◼️ Follow Nicole: Instagram: @createbrandnv LinkedIn: @nicolealicea Facebook: @createbrandnv ◼️ Listen anywhere you get your podcasts — search Create Brand NV and subscribe so you never miss an episode. ◼️ If this episode sparked an idea, shifted your thinking, or gave you something to take into your business — think of it as buying me and the team a cup of coffee each month. It helps fuel the time and care that goes into producing these conversations, keeps new voices and new episodes coming your way, and helps us stay completely ad-free so you can stay focused on growing your business. Become a monthly supporter — thank you for being part of this community. 👉 https://donate.stripe.com/fZu14nblHeL...