Meet Tommy Marquez

We were lucky to catch up with Tommy Marquez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tommy, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I believe that I first got it when I was about 14 when I left home and became a street busker to get by and finished high school. I feel like I was pretty much capable of getting through any situation after graduating, getting a car, holding down jobs, and just simply moving forward in life. At the time it felt more like survival, but as I got older I realized that it kinda made me who I am today.

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?

My main focus right now is El Borracho Tacos, a food truck taco chain I started last October that’s been shaking things up in Austin’s taco scene. But even before El Borracho Tacos, I’ve been very focused and passionate about making positive changes in the food service industry. After working in it for years, I saw a lot of room for improvement, which is why I launched El Borracho Tacos and also currently developing Sousflex, a peer-to-peer and fee-less staffing app for restaurants.
What excites me most? Definitely tackling problems! With El Borracho, we focused on eliminating seed oils from Mexican cuisine altogether. Seed oils are a big health concern, and we’re thrilled to be making waves in the food truck scene so early on.
El Borracho Tacos embodies the spirit of the food industry – it’s chaotic, passionate, and requires a ton of love! That’s our motto: “crafted with love, fueled by chaos!” We put that energy into creating a unique menu that keeps Austin’s taco lovers excited.
Speaking of exciting developments, we just recently expanded into a food truck chain! You can expect us to be popping up all over Austin, bringing delicious, non-seed-oil tacos closer to your neighborhoods. We’re also currently seeking additional funding to fuel this growth, and we just updated our menu with even more amazing options. Right now, you can find us in our permanent locations at Hotel Vegas and Sunnys Backyard in East Austin.
I’m incredibly passionate about what I do, and I’m excited to share El Borracho Tacos and Sousflex with the world!

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 think having a plan is the most important besides not giving up on the goal. Other things like learning from mistakes, and being open to sacrifice are also very important.

My advice would be to be ready to mess up and to just keep that motivation going. In the end you’ll either learn lessons if you fail and can do better the next time around or you’ll be successful and really feel like you earned it. The journey is always the best part.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Swarmwise is my favorite book of all time. It shows you that no matter who you are up against anything is possible if you are strategic and willing to put in the work.

My only nugget of wisdom is to take risks and to surround yourself with people who lift you up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vivaelborracho.com
• Instagram: Elborrachotacos
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommy-marquez-56520811a?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Twitter: Elborrachotacos

Image Credits

David Castro & Brian Bruner