We were lucky to catch up with Joshua Varon recently and have shared our conversation below.
Joshua, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My grandfather had a lot to do with how I view things. I have been through quite a lot, but one thing I knew when I started the journey of entrepreneurship was that it wasn’t going to be easy so whenever times get tough, I always think to myself “Now, what?”
There is always a solution.
Not only that, but my ambition to get better is what drives me as well. If you know your craft, it’ll make your product that much better. In order to survive in todays marketplace, it’s a standard to have a good product so you really have to know what you’re doing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I own a Peruvian Inspired food truck. The passion comes from a couple different places. On one hand, I have a genuine passion for business. The marketing, strategy, sales (at times), etc. really intrigues me and always continuing to learn. On the other hand, my family on both sides are from Peru and the moment I tasted the food, I was in love. Being born and raised in Tampa, FL I understood the layout and culture. All the while Peruvian food kept getting award after award from its cuisine internationally and individual Peruvian restaurants became nationally recognized. The lack of Peruvian food in Tampa is what drove me to start my journey. Honestly, my main goal is to push Peruvian inspired flavors more to the world so that people are more familiar with it because to me, Peruvian cuisine has so much to offer, it is a sin to not know at least the basics of it.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The 3 key elements that were crucial to my success at the beginning was my understanding of the market, marketing, and the culture (the product). Before anyone decides to make the jump, you have to make sure there is a market for your product. Passion is great but if the reality is that no one is looking for your product, you are going to have a really tough time making it. So before making that step, maybe try selling your product on the side or in niche audiences to see if you have something that could grow.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
This is a big one. If you intend to start your own thing, you are going to feel overwhelmed. It is inevitable, no matter whether in the beginning or after a little success. I am not perfect but one technique I try to do is exercise. That is the best reliever of stress, whether its weight-lifting, running, swimming, or biking just get moving. Another technique for me is taking big breathes and realizing where I am presently. Take control of your mind, do not let your mind take control of you. The last idea I would mention is talk to someone. I have found it very helpful to talk to someone you may not be close with because they can give you unbiased sound advice, which you need to hear sometimes.
Contact Info:
- Website: meanchis.com
- Instagram: @eatmeanchis
- Facebook: @eatmeanchis
- Linkedin: Joshua Varon
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/meanchis-peruvian-inspired-sandwiches-tampa-3
