About gusblach
The American Dream is hard to define, but it is easily seen in the lives of the people who are living it out. As an American immigrant who owns his own successful business and provides fully for the needs of his family, Gustavo Blachman has truly captured a slice of that dream.
Born in Buenos Aires, Gustavo had a good start on life in his home country of Argentina. As the son of a successful businessman, he was granted the opportunity to spend his youth traveling the world, nurturing his passion for languages and learning how to connect with people of vastly different cultures and backgrounds.
Gustavo married his wife, Marina, in 1992, and although he could have stayed in the Argentinean capital, signs of future instability on the horizon of the country's economy convinced him that both he and his children would have better opportunities in America.
"The decision to leave was based on avoiding the possible turmoil that was starting in Argentina. To me, there were no opportunities for me or for my children as I saw what was going on."
The Blachmans came to the states in 1995 and the decision proved to be a lucky one as five years later the Argentinean economy collapsed and many others were left destitute. Meanwhile, Gustavo moved his family into a small apartment in what was then a relatively unknown area of Miami- Aventura. Like many immigrants to Miami, the decision was based on being close to Marina's family who had moved here a year earlier.
"South Florida was a natural choice. With all of the things you have to think about when making such an important decision, my only concerns were my wife and children, and their happiness."
Gustavo got a job working as a salesman for a local fencing company, but while the job was enough to support his family, he himself wanted more- something that would challenge him to grow and develop as a person. With a knack for sales, and a lifetime's worth of interacting with people from a variety of backgrounds, he saw the opportunity he wanted in real estate.
Receiving his license in 1997, Gustavo started working as an associate for Golden Real Estate Group. In the first year, he doubled what he had been making in fencing, and he continued to grow and achieve even greater success in the years that followed. But again, while he was now making more than enough to support his wife and four children, Gustavo realized he had reached a limit in what he could achieve in simply being a sales associate.
As a result, Terrabella Realty was opened in a tiny office in 2002. Although in the beginning it was only Gustavo, a secretary, and his only associate Juan Povina, he avoided making another "Me, Inc." and gave the company a broader, more emotional name.
"I wanted something more universal, where growth would be one of the key ingredients. But I never expected it would have any more than three or four agents."
Today, Terrabella Realty has 45 active agents, and it is continuing to grow each year. And- as his company continues to grow- so do Gustavo's dreams. While he continues his successful career as an active real estate agent, his business hours are now spent mostly on helping his agents- and in turn, his business- succeed.
"If I had to tell you what I would like to accomplish in the future, I would like each agent of Terrabella Realty to reach new heights, to invest in themselves and their careers, to take control of their future, and then to look back and say 'Wow, Gustavo really helped me find my place.'"
