We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Helena Quesada a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Helena, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
It’s still a work in progress, but I think it just comes along with doing something new. It’s definitely been a journey, but what’s helped me the most is just pushing through- even when sales are slow- and staying true to my brand and heritage. I stopped comparing myself to others and started focusing on what makes ‘Hell Yeah Helena’ unique, like mixing Caribbean flavors and sharing my story in Spanglish. Celebrating the small wins and leaning on my community’s support has really reminded me that I belong here and I’ve got something special to offer.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m a first-gen Cuban American from Miami and the founder of ‘Hell Yeah Helena,’ where I’m serving up tremendo Cuban ‘sanguiches’ and empanadas. What started as a side hustle during quarantine has turned into a full-blown catering business, all thanks to the amazing support of the local community!
Right now, I’m all about expanding my catering services, collaborating with other local businesses, and creating new empanadas for my pop-ups. I’m super excited about my seasonal specials, like the empanada and slider bundles for the holidays—they’re a fun way to add some Cuban flavor to any celebration!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I’d say resilience, work ethic, and community have been huge for me on this journey. Resilience kept me going when things weren’t moving as fast as I hoped in the beginning. As a solo entrepreneur, a solid work ethic is key because you’re doing it all—from cooking and marketing to managing the books—and it’s all on you to keep things going. And building a strong community has been so important too. I’ve learned that the relationships you build are just as valuable as the product you offer.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
My biggest growth this year, has been in how I manage the business. I’ve had my biggest events and catering gigs yet! Which was amazing, but also made me realize that I’ve definitely outgrown the kitchen I’m in and I really need to hire some help! But on the flip side, I’ve gotten way better at organizing and prepping ahead of time, so now I can actually plan some days off without scrambling. It feels great to be able to step back a little and look at how much I’ve grown, but it’s also a reminder that this hustle never really stops!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: hellyeah.helena
Image Credits
Hannah Bernabe
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