We were lucky to catch up with Jeff Padilla recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jeff, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
Confidence and self-esteem for me started developing beginning in high school. As my older brother used to tell me, “If you are able to speak, you are able to communicate,” meaning that you can express your wants and needs to others regardless of who they are. That to me was a big saying to have myself start talking to others and begin my networking journey. Wherever you are, networking is THE most important aspect of finding new opportunities. Whether you are at school, at the barbershop/hair salon, the mailbox, the people you communicate with have the connections with what you want or need in life. But for you to be able to communicate with someone you need to have the confidence and the self-esteem to do the first step, open your mouth and speak. Confidence in your whatever ability builds up with practice. If you need higher confidence in your shot in basketball, you take more shots; if you need more confidence in networking with random people, you find people to talk to wherever you are. One of the main things that helped create that sense of confidence was speaking to random people and creating conversation. Being informed about worldly events and any random little things like movies or small articles could always help in conversation. Confidence comes for your ability to understand and know that you are making the correct moves towards your goal. The more correct moves that you create towards your objective, the higher usually your confidence becomes. As I grew up, I made it a goal for me to push any shyness away and talk to people more, trying to increase my confidence in conversation. Today, I can say I am very proud about my ability to talk to whoever I can and have the confidence to talk to them about whatever it is I need from them!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My story begins in the Bronx, New York, where I grew up as a kid with an unshakable love for baseball. From the age of three until I turned eighteen, baseball was my life—I played every single day, rain, shine, or even snow. It was all I knew and all I wanted. As I got older, however, I began to discover a deep passion for numbers and business, largely influenced by my entrepreneurial family. My parents own a housekeeping company, my sister runs both an accounting practice and a food business, and my older brother is in the early stages of launching his own electrical company. Inspired by their drive, I decided to pursue entrepreneurship myself. I launched my first business, THRFT, to provide a more affordable and stylish thrifting experience by offering higher-quality clothing than typical thrift stores. I still manage THRFT today at Nova Southeastern University, where I’m a student. More recently, I’ve shifted my focus to my newest venture, Rolling Chef Logistics is an innovative food truck coordination service based in South Florida, created to streamline the process of bringing diverse, high-quality culinary experiences to events of all sizes. Whether it’s a university function, corporate event, festival, or private celebration, we handle the logistics from start to finish—sourcing the right vendors, managing schedules, and providing 24/7 customer support to ensure everything runs smoothly. What makes us unique is our commitment to both sides of the experience: we maintain close relationships with reliable, licensed food truck operators while also offering event organizers a stress-free, personalized service that goes beyond just listing options. Our growing vendor network includes a wide variety of cuisines to match any theme or dietary need, and we’re constantly expanding our partnerships to offer more value to our clients. At our core, Rolling Chef Logistics is about blending convenience, quality, and customer care to redefine how food trucks are booked and experienced. In the future, I hope to become a financial analyst because I enjoy working with numbers and solving problems. I enjoy breaking down financial data to find patterns and insights. My background in business has taught me how to think strategically and make smart decisions. As a financial analyst, I can use these skills to help companies grow and make informed choices for my firm.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My work ethic has been one of the most important qualities I’ve carried with me throughout my journey. Each day, I strive to improve myself in some way, whether personally or professionally. While I’ve faced challenges like burnout and fatigue, I always find a way to push through and refocus my mindset to accomplish my goals. One of the best ways to develop a strong work ethic is by observing and learning from those who consistently push their limits to reach their objectives. For me, that person is my mother. She has worked tirelessly her entire life as a menial laborer, waking up every morning at 6 AM to travel into Manhattan and clean homes—just to ensure I could get an education. Her dedication inspired me to match that level of commitment and discipline in everything I do. Alongside my work ethic, perseverance and my ability to handle rejection have helped shape me as an entrepreneur. These two skills are essential in business; not every customer will be interested, and that’s okay. Learning to embrace rejection and keep going is key. A great way to build this resilience is simply by stepping out of your comfort zone—go up to people, present your ideas, and accept whatever response you get. Perseverance comes from within and is fueled by passion; when you truly love what you do, you won’t stop until you reach your goal.
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?
The most impactful thing my parents have done for me is demonstrate an unwavering commitment to hard work throughout my life. My mother has dedicated herself each day to ensuring I had everything I needed growing up, and now she does the same for my younger brother. One of my greatest motivations is to one day support my family so that she can retire and no longer feel the need to work. My father, now retired, plays an essential role at home, maintaining a clean environment and preparing three home-cooked meals every day. Beyond their efforts, both of my parents have consistently offered guidance and support that have shaped me into the person I am today. I know they take pride in the man I’ve become, and I carry their values with me in everything I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rollingcheflogistics.com/
- Instagram: rollingcheflogistics
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-padilla-30aa9a249/
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