About Char Duran

Two Arenas, One Mindset

I've spent my career in two very different arenas—and both taught me the same lesson: before you give the nod, you better check your rigging.

I'm Char Duran, a Senior Fleet Operations Manager based in Colorado. For over 25 years, I've worked my way from the shop floor to senior leadership in fleet management, overseeing operations ranging from 250 to 16,000 units across automotive vehicles, heavy diesel equipment, and everything in between.

Before I ever managed a fleet, I was a bull rider.

Following in the footsteps of my grandfather, a Mexican bullfighter, I competed in IGRA, PWRA, CPRA, Ragin' 8, and other rodeo associations from 1996 to 2016—riding bulls from California to Washington D.C., Calgary to Fort Worth. I was featured in the award-winning documentary Queens & Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo and profiled in Denver's Westword. In 2012, I founded Tough Bull Riders, a nonprofit providing sponsorships to aspiring bull riders.

I never won that championship buckle I was chasing. But I learned something more valuable: how to get back up when everyone's watching.

From the Arena to the Shop Floor

I grew up as a military brat, moving around the world with my family. That experience taught me to appreciate people's individuality as an asset—that diversity brings new ideas and perspectives that make teams stronger.

When I transitioned from rodeo to fleet management, I brought that same mindset with me. I started on the shop floor and worked my way up through every level—from parts coordinator to service manager to senior leadership. Along the way, I earned my ASE certification and am currently working toward my CAFM certification.

Throughout my career in municipal, rental, and resort fleet operations, I've led teams that achieved:

• 98% Preventative Maintenance Completion Rates
• 90%+ Vehicle Utilization for customer availability
• 23% improvement in snowcat availability (highest enterprise-wide)
• Double-digit warranty collections increasing department profitability

But here's what I've learned: Technical skills get you in the door. Try gets you through the ride.

Why The 8 Second Life?

I've always wanted to do something more impactful in the industry—to motivate others to achieve what I know they're capable of. And the truth is, there's still limited representation of women, LGBTQ+ professionals, and people of color in the trades, from the shop floor to the director's office.

Things are changing. But many "Outliers" on the shop floor don't see a clear path or have the support they need to make it to that corner office. They don't have the bullfighters in their corner when things get rough.

The 8 Second Life exists to change that.

Whether you're navigating a new role, facing AI disruption in your industry, or walking into rooms where you're the only one—I've been there. I know what it takes to prepare mentally, technically, and emotionally for the ride ahead. I know what it means to be underestimated, to face discrimination, and to prove yourself every single day.

And I know that with the right rigging and the right mindset, you can stay on until the whistle blows.

Iron and Instinct

The 8 Second Life is built on a simple philosophy: Iron and Instinct.

Iron is your technical skill set—the hard knowledge you need to do the job. Fleet management, AI literacy, leadership frameworks, process optimization. The stuff you can teach and measure.

Instinct is your gut-level intelligence—the wisdom you gain from experience. When to push, when to pivot, when to trust your read of the room. The stuff that separates survivors from the sidelined.

You need both. And if you're an Outlier in a traditionally male-dominated industry, you need them sharp.

Through this platform—the interactive checklist, the newsletter, the YouTube channel—I share what I've learned from 25+ years in the trades and 20 years in the arena. The C.A.S.H. System (Chute, Attach, Stay, Heart) gives you a framework for preparing mentally and technically before you face any challenge.

Because bulls don't wait for you to be ready. Neither does change.