Welcome to Talking Points. I'm your host Brian Kelly and today we've got a very special guest.

He is a friend and a mentor to me and I guess technically actually not technically he is my boss

Rick Elias is the co-founder and CEO of Red Ventures

and if you've never heard about Red Ventures you're about to learn exactly what we do and they now own the

Point Sky. Rick also has a really interesting pass as an ultra-frequent traveler

and was on one of the most historic flights in history.

He was on US Airways Flight 1549

that went into the Hudson, so we're

going to hear all about that.

Rick, thank you so much for joining us today.

Let's get to know you.

So you were born in Puerto Rico? Born and raised. I actually moved to the US to come to college and fell in love with this country. So I love two countries now.

Every Puerto Rican that I made is ultra proud. What is it like to be Puerto Rican?

You know, it is such a tiny island. It's 100 miles times 35 and is very insular. And like a lot of people think that Puerto Rico is like the center of the world and out of that comes great pride in being Puerto Rican which is a beautiful thing. You know people are very passionate, they're Latin, they wear their emotions in their sleeves, it's just a really warm culture and it's a beautiful place.

You have lived across the country, you lived for a period of time in Japan.

I hear you were Konsieurishki for American Airlines, but they recently kicked you out.

Oh, that's a good story.

Not to embarrass you.

So I got like 2.5 million miles in America,

and it's because I was doing this monthly trip to Tokyo when I was you know in my early 20s it was a great

place when you were there you know I still struggle with English

Spanish a lot easier so I learned enough to be dangerous. I could order a beer and not get lost in a taxi, but that was about it.

...