We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gerardo Pacheco. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gerardo below.
Gerardo , thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?
As an immigrant, I have discovered that often, to achieve our goals, we have to take risks. Even though we may be afraid to take those risks at times, not trying is much worse.
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?
My name is Gerardo. I am a Venezuelan immigrant who arrived in the USA in 2015. I am a mechanical engineer, graduated in Venezuela, with 5 years of professional experience, 3.5 of which were in the USA.
Due to my family’s involvement in the food business in Venezuela, I was always somehow connected to this world. Even during my university vacations, I worked with one of my uncles, and gradually, I fell in love with this industry.
When I first came to the country, I realized it made sense to find a job in my field. However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that my true passion was food. So, I organized myself and rented a small trailer for make Venezuelan hot dogs from a friend.
It’s been about a year and a half now, and it has been more than a dream come true. I’ve achieved things I couldn’t have imagined within the first 3 years. I no longer have the trailer because I managed to build my own food truck, and now, I not only sell hot dogs but also Venezuelan-style sandwiches called ‘pepitos.’
It has definitely been a challenging journey, where tough decisions are part of my daily life. However, when you do what you love and stay focused on your dreams, all the effort is worth it.
Today, I remain focused, making a name for myself in Los Angeles, with the goal of showing everyone who visits me how delicious Venezuelan street food is!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Being hardworking, staying focused on what I want, and having faith in God and my project.
One piece of advice I would give to people is not to be afraid to pursue their dreams. Get organized, and something I learned shortly after starting is to seek professional help. It can help you understand the financial aspect and align your dreams and hard work with the financial stability of your business.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I breathe, I reflect, I think, and I analyze what I can change to improve things.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dogrla.com
- Instagram: @dogr.la
- Facebook: Dog R LA
Image Credits
Marjorie Cabrera and David Rey
