CEO & Founder, Kavak
003 Jam Junkies Carlos Garcia
Get to know all about ZJ Carlos Garcia!
About Carlos Garcia
Carlos García Ottati, founder and CEO of Kavak, discussed the company's use of artificial intelligence in a December 2025 interview. He stated that Kavak replaced AI copilot tools with AI agents that now handle 90 to 95% of customer interactions. He described the transition as initially painful, but said the company went "flat for a year" during the change and then grew four times afterward. García Ottati also noted that only about 5% of the used-car market in Mexico is financed, compared to roughly 90% in the U.S., and said Kavak's goal is to increase access to financing. In a March 2026 podcast, García Ottati reflected on the company's rapid growth and subsequent challenges, including a drop in valuation, a down round, and layoffs. He said that during the company's peak valuation he did not understand that pressure was a privilege)Skip. He also stated that he does not know exactly what the company is worth today, but that he knows what it will be worth because he will work to make that happen. Separately, in a November 2025 appearance on Telemundo, García Ottati offered personal finance advice, recommending that credit cards be used only for expenses that can be paid off at the end of the month and that no more than 30% of a credit line be used.
Transcript (28 segments)
✨ AI-enhanced transcript with speaker attribution
I
Interviewer0:03
Hey Zumba family, I'm here today with Carlos Garcia, who's from the Dallas area. I've done my first jam session with him and it was absolutely amazing, so I hope you guys will check him out. But I want you to know a little bit about him so you'll want to come check him out sometime. So tell everybody, how long have you been a Zumba member?
C
Carlos Garcia0:19
I've been a member since April 2009.
I
Interviewer0:25
What made you decide to start teaching Zumba? What was the attraction to the program that said, 'I'm going to do this'?
C
Carlos Garcia0:30
Well, when I first took my first certification, I just did it for fun. Then a year later, I received a certification as a Zumba member. The combination of business and dance was a connection with me because I've been teaching aerobics since back in the 80s. So when I heard about the format and the combination of Zumba, dance, and fitness, I thought, 'This is me.'
I
Interviewer1:03
Awesome. So what made you take the next step to become a ZJ? What was it about that that made you want to get out there, put yourself in front of people, and give your choreography to the world?
C
Carlos Garcia1:10
Well, since I started teaching Zumba, I've been on my own choreography from day one. I do love the Zumba materials, I love them, but anywhere you go, they were teaching the same stuff. I wanted to do something different. I wanted to be different. I wanted to teach different routines. I like the songs, but I wanted to do something different. So I started building my own choreography. Then a lot of Zumba members would come to my class and say, 'Hey, I love that song. I love what you do with that song. You have the skills.' I used to be a choreographer, so why not teach this choreography to other Zumba members and help them achieve their goals as an instructor?
I
Interviewer1:54
That's the mindset. So becoming a ZJ, how do you think that's made you a better instructor?
C
Carlos Garcia1:59
It makes you a better instructor because you learn not just from the training you get as a ZJ with the Zumba program, but you learn from other instructors as well. You always keep learning. One of the things that helped me become a better instructor is that I was able to overcome the fear of talking in public. I'm a very shy person. In my previous classes, if I didn't have music, I wouldn't feel comfortable. It was like I needed the music to be okay. The program has helped me a lot to become a better instructor.
I
Interviewer2:48
Awesome. Yeah, what makes you choose a song? What is it that makes you think, 'I gotta have that in my set'?
C
Carlos Garcia2:53
The beat. The music. If I can feel it, I can do that. As soon as I start listening, I'm like, 'Oh, I like this beat,' and I start building the choreography right away.
I
Interviewer3:06
So when you first hear a song, do you immediately start visualizing the choreography, or do you hear a song you like and then make it work?
C
Carlos Garcia3:13
As soon as I listen, I think, 'Oh, I can do this to the song, I can do that.' I'm putting it all together the first time I hear it.
I
Interviewer3:21
That's so cool because I can't do that. Some jammers are known for including a certain genre every time they do a jam session. Is there something that people can always expect to get out of you when they come to one of your sessions?
C
Carlos Garcia3:37
Yes. Besides the basics like cumbia, salsa, merengue, and reggaeton, I always come up with an international song or something from B2 as well. In most of my jam sessions, I teach bhangra, flamenco from B2. In my jam sessions, I try to bring something different besides the levels.
I
Interviewer4:03
Awesome. I love bhangra. That's one of my favorite things that I want to learn more about. So next time you come, I'm going to bug you to do bhangra just for me.
C
Carlos Garcia4:10
Absolutely. Yes, I have one ready.
I
Interviewer4:12
What would you tell a Zumba member who's never been to a jam session about why they should come?
C
Carlos Garcia4:16
They need to attend a jam session because you learn a lot. You learn a lot from your jammers. Besides learning choreography, you get a lot of tips on cueing, and you become a better instructor. Also, you have a lot of instructors you can network with. You can find a job. A lot of Zumba members find jobs in jam sessions. It's all about networking. It's very important that you attend a jam session. There are specific jam sessions for Zumba members, and you really learn a lot, especially if you haven't taken anything recently. If you took your basic training years ago, the program has changed a lot. There's a lot of new stuff you've got to learn. The home office listens to feedback and updates the program constantly to make it better for everybody.
I
Interviewer5:13
Absolutely. There are a lot of instructors who are either territorial about their choreography or they create their own and don't want to do somebody else's. What would you tell them about why they should try attending a jam session?
C
Carlos Garcia5:25
Again, they need to be open. They need to learn. We all need to learn. Zumba members learn from us, and we learn from them as well. We need to be open. That's all. You can become a better person and instructor.
I
Interviewer5:39
Yeah, I love coming to them because we did an African song today, and it's a movement I'm not comfortable with, but by doing that and practicing that song, I get more comfortable moving my body that way. So it gets me out of my shell and makes me learn new ways of doing things. I love it. What is something that you see a lot of instructors do that you wish you could just fix?
C
Carlos Garcia6:04
Sticking to the Zumba format. That's complaint number one. I've heard that over and over. Please try to keep to the Zumba format. Zumba is Zumba. It's still all about Latin rhythms. You cannot call a class Zumba when you're teaching hip-hop. That's something I wish instructors would change. Come to a jam session. You need new material.
I
Interviewer6:44
So one more question. We were all very excited to see you get to be on stage at Zumba Fest. That was very cool. But if you could do a master class with anybody from the Zumba world, who would your dream be to be on stage with?
C
Carlos Garcia6:57
Oh boy. Ricardo. Ricardo. He's amazing. And 757 was insane. Him and Lindsay together were insane. Ricardo is amazing.
I
Interviewer7:17
Okay, so Ricardo, if you ever see this video, he's always at the convention. Hit him up and drag him up on stage with you in one of your classes. Make a Zumba dream come true.
C
Carlos Garcia7:27
Absolutely.
I
Interviewer7:29
So that's it, guys. Check out Carlos at this jam session soon. If you look on the jam session registration page, he's going to be there. Carlos Garcia, that's him. He's the only one. So come to the session, guys. We'll see you there. Bye.
C
Carlos Garcia7:38
Thank you. Bye.