We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful David Mena. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with David below.
David, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Before becoming an entrepreneur, I was just like most other people, I had no idea what my passion was. I don’t believe we can all make a great living doing our passion, not every passion is lucrative is it? We have to figure out the intersection of what we are good at and where there is an opportunity or need. Once you find that you can work towards making that your viable passion. In my late twenties, as an employee, I simply knew I didn’t want to continue working for others, so I started looking for opportunities with a completely open mind. Thats when I started researching the viability of what would eventually become Gaucho Ranch Chimichurri Sauces. Creating that product line, taking that product to market and running that company became my passion.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My current project is Militello’s Wholesale Bakery in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. I acquired this company from the previous owners in 2019 and have been dedicated to providing fresh artisan breads, pastries and desserts to restaurants, hotels, convention centers, casinos, stadiums and hospitals ever since.
There is something special and comforting working with something as basic, fundamental and beloved as fresh bread. And in a time when we all have to focus so much on what we consume, what it contains and where it came from, providing fresh baked artisan bread simply feels good.
I very much enjoy marketing and promoting this company to industry and meeting with chefs and entrepreneurs in the South Florida region. This is such a dynamic place right now in terms of trends, demographics and things going on. It’s fun to be a part of it all and work with so many important players.
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?
I started from nothing and with nothing, perhaps someone else may have a different experience if they are heavily backed by someone or starting a company with partners or investors. This is what I think you need to be an entrepreneur with no money:
1) Incredible work ethic: In the beginning years of Gaucho Ranch, when I was cold calling on local South Florida supermarkets with the first iterations of Gaucho Ranch Chimichurri in hand, I knew if I quit my day job in packaging automation sales, the company wouldn’t make it. So I kept my day job for 6 long grueling years while I built up my company. This way every dollar my company made was reinvested into more equipment, labels or marketing instead of me living off of the little income we were making at the time. So yes, work ethic, there is no such thing as nights or weekends when you are starting with nothing.
2) Be literate in every discipline of business: if you are starting with very little to nothing, you can’t pay a CPA, an attorney, technicians or a multitude of other services that charge a lot of money. Nor can you be illiterate in these disciplines so that people can take advantage of you when they provide these services to you. You have to be willing to learn everything from accounting and finance to human resources to the technical aspects of what your company does. Otherwise, you will drown in startup costs related to your narrow understanding on these fields.
3) Irrational belief in yourself and your company, product or service: this is especially crucial during the initial years of your endeavor when you are really working long hours and struggling. These are the years when you hear NO more often than YES, because your idea is novel, its new, its innovative and people won’t understand at first. Your friends and family will see you struggling and may question what you are doing out of love and a lack of ability to see what you see. If you let all these things change your mind, you will fail. You must have an irrational belief in yourself and your idea!
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents unfortunately were not around long enough to see my success. If they were I would let them know that their struggle as immigrants to this country from Argentina in their late 30’s as professionals and starting over, made such an impression on me. The humility, the hard work and perseverance they displayed was truly inspiring. I feel I owe it to them to make the most of my life and make a mark as the first American born generation of my family. I know they were and would still be happy with me whatever my job or profession, but I wish they could see what I have achieved so I could thank them properly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bakerymilitellos.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/militellositalianbakery/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mena-331a2920/
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